In front of the fourth teaching building stood a tall pine tree, and Yi Ming stood beneath it, casually watching the bustling crowd passing by.
Jiang Wei was at the back of the crowd after class, her petite figure swaying among the others. Amidst the graceful dance students, Jiang Wei stood out, and Yi Ming felt a pang of heartache.
He understood better than anyone the extra effort Jiang Wei had put in to get into the school's dance department.
A talented and passionate dancer, Jiang Wei had to constantly struggle against her own physical limitations. She rarely mentioned her "balance deficiency" and tried her best to appear as normal as possible.
Yi Ming watched her familiar face and smiled, striding towards her.
"Let's go grab something to eat."
He reached out his long arm, grabbing her hand to lead her away.
Jiang Wei paused in her steps, looking up at him. "Are you here for something?"
"Nothing in particular."
"Then I'll head back to the dorm."
Jiang Wei nodded obediently and turned to leave.
"Don't go," Yi Ming grabbed her sleeve, grinning playfully. "There is something, actually. Jiang Xiaowei, when will you be my girlfriend? I've been waiting for over a decade."
Yi Ming's voice was soft and gentle.
Jiang Wei's eyelashes trembled as she shook her head. "It's not possible, we're not suitable."
"Why not?" Yi Ming leaned slightly, meeting Jiang Wei's gaze. He smiled faintly. "There's no one more suitable for each other under the sun. If we weren't suitable, how could we have stuck together for over a decade without getting tired of each other?"
Jiang Wei glanced at him. "I've told you, you... are too ugly."
Yi Ming's heart skipped a beat, then he chuckled, his eyes filled with amusement. "I know, but I'm very gentle! Won't you consider it?"
Jiang Wei almost burst out laughing at his expression, but she resisted.
Yi Ming wasn't actually ugly; on the contrary, he was quite handsome, with the type of refined and charming appearance that had attracted attention since childhood.
From a young age, the girls in the neighborhood all liked to hang around him, and Jiang Wei, who had the closest relationship with Yi Ming, naturally became the target of their envy.
She had gradually grown accustomed to being "targeted." As long as she could stay by Yi Ming's side, she could let everything else go.
If it weren't for that incident, she might have really been ready to officially be with him after getting into university.
But alas, there were no "ifs" in life.
After that, Yi Ming's constant confessions were all met with her choosing to "turn a blind eye." In order to make Yi Ming give up, she even intentionally used his confession notes as scratch paper for her math calculations.
Yi Ming was unwilling to give up; after the college entrance exams, he cornered her in the hallway, tapping her on the head and saying, "You have to give me a reason."
Jiang Wei caught a whiff of the faint scent of peppermint emanating from him, feeling as though her heart might leap out of her chest like a startled deer.
Her mind went blank, unable to muster a calm explanation for him.
"Because... you're too ugly."
Heaven knew, this reason was entirely fabricated by Jiang Wei on the spur of the moment.
Initially, Jiang Wei thought her words were merely nonsensical, concocted hastily to placate Yi Ming, who surely wouldn't believe them.
Given Yi Ming's appearance, surrounded by countless admirers, how could he possibly genuinely think himself ugly?
But to Jiang Wei's surprise, it wasn't long before someone personally provided evidence to her, and Yi Ming actually believed it.