Chapter 3: The Feeling We Never Spoke Of

As autumn deepened, the distance between Chen Mo and Su Qingyi gradually disappeared.

Ever since the day she had stopped him in the hallway and called him her friend, something had quietly changed between them.

Neither spoke about it.

Yet neither could ignore it.

Every morning, Chen Mo’s first instinct upon entering the classroom was to look toward the seat by the window.

And every morning, Su Qingyi was already there.

Sometimes reading.

Sometimes writing notes.

Sometimes simply staring out at West Lake in the distance.

Without realizing it, seeing her had become the favorite part of his day.

One cold morning, as mist covered the campus, Chen Mo arrived at class as usual.

A few minutes later, something landed on his desk.

He looked up.

Su Qingyi stood there.

In her hand was a small piece of chocolate.

“For me?”

She nodded.

“I bought too many.”

Chen Mo knew perfectly well that was probably not true.

Still, he accepted it carefully.

“Thank you.”

Su Qingyi laughed softly.

“You always say thank you.”

Chen Mo thought for a moment before replying.

“When someone doesn’t receive many good things in life, even small kindnesses become important.”

The smile on Su Qingyi’s face slowly faded.

Not because she was unhappy.

But because those words touched something inside her heart.

She sat beside him.

“You think too much.”

Chen Mo glanced at her.

“And you don’t think enough.”

For a moment, both of them stared at each other.

Then they burst into laughter.

It wasn’t anything special.

Yet somehow, it felt like one of those moments they would remember years later.

As time passed, everyone in class began noticing them.

They studied together.

Shared notes together.

Walked to the library together.

Sometimes they even stayed after class simply talking about nothing.

To outsiders, they already looked like a couple.

Only they continued pretending otherwise.

Then one afternoon, something happened.

During lunch break, Chen Mo returned to the classroom after filling his water bottle.

The moment he entered, he saw Su Qingyi sitting with another boy.

Li Jun.

One of the most popular students in school.

Good-looking.

Confident.

Excellent at sports.

The type of person who naturally attracted attention.

The two of them were talking and laughing.

Chen Mo’s footsteps slowed.

An unfamiliar bitterness spread through his chest.

He quietly returned to his seat.

When Su Qingyi eventually came back, she immediately sensed something was wrong.

“Did something happen?”

“No.”

“You’re lying.”

Chen Mo avoided her gaze.

After a long silence, he finally said,

“You and Li Jun seem close.”

Su Qingyi blinked.

Then she understood.

The realization made the corners of her lips rise slightly.

“Are you jealous?”

“What?”

Chen Mo nearly choked.

“No.”

“You are.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

A playful smile appeared in her eyes.

Chen Mo looked away.

His ears were already turning red.

Seeing his reaction, Su Qingyi suddenly found him incredibly adorable.

The classroom was quiet.

Only a few students remained.

Sunlight streamed through the windows.

Neither spoke for several seconds.

Then Su Qingyi lowered her voice.

“Chen Mo.”

“Hm?”

“Do you like me?”

His entire body froze.

The world seemed to stop.

His heart pounded so loudly that he was certain she could hear it.

For the first time, Chen Mo couldn’t find a single word.

Su Qingyi wasn’t much better.

Although she appeared calm, her hands beneath the desk were trembling slightly.

She had never been this nervous before.

Finally, Chen Mo laughed helplessly.

“What if I do?”

The question hung between them.

Su Qingyi lowered her eyes.

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

Then she whispered,

“Then you’re not alone.”

Chen Mo stared at her.

His mind went completely blank.

For a moment, he wondered if he had heard wrong.

Su Qingyi looked out the window.

The afternoon sunlight reflected in her eyes.

“I think…”

She hesitated.

Then continued softly.

“I started noticing you from the first day.”

“The first day?”

Chen Mo couldn’t hide his surprise.

She nodded.

“You looked so nervous introducing yourself.”

“I remember thinking that someone could actually be that honest.”

Chen Mo laughed.

“I thought you weren’t interested at all.”

Su Qingyi laughed as well.

“That was because I didn’t want anyone to know.”

A comfortable silence followed.

Neither looked away.

Neither wanted to.

After a while, Chen Mo spoke quietly.

“I’m not exceptional.”

“I’m not the smartest.”

“I’m not the most successful.”

“I’m just… me.”

Su Qingyi looked directly into his eyes.

And for perhaps the first time, there was no hesitation in her gaze.

“I know.”

She smiled gently.

“And that’s exactly why I like you.”

Chen Mo’s heart trembled.

The afternoon sunlight seemed warmer than before.

The classroom seemed brighter.

Everything seemed different.

“So…”

He swallowed nervously.

“What are we now?”

Su Qingyi tilted her head slightly.

Then smiled.

“Something more than friends.”

Chen Mo smiled too.

“Something more than friends.”

Neither called it love.

Neither needed to.

Because deep in their hearts, they already knew.

This was the beginning of their first love.

The most beautiful chapter of their youth.

And one day—

The most painful memory of their lives.