At that moment, Wei Ming really wanted to pull Tang Weiwei into his arms, ask her what was wrong, and comfort her.
But he had an exam coming up.
If he went to comfort Tang Weiwei, he might miss the exam.
He hesitated for a moment.
And then, Tang Weiwei disappeared from his sight.
Later, he heard from classmates that Tang Weiwei's grandfather had passed away that day.
She didn't take the exam; instead, she went back to bid her grandfather a final farewell.
Because of this, Tang Weiwei, who had always been the top student in the school, lost her first-place ranking for the first time.
And he took that spot instead.
Although he did well and became the top student he'd always wanted to be, he realized he wasn't particularly happy about it.
Instead, whenever he thought of that afternoon, he felt a deep sense of regret.
If only he had gone to comfort Tang Weiwei back then, perhaps their relationship would be closer now.
The sun rose and set,
and with the passing of time,
the shadow of the big tree behind him kept shifting in length.
Wei Ming glanced at the school gate from time to time.
He had lost count of how many times he'd checked his watch.
The book in his hands was opened, then closed, opened, then closed again...
After waiting for a long while,
many girls passed through the school gate,
but not one of them was Tang Weiwei.
Wei Ming didn't even need to look closely.
Just one glance was enough for him to tell if it was her or not.
Until one time, when he looked toward the school gate,
he suddenly saw a girl standing there.
In the sunlight,
the girl looked like a pure white lily,
untouched by the chaos of the world,
blooming quietly with a delicate fragrance.
She was so beautiful that she hardly seemed like someone who could exist in the real world.
She wasn't doing anything.
Just standing there quietly,
yet that alone was enough to adorn a boy's youth.
Tang Weiwei had changed a lot.
During the winter break, she had still been as low-key as she was in high school.
Her beauty wasn't something most people would notice.
But now, she seemed like a completely different person.
She no longer hid or downplayed her beauty. Instead, she displayed it openly and confidently.
And yet, that gentle, delicate air about her remained,
making it hard for anyone not to feel protective of her.
Wei Ming had grown used to Tang Weiwei's quiet, understated presence.
Seeing her now, so radiant and striking,
made him feel a little uneasy.
But it didn't stop his heart from pounding wildly.
When he saw Tang Weiwei appear,
Wei Ming could barely contain his joy and excitement.
He tried hard to maintain a calm demeanor
and crossed the street toward her.
As he was crossing, a boy passed by him,
but Wei Ming paid no attention to him.
"Weiwei? Is that you?"
"Huh? And you are…?"
Wei Ming gave a faint, bitter smile.
"It's me, Wei Ming. You don't recognize me?"
Tang Weiwei looked at him carefully,
an apologetic expression appearing on her face.
"Sorry, I didn't recognize you at first. You've changed a lot."
Wei Ming chuckled awkwardly.
"Heh, you too. You've changed so much I almost didn't recognize you either."
"Mm."
Tang Weiwei didn't have a deep impression of Wei Ming, and their relationship was pretty ordinary.
Even though they were old classmates meeting again, she didn't have much to talk about with him and wasn't particularly inclined to chat.
Wei Ming took the initiative and said, "Weiwei, are you here to see Teacher Lu?"
"Mm."
"What a coincidence, so am I. Let's go together."
"No, no… Wei Ming, you go ahead. I'll go later."
"We've already run into each other; why go separately? Let's go together. Come on."
"Really, you go first. I'll go later."
Though Tang Weiwei's tone was soft, her attitude was firm.
Wei Ming fell silent for a moment.
Tang Weiwei's refusal caught him off guard, and he didn't know how to respond.
He had assumed that something as small and insignificant as visiting Teacher Lu together would be a simple thing for Tang Weiwei to agree to.
After all, during the winter break, when they ran into each other, she had agreed readily.
But to his surprise, meeting her again in the summer break,
Tang Weiwei rejected him twice in a row.
Wei Ming suddenly thought of the senior in white at school.
He used to look down on that senior,
thinking of him as a playboy who toyed with the feelings of younger girls.
But at this moment,
he wished he could be that senior.
Because he had seen with his own eyes how that senior, no matter which girl he tried to chat up, was never once rejected.
Now, he desperately wanted that kind of ability.
He tried to think of what to say,
struggling to recall how the senior in white usually spoke.
But his mind was blank, completely empty.
So, he gave up.
Suddenly, an idea came to him. He asked, "Weiwei, how's your school? Are you doing well there?"
"It's fine." Tang Weiwei's tone remained polite but distant.
"Don't feel shy to share. If you encounter anything upsetting or troublesome, you can tell me."
Wei Ming tried to make his expression as sincere as possible.
"Thank you, but I really don't have any troubles or anything upsetting," Tang Weiwei replied calmly, her tone forming a protective shell around her, making it hard for Wei Ming to get closer.
Unwilling to give up, Wei Ming changed the topic. "How are your roommates? Are they easy to get along with? People from different places can have different habits—does that ever cause conflicts?"
"They're all great. Thank you for asking."
Seeing that Tang Weiwei was about to close the window on their conversation, Wei Ming grew a little anxious.
"Uh, have any guys been pursuing you at university? Let me tell you, a lot of guys out there are really untrustworthy. Especially those seniors—they love tricking freshmen like you. You have to be careful and not get fooled."
Tang Weiwei didn't respond immediately.
She hesitated over whether to tell Wei Ming that she was already in a relationship.
The hesitation stemmed from feeling that their current relationship didn't warrant sharing such personal information.
But on the other hand, Wei Ming was her high school classmate, and his concern seemed genuine—a kindhearted warning.
Not answering might come off as rude.
However, Wei Ming interpreted Tang Weiwei's silence as confirmation of his words.
He became even more anxious, blurting out in a panic, "Weiwei, don't tell me you've already been tricked by a senior? Is that why you've changed so much?"
As he said this, Wei Ming's gaze instinctively began to scrutinize Tang Weiwei.
Though Tang Weiwei was introverted, her observational skills were sharp. She immediately noticed the shift in his expression.
His eyes seemed to accuse her, as if silently saying she had strayed and become an improper woman.
This made her feel displeased.
Wei Ming also noticed the change in Tang Weiwei's expression.
He wanted to explain that he didn't mean it that way, but he couldn't think of the right words to say.
As the atmosphere between them grew increasingly awkward and silent,
a voice suddenly broke the tension.
"Weiwei, who's this?"
Hearing the voice, Tang Weiwei turned her head.
Xu Xiuwen had returned and was already walking toward her.
When Wei Ming saw Xu Xiuwen and heard him call Tang Weiwei's name so intimately,
combined with his tone,
it was as if Wei Ming had turned into a lion on the African savanna whose territory had been invaded. He immediately grew alert.
With a serious tone, Wei Ming asked, "Who are you?"
Xu Xiuwen looked at Wei Ming's face and smiled.
But it wasn't a mocking smile.
On the contrary, while Wei Ming wasn't as handsome as he was, he still had delicate features.
Paired with his white shirt,
he presented a refined and scholarly image,
easily leaving a good impression on others.
Xu Xiuwen's smile was simply a polite one.
His expression radiated warmth and friendliness.
"Hello, I'm Tang Weiwei's university classmate and also her boyfriend. My name is Xu Xiuwen. Nice to meet you."
Wei Ming's eyes widened as he stared at Xu Xiuwen, his face full of disbelief and shock.
"What are you saying? Impossible! There's no way you're Weiwei's boyfriend!"
Tang Weiwei, who had been silent until now, spoke calmly, "Wei Ming, he is my boyfriend."
"No… no way… no way…"
Wei Ming kept repeating the words, unable to accept the reality.
Seeing the boy's reaction, Xu Xiuwen quickly pieced things together.
Though he now understood Wei Ming was likely a romantic rival,
he didn't mind too much.
After all, with a girl like Tang Weiwei, it would be strange if no one liked her.
Tang Weiwei suddenly asked, "Xu Xiuwen, why are you back? Weren't you out buying something?"
"Yeah, I just remembered I wanted to ask you—what kind of cigarettes does your homeroom teacher usually smoke?"
"Huh? I don't know," Tang Weiwei said softly.
"I see. All right then, I'll just pick something myself. You two carry on chatting. I'll go grab the stuff first."
After saying this, Xu Xiuwen turned and crossed the street toward the small shop on the other side.
Tang Weiwei quickly said to Wei Ming, "Wei Ming, you should go ahead. I'll visit the homeroom teacher with my boyfriend later."
Without waiting for a reply, she hurried to catch up with Xu Xiuwen.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Xu Xiuwen stopped and waited for her.
While he didn't mind Tang Weiwei chatting with an old classmate,
nor did he ever worry about their relationship,
he couldn't help but feel pleased by her behavior—whether it was out of propriety or simply having little to talk about with Wei Ming.
Once Tang Weiwei caught up, Xu Xiuwen resumed walking toward the small shop nearby.
Tang Weiwei walked quietly beside him, head lowered, feeling a bit uneasy.
She wasn't sure if he was upset, and her heart was slightly on edge.
After they entered the shop.
Xu Xiuwen casually asked, "Who was that person just now?"
Tang Weiwei immediately replied, "He's my high school classmate."
"You two planned to come see your homeroom teacher together?"
"No, no… I didn't make any plans with him."
"I noticed he seemed to be waiting under the tree for someone. I thought you had arranged to meet him, that he was waiting for you."
Before Tang Weiwei could explain further, Xu Xiuwen turned to the shop owner and said, "Boss, what kind of cigarettes do locals usually smoke around here?"
Xu Xiuwen suddenly started chatting with the shop owner, leaving Tang Weiwei with no chance to clarify.
She observed Xu Xiuwen carefully.
His tone was normal as he spoke, but his expression seemed a little grim.
Tang Weiwei wasn't sure what he was thinking, but it made her uneasy.
She couldn't help but wonder: Did Xu Xiuwen misunderstand? Did he think she had arranged to meet Wei Ming? Could he be upset?
Just thinking about how terrifying Xu Xiuwen could be when angry made Tang Weiwei instinctively shiver.
Meanwhile, Xu Xiuwen continued talking to the shop owner about cigarettes, completely unaware of Tang Weiwei's expression or her inner turmoil.
Tang Weiwei tried to hold it in, but finally, she couldn't.
"Xu Xiuwen!"
She mustered her courage and called out to him.
"Hm? What is it?" Xu Xiuwen turned around, puzzled.
Tang Weiwei bit her lip and said, "Xu Xiuwen, I didn't arrange to meet Wei Ming. He wasn't waiting for me. There's nothing between us."
Xu Xiuwen froze for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
"Haha…"
With a smile, Xu Xiuwen reached out and affectionately ruffled Tang Weiwei's hair.
"Silly girl, of course I know there's nothing between you two."
"Oh." Tang Weiwei breathed a sigh of relief at his response.
But then, Xu Xiuwen's tone shifted.
"But it seems like he likes you."
"Huh?" Tang Weiwei was startled. "How could that be?"
"He was waiting under the tree earlier. I think he was probably waiting for you."
"No way. Why would he wait for me?"
Tang Weiwei didn't want to believe it.
Xu Xiuwen chuckled. "Don't believe me? Let's ask the shop owner."
"Boss, do you know the guy across the street? Has he been waiting here for someone?"
The shop owner followed Xu Xiuwen's gaze to the boy still standing across the street, looking lost.
The owner smiled and said, "Oh, him? That young man's been coming here every afternoon for the past few days, waiting under the tree."
Xu Xiuwen grinned at Tang Weiwei. "See? Told you. Trust my judgment—he definitely likes you."
Tang Weiwei thought about it seriously.
She had coincidentally run into Wei Ming during winter break, and now again today.
Plus, his reaction earlier when he found out she had a boyfriend...
Maybe Xu Xiuwen was right.
Maybe Wei Ming really did like her.
This realization left Tang Weiwei stunned.
When did he start liking her?
Why?
She hadn't interacted with him much at all.
No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't figure it out.
Xu Xiuwen chuckled, "Good thing I was lucky and got to you first."
Tang Weiwei fell silent.
Seeing this, Xu Xiuwen didn't continue the conversation.
He turned around and resumed chatting with the shop owner.
After some negotiation, he bought two packs of cigarettes and a case of liquor, all local favorites. These were, of course, intended as gifts for Tang Weiwei's high school homeroom teacher.
After paying, he stepped out of the small shop. Tang Weiwei was still standing there, lost in thought.
Xu Xiuwen waved his hand in front of her face and teased, "What? Gone dumb? Should I sell you on the street?"
Tang Weiwei snapped out of it and asked again, "Xu Xiuwen, does he really like me?"
"Yes, why?"
Hearing his response, Tang Weiwei's expression shifted as if she had made a decision.
"Wait here," she said.
Then, without another word, she left Xu Xiuwen behind and walked toward Wei Ming.
Xu Xiuwen squinted as he watched Tang Weiwei's back.
He didn't think for a moment that Tang Weiwei was planning to abandon him and choose Wei Ming instead. This confidence came not only from his trust in Tang Weiwei but also from his belief in himself.
Tang Weiwei slowly approached Wei Ming.
Taking a deep breath, she said calmly, "Wei Ming, I only learned of your feelings today. You're a good person, but I'm sorry. There's no possibility between us."
For Wei Ming, knowing that Tang Weiwei already had a boyfriend was already a heavy blow.
Now, hearing such words directly from Tang Weiwei only made him feel like the world was spinning around him.