The hectic summer came to an end, and the new life of senior year officially began.

For most, this would be a year of grueling monotony—yet also the most unforgettable. The year when many would push themselves harder than ever to chase their dreams.

At eighteen, these young men and women would experience both laughter and tears, studying diligently while squeezing whatever joy they could from their limited free time.

Currently, Mei Fang’s classmate Wang Jiayu was holding court about a curious phenomenon:

“Ever heard of ‘senior year romance fever’? Suddenly, couples you’d never expect start popping up everywhere! Like Quan Xingran and Yang Jing, Cai Feng’an and Yu Xiaomeng, even our class president with Gui Mengran—all going public recently.”

Liu Shuwen shook his head. “They were probably dating in secret before. No point hiding it now…”

“It’s their last year,” Wan Chaoxiong chimed in, chin propped on his hand. “To some, flaunting a sweet campus romance seems like a must-do before graduation.”

“Whoa, Chaoxiong! That’s unlike you.” Wang Jiayu elbowed him. “Got something going on too? Don’t tell me it’s your childhood friend?”

Wan Chaoxiong’s face darkened. “Oh, she’s dating someone alright—just not me. Won’t stop rubbing it in my face either.”

“If you’re still close after she got a boyfriend, that proves your bond was real.”

“Childhood friends aren’t chosen—they’re assigned by parents and circumstance.” Chaoxiong scowled. “What pisses me off is how oblivious she is. Can’t believe some guy actually fell for her.”

“Come on, doesn’t it sting a little? Especially seeing Mei Fang and his perfect girlfriend over there?”

“Pfft—who can compare to Boss Mei? You virgins talk too much.”

“He’s rattled! Chaoxiong’s officially triggered!”

As the boys ribbed each other, Mei Fang sat quietly at his desk. Though he caught snippets of their conversation, no one really included him—except Xiang Bingbing, who cheerfully plopped down beside him.

“Ah Fang! Everyone’s so jealous of you and Yuan Yuan. You better stay happy forever!”

“Hmm…” Mei Fang rested his cheek on his hand. “Bingbing, if Yuan Yuan and I ever broke up, what do you think the reason would be?”

“Eh? Uh… hmm…”

Instead of dismissing the odd question, Bingbing pondered seriously before suddenly beaming.

“…Would it be because you fell for me instead?”

Pfft—

Mei Fang burst out laughing, making Bingbing puff her cheeks indignantly. “What’s so funny? It’s plausible!”

“Even if I did cheat, Youxi would be first in line before anyone else.”

“Youxi? Nah.” Bingbing shook her head. “You two are too similar—both workaholics. You need someone sunny like Yuan Yuan to balance you out. Youxi feels more like… a close friend you’d never actually date.”

Though Bingbing often spoke without filter, her blunt observation mirrored Mei Fang’s own concerns.

Despite Lin Youxi’s… enthusiasm in private, publicly she remained the aloof class president—smiling only around Mei Fang and Xia Yuan. If they suddenly announced his breakup with Yuan to be with Youxi, the backlash could be severe.

The hardest part of their first “breakup” was crafting a believable narrative—one that wouldn’t paint Youxi as a homewrecker. This was why she’d initially yielded the “public girlfriend” role to Yuan, who had wider social circles and cared more about others’ perceptions.

Such sacrifice… How could I not cherish her?

That evening, walking home together, Xia Yuan broached the topic first.

“We got together last October. If we break up now, it gives enough buffer time before you and Youxi go public—”

“Or you could stay the official girlfriend indefinitely,” Youxi interjected casually. “I don’t mind.”

“And have you labeled a mistress? No way!” Yuan frowned. “The whole point is gaining acceptance for all three of us.”

She then grinned. “Besides, we can still celebrate our anniversary privately!”

As Youxi nodded, Mei Fang studied her intently.

“What?”

“Just wondering if you truly don’t care about going public…” He smiled. “Or if you’re pretending to be magnanimous for our sake.”

Youxi opened her mouth—

“Exactly! That defeats the whole purpose of our trio plan!”

Xia Yuan, catching Mei Fang’s hint, gleefully pounced. “You do want to go public as Ah Fang’s girlfriend—you’re just too shy to admit it! Right? Right?“

Lin Youxi retaliated by tickling Yuan into breathless giggles. “Some truths are better left unspoken. Unless you two want a demonstration of who really runs this relationship tonight…”

“St-stop! I surrender—ahahaha!”

---

Their “breakup” strategy was methodical:

1. Digital Detox – Removing couple avatars and nicknames (their tightly curated QQ friends list limited visibility to close friends)
2. Signature Rewrites – Poetic status updates hinting at an amicable split:

Yuan’s Post:
“From lovers back to family—perhaps this was always our truest bond. But the boy in my heart will forever be you. Never forget our promise.”

Mei Fang’s Post:
“Returning to the starting point, smiling through our silent pact. Together we’ll walk forward—until our shared dream is realized.”

3. Musical Coup – Dropping their duet “Peaceful Goodbye” on C-site as the official announcement

The moment the song went live, Yuan powered off all devices and sat trembling in the dark.

“Done?” Mei Fang rubbed her shoulders. “Time for bed.”

“…Mm.” Her voice wavered.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah Fang… We… We broke up.” Tears spilled over as she scrubbed at her eyes. “It hurts… Maybe we shouldn’t have—”

“It’s fake, silly! We’re still together!”

“But it feels real!” Yuan clung to him, sobbing into his chest. “My childhood sweetheart… my favorite person… gone! And you’re not even sad!”

“Of course I am! My precious Yuan Yuan dumped me—”

“You dumped me!” she corrected between sniffles.

“Wait, no—if I initiated the breakup before dating Youxi, wouldn’t that make me the cheater?”

“…Oh. Right. Take two?”

“Honestly, how did you—”

Mei Fang’s lecture died at the sight of her tear-streaked face. Instead, he bundled her into a hug, letting her nuzzle against him like a koala.

That night, Yuan refused to let go—clutching his arm even in sleep. When Youxi crept in later, she found Mei Fang trapped under a sniffling, clingy blanket burrito.

“C-site’s imploding,” Youxi whispered, brushing Yuan’s damp bangs aside. “The song’s lyrics have conspiracy theorists in shambles.”

“Good publicity, I guess… Though that wasn’t the point.”

Watching Yuan’s tear-swollen face, Youxi’s usual confidence faltered. “Did I… steal something that was never mine to take?”

Mei Fang cupped her cheek. “We’ve been a trio for ten years—longer than any other bond. Trust her heart. Trust our path.”

As Youxi leaned into his touch, the three drifted into tangled, dreamless sleep—their first night “broken up,” yet more entwined than ever.