Chapter 112

After gathering all the packages into her room, Xingyue Yu sorted them by size—neither too big nor too small—and examined each sender's name carefully.

“This one’s from Zimo Lin, this one’s from Yuli, and this one…” From Zimo Lin to the last one, Jian Xiao, she recognized all the senders. It was Xiaoxiao who had arranged for all of them to send gifts; since she gave them presents, they didn’t have to return the favor, but they had truly strong bonds of friendship.

Xingyue Yu first opened Jian Xiao’s package. Inside was an eye patch. What did Jian Xiao mean by this? It turned out that sometimes, when Xingyue Yu got caught up in childish whims, she liked to cover her right eye. So Jian Xiao had sent her this eye patch.

“Thank you, Jian Xiao. When I get to Japan, I’ll wear this eye patch all the time.” She planned to use it to look cool in Japan. Inside the package, there was a letter from Jian Xiao. Xingyue Yu picked it up and read:

“Brother Yu, I’m giving you this eye patch because I like it personally, so don’t overthink it. When you leave, I won’t know what to do for a while. I hope you won’t dislike my gift. I honestly couldn’t think of anything else. When you’re feeling childish on your own, just put on this eye patch and you’ll be invincible! — Jian Xiao.”

“Jian Xiao, that guy…” Xingyue Yu said, feeling somewhat embarrassed. If Jian Xiao were here, he’d probably get goosebumps. At the same time, someone sneezed and then felt itchy all over, probably from staying in an air-conditioned room too long.

Next was the second package, from Feifan Huang. He had sent her a beautifully crafted fan. Xingyue Yu wasn’t sure what the fan symbolized, but Feifan explained that she was kind-hearted and calm in any situation, treating others well. The fan was meant to ward off evil and symbolize friendship.

There was also a letter from Feifan Huang, as not only Jian Xiao but most of the others had written letters to her, except for Tianqi Wang. She picked up Feifan’s letter and read:

“Dear Xingyue Yu, I hope this fan brings you coolness. Giving a fan symbolizes both friendship and kindness. I hope you remain kind in Japan and make many friends there. I wish you a safe and smooth journey.”

Though it sounded a bit awkward, she appreciated Feifan’s sincerity. Looking closely at the bottom right corner of the letter—something she had missed—it read, “P.S. I’m a woman. Hope you notice.”

The writing was so small that she hadn’t seen it before and went on to open other packages.

In order, she opened packages from Yi Zhang, Siyu Chen, and Yuli. Yi Zhang had sent her a camera, saying she should take some beautiful pictures in Japan for him to see. Basically, he wanted free photos of Japan’s scenery. Though such images were everywhere online, none belonged to him personally.

Siyu Chen’s gift was simple—a handmade wooden puppet carefully carved in Xingyue Yu’s likeness. There was a brief note: “Rest well and don’t get sick abroad.”

Yuli’s gift was unusual—she sent her own phone. Xingyue Yu wondered why. From Yuli's letter, she learned the phone contained a selfie of Yuli and Xingyue Yu. Yuli wanted to print the photo but couldn’t, so she sent the phone instead and got a new one for herself. The letter included Yuli’s new number.

“Yuli, you’re too adorable. Thank you,” Xingyue Yu said, then opened the last package—from Zimo Lin. The box was tightly sealed; she suspected something fragile inside and opened it carefully.

After removing all the tape, Xingyue Yu found a note from Zimo Lin with instructions to read on the plane. Behind the note awaited a mysterious gift Zimo Lin had prepared for her.

It was a ring. To Zimo Lin, this ring was a treasure he rarely wore. It was meant to be given to someone he liked, to be worn on the middle finger.

Xingyue Yu was confused by the request but didn’t want to disappoint him. After a moment’s thought, she realized the meaning of wearing a ring on the middle finger: it symbolized being in love.

She knew that the ring finger represented marriage, so the middle finger must mean love.

Xingyue Yu wondered, was Zimo Lin expressing that he liked her?

If the roles were reversed, Zimo Lin might be crying tears of joy. This straightforward guy had only realized her feelings now, sensing a crisis as she was about to leave.

To respond to Zimo Lin’s feelings, Xingyue Yu called him.

At that moment, Zimo Lin stared lifelessly at the stars outside. When his phone rang, seeing her name made him jump up. His hands trembled as he answered, wondering if she had already opened his gift.

Before he could speak, Xingyue Yu said, “Can we meet at the Tianyuan team dojo?”

“Sure, now?” Zimo Lin was nervous, his heart pounding even before seeing her.

“Yes, I’m coming over. Hurry up,” she urged.

After hanging up, Zimo Lin hurriedly put on his best clothes from the wardrobe. Before leaving, he checked himself in the mirror. The pale pink dress fit her height perfectly, and her natural beauty required no makeup.

“Where are you going, Sis?” Lin Xiaoxin asked, noticing her sister’s elegant dress.

“Just going out for a bit. I’ll be back soon,” Zimo Lin replied, then left.

“Looks like it’s serious. Sis, you’ve got this,” Lin Xiaoxin said, while Jian Xiao nearby was puzzled. Why was Zimo Lin dressed so beautifully late at night?

An hour later, Zimo Lin arrived at the Tianyuan team dojo entrance, looking around for Xingyue Yu. He finally spotted her near a newly installed fountain, a place she hadn’t visited in a while and felt unfamiliar.

“Xingyue,” Zimo Lin called warmly. Hearing his voice, Xingyue Yu turned quickly and noticed his attire. How could he look so stunning? She nearly lost control, almost nosebleeding. The pale pink dress accentuated his beauty.

Perhaps because he felt her gaze never left him, Zimo Lin blushed and said, “Is there something strange on my face? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Ah!” Xingyue Yu snapped out of her trance. She had been so captivated she forgot what she was going to say. “No reason, I was just drawn to you.”

“Drawn to me?” That was quite obvious. Zimo Lin’s face flushed deeply. “Alright... I’ll forgive you. You didn’t have any ill intentions.”

“I’ve always been a gentleman, thank you very much,” Xingyue Yu retorted playfully.

Remembering the main point, she looked at the ring on her right middle finger. “Thank you for the ring. I really like it.”

Zimo Lin noticed the ring and was overjoyed. “Ah! So you wore it after all! I thought you’d wait until you left.”

“Enough about that. Zimo Lin, I have a question for you.” She moved closer to him.

“What... what are you trying to do?” Zimo Lin backed up step by step until he was against the wall, then she stopped.

Xingyue Yu glanced at the ring and said, “Be honest with me, Zimo Lin. Do you have feelings for me? Just tell me!”

With her imposing presence, Zimo Lin was frozen. “I… I don’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to give you the ring.”

“Really? You only wanted to give me a ring?” she asked.

“What else could it be?” Zimo Lin said with a coquettish tone.

“Ha ha ha ha,” Xingyue Yu laughed as she stepped away. Zimo Lin’s explanation was too funny—he was just being good to her.