Chapter 5 | The First Night We Walked Home Side by Side

It was getting dark when the basketball game ended.The playground was still bustling with activity.The students from Class Two surrounded Zhou Yu, celebrating.Someone poured bottled water over his head."Champion! Champion!"Zhou Yu was being pushed and shoved around.He couldn't stop laughing.When the crowd dispersed, he noticed Lin Nian still standing on the sidelines.She stood there quietly.She held a book in her hand.It looked like she had just come from the library.Zhou Yu walked over."Still here?"Lin Nian nodded."Just came out."Zhou Yu glanced at the sky.The evening clouds were a little red.A breeze swept across the playground.Carrying a hint of autumn coolness."Are you going home?"Zhou Yu asked.Lin Nian said:"Yes."Zhou Yu slung his backpack over his shoulder.“Let’s walk together.”Lin Nian hesitated for a moment.Then she nodded.“Okay.”They walked out from the path on the playground.The streetlights outside the school lit up one by one.The evening rush hour was over.The streets weren’t so noisy.The two walked slowly.It was quiet at first.Zhou Yu suddenly said:“You really watched the whole game today?”Lin Nian was a little embarrassed.“Actually… more or less.”Zhou Yu smiled.“Was my last three-pointer cool?”Lin Nian thought for a moment.“Pretty cool.”Zhou Yu nodded in satisfaction.“I think so too.”Lin Nian couldn’t help but laugh.They reached an intersection.The red light was on.The two stopped.The streetlights shone on the ground.The shadows were stretched long.Zhou Yu suddenly asked:"Lin Nian.""Hmm?""Besides studying, what else do you do?"Lin Nian thought for a moment."Reading."Zhou Yu smiled."That counts as studying too."Lin Nian gently shook her head."Novels."Zhou Yu was a little surprised."Really?""What do you like to read?"Lin Nian said:"Romance novels."Zhou Yu paused for a moment.Then he smiled."The male leads in those are all very capable, right?"Lin Nian nodded."Pretty capable."Zhou Yu suddenly asked:"What about me?"Lin Nian glanced at him."What?"Zhou Yu said:"Do I look like a male lead in a novel?"Lin Nian couldn't help but laugh."You're overthinking it."The green light turned on.They continued walking.The night breeze was a little cool.Zhou Yu suddenly zipped up his jacket. Then he said:“Lin Nian.”“Hmm?”“If I play professional basketball in the future, will you come to watch my games?”Lin Nian thought for a moment.“If I have time.”Zhou Yu said:“Then I'll take that as a yes.”They walked down that familiar alley.Lin Nian stopped.“I’m here.”Zhou Yu nodded.“Okay.”Lin Nian suddenly said:“Thank you for today.”Zhou Yu was taken aback.“Why?”“You walked back with me.”Zhou Yu smiled.“Then you can do it again.”Lin Nian looked at him.“What?”Zhou Yu said:“Let’s go home together from now on.”The evening breeze blew through the alley.The leaves rustled.Lin Nian suddenly felt.This autumn seemed a little different.She nodded gently.“Okay.”That night.Zhou Yu was walking home.Suddenly, he realized something.He seemed to be starting to look forward to the end of evening self-study sessions every day.Because it meant—he could walk home with Lin Nian again.And Lin Nian was slowly realizing it too.The boy who always sat across from her in the library.had unknowinglyentered her life.