The evening wind grew stronger, and the translucent orange-red sunset light shone on them, bringing only a sense of chilly solitude. Fearing it might rain at night, all equipment needed to be moved back to the broadcasting station for safekeeping. Carrying her backpack, Xia Li and the only male announcer together lifted the mixing console, while the other members of the station took the microphones, monitor headphones, sound cards, and other equipment. The mixing console wasn’t heavy, but they had to be careful to avoid bumps. The steps weren’t spacious, so they went down cautiously, one in front of the other.

At the front of the passage, they ran into Xiao Yulong, who was walking with the labor commissioner with their arms around each other’s shoulders. Xiao Yulong warmly greeted them, “Where are you taking this? Need any help?”

“No, no, I feel more comfortable carrying it myself,” Xia Li said with a smile.

“Then let me carry your bag. It looks heavy.”

Before Xia Li could refuse, Xiao Yulong grabbed her backpack strap. To avoid dropping the equipment, Xia Li had no choice but to free a hand and take off her backpack. “Thank you.”

Xiao Yulong took the bag. “Whoa, what’s in here that’s so heavy—want me to carry it back to the classroom for you?”

“Could you take it to the broadcasting station? I need to go back there first.”

The labor commissioner nudged Xiao Yulong with his arm, raising his eyebrows, “Not going to the cafeteria?”

“If you’re hungry, you go eat first. It won’t take long.”

Even so, the labor commissioner didn’t leave Xiao Yulong alone. The two followed Xia Li, and Xiao Yulong asked while walking, “Did you check Class Seven’s competition results today?”

Xiao Yulong raised an eyebrow. “I came second in the shot put.”

“…I don’t know how to respond to that,” Xiao Yulong scratched his head.

The broadcasting station was on the third floor of the clock tower at the northeast corner of the campus. After putting the equipment back in place, Xia Li retrieved her backpack and thanked Xiao Yulong.

Xiao Yulong looked around. “Is this where you usually work?”

“Then next time we want to request a song, can we come straight here and ask you to open the back door?”

The campus broadcasting station had five shows a week: news reports, literary appreciation, entertainment news, audio and book recommendations, and youthful musings. Between each program, they played songs and messages requested by students. There was a mailbox on the first floor of the clock tower specifically for song requests. This segment was very popular, allowing students to express their unspoken thoughts through music.

After Xiao Yulong left, Xia Li quickly checked the equipment, locked the door, and left the broadcasting station. Evening self-study during the sports meet was changed to free study, and the homeroom teacher rarely patrolled, basically allowing everyone to relax a bit.

Xia Li first returned to her apartment to change her sanitary pad and put away the heavy hot water bottle. On her way back to school, she glanced into Class 20. She had been worried about how to call Yan Sishi out without attracting attention when returning his jacket but found that Yan Sishi wasn’t in the classroom.

After hesitating for a moment, she saw “black-rimmed glasses” Wang Chen come out. She went up to him and asked, “Is Yan Sishi here?”

Wang Chen pushed his glasses and looked at her with genuine confusion on his face. “…Have we met?”

“…We had dinner together at Jufu Restaurant.”

“Oh, oh.” Wang Chen nodded, seemingly recalling, “He’s not here. He already went back.”

Xia Li instinctively asked, “Back where? Beicheng?”

“Why would he go to Beicheng?” Wang Chen was more shocked than her, “Did he tell you he was going to Beicheng?”

“No, no, I was just guessing…” Xia Li felt a bit off-track talking with Wang Chen, like something wasn’t connecting, “…Thank you.”

After a rare and relaxed evening study session, Xia Li returned to her apartment. After much hesitation, she decided to wash the jacket before returning it to Yan Sishi. She checked the washing label; it was machine washable. Before washing, she checked the pockets and found two items: a pair of earphones and a silver lighter. A lighter didn’t seem like something Yan Sishi would have. She flicked it open, and a small blue flame burst out. It was indeed a lighter, not a USB or something else.

Before going to bed, Xia Li took the already spun-dry white sports jacket out of the washing machine and hung it on the balcony to dry. The wind was strong at night, so it should be dry by tomorrow.

At night, the wind was strong; by tomorrow, it should be completely dry.

The next day, all the competitions consecutively announced their results.

In the final relay race, each class seemed to be competing with great momentum, shouting “Come on!” like a tidal wave, almost drowning out the hoarse voice of the announcer reading the broadcast script.

Amid a festive atmosphere, the autumn sports meet came to a close.

Class 7 ranked third in the medal tally and won a trophy.

Xia Li didn’t have time to join the class celebrations, busy moving equipment and cleaning up the venue.

After returning the equipment to the broadcasting room and getting it checked by the supervising teacher, when she returned to the teaching building, it was already pitch black outside.

The corridors were filled with students, each carrying chairs as they left.

Xia Li walked against the flow, returning to her classroom only to learn that the sophomore class was going to watch a patriotic education film on the small playground.

She hurried back to her seat, grabbed a chair, and joined the rest of the group.

The dark playground was already packed with people.

Before the movie started, Xia Li overheard some girls from a nearby class discussing the results of today’s sports meet, focusing on a particular name, Yan Sishi.

One girl said, “Four events, two golds and two silvers, it’s really incredible.”

“Can’t we credit the relay race to him alone?”

“But his third leg really turned the tide.”

“Did you see the high jump?”

“Yeah, he made it look so easy. If it were me, I’d probably crash like a lead ball.”

“…But there’s no need to put yourself down like that.”

“He’s really amazing. Is there anything he’s not good at?”

“Having babies?”

“Good grief!”

They laughed and joked around.

Xia Li couldn’t help but smile as she listened.

Ten minutes later, the movie began.

Initially, the class teachers stayed, but soon they left, leaving it to the class leaders to maintain order.

People started leaving one by one, heading to the convenience store or sneaking into other classes.

At this point, Lin Qingxiao nudged Xia Li’s arm.

Lin Qingxiao whispered, “I’m going to Class 18.”

Xia Li guessed she must be going to see Nie Chuhang, so she nodded, “Go ahead.”

After Lin Qingxiao left, Xia Li couldn’t sit still either.

She turned and waved in front of Xu Ning, who was wearing headphones and watching videos on his MP4 under his school uniform jacket.

Xia Li greeted him, “I’m going back to the classroom.”

Xu Ning hadn’t watched the movie and simply nodded upon hearing her.

Xia Li picked up her backpack, bent down, and quietly slipped away from the classroom through the gaps between two classes.

She went around to the back and glanced at Class 20’s location. Several seats were empty, and Yan Sishi wasn’t there either.

Xia Li planned to go check out Class 20 again.

Just as she entered the teaching building and glanced towards Class 20, she saw three people walking out of the classroom door.

Xia Li immediately spotted Yan Sishi and, feeling flustered, hurried up the stairs in front of her.

She reached the platform halfway up the first floor and glanced down below.

The three of them stopped at the exit.

She moved back and discreetly peeked at them.

Yan Sishi, Tao Shiyue, and a middle-aged woman with a gentle temperament, who didn’t look much older than Tao Shiyue, had a somewhat similar appearance.

Xia Li had seen this person at the parent meeting in the second half of the first semester of the previous year. She was Tao Shiyue’s mother, memorable for her beautiful appearance.

They were chatting.

Tao Shiyue’s mother smiled and said, “I just returned from overseas training last week and had a lot going on. Otherwise, I would have invited your grandparents to dinner earlier—Xiao Yan, how’s Teacher Dai doing lately?”

“Fine. Thank you for asking.”

Yan Sishi’s tone was polite, just like when Xia Li first met him, responding to Luo Weiguo, flawless in manner.

“Tao Shiyue also mentioned that last time she and her dad had dinner with you, seeing Teacher Dai so energetic, looking like she’s in her early fifties, doesn’t seem like a grandmother’s age at all.”

Yan Sishi didn’t respond to this.

“I haven’t seen Teacher Dai in over half a year. How about dinner next Saturday? Xiao Yan, will you come too? I’ll bring Tao Shiyue along since you’re classmates, it won’t be boring to chat together.”

Yan Sishi’s tone remained flat, “I’ll follow my grandparents’ arrangements.”

“Well, that’s settled then.”

Xia Li remembered hearing that Tao Shiyue’s mother was a surgeon, and Yan Sishi’s grandmother retired from the same department.

When Tao’s mother referred to “Teacher Dai,” she must have meant Yan Sishi’s grandmother.

Tao Shiyue spoke up, “Mom, where did you book dinner?”

“The International Grand Hotel.”

“Their food tastes strangely old-fashioned, Xiao Yan probably won’t like it. How about Crystal Harbor City? It opened in the past six months, and Dad and I have been there. The dishes are new, and the seafood is all flown in.”

Tao’s mother reached out and hugged Tao Shiyue’s shoulder, smiling, “Alright, I’ll go with your suggestion. You young people know how to have fun and keep up with the times.”

Yan Sishi still hadn’t spoken.

Tao’s mother looked at Yan Sishi again, “By the way, Xiao Yan… I heard your mom also returned to Chucheng?”

Xia Li saw Yan Sishi hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“Last time, when Tao Shiyue’s dad had dinner with you guys, I didn’t see her?”

“… Yeah.”

“I last saw her during your middle school summer vacation when she brought you back for a visit. It would be great if she could join us for this gathering, so we could catch up. You didn’t know, but your mom and I were elementary school classmates.”

“I might have to apologize. Her health isn’t great, and the doctor advised her to rest.”

Rarely, Xia Li heard a hint of evasion in Yan Sishi’s tone, as if he was reluctant to discuss the topic.

Mrs. Tao seemed like she wanted to say something more, but at that moment, the phone rang. She answered with “I’ll be there soon,” then turned to Yan Sishi and said, “Tao Shiyue’s dad is urging me, I’ll take her out now. See you next time we gather!”

Yan Sishi nodded.

Tao Shiyue and her mother left.

Yan Sishi stood still at the exit for a moment, not returning to the classroom but turning right.

That direction led to the cafeteria, the abandoned old teaching building, and where the third-year seniors were.

Xia Li hesitated for only half a second before following him.

She had already eavesdropped so much; she didn’t care about crossing further boundaries.

She had a vague feeling that the few remarks Mrs. Tao Shiyue’s mother made about Yan Sishi’s mother had upset him a lot.

Xia Li walked in the shadows, keeping a distance from Yan Sishi, neither far nor near.

His pace was fast, as if he carried a gust of wind. Along the way, under several dim streetlights, his shadow stretched and shortened.

Passing the cafeteria, his pace gradually slowed down. When he reached the old teaching building, he suddenly stopped and turned right.

There were some stone steps leading upwards, with a sculpture of the first principal of Mingzhang Middle School at the top.

Yan Sishi walked up the steps step by step and sat down.

In the darkness, he seemed to touch his pants pocket, then remained motionless.

He must be in a bad mood.

Xia Li hid in the shadow cast by the teaching building wall, watching from a distance.

She envied his shadow; at least it was beside him.

Yan Sishi sat there for a long time, showing no intention to leave.

The distant sound of a movie playing on the playground made this place even quieter.

The wind made Xia Li’s skin chilly.

It was at this moment that she made up her mind. If she didn’t do anything now, she would definitely regret it in the future.

After a moment’s thought, Xia Li took out her phone from her pocket and called Jiang Hong.

Jiang Hong was obviously surprised to receive her call at this time. “What’s up, Li Li? Didn’t you attend evening study?”

“We have a sports meeting today, watching movies at night.”

As she spoke, Xia Li walked out from the base of the wall and headed towards the stone steps ahead with her head down.

“Oh? How’s it going? What event did you participate in?”

“I didn’t participate, just helping out.”

“Oh…”

Xia Li walked with her head down, just like when she usually talked on the phone with Jiang Hong, never once looking up.

She couldn’t act so realistically; pretending not to notice someone on the steps, she had already used up all her acting skills.

Their mother-daughter conversations were always like this, lacking in substance.

As if unsure what else to say, Jiang Hong asked, “Do you need money?”

“No, I have enough.”

“It’s getting cold. Pay attention to yourself and wear more clothes.”

“Okay.”

At this moment, pretending to notice someone ahead, Xia Li suddenly looked up, then hesitated for a moment before saying into her phone, “Mom, take care of yourself and dad too… I’ll talk to you later tonight when I get home.”

“You should balance work and rest too.”

“Okay.”

Xia Li hung up the phone and looked at Yan Sishi, who had already looked up at this moment. “…Sorry, I didn’t notice there was someone here. Did I disturb you?”

Yan Sishi cast a particularly indifferent glance at her. “No.”

Xia Li suddenly felt uneasy. Was her acting too clumsy? Had he already seen through her as a creepy stalker?

She couldn’t think too much. With a stiff smile, she said, “Oh… by the way, here’s your jacket.”

Taking off her backpack, she took out the neatly cleaned and dried sports jacket.

She approached and handed it over, pausing for a moment—

The young man’s arms were folded on his knees, and in his hand was a pack of cigarettes.

“…Thank you for the clothes.”

Yan Sishi reached out to take it. “No need.”

“And this…” Xia Li took out earphones and a lighter from the side pocket of her backpack, explaining, “I washed the clothes already, and found these before washing…”

Yan Sishi reached out and took the earphones and lighter from her palm.

His fingers were even colder than the silver lighter itself, and the moment they touched her palm, she felt as if she had been gently pecked.

“Thank you,” Yan Sishi said.

Xia Li was momentarily speechless, her hand falling down silently. She quietly pinched her fingers, unsure whether she wanted to erase the touch from that moment or preserve it for a long time.

Yan Sishi casually stuffed the earphones into the pocket of his school uniform jacket and held the lighter in his hand. He took out a cigarette from the pack and lowered his head to light it.

With a “click,” a small flame burst from the lighter.

He cupped his palm around it briefly, and the warm glow illuminated his pale face for an instant. His lowered eyes, like cutting through a piece of darkness, cast distinct shadows from his thin, long eyelashes.

Xia Li’s father’s friends were all rough men, and she had seen many old smokers puffing away.

Therefore, at a glance, Xia Li could tell that Yan Sishi’s actions of lighting and smoking were still unfamiliar; he was clearly a novice who had only recently learned, and perhaps hadn’t tried many times.

So, he truly was an excellent student.

Even in doing “bad things,” to use a sentimental expression, he had a sense of decadent fragility.

Yan Sishi held the cigarette between his slender fingers, raised his eyes, and glanced at her calmly. “Will you tell the teacher?”

It was as if he had casually asked.

Whether she told or not, he didn’t care. Such a good student, and the school’s golden boy—what could teachers do even if they knew?

She felt as if she had swallowed a cool breeze all night, her throat inexplicably tightening.

No, she would become an accomplice.

“There’s often couples dating here, and teachers occasionally come by for patrols. I know a place…” She spoke as if she couldn’t hear her own voice clearly, “On the fourth floor of the clock tower, there’s an empty classroom filled with tables and chairs. Hardly anyone goes there, so it’s suitable for times when you need quiet to be alone.”

As the head of the broadcasting station, she often frequented the clock tower.

It was her secret hideaway that she had stumbled upon by chance.

If he needed it, she would gladly share.

Yan Sishi looked at her, a faint surprise appearing on his face. After a moment, he said, “Thank you.”

Xia Li fell silent for a moment, unsure what else to say. “… They’re showing a movie on the playground. Aren’t you going to watch?”

“I’m not going.”

“… Then I’ll go back to the playground first.”

Yan Sishi nodded slightly.

Xia Li didn’t disturb him further and turned to leave.

As she was about to turn the corner, she looked back and could only see a floating red spark in the darkness.

Back in class, Lin Qingxiao had also returned.

“Where did you go? Lao Zhuang just came by for an inspection, and I said you went to the bathroom,” Lin Qingxiao leaned over and asked in a low voice.

“I just wandered around.”

“I’m telling you, I was so scared just now,” Lin Qingxiao whispered, “The dean just led a bunch of discipline officers to inspect the whole school, and I almost got caught…”

Xia Li leaned on the back of a classmate’s chair, her arm supporting her forehead.

Lin Qingxiao paused, then leaned closer with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“… Nothing. Just a bit of stomach ache. Probably hungry,” she murmured.

The recent events seemed to have drained her of all courage and strength.