“Are you okay…?”

“I’m fine…”

Fu Dai wiped away his tears, but they continued to fall. Half laughing and half frustrated, he muttered, “Damn it, am I possessed or something?”

Xu Xing felt a mix of emotions and couldn’t find the right words to comfort him.

Fu Dai looked lost. He didn’t know why he was crying. Leaving school and his friends was, of course, bittersweet, but it shouldn’t be enough to make him break down like this—especially in front of Xu Xing.

Fu Dai hastily wiped his tears away, said goodbye to Xu Xing, and walked quickly toward the end of the school path. Suddenly, he was startled by the crackling sound of confetti poppers nearby, as a shower of flower petals and streamers rained down, blocking his way and falling onto his head and shoulders.

Ke Di jumped out, grinning, and shouted, “Congratulations to our Fu Er Dai for graduating early!!!”

Behind him were six or seven other boys who were close friends with Fu Dai.

Even though Xu Xing stood several meters away, he could clearly hear Ke Di call out again with exaggerated surprise, “Wow! Fu Er Dai, are you actually crying from excitement? Don’t cry, man, I can’t stand seeing people cry. Come here for a hug…”

Xu Xing stood there, not joining the group, and someone else walked up beside him, standing shoulder to shoulder.

Watching the scene of Ke Di and Fu Dai teasing each other with a push and a hug, Xu Xing couldn’t help but ask the person beside him, “I don’t understand… why can’t Fu Dai try a long-distance relationship?”

Xu Xing had asked Fu Dai the same question at lunch earlier, but Fu Dai only shook his head resolutely without giving a reason.

Lu Che turned to look at him, noticing the furrow between Xu Xing’s brows. Gently, he smoothed it out with his thumb and replied softly, “Because Fu Dai really likes that girl.”

“The way Fu Dai likes the class’s literature rep is by doing everything he can to treat her well. It’s not that he doesn’t want a long-distance relationship; it’s that he can’t bear it. With the distance and the time difference, that kind of challenge is too much. A relationship shouldn’t have to start in hard mode.”

Lu Che’s eyes glimmered with warmth. He gently pinched Xu Xing’s earlobe, met his eyes, and said softly, “If it were me, I would also choose to let go.”

Xu Xing suddenly felt a little nervous, a hint of panic flashing across his face as he blurted out, “But the other person can hold on…”

Lu Che couldn’t help but laugh, his dark eyes filled with tenderness, and he replied, “It’s not about not wanting to—it’s about not being able to let go.”

It’s not about not wanting to.

It’s about not being able to let go.

That was exactly how Fu Dai felt.

·

Fu Dai left, and the red thread between him and Xiong Huan vanished as well.

During evening study, the homeroom teacher announced the news to the class. In the midst of the silence, many instinctively looked at Xiong Huan to see her reaction. But Xiong Huan only raised her head to glance at the teacher with a puzzled expression before nonchalantly returning to her homework, showing no other signs of emotion.

After study period, Xu Xing packed up his things to head back to the dorm. As he passed by Ke Di’s empty seat, he happened to notice a sticky note that had fallen to the floor.

Bending down to pick it up, Xu Xing’s heart ached as he read the words on the note.

The note read: “Get into a university in the same city as Xiong Huan — Fu Dai.”

Xu Xing sighed silently and took some tape to reattach the note to its place on the wall. He used several pieces of tape to make sure Fu Dai’s sticky note stayed secure. Right above it was Xiong Huan’s note.

---

Xiong Huan: “Have no regrets about the past, no remorse for the future. Today is already in the past—do you truly feel no shame or regret?”

The broken red thread made a final decision for this farewell, drawing a conclusive line. No one would even miss it.

As Xu Xing put down the tape to leave, he suddenly stopped and looked to the right side of the wish wall. Right above his own wish was Lu Che’s note with the words “Get a partner.”

Feeling a bit guilty, Xu Xing glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then took a few pieces of tape and reinforced all the edges of Lu Che’s note, securing it firmly in place.

The next day.

Fu Dai’s departure didn’t affect anyone in the class, except for Ke Di, who sighed, “Why does it feel like Fu Dai’s been gone forever? I can’t even remember if he said he wanted to score 30 or 50 points more on the midterms.”

Lu Che and Zhou Mang ignored him.

However even if there are many points, Fu Dai wouldn’t be around to achieve them.

During the exercise break.

Xu Xing stood outside the hallway to get some fresh air. Tang Mian and a girl, arms linked, had just come back from the restroom. Seeing Xu Xing, Tang Mian approached with a mischievous grin and playfully slapped Xu Xing on the butt, laughing, “Hey~ what’s Xing Xing up to?”

Xu Xing turned, giving Tang Mian an indifferent glance. He wasn’t fazed by her forwardness and casually replied, “Feeling a bit sleepy.”

Tang Mian laughed, “You’re always sleepy; come on, wake up already.”

Xu Xing replied nonchalantly.

Just as Tang Mian was about to continue, she spotted Lu Che approaching and instantly fell silent.

Lu Che, holding a small carton of milk with a straw in his mouth, looked over with a slight frown. He casually stepped between Tang Mian and Xu Xing, squeezing into the half-arm space between them, physically separating the two.

“…”

Xu Xing could sense Lu Che’s hostility toward Tang Mian and tried to explain, “You’re overthinking it. She’s just my childhood friend.”

Xu Xing spoke quietly, and with the noise of the broadcast on the field, Tang Mian, now separated, didn’t hear him.

Lu Che still seemed unsatisfied. “Childhood friend or not, it doesn’t matter—only I can touch your butt. And besides, I haven’t even done that yet.”

The more he spoke, the more aggrieved he sounded. Leaning back slightly, his gaze zeroed in on Xu Xing’s backside, his eyes flashing with unmistakable longing.

If his eyes could speak, they’d be saying, I want a turn too~

Xu Xing: “…”

Xu Xing quickly turned around, leaning his back against the railing, and gave Lu Che an exasperated look. “Get lost…”

Whenever he told Lu Che to “get lost,” his words lacked force, tinged with both embarrassment and a touch of surrender.

Unfazed, Lu Che draped his arm lightly over Xu Xing’s shoulders, leaning in and laughing softly.

Xu Xing let him hold him in silence, tilting his head slightly, his chin resting on Lu Che’s arm, gently rubbing against it.

The warmth of their skin touching brought both comfort and a faint tickling sensation.

Lu Che glanced down in surprise and saw that Xu Xing’s gaze had shifted to the back door of the classroom. Following his gaze, he spotted a tall, beautiful woman standing there, her profile strikingly gorgeous against the backdrop of passersby.

Lu Che furrowed his brow, pulling Xu Xing closer and even attempting to use the milk carton to block his line of sight. He grumbled, “No looking. You can only look at me.”

Xu Xing pushed his hand away and explained, “That’s my desk mate’s girlfriend.”

He was only looking because, for the first time in a minute, he could see the red threads again. And his desk mate’s girlfriend’s red thread was astonishing—

Everyone else’s red thread extended directly from their heart, but hers was tied in a bow at her chest.

Unlike the bow Lu Che had on his…

The bow in Lu Che’s case split into two ribbons from his red thread, which tied themselves into a bow.

Meanwhile, the bow on Xu Xing’s desk mate’s girlfriend had one end hanging down like an infinity loop, and the other end trailed infinitely, lying on the ground like a meandering ribbon…

As Wang Zicong cheerfully approached his girlfriend, Xu Xing noticed that the red thread started at Wang Zicong’s heart.

“Shijie~”

Wang Zicong’s voice and smile were sweet as he still had a lollipop in his mouth, causing his left cheek to bulge a little.

His girlfriend smirked slightly, her almond-shaped eyes glancing flirtatiously at him as she pinched his cheek and murmured, “We’re heading out for some sketching and won’t be back till evening. Just came to check on you.”

Male passersby looked at Wang Zicong enviously. Annoyingly, he simply replied, “Ah, well, you should bring more snacks then. I have some chocolate pies and mango mille-feuille; I’ll go grab them for you!”

Xu Xing watched as Wang Zicong turned to fetch them, but his girlfriend stopped him. Then Xu Xing’s view was blocked once more.

“…”

He pulled Lu Che’s hand away, but held onto his wrist, looking over with a hint of annoyance, “Enough already.”

Lu Che wrapped his arm around Xu Xing’s shoulders and whispered, “That girl is suspicious.”

Xu Xing froze, asking, “What do you mean?”

Lu Che pouted, “Because she drew your attention, and I’ve just become the background.”

“…”

Xu Xing shoved Lu Che away, choosing to ignore him.

Xu Xing kept watching Wang Zicong and his girlfriend, mainly puzzling over what the bow on her chest signified and how it related to Lu Che’s.

The class bell rang.

Students started filing back to class. Lu Che went ahead to toss his milk carton, while Xu Xing and Tang Mian waited by the door.

Xu Xing suddenly asked, “Tang Mian, do you know what a bow symbolizes?”

Tang Mian curiously asked, “A bow? Like Hello Kitty’s bow?”

Xu Xing shook his head, vaguely explaining, “I mean a bow tied to… something on a person.”

Tang Mian tilted her head, “A bow tied to something? Doesn’t that mean it’s a gift?”

Xu Xing: “…”

Tang Mian continued, “Untying the bow is like unwrapping a present, isn’t it?”

Xu Xing: “…”

He was speechless.

But—

If untying Lu Che’s bow was like unwrapping a present, then was the “gift” inside what he thought it was?

Suddenly, an image popped into Xu Xing’s mind, making him want to hit someone. So he earnestly objected to Tang Mian’s interpretation, “Don’t be ridiculous!”

Tang Mian: “??”

---

Author’s Note:

1. The “Wish Wall” is also known as the “Flag Wall” ( :з」∠)
2. Lu Che often says nonsensical things, but he has a knack for unintentional spoilers. For example, in Chapter 20 on the Wish Wall, Lu Che says, “I feel like the right side has better energy.” ( :з」∠)
3. Everyone can take a look at Xu Xing’s wish √

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Also, in a previous chapter, someone was correcting Ke Di’s English. Ke Di’s “Glish” was intentional! [facepalm]