Chapter 3, does he not understand that there is a word for farewell in this world

At most, for the next three years, I will not need birthday gifts and will treat you to a lavish meal for free

After a long while, she finally raised her eyes to look at me and, with a tone of disappointment, replied, "Deal!"

In our lives, there are two people who are indispensable: one is the person you think of first and wish to share your happiness with, and the other is the person you want by your side during all your moments of sorrow. Unfortunately, at that time, Xu Zhuo and Pei Mingzhu played these roles as my left and right hands, respectively. The discord between them was akin to having to dislocate my own arm. Thus, for a long period, I struggled in agony and joy.

Faced with my insistence, Pei Mingzhu remained silent for a long time, her face hidden in the evening glow, exuding a rare tenderness. Seeing her hesitate to speak, I began to fear that she would ultimately force me to make a choice, so I learned to take the initiative. At that time, my birthday was approaching, so I seized upon whatever came to mind and spoke it out.

So in the end, I laughed, covering my mouth, and said, Xu Zhuo, if you achieve nothing in the future, you might consider selling the patent for this phrase to a watch company

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhuo also became furious, and he instinctively spat and said.

However, when Xu Zhuo awkwardly placed that pocket watch around my neck, I never took it off again. I was afraid it would oxidize if it came into contact with water, so I specifically went to ask Xu Zhuo what material the watch was made of and whether it would rust. He shot me a particularly disdainful glance at that moment

In fact, I know that she simply does not want to put me in a difficult position, which is why she compromised and gave me a way out. Realizing this, I cried even harder, clinging to her and refusing to let go

However, I have always judged his words solely on whether they sound pleasant, without assessing their truthfulness. I know about Xu Zhuo's family; his mother left him when he was 5 years old to be with someone else, and his father is a notorious thug in that area, constantly getting into fights and causing trouble with groups of three to five. Yet, this group of people has its market; for instance, if a shop owner dislikes a rival shop across the street that is competing for business, Xu Zhuo's father and his gang would come into play. Thus, Xu Zhuo was raised by his illiterate father with genuine hard-earned money.

It was already the end of the second year of high school, and as the third year approached, everyone began to focus, while the teachers became increasingly anxious. To be honest, apart from physical education, my grades were not bad, barely maintaining a position within the top 25 in my grade. Mingzhu performed better than I did. Although Mingzhu and I were used to goofing around, we had never neglected our studies. However, ever since Xu Zhuo entered my life, my name quickly slipped out of the top 50, which led to a falling out with Mingzhu. She advised me to maintain some distance from Xu Zhuo and not to spend too much time together.

Speaking of the enmity between the two of them, we must circle back to "Fight Fish." I once felt that Xu Zhuo reminded me very much of Zhang Xunjie from the show, so I stubbornly dragged him, who despises idol dramas, to watch "Fight Fish" again, with Pei Mingzhu also present at the time. Outside the window, the sky was bright, and occasionally, the sound of cicadas would drift into the room. On the television, Hong Dou was being brutally killed, while A Qi reminisced about the days spent with Hong Dou, suddenly awakening to unbearable pain and vowing to take revenge.

Although I had memorized the plot and even the lines, at that moment, Pei Mingzhu and I could not hold back. I tearfully expressed my emotions, while Mingzhu, possessing a stronger resilience, merely reddened her eyes. Only Xu Zhuo remained calm and inexplicably glanced at both Mingzhu and me, perhaps thinking that I would confront him about my grievances, which made him hesitate to speak. Ultimately, he forced himself to turn his head and address Mingzhu instead.

Later, I have no recollection of who won or lost their argument, but in any case, from that point on, whenever they met, they would inevitably roll their eyes at each other

I must admit that I have never heard Xu Zhuo say such profound words, and he expressed them so effortlessly. I suddenly realized that I truly like the right person; I began to idealize him. I believe that someone who can articulate such reasoning must be deeply infatuated, so it is highly likely that I am Xu Zhuo's once-in-a-lifetime encounter

What nonsense about love and hate! What nonsense about unwavering loyalty! I find it strange why so many people only learn to cherish things after they have lost them! Do they not realize that every word spoken could be the last in this lifetime? Do they not know that there is a term in this world called farewell?

Since Xu Zhuo sincerely expressed his feelings for me through his actions, I have become more immersed in this relationship with him. However, what troubles me is that Pei Mingzhu and he are somewhat incompatible.

This person is truly 2, pretending to be something when everyone is already dead

In fact, I know that aside from Xu Zhuo's relentless words, there is another reason why Mingzhu cannot tolerate him, and that is the most important one, which is me

I don't know why, but my first reaction upon hearing him say that was not to be moved, but to suddenly burst into laughter. Perhaps it was because I felt that such romantic and artistic words coming from his mouth were truly a bit out of place. Imagine him squatting by the flower bed in the community, squinting his eyes while smoking, and saying, "I want to bind you with time." How many people is he going to shock? Imagine him squatting by the flower bed in the community, squinting his eyes while smoking, and saying, "I want to bind you with time." How many people is he going to shock?

I vaguely remember her hair tips softly brushing against my neck, the scent of Head & Shoulders wafting in the air. Since then, I also began using Head & Shoulders, and I will always use it, because subconsciously, that scent brings me comfort

In the empty classroom, in the last row, I held her hand and said, "Zhenzhu, I can't do it. Without him, I feel like I've lost the oxygen in my life. If I can't see him for a day, I can't survive. Asking me to stay away from him is simply asking me to die. Oh, no, it's like being a walking corpse, worse than death!"

Xia Ping'an, I either give nothing, or if I do give, I give the best

On my 18th birthday, Xu Zhuo mysteriously gifted me something. When I opened it, I found a butterfly pocket watch, with a long copper chain, exuding a vintage charm. I asked him why he gave me this, and he replied, "To bind you with time"

In an instant, I felt Pei Mingzhu's little universe burning fiercely. I had mentioned that Zhang Xunjie was her idol, and the two immediately began to clash. Pei Mingzhu retorted, "You don't understand anything! You will never comprehend a love that is as deep as the sea and as enduring as death!"

She spoke these words with great seriousness, which made me somewhat nervous; it felt as if I had brought home my boyfriend, whom I had decided to marry, and my parents were sternly telling me that I absolutely could not be with him. In that moment, I felt so wronged that I cried in front of her, my face covered in tears and snot, vowing to emulate the heroines of Qiong Yao's stories

The only sound in the entire classroom was my wailing, which still seems to echo, lingering in my ears

Once, I thought that losing a person was akin to living in hell. At that time, I did not realize that the truly excruciating sorrow is one that cannot be articulated, one that cannot be traced back to its origin, and even one that cannot bring forth tears. I had underestimated the term 'living in hell,' and thus, it later delivered a resounding slap to my face at the most opportune moment, reminding me of the weight it truly carries

Indeed, as the saying goes, "One who is close to vermilion becomes red, and one who is close to ink becomes black." Therefore, from a young age, education has taught Xu Zhuo that violence can solve many problems, even those that money cannot resolve