At the start, I had to choose one of four options, and I immediately picked the Brahmin from the cou

"Qianqian, what are you doing? Let go of me!"

Xia Kexin was completely panicked and tried desperately to break free, but Zhang Qian's grip was incredibly strong, and it was simply impossible for a weakling like her to break free.

"Zhang Qian, are you crazy—"

At this moment, Xia Kexin's face was flushed, and her almond-shaped eyes were filled with panic and helplessness.

"I'll go all out this once! Listen to me carefully: if you don't offer this toast today, from now on we'll pretend we never met. I, Zhang Qian, mean what I say!"

Zhang Qian stared at her, her eyes both fierce and bright. She knew her best friend all too well; her personality was like an ostrich, habitually retreating into the ground whenever something happened.

If we don't push her now, this idiot will definitely walk into the university gates with regret, and then toss and turn in bed countless nights, thinking over and over again if the ending would have been different if she had been braver back then.

Therefore, Zhang Qian cannot let go, even if Xia Kexin resents her afterwards, she is determined to play the villain.

Xia Kexin was half-dragged and half-pulled by Zhang Qian to stand in front of Li Xiao.

When Li Xiao looked up at her, Xia Kexin felt as if her heart skipped a beat.

Those eyes are completely different from before.

Although Li Xiao was handsome before, his eyes always carried a hint of youthful nonchalance and casualness. But now, those eyes are so deep that they are unfathomable, calm and undisturbed, yet they inexplicably make people afraid to look directly at them.

"Li... Li Xiao." Her voice was so soft it was almost drowned out by the surrounding noise and laughter. "I... I'd also like to toast you."

Zhang Qian was so anxious that she kept pinching her lower back.

Xia Kexin trembled in pain, forced by this external force to finally muster the courage to raise her head.

This was the first time in her three years of high school that she had been this close to him.

The prepared statement that he had rehearsed countless times in his mind was completely formatted and reset the moment he met Li Xiao's deep gaze. All he could come up with was a dry, curt "I wish you... all the best in the future!"

Standing behind Xia Kexin, Zhang Qian was so anxious when she saw her best friend acting so cowardly that she almost fainted on the spot.

That's it? That's it?! She roared inwardly.

Although Li Xiao didn't know who the person in front of him was, he still politely raised his glass and nodded slightly to Xia Kexin, "Classmate, I wish you all the best as well."

After saying that, he took a small sip of his drink and naturally looked away from her.

Despite spending three years in the same classroom, Li Xiao couldn't recognize the person in front of him. He felt the person looked familiar, but he couldn't recall their name.

After graduating from high school in his previous life, he lost contact with most of his classmates. As for where this girl went or how she was doing, Li Xiao knew nothing about it.

Xia Kexin suddenly felt like a clown, having mustered the greatest courage of her life, only to find that in the other person's eyes, she was nothing more than a clown who didn't even deserve a name.

Her already dwindling courage crumbled instantly at this polite, impeccable yet extremely distant form of address.

He couldn't even remember her. After three years of being classmates, he couldn't even call out her name at this moment.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out. Yes, for three years of high school, she always sat in that inconspicuous corner of the third row by the window, always wearing her baggy school uniform. She never dared to raise her hand in class, never dared to talk to anyone during breaks, and never dared to walk up to him like Lin Xiaoran and ask him for a Feixin message.

Her youth was like a silent film, and he was the only light in the lens.

Unfortunately, light never knows that it is being secretly admired.

"Well, I'll head back now."

Zhang Qian, standing to the side, was almost laughing in exasperation at her best friend.

"Xia Kexin, you're really something. I offered you a ladder, but you wouldn't even dare climb over the wall. Someone just said 'classmate,' and you slid right down the ladder?"

Zhang Qian leaned over and pried open the woman's hands that were covering her face. "I asked you to go and offer a toast, and what did you do? You said one blessing and then ran off? Where's your name? Where's your WeChat? You could have at least left one before you left!"

Xia Kexin's voice was clearly choked with sobs, "He doesn't even remember me, what's the point of saying all this?"

Zhang Qian poked her head. "Nonsense! How many words did you even exchange with her during your three years of high school? It would be a miracle if she even remembered you! If she doesn't remember, she can get to know you now. If you don't take the initiative, are you just waiting for God to feed you?"

Xia Kexin raised her head, her eyes red and swollen, clearly having cried. "Forget it, Qianqian, I know you mean well. But when I stood in front of him, my mind went blank. I almost forgot my own name. I'm not good enough for him at all."

Seeing her like this, Zhang Qian swallowed back the scolding that was on the tip of her tongue.

She sighed, reached out and ruffled Xia Kexin's hair, her tone softening, "Alright, alright, this is nothing, it's not like the world is ending tomorrow."

She refilled Xia Kexin's cup, handed it back to her, and then gestured towards Li Xiao's seat with her lip, "While the farewell dinner isn't over yet, you still have a chance. If we just let it go like this today, then it will really be the end of everything, and you don't want it to end like this, do you?"

She lowered her head, staring at the orange juice swaying slightly in the glass, and suddenly realized that Zhang Qian was right.

She had been brave for three years, and this was the only time she had dared to do it. Now that she had taken the first step, wouldn't it be even more of a loss to give up halfway?

The noise in the private room continued. Li Xiao was chatting with Zheng Hao and several other boys whose families had some connections within the county's government system. His calm and composed aura acted like an invisible barrier, completely separating him from his peers who were still lamenting their lack of time in the ivory tower.

Even though there was an invisible chasm between them, she was determined to hand over her name today.

Xia Kexin mustered her courage, picked up the glass of orange juice, and walked step by step to Li Xiao's side.

When the clean, fresh scent of gardenia shampoo wafted over again, Li Xiao stopped talking, turned his head slightly, and looked at the classmate whose name he didn't know who had returned with some surprise.

"Li Xiao..." Xia Kexin's voice was still trembling a little, but this time, she did not avoid his gaze, but stubbornly met his eyes.

She spoke each word with utmost seriousness, "I forgot to introduce myself earlier. My name is Xia Kexin, Xia as in summer, Ke as in 'okay,' and Xin as in 'joy.' We... have been classmates for three years."

After saying that, she quickly pulled out her old-fashioned smartphone from her pocket, opened the Fetion QR code, and handed it to Li Xiao with red eyes and trembling hands.

"Um...can we be friends?"