We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

Sigh, I'm so tired.

Li Mubai lay down on the hotel bed and sighed. Sleepiness overwhelmed him like a tide, and soon he fell into a deep sleep.

When I opened my eyes again, the room was pitch black. Not even a sliver of light from the streetlights could get in. The darkness was like an invisible wall, making me feel inexplicably uneasy.

He hurriedly reached for his phone on the pillow. The bright light from the screen stung his eyes like needles, and it took him a while to adjust—it was 7:10, not too late, and he thought he had woken up in the middle of the night.

He opened QQ and was startled.

Lan Shiyu called him ten times, and Chen Qiuhe also called him ten times.

Li Mubai called Chen Qiuhe back first. The call connected with a beep, but before he could speak, Chen Qiuhe's hurried voice came through:

"What are you doing? I've called you ten times and you still won't answer?"

"Sorry, I fell asleep."

"Sleeping so soundly?"

"Yes, I sleep well," Li Mubai joked.

"Alright, stop being so cheeky, let's come out and play!" Chen Qiuhe's tone seemed to contain a hint of excitement and slyness.

"No, didn't I say I wasn't going out?"

"If you're not going out, then you have the perfect opportunity to go out with me. Hurry up and come, you might not have another chance to come to Qingzi County."

"Qingzi County isn't exactly a great place, why would I come here a second time?" Li Mubai said, puzzled.

"Alright, search for Qingzi Amusement Park, get up and get ready to leave. I'll be waiting for you at the entrance at eight o'clock!"

Chen Qiuhe hung up the phone after speaking, leaving Li Mubai helpless, without even giving him a chance to refuse.

He then dialed Lan Shiyu's number.

"Lan Shiyu, why are you calling me?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to ask if you're free tonight? Want to hang out?" Lan Shiyu was clearly not as concerned as Chen Qiuhe about what he did when he didn't answer the phone.

This is puzzling. It's understandable that Chen Qiuhe would ask him to hang out, since they have a relationship. But why would Lan Shiyu ask him to hang out?

"I'm not going," he said, preparing to hang up the phone.

"Hey, wait a minute, my parents said they feel bad about taking your car to school every Sunday, so they asked me to take you out for some good late-night snacks and fun things to do this time," Lan Shiyu quickly said.

"Then why not in Pingyang City? Anyway, our two families aren't far apart, and I remember there's a good night market nearby." Li Mubai frowned.

"Ah, well... I don't know. The orders were like this. Why don't you go ask my mom and dad?" Lan Shiyu gave an awkward laugh.

"Never mind, it's not necessary. I have something to do tonight, let's do it next time."

Should I tell Chen Qiuhe that he has something to do tonight and won't be going? Oh well, since we're already here, let's see the county town listed on his place of origin.

"Oh, what a pity. I was thinking of taking you to the amusement park."

"Alright, goodbye."

Li Mubai hung up the phone; he needed to pack up and prepare to leave.

"There's nothing we can do, he just happened to be busy." Lan Shiyu said helplessly to Xu Yao in front of the Qingzi Amusement Park gate.

"What should we do then? I've already prepared everything." Xu Yao's voice carried a hint of disappointment.

"We'll have to wait until next time, but we've already bought the tickets, so let's not waste them. Li Mubai isn't coming, so let's go have some fun!" Lan Shiyu patted Xu Yao on the shoulder.

"Alright."

Xu Yao nodded reluctantly, letting out a soft sigh in her heart. It's alright, she reassured herself. Xie Shu was gone, and her strongest rival was no longer at No. 6 Middle School.

She has a year left; take it slow, there will always be a chance.

At 7:50 p.m., Li Mubai, having finished getting ready, stood in front of the gate of Qingzi Amusement Park. He took out his phone and sent a photo to Chen Qiuhe.

Li Bubai: "Is this the place?"

Qinghe: "Yes, wait a moment, there's a bit of traffic on the road."

Traffic jam? He didn't notice any traffic jam when he arrived. Did Chen Qiuhe come from somewhere else?

Li Mubai put his phone in his pocket and looked up at the night view of Qingzi County. Qingzi County had a different kind of charm at night; many people living in the county town were out and about, and there were more people than when they first arrived, although it was still far less lively than Pingyang City.

He gazed into the amusement park, wondering if all the rides would be open at night. In the vast darkness, a colorful Ferris wheel slowly rotated.

Snapped.

Someone gently patted his left shoulder. Was it Chen Qiuhe?

He turned around and saw who was behind him, then showed a hint of surprise.

"Xu Yao, what are you doing here?"

Xu Yao stood in front of him, her cheeks slightly flushed. She awkwardly tidied her wind-blown hair with one hand, revealing a bright but somewhat unnatural smile, while her other hand was tightly clasped behind her back.

"I was just taking a walk here tonight and I didn't expect to run into you." She tried to make her voice sound natural.

Li Mubai nodded slightly, not thinking much of it. The county town was so small; it was perfectly normal to run into acquaintances.

Seeing that Li Mubai had no intention of continuing the conversation, Xu Yao was at a loss for what to do.

She subconsciously glanced at a secluded corner near the amusement park entrance, where Lan Shiyu was standing, opening her mouth to say something to her and making a gesture as if to encourage her.

"Li Mubai, are you waiting for someone?" she asked.

"Weren't you going for a walk?" Li Mubai asked instead of answering her question.

Xu Yao looked conflicted. The walk was just an excuse; she and Lan Shiyu had just come out of the amusement park and happened to run into Li Mubai.

She let out a long sigh, trying to suppress the tension and unease surging within her, and stared at Li Mubai, saying each word carefully:

"Li Mubai, there's something I've always wanted to tell you."

"Hmm?" Li Mubai had a bad feeling and his brows furrowed slightly.

"I've liked you for a long time!" Xu Yao's voice trembled slightly, yet remained unusually firm. "From the very first moment I saw you, I fell in love with you!"

After she finished speaking, she slowly reached out from behind her back and presented her hand to Li Mubai. In her palm was the wooden doll she had bought at the cultural and creative store that day.

At that moment, Xu Yao felt as if time had been stretched out infinitely, and a second felt like an eternity. She was so nervous that she lost count of how many seconds it was.

She held her breath, both expectant and afraid.

"I'm sorry, I don't like you." Li Mubai's voice came clearly, shattering her illusion.

Rather than giving her a sliver of hope, it's better to refuse outright; a short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one.

Xu Yao swayed, as if she had been punched hard.

She forced a smile, her voice carrying a barely perceptible bitterness:

"It's alright, Li Mubai. I just wanted you to know that there's a girl who's always liked you. And I can wait, wait for the day you fall for me."

"No, I won't. I won't like anyone else."

"Why?" she asked eagerly.

"For no reason."

Because he has already met someone he likes, he is unsure how long his feelings will last, but at this moment he will not like anyone else.

"I'm sorry, but please don't like me anymore. I'm not that great either," Li Mubai said again, his tone sincere but leaving no room for refusal.

"No..." Xu Yao wanted to say something, but tears were already welling up in her eyes.

"Hey, Xu Yao, what are you doing here? Didn't we agree to go out for a late-night snack together?" Lan Shiyu's voice suddenly came, interrupting Xu Yao in time.

She walked over quickly, and seeing the scene before her, she said to Li Mubai with a mixture of surprise and astonishment:

"Li Mubai, you're here too? Want to come along?"

"No, thank you." Li Mubai shook his head.

"Alright. I'll treat you to something when we get back." Lan Shiyu glanced at Xu Yao, who was looking down and whose shoulders were trembling slightly, and took her arm. "Xu Yao, let's go. I just found a few restaurants that are absolutely amazing."

Xu Yao didn't say anything, but let Lan Shiyu pull her away with heavy steps.

Sigh, finally gone... Li Mubai also breathed a long sigh of relief. Rejecting someone requires bearing a lot of psychological pressure.

He looked back toward the bus stop, his eyes wide, and he even unconsciously stopped breathing for a few seconds.

In the darkness of the night, a slender figure stood quietly in the crowd, watching him silently.