That night after Sheng Nanzhou walked Hu Qianxi home, miraculously, he didn’t suffer from insomnia. He fell asleep quickly and even had a dream.

In the dream, he actually saw what he looked like as an adult. In that world, he had been watching over a seriously ill girl.

That girl was his fiancée, and they hadn’t had time to get married yet.

In the evening, as dusk filtered in, the girl lying in the hospital bed was in much better spirits. She blinked and said: “Brother Nanzhou, let’s sneak out to play.”

Sheng Nanzhou was peeling an apple, smiling: “Alright, where does the princess want to go?”

“Any! Where! Is! Fine!” Hearing this answer, the girl’s pale face showed more excitement.

Finally, Sheng Nanzhou took her and slipped out through the hospital’s back door. Once outside, the girl became lively, sometimes dragging him to eat at food stalls, then wanting ice cream, and finally eating a basin of extra spicy crawfish that made her lips bright red and brought tears to her eyes.

The girl made a series of requests, and as long as they weren’t too excessive, Sheng Nanzhou almost granted them all.

He just wanted to see her smile.

Finally, Sheng Nanzhou held a serving of her favorite teppanyaki tofu, and they snuck into a pool hall.

There, the girl met a man named Lu Wenbai and went over to chat with him cheerfully. Sheng Nanzhou stood aside waiting for about ten minutes, during which he repeatedly looked down at his watch, somewhat irritated, feeling for the first time that time passed so slowly.

After the chat, the girl ran over to hand him milk tea, saying she wanted to learn a couple games from Lu Wenbai. Sheng Nanzhou said calmly: “Together.”

After the break, Sheng Nanzhou’s eyes were only on the girl, firmly fixed on her. During this time, that man patted the girl’s shoulder and handed her a bottle of water.

Sheng Nanzhou’s face darkened.

Just as he was about to walk over, suddenly a group of people rushed in, someone shouting in panic: “Oh no, a madman came in to attack people!”

The scene immediately became chaotic, red and white pool balls flying everywhere. In the confusion, the girl ran over and grabbed his hand, pulling him to hide under a pool table together.

Outside was chaos with screams everywhere. Hiding in their small space, the girl suddenly remembered something and slapped her forehead: “Oh no, I forgot about Lu Wenbai.”

Sheng Nanzhou snorted coldly, spitting out one word: “Hah.”

“Are you jealous?”

Sheng Nanzhou kept a cool face, saying against his heart: “Jealousy? Young master has never experienced that.”

The girl smiled and didn’t argue with him, saying: “Give me your hand.”

Sheng Nanzhou extended his hand, and the girl somehow produced a red marker, lowering her curly eyelashes as she earnestly drew a sunflower on his prominent wrist bone.

With a smiley face in the middle.

Sheng Nanzhou couldn’t help but smile, just about to tease her that her drawing skills were still like an elementary student’s, when soft lips blocked his. His whole body froze as a soft, sweet taste gradually passed between his lips and teeth.

“Sheng Nanzhou, I like you the most,” she said breathlessly.

After the kiss, just as the girl was about to retreat, a large hand cupped the back of her head and pressed forward. A shadow fell as he captured her lips, prying open her teeth, more fierce than before.

The lighting was dim, dust swirling around them, all the passionate love, reluctance, and affection quietly blooming in one kiss.

…

When Sheng Nanzhou woke from the dream, he sat on the bed and smoked a cigarette. Had everything that happened in the dream really existed?

Did he have some kind of delusion disorder?

Also, that new transfer student – why did he always feel a sense of familiarity about her?

The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt. Sheng Nanzhou decided not to think about it. He got up to wash and change clothes. While putting on his school uniform jacket, he glimpsed a small sunflower pin lying on the desk.

Sheng Nanzhou’s gaze froze. He reached for the pin and clipped it to his uniform collar, thought for a while, then took it off, opened the drawer, and carefully put it away.

Monday, another new day.

Breakfast appeared on Sheng Nanzhou’s desk again. After Hu Qianxi secretly placed the yogurt, she looked up to see Sheng Nanzhou entering through the back door.

The moment their eyes met, her heartbeat inexplicably accelerated.

“Morning,” Hu Qianxi greeted enthusiastically.

“Mm,” Sheng Nanzhou replied lazily.

Whether because of the alley incident or not, Hu Qianxi noticed Sheng Nanzhou wasn’t as cold to her anymore. Their relationship seemed much more relaxed than before.

Midsummer arrived with the sound of cicadas, and Hu Qianxi’s passionate pursuit of him never stopped. Her affection was grand and sincere.

After getting along for over two months, they gradually became familiar. Hu Qianxi discovered he wasn’t as cold as he appeared on the surface. Actually, he was just a big boy who loved playing basketball and games, and would even blush when teased.

He was her boy.

Sheng Nanzhou occasionally indulged her willfulness and mischief, automatically buying an extra bottle of water for her, and sometimes they would walk home together.

Their relationship was improving.

But only to that extent – nothing was made clear.

Summer’s stifling heat made people drowsy. The sports meet would be held the week after next, but they hadn’t even gathered enough participants.

The PE committee member walked into the classroom, his face red with anxiety. He walked to the podium and knocked on the desk, speaking earnestly:

“Classmates, now is the time to earn class honor. How can you still feel like sleeping? Get up and register for events!”

“Yes, we can,” Jiang Kai retorted.

Sparse laughter echoed in the classroom. The PE committee member cast pleading eyes toward Sheng Nanzhou in the second-to-last row, asking tentatively:

“Brother Zhou, same as previous years – high jump, long jump, and 4×100 relay, you’ll take them all?”

Sheng Nanzhou was working on problems, not looking up: “Whatever.”

The PE committee member took this as agreement and immediately filled in his name.

“What else? Does anyone want to run the 3000 meters?” the PE committee member shouted.

No one in the classroom responded. Nobody wanted to run 3000 meters.

In this scorching heat, long-distance running would kill you.

“I’ll run.” A female voice interrupted, full of lively energy.

“Hu Qianxi, you’re truly our class hero! Beautiful and kind-hearted.”

Sheng Nanzhou was looking down writing problems, his knuckled fingers gripping the pen. Hearing this, he paused, spreading a black ink mark on the white paper.

The little head in front suddenly turned around and leaned over. Hu Qianxi poked his shoulder with her finger, her lips curving up:

“Sheng Nanzhou, if I get first place in the 3000 meters, how about you be with me?”

“Hey?”

“Why aren’t you talking?”

Sheng Nanzhou looked up at the girl in front of him with red lips and white teeth, whose eyes came alive when she smiled. His tone paused:

“Let’s talk after you win.”

“I don’t care, I’m taking that as agreement!” Hu Qianxi smiled like a cat who’d stolen fish.

There was still half a month before the sports meet began. Every afternoon after school, she practiced running on the track.

She was healthy and beautiful now, so she could boldly pursue the person she liked.

At the same time, Hu Qianxi really disliked running because it was tiring and embarrassing. But every time she ran, she just imagined Sheng Nanzhou waiting for her at the finish line.

That gave her motivation.

The sports meet arrived as scheduled two weeks later. The track was filled with a sea of people, the broadcast occasionally calling students for check-ins, mixed with cheering scripts being read, creating a grand and enthusiastic atmosphere.

Before the race, Hu Qianxi wanted to find Sheng Nanzhou to have him cheer her on, but was told he was in the sports equipment room.

Hu Qianxi ran over excitedly, but caught sight of Sheng Nanzhou and Meng Ling standing behind the equipment rack.

A blush crept up Meng Ling’s cheeks as she clutched her skirt hem: “I like you.”

Hu Qianxi’s blood immediately rushed to her head. Not daring to listen further, feeling both angry and hurt, she finally ran away.

Sheng Nanzhou stood in front of Meng Ling, glimpsing the figure running away in the distance. He came back to his senses, frowning, his voice cold:

“Even though you have a scar on your forehead, you’re not the person I’m looking for. Sorry.”

“Also, I don’t like you.”

After saying this, Sheng Nanzhou left without looking back.

As he brushed past Meng Ling, something fell from his pants pocket with a “thud,” but he was completely unaware.

Meng Ling crouched down and picked up a small pin.

Twenty minutes later, Hu Qianxi went for check-in and glimpsed Meng Ling standing in the crowd, wearing a white shirt and black skirt, with the sunflower pin she had given Sheng Nanzhou pinned to her collar.

Soon after, Hu Qianxi was urged to assemble for the race. When the starting gun fired, she instinctively ran forward.

However, the further she ran, the more her mind filled with the scene of Meng Ling confessing to Sheng Nanzhou, and the fact that she was wearing the pin Hu Qianxi had given him.

The sun blazed like fire, shining on her body, hot and suffocating.

Halfway through the run, Hu Qianxi gradually couldn’t catch her breath. Sweat from her forehead dripped onto her eyelashes, blurring her vision.

Her windpipe began to hurt, her legs felt heavy as lead, and even the wind brushing past her ears was scorching.

The more Hu Qianxi thought about it, the more wronged she felt, her mind filled with scenes of those two together.

Bastard, scumbag, trash that even recycling wouldn’t want.

The more intimate they were, the more foolish she looked.

Getting sadder by the moment, Hu Qianxi lost patience and simply gave up, stopping mid-race.

The entire venue was in uproar over Hu Qianxi’s mid-race withdrawal. Ignoring all the discussing gazes, she pushed through the crowd and walked away alone.

Exhausted, Hu Qianxi circled around to the back of the track building and sat against the wall to rest.

She took several deep breaths, and while breathing, tears fell, dripping to the corner of her mouth – very salty.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. A bottle of ice water pressed against her cheek, cool and refreshing, quickly cooling her burning face. The person’s clean woody scent also reached her.

Hu Qianxi knew who it was. She swatted away the ice water against her face and remained sulkily silent.

“Didn’t you say you’d get first place to show me? Why did you stop running?” Sheng Nanzhou asked.

“Why are you even here? Won’t your girlfriend be looking for you?” Hu Qianxi said awkwardly.

Sheng Nanzhou smiled: “Where do I have a girlfriend?”

“Oh, seems like earlier I saw a coward eavesdropping on someone’s confession, then running away before hearing me reject them,” Sheng Nanzhou said leisurely.

“You… rejected her? What about the pin?” Hu Qianxi finally turned to look at him, her eyes still red.

Sheng Nanzhou extended his hand. A sunflower pin lay in his palm: “I dropped it earlier, but got it back now.”

“Oh.” Hu Qianxi sniffled. So it was all a misunderstanding.

Sheng Nanzhou crouched down, his dark eyes fixed on her, slowly asking:

“Want a retake?”

The boy’s eyes held wind. Meeting his gaze, Hu Qianxi realized she had somehow moved into his heart. So looking at him, she slowly smiled too.

Author’s Note: The story ends here.