"Are you in a rush to go see your brother at the hospital? If not, can you walk with me? There are some things I feel I must clarify with you."
After hesitating for a few seconds, He Zhilan nodded. She suspected that the topic would revolve around her marriage. After all, last time she hastily told Zhou Hongjin and ran off to answer a phone call. This abrupt news probably startled Zhou Hongjin.
At this moment, the campus was bustling with people. Zhou Hongjin was quite popular in the school, and due to Liao Qinghong’s suicide from jumping off a building, almost everyone in Capital University knew of this warm-hearted senior, Zhou Hongjin.
The autumn wind in Capital city was dryer than that in the south. Phoenix Tree Avenue was littered with yellow leaves. This was the only place in the school that didn’t need cleaning every day, even when leaves blanketed the ground, concealing the concrete beneath.
The sound of their footsteps crunching on dry leaves was audible as they walked. He Zhilan didn’t say anything, unsure what to say to Zhou Hongjin and waiting for him to speak first.
Contrary to her expectations, however, Zhou Hongjin didn’t talk about his feelings. He only extolled the beauty of Phoenix Tree Avenue and shared stories about French phoenix trees.
The evening twilight painted the sky with fiery colors. It looked almost enchantingly beautiful. Underneath, a world of gold stretched out. A soft voice whispered beautiful stories into He Zhilan’s ear. Everything was just like a scene from a romantic fairytale.
To her own regret, the person by He Zhilan’s side was not her brother He Teng who lay in the hospital.
She wondered, if He Teng hadn’t been injured and hospitalized, could he have gone to the Capital military academy for further study? Would the person walking this golden avenue with her be He Teng in his military uniform?
Of course, Zhou Hongjin wouldn’t know about He Zhilan’s regrets. He didn’t dare look carefully at He Zhilan’s facial expressions, feeling anxious as they approached the end of Phoenix Tree Avenue.
Ten meters, five meters, three meters. Zhou Hongjin counted in his mind until they reached the last phoenix tree on the avenue. Then he abruptly stopped and solemnly called He Zhilan’s name.
"Wait a moment!" Zhou Hongjin called out. When He Zhilan lifted her gaze to him, he quickly ran behind the phoenix tree. When he returned, he was mysteriously hiding his hands behind him, wearing a smile as warm as spring.
"Senior Zhou?" He Zhilan asked, puzzled. She turned to see what Zhou Hongjin was hiding behind him, but he dodged her gaze, leaving her with nothing.
"He Zhilan," Zhou Hongjin pursed his lips before continuing, "Last time I confessed to you, it may not have seemed formal enough. You might have thought I was too impulsive because of the short notice and didn’t believe what I said. So this time, I want to confess to you formally. I hope that you understand that when I say I like you, I really mean it. Everything I do, everything I say, all are well-considered."
Only then did Zhou Hongjin bring out the object he was hiding behind him and hand it to He Zhilan. It turned out to be a bouquet of vibrant roses. "Flowers match beauty! I personally chose these, I hope you like them!"
He Zhilan was stunned. This was the first bouquet of flowers she had received in her life, and she was taken aback. Who would have thought that a steady person like Zhou Hongjin would do something so crazy?