[“When will the college entrance exam finally come? I’m so impatient…”]

He would probably never know how much of a concession this was for her, but even so, her words—soft like a murmur and tinged with resignation—easily captured his heart.

She was immediately pulled into his tight embrace.

His arms felt colder than usual today, likely because he had been waiting for her outside in the cold for over two hours. But his breath was warm, even feverish with emotion.

“Are you serious?” His words were momentarily jumbled. “Do you mean what I think you mean?”

The intense fluctuation of his emotions undeniably pleased her, making her feel both happy and secure.

Unable to resist, she wrapped her arms around him, unreservedly snuggling close, her cheek gently brushing against the warmth of his neck.

“I’m serious…” Her happiness was soft and enduring. “I like you.”

I like you.

Even though our future is so uncertain.

Even though I stopped believing in the existence of true “love” a long time ago.

Even though I still believe that intimacy carries endless danger and pain.

I still… sincerely want to be with you.

In response, he tightened his hold on her waist, his breathing becoming more heated with emotion.

“Say it again.”

His voice grew hoarse as he made the request.

She laughed, her eyes overflowing with joy. She hadn’t felt this happy since everything fell apart at home. The happiness made her laugh uncontrollably, made her want to tell someone immediately, made her want to naively boast to the whole world.

It made her… want to tease him.

“I won’t say it,” she tried to push him away playfully. “Good words aren’t said twice.”

How could he let her go after working so hard to earn her rare display of affection? The tall boy had an undeniable physical advantage, and with just a little effort, he held her firmly in his arms.

He was so easily satisfied. Just a few words from her, and the anger that had governed his rationality just minutes ago had completely dissipated. He wasn’t mad at her anymore; instead, he had endless patience to spoil her. “Just say it one more time. I’ll record it.”

Zhou Leqi couldn’t help but laugh at him, lightly hitting him while still nestled in his arms. He, however, looked serious. “What are you laughing at? I really need to record it. What if you change your mind tomorrow? I’ll need proof.”

He truly adored her so much.

Zhou Leqi was charmed into continuous laughter, both of them brimming with joy. Still, Zhou Leqi managed to retain a sliver of rationality, reminding him, “We’re not officially together yet. We have to wait until after the college entrance exam is successfully completed.”

Hou Zihao’s brows furrowed the moment he heard this, realizing there was a catch.

After pondering seriously for a moment, the first question he asked was, “What defines ‘success’? Are there specific scores or rankings?”

Zhou Leqi was taken aback, not having thought that far ahead. Only now, prompted by his question, did she start considering it. After a moment, she replied, “Let’s use the school ranking—we need to get first or second place.”

Hou Zihao raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you just let me figure out a way to make Yan Lin miss the exam?”

Zhou Leqi burst into laughter again at his joke.

He chuckled too, but he was still thinking, as if calculating the feasibility of the idea. After a while, he looked at her suspiciously and asked, “You’re not going to deliberately fail the exam to avoid being with me, are you?”

“…” Zhou Leqi was speechless. “Am I crazy?”

He scrutinized her for a moment, then decided she wouldn’t be that unreasonable. He relaxed slightly, but soon his brows furrowed again. “Do we really have to wait until the college entrance exam? The test is in June, and results won’t come out until July—that’s still over half a year away!”

He wanted to be with her right now.

Deep down, Zhou Leqi also felt that half a year was too long. But she couldn’t bear another failure in the college entrance exam. If she started dating him now and got distracted, what if they both failed? She couldn’t ruin his life along with hers.

Therefore, she remained firm, nodding slightly. She wanted to explain, but ultimately said nothing.

Her hesitation was silent. At first, Hou Zihao didn’t understand, but later he realized the complexity of her thoughts. As he understood, he felt even more compassion for her, which made him suddenly able to endure the wait for the next six months.

“Alright,” he sighed, pulling her into another gentle embrace, offering her all his understanding and care. “Starting today, I’ll study through the night. My final provincial ranking will definitely surpass your classmate’s.”

He was still hung up on Pei Qiming.

But perhaps it wasn’t really about Pei Qiming anymore. His intention might simply be to lighten her mood.

It worked. Zhou Leqi laughed again, feeling his embrace grow warmer and more comforting. She leaned into him completely, listening to his earnest complaint: “When will the college entrance exam finally come? I’m so impatient…”

Her heart softened further.

Unable to resist, she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. In that moment of closeness, she felt willing to share endless things with him and stay by his side forever.

She asked him, “I want to go to a university in Beijing… can you come with me?”

Let’s always be together, never apart—I’m making a promise about our future with you.

She heard him laugh—a low, charming laugh that sent ripples through her heart. Then he said, “Forget about universities in Beijing. How about Peking University? Tsinghua is fine, but I think Peking University suits us better.”

…Still targeting Pei Qiming.

Zhou Leqi laughed uncontrollably, nestled in Hou Zihao’s arms. Their hands were tightly clasped, fingers intertwined, their intimacy sparking a wave of emotion in Zhou Leqi’s heart. Overcome by an inexplicable passion, she impulsively stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek softly. Blushing, she whispered:

“...Okay.”

The night was tender and serene, but that didn’t stop the noisy bickering between Milan and Yan Lin elsewhere.

Milan used to love holidays, whether long or short—they always left her feeling refreshed and energized. But this winter break, she wasn’t happy. It meant fewer chances to see Yan Lin. Wasn’t this like taking her life?

Milan was downcast, unwilling to accompany Yan Lin and his friends to the internet café to play games. She sat listlessly, sulking. Yan Lin saw that this wasn’t sustainable. He knew that if he ignored Milan’s mood now, he’d face bigger trouble in a few days. So he canceled his gaming session with Ge Ao and Zhang Zhouning, turning back to have dinner with Milan instead.

This infuriated his friends, who cursed loudly: “Yan Lin, have you forgotten how you scolded Monkey before? Now you’ve ditched us too. What kind of car ride is this with four wheels turned into two?!”

Yan Lin paid no attention.

Having received a thousand yuan from Yan Hai a couple of days ago, Yan Lin was feeling quite flush. This allowed him to treat Milan to fried chicken once again.

Milan sat at a fast-food restaurant table, watching Yan Lin queue up to buy food. Tall and handsome, his cold demeanor made him stand out in the crowd. Girls from other schools were sneaking glances at him, and even middle school girls in uniforms were whispering about him.

Milan’s feelings about this were complicated.

On one hand, she was proud, thinking: See? My boyfriend is super handsome, smart, good at gaming, and has an amazing voice… Like a fan girl promoting her favorite idol.

On the other hand, she was sadder: Such a great boyfriend, how can I bear not seeing him for so long?!

By the time Yan Lin returned with the food, Milan was resting her chin on her hands, alternating between smiling and messing with her hair. Yan Lin frowned as he sat down, snapping his fingers in front of her. “What are you thinking about?”

Milan snapped out of her daze, pouting dramatically. She looked at Yan Lin tearfully. “Yan Lin, what should I do… I already miss you, and winter break hasn’t even started yet. My heart hurts from missing you.”

Yan Lin: “….”

Though he knew Milan was lively, he didn’t expect her to say something so outrageous without batting an eye. For a moment, he was both embarrassed for himself and for her, his face turning slightly red.

He quickly took a sip of cola to hide his discomfort and teased her, “You’re so hungry you’re talking nonsense—eat your food.”

“I’m not talking nonsense!” Milan complained. “I really will miss you. I’ll feel miserable without seeing you even for a day!”

He didn’t respond, so she sulked quietly. After a while, as if struck by an idea, she looked up at him with a sweet smile. “Hey, Yan Lin… can you tutor me during the break?”

Yan Lin: ?

“Yeah, I’ll need tutoring anyway during winter break. Those cram school teachers aren’t as clear as you, and they charge so much,” Milan’s eyes lit up. “Why don’t you tutor me? I can treat you to meals every day, or I can pay you tuition. It’s like transferring money between pockets—it’s such a great deal!”

She sounded so convincing.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Yan Lin said, exasperated. “If I tutor you, would you even listen?”

“Of course I would!” Milan nodded vigorously. “I’ll do whatever you say. If I go to cram school, I won’t listen because I’ll be too busy missing you to focus…”

Yan Lin: … Agreeing to be your boyfriend must have been a huge mistake.

He silently cursed himself, but to be honest, he was somewhat swayed. Helping her with math and English wouldn’t be a problem. Milan struggled most with math and geography—and geography, leaning towards science, was something he excelled at before choosing his major. With a bit of review, he could help her avoid wasting money on cram school…

Milan knew Yan Lin well. Seeing his expression, she knew there was a chance, so she quickly pushed her agenda. Before Yan Lin could react, she started calling him “Teacher Yan,” much to his annoyance.

As he tried to resist, Milan suddenly spotted something. Her eyes widened as she pointed out the window and exclaimed, “Oh!”

Yan Lin turned around and, through the fast-food restaurant’s glass, saw two familiar faces.

It was Luo Siyu and Liu Jun, walking closely together as they crossed the street and entered a budget hotel.

Yan Lin’s personality was rather indifferent, so he didn’t care much about unrelated people or events. After a glance, he turned back to his food. Milan, however, was shocked. Her pupils dilated as she began chattering excitedly: “Oh my god, isn’t that the guy who came to our school for a lecture the other day? Luo Siyu is already hooking up with him? But… wasn’t she chasing after Hou Shen?”

Yan Lin remained uninterested, passing Milan a bag of fries. “Eat your food.”

Milan was still reeling from the shock, muttering in awe: “She’s so bold, so bold. Why don’t I have the guts to lure you into a hotel…”

Before she finished her sentence, she realized she had slipped and revealed her true desires. Horrified, she quickly patted Yan Lin’s back, trying to smooth things over. But even after he stopped coughing, he gave her a glare and scolded, “Milan… can you stop being so shameless? You’re supposed to be a young girl!”

Milan nodded obediently on the surface, promising to behave better next time. But deep down, she was fully embracing her inner flirt, even feeling a tinge of jealousy toward Luo Siyu. That woman’s got skills—better than mine.

She stewed in her dissatisfaction for a moment, but then brightened up. Luo Siyu’s done one good thing: at least her scandal has secured Yan Lin’s agreement to tutor me.

Great.