林小夏小跑着追上陈默，气喘吁吁地停下来，胸口还在砰砰跳。陈默已经拐进了一条僻静的小巷， illuminate by a streetlamp at the end. He turned around when he heard her voice. "Stilliritating?" he asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Who, me?" Lin Xiaxia blushed and lowered her head. "I just... I just walked a little faster because I didn't want to hold you up."

A smile touched Chen Mo's lips. "You're getting faster, aren't you?" he said gently. "This is good, very good."

"Why do you say that?" Lin Xiaxia looked up at him, her eyes full of curiosity. "Am I getting fitter?"

Chen Mo shook his head. "You're not getting fitter, you're becoming more confident." He paused for a moment, then continued, "I like it."

Lin Xiaxia's heart skipped a beat. She had felt something flutter in her stomach when he said that, and she didn't know what it was. She just knew that she liked it when Chen Mo complimented her, especially when he said something like that.

"Let's go home," Chen Mo said, turning and walking towards the exit of the alley. "I think your parents are waiting for you."