Chapter 1: Tension Confession

  One afternoon, Xia Meng's mood was exceptionally pleasant. Huang Yiqi still buried her head and read, seemingly indifferent to everything around her, but after class, she would lean over to Zhang Li's desk and exchange happy conversations with him. When they got excited, Huang Yiqi would even dance with joy. The eyes of the boys were all focused on Huang Yiqi, and every move she made could make their hearts flutter.

  At noon, after class, Chen Yumeng and Wang Qi stood outside the classroom waiting for Xia Meng. It was their first meeting since school started, so they happily hugged each other, laughing and jumping together.

  "What about Yiner? How has she been lately?" Xia Meng asked.

  "This semester, she didn't live in the dormitory. We could only see her during class." Wang Qi replied.

  "Li Han didn't come to class today?" Chen Yumeng looked around the classroom.

  Xia Meng suddenly remembered that Li Han had indeed been absent from class for a while.

  "Hmm, I don't know what he's been up to lately, hasn't come to class at all. I'll send him a text later and ask. Xia Meng shook her head, this Li Han has finally shown his true colors, skipping class from the start! Let's go, let's go eat."

  Three good friends walked hand in hand to the teaching building, and from a distance they saw Li Han and Zhao Yi Nuo laughing and chatting as they came out of the principal's office and headed towards the school gate.

  "How did the two of them end up together again? No wonder Zhao Yino didn't come to class today." Chen Yumeng said, looking at Li Han and Zhao Yino's backs with a strange expression.

  "Maybe they have something on, don't think too much about it, let's go eat first." Xia Meng pulled Chen Yu Meng towards the school cafeteria.

  Upon arriving at the cafeteria, the three of them ordered their meals and sat down at an empty table. Wang Qi pulled on Xia Meng's skirt: "Mengmeng, look, isn't that Huang Yiqi and Zhang Li?" Xia Meng followed Wang Qi's pointing direction and found that Huang Yiqi was indeed sitting with Zhang Li at a table eating. Didn't Zhang Li usually go home for dinner? Why did he appear in the cafeteria today? And together with Huang Yiqi, no less.

  Xia Meng felt uncomfortable in her heart, but saw Huang Yiqi pick up the bowl of soup and take a sip, then feed Zhang Li. Zhang Li lowered his head and drank naturally. "Can't the Dean of Studies, the school flower, come out and manage? Is it just because Huang Yiqi is the principal's granddaughter that there's an exception?" Wang Qi said indignantly.

  Luckily you all don't know that Zhang Li is the son of the Dean of Studies. Xiameng thought to herself.

  After school in the afternoon, Xia Meng continued to stay in the classroom to do the test papers. Zhang Li went out to change her clothes, carried her backpack, and gestured to Xia Meng before running towards the river behind the school.

  Xia Meng hesitated for a moment before heading back to her dormitory to change clothes.

  Xia Meng ran to the playground and saw Huang Yi Qi and Zhang Li standing under a tree. Huang Yi Qi was gesturing with one hand, pouting her mouth and stomping her feet. Zhang Li grasped Huang Yi Qi's shoulder and whispered something in her ear, and Huang Yi Qi suddenly burst out laughing, happily turned around and ran off.

  Zhang Li looked at Huang Yiqi's back and shook his head with a smile. Seeing Xia Meng about to turn around and leave, Zhang Li quickly caught up with her.

  "What's wrong? Didn't we agree to go for a run together?" Zhang Li, the 5,000-meter long-distance running champion, caught up with Xia Meng in just 20 seconds.

  "Come on, you've already changed your clothes." Zhang Li smiled and blocked Xia Meng's way.

  If I turn around and leave like this today, it would make myself look too petty. Xia Meng followed behind Zhang Li with her head down.

  Two people silently jogged forward side by side on the road.

  Arriving at the riverbank, Zhang Li took out a cushion from his backpack and spread it under the tree. He beckoned to Xia Meng, "Xia Meng, come over and sit down. Today, I have something to tell you."

  Xia Meng still lowered her head and sat silently on the cushion, taking out a vocabulary book from her backpack.

  Zhang Li leaned in close to Xia Meng, taking away her book. "Xia Meng, let's talk." Xia Meng looked up and saw Zhang Li gazing at her with a gentle expression.

  "Summer, I don't want to hide it anymore, my fondness for you. Maybe we're both still too young and don't understand what love is. To be honest, I don't either. I really want to ask love if it's like the expression on my face when I think of you - shy yet sweet; if it's like my eyes when I look at you - clear yet deep. Zhang Li's speech became faster and faster, his face turned bright red as he grasped Summer's hand."

  "Before I met you, Xia Meng, I was always a good kid in the eyes of my parents and teachers, following rules and never doing anything crazy. But after meeting you, I've done many crazy things. Falling in love with you is the craziest thing! And I'm willing to be crazy with you for the rest of my life." Zhang Li said in one breath, looking at Xia Meng with a shy expression.

  Xia Meng's mouth was agape. She hadn't expected Zhang Li to confess his feelings so directly, and for a moment, she was at a loss for words.

  "Xia Meng, whether you accept or refuse, just say something!" Zhang Li was no longer calm and pulled Xia Meng's hand with a bit of urgency.

  "I... uh..." Xia Meng's heart was in a flutter as Zhang Li suddenly confessed his feelings. In fact, she had always hoped that Zhang Li would have special feelings for her too. For an instant, the faces of her father, Huang Yi Qi, and even Li Han flashed through her mind.

  Zhang Li let go of Xia Meng's hand, stood up, and his eyes gradually dimmed. "Xia Meng, even if the one you love is not me, I still hope to always stand behind you. You need to know that I will always be standing behind you, waiting for the day when you'll turn around and look at me. If there's a day when you need someone to confide in, hold you, or wipe away your tears, just turn around, and you'll see me standing behind you."

  Xia Meng stood up: "Zhang Li, thank you. Actually, I also very...very like you." Xia Meng pursed her lips and continued to say, "But we are still high school students, our study tasks are so heavy, we cannot and should not go against our parents' high expectations, indulging in the emotions of youth that we cannot take responsibility for."

  "Summer, haha, so you like me too." Zhang Li excitedly pulled Summer's hand, "Don't worry, I won't let our feelings affect our studies. Otherwise, my mom would go crazy because of me. From now on, we'll focus all our energy on studying, learn from each other, and make progress together. What we need to do is be a revolutionary couple who fights side by side, lives or dies together!" Zhang Li said humorously.

  "Revolutionary lovers!" Xia Meng laughed happily.

  Gusts of cool breeze ruffled the calm river surface, the river water flowed slowly, telling its endless loneliness.

  The gorgeous sunset, like spilled paint, splashed on the horizon, set off the bright red evening sun. The evening sun, however, was like a drunkard who had fallen into the river, swaying back and forth, dyeing the blue ocean into a dazzling crimson.

  The sun slowly sets in the west, like a summer dream, beautiful and gentle, serene. Zhang Liang stands on the riverbank with Xia Meng, looking up at the flawless white cloud in the sky, perhaps against the blue sky, she shows her unique purity and elegance, just like a noblewoman strolling in the sky.

  Xia Meng standing beside Zhang Li became so shy and charming. Zhang Li turned his head to look at Xia Meng, staring blankly.