I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

[Wristband! Rubber band! He's wearing it!!!]

[What does it mean when a guy wears a rubber band on his wrist? Those who know, know! (Shouting hoarsely)]

[Shu Zi didn't ask for it again! She tacitly agreed! That's practically an official announcement!]

It's very windy at the beach.

Han Jingxue stood on the beach, the wind blowing her hair and skirt.

She wore a long white dress with a thin knitted cardigan over it, and walked barefoot on the sand, carrying her shoes in her hand.

Shen Yihuai stood half a step to her side, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

The two walked slowly along the coastline.

The waves surged up, reaching above my ankles, then receded.

Han Jingxue's toes sank into the wet sand, leaving shallow footprints.

After walking for a long time, she suddenly stopped.

She turned around to face Shen Yihuai, the wind blowing her hair back.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Shen Yihuai looked at her, his gaze calm, a very faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips: "You know that."

Han Jingxue met his gaze for two seconds, then abruptly looked away, gazing at the distant horizon where the sea and sky met.

Her lips pursed slightly, and her jawline was taut.

"I don't know," she said, her voice lowering. "And I don't want to know."

Shen Yihuai took a step forward.

The distance between the two suddenly shrank from a polite, safe zone to a point where they could hear each other's breathing.

Han Jingxue did not back down, but her body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment.

"have no idea?"

Shen Yihuai's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable certainty:

"Then let me tell you, you're here, so I'm here too. You've been hiding from me for three years, and I've let you hide for three years. Han Jingxue, that's enough."

Han Jingxue suddenly looked up and met his unfathomable eyes.

A flicker of unexpected panic crossed her eyes, but it was quickly covered by an even thicker layer of ice.

"I don't need you to look for me." She heard her own cold, hard voice.

Shen Yihuai took another half step forward.

She was so close that she could smell his familiar, crisp pine scent, mixed with a faint salty sea breeze.

He reached out, his long, slender fingers gently pinching her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

The action wasn't forceful, but it wasn't something you could refuse.

Whether you need it or not is your business.

He looked down at her, his voice low and clear, saying each word carefully, "Whether I look for you or not is my business, Han Jingxue. You can continue to hide, but I won't leave."

Her eyelashes trembled violently, and her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just pursed them tightly.

"You shouldn't have come here." Her voice finally cracked, no longer calm and even.

Shen Yihuai released his grip on her chin, but did not back away.

Instead, he lowered his head, his forehead almost touching hers, his voice extremely low, his hot breath brushing against her lips:

"I'm already here, what can you do to me, huh?"

Han Jingxue was speechless.

Her hands, hanging by her sides, secretly clenched the hem of her skirt, her nails digging deep into her palms, causing a slight stinging pain.

Another wave surged in, and the icy seawater instantly submerged their ankles.

This time, no one backed down.

As the tide receded, the sand beneath their feet was carried away, and the two of them sank slightly.

Han Jingxue lost her balance and swayed.

Shen Yihuai's hand swiftly and steadily gripped her waist, supporting her firmly.

Then, that hand didn't let go again.

Han Jingxue looked down at the hand with distinct knuckles wrapped around her waist. After a few seconds, she looked up at Shen Yihuai.

His eyes were dark and deep, containing things she couldn't understand.

Or rather, she dared not understand it.

"Let go," she said, her voice a little hoarse.

"I won't let go."

Han Jingxue took a deep breath and reached out to pry his fingers off her waist.

Not moving.

She tried to break it a couple of times, then gave up, a deep sense of powerlessness washing over her.

"Shen Yihuai," she finally asked, her voice filled with undisguised exhaustion, "what exactly do you want?"

Shen Yihuai simply looked at her.

The sea breeze blew the strands of hair along her cheeks, making them stick to her skin. He didn't brush them away for her; he just looked intently into her eyes.

"What I want," he said slowly, each word striking her heart, "you've always known."

Han Jingxue fell silent.

The waves surged up and receded, surged up and receded again.

Shen Yihuai's hand remained firmly clasped around her waist, its warmth seeping through the thin fabric of her clothes.

After an unknown amount of time, Han Jingxue reached out again and placed her hand on the back of his hand.

This time, Shen Yihuai did not use force.

She slowly removed his hand from her waist and put it down.

Then, she turned around and started walking back the way she came.

I took three steps.

She stopped.

There was no turning back.

"Why did you follow me?" Her voice was half-buried by the wind, but Shen Yihuai heard it.

Shen Yihuai walked over and stood beside her, neither too close nor too far.

"I'm afraid you'll run away again," he said.

Han Jingxue did not speak again.

The two walked back to the parking lot, one after the other.

[Shen Yihuai pinched Han Jingxue's chin!!! So domineering! I love it!! (winking)]

Wow~ Is this still the aloof Shen Yihuai?!

No, no, he is still the same, except Han Jingxue is the exception.

[Does anyone understand?! I died when he grabbed her waist!]

So what exactly happened between them before?! They definitely were together! Shen Yihuai is here to win her back!

*

The campus was very quiet.

The leaves of the sycamore trees have begun to turn yellow, and sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting shimmering gold patterns on the ground.

Fang Yutong and Yu Shize walked side by side on the tree-lined path.

Fang Yutong walked slowly, her gaze sweeping from the teaching building to the playground, and then from the playground to the benches by the roadside.

Yu Shize walked to her right, wearing a white shirt with one button undone on the cuff.

The two walked to the edge of the playground, and Fang Yutong stopped.

She stared at the track for a long time.

"You used to train here every afternoon," she said.

Yu Shize followed her gaze and said, "Yes, you come to see me every day after school."

Fang Yutong squatted down, reached out and touched the plastic granules on the track, then stood up and brushed the dust off her hands.

"Those were good times," she said softly.

Yu Shize remained silent.

Fang Yutong turned around and continued walking forward.

She stopped again under the largest sycamore tree and looked up at the canopy.

"The first time you held my hand was under this tree," she said.

Yu Shize's fingers curled slightly.

Fang Yutong smiled, but it was a faint smile; the corners of her mouth curved slightly, and there was no joy in her eyes.

"Let's go."

She reached out and picked a leaf off her shoulder, twirled it between her fingers, and then let go; the leaf was blown away by the wind.

Yu Shize stood still, watching her take a few steps forward before following her.

So their relationship started in school!

Even though they've reconciled, something still feels off; something seems off.

*

The sun began to slant westward, and the light turned golden.

Shu Zi walked half a step ahead, with Gu Yan following beside her.

When she reached the exit, Shu Zi suddenly stopped, turned around, and faced Gu Yan.

The setting sun shone on her face, turning her skin a warm yellow.

"The last time you came to the amusement park with me was two years ago."

"Yes, it was my fault. I won't do it again."

"It's good that you know."

She turned back and continued walking towards the exit, her pace a little faster than before.

Gu Yan followed, a smile playing on his lips.

In the evening, the groups returned to the villa one after another.

The moment Jiang Yunyou entered the door, he transformed into a puddle of mud, slumping onto the sofa with a "plop," slamming the botanical garden tickets onto the coffee table and letting out a mournful cry:

"I'm never going to the botanical garden again! The whole time! The entire afternoon! I just looked at the flowers! The grass! The trees! And they didn't even move!"

Su Yanhuan sat down next to him, picked up her water glass, and said calmly, "Looking at greenery is good for your eyes."

Jiang Yunyou sat bolt upright: "My eyesight is 5.0! Pilot standard!"

Su Yanhuan took a sip of water and nodded: "Yes, that's good. Looking at more green things is beneficial and harmless, it will help strengthen your constitution."

Jiang Yunyou: "..."

He collapsed back into a slump and chose to withdraw into himself.

[Jiang Yunyou: I'm tired, really.]

[Su Yanhuan: "Beneficial and Harmless," "Consolidate a Little"—that's like killing someone's spirit, Huanhuan!]

[The Botanical Garden Duo, their main theme is mutual teasing (but adorable)]

Su Yanhuan had just put down her water glass when she heard another noise coming from the doorway.

She looked up.