With a “bang,” Deng Shasha shut the dormitory door firmly.
Deng Shasha said, “I’ve closed the door. The fairy in our dorm is for our eyes only.”
Lin Zhixia laughed heartily, slapped the table, and asked generously: “Do I look beautiful?”
Lin Zhixia wore a burgundy-colored long dress with a V-shaped neckline that revealed her delicate collarbone and elegantly contoured neck. Looking further down, her waist was slender, her legs long, and the dress flowed like gossamer, with a light, smoke-like draping quality that perfectly complemented her snow-white skin.
Feng Yuan looked her up and down and exclaimed admiringly: “You look gorgeous!”
Deng Shasha pondered: “You’re dressed so beautifully, where are you going? Is there a dance at school?”
Lin Zhixia responded while tidying up the gift box: “My friend’s school is hosting a ball next week.”
Deng Shasha’s greatest hobby in life was helping other girls apply makeup. She volunteered enthusiastically: “Do you want makeup? I can teach you.”
Lin Zhixia politely declined Deng Shasha’s kind offer. The next morning, Lin Zhixia had a sudden inspiration and went to the mall to buy a lipstick to match her new dress.
On the evening of the ball, Lin Zhixia put on the dress and shoes, and even pinned up her hair using the hairpin Jiang Yubai had given her.
At this time, twilight colored the sky, and the glow of dusk enveloped the academic building. Lin Zhixia strolled through campus, feeling as if she were floating. Several classmates along the way stole glances at her, but she paid no attention to others’ gazes, looking up toward the school entrance.
Jiang Yubai had already arrived.
He was patiently waiting for her approach.
Lin Zhixia lifted her dress with her left hand and ran toward Jiang Yubai.
The sunset was waning, the dusk deepening. Under the amber street lights, her dress billowed in the wind like a butterfly poised for flight.
Jiang Yubai gazed at her, entranced. He unconsciously extended a hand toward her, wanting to catch her the moment she ran to him.
She wasn’t accustomed to wearing heeled shoes. When he steadied her by the arm, she fell directly against him, collapsing into his embrace. Before he could fully savor the moment, she stepped back, freeing herself from his restraint.
“Let’s go, get in the car,” Lin Zhixia suggested.
Jiang Yubai opened the car door like a dutiful chauffeur.
Lin Zhixia climbed into the car, carefully arranging her dress, and asked: “Do I look beautiful?”
Lin Zhixia hoped Jiang Yubai would say something like “You’re too beautiful, you’re a fairy descended from heaven,” but he never said such things. His encouragement and evaluations were either positively affirming or objectively calm. He would never openly praise Lin Zhixia’s appearance the way Deng Shasha did.
Just as Lin Zhixia predicted, Jiang Yubai responded quite reservedly: “Beautiful.”
“Turn your face toward me, look at me, and compliment me again,” Lin Zhixia commanded in a tone that brooked no refusal.
But Jiang Yubai didn’t look at her. His gaze traveled beyond the car window. The nighttime city sparkled with flowing lights, reflections dancing in his eyes and falling upon the tips of his hair. What was he thinking about? He had successfully aroused Lin Zhixia’s curiosity.
Lin Zhixia touched the back of his hand, as if pressing a switch, immediately prompting him to say: “I’ve prepared a necklace for you.”
He retrieved a delicate box from a hidden compartment.
Inside the box was a rose gold necklace with a heart-shaped red chalcedony pendant. Lin Zhixia reached out and poked the pendant with her finger. Jiang Yubai found her gesture as adorable as a kitten’s. He struggled to contain his admiration for her, pretending to be composed as he reminded her, “You said you would accept gifts I bought with money I earned myself.”
“How did you make money?” Lin Zhixia asked.
Jiang Yubai summarized: “Investments.”
Lin Zhixia marveled: “You made investments and earned big money so quickly? You’re amazing.”
Jiang Yubai said modestly, “It’s nothing special. My father often helps me, and I have investment advisors. If it were you, you’d do better than me.”
“No,” Lin Zhixia firmly denied, “you’re more skilled in that field than I am.”
Jiang Yubai didn’t respond further. He took the necklace from the box.
The car continued to drive steadily forward. Lin Zhixia suddenly understood Jiang Yubai’s intention. She sat sideways on the leather seat, with her back to Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai awkwardly fastened the necklace for her, his fingers reaching around her neck to hook the red chalcedony pendant, slightly adjusting its position. The two maintained a tacit silence, the atmosphere around them subtle yet unmentionable. Finally, Lin Zhixia broke the silence: “Thank you, the necklace is beautiful.”
Jiang Yubai noticed the golden hairpin she used for her updo—this was the thirteenth birthday gift he had given her, which matched perfectly with today’s necklace. He murmured as if talking to himself: “You look the most beautiful.”
Lin Zhixia perked up her ears: “What did you say?”
Jiang Yubai resumed his serious, reserved demeanor: “Nothing, we’re almost there.”
Lin Zhixia insisted on extracting those words from his mouth. She tugged at his sleeve: “I heard you say it again.”
Jiang Yubai continued his unnecessary pretense: “Since you heard it, there’s no need for me to repeat it.”
Lin Zhixia muttered quietly: “Jiang Yubai, I feel for you…” Her voice grew softer and softer, almost inaudible, yet it struck Jiang Yubai’s heart like a hidden arrow. He quickly asked: “What do you mean?”
Lin Zhixia smiled slightly and retorted: “Nothing, we’re almost there.”
As she finished speaking, the sedan began to slow down, smoothly pulling into a parking space. Lin Zhixia looked outside and immediately entered a strange world of luxury cars. She even spotted two stretch limousines.
“Why are there stretch limousines?” Lin Zhixia felt puzzled.
Jiang Yubai, setting aside their earlier exchange, patiently explained: “Some classmates came together.”
Lin Zhixia nodded: “So they’re sitting in the same car.”
Jiang Yubai took her left hand and tied a corsage around her wrist, then attached a matching boutonniere to the left lapel of his suit jacket—this was one of the dress requirements for the graduation ball, yet Lin Zhixia remarked: “I remember brides wear corsages.”
Jiang Yubai opened the car door and stepped out before her. As she passed in front of him, he added: “Grooms also have boutonnieres.”
Lin Zhixia was about to respond when suddenly, from a distance, a girl called out: “Jiang Yubai! Hey, Jiang Yubai!”
Lin Zhixia looked toward the voice, and the girl was walking toward them. She wore a deep blue spaghetti-strap gown, her makeup exquisite, her figure enchantingly graceful, and her beautiful legs occasionally glimpsed as she walked. Behind her followed a bespectacled boy who shadowed her every step, while she rushed straight to Jiang Yubai: “Why are you so late? We’ve been waiting for you for over ten minutes.”
Jiang Yubai introduced: “This is my classmate, Zhao Gefei.”
Zhao Gefei, with a smile playing at the corners of her mouth, extended her hand to Lin Zhixia: “Hello, you’re Jiang Yubai’s friend, right? Jiang Yubai has mentioned you to me.”
Zhao Gefei’s nails were all dyed navy blue with several sparkling rhinestones attached. She held Lin Zhixia’s hand and first complimented: “Your skin is so fair.” Then asked: “Don’t you do your nails?”
Lin Zhixia answered honestly: “I’ve never done my nails.” She naturally walked alongside Zhao Gefei: “Jiang Yubai has mentioned me to you?”
Zhao Gefei replied with a smile: “We all know he has a friend from his hometown.”
Lin Zhixia didn’t respond. She looked toward Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai had encountered two male classmates. Those two had a good relationship with him and were about to study at Oxford University. The three of them walked and talked, none noticing the exchange between Lin Zhixia and Zhao Gefei.
At this moment, Zhao Gefei continued: “There are more than a dozen people in our class, and we get along well. The person next to me, his family owns a horse ranch. On weekends, we go to his ranch to play. Jiang Yubai has gone several times, right?”
The bespectacled boy beside Zhao Gefei quickly said: “Yes.”
Zhao Gefei turned to ask Lin Zhixia: “Do you like horseback riding? Let’s go together next time when you’re free.”
Lin Zhixia simply said, “I don’t know how to ride a horse.”
“Oh?” Zhao Gefei’s tone was gentle, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you couldn’t ride. It’s very simple, haven’t you learned before?”
Lin Zhixia asked playfully: “Do you think there’s any difference in the existence forms of the renewal operator and the parity operator in B-K and Parity transformation expressions?”
Zhao Gefei froze in place.
Lin Zhixia repeated her question in English and French.
Zhao Gefei bit her lip, and Lin Zhixia apologized to her: “I’m sorry, I thought I was talking about the most basic physics and English.”
Zhao Gefei struggled to respond: “Did you make up a theory?”
“This is the foundation of quantum computing,” Lin Zhixia countered, “It’s very simple, haven’t you learned it?”
Zhao Gefei had heard that Lin Zhixia was already in university, but she hadn’t expected university physics to be so complex and profound. Her high school physics was quite good, but she couldn’t understand at all what Lin Zhixia was talking about.
Her face slightly reddened, and the conversation couldn’t continue. She quickened her pace forward, leaving behind Lin Zhixia and the bespectacled boy.
The boy suddenly said, “Zhao Gefei is quite nice, don’t be angry.”
Lin Zhixia answered honestly: “I’m not angry. I thought she liked that style of conversation.”
*
At eight in the evening, the sky was completely dark, the night deep, with a full moon hanging high. Students in formal attire entered the hall where the banquet was being held. The venue was divided into two areas: the dining room and the dance floor. On the dance floor gathered a group of high school graduates danced in pairs to the music, creating a warm and wonderful scene.
Zhao Gefei was skilled in social interactions, easily getting along with everyone. She could chat with classmates from any country and make them laugh.
While Zhao Gefei worked hard to showcase her charm, Lin Zhixia paid her no attention. Lin Zhixia was sitting in her seat, using a knife and fork to cut a piece of strawberry cake.
“Would you like to dance?” Jiang Yubai asked her.
Lin Zhixia said softly, “Let me eat some cake first. I was still working in the lab this afternoon and didn’t have time to eat dinner. I’m very hungry.”