Chapter 1:
Number One and Number Two (1 / 3)
The September sunlight poured over the playground of Mingde High School like molten gold. The red banner for the opening ceremony swayed gently in the breeze, with the golden-embossed words “New Semester, New Beginning” gleaming under the sun. Lin Xiaorui stood in the shadow by the side of the podium, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of her speech script, leaving small creases in the paper.
“Next, we invite Lin Xiaorui from Class 1, Senior Year, to speak on behalf of the students.”
The principal’s voice echoed across the entire playground through the loudspeakers.
Applause surged like waves. Lin Xiaorui took a deep breath and stepped toward the center of the podium. Her white school uniform shirt had faded slightly but was neatly ironed, and her black pleated skirt swayed softly with each step. The bright sunlight made her squint a little, and she instinctively tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“Respected teachers, dear fellow students…”
Her voice was clear and steady, like a mountain stream. Every word on the speech paper was written the previous night at the kitchen table, accompanied only by the hum of the refrigerator while her mother worked the night shift. The microphone on the podium amplified the slight tremble in her voice, but no one noticed her knuckles turning white as she gripped the script tightly.
“…This senior year, we will face challenges like never before…”
Her gaze swept across the sea of students below and suddenly stopped at a central spot in the third row. A boy was sitting there—not playing on his phone or whispering like the others, but quietly watching her. His eyes were calm, like still water. Sunlight filtered through the plane tree branches above, casting dappled shadows on his face.
Li Feng. The unshakable number one in the entire grade.
Lin Xiaorui’s pace of speaking faltered ever so slightly before she quickly looked away and continued her speech. Her voice remained calm, but her heart was racing uncontrollably. That gaze was too direct, as if it could see right through the defenses she had carefully built.
“…Let us face the future with unwavering faith. Thank you.”
Applause erupted again. Lin Xiaorui gave a slight bow and stepped down the podium. She could still feel that gaze trailing her, like a feather lightly brushing down her back.
“Next, we invite Li Feng from Class 3, Senior Year, to give a speech.”
Li Feng walked onto the stage with a calm ease, as if it wasn’t a school ceremony stage but simply his own living room. He didn’t even bring a speech script—his hands casually tucked into his pockets. Sunlight outlined the contours of his face with a perfect golden glow.
“Good morning, teachers and fellow students.”
His voice was low and magnetic, holding a maturity beyond his years. Standing in the student crowd, Lin Xiaorui couldn’t help but look up at the podium. Li Feng’s gaze seemed to sweep over the entire playground and then paused, ever so faintly, in her direction.
“I believe that learning is not about surpassing others, but about surpassing who we were yesterday…”
His speech was short and powerful, with no clichés or hollow phrases—every sentence was like it had been carefully crafted. Lin Xiaorui found herself listening to every word with rapt attention, forgetting all the noise around her. When he said, “Our true opponent is never another person—but the fear within our own hearts,” a strange pang stirred inside her.
The applause this time was even more enthusiastic—some girls even let out small squeals. Li Feng gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. As he turned to step down, his gaze met Lin Xiaorui’s once more. This time, she didn’t look away. She held his gaze.
That brief second of eye contact felt like a current of electricity running through her body.
“Xiaorui! Your speech was amazing!”
Chen Xiaoyu suddenly pounced from behind, throwing her arms around Xiaorui’s shoulders and interrupting the moment.
“But seriously, Li Feng is still so handsome, right?”
Lin Xiaorui turned her gaze away and gently shook her head.
“Stop it. Stand properly—the principal’s about to make an announcement.”
After the ceremony ended, the students surged like waves toward the school building. Lin Xiaorui held her new textbooks tightly, carefully avoiding the crowd. As she turned a corner in the hallway, she nearly bumped into someone.
“Sorry…”
She looked up and found herself face to face with Li Feng.
He was more than half a head taller than her, looking down with an unreadable emotion in his eyes. The sunlight streamed in through the corridor window, casting a long shadow behind him.
“Your speech was really good,” Li Feng suddenly said, his voice soft—almost drowned out by the surrounding noise.
Lin Xiaorui froze. She hadn’t expected Li Feng to speak to her. Though they were in the same grade, they had barely ever interacted. She opened her mouth, but—
(continued in next part…)
