Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and soon the icy grip of winter gave way to the gentle warmth of April.

The winter of 2013 had been mild, and spring arrived early, allowing everyone to shed their heavy coats and embrace the season. For the students of Jiangcheng Shiyi High, while the lives of Mei Fang and Xia Yuan were undeniably fascinating, they were ultimately someone else’s story. Most focused their energies on exam preparation, with the spring sports meet serving as perhaps the final respite before the academic grind intensified.

This year, the trio hadn’t signed up for any events. Xia Yuan’s current figure didn’t lend itself well to athletic competition, and they had no desire to attract undue attention. Instead, they opted to enjoy the events as spectators, cheering on their classmates before retreating to a quiet corner of the campus.

Beneath a row of lush trees dotted with delicate pink blossoms, Xia Yuan plopped down happily, picking up a fallen petal and offering it to Lin Youxi. “Smell this! Isn’t the fragrance lovely?”

Lin Youxi smiled faintly and shook her head. “All I smell is you.”

“Wha—my scent isn’t that strong!”

Mei Fang studied the cherry blossom tree they sat under. “Isn’t this where we hung out during last year’s sports meet? Or was it the year before?”

“It was the year before! Our first year of high school,” Xia Yuan corrected, counting on her fingers. “So much happened that day—A-Fang got bowled over by Bingbing, then Youxi sprained her ankle, and we made, like, a million trips to the infirmary.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Mei Fang groaned. “Every time we were in there, the nurse caught me getting cozy with you two. She definitely thought I was a two-timing scumbag.”

The girls shot him identical looks.

“I wasn’t a scumbag back then!” Mei Fang protested. “I took our relationship seriously! I never crossed any lines!”

He muttered under his breath, “Unlike someone who kept using the ‘childhood friend’ card to push things further. That sports meet was no exception.”

Lin Youxi’s gaze slid toward Xia Yuan, who immediately flushed. “A-Fang, stop being so cryptic! Just say my name if you’re going to accuse me!”

“Wait, you two got intimate behind my back during the sports meet?”

Lin Youxi pondered. “At that point, the most we’d done was hug, right?”

“Not quite,” Mei Fang began, but Xia Yuan clapped a hand over his mouth.

“I-I’ll explain!” She fidgeted, then admitted in a small voice, “I… peropero’d A-Fang a little.”

“Peropero?”

“It’s, um… Here, let A-Fang demonstrate—”

“We’re at school,” Mei Fang hissed.

“Right! Then I’ll show you.”

Xia Yuan leaned in and planted a soft pero (peck) on Lin Youxi’s cheek.

…

Lin Youxi touched her cheek, then adopted a stern expression. “So you were already this close back then? And you hid it from me all this time? That… stings.”

“Wahhh! I—it was a complicated time! I felt super guilty afterward! That’s why I let A-Fang give you that princess carry!”

“Let him?” Lin Youxi arched a brow. “He volunteered.”

“Exactly!” Xia Yuan nodded frantically. “Zero hesitation. He wanted to.”

“Still, the fact remains: you always sneak ahead.”

Lin Youxi folded her arms, feigning aloofness. “After our fight, we agreed to let A-Fang choose. Yet every milestone—first hug, first kiss, first date—you took the lead. You hog all the perks.”

“I… I just love A-Fang too much! I can’t help wanting to be close to him… Sorry…”

As Xia Yuan wilted under Lin Youxi’s teasing, Mei Fang—ever the instigator—chimed in: “Don’t forget going public. Yuan got dibs on that too. She really cleaned up.”

“You shut up, you jerk!”

Xia Yuan wrestled Mei Fang into a headlock, then turned back to Lin Youxi with a penitent whisper. Lin Youxi’s lips curved. “You’d really agree to that?”

“O-of course! We’re in this together! Fairness matters!”

“What are you two conspiring about? I live here too,” Mei Fang grumbled.

“No eavesdropping!” Xia Yuan huffed, but Lin Youxi cheerfully betrayed her: “Yuan just said—”

“Youxi!“

Laughter echoed under the cherry blossoms as a stray petal landed on Mei Fang’s head. Xia Yuan plucked it off, only to lock eyes with a group of wide-eyed first-year girls, who promptly hid behind their notebooks and scurried away.

“They’re so shy,” Xia Yuan mused, still draped over Mei Fang. “I used to be like that too—all timid and pure. Now I can cling to you in public without a care.”

“Hard disagree. You’ve always been bold.”

Lin Youxi delivered the killing blow: “In kindergarten, you forced A-Fang to hold hands. When he refused, you cried and demanded to know why he wouldn’t play with you.”

“Must we dredge up ancient history?! This mutual destruction ends now!”

“Fine by me. Pretty sure your embarrassing moments outnumber mine anyway.”

Lin Youxi relished Xia Yuan’s pouty frustration. Mei Fang, sensing they’d bullied her enough, intervened:

“Alright, alright—no fighting over trivial—”

Xia Yuan immediately countered, “We’re not fighting.”

“Right. Just a friendly exchange,” Lin Youxi agreed. Then, after a pause, she added, “Though I disagree that it’s trivial.”

“What isn’t?”

“The question of Yuan’s personality.”

Lin Youxi rested her chin on her hand. “Would you describe Yuan as ‘open’ or ‘reserved’?”

“Personality in terms of ‘open’ or ‘closed’?” Mei Fang pondered. “I’d say outgoing, but not liberal.”

“See?! I’m not some floozy—”

“Yet you’ve always been very open with A-Fang,” Lin Youxi interjected. “Remember your first hug? The ‘Super A-Fang Energy’ incident?”

“I—I don’t recall—” Xia Yuan stammered, but Mei Fang cheerfully volunteered: “Seventh grade! I mentioned Peng Xue might like me, and Yuan immediately staked her claim.”

“Stop making me sound like some predator!”

Xia Yuan bonked his head. “Fine! I’m possessive, I cheat, I break promises, my grades suck—I’m the worst!”

“Worst girl… Wait, isn’t that a song from your new album?”

Xia Yuan nodded. “A-Fang wrote the lyrics and title. It’s another duet.”

Lin Youxi smiled. “This album is all sad love songs… Planning for a breakup narrative?”

Mei Fang had recently “composed” all tracks for Xia Yuan’s new album—borrowing from the QQ Music Trinity’s classics: Black Avatar, Red Makeup, Sigh of Blessings, Mansion of Sincerity, and Rose’s Funeral (his solo). Publicly, this marked Xia Yuan’s transition from bubblegum pop princess to soulful ballad diva.

“Sort of…” Xia Yuan’s smile faded. “But I worried fans might blame A-Fang if the songs seemed too bitter. That’s why I added duets and his solo—to quash rumors.”

Lin Youxi approved. “Smart. Netizens love drama. One misstep, and they’ll pounce.”

Mei Fang knew firsthand how rabid fandoms could be. Though Xia Yuan wasn’t that famous yet, the internet had already shipped them hard. They maintained a carefully curated public image—never officially confirming their relationship status, always presenting themselves as professional collaborators.

As the trio chatted, a familiar figure approached:

“You three hiding here?”

Liu Xiaoyu, the poised head of the school’s Etiquette Committee, stood before them in an elegant cyan dress with an official sash. A group of wide-eyed first-year committee members peeked from behind her, visibly awestruck at encountering the legendary duo. Xia Yuan immediately straightened up from her casual perch on Mei Fang’s lap.

“Xiaoyu! Where are you off to with your entourage?”

“The gymnasium for the awards ceremony,” Xiaoyu replied. “It’s the basketball finals today—didn’t Bingbing tell you? She’s playing.”

Mei Fang smacked his forehead. “We got completely distracted! We promised to cheer her on!”

---

The gymnasium buzzed with electric energy as Jiangcheng Shiyi’s girls’ basketball team faced off against their rivals from Jiangcheng Foreign Language School. Despite her earlier complaints about being benched, Xiang Bingbing dominated the court as starting center.

The moment the trio arrived, Bingbing executed a perfect block followed by a swift fast-break dunk—a move that sent the crowd into hysterics. Spotting her friends in the stands, the towering athlete waved enthusiastically, nearly forgetting the ongoing game until her captain, Shang Qin, gave her a sharp nudge.

“Focus, idiot!”

Shang Qin—Lin Youxi’s tall, androgynous classmate with a reputation for being popular among the girls—glanced briefly at the commotion in the stands. Her gaze lingered for a split second on Lin Youxi’s intimate posture with Mei Fang before snapping back to the game.

The match culminated in a nail-biting finish, with Bingbing securing the victory through a last-second rebound. As the team celebrated their hard-won championship, the awards ceremony commenced. The sight of the 190cm Bingbing having to bend nearly in half so the 160cm Liu Xiaoyu could place the medal around her neck drew laughter from the entire stadium.

Leaning against Mei Fang’s shoulder, Xia Yuan clapped proudly for her friend. Not everyone gets to enjoy such a radiant youth, she mused. For most, adolescence is paved with quiet tears and grit—

---

Bai Mei County Bus Station

A lone figure boarded the departing bus, carefully cradling a bass guitar case. Through the grimy window, she watched the familiar streets of her hometown—the backdrop of so many memories—gradually disappear behind her.