Song Yuyu looked at Xia Yingluo's blank expression and was speechless.
"You don't know? If Ye Chen didn't treat you as his girlfriend, why would he spend money buying books for the Orphanage and fixing the Basketball Court? Anyone can see you two are a couple."
"But… he's never actually said it, and I don't know whether we count as boyfriend and girlfriend."
Xia Yingluo was also confused about her relationship with Ye Chen.
Call them lovers and something still seemed missing.
Yet as ordinary friends they were far too close.
"You mean Ye Chen hasn't even confessed to you?" Song Yuyu asked, shocked.
"Confess? No."
"No confession, no defined relationship—yet he's willing to spend that much on you?"
Xia Yingluo said weakly, "Maybe he's just being charitable?"
Song Yuyu was speechless.
Between sending books and rebuilding the Basketball Court, Song Yuyu had assumed the two were already official.
She never expected they still hadn't spelled it out.
Song Yuyu could see her best friend had completely fallen for the boy.
To the point that she would marry no one but Ye Chen.
Song Yuyu groaned, "You two are freaks of nature!"
Xia Yingluo smiled sweetly, "Knowing I love him is enough for me."
Song Yuyu, watching her grinning bestie, admitted total defeat.
"Silly girl, if you love someone you have to say it. Love without a confession isn't complete, and only by telling him can he know your heart!"
Xia Yingluo froze for a second and murmured,
"Is love without a confession really incomplete?"
...Early next morning, Jiangzhou Middle School's flag-raising ceremony.
Nearly a thousand students stood in neat ranks on the Playground.
"Ye Chen, let me see your speech script."
"Oh!"
Ye Chen felt wounded.
Teacher Wang doesn't trust me at all?
He pulled out the speech and handed it to Wang Chao.
Teacher Wang skimmed it and nodded approvingly.
"Well written. Your grades are fine, but you're a handful; if you were half as obedient as Yingluo and Si Tong, I wouldn't worry so much."
Li Sitong and Xia Yingluo, hearing Teacher Wang, guiltily lowered their heads.
Wang Chao glanced at the two girls.
They seemed odd today—probably just nervous about speaking before the Whole School.
The flag-raising began.
To the national anthem, the school honor guard finished hoisting the flag.
Next came the Vice Principal's speech.
After the Vice Principal finished, he paused.
"Students, the top three in the Senior Year of High School Mock Exam all come from Class Five, Grade Twelve."
Hearing this, Wang Chao straightened proudly.
"Let's invite those three to share their study tips. Please listen carefully. First, from Class Five, Grade Twelve—Xia Yingluo."
The Vice Principal stepped down; Xia Yingluo walked to the podium.
She stood at the lectern.
The rising sun cast rays across her; her hair looked golden, her face stunning. Every boy in school stared, transfixed.
Moments earlier the balding principal's speech had lulled them toward sleep.
Suddenly a gorgeous girl appeared and everyone snapped awake.
Many boys gazed at the sunlit girl and felt love stir.
The Playground fell utterly silent.
All eyes locked on Xia Yingluo.
Wang Chao beamed at his star pupil.
He introduced her to the just-departed Vice Principal.
"Principal Wu, she's our class's best-behaved student—excellent grades, obedient. Raised in the Orphanage, she studies harder than anyone. Her speech will inspire the others."
"Exactly what we need before the National Higher Education Entrance Examination—positive energy," Principal Wu nodded. Onstage, Xia Yingluo drew a deep breath and began. "Students, hello. I'm Xia Yingluo from Class Five, Grade Twelve. Today my topic is—Gratitude."
Hearing the title, many students shook their heads.
"Kissing-up speech: she'll thank teachers for her soaring scores. We've heard it a million times—boring."
Old Wang nodded approvingly: "Gratitude is a great angle; kids these days are too self-centered."
Wang Chao liked her choice... "Many of you only noticed me recently; before, I was basically invisible."
Xia Yingluo recalled being ignored and mocked.
"Back then classmates ridiculed me; I had no confidence, felt inferior, even feared talking to people and could only hide in corners."
"I felt abandoned by the world—no sunshine, no warmth, no one even glanced at me."
"My world then was cold and colorless."
Students of Class Five stirred.
Yes, that was the Xia Yingluo they remembered.
Yet looking at the girl onstage now, many felt as if in a dream.
Her transformation was staggering.
"At that time I believed only friends from the Orphanage were family; the outside world was frigid, loveless, nobody liked me—only mockery and apathy reached me."
"But one person walked into my life, brought warmth, and colored my world again."
Saying this, Xia Yingluo looked straight at Ye Chen.
"Perhaps he'll never know what his arrival meant to a girl the world had cast aside."
"When she starved, the boy bought her a chinese crepe; when bullied, he stepped forward; he made her break out of her cocoon and become who she is now."
"He is my light, my lighthouse, the wellspring of my courage."
By now students buzzed, guessing who "he" might be.
But every eye in Class Five swiveled toward Ye Chen.
Old Wang's face darkened as he listened.
Something felt off in Xia Yingluo's speech.
He sneaked a glance at Principal Wu—whose face had turned black.
Old Wang was on the verge of collapse.
He'd thought any troublemaker would be Ye Chen.
Never had he imagined the culprit would be his most trusted, best-behaved Xia Yingluo.
Meeting the Vice Principal's icy stare,
Old Wang nearly wept.
I'm doomed—absolutely finished.