"Zhang Xiaoyan."

When he spotted the subway entrance up ahead, Li Tongwen realized that if he didn't get out what he'd been holding in, he'd never get another chance like this. He finally stopped walking and said her name.

Zhang Xiaoyan's heart gave a thump. She stopped too, and acted surprised. "What is it?"

"Um…"

Li Tongwen flushed red. His clenched fists were slick with sweat. He always spoke slowly and evenly, but now the words came out in a rush. "I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"

The moment he'd said it, Li Tongwen actually shut his eyes, he was so nervous.

Zhang Xiaoyan's eyes flew wide. She stared at him in astonishment.

She didn't answer for so long that Li Tongwen hurried to add, "If you don't want to, that's okay. Liking you is my business. Even if you don't like me, I'll still like you."

"I didn't say I didn't want to."

"So… so…"

"So what? Right now you're supposed to ask me, 'So does that mean you'll be my girlfriend?'"

Li Tongwen opened his mouth to ask.

Zhang Xiaoyan smiled and nodded before he could. "Mm. My answer's yes."

"I…" Now Li Tongwen was even more flustered. He'd only rehearsed those two lines in his head. He hadn't thought about what to say if she said yes.

His face was bright red, and Zhang Xiaoyan went and made it worse. She took his hand herself and kept walking toward the subway entrance.

That was when she found out his palm was soaked with sweat.

So when they reached the entrance, she pulled a crumpled wad of toilet paper out of her pocket, not tissues but the kind torn off a roll. She tore off two squares and handed them to him with a "See you tomorrow." Then she turned and hurried up the subway escalator.

Li Tongwen watched her go. It took him a long time to come back to himself. He wiped the sweat off his palms and started grinning like an idiot.

So telling the person you like "I like you" isn't that…