Confession to You in Early Summer - Chapter 1

Another winter arrived, bringing the Spring Festival closer.

Yan Wei had once again chosen to stay at school instead of going home. She left the university library and returned to her dorm to change clothes.

Before heading out, she flipped open the diary on her desk and wrote the date at the top: “January 17, 2020.”

“About to leave for the high school reunion. Teacher Xu personally called me this year, so I might as well go. But it’s been so long—I’m afraid I won’t recognize anyone. Hope everything goes smoothly.”

The pen hesitated, leaving a small dot on the paper before sliding down heavily.

“If possible, I’d rather go with you.”

Yan Wei closed the diary, then pulled another one from the most prominent spot on her desk and slipped it into the crossbody bag she always carried.

Winters in this southern city weren’t too harsh. Yan Wei wore a cream-colored blouse under a lavender vine-patterned sweater, paired with dark blue casual slacks and a light gray trench coat that accentuated her slender, graceful figure—elegant yet understated.

Her naturally straight black hair curled slightly at the ends, cascading over her shoulders. Combined with her striking features, she turned heads as she walked down the street.

She took a taxi downtown, and the moment she stepped out, someone called her name: “Hey! Isn’t that Yan Wei? The goddess herself actually came!”

Yan Wei turned at the voice.

Two people—a man and a woman—approached side by side. The one who had called out was the woman, who only reached the man’s shoulder in height.

Yan Wei offered her a polite smile, casually shutting the car door while mentally searching for a name to match the woman’s face. By the time the pair reached her, she responded naturally, “It’s rare to have free time. It’s been a while since we last met.”

Ah. Search failed.

“It really has been! You didn’t come to the last reunion, but you look exactly the same—still so beautiful!” the woman gushed before introducing the man in the formal suit beside her. “This is my husband, Mr. Fu.”

Mr. Fu nodded at Yan Wei, greeting her with gentlemanly courtesy. “Hello, Miss Yan. Xiaoxiao has mentioned you before.”

Now Yan Wei remembered—the woman was Zhou Xiaoxiao, her high school deskmate and dorm roommate.

Old classmates naturally had plenty to catch up on. After exchanging pleasantries, Zhou Xiaoxiao abandoned her husband to loop her arm through Yan Wei’s, chatting as they walked while Mr. Fu was relegated to the role of bag-carrying background prop.

“When did you get married?” Yan Wei asked casually.

“Last month—just the certificate, no ceremony yet. We’re planning a banquet next spring. I’ll send you an invitation!” Zhou Xiaoxiao beamed before adding, “The goddess’s time is too precious. I heard you always turn down reunion invites, but we’re so close—you can’t refuse me. You have to come!”

At that point, even if they weren’t close, Yan Wei couldn’t say no. “Alright, I’ll be there.”

Before long, they arrived at the venue. Class President Wen Tan was playing doorman downstairs—a clean-cut man in his mid-twenties, dressed in a crisp black suit and a meticulously knotted tie. When he spotted the approaching group, his eyes lit up, his gaze locking onto the woman in the gray trench coat on the far left and refusing to budge.

“Oh my! After all these years, our class monitor still can’t forget the campus goddess!” Before even getting close, Zhou Xiaoxiao was nearly blinded by the monitor’s fervent gaze. She playfully leaned toward Yan Wei and whispered, “Goddess Yan, why not give him a chance?”

Who in their class didn’t know that the monitor waited outside every reunion until the last minute, just to see who?

Yan Wei smiled back at her, equally quiet: “Too busy studying, no time for romance.”

Zhou Xiaoxiao burst out laughing: “A top student through and through—only studies matter, men can wait!”

Having gauged Yan Wei’s attitude, Zhou Xiaoxiao shot Wen Tan a helpless, sympathetic look.

“Y-Yan Wei… you came too.” The usually composed man suddenly stumbled over his words, blurting out something utterly banal. Whether from awkwardness or shyness, a faint blush spread across his fair face.

Zhou Xiaoxiao was exasperated. If he wasn’t so timid, would he still be chasing after her after seven or eight years?

“Monitor! That’s not fair! I came with Goddess Yan, yet you only have eyes for her—us ordinary folks don’t exist!” Zhou Xiaoxiao pretended to pout, then quickly let go of Yan Wei to link arms with her husband. “Well, I won’t intrude. You entertain the goddess, Monitor. My hubby and I will head up first!”

Zhou Xiaoxiao vanished faster than a rabbit, leaving Yan Wei and Wen Tan in awkward silence.

After waiting a moment with no response, Yan Wei broke the silence to avoid further discomfort: “Let’s go up.”

“Oh, right, sure.” The man’s face was a picture of obvious disappointment and regret, which Yan Wei ignored, maintaining a polite two-step distance as they entered the pre-booked party venue.

Before opening the door, he paused, his back to her. “I didn’t expect you to come. I hope you have a good time today.”

“Mm, thanks.” Yan Wei replied coolly, then, as if realizing how stiff she sounded, added, “You too.”

The door swung open, and a wave of noise rushed out. Amid the laughter and chatter, a few classmates were murmuring about something, intermittently dropping a name that caught Yan Wei’s attention.

“It’s Yan Wei! Shut up! Don’t bring it up later!” Someone in the crowd cut the conversation short. Yan Wei pretended not to hear.

Though the official start was still over twenty minutes away, a dozen people had already gathered. As Yan Wei stepped inside, a dozen pairs of eyes turned her way, followed by a chorus of surprised exclamations.

Yan Wei wasn’t fond of crowds. She usually avoided these gatherings whenever possible. This time, she’d only come because Wen Tan had persuaded their high school homeroom teacher to call her. She could turn down old classmates, but she couldn’t refuse her teacher. She’d planned to make a brief appearance and leave but she hadn’t expected so many to still remember her after all these years.

Six years had passed since high school. Many classmates were now married, some even bringing their families. Back then, Yan Wei had been the class beauty. Now, having shed her youthful awkwardness, she was even more striking and still single. Unsurprisingly, the unmarried men couldn’t help but take notice, sparking lively discussion the moment she walked in.

Yan Wei exchanged polite small talk with everyone who greeted her, male or female, though she couldn’t recall many of their names.

“You guys are seriously annoying. The moment our goddess Yan Wei arrives, you don’t even let her sit before crowding around her. No wonder she doesn’t want anything to do with you!” Zhou Xiaoxiao pushed her own husband aside and rescued Yan Wei from the group of overly eager male classmates, pulling her into the circle of female classmates. Yan Wei let out a sigh of relief and whispered a quiet “thank you” to Zhou Xiaoxiao.

A waiter brought over drinks, and Zhou Xiaoxiao asked Yan Wei what she wanted. Yan Wei picked up a glass of orange juice from the tray. Just then, one of the girls asked, “Yan Wei, where are you working now? Still not thinking about getting a boyfriend?”

“Our goddess is too busy studying to bother with romance,” Zhou Xiaoxiao answered before Yan Wei could say anything, then turned to her. “What year of grad school are you in now? By my count, it should be your third year, right? Planning to go for a Ph.D. after?”

“Second year. I might start working first,” Yan Wei replied calmly.

Another girl suddenly chimed in, “Oh, I remember! After that incident during the college entrance exams, didn’t you retake the year?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl beside her elbowed her sharply. Realizing her blunder, she gasped and quickly apologized, “I’m so sorry!”

“It’s fine,” Yan Wei shook her head, taking a sip of orange juice before smiling. “No need to tiptoe around it. I did retake my senior year before getting into college. You all ended up being my seniors.”

Yan Wei had been a top student in high school, never falling out of the top three in any major or minor exam. But during the college entrance exams, she suffered a crushing defeat, failing to even reach the cutoff for second-tier universities. She had to repeat her final year, much to the dismay of her parents and teachers.

“If it weren’t for…” the girl who had spoken out of turn mumbled under her breath, but the rest of her words were drowned out by the shouts of the male classmates. “Come play Werewolf with us! Get Goddess Yan Wei to join!”

Wen Tan came over to invite the girls to the game, and Zhou Xiaoxiao was the first to jump up. “I’m in! I’m in!” she exclaimed, grabbing Yan Wei’s arm and dragging her along. Yan Wei was distracted, and by the time the cards were dealt, it was too late to back out.

Yan Wei wasn’t good at these kinds of games. She was quickly voted out in two consecutive rounds, much to the amusement of her classmates. Zhou Xiaoxiao was especially shocked, joining in the teasing. “Our goddess must have spent all her skill points on studying!”

The whole table burst into laughter.

After a while, as per the itinerary, the group moved on to an all-night karaoke session. The private room had already been booked, and the class monitor announced it was time to head over. Yan Wei stood up, intending to visit the restroom first.

Wen Tan, holding half a glass of beer, walked past her. He had meant to offer a toast, but Yan Wei suddenly stood up, causing him to accidentally knock her bag off the back of her chair.

The clasp popped open, revealing the faded edge of a small notebook with light blue covers and white stripes—something that looked oddly familiar.

“I’m so sorry! Let me get that for you!” Wen Tan apologized profusely, quickly setting down his glass and bending to pick up the bag he had dropped.

But Yan Wei was faster, pressing her hand over the notebook. Wen Tan’s fingers brushed against the back of her hand, and he recoiled as if shocked.

Yan Wei waved him off with a quiet “It’s fine,” then swiftly gathered her bag. Muttering a quick “Excuse me,” she slipped through the noisy crowd and locked herself in the restroom.

“Monitor! If you like Yan Wei so much, why haven’t you confessed yet?!” someone teased from the side. Wen Tan snapped out of his daze, shaking his head with a bitter smile.

Noticing his demeanor, a classmate couldn’t help but voice their dissatisfaction: “Yan Wei is just too aloof. Even someone as outstanding as our class monitor can’t catch her eye.” Everyone could tell Wen Tan had feelings for Yan Wei, from their school days till now—there was no way Yan Wei hadn’t noticed.

“Don’t say that,” Wen Tan interjected, his mood complicated as he recalled the diary in Yan Wei’s bag. “When her best friend had that accident, it hit her really hard. She’s never wanted to face any of us classmates since then. It’s been so many years, and I don’t even know if she’s moved on… Ah, forget it, let’s not talk about this.”

Finally escaping the suffocating noise, Yan Wei found a moment of quiet in the restroom. Leaning against the sink, she let out a sigh of relief.

She touched up her lipstick in the mirror, and as she undid the clasp of her bag, she saw the small notebook again. She absentmindedly pulled it out.

It was a very ordinary, commonplace diary from their school days. The cover was faded, bearing the unmistakable marks of time—even though someone had clearly taken great care to preserve it, the years had still left their indelible traces.

Along the spine, written in ballpoint pen, was the name of the diary’s owner: Jiang Youyi.

The handwriting was as rebellious as the person herself.

Yan Wei flipped to the page she always returned to.

March 27, 2013

She said we could only ever be friends.