Do you still remember me?

The bell for the final class finally rang.

As though they had planned it all along, the students rose to their feet in a rush.

Together, they bowed to their homeroom teacher, Wang Qiming, at the lectern.

"Thank you for all your hard work, sir."

The middle-aged teacher, long known for his stern manner, felt his eyes redden.

He smiled and waved at them.

"Class dismissed!"

"May you all do well on your college entrance exams and have bright futures. May you return with your youthful hearts unchanged!"

Once their homeroom teacher left, the students began packing up the books and test papers they would take home.

Some carried notebooks they had prepared in advance, going around to collect farewell signatures.

Chen Fan glanced at Su Ruochu.

"That's a lot of books to carry. How about I help take them home for you later?"

Su Ruochu was about to speak when Li Na came running over with a notebook, grinning.

"Quick! You two sign mine first."

Chen Fan laughed.

"You're doing this too?"

"There's no point. You'll forget where you tossed it before long anyway."

Li Na scolded him playfully.

"Ugh, you're so annoying."

"It's such a touching farewell, and you just have to spoil the mood."

Then she turned to Su Ruochu.

"Aren't you going to keep your man in line?"

Su Ruochu blushed bright red and gave a soft scoff.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Chuckling, Chen Fan raised his hands in surrender.

"All right, all right. I'm sorry."

"To make it up to you, I'll give you a proper signature."

He took the gel pen she handed him and wrote a line in the notebook.

"May your future be bright, and may you always be happy!"

Then he signed his name in large, bold strokes: Chen Fan.

When he finished, he handed the pen to Su Ruochu.

Su Ruochu wrote her name beneath Chen Fan's in delicate handwriting, adding a message of well-wishes.

Chen Fan teased with a chuckle, "You're lucky to get my autograph."

"Make sure you keep it safe. Once I make it big, that signature will be worth something."

"Pfft! Keep dreaming."

Li Na put away her notebook, but not before reminding Su Ruochu.

"Keep him in line. He's getting more smooth-tongued by the day."

She turned around to find Guo Shuai standing behind her with a grin.

"Let me sign it too."

Li Na handed him the notebook.

"Write something decent."

"If you scribble nonsense, I'll beat you up!"

Watching the two laughing and chatting, Chen Fan turned to Su Ruochu with a smile.

"We don't need to exchange signatures, do we?"

Su Ruochu froze, her hand stopping just as she was about to pull a notebook from her desk compartment.

Chen Fan explained with a chuckle.

"I've saved a good spot for your signature."

"On my family's household register and our marriage certificate someday."

Su Ruochu's pretty face flushed scarlet, and she hurriedly turned away to find Li Na, too embarrassed to stay.

While the two girls went around collecting farewell signatures,

Chen Fan and Guo Shuai stood by the corridor railing outside the classroom, watching the students coming and going below.

"Made up your mind?"

"Yeah. I'll help Li Na carry her things back to the dorm later. I'll tell her then."

Guo Shuai had the tragic resolve of a warrior marching toward certain death.

"I'm doomed whether I go for it or back out. No more stalling. Today's the day."

The two chatted for a little while.

When Guo Shuai turned and saw Li Na coming out with a stack of books, he quickly called out.

"Let me, let me! Leave the heavy lifting to us men."

Chen Fan watched the two leave with a chuckle, secretly giving Guo Shuai a thumbs-up.

Good luck.

Just then, Su Ruochu came out.

She scanned the corridor and, upon spotting Chen Fan, hesitated before seeming to finally gather her courage.

She walked over.

For the first time, she took the initiative to stand beside Chen Fan.

"What are you thinking about?"

Chen Fan smiled and pointed at the students darting around them.

"I'm watching them."

With high school ending, quite a few boys finally worked up the courage to run to their crushes' classrooms and shout the girls' names.

They wanted to leave themselves one last memory of their youth.

Meanwhile, the boys and girls who were already dating finally stopped hiding, openly cuddling together and enjoying their own little world.

The sight stirred something in Su Ruochu.

"How many of them do you think will really stay together to the end?"

Chen Fan reached out and gently clasped her small hand.

Like a startled rabbit, Su Ruochu instantly looked flustered.

She glanced nervously at Chen Fan, then tried to pull free.

But his gaze was firm, and he refused to let go.

Su Ruochu hesitated, then finally gave in.

She let him keep holding her hand in secret.

She even found an excuse for herself.

Let's just call it leaving no regrets in my youth.

Only after Su Ruochu stopped pulling away did Chen Fan slowly speak.

"I don't know about them, but us... we'll never be apart again in this lifetime."

At his words, Su Ruochu's cheeks flushed, but a trace of sweetness filled her heart.

What young girl didn't dream of love?

As a girl in the bloom of youth, how could she not have secretly imagined a romance of her own?

Just then, a boy from the neighboring class suddenly dashed to the classroom doorway in front of them.

"Su Ruochu, I like you!"

Then he ran off without looking back.

They both stared, dumbfounded.

Once Chen Fan recovered, he immediately pretended to be furious, rolling up his sleeves as though he would charge after him.

Amused, Su Ruochu caught hold of him.

"What are you doing?"

Chen Fan grinned.

"Compared to them, I'm lucky!"

At that moment, singing drifted down from an unidentified class in the corridor upstairs.

Soon, the song echoed throughout the school building.

That set the atmosphere ablaze.

Students poured noisily out of every classroom.

Some cheered at the tops of their voices, while others sang along.

Caught up in the excitement, some boys began tearing up test papers and textbooks and tossing them over the corridor railings.

White scraps filled the air like swirling snow.

Some boys plucked up the courage to shout the names of the girls they liked.

Some girls secretly cried until their eyes were red...

Su Ruochu quietly withdrew her hand, still a little embarrassed in front of so many people.

Chen Fan did not insist. Instead, he shifted closer, sheltering Su Ruochu against him so the surrounding students would not jostle her.

Su Ruochu leaned against the railing, watching the sheets of paper flutter down before her, seemingly swept up in the emotion.

"Chen Fan, can you sing?"

"Sure."

"Will you sing me a song?"

"Huh?" Chen Fan gave a rueful smile. "I'm not a good singer."

Su Ruochu turned to look at him.

"I want to hear you."

"All right!"

Chen Fan nodded.

Never mind singing for Su Ruochu-even if she wanted the stars in the sky, Chen Fan would rush up to pluck them down for her.

"What song do you want to hear?"

Su Ruochu thought for a moment. "Anything."

Chen Fan glanced around and happened to see a classmate carrying a guitar out of the classroom.

"Let me borrow that."

Chen Fan reached out and took it.

He slipped the strap over his shoulder, stood before Su Ruochu, and lowered his head to softly strum a few chords.

He had learned guitar for a while in college in his previous life. Fortunately, his skills had not grown rusty.

After tuning it, Chen Fan looked up at Su Ruochu and smiled faintly.

He began to sing softly.

"La la la... la la la...

Time slipped swiftly away

That girl who loved to talk

Do you still remember me? I miss you

Times have changed, no need for many words

You were all of my youth

At opposite ends of the earth, we leave each other in peace

I'll always treasure your kindness

My summer, you whom I loved

I can't forget your figure as you walked away

I drank a can of beer and picked up my guitar

Please let me sing you a song..."

Chen Fan's voice was not particularly clear; it was even a little low and husky.

His first line trembled slightly with nerves.

But he soon found his rhythm.

As he gazed at Su Ruochu standing before him, his eyes grew distant.

His memories seemed to carry him back to the past.

Every little moment he had shared with Su Ruochu in his previous life flashed through his mind like scenes from a film...

The corridor around them was a noisy jumble.

Yet at that moment, all the sounds around them seemed to vanish.

There was only each other.