To be honest, I had my reservations at first. My uncle had told me this school was world-renowned, attracting countless aspiring students each year. They were all descendants of top socialites, some even holding official titles at such a young age.
Could someone like me, a powerless commoner with no connections, truly survive in such an environment? This perspective only shifted after I befriended Yang Mingzhi and the others.
It turned out that these so-called nobles merely put on a facade for outsiders. Beneath their refined exteriors, they were secretly quite wild, no different from ordinary people. Of course, judging purely by their looks and family backgrounds, every student here was utterly flawless.
Take Yang Mingzhi himself, for instance. His father is the Chairman and CEO of Mingye Group, a Fortune 500 company, while his mother manages the nation’s largest silk weaving enterprise.
He is brilliant, athletically gifted, and so handsome he could walk a runway in casual clothes. Yet, his personality harbors a significant flaw: he never turns away girls who throw themselves at him, leading to an utterly chaotic private life.
Upon hearing of his exploits, his sister, Luo Tianlian, once commented that it was a miracle he hadn’t faced violent retribution yet. He currently serves as the student council’s accountant, overseeing all financial expenditures for the entire school.
As for Bingying, her father serves as a provincial governor, and her mother is Portuguese. The advantages of her mixed heritage are strikingly evident in her, where the serene tranquility of the East blends perfectly with the sharp intensity of the West.
Her face alone is beautiful enough to earn her a spot on Xingjiang High’s list of Top Ten Beauties. Coupled with her alluring figure, capable of setting pulses racing, she is relentlessly pursued by countless boys.
She and Yang Mingzhi are childhood friends, their parents having maintained close ties for many years. To outsiders, they appear to be a perfectly matched couple, destined for each other.
However, as a friend to both, I understand their relationship extends no further than a deep friendship. Neither harbors any intention of taking things further, and any talk of an engagement is utterly baseless.
Her personality is earnest and unreserved, though she occasionally reveals a distinctly girlish side in unexpected moments. She holds the positions of class president and vice president in my and Yang Mingzhi’s class.
The ongoing bickering between Yang Mingzhi and Bingying was still audible, a familiar part of our daily routine. I had long since grown accustomed to it, so I paid it no mind.
My gaze drifted to the wall calendar, where each passing day was marked with several circles, drawn in various colors. This peculiar method of attendance was the President’s brainchild.
She had specifically purchased five different colored pens, one for each of us, to mark a circle on the calendar upon arrival. Honestly, I didn’t believe this method was particularly effective.
The circles, varying in size and hue, were crammed together, creating a rather unsettlingly bizarre sight. The news department even capitalized on it once, publishing a headline: ‘Student Council Holds Dark Ritual? Sacrifices Confirmed!’
This sensational piece garnered considerable attention, until Bingying finally stepped in to clarify that it was merely an attendance system. Despite the initial confusion, the unusual practice ultimately persisted.
Yet, today’s date on the calendar only bore three circles. Did that mean both the President and the Secretary hadn’t arrived?
That was quite uncommon, considering they were usually the first ones to reach school.
It was May 4th, 2016, precisely 10:00 PM the previous night. I had just finished a cold shower, finally regaining a semblance of calm after the evening’s confession incident.
Though I feigned indifference on the surface, my mind was still in utter disarray. This was, after all, the very first time I had ever been confessed to, and by such an adorable girl, who had declared ‘I like you!’
What man could possibly remain unfazed by such a revelation? Still, I ultimately chose to reject her, hoping to preserve the peaceful trajectory of my life as an ordinary high school student.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
‘A new message?’ I wondered, reaching for the iPhone 6 resting by the sink and tapping its screen to life.
[You absolutely must be in the student council room before 6 AM tomorrow. I have something important to announce to everyone. By Your Loving President!]
My heart inexplicably skipped a beat. Was it because my emotions hadn’t fully recovered yet? I knew perfectly well this was her typical writing style, yet seeing the words ‘Love You’ still sent an involuntary thrill through me.
I knew exactly why, but I refused to make any effort in that direction.
If some things are destined to fail, then the best course of action is simply not to begin. That way, you won’t grieve over a failed outcome, and you can occasionally indulge in fantasies of success to revel in self-satisfaction.
“Is something going on?” I finally replied after a moment.
[It’s a secret~~ So please look forward to it~~~] The reply came instantly.
It seemed I wouldn’t get any answers. Having spent three years together, I knew the President was an intensely secretive person. She always preferred to keep matters, good or bad, under wraps, only to spring them on us at the last minute for a startling surprise. Still, everyone had grown accustomed to her ways by now.
She must have deliberately sent it at such a late hour. Honestly, I wasn’t a child anymore; how could I possibly be so bothered that I couldn’t sleep?
Despite my protests, I couldn’t help but speculate. Was it some event? Matters concerning the college entrance examination? Or perhaps… no, no, that’s impossible! Yes, it absolutely couldn’t be!
‘…Looks like I’ll be sleeping a bit late tonight,’ I mused.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
At this hour, who else could be sending a message?
It was an unknown number.
‘Spam?’ I wondered, a flicker of doubt in my mind as I tapped to open it.
[Um, I’m a little shy about this, but if it’s with Luo Tianchen, I think I could accept it. Would you like to go out this weekend? Since it’s my first time, please be gentle.]
Sender: Yao Xinchang.
And so, I spent the entire night awake.
****
Though I’d consumed a fair amount of coffee that morning, I still felt myself faltering.
My eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
‘If I just sleep for a little while here, it should be fine, right?’
‘Just a moment will be enough…’
****
“Yo-ho! Sorry, everyone, I’m late!”
The familiar voice suddenly reached my ears. I jolted, instantly snapping out of my drowsy state.
“Hmm? Why does everyone look half-asleep? Honestly, you’re all grown-ups now; why are you still so excited you can’t sleep, just like children?”
“Whose fault do you think that is?!” Yang Mingzhi and Bingying roared in unison.
“Ehehe, my bad, my bad! I just forgot to send it earlier, that’s all! It’s true, you absolutely have to believe me~”
“As if anyone would believe you!”
I remained silent, simply watching the girl who was playfully sticking out her tongue, doing her best to look cute. As I did, I felt my heart slowly settle into a profound sense of peace.
Once again, I reaffirmed the undeniable truth: I was in love with the girl standing before me.