“Zoe, the exams are finally over, you can relax now, go have some fun!” Her aunt said kindly.

The rascal on the other end of the phone heard this loud and clear, and immediately seized the opportunity to shout, “Zoe Young, did you hear that?

Your aunt already said so, if you still don’t come, you’re being unfilial!”

Her aunt put down the rag and laughed heartily, then asked, “Zoe, is that your classmate?”

The person on the phone immediately replied, “Hello, Auntie, I’m Zoe Young’s… my name is Andrew Lane!”

What was with that pause?

Zoe Young was about to interrupt, but her aunt, laughing mischievously, said, “Is that so, Andrew Lane? Zoe mentions you all the time!”

When did I ever mention him all the time?!

Zoe Young felt like she was about to lose control and bite someone.

She put down the phone, which was still blaring noisily, and smiled sweetly at her aunt, “You two go ahead and chat!”

Zoe Young quickly realized she had made a serious mistake.

Because five minutes later, her aunt knocked on her door.

“Zoe, at five this afternoon, at that Italian buffet by the river, hurry up and go. If you don’t go, you’re being unfilial.”

Zoe Young was in tears.

When she arrived at that “whatever” buffet restaurant, it was bustling inside. She stood at the door of the big private room, poked her head in for a look—sure enough, it was a mixed crowd, probably all classmates familiar with the organizers, from all different classes, though mostly from Class One and Two.

She actually saw Charlotte Lee.

Zoe Young & Andrew Lane extra and Charles Johnson were sitting together, silent, looking a bit lonely against the lively background.

She walked toward where Charlotte Lee was, and ran into Nathan Lucas on the way. He was stunned at first, then his mouth dropped open.

“You have two cavities.” Zoe Young said honestly.

Nathan Lucas immediately shut his mouth.

Then he started shouting excitedly around the room, “Andrew Lane, Andrew Lane, your someone is here!”

Zoe Young blushed instantly, quickly turned her head, and continued toward her destination.

Charlotte Lee seemed to have noticed her early on, and pulled over a chair for her.

“I knew Andrew Lane would invite you.”

Zoe Young gritted her teeth, “He didn’t invite me, he invited my aunt.”

Charlotte Lee was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Zoe Young turned to look at her, and that smile really deserved to be called “radiant and dazzling.”

“Do you know what I was watching at home during the review period?”

Zoe Young shook her head in confusion.

Charles Johnson, chewing on the complimentary peanuts at each table, chimed in, “Buddhist scriptures.”

Charlotte Lee glared fiercely at Charles Johnson, and Zoe Young was momentarily dazed, as if she was seeing that proud little girl from elementary school again.

“…He’s right. Wait, why does an Italian buffet serve complimentary peanuts? Charles Johnson, what are you eating?”

She turned back and continued to say to Zoe Young, “I thought I’d trained myself enough at home, but coming here, being stared at like that as soon as I walked in, I still feel uncomfortable, really uncomfortable. I told you on the phone that I thought I did well on the exams, but I know myself, no matter how well I did, I can’t wash away the injustice from last time, or rather, even if the facts are right in front of them, they still don’t want to believe it. Some people just want me to be that kind of person.”

As she spoke, tears shimmered in her beautiful eyes. Charlotte Lee quickly lowered her head.

Zoe Young patted her on the shoulder, “It must have been hard, but you still came.”

Charlotte Lee kept her head down, sniffled, “I don’t even know why I came. At least Charles Johnson is with me.”

Charles Johnson called out, “Hey, why am I always the ‘at least’?”

Charlotte Lee burst out laughing through her tears.

“As time goes by, it’s like a flood, the distance between people gets wider and wider, and things that seemed so important back then eventually get diluted.” Zoe Young added.

Charles Johnson popped another peanut into his mouth, “You read Buddhist scriptures too?”

Zoe Young was exasperated, but Charlotte Lee just waved it off and continued, “So what’s this, you’re the clear-headed bystander?”

“It’s nothing,” Zoe Young propped her chin and smiled, “See, things that seemed huge when we were kids, aren’t they all in the past now?”

Charlotte Lee was stunned for a moment, then suddenly covered her mouth.

“I just remembered, during the math olympiad, wasn’t I sitting next to you? I remember clearly, you couldn’t solve a single problem!”

Zoe Young’s temple throbbed, she clenched her fist and said slowly, “…I could solve a few.”

Charles Johnson burst out laughing, only to choke on a peanut and cough violently.

“That’s enough, do you want to eat peanuts until you’re full?” Charlotte Lee pounded Charles Johnson’s back hard.

“Yeah,” Zoe Young drooped her eyelids, “We’re here for the buffet, can’t you be a little more professional?”

The meal ended in a noisy mess. Zoe Young never really liked this kind of scene, especially since she didn’t know most of the people there. Everyone just chatted in small groups at their own tables, and some people who were especially popular moved from table to table. The boys were all calling for beer, arms around each other like brothers.

Andrew Lane didn’t sit near her as she had expected, just greeted Charlotte Lee and Charles Johnson in passing, and even acted like he didn’t see Zoe Young, walking right past her.

Charlotte Lee suddenly looked like she had an epiphany, and she and Charles Johnson started whispering and giggling together, who knows what about.

Zoe Young ate without much interest, and ate very little.

Turns out the least professional one wasn’t Charles Johnson, but herself.

Zoe Young & Andrew Lane extra, it turned out the one who really didn’t know why she came wasn’t Charlotte Lee, but herself.

Even Charlotte Lee knew who would be attending today—for example, Thomas Chase definitely wasn’t invited. But she herself hadn’t even asked, only figured things out when she stood at the door and looked in.

It was just because Andrew Lane acted shamelessly and said she had to come, so she came.

Even though she’d always been afraid of crowds since she was little, always nervously remembering those adults who pushed kids to sing, dance, or say something impressive to make the family look good…

She still came, just because that guy acted shamelessly.

Zoe Young suddenly felt it was all meaningless. Looking from afar, Andrew Lane was laughing happily among a group of boys and girls, being toasted again and again, never refusing.

Especially with so many girls always by his side. She saw it clearly.

Always so popular, truly liked and cared for by everyone.

Actually, he was the kind of person she most wished she could be, the one she fantasized about but could never say out loud.

Zoe Young suddenly felt sentimental. After all these years, her deepest impression was still the first day of elementary school, when he was surrounded by parents and teachers, looking impatient but still managing to be likable. She turned to look at him, then followed the cold new homeroom teacher farther and farther away.

Charlotte Lee had gotten over a hurdle, and even though she was still sad, at least she had the courage to return to the crowd; Andrew Lane and his buddies were still perfectly embodying what youth was all about; and the acquaintances around her, after this “fate-deciding exam,” who would win or lose was still unknown, but it didn’t stop the celebration.

High school was over just like that. Everyone squeezed into one classroom, seeing each other every day for twelve whole years, and now it was over.

Zoe Young lowered her head in silence, touching her palm.

When it was about time to leave, she handed her share of the money to Nathan Lucas, picked up her shoulder bag, and was about to go.

“Zoe Young, wait a minute, wait a minute,” Nathan Lucas grabbed her arm, “Andrew Lane told me to call him when you were about to leave.”

Zoe Young ignored him and walked straight out the door.

She didn’t know what she was feeling inside, just a sour ache.

Her mind ran in circles, and finally came to a conclusion she’d known since she was little.

From the first meeting, the sides were already drawn. The lines drawn in chalk as children, even if blurred by the footsteps of time, still left their mark.