Chapter 22

“Yan Qingyue, Yan Qingyue.”

“Hm?” I turned my head.

Lu Yici complained, “You don’t even respond when I call you. Why have you been so distracted lately?”

I pressed my forehead. “I’ve been thinking about something.”

“What is it?”

Seeing the curiosity in Lu Yici’s eyes, I decided to take this chance to probe about Xie Yang.

I pretended to speak casually: “I have a friend, he’s in senior year like us. He started dating, and as a result, his grades plummeted.”

“So, I think getting into a relationship too early is wrong. It affects your studies.” I concluded simply.

Lu Yici hesitated beside me, as if wanting to argue.

Before he could speak, I passed the question to the person in front: “Xie Yang, what do you think?”

Suddenly cued, Xie Yang was a bit stunned, then smiled. “I think… not necessarily.”

Just then, Song Qingqing came over to ask him for his homework notebook. The girl was dressed in a creamy yellow down jacket, half her face buried in her scarf, her almond eyes full and clear.

Seeing us chatting, she softly asked Xie Yang, “Are you guys talking?”

Xie Yang smiled and repeated my brief story.

After listening, she earnestly said, “Getting into a relationship early doesn’t affect your studies. Having a crush does.”

This was probably the first time I’d heard her speak, except for the self-introductions at the start of the semester.

Her voice was light and soft, tender and gentle.

“I agree too,” Lu Yici suddenly chimed in.

I shot him a sideways glance.

“Right, Brother Ci, I agree too,” Xie Yang immediately echoed from in front.

At the same time, I saw Xie Yang quietly hold Song Qingqing’s hand.

Intimate and gentle.

I silently looked away.

After thinking it over, I could only solemnly emphasize again, “Anyway, I think getting into a relationship early is just wrong.”

Lu Yici looked at me several times from the side, but in the end, he said nothing.

The mission suddenly hit a dead end.

Forcing things would only backfire.

At this point, all I could do was wait patiently, but that wait lasted until the winter break.

Maybe that’s for the best-the less time they spend together, the weaker the feelings might get.

That’s what I thought.

During this period, Lu Yici invited me out several times-murder mystery games, arcades, escape rooms…

I turned him down every time.

I was too busy. My family arranged a lot of classes for me, all as preparation for studying abroad.

But what I didn’t expect was that every time there was a group, not only Xie Yang was there, but Song Qingqing too.

Looking at Xie Yang’s latest Moments post, the girl obediently stood by his side.

In that big group photo, I instantly saw the two of them holding hands, bold and unabashed.

I had planned to avoid annoyance by blocking his Moments, but then I caught a glimpse of a solo photo of Lu Yici in the nine-photo grid.

KTV’s colorful lights cast shadows on the boy’s face, making his features look even more striking. He was leaning against the sofa, playing on his phone with an air of boredom.

I stared at it for a long while, then my fingers moved and I saved the photo.

Then, I blocked Xie Yang’s Moments.