We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

Xie Shu was no longer the class monitor, so Li Mubai was the one counting the number of students during the morning exercises.

Xie Shu was no longer the class monitor, so Li Mubai was in charge of checking if anyone was late or asked for leave during evening self-study.

Yang Kun jokingly asked him if he wanted to "usurp" the position and become the number one homeroom teacher, to which he just smiled and did not answer.

Deng Yi asked Xie Shu curiously why she wasn't doing her job as class monitor anymore, and she just chuckled and said she needed to rest for a few days.

Some sensitive girls might vaguely sense that this is a "power shift," but they casually chat with their classmates and forget about it the next day. After all, studying and exams don't allow students to spend too much energy on other trivial matters.

Of the entire class, only Li Mubai was shrouded in a dark cloud, making him feel uneasy.

"Today's PE class will be on the playground," Jiao Yong, the PE committee member, announced loudly.

Friday finally brought some sunshine, so we didn't have to have PE class in the gym.

Cloudy days always make people feel down, while sunny days always make people feel comfortable, except for those who are already in a bad mood...

I heard that the school has a counseling center. If he is still immersed in this kind of emotion after Xie Shu leaves, then he might really have to go and see a counselor.

Time waits for no one! He'll be a senior in high school next semester, and his parents are hoping he'll get into a good university.

"Li Mubai, let's go play pool!"

He looked up and saw Chen Qiuhe waving at him. Xie Shu and Deng Yi were chatting, and he didn't know what they were talking about.

"No, you guys go ahead. Teacher Wu still has things for me to do." Li Mubai shook his head. He planned to go to the rooftop to be alone for a while to clear his mind.

Xie Shu stopped talking to Deng Yi and looked at Li Mubai.

"Ha, I think you're afraid of being defeated by me, that's why you don't dare to come." Chen Qiuhe used a provocation tactic.

Li Mubai smiled, said nothing, and turned to walk towards the teaching building.

The rooftop remains unchanged, just like his life; after the interlude ends, he will return to the starting point.

The distant mountain peaks stood there silently, as if saying to him, "Look, you've returned."

A figure gently approached him. Xie Shu always managed to find him accurately. She didn't say a word, but stood by the railing and gazed into the distance with him.

Tomorrow is April 1st, April Fool's Day. I hope Xie Shu is just playing a joke to celebrate the holiday early.

"Class monitor, are you going to the adoption event tomorrow?" Li Mubai thought about the pet hospital's adoption event tomorrow.

"Call me by my name. I'm no longer the class monitor." Xie Shu didn't answer his question directly.

"Thank you... Thank you, Shu." When he called her name, he stammered a little, just like before.

Xie Shu let out a soft breath; she looked much brighter and began to speak:

"I probably won't go."

If Xie Shu isn't going, does Li Mubai still have to go?

"You can go with Chen Qiuhe to see the results," Xie Shu continued.

"..."

Li Mubai neither agreed nor refused.

"By the way, class monitor, don't you still have one bet you haven't settled?"

Li Mubai seemed to be saying: Xie Shu, you still have many things to finish here, don't just leave.

"See, you've forgotten again, I'm no longer the class monitor."

"Hmm—Thanks... Shu, I still owe you a bet."

Xie Shu rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought. It was rare to see her like this; she could usually provide an answer very quickly. After a while, she finally spoke, half-jokingly:

"Would you be willing to go abroad with me?"

"..."

Can he really go abroad? He probably can't; he can't leave this place.

"Just kidding," Xie Shu said, her tone relaxed. "I haven't thought about it yet, and I probably won't have the chance in the future, so let's just leave it at that."

"It cannot be invalidated," Li Mubai immediately retorted.

Xie Shu looked at him, but he turned his gaze to the distant scenery.

"You have to keep your promises. I can... wait until the day you've decided," he explained.

Xie Shu withdrew her gaze and lowered her head in thought.

"Okay, get out of class is almost over, we should go back to the playground."

……

"Li Mubai, you really didn't argue with Xie Shu?" Chen Qiuhe immediately questioned him as soon as he got on the bus after school.

"without."

"Why have you all been so quiet these past few days?"

"No, it's just that we have a monthly exam next week, so I'm studying hard," Li Mubai said, making an excuse.

"Li Mubai, do you know what a macaron is?" Chen Qiuhe suddenly asked.

"I don't know." He looked at the other person with a puzzled expression; all he knew was Macron.

"A dessert that resembles a mini hamburger. No matter how beautiful the shape of some macarons is, it cannot hide the fact that their filling is so sweet it's almost bitter."

Li Mubai remained silent.

"Just like some people, no matter how hard they try to hide their unhappiness, it will eventually be unconsciously exposed to those who care about them."

"We didn't argue." That was true, Li Mubai replied.

Chen Qiuhe didn't press the matter further. If someone doesn't want to talk about it, then it's a secret, and pressing for a secret will only annoy others.

"By the way, are you coming tomorrow?" Chen Qiuhe also remembered the adoption event.

"Xie Shu might not come."

"And what about you?"

"I..." Li Mubai hesitated for a moment, "Come."

After thinking about it, he decided to check on the results of Da Ju's test so that he could share them with Xie Shu as soon as possible.

"Let's arrive at nine o'clock tomorrow," Chen Qiuhe suggested.

"Too early."

It will take him about two hours by bus, so arriving at nine o'clock means he has to leave at seven.

"What time would you like?"

"Ten o'clock, an hour later."

"OK."

Chen Qiuhe readily agreed; unlike Li Mubai, she simply wanted to come and see for herself.

As the sun sets and the evening light falls, the bus sways slowly along the road, perhaps carrying a heavy heart.

Saturday, April Fool's Day, will be cloudy turning sunny.

Yan Shu: "My bonus has arrived, check if you've received it."

Li Mubai opened the online banking app on his phone, and sure enough, the money had arrived in his account. Two hundred and fifty seemed to be mocking him.

Teacher Yang also introduced them to several publications that paid for their work, unlike the poor publications of Xiyue Poetry and Couplets, which paid for their work in exchange for publication.

It was barely enough to have some extra income, which was already quite an achievement for a middle school student.

He could have treated Xie Shu to a meal, he could have bought Xie Shu some expensive gifts to thank him for his guidance, he could have… what a pity.

Qinghe: "Have you set off yet?"

Li Bubai: "I'm going out."

Qinghe: "You're taking bus number 76?"

Li Bubai: "Yes."

Qinghe: "Let's see if I can see you after I get on the bus, hehe."

Li Bubai: "Hmm."

Could Xie Shu be right next to Chen Qiuhe? After all, the latter always likes to give him these kinds of "surprises".

There were fewer people in the morning, so Li Mubai sat in the back row by the window. The bus stopped when it reached Gaoxin Road.

Beep! Student ID card!

"Haha, I told you my words were blessed, weren't they effective?" Chen Qiuhe laughed as she sat down next to Li Mubai.

Li Mubai looked up, but there was no "surprise"; it was all just wishful thinking on his part...