Notes of Youth

Autumn sunlight filtered through the tall windows of the art room, painting golden streaks across the easels and scattered paintbrushes. Lin Keqing was alone at the moment, gently mixing shades of blue on her palette. Her painting—an abstract swirl of stars and light—was almost done.

The art room had become her escape.

"Keqing?"

She turned to find Le Yahan peeking in, holding two warm cups of milk tea.

"For the resident artist," Yahan grinned, handing one over. "And for me, your favorite muse."

Keqing laughed. "Thanks. I needed this."

They sat by the open window, sipping quietly.

"By the way," Yahan said after a moment, "have you heard? There's a new girl transferred to our grade."

Keqing tilted her head. "Another one?"

Yahan raised her eyebrows dramatically. "Not just any girl. Liu Tianxue. You know—the one from the International School who won that national essay contest."

"That name sounds familiar…"

"She's basically academic royalty," Yahan said. "And—rumor has it—she used to be close with Gu Yuyan during their middle school years."

Keqing blinked.

Her heart thudded—just once—but loud enough to echo.

he first time Keqing saw Liu Tianxue in person was during lunch break the next day.

She was radiant.

Glossy black hair tied in a high ponytail, her uniform immaculately neat, and her posture straight like a dancer's. But what stood out the most were her eyes—sharp, observant, and… unmistakably confident.

And she was talking to Gu Yuyan.

Or rather, at him.

He stood near the bookshelf at the back of the library, flipping through a thin poetry collection. Tianxue leaned on the edge of the table, voice low but filled with familiarity.

Keqing had walked in by accident—looking for a book on watercolor theory—but froze when she saw the two.

Tianxue noticed her.

Their eyes met.

The girl offered a small, polite smile—but there was something else beneath it. A quiet challenge. A silent question.

Keqing nodded stiffly, then turned and walked away.

Her fingers clenched the edge of the book she didn't even realize she was still holding.

That evening, the sky was streaked with pinks and purples. Keqing walked home alone, her bag feeling heavier than usual. She kept replaying the image in her head—of Tianxue smiling, of Yuyan looking unbothered.

She wasn't angry. Not exactly.

Just…

Uncertain.

That night, she found a note tucked in her pencil case.

The handwriting was familiar—elegant, quiet.

"Today was noisy. I missed your silence."

Her breath caught.

She pressed the note to her chest.

And smiled.

Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Le Yahan sat swinging her legs off the edge of a low wall. The sunset looked like spilled orange juice.

Chen Yuke appeared, hands in pockets.

"You skipped your club meeting?" he asked.

Yahan shrugged. "Wasn't in the mood to hear girls squealing about anime boys."

Chen leaned against the railing beside her. "So you came here to sulk alone?"

"Not sulking," she huffed. "Just… thinking."

He handed her a candy bar. "Emergency sugar for overthinking."

She took it with a grin. "Thanks."

They didn't speak for a while. The wind played with strands of her hair.

Then she asked quietly, "Do you think people like us can ever compete with… someone like Tianxue?"

Chen Yuke turned to her, thoughtful. "Why would we need to compete?"

"Because people always pick the brightest flame."

He looked away for a moment, then back at her.

"Some people," he said, "prefer the warmth of a steady fire. Not the blinding light."

Yahan blinked.

Her fingers brushed his for a second—accidentally.

Maybe.

But neither pulled away.

Back in her room, Keqing took out a new page in her sketchbook and drew two silhouettes under one umbrella. This time, she added stars around them.

She folded the sketch and slipped it into a small envelope.

Tomorrow, she would leave it in Gu Yuyan's desk.

Because even if Liu Tianxue had known his past,

She was the one learning his present.

And maybe, just maybe…

She was part of his future.

The next morning, as students filed into class, Bai Andui strode in wearing a crisp black hoodie and carrying only a single book. He glanced around, clearly noticing Tianxue chatting with Gu Yuyan near the window.

His eyes narrowed—just slightly—then flicked toward Keqing.

When she passed him in the aisle, he spoke without looking up:

"You might want to draw something sharper next time. Sentiment doesn't win competitions."

Keqing paused, surprised by the jab.

"Art isn't about winning," she replied quietly.

He finally looked up, his gaze calm but cold. "Maybe not. But this school sure is."

Then, with a smirk, he slid into his seat.

Later that day, the teacher handed back their midterm practice scores. The top three names were written on the board:

1.Bai Andui

2.Gu Yuyan

3.Liu Tianxue

There was a low murmur across the classroom.

Gu Yuyan didn't react. He merely folded the paper and resumed reading.

But Keqing noticed a twitch in his brow.

Andui smirked again, as if the numbers were enough.

During break, he walked past Gu Yuyan's desk and said casually, "Looks like the 'silent genius' isn't as unbeatable as they say."

Yuyan didn't even glance at him.

But Keqing did.

Andui's comment stayed with her the entire day.