I Might Really Be Falling in Love

After talking with Yang Zhi, Ding Yebai felt much better.

He understood there was no need to dwell in sadness; instead, he should use this opportunity to study even harder.

The weather in October had turned a bit cold, and he had been layering his clothes.

One Saturday afternoon after school, he went to the neighborhood basketball court to play.

Mid-game, the sky, which had been overcast for a long time, suddenly began to rain.

His friends playing with him quickly gathered their things to head back.

Ding Yebai did too. The rain was coming down hard, and he frantically packed his schoolbag.

The rain was incredibly heavy.

He knew he was already soaked.

His anxiety caused the water cup on his chair to fall to the ground with a "bang."

Just as he reached for it, a pair of white canvas shoes appeared in his line of sight.

He slowly looked up, seeing Yang Zhi standing before him, holding an umbrella.

She had her hair up in a rare bun, her bangs swept away from her forehead, revealing her delicate features. Her eyes were still as gentle as flowing water, always filled with cheerfulness and innocence. She wore silver-rimmed glasses and a simple, casual white top with light blue jeans. She wasn't carrying anything, seemingly just out for a stroll.

Yang Zhi squatted down, extending the umbrella towards Ding Yebai while picking up his water cup. She handed it back to him with a slight smile, "It's okay, it didn't break."

Ding Yebai stared at her blankly. Their eyes met, and he felt a flutter of nervousness.

He took the water cup and quickly tucked it into the side of his schoolbag before slowly standing up.

Yang Zhi stood up with him, needing to hold the umbrella over both of them.

After slinging his schoolbag over his shoulder, Ding Yebai scratched his head, his gaze shifting from Yang Zhi to somewhere else.

"Sister Yang Zhi... what are you doing here?"

"I was getting a headache from writing my thesis, so I thought I'd go for a walk. I came here and saw you, and noticed you didn't have an umbrella, so I came over."

"Oh. I see."

"It's raining quite heavily."

"Yeah."

"Then I'll walk you home."

"...Okay."

Afterward, the two walked along the small path under the umbrella.

Because Ding Yebai was taller, Yang Zhi held the umbrella a little higher.

She glanced at Ding Yebai's wet hair and said, "You should dry your hair quickly when you get back, don't catch a cold."

Ding Yebai nodded.

Yang Zhi: "You're quite good at basketball."

Ding Yebai: "You saw?"

Yang Zhi: "Mm. I watched for a little while. You're good at so many things."

Ding Yebai: "..."

"Maybe you can join the school basketball team when you go to college," Yang Zhi said with a gentle smile.

Ding Yebai's heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened abruptly before he quickly looked away.

His panic caused his body to move uncontrollably.

He accidentally bumped into Yang Zhi's shoulder.

It was just a slight bump, a gentle one.

But in his eyes, it felt like a meteor colliding with Earth.

"Uh, sorry!" Ding Yebai took a large step to the side, putting more distance between himself and Yang Zhi.

He stepped too far, and half his body was now outside the umbrella, getting rained on.

Yang Zhi looked at his strange behavior, bewildered.

After a moment, she stretched out her arm and pulled him back under the umbrella.

However, the other side of her body was now getting wet.

Yang Zhi: "What's wrong?"

Ding Yebai: "Nothing..."

Yang Zhi: "Are you uncomfortable being with me?"

He must have been too close just now.

Ding Yebai: "No..."

He scratched his head and stepped back under the umbrella, still holding the handle, so Yang Zhi was also covered by it.

"It's not like that," he refuted again.

Other than that, he didn't know what else to say.

In fact, in some ways, he was truly a bit clumsy. Clumsy in expressing his emotions.

Yang Zhi didn't ask further. The two walked together like this.

"Sister Yang Zhi, do you... like hair clips?"

"Hair clips?"

"Yeah."

Yang Zhi stared at Ding Yebai's face for a moment before calmly saying, "Yes."

In reality, she was indifferent.

It was just to avoid dampening Ding Yebai's spirits.

Upon hearing this, Ding Yebai immediately took a white hair clip with a bunny design from his pocket.

It lay small and flat in his broad, strong palm.

Yang Zhi looked at the hair clip, then pointed to herself: "Is it for me?"

Ding Yebai glanced at her, then shyly nodded.

"Yes."

"Did you buy it?"

"No."

Ding Yebai denied it quite decisively.

"I got this hair clip as a prize when I was buying something at a store and they had a promotion. As a guy, I definitely have no use for this."

Hearing the word "[guy]," Yang Zhi blinked and looked up at Ding Yebai blankly.

She didn't say anything, however, and unhurriedly took the hair clip.

"It's quite pretty. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I thought you would give it to Senior Sister."

"My old sister is such a tomboy, she has no use for something so girly."

"Pfft..."

Yang Zhi chuckled.

Seeing her smile, Ding Yebai bashfully scratched his cheek with his finger.

"Do you like it?" he suddenly asked.

"Hm?" Yang Zhi was dazed for a few seconds, then gave a faint smile. "I like it a lot."

"Sister Yang Zhi, what kind of guy do you like?"

"...Huh?"

This question completely stunned Yang Zhi.

The transition between the previous and current sentences was too abrupt.

If she said something like "[Why are you asking this?]" right now, the situation would become very awkward. And mainly, Ding Yebai would be awkward; she herself wouldn't be too affected.

Yang Zhi thought for a few seconds, subconsciously touched her face, and gazing forward, said leisurely, "Stable, upright, with good values..." She thought for a long time but couldn't come up with any more words. She waved it off, saying, "Never mind, talking about these things is useless."

Ding Yebai: "Why?"

Yang Zhi: "Because when you love someone, it's about meeting them. After meeting them, you'll realize all those criteria you listed for your future partner are no longer important."

Ding Yebai stared straight at her, looking at her elegant profile, her high nose bridge, her long eyelashes...

Yang Zhi: "Actually, what is love? Loving someone is instantaneous, it's a gentle strumming of the heartstrings, it's hard to control, hard to let go. Love... doesn't have many reasons or justifications. When love arrives, not even a flood can stop it."

She paused, her tone softening.

"It's what they call, 'because of love, therefore love.'"

Ding Yebai: "..."

Yang Zhi turned to look at him and sighed with a hint of helplessness.

She knew she had said too much.

Suddenly elevating the conversation to such a high level, she realized Ding Yebai was only 18 years old.

He was still a child, he probably wouldn't understand.

Ding Yebai: "Sister Yang Zhi hasn't met that person yet."

Yang Zhi: "Mm."

She looked up at the sky, raindrops pattering on the umbrella, just like the tears Luo Luo had shed on her shoulder that night.

"So what if we met? To be able to mutually love someone you like is a miracle in itself in this society."

Ding Yebai was instantly speechless.

He had always thought Sister Yang Zhi was someone who believed in fairy tales, believed in love, and was extremely romantic. How could these words suddenly make her seem...

That's right, she had entered society after experiencing hardships. Her sharp edges had long been worn down, and life had already pressed her so hard she couldn't breathe. Was love, in her eyes, something very illusory and fake?

"But I still believe in miracles."

Yang Zhi suddenly spoke.

"No reason, just foolishly believe." She lowered her eyes, smiling calmly.

Ding Yebai's eyes instantly lit up.

It was indeed the same Sister Yang Zhi!

The Sister Yang Zhi who, no matter how cold reality was, remained cheerful and sunny, treating everything with kindness!

Swish swish swish--

The rain poured down, dripping from the roof tiles.

The two looked at each other like this. Ding Yebai felt as if the thread connecting his soul had loosened, a void forming especially around his chest.

He felt completely empty.

When Yang Zhi looked over, he clearly felt a sense of shyness!!!

He couldn't look away, his eyes only on her.

Every movement she made was so cute, and every smile warmed him. He even subconsciously smiled along.

Perhaps he had truly fallen for her.

If possible, he wanted to become someone as outstanding as Sister Yang Zhi, holding her hand as they walked into the future.

But Ding Yebai was still a bit troubled. After all, he had always adhered to [The wise do not fall in love], and there were examples like Third Uncle.

Mm... Forget it! It doesn't matter.

If his highly intelligent brain became a little duller, it wouldn't affect anything.

Besides.

He wasn't infatuated like Third Uncle.

His feelings for Sister Yang Zhi were at most a little liking. A little admiration, nothing more.

When he came to his senses and was about to say something, he was stunned by Yang Zhi's words.

"I didn't expect you, looking so cold, to be so gossipy?" Yang Zhi teased him intentionally.

Ding Yebai straightened up, swallowing the words he was about to say. "I was just asking casually."

"Mm? Really?"

"..."

Sigh...

As expected, he still liked her smile the most.

Love happens in an instant-()

Thanks to My Favorite Rokurokuro for 200 Origin Point Coins, Hua He for 200 Origin Point Coins, Sundy｀尹 for 4500 Origin Point Coins, Xiang Jian Mo Lu for 1500 Origin Point Coins, Book Friend 20210812154651685 for 100 Origin Point Coins, Jia Yin Zhi Zhou for 100 Origin Point Coins, Book Friend 20201025143756411 for Origin Point Coins, The Number of Years I Fell in Love with Ying Ying is 100 Origin Point Coins, Luo Fan, Mr. ????? for their rewards.