We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

The bell rang to signal the end of evening self-study, but the rain outside the window did not stop; in fact, it intensified.

Rain in Pingyang City is always unpredictable, always falling when people least expect it.

I thought it would gradually shrink, but instead it came crashing down on me.

Li Mubai packed his schoolbag and went straight up to the second floor.

There were two floors between Class 18 and Class 3. He had no way of knowing what happened in Class 3, and vice versa. He didn't know what happened in Class 3 either.

The stairwell was crowded with students coming downstairs. In front of Li Mubai stood girls holding hands. He couldn't find a gap to squeeze through, so he had to follow behind, inching his way down the stairs.

Upon reaching the second floor, Li Mubai immediately broke away from the main group and headed against the flow of people towards Class 3.

"Hey, Lao Bai." Yang Kun happened to walk out of Class 3.

Li Mubai nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Yang Kun chuckled at him, then walked past him and headed downstairs without looking back.

Li Mubai stood at the back door of Class 3 and glanced inside. The classroom layout was exactly the same as that of Class 18.

A boy was walking out with a mop, another boy was packing his schoolbag, and Xie Shu was standing in front of the podium wiping the blackboard.

The damp cloth wiped away the remaining chalk dust on the blackboard, revealing a deep, dark green, though a noticeable color difference remained at the very top.

Why does Xie Shu always erase the blackboard? Actually, a tall girl could do it.

Li Mubai scanned the classroom. Well, Xie Shu's height was already slightly above the average for the girls in the class.

He was about to step inside when someone else did.

The boy who was packing his schoolbag slung it over his shoulder and walked to the podium, seemingly wanting to help.

"No need." Xie Shu stepped aside slightly, his tone cold.

"It's nothing, class monitor. It's just a small favor, no trouble at all." The boy smiled and didn't back away.

Xie Shu ignored him. She wiped the last spot clean, folded the rag, and planned to call it a day. Anyway, the teachers at the top usually didn't need to wipe it, so it didn't matter.

"Does the top need wiping?" a voice suddenly rang out.

Xie Shu and the boy with the backpack turned their heads at the same time. The boy looked puzzled and hadn't reacted yet when he heard Xie Shu say:

"I need you to wipe this for me."

Li Mubai reached out and took the rag Xie Shu handed him, glancing at the boy. He wore round-framed glasses, and his eyes behind the lenses were rather dull; he looked quite ordinary.

He recognized me; it was the same guy who had pointed out my shortcomings compared to that other person in the hallway last time.

Li Mubai withdrew his gaze and began wiping the top blackboard.

The boy's lips twitched, and his gaze swept over Li Mubai for a few seconds before he said nothing and walked away dejectedly.

So domineering! Is this what a domineering class monitor is like? I'm totally shipping him!

Huang Lingling, who was sweeping the floor, stopped sweeping and watched the whole thing without sweeping anymore.

"What's that boy's name?" Li Mubai asked in a low voice while erasing the blackboard.

"I don't know." Xie Shu shook his head.

Don't know? Okay, Li Mubai thought for a moment. There were many people in Class 18 that he didn't know.

However, he and Xie Shu had already been posted on the confession wall once, which in a sense was an official announcement post, so why are there still so many people coming to post it?

Li Mubai was puzzled.

"Give it to me, you wait for me in the classroom." Xie Shu said after seeing him wipe the top of the blackboard.

Li Mubai nodded and walked out of the classroom. The rain gradually subsided, which was a good thing.

The boy with the round-framed glasses was still standing by the railing on the second floor. He was secretly looking at Li Mubai, his gaze darting away, but Li Mubai pretended not to see him.

Xie Shu was not only the group leader but also the class monitor, so he waited until the very last person to leave.

With a soft snap, the lights in Class 3 were turned off.

"Come on, Li Jiahang." The boy who had finished cleaning came out carrying a trash bag and glanced at Li Jiahang, who was leaning against the railing in a daze.

"Wait a little longer."

"What are you waiting for? Let's hurry back, or the rain will get heavier again."

The boy carrying the trash bag saw that Li Jiahang hadn't moved, so he followed his gaze and saw Xie Shu and Li Mubai standing at the front door of the classroom. The two of them were talking about something, and Xie Shu's lips curled up into a very shallow smile.

Then they turned and walked toward another staircase.

"What are you still looking at? Hurry up and throw out the trash and go back to your dorm. We have to get up early tomorrow." The boy looked away, his tone impatient.

"That boy must be Li Mubai, right?" Li Jiahang asked.

"That should be true."

Li Jiahang hesitated for a moment, then said something surprising:

"Let's go, follow him and see what's going on. I'm afraid that boy might do something bad."

The boy's eyes widened suddenly, as if he had heard something unbelievable; his gaze was filled with disbelief.

"Are you an idiot? How can you say something like that, like spying and stalking? Besides, they're a couple, what they do is none of your business. If you want to go, go ahead, I'm going back to my dorm."

The boy left with a final remark, then turned and walked away down the other side of the stairwell without looking back.

Li Jiahang's face turned ashen. He stood there for a few seconds before finally turning around and following the boy.

The rain gradually subsided, but showed no signs of stopping. Li Mubai glanced at the puddles on the ground, where raindrops hit the water, creating fine ripples.

"Did you bring an umbrella?" He turned to look at Xie Shu.

"Didn't you bring it?" Xie Shu tilted his head to look at him, his tone somewhat puzzled.

"No, I think I left my umbrella at home."

"I didn't bring it either, but my umbrella is in the dorm." Xie Shu shook his head.

So what do we do now...?

Li Mubai's gaze returned to the direction of the dormitory through the rain curtain.

Suddenly, he felt his school uniform jacket being gently tugged.

"Use your coat as an umbrella."

"Outer...coat?"

He glanced down at his open jacket. Even in the sweltering summer, he wore a jacket, only taking it off when he needed to exercise. For some reason, he didn't feel hot.

"Or..." Xie Shu tapped his watch; it was already past 10:40. "We could spend the night in the classroom."

Compared to spending the night in a cold classroom, the dormitory is probably better. Besides, the dormitory supervisor checks the rooms every night to make sure every student is in their room.

"Let's go back to the dorm."

Li Mubai took off his coat, and Xie Shu immediately moved closer, his shoulder pressed tightly against Li Mubai's arm. Li Mubai held the coat above his head, and the two of them were covered by the same black and white fabric.

"You raise your left hand, and I'll raise my right hand," Xie Shu said with a hint of a smile in his voice.

"Okay." He gave her his right side so that his coat could cover Xie Shu.

"Let's go," she said softly.

Li Mubai stepped out and walked into the rain with her. When was the first time they shared an umbrella? This question suddenly popped into his mind.

"You're almost a senior in high school, why are you still thinking about dating?" The boy, holding an umbrella after taking out the trash, said earnestly to Li Jiahang beside him, "You finally got into the top class, studying hard is the most important thing. Besides, you're already together, do you want to steal her away?"

Li Jiahang lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Suddenly, the boy's voice stopped abruptly.

He saw two people wearing school uniforms walk quickly past them.

Then, at the fork in the road between the male and female dormitories, a figure suddenly rushed out of the rain and ran alone towards the male dormitory.

The boy holding the umbrella stood there, watching the two figures gradually separate, and added:

"Besides... they have a great relationship, so stop being a troublemaker and have some self-awareness."

Li Jiahang's face twitched slightly, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the umbrella handle.