Chapter 3

Chapter 3

In a book I read once, there was a line:

[Love is the reward that belongs to the brave.]

Love is the reward that belongs to the brave.

Maybe I should work hard to become better.

Maybe one day, he would see me the same way I saw every little thing about him.

Back in middle school, my grades had actually been among the best. But after I got into this elite school filled with powerhouses, I started to look rather ordinary.

After all, not everyone could be a natural-born genius like him and Chu Siwei.

I had never been lazy to begin with, but I made up my mind to study even harder.

On countless nights, I always went to sleep later than the rest of the world.

I wrote so much that the callus on the inside of my thumb hurt too badly for me to hold my pen. I wrapped it in a few layers of gauze and kept burying myself in practice questions.

My pen refills always ran out quickly, and my exercise books piled up higher than the windowsill.

Hard work pays off. After one semester, my grades began to stabilize near the top of the class.

I even earned a spot in those top academic competitions that had once had nothing to do with me.

When Pei Zhiyu found out, he even congratulated me once during a free moment.

Only heaven knew how much effort I had put in just to stand beside him.

I also stuck to a skincare routine and worked hard to quit sugar. The few scattered pimples I used to have disappeared too.

I thought that after the college entrance exam, once I had become a better version of myself, I would confess to him properly one more time.

Unfortunately, it all went to hell.

All of it.

I really, really didn’t want to come to today’s class dinner.

After all, I had failed in both love and exams.

Only after confirming over and over again that Pei Zhiyu seemed to be preparing for some competition and wouldn’t be attending did I reluctantly agree.

When I entered the private room and saw that Yan Fei hadn’t arrived yet, I hurriedly shrank into a corner.

But just then, an excited male voice rang out.

“It’s Xiaoyu! Xiaoyu’s here!”

That voice was like a loudspeaker. In an instant, everyone’s eyes landed on me, including Chu Siwei’s.

“Xiaoyu, you haven’t said a word in the class group chat these past two days. I was so worried. I heard you messed up the exam!”

It turned out to be Wang Shuang, the class’s famous blabbermouth.

He patted my shoulder.

“Don’t shut yourself away. How does that song go again? ‘It’s just starting over from scratch!’ Right?”

I gave two awkward little laughs, lowered the brim of my cap, and tried to hide from everyone’s gaze.

“But it’s the middle of summer. What’s with the black hat? Aren’t you hot?”

As Wang Shuang spoke, he yanked my cap off.

The bright red pimple on my forehead was instantly exposed to everyone.

“Hahahahaha! Xiaoyu, that pimple of yours is perfectly centered, right in the middle of your forehead. It looks like a third eye!”

I wanted to die.

I really had nothing to say to this human loudspeaker with absolutely no filter.

Weakly replying, “Sure, whatever you say,” I sat down at random.

The topic quickly moved away from me, and everyone started talking about Pei Zhiyu and Chu Siwei trending online.

Someone praised them. “Who would’ve thought? You two look great on camera. Even better than in real life!”

Chu Siwei smiled lightly. “It’s not that amazing.”

Someone else started gossiping. “Are you and Pei Zhiyu already together? When did you two sneak around behind our backs? Come on, tell us!”

A rosy blush colored her cheeks, and she looked adorably shy. “If you get the chance later, you can ask him directly.”

Her words were vague, but the implication was unmistakably intimate.

My heart sank completely.

So that was how it was.

Back when I confessed to him the first time, I should have realized it. Pei Zhiyu and I were not from the same world.

Pretending to be calm, I picked up my glass of water and had just taken two sips.

Then I saw Chu Siwei turn her gaze to me and speak, sounding a little apologetic.

“I’m sorry, Xiaoyu. I know you’ve always liked Zhiyu too, and that you confessed to him back in eleventh grade…”

A bombshell piece of gossip struck the private room like thunder out of a clear sky, leaving everyone inside gaping.

How did she know?

How did she even know I had confessed to him in eleventh grade?

Other than Pei Zhiyu telling her himself, I couldn’t think of any other possibility.

So he had seen it all too?

All the ways I had worked so hard for him.

He had known all along that I still liked him, but he had only treated it like a joke.

Was that why he could tell the girl he loved so easily?

Maybe the air-conditioning in the private room was turned too high, because my hands actually started to tremble.

Seeing that I didn’t look well, Chu Siwei continued, “But feelings aren’t something people can control. On Zhiyu’s behalf, let me apologize to you first.”

“Consider this drink a toast from Zhiyu and me to you.”

With that, she lifted her glass and drained it in one go.

I could no longer stand the gossiping and sympathetic gazes around me. I shot to my feet.

“And how would you know I like Pei Zhiyu? What a shame. Looks like your information is wrong.

“The person I like was never him. The one I’ve always had a crush on is the lead singer of their band.

“Jiang Zhouyuan from Class Seven. In my heart, he’s the best-looking and most outstanding person.

“That time in eleventh grade, I only wanted Pei Zhiyu to be my wingman. I don’t think I said a name back then, did I?

“The person I wanted to talk about was Jiang Zhouyuan, not Pei Zhiyu at all. He just interrupted me. If you don’t believe me, go ask him yourself.”

My face was burning red as I kept spewing my terrible lies all on my own.

I didn’t notice at all that the air in the private room had gone silent.

And everyone was staring behind me, eyes wide.

Following their gazes, I turned around.

What came into view was Pei Zhiyu standing at the door of the private room, arms crossed, his expression dark and unreadable as he stared at me.

And beside him was Jiang Zhouyuan, whose mouth had already fallen open.

The very person I had just loudly declared to be the object of my affections.