We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

"The exam is over. Please stop writing immediately and turn your exam paper face down on the desk..."

Li Mubai immediately put down his pen and did as instructed. This was the city's first mock exam, with a teacher watching from both the front and back. If he didn't follow the rules, he might really be punished for violating regulations.

After scanning the examination room, the two invigilators began collecting the students' answer sheets and exam papers one after the other.

While waiting, Li Mubai's thoughts drifted back to that morning a few days ago.

After he stepped back behind the curtain, the entire auditorium erupted in a commotion. The student hosts couldn't calm him down, and in the end, the principal took the microphone and smiled as he agreed with his idea that young people should strive.

Then at noon, he was called to Zhong Jianjun's office and severely criticized. Fortunately, he was not given any substantial punishment, only a verbal reprimand.

"Draft paper".

The proctor's voice pulled him back from his reverie. He snapped out of it, quickly pulled out the draft paper from under the answer sheet, and handed it over.

After counting the last answer sheet and confirming the number was correct, the teacher on the stage gestured with his chin toward the door and said, "You can leave now."

"This is so hard! I'm doomed!"

"I'm really doomed! I almost didn't finish my English essay!"

"Oh well, let's leave it to fate."

All around were sighs of despair.

Li Mubai silently packed his schoolbag, then picked up Xie Shu's schoolbag next to him, squeezed out of the crowd, and stood by the railing in the corridor.

"Hello, vice squad leader. Hello, vice squad leader."

"..."

Li Mubai looked over and saw his former classmates from Class 3. They greeted him with a hint of teasing in their voices.

He nodded calmly in response.

In the past few days, he has heard countless nicknames for him, such as "Class Monitor Brother," "Young Brother," "Peking University Brother," and so on.

He just smiled and that was it.

Joking aside, who doesn't privately say that the class monitor or whatever is awesome?

If it were them, they probably wouldn't have the courage to subtly express their feelings for someone in front of a group of school leaders and teachers.

"Hello, class monitor, where's my schoolbag?" Xie Shu walked over with his pencil case.

"You're the class monitor." Li Mubai handed over the schoolbag.

"So you've been the class monitor of Class 3 for more than half a semester, so..." She paused, put her pencil case into her backpack, and slung it over her shoulder, "We're each other's best class monitors."

Li Mubai smiled, raised his hand, gently rubbed the top of her head, and then quickly withdrew it, since everyone was already used to it.

Xie Shu lowered her head and tidied her hair, which he had ruffled, tucking the stray hairs behind her ear. "Are you coming with me today?"

"No, I'll take the bus. I feel bad troubling you, Uncle."

Xie Shu nodded without saying anything; it wasn't Xie Zhiqiang who was picking her up today.

"See you tomorrow then," she said.

"See you tomorrow."

Her figure merged into the crowd towards the back door, quickly disappearing into school uniforms and backpacks. Li Mubai withdrew his gaze and turned to walk towards the front door.

The bus stop in front of the Confucius Temple was already crowded with students who had just finished their exams. The crowd was huge, and backpacks and suitcases took up most of the open space.

Li Mubai weaved through the gaps and finally found the front door stop for bus route 76. As soon as he stopped, he saw a familiar figure standing next to him.

"Chen Qiuhe? You haven't left yet?"

She turned her head, looked him up and down, and teased, "Oh, isn't this Class Monitor, Young Man, Peking University Guy?"

"What nonsense."

"Why didn't you ride in Xie Shu's car?" Chen Qiuhe asked, her tone shifting from joking to serious.

"I can't bother others every week, that would be too embarrassing."

"You know that too..." Chen Qiuhe muttered.

"What?" Li Mubai didn't quite hear clearly in the noisy crowd.

"I said the car is here." She raised her chin, gesturing for him to turn around and look.

Li Mubai turned around and, sure enough, saw the No. 76 bus swaying and wobbling as it drove from the end of the road.

"I heard that Metro Line 4 is under construction. I don't know if we'll be able to use it," he said.

"We're too late. We only have ninety-six days left until graduation."

The bus stopped at the designated spot as usual. Chen Qiuhe quickly boarded, paid the fare, and ran to the back of the bus, all in one smooth motion.

Li Mubai wasn't in a hurry. After scanning the ticket with his phone, he sat down next to her.

Soon the bus was packed with students from No. 6 Middle School. Many of them recognized him and whispered something to their companions. Several pairs of eyes then drifted over to him.

He was quite a prominent figure at school, but he preferred to be an unknown student.

The bus doors closed and it slowly started moving. It was early spring in March, and the gloomy weather was blown away by the east wind. The afternoon sun illuminated the verdant mountains on both sides.

Li Mubai opened his mouth, wanting to ask Chen Qiuhe how the exam went, but when he turned his head, he saw that she had already put on her headphones and was gazing out the window in a daze.

He looked away, took out his phone, opened the playlist, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair to relax. The music and the low hum of the engine blended together, slowly blurring his consciousness.

After several songs, his arm was gently nudged.

When I opened my eyes, most of the people in the carriage had already left, and the scenery outside the window indicated that we hadn't reached Gaoxin Road yet.

He turned his head to the side, and Chen Qiuhe was holding an MP4 player, gently poking him with the device.

"What are you doing?" He took off his headphones.

"Can I ask you a question?" she said.

"Another question? What is it this time?"

"If you don't get into Peking University, what school will you go to?" she asked him again, her tone serious.

"I haven't thought about it. I'll aim for Peking University first. If I don't get in in the end, I'll look at other universities that interest me." He leaned back in his chair.

Upon hearing this, Chen Qiuhe pondered for a long time.

"Why are you always concerned about this?" Li Mubai turned his head to look at her.

"It's okay, it's fine. With your grades, as long as you keep them up, you can get into a good university." She lowered her head and twirled the MP4 player by the corner of her hand.

"Mm." Li Mubai nodded.

"And what about you? Have you thought about your goals yet?" he asked her.

"Um…………"

Chen Qiuhe lowered her gaze and hummed for a long time without saying anything.

"You haven't thought it through yet, have you?"

"Hmm." She nodded firmly. "Yes, I haven't decided yet."

She had actually made up her mind, but she just didn't want to say it.

Li Mubai thought for a moment and said, "Your grades should be good enough for many schools, so take it slow. There's really no need to rush."

"Hmm." Chen Qiuhe looked up at him, a smile returning to her face. "What do you think of the law major?"

"You want to study law?" Li Mubai asked, puzzled.

"Let me find out more."

"I don't know, but it should be pretty good."

When things are unclear, just say "it's fine".

"We have arrived at Gaoxin Road. Passengers who wish to alight, please exit through the rear door."

The bus announcement came on.

"let."

Li Mubai stood up and made way for her.

Chen Qiuhe walked to the back door, and turned her head back as the car door opened: "Goodbye."

"goodbye."

She jumped off the bus, the doors closed quickly, and she glanced back. The No. 76 bus was still heading forward, but she had to get off halfway.

That evening, Li Mubai had just finished a math test when there was a knock on his door.

He opened the door and saw Lan Shiyu standing in the doorway, leaning against the threshold, still catching her breath.

"Li Mu Bai, you're awesome! You're famous now, you know that?"

"Huh?" He was stunned.

"Let me in first." She walked around him to the living room, poured herself a glass of water with practiced ease, and drank it down in one gulp before she could catch her breath.

"So, how did I become famous?"

"It's a long story."

"Then let's make it short."

Lan Shiyu plopped down on the sofa, took out her phone, tapped a few times, then flipped the screen to face him: "Do you remember what you said on the day of the 100-day countdown rally? Someone recorded a video and posted it online."

Li Mubai stared intently at the video, which was a Douyin video. His clear voice came through the phone, and there were hundreds of thousands of likes on the right side of the video.

He pressed the screen, and the sound stopped abruptly.

Looking back on his words and actions that day, I feel extremely embarrassed. I really don't know how he had the courage to say it.

"You should quickly create an account now, name it 'My Class Monitor,' and record your daily life with Xie Shu. It's guaranteed to go viral!" Lan Shiyu said excitedly.

"Don't be silly, I'm not cut out to be an internet celebrity." Li Mubai waved his hand in refusal.

"Look at you, you have no business acumen whatsoever. Do you know how many people would kill for something like this? Will Xie Shu's parents still dare to look down on you then?"

Li Mubai did not respond.

"They might already be on their way with knives," Lan Shiyu shifted her posture, lowered her voice, and imitated an elder's tone, "You little rascal, it was you who kidnapped my daughter, wasn't it?"

"Then you say, 'Old Deng, dare to test the sharpness of my will-o'-the-wisp?' And then..."

"Alright," Li Mubai interrupted her. "If there's nothing else, go back. I still need to study."

Lan Shiyu thought for a moment, nodded, and stood up: "That works too."

She reached the door, opened it, and looked back at him: "Goodbye, Brother Peking University."

"..."

The door was slowly pulled shut, but there was no sound of it locking.

"Seriously, Lan Shiyu, she doesn't even know how to close the door properly," Li Mubai thought to himself.

He took half a step forward, and the door was pulled open again, with Lan Shiyu peeking out half her head.

"Brother Peking University, please seriously consider your sister Lan's suggestion."

"Let's go quickly."

With a click, the door closed completely, and the room returned to its usual tranquility.

Li Mubai returned to his room, which was now filled with Xie Shu's belongings: a water glass, "The Little Prince," a wooden box, a portrait, a small dragon doll...

His gaze shifted to the window, where the bright moon hung in the black night sky, but its light was no match for the incandescent bulb in the room, leaving no trace of it.

Li Mubai sat back down at his desk and stared blankly for a long time...