In mid-to-late August 2009, Lin Zhixia spent two weeks at the military training base in Huairou, Beijing.
The student dormitories at the training base were all bunk beds. Lin Zhixia slept in the lower bunk, and she formed a deep comradeship with the student in the upper bunk.
That student was named Feng Yuan, and Lin Zhixia liked her name. Because “Feng Yuan” sounded like “Feng Yuan” (meeting with destiny) and “Feng Yuan” (finding the source), Lin Zhixia thought the name was very cleverly chosen.
Feng Yuan was seventeen years old this year, from a southern city. She was this year’s top science student in a certain province’s college entrance examination, and had also won first-prize awards in both provincial mathematics and physics competitions.
Both of Feng Yuan’s parents were university professors. She had grown up in a family environment filled with mathematics and possessed an innate mathematical talent. Lin Zhixia and she hit it off immediately, often discussing number theory and dynamic systems. Feng Yuan couldn’t stop praising Lin Zhixia: “You’ve read so many books, you’re so jingguai lingli!”
Lin Zhixia repeated: “Jingguai lingli?”
“Local dialect,” Feng Yuan explained, “praising someone for being smart.”
Lin Zhixia laughed heartily.
During military training, Lin Zhixia gained recognition from many university classmates. The girls in her dormitory unanimously believed that Lin Zhixia’s intelligence was extraordinary—she could remember everything and was thoroughly familiar with various theories.
At just fourteen years old, she was like many other students, waking up at six every morning, folding her bedding, standing at attention, marching in step, and participating in training exercises.
On the training ground, the sun blazed fiercely and yellow sand filled the air. Her camouflage uniform was soaked with sweat, then dried by the sun. Lin Zhixia persevered diligently, and even when she felt exhausted, she didn’t complain loudly. Only at night, lying in bed, hugging her little penguin plushie, did she especially miss her father, mother, brother, and Jiang Yubai.
After military training ended, Lin Zhixia felt reborn.
When she stepped through the doors of the university undergraduate dormitory, she was deeply moved.
Although Peking University’s accommodation conditions couldn’t compare to neighboring Tsinghua University, and although the undergraduate dormitories still had bunk beds, what did that matter? University was a place of freedom, a place for education and personal development. Lin Zhixia should pursue a spiritual realm.
That’s right!
A spiritual realm!
Lin Zhixia happily welcomed undergraduate life.
Lin Zhixia lived in Room 401. Her roommates were all friendly, Feng Yuan still slept in the upper bunk above her, and the nearby dormitories were filled with hidden talents—broadly distributed among the top two hundred in various provincial college entrance exams and winners of gold and silver medals in various competitions. Additionally, there were fellow alumni from Provincial No. 1 High School.
The Provincial No. 1 High School alumni had created a QQ group, and Senior Luo Ying was also in this group.
Luo Ying was a second-year student at the university’s School of Mathematics. She and Lin Zhixia had a deep friendship. Years ago, they had shared a room in the national training team, and later teamed up to participate in the 2007 Romanian Mathematical Masters Competition abroad. Luo Ying had always taken great care of Lin Zhixia.
The day Lin Zhixia returned from the military training base, Luo Ying specifically set aside time to help her organize her things, familiarize her with the campus, and take her to eat at the school cafeteria.
After not seeing each other for a whole year, Senior Luo Ying was still the same as before. She was slender, with snow-white skin, and carried a fragrance when she walked. Whenever she held Lin Zhixia’s wrist, Lin Zhixia would think of her brother. She could feel the senior’s care for her, full of the same concern that older brothers and sisters have for younger siblings.
Lin Zhixia wanted to share all these experiences with Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai was in sync with her. On the day she officially moved into Room 401, Jiang Yubai called her and invited her out for a meal. She agreed without hesitation and even wore her favorite dress.
It was an evening in late summer and early autumn, with some coolness already in the streets. Jiang Yubai stood outside the university gate, patiently waiting for Lin Zhixia to appear.
At that time, the setting sun was sinking, the evening glow stained the sky, revealing colors like a woven brocade.
The golden clouds were like a backdrop between heaven and earth. Jiang Yubai looked into the distance and saw Lin Zhixia running toward him. She wore a dress, a thin coat, and a backpack, and her hair was slightly disheveled by the night breeze.
Her eyes were astonishingly bright, especially at the moment she saw him. She made no effort to hide her joy, circling him: “Jiang Yubai, I’m a university student now, a university student at the School of Mathematics…”
Jiang Yubai described factually: “A university student who has already published two papers.”
Lin Zhixia stopped and stood in front of him: “Did you just get out of school?”
Yes, Jiang Yubai had just finished school not long ago.
Lin Zhixia was already an undergraduate university student, while Jiang Yubai was still diligently studying high school knowledge. However, Jiang Yubai believed that if he worked hard enough, perhaps… he could complete his undergraduate studies before Lin Zhixia graduated with her doctorate.
He led Lin Zhixia toward the parking area. He stood beside a car and personally opened the door for Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia hesitated slightly: “Where are we going?”
“My home in Beijing,” Jiang Yubai said.
Lin Zhixia wore a small purse across her body, which contained only her phone, keys, cash, and campus card. She took out a one-hundred-yuan note and suggested: “I want to treat you to a meal at a nearby restaurant.”
Jiang Yubai always remembered that day when Lin Zhixia visited his home to see the private collection museum. She had left early, and he hadn’t had the chance to celebrate with her.
And now, Lin Zhixia had been admitted to the country’s top university, and Jiang Yubai believed that, as Lin Zhixia’s best friend, he should take the initiative to treat her to a lavish meal.
Jiang Yubai held the car door with one hand and listed the dishes: “Tonight we have Peking duck, pearl shrimp balls, orange-stuffed green crab…” He had only said half when Lin Zhixia climbed into his car.
He sat with her in the back seat.
The driver drove quietly, carrying them swiftly along the highway. High-rise buildings rapidly receded, streetlights connected into a long golden line, each lamp emitting a fleeting stream of light.
For Lin Zhixia, this city was completely unfamiliar, with only Jiang Yubai being the person she knew best, a good friend she had known for five years. Her attitude was relaxed, and she asked casually: “I’ve never had Peking duck before. How is it different from the roast duck back home?”
Jiang Yubai only said: “You’ll experience it for yourself soon.”
Lin Zhixia asked again: “Jiang Yubai, you’ve started 10th grade. Compared to last semester, what’s different?”
Jiang Yubai unzipped his schoolbag. He took out a notebook with a “September Home Tutor Schedule” sticker on it, along with an IELTS exam notification. Jiang Yubai told Lin Zhixia: “I’ve registered for the IELTS next month.”
Lin Zhixia picked up the paper, read it repeatedly, and then said: “For the IELTS exam, 9 is the highest score. I wish you could score a 9.”
“Mm,” Jiang Yubai responded with a hint of confidence.
Lin Zhixia stared at him for a while, then suddenly asked: “Do you remember my phone number?”
After entering university, Lin Zhixia had her phone and number. She sent the number to Jiang Yubai via QQ, and that night, Jiang Yubai had memorized the string of numbers.
At this moment, she emphasized pointedly: “My phone number includes your birthday. I specifically chose it. Among the numbers provided by China Unicom, China Mobile, and China Telecom, I chose one closest to your birthday.”
Jiang Yubai had been calmly leaning against the back of the seat. After Lin Zhixia finished speaking, his heartstrings inadvertently tightened. He put his fingers together, sat up straight, and asked her softly: “Why choose like that?”
Lin Zhixia said, “I’m always happy when I play with you. I’ve always believed that good moods bring good luck. Using your birthday as my phone number is because I hope to always have good luck.”