Chen Zicheng lowered his head and fell into silence. Just as Zhu Yaya thought he wouldn't speak again, he suddenly looked intently into her eyes.
Zhu Yaya couldn't help but feel that his eyes held a complex mix of emotions.
With a bitter smile, Chen Zicheng said, Zhu Yaya, what if I did all this because I like you?
Zhu Yaya was completely stunned.
She felt as if there was something wrong with her hearing. Like me?
Yes. Chen Zicheng didn't hesitate, stating directly, I've liked you for a long time, Zhu Yaya.
Chen Zicheng first found out about Zhu Yaya after the monthly exams last October.
He had always been the one to take first place. During the high school entrance exams, a fever had prevented him from getting a good score. Although he still made it into Scott High School, he failed to get into Class One. Unwilling to accept this, he had studied diligently ever since entering Scott High School.
Therefore, he was extremely confident that the throne for first place in the freshman class during the October exams would undoubtedly be his.
But when he looked at the bulletin board on the first floor of the teaching building, where the grade rankings were posted, he didn't see his own name in the first-place spot. Instead, he saw a girl's name: Zhu Yaya.
He was in second place.
He had been defeated by a girl named Zhu Yaya.
Who was Zhu Yaya?
He was somewhat surprised. How had he never heard of someone so formidable?
Based on his stereotypical impression of top students, Chen Zicheng had already painted a portrait of this Zhu Yaya in his mind: wearing black-rimmed glasses, calm and quiet, and perhaps a bit introverted.
It wasn't until they went up to the podium to receive their awards during the school assembly that Chen Zicheng finally saw the Zhu Yaya who had defeated him.
Long hair, a white dress, and two small dimples when she smiled.
Standing near her as the second-place winner, Chen Zicheng could even catch the faint, fresh scent radiating from her.
He felt a little nervous.
When Zhu Yaya was about to give her speech, she seemed to notice his gaze and turned to look at him.
Then, she smiled at him.
She smiled without any reservation. Her two little dimples were prominent and sweet.
Because of that smile, Chen Zicheng's mind turned to mush. He replayed that smile in his head over and over again.
Why did she smile at him?
A guess leaped into Chen Zicheng's mind, making him even more nervous.
From then on, Chen Zicheng began to pay attention to Zhu Yaya from Class One.
She loved to smile.
She greeted everyone with a smile on her face.
Chen Zicheng felt a bit gloomy; it turned out that smile didn't mean anything special.
No, her smile towards him was brighter than the ones she gave to others.
Although he had developed some different feelings for Zhu Yaya, Chen Zicheng still wanted to drag her down from the first-place throne.
Maybe then, she would notice him.
Harboring this secret thought, he threw himself into his studies with even more effort.
However, Zhu Yaya seemed to have firmly secured her first-place throne. Whether it was a major exam or a minor quiz, Zhu Yaya always managed to edge him out.
Perhaps his gazing had become too frequent, because Chen Zicheng's desk-mate joked with him, Why do I feel like you pay a lot of attention to Zhu Yaya? Tell me! Do you like her?
How is that possible? With his secret thoughts exposed, Chen Zicheng denied it in a sheer panic. I don't like her at all! I just feel like she isn't a proper girl.
Not proper?
Chen Zicheng thought of the smile she had given him, along with his mother's usual dinner-table gossip and Zhu Yaya's smiles at other people. She's always smiling at guys. She must like seducing other boys!
