We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

Was it all worth it?

This was the first thought that came to Li Mubai's mind after he jumped off the wall.

My body was still in mid-air, the wind whistling past my ears, and then a nameless fear welled up from the bottom of my heart. What if the ground below was concrete? What if I twisted my ankle?

These thoughts lasted less than a second before he landed steadily on a patch of soft soil.

He looked down and saw a patch of grass beneath his feet. The weeds were as tall as his ankles, and stepping on them felt like stepping on a thick sponge.

Li Mubai squatted down and calmed down for a few seconds. His heartbeat gradually subsided. It was pitch black all around, with only the faint orange glow of the streetlights in the distance.

Using the dim light to determine the direction, I found that to the west of the school was an old-style residential area with low buildings and mottled exterior walls, which looked quite old.

He got up from the lawn, brushed the grass clippings and dirt off his pants, and walked along a narrow cement path to the main road.

Next, we'll go to the entrance of the Confucius Temple.

Li Mubai took a deep breath, suppressed the tension from climbing over the wall, composed himself, and left.

The suburbs were eerily quiet at night. The leaves on the trees along the road rustled in the wind. He walked for two or three minutes without encountering a single person.

Only the occasional passing vehicle, its headlights piercing the night before quickly disappearing at the end of the road.

The streetlights stretched his shadow long, then quickly shortened it, over and over again.

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the school's main gate.

Through the iron fence, he glanced back at the teaching building. The entire building was brightly lit, and the windows were like glowing grids, with students sitting inside, engrossed in their studies.

He looked away and glanced at the Confucius Academy across the street. He only needed to cross the underpass to reach Xie Shushuo's location.

From the moment he received the envelope and learned the location, Li Mubai could guess what was going on, but instead of feeling joy, he felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

The temperature difference between Pingyang City at night and during the day is extreme, and the rising wind carries a hint of coolness. Wearing a coat, he walked out of the passage and immediately saw the gate of the Confucius Academy.

Grayish-white pillars stood on either side of the gate, and the plaque above the gate was not clearly visible in the night.

Beneath the pillar, a figure could be vaguely seen standing.

It was Xie Shu. She was wearing a thin dress, and her face looked somewhat pale under the streetlights.

"Xie Shu, how long...have you been standing here?"

"Not long ago, I just arrived too." Xie Shu raised his head slightly to look at him, a faint smile on his lips.

The words she uttered seemed to carry a chill. Li Mubai grabbed her hand, which was hanging by her side, and found that her hand was even colder.

"Xie Shu...you're so silly." He took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, while holding her hands to try and warm them.

Why go to all this trouble to come all over for a birthday? And why did you come wearing only a thin dress?

We can celebrate his birthday earlier or later.

Xie Shu watched him quietly until the warmth in her hands gradually returned.

"I'm not stupid," she said softly. "You should have seen the envelope, right?"

"If... I hadn't seen you, would you have stood here for hours?"

"Mm." Xie Shu nodded, his voice very soft, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary. "I'll stay here until evening self-study ends."

She said it so matter-of-factly, as if standing in the cold wind waiting for someone for two or three hours was something perfectly natural.

Li Mubai felt a lump in his throat. He opened his arms and gently hugged her, resting his chin on her slightly cool hair: "Are you not cold now?"

Xie Shu paused for a moment, her body still a little stiff. A few seconds later, her shoulders slowly relaxed, and she let out a soft breath: "I'm not cold."

Li Mubai closed his eyes.

Xie Shu, how could you not be stupid? Your stupidest thing is falling in love with someone like him who is always indecisive. He hesitates for a long time even when climbing over a wall, and his first reaction to seeing a letter is not joy but nervousness.

A few seconds later, Xie Shu lowered her head and gently pushed him: "Let go first, I'm not cold anymore, I'm going to take you somewhere."

Realizing what had happened, Li Mubai immediately let go, his face full of embarrassment. He had been a little emotional and his heart was beating very fast.

The Confucius Temple appears to be closed at night, with the main gate tightly shut, leaving only the outer area open for visitors.

Xie Shu led him directly to a lotus pond not far away, and walked along the pond bank to a pavilion.

The pavilion is small, with a stone table and benches in the middle, and is open to the elements on all sides. The pond water gleams with a dim light in the night.

The streetlights hanging high on the highway shone through the dense lotus leaves, casting an dim light on the pavilion. Only then did Li Mubai notice that there was a small birthday cake on the stone table in the center of the pavilion.

Xie Shu pressed him down onto the stone bench, feeling the cool touch, while she herself sat opposite him.

"Xie Shu...don't you have something going on at home?" Li Mubai couldn't help but ask, "Won't there be any problems coming over like this?"

Xie Shu paused slightly as she unwrapped the cake, her movements faltering for a moment. Then she smiled faintly and shook her head: "It's nothing."

Li Mubai looked up at her. The better she treated him, the more pressure he felt. Could he reciprocate with the same effort? He didn't know.

He has never been a proactive person, and he is always slow to react, even when it comes to relationships. Does someone like him deserve to be treated this way?

"Li Mubai, today is your eighteenth birthday." Xie Shu paused, looking at him earnestly, "It's also the first birthday I've celebrated for you."

The cake gift box was completely opened, and a delicate little cake was placed in front of him.

The cream surface is light blue, with the words "Happy 18th Birthday, Li Mubai" neatly written on it in white cream, and a few small flowers are added next to it, which looks like the shop owner did a good job.

Xie Shu skillfully inserted several colorful candles, and the shopkeeper thoughtfully provided a box of matches.

She struck a match and lit the candles one by one. The flames flickered gently in the night breeze, illuminating her face.

All the candles were lit, illuminating the small pavilion and the faces of the two people.

"It's time to close your eyes and make a wish." Xie Shu looked at him, his eyes reflecting the candlelight.

Should he make a wish? He used to not know what to wish for. Wishes were things that were hard to achieve, and his life was always going according to a set path. He only knew what to do next, but not what to do after that.

But now, he also has a wish, and even if it is difficult to achieve and even if there are many difficulties, he wants to try it.

Li Mubai closed his eyes...

I heard Xie Shu's voice in my ear; she was softly singing a birthday song, her voice low, like the sound of wind chimes.

He opened his eyes and saw Xie Shu holding a painting in his hand, which was also framed. Unlike the sunflower painting that Chen Qiuhe had given him that afternoon, this was a portrait of him.

"Happy 18th birthday, Li Mubai." She handed him the painting in her hand. "This is how I see you."

The boy in the painting stands on the rooftop, gazing quietly into the distance. It is in the style of traditional Chinese painting, with light and elegant brushstrokes. The distant mountains are tinged with bluish-gray, and the people in the foreground are only outlined with a few strokes.

The boy stood very straight, the wind blowing the corner of his clothes, his profile was clean, and his eyes were calm and distant.

Perhaps this is who he is. Without much embellishment, he simply stands there, plain and quiet, gazing into the distance. Li Mubai stared at the painting for several seconds.

"Thank you, Xie Shu!" He stood up, his tone sincere. He had never imagined that his birthday would be so important to others.

"Why are you so good to me?" he continued, his voice a little hoarse.

"For no reason." Xie Shu slowly stood up, walked to his side, looked up at him, and said, "From today onwards, you are an adult."

Li Mubai gently hugged her, this time without hesitation or embarrassment.

Xie Shu rested her head on his shoulder, her hair brushing against his neck, tickling him.

She heard his voice in the night: "Thank you, Xie Shu."

"Am I still stupid now?" Xie Shu asked softly.

"Foolish," Li Mubai chuckled, "I'm just as foolish as you."

Xie Shu chuckled softly, a very faint laugh.

The wind didn't seem so cold tonight. Time passed by, and they remained quietly in the pavilion.

"Xie Shu, when is your birthday?" Li Mubai suddenly asked.

July 20th.

It's actually a month later?

"Alright, come and eat your cake, or the bugs will eat it all." Xie Shu gently patted his back.

Li Mubai loosened his grip and glanced at the cake on the stone table. A bug was fluttering on the cream...

"Damn it, Lao Bai, where did you go last night? Old Zhong even came by halfway through, thankfully he didn't ask any questions."

"It's urgent, thank you."

He didn't say much, thus evading the curiosity of everyone in the dormitory. Lying in bed that night, he still had "The Little Prince" and the painting Xie Shu had given him on his pillow.

Staring at the stark white ceiling, a tear silently slid down his cheek, and he quickly raised his hand to wipe it away.

Fortunately, the lights were already off, and no one could see his expression in the dark. Otherwise, if Yang Kun and the others had seen it, they would have laughed at him for being too weak.

Xie Shu, why are you so good to me... In the quiet night, he made up his mind.

Xie Shu's fingers pressed on the doorknob, and with a slight mechanical click, the villa door opened.

The room was brightly lit, but there was no warmth to be felt. Xu Ting's sharp gaze fell upon him, and Xie Zhiqiang remained silent with a sullen face...

(The Little Prince, Book Two, End)