[“Hurry up... I’m waiting for you.”]

Hou Zihao stayed in D City for two more days, with Zhou Leqi as his guide, and the two of them explored the city together.

Though called a guide, Zhou Leqi wasn’t very familiar with the place either. They wandered around aimlessly, and once they even got lost in a small alley. Hou Zihao had to ask for directions for quite some time before he managed to lead her out. She felt embarrassed about it and decided to just take him to the beach afterward.

The sea was vast and tranquil. The two days he stayed happened to be sunny, and the bright, warm winter sun cast shimmering reflections on the water. Sometimes they collected seashells on the beach; other times, they ran back and forth with the ebbing and flowing tides out of boredom. Most of the time, they did nothing but sit by the beach, watching the sea and the sky.

They enjoyed their relaxing moments, but soon enough, Zhou Leqi faced Hou Zihao’s questioning. He grilled her about her progress on her winter vacation homework and extracurricular studies, earnestly emphasizing, “You must study hard, alright? Yan Lin is no joke. If you’re not careful, you’ll fall behind.”

…He was still fixated on the passing standard she mentioned casually a few days ago.

After studying for over a decade, Zhou Leqi had never been doubted so much about her academic abilities. It left her speechless. She repeatedly assured him that she understood, but he didn’t seem to believe her. He urged her to return to A City so he could supervise her studies, but she just laughed it off, again saying she understood.

In the evenings, he would walk her home. The first day went smoothly, but on the second day, they were unfortunately spotted by Zhou Leqi’s cousin, Yu Sisi. Zhou Leqi blushed furiously, too embarrassed to utter a coherent sentence. Hou Zihao remained composed, greeting Yu Sisi calmly before leaving. Before he turned away, he made a phone gesture to Zhou Leqi.

Yu Sisi was incredibly nosy. As soon as Hou Zihao walked a bit further away, she excitedly grabbed Zhou Leqi’s arm, bombarding her with questions. “Qi Qi Qi Qi, who was that? Your boyfriend? He’s so handsome!”

Zhou Leqi couldn’t bring herself to confirm or deny it. Seeing her hesitation, Yu Sisi immediately understood, exclaiming with excitement, “Ah, young people have it good! You should find a partner in high school—once you’re older, it gets harder. Look at me, still single!”

She rambled on endlessly.

Zhou Leqi, her face flushed, listened to her cousin’s chatter for a while before pleading with her not to tell the family about him yet. She wanted to wait until after the college entrance exam to make things official. Yu Sisi readily agreed, winking playfully at Zhou Leqi. “I get it, secret romance, right? How could I ruin such a beautiful little affair? Don’t worry, don’t worry!”

…Which only made Zhou Leqi even more uneasy.

On the third day, Hou Zihao had to leave. His father had likely been pressuring him to return home, calling nonstop to urge him back.

Zhou Leqi noticed this and started pushing him to go home too, even more insistently than his family. He sighed helplessly, saying, “Fine, I’m nobody’s favorite anyway. No one wants me around.”

Deep down, she was reluctant to see him go. When she accompanied him to the train station, she felt a pang of sadness, prompting him to comfort her instead. Pulling her into an embrace, he teased, “Maybe I should cancel my ticket. My mom’s already mad at me—it doesn’t matter if I stay a few more days.”

This made her laugh again.

She gently pushed him away, urging him to check in. “Go on... I’ll head back in a couple of days.”

Just then, the station’s announcement reminded passengers to board. Realizing it was time, he gave her one last look, said, “See you in a few days,” and turned toward the gate.

As he turned, an overwhelming sense of reluctance surged within her. She hadn’t expected to feel so attached to him. Even though they were only parting for a few days, her reaction was intense. While she stood there dazed and saddened, she suddenly felt a tug at her waist, followed by the familiar scent enveloping her.

—He had returned, kissing her in public.

The tall, handsome boy and the beautiful girl made a striking couple, drawing attention from passersby in the waiting hall. Some even chuckled warmly at the sight.

Her heart fluttered again as she heard the boy she liked whisper softly after a quick kiss, “Hurry up... I’m waiting for you.”

This time, his urging finally worked. After returning home, Zhou Leqi began discussing plans to return to A City with Yu Qing.

It was now the third day of the lunar new year, and they’d been in D City for over half a month. Though Yu Qing was reluctant to leave her parents’ house, she also felt it was time to return. Thus, they booked tickets for the fifth day of the new year.

On the day of departure, the family came to see them off, hugging and offering blessings. The elders wished Zhou Leqi success in the college entrance exam and encouraged her to rest and relax. She nodded in agreement. Yu Qing exchanged a few words with Yu Sisi, shyly asking if she could send more videos from food bloggers and recommend tutorials on video editing. Yu Sisi readily agreed, sweetly wishing her aunt prosperity.

Once aboard the train, Zhou Leqi’s mood lifted. She hadn’t told Hou Zihao she was returning today and planned to surprise him. She imagined the expression he’d have when he saw her, and the mere thought filled her with sweetness and excitement.

Lost in her own little world, she didn’t notice she was already smiling until she caught Yu Qing’s curious gaze. Quickly regaining composure, she smoothed her hair to cover her smile.

“Mom…” she began awkwardly, “…is something wrong?”

Yu Qing smiled and asked, “You and Xiao Hou…”

Those four words sent Zhou Leqi into a panic. Her face turned red, and her thoughts grew sluggish under the pressure. After a moment, she managed to ask, “…Did my cousin say something?”

Yu Qing smiled and nodded. “Your cousin means well.”

Zhou Leqi lowered her head, nervously picking at her fingers.

“That boy is quite good,” Yu Qing said gently, though somewhat hesitantly. “But isn’t the college entrance exam coming up soon…? Ah, well, it’s your decision. Mom won’t interfere.”

Zhou Leqi remained silent, her ears burning red, nodding quietly.

Yu Qing fell silent for a moment, then couldn’t resist asking, “Xiao Hou’s father is a doctor, right? What about his mother? What does she do?”

…Already prying.

Zhou Leqi stammered, unable to answer clearly, and mumbled, “I don’t know,” to deflect the question. Yu Qing nodded, glancing at her daughter, and asked, “These past few days… where has Xiao Hou been staying?”

Zhou Leqi realized what her mother was really asking and quickly explained, “He stayed at a hotel. I only took him there the first day and haven’t seen him since…”

Yu Qing nodded again, neither confirming nor denying whether she believed the explanation.

Zhou Leqi’s heart raced. Finally, unable to hold back, she secretly texted Hou Zihao, telling him that Yu Qing knew about his trip to D City and that she wanted to share her worries.

He replied shortly after, with just two words: “How wonderful.”

And that same day, he went to the station to pick them up.

Hou Zihao’s attitude toward being caught was entirely different from Zhou Leqi’s. Far from feeling troubled, he seemed pleased, as if he had received early official approval. He arrived at the station an hour early. Standing out in the crowd due to his height and good looks, Yu Qing spotted him from the escalator.

This kid… he really is handsome.

Not only was he good-looking, but he also knew how to behave. He greeted Yu Qing politely as “Auntie,” striking just the right balance—not overly familiar, nor overly reserved. His manners reflected his good upbringing. He offered to carry their luggage, which felt heavy to Zhou Leqi and Yu Qing but seemed light as a feather in his hands. Reliable and thoughtful.

He also brought gifts, neatly packed in a square box. No one knew what it was. At first, Yu Qing insisted on refusing, saying he was too polite, but when she realized Zhou Leqi had prepared a gift for him too, as if exchanging presents, she let it slide.

Adults should mind their own business when it comes to children’s affairs.

On the way out of the station, the two whispered to each other. Zhou Leqi kept pressing Hou Zihao about his gift, but he mysteriously refused to reveal it, instead asking, “You tell me first. What did you give?”

Zhou Leqi didn’t hesitate much and answered directly, “Sea cucumbers.”

He paused. “…Sea cucumbers?”

She nodded, blushing slightly. “Take them home… for your parents to eat.”

He understood: So he was just a deliveryman. The gift wasn’t even for him.

He sighed, unsure whether to feel happy or dissatisfied. Then he heard her ask again, “Your turn. Tell me, what is it?”

He smiled, raising an eyebrow. “A computer.”

Zhou Leqi froze. “A computer?”

Could it be…

“Yes,” he confirmed her suspicions immediately. “I just got lucky and won it at the company’s annual event.”

How could that be… Of course, it was rigged.

Zhou Leqi didn’t think he could pull off such a scheme, but she was shocked by the value of the gift. She shook her head immediately. “No, no, this is too expensive. Take it back.”

She moved to catch up with Yu Qing and retrieve the gift box.

Seeing this, he quickly pulled her back and lowered his voice. “It was a prize—I didn’t spend a dime. No one in my family uses it; wouldn’t that be a waste?”

Giving it to her was different. She’d need a computer for university, or her mother could use it.

His reasoning started to convince her, and she found herself drawn to the gift. She knew her mother wanted to learn video editing, and a computer was essential. The timing of this gift was impeccable. Still, she doubted he could have won a computer so conveniently and suspiciously asked, “Did you really win this?”

“Of course,” he fibbed nervously, quickly changing the subject to avoid being caught. “Hurry up, hurry up. Auntie’s already far ahead of us.”

He evaded the issue.

With the new year over, winter break gradually approached its end. Senior three students had to return for mock exams before the Lantern Festival. This was a provincial-level joint exam, and its importance went without saying.

Both Zhou Leqi and Hou Zihao entered a frenzied study mode. They both understood the stakes, so despite their recent infatuation with each other, they remained disciplined and focused on their priorities. They met daily in the study room, not leaving until they had studied for at least eight hours.

When immersed in focus, time flew by. Their days spent together also passed in the blink of an eye. They always felt like they had barely seen each other before the holiday rushed to an end.

And then—

The joint exam arrived.