DXXZL - 35

Early in the morning, the Grade 12 students who were attending make-up classes rushed to the forest as soon as they arrived at school. Everyone craned their necks, searching for the faintly visible star-shaped lights hidden among the lush branches. A group of boys scoured the area, enthusiastically discussing what they found.

“I see them! They’re so well-hidden! If you don’t look carefully, you’d never notice them!”

“Who would normally look up at the branches? There must be thousands of stars! I wonder how long it took to put them up! Last night was absolutely mind-blowing! So romantic!”

“The real question isn’t how long it took to put them up—it’s who could pull off something like this? This is a massive project!”

“Could it have been Lu Ji? He did win first place in the national physics competition. If he wanted to do it, he definitely could. Plus, yesterday was Zhu Xingyao’s birthday, and we all saw them there last night. It must’ve been him! Maybe it was a confession!”

“There must be a switch controlling those lights, right? Let’s go find it!”

A group of students began searching the forest for the switch.

Before they could find it, someone shouted, “Director Liu is here!”

Director Liu stood outside the forest, his beer belly protruding, hands on his hips as he bellowed, “Class is about to start! What are you all doing here? Get back to the classroom immediately!”

The students scattered, sprinting toward the teaching building. Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi blended into the crowd, only stopping once they were far enough away. Li Xixi, still buzzing with excitement from the previous night, turned to Zhu Xingyao and said, “Lu Ji went all out for you. Aren’t you even a little moved?”

Zhu Xingyao quickly pulled her aside. “Keep your voice down! Actually…”

Li Xixi clapped a hand over her mouth. Just then, Zhu Xingyao turned her head and saw Lu Ji and Zhou Yuan approaching from behind. Their gazes met unexpectedly, and she abruptly cut off her words, hurriedly pulling Li Xixi away and quickening her pace.

Lu Ji watched her retreating figure, his heart heavy with bitterness and complexity. Meanwhile, Zhou Yuan kept talking incessantly like a megaphone. “How long did it take you to set up those lights? Xu Xiangyang said it wasn’t easy. Even if you worked fast, it would’ve taken at least a month to hang all of them. You hid it from us for so long without saying a word—couldn’t you have asked for help, bro?”

“Shut up!”

Annoyed, Lu Ji kicked him and strode off.

During morning reading, Director Liu and a few teachers from the academic affairs office found the switch. The teachers marveled at the sight. “These students these days are incredible! How dare they pull off something like this!”

Director Liu frowned. “So brazen, so reckless… it’s like they don’t even care about me!”

One teacher remarked, “Lu Ji doesn’t seem like the type to be this… wild. Could it really be him?”

They had heard some rumors circulating among the students, but without evidence, they couldn’t exactly call in the police for fingerprint analysis. Besides, Lu Ji had brought so much honor to the school—it wouldn’t look good if they accused him without proof.

After years of cracking down on early romances, Director Liu had never seen anything this outrageous.

As soon as class ended, the students began buzzing about the star-shaped lights again. Some even showed photos they had taken, sparking lively discussions.

Class 1 was particularly lively. Someone even called out to Zhu Xingyao directly. “Zhu Xingyao, those star lights were all for you, weren’t they?”

Another boy chimed in, “Definitely! Who else has a name with ‘star’ that could match thousands of stars in a confession? No one!”

Zhu Xingyao blushed guiltily, pressing her lips together. “Don’t talk nonsense. There was no name written on them.” Though deep down she knew they were for her, admitting it would only fuel endless gossip.

Back then, most people who were truly in early romances tended to keep things low-key.

Li Xixi quickly jumped in to defend her. “Exactly! Last night, so many people passed by. Did any of you actually see someone confess? No, right?”

Indeed, no one had…

Though the chatter died down, the whispers continued fervently behind closed doors. Even Ding Xiang secretly asked Li Xixi, “Were those star lights done by Lu Ji? Does this mean the goddess doesn’t belong to everyone anymore? Just tell me straight!”

Li Xixi rolled her eyes. “What do you mean, ‘belong to everyone’?”

Ding Xiang sighed dramatically, clutching his chest. “You wouldn’t understand.”

From the start of morning reading, Jiang Tu had been unusually silent and distant. After exchanging a few words with him, Zhu Xingyao sensed it. She glanced at his cold, handsome profile and suddenly felt restless, whispering softly, “Brother Tu, what’s wrong?”

In Zhu Xingyao’s eyes, Jiang Tu’s life was unlike anyone else’s she knew. His family situation was complicated, and he worked part-time jobs almost every day, interacting with people from all walks of life. He was mature beyond his years, steady and reliable, rarely showing his emotions unless something serious had happened.

Their seats faced the window, offering a clear view of the forest. Jiang Tu looked toward the forest, where he had hung those star-shaped lights. At the time, he had only thought of giving her a birthday gift, imagining the joy that would light up her eyes.

He hadn’t intended for her to know that he was the one who made them, but he also hadn’t expected everyone to assume it was Lu Ji’s work.

It seemed even she believed it.

Jiang Tu fell silent for a moment, a flicker of resentment rising within him, only to be forcefully suppressed. Swallowing hard, he asked softly, “Last night’s star lights… were they beautiful?”

Zhu Xingyao paused, remembering that he had skipped class and missed seeing them. She whispered, “Beautiful, very beautiful.”

Incredibly beautiful.

It was the most stunning and romantic scene she had witnessed in her seventeen years of life—a memory she would carry for many years to come.

She thought, perhaps no one would ever forget it.

But for some reason, she hesitated to express her awe more vividly.

Jiang Tu looked at her. “You liked them?”

Zhu Xingyao pressed her lips together, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. Her lashes lowered. “I liked them…”

That was enough.

Jiang Tu nodded slightly and stopped asking.

After a while, he pushed aside his pen and test papers, got up, and left his seat.

As soon as Jiang Tu vacated his seat, Zhu Xingyao’s view expanded, revealing a vast expanse of the forest. The window was open, and a sudden gust of wind blew in, scattering his test papers. She quickly reached out to press them down.

Glancing down, she noticed the messy handwriting on his test paper and froze momentarily before using a book to weigh them down. Leaning back in her chair, her hand instinctively tugged at the strap of her backpack tucked inside the desk. Inside her bag was a letter she had written the night before, carried over by an impulse that had lingered into the morning.

She tugged at the strap, feeling a strange tug in her heart.

Long ago, she had decided to go to Germany. Zhu Yunping and Ding Yu had repeatedly reminded her not to get involved in early romance—it simply wasn’t an option. Even without their reminders, she had never entertained the idea of dating. After all, long-distance relationships weren’t something to be taken lightly. Thus, she poured all her energy into her cello and studies.

The second class was math. Jiang Tu was two minutes late.

When he sat down, a breeze drifted in through the window. Zhu Xingyao thought she caught a faint whiff of tobacco—the same scent she had occasionally smelled on his collar. Turning her head, she saw that the emotion on his profile had softened, returning to its usual state.

Zhu Xingyao felt momentarily dazed. From the podium, Teacher Xie Ya called out, “Zhu Xingyao, come up and solve this problem.”

Pressing her lips together, she walked to the front and stumbled through the solution. Her steps were correct, but she miscalculated the final answer. Teacher Xie furrowed her brows, clearly dissatisfied, and turned to Jiang Tu. “Jiang Tu, share your answer.”

Jiang Tu stood up, his voice indifferent. “Sorry, teacher. I haven’t solved this problem yet.”

Returning to her seat, Zhu Xingyao bit her lip and recalculated the problem. Sighing, she slumped slightly, feeling deflated.

Throughout the entire morning, Lu Ji was surrounded during breaks. Boys asked him how he managed to pull it off, marveling at his ingenuity. Lin Jiayu sat nearby, rarely seeing him look so annoyed and uninterested in engaging with others. Yet, he didn’t deny that the star lights were his work.

Lin Jiayu grew increasingly irritated. She barely spoke to him throughout the morning. When she had seen those lights the previous night, she already knew what Jiang Tu had been doing all summer in his room. Those lights were Jiang Tu’s creation. She couldn’t understand why Lu Ji didn’t deny it.

Fueled by her frustration, her words carried a sharp edge whenever she spoke to Lu Ji. Already irritable, he ignored her entirely, leading to an inexplicable cold war between them.

At noon and in the evening, Lu Ji avoided Zhu Xingyao, opting to eat lunch and dinner off-campus. He brushed off Zhou Yuan’s inquiries. “With everyone watching my every move with her, wouldn’t it be stupid for me to seek her out now?”

Zhou Yuan’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh, right! You were so high-profile last night, reaching suborbital levels. It makes sense to lay low for a bit.”

Finally, during evening self-study. During the break after the first period, Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi went to the restroom. As Zhu Xingyao washed her hands, Li Xixi opened the stall door, looking distressed. “Stars, I’ve got my period. Do you have any pads?”

Zhu Xingyao quickly replied, “Wait a moment.”

She hurried back to the classroom to retrieve one. Between the short break and the delay caused by their detour, they were already five minutes late when they returned.

Li Xixi leaned over while washing her hands and whispered, “It’s been a whole day already. Haven’t you made up your mind yet? I know two years of love letters might not be enough to win your heart, but after such a grand gesture last night, how can you not respond? If it were someone else… well, forget it. You’re not like other girls anyway.”

“I…” Zhu Xingyao hadn’t told Li Xixi about the stolen first kiss. Perhaps because she was still too young, she felt too embarrassed to bring it up. She stared at the foggy mirror in the restroom. “Actually, I wrote a letter last night, but…”

“Ah! What did you write?!” Li Xixi turned her head excitedly, flicking water from her hands.

As they walked out of the restroom, most classes were in self-study mode, leaving the campus quiet. Zhu Xingyao whispered, “I said I accepted his confession.”

Li Xixi froze for a moment before growing excited again. “Then… then where’s the letter?”

Zhu Xingyao replied, “In my backpack.”

As they passed by Class 2, Zhu Xingyao didn’t dare look inside, but Lu Ji saw her. His lips tightened. Just as Zhu Xingyao reached the back door of her classroom, the lights outside suddenly illuminated. She paused, turning toward the window—the forest of star-shaped lights had come on again somehow.

After a brief silence, the entire Grade 12 teaching building erupted into cheers. “Wow! Who turned them on?!”

“It’s so beautiful! I left early last night and missed it!”

Pulled back to her seat by Li Xixi, Zhu Xingyao looked out at the forest once more. From this vantage point, it still looked stunning and breathtaking.

No one could focus on their self-study anymore. The students gathered noisily by the windows when Director Liu’s angry voice suddenly echoed across the campus: “Which brat turned them on?! If you don’t want detention, turn them off immediately!”

Another break between classes.

Lu Ji received the letter, delivered by Xu Xiangyang. He flipped it open, glanced at its contents, and froze.

The emotions swirling within him were indescribable. Was he happy? Yes, he was.

But at the same time, he felt restless and helpless. He thought of Zhu Xingyao’s overly bright eyes the previous night. That joy didn’t seem directed at him. If she knew those lights weren’t his creation, would she have written that letter?

Frowning, he heard Lin Jiayu suddenly speak up behind him. “Lu Ji, why didn’t you deny it?”

Caught off guard, he blinked. “Deny what?”

Lin Jiayu looked at him, whispering softly, “Those… lights. They weren’t made by you—I know that. But everyone thinks they were, even Zhu Xingyao. It’s unfair… You’re not that kind of person…”

Lu Ji turned to her, his lips curling slightly. “So you knew all along?”

Lin Jiayu remained silent, as if sulking.

Lu Ji didn’t like this feeling of having a stolen affection. He liked Zhu Xingyao, was willing to take his time pursuing her, and could compete fairly. But… he turned back, his tone cold. “If he wants to give me credit for it, am I supposed to explain on his behalf? I’m not that nice. If he wants to clarify, he can do it himself.”

Lin Jiayu cast him a glance, wanting to say, Do you think he doesn’t want to explain? But in the end, she said nothing, stewing silently in her frustration.

That same evening, after handing over the letter, Zhu Xingyao received a text from Lu Ji. It simply read: “Okay.”

The next day, the Grade 12 students had a holiday. September 1st marked the official start of the new school year.

Director Liu hadn’t dismantled the star-shaped lights. Every night, one or two daring students would sneak out to flip the switch. By now, even the freshmen and sophomores had heard the rumors. The forest had become something of a tourist attraction, bustling with activity.

Zhu Xingyao didn’t know what Li Xixi and Xu Xiangyang were like when they were together privately. When she spent time with Lu Ji, it felt much the same as before—eating meals with a group of friends, talking on the phone or texting at night. Sometimes, he’d ask her a few questions about German grammar.

On Wednesday afternoon, several classes had PE together. Just as Jiang Tu was about to start running, Lu Ji suddenly called out to him. “Jiang Tu, let’s play basketball.”

Jiang Tu paused, turned to look at him for a moment, and said, “Alright.”

This was Jiang Tu’s first time playing basketball since starting high school. When asked which position he wanted, he declared he’d play forward. Classes 1 and 2 quickly organized themselves for an impromptu game. Zhang Sheng sneered at Jiang Tu. “Can you even play? If not, step aside and let someone else take your spot.”

Jiang Tu shot him a cold glance and continued warming up.

Word spread among the girls that there was a basketball match between the two classes. Zhu Xingyao, dragged by Li Xixi to the best viewing spot, was startled to see Jiang Tu standing on the court. Li Xixi exclaimed, “Wow, Brother Tu is actually playing basketball! This is rare!”

Rare? No, this was his first time.

Jiang Tu hadn’t played basketball in two years, and Lu Ji had rarely played either due to his physics competition commitments. But both were forwards, and they clashed repeatedly—fighting for rebounds, defending, and positioning.

At first, Jiang Tu seemed a bit rusty, but by halftime, he had gradually found his rhythm.

During a timeout, Zhou Yuan leaned over and quietly said to Lu Ji, “Why does it feel like you and Jiang Tu are going all out?”

Lu Ji didn’t respond. The one desperate to go all out was Jiang Tu.

Drenched in sweat, his uniform soaked through and clinging to his lean back, Jiang Tu walked to the sidelines. Xia Jin sat nearby and handed him a bottle of water. He glanced at it but didn’t take it. Ding Xiang ran over and tossed him a bottle. “Brother Tu, you’ve worked hard!”

He removed his glasses and wiped them down.

A few seconds later, he abruptly raised his head and looked toward Zhu Xingyao. Lu Ji and Xu Xiangyang stood in front of her and Li Xixi.

With limited time for PE class, they only played one overtime period.

In the second half, Jiang Tu played without his glasses, his eyes half-closed and sharp with cold intensity. The game was filled with tension, practically crackling with hostility. In the final seconds, Xu Xiangyang prepared to shoot a three-pointer. Jiang Tu and Lu Ji stood under the basket, leaping simultaneously—one to defend, the other to intercept.

Their bodies collided fiercely, a loud thud echoing as they landed. Both instinctively stumbled backward a few steps, nearly falling over.

The three-pointer went in, securing a victory for Class 1. Cheers erupted from the crowd.

Jiang Tu glared at Lu Ji, then turned and walked toward the water tap at the edge of the court. Lu Ji followed him, ensuring no one was around before speaking bluntly. “Jiang Tu, you gave me credit for those star-shaped lights, and you also handed Zhu Xingyao over to me.”

Jiang Tu abruptly stopped in his tracks, stiffly turning his head to stare at Lu Ji. “What did you say?”

Under the blazing sun, sweat dripped from their foreheads to their jaws. Lu Ji’s lips curled slightly. “The night after Zhu Xingyao’s birthday, she sent me a letter saying she agreed to be my girlfriend.

“I won’t explain on your behalf—it was you who willingly gave her to me.”

Jiang Tu felt the sunlight pierce his eyes painfully. A surge of resentment welled up from deep within him. For a moment, he felt as though his breath had been stolen. Instinctively pressing a hand to his chest, he swallowed hard several times. After a long pause, he turned and walked away.

He turned into the nearby restroom, taking a deep breath at the corner. Stepping inside, he turned on the faucet and lowered his head under the rushing water, trying to calm himself. Calm down… calm down…

The water flowed loudly. Someone entered and gave him a strange look.

After a while, he abruptly raised his head, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot, brimming with unwillingness. The image staring back at him felt unfamiliar.

After PE came self-study.

Jiang Tu skipped half the class before returning to the classroom. Zhu Xingyao looked up at him. “Your glasses… Ding Xiang put them on the desk…”

He lowered his gaze to look at her, his silence making her uneasy.

Two seconds later, he sat down, his voice dry as he said, “Alright.”

That Friday—for the first time ever—Zhu Xingyao didn’t receive a letter from “J.”

During the afternoon self-study period, Cao Shujun entered the classroom and called her out. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Lu Ji and Teacher Xie Ya. Startled, she instinctively felt a bit afraid. Downstairs, she saw Director Liu.

Cao Shujun sighed. “Director Liu wants to have a talk with you.”