When Liu Xingyan received the package, he was completely baffled.
The handwritten sender’s address was quite concise, barely legible through two layers of photocopy paper. Judging by the larger return address, he deduced that the solitary “Shen” was from Shen Xingru, and the elaborate string of numbers belonged to her too.
Inside the package was a coffee-colored scarf, along with a jumble of pills and herbal tea packets.
Normally, Shen Xingruo would send him things to eat, wear, or use, but it was mostly through online orders directly from the store. This package… it seemed like it was meant for someone else.
Liu Xingyan opened WeChat, ready to inquire, but before he could type a word, he caught sight of his previous chat history with Shen Xingru.
It dawned on him to check the efficacy of those medicines belatedly.
“Of course! It’s not a mistake; it’s meant for him!”
Shen Xingruo thought he was having tooth pain and sent him medicine!
And this handmade scarf!!!
A crazy grin spread across Liu Xingyan’s lips, his heart suddenly feeling like it was being infused with honey, so sweet it almost choked him.
Come to think of it, although his house’s white peacock always sported an icy demeanor with a no-nonsense attitude, deep down, it was very tender and meticulous, a real man of action.
Last time when Li Chengfan boasted about his 34D girlfriend knitting him a scarf, Liu Xingyan pretended not to care on the surface, but he felt a twinge of jealousy inside. So, he casually mentioned it to Shen Xingru.
Shen Xingruo seemed not to understand or care, just giving a casual “oh” and leaving it at that.
He paused, recalling the image of Shen Xingruo knitting the scarf… Well, perhaps he was overthinking it. He never brought it up again.
But who would’ve thought that even though Shen Xingruo didn’t utter any sweet words, she silently knitted one for him behind the scenes! And it had patterns on it, clearly indicating she had learned some complex knitting techniques!
Unlike Li Chengfan’s 34D, who talked a big game but hadn’t shown any results with a scarf in three months.
The thought overwhelmed Liu Xingyan with sweetness.
He quickly put on the scarf, staking out the best spot in front of the mirror, adjusting it just right, occasionally tousling his hair, striking a couple of poses for selfies. Then he called Chen Du over, asking him which one made him look more handsome.
“What are you trying to pull?” Chen Du looked baffled.
Liu Xingyan adjusted the scarf nonchalantly, saying, “My girlfriend knitted it for me. What do you think?”
Chen Du “…”
“You met my girlfriend last time. Despite her cool exterior, she’s warm-hearted. I casually mentioned a toothache, and she sent me medicine.”
Chen Du “…”
Recalling Shen Xingru’s powerful aura when she visited Xing University last time, Chen Du couldn’t shake off the feeling that Liu Xingyan had been suppressed for too long and had fallen into self-delusion.
That icy lady knitting scarves? Sending medicine? It was like something out of a fairy tale.
After Liu Xingyan finished his ramblings, Chen Du simply patted his shoulder, speaking with a deep, meaningful tone, “Brother Yan, as long as you’re happy.”
Liu Xingyan looked at him blankly.
Of course, I’m freaking happy.
Watching Chen Du leave, shaking his head and sighing, Liu Xingyan didn’t bother to intervene. Instead, he boasted again in his group of friends, deliberately hurting Li Chengfan this time, and then posted a nine-grid photo on his Moments.
Shen Xingruo didn’t respond to his various “kissy face” emojis, but she did like his Moments post.
Among those who liked it were Pei Yue and Lu Shan, who had already been unblocked.
As the winter snow fell heavily, Liu Xingyan survived the grueling exam week with the precious scarf Shen Xingruo had sent him, enduring the late-night study sessions.
The winter break came earlier for Xing University, with various departments finishing their final exams one after another in mid-January.
Everyone packed their bags and embarked on their journey home for the New Year.
Shen Xingruo didn’t want to disturb Liu Xingyan’s exams, and since there were still group activities at school that she could finish early, she decided to stay in Xing City until Liu Xingyan finished his exams.
Then she stayed in Xing City until the Lunar New Year before returning to Huize.
Time together in a long-distance relationship was always precious, so every moment was cherished.
Liu Xingyan clung to her tightly, but he didn’t have any reason to stop her from going home. After weighing the options, he simply went with her to Huize, calling it a “trip,” but in reality, he just stayed at Shen’s house.
Both of their grades were out before the New Year.
This semester, Shen Xingruo still achieved third place in her major and second place overall.
Without the constant pressure from Shen, Liu Xingyan’s grades weren’t as impressive. Although he didn’t lag or fail any courses, his academic performance wasn’t up to par.
Though he didn’t voice it out loud, Liu Xingyan felt guilty and anxious about his virginity. So, during the winter break, he persisted in learning fifty new words every day and shared them on his Moments.
This winter was exceptionally cold, making it difficult to go out most of the time. Before they knew it, the entire winter break had passed by while they stayed cooped up indoors.
Although the duration of their holidays varied, the start dates for most universities were closely packed.
Shen Xingru’s classes resumed on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, not even allowing her to spend Lantern Festival at home. Liu Xingyan wasn’t much better off, starting a day later, on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month.
If the first semester of freshman year was about adaptation, then the second semester should have been about getting into the swing of things.
Looking at the class schedule, Shen Xingruo realized that this semester’s major courses had increased by three large blocks compared to the previous semester. Additionally, there were different elective modules at different stages, which, when combined, added significantly to the academic workload compared to the first semester.
Moreover, extracurricular activities were also on the rise this semester.
Just as classes began, a certain director from UNESCO was scheduled to visit the university, and Shen Xingru, along with three other students, was selected to participate in the reception.
Shortly afterward, a well-known Japanese linguist and a professor from Stanford’s East Asian Languages and Cultures department visited. Shen Xingruo was selected to participate in both receptions as well.
The most valuable aspect of a university like theirs was the rich and precious resources it provided for students. These resources didn’t just include education and teaching; they also focused on future development and opportunities.
There’s a saying that goes, “Knowledge may not change destiny, but perspective can change life.” In a microcosm society like a university, every encounter and collision of opportunities could potentially change the trajectory of one’s life for years to come.
Xing University was a prestigious institution, part of the “Project 985” and “Double First-Class” initiative, so naturally, it was top-notch.
As soon as the semester started, the School of Literature held four consecutive lectures featuring renowned speakers, all under the theme of “Artistic Life.”
Liu Xingyan used to detest these events, but perhaps due to his dissatisfaction with last semester’s grades, he decided to put more effort into this semester. So, he even attended several lectures that he had never bothered with before.
Surprisingly, the scholars and experts, who consumed more salt than rice, had some valid points in their speeches. After attending a series of lectures, Liu Xingyan felt he gained a lot, and he could even summarize his insights to Shen Xingruo and submit them as short essays.
After one lecture, as usual, he chatted away with Shen Xingruo on the phone, sharing his thoughts on the essay. But only then did he belatedly realize that Shen Xingruo seemed… unusually quiet.
“Shen Xingru, Shen Xingru? What’s wrong? I haven’t heard you say anything.”
“I’m fine.”
Her voice sounded faint, a little weak. Liu Xingyan sensed something was off. “Are you feeling unwell? Your voice doesn’t sound right.”
“Just got my period, I’ll be fine after a nap.”
Shen Xingru’s lips were pale, beads of cold sweat dripped down her forehead as she curled up under the blanket, shrinking into a small ball.
Liu Xingyan’s brows furrowed tightly upon hearing this. “How come you’re getting your period this month? Is anyone in the dorm with you? Have you had some brown sugar water?”
“Uh-huh.”
Shen Xingruo replied absently.
But Liu Xingyan could tell—
She was alone in the dorm, and she hadn’t had any brown sugar water.
It was inevitable. During this time, Shen Xingruo had been busy entertaining visiting scholars, professors, and ambassadors. The receptions often required her to accompany them throughout, and they would dine together. To accommodate the guests’ dietary preferences, the tables were filled with mostly raw and cold dishes, with hardly any warm dishes.
As an escort, she couldn’t just sit there without touching anything, so she ended up eating a bit. Also, they had to dress formally for the receptions, with the lower half of the attire being skirts. Even though they mostly stayed indoors, they still had to move around outdoors occasionally. Over a few days, she inevitably caught a chill.
Additionally, because of her busy schedule with the receptions, she had deliberately delayed her period with medication. Although it was delayed, when it came, it was especially severe, accompanied by persistent low-grade fever and a cold.
She took a sick leave, but her roommates still had classes to attend. The dorm was unusually quiet because of her absence.
Seeing through her casual response, Liu Xingyan showed obvious concern on the other end of the phone.
Shen Xingruo didn’t want him to pick up on anything, so she quickly made up an excuse and hung up the phone.
—With no sound of Liu Xingyan’s voice, the dorm became even quieter.
She closed her eyes, enduring an indescribable discomfort in silence.
Today was a special day—it was her and Liu Xingyan’s second anniversary.
Two years ago today, she traveled from Huize to Xing City and met Liu Xingyan for the first time at the Liu family’s house.
Or… according to Liu Xingyan, their first meeting should have been on the high-speed train. Unfortunately, she remembered borrowing water, but she had no recollection of the person she borrowed it from.
Today was also her mother’s death anniversary. Perhaps because she was immature when she was young, she always wanted to announce her departure from Huize decisively, so she chose to leave on Song Qingzhao’s death anniversary.
Moreover, in the middle of the night, she sat on the windowsill of the Liu family’s house, playing with a lighter, childishly wanting to burn the family portrait of the three of them.
The loneliness of traveling to a strange city alone, which she had forgotten over the past two years, suddenly came back to her as she lay in bed.
She suddenly missed Shen Guangyao a bit and also missed Pei Yue, and especially… missed Liu Xingyan.
Just then, her phone buzzed.
Liu Xingyan sent a video call invitation.
Shen Xingruo wanted to see him, but she didn’t accept the video call because she didn’t want him to see her in such a miserable state.
However, Liu Xingyan was determined and kept sending the invitation repeatedly.
After a while, Shen Xingruo finally accepted.
When Liu Xingyan saw Shen Xingruo lying in bed, pale-faced and thin, clearly looking very weak, he felt a pang in his heart.
He was very agitated and couldn’t help but speak harshly, “What are you doing? You look like a ghost.”
Shen Xingruo lowered her eyelashes, her colorless lips pressed tightly together.
Liu Xingyan rarely saw her so submissive, and he kept scolding her.
Shen Xingruo didn’t argue back at all, waiting until he finished before saying very softly, “My stomach hurts, and there’s no one in the dorm.”
“Liu Xingyan, I miss you.”
In her feigned calm voice, there was a hint of vulnerability and grievance that she couldn’t hide.
At that moment, Liu Xingyan’s eyes welled up with tears.
At nine o’clock in the evening, Shen Xingru’s roommates began returning to the dormitory one by one. Everyone was very concerned about Shen Xingru. Those who brought food helped her with meals, those who brought hot water helped her with hot water, and someone even brewed ginger tea with brown sugar for her and sent her class recordings.
Shen Xingruo got out of bed to freshen up, drank some hot porridge, and her face regained a bit of color. Although she still felt uncomfortable all over, it wasn’t as bad as it was in the afternoon.
After chatting with her roommates under the bed for a while, Shen Xingruo climbed back onto the bed with a hot water bottle, ready to continue sleeping. But as soon as she lay down, Su Jiao, who was hanging clothes on the balcony, turned back to her with a surprised expression. She stuttered, “Xing, Xing… Xingru, your boyfriend seems to be downstairs. Oh my god, do you want to go and see? Could it be that I’m mistaken?”
Shen Xingruo was taken aback. Before she could go see, the other two roommates rushed out to look as well. However, in the dim night, they felt it looked like him but weren’t certain.
At that moment, Shen Xingru’s phone vibrated. Su Jiao turned back, “He’s calling, is it for you?”
Shen Xingru’s gaze stuck to the incoming call display on her phone, freezing for several seconds. Suddenly, she quickly threw off the blanket, crawled out of bed, put on some cotton slippers, and ran outside. Her roommates called after her to put on a coat, but she didn’t respond.
In the chilly wind of Beijing in March, snowflakes were falling.
Liu Xingyan stood under Shen Xingru’s window, wearing the scarf she had knitted for him, repeatedly making phone calls. After standing there for a short while, his head was already covered in snowflakes.
Just as he was thinking Shen Xingruo might not be in the dorm again, a familiar figure ran out from the dormitory entrance.
Maintaining his posture of holding the phone, he blinked his eyes but kept staring straight at the person. After several seconds, he hung up the phone, stood there lazily, opened his arms, and suddenly smiled.