Lin Yao is an underachiever in Class 7, Grade 11 at Lancheng No. 1 High School, and a part-time cosplayer. At the Lanxi Comic Convention, she debuts in a full cosplay shoot for the first time, only to be mocked by online trolls as “a catfish” and “someone who looks terrible once the makeup’s off.” As she hides in the changing room and cries, the door is kicked open. Shen Yu, the school bully from Class 3, Grade 10, is also a legendary top student. Leaning in the doorway with a DSLR slung over his shoulder, he says, “Why are you crying? They’re blind. I’ll take your pictures.” The moment he presses the shutter, Lin Yao’s natural camera appeal kicks in. The photos turn out so stunning that everyone is blown away, and her haters fall silent.
But the next day, the school posts its ranking list. Lin Yao is seventh from the bottom; Shen Yu is first. Whispers sting like needles in front of the honor roll: “The girl at the bottom with the top student? Hilarious.” “A younger guy chasing an older girl? Doesn’t he have anything better to do?” The rumors turn into bullying. She’s ostracized, and he’s mocked as a “blind nerd.”
Shen Yu doesn’t explain. On the third day, he hands in a blank exam and plummets straight to last place. The academic director slams the desk in fury, but Shen Yu says lazily, “Now she and I are on the same line. What else do you have to say?”
Later, on the main stage at the Lanxi Comic Convention, he wears the same cosplay outfit as her and drops to one knee in front of tens of thousands of people, holding out his camera. “Senior, I used to take your pictures. From now on, you can take mine. For the rest of our lives.” As the crowd screams, Lin Yao’s eyes fill with tears. But she doesn’t know that the secret of how he gave up his recommendation to a top university for her is still hidden in the sea breeze.
