The Wind Rose, but We Never Met

In Lin Qinghe's memories, Xu Yiming is always smiling.

The sunlight falls just right in their third-grade classroom. He always wears a clean white shirt, his eyes curving like crescent moons. When he smiles, faint dimples appear at the corners of his eyes, and even his voice carries the bright cheerfulness unique to a boy his age. He takes advantage of his mischievous streak to coax the young Lin Qinghe into drinking ink, then laughs so hard he nearly falls over as she puffs out her cheeks and tears up. Afterward, he hurriedly offers her candy, clumsily trying to cheer her up. Back then, his smile was the brightest thing in her world. Amid their playful banter, the two little kids hooked pinkies and promised to always be each other's best friends, to stay by each other's side no matter what.

The breeze was gentle then, and their smiles sincere. They both thought their bond would last through the years.

But when they started middle school, a class assignment put them on different floors, and little by little, they drifted apart. Xu Yiming remained the brightest presence in any crowd, sunny and outgoing, getting along with everyone and bringing his hearty laughter wherever he went. Lin Qinghe, too, grew into a gentle, gracious young woman, kind to everyone. But when she was around him, her childhood boldness was gone, replaced by nervousness and caution.

They became strangers who knew each other best. Lin Qinghe would make excuses to pass by during breaks, secretly peeking toward his classroom, watching him joke with his classmates and seeing his smiling face as he ran across the basketball court. His smile was still radiant, but it was no longer a warmth meant just for her. What she didn't know was that Xu Yiming would also glance her way now and then, looking at her gentle, quiet profile as he hid his joy and dared not disturb her. Their mutual crushes stayed hidden in their hearts, unknown to anyone.

In the end, a misunderstanding ruined their youthful feelings. One day, Lin Qinghe summoned all her courage to approach him and confess what she'd kept hidden for years. But from a distance, she saw him chatting happily with another girl. His smile was as bright as ever, but to Lin Qinghe it was painfully dazzling. Her courage vanished in an instant. Convinced that he already cared for someone else, she silently turned back to her own world and buried her feelings for good. Seeing her walk away dejectedly, Xu Yiming thought she had long forgotten their childhood bond and felt nothing for him, so in the end, he didn't dare ask.

Those childhood promises, that absurd cup of ink, and the crushes they'd each hidden throughout their youth all came to a definitive end in that silent misunderstanding.

The wind blew across the school once more, stirring memories of those awkward, innocent days. Lin Qinghe thought of the boy who was always smiling in her memories, but in the end, she never made it back to his side.

Year after year, the wind rises, but the old friends never meet again.

Theme: A youthful, unrequited love