Chapter 38: Uncertain Feelings

He Tianran, who had always been inconspicuous in class, was set to perform at the orientation gala—and his partner was none other than Wen Liang.

This news was undoubtedly explosive.

Unable to bear the strange looks from his classmates, He Tianran stood up awkwardly and walked out of the classroom. Zhang Zhifan followed close behind, a sight that naturally sparked wild speculation. By the time the two had passed, the classroom was buzzing with discussion.

"Didn't they say the class monitor was performing with Wen Liang? Why has He Tianran suddenly appeared? What could he possibly perform on stage? A geek dance? Hahahaha—"

"This nerd is so annoying, stop breaking up my favorite couple! What is Wen Liang thinking?"

"Cao Aiqing, do you know any inside scoop?" a few girls who were usually close to Cao Aiqing asked curiously.

Cao Aiqing felt a bit confused, but could only shake her head. "I'm not sure. But since it was Wen Liang's decision, there shouldn't be any problem."

One of the girls complained, "That He Tianran is really detestable. We were so looking forward to the monitor performing with Wen Liang; maybe the pairing would have finally become official. Besides, he got you punished earlier, Aiqing—why are you still sticking up for him?"

Cao Aiqing hadn't wanted to participate in this discussion, but at the thought of her earlier encounter, she couldn't help but blurt out, "He... he really is a bit of a jerk..."

The girls looked at one another, not daring to say another word. Watching their friend act so coy, the feeling... it just seemed a bit off.

On the rooftop of the teaching building, He Tianran sneezed while leaning against the railing. He looked out; it was deep autumn, and the maple trees planted around the campus had turned a brilliant red. As the wind blew, the sound of rustling leaves filled the air.

"Monitor, I already told you the list is correct..."

Zhang Zhifan, who had been behind him, stepped forward and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

"Tianran, that's not what I wanted to trouble you about."

"Huh?"

"There were too many people in the classroom earlier, so I felt embarrassed to bring it up." Zhang Zhifan spoke as if it were difficult to say, yet his expression remained calm and straightforward. "Your program hasn't been finalized yet, has it?"

"Yeah, Wen Liang said she wanted to think about it."

"Then... could you give me this opportunity to perform with her?"

"What?"

He Tianran looked at Zhang Zhifan in astonishment, while the latter’s demeanor remained unchanged.

"This might be our last chance during high school..." Zhang Zhifan said softly, before delivering a line that left He Tianran frozen in his tracks: "I want to take this opportunity to confess my feelings to Wen Liang. I don't want to leave my high school days with any regrets. So, Tianran, can you help me?"

"..."

He Tianran didn't know how to respond. He pursed his lips, wearing an unnatural smile. "Monitor, this... I can't decide that. I have to consult Wen Liang's opinion."

"So you will help me, right?"

"But she wanted me to provide the accompaniment..."

"I can do that too."

Faced with Zhang Zhifan’s relentless pressure, a surge of irritation rose within He Tianran, and his voice grew a notch louder. "Have you ever thought about what would happen if the confession fails?"

"That's still better than bottling it up."

"But... you might not even be able to be friends after that!"

"I like her, so why would I want to just be friends? I’m not lacking for friends, and isn't it even more painful to like someone and only be able to interact as a 'friend'?"

Every problem He Tianran could think of seemed to be easily resolved by Zhang Zhifan; they were no obstacles to his confession at all.

*I like her, so why would I want to just be friends?*

This sentence completely threw He Tianran off balance. The "friend-upgrade" theory he had been so smug about yesterday crumbled into dust in an instant.

His father’s question from yesterday, "On what grounds?", still echoed in his mind. He Tianran couldn't help but wonder: whether it was Cao Aiqing or Wen Liang, girls as outstanding as them would always attract many eyes. Yesterday it was Xue Yong, today it was Zhang Zhifan—who would it be tomorrow?

Zhang Zhifan’s forward-moving attitude felt as if he were saying, "Are you good enough? If you aren't, then I'm going in. I’ve got nothing to lose."

Although He Tianran knew how Wen Liang felt about Zhang Zhifan, he truly had no confidence in his ability to sway her choices.

And so, the boy panicked.

Did he like Wen Liang?

To say he didn't would be a lie. For any young man whose heart had just begun to stir, it was hard to refuse a girl as proactive, beautiful, and thoughtful as Wen Liang.

Did he like Cao Aiqing?

He did. That was love at first sight, a yearning that kept him awake at night, a feeling that needed no reason.

Liking two people at once was surely not a rare occurrence. As long as he hadn't established a relationship with either, he could hide behind the guise of "friendship," deceiving himself while juggling his feelings in a cautious, half-hearted manner.

All he wanted was to ensure he didn't hurt anyone.

But now, that status quo was about to be shattered by Zhang Zhifan.

Zhang was different from Xue Yong. The sense of crisis he brought was so overwhelming that He Tianran felt ashamed in the face of such bold, honest affection.

*It’s time to make a choice.*

The voice in his heart urged him on. This was the only way to break the deadlock he could think of. Real life wasn't a harem anime, and the path of a heartbreaker was too distant for a nerd with no dating experience like himself. He had already nearly suffocated in a single, imagined battlefield of love, and he didn't want to go through it again.

Now, with two girls, he only needed to choose one, and all his troubles would vanish like smoke.

"Well... our song hasn't been set yet. I’ll take this opportunity to ask her."

He found an excuse. Zhang Zhifan nodded, said "Thank you," and turned to leave.

"Why must you confess at the orientation gala?"

He Tianran took a step forward, unable to keep from asking.

Zhang Zhifan turned his head and smiled. "Think back on these three years of high school—how many such moments of glory have we had? Besides, Wen Liang likes this kind of atmosphere; I don't want to let her down."

She likes it?

Right. Before Wen Liang had taken the initiative to get to know him, he had only ever been able to watch her from the audience, unrestrained in his gaze.

"I'm off. Waiting for your good news."

Zhang Zhifan waved his hand and slowly walked away.

A gust of wind blew the red leaves of the campus into the sky.

The boy's heart, much like those leaves, drifted back and forth in the wind.

He stared blankly at the draft paper in his hand, at the performance item with no song determined, his mind wandering.

This wasn't just a matter of a song not being decided.

It was clearly his own heart that remained undecided.