We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

"Xiaobai, eat more fish," Li's mother picked up a piece of fish and put it in his bowl. "Fish is good for your brain. Also, drink a can of this walnut milk. Tomorrow I'll buy some pork ribs to make soup."

"Why make such a lavish spread?" Li Mubai asked, looking at the pile of food in his bowl. "Our homeroom teacher said to just take it easy."

"These are all good for the brain." Li's mother pushed another can of Six Walnuts in front of him. "It's all over the internet. One can a day is good for the brain."

Drink it every day? Does that mean you have to drink it for three more days?

He didn't reply, finished the fish in a few bites, put down his chopsticks, picked up the can of walnut milk, and stood up: "I'm done eating. I'm going back to my room to study."

"Okay, focus on your studies, and remember to go to bed early and get up early," Li's mother added. "Remember to drink the walnut milk."

"understood."

He closed the door, poured some water on the jasmine flowers in the corner of his desk, and then sat down.

Xie Shu is leaving, but he's leaving him with a lot of things. There are so many photos of them together now, and he's thinking that maybe he can buy a physical photo album someday and put every single one of them in.

He shook his head, pulled a notebook from beside his desk, and opened it.

Ring ring—

His phone rang suddenly, causing the wooden tabletop to vibrate slightly. He picked it up and glanced at it; it was Xie Shu.

He glanced at the closed door and pressed the answer button.

"Come to school quickly." Xie Shu's voice carried a hint of urgency.

Li Mubai was taken aback: "Xie Shu, what's wrong?"

beep - beep -

Only the sound of the phone being hung up answered him.

He sent Xie Shu a WeChat message, but waited a few minutes without receiving a reply.

Had something happened? His heart clenched slowly. After a moment's thought, he opened the door to go out.

"Xiaobai, where are you going so late?" Li's mother was sitting in the living room when she saw him bending down to put on his shoes.

"Um... I'm going for a walk."

"Then wait a moment, we'll go together as a family after we finish eating."

Li Mubai paused for a moment: "No need, I'll be back soon."

"Are you going to find Xie Shu?" Li's mother suddenly asked.

Li Mubai stopped putting on his shoes, but did not deny it.

A few seconds later, Li's mother softened her voice: "Go early and come back early, don't let it affect your exam."

"Okay, Mom." He nodded, picked up his phone, and went out the door.

As Li's mother watched his figure gradually disappear into the distance, she lowered her head and transferred two hundred yuan to his WeChat account.

As Li Mubai walked briskly, he sent messages to Xie Shu, but received no response. His heart felt as if it were being slowly clenched by a large hand.

In order to save time, he hailed a taxi.

"Driver, please hurry to No. 6 Middle School."

The driver didn't rush to start the car, but glanced at him in the rearview mirror and asked, "Forty or not?"

"Okay." Li Mubai replied without hesitation.

The driver cursed himself for calling out too softly and handed the QR code back: "Scan the money first."

Li Mubai quickly paid the fare, and only after hearing the payment confirmation message did the taxi finally start moving.

Half an hour later, the car stopped at the back gate of the school.

He opened the car door and jumped out, taking a deep breath of fresh air. He was almost dizzy from the jolting inside the car.

After catching his breath, he finally raised his head.

It was already 7 p.m. The school was unusually quiet at night, devoid of the students' noise. Looking through the gate, the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow on the road.

I don't know if he can still get into the school now. If he can't, will he have to climb over the wall to get in?

He took out his phone and sent Xie Shu another message.

Li Bubai: "I've arrived at the back gate of the school. Can I just go in?"

There has still been no reply.

Just as he was about to make the call, his phone suddenly lit up.

Yan Shu: "Today was alright. You said you forgot to bring your study materials. After entering the school, go directly to the rooftop of the first-year teaching building."

Rooftop? Li Mubai's fingertips paused.

He remembered that Xie Shu had also wanted to go abroad, but in the end...

Li Bubai: "I'm coming right away! Xie Shu, take care."

He put down his phone and ran towards the school gate.

"What are you doing?" someone poked their head out of the security booth.

Li Mubai looked over and saw it was Grandpa Du, whom he had met while playing billiards.

"Grandpa Du, I forgot to bring my documents. I'd like to go in for a bit." His voice carried a urgency he himself didn't even realize.

"The college entrance exam is coming up soon, and the school won't let you in, do you know that?" Grandpa Du looked him up and down.

"Okay, I'll go get it and be right back."

Grandpa Du thought for a moment, then nodded: "Then hurry up and go. Luckily you came today; if it were tomorrow, not even a fly would be allowed in!"

"Okay, okay, thank you, Grandpa Du."

The small door opened a crack, and Li Mubai squeezed in sideways, running towards the teaching building along the streetlights.

Grandpa Du closed the door again. He let Li Mubai in, partly for the reasons he had just mentioned, and partly because he knew him. He certainly wouldn't have let an ordinary person in.

He watched Li Mubai's running figure gradually disappear into the night. He had heard the name mentioned by his own son, something about a promising student from Tsinghua and Peking Universities.

Young people always want to avoid leaving any regrets. He sighed, returned to the small security room, and continued listening to the opera.

Following his memory, Li Mubai groped his way through the darkness and ran madly towards the rooftop of the first-year high school building.

The sound of his footsteps echoed through the quiet teaching building.

The rooftop door was open, and Li Mubai walked in. It was pitch black, but the night was clear and bright, and the moonlight gave him some visibility.

He quickly scanned the area but couldn't find Xie Shu.

Li Mubai hurriedly took out his phone and dialed Xie Shu's number.

beep--!

beep--!

The phone ringing not only came from close to the ear, but also seemed to be faintly coming from behind.

He had just turned around when the world suddenly went dark, and a pair of hands covered his eyes.

"Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later..."

"Thank you for your letter?"

He removed her hands from his eyes, and the world was bright again.

Xie Shu stood in front of him, wearing a black and white school uniform and with her hair tied in a ponytail, just like on any ordinary day.

"Xie Shu, what happened?" Li Mubai looked at her with concern in his eyes.

"It's nothing, I just missed you." Xie Shu chuckled softly. "Why aren't you wearing your school uniform?"

Li Mubai looked down at his clothes and paused for a moment.

"It's my fault, I didn't tell you beforehand." She took his wrist, walked to the low wall on the rooftop, and pointed to a corner. "Do you remember this place? The place where you used to build a snowman. I still remember it very clearly."

He looked in the direction she pointed, and there was nothing left on the table in the corner. A piece of plaster had fallen off, revealing the gray-white cement underneath.

"And," her voice trailed off, "you always stood here looking down during PE class. Do you think I noticed?"

"Xie Shu." Li Mubai didn't answer her question. "What...is wrong?"

Her voice lowered: "Nothing, I was just thinking about things between you and me in the past."

"In the past?"

"The college entrance exam is coming up soon, Li Mubai." She flipped through her fingers, then grasped his hand, her voice tinged with a hint of melancholy. "Did I know you before most people?"

"You know...me?"

"Yeah, everyone only noticed you because your grades were gradually improving, but nobody knows that there was a boy who didn't do well in the first year of high school and always went his own way."

Li Mubai remained silent, listening quietly to Xie Shu's voice.

"He never bothers others or tries to show off; he just studies quietly. I think he could go very far even without me."

"Thank you, Shu." Li Mubai gripped her hand tightly, as if afraid she would disappear in front of him at any moment.

Feeling the strength in his palm, Xie Shu looked up at him, a smile playing on her lips.

"So, Li Mubai, I've always known, always known you're outstanding. No matter who it's for, you'll definitely succeed in the college entrance exam!"

She forcefully broke free from his hand, and Li Mubai panicked.

The next moment, Xie Shu simply hugged him.

"I'm leaving, Li Mubai, I'm leaving."

"Thank you for your help..."

This was the third time he had called her name today.

She didn't speak, but buried her head in his arms, a tear wetting Li Mubai's clothes.

In the silent night, under the moonlight and amidst the twinkling stars, a girl embraces a bewildered boy.

"I will, Xie Shu, I will..."

You have to wait for me...

Xie Shu raised her head. Her eyes were not filled with tears, but they were slightly red and misty.

"I'm an adult now."

She tiptoed closer.

"..." Li Mubai looked away, "Your eighteenth birthday is next month."

Xie Shuming's bright pupils reflected his image, and he lowered his tiptoes.

"You idiot." She lightly punched him, then her tone turned somber. "But we never had the chance to spend time together."

"Then let's do it later," Li Mubai said.

Time seemed to stand still, the Milky Way seemed to flow in her pupils, and finally... she leaned on his shoulder, the wind blowing from all directions, ruffling the stray hairs at her temples.

"I will wait for you... and always love me."

Silence returned, and the moonlight cast long, long shadows at their feet...