"Why?"

  "What do you think?"

  In fact, I already knew the answer. Proposing to two different girls in one day — no woman would accept that. Even if Wang Yao could overlook this, she could never tolerate the ambiguity lingering between me and Lin Ke'er. A girl with her personality — passionate in love, resolute in hatred — would never cross the line of betraying her best friend for a man.

  "If one day, Lin Ke'er makes it clear that she doesn't have feelings for me, and there are no lingering ties between us… would you then consider being with me?"

  Wang Yao fell silent, seemingly deliberating over my words. After a long pause, she mumbled, almost incoherently, "We'll talk about it when that day comes. But listen to me, until then, you must treat Lin Ke'er well — and absolutely, absolutely, do not harbor any inappropriate thoughts about me!"

  "Alright." I smiled softly.

  Wang Yao rose to her feet. "Also, tonight's events — you're not allowed to tell a soul!"

  "I won't. This will remain our secret."

  We walked back together, and once again, I escorted her to her dormitory. But things were no longer the same. We were both sober now, and after sharing our inner turmoil and unspoken stories, our hearts felt even more complicated. As we walked, Wang Yao kept nagging me, urging me not to think too much about her and to cherish Lin Ke'er instead. She insisted that Lin Ke'er was more suitable for me, having been my classmate for so many years, while she and I were merely a fleeting spark, nothing more.

  I nodded repeatedly, suppressing a laugh. Earlier she had accused me of being overly sentimental in relationships, yet here she was, rambling like an old mother-in-law. I couldn't help but find it amusing. All the way, she kept emphasizing that I should forget about her and focus on Lin Ke'er, as though she was terrified that our little episode tonight would spiral into something irreversible. I chuckled and said, "Aren't you being a bit dramatic? Lin Ke'er and I aren't even a couple — we're both single, so what's the big deal?"

  Wang Yao let out a bitter sigh. "You don't understand… it's not that simple."

  When we arrived at her dormitory entrance, her expression darkened visibly. She stomped her foot and muttered, "Damn it… damn it…"

  I was puzzled. "What's wrong?"

  Wang Yao clutched her head, exasperated. "I must have lost my mind tonight — how could I blurt everything out to you like that? Can you… can you just go back to sleep and forget everything I said?"

  So that was it — she regretted it. I couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Forget it? Impossible. Not in this lifetime."

  Rendered speechless, Wang Yao could only point at me, glaring. "Fine then! From now on, you and I should talk less. Let's keep our distance, alright?"

  Without waiting for my reply, she turned and bolted into her dormitory. I watched her disappear behind the doors, then turned around and made my way back to my room. My emotions were in complete disarray. Hours ago, I was still wallowing in the humiliation of being rejected by Lin Ke'er. Yet now, unexpectedly, Wang Yao had stumbled into my life — a silver lining hidden within the darkest cloud. It was as if I'd lost everything on a lottery ticket, only to turn around and hit the jackpot on another. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

  Lying in bed, I found myself unable to sleep. One moment I was thinking about Lin Ke'er, the next I was thinking about Wang Yao. The lights had long been extinguished, yet I tossed and turned, wide awake. Suddenly, Ma Jie, my roommate, mumbled, "Fei Ge, don't be too upset. It's just a girl — you'll find someone even better in the future."

  "Shut up," I muttered.

  Ma Jie immediately rolled over and went back to sleep.

  I didn't drift off until well past midnight. When morning came, I got out of bed feeling groggy, only to find two dark circles under my eyes when I looked in the mirror. After washing up, I returned to my room and was surprised to find Houzi and Huang Jie sitting on my bed.

  "What are you two doing here?" I asked, genuinely surprised. This early in the morning, seeing them here was beyond unexpected — usually, they'd either be sleeping in or gaming at an internet café.

  "Fei, are you okay?" Houzi asked cautiously, handing me a steaming plastic bag.

  I peeked inside — two crispy, hot jianbing guozi. My goodness, Houzi actually bought me breakfast! The sun must have risen from the west today. But I quickly realized — he must have heard about my rejection and came to comfort me. The fact that he willingly sacrificed his game time to care about me was genuinely touching. Without hesitation, I grabbed the jianbing guozi and started wolfing it down.

  "Fei, don't be too downhearted. I heard about what happened, but you still have a chance," Huang Jie added, trying to comfort me.

  I mumbled nonchalantly as I devoured my breakfast, too lazy to engage with them.

  Huang Jie suddenly perked up. "How about I sing you a song? Something cheerful — The vast horizon is my love…"

  "Stop." I waved my hand, mouth full. "I'm fine, really."

  "You sure?" Houzi looked skeptical.

  I patted my chest and grinned. "Do I look like someone who's heartbroken?"

  "Alright then, pay me five bucks for the jianbing guozi," Houzi said with a deadpan face.

  I shoved the plastic bag over his head. "Pay my ass." Then I wiped my mouth and strode toward the door, the two of them scrambling to keep up.

  Seeing that I was genuinely unbothered, they soon resumed their usual banter. Houzi mocked me mercilessly, calling me a loser for failing to win Lin Ke'er's heart, thumping his chest proudly and boasting, "Look at me — I laid claim to Liu Yina already! I strike once, and it's a sure win!"

  Truthfully, I was no longer upset about Lin Ke'er. The mere thought of Wang Yao filled my heart with an indescribable warmth. But I couldn't possibly mention it to them, so I could only play along, feigning jealousy. "Please, Liu Yina must be blind to fall for you."

  The three of us laughed and bantered all the way to the teaching building. Just as we entered, we spotted several tall, well-built students lingering near the staircase — their mature demeanor unmistakably signaling they were upperclassmen.

  "Hey, you guys — come over here," one of them called out.

  We exchanged glances before cautiously approaching them.

  "Which one of you is Zuo Fei?"

  "I am," I answered warily, mentally preparing myself for a sudden slap. I'd seen this trick too many times — the classic 'Who's XX?' followed by an instant, face-numbing smack. I braced myself.

  To my surprise, the guy didn't hit me. Instead, he continued, "Who's Houzi?"

  "I'm here," Houzi squinted, visibly on guard.

  The guy simply nodded. "I'm a senior… from Class Two…"

  "Hey, you forgot to ask who I am," Huang Jie cut in enthusiastically.

  The upperclassman gave him a puzzled glance. "And you are?"

  "Me? I'm Huang Jie — Huang, as in the Yellow Emperor's descendant, and Jie, as in one of the Top Ten Outstanding Youths!" Huang Jie proudly declared.

  The upperclassman stared at him like he was a complete idiot, then turned back to us. "Listen, I'm here on behalf of Sheng Ge and Qi Ge. I heard you guys recently offended Yi Zhen?"

  We exchanged glances again. Houzi answered bluntly, "Yeah, so what?"

  "He offered a thousand bucks to have you guys dealt with," the upperclassman said, his tone oddly gentle, as though genuinely concerned for us.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  But until we figured out his true intentions, none of us dared to say a word.

  "Mm, and then?" HOUZI pressed on.

  Just as the man was about to speak, the morning class bell suddenly rang. Hastily, he said, "Go to class first. I'll come back and find you later. By the way, my name is Xiaowei."

  HOUZI nodded politely. "Brother Wei."

  "Don't call me Brother Wei, it sounds awful," Xiaowei waved his hand dismissively, flashing a grin. "Just call me Xiaowei. Alright, I'm off now. We'll talk later."

  He patted each of us on the shoulder and left with his group.

  The three of us exchanged puzzled glances, completely clueless about the nature of this encounter.

  As we ascended the stairs, HOUZI muttered, "Man, I haven't attended a morning class in ages. Left Fei, I'm really sacrificing a lot for you."

  "Why are you bringing that up instead of talking about Xiaowei?"

  "What's there to talk about? He said he'd come back to us later, didn't he?"

  We then parted ways and entered our respective classrooms.

  During the morning class, I was dozing off when Liu Yina moved over to sit beside me, earnestly advising, "Ke'er is a bit stubborn. You need to spend more time and patience comforting her."

  "Yeah, yeah, I know," I replied absentmindedly.

  But honestly, my heart was no longer with Lin Ke'er. My mind was now filled with thoughts of Wang Yao.

  You might say I was being fickle, but it wasn't that simple. Before, Lin Ke'er in my heart was like a towering tree, overshadowing everything else. Wang Yao, on the other hand, was merely a sprouting weed, something I deliberately tried to suppress. But after last night, the towering tree suddenly collapsed, and the weed — against all odds — began to thrive. Yet this newfound affection was a secret I dared not share with anyone.

  When the bell finally rang, I strode out of the classroom. Just as I looked up, I saw HOUZI approaching.

  "Whoa, you're actually asking me to join you for lunch today? Has the sun risen from the west or what?"

  "Who said I was asking you?" HOUZI rolled his eyes, pulled Liu Yina along, and left.

  I was speechless when someone clapped me on the shoulder. "Tsk, HOUZI's no good. Ditching his bro the moment he gets a girlfriend. Come on, I'll accompany you to lunch."

  "…You just want me to treat you to lunch, don't you?" I glared at Huang Jie.

  After lunch, we returned to the teaching building, loitering in the corridor while waiting for class to begin. HOUZI and Liu Yina were still flirting and messing around. Meanwhile, Huang Jie and I, the two lonely bachelors, could only watch enviously from the sidelines.

  As time passed, more people gathered around us — Zhang Xuan and a few of the Thirteen Roses even joined the crowd. Naturally, Lin Ke'er and Wang Yao were absent.

  The girls teased HOUZI and Liu Yina while simultaneously taking turns lecturing me, offering heartfelt advice about how I should continue pursuing Lin Ke'er. I desperately wanted to tell them that I was done with Lin Ke'er — my heart now belonged to Wang Yao — but I simply didn't have the guts. Eventually, they noticed I wasn't as crestfallen as they had expected, and the lectures gradually subsided.

  Soon after, even Zheng Wu showed up, clutching his signature black leather jacket in his hands.

  "Left Fei," Zheng Wu said solemnly, "the reason you failed your confession was because you didn't wear the battle armor. Listen to me, put this on and confess again. If it doesn't work, you can cut my head off."

  I was stunned while the crowd erupted into laughter, egging me on to wear the jacket and give it another shot.

  With people like HOUZI and Huang Jie joking around, everyone knew they were just messing with me. But Zheng Wu? This guy was dead serious. I've long known him to be a bit of a braggart, but he's also a one-track mind. Once he sets his mind on something, there's no changing it.

  Caught between amusement and helplessness, I said, "Maybe next time, okay?"

  Zheng Wu shook his head solemnly. "Confession is like striking while the iron is hot. Miss the moment, and the chance is gone. I won my girlfriend's heart thanks to this jacket, you know?"

  Yeah, right. Like Zheng Wu ever had a girlfriend. His penchant for bragging was legendary.

  As class resumed, everyone dispersed. Having fallen behind in my studies, I paid unusually close attention to the lesson. I was neither a top student nor a slacker — just your average middle-of-the-road guy who took class seriously when necessary but also enjoyed having fun.

  Midway through the lesson, my phone vibrated. I took it out, only to find a message from Lin Ke'er.

  It simply read: "How are you?"

  I replied: "I'm fine."

  She quickly responded with an apology, then sent a long-winded text filled with last night's theories — about how my love for her was rooted in guilt, and hers for me was merely gratitude. She insisted we both needed to think carefully.

  I replied briefly: "Don't worry. It's alright." Just eight simple words.

  Had this been before last night, I probably would have poured my heart out in a lengthy response — promising, explaining, and trying to win her back. I might have even written something so sentimental that I could move myself to tears.

  But now? I simply couldn't muster the enthusiasm. My mind was too preoccupied with Wang Yao.

  Honestly, even I was astonished by how quickly my feelings shifted. Was I falling too fast simply because Wang Yao offered me a branch of affection after Lin Ke'er rejected me? Or was it that I had long buried my feelings for Wang Yao, and her subtle warmth simply rekindled them?

  I couldn't tell. Maybe I was just too young to understand my own heart.

  Several days passed, yet Xiaowei from Year Two never came to find us. Meanwhile, HOUZI, having officially started dating Liu Yina, rarely visited internet cafes anymore — a testament to the overwhelming power of love. Watching Huang Jie's lonely figure trailing behind them, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. So much for our "bros before hoes" pact.

  As for me, I was stuck in a stalemate. My interactions with Lin Ke'er dwindled to the point where if she didn't text me first, I wouldn't text her at all. And Wang Yao? She completely stopped talking to me. In fact, she even avoided appearing in the same space as me.

  We used to gather and chat in the corridor after class. Wang Yao, being the charismatic leader of the girls, used to join us all the time. But ever since that night, she deliberately kept her distance from me. If she had to show up, she would appear visibly uncomfortable — as though she had done something wrong — and quickly make an excuse to leave.

  One time, Zhang Xuan forcibly dragged her over, but the moment she saw me, she instantly looked uneasy. Once, I was the one too timid to meet her gaze; now, it was her who couldn't look me in the eyes. It was as if we shared a shameful secret, and she was desperately avoiding exposure.

  Still, no one else suspected a thing. Even if they racked their brains, they'd never guess that Wang Yao — the formidable and untouchable queen bee — might have feelings for me.

  But regardless, the truth remained: I had practically severed ties with Lin Ke'er, while Wang Yao and I had drifted into a painful ambiguity. And in the midst of it all — I couldn't quite tell if I was miserable, ecstatic, or simply lost.

  Regardless of everything, my relationship with Lin Ke’er was gradually cooling down, while my yearning for Wang Yao deepened day by day. I longed to see Wang Yao, but I dared not make it too obvious, leaving me in a constant state of distraction throughout the day.

  That day, after the second class, we skipped the radio calisthenics and hid in the restroom to smoke — a pastime every delinquent in school was keen on. At the end of the corridor, the restroom was occupied not only by me, Houzi, and Huang Jie but also by Yang Zecheng, Li Baiyu, Zhu Jianlong, and a few others. Although we didn't usually hang out together, we always exchanged warm greetings when we crossed paths, having once fought side by side in the past.

  By the way, Zheng Wu was not present. He didn't smoke, which surprised me. I always thought smoking was a universal emblem of a delinquent.

  I once asked him why he didn't smoke, and he replied with a sheepish grin, "Hehe, my girlfriend doesn’t allow me to."

  I teased him, "Bring your girlfriend out to meet us someday." He readily agreed, saying, "Sure, she studies at No.7 High School. We’ll grab a meal together sometime, and I'll bring Maomao along too."

  Back to the restroom — about ten of us were there, smoking and bantering when suddenly, the door creaked open. In walked those senior students from the last time, led by Xiao Wei. Xiao Wei entered with a warm demeanor and said, "I need to have a word with Zuo Fei and Houzi. The rest of you, please step out for a moment."

  Huang Jie, flustered, hurriedly asked, "What about me? What about me?" as if terrified of being left out.

  Xiao Wei glanced at him and smiled, "You can stay too."

  Huang Jie grinned with satisfaction. Inwardly, I thought, You'll stop smiling once you get a beating, you idiot.

  The presence of these senior students carried an undeniable air of dominance. Combined with their upper-year status, Yang Zecheng and the others quietly exited, leaving only the few of us behind.

  An intense wave of unease swept over me. My eyes darted around for anything that could be used as a weapon. Ah, there was an empty beer bottle on the windowsill.

  Xiao Wei asked, "Have you guys thought it through?"

  Houzi was puzzled, "Thought what through?"

  "Yi Zhen offered us money to beat you up. Don’t you have any response to that?"

  The three of us exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what Xiao Wei was getting at.

  With a sigh, Xiao Wei said, "It’s been days, yet you guys show no reaction. Sheng Ge and Qi Ge are getting anxious."

  Scratching his head, Houzi asked, "What are they anxious about?"

  "You guys have recently gained prominence. Among this batch of freshmen, you're practically the top dogs. Sheng Ge and Qi Ge believe it's crucial to build rapport with you instead of suppressing you, so we’ve been holding off on Yi Zhen’s request as much as possible."

  A wave of relief washed over me — it turned out these senior students weren't so bad after all. Despite Houzi's claims that money could buy anything, clearly, it couldn’t buy these guys. Even Houzi beamed with joy, "Really? Please help us thank Sheng Ge and Qi Ge. We should get together sometime." His choice of words was tactful — "get together" instead of "grab a meal," since we clearly couldn’t afford a meal.

  Although we were the top dogs among freshmen, we never extorted protection fees.

  Xiao Wei continued, "Yes, that's only natural. Compared to Yi Zhen, Sheng Ge and Qi Ge find you guys more promising."

  "Alright then, Xiao Wei, we’ll get going first," Houzi said gleefully, already making his way toward the door.

  "Hold on," Xiao Wei's voice suddenly turned cold. "You think you can just leave like that?"

  Houzi paused, equally confused. "What else is there to do?"

  Xiao Wei’s smile vanished. "We turned down Yi Zhen’s money, which means you guys now owe us that one thousand yuan. Sheng Ge and Qi Ge have been waiting for days. Why are you guys acting like nothing happened, forcing me to come here personally?"

  The air in the restroom turned deathly silent.

  Houzi looked at Huang Jie. Huang Jie looked at me. I looked at Houzi.

  "Heh... heh... heh..." Out of nowhere, Houzi started laughing.

  "Heh... heh... heh..." Huang Jie quickly followed suit.

  I had no idea what these two idiots were laughing about, but not wanting to feel left out, I forced myself to chuckle along, "Heh... heh... heh..." God, why do I always end up doing weird things with these two morons?

  Xiao Wei's expression darkened. "What's so funny? Are you guys refusing to pay up?"

  "Xiao Wei," Houzi finally curbed his laughter, "Why don’t you lend me five yuan first? I haven’t even figured out what to eat for lunch today."

  "What did you just say?!" Xiao Wei’s voice was laced with fury.

  At that moment, the restroom door swung open again. Zheng Wu swaggered in like he owned the place.