On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter

Zhao Yueyue ignored Huang Mao's nonsense, looked up at the swaying coconut leaves above her, and the moonlight shone through the gaps, illuminating her cute, round cheeks. "This place is so beautiful, it feels like a movie set."

"Old Mo really picked a good spot." Huang Mao also looked up at the starry sky, took a deep breath, as if to encourage himself, "Yueyue..."

"Hmm?" Zhao Yueyue turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

"Um...the fireworks display tomorrow...um..." Huang Mao scratched his head, his usually eloquent tongue now stammering, "I mean...there will definitely be a lot of people...you...you don't want to get lost..."

Zhao Yueyue was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Yellow Hair, are you stupid? I'm not a three-year-old!"

She laughed heartlessly, thinking Huang Mao was adorably silly tonight.

Looking at her bright smile, Huang Mao swallowed the words "I like you" that he had rehearsed countless times, which rolled around in his throat a few times.

He kicked the sand at his feet with some annoyance and muttered, "...Anyway, just follow me."

But in her heart, she secretly vowed: Tomorrow night! Tomorrow night I must say it! When the fireworks are at their most dazzling!
In the distance, as if to rehearse the grand spectacle of tomorrow night, a few scattered fireworks suddenly shot into the night sky with a "whoosh—pop," briefly illuminating the coconut grove, as well as the fleeting determination in Huang Mao's eyes and Zhao Yueyue's still radiant smile, completely unaware of what was happening.

Zhou Hao and Qu Danwan walked slowly along the waterline.

The seawater gently washed over their ankles, bringing a touch of coolness.

Zhou Hao seemed a little nervous, his hands in his pockets, his fingers unconsciously twirling a smooth pebble inside—one he had specially picked out on the beach that afternoon.

"How was your trip to the beach? Did it help you relax?" Zhou Hao finally mustered the courage to speak, his voice lower than usual.

Qu Danwan nodded, her voice soft: "Yes, I'm very happy. It's been a long time since I've felt this relaxed. Thank you... I wouldn't have had the chance to experience so much without your insistence on inviting me." She remembered Zhou Hao's clumsy yet earnest demeanor at lunch, and her face flushed slightly again.

"No...no need to thank me!" Zhou Hao quickly waved his hand, almost tripping over a stone that someone had moved to the beach.

Qu Danwan instinctively reached out to help him up. Their fingertips touched, and they both quickly separated as if they had been burned, adding a subtle awkwardness and sweetness to the atmosphere.

To ease the tension, Zhou Hao pretended to bend down and pick something up from the side, but actually took out a smooth, round white pebble that he had been hiding in his pocket.

He carefully washed it in the seawater and handed it to Qu Danwan: "Here...this is for you. It's quite pretty."

Qu Danwan carefully took it. Under the moonlight, the small white pebble gleamed with a warm luster, just like a pearl.

"It's so pretty, thank you." She held the pebble in her palm, feeling the warmth of Zhou Hao's hand still lingering on it, and her heart felt warm.

“Danwan…” Zhou Hao stopped and looked at her gentle profile in the moonlight, his heart pounding like a drum. “I…I want to say…the college entrance exam is over…I…I…” He took a deep breath, feeling it was harder than solving a challenging math problem. “I hope we can…get into the same city…or…closer to each other…can you tell me before you fill out your college application?”

He finally spoke the words that had been swirling in his heart for so long. Although he avoided the most crucial words, the meaning was clear enough.

He looked at her nervously, as if awaiting a trial.

Qu Danwan raised her head, her clear eyes reflecting the moonlight and starlight. She looked at the tall, burly boy before her, who, despite his imposing stature, was sweating nervously in her presence. Seeing the undisguised sincerity and expectation in his eyes, a gentle yet firm smile slowly bloomed on her lips: "Of course, no problem..."

Before Zhou Hao could even feel happy, Qu Danwan followed up with an even sweeter sentence: "Actually, I think the same way you do."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hao was overjoyed, and a wide smile spread across his face.

Although there was no earth-shattering confession at this moment, the two young hearts had already carefully confirmed their desire to get closer to each other amidst the moonlight and the sound of the waves.

After his initial elation, Zhou Hao let out a long sigh of relief, a smile of both relief and immense satisfaction spreading across his face—a smile that was both honest and bright.

To avoid being a third wheel for other couples, Lin Yu'an and Zhao Yuanyuan walked a little further away from the sea, keeping a slight distance between them on the dry sand where the beach meets the vegetation.

Zhao Yuanyuan was very quiet, only occasionally looking up at the starry sky or down at the sand beneath her feet.

The moonlight cast a long shadow over her. Lin Yu'an walked half a step ahead of her, trying to find something to talk about to break the silence that made him feel uneasy.

The cool night breeze rustled through the bushes on the shore, mingling with the distant, indistinct sound of the waves, which only accentuated the tranquility between the two.

“Um… there are so many stars tonight.” Lin Yu’an finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension. He pointed to the sky, “It’s hard to see so many in the city.”

"Mmm," Zhao Yuanyuan responded immediately, her voice soft and gentle. "It's very bright and clean."

She followed Lin Yu'an's finger, but her gaze did not linger on the stars for long. Instead, it quietly returned to the profile of the boy beside her, whose features were softly outlined by the moonlight.

Looking at his slightly pursed lips and thoughtful expression, she felt an indescribable sense of peace.

Another silence fell, and Lin Yu'an felt that his efforts to find a topic of conversation had failed again.

He scanned the dry sand with a somewhat frustrated gaze, hoping to find something interesting.

Suddenly, a faint luster, different from that of sand, caught his eye.

He crouched down and carefully brushed away the surface sand.

“Look at this.” Lin Yu’an’s voice carried a hint of excitement at the discovery.

He opened his palm, and there lay a small seashell in his hand.

It wasn't the fan-shaped or spiral-shaped shell commonly found on the beach, but a round, heart-shaped shell, only the size of a fingernail. Its entire body was a warm, milky white, gleaming with a soft, pearly luster under the moonlight. The edge was inlaid with a fine, natural golden-brown pattern, like a natural lace.

Zhao Yuanyuan immediately moved closer, her eyes lighting up: "Wow, it's so pretty! It's heart-shaped?"

She couldn't help but reach out and carefully touch the seashell lying in Lin Yu'an's palm. Her fingertips felt the cool touch of the seashell and the warmth rising from his palm, and her heart trembled slightly.

"Hmm, that's quite rare." Seeing her undisguised delight, Lin Yu'an breathed a sigh of relief and a gentle smile appeared on his face. "Here you go." (End of Chapter)