I was born and listened to my neighbor's older sister talk about her family of origin.

"Teacher! Is Zhiyu ready?"

The door to the music room was suddenly pushed open, and a round-faced girl with pigtails, her forehead beaded with sweat, rushed in, panting.

Her eager gaze swept around the room, finally settling on the girl in the mirror.

The next second, her small mouth opened slightly, and she quickly ran to Xu Zhiyu, looked him up and down, and after a long while, she finally managed to utter a sentence.

"My God, Zhiyu, you...you're so beautiful!"

Her voice was full of surprise and undisguised admiration.

The person who came was Zhang Xiaoning, the literature and art committee member in Xu Zhiyu's class.

Her reaction caused the slight warmth that had arisen in Xu Zhiyu's heart from the praise to evaporate even more.

She nodded gently, her clear voice carrying a hint of novelty and excitement: "Thank you."

"Let's hurry up and go! The show is about to start, and your costume is still with me! Also, since you didn't have time to rehearse, there are a lot of details I need to explain to you as soon as possible."

As Zhang Xiaoning spoke, she grabbed Xu Zhiyu's wrist without saying a word and pulled her out.

Xu Zhiyu was pulled to the door by her, then suddenly stopped and turned to look at Jiang Ye.

"Ano!"

She exclaimed, "You absolutely must come see my performance!"

"And thank you, Teacher Zhou and Sister Lin!"

Her voice, along with her departing footsteps, quickly faded away at the end of the corridor.

Jiang Ye watched the departing figure, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

He turned to Zhou Xiao and said, "Teacher Zhou, thank you so much for today. If my piece really makes money, we'll split the profits 50/50, and your name will definitely be on the composer's list."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiao simply raised her hand and gently patted his shoulder, a knowing smile in her eyes.

"You little rascal, you've got a clever plan."

Jiang Ye straightened his collar and waved to Zhou Xiao and Lin Qin: "I need to get ready now. My performance is scheduled before Xu Zhiyu's. Sister Lin, thank you so much for today."

Watching the boy leave, Lin Qin tidied up her makeup tools while commenting, "This kid is young, but he's quite methodical in his actions."

"And his grades are excellent, and he also has a talent for music."

Zhou Xiao added, her voice tinged with envy.

"I hope my son can be as successful as him in the future."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qin teased, "Didn't you always say you wanted a daughter?"

Zhou Xiao snorted, then rolled her eyes: "Twins are fine too."

"How wishful thinking."

Lin Qin laughed and scolded, but her hands didn't stop moving.

The two chatted back and forth, their words revealing the casualness and familiarity between close friends.

.........

When Jiang Ye arrived backstage at the auditorium, a wave of noisy heat hit him.

The place was already bustling with activity, with students and teachers from all grades moving about and calling out to each other in the cramped space.

The air was filled with the distinctive smells of cheap hairspray, stage paint, and a mix of people.

"Where are the props for Class 2, Grade 3's skit?! Bring them over here right now!"

"My poetry recitation notebook! Has anyone seen it?!"

"First-grade choir! Get ready, it's about to begin!"

The constant urging, searching, and complaining turned the entire backstage area into chaos.

A figure suddenly appeared beside Jiang Ye. Jiang Ye turned around and found that it was Chen Lulu, the class's art and literature representative.

She wore a high ponytail, her cheeks slightly flushed from being busy, exuding youthful energy but also revealing a hint of anxiety.

"Jiang Ye, why are you so late? The piano is already tuned for you, go and put on makeup and change your clothes."

She looked Jiang Ye up and down, her tone revealing a hint of complaint.

"Honestly, I haven't seen you at rehearsals before. I had no idea what your piano skills were like. Don't embarrass our class. If it weren't for Teacher Zhou's intervention, I would have been the one singing on stage."

Chen Lulu didn't mean any harm; she was just straightforward and couldn't help but feel a little dissatisfied that Jiang Ye's "sudden arrival" had stolen her thunder.

Jiang Ye was well aware of her emotions and responded gently, "I'm sorry, it was indeed my fault for not participating in the rehearsal."

He paused.

"You'll have many more opportunities, but this performance is especially important to me."

"Don't worry, I won't let this opportunity down."

The seriousness in his words choked Chen Lulu's complaints.

She paused, looking at Jiang Ye's serious expression, a faint blush rising to her cheeks, and stammered.

"Then... I forgive you."

She turned her head slightly to avoid Jiang Ye's gaze, but the tips of her ears were flushed.

"You'd better do your best."

Jiang Ye smiled slightly: "Yes, I will."

Just then, a panting figure stopped beside Jiang Ye.

The man was half a head taller than Jiang Ye, and his voice was anxious as he repeatedly shouted at him, "Damn it, bro, I finally found you!"

Jiang Ye turned his head and saw that it was Gao Qiang.

Upon seeing him, a certain string in Jiang Ye's mind was suddenly plucked.

Wait a minute, has he forgotten something these past few days?

What did I forget?

Gao Qiang ran up to him, leaned on his knees to catch his breath, then straightened up, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger.

"You promised to help me arrange a meeting with Xu Zhiyu, didn't you? You're not going back on your word, are you? I haven't been able to reach you for days!"

As soon as he said that, Jiang Ye remembered.

He had indeed promised Gao Qiang that he would help him arrange a meeting with Xu Zhiyu so that he could confess his feelings.

But these past few days, because of the arrangement of the song and Xu Zhiyu's matter, he completely forgot about this insignificant matter.

They've dragged Gao Qiang along until now.

"cough."

He coughed lightly to hide the embarrassment on his face.

"Sorry, I forgot."

He spoke sincerely, because it was indeed an oversight.

Gao Qiang wanted to lash out, but since he needed someone's help, he had to suppress his anger, his face turning slightly red.

He pressed on eagerly, "Is now okay? Do you know where Xu Zhiyu is? Can you ask her out?"

Jiang Ye thought for a moment: "She should be changing clothes in the dressing room right now."

Upon hearing this, Gao Qiang's eyes lit up, and he immediately pulled out a bouquet of roses from behind him.

The bouquet appeared out of nowhere; the buds were plump and brightly colored, clearly not the kind of flower sold in ordinary flower shops.

He held the roses to his chest, his expression serious: "Then tell her for me that I'm waiting for her on the top floor of the auditorium."

Jiang Ye then noticed that Gao Qiang was wearing a well-tailored suit, with a neat cut and exquisite fabric, which looked quite valuable from the details.

Thinking of the quality of the roses in his hand, a thought flashed through Jiang Ye's mind.

Could this guy be a hidden rich young master?

"it is good."

Jiang Ye nodded in agreement, but didn't make any absolute statements, adding, "But I'm only responsible for relaying the message. Whether she's willing to see you is up to her."

Gao Qiang nodded repeatedly and solemnly assured him, "I know. If it doesn't work out, I won't blame you."

Jiang Ye looked at Gao Qiang's expectant face and sighed inwardly.

He's such a straightforward and kind person.

He thought about it, then glanced at the flowers in Gao Qiang's hand and his carefully prepared outfit.

This is quite a spending spree.

These elementary school students are so precocious! They confess their feelings at the age of twelve. What will they be like when they grow up?

Chen Lulu watched this scene from the side, and then looked at Jiang Ye's expression.

I just felt like he was up to something bad.

But that didn't stop her from enjoying the gossip.

"Jiang Ye! I'll go with you!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.