On Lin Yiran’s twenty-fifth birthday, she was away with her mentor. A provincial writers’ association had invited Teacher Han to participate in an event taking place in a northern pastoral area.

Lin Yiran hadn’t mentioned her birthday to anyone, nor had she given this day any special significance. If not for Qiu Xing’s money transfer, Aunt Fang’s phone call, and Li Qianduo’s wishes sent from the distant south, Lin Yiran would have completely forgotten her birthday.

Perhaps it was destined that she should make a wish on that day. Even without a cake or candles, Lin Yiran saw a shooting star under the bright night sky of the pastoral region.

The shooting star streaked across the sky before her eyes, trailing a long tail. After her initial surprise, Lin Yiran smiled and made two wishes.

One was that Aunt Fang’s illness would not flare up again.

The other was that the bright and stable life she and Qiu Xing now shared would continue forever.

*

Lin Yiran was in class, sitting in the front row directly facing the teacher.

This was at the teacher’s specific request before class, asking her to sit closer. Lin Yiran was familiar with all the teachers in the department, and many of them often joked with her. Sitting right under the teacher’s nose, Lin Yiran occasionally laughed along as the teacher lectured with passionate enthusiasm.

Her phone vibrated once in her desk drawer. Lin Yiran glanced at it and saw a bank notification.

Qiu Xing had transferred twenty thousand yuan to her account.

Lin Yiran lowered her head and messaged him: [Why are you giving me money?]

After sending the message, she put her phone back in the drawer and continued listening to the lecture.

Qiu Xing replied after a while: [Do I need a reason to give you money?]

Lin Yiran smiled, and coincidentally, at that moment, the teacher made an internet joke that had all the students laughing. Lin Yiran replied: [Thank you, boss.]

“Are you laughing at your phone or my lecture?” The teacher leaned forward, peering at her over his glasses.

The classmates behind her all burst into laughter. Lin Yiran quickly stuffed her phone away and gestured to the teacher that she wouldn’t play with it anymore.

“Don’t learn from her. Cherish your teacher’s class. Once you leave school, you won’t be able to hear my lectures anymore. Then you’ll regret playing with your phone in my class so much you’ll be crying. She’s just too familiar with the teachers, doesn’t know how to cherish this.” The teacher spoke earnestly with a slight accent.

Lin Yiran pressed her palms together with a smile and gestured to the teacher, saying, “I do cherish it, Teacher.”

“Of course, having an award-winning writer attend my class is an honor,” the teacher said with a mixed accent. “After all, at my age, I’ve never won that award. They say I’m not avant-garde enough.”

The students erupted in laughter again.

“And of course,” the teacher couldn’t help but laugh himself, “I’m not a writer either. Our specialty doesn’t produce writers; we only know how to criticize. They don’t give us awards, but we can criticize them until there’s nothing left, can’t we?”

Waves of laughter rippled through the classroom. Lin Yiran didn’t mind being teased, but she couldn’t sit still anymore. She stood up and bowed to the teacher in apology: “Teacher Zhao, I won’t bring my phone to your class again. I was wrong!”

“See? No writer is unafraid of us. Look how panicked she is,” the teacher waved his hand. “Sit down, don’t be afraid.”

Lin Yiran sat down with a smile, not minding the teacher’s jokes.

She was a celebrity in the academy and was often singled out in class, so she was used to it.

She and Fang Tingzhao, who were in the same major, were two students who never dared to skip classes without reason. Almost every teacher knew them both.

Fang Tingzhao sat in the row behind Lin Yiran. When everyone laughed, he laughed along, but his gaze was softer, always watching her.

Fang Tingzhao never concealed his fondness for Lin Yiran, which was no secret in the academy.

He considered himself forthright, believing sincere affection needn’t be hidden. He admired and respected Lin Yiran.

Many people in the academy thought they were well-matched and believed they would eventually get together. It was just that Lin Yiran was difficult to pursue, so Fang Tingzhao still had work to do.

However, Lin Yiran had never responded to anyone’s feelings, whether during her undergraduate years or now in her master’s program. Quite a few guys were pursuing her, but Lin Yiran never showed preference to anyone.

After class, Lin Yiran went to Teacher Han’s office. Fang Tingzhao was also heading to the academy, so they walked part of the way together.

Lin Yiran was familiar with him and didn’t speak distantly, though she remained polite.

Fang Tingzhao asked her, “Are you going out with Teacher Han again soon?”

“We’ll be away for a few days next month, nothing else planned yet,” Lin Yiran replied. She walked at a moderate pace, keeping half a person’s distance between them. Fang Tingzhao walked on her left, while Lin Yiran held her backpack strap with her left hand.

“Don’t tire yourself out too much, take care,” Fang Tingzhao said. His voice was very pleasant with magnetic qualities; many girls had fallen for his voice when he became popular online.

Lin Yiran didn’t respond to this comment, just smiled. Then she pointed at her phone and said, “I need to make a call. You go ahead, Tingzhao.”

“Alright, I’ll go first then,” Fang Tingzhao nodded and waved goodbye before walking ahead.

Lin Yiran didn’t have a call to make, but since she’d said so, she made one.

She dialed Qiu Xing directly.

Now Lin Yiran called Qiu Xing without hesitation, unlike before when she worried about bothering him or interrupting his work. These days, Lin Yiran called whenever she wanted to, with no unnecessary concerns between them.

Qiu Xing answered: “What is it?”

Lin Yiran asked him: “Why did you give me money again?”

Qiu Xing said: “Aren’t I supposed to give you money every month?”

Lin Yiran laughed and countered: “Then you didn’t give any for the past two months. Are you making up for it?”

“No makeup,” Qiu Xing seemed to exert some effort, then said, “I forgot.”

Lin Yiran had originally used this excuse to keep Qiu Xing, stubbornly insisting he give her money. Although Qiu Xing knew Lin Yiran was just making excuses, he still gave her money, transferring sums occasionally, and always generous amounts.

Since Lin Yiran herself had asked for money, she couldn’t transfer it back like before, so she accepted it all.

After more than two years, Lin Yiran’s account had accumulated a substantial sum. She kept all this money saved up, accepting it without qualms.

Lin Yiran sat on a long bench on the campus, stretching her legs out and gently tapping her heels on the ground, leisurely talking on the phone with Qiu Xing.

“What are you doing?”

Qiu Xing answered: “Fixing the car.”

“Are you going out anytime soon?” Lin Yiran asked.

“No, fixing the car,” Qiu Xing replied simply.

Lin Yiran asked again: “Will you come see me then?”

“No,” Qiu Xing said coldly. “Fixing the car.”

Lin Yiran smiled and said: “Then I’ll come see you.”

“Don’t,” Qiu Xing placed the wrench on his stomach and unscrewed a nut with his hand, saying, “Stop running around.”

In the past, Lin Yiran would have hung up the phone in disappointment, but now she could discern the meaning behind Qiu Xing’s words. The first three negative responses were false; only the last sentence was true, meaning she should just wait patiently.

Lin Yiran checked her schedule and said with smiling eyes: “I’m free both weekends.”

“I’m not free,” Qiu Xing hadn’t finished speaking when Lin Yiran interjected: “Fixing the car, I know.”

Qiu Xing made an “mm” sound and said: “Good that you know.”

Qiu Xing’s tone on the phone was serious and straight, without any hint of joking, yet Lin Yiran still received his message on Friday afternoon.

Qiu Xing: [Come out after class.]

Lin Yiran had been feeling sleepy and was taking a nap at her desk in the dormitory. Seeing this message, she immediately sat up straight and replied with a little rabbit rushing over emoji.

Qiu Xing didn’t reply, and Lin Yiran packed up her computer and happily went out.

Qiu Xing hadn’t come empty-handed; he had brought Lin Yiran a box of corn paste buns steamed by Sister-in-law Lin. Lin Yiran loved these, but couldn’t buy them where she was.

Qiu Xing coldly placed the food container on the table and said, “Eat.”

Lin Yiran looked at him, thinking Qiu Xing was really cute and handsome, giving people a solid sense of reliability.

She inevitably became attached to Qiu Xing; he was genuinely good to her.

In Lin Yiran’s heart, that agreement between her and Qiu Xing had long since become nominal. It had been an absurd excuse made in panic, and they both knew it.

Lin Yiran assumed that over these two years, they had already become a real couple. They would continue walking together, no longer bound by time.

So when a disagreement arose between them about the future, when Lin Yiran realized Qiu Xing wasn’t thinking the same way she was, it left her astonished and at a loss.

When she matter-of-factly talked about which city they would live in later, saying “we should buy a house with a balcony for Aunt Fang to grow flowers,” Qiu Xing calmly said: “Aren’t you thinking too far ahead?”

Lin Yiran looked at him and realized Qiu Xing’s expression wasn’t joking.

“We only have a few months left,” Qiu Xing said, looking down at his phone, not even raising his head while speaking. “You still plan to buy a house in these few months?”

Lin Yiran froze, blinking as she looked at Qiu Xing, suddenly not knowing what to say.

Qiu Xing didn’t speak anymore either, just busily replying to messages on his phone.

After a few minutes, Lin Yiran finally touched his knee and said softly: “Are you serious, Qiu Xing?”

Qiu Xing looked at her: “About what?”

Lin Yiran repeated his words: “Only a few months left, are you serious?”

Qiu Xing said: “What else?”

Lin Yiran’s heart suddenly sank heavily.

She finally realized that she and Qiu Xing weren’t as in sync as she thought. They had been heading in two different directions all along.

Qiu Xing had always been soberly observing their relationship from the outside, waiting for it to end.

Only she had been immersed in it, like a joke.