"Xiaoliang."
His name was like a pebble dropped into the center of a lake.
He could even feel his blood flowing faster.
Wei Zijin gave him little time to let his thoughts run wild.
"I don't want to have any regrets."
"Wang Xiaoliang, I like you. I've liked you for four years."
She put almost every ounce of strength she had into that last sentence.
"I've made up my mind. I want to be with you."
It was as though someone had muted the world at that moment.
Wang Xiaoliang's mind went blank. All his guesses, all his worries, all his hopes dissolved into nothing. Only Wei Zijin's astonishingly bright eyes and the words she had just spoken remained, echoing over and over in his head.
I want to be with you.
I want... to be with you.
Those were the words he had been waiting for.
Or rather, they were the words he had never even dared hope to hear.
Before the last trace of Wei Zijin's voice had faded into the night breeze, Wang Xiaoliang moved.
Acting almost on instinct, he reached out and pulled the girl before him into his arms.
The movement was a little rough, driven by a reckless impulse.
Caught off guard, Wei Zijin gave a soft cry as she fell against his chest.
Wang Xiaoliang didn't stop.
He lowered his head, seeking the softness that had unsettled him so, then clumsily pressed his lips to hers.
There was no technique, no finesse.
Only the most primal impulse, the most direct expression of his feelings.
His lips met hers without any warning.
Wei Zijin's body instantly stiffened.
She was just as awkward as he was, not even knowing how to respond.
It was the first kiss for both of them.
Hesitant and flustered, yet burning with enough heat to set the entire night sky ablaze.
Wang Xiaoliang could feel her trembling slightly in his arms. His own heartbeat thundered like a drum, pounding until his ears rang.
He had no idea how much time passed. Perhaps an instant, perhaps an eternity.
When they finally parted, both were gasping for breath, neither daring to look at the other.
Wang Xiaoliang's cheeks burned. He was certain his face was red enough to drip blood.
Wei Zijin kept her head bowed even lower, as though she wanted to disappear into his embrace.
The night breeze brought a touch of coolness, but it couldn't dispel the heat lingering between them.
"I..." Wang Xiaoliang wanted to say something, but his throat was too dry to form a single complete syllable.
Instead, Wei Zijin was the first to break the suffocating silence.
Her voice still trembled slightly, muffled against his chest.
"Lanxiang told me something today."
Wang Xiaoliang paused. How had the conversation come back to Li Lanxiang?
"She said... she's physically attracted to Zhou Qiang."
Physically attracted?
What did that mean?
Wang Xiaoliang couldn't understand what those words meant when put together.
"What is... physical attraction?" he asked without thinking.
Wei Zijin didn't answer immediately, perhaps trying to find the right words, or perhaps simply feeling shy.
After a while, she continued in a voice barely louder than a mosquito's hum. "She said... they used to collect scrap together. In summer, when it was really hot, Zhou Qiang would be covered in sweat... and she thought... his sweat smelled nice."
After saying that, Wei Zijin buried her face completely against Wang Xiaoliang's chest and refused to lift it again.
Boom!
Wang Xiaoliang understood in an instant.
He understood exactly what "physical attraction" meant.
He finally understood why Wei Zijin had said that she and Li Lanxiang had only truly become best friends today.
Such private subjects, such completely instinctive feelings, could only be shared with someone utterly close to you.
It was the most honest exchange between two best friends.
Physical attraction was love in its most instinctive form.
Did that mean she liked the smell of his sweat too?
He looked down at the girl hiding in his arms like an ostrich, his heart filling with an indescribable tenderness and warmth.
He leaned close to her ear and asked very softly.
"Then does my... sweat smell nice?"
She stiffened in his arms, then suddenly raised a hand and thumped his chest.
The blow was light, more playful than anything.
"You stink!"
Her voice was thick with embarrassment, but it made Wang Xiaoliang laugh.
He tightened his arms, holding her closer, rested his chin on the top of her head, and took a deep breath.
The fresh scent of shampoo mingled with her own faint, distinctive scent.
"You smell so good."
He cupped Wei Zijin's face in his hands, making her look up.
Her cheeks were as red as ripe apples, and her bright eyes shimmered with moisture, sending his heart fluttering.
Without another word, he kissed her again.
This time, he was much more composed, and much gentler.
That night, Wang Xiaoliang couldn't sleep at all.
He lay on his narrow single bed, tossing and turning, unable to drift off.
Every moment beside the lake replayed in his mind.
Her confession, her shyness, her faint scent, and the softness of her lips.
It all felt so unreal, yet so vivid.
He savored that immense happiness over and over, his grin never leaving his face.
On the way back with Wei Zijin, she had laid down three ground rules.
First, unless something was particularly important, they weren't to call or message each other casually and interrupt each other's work.
Second, they could see each other no more than once a week.
Third, and most importantly, they both had to work hard for their future. They couldn't neglect their careers just because they were dating.
The three rules sounded a little cold, but Wang Xiaoliang found them reassuring.
This wasn't an impulsive romance between children playing house. It was a decision an adult had made after careful thought.
She had made him part of her plans for the future.
That gave him more security than any sweet words ever could.
It also deepened his faith in his mysterious Book of Fate.
The gears of fate had begun to turn. Everything was unfolding according to the script, and it was even more wonderful than he had imagined.
For the first time, he felt such powerful confidence in his own life.
Early the next morning, Wang Xiaoliang got out of bed with dark circles under his eyes, yet brimming with energy.
He was going to see Liu Xinyu off.
At the airport, watching his friend prepare to board, Wang Xiaoliang felt a little wistful.
"Work hard when you get home."
Liu Xinyu smiled, took a brand-new phone box out of his bag, and pushed it into Wang Xiaoliang's hands.
"Take it."
Wang Xiaoliang saw that it was the latest Apple iPhone and hurriedly pushed it back. "No, no, this is too expensive. I can't accept it. Zijin already gave me one yesterday."
Wang Xiaoliang took his phone out of his pocket.
"Nice! A token of love? So you're officially together?" When Wang Xiaoliang nodded, Liu Xinyu gave his shoulder a hearty slap.
"You landed the campus belle without a peep. Well played. Take this as a gift to celebrate losing your virginity. Keep it or sell it for cash, whatever you like."
"What are you talking about? I haven't."
"Ha! So you haven't sealed the deal! I'm telling you, hurry up and move in together. The longer you wait, the more can go wrong. A TV station is full of hidden talent. Don't let someone else steal her away."
"Oh, please. Zijin isn't that kind of person."
"Just take my advice, man."
Seeing that Wang Xiaoliang was still hesitant, Liu Xinyu patted his arm and said earnestly, "Xiaoliang, we're brothers. Don't stand on ceremony with me. Keep in touch, and if you run into trouble, say something. Don't shoulder it all alone. If things don't work out here, come straight to me. You'll always have a place at my table."
Warmth flooded Wang Xiaoliang's heart, and a thousand words caught in his throat.
He nodded firmly. "Okay."
With two new phones, he decided not to sell either one.
He tried shooting a video. The sharpness and richness of the colors were leagues ahead of his old phone.
To do a job well, you first had to have the right tools.
With school out for the holidays, he had no choice but to stop selling drinks.
His focus naturally shifted to making videos.
Thanks to the upgraded equipment, the quality of his videos improved noticeably, and he began posting much more frequently.
The results were clear.
His video views began to grow steadily, and his follower count rose at an encouraging pace.
That evening, after finishing his video editing, he opened his profile to check the numbers as usual.
Just then, an official message from the platform caught his attention.
Curious, he opened the notification.
An elegantly designed promotional page popped up on the screen, with a prominent headline.
"Gold Creator Support Program: Free training course on becoming a successful independent content creator."
A free training course?
Wang Xiaoliang carefully read the introduction on the page.
It was an online course the platform had organized specifically to support new creators. Professional channel-management instructors would provide comprehensive free training in everything from content planning and filming and editing to account management and monetizing traffic.
For Wang Xiaoliang, who was still a beginner, it was like being handed a pillow just as he was getting sleepy.
Without hesitation, he scrolled to the bottom of the page.
He pressed his finger on the "Sign up now" button.
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