The atmosphere became very subtle. The three people present were all preoccupied with their own thoughts, and none of them took the initiative to speak.

Yin Tao looked the love letter up and down, and finally opened it to carefully examine its contents.

Ye Qingzhou held a book, seemingly studying diligently, but his mind was actually wandering off somewhere else entirely.

Xia Lian, this girl doesn't understand the atmosphere; she's just thinking about when she can go home after school to see Wen Mo.

The love letter was written very seriously, detailing the feelings upon first meeting Yin Tao and why he liked her, which showed that the other person was serious and not just talking for fun.

Even so, Yin Tao only glanced at it a couple more times before stuffing the love letter back into the drawer and refusing to look at it again.

She doesn't intend to respond to the other person, which can be considered a tacit way of rejecting them.

Yin Tao received quite a few love letters, after all, she was very cute and had a quirky personality. Not to mention anything else, there were quite a few boys in her class who secretly admired her.

Unfortunately, her gaze never left someone, so the boys in the class could only keep their feelings to themselves.

"This is so troublesome~~~" Yin Tao slumped listlessly on the table. To be honest, she didn't really want to be so eye-catching.

Ye Qingzhou closed the book, crossed her legs under the desk, and said with an indescribable calmness, "Isn't it great? Someone likes you."

On the surface, I was completely calm, but inside I felt inexplicably uncomfortable, as if something had gently scratched me.

Over the years, Yin Tao has always followed him around like a little follower. Perhaps, without realizing it, a strange feeling has developed in his heart.

If Ye Qingzhou had to give this feeling a name, then she would call it possessiveness.

He always felt that his things were being coveted, but upon closer reflection, Yin Tao didn't seem to belong to him; it was just that her constant presence created a misconception.

An unspeakable unease.

"I didn't say I was going to agree to him. I don't even know what he looks like or what kind of person he is. How could I possibly agree to him..." Yin Tao lowered her eyes, her voice lacking confidence.

"So you want to learn more about him?" Ye Qingzhou pushed up his glasses, his fingers tapping the table faster without him even realizing it.

Upon hearing this, Yin Tao shook her head vigorously, her expression showing a hint of nervousness. "I didn't say that."

The atmosphere between the two became extremely awkward. Ye Qingzhou clicked her tongue in displeasure and subconsciously turned her head away, wanting to concentrate on the book in her hand.

I'm very annoyed.

But he's not good at speaking up, so how could he possibly bring up his feelings? So no matter what his feelings are, whether he's annoyed or unhappy, he has to swallow them all.

Ye Qingzhou isn't unpopular. Although he speaks in a rather harsh and sarcastic way, many girls like that about him. To be honest, it's largely due to his good looks.

Even if you look at someone with the eyes of someone looking at trash, that person will still think that person is very handsome.

Xia Lian sat between the two, looking left and right, blinking her eyes. Even though she was slow to notice, she finally realized that something was wrong and that she seemed to have done something wrong again.

I should have known better than to tell anyone about the love letter.

"I...I don't intend to agree to him, really." Yin Tao switched places with Xia Lian, moving her chair closer to the side, and reached out to tug at Ye Qingzhou's clothes.

Ye Qingzhou wasn't the kind of arrogant person who would back down; speaking his mind was his basic principle. But today, that principle seemed to have failed him, and all the words he wanted to say were stuck in his chest and he couldn't say them.

"I know you don't intend to agree to him, but I just... I just feel inexplicably uncomfortable." After a moment, he propped his cheek up and turned to look at Yin Tao.

This was the first time he had taken the initiative to express his feelings. Although it was embarrassing, he felt much better after saying it.

Hearing this, Yin Tao's eyes darted around, and finally, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly as she grinned and said, "Hehe, you can't bear to part with me, huh?"

Ye Qingzhou's eyes flickered slightly, her slender fingers pinching her chin thoughtfully, and finally she nodded gently, "I really am reluctant to part with it."

"……well?!"

Yin Tao was stunned. She didn't expect Ye Qingzhou, who was known for her sharp tongue, to say such a thing so frankly. Based on past experience, Ye Qingzhou would definitely criticize her for being brainless at this point.

As if her rhythm had been disrupted, Yin Tao's cheeks flushed red at a visible speed. She covered her face with her hands, and wisps of steam rose from above her head.

"What’s wrong with you?"

"No, it's nothing...!"

The girl looked away, unable to hear what he said next, but just that one sentence was enough to make her happy all day.

Oh no, I can't suppress the smile on my face...!

It felt like someone was gently stroking my heart, and the frequency of my heartbeat matched the words spoken by the person in front of me perfectly.

"To be honest, I've been around you for so long, and if you suddenly disappeared one day, I'd be quite troubled." A rare hint of embarrassment appeared on Ye Qingzhou's usually indifferent face.

"Uh-huh……"

Yin Tao didn't care what he said next; she just nodded her head like a chicken pecking at rice, completely absorbed in what he had just said.

He can't bear to part with me.

Five years have passed since I met Ye Qingzhou, during which I had countless interactions with him and almost figured out all his methods.

They know everything about him, including what he likes to eat, what he usually likes to watch, and what he might say next.

The only thing Ye Qingzhou never mentioned was what kind of girl he liked.

Yin Tao did not get discouraged. She changed herself again and again, from shoulder-length hair at the beginning to a single ponytail or a high ponytail, and now to a side ponytail. She did this not for any other reason than to find out what type of girl he liked.

From the moment Ye Qingzhou helped her tie her shoelaces in elementary school, she could never take her eyes off him.

She had kept her feelings hidden in her heart, never confessing them. She was afraid of losing; if she confessed rashly, she might not even be able to remain friends.

What Yin Tao didn't know was that many girls around her had wanted to stick close to Ye Qingzhou, but in the end, the short girl by his side would always be Yin Tao.

According to Ye Qingzhou himself, Yin Tao was just too noisy, but after a while, he would feel something was missing if he couldn't hear that noisy voice.

"What do you plan to do with the love letter?" Ye Qingzhou glanced at it.

Do you want to take a look?

"I won't read it. It was written with emotion by someone else, and it would be impolite for anyone other than you to see it," Ye Qingzhou shook her head.

Yin Tao put the love letter back in the drawer, her eyes reflecting the image of the person in front of her. "I don't plan to reply to him, which will be considered a tacit rejection."

"Hmm, anything else?"

"I'll go home with you in a little while."