(The title may change.)
From middle school through high school, Xu Xin Zhan liked Song Zilin for years. She brought him water on the basketball court, packed him lunches, and sorted through the love letters crammed into his desk for him.
Song Zilin often told her, "Don't be so stiff and serious. You're just like my mom."
After failing to win him over, Xu Xin Zhan was exhausted. Her observant friend gave her a suggestion: "Why don't you pretend to like someone else? That jerk Song Zilin needs to feel threatened."
Following her friend's gaze, Xu Xin Zhan looked over at her deskmate, Li Huanzhou.
The unflappable top student in their grade cared only about studying. He didn't care who liked him, or whether someone was treating him as a stand-in.
He accepted Xu Xin Zhan's breakfast, picked up her test papers, and put together a collection of questions she'd gotten wrong.
He accepted her chocolate and agreed to tutor her over the weekend.
At McDonald's, the two sat side by side. Xu Xin Zhan listened intently as Li Huanzhou explained a problem, then smiled in sudden realization, dimples appearing in her cheeks.
Outside the window, Song Zilin angrily crunched the ice in his cola.
Just as her friend had predicted, Song Zilin came around and started treating Xu Xin Zhan much better. After school, he invited her to go out with him.
Li Huanzhou listened silently beside them, then reached out and stopped Xu Xin Zhan from closing her notebook.
He patiently asked her, "Do you want to go out with him, or do you want to rank in the top ten?"
Later, he asked, "Are you choosing him, or me?"
Theme: Stay positive
