Chapter 240: The Origin, Convergence, and Union of Fate

Zhao Yuanyuan enthusiastically started tossing out ideas.

"How about at the top of the Ferris wheel? Weren’t you two all romantic in there before? You must have good memories of it," Zhao Yuanyuan said, recalling the photos on her phone.

"I considered that, but I think it might feel a little repetitive."

Su Yuqing recalled the atmosphere when she and Chen Mo were together as the Ferris wheel car reached the very top.

That kind of atmosphere had already happened once. A repeat performance probably wouldn’t have the same novelty or trigger the same unique emotional response as the first time.

"True... In that case... what about under the old sycamore tree by the back gate? I heard upperclassmen used to confess to people under that tree all the time. It’s become a famous romantic landmark at our school now. It would be super meaningful!" Zhao Yuanyuan said, as if she’d just had a stroke of genius.

"I already thought about that one, too. It has a nice sentiment, but the spot is a little too mainstream, and..."

Su Yuqing wanted to say that, according to her research, plenty of couples had confessed their feelings under that tree, but the vast majority of them ended up breaking up.

’Not a very good omen.’

"What about the night of the graduation ceremony, then? The mood would be perfect!"

"I’d rather not turn it into a public spectacle," Su Yuqing said with a worried look. "Chen Mo is incredibly considerate of other people’s feelings. If I confess to him in front of a huge crowd, he might feel pressured to say yes just to save me from embarrassment. A confession like that, driven by peer pressure, wouldn’t feel right. It doesn’t matter if he genuinely wants to or just feels forced into it—it would always feel like I cornered him into agreeing."

"Now that you mention it, you have a point. A public confession seems romantic, and you might get everyone’s support, but when you really think about it, it’s not a great move.

If they say no, the person who confessed loses face, and the one rejecting them has to worry about hurting their feelings. It’s awkward for both of them with everyone staring.

And if they say yes, the crowd might start catcalling and pressure them into doing something couple-y right then and there. Equally awkward."

Zhao Yuanyuan immediately rubbed her chin and went back to the drawing board.

"Okay... what about the day the college entrance exam scores are released? That would be a double celebration!"

As soon as the words were out, she answered her own question, shaking her head. "No, no, that’s too much of a gamble. What if one of you bombs the exam? Definitely not..."

Zhao Yuanyuan glanced at the crossed-out "His Birthday" line in Su Yuqing’s notebook and the reason next to it, then grinned. "Why’d you cross this one out? His birthday is perfect! The birthday boy is king for a day, so he’ll definitely be in a good mood, and the vibes will be great! Worried about stealing his thunder? Don’t be silly! You’d be the best birthday present! Once he has you, no other gift will matter!"

"This is what I’m worried about." Su Yuqing pointed to the note written next to the crossed-out line.

"’Confession anniversary and birthday would be the same, so we’d lose out on a special day to celebrate.’ " Reading this, Zhao Yuanyuan paused. After a moment of thought, she realized that was a valid point.

’So what now?’

"Do you have any places with Brother Mo that are especially memorable?" Zhao Yuanyuan asked suddenly, as if struck by an idea.

At the mention of this, a place suddenly came to Su Yuqing’s mind.

It was the place where the two of them had gone to hang up wishing plaques.

They had been so close that night, and the atmosphere had been perfect.

But confessing at a place they had already been to wasn’t what Su Yuqing wanted.

She wanted to create new beautiful memories, not just linger on ones they had already made.

"Okay, okay, let’s put the time and place on the back burner. Have you thought about *how* you’re going to confess?" Seeing they were stuck, Zhao Yuanyuan decided to steer Su Yuqing toward other important questions.

"I thought about writing a love letter."

"A love letter! On the prettiest stationery, pouring out your heart’s journey? That’s not a bad idea."

"But I feel like that’s a little old-fashioned. And I don’t think words on a page can express my feelings strongly enough," Su Yuqing said, shaking her head.

"Then... what about recording a video? Set to music, with pictures of you two together!"

"I don’t know how to make something like that."

"Huang Mao is good at that stuff. We could ask him for help?"

"No, no, no! I’d die of embarrassment if Huang Mao knew about this ahead of time. And what if he let it slip to Chen Mo? Then the surprise would be completely ruined," Su Yuqing said, blushing and waving her hands dismissively.

"Then I guess you’ll just have to confess to him in person," Zhao Yuanyuan mused. "In that case, let’s think about what you’re going to say."

"Something like, ’Chen Mo, I like you, please go out with me!’ is way too blunt. It’s not deep enough. We can’t use that."

Su Yuqing nodded. She thought so, too.

"Okay, let me see..." Zhao Yuanyuan pulled out her phone and started searching for something. "How about this one? I just looked it up in a ’Confession Guidebook.’ ’It was only after meeting you that I understood what it means to have my heart race. Can I walk the path of the future with you?’ How’s that? Poetic enough?"

"That might work for a ’love at first sight’ kind of thing, but it doesn’t really feel like it fits me."

Su Yuqing thought about her history with Chen Mo. Their connection had its roots in their childhood, was rekindled in high school, and truly blossomed on that stormy night.

A single line like that could hardly express the depth of her feelings.

"Right, yours is a slow-burn romance~" Zhao Yuanyuan said with a cheeky grin and continued her barrage of ideas.

Zhao Yuanyuan’s mouth was like a machine gun, firing off an endless stream of ideas. Some were completely off-the-wall, while others were slightly more plausible.

As she listened, Su Yuqing found herself alternating between facepalming and stifling laughter. Amid her friend’s playful banter, her tense nerves unknowingly began to relax.

She listened intently, occasionally jotting down a fleeting fragment of an idea from Zhao Yuanyuan that she thought had potential.

In the end, however, the two of them still hadn’t settled on a concrete plan.

Meanwhile, the day of the college entrance exam drew closer and closer.

In the final week of studying before the exam, the air itself seemed to grow heavy, as if compressed by an invisible force.

In the classroom, the sound of chalk scraping against the blackboard became exceptionally clear, a steady SCRITCH-SCRATCH that sounded like a countdown for the time they had left.

Even during breaks, the usual boisterous laughter that filled the classroom had all but vanished. It was replaced by the low buzz of hushed voices discussing practice questions or the simple silence of students taking a quick nap on their desks.

The stacks of practice tests and reference books on everyone’s desk grew higher and higher, resembling silent little mountains. The entire classroom was thick with the mixed scent of ink and anxiety.

The exam countdown in the corner of the blackboard frayed everyone’s nerves with each passing day. Su Yuqing, too, was forced to set aside her confession planning and throw herself completely into the final stretch of studying.