Zhang Xie was someone who grew up in a privileged environment.

He is good-looking and can play basketball, which makes him popular with people around him. His good family background also makes his friends fawn over him.

To be honest, he's just... used to being fawned over.

Many girls liked him, but everyone knew that they were only attracted to his looks and other aspects, so Zhang Xie rejected them all.

Until he met Xiang Xiaonan.

My first impression of her was that she was cheerful and sunny.

Her vivacity and confidence, both inside and out, are infectious; she's always smiling, and anyone around her is infected by her energy.

In my second year of high school, the school organized a cheerleading team.

Despite having short hair back then, Xiang Xiaonan possessed a beautiful face and overflowing energy, making cheerleading a must-participant activity for her.

At this juncture, Zhang Xie met her for the first time.

The team's training ground and the cheerleading activity building were very close. One day, after training, he saw Xiang Xiaonan in the distance, wearing a cheerleading uniform and smiling brightly. Her short hair made her stand out among the many girls with long hair.

Almost at that glance, Zhang Xie stood there stunned for a long time.

He didn't understand what kind of feeling this was. He only knew that Xiang Xiaonan was different from those who only knew how to fawn over others. This girl's smile was genuine and radiant from the inside out.

I think I'm falling for her.

Zhang Xie was completely taken in. He didn't know what to do, and when he returned to the classroom, the fake fawning around him only made him feel more disgusted.

He's the kind of person who gets carried away easily, and his friends seem to understand this as well. So all you have to do is flatter him a bit when you go out, and he'll be very generous in paying the bill.

But when they actually found out they were in a relationship, they discovered they couldn't even find a true friend to talk to.

Because he was constantly flattered, his way of speaking and emotional intelligence were practically nonexistent. It was as if, in his eyes, whatever he said would be met with a smile and a nod.

So, Zhang Xie confessed his feelings.

"I really like you, are we going to date?"

Perhaps in his eyes, this was already the highest honor for the other party, and he didn't even realize how wrong the words he uttered were.

Just as he was fantasizing about what life would be like in the future, Xiang Xiaonan's smile turned pale and forced. She bowed slightly and then quickly left.

Behind the enormous library, only Zhang Xie was left standing bewildered in the wind.

He hadn't considered the possibility of rejection, or even imagined such an outcome. In Zhang Xie's worldview, love was something that could be successful as long as one was willing to speak up.

A sense of loneliness and solitude threatened to engulf him, turning into rage. Zhang Xie's mind seemed to become twisted; excessive arrogance transformed into resentment, making him remember this day deeply.

So he took action.

On the day of the game, he deliberately threw the ball hard at Xiang Xiaonan's face.

It seems he's used to being arrogant; this guy hasn't considered the consequences at all, and seems to think that as long as he doesn't admit it was intentional, nothing will happen.

But the final result was a barrage of scolding from the teacher and parents, and a week's suspension from school with a 5,000-word self-criticism.

The already strained interpersonal relationships in the class became even worse. On the day he returned to school, he could even hear his classmates gloating over the ball game.

He's ruined.

Although transferring schools at such an important time as his senior year of high school would be unwise, he still resolutely decided to change schools and start anew.

But before transferring schools, I still held onto a sliver of hope that I could see the girl I liked...

"Tsk... I mean, you didn't just call her here to stand there in a daze, did you? A minute has passed and she hasn't said a word."

Qin Zhou clicked his tongue, his face full of displeasure as he slammed the mop handle against the ground a few times, making a loud "bang" sound.

Zhang Xie then seemed to wake from a dream, looking at the three people in front of him, and Xiang Xiaonan squeezed in the middle, and subconsciously reached out his hand tremblingly.

"I……"

"Speak up! What, you want to touch her or something?!"

Qin Zhou blocked Xiang Xiaonan behind him with one hand, his eyes wide with anger as he looked at the outstretched hand. He immediately held the mop handle in front of him in a defensive posture, making his warning very clear.

Xiang Xiaonan pouted unhappily, took a step forward and said loudly, "What did you call me here for today? Wasn't hitting me with a ball once enough? Did you want to hit me a second time?"

Zhang Xie was speechless for a moment after hearing the righteous words. He clenched his fists and let them hang down by his thighs. He lowered his head and remained silent, his expression both embarrassed and gloomy.

Seeing this, Wen Mo clapped his hands to signal the others to quiet down, coughed twice, and then looked at Zhang Xie, who was in a daze.

"Just say what you have to say. We're not children anymore. Speak up when you need to speak and apologize when you need to apologize, right?"

This statement already gave him plenty of face, and he even deliberately emphasized the word "apology." He was concerned that the man in front of him had very little emotional intelligence, but at least he should be able to understand what he was saying.

Zhang Xie was stunned, pursing his lips as if he hesitated, but seeing Xiang Xiaonan's slightly disgusted and displeased look, he finally loosened his clenched fist.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have hit you with the ball last time."

He bowed at a perfect 45-degree angle, but his voice was a little weak and trembling, as if he felt a bit regretful and nervous after hitting the girl he liked with the ball.

Seeing this, Xiang Xiaonan looked at Qin Zhou and then glanced at Wen Mo.

"What should I do?" she whispered.

“He apologized to you, not to us. It’s up to you,” Winmer replied.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Xiaonan lowered her head, took a deep breath, then suddenly raised her head and said loudly, "I will not accept your apology."

"Why, why?" Zhang's eyes widened. He was still thinking that apologizing would improve the other party's impression of him, but the other party didn't even accept the apology.

Xiang Xiaonan shook her head and patted Qin Zhou on the shoulder.

"Because you not only hit me with the ball, but you also hit my friend."

"But he hit me too!"

"Shut up!"

Xiang Xiaonan closed her eyes and shouted almost hysterically. Her voice could probably be heard from dozens of meters away, and even Qin Zhou and Wen Mo, who were standing to the side, were stunned.

We've known each other for so long, but this is the first time I've seen this girl angry; her little face turned red with rage.

The girl's chest rose and fell with a flush of red. She raised her head, her small face tinged with color. Rarely angered, she now pounded her chest and shouted in an unusually excited tone:

"This guy hit you because of me! Don't try to deny it! And you can't hit my important friend!!!"