Over the following days, Ning Sui spent all her time reviewing for finals — though not together with Xie Yichen.

Perhaps the memory had left too deep an impression. After that day, she kept finding her mind drifting involuntarily back to what had happened in the library. She even found it a little hard to look directly at those couple’s seats in the old wing. In the end she simply switched to studying at the Peking University Mathematics Department building instead.

The finals were also scheduled back-to-back, each exam pressing right against the next. Before the official holiday break, the two of them exercised restraint and met only a handful of times, sharing two meals.

Ning Sui’s last exam — Mathematical Analysis — was on the fourteenth, one day later than Xie Yichen’s, making her the last person in the Huai’an crew to finish. Zhang Yuge had picked out a flight and announced it in the group chat. They all bought tickets for the same flight, leaving the afternoon of the fourteenth.

After finishing her exam, Ning Sui returned to the dormitory to start packing.

She’d arrived with one large suitcase and one carry-on. Since the winter holiday was over a month long and spring would have arrived by the time she came back, she packed a portion of her winter wardrobe to bring home — enough to fill the large suitcase to the brim.

She was still partway through packing when Xie Yichen messaged from downstairs: 【Should I come up and carry your luggage?】

Ning Sui thought about the sixth floor — it seemed unnecessary to trouble him for one trip up — and also, having him come up would draw too much attention. She replied: 【No need, it’s light enough — I’ve got it】

Suisui Suisui Suisui: 【Wait a moment, I’ll be quick [Blushing Cat.jpg]】

Xie Yichen didn’t argue: 【Okay】

When Ning Sui came downstairs, she turned toward the covered walkway where the bicycles were parked and spotted Xie Yichen — leaning against the exterior wall about ten meters from the entrance, nothing beside him, head lowered over his phone.

His luggage was presumably already loaded in the car outside. He’d deliberately not waited right by the main entrance where people constantly came and went — but even standing casually in an out-of-the-way corner, he was still remarkably easy to notice. Black jacket, black trousers, set off sharply against the white wall — exceptionally handsome and striking.

Ning Sui felt that this person was simply incapable of keeping a low profile. Thankfully it was break time and there weren’t many people at the base of the building. She bundled herself in her padded coat, scarf pulled up slightly to her chin, and quickened her pace into a short trot toward him.

Xie Yichen picked up on the sound of footsteps quickly, looked up, and stepped toward her to take her suitcase. Ning Sui had just hauled the suitcase down the stairs and was out of breath. Without time to slow down, she ran straight into his chest.

The padded jacket cushioned the impact.

In the flash of a moment, Ning Sui instinctively reached around his waist to catch herself, just barely stopping her momentum.

Xie Yichen reflexively caught her shoulder with one arm, steadying her. He paused, then tilted his head down with an expression of ambiguous meaning, his voice a light near-whisper beside her ear: “In such a hurry?”

Ning Sui had her face buried against him, feigning composure: “…I just didn’t want to miss the flight.”

“Mm.” Xie Yichen let the syllable trail out. “Three and a half hours to spare. You’re right — cutting it close.”

“…”

Ning Sui had brought one large suitcase down. Xie Yichen hoisted it slightly — it was considerably heavier than he’d expected.

Her cheeks were faintly pink, and she was still slightly out of breath. Xie Yichen lowered his lashes, paused a moment, and in the end said nothing. His voice was quiet and even: “Give me your backpack too.”

Ning Sui looked up and, without meaning to, her gaze landed somewhere specific. Her heart gave a sudden lurch. A memory that had been lying low for some time resurfaced.

His lips were a pale color, their shape delicate — thin — the line of his jaw sharp and angular. And yet the feeling he’d given her when they kissed had been indescribable. Ning Sui curled her fingertips, her pulse picking up without her permission.

Just then an unfamiliar girl happened to come out through the entrance and walked toward the covered walkway in their direction. Ning Sui took the opportunity to look pointedly aside: “…The Mathematical Analysis exam today — the final question was that exact problem I asked you about before.”

The girl passed quickly. When she’d gone far enough, Xie Yichen took her bag from her and slung it over his shoulder with practiced ease, smiling: “Really? That’s quite a coincidence.”

The problem from before had been a trick question. Ning Sui had tried every approach she could think of and gotten nowhere — the kind of problem that looks easy on the surface but proves deceptively hard in practice. The sort that might have been miscategorized by the test-setter, or had an incorrectly stated condition.

But Xie Yichen had found another route entirely, step by step — using the Weyl criterion to rigorously prove conditional convergence. It had been genuinely astonishing.

What made it even more remarkable was that this particular piece of knowledge lay outside the scope of high school mathematics competitions. Theoretically, it also shouldn’t have been covered in a computer science curriculum.

Ning Sui thought this person was simply extraordinary — he seemed to know everything, as though there was nothing in the world beyond his grasp.

The two of them walked out together as they talked.

When Xie Yichen had arrived, he’d already called a car — a six-seat executive vehicle. It would come to Peking University to pick the others up first, then swing by for Zhang Yuge, and finally head to the airport together.

Building 32, where Ning Sui and her roommates lived, was close to the south gate. Nearby stood several other campus buildings, and a hundred-odd meters to the east lay the May Fourth Gymnasium and the sports grounds.

The black six-seat vehicle was parked along the narrow path. The surrounding dormitory area had a scattering of students jogging or heading back from exercise. Xie Yichen had just finished loading Ning Sui’s luggage into the trunk when a voice rang out clearly: “A’Chen!”

Ning Sui turned her head — it was Lin Shuyu.

He’d come with Hu Ke’er, both of them hauling bags big and small, bustling along like they were heading to a market, and in short order stuffed the entire trunk to capacity.

Zhang Yuge had yet to arrive. Essentially all the space was already taken.

The driver came over to help arrange the luggage. The group moved around to board from the front.

Deciding on the seating arrangement became an issue. Xie Yichen got in first and went straight to the back row. Ning Sui looked ahead, eyes forward and composed, glanced once, and followed — going to the back and sitting with him as a matter of course.

Hu Ke’er quietly clicked her tongue twice and settled in the middle row with Lin Shuyu, one on each side — a pair of flanking guards.

The car hadn’t started yet. Both pairs of eyes — as if grown from the backs of their heads — were already sweeping alertly toward the rear.

Ning Sui had anticipated exactly this kind of reaction from everyone. She took a sip of water without reacting, and just as she was about to put it away, Xie Yichen smoothly and naturally took the pink cup from her, capped it, and tucked it back into her bag.

Seeming to sense the stares from the front, Xie Yichen raised an eyebrow and asked languidly: “What? Never seen someone put a cap on a bottle?”

“…”

Is that what this is about? Putting a cap on a bottle?

Lin Shuyu’s face was full of things he clearly wanted to say. He opened his mouth, caught a glance from Xie Yichen, and swallowed it back. Hu Ke’er did the same — both of them turned their heads back to the front, quickly and with expressions that wordlessly conveyed everything they weren’t allowed to say.

The car settled into a strange, subtle tension — until Zhang Yuge got in, and the atmosphere broke entirely.

Hu Ke’er caught her first glimpse of the electric eel style and collapsed against the seat in laughter: “Octopus, what happened to you — did you undergo some kind of species mutation?! HAHAHAHA!”

To be fair, that explosive perm was the kind that grew on you over time, and it did have a way of making everyone around it feel considerably more cheerful. Zhang Yuge had spent the last couple of days gradually regaining a shred of lost confidence, had even asked the girl he liked out — and was in a decent mood now. He couldn’t be bothered to argue with her.

Those reflective lenses swept slyly toward the back, then exchanged a loaded, dying-of-curiosity look with Lin Shuyu — the urge to say something burning like an inferno in their chests. But someone had already warned the two of them not to tease recklessly.

They didn’t dare disobey.

After exchanging a few pointed, restrained words of greeting with Ning Sui and the others, Zhang Yuge launched into school gossip — some bizarre classmate in his club who would calculate every last two cents down to the fraction when eating out. Lin Shuyu joined in, and along with Hu Ke’er, all three chatted away with great enthusiasm.

Zhang Yuge said: “Escape rooms have so many gimmicks these days — a ghost behind you, a ghost in front of you, drifting right up to scare you. How do you all usually deal with the fear?”

Lin Shuyu: “Just stare at the hem of their jeans.”

Hu Ke’er said flatly: “I’m different — I turn around and grab them back.”

“…”

Taking advantage of the three of them still deep in animated chatter, Ning Sui reached out and poked Xie Yichen’s sleeve with her index finger. She pointed at a lumpy, bulging cloth bag beside his hand and asked quietly: “What’s that?”

She’d noticed him transferring that bag from the trunk and keeping it carefully close — carrying it into the car and guarding it ever since.

The back seat was cramped and the two of them were sitting quite close together. Xie Yichen turned to look at her for a moment, then — rather than answering — held out his hand toward her.

Ning Sui’s heart skipped: “What?”

Xie Yichen raised an unhurried eyebrow and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, said: “Hold my hand for a moment. Then I’ll tell you.”

“…”

Ning Sui silently glanced at the three round backs of heads in front of them, wrestled with herself for a beat — then her hand, with considerable lack of dignity, extended anyway.

And was promptly held tight in his.

Xie Yichen’s palm was warm, just as it always had been. His long-knuckled fingers closed firmly around her hand, and a tendril of warmth crept up to her ear.

“Ning Coconut.” She heard him speak.

“Mm?”

“Did you miss me?” His handsome face tilted closer, his voice dropping even lower — barely more than a breath.

The faint fragrance of woody warmth drifted over. Ning Sui’s lashes fluttered involuntarily.

These past several days apart — and in truth, she’d missed him long before this moment.

University was different from high school. They now had an entire winter holiday to spend together, and just thinking about it filled her with anticipation.

Ning Sui’s heart ran a little warm. She stared ahead and made a soft, indeterminate sound: “Mm.”

“I missed you too.” He smiled.

The two of them held hands. After a while, Ning Sui felt Xie Yichen’s fingers stir slightly. Something fluttered in her chest. She spread her fingers open, and he laced his through hers.

The car swayed and ascended the overpass. Afternoon sunlight poured in through the window. Her chest felt as if it had been scattered with shifting, drifting warmth — an itch she couldn’t quite reach.

After quite some time had passed.

Ning Sui poked him with her other hand: “Xie Yichen.”

“Mm?”

She asked with great sincerity: “Can I look in the bag now?”

Xie Yichen looked at her, eyes carrying a smile — but his gaze was intent and blazing, fixed wholly on her.

Just then the car entered a tunnel. Light and shadow collapsed all at once into dimness, as though they had slipped into a place with no one else in the world.

He seemed to consider for a moment. Then, after a pause, his voice dropped low with a slow, beguiling pull.

“You can. Kiss me once, and I’ll tell you.”

“…”

How did he manage to add another condition?

He really had no shame.

Ning Sui said: “I’m calling the consumer protection hotline.”

Xie Yichen: “Hmm?”

Her earlobes were turning pink, but she kept her expression perfectly composed as she said flatly: “You’re not an honest business.”

Xie Yichen couldn’t help laughing again.

But he stopped stringing her along. The moment they emerged from the tunnel, he opened the cloth bag. Whatever was inside came into view and he held it out before her.

— It was a small bouquet: a few blossoming light-pink roses and two little sunflowers tied together — compact and lovely.

The vivid oil-painting colors lit up Ning Sui’s eyes. The petals were soft, and on them clung crystalline drops of dew, trembling on the edge of falling.

Xie Yichen’s hands were slender and long-fingered, and the little bouquet looked especially delicate and charming in them. He leaned back against the seat, those languid and sharp eyes looking steadily at her, black irises glinting with light.

The two of them had already been sitting close. He pressed the flowers into Ning Sui’s hands, and a faint warmth of breath drifted over.

“I passed the Tsinghua University flower shop and bought them on the way. Thought you might like them.”

Her heartbeat quickened on its own. Ning Sui’s gaze fell on the sunflowers — their petals curling at the edges, a fervent golden yellow, the stems furred with fine green bristles. They were adorable.

She instinctively brought them to her nose and breathed in. Sunflowers do have a fragrance, actually — gentle, lingering, soft and clean.

Ning Sui suddenly felt her mood lift.

Of course she loved them. She loved all things as warm and earnest as sunlight.

She raised her eyes and looked directly at Xie Yichen.

Xie Yichen seemed to notice. He turned his gaze to hers at the same moment.

“Do you like it?” he asked quietly.

Half his profile was bathed in light. His long lashes were tinged a warm, faint brown in the glow. Ning Sui felt herself drawn in — her thoughts wobbled slightly.

The space between them was impossibly close. Ning Sui’s eyes brightened softly: “The seeds in this flower follow the Fibonacci sequence — did you know that?”

Xie Yichen’s brow arched slightly: “Didn’t we discuss that before?”

“Oh.” Ning Sui replied slowly. “Right, I think we did.”

She paused a beat and said: “This flower has a scent, too. Did you know?”

“What?” Xie Yichen assumed she meant the flowers had picked up some other smell from the packaging on the way. He leaned over to sniff — and Ning Sui, who had been watching his profile intently, suddenly raised the bouquet to shield the space between them. She leaned close to his cheek and pressed a quick kiss there, murmuring softly: “I do like it.”

The chattering from the front seats had stopped — though no one was quite sure when.

At that moment.

In the hastily-created Huai’an group chat of three.

Kuge Lin: 【Damn, just kill me already!】

Jin Ge: 【Damn, just kill me already!!】

Paopao Ke: 【Damn, just kill me already!!!!!! [Sobbing]】