She had never dreamed that she would one day face such a predicament.
Falling in love with a boy over a decade younger than herself.
Yet, it felt worthwhile. A boy like him deserved her affection, while someone like her, no matter how she looked at it, seemed unworthy of his attention.
Now that their feelings were out in the open, Zhou Yi's treatment of her brought both joy and gratitude to her heart.
However, precisely because of this, Jingwen felt even stronger that she shouldn't entangle him further. It wouldn't benefit him in the long run.
He was still so young, with a bright future ahead of him, not meant to be tied down by someone like her.
She could only admire him silently from afar, unable to pursue a relationship with him. Jingwen believed she should feel content simply being able to see him.
She could stay by his side under the guise of an older sister. Life shouldn't be lived with excessive greed; she needed to cherish what little she had.
With a deep sigh, Jingwen made up her mind and returned to her room.
From downstairs, Zhou Yi glanced up at her retreating figure.
He knew she had been watching him, and he could almost guess what thoughts weighed on her mind.
After finishing his tasks, Zhou Yi knocked on Jingwen's door.
Instead of seeing him, she told him to focus on school the next day and said they could discuss other matters later.
Zhou Yi also sensed that things were moving too fast, so he stood outside her door, urging her to rest well before leaving.
Jingwen leaned against the window of her room, watching until the boy's figure disappeared into the distance along the street.
She gazed at the stars in the night sky, making a wish that the boy would always shine as brightly as the stars she loved.
In her heart, Zhou Yi was her guiding star.
The day Zhou Yi returned to school coincided with Huaihai University's opening ceremony.
The event was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
Zhou Yi skipped the morning class meeting that started at 8:30.
"Where is Zhou Yi? Why isn't he here?"
Counselor Liu Wei adjusted his glasses and noticed Zhou Yi's absence during roll call.
Since Zhou Yi had no friends in the class, naturally, no one bothered to cover for him.
Besides, even the closest of friends wouldn't dare risk taking attendance in such a situation.
Liu Wei approached Zhou Yi's seat and asked his deskmate, Zhang Wu, why Zhou Yi wasn't present.
Zhang Wu pursed his lips and muttered, "I don't know. I don't associate with him."
Zhang Wu harbored deep resentment toward the university's policy of assigning fixed seats and deskmates, a practice he found absurd for college students.
They weren't high schoolers anymore. The idea that sitting with friends might affect studies seemed ridiculous. In university, most students cared only about graduating, not grades.
The prevailing attitude among current university students was one of apathy. After enduring the hardships of high school, they were determined to slack off as much as possible in college.
Zhang Wu's expression carried clear disdain for Zhou Yi, as if associating with him would tarnish his reputation.
Liu Wei's face darkened with anger. "The opening ceremony is about to start. If he doesn't show up and our class loses points, I'll make sure he regrets it!"
As Liu Wei returned to his office to look up Zhou Yi's address, the classroom erupted into whispers.
"He wouldn't dare show up after what happened last week. If I were him, I'd be too embarrassed to come."
"Probably scared of getting beaten up by the school beauty's admirers, huh?"
"Brother Hui said he'd deal with him. He's probably too scared to come."
"Poor Su Ning. Being linked to someone like him. Just seeing him would make me sick."
Su Ning, who had been reading quietly, frowned and snapped, "Enough! Stop dragging me into this. It's infuriating."