Ye Liangchen watched the notebook brought by Wang Rui and secretly curved his lips into a smile.
She still cared about him after all.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have given him the notebook.
Flipping open the notebook and seeing the handwriting inside, Ye Liangchen gently stroked it, these were the proofs of Li Qingxue's affection for him.
But Li Qingxue clearly hadn't realized her love for him yet.
After taking a deep breath, he slowly stood up, holding the notebook, and walked over to Li Qingxue.
Placing the notebook on Li Qingxue's desk, he smiled and said, "Thank you for the notebook, but I don’t need it anymore."
At this moment, Ye Liangchen lowered his gaze at a forty-five-degree angle, revealing his sharp jawline, and slightly closed his eyes, letting out a self-deprecating chuckle: "A knight is, after all, just a knight; it's time for me to make my exit!"
After saying this, Ye Liangchen opened his eyes and looked at Li Qingxue, who seemed a little startled, with a calm smile: "Anyway, thank you for your kindness."
Then, he turned and was about to leave.
In just a few minutes, Ye Liangchen had brilliantly portrayed the feelings of a broken heart, sadness, grief, self-mockery, and finally, the feeling of letting go.
"Ye Liangchen!" Li Qingxue called out.
If it had been the old Ye Liangchen, he definitely wouldn’t have stopped.
But now, Ye Liangchen ultimately stopped in his tracks.
Turning back, he smiled and asked, "Is there anything else?"
He smiled at Li Qingxue in the same manner as before, yet there was something subtly different.
In the past, when he smiled, his whole heart and mind were filled with Li Qingxue.
But now, even though he was still smiling, there was no trace of Li Qingxue in his eyes anymore.
He believed Li Qingxue would notice this difference, and he wondered how much pain she would feel when she saw him like this.
"Ye Liangchen..." Li Qingxue murmured softly, but there were some things that just weren't convenient to say in front of so many classmates.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "Can we talk?"
Ye Liangchen chuckled softly and slowly nodded, "Of course, since the knight's mission is complete, it’s time for him to step down, isn't it?"
He stuffed his hands into his pockets and followed Li Qingxue out of the classroom.
"Actually, you didn't have to do this. If you had something to say, we could’ve talked inside the classroom. Coming out together might just stir up some gossip among the students," Ye Liangchen leaned against the railing, speaking in a deliberately casual tone.
Looking at Ye Liangchen like this, Li Qingxue hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Ye Liangchen, I hope you can focus all your energy on your studies now."
"I hope we can get along normally, like friends."
"I truly hope you can get into a good university."
Hearing Li Qingxue’s words, Ye Liangchen couldn’t help but laugh, "Li Qingxue, after knowing each other for so many years, you still don’t understand me."
"To you, love might just be a trivial thing, but it's not. Love is something beautiful, at least for me, love is something meaningful."
"I know what you’re thinking, and I know you haven’t figured out your feelings yet, but that’s okay. Just leave everything to time. I believe time will prove everything!"
At this, Li Qingxue began to feel a bit angry: "Can you stop thinking about love all the time? Don’t you know the college entrance exams are just around the corner? If you don’t work hard now, all these three years of high school will be wasted."
To be honest, Ye Liangchen’s response today had disappointed her greatly.
No one says love is bad; in fact, everyone dreams of a sweet, passionate love affair.
But all of this is based on the premise that both people support each other and make progress together.
Instead of getting entangled in love and sinking into the mire.
That’s the situation Ye Liangchen is in now.
He’s obsessed with love, as if his whole life revolves around it, taking the lead in his daily life.
This is wrong!
Everyone comes from ordinary families, and all we’ve done is study hard for a better future.
Once we get through high school and into college, our horizons will broaden, and we’ll see an even wider world.
Our future, our dreams, roaming the world freely, only then can we clearly and firmly know our hearts, and only then can love be free and happy.
Not like this, breaking down just before the college entrance exams. What is this?
It’s just irresponsible to your life and all the effort you’ve put in before!
Li Qingxue wanted to guide Ye Liangchen the way Long Aotian had guided her, to make him understand the importance of the exams, to make him calm down, to at least delay love until after the exams.
But Ye Liangchen’s response left Li Qingxue speechless.
As a friend who had known Ye Liangchen for nine years, Li Qingxue really hoped he could focus on studying and preparing for the exams.
But when Ye Liangchen heard Li Qingxue’s slightly angry words, he simply smiled calmly.
He didn’t argue with Li Qingxue because he understood that Li Qingxue’s emotions had already been stirred by him.
Because Li Qingxue cared about him, she showed her anxiousness.
These were all proofs that Li Qingxue liked him.
She just hadn’t realized it yet, but she would soon.
Just as Ye Liangchen had said earlier, time would prove everything.
"Qingxue, no matter what, I still thank you for your reminder, but everyone has a different way of living. In my heart, love is sacred, and it's worth risking everything for."
"Don't worry, the knight will eventually meet his princess who pities him, and he will change drastically for that princess who pities him."
"I just hope you don’t regret it later, for refusing a boy who had you in his eyes and heart."
"Qingxue, this is the last time I’ll call you that. I should step down now..."
After saying this, Ye Liangchen gave a bright smile, gently shook his head at Li Qingxue, who still wanted to say something, and said, "Loving you was just a one-sided fantasy of mine; you did nothing wrong; you just didn’t love me."
"So, let’s stop here. Being ordinary classmates who’ve known each other for nine years is good enough!"
“Monitor, I’m heading back.” With that, he turned and left with a demeanor of carefree ease and a sense of relief.
Seeing Ye Liangchen's departing back, Li Qingxue turned her head and looked out of the teaching building. Feeling sad?
Yes, she was sad.
But compared to her sadness, she had something even more important to do, and that was to prepare for the upcoming college entrance exams: "Stay true to your original aspirations, work hard, Li Qingxue, strive towards your goals, you can do it!"
She quickly adjusted her emotions and then walked back into the classroom.
"Brother Chen, what did Li Qingxue say to you when she called you out?" Gao Quan asked in a low voice.
Ye Liangchen chuckled lightly, "Nothing much."
He said it was nothing, but inside, he was already overjoyed.
He was just tormenting Li Qingxue, and the things he said must have made her quite sad.
"The time we’ve known each other is too long, so long that you can’t even recognize your true feelings for me now."
"It’s okay, I’ll make you realize your heart..."