Yun Ye stood at the subway station exit, wearing a backpack, baseball cap, and semi-transparent sunglasses. He had on a simple white T-shirt, his casual attire not suggesting he’d come from far away. They hadn’t seen each other in a year and a half.
Compared to that winter break, Yun Ye had grown taller, his frame fully developed. He stood out with a distinguished air.
The summer sun in Nanwu was scorching. Yin Yunyi approached the subway exit, holding a parasol.
Spotting her, Yun Ye pocketed his phone and walked towards her.
During the past two years of preparing for college entrance exams, Yin Yunyi often dreamed of him – always the Yun Ye from middle school and early high school. Now, seeing him in person, she stood frozen, unable to react.
She was dazed for a few seconds until Yun Ye stood before her, the parasol shading most of his face.
Wanting to see his whole face, Yin Yunyi naturally handed him the parasol.
He took it and stepped forward.
Now, they were both under the parasol.
“Hey, Waiwei,” Yun Ye said with a slight smile.
Yin Yunyi looked up. Behind the semi-transparent brown lenses were those familiar eyes. She moved her lips, finally managing to say, “Yun Ye…”
An intense emotion brewed between them, both barely resisting the urge to embrace.
Yin Yunyi said softly with a smile, “The sunglasses look good on you.”
“Oh.” Yun Ye casually took them off.
Yin Yunyi saw those pure, clean eyes again. He tilted his head slightly and handed the parasol back to her, saying, “Hold this.”
She instinctively raised the parasol higher, but Yun Ye, considering her height, lowered his head and moved closer to her.
Her heart raced faster.
Yun Ye turned the sunglasses around and slowly put them on her. Yin Yunyi froze, feeling his fingertips brush the hair by her ears. The world instantly took on a light brown tint, and Yun Ye’s eyes were less than ten centimeters from hers.
She felt a tickle by her ear as Yun Ye smoothed out her hair caught in the sunglasses frame.
Unconsciously, her slender fingers grasped his hand.
Yin Yunyi didn’t know why she reacted this way. When they both realized it, they froze. Fortunately, the sunglasses hid her emotions. Her only response was to repeat, “Yun Ye…”
Suddenly, the faint scent of laundry detergent from his clothes enveloped her.
Yun Ye pulled her into his arms, cradling the back of her head. Yin Yunyi’s chin rested on his shoulder as she stood dazed, still holding the parasol.
Her face flushed, and she lowered her gaze, staring at his neck for several seconds.
Rationally, Yin Yunyi wanted to push him away, but after a moment of rigidity, her other hand slowly moved to his back, embracing him.
She realized how hard it was to control oneself when meeting the person one had longed for.
Yin Yunyi remembered leaving school in middle school, occasionally seeing boys and girls in the same uniform hugging and kissing.
Back then, she found it extremely embarrassing. When others looked her way, she would lower her head and hurry away.
But one day, she saw the same scene in her dream.
Except, the boy in the dream looked up at her with droopy eyes.
At that time, she didn’t understand why her deskmate would randomly appear in her dream.
Then she looked at the girl in his arms.
It was her middle school self.
Five years had passed since that first dream.
Now, she was truly embracing Yun Ye.
In the summer heat, they both wore light clothing. Walking down the street, Yin Yunyi could still feel Yun Ye’s body heat and the grip of his fingers on her shoulder.
When they sat down in a dessert shop, Yin Yunyi lightly pinched her skirt, stealing a glance at Yun Ye before saying softly, “Just this once.”
Realizing what she meant, Yun Ye rested his chin on his hand, looking out the window with a distracted gaze. He feigned nonchalance with a hum of acknowledgment.
But the tips of his ears visibly reddened.
Yin Yunyi asked belatedly, “Why did you come to Nanwu?”
Yun Ye was taken aback as if he hadn’t expected this question.
Yin Yunyi scooped some ice cream, noticing his gaze. She asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Yun Ye lied. “I’m here for a graduation trip and to learn driving.”
“Huh?” Yin Yunyi said with ice cream in her mouth. “But isn’t your dad a driving instructor?”
“…”
Yun Ye was speechless, only answering with a single word: “Yes.”
Yin Yunyi: “Then why are you learning to drive in Nanwu?”
Yun Ye glanced at her. Her almond eyes were wide open, reflecting the light.
Yun Ye stared at her and said, “…The weather is better in Nanwu.”
She slowly said, “Oh.”
Yin Yunyi couldn’t stay out too late. After Yun Ye escorted her to her neighborhood, she waved goodbye.
He nodded without much expression. She was still smiling as she turned and slowly walked towards the residential area.
Her figure gradually disappeared from his sight.
Yun Ye turned around as well.
While buying a ticket at the subway station, he recalled their time together. A faint smile played on his lips as he hummed a tune, flipping the ticket between his fingers.
He took out his phone to see several missed video calls from Yun Li.
Yun Ye called back, intentionally holding the phone at a distance. As expected, Yun Li shouted, “Yun Ye!!”
In the video, Yun Li glared at him.
Feeling a bit guilty about running off to Nanwu, but thinking she couldn’t possibly know, Yun Ye tried to act normal: “What’s up?”
Yun Li: “Can’t you be more discreet about going to Nanwu?!”
Yun Ye: “…”
Yun Ye: “Damn, do Mom and Dad know?”
Yun Li had discovered Yun Ye’s disappearance after returning home.
He had run away, claiming he was staying at a friend’s house for a month.
Perhaps feeling guilty, he had even tidied up his room before leaving.
Yun Yongchang called the supposed friend’s parents, who denied everything. Calls to Yun Ye went unanswered. Yun Li immediately guessed he had gone to Nanwu and forcibly covered for him.
Furious, Yun Li demanded: “Where did you learn this from? Couldn’t you have discussed running off to Nanwu with me first?”
The person on screen moved closer to the camera, rubbing his eyes. He stared at her silently for a while.
Yun Li: “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Yun Ye: “Didn’t you just ask where I learned this from?”
“…”
Two years ago, she had done the same thing, running off to Nanwu to study without prior notice.
Yun Li swallowed, unable to find a reasonable defense for herself. After a moment, she said firmly, “It’s different.”
Yun Ye: “Oh.”
“…”
Admitting defeat, Yun Li asked gently, “Where are you staying?”
Yun Ye: “I found a capsule hotel, about 1000 yuan a month.”
Capsule hotels are similar to hostels, with each pod about a meter wide and shared bathrooms.
Yun Li frowned deeply: “Surely that’s not necessary.”
Yun Ye: “I want to enroll in the same driving school as Yin Yunyi, so I can only afford this. I don’t have enough money.”
The plan to learn to drive with Yin Yunyi in Nanwu had formed after the college entrance exams.
Yun Ye had worked as a tutor for a while, saving up money before eagerly heading to Nanwu.
The face on the screen suddenly came closer. His eyelids drooped, his face illuminated by the phone’s light. His eyes held a hint of a smile but weren’t looking at the camera, clearly switched to another screen.
Yun Li said exasperatedly, “I’ll give you money to rent a better place. Or you could stay in the apartment I used to rent, the environment was quite nice. I still have the agent’s contact. Some areas in Nanwu can be rough, don’t wander around carelessly.”
He was still close to the camera, seemingly typing, completely ignoring what she said.
Yun Li: “…”
Yun Li: “Yun Ye, did you hear what I said?”
Yun Ye responded absent-mindedly: “No.”
His lips curved slightly upward as he replied to Yin Yunyi’s message. When he came back to his senses, the minimized video call had ended.
Yun Ye sent Yun Li an emoji. Unsurprisingly, he was blocked.
“…”
Standing in place, Yun Ye scratched his head. He let out a long sigh and reluctantly texted the driving school’s name and his chosen space capsule address to Yun Li.
He then put his phone back in his pocket and looked around the unfamiliar subway platform. Yawning, he followed the crowd onto the train. As he held onto a hanging strap, he recalled the hospital scene not long after regaining consciousness. Yin Yunyi had walked into the room with red eyes and messy hair, looking haggard.
At that time, Yin Yunyi had overcome everything to find him.
So when she wanted to see him, he would appear too.
After getting his driver’s license, Yun Ye went home first. The school would start in two weeks.
Neither Yun Ye nor Yin Yunyi put romance as their top priority. They had planned much of their future together—further studies, work—on the condition that they’d move forward in sync.
Apart from the hug when they met in Nanwu, their most intimate gesture was eating takeout together on the steps of the teaching building when they couldn’t make it to the cafeteria. When rice grains stuck to her lips, Yun Ye would smile with squinted eyes and hand her a tissue, saying, “You’ve got something there. Wipe it yourself.”
Over a short semester, Yin Yunyi and Yun Ye saw each other daily. After evening self-study, Yun Ye would walk beside her on campus, listening to the insects in summer and the quietness in autumn.
They had their share of unpleasant moments. Once, Yin Yunyi heard rumors that Yun Ye was short on money, eating only one vegetable dish and a small portion of rice at the cafeteria.
Later, on her birthday, she received an expensive gift from Yun Ye.
She insisted on transferring money to him, but he refused. Both were stubborn, but they eventually reconciled.
After five years of secret admiration, two years of silent companionship, and these months of daily interaction, their relationship had become an unspoken understanding.
They just needed to break through the final barrier.
During the school sports meet, Yin Yunyi was chosen to participate in the 3000-meter race. Unlike in middle and high school, Western Science University’s sports meet wasn’t organized by class, nor did it have many spectators.
However, many athletes still went in groups.
Yin Yunyi wasn’t particularly athletic. Fearing embarrassment in front of Yun Ye, she didn’t tell him about her participation.
Soon after the race began, others took the lead. Lagging two laps behind, Yin Yunyi felt she might collapse on the track at any moment after finishing the race with all her might.
Panting, she walked to the shaded area near the stands.
Her legs felt like they might give out.
Sweat stung her eyes. When she closed them and reopened, a familiar figure appeared before her.
Yun Ye offered her a bottle of water. Yin Yunyi didn’t take it, asking awkwardly, “Did you watch me race?”
Still holding the water, he smiled, his expression melting into the sunlight. Shaking his head, he played along, “No, I didn’t.”
Knowing he was lying, Yin Yunyi remained silent, lowering her head to rub her sore legs.
Yun Ye asked, “Can you walk?”
Yin Yunyi was still sweating. Her gaze shifted to a nearby bicycle. She tugged at his clothes, asking tentatively, “Could you borrow one?”
Yun Ye immediately stopped a passing bicycle, asking the male student, “Hey, can I borrow your bike? I need to take her back.”
The student looked at Yun Ye, then at Yin Yunyi, and asked, “Is she your girlfriend?”
Yun Ye frowned, “Why do you ask?”
The student replied calmly, “If she’s not your girlfriend, I can take her back.” He then turned to Yin Yunyi, “If you’re not feeling well, I can take you to the campus clinic.”
Speechless, likely not expecting such an attempt to steal his girl, Yun Ye stopped another bicycle. This time, the owner agreed readily.
The bicycle’s rear seat was metal, so Yun Ye took off his jacket and tied it to the seat. He easily mounted the bike and looked back at Yin Yunyi, his tone lilting, “Let’s go.”
Yin Yunyi slowly sat on the rear seat, gripping the sides of his clothes.
They passed the red track, shaded areas, roads, and crowds.
She brought her gaze back to the figure in front of her, then down to her own hands gripping his clothes, causing the fabric to fan out.
On nearby bikes, girls embraced the boys affectionately and relaxedly.
To take their relationship further, it seemed no more reasons were needed.
It was just because, when she wanted to hug him, she wanted to do so freely.
Yin Yunyi hugged his waist from behind, feeling his body tense.
Her soft voice carried through the wind, “Yun Ye, when will we be together?”
Yun Ye’s voice was muffled by the wind, but she still clearly heard those two words.
“Soon.”
After midterms, where both Yin Yunyi and Yun Ye scored well in several subjects, they planned their first outing since coming to Western Science University.
Yun Ye drove his family’s car to the dormitory entrance.
Rarely going out, Yin Yunyi clumsily applied makeup in her dorm room. Just as she changed into a dress, her roommate teased, “Yunyi, are you going on a date?”
Yin Yunyi shyly replied, “No… just going out with a friend.”
“Which friend?”
Feeling no need to hide, Yin Yunyi answered honestly, “Yun Ye from our major.”
Her roommate’s eyes widened in shock, exclaiming, “You mean that tall, handsome guy? Wow, are you two going out alone? Is he pursuing you? Or are you pursuing him?”
Faced with a barrage of questions, Yin Yunyi didn’t know which to answer. After a moment, she smiled softly, “Yes, that tall, handsome one.”
Her roommate enviously said, “Yunyi, you’re so lucky. I wish I had a boyfriend that tall and handsome.”
This seemed to be how Yun Ye had always appeared in her heart.
But not quite.
As a teenager, he wasn’t tall.
She didn’t like him because he was tall and handsome.
After all, when the boy was shorter than her, she had already fallen for him.
Stepping out, she saw Yun Ye waiting at the dormitory entrance. He wore a white T-shirt and casual pants. Looking up and seeing Yin Yunyi, he paused before slowly saying, “You look nice.”
Yin Yunyi carried a thin-chained shoulder bag. Yun Ye rarely complimented her looks directly, leaving her momentarily at a loss. She changed the subject, “Where are we going?”
“Let’s visit our high school,” Yun Ye said, jingling the car keys in his hand.
The high school section remained as old as it was years ago, unrenovated.
After bringing Yin Yunyi back to the classroom, Yun Ye excused himself to the restroom for a while.
The sunset light filled the entire classroom. Yin Yunyi sat on a desk, lightly kicking her legs, looking at the blackboard on the podium. After so many years, it had been replaced with a new one.
A sound broke the silence.
She saw a drone peeking in from the classroom door, slowly flying towards her. It carried a postcard—
“Yin Yunyi:
There’s something Yun Ye wants to tell you.
Class 15, Second Year”
Yin Yunyi’s heart skipped a beat.
She followed the drone, slowly walking through the classrooms and corridors they once traversed together, stopping at the basketball court.
The court had been repainted with new white lines and surfaces, yet it still evoked memories of countless days and nights. The boy ran on the court, breathing heavily after shooting, sweat drops falling as he moved. It reminded her of—what she now knew were not—accidental glances towards her.
Yun Ye was covered in sweat. In the center of white scented candles on the ground was a dried cherry blossom, arranged to form the first letter of her name. Yin Yunyi suddenly remembered her middle school pencil case was printed with cherry blossoms.
No wonder all his subsequent gifts used cherry blossom wrapping paper or cards.
Yin Yunyi looked at the scene, catching the drone and removing the card.
Before Yun Ye could speak, she smiled and said softly, “Yun Ye, I like you—”
“I want to be with you.”
Yun Ye, caught off guard, stammered, “Ah… I haven’t said anything yet.”
“I know,” Yin Yunyi looked at him earnestly. “I’ve liked you for several years now. I liked you first, so I wanted you to know first.”
She had realized it when she found herself needing to look up at the boy, or perhaps earlier when she noticed her gaze unconsciously lingering on him.
Yun Ye put his hands in his pockets, and after a moment, smiled boyishly, “Then you’re mistaken.”
Several years ago, when you started liking me, I had already fallen for you.
And just like you, I’ve always, very much, liked you too.