In the deep, silent night, the shimmering lights outside the window cast dappled shadows, filtering in and merging with the warm, yellow glow inside.
The layers of light and shadow overlapped, and the boy’s brows and eyes softened in this mottled, warm light. His features seemed to have been carved with care, every detail perfectly placed. His usually distant and cold gaze now held a touch of indescribable emotion—ambiguous and lingering.
Lin Tiao felt as if all her ability to think had been taken away. Her mind went blank for a moment, her eyes filled with confusion and surprise, her heartbeat accelerating uncontrollably, as though something inside her had suddenly collapsed, leaving her completely at a loss.
She seemed to be contemplating something. After a long while, she finally remembered to speak, though her voice was somewhat stiff, her tone filled with disbelief. "Are you saying…"
Jiang Yan knew what she wanted to say and straightforwardly interrupted her, “You guessed right. I was the one who posted it.”
"…"
Everything was in chaos, complete chaos.
Lin Tiao had never felt so unfamiliar with her own feelings.
Regarding the anonymous confession post, she had thought about pretending to continue the investigation, even if it led nowhere. She had even considered waiting until later to confess to him, choosing a suitable time. But she had never imagined things would develop in this direction.
He was actually saying he made the post.
Did that mean…
Realizing this, she abruptly looked up, her dark eyes meeting his unprepared.
The boy’s eyes were deep-set, light shining in them, staring directly at her with no emotion hidden.
Her breath stopped for a moment, a thought frantically echoing in her mind, pounding against her already weak mental defenses.
Lin Tiao found it difficult to breathe steadily. Her fingers curled and relaxed, her heart like a drum, a thin layer of sweat forming on her back.
In this moment, she felt as if she were standing on the edge of a cliff surrounded by the deep sea, with layers of mist all around and waves surging. In every direction lay a bottomless abyss, dangerous and unpredictable.
There was no way back, only the choice to move forward.
"Do you… like me?" After a long silence, she finally asked.
The boy stared at her without blinking, then suddenly laughed, his tone filled with certainty. "Yes."
Jiang Yan looked at her, his gaze gentle and affectionate. "I like you, very much."
The waves stopped rolling, the sea calmed, and the layers of fog surrounding her dispersed, revealing a bright and radiant light in the distance.
Lin Tiao felt as if she had found a path hidden on the cliff’s edge. From now on, the road ahead was filled with light.
She looked up at him, her eyelashes quivering slightly, her lips slightly parted, as though she wanted to say something but was unsure of what, or what to do next.
Even though she had anticipated his answer, hearing it left her feeling a bit lost, her thoughts completely disordered.
The room was quiet, the night outside dark and thick, the clock on the wall ticking softly, time slipping away second by second.
A soft sigh broke the silence beside her, and Jiang Yan’s voice, carrying a hint of a smile, sounded, "Are you really not planning to say anything?"
Lin Tiao’s body stiffened, her heartbeat pounding like a drum. She looked at him, feeling her breath tighten. "Say… what?"
He didn’t say anything, just stared at her intently.
Lin Tiao felt a tightening in her chest, wanting to say something, but every time the words reached her lips, she couldn’t bring herself to say them. It didn’t feel right for her to be the one to speak first.
Jiang Yan closed his eyes slightly, and in the next second, he laughed softly, as if both helpless and resigned. "Why is it so hard to hear what I want to hear from you?"
Lin Tiao mumbled defensively, "I don’t even know what you want to hear."
"Are you sure you don’t?" He moved closer, quietly.
"No." She kept her head down.
The next second, he leaned in, and Lin Tiao instinctively looked up. His features were so close that she leaned back, her back pressing against the armrest of the sofa.
Jiang Yan advanced step by step, closing the distance again. His gentle scent lingered close to her, his thick, curled lashes casting shadows that couldn’t conceal the smile in his eyes. "Then let me teach you what to say."
Lin Tiao, completely enveloped by his presence, felt her body heat up as though on fire. She avoided his gaze, her voice soft and low. "Who needs you to teach me."
He seemed to have decided not to let go. "Then say it yourself."
They were close enough that their breaths intertwined.
With nowhere left to hide, she decided to face his gaze head-on, her back tense, her fingers unknowingly clutching onto something.
She looked at him, catching a glimpse of her own reflection in his eyes and a trace of unnoticeable nervousness. The tiny knot in her heart suddenly loosened.
"Do you like me?" she asked softly.
Though Jiang Yan didn’t understand why she was asking again, he still answered along with her words, "Yes, I do."
"But you’ve done many things that broke school rules—fighting, skipping classes, sleeping in class..." Lin Tiao counted them on her fingers, then looked up at him. "See, you’ve done so many wrong things."
Jiang Yan’s face darkened, unsure why she brought it up, his voice low. "So…?"
"So," Lin Tiao looked at the faint tension on his face and suddenly smiled, "I don’t think you’d mind doing one more wrong thing."
He looked at her, puzzled.
Lin Tiao steadied her thunderous heartbeat, holding his gaze, her fingers gripping something tightly.
She tried to keep her voice steady, but her last words quivered with nervousness. "Jiang, let’s try out… early dating."
As soon as she spoke, an urgent car horn blared outside, sharp and piercing.
Lin Tiao snapped back, looking away, her heart already in a mess, her breath rapid.
Jiang Yan seemed momentarily stunned by her words, frozen in place.
After a while, long enough for the car horn to fade, he finally came back to himself, looked at her, and laughed. "Alright," he said softly.
What does it feel like to be with someone you love?
Lin Tiao didn’t feel any intense emotions; she just felt as if all the luck in her life had been spent on this moment with him. She even felt that all the difficulties she had encountered—and would encounter—would be worth it for the beauty of this moment.
The night she made that post, she had imagined many scenarios, but she had never imagined this one.
She had thought she’d have to wait a long time to board the ship of young love, yet it came so unexpectedly, captivating and entrancing her.
The room remained dim.
Jiang Yan lowered his head, his pale, elegant fingers hooking around hers. He leaned closer, his tone low. "You still haven’t said whether you like me."
Lin Tiao couldn’t help rolling her eyes, lifting her hand to pinch his fingers. "Don’t you think I’ve already made it obvious?"
I agreed to date you, didn’t I?
Isn’t that obvious enough?
"Not enough," he murmured.
"Oh." Lin Tiao pulled her hand away, speaking seriously. "If it’s not obvious enough, then it must be because you don’t like me enough."
"…"
"Then I get it," she said, expressionless. "You’re just a heartbreaker who plays with girls’ feelings."
If this had been before, Lin Tiao absolutely wouldn’t have dared to say something like that. But now, with their relationship established, she felt a newfound confidence, teasing him more freely.
Jiang Yan remained silent.
He chuckled helplessly, the same as when he faced her inexplicable remarks, with endless patience, indulging her without limits.
In front of her, he just wasn’t himself.
His voice held a hint of exasperation, but it was full of affection. "Alright, you’re just taking advantage of the fact that I like you."
Lin Tiao lifted her head, her fair face bathed in the soft light, her eyes shimmering. Hearing his words, a blush crept over her cheeks, and her ears turned red.
Jiang Yan gazed at her for a few seconds, unable to resist the impulse in his heart, and suddenly pulled her closer.
Their noses nearly touched, filling each other’s view, breaths mingling, the atmosphere thick with unspoken feelings.
Lin Tiao hadn’t expected him to do that. She braced herself against his chest, looking up and meeting his gaze, her breath stopping for a moment.
She bit her lip slightly, trying to steady her heart, and moved back a little, her tone stiff. "Jiang, this move of yours is making you look like a seasoned flirt."
"This is very detrimental to the fragile relationship we’ve just established."
"…"
Jiang Yan released her, leaning back into the soft sofa, his mouth curling up slightly. "This is my first time in a relationship. I don’t have much experience."
He wrapped his fingers around hers again, his thumb pressing lightly on her knuckle, his demeanor relaxed. "Guess I’ll use you for practice."
Lin Tiao once again pulled her hand away from his, looking at him expressionlessly. "I was originally worried about things like choosing a school for the college entrance exams. But now, thinking about it, I really worried too much."
She loosened her fingers, her gaze cold, as if she were looking at a stranger. "We might not even make it through tonight."
Hearing this, Jiang Yan couldn't help but laugh, lowering his head, revealing a part of his neck. After laughing enough, he rubbed his hand, then lifted his head, propping his arm against the back of the sofa and resting his face on his hand as he looked at her. "You just mentioned the college entrance exams. Have you decided on a school yet?"
"Not before," Lin Tiao looked up at him, the scattered light from outside falling on her face, making her eyes shine with a dazzling light. "But now I have."
He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate.
"I want to go to the same school as you," Lin Tiao said, her tone quiet but steady. "Before, I was always in a state of just getting by. I never had a clear plan for the future. Whether I did well or poorly in my studies didn't seem that important to me. I always felt like my life lacked meaning because I didn't know what I wanted, and I didn't know what I didn't want."
"But meeting you, I finally realized what I want."
"I like you," she continued, her voice firm. "I want to be with you." She gently pressed her lips together, her eyes determined as she spoke. "If possible, I want to be with you forever."
When she finished speaking, Jiang Yan stopped smiling so casually. His eyes darkened as he gazed at her. Lin Tiao felt a little embarrassed and lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.
After a long moment, he reached out and gently pinched her chin, lifting her head. Their gazes naturally met.
"There is no 'if,'" he said, his voice low but filled with a powerful, undeniable emotion. "We will definitely be together forever."
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