After doing undry and freshening up, Zhuang Zi'ang y in bed, pying on his phone.

  He opehe css group chat and saw a message from the neointed css president, Xie Wenyong, @ing everyone.

  The gist was that uesday and Wednesday were the monthly exams for the whole grade, and everyone should prepare in advance.

  It was just a simple annou for the css, but he felt the o throw his weight around, demanding that everyone reply "received."

  Most students ignored him. Only a few dutifully replied with a simple "Received."

  Xie Wenyong was displeased a another message. "Why so few replies? Is everyone else asleep?"

  Li Huangxuan, never oo tolerate such p, immediately retorted, "Stop ag like a big shot. When Zhuang Zi'ang was css president, he wasn't such a pain."

  "I'm the css president now, and I make the rules," Xie Wenyong quickly typed back.

  He wao make a spsh as the new css president. (This is simir to the ese idiom '新官上任三把火', meaning a new leader wants to make a strong impression and assert authority right away.) If he couldn't get this fire going, it would be difficult to mahe css ter.

  He secretly gritted his teeth, determio prove to Lin Mushi, and to all the teachers and students, that he was better than Zhuang Zi'ang.

  But things didn't go as he phe students weren't buying it.

  Instead of the row of "Received" he had envisioned, Xie Wenyong was met with a barrage of sarcastients.

  "It's just a lousy css president position, ohat Zhuang Zi'ang didn't even want."

  "Yeah, he really thinks he's all that."

  "In my mind, only Zhuang Zi'ang is fit to be css president."

  "Two years in a row as the top student iire grade, who break that record?"

  ...

  Xie Wenyong gnashed his teeth in anger, jealousy burning fiercely in his heart.

  Just then, Zhuang Zi'a a nont two-character reply: "Received."

  Campus belle Lin Mushi immediately followed: "Received."

  Li Huangxuan: "Received."

  Zhang Ziyu: "Received."

  Deng Zhuoran: "Received."

  ...

  Seeing this, Xie Wenyong finally uood. Zhuang Zi'ang's position in the hearts of his cssmates was unshakable.

  This only fueled his rese and his desire to prove himself.

  Zhuang Zi'ang, oher hand, had no such petty calcutions. He replied "Received" out of goodwill, wanting to give Xie Wenyong some fad help him maintain order.

  After sending the message, he put down his phone, read his magazine for a bit, ao sleep, filled with anticipation for his library date with Little Butterfly the day.

  The m, a "ding" sound pulled Zhuang Zi'ang from his slumber.

  He grabbed his phone from the bedside table and saly from Little Butterfly.

  "Lazybones, wake up! I bought you breakfast."

  Zhuang Zi'ang immediately sprang out of bed, all traces of sleepiness gone.

  Does she only use her phone during the day?

  And what about yesterday's kiss? Does she really not remember anything?

  Zhuang Zi'ang took a shower, ged into a fresh set of clothes, a pletely refreshed.

  He unlocked a shared bike outside and rode to the library.

  Uhe popr tree in front of the library, a girl in a white blouse and blue skirt ying hopscot the red brick pavement.

  Her movements were light and graceful, as if she were dang on air. The m sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling her with light and shadow.

  She looked as beautiful as a fairy who had desded to earth.

  "Little Butterfly!" Zhuang Zi'ang was captivated.

  "You're so slow! The breakfast I bought is getting cold," Su Yudiel pouted.

  "Sorry, I'll be faster ime," Zhuang Zi'ang quickly apologized.

  Whenever he was with Little Butterfly, he always looked forward to the ime, and the time after that, and the time after that.

  He wished they could be together every single day.

  Food was not allowed ihe library, so they sat oeps nearby to share breakfast.

  Su Yudiel had bought some baozi (steamed buns) and shaomai, along with warm milk.

  The most important thing about eating wasn't what you ate, but who you ate with.

  When you're with someone you like, even pin food tastes like a delicacy.

  "Wow, Zhuang Zi'ang, this shaomai is delicious, try one."

  "No way, you already took a bite."

  "It's okay, I didn't bite this side."

  "Alright then!"

  ...

  A se that would make any single person envious. (Alternatively: The pain of being single.)

  After finishing their food, they ehe library.

  It was the weekend, and there were quite a few people reading. Zhuang Zi'ang told Su Yudiel to find a seat first while he went to look for books.

  To py along with the childish game, he picked out several joke books and fairy tale colles.

  They were the simplified versions for young children, plete with pinyin (phoic transcriptions).

  After grabbing the books, he went to the reading area. It took him a while to find Su Yudiel in a far er.

  "Why did you pick such a remote spot?" Zhuang Zi'ang asked, finding it a bit out of the way.

  "I'll tell you, I just had a super spooky thing happen," Su Yudiel said mysteriously.

  Zhuang Zi'ang uzzled. What could be so spooky in a library full of people?

  Seeing his disbelief, Su Yudiel insisted, "I clearly saw may seats, but when I tried to sit down, the people nearby told me they were taken!"

  "That's it?" Zhuang Zi'ang stifled a ugh.

  "Isn't it spooky? I saw empty seats, but they could see people there," Su Yudiel said early.

  Zhuang Zi'ang couldn't tell if she was deliberately trying to be funny or if she was gehat naive.

  He handed her the joke books. "Alright, let's read!"

  Like a child, Su Yudiel took the books and started reading with gusto.

  The "horror story" was immediately fotten.

  She had a really low threshold for humor, but she was also mindful of disturbing others. She often covered her mouth to stifle her ughter, her face turning red from the effort.

  Zhuang Zi'ang occasionally g her, half-expeg her to ugh so hard she'd snort.

  The children's books with pinyin were short and easy to read.

  Su Yudiel fiwo books quickly and got up to get more.

  Zhuang Zi'ang, engrossed in the whimsical world of fairy tales, didn't pay much attention to her.

  Time flowed quietly, like sand slipping through one's fingers.

  People came a, each carrying their own joys and sorrows.

  After a while, Zhuang Zi'ang snapped out of it and looked at the girl beside him.

  This time, she wasn't reading a joke book. Instead, she was ily focused on a copy of the Nan Jing (Cssic of Difficulties).

  It was one of the four cssics of traditional ese medie, attributed to the legendary physi Bian Que.

  The book covers topics such as the Five Elements theory, the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, the Gate of Life theory, the Zang-Fu an system, and other plex cepts, making it quite abstruse and difficult to uand.

  Zhuang Zi'ang was surprised.

  The same girl who was just giggling like a fool over children's books with pinyin was now reading such a profound aext. The trast was striking.

  "Why are you reading a medical book all of a sudden?" Zhuang Zi'ang asked in a hushed voice.

  "Just browsing, out of curiosity," Su Yudiel replied casually.

  "Is someone in your family sick?"

  "No!"

  Seeing that Su Yudiel was relut to talk about it, Zhuang Zi'ang didn't press further.

  After all, people usually don't like to discuss family illnesses.

  Then agaihought, I'm already oh's door. What right do I have to pry into other people's affairs?

  As it's put in the philosophy of Zhuangzi, "Birth ah are iwined."

  Everything in the world is stantly being born and growing, and also stantly dying and disappearing.

  When a person dies, is it truly the end of everything?