Li Mo

For the next period of time, Liang Xinchong and Li Mo carried out their "exterior breakup" flawlessly.

In the classroom, they seemed like two parallel lines.

Li Mo sat in her seat doing calculations, while Liang Xinchong buried himself in his books in the last row.

During breaks, if one goes to get water, the other will never get up at the same time; if they meet in the corridor, their eyes will briefly meet before quickly looking away, without even a moment of extra pause.

This deliberate, all-encompassing distancing is more convincing than a big argument—it makes them truly finished.

In the girls' dormitory, Tang Keqing, watching Li Mo's unwavering study routine and her almost indifferent attitude towards Liang Xinchong, finally couldn't help but cautiously ask during a late-night conversation, "Mo Mo, you and Liang Xinchong... really broke up?"

Li Mo paused almost imperceptibly as she turned the pages of her book, then gave a nonchalant "Mmm," her tone as calm as if she were discussing the weather: "We broke up."

"Huh? Why? Everything was fine before?" Another roommate, Xue Han, came over, her face full of regret.

"It's senior year of high school, studying is more important." Li Mo gave an impeccable reason, her gaze returning to her books, clearly unwilling to elaborate.

Her calm and resolute demeanor completely confirmed the breakup rumors. Tang Keqing and Xue Han exchanged a glance, both seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes that "Li Mo is indeed ruthless." After that, they tacitly stopped mentioning the topic, only privately remarking that the love of academic high-achievers comes and goes quickly, truly showing their ability to control their emotions.

The scene in the boys' dormitory was quite different.

"Brother Chong, what happened? Did Li Mo really dump you?" Zhang Shan hooked her arm around Liang Xinchong's neck, half concerned and half teasing.

Liang Xinchong was engrossed in a physics problem when he heard this. Without even looking up, he simply tightened his jawline and mumbled a "hmm".

"No way? Say something! You really broke up?" another roommate chimed in.

Liang Xinchong scratched his head in frustration. He couldn't say "we didn't break up," that would be breaking their agreement; but he was even more unwilling to utter the words "we broke up," so he remained silent.

If pressed too hard, he would slam his workbook shut and bluntly say, "Stop asking, it's annoying!"

His stubborn refusal to admit the breakup, coupled with his obvious low spirits and avoidance of the topic, was seen by the guys as a typical example of someone who was dumped but still pretending to be tough and trying to save face.

Everyone was shocked; they never expected that Liang Xinchong would be dumped!

Thus, a subtle consensus formed in the class:

Li Mo is that calm, rational, and ruthless person who breaks up with someone without hesitation.

Liang Xinchong is a "deeply affectionate" person who was dumped but couldn't get over it and struggled bitterly.

Everyone thought that Li Mo was "acting up" or had unilaterally announced the breakup, while Liang Xinchong was still silently waiting to be won back.

But with the college entrance exam approaching, not many people gossiped about it, and over time they forgot about it.

The days after the breakup were still not easy for Liang Xinchong to adjust to.

Those tiny gaps that Li Mo once filled have now become unbearable blanks.

He could no longer approach her with the same confidence as before to ask questions, nor could he naturally offer her a piece of candy when she rubbed her temples.

The overwhelming longing and unspeakable grievances needed an outlet.

One day, he found a stack of discarded answer sheets and cut them into strips of varying lengths.

When he got tired of doing problems, or when his thoughts drifted uncontrollably to that figure in the center of the classroom, he would pick up a pen and write a sentence or two on a piece of paper.

Sometimes it's a straightforward emotion: "The sweet and sour pork ribs in the cafeteria today aren't good, they're not as fragrant as the ones in your bowl."

Sometimes it's just trivial complaints: "The physics professor lectures so fast and so unclearly, I can't understand it when you're not around."

More than anything, it's the unspoken longing and resolve:

"I will catch up with you, Li Mo."

"We'll see about the next monthly exam."

As he wrote, he would clumsily fold the slips of paper, which carried his thoughts, into small, imperfect five-pointed stars, following the steps he had learned as a child.

Then, it was solemnly tossed into a transparent glass jar inside the table.

One, two... Before we knew it, the colorful stars had filled almost half the bottle, like a silent and stubborn watch.

During lunch break that day, Li Mo got up to get some water. On her way back, her route "happened" to pass by Liang Xinchong's seat in the last row.

Liang Xinchong was focused on folding a new one, completely unaware of her approach.

Li Mo's footsteps barely paused at his table, but her gaze swept precisely over the conspicuous glass jar and the star he had just finished halfway through drawing between his fingers.

She could even glimpse half a sentence written in familiar, slightly flamboyant handwriting on a slip of paper spread out on the table—"Want to hold hands..."

Her movements were so fluid, as if she were simply picking up an unimportant notebook.

Before Liang Xinchong could react, that slender hand had already reached over the edge of his table and effortlessly and deftly scooped up the glass jar.

Liang Xinchong looked up abruptly and saw only her neat back and her slightly swaying ponytail.

She didn't even turn around, but simply whispered a reproachful rebuke in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Neglecting your duties!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already returned to her seat and placed the jar filled with her thoughts next to her own tall stack of books, as if it were just an ordinary stationery item temporarily stored away.

Liang Xinchong stood frozen in place, his fingers still in the position of pinching the star.

A few seconds later, an immense, indescribable ecstasy and sweetness exploded in his heart like fireworks.

Her comment about him "not doing his proper job" was not a criticism, but rather a kind of tacit approval and a unique intimacy—she was paying attention to him, even if it was in the form of "confiscation".

He could no longer hold back, burying his burning face in his arms and leaning on the table, his shoulders trembling slightly from the suppressed laughter.

That smile overflowed from his heart; it couldn't be hidden.

She took his jar.

She's in charge of him.

This realization made him so happy he was practically bubbling with joy; even the air felt sweet.

However, as he laughed, a chill of clarity crept in.

He looked up at Li Mo, who had already immersed herself back in her studies, her profile focused and aloof.

He suddenly remembered the cruelest condition of that "underground agreement"—if his grades dropped in the next monthly exam, the agreement would be immediately nullified.

The smile gradually faded, replaced by a do-or-die determination.

He took a deep breath, rubbed his face vigorously, stuffed the remaining slips of paper on the table into the deepest part of the drawer, then opened the thick book "Five Years of College Entrance Examination and Three Years of Simulation," picked up his pen, and truly eliminated all distractions, plunging headlong into the sea of ​​formulas and problems.

As May arrived, the air was thick with growing anxiety and anticipation.

When the results of the fourth mock exam were released, Liang Xinchong's name was prominently ranked 320th in the grade. Compared to the last time, he had moved up several dozen places and even escaped the absolute bottom position in the class.

As expected, Li Mo regained her title as the top student in the grade with an absolute advantage.

A few days later, it was May 20th, an ordinary day that wasn't a weekend.

During the break, Li Mo returned to her seat from outside and was about to take out her textbook for the next class when she suddenly felt a slight weight in her school uniform pocket.

She instinctively reached in and touched a small, carefully folded piece of paper.

My heart skipped a beat for no reason.

She unfolded it without making a sound, revealing handwriting that was so familiar it was ingrained in her bones—slightly messy yet full of strength:

"Wait for me after school, please. I haven't contacted you in so long."

He deliberately wrote the period at the end as a pitiful exclamation mark with a hook.

Even without a signature, she knew who it was.

Li Mo held the note tightly, her fingertips slightly curled.

She recalled his recent, visible progress, his tense profile as he hunched over his desk writing furiously, and the star-shaped jar she had confiscated and placed next to her pile of books... A mix of heartache and tenderness quietly welled up in her heart.

Ultimately, she couldn't bring herself to harden her heart towards him.

As the school bell rang, the crowd surged out of the classroom like a tide.

Li Mo deliberately slowed down the pace of packing up until only a few people remained in the classroom.

She caught a glimpse of Liang Xinchong lingering at the back, his gaze occasionally drifting towards her, like a puppy waiting for a command.

She picked up her schoolbag, didn't look at him, and walked straight to the empty classroom in the laboratory building that they both tacitly agreed upon.

Almost as soon as she pushed the door open, it was pushed open again, and Liang Xinchong slipped in and quickly closed the door.

He leaned against the door, his chest rising and falling slightly, his eyes shining brightly as he stared at her intently, as if trying to make up for the emptiness of the past few days.

"Li Mo..." he began, his voice a little hoarse, with a hint of barely perceptible tension.

He took out a small box wrapped in simple brown paper from behind him and handed it to her, his ears turning red. "For... a gift for 520."

Li Mo was stunned for a moment before realizing the special meaning behind today's date.

She took the small box; it was slightly cool to the touch.

Seeing her take it, Liang Xinchong's eyes almost overflowed with anticipation. He leaned forward and asked softly, with a hint of taking it for granted, "Where's mine?"

Li Mo looked up at his hopeful eyes and answered honestly, but with a hint of helplessness, "...I forgot today is May 20th."

The light in Liang Xinchong's eyes dimmed at a visible speed, and the corners of his mouth turned down. He seemed to have been drained of his vitality in an instant, and even the strands of his hair exuded a sense of loss.

"Oh..." he responded softly, unable to hide his disappointment.

Seeing his expression, Li Mo felt a pang of tenderness and, almost unconsciously, added, in a very soft voice, "...This is the first time I've spent May 20th with a boy, so...I can't remember this kind of holiday."

first.

These three words seemed to have a magical power, instantly dispelling all the gloom on Liang Xinchong's face.

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes brightening again, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up in a silly yet smug smile, his previous disappointment completely gone, as if it had never happened.

“Alright then,” he said, his tone becoming lighter, with a hint of cunning and a desire to take advantage. “Since this is your first time, then… give me a kiss as a gift.”

Li Mo's cheeks flushed instantly, and she glared at him: "No."

The refusal was crisp and decisive. Although Liang Xinchong had expected it, he still couldn't help but wilt again, like a frostbitten eggplant: "Can't you even give me a kiss?"

"No." Li Mo repeated those two words.

He hung his head and said sullenly, "...Alright then. Goodbye."

Seeing his pitiful look as he prepared to leave, Li Mo's resolve wavered once again.

She sighed, and as he turned away, she reached out and gently tugged at the sleeve of his school uniform.

"Study hard." She looked at him, her tone as cool as ever, yet filled with undeniable concern. "The college entrance exam is in just over two weeks, don't get distracted."

Her hands were small, and she pulled his sleeve very lightly.

He stopped what he was doing, turned around to look at her, and his gaze fell on her hand that was tugging at his sleeve. The long-suppressed desire in his heart could no longer be contained.

He grabbed her hand with a strong, unyielding grip, and with a gentle pull, drew her into his arms.

The fresh scent of soapberry and the boy's warm breath instantly enveloped her.

"Then let's hug," his voice sounded above her head, a mix of tentative hesitation and triumphant hoarseness, "a hug is alright, isn't it?"

Li Mo's body stiffened for a moment, but feeling the warmth of his embrace and the slightly trembling strength of his arms, she ultimately did not push him away.

She stayed quietly in his arms, listening to the slightly rapid heartbeat coming from his chest. After several seconds, she responded almost inaudibly:

"……Um."

With permission granted, Liang Xinchong tightened his grip on her arm, gently resting his chin on the top of her head, and let out a long, satisfied sigh.

The empty classroom was quiet, with only the deepening twilight outside the window and the mingling of breaths and heartbeats.