"Is... is it okay?" Qin Huai asked nervously again.
Because of her personality, she had barely any friends at this school. Yu Zhi was the first person to actively invite her to play games together.
Yu Zhi nodded and opened the search friend section: "Username?"
Qin Huai recited a string of numbers, her face lighting up with joy.
She simply turned her whole body around and faced Yu Zhi directly, the two placing their phones on the table and began clearing levels together.
The two girls stared seriously at their screens, their fingers tapping lightly from time to time. Warm sunlight refracted through the windows, casting two closely overlapping shadows on their desks.
The campus was filled with the vibrant atmosphere of youth, the sound of laughter and playful chatter constantly echoing, and those most beautiful scenes became their backdrop.
**
Lu Li jogged into the classroom just as the bell rang. His shirt was slightly wrinkled, and the strands of hair on his forehead were windswept and a little messy.
He walked to his seat, his slender eyes fixed on the girl by the window in the back row, his gaze filled with worry and anxiety.
Moments earlier, while smoking near the small grove with Lin Chengyu, he had seen the forum post, and his heart had immediately seized. After just a few seconds of dazed hesitation, he hurried back.
He had intended to comfort her or offer an explanation, but ultimately felt he lacked the standing to say such things. And now, the class bell had rung, making it even harder to open his mouth.
Lu Li stared at her WeChat profile picture, typing words onto the keyboard, then deleting and revising repeatedly, his frustration growing worse with every moment.
In the end, he said nothing at all.
Finally, when school was over, Lu Li saw Yu Zhi packing up her things and stepping out of the classroom door. He stood up quickly, ready to follow her.
"Brother Lu, wanna hit up the arcade?"
Lin Chengyu patted his shoulder, leaning lazily against him as if he had no bones.
"Not going." Lu Li shrugged his shoulder to shake him off, his gaze never leaving Yu Zhi's retreating figure, a faint trace of impatience in his brows.
"Don't be like that. Huang Mao even skipped class to wait for us there!"
Completely oblivious to Lu Li's off-kilter mood, Lin Chengyu draped his arm over his shoulder, blocking his attempt to follow her.
"I've got other things to do."
Seeing Yu Zhi walking farther and farther away, almost disappearing from his line of sight, Lu Li quickly freed himself from Lin Chengyu's grasp.
He left behind only a single sentence before disappearing like the wind, leaving Lin Chengyu standing there dumbfounded.
Lu Li ran all the way to the school gate, finally catching up to Yu Zhi's pace.
Breathing slightly heavily, he called out softly: "Yu Zhi, wait a second."
It was dismissal time, and the school gate was crowded with students. Being a well-known figure at Shengde, Lu Li calling out to Yu Zhi drew everyone's attention. Many classmates stopped and turned their gaze toward them.
Yu Zhi glanced over at them casually, tilting her head slightly, her tone indifferent: "What is it?"
Lu Li had rehearsed countless lines in his mind, but now that he was standing before her, he suddenly didn't know where to start.
With his hands stuffed in his pockets, he appeared relaxed, but his slightly evasive gaze betrayed the turmoil in his heart: "Can I borrow a moment of your time?"
The crowd of students was honestly too much; he didn't want to be stared at like a monkey in a zoo.
Yu Zhi felt the same way and agreed immediately, walking with him toward a quieter street nearby.
After walking about several hundred meters, completely out of sight of others, Yu Zhi stopped. She looked at Lu Li, waiting for him to speak.
"About the forum... I'm really sorry." Lu Li focused on her eyes, unwilling to miss any of her expressions.
His voice trembled slightly, as if nervous: "Please don't be angry."
"You came to me just to talk about that?"
Yu Zhi's tone carried a hint of surprise. She hadn't taken the forum incident seriously at all, having forgotten it almost as soon as she saw it.
Lu Li pressed his lips together briefly: "Yes. I've already asked them to delete the post. It won't happen again."
Yu Zhi looked at his eyes, seeming to understand his intention. This matter wasn't even connected to him and didn't warrant him apologizing.
She tugged at the corners of her lips, revealing a subtle, almost imperceptible smile: "I wasn't angry. Don't worry."
This classmate did have a favorable impression on her. She wouldn't be petty over a minor incident like this.
Upon hearing this, Lu Li let out a sigh of relief, a soft glow of warmth spilling into his eyes.
He glanced behind her at the bustling cars and pedestrians, hesitated a moment, then spoke: "It's getting late. Let me walk you home."
His hands in his pockets curled ever-so-slightly upon saying this, a thin layer of sweat even forming in his palms.
He still couldn't understand why just a couple of interactions with her could stir feelings of attraction in his heart, but that didn't stop the small, secret desire to be closer to her.
"No need, I'll just hail a taxi," Yu Zhi responded, rejecting him without hesitation.
"It's not safe for a girl to go home alone." Perhaps sensing his reason wasn't convincing enough, Lu Li quickly added, "Besides, it's on my way."
Of course, he had no idea where Yu Zhi lived, much less whether it was really "on his way." He merely wanted a little more time to spend with her. That was the real reason.
"Okay."
Yu Zhi answered lightly. Since it was on his way, she didn't mind letting him tag along.
She stepped to the roadside, raising her hand to hail a cab, but Lu Li stepped forward, blocking her movement.
Yu Zhi froze for a moment. She raised her eyes, her light brown irises flickering with a trace of confusion.
Lu Li coughed lightly, somewhat awkwardly averting his gaze: "Let's walk a bit further to catch one."
On the tree-lined pathway, late autumn's maple leaves drifted gently from the branches, fiery red hues enveloping the grass below, dazzling and vivid.
Lu Li secretly texted his family driver, instructing him to leave immediately, then slowed his pace.
He stole glances at her from time to time, his handsome face wearing an unbroken smile.
She assumed he was admiring the scenery, unaware that, in his eyes, she was the most beautiful sight.
At that moment, a red maple leaf came to rest on her shoulder, adding a trace of warmth and vitality to her previously aloof demeanor.
Lu Li reached out a finger to sweep the leaf away. He laughed quietly, his voice escaping his throat as softly as a breeze, gentle and soothing, like feathered cotton brushing over the heart.
"What are you laughing at?"
Yu Zhi shifted her gaze from the fallen maple leaf at her feet to his fingers, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"You..."
Lu Li swallowed the words "you're adorable," instead inching closer to her side without saying another word: "Nothing."
Since he didn't say anything further, Yu Zhi didn't pursue the matter either.
At this time of day, catching an empty cab was difficult. The two walked for nearly an entire block before finally seeing a vacant vehicle.