Chapter 9.4| Do you believe in me?

Yin seized Zhiyi by the coat sleeve in her eagerness when Zhiyi was ready to go home.

Zhiyi turned and asked, "What up?" 

Yin then requested Zhiyi's school uniform in exchange for washing it. The torn sleeve she held happened to be the one that Yin had cried over earlier that morning. 

After staring at her for a moment, Xu Zhiyi chuckled lightly and remarked, "You have a good memory." 

Yin reiterated her morning's words statement, "You have a touch of cleanliness obsession."

Zhiyi declined the offer to wash his clothes, urging Yin to enter the house as he bid her farewell. 

Hearing his firm response, Yin let go of his hand without insisting further.

On the way back, Zhiyi finally answered Xiuze's phone call.

"Bro, you finally didn't hang up on me?!" Xing Xiuze expressed disdain for Zhiiyi's behaviour "as long as the girl doesn't abandon the brother."

"Go ahead, speak."

"Xu Zhiyi, let me tell you, the saying about loyalty gave way to desire is you!" Xiuze scrolled the mouse, roared at the phone, then cleared his throat, asking, "Did you resolve the matter with Meng Yin this morning?"

Zhiyi responded with a sound.

"No wonder you answered my call." Xiuze tilted his nose up self-righteously, "It's only me, your childhood friend, who remembers to tell you that your love life made headlines!"

"What headlines?" Before the words were fully spoken, Xu Zhiyi quickly changed the subject, "I got it, hanging up."

Xu Zhiyi is currently extremely sensitive to online forums.

Xing Xiuze: "..." Such a pitiful good brother.

After taking a shower, Yin noticed a WeChat message from Xu Zhiyi sent ten minutes ago, saying "I'm home." 

Without replying, Yin shared an instrumental piece, "River of That Day," with him.

 Between heaven and earth, I seek the direction of light, and also deeply feel the river of that day. 

Zhiyi, lounging on the lazy sofa in the room, received Yin's share and played the music through a Bluetooth speaker. After exchanging a few words with Yin, and bidding good night, his gaze finally returned to the screen.

On an online forum of FHS, there were about four or five new posts about him and Meng Yin, each with nearly a hundred comments. Some posts included numerous candid photos of him and Meng Yin, capturing moments like them dining in the cafeteria, Yin walking with him to the lab building this morning, him waiting for her outside the exam room after an English test, and their leaving the school together in the afternoon. Whether intentional or unintentional, Zhiyi pondered while gazing at the Milky Way on the ceiling how to handle his current relationship with Meng Yin appropriately. He had no intention of changing the way he interacted with her and wanted to avoid unnecessary gossip.

After modifying one of the previously registered accounts, Zhiyi posted a thread. He took a screenshot of the page and sent it to Xiuze, with a note saying "Add a star." 

Xing Xiuze is a moderator of the forum. 

Upon seeing Zhiyi's message, Xiuze exclaimed "WTF" while adding a star to Zhiyi's post. Only after adding the star did Xiuze take a good look at the content of the post.

"I am Xu Zhiyi from Class 2 of Senior Three. I came across some posts and images on the forum. Regardless of the reasons behind capturing these photos, firstly, I appreciate everyone's concern and attention. However, the misinterpretation, hearsay, and unfounded speculations arising from these photos have caused distress to those involved.

Meng Yin and I have been good friends for many years and have not been in a romantic relationship. During the monthly exams, she did have a brief period of emotional distress, but it was due to personal reasons. As a friend, I accompanied her to leave school early with the approval of the class teacher to handle the related matters after the exams.

In the society we live in, there is still a lack of tolerance towards women. Women of all ages can have their reputations tarnished by baseless rumours. The school motto of 'speaking loyalty, acting sincerely and respectfully' encourages everyone to show the utmost respect to every woman within the inclusive atmosphere of our school, and I hope that baseless speculations will cease.

Xu Zhiyi

October 11, 201X"

After reading the post titled "Statement" by user ID Xu Zhiyi, Xing Xiuze couldn't help but admire his elder brother's demeanour and vision, while also feeling concerned for him.

「Xing Xiuze」 gave it a like.

「Xing Xiuze」But Bro Yi, I am a bit worried about you."

「Xu Zhiyi」?

Xiuze took a screenshot of the post and circled the part that stated, "Meng Yin and I have been good friends for many years and have not been in a romantic relationship."

「Xing Xiuze」Are you sure you won't end up chasing your wife to the crematorium in the future?

Xu Zhiyi did not reply.

The reason he posted this statement was simple - he didn't want Meng Yin's reputation at the FHS to be tarnished by any negative rumours. He knew better than anyone what Meng Yin really was. Besides, he wasn't sure if Meng Yin only saw him as a friend; her actions and words towards him never exceeded the boundaries of friendship. Although he quite liked the title of "Zhiyin(Guiding) CP."

Since the post was stared, no one doubted that it was posted by anyone else.

Shortly after the post, the comments section was flooded by discussions about "Bro Yi's vision".

Yin came across a post with a link shared by Xipei. She expressed her surprise today after three years of acquaintance with Xu Zhiyi, realizing that his classmate's manners were even better than she had initially thought. While Xipei admired Zhiyi's manners, she didn't lose sight of "Meng Yin and I have been good friends for many years and have not been in a romantic relationship."

One of FHS's cultures thinks the adolescent years are the best phase in one's life, characterized by innocence and purity in emotions that cannot be replaced by any other age. At this stage, experiencing certain emotions between male and female students has its necessity as long as certain boundaries are not crossed, making it a beautiful experience. Additionally, the school pays attention to sex education by offering relevant courses, thus adopting a lenient attitude towards teenage romance as long as it is not too overt.

Yin was taken aback when she saw Zhiyi's post about their long-time friendship, showing a momentary pause. Looking at it objectively without personal emotions involved, this exemplified Xu Zhiyi's manners – not displaying male chauvinism, considering others' feelings, and being socially aware. Xu Zhiyi, like the sun, embodies youthfulness, warmth, attentiveness, and empathy. 

However, there was still a slight sense of sadness, albeit minor.