We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

Li Mubai got off the bus at 9:30 p.m. He didn't go to Jixiang Restaurant, but went straight home.

I guess I'll have to save today's vocabulary dictation for tomorrow morning.

He tidied up quickly and was about to wash up and go to bed when, with a click, Mr. and Mrs. Li returned home, closing the door behind them.

"Xiaobai, have you eaten?" Li's mother asked as soon as she entered the door.

"have eaten."

"Xiaobai, what time did you get back?"

"Around nine o'clock, I guess." Li Mubai arrived half an hour early.

"Why are you having tutoring so late? Did you go out with your female classmates?" Li's mother said.

"No, a few classmates and I got together for tutoring after the exams."

Li's mother didn't see through his act, so she instead earnestly advised him not to have a relationship too early, saying that he could relax once he got through the college entrance exam.

"I'm going to sleep now, Mom and Dad," Li Mubai said before returning to his room.

"Can I relax after the college entrance exam?" This question popped into his head as he lay in bed. Which university should he apply to? If possible, he would like to apply to a school in Jiangnan, but he didn't know where Xie Shu would choose.

Also, what happened to Xie Shu in junior high school...?

Filled with questions and exhaustion, Li Mubai gradually fell asleep.

Qinghe: "How was your day? Hehe, did you go on a date?" (20:14)

Qinghe: "Why aren't you saying anything? Are you lost?" (22:31)

Qinghe: "[Voice call] Not answered."

……

When Li Mubai woke up on Saturday morning, he picked up his phone and was shocked to find that Chen Qiuhe had sent him more than a dozen messages, ten of which were call requests. His phone had been on silent mode yesterday, so he hadn't heard them.

Li Bubai: "Still alive? What happened?"

Qinghe: "I thought you sent it."

Li Bubai: "Sorry, it was on silent mode, I didn't hear you."

Qinghe: "Be more careful next time. If you don't reply to your girlfriend immediately, you'll have to coax her for a while!"

Li Bubai: "Then we won't look for it."

Qinghe: "Hehe, where did you go with Xie Shu yesterday?"

Li Bubai: "I didn't play. I went home after the hospital."

Qinghe: "Are you playing dumb with me? Xie Shu has already told me everything."

Li Bubai: "Then why did you ask me?"

Qinghe: "Let's see if you're an honest and kind child."

Qinghe: "Alright, I've created a WeChat group. We can give the money to Xie Shu later."

Sitting in the passenger seat of a car, Chen Qiuhe was chatting idly with Li Mubai on her phone.

"When we arrive in Qiuhe, let's go see Auntie."

"Okay, cousin."

She looked up—it was the Second People's Hospital of Xiyue Province. She told Li Mubai she had to go, then put her phone away and followed her cousin towards the hospital…

Li Mubai put down his phone, got up and washed up. It seemed that his parents were not opening their shop today and were staying at home.

After he finished dictating the words he missed yesterday, he heard a soft knock on the door. He then whispered goodbye to Xie Shu and hung up the phone.

When he opened the door, Li's mother was standing there. Luckily, he had mentioned that he needed to study, otherwise she would have just pushed the door open and walked in.

"Still studying? Aunt Lan is here, come and say hello." Li's mother said, glancing around the room.

"Okay, sure."

Aunt Lan is not a relative of theirs, but rather a business partner of Mr. and Mrs. Li. It was she who guided Mr. and Mrs. Li into the catering business.

"Aunt Lan." Li Mubai called out as he entered the living room, glancing curiously at the girl sitting next to Aunt Lan.

"Wow, I can't believe how big Xiaobai has grown up. He looks like a celebrity. I bet you have a lot of female classmates chasing after you at school, right?" Aunt Lan said with a smile.

Li Mubai chuckled a few times, and his mother chimed in at the opportune moment:

"No way, Xiaobai is focused on studying and doesn't care about these things at all."

"Haha, I heard you were assigned to the top liberal arts class, right? How's the atmosphere?" Aunt Lan asked with a smile.

"Well enough."

"By the way, Xiaobai, this is my daughter, Lan Shiyu. She's in her second year of high school, just like you. As expected, she'll probably transfer to No. 6 Middle School."

What?! They actually managed to transfer in? Could they be going to the humanities honors class? What kind of influence does Aunt Lan have? She can get people into the honors class of a provincial key high school?

"Xiaoyu, say hello to Xiaobai."

"Hello there."

"Hello." No wonder Aunt Lan came today. Maybe she wanted him to take care of her. After all, transfer students might be a little unfamiliar with the place. Li Mubai thought to himself.

"Why would you suddenly want to transfer schools? Isn't the second year of high school a crucial time? Transferring schools will only cause more trouble," Li's mother asked, voicing Li Mubai's thoughts.

"Sigh, don't even mention it. It's all because of this girl. She used to study in Lingnan, while her dad and I did business in Pingyang. She felt lonely, and the pressure of going from her second to third year of high school was immense."

Aunt Lan paused for a moment, then whispered:

"Furthermore, the college entrance examination scores in Lingnan are much higher than in Xiyue Province. If she takes the college entrance examination there, she can only get into an average university, but if she takes the college entrance examination in Xiyue Province, she can get into a better university."

"Oh, so Xiaoyu is planning to transfer to Xiaobai's class?"

"No, she's transferring to a top science class. But I'm worried that Xiaoyu won't be familiar with No. 6 Middle School on her own, so I brought her here today to meet Xiaobai. After the transfer, I'll ask Xiaobai to show her around for a few days."

Li Mubai glanced at Lan Shiyu, who was sitting on the sofa in a daze. Wasn't this just adding to his troubles? He had to study every day, and if he brought her along, wouldn't he have to take her to the cafeteria? And then he'd have to wait for her outside her classroom? This could easily be mistaken for puppy love!

"It's alright. Sister Lan, you helped us a lot back then, so we can still help with this little thing now. Don't you think so, Xiaobai?" Mother Li asked Li Mubai.

It's hard to say. Although Li Mubai thought so in his heart, he still nodded with difficulty due to reality.

"Actually, there's no need to trouble Xiaobai too much. After Xiaoyu meets with her classmates in a day or two, she won't need to trouble Xiaobai anymore. Xiaoyu, don't you think so?" Aunt Lan said to Lan Shiyu.

"Yes, Aunt Yang." The latter nodded.

Li's mother's surname was Yang, and Li Mubai also had another name that he took from his mother, but that name had a middle-aged feel to it, so he always used Li Mubai.

"When did Xiaoyu transfer to No. 6 Middle School?" Li's mother asked.

"You can go this Sunday."

"Yes, I'll be going back to school with Xiaobai. She has a lot of luggage, and Xiaoyu's dad and I have some things to do on Sunday, so we'll have to trouble Xiaobai to help carry it," Aunt Lan said.

Upon hearing this, Li Mubai almost fainted. He was a student, not a volunteer. Besides, was he supposed to help Lan Shiyu move her luggage to the dormitory? Was it allowed for him to enter the girls' dormitory? Moreover, he was going to pick up the cat with Xie Shu.

"It's alright, it's alright, Xiaobai will help carry the luggage then." Li's mother agreed on behalf of Li Mubai.

"Uh—but I can't get into the girls' dormitory," Li Mubai interjected.

"Xiaobai, you can help carry it downstairs to the dormitory. Xiaoyu can ask someone to help later." Aunt Lan was understanding.

"I don't know those classmates," Lan Shiyu said softly.

"It's alright, girls should be more generous. If your classmate isn't around, just ask the dorm manager for help," Aunt Lan advised.

"Alright, Xiaobai, take Xiaoyu to your room first. Let the two children get to know each other. We'll call you when it's time to eat," Li's mother said with a smile.

"it is good."

Feeling a little awkward, he got up without calling Lan Shiyu and walked straight to the room. At Aunt Lan's prompting, the latter followed him into the room.

Uh--

"No way, you actually dare to come?" Li Mubai thought to himself. If his parents asked him to go to a room of the opposite sex, he definitely wouldn't agree.

The door wasn't closed, and Li's mother and Aunt Lan were chatting away in the living room, their intermittent voices reaching the room.

Li Mubai's room was simply furnished with a bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and a chair.

He pulled up a chair and said to the flustered Lan Shiyu:

"Hmm—you can sit here first."

After saying that, he took the vocabulary list and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Lan Shiyu sat down in the chair, her slightly nervous heart gradually calming down. She curiously looked around the boy's room, which was different from what she had imagined.

The boys' rooms were either incredibly messy or filled with all sorts of figurines and toys, with a computer desk set up for gaming, and tissues on the bedside table...

Li Mubai’s room, however, appeared monotonous, even somewhat bare.

"Did you buy these books?" Lan Shiyu asked.

Li Mubai looked up and saw that she was pointing to the rows of bookshelves on the desk.

"Yes."

"May I watch?" Lan Shiyu asked.

"Can."

With Li Mubai's permission, she took out a book, flipped through a few pages, put it back, and then picked up the next one.

"These all seem to be literature and history books. Are your humanities grades very good?"

"It's alright."

"Oh right, I haven't asked you your name yet," Lan Shiyu suddenly remembered.

"Li Mubai".

"You're really good at playing King of Glory with Li Bai, aren't you?"

???