The heartbeats

"HAHAHA, so how is it being a representative? Fun, right? Almost tripping like that too. I knew you were just too excited," Jin Mei teased, laughing at Liang Yue.

Liang Yue shot her a defeated look, resisting the urge to elbow her. Standing beside Zhao Chen earlier had already made her nervous enough then she had to nearly trip in front of the entire lecture hall.

The hall's laughter still echoed in her memory. Even now, she could vaguely recall Zhao Chen's expression like he was trying to suppress a laugh, before calmly raising a hand to quiet the room and stop them from teasing her further.

She wasn't sure if she should feel lucky or humiliated.

Being chosen as a representative already felt like a burden. Now she had to distribute numbers and coordinate participants for the painting and singing competitions on top of everything else.

"Aish… I'm exhausted," Liang Yue sighed. "I really don't want to be a representative. My problems are just increasing. I still haven't finished Chen Lao Shi's assignment either. Have you done yours, Mei?"

Jin Mei, who had been scrolling on her phone, suddenly froze.

That reaction alone made Liang Yue suspicious.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked.

"Wait…" Jin Mei's eyes widened. "I forgot. I still need to submit the painting competition registration form."

Liang Yue blinked. "What form?"

Jin Mei stared at her. "Don't tell me you forgot too?"

"Forgot what? What painting competition? Are we supposed to join something?"

The confusion on Liang Yue's face only deepened Jin Mei's panic.

"Yue'er, please," Jin Mei grabbed her shoulders. "The registration form for the painting competition for the Yuehua Creative University art exhibition. It's for participation marks. You were there when they announced it don't tell me you forgot that too."

For a moment, everything went silent in Liang Yue's mind.

Then

It hit her.

Like a delayed explosion of memory.

Her face paled instantly.

The form. The deadline. The submission.

She hadn't filled it. She hadn't even submitted it. And the deadline had already passed.

Without another word, she turned and ran.

"Hey wait for me!" Jin Mei shouted, rushing after her.

"Sorry, Jiàoshòu… we're late to submit the form," Liang Yue said, bowing quickly beside Jin Mei.

Jiàoshòu Hui let out a long, tired sigh. "Do you know the deadline was before 12 noon? It's already 4 PM. I've already submitted everything to the department. What exactly do you expect me to do now?"

"We're sorry, Jiàoshòu," Jin Mei said quickly. "We came back late from the festival briefing and completely lost track of time."

"Briefing—"

"Jiàoshòu, are you looking for me?"

The voice from the doorway cut through the room.

All three turned.

Zhao Chen stood there.

For a moment, the room felt like it shifted especially for Liang Yue.

Her heart reacted before her mind could catch up.

Zhao Chen stepped inside calmly, as if he had simply walked into another ordinary problem. Yet to her, his presence made everything else blur.

"Oh, Zhao Chen," Hui Jiàoshòu said. "Yes, I actually need to speak to you. As for you two, you're done here. I'll handle your registration later. Just don't repeat this mistake again."

The two girls nodded quickly and turned to leave.

Liang Yue followed Jin Mei toward the door.

But just before stepping out, she hesitated.

Her eyes lifted, accidentally meeting Zhao Chen's.

For a split second, the noise in her world disappeared.

And then.....

Her heartbeat betrayed her again, louder than before.

The weather the next morning was unusually bright.

Even though it was already ten o'clock, the scenery outside the dormitory window still felt peaceful. The calm weekend atmosphere made everything seem slower and quieter. Around the dorm blocks, several students were already outside jogging, cycling, or simply enjoying their free day.

Liang Yue stretched lightly before walking toward the water dispenser to grab a drink. After taking a few sips, she glanced toward Jin Mei, who was still sleeping soundly on her bed.

There was absolutely no sign of her wanting to wake up anytime soon.

Today was the practice session for all competition participants, and because Liang Yue and Jin Mei had joined different categories, their schedules were completely different.

"Mei'er, aren't you waking up yet?" Liang Yue asked. "It's already ten. Doesn't your practice start at twelve?"

Jin Mei slowly opened her eyes before lazily stretching and climbing out of bed.

Liang Yue smiled faintly at the sight.

Since she had already showered and gotten ready earlier, and her own practice only started at one in the afternoon, she still had enough time to relax and grab breakfast at the cafeteria near their dormitory.

The cafeteria was always crowded with students because of its endless food choices especially her favorites, baozi and hot soy milk.

"I'm heading to the cafeteria first, okay? I'll buy yours too," Liang Yue said while grabbing her wallet, bicycle keys, and phone.

Today, she wore an oversized black shirt paired with simple shorts, giving her a casual and relaxed appearance.

Jin Mei simply gave her a thumbs-up before disappearing into the bathroom.

…

The sunny weather made cycling around campus feel refreshing.

After parking her bicycle, Liang Yue casually walked toward the cafeteria entrance while checking a message from her mother on her phone.

Just as she was about to reply, she suddenly felt something warm spill onto her chest.

Hot coffee.

Startled, Liang Yue quickly lifted her head, ready to scold the person who bumped into her.

But the words instantly disappeared from her mouth.

Because standing right in front of her… was Zhao Chen.