After returning to school, the renovation of the old building in the Medical and Pharmaceutical branch was completed. From late November, the general courses previously held on the main campus gradually moved back to their college, with a bridge completely dividing two worlds.

The college students were delighted – previously, whether taking the school bus or cycling to classes on the main campus, they had to allow at least an extra half hour for traffic. Afternoons were manageable, but morning first periods were truly grueling. However, Huang Lu kept lamenting – she had just made some progress with a boy from the Economics and Management College, but what good was finding a boyfriend if it meant enduring a long-distance relationship?

Huan’er told Jing Qichi the news – they used to eat together most times when going to main campus classes, and although they would choose cafeterias at the midpoint, they could still meet twice a week regularly. Most importantly, those meetings had a reason – happening to eat together by chance. She wasn’t sure if their current relationship was suitable for meetups without any reason.

It seemed like taking a step forward would change everything, but neither did so, like people standing on opposite sides of the bridge watching each other and their reflections in the river.

Jing Qichi replied “Got it,” followed immediately by a reminder, “Temperature’s dropping next week, get an air conditioning card quickly if it gets cold.”

Chen Huan’er indeed disliked the winter here.

More precisely, her mood began to sink when winter first showed signs of arrival. Tianhe’s winters had fierce sun shining on ice and snow, they were scorching, resolute, like “I wish to know you forever with life unending”; but here there was only dampness and cold, with low clouds pressing down, yet neither rain nor snow, day after day carrying a lingering melancholy of “this regret continues endlessly.”

The two academic stars regularly haunted the library, Huang Lu spent most of her free time in the student union, while Huan’er, disliking the cold, often stayed in the dorm. She wasn’t well-adapted to environments without heating, so she messaged the group chat suggesting charging the air conditioning card and offering to bear more of the monthly expenses herself. Everyone agreed, but when discussing cost-sharing that evening, unexpectedly, Dong Huixin expressed dissatisfaction. She first criticized the school system: “Main campus students can choose their dormitory level, why weren’t we even asked in the Medical College?” Huang Lu joked lightheartedly, “Small establishments have limited space, you don’t know how envious the Literature College is of us.” Huixin didn’t comment but after returning from washing up, directly turned off the air conditioner, “It’s not that cold, just wear more clothes.” Seeing neither Qiu Li nor Huang Lu react, Huan’er didn’t want confrontation and silently wrapped herself in a down jacket to read in bed. Before sleep, feeling unbearably cold, she went straight down to find the remote and turn on the air conditioning, but before climbing back into bed, heard the eldest’s sarcastic complaints, “Using it like this will need constant recharging, who knows how much we’ll each need to pay.”

The words weren’t explicit, but between the lines suggested Chen Huan’er was taking advantage. She was angry enough to want to retort immediately, but Huang Lu gently patted her pillow from across the room, so Huan’er had to suppress her anger.

Unable to sleep from thinking about it, she messaged Jing Qichi, “How much did you charge for your air conditioning card?”

She needed a comparison to confirm whether she had reached the level of extravagance.

Jing Qichi replied instantly, “Our dorm doesn’t have air conditioning.”

Huan’er typed, “Then how did you…”

Halfway through, she deleted it character by character, suddenly understanding that he probably only knew about the air conditioning card because he was concerned about her needs.

A new message came in, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Huan’er typed quickly explaining the situation, her words full of indignation. She didn’t care about the money being more or less, she was angry about the other’s calculating attitude. Living under the same roof, their lives intersected in all aspects of food, clothing, and shelter – how could they get hung up on these few dozen yuan for air conditioning?

She told Jing Qichi, “Tomorrow I’ll make a list, it’s such a simple physics problem calculating power and duration, I refuse to believe I can’t figure it out.”

After waiting a while, another message came, “Was it your eldest who helped look for the campus card that time? She didn’t seem like someone who would be so calculating. Ask if there might be other misunderstandings, don’t be impulsive.”

There was indeed such an incident – after finishing lunch at the cafeteria, Huan’er discovered her campus card was missing. She had just recharged it and it had no password. At the time, the three of them split up to search along the way back, and finally, Jing Qichi found it at the food service window. That day Huixin had an elective class in their college, but she said more people meant more help and a slight delay wouldn’t matter, only rushing back after hearing the card was found. Looking at it this way, she indeed didn’t seem like someone who would be petty.

Huan’er sighed, people’s hearts were hard to fathom.

She picked up her phone and read the last sentence again. Jing Qichi had indeed changed – the person who used to get into fights at the slightest provocation was now advising others not to be impulsive and to calmly resolve misunderstandings. She had thought his changes were only superficial, temporarily driven by external factors, but now it seemed otherwise.

His sense of right and wrong and values were changing – he was learning to view others and the world with a more generous attitude, and perhaps, was viewing his sufferings in the same way.

Huan’er still couldn’t contain herself. The next day, she found the manual for their dorm’s air conditioner model online, checked the power consumption against operating hours and electricity rates, and properly listed out an expense sheet.

Why should she bear unclear grievances?

But this winter was truly annoying.

In the evening, Qiu Li returned first and started laughing as soon as she got the sheet. After laughing enough, she said, “If you have difficulties I can just add a bit more, making such a big deal of it isn’t this deliberately making it hard for her to back down?”

Qiu Li came from the best family background – her computer and phone were the latest models, her toiletries were all foreign brands, and according to Huang Lu, the bags she rotated through were worth enough to buy a car. They often joked that she must have a Saudi sugar daddy who kept lions.

Huan’er protested, “I’m just angry – is it necessary to argue over these few cents when living in the same dorm?”

Qiu Li put down the stack of finance textbooks she was carrying, “Huan’er, do you think Lu’er and I don’t know the eldest just wants to save some money? In winter, three out of four in the dorm can’t stand the cold, once the air conditioning is on everyone has to share the cost, unless someone can speak up and tell Huixin she doesn’t need to pay – wouldn’t that hurt her pride? Huixin saying she’s not cold is just wanting to use less so she can pay less, she can’t force it not to be used, isn’t such an obvious thing clear to you?”

Unfortunately, Chen Huan’er hadn’t seen it, she had been solely focused on calculating the data.

Qiu Li continued patiently, “Huixin’s situation isn’t like ours – she didn’t qualify for financial aid, and her only club activity is work-study. Think carefully, when we eat together, has she ever gotten any good dishes? How many clothes has she bought this semester? When the class went to KTV, wasn’t she the only one who didn’t go?”

Huan’er was rendered speechless, feeling as if she had become the instigator of this farce.

Everything Qiu Li mentioned – all these details that happened in daily life – she had completely overlooked.

She had thought the eldest was just focused solely on studying with no time for other things but had never thought to understand what difficulties and bitterness lay behind this single-minded focus.

They had become adults, becoming bearers of family pressure, social animals who must think thrice, independent individuals who possessed dignity and used all their strength to protect it.

Huan’er remained silent for a long time.

Qiu Li patted her shoulder, then took the paper and crumpled it into a ball, “Help if you can, don’t you agree?”

“Mm,” Huan’er nodded at her, somewhat regretfully, “How did you all know?”

If this paper had been handed over, it would not only have destroyed a relationship, she would have truly hurt someone.

“My mom’s in business, and I’m from a single-parent family. When I was little, she loved taking me along when visiting others, after all, it was good for playing the sympathy card, and she would always give me some instructions beforehand.” Qiu Li threw the paper ball into the trash can, changing into her pajamas as she spoke, “Maybe it’s from meeting many people, practice makes perfect.”

Seeing Huan’er’s expression change, she quickly stopped her, “Don’t feel sorry for me, I want for nothing and live happily, and I have a great relationship with my mom. She was just starting then, it was difficult, I completely understand.”

Rich second-generation kids often carry certain labels – like being arrogant, lacking empathy, and living dissolutely off their parents’ wealth. But Qiu Li had none of these qualities – she was ambitious, hardworking, broad-minded, and except for her occasionally irritating displays of ignorance about life’s hardships when spending freely, overall, she was a very likable rich kid.

“But Lu’er is different from me, she’s naturally high in emotional intelligence, a social butterfly, you should learn more from her.” Qiu Li smiled, “But Huan’er, I think you’re especially lucky. When you skip class the teacher just happens not to take attendance, you randomly go out to eat and get free meal vouchers, and even the other day, that hundred-yuan bill the wind just happened to blow to your feet. The things you don’t notice, Lu’er happens to be able to point out nearby, and today, it just happened to be me who returned first – wouldn’t you say that’s luck?”

Huan’er chuckled, “Can’t help it, good luck can’t be stopped.”

Qiu Li gave her a pretend glare of disgust, “Let’s consider this matter over. After this, either come to the library with us or pay more for the air conditioning, since you’re lazy.”

“Okay!” Huan’er agreed immediately, “Won’t mention it again, don’t worry!”

The small disturbance dissipated silently. Huan’er began going to the library with them, and with steps in sync, there were naturally no more incidents. The details had always been there, just lacking attention. She noticed Qiu Li would always order an extra dish, then halfway through eating would cry out that she’d ordered too much and to please help her eat it and not waste it, while Huang Lu would often bring back part-time job information from the student union, returning to the dorm to whine to Huixin about having to go home this week and please help cover for her. Everyone was just doing a little more within their abilities and with these bits and pieces protecting that girl’s proud and precious dignity.

Some distances are set from birth. Whether complaining about heaven or feeling sorry for oneself, nothing can change it – after running and chasing desperately, you’ll find a river flowing ahead, impossible to cross means impossible to cross. Desperate people will give up, stopping there to make a living by the shore, spending the rest of their lives in peace; while those unwilling continue running along the riverbank, this path will be very tiring and difficult, even growing so wild with weeds that they begin to question: should I turn back?

This river has many names – achievement, wealth, status, class, many many names.

But this river must have a bridge.

People on this shore can cross over, people on the other shore will come up.

When the song ends, looking back at the misty waves.

It’s just the distance of a bridge.