We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

"Everyone, please be careful and stay on the sidewalk. Don't squeeze into the road." Lin Xinle's voice came from the side of the line. She herself was walking on the outside and would occasionally look back to see if anyone had fallen behind.

The bright sunlight shone on the row of white stone pillars in the Confucius Temple, and the halo spread out around the edges. Li Mubai looked up and his thoughts were suddenly pulled back to the night of his birthday last year.

I wonder if they'll have a chance to celebrate their birthdays together this year.

He looked away and put the thought aside.

"Look! The lotus flowers over there are blooming! And there's a pavilion next to them!" A voice exclaimed from the group.

"Wait while I take a picture."

Several girls stopped and took out their phones to point at the lotus pond. Li Mubai and Zhao Feng walked around the people who had suddenly stopped and glanced over there.

The pavilion stood brightly in view, the stone table and chairs were still in the same place, only the edges were worn with more fine marks from the wind and rain.

He looked away, not lingering on the subject.

"Stay close to the group, don't fall behind." Lin Xinle's voice came from the front, clearly shouting to the girls taking pictures behind them.

Entering the Confucius Temple and crossing the stone bridge, you are greeted by a long staircase. The slope is not steep, but you can't see the end of it.

Some girls carefully climbed up, holding up both sides of their dresses.

"Wow, this staircase is way too long." Zhao Feng walked beside him, already slightly out of breath.

"Indeed," Wang Rui chimed in, walking ahead. "We're all getting warm from walking."

At the end of the stairs is a spacious square, with a red carpet stretching from the entrance to the podium. Decorative signs stand on both sides with slogans such as "At eighteen, we stand firm, and we embark on our dreams."

The sound system has been set up at the four corners of the square, and staff are making final adjustments.

Li Mubai stood in line and turned his head slightly to look towards Class 3. He couldn't see Xie Shu through the crowd of several classes, so he looked away.

Bang bang.

Two muffled thuds came from the speakers scattered around the square.

Then a male and a female host walked onto the stage.

"Respected leaders and teachers."

"Dear Mom and Dad, and classmates."

"Good morning, everyone!" The two spoke at the same time, their voices spreading to every corner of the square through the speakers, followed by applause from the audience.

"Time flies, youth faces the sun."

"At eighteen, one stands firm, and walks towards the light."

"Today, we gather here."

"Today, we are witnessing a momentous milestone together."

"Our coming-of-age ceremony at eighteen!"

The male and female hosts on stage had a clear division of labor, and their voices, with their intonation and rhythm, attracted everyone's attention.

"Next, let's give a warm round of applause to listen to our parents' most sincere and heartwarming expectations."

"Please welcome Ms. Xu Ting, the parent representative, to speak."

Ms. Xu Ting? Xie Shu's mother! Li Mubai stood below the stage, his eyebrows twitching slightly as he watched Xu Ting walk step by step onto the stage.

Have Xie Shu's parents arrived? Li Mubai searched around and found Xie Zhiqiang in a corner of the square.

"Dear teachers and students, it is an honor to stand here as a parent representative to witness our children's momentous eighteenth birthday celebration. First of all, please allow me to represent all the parents..."

It seems that Xie Shu's speaking style was not inherited from her mother.

Li Mubai could see Xu Ting's polite and proper smile through his squinting eyes.

"Eighteen years old is the most beautiful mark of youth and a brand new watershed in life. From today onwards, you are no longer ignorant and naive teenagers, but adults in the legal sense, possessing independent personalities and independent thoughts. You will also truly learn to take responsibility, face choices, and embrace growth."

Independent personality? Independent thought? Taking responsibility? Facing choices head-on?

Li Mubai silently questioned these words in his mind.

The crowd parted slightly, and he finally saw Xie Shu.

She stood at the front of the Class 3 line, wearing a traditional Chinese style student uniform, a white top with pale gold patterns that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.

She had a braid that hung down to one side, and her head was tilted slightly back, as if she was listening attentively to the speech on stage.

"Here, I'd like to offer three pieces of advice to the children who are about to come of age: First, be grateful and move forward with warmth... Second, be courageous and responsible, and be self-reliant and strong... Third, live up to your youth and live up to yourself..."

Li Mubai lowered his gaze, looking at a few fallen leaves scattered at the edge of the red carpet at his feet.

Finally, thank you again to the school for organizing such a solemn and meaningful coming-of-age ceremony for our children! We wish all the students a bright future and a successful adulthood!

Applause erupted from all directions. Li Mubai clapped his hands politely twice before stopping.

Xie Zhiqiang did not move; he stood on the periphery of the crowd, his expression calm.

His phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. He glanced down at the screen, turned around, and walked to a quiet spot next to the square, where he put the phone to his ear.

"Thank you, Ms. Xu Ting, for your insightful remarks."

Every word is filled with concern, and every sentence is brimming with expectation.

"From now on, the young man will carry the tenderness and support of his family, and bravely journey towards his own distant horizon!"

"..."

Li Mubai lowered his head, staring blankly at his own shadow on the ground.

"Next, please welcome student representative, Lan Shiyu from Class 3 of Senior Three, to speak."

Lan Shiyu? Would you like to share your thoughts on getting a pentakill in the game?

"Dear teachers and classmates, I am Lan Shiyu from Class 3, Grade 12. It is an honor..."

He stopped listening and looked past the podium and the crowd, his gaze landing on the gray sky where the eaves met the roof. The wind blew from the other side of the square, lifting the red silk edges hanging from the signboard.

Student speeches, teacher representatives' speeches, and school leaders' speeches followed one after another.

The boys in the back row started whispering about how it wasn't over yet, while the girls in the front row quietly stretched their legs that had been standing for so long.

Many students showed signs of impatience. They were happy to hear a sentence once, but they were less patient when it was repeated three or four times.

"We will proceed to the final item on the agenda—" the host's voice rose slightly, "All adult students, please raise your right fists and repeat after me!"

Xu Ting turned her head and glanced at Xie Zhiqiang, who had returned halfway and was standing next to her. The latter's expression was a bit darker than before.

"Where did you go?" she asked in a low voice.

"I received a phone call."

"Oh." Xu Ting didn't ask any more questions and turned her gaze back to the podium.

"It was Ms. Zhao, Teacher Yang's wife, who called," Xie Zhiqiang added.

Xu Ting turned her gaze away from the podium and looked at him sideways: "Looking for you? Was it about Teacher Yang's 80th birthday at the end of the month?"

"No." Xie Zhiqiang's voice turned somber. "Ms. Zhao said that Teacher Yang left last night."

"Gone? Where did they go?" Xu Ting asked, her tone carrying a hint of surprise and disbelief.

"He had a severe lung infection and was in the hospital for five days," Xie Zhiqiang paused, "and passed away at 2:53 a.m. yesterday."

"How could that be?! Didn't Teacher Yang just come to our house for dinner not long ago? Wasn't he in pretty good health then?"

Several parents around glanced at her, but Xu Ting didn't say anything more.

Xie Zhiqiang said in a low voice, "Let's talk in the car."

She nodded, and the two of them retreated from the edge of the crowd, one after the other.

The oaths were still being recited on the stage, and the sound system broadcast the words to every corner of the square without missing a single one.

"Please don't leave yet, everyone. The coming-of-age ceremony still includes two parts: writing prayer plaques and taking group photos!"

The sound system at the eighteenth birthday coming-of-age ceremony was deafening.

The passing of an eighty-year-old man was quietly drowned out by those fervent voices.