Evan Lin and Autumn Zheng had a simple meal at a roadside snack stall just outside the school gate.
The Zheng family was considered a prominent clan around Oceanport, but there wasn’t a trace of a spoiled heiress temperament in Autumn Zheng.
At the table, Autumn Zheng didn’t show the slightest displeasure at the humble setting. She ate slowly and gracefully, making the scene unexpectedly pleasant.
"Your grandparents miss you a lot. After the college entrance exam, you should come visit Oceanport for a bit."
"In the past, it was the Zheng family that let you and your mother down. I hope you can understand the decisions made back then. Many times, the weak have no right to choose."
Autumn Zheng didn’t wait for Evan’s reply. She took out a napkin, dabbed her mouth, and smiled. "But honestly, I’m really looking forward to seeing what your future will be like."
"Whether it’s the Zheng family or Oceanport, we’ve never had a kid like you. Your grandparents said that if you ever need anything, just ask—whatever you want, if the Zheng family can give it, it’s yours."
"If you soar to great heights and want to bring the Zheng family along for the ride, that would be wonderful. Even if you don’t, nobody in the family will complain. Your grandparents are getting old, and they haven’t had many peaceful years. Time left isn’t that long or that short. From my perspective, I hope you’ll call them now and then, just for their peace of mind."
"Even if it’s just a simple greeting."
After finishing, Autumn Zheng stood up and asked the stall owner how much the meal cost.
The total was eighty-four yuan.
Autumn Zheng handed over a hundred and got sixteen back in change.
"I’ve got class tomorrow. I kind of snuck out today, so I have to get back to Oceanport, or they’ll dock my pay."
Autumn Zheng spoke lightly and with a smile.
Evan didn’t say anything, and Autumn Zheng didn’t linger. She walked straight out.
He watched her hail a cab by the roadside, quietly thinking over the words she’d just said about daily life and small expenses.
The Zheng family’s humility was a bit beyond Evan’s expectations.
Autumn Zheng’s words were perfectly chosen, leaving no room for fault.
No matter what, Evan couldn’t really bring himself to make things difficult for the Zheng family.
"The weak have no right to choose."
Evan Lin put down his chopsticks and stood up. "Was there ever a time when I was the weak one?"
He gave a self-deprecating smile.
The weather was getting hotter.
The college entrance exam was just around the corner.
Capitalview First High School started its exam break on June 4th.
After months of intense drill and endless practice sets, even the top students at Capitalview First High were feeling burned out.
On the day break started, the seniors brought out stacks and stacks of old worksheets and exam papers, ripped them to shreds, and tossed them down from the top floor.
The underclassmen—freshmen and sophomores—looked up, their eyes filled with the sight of a vast white tide sweeping across the sky and earth.
Dust swirled in the wind, the blazing sun still beating down.
Fragments of torn worksheets and exam papers fluttered everywhere, their densely scribbled notes almost shocking to behold.
Lynn Chen had planned to work through a few more math problems, but her classmates dragged her out of the classroom.
She leaned on the corridor railing, ears filled with the noisy din.
"Graduating soon—aren’t you happy?"
Wendy Wen came bouncing over, leaning on the railing beside Lynn and giving her a grin.
"Nope."
Lynn’s gaze drifted as she shook her head.
"So you’re looking for that guy, aren’t you?"
Seeing Lynn so spaced out, Wendy glanced across to the opposite building, then pointed toward a lone figure standing apart from the crowd, watching the paper storm.
"Look, over there—standing right there!"
She pointed out the direction for Lynn.
Lynn followed Wendy’s finger and looked over, spotting Evan Lin—calm, a little out of place, and with a complicated look in her eyes.
Wendy leaned in, seeing Lynn so dazed, and nudged her arm. "Hey, honestly, if you really can’t let go of him, now’s your chance to confess."
"Huh?"
Lynn was jolted by Wendy’s words. She looked at Wendy, silent for a moment, then managed a bitter smile. "It’s not that simple."
"Actually, it is pretty simple—you’re just overthinking it." Wendy lay on the railing, gazing over. "You’re graduating soon, aren’t you aiming for Beijing University?"
"That guy—he turned down Clearwater, so he’s probably not going to Beijing. The two of you will be in different cities, and who knows how many chances you’ll have to meet again."
"Instead of hanging on and feeling uncertain, why not just go tell him how you feel?"
"A girl’s pride, her reserve—sometimes it’s okay to set those aside. Look at Evan Lin: in just one year at Capitalview First High, he’s become a campus legend. Plenty of pretty underclassmen secretly pass by his classroom, and more than a few have a crush on him."
"But he still acts like a monk. There’s got to be a reason for that."
Wendy pouted. "Either he’s a eunuch, he’s gay, or he’s got someone in his heart."
"The first is impossible—no eunuch could be that strong and charismatic. If he were gay, the odds are low. Otherwise, take Yu Yingjie: he’s not bad looking, but when Evan Lin stomped his face, he didn’t hold back. So the only real possibility is: there’s someone in his heart."
"Someone in his heart…" Lynn echoed, almost to herself.
She thought of Rachel Liu from Brightsea, Claire Sheng—the porcelain-doll gentle girl from the Sheng family—and that free-spirited cyclist girl she’d met with Fang You in Whitewood County.
Every time she thought of someone, Lynn felt even more uncertain and conflicted inside.
"Who knows, maybe you’re the one in his heart?"
Wendy glanced at Lynn. "I don’t know what happened between you two, but if you like him, you’re pretty and smart—why not give it a try?"
"If you miss this chance, you might never get another."
"Once Evan Lin gets to college, it’ll be like a monk walking into a den of fox spirits—there’ll be no shortage of girls after him. If some clever vixen gets there first, you’ll regret it for life."
Wendy’s words were earnest and heartfelt.
Lynn was moved. She’d spent this time buried in study and endless practice, numbing herself. No matter how much she pretended not to care, when Wendy finally asked, she could feel all the longing and unwillingness surging up inside.
It was as if her blood had suddenly turned hot.
"So what should I do?"
Lynn took a deep breath and looked at Wendy, her gaze especially determined.