September sunshine still carried the heat of summer. Xia Zhi stood before the class assignment notice board and met Jiang Chi for the first time.
His cotton sleeve brushed her arm, leaving behind the faint scent of cheap lavender laundry detergent. A glimpse of his profile, lasting only two seconds, made its mark on her heart.
She was the least noticeable person in class, quiet and reserved, used to blending into the background.
He was a gentle, easygoing boy, polite to everyone and equally indifferent to all. Even his nods were nothing more than social reflexes.
They became classmates. She silently remembered details like the half bottle of water on his desk, slowed her steps when passing his seat, and felt her heartbeat stumble when he nodded without thinking, yet she never dared let him know.
Her best friend Su Xiaoxiao saw through her little secret. She teased her with words but always had her back. Jiang Chi's friends occasionally made jokes, hitting the mark every time.
From the early autumn of their second year of high school to the sweltering summer of the college entrance exams, two years passed. Her happiness, disappointment, anticipation, and sadness were all one person's private turmoil.
He never knew. She never spoke.
This one-sided secret crush, which began with the scent of laundry detergent, had no confession, no response, and no ending.
