In the village, there weren’t many residents. Most young people had left to work in cities, leaving behind mainly the elderly and children.

When Xiaxia entered the village, a group of children on summer break, wearing worn sandals, surrounded her, curiously looking at the writing on her face.

The professor chatted with the shop owner at the village entrance while Xiaxia bought several lollipops from the store. She sat with the children, distributing the candy and making casual conversation.

Lunch was at the village chief’s house. Though the mountain cuisine was simple, it was fresh. Several girls had poor appetites, putting down their chopsticks after eating just a little, claiming they were full. Only Xiaxia ate heartily, even getting a second bowl of rice.

She sat beside the professor, listening to his conversation with the village chief, occasionally joining in.

Xiaxia: “Coming in, I noticed banners everywhere in the village. Is the crackdown very strict now?”

The banners she referred to were red ones posted throughout every street, all concerning special operations against organized crime.

She had seen them before in Nancheng, but not as many as in the village.

Village Chief: “Yes indeed, we’re firmly implementing the General Secretary’s directives, taking concrete action against organized crime.”

Xiaxia grew interested, putting down her chopsticks to ask: “How is it being implemented? Are there specific cases?”

The village chief smiled: “Did you notice a small shopping street on your way here?”

According to him, that street had been controlled by a gang of thugs six months ago.

The thugs were teenage dropouts with no proper jobs who collected protection money door-to-door monthly. The amount wasn’t much, just two or three hundred yuan each time. They claimed they would immediately handle any troublemakers if shop owners called them.

But the local people were honest, and there were never any troublemakers. Many shop owners suffered this injustice silently, paying monthly to avoid problems.

Six months ago, an outsider opened a hotel on the street. When the thugs came to collect money, the owner refused and was beaten badly enough to require hospitalization.

After being discharged, the owner’s police report went nowhere, so he emailed the anti-crime office. Though he expected nothing, surprisingly, investigators came down a week later, and all the thugs were arrested.

“The total amount involved was less than ten thousand yuan. Know how many years they got?” The village chief’s eyes curved into crescents, his expression exaggerated. “The leader got three years, accomplices got two.”

“They were just thugs, could they be considered an organized crime?” The village chief leisurely puffed on his pipe. “But what can you do? The crackdown is very strict now, catching everyone they can. The higher-ups need results too, and they just happened to get caught at the wrong time.”

Xiaxia appeared thoughtful.

“Young lady, are you interested in this?” the village chief asked.

Xiaxia smiled and waved it off without responding.

The research time flew by.

Due to insufficient funding and to avoid paying out of pocket, Cai Yun moved back to the local houses after staying at the hotel for a few days. Jiang Zhouzhou no longer needed to accompany her and felt relieved.

On a summer night, with a gentle breeze.

Xiaxia sat at the stone table in the courtyard writing on her laptop, while Jiang Zhouzhou sat across from her organizing research records.

“You seem to dislike Cai Yun,” Xiaxia teased.

Jiang Zhouzhou: “Not exactly dislike, I just prefer to avoid her.”

Xiaxia remembered Jiang Zhouzhou’s obvious distance from Cai Yun in his words since freshman year. Curious, she asked, “What do you mean?”

“This girl doesn’t act her age – utilitarian, complicated, too purposeful in everything she does.” Jiang Zhouzhou closed his laptop. “I keep my distance from such people.”

He explained: “Before your freshman year started, Cai Yun came to school a week early to give gifts to Professor Yi. Senior student council members were also there early preparing for new student orientation. I was in and out of Professor Yi’s office daily, and she asked for my WeChat.”

“…She made awkward small talk with me every day, then confessed after a week.” Jiang Zhouzhou found it laughable thinking back. “When I refused, she immediately added the Youth League Committee leader and acted like a stranger when we met again.”

In the past two years, all of Cai Yun’s boyfriends were either department heads student council officers, or vice chairs of student associations. During Xiaxia’s exchange year in Haicheng, Cai Yun had risen rapidly in the student council, showing signs of becoming a key sophomore leader.

Barring any surprises, after the student council reshuffling next semester, her chances of being elected department head would be quite high.

“The night Xie Huai came, she knocked on my door wrapped in just a towel, claiming her room’s AC was broken.” Jiang Zhouzhou laughed sarcastically. “That hotel didn’t even have AC. I don’t know if she was after my student council vice president position or my research project.”

Xiaxia was stunned: “She’s that forward?”

“There’s even more forward stories, want to hear?”

Xiaxia nodded eagerly, but Jiang Zhouzhou asked: “First tell me what you’re writing.”

Seeing his glance, Xiaxia quickly covered her laptop screen: “Nothing—”

Jiang Zhouzhou crossed his arms, his meaning clear.

—If you won’t tell, I won’t either.

Xiaxia had to remove her hand: “I’ll show you, but don’t tell Xie Huai.”

“You’re writing to the anti-crime office? You know about Hu Shurong?” Jiang Zhouzhou frowned.

“Xie Huai told me about him.”

“Your email might not help. Hu Shurong is different from those petty gangsters. He has a backing that’s let him control Zhangshi for years,” Jiang Zhouzhou said. “Even though Xie Huai’s father went bankrupt, don’t forget his connections before death. Why did Hu Shurong dare to kidnap Xie Huai’s family right after his father died?”

“I know.”

Xiaxia was slightly nearsighted and wore glasses when reading or using computers. Her round silver-rimmed glasses were large, covering half her face.

“Even if it’s difficult, we have to try. I can’t help him with anything else, but I can do this.”

“Have you seen ‘The Shawshank Redemption’?”

Xiaxia adjusted her glasses, her cheeks glowing clean and white in the moonlight: “Andy wrote one letter to the governor every week. I can write two emails a week. If it helps, great. If not, it’s just some extra internet and electricity costs.”

Jiang Zhouzhou: “So, you want to be Xie Huai’s redemption?”

“No, he is.”

Xiaxia shook her head, her smile gentle: “He is my redemption.”

The day they returned to Nancheng, a downpour started, flooding the ground deep enough to cover calves.

The group was stranded at the bus station. In such weather, they couldn’t get taxis. The professor led everyone to shelter under the station sign while calling for cars.

Xiaxia’s white shoes were soaked, and stained with dark marks.

She clicked her tongue, irritated by the terrible weather.

“The tunnel back to school is flooded,” the professor said after taking a call, rubbing his brow. “The school bus is taking a detour, we’ll need to wait longer.”

A tall, slim figure approached from the distance.

The person carried a black umbrella. Reaching the station sign, he closed his umbrella, revealing handsome features.

“Hello, Professor.” Xie Huai smiled brightly. “I’m here to pick up Xiaxia.”

His pants were rolled up to his knees, his shoes soaking wet, calves were covered in water droplets.

Seeing him, Xiaxia’s irritation instantly vanished, her heart blooming with joy.

The depressed see depression, and the dejected see dejection.

But for those in love, the world is full of pink bubbles.

The torrential rain dissolved into nothing, and Xiaxia saw the world as wonderfully colorful, sunshine everywhere, brilliant and beautiful.

Professor: “Perfect timing. Do you have a car? Could you take some of the female students back too?”

Cai Yun: “He probably came on an electric bike. I won’t ride that.”

Xie Huai pulled out the car keys: “As if I’d give you a ride even if you wanted one.”

“There’s room for three more. Anyone want to come?”

Nancheng’s temperature dropped suddenly in the rain. Coming from the stuffy mountains, many girls wore only thin dresses and shivered with cold, eager to get back.

A girl looked hesitantly at the flooded ground: “How can we cross this?”

“Walk through it,” Xie Huai said bluntly. “What else, swim across?”

He took Xiaxia’s backpack, hanging it on his chest, and handed her the umbrella.

As Xiaxia was about to step into the deep water below the steps, Xie Huai stopped her.

He crouched in front of her: “I’ll carry you.”

With so many eyes watching, Xiaxia’s face reddened as she climbed onto his back, whispering: “There’s still the suitcase.”

Xie Huai carried her small suitcase in one hand while supporting her with the other, turning to bid farewell to the professor: “Professor, since no one else is coming, we’ll go ahead.”

He carried Xiaxia into the rain while she held the umbrella over their heads.

Xie Huai trudged through the water, his T-shirt soaked by wind-blown raindrops as he shielded Xiaxia from the gusting wind and rain.

Unable to drive closer, Xie Huai’s car was parked at the station entrance.

He set Xiaxia in the passenger seat, then slid into the driver’s seat completely soaked, using a towel from the back to dry his hair.

“Whose car is this?”

It was a Mercedes, not Liang Yuantai’s.

“Brother Xu’s, he’s been letting me borrow it lately.”

“Those girls wanted to return to school together, you left too quickly,” Xiaxia said, taking the towel to help dry his hair.

“I didn’t want to go with them anyway,” Xie Huai said childishly. “We haven’t seen each other for so long, why bring along a bunch of third wheels?”

His hair was dry now, and he carelessly tossed the towel to the back seat.

“Did you miss me?” He smiled, lips curving.

“I did.” Xiaxia counted on her fingers. “I’ve been missing you since you left, thinking of you many, many times every day…”

Before she finished speaking, the seat behind her slowly reclined, and Xie Huai, originally beside her, leaned forward, pressing against her slightly.

The atmosphere in the small car space suddenly turned intimate.

Xie Huai lowered his head, affectionately nuzzling her nose: “How much did you miss me?”

The rain poured down, washing over the car windows.

Xie Huai hadn’t turned on the wipers, letting the rain create crisscrossing patterns on the glass.

He gently stroked her cold arm: “So cold? Let me warm you up.”

His burning palm pressed against her skin, moving down from her arm to her waist.

When Xie Huai lifted a corner of her clothes, exposing it to the cold air, Xiaxia couldn’t help but shiver.

Xie Huai smiled, withdrawing his hand and pointing to his mouth corner: “I came through this big rain to pick you up, give me a kiss.”

Xiaxia cupped his face, rewarding him with a peck where he pointed.

Xie Huai acted like a child wanting candy: “Not enough.”

Xiaxia kissed him again, but as she started to move away, he held her head.

Xie Huai’s burning lips pressed down, initially intense but ultimately extremely gentle.

He sucked on Xiaxia’s soft tongue, the taste so sweet he couldn’t bear to let go.

Xiaxia felt dizzy, making muffled sounds calling his name.

Xie Huai released her, his wet hair nuzzling against her chest, dampening her clothes.

He sat up and started the car.

Xiaxia’s face was flushed, her heart racing as she wiped the moisture from their kiss off her lips with the back of her hand.

Xie Huai reached over to fix her disheveled hair.

“Yesterday I was entertaining with Brother Xu, and a construction businessman’s relative has a kid taking the college entrance exam next year. The kid doesn’t like studying, just plays games all day. He asked me to find a reliable tutor from school. Want to do it?”

“A rich family’s child?” Xiaxia remembered her days tutoring Zhao Shijie, constantly matching wits, and couldn’t help saying, “Might be difficult.”

“If it’s difficult, forget it,” Xie Huai said. “I’ll tell Brother Xu no.”

“It’s not that…” Xiaxia hesitated. “How much does it pay?”

“One hundred and fifty per hour, three hours per week, with extra bonuses if grades improve.”

Xiaxia thought for a moment: “I’ll do it, I need money right now. Is it a boy?”

“Yeah, but he’s about our age. Apparently couldn’t take the exam years ago for some reason and has been putting it off until now,” Xie Huai said. “Don’t worry, I’ll go with you that day. If he doesn’t listen, I’ll help you beat him up.”

Xiaxia laughed: “Okay!”