We left the campus in high spirits. Along the way, Su Wan kept bombarding Ye Zhan with questions, and Ye Zhan patiently answered them one by one. Eventually, they both became more and more enthusiastic, chatting animatedly. The other girls wanted to join them, but seeing that Su Wan was making progress, they wisely backed off, leaving room for Gong Ning and the others to make their moves.

With everyone paired off, I hurried over to Taozi. She was the type of girl who wouldn't come looking for me unless I sought her out first. Come to think of it, Taozi had never visited our class, and even during the time we were together, she would patiently wait for me in the classroom every day. Even when I accompanied Xia Xue home that one time, Taozi quietly followed behind us from a distance, and halfway there, she stopped following and stood under a streetlight, crying.

This girl always tugged at my heartstrings. I walked up to her and asked, "How far did you get with that notebook?"

Taozi replied, "I finished it a long time ago. But there are still some parts I don't understand, so I started reading it again."

"If there's anything you don't understand, just ask me," I said with a smile. "I'll explain it to you in simple terms."

Taozi glanced at me and said, "You’re always disappearing, so it's not easy to see you!"

At Big Tail Hotpot, everyone picked their favorite ingredients. It was my first time going out to eat with Taozi, and I didn't know what she liked, so I followed closely behind her with a tray. Whatever she picked, I picked too, making mental notes of her preferences.

"Why are you following me?" Taozi asked as she grabbed a bunch of greens.

"I’m not following you," I replied. "It just so happens that we like the same things. See, we're so in sync." I also grabbed a bunch of greens and shook the tray, saying, "Look, they're almost identical."

Taozi glanced at me and said, "You're so skinny, eat more meat." She piled a lot of meat onto my tray.

"You should eat some meat too," I said.

"I'm not eating, I'm on a diet," Taozi replied.

"You’re already so skinny, why diet?" I couldn't understand how these girls thought.

After picking their ingredients, everyone handed them to the cashier and took their seats. I stayed behind to pay. As I was about to take out money, I felt someone behind me. I turned around to see Taozi standing on her tiptoes, looking at me. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing," Taozi pretended to look elsewhere, but her eyes kept darting towards my hands.

I immediately understood and chuckled. "Are you worried I don't have enough money?"

Taozi blushed and said, "With so many people eating, you shouldn't spend all your living expenses." She took out a hundred yuan from her pocket. "Use mine, I don't spend much at school anyway."

My heart warmed. Taozi was always so thoughtful and understanding. I couldn't help but reach out and pat her head, remembering how soft and fragrant her hair was when I hugged her outside the police station.

"What are you doing?" Taozi dodged my hand. "Here, take the money. We came out to eat together, you shouldn't pay alone."

"No need," I pushed her hand away, teasingly saying, "Don't worry, this money is from me and Gong Ning. I’m not stupid; if I’m setting them up, I need to chip in some money, right? Twenty yuan each, we’ll settle the difference later."

"Oh, I see," Taozi put the money back. Together, we entered the private room, where everyone gathered around a large table, chatting animatedly. The atmosphere was lively, and it seemed like everyone had a chance at romance. After a while, the hotpot arrived, and each person had their own pot filled with shrimp balls, greens, and tofu, emitting a tantalizing aroma.

It was past six o'clock and we had already eaten in the cafeteria, so now, after evening self-study, this could be considered supper. Everyone enjoyed themselves, especially Ye Zhan and Su Wan, who were practically sharing a bowl. Gong Ning and the others envied them, wishing they could do the same with the girls next to them, but it seemed like they had all failed.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

After finishing the meal, we headed out. When I turned around, I saw Su Wan hanging onto Ye Zhan's arm. "Already hitting it off?" I exclaimed. "You two are moving awfully fast."

Su Wan giggled. "Of course, we’re all so busy. If we don't make the most of our time, how can we get anywhere?" She nestled against Ye Zhan, and he chuckled, clearly smitten.

I saw fire in Gong Ning and the others' eyes, as they tried their best to please the girls next to them. The girls giggled at their antics, but unfortunately, none of them were as proactive as Su Wan. Influenced by the atmosphere around me, I couldn't help but want to hold Taozi's hand. Taozi blinked and asked me, "Have you decided to be with me?"

I was taken aback, suddenly recalling Xia Xue's words that day. Before I had fully considered who I truly liked, I shouldn't make any rash decisions. Otherwise, I might end up hurting someone's feelings. So, I quietly withdrew my hand.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Taozi's eyes. It wasn't easy for a girl like her to say what she just did. And now, she was probably thinking that even if I broke up with Xia Xue, I still didn't want to be with her, right? I'd rather joke with her, call her "wife" in jest, shout her name out the window, or occasionally reach out to touch her hair...

Than be with her?

Taozi lowered her head, not saying a word. I knew she must be thinking exactly that, for sure.

"Taozi," I said, "I'm very clear that I like you. How could someone like you not be likable? But I'm not sure who I truly love. Until I've thought it through, I'd rather, I'd rather..."

"I understand," Taozi smiled at me. "It's okay. I can wait for you."

I felt touched, so I reached out to hold her hand again, and this time, Taozi didn't pull away.

We held hands, yet we weren't lovers. Walking behind the group, ahead of us was the noisy chatter, while we quietly enjoyed this brief moment together, not needing to think about anything or anyone else.

After that day, Gong Ning and the others all had things to do. Each of them had a girl they were pursuing, running around busily and happily. Every night, they gathered in my dormitory, excitedly recounting their progress. Watching them, I sighed with emotion; youth was truly wonderful, although I wasn't old myself. Ye Zhan and Su Wan had become an inseparable couple, often seen together on campus. Su Wan thought I had played a significant role in bringing them together, so she treated me like a benefactor, always urging me to get together with Taozi.

But I hadn't made up my mind yet, hadn't...

Days went by, and finally, it was Monday again. Although all signs indicated that I wouldn't be expelled, I was still nervous, fearing that something might go wrong. The notice was posted after the second class, but I pretended to be calm, lying in bed in the dormitory, waiting for Gong Ning and the others to come back and tell me the result. I tossed and turned, feeling like time was crawling by too slowly, with ants crawling in my heart.

"Haoge, Haoge!" someone shouted from outside.

I quickly got up, opened the window, and saw Ye Zhan and the others, all gathered downstairs. They were all beaming with joy, the sunlight shining on their faces, making them look even more vibrant and full of youthful vigor.

"Maizi was expelled, and you received a serious demerit," Ye Zhan said with a smile. "Hongli and the others also received serious demerits, but we only got a warning, and they praised our spirit of righteousness, although they advised against using violence to solve problems in the future!"

"Hahaha..." I clapped against the window, feeling ecstatic. Finally, I could put down my worries of the past few days.

"Wait for me!" I exclaimed, then rushed out of the dormitory, joining them downstairs.

Thirteen people, back in the team!

We happily walked towards the notice board in front of the teaching building, never before had we seen people so happy to receive warnings and demerits. But this outcome was already enough to make us happy. As we approached the notice board, someone in the crowd shouted, "Wang Hao is here!" Many people turned their heads and looked at me, making way for me to pass. I walked over and looked at the notice with black letters on white paper. Sure enough, as Ye Zhan had said, Maizi was expelled, and I and Hongli and the others received serious demerits, while Ye Zhan and the others only received warnings. Ye Zhan squeezed next to me and whispered, "Haozi, you're really smart. Your 'flour plan' was foolproof. We acted in righteousness, not brawling. Hahaha!"

I was also very happy, repeatedly reading the disciplinary notice, feeling like the whole world was about to fly.

"Xiao Bai!" Ye Zhan suddenly called out.

My heart sank as I turned to look. Sure enough, I saw Su Xiaobai also squeezing through the crowd, smiling brightly at the notice board.

Ye Zhan didn't know about the grudge between Su Xiaobai and me, nor did he know that I had beaten Su Xiaobai once before.

"Xiao Bai, we're both fine!" Ye Zhan greeted Su Xiaobai warmly, full of joy.

"Yeah, I see," Su Xiaobai smiled brightly. "Congratulations, congratulations. Another big shot is born at Chenggao!"

Ye Zhan and his group of friends surrounded Su Xiaobai, all getting along well with him, chatting lively.

Meanwhile, I pretended not to see Su Xiaobai and continued to look at the notice board.

Suddenly, I heard Su Xiaobai's voice drifting over, "I just wonder, this newly crowned Chenggao big shot, is it Wang Hao or Ye Zhan?"