Li Mo
Winter break is over, and the final semester of senior year has begun.
Shortly after the start of the school year, the school held its usual grand "College Entrance Examination Preparation Rally" to send off students for the college entrance examination.
Bright red inspirational banners hung above the playground, fluttering in the wind. All the senior students, dressed in neat school uniforms, lined up by class, a dense, dark mass, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
An important part of the conference agenda was the declaration of war by representatives of science and humanities students.
When the host announced, "Next, please welcome Li Mo, a student representative from the science class, Class 2 of Senior Three, to speak," enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.
Li Mo steadily emerged from the science class.
She was still wearing her blue and white school uniform, her ponytail neatly combed, her figure slender yet standing ramrod straight. She walked onto the stage, stood in front of the microphone, adjusted her height, and calmly swept her gaze over the thousands of teachers and students below.
At that moment, the previously noisy playground instantly fell silent.
Standing at the back of the class line, Liang Xinchong, taking advantage of his height, fixed his gaze unobstructed on the figure on the stage. Everything around him seemed to blur and fade; his entire world consisted only of that girl who seemed to glow in the sunlight.
Li Mo didn't bring a script; her voice, clear and steady, carried with undeniable power through the speakers to every corner of the playground.
"Teachers and students, we are here today not for a farewell, but for a departure..."
She spoke of ideals, responsibilities, and the commitment and hard work expected of someone her age. There were no flowery words, no impassioned shouts, but every sentence was logically clear, precise, and imbued with the immense power of calm reflection. Her very presence was the best proof of her unwavering determination and excellence.
"...The college entrance examination is a bridge we have chosen for ourselves, a bridge to a wider world. It tests our knowledge and, more importantly, tempers our will. Let us wield our pens as swords, live up to our youth, and win a June without regrets in the examination hall of our youth! Thank you everyone."
She bowed slightly.
After a brief silence, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. The applause was especially enthusiastic in the area where the science class 2 was located, as they shared in the pride.
Liang Xinchong clapped enthusiastically, his eyes fixed on Li Mo as she calmly walked off the stage. A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips, his chest overflowing with an immense sense of pride and indescribable joy.
Look, this is the girl he likes. So outstanding, so dazzling, like the brightest star in the night sky, rightfully standing where everyone looks up to her.
Zhang Shan, who was next to him, nudged him with his elbow and teased in a low voice, "Brother Chong, tone it down. Your eyes are practically popping out of your head. You're blinding me. I know you like her."
Liang Xinchong then came to his senses, touched his nose, a little embarrassed, but his smile remained unchanged, and he replied in a low voice with a straight face: "My girlfriend, can't I look?"
Zhang Shan was completely stunned: "Her? Your girlfriend? Ah! When did this happen?!"
His gaze remained fixed on Li Mo as she returned to the group, his heart softening yet filled with boundless motivation.
Next came the speech by Liu Yali, the top student in the liberal arts class, which was equally brilliant, but Liang Xinchong was already barely listening.
He looked away, his tone slightly boastful: "Winter break."
-
In February, the Yuehai area was still chilly, with damp and cold air that seemed to seep into your bones.
The dormitory conditions at Yuehai Middle School are limited, and there are no washing machines. The heavy winter school uniform coats that students take off have become a major problem, and they can only grit their teeth and hand wash them in the freezing cold water room.
During the break, Liang Xinchong watched as Li Mo carried the obviously heavy, dirty school uniform jacket. He frowned slightly, then suddenly reached out and took the jacket from her with remarkable ease, stuffing it into a clean cloth bag he had brought with him.
"Give it to me, I'll wash it for you."
Li Mo paused for a moment: "No need, I can manage by myself."
“The water is too cold,” Liang Xinchong argued, his insistence unwavering. “I have thick skin, I’m not afraid of the cold. Besides,” he leaned closer, lowered his voice, and smiled slyly, “it’s only natural for a boyfriend to wash his girlfriend’s clothes.”
Li Mo looked at him, then at her hands which she really didn't want to touch the cold water, and didn't insist anymore. She just whispered, "Thank you."
"Why are you being so polite with me?" Liang Xinchong said, swinging the bag in a good mood.
Some mischievous children even touched Li Mo's little ponytail.
Li Mo said, "Naive!"
During lunch break, in the water room of the boys' dormitory.
Liang Xinchong rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscular forearms, and was diligently washing the girl's school uniform jacket, which was clearly a size too small. Although his movements were not very skillful, he was quite imposing.
Several male roommates came in carrying basins and immediately noticed the incongruous school uniform in his hand. They surrounded him, their faces filled with mischief and curiosity.
"Brother Chong, what's going on? This isn't your size!"
"Oh, which little girl are you washing clothes for? How thoughtful of you!"
"Tell me the truth, are you in a relationship?"
Liang Xinchong didn't even look up, continuing to struggle with the stain on his collar, his tone as frank as if he were saying how nice the weather was today: "Yes, it is."
His straightforward admission surprised the boys who had been egging him on. Some sharp-eyed men noticed that when he wrung out the washed jacket and shook it out to hang it to dry, the jacket was clearly a size too small.
"Is she really your girlfriend? Who is she? Which class is she in?"
Liang Xinchong draped his wet coat over his arm, picked up the basin, and walked out of the washroom, leaving behind a casual yet undeniably dramatic figure that could cause a huge uproar in the boys' dormitory.
"Li Mo from our class."
"Holy crap?!"
"Li Mo?! That Li Mo who's ranked first in the grade?!"
"It really is her! Chong-ge, you're amazing!"
"Oh no, I'm heartbroken..." a boy joked.
Liang Xinchong rolled up his sleeves and said to the boy, "You dare to like her?"
The boy pleaded repeatedly, "Just kidding, just kidding."
Lin Shusen happened to be standing at the door with an empty basin in his hand, and heard those words clearly. He paused, a complex emotion flashing across his face—surprise, understanding, and an indescribable sense of desolation. He watched Liang Xinchong's spirited figure as he went to hang up the clothes, and ultimately said nothing, silently walking away.
Liang Xinchong paid no attention to the wails behind him. He carefully hung the clean girl's school uniform on the clothesline in the boys' dormitory area and watched it sway gently in the cold wind. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the girls' dormitory also noticed something unusual.
Tang Keqing linked arms with Li Mo as they walked towards the classroom, whispering, "Mo Mo, I've noticed Liang Xinchong has been looking for you a lot lately. He used to be all over you, but now it feels... different." She blinked her curious eyes. "And you two are always whispering to each other, don't think I didn't see! Tell me, is something going on?"
Li Mo's heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composure: "No, we were just discussing the topic."
"Do we need to get so close to discuss the topic? Do we need to laugh so... um... flirtatiously?" Xue Han, a roommate, also came over from the side and joined in the questioning.
"Really, no." Li Mo tried to resist, but her ears were uncontrollably burning slightly.
Tang Keqing stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and exclaimed in a low voice, "You two...you wouldn't be together, would you?!"
Li Mo paused, instinctively wanting to deny it, but looking into Tang Keqing and Xue Han's eyes, filled with inquiry and a "you can't fool me" attitude, she knew she couldn't hide it anymore. She pursed her lips, as if making a huge decision, and nodded very slightly, her voice barely audible:
"……Um."
"Ahhh! Really!" Tang Keqing was so excited she almost jumped up, but thankfully she covered her mouth in time. "When did this happen? How did it start? Who confessed first? Tell me the details!"
Li Mo blushed crimson under the persistent questioning, wishing she could disappear into the ground. She could only manage a forced response: "Well... after winter break... no details, please don't ask..."
But Tang Keqing wasn't about to let her go. She clung to her arm, relentlessly bombarding her with questions, leaving Li Mo overwhelmed. For the first time, Li Mo began to seriously doubt the "confess and you'll be treated leniently" principle. The sweetness of campus romance always seemed to be accompanied by the annoyance of being "tortured" by friends.
Just as Li Mo was blushing and about to lose her temper from Tang Keqing's questioning, the dormitory door was suddenly pushed open with a bang, bringing a gust of cold wind.
Qin Yue's eyes were red and her face was still wet with tears. She rushed in like a gust of wind, threw herself onto Tang Keqing's bed, buried her face in the quilt, and her shoulders were sobbing. Muffled sobs came out.
This sudden situation made Tang Keqing instantly forget about questioning Li Mo about her love life. She immediately sat down on the edge of the bed, gently patted Qin Yue's back, and asked worriedly, "Yueyue? What's wrong? Who bullied you?"
Li Mo also breathed a sigh of relief, taking the opportunity to escape from the "interrogation" and looked at Qin Yue with concern.
Qin Yue cried for a long time before finally raising her tear-streaked face and sobbing, "It's...it's Song Feiran...he...he..."
"What happened to him?" Tang Keqing asked anxiously. "Did he insult you?"
"No..." Qin Yue shook her head, tears falling even harder. "I finally... finally mustered up the courage to ask him on social media how he was thinking about things during winter break... He... he said thank you for my feelings, but I'm sorry... he... he has a girl he likes!"
She practically cried out the last few words, filled with grievance and resentment.
The air fell silent for a moment.
Tang Keqing and Li Mo exchanged a glance, both seeing understanding in each other's eyes. So that's how it is.
"He has a girl he likes?" Tang Keqing frowned, repeated herself, and then immediately asked, "Did he say who it is? Which class is she in? Do we know her?"
Qin Yue shook her head vigorously, her nose red from crying: "No! I asked, but he wouldn't tell me! He just told me not to waste any more time on him... Waaah..."
Tang Keqing stroked her chin, beginning to employ her powerful reasoning skills: "He won't say? That's problematic. Logically speaking, if there really is such a person, wouldn't it be easier for you to give up if he told you? His vague answers..."
Her eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands suddenly: "I know! Yueyue, do you think it's possible that this 'girl he likes' is just something he made up? Just an excuse to reject you! To keep you from bothering him, but he doesn't want to be too harsh and hurt your feelings?"
Qin Yue's crying stopped abruptly. She raised her tear-filled eyes and stared blankly at Tang Keqing: "An excuse?"
“That’s right!” Tang Keqing felt her speculation made more and more sense as she spoke. “Think about it, Song Feiran is such a quiet person. He only studies and plays basketball. I’ve never seen him get close to any girl! Suddenly he shows up with a girl he likes, and he’s being so mysterious about who she is. That doesn’t make sense!”
Qin Yue blinked her tear-filled eyes, thought about it carefully, and it seemed... to make sense? If Song Feiran made up this persona to make her give up completely, then his rejection didn't seem so hard to accept? At least it wasn't because she wasn't good enough, but because he used a strategy?
"It seems...that's possible?" she hesitated, speaking softly, her tears having stopped.
"That's definitely it!" Tang Keqing nodded firmly, put her arm around Qin Yue's shoulder and comforted her, "Don't be sad, Yueyue. It's not worth crying over someone who made excuses to reject you! Our Yueyue is so wonderful, she'll definitely meet someone a thousand times, ten thousand times better than him in the future!"
Qin Yue leaned on Tang Keqing's shoulder. Although she still felt a little bitter, Tang Keqing's analysis did help to dissipate the intense sadness and frustration.
She began to follow Tang Keqing's train of thought, pondering the various possibilities of Song Feiran fabricating this excuse.
"Then... is there still a chance for me?"
Tang Keqing said, "Isn't there a 'Spring Fun Sports Competition' in a couple of days? If he has a girl he likes or someone he's flirting with, he should be there that day. If no girl shows up, you can go and bring him water."
"...Will this work?"
Tang Keqing: "Well, maybe..."
Qin Yue let out an "Ah!" and lay on the bed in a state of near collapse, thinking to herself.
It's said that a young girl's feelings are always poetic, but no one says that liking someone can drive you crazy or make you suffer terribly.
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