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

Time seems to have frozen.

The sounds of waves, wind, and distant, faint voices all seemed incredibly far away at that moment.

Huang Mao's rapid breathing and the pounding of his own heart became the only clear background sounds.

Zhao Yueyue's mind was in complete chaos.

Huang Mao? Likes her? Wants to be her boyfriend? This... how is this possible? Aren't they best buddies? Aren't they always bickering, teasing each other, and having crazy fun together? Likes? Romance? She... she's never thought about it! Dating Huang Mao? This thought exploded in her mind like a bomb, leaving her thoughts in complete disarray.

She looked at Huang Mao's face, which was so close to hers. His face, which usually wore a cheeky smile, was now filled with an unprecedented seriousness and nervousness.

She suddenly realized that his silence and hesitation all day, and his "profound" demeanor in the coconut grove just now, were all for this? This... confession?
The immense shock rendered her completely unable to think.

Love? To her, that seemed like something from another world.

She enjoys being around people, loves freedom, loves playing carefree with her friends, and loves following celebrities and watching dramas... But what about dating? What would that feel like?
She still sees herself as a child.

She treated Chen Mo like a brother, and being with him made her feel happy to be a sister who was loved by her brother.

She treated Huang Mao like a playmate, enjoying their company. By Huang Mao's side, she experienced the happiness of having a playmate with whom she could bicker and joke without any reservations.

To date Huang Mao? Be his girlfriend? Oh my god!
A strong sense of panic and helplessness instantly overwhelmed her.

She instinctively took a small step back, her eyes darting away, her face drained of color, leaving only confusion and panic.

How can a child like me date someone and give my feelings?
She is very confused.

Am I ready to date right now? Am I capable of handling someone else's feelings?
She was very confused!
She didn't even have any direct feelings or longings about being in a relationship.

She found the gossip about Chen Mo and Su Yuqing very sweet.

Because in her view, Su Yuqing and Chen Mo were mature enough to have reached this point.

She herself was still very naive and ignorant!

She herself was just an innocent child.

Love and romance seemed like something incredibly distant to her.

"Yellow...yellow hair..." She opened her mouth, her voice dry and filled with obvious panic, "You...you must be joking!"

"I'm not joking! I'm serious!" Huang Mao said anxiously, taking a step forward, his tone even more urgent and firm, "Yueyue, I..."

"Wait!" Zhao Yueyue interrupted him hastily, as if burned, her hands unconsciously twisting together, her eyes darting around, completely unable to look Huang Mao in the eye. "I...I don't know! Huang Mao, I...I never thought of this! We're good friends! I...my mind is a mess right now! It's really...too sudden!"

Her reaction was like a bucket of cold water poured over Huang Mao's burning heart.

The light in his eyes dimmed instantly, and his expectation turned into disappointment.

Seeing her flustered and helpless expression, he knew she wasn't deliberately refusing, but genuinely... bewildered. "I..." Huang Mao opened his mouth, his passion and courage replaced by an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.

All the words he had prepared to say, all the beautiful visions for the future, were choked back by her pure confusion.

“I’m sorry… Huang Mao…” Zhao Yueyue looked at his dimming eyes, her heart clenched inexplicably, but more than that, she felt confused and at a loss. “I… I need to… think… Yes, I need to think! Give me some time…”

As if she had found a temporary escape route, she finished speaking incoherently, turned around and ran towards the guesthouse, her steps unsteady, as if something terrible was chasing her from behind.

"Yueyue!" Huang Mao called out subconsciously, his outstretched hand freezing in mid-air.

Zhao Yueyue didn't look back, but ran even faster. Her bright yellow figure quickly disappeared into the shadows of the rocks and palm trees, leaving Huang Mao standing alone under the gradually cooling night sky, facing the still-murmuring waves.

In the distance, the silhouettes of two people embracing on the giant rock looked especially sweet under the starlight, while here, only the boy's lost heart, hanging in mid-air, and his confession that received no response, drifted away in the salty evening breeze.

The spectacular end of the fireworks display, however, merely marked the end of his hasty yet courageous charge, leaving behind an ellipsis filled with confusion and uncertainty.

He stared dejectedly in the direction she had disappeared, a look of bewilderment and bitterness, for the first time, on his face that was not his own.

He knew he might have really scared her, and what he feared most was not being rejected, but that even their "good friend" relationship would become awkward because of it.

A night breeze blew by, bringing a touch of coolness and also dispelling the last bit of burning passion in his heart.

Compared to the raging waves on the giant rocks and Huang Mao's bewilderment, Zhou Hao and Qu Danwan were sitting side by side on a thin blanket, which kept out the chill of the night from the reef.

As the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl embraced in the center of the Magpie Bridge, and golden light poured down like a waterfall, Qu Danwan subconsciously tightened her grip on Zhou Hao's hand.

Zhou Hao didn't turn his head, but simply squeezed back lightly, their fingertips conveying a silent understanding and reassurance.

There were no excited cheers, and not many words were exchanged.

The deafening roar of the fireworks seemed to be absorbed and filtered by the surrounding rocks, leaving only a low, distant background sound when it reached them, which made their small world seem exceptionally peaceful.

The glow of the fireworks flickered on their faces, and with each change of light and shadow, they outlined each other's serene profiles.

Zhou Hao turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on Qu Danwan's eyes, which were illuminated by the fireworks. They were filled with pure appreciation and a serene satisfaction of being surrounded by immense beauty.

He didn't need to ask to know that she felt the same way he did—awestruck by the magnificent sight and warmed by the presence of those around her.

Qu Danwan felt his gaze and turned her face slightly to give him a faint, warm smile.

That smile held admiration for the beautiful scenery before her, and even more so, a deep sense of reassurance that he was by her side.

She gently rested her head on Zhou Hao's strong shoulder.

Zhou Hao's body tensed up for a moment, then slowly relaxed, a huge, solid sense of happiness filling his chest.

He adjusted his posture to make her more comfortable, his arm naturally encircling her shoulder and back, pulling her closer to him. (End of Chapter)