Xie Xiao laughed, "What are you nervous about? I just asked casually."

His voice was very relaxed, "So what did Liu Ou, the senior, tell you about Ranran?"

Lin Yu paused for a moment on the other end, "Let's not talk about it, you continue to be excited!"

His tone was very irritable, and then he hung up the phone directly.

Looking at the disconnected call, Xie Xiao wondered, is this a case of being flustered and exasperated?

Lin Yu, do you still dare to say you have no issue?

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Xie Xiao raised his eyebrows, not at all offended.

He just stared at the phone for a while. S~eaʀᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Sure enough, Lin Yu sent a 60-second voice message, sending five or six in a row before stopping.

Xie Xiao smiled and played the first message, "She just said some things about Luo Yanran, and well, actually I didn't listen too much, Liu Ou didn't say much either, but at least I think Luo Yanran might really like you a lot..."

The smile on Xie Xiao's face slightly faded as he played the second, the third...

Until after the last message, Lin Yu ended with a sigh, "I really didn't expect her to keep liking you for so long, no wonder Liu Ou was so happy to know you two are together now. Good thing you, boy, didn't remain blind forever."

Xie Xiao looked down at the short six voice messages, which seemed to casually narrate an inconsequential story.

But only Xie Xiao knew how complicated his feelings were at the moment.

He first replied to Lin Yu, [Thanks, bro. I'll treat you to a meal later.]

[You owe me meals until next year already. Going to sleep!]

Lin Yu replied gruffly.

Xie Xiao tugged at the corner of his mouth, not bothering to check if his hair was dry, and simply flopped onto the bed, covering his slightly feverish eyes with a hand.

In fact, even in his past life, Xie Xiao never had the chance to figure out what exactly Luo Yanran liked about him.

When did it start?

Luo Yanran's arrival was so sudden at the beginning that he even felt it was inexplicable—she was an entirely unfamiliar senior after all.

Yet, she appeared in his fragmented life.

And stayed for so many years.

If it weren't for his memories from a past life, if someone told him Luo Yanran liked him,

Xie Xiao would definitely think that person was playing a prank. How could that be possible?

They seemed to have no connection at all...

But he never knew that the relationship he considered devoid of any interaction was, in Luo Yanran's heart, an initial encounter worth cherishing for a lifetime.

Lin Yu was no storyteller; his narrative had no ups and downs.

But Xie Xiao finally remembered what she had mentioned before—her little secret with the high school freshman Xie Xiao.

It was the first time they met.

At that time, it was freshman orientation, and Xie Xiao, having been accepted into the top school as the top scorer on the middle school exam, was naturally expected to step up on stage as a student representative.

And at that time, Luo Yanran was the host.

"But back then, Luoluo was actually being isolated. She was too outstanding, a beautiful and excellent girl who was somewhat haughty. People are social creatures, but she seemed like a swan that didn't quite fit in with the rest..."

So when Luo Yanran was locked in the dressing room, and the music outside began to play, she couldn't help but cry.

After all, she was just a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl, wearing a beautiful dress, with not even a phone at hand.

At the moment, Luo Yanran felt very helpless; she didn't know what she had done wrong. Was it because she had rejected that senior's confession, or because she had gently declined when the older girl asked her to deliver a love letter?

The young girl didn't even dare to cry out loud in the dressing room.

Outside, the footsteps had ceased.

She knew that the ceremony was about to begin, and she, the host, was still trapped here.

Once she went out, she would face the teachers' reprimands and others' ridicule.

Just then, the door was pushed open from the outside. A boy entered, holding a cellphone, "I know, Mom; I need to go on stage in a bit..."

He saw the girl, a bit disheveled, crouched on the ground, silently shedding tears.

His voice paused for a moment, "Alright, let's just talk about it when I get home tonight."

Luo Yanran awkwardly wiped away her tears; she had never been so undignified in front of others before.

The boy seemed to notice her embarrassment and gently tried to close the door, but then thought it might not be appropriate, considering they were alone.

The door was left ajar, not fully closed.

He touched his nose and pulled out a pack of tissues from his school uniform, offering them to her, "I'm sorry, I didn't know someone was in here. The door was locked from inside..."

His voice suddenly stopped as if he had realized something.

He sighed, "Are you the host for the event later? It seems like they're preparing to go on stage."

He extended the tissues a bit closer, "You must be a very impressive senior, I guess. Otherwise, you wouldn't be hosting the school opening ceremony."

Luo Yanran felt very disheveled, but she had no choice but to accept the tissues from the boy since she had nothing with her.

The boy's gaze did not linger on her long but quickly looked away, "Do you know, senior? Humans are social creatures, and when one among them stands out from the rest, particularly when that person is exceedingly outstanding, the envy of the others can't help but surface. That's just the nature of most people, but it doesn't mean the outstanding person is at fault..."

The boy paused, "Hey, what am I even talking about?"

He smiled, "Anyway, what I mean is, senior, don't concern yourself with those envious people, and don't let their words make you doubt yourself, because you will eventually reach heights they cannot."

"So, senior, why bother about what others think about you? There will always be people who dislike you. You're so brilliant, you should let them be jealous and helpless, after all, you are the protagonist, and no matter what they do, they can only seethe with rage. So don't cry. Stand on the stage, looking beautiful, and infuriate them."

After saying all that, Luo Yan looked at him and exhaled, "Actually, I don't know if what I've said is right or if it's comforting, but you should be able to take in a bit of it, right?"

He checked the time on his phone and finally turned to look at her, "Senior, I need to go get ready. You should get ready too."

His gaze stayed fixed on her face.

Luo Yanran later realized that because she had been squatting down, he had to look down at her, and her dress had a V-neckline.

That day, Luo Yanran still went on stage. She learned that the boy's name was Xie Xiao.

The boy was radiant on stage.

She said to Liu Ou, "Hai Ou, turns out a person can indeed shine brightly. Xie Xiao does; he always seems to be glowing in my eyes."

...

Xie Xiao pulled his hand back, picked up his phone, opened WeChat and changed Luo Teacher's nickname to "A single star."

His star.

[I can't wait to see you now, Ranran.]