MC - Chapter 17

Autumn had fallen silent. Birds were flying south, and the campus was utterly still.

After voicing the question that had long weighed on her heart, Zhang Rufan couldn’t suppress her anxiety—afraid to hear the answer, but also afraid not to.

"Your reaction time’s really something—five years later, and now you finally think to ask me that?" Shen Mingjin, in contrast to her tightly wound tension, remained calm and composed. He didn’t shy away from the topic or try to skirt around it. From the very beginning, he had been straightforward about his youthful feelings—never trying to cover them up, and certainly never denying them.

"I didn’t grow up in Shangjing. My parents divorced when I was in the final year of middle school. After that, I came back here with my mom." Shen Mingjin glanced over. "Do you know which school I transferred to?"

A thought flashed in Zhang Rufan’s mind. “Don’t tell me…”

"Yep. The Affiliated School—same one as you." Seeing the surprise on her face, Shen Mingjin gave a small laugh. "I figured you wouldn’t know."

"Not only did we go to the same high school, we were even at the same middle school—for a semester," he added after a moment. "Our classes were right next to each other."

Zhang Rufan searched her memory, trying to recall any trace of him during those years—but nothing came. She frowned slightly. “I don’t remember at all.”

"Not surprising. We never said a word to each other back then."

"Then why did you…" Her voice trailed off.

"You lost your temper in the teachers’ office once—remember that?"

Zhang Rufan rarely acted on impulse, so the few rash moments she had stood out clearly in her memory. As soon as Shen Mingjin mentioned it, the scene came rushing back.

"You were that transfer student?"

Shen Mingjin nodded.

Zhang Rufan froze.

She had once watched a debate competition. The topic was: When a family suddenly experiences upheaval and the child is approaching college entrance exams, should parents be honest or keep the truth from them?

Zhang Shengyi had always stood firmly on the side of honesty. Whether it was remarriage or having another child, he believed in telling her outright. To him, she was part of the family and had a right to know what was happening. Learning to accept and adapt to those changes was a necessary part of growing up. Shielding her with white lies would only hinder her development as a person.

The night after her first major mock exam in middle school, he had told her he was getting remarried.

Zhang Rufan had always understood that parents—people—had their own lives to live, even if they had children. They had the right to make decisions without being bound by their kids’ expectations. After her mother died, Zhang Shengyi had left the military and raised her alone for ten years. His decision to remarry had long felt inevitable, though for some reason it had taken longer than she expected.

She had said nothing at the time. She thought she could accept it.

But that night, she couldn’t sleep.

The next day at school, she was late and got called into the teachers' office to stand as punishment. While she waited, she overheard the homeroom teacher of the neighboring class complaining bitterly to a subject teacher about a new transfer student. But what he said wasn’t just harsh—it crossed the line of what a teacher should ever say.

The homeroom teacher accused the student of being lazy, good-for-nothing, just killing time every day—and of all places, landing in his class. He said the student had scored dead last in the mock exam, dragging down the class average and tanking the overall ranking, which would now hurt his own teaching evaluation. He went on and on, blaming the student for everything, and finally scoffed that the kid had no future, wouldn’t make it into high school, and was destined to do nothing but hard labor.

As a teacher, his words were appalling.

Zhang Rufan had already been in a bad mood that day, and now, hearing him spout off so shamelessly, with no sense of professional ethics, pushed her over the edge. Fueled by emotion, she abandoned any sense of deference and walked straight up to the teacher, calmly but firmly refuting every word he had said.

It may have been an impulsive act, but her argument was calm, composed, and precise.

She told the teacher that one student's scores couldn't possibly be the sole reason for the class's performance drop—and that if anyone needed to reflect, it was the teacher himself. A teacher shouldn’t discriminate; even struggling students deserved basic respect. No one had the right to make sweeping declarations about someone else's future. She looked him in the eye and asked, “How do you know he won’t succeed someday?”

In full view of the entire staff room, a student stood there and said to a teacher:

 “You’re not a qualified educator.”

“I was standing outside the office that day, waiting to be called in,” Shen Mingjin said, a soft smile of remembrance on his face. “And I thought you were incredible—like one of those heroines from martial arts novels, standing up for justice.”

Zhang Rufan blinked in realization. So that’s where the “heroine” in the letter had come from.

“They called your parents in afterward. Did you get scolded for it?”

Zhang Rufan shook her head.

Her father, Zhang Shengyi, had come to the school that day. Once he understood the full story, he only criticized her for being late. He didn’t blame her at all for confronting the teacher.

Shen Mingjin rubbed the back of his head. “After I transferred, I really was kind of a mess, especially with my parents divorcing. But what you said that day in the office… it got to me. The homeroom teacher said I had no future, but I wanted to prove him wrong. More than that, I wanted to prove you right.”

“That’s why I joined the school basketball team. Before the high school entrance exam, I trained like crazy, competed in tournaments, and finally got into the same high school as you—as a sports recruit.”

Zhang Rufan hadn’t expected that Shen Mingjin’s decision to pursue sports had anything to do with her. She was stunned—and deeply moved.

“After that day, I always kept an eye on you. If you ask me why I liked you... I can’t really say exactly. You just gave me a feeling that no one else did.”

There was nothing flippant in his tone—only quiet sincerity.

Zhang Rufan was completely stunned.

She had never imagined that the person she had impulsively defended in junior high had been Shen Mingjin. Nor had she imagined that he had noticed her so early on—and that he had developed feelings for her even before they truly knew each other.

"In our first year of high school, we weren’t in the same class, so I’d find excuses to drop by yours. After the class reshuffling in sophomore year, I thought I’d finally get a bit closer to you. But you weren’t exactly the friendly type. I was worried that if I talked to you too often, you’d find me annoying, so I always used the sports meet as an excuse to bug you about signing up.” Shen Mingjin chuckled as he recalled the memory, a grin spreading across his face. He pointed to himself and added, “Every time I came over, you looked at me like I was your mortal enemy.”

He spoke of his youthful crush with no hint of embarrassment. To him, even if those feelings were immature, they had been real—pure and earnest. He had treasured them, and never felt they were something to be ashamed of or hidden.

“I actually meant to write all of this in the letter,” he continued, “but I wasn’t confident I could explain it properly—I’m not exactly good with words. Later, I figured I’d tell you in person after you read the letter and understood how I felt. But…” He gave a helpless shrug. The implication was clear: Zhang Rufan had rejected him before he even got the chance to say anything.

Because of a family upheaval, she’d lashed out—and that anger had caught Shen Mingjin’s attention. Years later, because of another family upheaval, she’d lost her temper again—and missed his letter, misunderstood his intentions, and turned him down.

And the very words she had used to reject him were a contradiction to what she’d once said when she had defended him years ago. Thinking of that, Zhang Rufan could only imagine how disappointed he must have felt back then—and the realization made her ache with regret.

She couldn’t decide whether Shen Mingjin was a gift or a cruel joke from fate—but whatever the case, this time, she wasn’t going to let fate decide for her.

There was no hesitation in her now. She spoke with rare decisiveness:

 “Even if you don’t mind what I said at the pep rally, I do. So I want to ask you for a chance—to let me explain.”

Her solemn tone was contagious. Shen Mingjin unconsciously straightened his posture, his expression serious as well. “Go ahead.”

Zhang Rufan pressed her lips together for a moment before finally voicing what she had been holding in for so long.

“On the day of the pep rally, I happened to overhear a conversation between my dad and Aunt Hui…”

She paused and gave a quick explanation of her family background. “My mom passed away when I was really young. Aunt Hui is my father’s second wife.”

“I found out that Aunt Hui was pregnant, so I wasn’t in a great mood that day. After the rally, Cheng Yi came to me and said the boys in class were playing Truth or Dare. I thought you… came to me because of the game. I thought it was a joke, so I deliberately said those things to brush you off.”

“I always assumed it was just a prank. I never imagined you were serious.”

Shen Mingjin was silent for a moment. Then he shook his head, smiled in quiet relief, and said, “No wonder you went cold on me after that day.”

Zhang Rufan shifted uncomfortably. “Did I?”

“You wouldn’t even look me in the eye. I thought you hated me,” Shen Mingjin said, rubbing his forehead with a bit of frustration. “On the day of the pep rally, I told those guys not to play games in class. Getting caught would mean another scolding from the teacher.”

He paused, then said thoughtfully, “If it hadn’t been for that misunderstanding…”

Shen Mingjin glanced at Zhang Rufan, but before he could finish, he saw her shake her head. His heart sank with disappointment, but then she quietly said, “I don’t know.”

Zhang Rufan frowned, her expression conflicted. She couldn’t imagine how she would have reacted to Shen Mingjin’s confession without that misunderstanding. Most likely, she would have refused anyway—back then, she hadn’t realized he was someone special to her.

Without that misunderstanding, their paths might have been different—or they might have never crossed at all. The only thing certain was that they wouldn’t be standing here now, baring their hearts to each other.

Thinking that, Zhang Rufan actually felt a little grateful.

Shen Mingjin wasn’t the type to dwell on “what ifs” or get stuck in regrets. He knew that outcomes come from many factors, and some things just can’t be undone. He only replayed the pep rally scene briefly before pushing all those thoughts aside.

“I always knew you didn’t mean it,” Shen Mingjin said, his tone lighter now. Though he’d said before that her rejection didn’t bother him, back then it had truly hurt.

“It must have been tough to keep it all bottled up inside,” he added.

Zhang Rufan nodded.

“Then why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because you said the past was behind us, and I thought you didn’t want to hear it.”

“...” Shen Mingjin caught himself with a light cough. “Alright, now that the misunderstanding’s cleared, you don’t need to carry that burden anymore.”

Zhang Rufan parted her lips hesitantly, seeming to want to say something more.

Noticing her, Shen Mingjin smiled and said cheerfully, “Just say whatever’s on your mind.”

She lifted her eyes to his, her gaze flickering nervously. She wasn’t used to opening up, but if she didn’t speak now, everything she was about to say would be meaningless.

“You said before that my words when I rejected you made you give up on me...” Her heart was pounding like a drum as the words left her mouth. She felt this was the most nervous she’d ever been.

Shen Mingjin immediately understood what she meant. His heart skipped a beat, surprise melting quickly into joy.

The corners of his mouth twitched upward, but afraid of showing too much emotion, he raised a hand to lightly cover his lips, coughed, and suppressed his smile.

 “Are you afraid I really gave up on you?” he asked.

Zhang Rufan pressed her lips together and nodded solemnly.

Shen Mingjin wanted to ask why, but the words vanished before they left his mouth. After a moment’s silence, he asked instead, “If I really had given up, what would you do?”

Zhang Rufan furrowed her brow, as if deep in thought.

Inside, Shen Mingjin felt both joy and unease. He seemed a little afraid of her answer, so he pressed on, “Ace of Hearts, you really do want to chase after me, don’t you?”

If before Zhang Rufan had been confused and lost, now she had parted the fog in her heart just enough to catch a glimpse of her true feelings.

“Mm.” She nodded, following her heart.

Shen Mingjin’s chest relaxed, his eyes sparkling with delight as he said, “Then don’t worry about whether I’ve given up or not. Even if I had, you’d still have to have the determination and grit to bring me back—just like you do in long-distance running. Never give up until you reach the finish line.”

He met her gaze steadily, as if lending her strength, and encouraged, “Don’t be afraid you’ll overwhelm me. The more passionate you are, the better—I can handle it.”

1. 附中 (Fùzhōng) – Short for "Affiliated High School," a common name for prestigious schools linked to universities.

2. 一模 (Yīmó) – The first mock exam for the high school or college entrance exams.

3. 体特生 (Tǐtèshēng) – A sports recruit, a student admitted to a school based on athletic talent.

4. 侠女 (Xiánǚ) – "Heroine" or "female knight-errant," referencing chivalrous women in martial arts stories.

5. 真心话大冒险 (Zhēnxīnhuà Dàmàoxiǎn) – "Truth or Dare," a popular game among students.

6. 动员大会 (Dòngyuán Dàhuì) – "Pep rally," a school event to motivate students before exams or competitions.

7. 校队 (Xiàoduì) – "School team," referring to a sports team (e.g., track, basketball).

Characters

章入凡 (Zhāng Rùfán) – The protagonist.

沈明津 (Shěn Míngjīn) – A former classmate who wrote Zhang Rufan a love letter in high school, in her copy of Anne of Green Gables.

章胜义 (Zhāng Shèngyì) – Zhang Rufan’s father. 

李惠淑 (Lǐ Huìshū) – Zhang Rufan’s stepmother ("惠姨 Huìyí").

章梓橦 (Zhāng Zǐtóng) – Rufan’s much younger half-sister (~18 years age gap). 

章胜嫔 (Zhāng Shèngpín) – Rufan’s aunt (father’s sister). 

程怡 (Chéng Yí) – Rufan’s close friend from middle school. 

谢易韦 (Xiè Yìwéi) – High school class monitor who is getting married, prompting the reunion.

杜升 (Dù Shēng) – Someone Zhang Rufan didn't want to add as a friend on WeChat at first.

刘品媛 (Liú Pǐnyuán) – The planning department manager at OW.

孙璐 (Sūn Lù) – Zhang Rufan’s direct supervisor at OW, who goes by "Sister Lu" (璐姐, Lù Jiě).

袁霜 (Yuán Shuāng) – A friendly coworker in the planning department.

周慈 (Zhōu Cí) – Shen Mingjin’s mother

Sevyn here ~~~

Enjoy!