2. A secret beginning

Spring lingered in Hangzhou long after Chen Yuze’s visit.

The peach blossoms continued to bloom, painting the city in shades of soft pink. Every afternoon, Lin Xiaoran sat by her bedroom window with her sketchbook, trying to focus on her drawings.

Trying.

Because lately, her thoughts kept wandering.

More specifically, they kept wandering to one person.

Chen Yuze.

The realization made her bury her face in her pillow.

“This is ridiculous,” she mumbled.

It had been nearly two weeks since he visited her house.

Two weeks.

And yet she still remembered every detail of that afternoon.

His smile.

His voice.

The way he had said, “Keep drawing. You’re talented.”

No matter how many times she replayed the memory, it never lost its warmth.

A knock sounded at her door.

“Xiaoran?”

Her best friend Su Nian poked her head inside.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re smiling at a blank page.”

“I am not.”

“You are.”

Su Nian immediately sat beside her.

Then she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Wait.”

Xiaoran felt a sudden sense of danger.

“What?”

“You like someone.”

Her heart nearly stopped.

“W-What?”

“You do!”

“I don’t!”

“You stuttered.”

“I always stutter.”

“Not like that.”

Xiaoran groaned dramatically.

Su Nian laughed.

“I knew it.”

“There isn’t anyone.”

“Liar.”

“There isn’t.”

“Then why are your ears red?”

Xiaoran immediately covered them.

Which only made her friend laugh harder.

By the time Su Nian finally left, Xiaoran’s face was burning.

She collapsed onto her desk.

Could everyone tell?

Was she really that obvious?

The thought was horrifying.

Fortunately, there was one comforting fact.

The person she liked lived in Beijing.

Far away.

There was no chance of anything happening.

Which meant nobody needed to know.

Especially not her brother.

The next few weeks passed quietly.

School became busier as exams approached.

Assignments piled up.

Teachers seemed determined to destroy everyone’s free time.

Yet somehow, thoughts of Chen Yuze kept appearing in unexpected moments.

When she passed an architecture exhibit at the library.

When she saw someone carrying drafting tools.

When spring rain tapped against classroom windows.

Every little thing reminded her of him.

One afternoon, Xiaoran returned home exhausted after school.

As she stepped inside, she heard familiar laughter from the living room.

A voice she recognized immediately.

Her heart skipped.

No way.

She hurried toward the room.

And there he was.

Chen Yuze.

Sitting on the sofa beside Haoyu.

For a second, she forgot how to breathe.

“Xiaoran.”

Her mother noticed her first.

“You’re home.”

Everyone looked up.

Including Yuze.

His expression brightened slightly.

“Hello.”

The simple greeting somehow made her nervous.

“H-Hi.”

Great.

She was stuttering again.

Haoyu smirked.

“Why do you look shocked?”

“I wasn’t shocked.”

“You looked shocked.”

“I didn’t.”

“You did.”

“Stop talking.”

The boys laughed.

Xiaoran wanted the floor to swallow her whole.

Later, after dinner, everyone gathered around the table.

Conversation flowed naturally.

Mostly between the adults and Yuze.

Xiaoran listened quietly while pretending not to pay attention.

Unfortunately, she paid attention to everything.

Every smile.

Every laugh.

Every word.

At one point, Yuze mentioned a difficult university project.

“You sound tired,” Xiaoran said without thinking.

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Yuze looked surprised.

Then he smiled.

“A little.”

“You should sleep more.”

The adults laughed.

Her father nodded.

“She’s right.”

“See?” Xiaoran said.

For the first time all evening, she relaxed.

Maybe talking to him wasn’t so difficult after all.

After dinner, Yuze prepared to leave.

The sky outside had already darkened.

Everyone walked him to the front door.

“Take care,” Aunt Lin said.

“I will.”

“Visit again soon.”

“I’ll try.”

Then his gaze shifted toward Xiaoran.

“Good luck with school.”

The unexpected encouragement caught her off guard.

“You too.”

He chuckled.

“University isn’t school.”

“It still counts.”

“Fair enough.”

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Yuze reached into his bag.

“I almost forgot.”

He handed her a small notebook.

Xiaoran blinked.

“For me?”

“You mentioned needing a new sketchbook.”

Her eyes widened.

He remembered?

Slowly, she accepted it.

The cover was decorated with tiny peach blossoms.

Beautiful peach blossoms.

“Thank you.”

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“You’re welcome.”

Then he ruffled her hair lightly.

The gesture lasted only a second.

A casual, older-brother-like gesture.

But it was enough to send her heart racing.

Meanwhile, Haoyu immediately laughed.

“She looks frozen.”

“I am not frozen.”

“You absolutely are.”

“I’m going inside.”

Without waiting for another comment, Xiaoran escaped.

The moment she reached her room, she closed the door and leaned against it.

Her heart was beating far too fast.

Carefully, she opened the sketchbook.

The pages were smooth and perfect.

Inside the first page was a small note.

For future masterpieces.

— Yuze

Xiaoran stared at the words.

Then smiled.

A secret smile nobody else could see.

For the first time, she admitted something to herself.

The feelings she carried weren’t simple admiration.

They weren’t curiosity.

And they definitely weren’t going away.

She liked Chen Yuze.

Really liked him.

The realization was terrifying.

And wonderful.

Outside her window, peach blossoms swayed gently beneath the moonlight.

Inside her room, a fifteen-year-old girl held a sketchbook close to her chest and protected a precious secret.

A secret she would tell no one.

Not yet.

Because some feelings began quietly.

Like spring arriving after winter.

Like peach blossoms opening one petal at a time.

Like first love.

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