Jiang Yubai picked up the glass and poured water for Lin Zhixia.

He handed the glass to her, and she naturally lowered her head to drink directly from it.

Jiang Yubai slowly adjusted the angle of the rim, careful not to make any mistake, to make it easier for Lin Zhixia to drink.

Jiang Yubai’s level of service was quite high. He was thoughtful, attentive, and meticulous, which Lin Zhixia couldn’t help but admire. She placed her hand on his shoulder and said with magnanimity and ease: “Let’s go dancing.”

Jiang Yubai took her by the wrist, helping her rise from her seat, and walked directly toward the dance floor. He suddenly said, “During these three years of high school, I often thought about elementary and middle school.”

Lin Zhixia wanted to ask him, “Are you reminiscing about your life in elementary and middle school, or about me being your deskmate?” She hesitated for a long time but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to ask.

This was truly strange.

She was usually accustomed to speaking her mind, so why was she being coy now?

She held his hand tightly, stole a glance at him, and then finally said: “I was your deskmate for four years, which is one of the things that makes me happiest. I can recall every day from that time—what clothes you wore, what time you arrived at school, what you said to me… I remember it all.”

The temperature of Jiang Yubai’s palm seemed to rise. His heart burned like fire, as if an infinite force was bursting from deep within him, but he wasn’t skilled at responding with enthusiasm. He said softly, “I envy your memory.”

He was like countless ordinary people, forgetting the details of precious moments.

Lin Zhixia patted his arm reassuringly: “No need to envy me.”

She explained: “Sometimes, I feel down too and recall some unpleasant things… not just visual memories, but sensory memories as well. Do you understand? When I was a child in my rural hometown, I went hungry once. Whenever I think of that day, my stomach hurts a little.”

Jiang Yubai took this phenomenon seriously: “In the seven years I’ve known you, this is the first time I’ve heard you mention sensory memory.”

Near the dance floor, young couples were dancing gracefully. The women were elegant, their long dresses flowing, while the men smiled, creating an ambiguous atmosphere.

Jiang Yubai lowered his voice even more: “Tell me when you’re uncomfortable. Don’t endure stomach pain either. If it’s really bad, go to the hospital.”

A dim, warm orange light enveloped the area above the dance floor. Lin Zhixia looked up, gazing at him with bright, clear eyes in this dim environment.

He thought she would say a lot.

But she just nodded once: “Mm!”

Jiang Yubai murmured: “You always seem so happy…” He gently wrapped his arm around her waist, his comforting voice low and gentle as it drifted into her ear. He said that she could tell him anything she encountered, and they would figure it out together. He was not just her good friend, but also her supporter and follower.

The melodious music didn’t stop, but Lin Zhixia did. She buried her face in his collar and praised: “You’re so good, you’re too good.”

In her heart, she silently extolled this deeply moving friendship.

*

That night, Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai spent more than two hours on the dance floor.

Initially, all the students were dancing the waltz, but later the music changed, and the students formed a circle, randomly exchanging dance partners.

Lin Zhixia had a sudden idea to try the male dance steps.

She intercepted a beautiful woman wearing a bright red spaghetti-strap gown—this beauty was Korean and didn’t speak much Chinese. Lin Zhixia knew a little Korean, so she struck up a conversation with her. The woman thought Lin Zhixia was a Chinese person of Korean ethnicity, immediately feeling a sense of kinship, and somewhat reluctantly began dancing with Lin Zhixia.

Lin Zhixia held her wrist, watching her twirl under her hand, and praised in Korean: “You dance so well.”

Lin Zhixia and the Korean beauty got along harmoniously.

Jiang Yubai uttered her name: “Lin Zhixia?”

With the surrounding noise of voices and music, Lin Zhixia didn’t hear him.

Jiang Yubai stood absentmindedly at the edge of the dance floor. Zhao Gefei invited him to dance, but he politely declined. Zhao Gefei blushed and insisted on asking: “Do you like that girl?”

Jiang Yubai avoided the topic.

Zhao Gefei asked again: “She must have many good qualities, right? Besides her appearance and education.”

Jiang Yubai listed them like treasures: “Yes, she’s smart, kind, pure, honest, optimistic, lively, loves to laugh…”

Zhao Gefei’s right hand crossed her chest, slightly covering her neckline as she hinted: “I’ve also been praised for being smart and kind.”

Jiang Yubai held his wine glass and, out of politeness, clinked glasses with her. His every word and action were elegant, but his words dampened the mood. He said, “Your dance partner is looking for you.”

Zhao Gefei clasped her hands together: “Aren’t you going to say something to keep me here?”

Jiang Yubai didn’t respond. He walked to the other side of the corner.

Jiang Yubai was very popular. Even standing in a secluded corner, many classmates made a point to come over and greet him. He chatted with them, holding a wine glass with one hand, filled with mineral water. He swirled the glass, took a small sip of mineral water, and the light refracted through the glass revealed an approaching figure—Lin Zhixia had finally come to her senses and was hurrying toward him.

“Why did you stop dancing?” Lin Zhixia asked him.

He said, “Everyone changed partners.”

Lin Zhixia tilted her head: “You could have changed partners too, gone to dance with other girls.”

Jiang Yubai smiled: “I’d rather stand at a distance and watch you dance.”

Lin Zhixia’s left fingers twisted her dress: “You…” The high-quality dress wrinkled in her grip before she said, “You’re so good with words.”

Outside the window, the night was deep and vast, and the ball was coming to an end.

Lin Zhixia didn’t want to return too late, so Jiang Yubai took her to leave early. They got into the same car, heading straight for Lin Zhixia’s university.

Jiang Yubai opened the car window, and the summer night breeze blew in, making his black short hair slightly disheveled. Looking at the scenery rapidly receding outside the window, he spoke from his heart: “I’ve graduated from high school and will soon go abroad to university. I might not be able to come back during the holidays. When I was in Beijing, you went to the lab every day…” He realized he was expressing a bit of resentment.

After a pause, he amended: “That’s good. You like to study, so you should study more, advance human technology.”

“I’ll miss you, Jiang Yubai,” Lin Zhixia replied.

Jiang Yubai sat still.

Lin Zhixia took the boutonniere from his suit’s left lapel and removed the corsage she had worn all night, placing it in his suit pocket. She didn’t seem to feel any sadness about parting and only asked: “Will you miss me too?”

“Every day,” he answered.

Lin Zhixia smiled and said, “Good.”

She clutched the boutonniere, gently stroking the light red petals.

After eleven o’clock at night, Lin Zhixia returned to her dormitory. The lights were bright, and her three roommates were still awake.

With final exams for the second semester of sophomore year approaching, everyone was studying nervously. Deng Shasha was kneeling on the upper bunk and exclaimed, “You’re finally back! There are so many problems I can’t solve. Help me, Goddess Xia!”

Lin Zhixia quickly ran toward her: “Coming, coming!”

Deng Shasha slowly lay down, her face showing serenity.

Lin Zhixia stepped on the ladder, her hands gripping the bed rails, and asked excitedly: “Are the previous years’ exam questions very difficult?”

Deng Shasha puffed out her cheeks.

How to put it…

She seemed to hear excitement in Lin Zhixia’s voice.

To avoid disappointing Lin Zhixia, Deng Shasha declared: “Too difficult, incredibly difficult, throw the test paper in the sky and it would blast a hole, Nüwa would have to patch the sky again, I get dizzy just looking at one question, I suffocate looking at two, and after three, I’d collapse on the bed in shock.”

Lin Zhixia was stunned for a moment, then delighted: “Quickly, quickly, let me see the test paper, let me see it, I want to solve the problems.”

Deng Shasha respectfully handed over a test paper with both hands.

Lin Zhixia grabbed the paper and jumped to the ground. She ran to her seat with the paper, eagerly reading the questions. Deng Shasha told her, “Goddess Xia, the average score for this course last year was forty points… out of a hundred, an average of forty, the professor is too harsh. I didn’t expect this when I chose the course, really didn’t, Goddess Yuan chose it, so I followed…”

As Deng Shasha recounted her tragic experience, Feng Yuan interjected: “Is it that hard?”

Deng Shasha spoke while tossing her pillow: “Gods and humans are different.”

Deng Shasha could perfectly well consult Feng Yuan, who was willing to explain the problems to her. However, Feng Yuan’s teaching style was “strict teachers produce outstanding students”—if Deng Shasha still didn’t understand after two explanations, Feng Yuan would sigh with exasperation. Lin Zhixia, on the other hand, was never impatient; she was helpful and approached teaching with both seriousness and care.

Deng Shasha brought over a chair and sat beside Lin Zhixia.

“Come on, Goddess Xia, I’m ready.” Deng Shasha picked up a paper and a pen.

Lin Zhixia opened the test paper and began explaining from the first question. Wearing her beautiful red dress, with a faint fragrance of perfume, she wrote on the test paper. Deng Shasha stared at her profile, unable to hide her admiration: “The boy who danced with you tonight is so lucky.”

Lin Zhixia’s writing paused.

Scenes from the ball replayed in her mind like a high-definition movie, with Jiang Yubai undoubtedly the male lead, continuously giving her gentle yet firm strength.