"Honey, it's cold outside, put on your scarf!" Ding's mother was holding a scarf, wanting to put it on her child, but when she opened the door, there was no one to be seen outside.

"Really, why is this child so impatient!" Mrs. Ding sighed and closed the door helplessly.

It's still early, and her daughter and husband have been sent out to buy groceries again. Ding's mother is home alone with nothing to do. Although it's windy outside, the sunlight is quite nice, which is perfect for airing out the quilts.

Having made up her mind, Ding's mother took her own quilt from the bedroom and put it out to air on the balcony. Then she went to Ding Kemeng's room to take her daughter's quilt out to air as well.

"This child, how can he sleep so wildly at night, his pillow is all crooked!" Ding's mother sighed when she saw the crooked pillow on the bed, put the quilt back down, and thought about straightening the pillow.

It was during this brief touch that Ding's mother discovered a small notepad under her daughter's pillow. Reason told her she shouldn't peek at her daughter's things, but emotion told her perhaps she should take a look.

Emotions ultimately triumphed over reason, and Ding's mother opened the notepad.

I've fallen for a boy, and for him, I will become strong.

I'm going to pursue him diligently, and one day, I'll make him see only me.

Ding's mother couldn't possibly be unaware of her daughter's handwriting, so, is her daughter in love?

Ding's mother felt a little dizzy and quickly sat down on the bed. She carefully flipped through the notepad, but the more she read, the paler her face became!

How could her daughter possibly be in a relationship so young!

At the supermarket, Mr. Ding and Ms. Ding bought a large amount of vegetables and fruits. The two returned home happily, carrying two large bags of groceries.

"Mom, we're back!"

Ding Kemeng put the things on the dining table and looked around the living room but didn't see anyone. She assumed her mother was resting in the bedroom, so she lowered her voice and prepared to go upstairs to look for her. But to her surprise, before she even reached her parents' bedroom, she saw that her own bedroom door had been opened.

Ding Kemeng walked in with a puzzled look and saw her mother sitting on her bed with her back to her. "Mom, what are you doing in my bedroom?"

Ding's mother turned around, holding a notepad that had been turned to the last page.

Ding Kemeng froze, her eyes fixed on the notepad in her mother's hand, her mind blank for a moment: Her mother knew everything about her!

"Mengmeng, come sit here. Mom has something to ask you." Ding's mother felt bad seeing her daughter's stiff expression.

Ding Kemeng didn't know how to explain, so she just obediently sat down in front of her mother, her lips tightly closed, without saying a word.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Mom didn't mean to scold you, she just wants to hear your explanation."

"I...I've fallen for a boy, I...I..." Even if Ding Kemeng had a thousand mouths, she couldn't say anything to defend herself when she met her mother's gaze.

Is that boy in your class?

"yes."

"What's your name?" Ding's mother continued to ask.

Ding Kemeng looked up at her mother and remained silent.

Ding's mother's heart skipped a beat, her face paled, and she asked again, "You like him, does he know?"

"I don't know." Ding Kemeng actually wanted to confess her feelings to Lu Ziyin this New Year's Day, even if he rejected her, it wouldn't matter, but now...

“Honey, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you need to know that you’re still young. You don’t understand. The feelings you have now are nothing. They’re just the budding attraction to the opposite sex that you have during puberty. They’re not real love, do you understand? You might really like this boy now, but what about next year, or the year after? You might not like him anymore. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

"I understand." Ding Kemeng knew what her mother was worried about. She wanted to argue, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. There was indeed too much uncertainty in liking someone during her student years, and she wasn't in a position to talk about the future now.

"It's not that Mom is saying this is bad, but Mom hopes you can think it through and distinguish right from wrong." Seeing her daughter like this, Ding's mother didn't want to push her too hard. After comforting her a couple more times, she got up and left the bedroom.

Also taken away was the notepad.

Ding Kemeng stared blankly as her mother left the bedroom, then collapsed onto the bed, curled up, and felt a pang of sadness for the first time.

Her mother told her to give up, but could she really give up?

Night fell, the moon was bright and the stars were few.

After receiving psychological counseling from the doctor, Lu Ziyin did not go home. Instead, she called a car and went directly to a sanatorium in the suburbs.

"Mom, I'm here. Are you happy today?" Lu Ziyin gently pushed open the door to the ward, walked to the middle bed, and slowly sat down. Looking at the woman on the bed, Lu Ziyin smiled, not caring whether the woman would respond, and continued gently, "Mom, I also went for a check-up today. The doctor said my mental state is much better, and there's even a trend of gradual improvement. Does that make you happy?"

"The doctor said I'll get better because of Mengbao. You don't know who Mengbao is, do you? She's my deskmate. Oh, although she's in the same class as me, she's different. She gets excellent grades and is very beautiful. She's the kind of girl that you'll like at first sight. If you saw her, I believe you would definitely like her too."

When Lu Ziyin mentioned Ding Kemeng, she couldn't help but smile and chatter on and on.

He didn't stop talking until he got sleepy.

There were no extra beds in Lu's mother's ward for Lu Ziyin to sleep in, so he had to ask the nurse on duty for a blanket and go to the next room where he used to sleep at night.

I slept without any dreams.

The next morning, it was foggy outside. Ding Kemeng suddenly opened her eyes, sat up, opened her mouth wide, and gasped for breath.

She had a terrible dream, and even though she can't quite remember what happened in the dream now, the feeling of losing something important still terrifies her!

Ding Kemeng quickly got up and pushed open the bedroom door. Downstairs, her mother had already woken up and was preparing breakfast for the family.

"Mother."

Just as Ding's mother finished steaming the eggs, she saw her daughter come downstairs and quickly said with a smile, "Why are you up so early? It's okay to sleep in a little longer during the holidays. Breakfast will be ready in no time. Go wash up first and then eat."

"Mom," Ding Kemeng called out again, "I want to talk to you about what happened yesterday."

Ding's mother paused, then quickened her pace without speaking. After a long while, she said softly, "Get ready and wait for me in the study. This is the kitchen, not a place to talk."

"Okay, I understand." Ding Kemeng nodded and left the kitchen.

After her daughter left, Ding's mother lost her appetite for cooking. She casually turned off the stove and went upstairs to her study.