Zhuang Zi'ang rushed to the corridor outside the classroom in a few quick strides. "Why are you here?"

Su Yudiel pulled out a tube of medicine from behind her back. "This is for you. The doctor said it can treat nosebleeds."

Zhuang Zi'ang reached out and took it. It was an ordinary tube of hemostatic medicine. He knew, of course, that this medicine wouldn't cure his illness. But he still smiled faintly. "Thank you."

"It's still early before class starts. Do you want to go sit over there with me?" Su Yudiel pointed to a nearby flower bed.

"Sure." Zhuang Zi'ang nodded immediately.

The flower bed was filled with calla lilies, hyacinths, wisteria, and other flowers, a riot of colors in full bloom. Several butterflies flitted and lingered among the blossoms.

Su Yudiel smoothed her skirt and sat down gracefully on the edge of the flower bed.

"Did your parents like the strawberry cake from yesterday?"

At her question, Zhuang Zi'ang's heart clenched. He couldn't bring himself to say that the delicate strawberry cake had been utterly overshadowed by Zhuang Yuhang's huge birthday cake. Nor could he admit that his homecoming had been far from pleasant.

This innocent and naive girl surely believed that the world was full of beauty. So, he decided to tell a white lie.

"Thank you for the idea. My little brother loved the cake. He ate it with cream all over his face."

"My dad was very happy too. He asked about my studies, and when he found out I got first place again, he gave me a big hug."

"My stepmom made a big table full of delicious food and kept putting food on my plate, praising me for being smart and sensible."

...

A gentle breeze rustled by, carrying the faint fragrance of flowers. Su Yudiel sat with her arms around her knees, her head slightly tilted, her bright eyes blinking as she listened quietly to Zhuang Zi'ang's story.

The sounds of basketball on the court, the noise from the teaching building, and the chirping of birds in the trees seemed to fade away. The whole world seemed to consist only of the two of them and the colorful flowers behind them.

Zhuang Zi'ang had imagined this scene countless times in his dreams. He thought he could tell the lie flawlessly, but his heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly. The smile he forced onto his lips was stiff and unnatural.

He had always been a good kid and was, of course, not good at lying.

"Zhuang Zi'ang, you're a big dummy," Su Yudiel suddenly said.

"Why are you calling me that?" Zhuang Zi'ang was taken aback.

"You're lying to me. Friends should tell each other the truth," Su Yudiel said, gently biting her lower lip.

"I'm sorry..." Zhuang Zi'ang apologized in a low, husky voice. Truth was often cruel. He didn't want to burden his friend with his sadness.

"Zhuang Zi'ang, are you still very sad?" Su Yudiel asked softly.

Zhuang Zi'ang nodded, then shook his head.

"Then after school at noon, I'll take you to eat something delicious again. Wait for me here."

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

"Huh? Okay!"

Class was about to start. Su Yudiel stood up, waved goodbye to Zhuang Zi'ang, and then skipped away. The bright peach blossom bobbed up and down in his line of sight. In the blink of an eye, the girl's figure disappeared into the crowd.

Zhuang Zi'ang held the tube of medicine in his hand, its surface still warm.

Back in the classroom, Li Huangxuan immediately sidled up to him. "Dude, who was that girl?"

Zhuang Zi'ang replied, "I told you last night. She's the girl I met under the ginkgo tree. You didn't believe me then."

"I believe you now. No wonder you skipped class for her." Li Huangxuan raised his voice deliberately. "Compared to that girl, Lin Mushi is really just average."

Lin Mushi had been eavesdropping on their conversation with one ear pricked up. She turned around and gave Li Huangxuan a murderous glare. Then she looked deeply at Zhuang Zi'ang, her feelings incredibly complex. It seemed she was actually feeling a little bit jealous.

Zhuang Zi'ang was handsome, had good grades, and was gentle. Such a good boy was hard to find.

The bell rang, signaling the start of class. This period was Chinese, taught by their homeroom teacher, Zhang Zhiyuan.

After the students stood up and greeted him, he waved his hand for them to sit down.

"Before we start class, I have an announcement to make. Zhuang Zi'ang has resigned from his position as class president this morning, and I have approved it."

The students immediately started whispering among themselves.

"He actually resigned? No one in our class is more suitable to be class president than him."

"Yeah, Zhuang Zi'ang has done a lot for everyone these past two years."

"To be honest, he's always been the pride of our class."

...

Xie Wenyong was particularly shocked. He had thought Zhuang Zi'ang's talk of resigning earlier was just a joke. He didn't expect it to be true.

Did he really consider the coveted position of class president to be nothing more than a rotten mouse?

Zhang Zhiyuan said emotionally, "Classmates, let's give a round of applause to thank Zhuang Zi'ang for his contributions to the class."

Led by him, thunderous applause filled the classroom.

Zhuang Zi'ang looked around at the familiar faces, a feeling of immense reluctance welling up in his heart. In three months, he would never see them again.

His classmates were all so lovely. He was grateful for their companionship during his youth.

With the class president's resignation, it was only natural for the vice president to take over. Xie Wenyong got his wish and became the class president, but he didn't feel happy at all. He only got what Zhuang Zi'ang didn't want.

His jealousy made him feel a bit twisted.

Zhuang Zi'ang didn't care about other people's reactions. He began to think intently about what to eat for lunch. School let out at twelve o'clock and resumed at two-thirty, with the time in between for lunch and a nap.

During this time, students could come and go freely; there was no restriction.

Finally, the bell rang at twelve o'clock, signaling the start of the lunch rush.

Li Huangxuan patted Zhuang Zi'ang's shoulder. "Dude, are we still eating in the cafeteria today?"

"I have something to do. Find someone else!" Zhuang Zi'ang looked out the window at the flower bed.

"What do you have to do? Don't we usually eat lunch together?" Li Huangxuan was puzzled.

"I'll explain later. I have to go." Zhuang Zi'ang hurriedly packed his bag and rushed out of the classroom.

Li Huangxuan stared with wide eyes, feeling a sense of abandonment. It wasn't until he saw Zhuang Zi'ang waiting by the flower bed for the girl with the peach blossom in her hair that his lungs nearly exploded with anger.

"Damn, prioritizing girls over friends. What a beast!"

When Zhuang Zi'ang saw Su Yudiel, his smile brightened. He tentatively asked, "Which floor is your classroom on? You came down pretty quickly."

"The fifth floor. I ran down because I wanted to see you," Su Yudiel said, slightly out of breath.

A spark flickered in Zhuang Zi'ang's eyes.

Am I worthy of someone running to meet me?

"What do you want to eat? I can treat you to anything," Zhuang Zi'ang offered.

"Let's have mini hot pot. It has so many different dishes."

When it came to food, Su Yudiel looked like she was about to drool.

"Won't you smell like hot pot if you eat it at noon?"

"Why worry so much? Just eat what you want!"

This girl was really carefree. Being with her made him feel much more cheerful. She was so beautiful, yet she didn't act like a quiet, elegant lady at all. She skipped when she walked and chattered non-stop, like a happy little butterfly.