We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

In the quiet night, the boys' dormitory of Pingyang No. 6 Middle School was pitch black, with only a faint light leaking in from the streetlights outside the window.

I lay in bed, listening to my roommates' hushed whispers, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

"You...really have no feelings for her?" My roommate's voice drifted over softly.

I closed my eyes and didn't answer, but my mind was a complete mess.

Unable to sleep, I quietly took out the new book I had just bought from under my pillow and, by the dim light, began to read silently…

"Cough cough."

Wang Rui suddenly coughed twice.

Li Mubai paused, immediately stopping his writing. Without making a sound, he pulled over the math workbook on the table and carefully covered the notebook filled with writing.

The classroom instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the faint sound of pages turning and even breathing slowing down.

A strong, pungent smell of smoke slowly approached from the back door.

The footsteps stopped beside his table, lingered for a few seconds, and then slowly moved away, seemingly noticing nothing amiss.

Li Mubai quietly looked up and saw the Dean of Students, Zhong Jianjun, walking out of the classroom with his hands behind his back and no expression on his face.

Is Zhong Jianjun that free? He even comes to the classroom to keep an eye on him during evening self-study...

Li Mubai felt a tightness in his chest, an inexplicable sense of oppression lingering.

The tense atmosphere only eased when the bell rang to signal the end of get out of class.

"Li Mubai, did you offend Zhong Jianjun?" Wang Rui leaned closer and asked curiously in a low voice. "He doesn't look at anyone else. He came in and went straight to you, glanced at you for a couple of seconds, and then left. It's so strange."

No, I don't think so.

He thought back carefully and realized that he hadn't offended Zhong Jianjun. At most, he hadn't kept his distance from Xie Shu as Zhong Jianjun had instructed.

It felt like Zhong Jianjun was a ferocious beast lurking in the shadows; if he showed even the slightest weakness, it would pounce and tear him apart.

Studying, taking exams... Maybe if he doesn't improve in the next exam, he might blame Li Mubai for "puppy love affecting his grades".

"What were you writing just now?" Wang Rui asked curiously.

"Practice writing." Li Mubai said naturally, without changing his expression.

Well, he was just writing the first chapter of his novel, and something felt off. Not only was it written in the first person, but was he really going to show the novel to Xie Shu? It seemed like it would involve his unrequited love, which made him a little embarrassed.

"What a load of crap!" Wang Rui muttered under his breath.

"You're the one who's being lazy. Everyone else is asleep at night, and you're secretly studying by yourself under a desk lamp."

"There's nothing we can do about it," Wang Rui said helplessly.

"Are you going abroad in the future? Are you adjusting to the time difference beforehand? So you'll sleep during the day and study at night?"

"No, it's just that I'm exhausted during the day, and I only have energy at night."

Li Mubai looked at Wang Rui with a strange expression. He was still very naive and hoped that his love would also be pure.

"By the way, the weekend is the day after tomorrow. Are you guys going out to have fun?" Wang Rui suddenly lowered his voice and asked mysteriously.

"us?"

"You and XS."

"Probably not."

"That's good, that's good." Wang Rui visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "If you're going out in the future, remember to let me know in advance."

"Why are you asking this?" Li Mubai looked at him, wondering if he was going to follow him and Xie Shu.

"No, I'm worried that if you two go out that day, and my partner and I happen to be out too, wouldn't that be troublesome?"

Li Mubai remained silent, wondering why Wang Rui was keeping his partner so secret. He and Xie Shu were well-known, yet nothing seemed amiss.

I was just threatened by the director of the academic affairs office and put on his list of priority students.

Despite winning a basketball game during Tuesday's PE class, he didn't become a campus celebrity; his daily life remained the same, consisting of studying at home, school, and gym.

The bell rang for evening self-study. Li Mubai pulled himself together and focused on his math homework. His life wasn't particularly exciting; on the contrary, it seemed dull, monotonous, and stressful...

School ends on Friday.

Li Mubai looked at Xie Shu, wondering if she wanted to come along.

"I need to take a car today," Xie Shu said softly, as if she could read his mind at a glance.

"Okay, then...see you on Sunday?"

"Okay, see you on Sunday."

Last week, because she got out of school early, she was able to take the bus during Xu Ting's busy work hours. Although she still had to try her best to evade Xu Ting's questions when she got home, she felt pretty good about it.

But this week...

Xu Ting parked her car in the most conspicuous spot at the back gate of the school, just like before. Now, whenever she has time, she personally picks up and drops off Xie Shu to and from school.

Xie Shu opened the back door, but Xu Ting stopped him:

"Why are you sitting in the back seat? Don't be so distant with your mother, come sit in the front passenger seat."

Xie Shu hesitated for a moment, then gently closed the car door and got into the passenger seat.

The car started slowly, and the only sound in the cabin was the low rumble of the engine.

"Xiao Shu, how have you been at school lately?" Xu Ting asked gently, sounding very concerned.

"It's alright," Xie Shu replied indifferently.

"In the last joint exam of the three schools, I saw that the first place was only one point away from the winner. One more point can eliminate a thousand people. Although this statement is a bit exaggerated, it is still based on fact. In the college entrance examination, you are not just facing these three schools, but the entire Xiyue Province."

Xie Shu turned her head to look out the window without replying, while Xu Ting continued talking to herself:

"So, next time, I must strive to get first place."

She smiled, but Xie Shu felt pressured. We don't need to pursue perfection in everything in life, Xie Shu thought to himself.

The car stopped at the familiar bend, but the bus was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps Li Mubai was still at the bus stop.

Xu Ting's phone rang, and she freed one hand to look at it.

"Xiao Shu, pack your things at the end of next month. We're going back to Jiangnan." Her tone was uncompromising, purely commanding.

"You guys go ahead, I'm not going," Xie Shu refused without hesitation.

She had absolutely no interest in returning to Jiangnan; in fact, one could say she was uninterested in anywhere else and only wanted to stay where she was.

"Xiao Shu," Xu Ting suddenly said earnestly, "Sometimes it's okay to be willful once or twice, but we can't be willful all the time. I understand you. When I was your age, I was quite rebellious too, but I also consider myself a sensible person, which is why I have achieved what I have today."

Xu Ting paused, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Xie Shu, who was staring out the window, before continuing:

"Like those two cats you have, even though your dad and I don't like them, they provide you with emotional value. Parents always compromise for their children, but the children are never satisfied."

Xie Shu slowly lowered his eyes, no longer looking at the flowing scenery outside.

"This trip back to Jiangnan is to attend an important gathering. I'll be back soon and it won't take up too much of your study time," Xu Ting added.

After she finished speaking, she waited quietly for Xie Shu's reply.

As the car drove onto the overpass, the traffic ahead thinned out, and the road became wide and clear.

Xu Ting stepped on the gas, and the car sped up, leaving the slow-moving bus far behind.

"Okay...when?"

Hearing Xie Shu relent, Xu Ting smiled with satisfaction.

"June 20th, that's a Tuesday, right? I'll go ask your homeroom teacher for two days off."

"No." Xie Shu suddenly changed his mind again.

"Xiao Shu, do you still remember what your father taught you?" Xu Ting's tone was slightly serious, "You must keep your word."

Silence fell over the carriage once again.