Lu Chi dragged Lu Tian away from the food stall, and Zhang Cheng Yu behind them posted a title on the school forum:
"Shocking! You'll never know how hardcore the confession from the academically excellent student was. He actually said...? "
There was no content, only the title, tricking countless people to come in and scratch their ears and cheeks anxiously waiting for the next part.
After Lu Chi and his friends left, the food stall became busy again. The clamor around Lin ChuSui's ears was incessant, and her temples throbbed unsteadily. She didn't know what to do, so she picked up her chopsticks and ate two more mouthfuls of the spicy hot pot noodles.
It was as if she had lost her sense of taste. All her senses floated to the boy beside her.
She could acutely feel his heartbeat, his breathing, his every subtle move.
Her heart was bubbling with soda bubbles, foaming over.
She didn't know what to do.
"What you mean by giving me that power..."
"I'm not healthy, very poor, the future is uncertain, so I can't easily make any commitment. That would be irresponsible to others."
Xiao Yan's expression was unprecedentedly serious: "I originally wanted to wait until life improved, then ask if you'd be willing to let me take care of you. But I'm also afraid that when I turn my head, you'll be gone."
"I knew it." Lin ChuSui scratched the holes on her jeans, glanced at him shyly, "You really love me."
Xiao Yan smiled lightly, "I do like you quite a bit."
"It's love."
"Okay, love."
He didn't argue with her, and continued, "I'm not a good person. There is a lot of hatred in my heart. Sometimes I lose my temper and do bad things. Just like what Qin Nai said, I got back at him for calling me a poor loser..."
"Did you really steal his wallet?"
"I didn't steal it. He dropped it and I threw it away on impulse." Xiao Yan admitted frankly, "I have a dark side. I will stop at nothing to get what I want."
Lin ChuSui blinked, looking at Xiao Yan. This was the first time since she met him that she heard him open up about himself.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
Listening to Xiao Yan's words and seeing him put himself in such a low position, Lin ChuSui's inferiority disappeared in an instant.
Her face slowly turned crimson, "You care too much about what I think."
Xiao Yan smiled helplessly, "Yes, I care too much. I'm afraid you'll fall for someone else when I turn my head."
"It's possible." Lin ChuSui said on purpose, "After all, Qin Nai still has a torch for me."
"I know."
The photo he took from Qin Nai's wallet was still hanging on his headboard.
Seeing that he didn't argue, Lin ChuSui blushed and reminded him, "Then you have to treat me well, I'm not easy for you to win over."
"It's a deal."
...
Xiao Yan didn't know what the best love looked like, but he knew that if he let the girl fantasize like this, her self-confidence would collapse completely, and she would become the depressed fish girl of the past again.
But true affection is probably seeing you as the best in the world in my eyes.
Since Lin ChuSui had taken the initiative, she started to nitpick after taking advantage, looking around, "My first confession happened to be at a food stall, how unromantic."
"I said I'd take you somewhere romantic, but you didn't want to go."
"Let's go now?"
"Okay."
Xiao Yan got up to pay the bill, then walked out of the food street pushing his bike, with Lin ChuSui following closely behind.
Lin ChuSui took the initiative to sit on his bike, "Give me a ride."
"Already starting to order me around?"
"You have to treat me well to firmly capture my heart."
Xiao Yan smiled faintly, got on the bike and easily pedaled.
The cool breeze brought a touch of chill. Lin ChuSui's heart, however, was restless. Looking at his straight, broad back, she couldn't help reaching out to touch the tan nape of his neck.
Short cropped hair stubble, hard texture, a little prickly.
Xiao Yan felt like an electric shock running up his spine.
"What are you touching?"
"Nothing, just touching." Lin ChuSui withdrew her hand shyly.
Just that little electric tingle was enough to stiffen him halfway.
A seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy just coming of age simply couldn't withstand the girl's intentional or unintentional teasing and touching.
He took a deep breath, swallowing his impatience, "We need to set some boundaries."
"What?"
"Before graduation, we'll interact like we used to."
"Are you giving me conditions?"
"I guess so."
"Xiao Yan, have you heard this saying?"
"Hmm?"
"The one who loves more doesn't get to set conditions!" The girl's hand moved from his nape down to his Adam's apple, gently poking, "Don't refuse, or I'll make sure you get your heart broken."
Xiao Yan: "..."
Soon, the bike stopped under a red wall in a suburban park. The wall was dilapidated from years of disrepair, with clusters of withered leaves on it.
There were few people around, looking desolate.
Lin ChuSui looked around and asked with her hands behind her back, "The romantic place you mentioned is here?"
"Isn't this romantic?"
"Not at all." Lin ChuSui looked at the overgrown weeds around, "Too desolate, barely anyone around."
Xiao Yan liked quiet, but she liked liveliness, afraid of loneliness and desolation.
"I accidentally saw it here last spring, there were lots of acacia flowers hanging down the vines, which paired nicely with the red wall. It looked great."
Xiao Yan gazed at the peeling red wall in front of him, "No one else knows about this place, I discovered it alone. Next spring, I want to bring you here, take pictures of you, it will definitely look amazing."
For some reason, Lin ChuSui's heart was struck.
Because he saw beautiful scenery, the first thing he wanted to do after confirming their relationship was eagerly share this beauty with her.
It was just a pity that it wasn't spring now, but the bleak winter.
Even without the acacia flowers hanging on the dilapidated walls, the usually obtuse Lin ChuSui felt the tenderness in the boy's eyes.
All the romance in the world combined was no match for the moment's gentle breeze in this place.
The feeling of walking on air finally landed.
She decided from now on, other than her parents, the person she loved most was Xiao Yan.
The only, the best Xiao Yan.
Seeing her spacing out staring at him, Xiao Yan waved his hand in front of her eyes, "Do you know you really know how to ruin the atmosphere?"
Lin ChuSui grabbed his sleeve, said very sincerely, "Xiao Yan, I was joking earlier about threatening to break your heart."
"I know." Xiao Yan smiled faintly, "But you explaining it makes me look stupid."
Lin ChuSui said solemnly, "Xiao Yan, as long as you don't cheat, I'll always love you."
"..."
A line that was meant to be touching, why did it sound so awkward.
Xiao Yan pinched her little nose, "Do you know you really don't know how to ruin the atmosphere?"
Lin ChuSui didn't mind at all, said decisively, "I'll treat you very well, really, very very well. I won't let others trick you or bully you. You can safely pursue your dreams, I'll always chase after you, never leave you."
After saying that, she tiptoed and lightly kissed his cheek.
This was the second kiss. No shock, no panic. At this moment, other than tender feelings, Xiao Yan's heart contained nothing else.
Won't trick you, won't bully you, will treat you very very well.
She precisely hit Xiao Yan's weakest, fatal spot.
The progress bar in the lower right corner started rocketing upwards.
Xiao Yan closed his eyes, firmly holding the back of her head, lowered his head about to kiss her soft lips.
Lin Xiuze: "Cough."
"..."
The kiss landed at the corner of her lips. Lin ChuSui could feel the suppressed tremors in his body.
She was dizzy and confused, clutching tightly to the hem of Xiao Yan's clothes. Her blood was surging and boiling to the same degree as his.
Xiao Yan hugged her forcefully for a moment, then immediately let her go.
He liked planning out his life. Whether studying or doing things, he would always make a plan ahead of time, then complete it step-by-step.
The first time in his life he completely lost control without a plan was at this moment, bringing her to his "secret garden", then passionately kissing her by the wall.
Both of their cheeks were flushed, and a gust of wind blew by, sending a chill.
Lin ChuSui said in a low voice, "Let's head back."
"Mm."
She walked in front of the red wall, and Xiao Yan pushed his bike behind her, following her shadow.
Lin ChuSui looked back at him. The setting sun shone on his face, his features resolute, his gaze profound, his thin lips lightly pursed, seeming lost in his own thoughts.
"What are you thinking about?"
"The future."
"What about the future?"
"Where we'll buy our future home." Xiao Yan said matter-of-factly, "It has to be in a good school district, for the convenience of our kids going to the best schools."
"..."
"I'd like a daughter, what about you?"
Lin ChuSui: "Aren't you thinking too far ahead?"
