Volume 2 is liked

Fang Hui said, "Back then, we didn't talk about love. Love was such a distant and heavy word. We only talked about liking, and even that was done secretly."

(1)

Fang Hui said that she was the least like a female confidante among all of Chen Xun's confidantes. If she had to use an adjective, she could at best be described as pretty and charming.

I understand perfectly well that "pretty and charming" is usually a polite compliment. The subtext of this sentence is: this girl isn't pretty; she's just an average person, the very ordinary kind.

Of course, I think she's being modest. Fang Hui isn't a conventionally beautiful woman with bright eyes and white teeth, but she has a certain charm. However, I think her beauty largely stems from her past; those emotions, once accumulated, naturally manifested in her. I've never seen her in her teens, so I don't know if she was this unique before experiencing this relationship.

As for Chen Xun, based on my analysis, he was destined to be a ladies' man, a femme fatale. Back then, every high school in Beijing probably had someone like him: handsome, tall, good at basketball, a bit clever, he seemed to know everything you said, and some were even academically decent. They provided female students with a space to dream and male students with great playmates. In short, they were a menace to society.

Chen Xun's first love was Fang Hui, a girl with an ordinary appearance. Fang Hui said with self-deprecation that later people would ask in a strange tone, "Huh? She is Fang Hui?" But I think such things are illogical. If you really figure out the cause and effect, then you either see through the world or your life is about to end.

Anyway, Fang Hui was a woman Chen Xun loved. Although it sounds a bit sour, based on my personal experience, I believe he truly loved her deeply.

Their names were first linked in a corner announcement at the bottom of a page in the Beijing Evening News in the late 1990s. At that time, well-known or wealthy high schools in Beijing usually published the list of students who passed the high school entrance exam in the newspaper. They were both admitted to F High School, their names listed one above the other.

Subsequently, they were both assigned to Class 1 of the first year of high school, and they were probably 15 or 16 years old when they finally faced each other.

At first, Chen Xun hadn't even noticed that there was such a person in the class. Fang Hui was too inconspicuous; she was the kind of person who, even if she didn't come to class, only the homeroom teacher and the attendance clerk would know.

Chen Xun was a direct transfer student from the same school. Because of his outstanding grades and experience as a student leader, he was handpicked by the grade director to be the class monitor. At that time, he was favored by teachers and admired by classmates, enjoying a period of great popularity. Therefore, he didn't have time to observe girls like this.

Chen Xun noticed Fang Hui because of his good friends Zhao Ye and Qiao Ran. Zhao Ye was the class's basketball prodigy, over 1.9 meters tall, with slightly curly hair, and looked like Sakuragi Hanamichi, with a bright white smile. According to Chen Xun, he shouldn't play basketball; he should be filming Colgate commercials. That way, they wouldn't need to knock on different kinds of seashells every year; they could just knock them directly on his teeth as he grew—the effect would be obvious and much more believable than seashells.

Qiao Ran was a well-mannered boy who served as the class's life committee member and attendance officer, a position Chen Xun had recommended to the homeroom teacher at the beginning of the semester. He was meticulous and quiet, and popular with both boys and girls. Moreover, Chen Xun believed that Zhao Ye was definitely not helpful in the class, and of all his brothers, only Qiao Ran was somewhat reliable.

Chen Xun, Zhao Ye, and Qiao Ran were all tall and sat in a row at the back. They often talked and made small movements during class. That day in class, when the teacher called on Fang Hui to answer a question, Zhao Ye nudged Chen Xun and said, "Hey, have you talked to this girl?"

Chen Xun looked up and said, "I don't think so, I can't remember clearly."

"And you? And you? Did you say anything?" Zhao Ye asked Qiao Ran again.

"I told you, I did some cleaning with their group a few days ago, what's wrong?" Qiao Ran said.

"That's incredible! It's been a month since school started, and she's the only girl in our class who hasn't spoken to me!" Zhao Ye said.

"Oh, really?" Chen Xun glanced at Fang Hui; he only had a vague impression of this girl. That was the first time he had looked at her closely, but he had only clearly seen her slender back.

Back in our high school days, Beijing hadn't expanded to this size. The North Fourth Ring Road was mostly dirt roads through villages, and those living near the Third Ring Road were considered to be quite far away. The Second Ring Road was still paved with cement, and driving on it always made a "clattering" sound. There were basically no traffic jams. If the No. 44 bus went fast, it was like a roller coaster. Moreover, the standard of living wasn't as high as it is now; private cars were a luxury owned by only a very few families. So, there weren't cars crowding the school gates waiting to pick up children at dismissal time. Basically, everyone rode bikes or took public transportation to and from school together. The school had bicycle sheds, with designated areas for each class, and someone was on duty each day to store the bikes in a unified manner.

When Fang Hui went to get her bike after school, it was placed between Zhao Ye and Chen Xun. She saw the two tall boys standing there but didn't come over. Zhao Ye, however, was very enthusiastic. He pushed Chen Xun aside, made room for them, showed his white teeth, and smiled broadly, saying, "Fang Hui, you go first."

Fang Hui looked at him in surprise and said softly, "Thank you."

"Come on, let me help you." As soon as Fang Hui finished unlocking the door, Zhao Ye rushed over and pushed her Giant bicycle out before she could even speak.

"Thank you for your trouble." Fang Hui was very polite, but her politeness showed a sense of distance.

But Zhao Ye seemed unwilling to stand on ceremony; he asked, "Fang Hui, where do you live?"

"Shuang An".

"It's so far! Let's ride east out of the school gate? I live in Dewai! We're going the same way!" Zhao Ye said with delight.

Chen Xun glared at him fiercely, thinking to himself, "When did your family move to Dewai? We're clearly in Chaowai! You're completely going in the opposite direction!"

"Oh." Fang Hui seemed uninspired and remained indifferent.

Chen Xun smiled maliciously and secretly raised his middle finger. He thought to himself, "Zhao Ye, you're done for, aren't you? He's not buying it!"

However, he also glanced at Fang Hui. Overall, Zhao Ye wasn't annoying and was even somewhat handsome. Usually, at this point, a girl would be more cute and say, "Really? What a coincidence!" or smile and say, "We're going the same way!" But she just said "Oh," and dodged away like a frightened kitten, clearly uncomfortable.

"Shall we... go home together? Is that okay?" Zhao Ye was clearly frustrated, and his voice lacked confidence.

"Well... okay." Fang Hui hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Zhao Ye breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly pushed the cart over. Before leaving, he gave Chen Xun a provocative wink.

Chen Xun stared at their backs, or more precisely, at Fang Hui's back, lost in thought for a while.

He suddenly realized that Fang Hui hadn't said a word to him during the whole process, and hadn't even looked up at him once.

(2)

F Middle School is a pioneer of open teaching and closed management. Almost every child in Beijing has heard of this school. Their principal has a keen business sense; he was the first to champion holistic education and quickly adapted to changing circumstances. Through various publicity campaigns, F Middle School, which had been dormant for a long time, was propelled to the forefront of the education sector.

There was once a story about the principal of F Middle School. His beloved car was dented by a book that a student accidentally dropped from an upper floor. The first thing he said when he arrived at the scene was, "Good riddance! Damaging the car is fine, but please don't let it hit my student!" From then on, the principal became famous and gained both fame and fortune. Compared to him, those so-called promoters and hype figures of today are truly inferior.

Because it's a closed-campus school, there are many rules. Students must wear school uniforms, girls can't have long hair, desks must have covers, and even during lunch break, students can't leave the school without permission. All students eat lunch at school. Meals are ordered collectively, and each class picks up its own lunchbox each day. Then, students freely group together, clearing out their desks to eat.

The next day at noon, without Chen Xun and Qiao Ran's consent, Zhao Ye expanded their dinner party to five people.

"Move another table! Get two more stools!" Zhao Ye instructed Chen Xun.

What are you doing?

"We're having lunch with Fang Hui and Men Lingcao today!"

"ah?!"

"Hurry up! Qiao Ran and I still need to get their food, don't just stand there." Zhao Ye skipped away.

Chen Xun cursed Zhao Ye's ancestors and descendants under his breath, and reluctantly finished setting up the table.

Menlingcao, nicknamed Xiaocao, was the only female classmate Fang Hui was somewhat familiar with in the class, but their friendship was limited to eating together and going to the bathroom together. Unlike Fang Hui, who was quiet, she was a lively and adorable girl who dared to speak her mind and act on her feelings. At the beginning of the semester, she took a notebook and asked each classmate to write down their home phone number. Back then, no students used cell phones. Nokia phones averaged 6,000 yuan, and Ericsson, before merging with Sony, released a flip phone that cost 7,200 yuan. Not to mention cell phones, even pagers cost over a thousand yuan. This was something high school students couldn't even dream of. Students contacted each other using their home landlines. Therefore, she naturally became familiar with the classmates.

"Since you've invited us to dinner, Zhao Ye, you'd better take the initiative to serve the food from now on!" Xiao Cao said, pointing at Zhao Ye with her chopsticks.

"Okay, okay, okay!" Zhao Ye nodded.

"Chen Xun, you'll be in charge of moving the tables and chairs. Qiao Ran will be in charge of wiping the tables after the meal," Xiao Cao continued to instruct.

Qiao Ran smiled but didn't say anything. Chen Xun asked, "Then... what are you doing?"

He paused when he said "they," and Fang Hui hadn't said much during the meal, so he hadn't yet included her in this group.

"We'll take care of the food!" Xiao Cao laughed again, her two dimples flashing, looking very pretty. "Of course, we can also help you remove the table covers while we're at it."

"Just keep eating! Look at you, your face is already as big as a square of fennel seeds. If you keep eating, you'll turn into a pig!" Zhao Ye said, gesturing.

"Ugh!" Men Lingcao threw the tissue she had just used to wipe her mouth at her, and covered her face indignantly, saying, "Fang Hui has an advantage because she has a small face. She looks thin, but she's actually quite chubby."

The three boys unconsciously looked at Fang Hui, whose face flushed red. Her lips moved, but she couldn't say a word.

Qiao Ran quickly looked away and changed the subject, saying, "Zhao Ye, are you training today?"

"No training!" Zhao Ye turned to Fang Hui and said with a smile, "Let's go home together today."

"Mm." Fang Hui nodded.

"Huh? You guys? Going home together?" Men Lingcao said in surprise. "Zhao Ye, your house..."

“I live outside Dewai,” Zhao Ye interrupted her through gritted teeth.

Chen Xun glanced at Men Lingcao, who nodded knowingly, feigning sudden realization, and smiled slyly.

"Oh, it's Dewai!"

On the way home, Zhao Ye was very noisy.

He had no choice. If he didn't speak, the two of them would just keep riding in silence—or rather, exchange one last word, and finally say goodbye when they parted ways…

So he could only keep talking, but he didn't find it tiring. His best skills were playing ball and talking.

"Fang Hui, are you cold?"

"It's not cold."

"How about I give you my gloves? No problem, don't be shy, I'm not cold!"

"No need, thank you!"

"Fang Hui, do you know what? You broke one of my records!"

"What?"

"I can become familiar with every classmate within a week, from elementary school to middle school to high school. But you haven't said a single word to me in a whole month!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! Do you hate me?"

"No."

"Then I'm relieved. Otherwise, I would have regrets about my high school life!"

Fang Hui glanced at him and smiled sheepishly.

Zhao Ye smiled too. He found Fang Hui very interesting, unlike other girls. Although quiet, she wasn't pretentious. Sometimes she was a little slow, which was quite cute.

"By the way, which junior high school did you go to?"

Fang Hui slammed on the brakes and looked at him warily, asking, "What are you doing?"

"Huh?" Zhao Ye was taken aback by Fang Hui's change in attitude. Just a moment ago it was a warm spring breeze, but in the blink of an eye it turned into a cold wind.

"I...I just wanted to ask...where did you go to junior high school..." he stammered.

“I didn’t take the exam at this school; I used to go to a really bad school.” Fang Hui probably also felt it was inappropriate, so she replied with a long sentence.

"Oh, oh. It's nothing. I'm not from this school either. Our school is even worse. I was the top student in the whole school in the high school entrance exam, but my total score was only 556. If it weren't for my athletic talent, I wouldn't have been able to come to our school at all."

Zhao Ye thought she was a little insecure, so he quickly comforted her.

Fang Hui looked up, smiled awkwardly, and said earnestly, "Don't mention junior high school anymore, and don't tell anyone, okay?"

"No problem, we'll keep it a secret, pinky promise, it'll never change!" Zhao Ye said confidently.

After that day, Fang Hui and Zhao Ye became truly close. Zhao Ye would always joke with her, and Fang Hui would occasionally retort. Qiao Ran was a diligent student and a gentle person; she often compared homework answers with Fang Hui and borrowed her notes, so they also got along very well.

Only Chen Xun remained distant from Fang Hui. Even though they ate lunch together every day, making a lot of noise and having a good time, Fang Hui and Chen Xun seemed to be forever estranged.

However, this situation suddenly changed.

(3)

Fang Hui became the publicity committee member, thanks to Chen Xun's insistence on recommending her.

That day was the weekly class meeting, and because Class 1 only got sixth place in the bulletin board competition, and there were only six classes in the whole grade... So the homeroom teacher, Hou Jia, gave a special lecture.

Hou Jia, a recent graduate with a master's degree from a teachers' college, was particularly enthusiastic about leading her first class, always hoping for outstanding performance. Of course, "outstanding" and "performance" are combined to create an effect; without performance, there's no point in emphasizing anything. But this time, there was no performance, yet the class stood out—last place left Hou Jia feeling very frustrated. Especially when the more experienced teachers in the grade-level office said dismissively, "Teacher Hou, this shouldn't be happening. The students really enjoy these activities; you should do more to prepare next time," she felt even more helpless.

"You all come from different places. Now that we've formed a new class, you should all remember that you are a member of this class." Hou Jia said sternly, "I can't say that just one student wasn't serious about this bulletin board; it's that the whole class didn't take it seriously. Although the bulletin board is just a piece of paper, it represents the image of the class. I think none of you want to be laughed at by students from other classes, right? The Mid-Autumn Festival is at the end of the month, and we still need to put together another bulletin board. Now I'd like to ask for everyone's opinions to see if you have any good ideas. Or, if any of you have done bulletin boards or learned to draw in junior high school, you can also help out."

The students all lowered their heads and remained silent.

While education at that time also encouraged individuality and independence, it often focused more on form than substance. If everyone was individualistic and independent, how could teachers manage them? From lining up with hands behind our backs to raising our hands to speak and aligning to the right, we were seemingly free-range, but in reality, we were kept in captivity. No matter how lively we were in private, we became silent lambs in front of the teachers. Even with things like bulletin boards, no matter how passionately the teacher spoke, the students didn't necessarily react much. So, in class meetings and moral education classes, everyone basically played ostrich.

Just as the whole class was unusually quiet, Chen Xun raised his hand and stood up.

"In this matter, firstly, as the class monitor and He Sha as the publicity committee member, we both bear some responsibility. But I think no one wants it to be like this. Although He Sha is the publicity committee member, she has never made a bulletin board before. I think we should find a classmate who is good at drawing to assist her in doing this so that she can handle it more effectively. Therefore, I would like to recommend a classmate to work with He Sha to make the bulletin board."

Hou Jia looked at her class monitor with satisfaction and said, "Who would you like to recommend?"

Chen Xun, seemingly confident, said clearly and loudly, "Fang Hui."

Fang Hui, who had been ostrich-like, suddenly raised her head. She never expected Chen Xun to say her name, and her mind went blank.

“Fang Hui studied painting before, so she’ll definitely have no problem creating the bulletin board!” Chen Xun added.

Hou Jia nodded and looked at Fang Hui, saying, "I also have some recollection of that. You filled in 'studied art' on your enrollment form, right?"

Fang Hui stood up, and all the classmates looked at her. She hadn't been stared at like this in a long time, and the strange tension made her very uneasy. Her face turned red to her ears without her realizing it.

She whispered, "I have studied it... but... but..."

"Then you and He Sha will work together on the next bulletin board. Do the other students have any objections?" Hou Jia asked.

"No objection! No objection!" Zhao Ye said loudly on purpose.

Fang Hui turned around and glared at him resentfully, her gaze sweeping over Chen Xun, but he remained indifferent.

After class, Fang Hui walked to Chen Xun's seat. This was the first time she had spoken to Chen Xun face to face, but she still kept her head down.

"Why am I being made to do this? I..."

“I heard from Xiaocao during our last meal that you studied painting and even won second prize in the district,” Chen Xun interrupted her.

“But I’ve never drawn a bulletin board before…” Fang Hui didn’t expect him to remember such a thing; the last time they chatted, it was just a casual remark.

"As long as you can draw, that's fine. Look at the tree He Sha drew last time. If you didn't know better, you'd think it was a bunch of celery!" Chen Xun tried hard to look into her eyes, but he could only see her thin bangs. Her eyes were blinking and fluttering below, making him want to brush her hair aside.

"But……"

"It's okay, I'll help you later." Qiao Ran walked over carrying a stack of notebooks and said, "I can't draw, but I can still color and write words."

Fang Hui gave him a grateful look, nodded, and silently walked back to her seat.

At that moment, Chen Xun finally saw her eyes, but that gentle gaze did not linger on him.

Chen Xun did it on purpose.

Because he suddenly realized that he was far behind his two best friends in front of this girl.

For example, when eating, Zhao Ye said he liked potatoes, and every time there were potatoes in his lunchbox, Fang Hui would share some of her vegetables with him. Chen Xun also said he liked cabbage, but Fang Hui never gave him any.

For example, Fang Hui always asks Qiao Ran for help with her homework problems, even though he's much better at physics than Qiao Ran. Even if the two of them struggle for a long time without finding the answer, Chen Xun will proactively explain the problem to them. Ultimately, it will turn into Chen Xun explaining to Qiao Ran, who then relays Fang Hui's explanation.

The worst part was that during a break before an English test, Fang Hui and Qiao Ran were chatting: "I wonder what kind of test it was. Was it difficult?" Chen Xun happened to walk by and stopped to say, "Class Two just finished their test. It was incredibly difficult, a four-sided paper. We couldn't possibly finish it in two periods!" He was originally speaking to Fang Hui, but she turned away, leaving Qiao Ran to sigh deeply. A moment later, she turned back, and Chen Xun thought she was going to say something, but instead, she took out a notebook and handed it to Qiao Ran, saying, "This is today's homework. Don't forget to return it after school." Then she turned back, ignoring him completely.

That feeling of frustration was truly... like a river of resentment flowing eastward...

Therefore, he decided that no matter what, he had to make Fang Hui face him properly at least once.

Actually, Chen Xun did this simply because he couldn't tolerate Fang Hui's neglectful attitude towards him; it didn't have much other meaning.

I understand him. Back then, we were young and could do things just because of a fleeting thought in our hearts. We could like, dislike, and be dissatisfied at will. We could also act arbitrarily without thinking about what would happen or what would change in the future.

Some might call this willful and selfish, but I think that now that we've grown up, learned to be tactful and worldly, and are working quietly in various corners of society, we don't regret having used such a distinct attitude to interpret our youth.

For example, Chen Xun, I think he never regretted his decision at that time.

(4)

"Do you hate him?" I couldn't help but ask. "Or do you like him? Is that why you're deliberately avoiding him?"

Fang Hui shook her head. She gently stroked the little bear on Huanhuan's cup with her fingers. The sound of her fingernails scraping against the porcelain surface and her soft voice created a nostalgic melody in the changing time and space.

"It's neither liking nor disliking. You know, there are some people who radiate light, and you feel warm and comfortable under that light, but if you get too close, it becomes a bit dazzling. And next to the light, I feel even darker. So compared to the dazzling Chen Xun, I probably like Qiao Ran more."

I didn't speak, but continued listening. However, I think at that age, one can overturn all possibilities and impossibilities. Without a mature mind to make life logical, the bright Chen Xun and the dark Fang Hui can react chemically to produce precipitates or gases.

Ultimately, the passage of time is simply due to youth.

The bulletin board for the Mid-Autumn Festival was up for three whole days.

On the first day, He Sha, Chen Xun, Qiao Ran, and Xiao Cao all stayed to help. Zhao Ye also took the opportunity to find an excuse not to go to training. He knew nothing about drawing, so he just touched this and played with that, just for the novelty. Several times, he either broke the pencil tip or stepped on the drawing paper, not helping at all, but causing a lot of trouble.

When Fang Hui rescued the oil pastels that Zhao Ye had accidentally broken, she couldn't help but ask him with a wry smile, "Why aren't you going to practice? Didn't you say a lot of girls were watching?"

Zhao Ye waved his hand and said, "Those kids are too young, and they look so patriotic, it's boring! In our team, we all say, if a girl from F Middle School turns around once, a boy from F Middle School will jump off a building; if a girl from F Middle School turns around twice, the Middle East will stop producing oil; if a girl from F Middle School turns around three times, Halley's Comet will hit the Earth; if a girl from F Middle School..."

"Hey! What do you mean?!" Xiaocao picked up the calligraphy brush and flicked it hard, saying, "We're all girls from F Middle School, is that so bad?"

"Ah! My Nikes!" Zhao Ye looked at the water droplets on his vest with a mournful expression.

Qiao Ran took the opportunity to send him away, saying, "Go to the toilet and rinse it off quickly. If Xiao Cao didn't rinse the pen off properly, it might leave a mark. Should I make another symmetrical mark?"

Zhao Ye dashed out, and Fang Hui finally breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Xun seemed to see her helplessness and said, "You just focus on your drawing. I'll go to the door and stop him from coming in again. If he causes trouble again, I'll call his name down to the playground. His coach is down there. He's most afraid of his coach, so he'll definitely behave."

Fang Hui smiled to herself, tidied up, and started again. She was very serious, bringing out all the paints and brushes she could find in her house. She first drew a draft on the paper with a pencil, and then marked the text and image format. She even poured out the water for rinsing the brushes repeatedly, saying she was afraid the colors would smudge.

However, because of Zhao Ye's meddling, coupled with Xiao Cao and He Sha's constant chatter and laughter, and Chen Xun and Qiao Ran's constant discussions about the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, although there were many people, none of them could truly help her. So, after the first day, only a draft was produced.

The situation wasn't much better on the second day. By the third day, Zhao Ye and Xiao Cao had completely given up and weren't coming anymore. Qiao Ran had caught a cold and was persuaded by Fang Hui to go home. He Sha also had to leave at six o'clock because she had something to do. In the end, only Chen Xun and Fang Hui were left.

As autumn deepens and darkness falls early, Chen Xun turned on all the lights in the classroom. Under the bright fluorescent lights, Fang Hui, hunched over her makeshift desk, cast a small shadow on her drawing paper. The campus was quiet, save for the sounds of pen nibs, erasers, and paper scraping in the classroom. Chen Xun sat quietly in a chair beside her, watching Fang Hui sketch.

Perhaps because they didn't interact much, he paid extra attention to Fang Hui's little gestures. For example, she would tuck her hair behind her ear with the back of her hand, or she would gently brush away the eraser shavings with her little finger, or she would speak with her head slightly lowered and her eyes downcast. Chen Xun liked watching her do these things. Although it was also cute to have her ponytail like a blade of grass, puff out her cheeks to blow away the eraser shavings, and smile while gesturing and chatting, he preferred Fang Hui's unique and understated charm.

"Look at this line of writing, is it crooked?" Fang Hui looked up and happened to meet Chen Xun's gaze. She blushed and quickly looked away, blinking her eyes.

Chen Xun walked over, looked at it carefully, and said, "It's not crooked at all! This handwriting is really beautiful. How come it's different from your usual handwriting?"

"Yes, it's in the style of Song typeface. Actually, my handwriting isn't very good; my dad writes very well, and I learned from him."

"That's great! Your dad paints too?"

“No, he drew the picture.” Fang Hui held up a ruler and said, “All that’s left is to erase the pencil lines. I can do that myself. You should go home early; you’ve been helping me for three days already.”

"No need, I'm not in a hurry. Let's go together," Chen Xun said hastily. "Your ability to draw the bulletin board is actually a help to me; otherwise, I really wouldn't be able to explain it to Teacher Hou!"

"Thank you," Fang Hui said with a smile.

Chen Xun was in high spirits. He took out his portable music player, which he always carried with him, removed the headphones, turned the volume up to the maximum, and used it as a recorder to play songs. The small device, with its poor sound quality, played intermittently throughout the classroom: "I want to say I really love you, I want to say I'm sorry, you cried and said our love was over, that it couldn't be continued, couldn't be continued... You, a woman like you, make me happy and sad, make me willing to give everything for you..."

Chen Xun and Fang Hui hummed along as they finished the bulletin board. They stood on stools, each holding a corner of the drawing paper to align it. The moment they stuck the paper on the wall, they looked at each other and smiled.

As they left the teaching building, they were delighted to find the convenience store still open. They bought hamburgers and soft-packaged iced tea together and ate a simple dinner on the parallel bars by the playground. The moon shone through the leaves, dappling them. Perhaps because it was night, the dazzling light that Fang Hui had imagined on Chen Xun softened, allowing her to sit comfortably beside him.

"Thank you," Fang Hui said, swinging her legs.

"Don't mention it! I already told you you helped me," Chen Xun said with a smile. "You drew really well! Our class will definitely get first place this time!"

"Not necessarily. My abilities are limited, so this is all I can do."

"Fang Hui," Chen Xun suddenly said very formally, "I think it's very good, really, very good."

I think people like to hear any kind of praise. So, facing Chen Xun's gaze, Fang Hui finally went to meet it. She smiled gently, a fleeting moment of beauty.

Fang Hui described this passage in great detail: she was wearing a red coat, Chen Xun was wearing a white one, the Hero brand watercolor pens were in a watermelon-shaped pencil case, the Walkman was an Aiwa brand, playing Wakin Chau's "Let Me Be Happy, Let Me Be Sad," the chicken burgers were 3.5 yuan each, the iced tea was Uni-President brand, the moon was almost full, the trees in the school were locust trees, and the parallel bars were the kind with adjustable brass bars...

Years later, listening to her reminisce about these things with her eyes half-closed, I suddenly felt a surge of emotion and wanted to cry. To put it poetically, I saw the shadow of happiness, but also smelled the scent of sadness. To put it bluntly, Fang Hui's dreamy appearance caused my adrenaline to surge.

I felt a pang of sympathy for her and wanted to hold her hand, not because I was some beastly person with lewd thoughts about a fragile young girl, but because I noticed her hand was trembling slightly…

(5)

As luck would have it, Class 1's bulletin board won first place in the competition.

When the results were announced, everyone from the grade director and homeroom teacher to the student leaders and group leaders grinned broadly at Fang Hui, their eyes practically disappearing from her teeth.

After a few days of feeling anxious and apprehensive, Fang Hui gradually began to get used to everyone's smiles. When she rode her bike to school in the morning and met her classmates, she no longer lowered her head to avoid them, but instead looked up and greeted them with a "Good morning!"

The person who was happiest about her was Chen Xun, because as one of their classmates, Fang Hui naturally smiled at him as well.

That year, F Middle School officially began reforming its teaching staff, and thus recruited many new teachers with postgraduate degrees or above from prestigious normal universities. F Middle School's charlatan principal held a meeting for all teachers and students, where he gave a passionate speech, saying that F Middle School had gathered elite forces from all over the country. The students laughed below, saying that F Middle School had also gathered the essence of dialects from all over the country.

At that time, Mandarin was not a required course for teachers. There were tests on it, but you could easily pass by just bluffing. So whenever you walked through the quiet hallways during class time, you could hear all sorts of regional accents.

One day in chemistry class, Mr. Liu, the teacher, started his performance to entertain the whole class again.

"This is... Everyone, turn to page 247 of the Chemistry Exam!... This is, page 247, question 2... This is, it's... (Everyone, turn to page 27 of the Chemistry Exam, page 27, question 2, sodium chloride...)"

Zhao Ye chuckled and bent down, then turned to Chen Xun and asked, "Hey, remember! How many times has it been?"

Chen Xun drew three more lines on the notebook, roughly counted the tally marks he had drawn, and said, "Twenty-eight times!"

Zhao Ye glanced at his watch and laughed even harder.

"Awesome! A new record! Twenty-eight 'damn's' in six minutes of class!"

"Stop laughing, Teacher Liu is watching you!" Qiao Ran whispered to him.

"Hey you over there, pay attention to classroom discipline!" Teacher Liu said, frowning.

Zhao Ye quickly lowered his head and turned around, pretending to read a book.

"This nie, the road clatters, this nie..."

Zhao Ye couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing again, which infuriated Teacher Liu. He strode to the last row and said excitedly, "Tong Xiao, stand up! What kind of attitude is this? You know how to do this question? Then explain it!"

Teacher Liu shoved the workbook into Zhao Ye's hand and glared at him angrily.

Everyone turned to look. Zhao Ye's face turned red. After a long while, he raised his head, his face full of pure innocence, kindness, and simplicity, like a primary school student who couldn't solve the problem.

Then the giant elementary school student spoke up, saying, "This... teacher, I don't know how."

The whole class burst into laughter...

As a result, Teacher Liu took Zhao Ye directly to the grade office, where he received a barrage of criticism and education from various teachers. The standard 800-word self-criticism was clearly not enough to quell the teachers' anger. They strongly demanded that Zhao Ye write a profound 1,500-word self-criticism without any alterations, and finally, his parents had to sign it.

After this battle, Zhao Ye's youthful passion was extinguished. He was listless all afternoon and even refused to participate in the soccer match with Class 5 after school.

Qiao Ran grabbed him and said, "Come on, everyone's waiting. If you don't go, who's going to guard the gate?"

Zhao Ye silently packed his bag and said, "I'm not going! I still have to write a self-criticism! Let Zhou Xiaowen do it for me!"

“Zhou Xiaowen only reaches your waist when stretched out! Don’t joke around!” Chen Xun also came over to persuade him, “Writing a self-criticism isn’t easy! Just compile all the versions you wrote before, and 1500 words will be a piece of cake!”

"No, I need my parents' signature. My dad would definitely beat me if he found out. I need to save my energy!"

Chen Xun had a sudden inspiration and said, "How about I find someone to sign for you so you can come with us without worry?"

"Stop joking, get your dad to sign it for me!"

"No, wait for me!" Chen Xun turned and ran out.

Back then, communication between teachers and parents wasn't as convenient as it is now, so teachers' favorite tactic was to have parents sign off on everything—exam papers, grades, payment receipts, checks—all in the form of a signature. The implication was that the teacher wanted to be aware of the child's academic progress, payment details, and other activities. However, students naturally had many things they didn't want their parents to know. Especially for students with poor grades, who would dare show their parents a paper covered in red marks? As the saying goes, for every step the teacher takes, there's a counter-trick; where there's demand, there's supply. So, in every class, there would be one or two students who forged parents' signatures. It wasn't necessarily imitating the handwriting; sometimes they just had good cursive. In any case, generally no teacher would actually check every single signature.

The expert in this matter in Fang Hui's class is Men Lingcao.

When Chen Xun found Xiao Cao on the stairs, she was walking down with Fang Hui. Chen Xun stopped them and said, "Don't go home yet, help me out!"

The little grass looked at him and said, "What kind of help is it?"

"Zhao Ye is having a run of bad luck today, he got caught and has to write a self-criticism, can you sign it for him?"

"No way! Look how angry Teacher Hou is today. If she finds out I'm lying, I'll have to write a self-criticism too!"

"Oh, it's alright. Your handwriting is so good, she definitely won't be able to tell. Even if things come to light, we absolutely won't say it was you who signed it! We'd rather die than say it!"

Xiao Cao laughed. Chen Xun, seeing that things were looking promising, quickly added, "Please! Hurry up, we're playing soccer with Class 5 later. Zhao Ye won't go if this isn't settled."

"Play football? Then I'll go too!" Little Grass said happily.

"No problem! I'll have Zhao Ye treat you to Magnum ice cream!" Chen Xun grabbed her and started to walk away, but after a couple of steps he seemed to remember something and turned back, saying, "Fang Hui, let's go together!"

Fang Hui shook her head and said, "You guys go ahead, I didn't ride my bike today."

"It's okay! I'll take you!"

Chen Xun looked at her, his face beaming with joy.

Back then, classes often played soccer and basketball together. F Middle School didn't have a standard soccer field, so their meeting point was behind the city wall at Donghua Gate, where there were few people and cars and it was spacious. There weren't any professional facilities there; a yard of schoolbags counted as two gates, a few obvious cracks in the ground were used as sidelines, and two stones were used as corner flags, but they still had a lot of fun playing soccer.

Chen Xun was in exceptionally good form that day, scoring two goals against the opponent as soon as he stepped onto the court. He imitated Shearer, raising his arms and spinning around twice, and was feeling quite pleased with himself when he saw Fang Hui hand Qiao Ran a bottle of water, the two chatting and laughing.

Then he felt a little uncomfortable. He was the one who scored the goal, and he was the one who ran the hardest, so why didn't she give him water? Qiao Ran plays defense, and the fifth-grade forward is so timid, always running around so easily, yet she gave him water as soon as he came off the field?

Chen Xun ran to the sidelines and shouted towards Fang Hui, "Give me a bottle of water!"

Fang Hui still didn't budge, but Xiao Cao quickly opened the package and brought it to him, praising him several times.

Chen Xun played the second half in frustration. During the substitution break, he saw Fang Hui walk towards Qiao Ran again.

"It's too late, I'd better go home first," Fang Hui said.

"Okay, then take your time on your way home," Qiao Ran said, glancing at the sky.

"Okay, bye-bye!" Fang Hui waved, picked up her schoolbag, and walked past Chen Xun.

However, just as she was about to step onto the road, she suddenly heard Chen Xun call her name from behind.

Fang Hui turned around and saw Chen Xun stand up. The light of the sunset shone through the ancient city wall and fell on him, making him look red.

Amidst this sea of ​​red, Chen Xun smiled and said, "Don't go yet, I'll ride my bike and take you home later!"

(6)

Fang Hui said she stayed on a whim.

Chen Xun that day gave her a strange feeling. Perhaps it was because Donghua Gate was so profound, having witnessed countless lifetimes of love and marriage, that she was in a daze. She laughed and said that at that moment, she even remembered a line from "A Chinese Odyssey." In the glow of the sunset, she really thought that the boy who reached out to her would come to pick her up on a seven-colored cloud, just like in the movie.

I think they simply fell for each other in a fleeting moment of their youth.

Class 1 won the game by a large margin that day. Chen Xun scored five goals, and Qiao Ran also scored one, but it was an own goal.

Except for Qiao Ran, all the other boys were very happy. Xiao Cao proudly walked past the girls from Class 5, carrying five bottles of blackcurrants in her arms, saying that she wanted to celebrate.

Fang Hui had long since lost the courage she had just had. She was only hoping to get home quietly by car soon, because it was getting darker and darker, and the red sunset had disappeared.

"Have you been waiting long?" Chen Xun walked up to Fang Hui and said, "Let's go!"

"Um...no need...I'll go with Zhao Ye, it's on the way." Fang Hui said, lowering her head.

"No, no, no..." Zhao Ye said, leaning on the back rack of Chen Xun's car, "I don't have the energy to go back and forth today! I still have to write 1500 words when I get home, damn it!"

"Huh?" Fang Hui looked at him in confusion.

"You'd better just confess now!" Chen Xun said with a smile, ruffling Zhao Ye's hair. "It's true that their family doesn't live in Dewai at all, they live in Chaowai!"

"Ah!" Fang Hui glared at Zhao Ye.

"Hehe... I was just trying to build a relationship with you!" Zhao Ye said, feigning innocence.

"Get out of here!" Chen Xun shoved him off, got on his bike, and turned around to say, "Get on, or we'll get home even later!"

He rode forward slowly, occasionally pressing the rubber horn on the handlebars. The whirring sound seemed to urge him on. Fang Hui quickly ran a few steps and jumped on.

She wasn't good at maneuvering, her movements were clumsy, and she didn't want to support Chen Xun's waist, so the Giant bike wobbled and snaked its way along.

"Be careful!" Chen Xun, who was in front, did not turn around. He simply reached out and gently supported Fang Hui's arm.

The car stabilized and gradually became a straight line.

Fang Hui suddenly blushed, and it took her a while to remember that she had forgotten to say goodbye to Qiao Ran and the others.

At that time, the evenings in Beijing were probably still fresh and beautiful.

There weren't that many people, that many cars, or that many half-empty Grade A office buildings. Beijingers hadn't yet been relocated to the outskirts, Xizhimen didn't have that dizzying overpass and those three exaggerated, dome-shaped buildings, and Ping'an Avenue was still connected by various hutongs. They were still so young and inexperienced.

Chen Xun led Fang Hui through the red walls and green tiles of Nanchizi, the streetlights casting a soft glow on them, creating a beautiful halo.

Fang Hui, clutching her schoolbag, swung her legs and chatted idly with Chen Xun.

"Don't be angry with Zhao Ye, he just wants to talk to you!"

"I know, I'm not angry."

"Really? Aren't girls especially annoyed by guys lying?" Chen Xun said with a laugh. "The other day, I was watching a TV series with my mom. I didn't remember anything else, but I did remember the female lead, the one who played Xi'er in 'The Emperor's Adventures.' She was screaming hysterically: 'Why did you lie to me! How could you lie to me! You're so cruel, how could you lie to me!'"

Chen Xun imitated the tone of Hong Kong and Taiwan female stars in a high-pitched voice, which amused Fang Hui and made her laugh.

"I'm not afraid of being lied to. Lying is fine, but please don't let me know the truth again."

"Why?"

"Wouldn't life be easier if I didn't know it was a lie? The truth doesn't mean anything to me. Rather than being deceived and then suffering because I clearly know the truth, I'd rather be deceived in the dark forever."

"Oh? What if I apologize? And say I'll never lie to you again?"

"Don't apologize. The word I hate the most is 'I'm sorry.' Once you say 'I'm sorry,' it means you owe something."

"I see..."

"Hmm! It's strange, isn't it? Hehe." Fang Hui laughed self-deprecatingly, gripping the zipper of her schoolbag tightly, leaving small indentations on her fingers.

Although Fang Hui said that, Chen Xun felt she was definitely afraid of being deceived and let down. He recalled her silent figure in class with her head down, and felt a pang of sadness. This girl was not only kind but also gentle. She never bothered anyone, but she would always do her best to help others with anything they asked. Perhaps she was a little clumsy sometimes, but she didn't try to hide it. Whenever she looked up, her eyes would always dart away, but if you looked closely at her pupils, you could see a pure innocence within them.

"Fine! Then I won't apologize to you anymore. I'll say it's okay! Even if I step on your foot, I'll say it's okay. Consider it something you owe me!"

"What?!" Fang Hui laughed again, this time a happy laugh.

Since she doesn't like to apologize, he won't say it; since she's afraid to come closer, he'll do it himself; if she still backs away, he'll hold her back.

That's roughly what Chen Xun was thinking at the time, and the reason is quite simple—

He fell in love with her.

The next day at school, Zhao Ye passed the inspection safely. Zhao Ye regained his energy, but he no longer caused trouble in chemistry class. No matter how many times Teacher Liu said "this nnie," he listened with a devout look.

When school was over, Fang Hui didn't wait for Zhao Ye to go home together. She pushed her bike past the playground and saw Zhao Ye playing basketball with Chen Xun and Qiao Ran. Zhao Ye saw her too, and he leaned close to Chen Xun and whispered, "I'll pass the ball later, don't catch it!" Chen Xun nodded in confusion, and before he could run back, he saw Zhao Ye throw the ball towards Fang Hui.

The ball hit Fang Hui's bicycle wheel squarely, and the bicycle fell over.

"Oh dear, it's gone!" Zhao Ye said with a grin.

Fang Hui glared at him and said, "You're so annoying!"

"What are you doing?" Chen Xun patted him and said.

"Hey! Why did you hit her so hard!" Zhao Ye said, rubbing his shoulder. "She said she wasn't angry, but she ignored me when I said goodbye to her today."

"You deserve it!" Chen Xun was about to help Fang Hui lift the car when he saw Qiao Ran run over.

Qiao Ran straightened her handlebars, the two exchanged a few words intimately, and waved goodbye.

"Hey, do you think Qiao Ran has a crush on Fang Hui?" Zhao Ye nudged Chen Xun, who was staring blankly.

"have no idea!"

Chen Xun snatched the ball from his hand and threw it out from the three-point line.

The basketball swished through the net, a perfect shot.

(7)

Qiao Ran is indeed interested in Fang Hui.

But having feelings for Fang Hui was just one of many things in his high school life. He also had to arrange daily duties for each group, go to the administration office to collect white chalk, remind classmates to wear school uniforms, cut their bangs, and bring desk covers before the school discipline inspection, memorize the New Concept English texts that he had to recite every Tuesday, take notes and do homework every day, reserve courts for playing basketball at noon, and do many other things that were not very meaningful but had to be done.

His feelings for Fang Hui were intertwined with these things, occasionally stirring his heart. But perhaps due to shyness, or perhaps a lack of awareness of potential danger, he didn't show it much. Back then, expressing feelings wasn't very common; it was mostly just whispered gossip among the desks after lunch, like, "Does XX like OO?" or "I heard XX and OO are together!" But it was nothing like today's middle school students, constantly calling each other "husband" and "wife," daring to French kiss in class, hugging on the bus, and holding hands on the way home without any regard for others.

Qiao Ran hasn't made any substantial progress yet. Of course, if he had, I'd probably have to change the script today. In short, without realizing it, he'd already missed the person he'd been longing for for so long.

It all started when Fang Hui got into trouble.

That day was Monday's flag-raising ceremony. Like other schools, the flag-raising ceremony is a weekly ritual. Each class lined up in a matrix formation. Middle school students who hadn't joined the Youth League wore red scarves, while high school students who had joined wore Youth League badges. It started promptly at 7:30; lateness was strictly prohibited. Otherwise, any accusation could be leveled against you: lack of patriotism, disregard for the collective, disrespect for the national flag, and so on. If you were late and the national anthem was playing, you absolutely had to stand perfectly still and wait for your homeroom teacher's reprimand.

The procedure is simple: two groups of students, one from high school and one from junior high, stand on either side of the flagpole, one carrying the Young Pioneers flag and the other the Youth League flag, with girls holding bouquets behind them. The national flag is raised and the national anthem is played; the Young Pioneers salute, and the entire school sings the national anthem together. If there are any activities or messages, they are relayed; occasionally, the principal gives a speech, offering praise or criticism.

What's unique about F Middle School is that their flag raisers are fixed, two from each grade, rotating among them, and all of them are boys. These boys may not have outstanding academic performance, but they are certainly tall and good-looking. The principal of F Middle School said that what they want is this kind of image, this kind of effect, this kind of momentum! Therefore, F Middle School's flag-raising ceremony is absolutely "well-organized and professional".

The flag bearers for the first-year high school students were Chen Xun and Qiao Ran. On that day, the task of carrying the Youth League flag and holding the bouquet was also assigned to Class 1. Zhao Ye carried the flag, and Fang Hui and Xiao Cao held the bouquet.

Fang Hui arrived a little late in the morning, rushing out without having breakfast. She grabbed her flowers and went on stage as soon as she got to school. She only stood there for a short while before the sun became unbearably bright, and her legs started to feel weak. However, she was too embarrassed to admit she wasn't feeling well in this situation, so she gritted her teeth and endured it. Unexpectedly, because the line wasn't perfectly aligned, the head of moral education gave a speech before the ceremony began. Seeing the alternating light and shadows in front of her, Fang Hui couldn't hold on any longer and began to sway. But she was completely hidden behind Chen Xun and Qiao Ran, so no one noticed her unusual behavior.

"Oh! The national flag! The national flag!"

Just as the head of moral education was about to announce the start of the flag-raising ceremony, he heard a chorus of exclamations from the students below. Turning around, he saw that the national flag was already rising. Upon closer inspection, he realized that Fang Hui had grabbed the rope before she fell and managed to pull the flag up. She was already in a daze at that time, and her only memory was of a pair of warm hands supporting her.

"Quick! Take this student to..."

Before the head of moral education could finish speaking, Chen Xun ran over, helped Fang Hui up, and shouted to Xiao Cao, "What are you doing standing there! Help her up! I'll carry her to the infirmary!"

Xiao Cao quickly helped Fang Hui up and placed her on Chen Xun's back. Chen Xun bounced up a bit, tightened his grip on her arm, and hurried towards the infirmary. Xiao Cao, supporting him from behind, could barely keep up with his pace.

Chen Xun moved too fast; by the time Qiao Ran reacted, he had already carried Fang Hui on his back. Qiao Ran quickly caught up with them and, together with Xiao Cao, helped Fang Hui steady herself.

"Flag raiser! Flag raiser, come back!"

The head of moral education shouted at them, but neither Chen Xun nor Qiao Ran turned around.

The infirmary was in the teaching building, quite a distance from the playground. Chen Xun carried someone for a while and was clearly out of breath.

Xiao Cao said from the side, "Chen Xun, put her down and let Qiao Ran take over for you!"

"Yes, I'll do it!" Qiao Ran said anxiously.

"It's alright, no need." Chen Xun shook his head, gripping his hand even tighter.

At that time, he had a very clear idea in his mind: he would never hand Fang Hui over to anyone else.

Thinking about it, the scene wasn't romantic at all. Fang Hui wasn't fat, but she was quite tall, so carrying her on her back must have been very strenuous. Carrying her might have been easier, but in front of the entire school, who would dare do that in front of the principal? However, amidst this unromantic event, some romantic feelings became even more certain.

The group arrived at the infirmary looking disheveled and very nervous. The school doctor examined them and said it was nothing serious; their blood sugar was low, and they would recover after resting for a while.

As soon as Fang Hui woke up, she saw Chen Xun. He, Qiao Ran, and Xiao Cao were all staring straight at her with exaggerated expressions.

"Teacher! He's awake! He's awake!" Chen Xun turned his head and shouted.

The school doctor came over, touched Fang Hui's head, and asked, "Are you still feeling unwell?"

"good."

Did you skip breakfast this morning?

"Um……"

"You definitely need to eat breakfast next time! It's nothing, just low blood sugar," the school doctor said while taking notes. "Can one of you go buy her something to eat, bread and a drink will do, something sweet!"

"I'll go!" Qiao Ran said. "What do you want to eat?"

"Anything is fine, thank you."

"Don't be so polite." Qiao Ran smiled and ran out.

"Oh dear, you really are something! Why didn't you say you were feeling unwell?" Little Grass said, frowning.

"I think I should just bear with it..."

"Luckily, Chen Xun reacted quickly. If he hadn't caught you, you would have hit the platform!"

"Ah, thank you..."

Chen Xun waved his hand and said to Xiao Cao, "Go get your medicine!"

"Okay, you lie down first!"

Xiao Cao followed the school doctor out, and Chen Xun pulled the blanket up for Fang Hui and said:

"Take a break a little longer, don't go to the first class."

"good."

Being alone with Chen Xun at such close range made Fang Hui nervous, so she simply closed her eyes and stopped looking at him.

"That scared me to death."

Chen Xun spoke softly, as if to himself, and Fang Hui couldn't help but blush.

Do you know why I'm so worried about you?

“You… are a good person,” Fang Hui said softly.

"Huh? I'm a good person? Look at how others fainted, and this is what I did! Director Jiang was calling me from behind, but I didn't even respond to him!"

Fang Hui's eyelashes trembled slightly. She vaguely understood something, but this feeling made her half intoxicated and half afraid.

"You really don't know? Or are you pretending not to know?" Chen Xun said with some disappointment, "Let's just say it, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qiao Ran returned.

He bought a bright apple soda and a beef burger, as well as a bag of rainbow candies.

"Were you getting impatient? I asked the convenience store to heat up your burger," Qiao Ran said. "What were you talking about just now? The atmosphere was so heavy!"

Fang Hui lowered her head and remained silent.

"It's okay, I was just teasing her!" Chen Xun tore open the bag of rainbow candies and threw a green candy into his mouth.

The candy tasted sour, just like his current mood and the unspoken feelings of affection lingering in his heart.

(8)

Fang Hui felt dizzy and disoriented throughout the entire day of classes.

Chen Xun's unspoken words kept swirling in her mind. One moment she wondered, could it really mean... he likes her? The next moment she thought, no, no, how could he like her? He clearly told Qiao Ran that he was just trying to scare her. She shouldn't be delusional.

Fang Hui definitely had some expectations. She often glanced at the back of the class during breaks, would often lie by the window at lunchtime watching the basketball court, and would secretly observe her surroundings while doing homework with Qiao Ran. Among these scattered glances, the one that converged became Chen Xun's image. She understood perfectly well that the boy who often called out to her from behind, who often thought of her when others habitually ignored her, and who often secretly took care of her when she was at a loss, had quietly planted the seed of love in her heart, which had sprouted a tender and beautiful bud.

At 16, infatuation is so ordinary and simple. The happy or tragic love stories on film don't seem real to them. They always think they'll experience a unique romance and that these carefree days will continue forever. However, it's only when they grow up that they realize they've fallen into the same old pattern as time goes by, and the people who were by their side every day eventually go their separate ways.

During lunch, Fang Hui didn't look up. Chen Xun deliberately told boring jokes and even tried to snatch the meatballs from her lunchbox, but he still couldn't get her to look at him. After lunch, Qiao Ye dragged Chen Xun to play ball, while Xiao Cao dragged Fang Hui to get her mail. The two walked side by side in the same stairwell, but went in opposite directions.

Back then, computers weren't common, so there was no QQ chat or email. Mobile phones and text messaging were out of the question; the few mobile phone models available probably didn't even have Chinese text messaging capabilities. Communication with classmates from other schools was entirely through letters. Every school had stalls selling letter paper outside its gates—Japanese cartoon designs, Korean floral patterns, designs of idol stars—5 yuan a stack that could be torn, 4 yuan a stack with a few small envelopes—good quality and cheap, whatever you wanted.

Xiaocao was the student in their class who received the most letters. Her followers were all over Beijing, and she received letters by carrier pigeon from various districts every week.

"Go and look through that stack over there." On the windowsill of the gatehouse, Xiaocao handed Fang Hui a pile of letters.

"Oh." Fang Hui took the letters from her classmates and soon found Xiao Cao's two letters.

"Hey! Let me see! I didn't expect her to reply so quickly." Xiaocao took it and said with a smile, "By the way, Fang Hui, why do I never see you write letters? Don't you keep in touch with your junior high classmates?"

"I don't know them well."

"Not familiar with them?" Little Grass said in surprise, "Are you kidding me!"

Fang Hui neatly arranged the letter and stood aside to wait for her. In the distance, it seemed that a boy had made a beautiful three-pointer, and there was a burst of cheers. Her eyes unconsciously drifted over there again.

“I said… Fang Hui…” Xiao Cao held up a letter and looked at the sunlight through the heart-shaped paper inside.

"What?" Fang Hui turned her head, the envelope blocking Xiao Cao's eyes. She could only see the cute handwriting on the back that read, "Thank you, Uncle Postman."

"Do you... like Chen Xun?" Xiao Cao asked softly.

"ah?"

"Yeah?"

"No...no!" Fang Hui's heart pounded. The feeling of having her secrets exposed made her incredibly afraid. "Don't talk nonsense!"

"Haha! I knew it!" Xiaocao suddenly put the letter down and said excitedly, "You actually like Qiao Ran, right?"

"What?! You're so boring!" Fang Hui glared at her, then turned and walked into the building.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry!" Little Grass grabbed her and said mysteriously, "I promise I won't tell anyone!"

"Please, stop talking nonsense!" Fang Hui said helplessly.

Startled by the blades of grass, Fang Hui realized that even when faced with the beautiful emotion of liking, she still couldn't help but feel afraid. This feeling left her feeling frustrated and disheartened.

He thought it would be over, but before school ended, Chen Xun went straight to Fang Hui.

Fang Hui frantically packed her schoolbag, not knowing what to do. Just as she was about to grab her pencil case, Chen Xun stopped her. He didn't say anything, but simply put a note inside. Fang Hui looked at him in surprise, and he smiled and said, "Read it when you get home."

Fang Hui read it before even getting home; she couldn't bear the suspense any longer and tore it open on the way. However, after reading it, she became even more terrified.

It said on it:

"Fang Hui, I didn't finish what I was saying this morning. The reason I was worried about you isn't because I'm a good person, or because we're good friends. It's because I like you. I'm not kidding, I'm serious. If you think I'm okay with it, write my name in my history notebook. I'll be waiting for you!"

Fang Hui was the history class representative. When the history homework was handed out for the first time, one notebook had no name on it—that was Chen Xun's. Chen Xun, somewhat deliberately trying to get close to him, handed it back to him the second time, still without a name. Knowing it was his, Fang Hui simply gave it to him. Fortunately, there wasn't much history homework, so Fang Hui secretly tolerated his somewhat ambiguous prank. Tomorrow there's history class, and last week's homework will be handed back. This time, should she write her name on it and return it to him?

In the autumn sunlight, Fang Hui gazed at the road covered with golden, bright ginkgo leaves, clutching a boy's heartfelt sentiment in her hand, yet feeling utterly lost.

Now, after listening to Fang Hui recount her past, I can truly understand the complex emotions she felt back then. I understand how hesitant and conflicted she was, unable to simply write down the name of the boy she clearly liked.

However, Chen Xun at that time certainly couldn't understand any of this. So, when he received his history homework the next day, full of hope, only to find that the line after his name was still blank, he felt incredibly heartbroken and resentful. He desperately wanted to ask her why, why, when they both saw the glimmer of admiration in each other's eyes, they stubbornly avoided each other.

But Fang Hui was clearly avoiding him. She spent almost the entire day with Xiao Cao or Qiao Ran, refusing to look at him or speak to him. However, Chen Xun felt that she didn't dislike him. Because she never smiled, and her pure eyes were filled with an indescribable sadness.

Chen Xun ultimately failed to exchange a single word with Fang Hui, and naturally, he couldn't bring himself to ask the question. After school, he watched Fang Hui and Qiao Ran walk out of the classroom together, their steps perfectly synchronized, even extending their left feet at the same moment as they stepped out of the classroom.

Fang Hui caught a glimpse of Chen Xun out of the corner of her eye; she knew he had been watching her. But she didn't turn around, not even to give him a smile.

It's not that I don't want to, it's that I don't dare.

Just as Fang Hui was about to continue her dejected walk away silently, she never imagined that the next day, such words would be written on the blackboard to greet her.

Those were six characters, their handwriting illegible, crooked and twisted, yet each carrying a heavy weight:

Fang Hui likes Chen Xun.

(9)

Fang Hui and Xiao Cao were in charge of aligning the bikes that day. Fang Hui arrived early, but Xiao Cao didn't show up. When Qiao Ran arrived, he saw Fang Hui struggling to align Zhao Ye's Giant bicycle with the right angles. He quickly parked his bike and came over to help her.

"Let me do it. Zhao Ye didn't even park his car properly before leaving! His car takes up the most space!" Qiao Ran said, taking over the task.

"He was late and in a hurry to train, so he just left the bike here and drove off," Fang Hui said with a wry smile.

"Why are you all alone? Where's Xiaocao?"

"She hasn't come yet; she might have forgotten."

"She's always so busy, I wonder what she's thinking!" Qiao Ran sighed and pushed a bicycle in with all her might.

"You can go back now, I can manage on my own."

"It's okay, I'll help you! By the way, did you have breakfast today?" Qiao Ran asked with concern. "If you didn't, go now!"

"I ate it." Fang Hui smiled gratefully. "Thank you!"

Qiao Ran waved his hand and smiled shyly.

Xiao Cao and Chen Xun arrived almost right at the 7:30 AM bell for morning self-study. Qiao Ran and Fang Hui were already getting ready to go back to the classroom when they rushed over from the school gate, pushing their bikes. Chen Xun's hair was sticking up, and he had huge dark circles under his eyes; he clearly overslept. Xiao Cao only remembered she had to load the bikes when she arrived, and kept apologizing to Fang Hui along the way.

The four of them chattered excitedly as they ran upstairs, but suddenly fell silent the moment they entered the classroom.

Together they saw the six words on the blackboard; they weren't big, but they were glaringly obvious:

Fang Hui likes Chen Xun.

Little Grass was the first to move. Without saying a word, she angrily walked back to her seat. She yanked the chair out heavily, making an unpleasant sound as it scraped against the ground.

Qiao Ran was the second to move. He walked to the podium, picked up the eraser, and began erasing the ugly writing, stroke by stroke. The blackboard vibrated from the force. Then he turned around, his face stern, and said, "The student on duty, remember to clean the blackboard before class next time!"

Chen Xun was the third to move. He tugged at Fang Hui beside him and whispered, "Let's go back to our seats first."

Fang Hui remained motionless. Her eyes were empty, fixed on the blackboard, her face deathly pale. She wasn't actually looking at the vanished words, nor was she listening to Chen Xun's words. She was consumed by a long-forgotten shame and fear; a heart-wrenching feeling overwhelmed her, crushing her fragile emotions and causing her dignity to crumble instantly.

Fang Hui squinted and said that the weather was particularly nice that day, but she still felt very, very cold. She truly despaired, thinking that her youth would turn to ashes.

My heart clenched again. Back then, she never asked for anything. Timid as she was, she didn't even dare to accept Chen Xun's pursuit. She just carefully protected her little bit of secret love, secretly taking it out to indulge in it in a corner where no one could see, and then carefully putting it away when no one was paying attention.

Like a squirrel, foolishly guarding the last acorn of winter.

However, this acorn was eventually discovered, displayed to everyone, ridiculed and mocked, and finally crushed mercilessly underfoot.

I imagine that squirrel must be heartbroken.

Fang Hui returned to her seat and remained slumped over her desk all morning. When the teacher asked her what was wrong, Qiao Ran answered for her, saying she wasn't feeling well. Chen Xun also didn't concentrate on the lesson; he kept staring at her thin back, growing increasingly agitated as she trembled slightly.

Fang Hui didn't look up until lunchtime. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and watermarks were still faintly visible on the sleeves of her school uniform. Chen Xun watched her silently take her lunchbox back to her seat, then couldn't bear it any longer and went over to her.

He closed the lid of Fang Hui's open lunchbox and said, "Come on, let's go eat together!"

Fang Hui bit her lip and slowly shook her head.

"I've already got the chair for you, hurry up."

"I'm not going." Fang Hui's voice was still a little nasal from crying. She reached for the chopsticks, but Chen Xun snatched them away.

"You didn't do anything wrong, why are you like this! Are you suggesting we never talk again?"

"I really'm not going." Fang Hui almost burst into tears again.

"Okay, then we'll all eat here!" Chen Xun turned around, moved a table, and called out to Qiao Ran and Zhao Ye, "Hey, come on over!"

Zhao Ye was busy with training and hadn't witnessed what happened that morning. He'd only heard a rough account from Qiao Ran and was unsure how to comfort Fang Hui. Seeing Chen Xun calling to him, he quickly grabbed his lunchbox and ran over.

"We have potatoes today!" Zhao Ye bent down and stared intently at Fang Hui's face. "Fang Hui's potatoes!"

Fang Hui glanced at him helplessly.

"Look again! Look again!" Zhao Ye said, pretending to glare. "If you look again, I'll eat you up!"

Qiao Ran also came over. He acted as if nothing had happened, helped Fang Hui remove the table cover, and turned to say, "Xiao Cao, come here quickly!"

"I need to talk to He Sha about something. You guys eat first." Xiao Cao took her food and walked to the other side.

"Never mind her, she's just afraid I'll steal her potatoes!" Zhao Ye said, opening Fang Hui's lunchbox without any politeness. "Stingy girl!"

"Die! You think everyone's like you!" Little Grass glared at him fiercely.

Amidst Zhao Ye and his friends' commotion, everything seemed to have returned to normal. But Fang Hui knew she could no longer be the same as before. A teenager's mind is always delicate and sensitive; she understood perfectly what the gazes of her classmates meant. For children facing textbooks and exams every day, this was a major event worth getting excited about. Even though she, as the center of this event, was pathetic enough.

When she got home that evening, she remained absent-minded.

While she was copying down the variant characters in the classical Chinese text, the phone rang, and a little while later her father came over to call her.

"Looking for me?" Fang Hui asked, puzzled.

“Yes, a male classmate,” her father said.

"Hello?" Fang Hui answered the phone.

"Hello."

Who is it?

"I am Chen Xun."

Hearing him say his name, Fang Hui's heart fluttered slightly.

"What's up?"

Have you finished your math homework?

"I'm done writing."

"Could you help me check page 49, question 9? What was your final score?"

"Wait a minute." Fang Hui ran back to her room to get her math workbook. She suddenly realized that she was actually quite happy to receive Chen Xun's call.

"Hey, x equals 5, y equals 3."

"Ah, same as me."

"oh."

"Yes, thank you."

"fine."

"Okay, I'm hanging up."

Okay, bye-bye.

The phone went dead, and Fang Hui felt a little disappointed.

She went back to her room to continue her homework, but five minutes later, the phone rang again.

Fang Hui listened carefully to her father's words, and when she heard him say "wait a moment," she hurriedly opened the door.

Are you looking for me?

“Ah, right…” her father looked at her strangely and said, “It seems to be the same male classmate from before.”

"Oh." Fang Hui pretended to go back to get her math workbook and slowly walked over.

"Hello."

"I."

"Hmm, which question still needs to be answered correctly?"

"It's gone."

"ah?"

"Um... I have something I'd like to talk to you about. Is it a convenient time to talk?"

"So-so."

"Then I'll talk, and you can just listen."

"Um."

Don't worry too much about what happened today.

"I know."

"What do you know! You've been crying all morning!"

No, not at all.

"If I don't contact you, you'll ignore me, right?"

"oh."

Why?

"……not good……"

"What's wrong with that! How about I write it on the blackboard tomorrow too: Chen Xun likes Fang Hui! And he'll be with you!"

"Don't write!" Fang Hui suddenly became anxious.

"Why can't I write! I just like you!"

This was the first time Chen Xun had directly confessed his feelings to her. As soon as the words left his mouth, both of them fell silent.

These days, we probably say "I love you" the most. "I love you!", "Do you love me?", "Will you love me forever?". Love, when expressed in such a refined and delicate way, seems to lose its original preciousness. No matter how much we say it, it always feels a little empty, unable to convince anyone. So the above sentences often evolve into: "I really love you!", "Do you really love me?", "Will you really love me forever?"

Love and truth have become a combination that's both laughable and pathetic.

In our teens, a slight liking, a little less intense than love, is enough to fill our hearts.

At that moment, Chen Xun's affection warmed Fang Hui's heart.

"Do you...like me?" Chen Xun finally asked.

"..."

"If you like it, say yes; if you don't like it, say no."

"Fang Hui, stop chatting and go do your homework," Fang Hui's father called out to her.

"Okay, I know, I'll be right there!" Fang Hui hurriedly replied, "Let's talk about it at school tomorrow."

"Wait! Is it or isn't it!" Chen Xun said anxiously, "Tell me!"

"Yes! Bye!" Fang Hui hung up the phone without waiting for him to speak.

(10)

That day was nothing special; for the city of Beijing for thousands of years, it was just another peaceful night. But the two children remembered it vividly.

In their respective locations in Beijing, they secretly smiled to themselves. Unable to talk further over the phone, they could only recall their earlier conversation, chuckling at each word. Without a phone to send a text to confirm, they felt a mix of joy and trepidation. Without QQ, where they could casually type a heart, they kept their feelings buried deep in their hearts.

But perhaps it is precisely because of this that the longing and affection accumulate more, brewing an exceptionally sweet fragrance, and naturally, it is remembered for a longer time.

The next day, by sheer coincidence, the two bumped into each other on their way to school. They both blushed a little. Chen Xun kept turning the derailleur on the handlebars, glancing at Fang Hui every now and then. Fang Hui, on the other hand, kept her head down, her side-swept hairstyle completely obscuring her face.

“Um…” Chen Xun couldn’t help but ask, “Yesterday, you said ‘yes,’ right?”

"What's wrong?" Fang Hui asked him anxiously.

"It's nothing, just confirming." Chen Xun laughed. "Fang Hui, I'm so... so... happy!"

"I thought you had changed your mind." Fang Hui gently bit her lip.

"Impossible!" Chen Xun turned around and said firmly.

He pedaled hard, let go of the handlebars, and shouted excitedly twice. Fang Hui smiled and rode after him.

When they arrived at school, they didn't push their bikes in side by side. Chen Xun walked ahead, Fang Hui followed, both tacitly appearing upright and completely innocent. Liking someone is something enjoyed by just the two of them; at that time, they probably wouldn't want to announce it to the world. Of course, they wouldn't dare either; early romance is never a good thing, right?

Chen Xun parked his car and automatically moved aside a little space. Fang Hui chuckled and pushed her car next to him. She bent down to lock the car, and when she looked up, she was surprised to find that Chen Xun had used a U-lock to lock the front wheels of the two cars together.

"What...what are you doing?" Fang Hui looked nervously at her classmate who was queuing up the car.

"It's nothing. But if you don't talk to me today, you can't go home tonight." Chen Xun smiled smugly.

"Who do you think you are!" Fang Hui glared at him, but secretly she was delighted. "What if they see us?"

"It's okay, don't lock the car. If they see it, just say you didn't bring your keys!"

Fang Hui felt a little nervous as she entered the classroom. The shock from yesterday morning was still lingering; the thought of being stared at by so many people made her shudder. But seeing Chen Xun walking ahead of her reassured her somewhat. At least now someone was standing with her. She was no longer alone; a very nice boy was right beside her, and she could see him just by looking up. That alone made her feel much more at ease.

At noon, Chen Xun got lunch for Fang Hui and Xiao Cao, but Xiao Cao said she had something to do with He Sha and didn't come. Fang Hui felt embarrassed to eat alone with Chen Xun and the others again; a girl with three boys was too strange. But Chen Xun wouldn't have it; he just wanted to be with Fang Hui. So when Fang Hui refused to eat with them, he did what he did last time: he asked Qiao Ran and Zhao Ye to move to Fang Hui's seat to eat.

Fang Hui always accepted Chen Xun's actions with a sense of helplessness. He had done this several times today, such as locking his car this morning, and just now borrowing math homework sheets. He said he had forgotten to bring them, and happily borrowed a few sheets from Fang Hui. A little while later, Fang Hui saw him take a whole stack out of his bag and hand it to Qiao Ran.

Although Chen Xun's deliberate approach was somewhat willful and childish, Fang Hui was still happy. She knew that Chen Xun did this because he liked her.

In F Middle School, physical education classes were held separately for boys and girls. After doing some exercises and running two laps, they were dismissed for free time. Xiao Cao didn't go to play with Fang Hui; instead, she and several other girls were under a tree discussing yesterday's episode of "Princess Pearl." They were excitedly talking about how the Fifth Prince seemed to have kissed Xiao Yanzi. He Sha and Xiao Cao even hummed the widely popular theme song together.

Fang Hui sat alone to one side. No girls came to talk to her, so she listened silently to the lyrics, "Let us live freely and unrestrained in this mortal world, galloping on horseback and sharing the splendor of life, singing and drinking to express our joy, seizing the prime of our youth," watching them chat and laugh. She knew that to Xiao Cao, she had always been an insignificant classmate. So it was natural for her to avoid her because of what happened yesterday. However, she still felt a little lonely.

The boys' group had also dispersed. Chen Xun went to the equipment room to borrow a basketball, and when he ran back, he saw Fang Hui sitting alone in the corner. Compared to the cheerful laughter around her, her already thin frame looked even smaller. Chen Xun thought for a moment, then turned around and shouted to Qiao Ran and Zhao Ye, "Hey! Let's not play basketball today! Let's play a game of 'calling numbers' with the girls!"

Qiao Ran noticed that Fang Hui had been alone for a while, so she quickly tugged at the reluctant Zhao Ye and said, "Okay! Let's go! Let's go get our numbers!"

Chen Xun turned around and beckoned to the girls. Fang Hui, who had been sitting still, was pulled in by Qiao Ran.

Everyone lined up in numbers: Zhao Ye #1, Chen Xun #2, Fang Hui #3, Xiao Cao #4, Qiao Ran #5, a total of more than ten people. They agreed that whoever lost three times would have everyone take turns spanking them with a ball.

To make Fang Hui have more fun, Chen Xun and Qiao Ran kept calling out number 3. After running around a few times, Fang Hui gradually started to smile. She was honest and straightforward, and each time she called out a number, she threw the ball very high, so it was easy to catch her ball, and everyone started calling out number 3.

Zhao Ye, on the other hand, was more cunning than anyone else. He deliberately teased Xiao Cao, either by gently bouncing the ball up and dropping it while she was far away, calling out number 4, or by pretending to drop the ball just as Xiao Cao approached to hear him call out the number again, and then throwing it at her. As a result, after only a few rounds, Xiao Cao had already caught the ball three times.

"Zhao Ye! Are you doing this on purpose?" Xiao Cao shouted angrily.

"Hehe, serves you right for not having lunch with us," Zhao Ye said with a grin. "Hurry up! Get it bent over!"

"I'm not eating! Just looking at you annoys me!" Little Grass turned her back in a huff.

Everyone laughed and took turns hitting the ball. When it was Fang Hui's turn, she gently bounced the ball on the ground and threw it over. Unfortunately, it hit Xiao Cao's wrist, which she was protecting by looking back.

The little grass cried out, turning around in annoyance and yelling, "Be gentle! Don't hit my hand!"

"I'm...I'm sorry," Fang Hui quickly apologized in a low voice.

"Come on, she didn't even try." Chen Xun, who could see it clearly from the side, couldn't help but reassure Fang Hui.

Already holding her breath, Xiaocao's eyes instantly reddened upon hearing Chen Xun's words. She picked up the ball and threw it fiercely at Chen Xun, saying, "I'm not playing anymore!" She then turned and ran back into the building. He Sha glared at Chen Xun and chased after her.

Fang Hui wanted to run over and take a look, but Qiao Ran stopped her.

"Don't go, she's after you..."

"Play or don't play! If you don't want to play, then forget it!" Chen Xun said, picking up the ball.

After that day, Xiaocao never ate with them again. For the first few days, she said she had something to talk to He Sha about, but later she simply took her food directly to He Sha's place. Fang Hui wasn't the type to take initiative, so naturally she wouldn't go to her either. The two gradually drifted apart.

Love and friendship in youth are always intertwined, and gains and losses often happen suddenly. Fortunately, I was still young and didn't think it was a big deal.

The incident with the writing on the blackboard gradually faded away as if it had never happened. After all, there were still many things to do: dictation of words, exams, various workbooks, and listening to Teacher Liu's constant nagging. If one wasn't particularly concerned about it, they might have forgotten about it, unless someone suddenly brought it up again, perhaps sparking a renewed discussion. But Fang Hui never heard any of these discussions. Nor did she pay attention; at that time, she was wholeheartedly devoted to her crush on Chen Xun.

Sometimes Fang Hui would feel lonely. Although Chen Xun, Qiao Ran, and Zhao Ye were all very kind to her, there were some things that only girls could do together. For example, going to the bathroom together, borrowing personal items, chatting during breaks, talking about TV dramas at noon, and buying snacks at the convenience store.

No one did this with Fang Hui. She said she was used to it by then, and she thought she would just drift around in school for three years.

However, Lin Jiamo appeared.