Lin Yuelin looked at her brother’s shy appearance, feeling both amused and a little worried. She sighed softly and said, “Brother, you are still young and may not be able to distinguish between friendship and love. But no matter what, you have to focus on your studies. If you really like Jiang Yan, you have to wait until you grow up. You can’t let these things affect your studies, understand?” Lin Ruize raised his head, looked at his sister’s serious expression, nodded and said, “Sister, I understand. I will study hard and will not let my parents down.”

Lin Yuelin smiled, walked over, patted her brother on the shoulder and said, “Okay, don’t think too much. Let’s go to the front and play with everyone. Today is New Year’s Day.” Lin Ruize followed his sister back to the front yard, and his mood gradually relaxed. Although this conversation with his sister made him a little embarrassed, it also made him think more deeply about his relationship with Jiang Yan. On this New Year’s Eve, he continued to feel the colorful and beautiful life in the warmth of his family and his ignorant expectations of friendship and love.

On that quiet afternoon, the sunlight filtered through the cracks in the window and gently sprinkled into Lin Ruize’s room. He sat alone at his desk, surrounded by piles of open textbooks and exercise books like small hills. In the quiet atmosphere, there was only the rustling sound of the pen tip rubbing against the paper. Suddenly, the mobile phone screen lit up cheerfully, breaking the silence, and Jiang Yan’s expectant message came into his eyes like a jumping elf: “Ruize, do you want to go to the library together? I want to find some reference materials.” When Lin Ruize read the message, his heart seemed to be blown by a spring breeze, and was instantly filled with joy. In those clear and bright eyes, the light flickered like bright stars, and the fair face quickly flushed in an instant, just like the peach blossoms quietly blooming in spring, delicate and shy. His fingers trembled slightly, with a hint of uncontrollable excitement, and he replied hurriedly: “Okay, I’m planning to go too.”

Lin Ruize took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and began to carefully organize the books. His slender fingers gently brushed over each page of paper, carefully stacked the required materials one by one, and carefully put them into the schoolbag, as if treating the most precious treasure in the world. When he walked to the living room with his schoolbag on his back and his steps were a little hurried, Jiang Tingyan happened to look up, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes: “Ruize, where are you going?” Lin Ruize’s steps suddenly stopped, his fingers unconsciously clenched the corners of his clothes, and his heart began to “bang bang” like a trapped deer. He tried to make his voice sound steady, and whispered, “Dad, I’m going to the library.” Lin Wanyi heard the conversation from the side, and with a curious light in her eyes, she asked with a smile, “With whom?” Lin Ruize felt his face getting hotter and hotter, and his eyes began to evade. He lowered his head and whispered, “Classmates.” After that, he hurriedly squatted down to put on his shoes. His hands seemed a little clumsy because of nervousness. After tying his shoelaces with great difficulty, he opened the door and walked out quickly. His steps were so hurried that it seemed as if something frightening was chasing him from behind. Only the door was left shaking slightly behind him, making a slight “creaking” sound, as if telling of his inner panic.

The two met at the solemn and knowledge-filled entrance of the library. Jiang Yan was wearing a snow-white down jacket. The fluffy style perfectly set off her petite and cute figure. From a distance, she looked like a soft, sweet and sticky rice dumpling, exuding a charming atmosphere. The light blue scarf was loose but elegantly draped around her neck, adding a touch of freshness and playfulness to her. Her black, slightly curly shoulder-length hair swayed playfully with her agile movements, like a lively elf jumping happily. Her big watery eyes smiled into a crescent when she saw Lin Ruize, and her long eyelashes fluttered like two delicate little fans. Under her small and delicate nose, her pink little mouth had a gentle smile, and the shallow dimples on her cheeks were looming. The whole person was very cute, like a little princess from a fairy tale world. When Lin Ruize saw her like this, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated, as if it was about to jump out of his throat. He raised his hand and scratched his head nervously, and his originally smooth hair was also slightly messy, making him look even more immature and shy. He lowered his head slightly and whispered, “Let’s go in.”

In the library, they were like two cautious little deer, moving lightly between rows of tall bookshelves filled with books. The surroundings were quiet, with only the sound of their light footsteps and the occasional sound of turning pages. They were concentrating on finding the books they needed. Lin Ruize occasionally raised his head, and his eyes inadvertently fell on Jiang Yan’s face who was concentrating on finding a book. He saw the warm and soft sunlight, shining through the bright window, gently on her face, outlining a soft and charming outline. The picture was like a beautiful painting by a master. He couldn’t help but be fascinated by it, and for a moment he even forgot where he was. The only thing left in his mind was the dreamlike scene in front of him.

After finding a seat and sitting down, Lin Ruize found it difficult to focus on the book in front of him. His thoughts were like a kite with a broken string, always drifting to Jiang Yan involuntarily. Jiang Yan seemed to be keenly aware of his abnormality, blinking his smart and curious eyes, and asked in a voice as gentle as the softest spring breeze: “Ruize, what’s wrong with you? Are you worried?”

Lin Ruize was so shocked by this sudden question that he shook his head in panic. His fair ears instantly turned a faint red. He stammered, “No, I didn’t get enough rest.”

Jiang Yan smiled slightly, the dimples on his face sunk deeply, his eyes were full of concern: “Then you have to rest well. Although studying is important, your body cannot be exhausted.”

Lin Ruize nodded obediently, trying to calm himself down and focus on the book. However, a moment later, his phone suddenly vibrated. It turned out to be a message from Lin Yuelin: “Brother, where are you? Study hard.” Lin Ruize looked at the phone screen, sighed helplessly, and replied: “Sister, library, got it.”

Jiang Yan leaned over curiously: “Sister?”

Lin Ruize said “hmm” softly and explained, “She is always worried that I am not studying hard.”

Jiang Yan raised the corners of her mouth and revealed a sweet smile: “Sister cares about you. By the way, which subject do you find most difficult to study?”

Lin Ruize sighed slightly, pouted his thin lips, and said with a hint of distress: “Mathematical functions are difficult, how about you?”

Jiang Yan’s eyes lit up all of a sudden, as if they were filled with countless rays of wisdom: “Functions are difficult. I solved them bit by bit by doing more exercises and then carefully sorting out the wrong ones. Why don’t you give it a try?” Lin Ruize listened to her and thought seriously, frowning slightly. He looked very well behaved: “That makes sense. I just looked at the examples before, but I couldn’t do it when I tried to do the questions myself.”

Jiang Yan patted his shoulder encouragingly: “Don’t be discouraged, learning is a process. By the way, your Chinese grades are so good, do you have any tips for writing?”

Lin Ruize blushed again after she patted him. He smiled shyly, and the blush on his face was like the gorgeous sunset in the sky: “Just read more books to accumulate words and sentences, and pay attention to the structure and logic of the article when writing. I can also recommend you some good books.”

Jiang Yan almost jumped up with excitement when he heard this: “Okay, thank you so much.”

Just as they were talking happily, Lin Ruize suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him: “Ruize, what a coincidence, you are here too.” Lin Ruize turned around and saw that it was his classmate Su Ran. Su Ran was wearing a simple sports jacket and a pair of black-framed glasses, and looked gentle and refined. Lin Ruize said in surprise: “Su Ran, what a coincidence. Are you here to borrow books too?” Su Ran smiled and said: “Yes, I’m here to check some information about physics experiments. Is this your friend?” Lin Ruize looked at Jiang Yan and introduced: “This is Jiang Yan, we are here to review together.” Jiang Yan smiled and nodded to Su Ran: “Hello.” Su Ran also responded politely: “Hello, then you guys go ahead, I’ll go find a book first.” After that, he walked towards the bookshelf. Lin Ruize looked at Su Ran’s back, and he breathed a sigh of relief, and was a little glad that this encounter did not make him too embarrassed.

When they came out of the library, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on them, covering them with a layer of golden gauze. Jiang Yan’s face was filled with a satisfied smile, and he said, “Thank you for accompanying me. I gained a lot.”

Lin Ruize quickly responded: “Me too, we can make an appointment next time.”

Jiang Yan nodded happily: “Okay, let’s make an appointment next time.”

Lin Ruize looked at Jiang Yan’s departing back, feeling mixed emotions. He knew clearly that his feelings for her were gradually deepening as they spent time together, but every time he thought of his sister’s earnest advice, he secretly made up his mind to work hard to balance the relationship between this relationship and his studies, so as not to disappoint his family’s high expectations of him, nor to miss out on this precious and beautiful friendship with Jiang Yan.

After returning home, Lin Ruize slowly walked into his room and gently closed the door. The walls around him seemed to instantly isolate the noise from the outside world. He sat quietly at the desk. The familiar desktop and the familiar desk lamp could not calm his heart quickly. He tried to calm down and study, but his thoughts were like a wild horse running wild. Jiang Yan’s smile always appeared in his mind involuntarily. That smile was like the most brilliant flower in spring, bright and moving. There were also bits and pieces of their time in the library, those soft conversations, inadvertent eye contact, and the figure of searching for books between the bookshelves, all like vivid and lively pictures, constantly playing in his mind. He shook his head helplessly, as if to get rid of these disturbing thoughts from his mind. After a moment, he took a deep breath, as if he had finally made up his mind, and reached out to pick up the math exercise book. The paper of the exercise book slid across his fingertips, with a slight coolness. He began to do function exercises according to the method Jiang Yan had told him. He stared at the questions closely and kept writing and drawing on the draft paper with the pen in his hand, trying to focus all his attention on these complex mathematical symbols and formulas.

A few days later, the school organized a grand and intense knowledge competition. As soon as the news came out, the whole campus was boiling, and the students were eager to try. Lin Ruize and Jiang Yan also signed up without hesitation. They were eager to show their talents and wisdom on this stage. At the competition site, the spacious hall was full of participating students and teachers and students who came to watch the competition. The air was filled with a tense and exciting atmosphere. Lin Ruize sat in his seat, and his eyes inadvertently swept to the other side of the competition field, just seeing Jiang Yan’s focused answering. On her small face, her eyebrows were slightly wrinkled, and her eyes revealed incomparable concentration and seriousness, as if the whole world was left with only the test paper in front of her and a series of problems that needed to be solved. Lin Ruize looked at her, and for some reason, an inexplicable motivation surged in his heart. The motivation was like a burning flame, burning in his chest, driving him to concentrate more on the competition. The competition process was very intense, and each group was strong and comparable. Each question was answered with nervous heartbeats and warm applause, and cheers could be heard echoing in the hall every time a correct answer was given. When it was Lin Ruize’s turn to answer a math function question, he felt his heartbeat suddenly speed up, as if an invisible hand was knocking heavily in his chest. He took a deep breath, slowly closed his eyes, and tried to calm himself down. In that brief moment, his mind was like a movie replay, and he clearly recalled the discussion with Jiang Yan in the library. Those ideas, techniques and methods for solving functions emerged in his mind one by one, like a bright lighthouse, guiding him in the fog of this difficult problem. His thoughts gradually became clear, and his eyes suddenly opened, flashing with confidence. He picked up the microphone and spoke the answer calmly and fluently. The voice echoed in the silent hall, especially loud. After a moment of silence, thunderous applause broke out at the scene. The applause was like a surging tide, drowning him. He knew that he had succeeded.

After the competition, Jiang Yan came to Lin Ruize like a happy little bird. Her face was filled with a brilliant smile, which seemed to dispel all the haze in the world. She said happily: “Ruize, you were great just now! The answer to the function question was so wonderful.” Lin Ruize scratched his head a little embarrassedly when he heard her praise. His originally neat hair was slightly messy because of him. A faint blush appeared on his face, like the sunset in the sky. He said shyly: “It’s because of the method you taught me before that gave me a new understanding of functions.” The two smiled at each other. At this time, the sunlight shone on them through the windows of the hall. The golden light was like a dreamy gauze, gently draped on their shoulders, as if they were coated with a layer of sacred and beautiful golden light, freezing this moment into an eternal picture. (End of this chapter)