Though Ye Yuyin could be a little whimsical at times, she was mostly a well-behaved and clever girl. Watching her, Lin Muke felt as if she were looking at her younger self.

Ye Yuyin wore a pure white dress with almost no decoration—evoking the verse: *a lotus rising from clear water, naturally unadorned*. Even Lin Muke had to admit: only such simple attire could reveal a little girl’s pure, untouched innocence, flawless as white jade.

“This was picked out by Dad,” Ye Yuyin said with a smile. Whenever she mentioned her father, her eyes lit up—except when she worried about getting scolded.

She clearly adored him. And he was strict: if Yuyin ever stepped out of line, he’d discipline her firmly. No amount of cute pouting would soften him.

Ye… Classmate Ye is like *that*?

Lin Muke recalled competing with him for class monitor. Her impression? Top grades, popular, kinda handsome, a bit low-energy… Oh—and hardworking! Every time she passed his desk, he was hunched over practice problems.

He seemed so easygoing. Nothing like the strict figure Yuyin described…

Yuyin chattered on endlessly. She really, *really* loved her dad. Such a daddy’s girl.

She explained: even when Dad scolded her for mistakes, he’d always be extra kind afterward. “Punishment isn’t the goal of education,” he’d say. “It’s just a tool. True growth comes from correcting yourself—and then, rewards follow.”

Hearing this, Lin Muke felt a flicker of admiration. Raising a child mattered deeply. If he were truly *hers*… well, he *should* be exceptional…

She pictured Ye Huaixian’s gentle, ever-present smile and kept listening.

Where did this little one learn all these sweet words? Pouring them all on Dad… Lin Muke felt speechless—mostly flustered. She muttered again under her breath: *Such a daddy’s girl.*

Still, after Yuyin’s effusive praise, Lin Muke couldn’t help but grow curious about Ye Huaixian.

Truth was, which teenage girl doesn’t dream of a fateful meeting? A match made in heaven.

Now fate had sent Ye Yuyin to her. Was she meant to be the bridge… to Ye… Classmate Ye?

The thought made Lin Muke blush. Overwhelmed by Yuyin’s relentless coaxing, she finally agreed to approach Ye Huaixian herself.

That morning’s walk to school began. Clumsy at small talk, Lin Muke was saved by Ye Huaixian’s thoughtful words. Then, on the bus, he stepped in heroically—playing the knight.

Even without Yuyin whispering his praises nearby, Lin Muke now found her thoughts drifting to Ye Huaixian.

Shy, unwilling to admit it—but yes, she’d started liking him.

During morning reading, she kept glancing back at his focused figure, hunched over problems. Admiration swirled with something warmer, hazier…

*Would I really spend my life with someone like him…?*

Her cheeks burned. A nudge from a classmate startled her. Flustered, she ducked behind her textbook and mumbled the passage aloud, heart pounding.