An Lan's eyes lit up as if she had found a savior. She immediately put down her racket, picked up the little panda, sat on the chair next to her, and said with a grin, "I'm not playing anymore. I'll be your loyal audience here and put on a 'ping-pong battle' for the little panda."

The little panda nestled in An Lan's arms, its eyes darting around curiously as it watched the two players locked in a fierce battle at the pool table. It looked as if it could truly understand the intense match.

Lu Fan and Ling Yue didn't care about anything else; they were immersed in the fierce competition, and every exciting exchange of attacks was accompanied by their excited cheers and hearty laughter.

As the match intensified, both players launched increasingly fierce attacks.

In order to win this crucial point, Ling Yue suddenly turned to the side when he received a tricky return from Lu Fan, raised his arm high, tensed his muscles, and slammed his racket towards the ping-pong ball like lightning.

With a loud "bang," the force of the ball was so great that it exploded, sending fragments flying everywhere in the air.

This sudden scene stunned Lu Fan and Ling Yue for a moment, then they looked at each other and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The entire table tennis room was filled with a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, as if all the troubles of the outside world had been thrown to the winds, and they were enjoying this rare moment of joy.

Live broadcast room.

"Wow, both of them are experts!"

"The ball exploded in such a short time; those two players' physical abilities are truly amazing."

"I dare not say about other things, but in table tennis, China has no rivals at all."

"Those old men in the park, they could all be in the Olympics, their skills are simply amazing."

The ball was smashed, and both players put down their rackets, bringing this intense table tennis match to a close.

As they laughed and cleaned up the ping-pong ball fragments on the ground, they reminisced about the exciting rallies they had just witnessed.

After the game, all three felt a bit tired, so they decided to go back to their room to rest.

Lu Fan stepped into the bathroom, and hot water sprayed merrily from the showerhead, gently caressing his body and washing away the sweat and fatigue from playing ball.

The body temperature, which had been burning hot, gradually cooled down in the comfortable flow of water.

He thoroughly enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere amidst the misty steam, allowing his tense nerves to gradually relax.

A moment later, he stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a bath towel. The warm yellow light, like a fine veil, gently spilled into the room.

Looking up, I saw An Lan quietly leaning against the headboard reading a book. The soft light perfectly outlined her figure, like a tranquil and beautiful oil painting.

His gaze lingered on An Lan for a moment, and the scene in the ping-pong room suddenly flashed through his mind.

At that time, he and Ling Yue were immersed in a fierce battle, fully committed to the competition, and giving their all with sweat and passion.

But now that I think about it, he seems to have overlooked An Lan.

She sat alone to the side, watching them chat and laugh. Did she feel bored and lonely?

Thinking about it this way, a wave of guilt washed over him, making his heart ache.

He tiptoed to the bedside, slowly lay down, and then carefully hugged Anlan from behind, his movements so gentle as if he were afraid of hurting her.

An Lan was startled by his sudden display of affection, causing her to slightly twist her body.

However, she did not resist; instead, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing a subtle, sweet smile, like a night-blooming cereus quietly blooming in the night sky.

Lu Fan brought his nose close to An Lan's hair and took a deep breath.

The familiar scent of shampoo instantly filled his nostrils and lingered in his heart, calming his anxious heart filled with guilt.

He leaned close to An Lan's ear, his voice soft and tinged with apology: "I'm sorry, I was so engrossed in playing that I didn't even notice you."

An Lan put down her book, turned around gently, looked at him tenderly, and smiled like the warm spring sun: "No, I found it really interesting and fun to watch you guys fight so intensely. Why would you think I'm unhappy?"

Lu Fan scratched his head, a look of reminiscence on his face, and smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "When I was in junior and senior high school, I wasn't very good at basketball, and I didn't have many friends."

Every time we have PE class, everyone is full of energy on the field, playing enthusiastically, but I can't join in and can only sit alone on the sidelines watching. I feel so disappointed.

If anyone asks me why I don't hang out with them, I'll stubbornly say I don't like it. So seeing you sitting next to me just now immediately reminded me of my past self, and I'm really afraid you've also felt that sense of being ignored.

Upon hearing this, An Lan's eyes were filled with heartache and pity. She slowly reached out and gently touched Lu Fan's head, her movements as gentle as if she were comforting a wounded little animal: "I never thought that our usually optimistic and cheerful Lu Fan would have such a past."

Lu Fan smiled, his arms instinctively tightening around An Lan, as if he could hold her firmly in his arms and protect her from any harm: "That's why I'm especially afraid of you being sad."

An Lan pondered for a moment, her expression serious and focused, and said softly, "Actually, at first, because I didn't know how to play table tennis, I couldn't participate, and I was indeed a little disappointed."

But seeing you having so much fun and smiling so brightly makes me not feel bad at all. Your happiness is my happiness.

Upon hearing this, Lu Fan finally felt relieved, and a bright smile returned to his face: "That's good."

An Lan gently held Lu Fan's head, her fingers softly tracing his cheek, her eyes filled with love and contemplation.

She felt that Lu Fan was like a book full of content, with each page filled with unique stories.

He is always optimistic and positive, as if no difficulty can defeat him. No matter what kind of predicament he faces, he can deal with it calmly and infect everyone around him with his optimism and warmth.

But occasionally, unintentionally, he would reveal his vulnerable side.

At this time, he becomes sentimental and his heart becomes weak and helpless.

She had heard him mutter to himself in his sleep, his voice filled with unease and fear; she had also seen him wake up from nightmares, his body trembling slightly with fear.

She even discovered that Lu Fan would always unconsciously curl up into a ball and huddle in the corner of the bed when he slept, which is a typical manifestation of insecurity in psychology.

It turns out that the reason he was so worried about feeling lost and sad was because he himself had fallen into that state of anxiety first.

Perhaps it was the fear of losing her, the fear of experiencing neglect again; or perhaps it was the memory of being isolated and forgotten that quietly surfaced in his mind at some unexpected moment.

As Lu Fan gradually fell into a deep sleep, his arms remained tightly wrapped around her, as if he were grasping the most important and precious thing in his life.

An Lan felt extremely sorry for him. She slowly lowered her head and gently kissed Lu Fan's forehead. The kiss was as gentle as a spring breeze, carrying endless tenderness and affection. Then she whispered, "Goodnight, optimistic yet lonely little boy."

The lights in the room gradually dimmed, and darkness gently enveloped the entire room.

Only the even, calm breathing of the two remained, intertwining and entwining in the tranquil night, telling of their unique sweetness and warmth.

In the live broadcast room, the audience was also deeply touched by this warmth.

"Waaaaah, after hearing about Lu Fan's amazing story, my heart is shattered into pieces."

"I totally understand. I used to dread gym class too. Everyone else would go in groups, but I'd always be all alone."

"During group activities, I'm always the one who gets picked and left over; it's such a painful experience."

"Children from poor families are often insecure and sensitive. They can keenly perceive the emotions of others, but often ignore their own feelings."

"Actually, Lu Fan has a bit of a people-pleasing personality. Haven't you noticed that he always puts others first? This is because he lacks emotional recognition and wants to gain emotional value by pleasing others."

"It's normal. Lonely people are often like this, trying to make others happy while secretly doubting themselves."