◎Green Lemon◎

Near the end of October, the air was saturated with the cloying fragrance of laurel, and the maple grove behind the first-floor classrooms was dyed with layers of gradient red. Notices about the autumn sports meet were being distributed like snowflakes to each class.

Chun Zao’s class began to take action. Whenever they caught a free moment, the PE representative would wander around the classroom persuading people, building relationships, and registering participants. As the propaganda committee member who always charged to the frontlines of extracurricular activities, Tong Yue naturally wouldn’t let any combat force around her slip by.

As in previous years, she immediately locked onto Chun Zao, this “great literary talent,” to help add bricks and mortar to their class’s cheering manuscripts. This sister’s literary talent was evident to all – she was a regular guest in the school magazine, and her exam essays were frequently requested by Chinese teachers from other classes to serve as examples.

During break time, Tong Yue sidled up to Chun Zao’s desk, fearlessly scrolling through her phone browsing Taobao: “Zao, what do you think I should wear this time when holding up the placard?”

Chun Zao glanced at her screen: “Isn’t this puffy dress quite nice?”

Tong Yue said, “It clashes a bit with last year’s style.”

Chun Zao recalled: “Seems like it is. How about you wear a LinaBell costume instead?” – Having never been to Disney, she didn’t mind using her friend as a substitute for her beloved Chuansha Daji.

Upon hearing this, Tong Yue immediately knew she was using public office for private gain: “Are you trying to suffocate me?”

Chun Zao deliberately said, “It’s not that bad. The temperature difference between morning and evening is quite large these days, and the wind is strong too. Costume suits are very warm.”

Tong Yue responded with a one-word maxim: “Scram.”

Lu Xinyue returned from the bathroom: “Whose desk are you sitting at?”

Tong Yue grinned and moved her butt away, patting Lu Xinyue’s back: “I wasn’t sitting, just borrowing your throne for a moment.”

“Get up.”

“Alright, alright,” Tong Yue grabbed whoever she could see, accepting all comers: “Sister Lu, my beloved Sister Lu, you should write cheering manuscripts with Chun Zao for the sports meet too. You’re both so good at Chinese.”

Lu Xinyue decisively waved her hand in refusal: “I already registered for long jump, don’t add more things for me to do.”

Tong Yue glanced at the PE representative’s empty chair, her teeth itching with frustration: “What’s wrong with Song Jin’an? Why does he keep secretly competing with me for market talent?”

Chun Zao laughed, then said: “But relying on just me alone for the cheering manuscripts might not work. You should find two more experts.”

“Roger that,” Tong Yue stood at attention solemnly, raising her index finger and swearing earnestly: “Within one day, I will present Teacher Chun with capable assistants.”

Meanwhile, in Class 1 of Grade 11, separated by one classroom.

PE representative Zhang Chenxi was also playing a random “claw machine” game in the corridor. In a class with many boys, active elements overflowed – there was no shortage of enthusiastic middle school boys wanting to register and show off their skills. Of course, some big shots also needed personal invitations.

When he reached Yuan Ye’s desk with the roster, he kicked Tu Wenwei’s desk leg: “Make some room.”

Tu Wenwei remained unmoved: “Which old grandpa are you?”

Zhang Chenxi: “…I just want to say a few words to Yuan Ye.”

Tu Wenwei glanced at him: “Then stand and talk. When asking someone for something, shouldn’t you show some attitude?”

Zhang Chenxi was speechless again.

Yuan Ye lifted his eyes from his extracurricular book.

Seeing the boy’s attention turn his way, Zhang Chenxi got straight to the point: “This year’s 100 meters, leave it to you again? What does Brother Yuan say?”

Yuan Ye hooked his hand: “Let me see.”

“What?”

“The events.”

Zhang Chenxi hurriedly pulled out the competition event list from under the roster and handed it over: “Want to switch events?”

He and Yuan Ye had been classmates for three years in middle school and were placed in the same class in high school. He knew well that although this guy was tall with long limbs, full of athletic cells and amazing explosive power, he was extremely stingy. Every year without fail, he only ran the 100 meters, was very stubborn, and no matter how much you racked your brains trying to get him to contribute more benefits to the class, it wouldn’t work.

Yuan Ye quickly scanned the event list: “Add a 4×100 too.”

Zhang Chenxi was pleasantly surprised: “What do you mean, you want to register for more?”

“Mm.” The boy responded while handing the form back.

Zhang Chenxi quickly pressed out the red ink of his ballpoint pen, confirming repeatedly: “Then I’ll check it off for you? 100 plus 4×100?”

“Mm.”

“Worthy of being my Brother, Yuan.” Zhang Chenxi flattered him, feeling as cheerful as if he’d received a windfall from heaven, and strode off to the next “intersection.”

Yuan Ye curved his lips slightly, his fingers reopening the book pages to continue reading where he’d left off.

Suddenly feeling someone’s burning gaze like a laser from beside him, Yuan Ye glanced over and met Tu Wenwei’s face full of profound inquiry.

“You have a problem.” His tone was certain: “Tell me, being so eager to show off, which girl are you going to run for?”

“Running for you to see,” Yuan Ye said teasingly, “Sister Wenwei.”

“…Don’t disgust me.”

…

—

The school sports meet was scheduled for Thursday and Friday of the last week of October, dates that coincided with Chun Zao’s menstrual period.

Fortunately, based on the stability of her previous menstrual cycles, the two days of the sports meet should be just at the tail end, so it wouldn’t affect her condition too much.

Anyway, with her simple limbs, she only needed to do the writing work well and didn’t need to personally go to the field to sweat it out.

But it had to be said, their school had a knack for psychologically manipulating students – monthly exams closely followed short holidays, and immediately after the sports meet ended, they had to face midterm exams. There were always invisible shackles and guillotines hanging there, making it impossible to fully invest in and enjoy the precious and free sunshine and air.

Still, they were used to it.

After Friday evening study hall, Tong Yue had a quarrel with Lu Jingheng and hastily ran off under the pretext of treating him to a late-night snack to appease her boyfriend.

Chun Zao, left alone temporarily, wasn’t annoyed and adaptably arranged new plans for herself.

To do good work, one must first sharpen one’s tools.

As soon as she left school, she headed straight to the stationery store to prepare new equipment for the upcoming midterm exams in advance.

Stopping at the Japanese stationery section, she began testing gel pens one by one on the public paper, comparing their feel.

Yuan Ye had followed her into the store with his eyes. At that moment, he was buying ice with two male classmates from his class at the convenience store entrance nearby, one of whom was Zhang Chenxi.

The relay race event that Yuan Ye had added caused a chain reaction – some boys, learning of this, also enthusiastically signed up for the 4×100.

“They said the probability of winning prizes by partnering with you is very high.” Based on this, PE representative Zhang Chenxi had been boasting for two days about treating everyone, and as soon as Friday evening study hall ended, he dragged the class monitor along to press-gang Yuan Ye to the convenience store, shouting all the way that he could pick whatever he wanted and not allowing him to refuse his kindness.

When they opened the freezer, he immediately changed his tune: “Except for Zhong Xuegao and Dasai, everything else is fine.”

Yuan Ye smiled and withdrew his gaze, pushing the freezer lid shut again.

Zhang Chenxi was puzzled: “Eh?”

Yuan Ye took out his phone for a glance, then looked at his classmate: “Don’t spend the money. I have something urgent. You two eat.”

With that, he turned and walked away, not giving them a chance to stop him.

Zhang Chenxi watched his retreating figure, puzzled: “His urgent business is going to the stationery store? Three meters away – how long does it take to buy an ice pop?”

The class monitor stroked his chin speculatively: “Maybe he ran into some acquaintance?”

Walking into the store, Yuan Ye passed two rows of shelves, then stepped back half a step, finding Chun Zao between the shelves. The girl’s eyelashes were lowered, concentrating intently on writing on paper, undisturbed and unalarmed by anyone passing by. She always seemed like this, just like when she’d walked through the crowd at the store entrance with eyes straight ahead, a clear and definite destination, with her barrier. Once activated, she would treat everything as nothing, separated by an unbreakable crystal protective wall.

What was inexplicable was that he wanted to step forward and knock on it.

Yuan Ye walked straight toward her, but after just a few steps, someone suddenly called his name: “Yuan Ye—?”

Yuan Ye turned his face and recognized a familiar girl from Class 2 who had participated in the provincial Olympiad training camp with him last year.

He stopped and politely greeted her.

The girl’s voice was crisp, bright, and delighted, like White Rabbit milk candy crumbling in the air.

It also splashed over to Chun Zao’s side. She quickly turned her head to look for the owner of the name, effortlessly spotting the tall boy stopped at the end of the shelf. The fluorescent tubes in the stationery store spread their light everywhere, making his skin appear even more moon-cold.

A girl stood beside him. Because she was turned toward Yuan Ye, Chun Zao couldn’t see her face, but the girl had shoulder-length black hair, a slender figure, and was only as tall as his shoulder. The two of them looked… inexplicably well-matched.

Had he also come to buy stationery?

The moment this thought surfaced, the girl also voiced her thoughts: “Are you here to buy stationery?”

Yuan Ye responded with an “mm.”

The girl sounded straightforward: “Idol, I was quite disappointed that you didn’t participate in the competition.”

Yuan Ye said, “You guys keep working hard.”

“You don’t understand – missing an idol means missing a source of motivation.”

Yuan Ye’s voice contained amusement: “Wouldn’t it be good to treat yourself as the idol?”

“That’s right. Now that you’re gone, none of them can solve problems faster than I.”

“That impressive?”

“Of course.”

So impressive, so confident, such a generous and open girl, and a competitive student too, able to banter with Yuan Ye without any barriers, expressing her admiration and regard for him.

—These things that were effortless for her were as difficult as plucking stars for Chun Zao.

Chun Zao admired and envied her while feeling disheartened by the gap between them.

Her heart wrinkled like an unripe lime, emanating sourness. She couldn’t help but puff out her cheeks slightly, then slowly deflate.

Afraid of being noticed, lurking and eavesdropping in the shadows nearby, Chun Zao slowly moved to a blind spot on the other side of the shelf.

She continued to write and draw with her head down, but couldn’t concentrate at all. Her ears operated without missing a second, and her mind was as tangled as a ball of yarn that had been played with by a cat.

The two people by the shelf didn’t talk much. After exchanging a few pleasantries about recent situations, the girl said she was going to pay.

After confirming all the commotion had died down, Chun Zao moved back around the corner and poked her head out. The spot where Yuan Ye had been was now empty.

Her heart sank. She lost her mood for careful selection and comparison shopping, clutching the two new pens in her hand, and going to pay.

Carrying the small paper bag out the door, Chun Zao casually glanced at the space and immediately spotted the boy on the black mountain bike. He had one foot on the ground and seemed to be paying attention to the store entrance as well. Under the twilight, his expression was somewhat distant.

Her heartbeat gradually quickened.

Why was he outside?

Could he be waiting for the girl he’d just encountered?

Would another “encounter” with her create trouble for him and add to his social difficulties?

Considering this, Chun Zao immediately pretended to be just passing by without noticing, taking a detour down the steps and hurrying toward the alley with her head buried.

The smooth sound of wheels came from behind. Chun Zao glanced sideways – the boy she’d deliberately ignored had caught up to her side and was gripping the handlebars while slowing down.

Her breathing also seemed to break, no longer smooth.

Yuan Ye glanced at her sideways without saying a word, seeming to let her interpret for herself.

Watching him control his speed to stay parallel with her walking pace, she felt some secret joy and some confusion: “Why are you here?”

Yuan Ye’s thick eyebrows furrowed slightly. It was unclear whether he believed her or not; he only asked: “Didn’t you see me at the entrance?”

Chun Zao fell silent.

All the wrinkled sourness and doubts were instantly smoothed away by his rhetorical question.

She had seen him.

He also knew she had seen him.

Many details covered by appearances began to connect in her heart like twinkling string lights, flashing on and off, her brain automatically singing “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year” and all songs related to happiness.

Her self-respect required her to complete her performance, stubbornly refusing to admit: “I didn’t notice.”

She guessed that if the sky fell, her mouth would be there to hold it up: “What were you doing at the entrance?”

Yuan Ye uttered two words: “Waiting for someone.”

Chun Zao’s smile muscles were already trembling from being held back. She said, “Oh,” then asked, “Then why did you come over? Not continuing to wait?”

The boy beside her was quiet for two seconds:

“I found who I was waiting for.”