"Yu Mo, stay calm! Don’t post it!" Leng Shuang reached out desperately, trying to stop her.

"Hmph. Too late—it’s already up. Just follow my account and see what everyone says about you."

Yu Mo huffed, chin lifted defiantly. She balled her tiny fists and tapped Leng Shuang’s chest lightly before spinning away.

"Uh… heh heh heh."

Watching her go, Leng Shuang let out a helpless smile.

Back in his room, he scanned the space he’d called home for over a decade. A faint melancholy stirred in his chest.

His high school diploma would arrive soon. Time to move out.

Apply for aid. Hunt for an apartment in Sakura City. Step into the merciless grind of adult life.

*Lula lula lie~*

His phone chimed mid-thought.

Lin Mo.

"Hello, Lin Mo."

"Leng Shuang! I got in!"

"Really?! Which university?"

Her voice bubbled with joy through the speaker, and warmth bloomed in his own heart.

"Sakura University!"

*Sakura University?!*

She’d actually made it—Sakura Kingdom’s most elite institution!

Leng Shuang’s breath hitched. It felt like *he’d* been accepted.

In a land where graduates flooded the streets, this was a golden ticket.

Only around a thousand admitted yearly. Sometimes fewer.

Quality over quantity. Prestige, absolute.

"Lin Mo… I’m… truly happy for you."

His pale hand pressed to his chest, feeling the frantic, joyful thump beneath.

"Hey… how about you?"

"I… heh. Let’s skip my sad scores. Talk about something else."

An awkward chuckle passed between them.

"L-Leng Shuang… since I got into Sakura University… um…"

Lin Mo stammered. Even through the phone, he could picture the shy flush rising on her face.

"What is it?"

Blushing himself, Leng Shuang feigned calm, teasing gently.

"I mean… now that I’m in… can we… you know…"

"You know… *what*?" He bit his glossy lower lip, swallowing hard.

If she could see him now—face crimson, voice deliberately vague—he’d be utterly captivating.

"I want you."

Lin Mo blurted it out. Relief washed over her the second the words left her lips.

A beat of silence. Then a whisper, faint as a mosquito: "Mm."

"I’m coming to get you!"

"Huh?!" *So eager?*

He’d planned to play coy—but she’d already hung up. Probably sprinting his way already.

"Well… I did promise her."

He glanced at the clear sky, lips curving into a shy, curious smile.

He’d been waiting for this too.

Lin Mo arrived in minutes—proof of her urgency, her hunger to claim this ripe fruit of youth.

Just outside his door, Yu Mo stood waiting.

"Uh…"

Seeing Leng Shuang with his backpack, and recalling Lin Mo at the gate earlier, Yu Mo pieced it together instantly.

"Ahem. Leng Shuang—tell Lin Mo to go easy on you. Or you might not walk straight tomorrow."

"W-what are you *saying*?!" His face burned.

"Common sense! Girls get *strong* when excited. One passionate moment and—*bam*—you’re out cold. Especially on your first time."

Yu Mo puffed up like a wise elder. "Go on. I won’t bother you these days. Just check my account later—the comments are already a warzone."

She turned and left with perfect timing.

"R-really… I’m not *that* fragile," Leng Shuang muttered, head down, hurrying down the stairs.

-------

At the compound gate.

"Leng Shuang’s not here. Go home, girl. Don’t block the path."

The security auntie glared. Her own daughter had pined for Leng Shuang—now heartbroken. Resentment simmered in her eyes.

"Auntie… did I offend you? Why stare like that?"

Lin Mo shrank back. The muscular guard’s baton trembled in her grip, veins pulsing on her temple.

"You’ve offended *everyone* here. This whole neighborhood rejects you!"

Lin Mo glanced at the gossip squad under the banyan tree. Hostile stares met her.

She gave a wry smile.

*Yeah… that public PDA really stirred the pot.*

But pride swelled stronger.

With a boyfriend like this? She felt like a winner everywhere.

*Junior-level life winner*, she decided: top grades, great health, and a breathtakingly beautiful boyfriend.

Later—degree earned, job in Sakura City, house bought, marry Leng Shuang, raise a child—*senior-level winner*.

She’d fight for it.

"Leng Shuang!"

Spotting him approaching, her heart leaped.

The auntie and gossipers’ faces darkened.

"Lin Mo."

He smiled—youthful joy and shyness dancing on his lips. His bright eyes, misty with emotion, held only her reflection.

One month apart, yet she was still spellbound—like a drunken butterfly nestled in blossoms, refusing to wake.

"Leng Shuang… I need to tell you something…"

Lin Mo took a breath. A sly glint flashed across her usually gentle face. Under his puzzled gaze, she leaned in. One hand settled on his waist; the other traced his creamy-smooth back beneath casual fabric. Her face filled his vision.

"Mmm?!"

Electric shock. Mind blank. Only when her lips parted his, claiming him fiercely, did he jolt back.

*So many eyes.* Shame surged. He pushed weakly—then surrendered.

Eyes shut. *Pretend it isn’t happening. If I don’t see them… they don’t exist.*

He closed his eyes… and shyly kissed back.

Lin Mo’s eyes snapped open. Eyebrows lifted—a deliberate challenge aimed at the auntie and the gossip squad.

"You saw that?! She *dared* provoke us!"

"Arrogant! Doing this right before my eyes!"

"Ugh! I wanna beat her up—teach that girl some humility!"

"------"

Fury blazed in their eyes. The auntie’s baton creaked in her white-knuckled grip.

*Smack… smack…*

Senses sharpened with eyes closed. Leng Shuang drifted.

When they parted, a silvery strand of saliva gleamed on her cherry-red lips—utterly tempting.

He gasped fresh air, eyes fluttering open. Hazy. Drunkenly alluring.

Then—*awareness*. Onlookers. Phones filming.

Crimson flooded his cheeks. *Ostrich mode: activate.*

"Let’s *go*!" He shot Lin Mo a flustered glare, itching to swat her.

Only his tug snapped her from her trance.

That fleeting, intoxicating look in his eyes had ignited her—dry straw meeting spark.

*Flames.*

She wanted to cross the threshold of adulthood *right here*.

"Move!" Lin Mo seized his hand. No time to gloat. She rushed him toward the bus stop, heart pounding.

"Are they… hooking up?"

"Obviously. Did you see the fire in her eyes? Ready to devour him."

"Heh. If *you* stared at Leng Shuang like that… fifty-something or not, same story."

"Ahem. Old body, young heart!"

"------"

The crowd sighed, regret melting into smirks.

They’d asked Leng Shuang’s mother, Leng Yu, about matchmaking. She’d just shaken her head: "I set him free long ago. His path is his own."

"It stings. If she had real talent, we wouldn’t feel this imbalance."

To them, Lin Mo was unworthy.

True beauty deserved true strength. Sakura University? Just a job ticket—not proof of power.

"Hehe… what if Leng Shuang moves to Sakura City? Surrounded by brilliant, beautiful women from elite families… will he still choose *her*?"

A knowing smile spread.

Laughter rippled through the group.

Sakura City—the "youngest" metropolis. Women there weren’t just youthful; they carried legacy, grace, genes that outshone ordinary girls.

No match for a humble scholar like Lin Mo.

They watched her retreating figure, lips curling slightly.

*Young lady… you can’t hold onto him.*