Ouyang Xianyi also had her share of fanatical followers.

They constantly swarmed around him, screaming and calling his name. This always bothered him immensely. He was nobody special, and there was simply no need for them to circle him like this every single day.

However, he didn't know how to address them, so he had no choice but to let them be. He had once tried to ask them to be a little quieter, but that only resulted in even more enthusiastic cheers. That memory remained vivid to this day, so no matter what, he would never speak to these girls again.

This had led to their relentless daily harassment. Almost every time he thought about coming to school, this scene would come to mind. It was deeply etched into his brain, an unchangeable fixture.

With a splitting headache, he reached up to gently rub his throbbing temples. He stepped out of the car, clutching his school bag in resignation, and summoned the courage to walk toward the school gate.

The crowd at the entrance seemed to have a tacit understanding, parting to clear a path for him. Being the center of everyone's attention was truly a strange experience. Under the gaze of the crowd, Ouyang Xianyi walked slowly toward the school's main building. Along the way, several people ran up to hand him letters, but Ouyang Xianyi ignored them and walked straight past the girls. Suddenly, someone draped an arm over his shoulder.

He didn't need to guess who it was. Turning his head, he offered a gentle smile to the person beside him. It was his good friend, Feng Lan, whom he had known since elementary school.

Feng Lan was the complete opposite of Ouyang Xianyi: with his wheat-colored skin, sturdy build, and a face radiating sunshine, he was a quintessential athletic boy.

His mind was remarkably simple, and he was always ready to offer unconditional help to Ouyang Xianyi, which earned him Ouyang's deep affection.

Naturally, the two became best friends. Even though most of the time they spent together consisted of Feng Lan talking to himself, they never felt a hint of awkwardness, as if they had known each other for a lifetime.

Because of this, Feng Lan often joked that they must have been brothers in a past life, a sentiment with which Ouyang Xianyi heartily agreed. As they walked down the white and blue corridor, Feng Lan teased, "Tell me, kid, you're this old now—don't tell me you're still waiting for your first love!"

Ouyang Xianyi’s footsteps faltered slightly, as if struck by the truth. It lasted only a moment, however, before he turned to glare coldly at his friend. A faint blush appeared on his pale face, and he brushed the hand off his shoulder with irritation.

"So what if I am?" he retorted indignantly. "Is that not allowed?" He regretted the words the moment they left his lips. *Good grief! Why did I say that? This is a disaster!*

Sure enough, Feng Lan erupted into uninhibited laughter, clutching his stomach as he roared. His behavior thoroughly annoyed Ouyang Xianyi, who reacted by delivering a swift kick to his friend's backside.

With a thud, Feng Lan fell to the ground, losing all semblance of dignity. A clear footprint was left on his black trousers. As he lay there watching his friend storm off, Feng Lan still wanted to laugh, but for the sake of his future, he decided he didn't want to lose such a good friend. He quickly reined in his mirth, scrambled up with a straight face, brushed the dust off his pants, and pretended nothing had happened as he hurried after him.

Looking at him now, it was hard to associate him with the madly laughing person from a moment ago. He caught up to Ouyang Xianyi and draped an arm over his shoulder, only to have it swatted away, just as he expected.

Suppressing a grin, he put on an apologetic expression. "Xianyi! Don't be mad! I'm sorry! I was wrong! Please, have mercy on me!"

He pressed his palms together in a gesture of supplication. Seeing such a large, athletic boy trying to act cute, all of Ouyang Xianyi’s anger vanished in an instant.