Feigning Arrogance

On Yun City High School's list of the most popular boys among the girls, Ye Jiahe ranked first by a wide margin.

Who could possibly resist falling for Ye Jiahe? He was tall and long-legged, with a cool, refined air and striking good looks. He was the school's perennial top student, as well as the object of countless girls' secret crushes.

The only pity was that no girl ever seemed able to get close to him. He was like a lone wolf, never stopping for anyone.

And yet, the girls who liked him kept coming, one after another, like fish swimming upstream.

On graduation day, Ye Jiahe was chosen to give a speech as the outstanding student representative. Girls cheered and squealed all around him. They wanted to confess their feelings during this final celebration of their youth. To have spent their youth secretly loving such an outstanding boy was already something grand; if only he knew how they felt, they would have no regrets.

The excited chatter around them went on and on. "Do you think I can tell Ye that I like him later? We're graduating anyway. Just once, even once would be enough. Maybe I won't get to see him again after this."

Everyone knew that confessing to Ye Jiahe was almost guaranteed to end in rejection. But until they reached the Yellow River, they wouldn't give up hope. The girls still wanted to share their tender feelings with him.

Shen Xingchen stood below the stage, her lashes lowered, her expression unreadable. The shadows hid her face. Her fingers clenched until they were almost white, then she fled.

After the graduation speech, roses and love letters flooded in from all sides, surrounding Ye Jiahe until he could barely move. But the boy only smiled gently and turned down each bouquet. "Sorry, I have somewhere to be."

Pushing through the crowd, Ye Jiahe finally found Shen Xingchen in a quiet corner of the school building.

Wearing a white shirt that showed off his smooth, well-defined arms, the boy braced one hand against the wall and cornered Shen Xingchen. With his other hand, he gently stroked her cheek and gave a soft, mocking laugh. "Why are you hiding? Hmm?"

"You're not even married into my family yet, and you're already this jealous?"

*

Through the long years of teenage crushes, Ye Jiahe's name was a secret in the hearts of countless girls. No one thought any girl could pluck that unattainable flower from the mountaintop.

Shen Xingchen was no different. She had never imagined that one day she would be able to hold the stars in her arms.

She once thought she would never be the one to pluck a star. No matter how hard she tried to reach it, the star would never come to her.

Until the night of the class reunion, when they got their college entrance exam results. Someone stepped out to wash their hands and saw them.

Shen Xingchen was held in his arms, her wrist caught in his hand as he murmured, "Shen Xingchen, you still haven't paid me back for that kiss."

She had only secretly kissed his cheek.

So...

He had known all along.

*

Back in middle school, during Chinese class, their teacher once mentioned a line of poetry by a great writer. One line left a deep impression on Shen Xingchen.

One could reach for the moon in the heavens. But Shen Xingchen knew she was not someone who could pluck the moon.

The person she loved was like the moon, hanging high in the sky. He was destined to stay there, and they were parallel lines that would never meet, visible but forever out of reach.

Only at the very end did she learn that if she did not reach for her moon, the moon would come running to her.

Cover art used with permission.

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