Li Mo
At the end of September, before the summer heat had completely subsided, the edges of the sycamore leaves had already quietly turned a scorched yellow.
The days of senior year of high school flew by like a clockwork toy, passing quickly in a cycle of test papers and problem-solving sessions.
During this time, Liang Xinchong finally stopped bothering her too much. She still brought her lunch, but she stopped bothering her while she was drawing the bulletin board. In the classroom, she also intentionally or unintentionally kept her distance from her.
Li Mo was very satisfied with him.
Just a few days before Liang Xinchong's birthday, he bombarded her with messages on □□.
Liang Xinchong: My birthday is coming up, do I deserve a gift?
Liang Xinchong: [Puppy looking forward to something. jpg.]
Li Mo: "..."
How could this person so easily admit to owning his little dog sculpture?
Li Mo: It depends on my mood.
Liang Xinchong: No, I want a gift.
Li Mo: If you keep arguing, it'll be gone.
Liang Xinchong: [Image of a puppy crying.]
Li Mo increasingly felt that this person was very good at feigning grievance.
She softened as soon as he pretended to be wronged.
Li Mo: I'll give you a drink on your birthday.
Liang Xinchong: What kind of drink?
Li Mo: Green tea.
Liang Xinchong: [Image of a puppy scratching its head in confusion.]
Li Mo ignored him.
On Liang Xinchong's birthday, during a break between classes, a familiar and eye-catching figure appeared at the classroom door—Tian Naiyan, the arts and literature representative of the liberal arts class.
She was clearly dressed up carefully today, holding a beautifully packaged square gift box in her hand. After scanning the classroom, her gaze landed precisely on Liang Xinchong.
"Liang Xinchong, can you come out for a moment?" Her voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension.
The previously noisy classroom instantly quieted down, and countless curious and inquisitive gazes lingered between Liang Xinchong and Tian Naiyan.
Li Mo was looking down at a math problem when her pen paused almost imperceptibly.
Liang Xinchong frowned, seemingly a little impatient, but seeing Tian Naiyan's persistent gaze, he still stood up and followed her out under the watchful eyes of the whole class.
He didn't linger at the door, but instead gestured for her to walk to the corner at the end of the corridor.
Li Mo looked up, her gaze sweeping across the window, only to see their blurry figures.
She saw Liang Xinchong with his back to the classroom, seemingly talking, while the expectation on Tian Naiyan's face gradually froze, eventually turning into an undisguised sense of loss and stiffness.
After a while, Tian Naiyan handed the gift box forward. Liang Xinchong hesitated for a moment, but finally reached out and took it.
Tian Naiyan turned around almost immediately, lowered her head, and quickly left.
Liang Xinchong walked back to the classroom with the exquisite gift box that seemed out of place with his temperament. His face was expressionless, and he casually stuffed the box deep into his drawer.
He didn't look at anyone, as if what had just happened was just a trivial little episode.
Li Mo looked away and refocused on the problem in front of her, only to find that her clear solution seemed to have been tied in a knot.
A subtle, bittersweet sense of loss, like tiny vines, quietly crept into my heart.
She pursed her lips, asked nothing, but tightened her grip on the pen slightly.
When the school bell rang, Li Mo packed her schoolbag as usual and walked alone to the bicycle shed.
She had just pushed her bicycle out when a figure skillfully approached.
Liang Xinchong stood on one leg, looking at her with a tone that was both urgent and cautiously tentative: "Um... I refused the thing that Tian Naiyan gave me just now."
Li Mo pushed the cart forward, looking straight ahead, and said in a flat tone, "Oh." What does it have to do with her?
"I really refused!" Liang Xinchong rode his bike alongside her, his tone becoming more serious, filled with an eagerness to clarify. "I told her I have someone I like. I accepted the gift... just because I didn't want to embarrass her too much in the hallway."
The evening breeze was cool, ruffling the wisps of hair on the boy's forehead.
As Li Mo listened to his explanation, the inexplicable bitterness in her heart quietly dissipated a little, like a thin mist blown away by the wind.
But she refused to back down, replying stiffly, "I didn't want to know."
The setting sun cast long shadows of the two, and its orange-red halo painted the entire sky, giving them a warm golden edge.
Looking at her feignedly indifferent profile, Liang Xinchong suddenly smiled, a smile that appeared exceptionally clean and dazzling in the setting sun.
He pedaled faster, then swerved the bike sideways, gently blocking her way and forcing her to stop.
He looked into her slightly surprised eyes, his gaze focused and honest, and said clearly, "Then I just want you to know. I don't like her, not at all. I don't want you to misunderstand, not even the slightest possibility."
His bluntness was like a pebble thrown into a still lake, creating ripples.
Li Mo's cheeks began to burn uncontrollably, and she instinctively tried to avoid his scorching gaze.
However, Liang Xinchong's next words made her heart race even faster.
The boy leaned slightly closer, his eyes, which always held a hint of untamed spirit, now brimming with undisguised, sincere emotion. Each word he uttered was solemn, as if he were making a vow:
"Li Mo, I've already admitted that I like you."
"I only like you."
The four words, "I only like you," accompanied by the distant chirping of birds returning to their nests and the gentle breeze brushing past her ears, struck Li Mo's heart clearly.
Her cheeks flushed instantly, even her ears turning crimson, a blush that was impossible to hide in the afterglow of the setting sun. She felt her heart pounding so loudly that even he could probably hear it.
Shyness, panic, and a touch of indescribable sweetness overwhelmed her in an instant.
"You pervert, getting so close!"
She pushed him away slightly, and almost frantically pulled a small box wrapped in simple brown paper from the side pocket of her backpack. Without even looking at it, she shoved it directly into Liang Xinchong's arms, her voice soft with a hint of exasperation mixed with shyness:
Shut up!
After saying that, she immediately pedaled hard on her bicycle and rushed forward without looking back, like a startled yet joyful bird that just wanted to escape the scene that made her blush and her heart race.
Liang Xinchong was taken aback by her sudden action and looked down at the simple little box in his arms that still carried her body heat.
He carefully unwrapped the kraft paper, inside which was a black sports headband. It was made of high-quality material and had a simple and elegant design, just the kind he would use when playing ball.
In an instant, a huge wave of surprise and warmth washed over me.
He suddenly looked up at the figure that had ridden far away and was getting smaller and smaller on the Sunset Boulevard, and a bright, silly smile bloomed on his face.
He cupped his hands to his mouth, and with all his might, shouted in her direction, his voice brimming with undisguised joy and pride, echoing through the bustling evening street:
"Li Mo—I thought you hadn't prepared a gift for me!"
"Thank you!"
In the distance, the figure on the bicycle seemed to pause slightly before disappearing around the street corner at an even faster speed.
Liang Xinchong held the hairband, looking down and chuckling to himself for a long time.
The setting sun made his figure, standing alone by the roadside, stand out clearly.
He knew that she had feelings for him.
Still stubbornly refusing to admit it!
-
A new beginning, and the academic pressure of being a senior in high school is increasing.
On Monday afternoon, during a rare short break between classes, Li Mo and Tang Keqing, carrying materials they would need for the next class, walked through the tree-lined path next to the teaching building, intending to get to the laboratory building early to secure a good spot.
There will never be a shortage of young people sweating it out on the basketball court.
From afar, Tang Keqing spotted the most eye-catching figure.
"Wow!" She nudged Li Mo with her elbow and excitedly pointed towards the court. "Mo Mo, look! Liang Xinchong, his new headband looks so cool! When did he buy it? I've never seen him wear this style before!"
Li Mo looked in the direction she pointed.
The afternoon sun in autumn was not scorching, but gently shone on the field.
Liang Xinchong, wearing a red jersey, is dribbling the ball and breaking through defenses with agility.
What's most eye-catching is the brand-new black sports headband on his forehead. The headband neatly pulls his slightly messy hair back, fully revealing his smooth forehead and sharp brow bone, adding a touch of focus and neatness to his already flamboyant and handsome face.
As the boys ran, their youthful energy almost burst through the fence.
He clearly noticed them passing by, or perhaps he had been watching them out of the corner of his eye the whole time.
With a beautiful fake move, he shook off the defender, stopped abruptly, and jumped to shoot. The moment the basketball swished through the net, he turned his head seemingly unintentionally, his gaze precisely sweeping over the crowd and landing on Li Mo.
He even raised his hand and gently adjusted the edge of his headband with his fingertips. The movement was natural, but his eyes held an undisguised, blatant boast and pride.
Li Mo's heart skipped a beat, and then a mix of shyness and helplessness welled up inside her.
If I had known he would be so flamboyant, I wouldn't have given him the hairband.
She secretly felt annoyed.
She hesitated for a long time before choosing that headband.
I didn't want to give him something too expensive that might cause misunderstandings, but I also felt I couldn't be too casual. Finally, when I saw this nice-looking, simple black headband at a sporting goods store, I thought it would be suitable for him to wear when he plays sports.
I thought he would keep it like a normal accessory and use it occasionally, but who would have thought that he would wear it so openly, as if he had a sign hanging above his head that said "This was given to me by Li Mo".
"He is quite handsome." Li Mo vaguely responded to Tang Keqing, quickening her pace, wanting only to leave this "place of trouble" as soon as possible.
Tang Keqing was still marveling at the sight, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Liang Xinchong's new headband and Li Mo's slightly reddened ears, a knowing and ambiguous smile gradually appearing on her face.
"Oh—I was wondering...you didn't send it, did you?" She drawled, nudged Li Mo lightly with her shoulder, lowered her voice, and laughed like a cat that had just stolen some cream. "No wonder handsome Liang is so...radiant today!"
"Stop talking." Li Mo glared at her reproachfully, her cheeks burning even hotter. She practically dragged Tang Keqing, who was still grinning mischievously, and quickly left the basketball court area.
On the court, watching Li Mo's almost "fleeing" figure, Liang Xinchong's smile became even more pronounced, his mood as good as if he had scored the winning goal.
He raised his hand and touched the soft, sweat-absorbing headband on his forehead, feeling as if he had inexhaustible energy.
"Chong-ge, you're in great form today!" His teammate ran over and patted him on the shoulder.
“That’s right,” Liang Xinchong raised his chin, smiling triumphantly, “New equipment, enhanced!”
Lin Shusen stood to the side, holding the ball in his hand, wanting to laugh along, but found that he couldn't laugh at all.
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