Jiang Yubai’s driver worked tirelessly, first taking Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai to the restaurant, and after they finished their meal, dropping Lin Zhixia off at the university campus entrance.
Before Lin Zhixia got out of the car, she first thanked the driver, then asked, “Jiang Yubai, are you free tonight? Would you like to take a walk with me near the campus?”
Jiang Yubai gladly agreed. He slung his bag across his shoulder and followed Lin Zhixia onto another street.
It was just after seven in the evening, the sky pitch black, human shadows lurking in the darkness. A few ground lamps were hidden among the grass, and as the wind rustled the vegetation, the lights flickered on and off like wandering fireflies.
Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai walked side by side, still maintaining a distance between them. In the cool night breeze, Lin Zhixia felt relaxed. She led Jiang Yubai into an accessory shop by the street—inside were many female university students… and their boyfriends.
As soon as Jiang Yubai stepped over the threshold, he felt out of place. But he didn’t retreat. He closely followed Lin Zhixia’s footsteps, watching her select headbands and bows, and even told her: “Red suits you best.”
She asked, “What about blue?”
“Blue is nice,” Jiang Yubai’s voice grew deeper, “any color works for you.”
Lin Zhixia selected a deep red bow with smooth, neat fabric and wide, flowing ribbons. She also picked up a 40-yuan electronic watch—Jiang Yubai didn’t notice this.
Next to Jiang Yubai stood a campus couple, eighteen or nineteen years old. This couple, intoxicated by sweet love, was cuddling in the corner as if no one else was around. Jiang Yubai had to turn away, his back to them.
He pretended to look at a row of hair ties until Lin Zhixia tugged at his sleeve: “Let’s go pay.”
Jiang Yubai happened to have a hundred-yuan bill in his coat pocket. He paid for Lin Zhixia’s purchases and followed her back to the street. She clutched the 40-yuan electronic watch tightly and removed the valuable Cartier watch, returning it to Jiang Yubai along with its box.
Jiang Yubai was stunned: “You…”
“I can’t accept it,” Lin Zhixia explained. “Wearing this watch would give me psychological pressure.”
There was a bench by the roadside. Lin Zhixia sat down, and Jiang Yubai sat to her left, listening as she said: “If you gave me this watch, I would wear it every day, look at it every day… but I’m not used to luxury items, sorry.”
“I’m the one who should apologize,” Jiang Yubai held the watch box, reflecting deeply. “I should have considered your habits. I’ll get you another gift in a few days.”
Lin Zhixia immediately unwrapped the electronic watch: “No need for another gift, this is what you just gave me!”
She extended her left hand: “Would you help me put on the watch again?”
Jiang Yubai held the electronic watch band, his fingertips lightly touching her wrist. He leaned closer to her, fastened it for her, and when he looked into her eyes, he felt that this moment was more precious than any luxury item in the world.
Lin Zhixia said happily: “Thank you, Jiang Yubai, I have a new watch!”
Jiang Yubai adjusted the time on the electronic watch before asking: “When I graduate from university and start working, will you accept my gifts?”
“Yes,” Lin Zhixia said firmly. “By the time you graduate, I’ll have graduated already, and I’ll be able to afford things you like too.”
Jiang Yubai automatically ignored the “By the time you graduate, I’ll have graduated already” part.
He looked up at the night sky, contentedly saying: “Good, it’s a deal.”
Lin Zhixia hooked his pinky finger: “Pinky swear?”
Jiang Yubai readily agreed: “Sure.”
Lin Zhixia lowered her head slightly, her voice soft: “Pinky promise, ride the sedan chair, never change for a hundred years.”
Their pinky fingers entwined, fingertips touching. Jiang Yubai felt her palm was very warm. He asked: “Is it ‘ride the sedan chair’ or ‘hang yourself’?”
“I don’t know,” Lin Zhixia explained. “I prefer the ‘sedan chair’ version.”
“Me too,” Jiang Yubai supported her.
Lin Zhixia stood up. Fearing Jiang Yubai might get lost, she escorted him back to where the driver was waiting. Jiang Yubai lowered the car window and waved to her once. She smiled at him again: “Goodbye.”
He responded: “Goodbye.”
*
On her way back to the dormitory, Lin Zhixia met senior Luo Ying.
Luo Ying had just come from the library. She saw Lin Zhixia from afar and stood under a streetlight, calling her name: “Lin Zhixia?”
Lin Zhixia bounced over to Luo Ying: “Senior!”
Luo Ying wore a long dress and carried a laptop bag. She lengthened the strap of her laptop bag, hung it over her shoulder, and asked gently: “Where did you go today?”
“The Forbidden City,” Lin Zhixia answered proudly.
Luo Ying looked around: “Did you go alone?”
“No,” Lin Zhixia said. “I went with my best friend.”
Luo Ying raised her hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She glanced at Lin Zhixia and complimented: “You look very pretty today.”
Lin Zhixia casually replied: “Senior is the truly beautiful one.”
The night breeze mixed with the scent of Luo Ying’s perfume. Her long hair was tousled by the wind, and she self-deprecatingly said: “My hair is a mess, do I look like a madwoman?”
“No,” Lin Zhixia’s praise was sweeter than honey. “Senior is always a goddess.”
Luo Ying accompanied Lin Zhixia to the fourth floor of the girls’ dormitory. As Lin Zhixia prepared to return to her room, her senior continued to watch her. Finding it strange, she asked: “Senior, do you need something?”
Luo Ying thought for a moment and found a topic: “Did you go to Professor Gu Likai’s laboratory?”
“Yes,” Lin Zhixia said, full of aspiration. “Starting next week, I’ll be working in Professor Gu Likai’s laboratory.”
Luo Ying was somewhat concerned: “Can you handle it? Physics students I know say Gu Likai has many academic requirements, grades harshly, and is strict with people.”
Gu Likai’s laboratory was mainly responsible for building quantum computers—an emerging field highly valued by academia and industry, with particularly broad development prospects. As a freshman undergraduate, Lin Zhixia had the opportunity to enter Gu Likai’s laboratory, and she felt the trust from her professor.
Lin Zhixia didn’t care whether Gu Likai was strict or not, nor did she care about his grading standards. But she politely said: “It’s fine, I’ll work hard to meet the experimental requirements.”
“That’s true,” Luo Ying said. “You’re so smart, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”
Lin Zhixia responded somewhat shyly: “Mm-hmm.”
Luo Ying held the stair railing and took a step up. She wore black leather shoes, her ankles slender and snow-white, creating a striking contrast. She stood on one step and asked: “Do you still miss home lately?”
“A little,” Lin Zhixia admitted. “I often dream of my mother, and sometimes my brother.”
“It’s a pity you can’t go home for the October holiday because you’ll be working in the lab,” Luo Ying said.
Lin Zhixia remained spirited. She said that after Professor Gu’s guidance, she suddenly realized that theory is a tool to assist thinking, experiments are a way to train her hands, and cultivating scientific literacy and intuition is a necessary path in her growth. She cherished this opportunity to work in the laboratory.
Luo Ying asked her: “Can you bring visitors to your laboratory?”
Lin Zhixia asked in return: “Would you like to come, Senior?”
Luo Ying said, “I just want to take a look from the doorway.”
“Sure, sure,” Lin Zhixia slapped her thigh, making an immediate decision. “Next Wednesday at six-thirty in the morning, I’ll come find you at your dormitory door.”
After arranging with her, Luo Ying said goodbye. They wished each other goodnight in the stairwell of the girls’ dormitory, and Lin Zhixia turned around, happily walking back to her room.
*
At six o’clock on Wednesday morning, Lin Zhixia got up on time. She quickly finished washing up, put on her clothes and pants, and even checked herself in the mirror before leaving. Her roommate Feng Yuan, lying on the upper bunk, said: “Stop looking, you’re gorgeous.”
Lin Zhixia opened the door to their room, full of fighting spirit: “A new day begins, I’m heading out, everyone work hard on your studies!”
Behind her, her three roommates said in unison: “Let’s do it!”
Lin Zhixia ran along the corridor. She made her way to the stairs with practiced ease, and a few minutes later, she found Senior Luo Ying’s room. She stood outside the door, knocked lightly, and called softly: “Senior?”
She only called once before the door opened.
Luo Ying was neatly dressed and wore light makeup. She was 1.72 meters tall with a slender figure, truly like a clothes hanger—she looked good in anything.
Lin Zhixia imitated her roommate Feng Yuan and complimented: “Senior looks gorgeous.”
Luo Ying asked her: “Gorgeous as in beautiful?”
“Of course,” Lin Zhixia affirmed with absolute certainty.