Tang Mian returned from the restroom and called Xu Xing and Wang Zicong back to the classroom; it was already past one o’clock.

Both Xu Xing and Wang Zicong kept their thoughts hidden. Tang Mian held Wang Zicong’s arm, walking ahead, while Xu Xing followed closely behind, feeling heavy-hearted.

Crossing the skybridge between the technology building and the classroom building, they could see from a distance a tall figure standing on the hallway outside Class 7’s classroom on the third floor.

The wind had picked up, bringing a chill.

The beautiful girl brushed the wind-tousled hair behind her ear, and as she turned her head, she spotted Wang Zicong approaching from the other end of the hallway.

She froze, her face slightly pale, lips faint in color. When she saw him, her thin lips curved into a soft, barely-there smile—a natural beauty captivating without any embellishment.

As Wang Zicong got closer, she softly asked, “Where have you been?”

She said, “I’ve been waiting for you… for a long time.”

Her voice was very gentle.

Xu Xing, standing behind Wang Zicong, couldn’t see his expression but noticed the beautiful girl’s humbled demeanor. Her smile was faint, her voice soft, and her every movement was cautious, her humility evident as she tried to make peace with him.

The bow at her chest, like her pale lips in the cold wind, wavered helplessly.

But Wang Zicong replied, “Please, stop looking for me…”

His young-sounding voice lacked harshness, as if he still left room to reconsider.

However—

As his words fell, the bow on her chest, which had been struggling in the wind, was loosened by a sudden gust, with the symmetrical “wings” untying, leaving only a fragile knot clinging to her chest.

Xu Xing saw it clearly.

Tang Mian also sensed the tension in the air and subtly let go of Wang Zicong’s arm, awkwardly stepping back to minimize her presence and retreat from the scene.

The beautiful girl said softly, “I wanted to see you, so I came…”

Wang Zicong replied, “But I don’t want to see you.”

“…”

Tang Mian shivered, unsure if it was from the cold or the sudden chill in Wang Zicong’s tone. She nudged Xu Xing, signaling him to quickly get into the classroom to avoid the tense atmosphere, but before Xu Xing could move, Wang Zicong stepped away first.

He left his girlfriend, heading towards the back door of the classroom, and the red thread connecting them stretched taut as he moved.

The beautiful girl suddenly called out, “Little one…”

In the past, her tone was always playful, but now it had turned to a soft, humble plea.

Wang Zicong stopped at the doorway.

The red thread between them stretched into a straight line. The bow at her chest, now a loose knot battered by the wind, clung on with its last hope. The wind stopped momentarily…

She said, “Don’t go, please?”

Wang Zicong stood facing away from her, tightly pressing his lips together, tears welling in his eyes. Yet, he pushed open the back door of the classroom.

He didn’t stay for her, and as he walked, the red thread pulled the knot apart.

The two o’clock bell echoed through the building, resonating down the hallway.

---

Xu Xing spent the entire afternoon under a cloud. After the red thread unraveled, Wang Zicong’s girlfriend looked up at the gray sky and murmured, “It’s raining.”

Light raindrops drifted into the hallway, and the rain continued all afternoon, turning into a drizzle with a chill, and the temperature dropped noticeably.

Winter had truly arrived.

Xu Xing gazed at the rain outside, while Wang Zicong, seated by the window, munched on snacks without pause. Wang Zicong turned and noticed Xu Xing watching him, so he offered a bag of beef jerky, smiling with two sweet dimples. “Want some?”

Wang Zicong was back to being his carefree, snack-loving self, while Xu Xing was at a loss for words.

Wang Zicong’s was the only red thread so far to unravel on its own, or rather, one he had chosen to break.

Maybe because it was tied like a bow instead of growing from the heart like Fu Dai’s, his girlfriend didn’t feel any pain when the thread was undone.

Turns out, untying a bow doesn’t hurt…

Xu Xing lowered his gaze. The last excuse he clung to for his own selfishness no longer held. Xu Xing held a meal card that Lu Che had handed over when he returned that afternoon, even saying seriously, “I don’t deserve economic independence, class rep~ Please hold onto my meal card forever.”

Xu Xing didn’t respond but took the card.

During a ten-minute break, Xu Xing couldn’t help but look back at Lu Che. Ke Di had just dashed over with his notebook, saying he missed playing Five-in-a-Row with Lu Che and was eager for the thrill of being crushed.

When Xu Xing turned, Ke Di had already lost two games and, seeing Xu Xing watching, turned to him and said, “Class rep, only you can beat A Che, come help me get revenge!”

Xu Xing replied casually, “I know Lu Che well…”

Revenge? He’d always be on Lu Che’s side.

Lu Che twirled a pen, smiling as he and Ke Di both looked at Xu Xing.

Xu Xing glanced at Lu Che. “Shall we play a game?”

Lu Che chuckled, “Go easy on me~”

Xu Xing lowered his gaze, “I’ll be circles.” He picked up a red pen.

Lu Che’s eyes lit up, “Then I’ll be solid circles!”

With that, he tossed aside his pen and took Ke Di’s red pen.

“…”

Ke Di, confused, watched as Xu Xing broke Lu Che’s undefeated Five-in-a-Row streak again. Ke Di was baffled to find the page covered in red hearts drawn by the two of them.

Ke Di: “??”

After school, Xu Xing felt cold even eating at the cafeteria. He went with Lu Che and Wang Zicong back to the dorm to get some clothes. Bundled in several layers, he received a call from his mom, who asked, “Xingxing, it’s really cold tonight. Should we have your dad bring you a thick quilt? Isn’t your dorm quilt a bit too thin?”

Xu Xing lifted his blanket and replied, “No need, it’s fine…”

Xu Xing paused, then said, “Mom, I’ll call you back in a bit.”

After hanging up, Xu Xing went to knock on dorm 311. Lu Che wasn’t there, but as Xu Xing looked at Lu Che’s bedding, he frowned slightly.

Lu Che stepped out of the bathroom just in time to see Xu Xing sitting by his bed, and Ke Di, jumping in front of Xu Xing, exclaimed, “Oh no! Class monitor, get up quickly—Lu Che has a serious germophobia! It’s super intense!”

Lu Che’s bed was strictly off-limits; this was a well-known rule in dorm 311.

Ke Di pulled Xu Xing up.

Xu Xing: “…”

Lu Che: “…”

Xu Xing and Lu Che left the dorm one after the other, with Lu Che catching up and leaning close to Xu Xing’s ear, whispering, “Class monitor~ My germophobia doesn’t apply to you. I’d love it if you slept in my bed—every day and every night~”

This kind of flirty teasing was mostly Lu Che’s self-entertainment; he didn’t really expect Xu Xing to engage.

But today, Xu Xing replied, “Let me know if that invitation stands next time.”

Lu Che’s smile grew; he felt like Xu Xing was playing hard to get because there was no way the class monitor’s hypothetical would have a negative answer.

When they got back to class, they still had about twenty minutes before evening study. Xu Xing followed Lu Che into the classroom, but instead of heading to his own seat, he sat down in the empty seat beside Lu Che.

Lu Che raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, watching him with a playful smile.

Xu Xing shifted the conversation, “Do you have any headphones I could borrow?”

Lu Che nodded, reaching under his desk to grab a pair of wired headphones for Xu Xing. But as Xu Xing reached to take them, Lu Che pulled his hand back. Xu Xing assumed he was just being playful, but then saw Lu Che hold the earpieces in his palms, smiling as he said, “It’s too cold.”

The metal earbuds were icy, and putting them in his ears would definitely be a shock.

Xu Xing stayed silent, just watching as Lu Che cupped the earbuds in his hands, breathing on them to warm them up, then carefully inserting them into Xu Xing’s ears once they were warm.

Xu Xing looked at Lu Che, his eyes fixed, waiting as Lu Che thoughtfully put the earbuds in place.

The metal of the earbuds, now holding the warmth from Lu Che’s hands, radiated a cozy warmth straight into Xu Xing’s heart.

He’s so considerate.

Xu Xing’s phone wasn’t playing any music; he couldn’t bear to break the moment, cherishing the unspoken happiness that had unexpectedly warmed his entire being.

All afternoon, Xu Xing had wanted to ask Wang Zicong: Do you still love your girlfriend, now that your red thread is untied?

Xu Xing wanted to let go of his own feelings, but his worries had shifted from the thought of missing Lu Che to fearing that if his own red thread broke, he might forget ever feeling this way about Lu Che.

He wanted to remember, always, how well Lu Che treated him.

In the end, Xu Xing didn’t ask, because he dreaded a negative answer.

---

At ten o’clock, evening study ended.

Xu Xing and Lu Che returned to the dorm together, then Xu Xing went alone to the school gate, waiting for his dad to drop off a thicker quilt.

He hurried back before lights-out, carrying his old quilt to room 311. As soon as he entered, he saw Lu Che lying in bed on his phone, his thin blanket pulled up almost to his face, while he wore a loose pair of thick pants as a makeshift sleeping bag to keep his long legs warm outside the blanket.

Xu Xing: “…”

Lu Che was wrapped in his blanket, wondering what message to send Xu Xing tonight, when he felt his blanket being pulled down. Turning his head, he saw a quilt being draped over him.

Lu Che blinked. After Xu Xing tucked the quilt around him, Lu Che snuggled down, kicking away his old blanket and wrapping himself tightly in Xu Xing’s quilt, inhaling its faint scent with a contented smile. His dark eyes, usually bright whenever he saw Xu Xing, now shone even brighter, like stars reflected in his gaze.

Xu Xing, having tucked in the quilt, quickly looked away.

Someone in the dorm teased, “Our kind class monitor, spreading warmth~”

Lu Che, smug, replied, “As long as the class monitor is here, Class 7 is full of love~”

The other guys joined in with the teasing.

Lu Che’s words, written on impulse, were still up on the back blackboard.

Xu Xing chuckled lightly, somewhat dismissively. When he returned to his dorm and lay down, he reached for his phone as expected and saw a long row of messages from Lu Che, all saying “I love you,” each followed by an excited string of exclamations.

Curled under his blanket, Xu Xing scrolled down, reading every “I love you,” counting each one even though they were identical. Finally, he saw two more messages from Lu Che:

LC: “As long as the class monitor is here, Lu Che is full of love~”

LC: “Lu Che will have love, as long as Xu Xing is there~”

Xu Xing stared at these words on his screen, feeling complicated.

After hesitating, he replied—

“I’ll always be here.”

I’ll always be here, so don’t leave, either.