Stop the words before they leave your lips, you've long become strangers, and clinging to illusions is a grave mistake.

Lin Mo’s appearance did bring an enthusiastic buzz to the class.

But it was evening study time now, and too much noise would attract Li Yan.

Even with Lin Mo around, Li Yan would still scold Class Eight a couple of times.

So Lin Mo raised his hands. “Everyone, quiet down.”

The original members of Class Eight fell silent, and the others who had joined later quickly followed suit.

Even though Lin Mo had been gone for two months, it didn’t affect how the class regarded him.

Tong Dong had returned that afternoon, and everyone had asked him about Lin Mo’s situation, so most of them knew a bit of what had happened.

For example, that Lin Mo had passed the national competition and smoothly secured a first-place prize.

Tong Dong had also won first place, and even though he didn’t make the final cut, he was still one of the twenty-odd candidates.

At that moment, Chen Xiaoya walked into the classroom from outside.

“Alright, alright, I know you’re all happy for Lin Mo. Go back to your seats now. Lin Mo, you’ll be going abroad for the competition soon. Are you ready?”

Lin Mo quoted a famous line.

“Always ready.”

The evening study atmosphere was gone. Everyone was peppering Lin Mo and Tong Dong with questions about how their time in Beijing had been.

Had they seen the flag-raising ceremony? Had they visited the Great Wall? Had they eaten Beijing roast duck?

Chen Xiaoya just tried to keep order.

As for Lin Mo, she now treated him with careful politeness. What he had said over the phone, and the fates of Zhou Nianqian and Ye Minghui, were still vivid in her mind.

But Class Eight without Lin Mo had no core. His return brought that core back.

After evening study ended, everyone lingered, wanting to hear the details of his time in Beijing.

A crowd surrounded Tong Dong too, though he wasn’t good with words and narrated things plainly.

Still, the G2 evening study period was already quite late. After just over ten minutes, everyone dispersed.

Lin Mo glanced directly at Fang Jun.

“Let’s go, Bro Fang. Show me what’s going on!”

Fang Jun hadn’t left yet, actually waiting for this. Hearing Lin Mo’s words, he couldn’t help but complain.

“After two months in Beijing, your accent’s got all ‘erhua’ now.”

“So, are we going or not?”

Xie Yuling shot a look at Fang Jun, said nothing, and followed Jiang Yunlu, Chu Miaomiao, and the others out.

Even though they were heading the same way, Xie Yuling was tactful enough to go ahead.

She wasn’t worried about safety anyway.

An Yuexin took a different route, so he didn’t follow.

Lin Mo put an arm around Fang Jun’s shoulder.

“Come on, let’s have a heart-to-heart.”

“Get lost. What’s there to talk about with a grown man?” Fang Jun said with disdain.

But Lin Mo casually added, “It shouldn’t have gotten this awkward, right? What happened?”

That one sentence easily struck Fang Jun’s already fragile defenses.

“She said I don’t need to pick her up anymore. She... probably doesn’t want me bothering her. So I’ll step back.”

Actually, when Tong Dong came back that afternoon, Cai Junhuang and Fang Jun had already returned to their original positions.

It felt like the separation of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl—except the Cowherd was willing, but the Weaver Girl was indifferent.

“Then it’s best to part ways. I’ll hang out with you this weekend at most. Don’t dwell on it.”

Lin Mo could only try to comfort him.

Fang Jun shook his head and said nothing more.

It was clear he was still in a low place.

Lin Mo certainly had ways to pull Fang Jun out of this, but that would be like manipulating him like a puppet.

All he could do was stay by the guy’s side through the hard time.

“Ah, heroes always have a hard time with beauties, and so do ordinary guys.”

As he said this, Lin Mo suddenly remembered something. “Oh, by the way, there’s a great street cart wonton place nearby that’s open now. Let’s go eat.”

Fang Jun blinked, confused. “Weren’t you in Beijing for two months? How do you even know about a wonton cart around here?”

“None of your business. Coming or not? You’re paying.”

“Damn it, you ask me to come and still make me pay? You scumbag.”

Fang Jun swore under his breath but still followed.

As they walked, Fang Jun started to feel something was off about halfway there—it seemed to be heading toward the direction of Cai Junhuang’s dance studio.

“Hey, you’re not messing with me, are you?”

“If I’m lying, I swear I won’t get a perfect score,” Lin Mo replied casually.

“That’s a nasty oath.”

They kept walking, passing by the dance studio building. Fang Jun slowed down, his soles scraping against the pavement as he looked up at the window for a moment longer.

Lin Mo didn’t stop. He reached back and slapped Fang Jun on the shoulder.

“Stop staring. Buy me some wontons.”

They turned a corner and saw an old bicycle under the bridge overpass.

It wasn’t an ordinary bicycle.

It was an old-style Shanghai Phoenix brand bike, solidly built but with a very outdated look.

A sign hung from it that read: Countryside Wontons.

A bubbling iron pot sat on the bike, and the savory aroma of meat broth drifted over with the wind.

“No way, there really is a wonton cart here?” Fang Jun was stunned.

But there, beside the bike, were two small tables and a few stools.

The vendor was a young man who looked no older than thirty, wearing a fisherman’s hat and resembling Liu Zheng from his looks.

Of course, he was much younger than Liu Zheng.

Seeing customers arrive, he deftly lifted the stainless steel lid, stirred the broth with a long-handled spoon, and steam billowed up.

“What’ll it be? Find a seat.”

Without even looking, Lin Mo said, “Two large bowls of plain wontons, one order of fried wontons.”

Then he pointed at Fang Jun.

“He’s paying.”

With that, he sat right down.

Fang Jun twitched the corner of his mouth but paid anyway. He didn’t sit, though; he just watched the vendor cook.

The vendor dropped the pre-counted raw wontons into the broth to boil, adding two lettuce leaves on the side.

Once the wontons were done, he put in some secret sauce and chili rings, then handed over the two bowls.

“The fried wontons will take a bit longer.”

With that, he started heating the oil.

Fang Jun carried the two bowls over to Lin Mo.

“Here, eat up. It’s getting a bit chilly now, and wontons hit the spot.”

Neither said another word. They just ate the wontons spoonful by spoonful.

Halfway through, Fang Jun suddenly set down his spoon.

“I... I actually wanted to ask her—if she ever felt even a hint of something for me.”

Then he let out a bitter laugh. “But looking at it now, seems like she didn’t.”

“And if you really had to ask her, would you dare? You still don’t dare.”

“Yeah, I don’t. If she were standing right in front of me now, I still wouldn’t dare. If she said no, that would be a death sentence for me. But if she said yes, then I would...” He trailed off.

“Let me finish for you,” Lin Mo said. “If she really said yes, you’d keep waiting for her. She’d chase her dreams, and you’d chase her.”