Chapter 1: The Start of the Story

Li Yan (李嫣) sat in her favorite corner of the school library. The warm sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a golden glow on the pages. Today was her day off from doodling, but her mind could not stop thinking about one person—Zhang Wei (张伟).

Zhang Wei was tall and mysterious, with tousled hair that seemed to match his artistic style. He kept to himself most of the time, and his artwork was praised by everyone. Li Yan admired him from afar, dreaming of a day when she could confidently talk to him.

“Li Yan! Look!” exclaimed her best friend, Zi Lin (子琳). She waved a colorful flyer in the air, pulling Li Yan out of her thoughts. “There’s a school art competition coming up! Zhang Wei is entering, too!”

“Really?” Li Yan felt a flutter of excitement mixed with nervousness. “What if he wins? He’s so talented!”

Zi Lin smiled mischievously. “You should talk to him! Maybe you can be his secret helper!”

Li Yan blushed at the thought. “Me? Help him? I could never!”

Just then, a loud crash echoed from the entrance of the library. They turned to see Zhang Wei, looking flustered, drop his sketchbook on the floor. A few students snickered as he hurried to pick it up, his face turning red.

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“Take a deep breath!” Li Yan whispered to herself as she watched the scene unfold. Maybe this was her chance.

Gathering her courage, Li Yan stood up and approached Zhang Wei. “Um, hey! Is this yours?” she asked, holding out the now-open sketchbook.

Zhang Wei looked surprised. “Yes! Thanks!” He quickly took it from her hand, his eyes darting to the drawings on the page. “I’m… uh, sorry about the mess.”

Li Yan couldn’t help but peek inside. The drawings were amazing—characters filled with emotions, scenes telling stories. “Wow, you're really talented!” she managed to say.

He smiled shyly. “Thanks. But I’m struggling to find inspiration for my next manhua.”

“Maybe you could draw about our school? There’s so much happening!” Li Yan suggested, her excitement growing.

Zhang Wei looked thoughtful. “That’s actually a good idea… but I don’t know if I can make it interesting enough.”

“Don’t worry! I can help you! I mean, if you want,” she stammered, her heart racing.

Zhang Wei's eyebrows raised in surprise. “Really? You want to help?”

“Yes! I love drawing, too. I can think of fun ideas!” she replied, trying to hide her nervousness.

“Okay, let’s do it!” Zhang Wei agreed with a smile.

As they started to discuss ideas, Li Yan felt a warmth spreading in her chest. Helping Zhang Wei with his manhua could be the start of something special. Or at least a great adventure.

Meanwhile, Zi Lin watched from a distance, her eyes sparkling. “This is going to be fun!” she whispered to herself.

As Li Yan and Zhang Wei began brainstorming, little did they know that their friendship—and perhaps even more—was just beginning.

And so, the story began—right here in the school library, with a simple sketchbook and two hearts full of dreams.