Chapter 61: Liu Ruoyi (2 / 2)

I finally understood—Jiang Shiyu had only asked out of goodwill. I mean, imagine flipping through a high school yearbook and seeing someone's job listed as "fortune-teller." What would your family or significant other think of that? Of course, I guessed it'd just be another piece of paper that gets forgotten in a drawer eventually.

"It's fine. Fill in whatever you want," I replied.

Then she asked again,

"What about marital status?"

I sighed helplessly.

"Class monitor, do I look like I'm married? We're not even that old yet—who's tying the knot this early?"

Jiang Shiyu chuckled, placing her hands on her hips,

"Don't be so sure! Out of our 40 classmates, three are already divorced. One's about to marry for the second time."

I was stunned. That's… fast.

She was easy to talk to, and our conversation drifted toward our classmates. According to her, a good number of our class had done pretty well for themselves—several were rich second-generation kids or had started their own businesses. But I was most surprised by the ones who got divorced—two women who, back in school, were always frumpy and plain, and one guy who used to be a chubby, quiet kid. Turns out, those three now lived the most care-free lives.

She pulled out her phone to show me some photos. And when I saw that face—the one I had longed for day and night—I felt something stir inside me. I'd always felt like I owed her something, and that guilt had never really gone away. I didn't even dare to think about it too much, let alone face it.

But today, I made up my mind and forced the words out:

"Hey, class monitor… Liu Ruoyi… How is she doing these days?"

Jiang Shiyu beamed,

"Yiyi's doing great. She's modeling now, I think. Was even in Rayli Magazine recently. And she just landed some roles in historical dramas—she might actually become a celebrity!"

Hearing that, I suddenly understood the meaning of the phrase: "As long as you're well, the sky is clear."

Jiang Shiyu seemed to catch my expression and grinned:

"Look at you—zoned out already! Our beauty queen is still single, by the way. Tons of guys are chasing after her. If you want a chance, you'd better hurry up! Oh, and send me your address—tomorrow's the weekend. Everyone's going camping at Yuanbao Mountain. You'll need to pack a few things; it gets pretty cold at night in the mountains."

With that, her phone rang. She picked up, said a few things, then waved goodbye and headed toward the parking lot. Moments later, I saw a Jeep Wrangler pulling out. I rubbed my nose and chuckled wryly to myself:

"Damn… how is everyone doing so well? One more impressive than the last."

Truth be told, I'd never really been into class reunions. After graduation, people went their separate ways—some got married, others built careers—and even if we did meet up, most of them would feel like strangers by now. The youthful camaraderie of school days was long gone.

But… the moment Jiang Shiyu mentioned Liu Ruoyi, my heart wavered.

Liu Ruoyi—I've briefly mentioned her before—was the school beauty, and my first love. The only girl I had ever held hands with. She was beautiful, the crush of many boys. She used to sit behind me in class, and I would often turn around just to sneak a glance at her. Sometimes she'd catch me looking and make a face, pretending to glare, but there was always a trace of playfulness in her expression. That subtle ambiguity left my heart itching.

I liked her all through high school—three long years. Right before we graduated, I finally gathered the courage to confess, and she said yes. Only then did I find out she had always liked me too.

But life had other plans.

She got into college, and I—unable to afford tuition—missed our "no matter what, we'll meet again" promise. Since then, I've always carried this regret. I never even dared to reach out.

Back then I was timid and nothing ever happened between us—just hand-holding. Even that turned into a lifelong regret. And though years had passed, I still thought of her often, even dreamt of her. The feelings remained.

The next morning, Jiang Shiyu came to pick me up. She told me everyone else was driving themselves to Yuanbao Mountain, but since she lived close by, she came to get me. When we reached the meeting point, I saw her.

A woman in a flowing white dress, long hair cascading down her back, standing among the crowd like a painting come to life.

In that moment—I recognized her instantly.

It was the girl I had longed for all these years, my first love: Liu Ruoyi.