Li Mo
Realizing she might have been too harsh, Li Mo took out her phone and sent a message to Liang Xinchong after returning home.
Li Mo: I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so blunt. Don't be sad.
After Li Mo sent the message, the "typing" message did not appear at the top of the screen for a long time.
Time ticked by, but Liang Xinchong still didn't reply.
Li Mo sighed and typed another line on the screen. Li Mo: How are you feeling right now? Do you want to talk to me again?
This time, the response came faster than expected. The phone screen suddenly lit up, and the three characters "Liang Xinchong" spun on the table with a vibration.
He called me directly.
Li Mo answered the phone and held the receiver to her ear. On the other end, there was only a silent, suppressed breathing sound.
Li Mo could tell that he was waiting for her to speak first.
"Liang Xinchong," she said without any beating around the bush, her voice exceptionally clear in the quiet room, "Where will you go to university after graduating from the college entrance examination?"
There was a clear pause on the other end of the phone. He seemed completely unprepared for her question, let alone something he had considered. "...I don't think I've thought about it," he finally spoke, his voice hoarse from crying and somewhat bewildered.
“I will go back to Beichuan,” Li Mo said calmly but firmly, as if stating a fact already etched into her destiny. “I will apply to Beichuan University to study law. I am determined to get in.” She paused briefly. “Can you go to Beichuan?”
“Beichuan…maybe…” He hesitated, trying to grasp at this straw, yet knowing full well that the chances were slim.
“It’s impossible.” Li Mo interrupted him, her voice calm as she analyzed the harsh reality. “Most of the universities in Beichuan are 985 or 211 universities, and the rest are almost all junior colleges. With your current grades, there are almost no non-985/211 undergraduate programs suitable for you.”
She sighed: "So, Liang Xinchong, you just impulsively told me you liked me, right? You haven't thought about our future at all. Even if I agree now and be with you, are you sure we can handle four years of long-distance relationship? Or do you think it's just a fling?"
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone, with only his increasingly heavy breathing remaining.
After a long silence, Liang Xinchong said in a low voice, "...I'm sorry. I didn't think that much about it."
“So,” Li Mo’s tone softened, taking a guiding step, “go to Jinshi. It’s close to Beichuan, only an hour by high-speed rail. There are several well-ranked non-985/211 universities there, and those schools should generally have scores 50-60 points higher than the first-tier university admission line in Yuehai, which is perfect for you to aim for, and with your current score, it should be easy for you to get in.” She was like a strategist planning his future, calm and meticulous. “Or, you can choose a good university and major yourself and send it to me. This doesn’t mean you have to go there after the college entrance exam, but Liang Xinchong—” Her voice became incredibly clear and firm again. “I won’t slow down for anyone, so you have to keep up with me.”
After saying that, she paused for a moment, then added slowly, "But I will wait for you."
These three words, like a ray of light, instantly dispelled all of Liang Xinchong's gloom and grievances.
"Okay." The response from the other end of the phone came almost immediately, filled with the ecstasy of something lost and found, and a sense of relief; the voice even brightened.
After hanging up the phone, Liang Xinchong immediately turned on his computer and typed "Jinshi University admission scores" into the search engine.
He had never studied unfamiliar university names and program catalogs so carefully before. Scrolling the mouse wheel, he subconsciously searched for "Beichuan undergraduate programs." The page popped up, and the prohibitively high admission scores of even the lowest-ranked schools filled him with dread.
He eventually returned to the options in Jinshi, carefully selecting three schools and taking screenshots of their names and admission scores for the past three years.
Before sending it, he looked at the number that was more than ten or twenty points higher than his current total score—and it was for some unpopular majors.
For the first time, he felt so clearly the chasm that stretched between him and her.
Catching up with her was too difficult. But when he pressed the send button, what welled up in his heart was not retreat, but a bittersweet feeling.
But who could blame him for falling in love with such a distant and unattainable moon?
The message received a reply quickly.
Li Mo: Then you should try your best.
Then, several more popped up.
Li Mo: Also, I don't dislike you, nor do I hate you.
Li Mo: Don't overthink it.
Li Mo: Don't be unhappy either.
Li Mo: [Patting the puppy's head.jpg]
Seeing that familiar emoji, Liang Xinchong felt completely soothed, and all his unease and grievances vanished instantly. He pressed his advantage and asked...
Liang Xinchong: How much do you like me?
Li Mo: It's hard to say.
Liang Xinchong: What about the ten-point system?
On the other side of the screen, Li Mo stared at the question, her finger pausing. She wanted to reply with "3 points," but then the image of him with possibly red eyes flashed before her eyes.
She pursed her lips.
Li Mo: I'd give it 5 points!
Give him some face.
Liang Xinchong: [Puppy with its tail wagging.jpg]
Liang Xinchong: You scared me to death! I thought you were going to say one point.
Li Mo: ?
Li Mo: What misunderstanding do you have about me?
Liang Xinchong: I like you a lot just because you treat me well!
Li Mo looked at the sentence but did not reply immediately.
She looked at the message he sent over and over again. The deep dependence and grievance between the lines made her belatedly realize that there was a hint of coquetry in it.
She returned after a while.
Li Mo: Time to do my homework, goodbye.
Liang Xinchong: Okay, goodbye.
Just when he thought the conversation was over, another message from her came through.
Li Mo: I really mean I have to do my homework, I'm not just going through the motions.
Li Mo: Don't overthink it.
Liang Xinchong's heart felt like it was being soaked in hot spring water as he carefully confirmed it.
Liang Xinchong: Is that meant to comfort me?
This time, he received an incredibly clear response.
Li Mo: Hmm.
A simple "hmm" made him grin foolishly at his phone screen for a full five minutes.
He carefully set those screenshots of Jinshi University as his phone's screen saver, and then opened the brand-new "Five-Year College Entrance Examination and Three-Year Simulation" book.
-
In the days that followed, Liang Xinchong seemed like a completely different person.
Instead of being the first to rush out of the classroom with a basketball during breaks, he would grab a math problem he hadn't fully understood in the previous lesson and block the teacher until the bell rang for the next class.
During lunch break, the figure who used to sleep soundly with his head on his arm in the art studio disappeared, replaced by a boy with a furrowed brow and his pen constantly calculating while looking at his notebook of wrong questions.
He even started to ask Li Mo questions proactively, no longer just looking for an excuse to talk to her as before; his eyes showed genuine focus and thirst for knowledge.
Li Mo noticed his changes but didn't say anything. Instead, she explained things in greater detail when he asked questions.
Her own life is also moving forward at breakneck speed.
Soon after, she and several other top students in her grade received an invitation to the Beichuan University Winter Camp.
This means that she will spend her entire winter break in Beichuan to get a head start on her dream university and major.
During breaks, she and several other classmates who had also received invitations gathered to discuss the itinerary and preparations, exchanging ideas about the future and academic matters. Liang Xinchong occasionally saw those names in the top ten of the grade's overall ranking.
He sat in his seat, his back to their lively discussion, burying himself even more intently in the exercise book in front of him.
The days passed by uneventfully amidst the pressure of studying.
Once, Li Mo saw Qin Yue with her head down after class, her fingers deftly weaving a colorful bracelet.
Tang Keqing chuckled and teased, "Oh, is this for Song Feiran? You're so skillful, Miss Qin."
Qin Yue blushed and pretended to hit her.
Li Mo found it intriguing and went over to take a look for a while.
She has a strong learning ability. After watching it several times and trying it out herself, she actually managed to compose a short piece that looked quite decent.
She felt that this activity could calm her mind, so she bought some simple materials and would occasionally weave a little bit during breaks from thinking or before going to bed, just to relax.
Occasionally, during a short break on the weekend, she would still tutor Liang Xinchong.
He listened very attentively, and his notebook was filled with notes.
After a tutoring session, Liang Xinchong was tidying up his books when he asked, seemingly casually, "Winter camp...you're going to go for the whole winter break?"
"Yes." Li Mo nodded and packed her things as well. "This is a rare opportunity."
Liang Xinchong said "Oh," lowered his head, and his long eyelashes drooped down, obscuring the emotions in his eyes.
A brief silence fell between the two.
Looking at him like this, Li Mo thought for a moment and added, "You can definitely hire a tutor during your winter break, which would be more targeted."
"I know," he said in a muffled voice.
"Study hard during the winter break," she calmly advised.
“…Okay.” he replied, but the low mood was obvious.
Li Mo paused for a moment as she packed her schoolbag.
She looked at his tense profile and slightly pursed lips, as if he were making a decision.
A moment later, she put down her schoolbag, fumbled in her coat pocket for a while, then stretched out her hand and opened her palm.
A simple yet tightly woven, deep blue bracelet lay quietly in her fair hand.
The color is the same blue as the jerseys he often wears; the material is ordinary, but the workmanship shows that he put a lot of effort into it.
Liang Xinchong froze, his gaze shifting from her palm to her face, filled with disbelief and a hint of barely perceptible surprise, his voice trembling slightly: "You... what do you mean by this?"
Li Mo's expression didn't change much, but a very faint hint of helplessness, like "Isn't it obvious?", flashed across her eyes.
She looked at him, her voice still calm, yet clearly uttering two words:
"To coax you."
Liang Xinchong couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth, revealing a slightly silly yet smug smile. He quickly snatched the dark blue bracelet from Li Mo's palm, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against her skin, causing a barely perceptible shiver.
"Li Mo," his voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, tinged with obvious audacity, "Do you... have fallen for me a little?"
Seeing him instantly revive and practically wagging his tail, Li Mo glared at him irritably and said in a hard tone, "Liang Xinchong, don't push your luck."
But the warning came too late. Liang Xinchong had already lowered his head and clumsily but unusually quickly slipped the bracelet onto his left wrist. The boy's wrist was slender and strong, and the dark blue braided rope made his skin appear even whiter.
He adjusted the tightness to make sure it stayed firmly in place, then raised his wrist and waved it in front of her as if to show off.
“We’re going to talk sooner or later anyway,” he said, looking at her with a righteous indignation and a stubborn, unyielding gaze. “What good will it do to talk to me now? I promise it won’t affect my studies; in fact, I can do even better!”
Seeing his radiant appearance, instantly transforming from a pitiful puppy into a relentlessly aggressive "bully," Li Mo was speechless.
She pursed her lips, then suddenly extended her hand to him, palm up, her tone calm and even:
Give me back my bracelet.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Liang Xinchong's smile froze. Almost instinctively, he quickly hid his chained hand behind his back, the movement so fast it created a gust of wind.
"How can you take back something you've already given away? Li Mo, you can't do that."
Li Mo's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but she quickly suppressed it. She didn't insist on taking it back, but silently withdrew her hand, picked up the pen on the table again, and her tone returned to its usual calm:
"Go ahead and write your question."
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