You can like kittens, you can like puppies.
I like one person, and I like many people.
You probably often say "I like it" to yourself.
But love.
It's like an incredibly heavy word.
It carries a deeper emotion.
A responsibility.
The most common forms of love are the love between family members and the love for the person you want to spend your life with.
Few people would say this to their friends.
I love you.
That would startle both same-sex and opposite-sex friends.
Or perhaps you are the one who is frightened...
Love is silent and hard to express.
Especially the love of a quiet, reserved boy or girl who is not good at expressing themselves.
Once it's spoken aloud, it must mean the love is very deep.
...
"Hey, have you guys noticed lately that Ye Zhou looks even more handsome? Or rather, he has a more refined air about him."
"Yes, yes, isn't it a bit lazy and relaxed? Why does it feel like every move you make is more charming?"
"The way he walks is different from before. Before, he was always in a hurry, either running errands for the school beauty or rushing back to the classroom to study with his head down. Now he walks with his head up and his back straight, which naturally makes him look more energetic."
"If he hadn't failed to win over the school beauty, I would have thought he was exploited by her before."
"It's not exploitation. I run errands for her every day, and she still spends so much money on me."
The school bell rang.
The homeroom teacher, Mr. Wang, came out holding a stack of report cards.
They don't post report cards anymore; they use grade slips instead.
The purpose is to prevent students from comparing their grades and manipulating their mindset before exams.
When Ye Zhou received his report card, Old Wang gave him a meaningful look and said, "Keep up the good work."
Ye Zhou nodded and returned to his seat.
Liu Tian was overjoyed when he saw his score sheet.
"Old Zhou, look! I've improved by five places. I've definitely left that Huo Guang behind. It's all thanks to your tutoring!"
Ye Zhou glanced at his report card. "Not bad. If he performs steadily in a few days, there shouldn't be any major problems."
Liu Tian had absolutely no urge to look at Ye Zhou's report card.
Because Ye Zhou always pushes the boundaries of his understanding of exam results.
...
In the afternoon, No. 1 Middle School quickly held the final exam awards ceremony and a pep rally.
An Youhe was in front of Ye Zhou.
She kept her fists clenched in tension.
A team of ten people went up to the podium according to their rankings.
Principal Wang Tiezhu read the announcement from the stage.
"Second place, Ye Zhou, received a cash prize of 2,500 yuan."
The audience erupted in uproar.
"What? Ye Zhou is actually second place? How is that possible? His previous results were way better than An Youhe's!"
"Could it be that Ye Zhou is in a bad mood because he broke up with the school beauty?"
"Another possibility is that the top student really pitied this perennial second-place crybaby and deliberately let her experience what it's like to be number one at the end."
"Holy crap, is this for real? This is so humiliating."
When the principal read it aloud.
The noise from the audience came through in a jumbled mess.
Ye Zhou looked to his right and saw that the girl's head was lowered even further.
I just got first place in the exam.
An Youhe's shoulders trembled slightly.
Ye Zhou also noticed the girl's subtle movements.
If we don't do anything, will this girl cry?
Ye Zhou deliberately moved closer to An Youhe and wrapped his large hand around the girl's small fist.
In the eyes of the audience.
The two people just look out of place.
Ye Zhou boldly rubbed it lightly.
Sure enough, the girl stopped shaking.
"Didn't An Youhe just want to be number one? Now her wish has finally come true, but it's only because of Ye Zhou's charity. How pathetic."
"Exactly, otherwise, with her limited abilities, she wouldn't have gotten first place even after repeating a grade for thirty years."
"She's just hardworking; she's not smart at all."
"Ye Zhou is just too kind."
The warmth of Ye Zhou's large hand came from the back of my hand.
An Youhe couldn't help but have tears welling up in her eyes.
That's not how it works.
She didn't want to be number one.
She was there from beginning to end.
They all just wanted to get closer to the boy.
She never cared about first place or second place.
How did it turn out like this?
She only needed to be second place, close to Ye Zhou, that would be enough.
Ye Zhou released An Youhe's hand.
He stepped forward and said to Wang Tiezhu, "Principal, I'd like to say a few words."
Ye Zhou had always been an excellent student in both character and academics, and Wang Tiezhu did not question it.
He handed the microphone to Ye Zhou.
No one knew what Ye Zhou was going to say.
"I want to clarify a few things here. First of all, this exam was completely fair and just. I did not give way to anyone. I have no private interactions with An and we don't usually interact. It's impossible for me to give way to her. It's true that there are some things I didn't understand clearly and my skills were not as good as others. I admit that. I will definitely improve next time."
Secondly, some of you say that she is not smart, but just very hardworking. Do you think it is easier to be smart or to work hard? Do any of you work as hard as An?
Rumors stop with the wise. That's all I wanted to say. Finally, I hope everyone will pay less attention to others and focus on achieving the results they desire in the remaining time.
After Ye Zhou finished speaking, he handed the microphone to Wang Tiezhu.
Wang Tiezhu stared at the student before him, shocked! Unbelievable! His speech was so eloquent, and entirely extemporaneous!
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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