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The shop owner, Liang Chen, had been running this store for a year and knew many students from First High School—Chen Yang was no exception.

She enthusiastically recommended her shop’s milk tea. “These two are special couple drinks—the colors and flavors are different. Want to give them a try?”

Le Ya quickly waved her hands. “I’m not drinking—I’ll just let him choose.”

Before Chen Yang could say anything, she pointed at two cups on the poster and said, “Just these two, both for him.”

Liang Chen paused briefly. “Alright.”

Chen Yang asked, “You’re making me drink two cups?”

Le Ya replied, “You can share with someone else.”

Chen Yang chuckled in amusement. “You’re quite generous.”

Le Ya blinked, not catching the sarcasm in his tone, and softly said, “I have money—you don’t need to worry.”

With the second cup half-off discount, she didn’t want to waste it. Besides, if he couldn’t finish both, he could bring one back for a classmate.

She could afford two cups of milk tea.

Liang Chen couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Le Ya glanced at her, her ears reddening slightly.

On the shop’s walls were countless sticky notes left by previous customers. They could write whatever they wanted, covering an entire wall.

The main campus’ milk tea shops didn’t have this feature.

There were also several notes of the same color and shape arranged into a heart shape—all written by the same couple.

The earliest ones dated back to last year.

Le Ya leaned closer to take a look. Most of the notes were from couples, which surprised her. So many high school students were dating?

Weren’t they afraid of being caught by teachers?

Thinking about it, a pair from the neighboring class came to mind. Le Ya suddenly felt a bit envious of their carefree lives.

If it were her, she wouldn’t dare.

On one hand, she was too scared herself; on the other, if they were discovered, her father would find out, and she didn’t want to see his disappointed face.

Le Ya sighed softly.

________________________________________

Seeing Le Ya looking at the sticky notes, Liang Chen continued making the drinks while asking, “Did you hurt your face again?”

Chen Yang touched the band-aid and responded with a hum.

Liang Chen said, “You haven’t come by for a few days—I didn’t know. But this band-aid is pretty cute. I’ve never seen one like this before.”

Her usual ones were the plain yellowish-brown type—she’d never bought such cartoonish ones. They looked nice.

Chen Yang raised an eyebrow. “Someone gave it to me.”

At this, Liang Chen was slightly surprised, then seemed to recall something. She smirked and tilted her head toward the front. “Where did you find this adorable girl?”

Chen Yang leaned casually against the counter. “What about it?”

Liang Chen said, “Nothing, really. I just think she’s cute—and looks like a little rich girl. Are you planning to be kept by her?”

That earlier comment about having money almost made her burst out laughing.

Do students these days really talk like that?

Chen Yang glanced at the small figure standing several steps away, his eyes lowered. “She really is a little rich girl.”

She had been pampered since childhood, the little princess of the Le family, wanting for nothing, completely unaware of worldly hardships.

One might say she was incredibly naive.

But this kind of naivety… strangely evoked a desire to ruin it.

Under the warm lighting, half of Chen Yang’s face was in shadow. He spread his hands open, then slowly closed them again, his thoughts unreadable.

Liang Chen let out a soft whistle, placing the first cup of milk tea on the counter. “From the looks of it, you’re really serious about this?”

Chen Yang didn’t respond.

Liang Chen continued, “This year is senior year—it’s crucial. Don’t let anything unexpected happen. This is your only chance right now.”

Chen Yang lazily hummed in acknowledgment.

Hearing this completely perfunctory response, Liang Chen rolled her eyes and went back to making the milk tea.

When she finished and looked up, she saw the tall boy standing silently behind the girl, watching her as she read the sticky notes.

Liang Chen thought they actually looked quite well-matched.

She had met Chen Yang by chance. He rarely drank milk tea—maybe once or twice a month—and even then, it was usually with a group of people.

She remembered him solely because of his striking face.

They became more familiar after one particular night. That evening, she had closed the shop late and saw Chen Yang sitting on the roadside nearby, smoking, with wounds and blood on his face.

She offered some gauze and iodine, intending to help, but he refused, saying nothing, and treated his wounds himself.

Liang Chen winced just looking at it, yet he didn’t make a single sound.

If those wounds had been any deeper, his face might have been scarred. She still didn’t understand why all the injuries were on his face.

She didn’t know what happened to Chen Yang that night, but seeing him—a mere second-year student, practically still a child—made her feel deeply sorry for him as someone older.

However, Chen Yang himself didn’t seem to think much of it.

It was as though it were an ordinary occurrence.

After that, Chen Yang started visiting her shop more frequently. Whenever he came, the number of girls in the shop increased, and her business improved.

Liang Chen never pried into his affairs.

This delicate balance had persisted until now.

This was the first time she had seen him bring a girl here. The two were clearly from completely different worlds—one glance was enough to tell.

A girl like Le Ya, delicate and petite, evoked a protective instinct in Liang Chen. It was obvious that she came from a wealthy background.

And then there was Chen Yang.

More than anything, Liang Chen hoped someone could pull Chen Yang out of the mire and away from his past.

In one word: salvation.

As time passed, the shop grew busier.

After staring at the sticky notes for a long while, Le Ya turned around to check if the milk tea was ready. In doing so, she unexpectedly came face-to-face with Chen Yang.

Startled, she took a step back, bumping into a table. Slightly annoyed, she muttered, “Why are you suddenly standing here?”

“This isn’t a spot you bought,” Chen Yang said nonchalantly. His uniform hung loosely on his shoulders, giving him a rebellious air. His gaze shifted from her to the wall. “Do you want to write something?”

Le Ya shook her head. “No.”

Chen Yang’s lips curled slightly. “I won’t look.”

With that, he turned around, his back to Le Ya. His straight spine resembled a pine tree, and from behind, he looked like a diligent, model student.

Le Ya was well aware of how deceptive his outward appearance could be.

In truth, she was itching to write something. Due to her family background, she rarely visited places like this. It was only after befriending Xie Qingyu that she occasionally went.

Le Ya glanced at him for a few seconds, pulled out a sticky note, thought for a moment, and wrote down a few words. Then, after confirming that Chen Yang wasn’t peeking, she used her body to block the view and stuck it in a crowded spot on the wall.

Satisfied with her work, Le Ya smiled softly. If she hadn’t written it herself, she wouldn’t have been able to find which note was hers among the others.

Her eyes curved slightly, her mood lifting. She looked up at Chen Yang and reminded him in a soft voice, “I’m done.”

Her voice was gentle and pleasant to hear.

Chen Yang, hands in his pockets, turned around. Le Ya appeared so small in front of him—despite wearing the same uniform, she somehow looked much tinier.

He casually glanced at the wall.

Le Ya grew inexplicably nervous.

However, Chen Yang quickly shifted his gaze away, not asking what she had written. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

After such a long time, the milk tea should be ready by now.

Le Ya walked over to the counter and asked, “Is it ready?”

Upon hearing this, Liang Chen glanced at Chen Yang behind her, then nodded. “It’s ready. I’ll pack them separately for you.”

She placed the two cups of milk tea on the counter.

Le Ya was about to pay when Liang Chen subtly blocked her movement.

Without batting an eye, Liang Chen said, “Today’s a promotional event. You’re our 999th customer, so your drinks are free.”

Le Ya was taken aback and lowered her voice. “Are there really 999 people from First High School drinking milk tea here?”

Liang Chen: “… “

Chen Yang chuckled softly from behind.

Liang Chen felt a bit awkward. After thinking for a moment, she explained, “Of course, there aren’t that many today. This is the total number for the week.”

Le Ya nodded. “Thank you.”

Liang Chen hadn’t expected this reaction. Most people would have happily accepted the free drinks and left. Why did this girl care about the authenticity? If she had known, she would have just said 99 instead of exaggerating to 999.

Leaving the counter, Le Ya handed both milkshakes to him.

“Here, take it.”

Standing in front of him, she only reached his shoulder, so she had to tilt her head back even to speak.

When he didn’t reach out for a while, her arms grew tired. She slowly retracted and extended them again. “Do you still want it or not?”

Chen Yang finally took one cup.

Since they were large cups, they were quite heavy. He had observed her earlier movements and murmured softly, “So weak.”

With the music playing in the shop, Le Ya didn’t catch what he said. “What did you say?”

Chen Yang calmly replied, “Nothing.”

Le Ya responded with a soft “Oh.”

Seeing that she still held one cup, she glanced at him, noticing he didn’t intend to take it. “I’ll hold onto it for now and give it to you when you need it.”

Chen Yang didn’t respond.

The girls at the neighboring table were still chatting. “… They even bought couple-themed milk teas. If they aren’t together, I won’t believe it.”

Another girl chimed in, “I can’t believe it. It’s only been over a month since senior year started, and Chen Yang, who’s usually untouchable, has been ‘caught’ by a younger schoolmate…”

Le Ya wanted to protest. She wasn’t a younger schoolmate!

Did she really look that young?

More importantly, both cups of milk tea were for Chen Yang.

Feeling frustrated, Le Ya rubbed her earlobes and followed behind Chen Yang, leaving the shop with her head hanging low.

It was already dark outside, colder than inside the shop.

Away from the prying eyes of some girls in the shop, Le Ya felt much more relaxed. The chatter in her ears had disappeared.

She raised her head and asked, “Are we going back now?”

Chen Yang hummed softly, suddenly recalling something, and asked with interest, “Are you afraid of me?”

Caught off guard by the question, Le Ya was surprised. Looking up to see him watching her, she quickly lowered her gaze and stared at the milk tea in her hand.

After hesitating, she lowered her voice and muttered, “Who… who made you act so perverted before…”

Upon hearing the word “perverted,” Chen Yang raised an eyebrow.

“Perverted?”

“No… it’s just very…” Le Ya furrowed her brows, struggling to find a word to describe it. “Terrible.”

Chen Yang couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

Perhaps she had been bullied too much before.

Le Ya found it strange that he could laugh after being called “terrible.” Maybe he had heard such comments too many times.

Thinking about it, she actually felt a bit sorry for him.

But that sympathy was quickly replaced by memories of his past misdeeds. There were so many, each more outrageous than the last.

An unknown fragrance lingered in the air.

Le Ya took a deep breath and licked her lips.

Amused, Chen Yang asked, “You haven’t eaten dinner yet?”

Le Ya let out a soft “Ah” and shook her head. “No, but I’ll eat later when I get home. Do you want to go eat first?”

Her eyes sparkled, clearly hoping they could part ways.

Chen Yang smirked maliciously. “I’m not eating either.”

Le Ya’s shoulders slumped, and she wrinkled her delicate nose, feeling a bit disappointed but still mustering her spirits.

On the other side of the road, they happened to stand in front of a bookstore. Some students passed by in front of them.

Le Ya suggested, “Why don’t you go back first? I still want to visit the bookstore.”

Chen Yang said, “I’ll go too.”

Le Ya wanted to ask why he was going but decided against it. Instead, she turned and walked ahead on her own.

The bookstore was across from the milk tea shop.

It was evening, and there weren’t many people around. Le Ya already had all her study materials, but she wanted to buy a few books with good writing to improve her essays.

She loved reading such books. At home, an entire bookshelf was filled with collections of essays—beautiful writings from both domestic and international authors.

The bookstore was illuminated by cold white light.

The song A Little Happiness played softly in the background. The first floor was filled with various stationery items, while the second floor housed reference materials and novels.

Le Ya asked a staff member and headed straight to the second floor.

She hadn’t been in the new campus area for long and wasn’t familiar with the layout. After looking at the labels on the bookshelves for a while, she confirmed where she needed to go.

The selection here differed from the main campus.

Le Ya browsed through the shelves, unsure of what to buy.

Chen Yang leaned against a bookshelf, watching her pick things up and examine them. “You’ve been looking for so long, and you haven’t chosen anything yet?”

His tone was light and teasing as his eyes swept over the book in her hand.

Le Ya huffed softly and muttered, “What’s it to you?”

Chen Yang said, “I’m just worried you won’t find any books to buy.”

Frustrated, Le Ya randomly grabbed a book and shoved it into his arms without looking at it. “You should read more books.”

Chen Yang caught the thin book as it fell into his hands.

He turned it over and saw the title, his eyebrows twitching slightly.

Looking at Le Ya’s oblivious expression, he curved his lips and suddenly leaned in, whispering, “So you want to kiss me, huh?”

Le Ya’s face flushed red, and she blurted out, “You’re insane…”

The bookstore prohibited loud noises, so she lowered her voice, her breathing shallow, sounding as if she were sneaking around.

Hearing her response, a soft laugh escaped Chen Yang’s throat. He turned the book toward her innocently. “You gave it to me yourself.”

He mimicked her earlier hushed tone.

Seeing the title, Le Ya became even angrier.

This book she had randomly picked—the name was unexpectedly like this, and it was even a question.

—Can I Kiss You?