After school, I waited for Jing Ni at our usual spot. I skipped on the colorful tiles as I memorized the vocab from my homework.
Then a large shadow loomed over me. “Hello, Nanxing.”
I turned around. There were 3 boys in school uniforms. The one in the middle was tall and handsome. I looked at them wordlessly.
The boy in the middle looked at me with a shy smile. The boy next to him pushed him from behind. He lost his balance and staggered forward.
I subconsciously took a step back and studied them cautiously.
The boys next to him cheered, “Lee Yang, come on now, don’t be shy! Didn’t you tell us you will confess your feelings today? Be brave!”
Lee Yang? That is a familiar name. Lee Yang’s face was red and he was flustered. He was a young and innocent boy.
I asked him directly, “Do you know Jing Yan?”
Lee Yang’s face turned pale, so did the faces of the two boys behind him. I sighed, “So you are the legendary Lee Yang.”
Lee Yang said, “Wait, you know Jing Yan? She has mentioned me to you before?”
I shook my head gently.
Lee Yang took a brave step forward. “Nanxing, there is nothing between me and Jing Yan. She kept telling people that I am her boyfriend but I am not! I don’t even like her!” Lee Yang sounded desperate.
What he described sounded like what Jing Yan would do. She would go around claiming things and people as her own as long as she liked it.
“Jing Yan has been admitted into a mental hospital.” I told them. I noticed the 3 boys relaxed instantly. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Looks like Jing Yan has been putting you all under great pressure. Even so you have the courage to like me? I’m sorry but what exactly do you like about me?”
Lee Yang blushed greatly. “Nanxing, I am always distracted when I’m around you. You’re pure and innocent.”
This was the first time someone had confessed their feelings to me so openly and directly in both of my lives. I was honestly touched. However, I also knew that this pure-hearted boy and I existed in different world. Moreover, there was already a man deep in my heart.
I smiled. “Lee Yang, I thank you for liking me but my heart already belongs to someone else. He is a person worthy of my love. I believe you’ll find someone worthy of your love too one day.”
The light in Lee Yang’s eyes dimmed immediately. I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him. However, I knew one had to be specific and clear when it came to the matters of the heart, I won’t string him along.
The boys who came with Lee Yang tried to persuade me, “Nanxing, Lee Yang is our school’s top 10 students and he plays basketball very well. This is his first time confessing to a girl. He has liked you for a very long time already.”
I smiled. “Lee Yang, I am not the right person for you. With your good quality, I’m sure you’ll meet a girl who’s many times better than I am in the future. When you go to university, girls will be lining up to be your girlfriend! Right now, I hope you’ll steady your thoughts and focus on your studies. After we finish the university entrance exam, I promise you your perspective will change. At this moment, we should focus primarily on our studies, don’t you agree?”
Lee Yang took my advice and he smiled shyly, “Does that mean my first confession has failed?”
I shook my head. “That doesn’t count. Consider me your guinea pig. Trust me, your future girlfriend is still out there waiting for you. Just like my future boyfriend is out there waiting for me. However, unlike you, I have already found mine. After the university entrance exam, I believe I would have confessed my feelings to him already. Perhaps I can introduce you to him then.”
My frankness startled the boys.
“Nanxing, you plan to confess to the boy?” They gasped in shock.
I nodded. “Of course, my boyfriend will be extremely hard to win over but I won’t give up. Therefore, you shouldn’t waste anymore time on me, okay?” I was very patient with Lee Yang and let him down easy. Perhaps because I felt camaraderie with him because he too was Jing Yan’s victim.
“Nanxing, Nanxing, sorry for being late.” Jing Ni shouted my name as she ran over. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her, casting her in a halo.
An idea clicked in my mind. These two are perfect match for each other!
I opened my arms to hug Jing Ni. Due to the run, Jing Ni’s cheeks were flushed. It made her look very pretty. I noticed that Lee Yang’s eyes had wondered over to Jing Ni. I smiled.
Things are progressing faster than I thought! The more I thought about it, the more suitable it felt in my mind. Jing Ni and Lee Yang, they are both pure of heart. They are perfect for each other!
