After buying my meal from the cafeteria window, I found a quiet, empty spot to sit down.
Halfway through eating, a shadow fell across my table. Looking up, I saw Gu Yu standing in front of me.
He smiled. “Is this seat taken?”
I froze for a few seconds before quickly replying, “No, no one’s sitting here.”
For the next twenty minutes, I was on my best behavior, feeling cautious and nervous the entire time. Even after Gu Yu left, my ears still felt warm.
Unlike someone like me—or someone like Chen Qiao Luo, who barely cared about school—Gu Yu was a legend in this place. Handsome, academically brilliant, and impeccable in his manners, he seemed perfect in every way.
I liked him.
Of course, this was something that Chen Qiao Luo teased me about relentlessly. To him, the idea of me and Gu Yu was laughable—like the stars in the sky and grass on the ground, completely mismatched.
I knew the gap between us, too. But liking someone doesn’t follow logic. A single fleeting glance at him during the opening ceremony of our first year had stayed with me for two whole years.
I’d thought about confessing my feelings to Gu Yu, but I was too afraid of rejection. So I kept my feelings to myself, stealing glances at him from a distance like a fool.
But reality soon shattered my quiet admiration.
* * *
The weather was beautiful that day. I returned to school as usual, but after the first class, news spread that Gu Yu had a girlfriend. By lunchtime, it was the talk of the school.
That week, as always, Chen Qiao Luo hadn’t shown up for class. Listening to my classmates chatter on about Gu Yu, I felt my chest tighten in panic.
I wanted to talk to Chen Qiao Luo, to vent, but no matter how many times I called, he didn’t pick up.
Instead of going to the cafeteria at noon, I climbed up to the rooftop of the school’s old, abandoned building to clear my head. The rooftop was rarely visited, as the building itself had been out of use for years.
The morning’s events had left me exhausted, as though the treasure I had cherished for two years had been stolen from me—by someone I didn’t even know.
Sitting on the edge of the rooftop, I hugged my knees, letting the breeze brush against my face.
I didn’t know how long I sat there before the sound of light footsteps reached my ears. Turning around, I saw Gu Yu walking toward me.
He seemed surprised to see someone else there and paused for a moment. Then, with a polite expression, he said, “Sorry, I didn’t know someone was already here.”
I looked at him without responding.
When I didn’t say anything, he turned as if to leave.
Without thinking, I reacted faster than my mind could process. In a flash, I darted forward and stood in his path, blocking him.
Gu Yu looked at me, puzzled. “Is there something you need?”
I bit my lip, hesitating for what felt like an eternity, unable to find the words to speak.
Seeing me like this, Gu Yu didn’t rush me. He stood there patiently, his good-natured demeanor giving me the space to gather my thoughts.
The news about Gu Yu having a girlfriend had thrown me into complete turmoil. The idea of confessing my feelings played on repeat in my mind. His face was right in front of me, so close that I could have reached out and touched him.
“I…” I opened my mouth, only to find my voice hoarse and trembling.
After a long pause, I finally summoned my courage, looked him in the eyes, and asked, “Is it true that you have a girlfriend?”
“A girlfriend?” Gu Yu frowned slightly before his expression softened into a smile. “Oh, you mean the rumor everyone’s been talking about this morning?”
I nodded.
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