After nearly two months away, Beijing greeted them with bright skies and clean air — blue above, white clouds drifting, the daytime air still pleasantly crisp. The trees had been stripped almost bare of leaves, waiting for early spring to coax out new growth.

The plane was still taxiing on the runway. Hu Ke’er lay sprawled beside Ning Sui, phone already open, scrolling through unread messages.

After a moment she turned to look at her: “So, this is what people would call a great reconciliation?”

Ning Sui also put down her phone, leaned past her, and looked quietly out the window.

The glass was very clean, the corners shaped in a gentle arc, and outside was a clear, calm sky.

A great reconciliation — she couldn’t say for certain, given that arguments might still be ahead of them. But in this particular moment, she genuinely felt that the knots she had been carrying inside her had loosened.

The truth was that when Ning Sui had first read Fanfan’s long message, her mind had gone completely blank — she hadn’t known what to make of it. It was only later, when she finally processed it, that she’d realized her tears had already soaked her face.

Ning Sui was, at heart, someone who didn’t hold grudges easily, and she tended toward optimism — that was part of why she had maintained such a high level of emotional wellbeing through all of it. The harsh things Xia Fanghui said in her worst moods, Ning Sui tended to let pass like wind, forgetting soon after. So even going into that argument, she had carried no particular expectation of resolution, no hope that it would actually fix anything.

And yet this time, Fanfan had not simply gone on as if nothing had happened — she had apologized. Sincerely. That was what had genuinely shaken Ning Sui down to the roots.

Something followed the tears and fell quietly to earth, and dissolved.

Xia Fanghui returned home from her business trip a few days later.

The moment the two of them were face to face in the living room, neither of them could hold back — they reached out and held each other.

Ning Deyan, who had understood roughly what had happened, was happy to see this. He slipped away to the back room, leaving the space to them.

Ning Sui had managed not to cry at first, but Fanfan wept so wretchedly — tears and everything — that Ning Sui couldn’t quite keep from joining in, and the two of them ended up sitting there sobbing together.

Xia Fanghui kept explaining herself and saying she was sorry, and Ning Sui said it was fine, that all of that was past now.

Between a mother and daughter, things could never be fully explained by just those words. Ning Sui found it hard to describe her own feelings in that moment — something gently curved and aching, soft in the way a bruise is soft, settling into one corner of her. But when she tried to remember back, all she could find was Fanfan’s goodness.

Her mother was doing everything she could for the very first time too, and yet she had already given everything she had.

She would put careful thought into Ning Sui’s birthday gifts. She’d buy her many beautiful clothes, always choosing thoughtfully, stocking her with everything a girl might need. She even went so far as to specially source the better brand of sanitary pads — not the ones that felt cold against the skin — because she’d said those weren’t good for the body.

She had thrown herself fully into the class parent committee, just to ensure the teacher paid a little more attention to Ning Sui, juggling it alongside demanding work hours, keeping good terms with other parents.

Xia Fanghui had been present for every moment of Ning Sui’s growing up — there for each milestone, never once absent.

Hu Ke’er had once said she envied Ning Sui for having a mother who cared so deeply about her. If there was anyone in this world, Hu Ke’er had said, who would run through fire and flood for Ning Sui’s sake without a second thought, it was Xia Fanghui.

Fanfan had a short fuse, yes — but she loved her with everything she had.

Then Ning Yue came out from the inner room, apparently trying to take advantage of the situation, letting out dramatic wails as he threw open his arms and tried to wedge himself in: “Wah, Mom, I’m totally fine with it too! I hold no grudges either!”

Xia Fanghui gently pushed him away: “I haven’t finished holding you accountable yet, you little rascal.”

Ning Yue: “……”

Tsinghua’s start-of-term date was different from Peking University’s, and Xie Yichen still had some company matters to deal with alongside Xie Zhenlin, so he didn’t return with them.

Taking advantage of the window before her roommates were back, she settled into the quiet empty dormitory and called Xie Yichen to tell him everything.

If Ning Sui were to describe Fanfan in those calmer moments — the times that weren’t marked by her sharp edges — she was actually quite endearing. The instability was the problem, like opening a mystery box, unpredictable and rare in its best forms.

As for how the two of them actually got along in those normal stretches, if there was one phrase that captured it precisely, it was probably: a love that also draws blood.

This was evident from the fact that Xia Fanghui had once declared she would get down on her knees if Ning Sui came first in her class. When Ning Sui actually did, she had the audacity to go back and ask whether the offer was still on the table.

As for the concert tickets — Ning Sui only found out later how her mother had obtained them. She and a colleague had gone searching together on a second-hand platform, learning from scratch how to tell apart genuine sellers from ticket scalpers, making sure the source was reliable, and in the end managing to secure a very good row.

Xia Fanghui had a quality that especially touched Ning Sui — a kind of conviction, a sense that nothing is too difficult when it comes to sheltering the people she loves. Love made her capable. It seemed that anything standing between her and what was good for Ning Sui and Ning Yue became, in her hands, conquerable — every obstacle just an obstacle, every problem just a problem to be solved.

Everything has two sides, and when you’re happy, the world looks bright, and everything seems fine.

Xie Yichen was busy with Sunying on his end, the soft rapid clatter of keys just barely audible through the mic, but the two of them still had the call running, connected by an open line. Ning Sui lay content in her blankets and said with a drowsy lilt: “You’re about to compete in that ACM World Finals, aren’t you?”

They had been apart for nearly a week. For Valentine’s Day, Xie Yichen had brought her back a skincare set from Hong Kong, saying he’d heard the brand was popular. She’d applied it right before getting into bed just now, and the texture was light — her face felt beautifully soft, and there was a faint lingering fragrance on her skin.

Xie Yichen said: “Mm, mid next month.”

“Is it abroad?”

“In the United States.”

“That far?”

Ning Sui calculated the dates of the music festival and realized they coincided exactly.

She let out a small sigh and said softly: “My mom gave me two tickets. What a shame — I can’t go with you.”

Xie Yichen hummed again in his low voice: “We’ll catch something else together afterwards.”

Ning Sui said “oh” softly, eyes half-closed, speaking whatever came to mind: “That face cream you bought me smells so good. Like coconut.”

Xie Yichen smiled: “I picked it specially. Do you like it?”

“I do.”

They talked a while longer. Ning Sui’s voice had gone slightly vague and hazy, her breath soft and languid — calmer than usual, in a way that was almost sweet. Xie Yichen caught the change and told her to rest first.

So the two of them said goodnight and ended the call.

Xie Yichen was working on optimizing Sunying’s algorithm — still a process of practical learning for him. It was a rare evening when Qiu Ruoyun happened to be home. Around midnight, she passed his room and paused in the doorway.

She asked: “When are you going to Beijing?”

“Two or three days.”

Qiu Ruoyun gave a brief nod. “Take care of yourself.”

But Xie Yichen called after her: “Mom, there’s something I need to tell you.”

He had never mentioned his girlfriend to Xie Zhenlin or Qiu Ruoyun, but Xie Yichen suspected they had both long since guessed. During the trip to Hong Kong, a well-connected family acquaintance had tried to introduce him to their younger niece, saying they were around the same age and it would just be getting to know each other. Qiu Ruoyun had deflected this with a gracious smile.

Xie Yichen thought their family hadn’t quite reached the point of arranged alliances, but he also couldn’t be entirely sure whether Qiu Ruoyun had turned that down because she thought the other family wasn’t suitable, or because she simply didn’t believe in that kind of arrangement. So he decided it was better to lay things out directly.

As he had expected, when he finished speaking, Qiu Ruoyun’s expression didn’t shift at all — as if she had seen this coming: “How long?”

“Two months.”

“That’s fine. This is exactly the age when people should be in relationships — do whatever feels right.” She looked at him. “What face are you making? Did you think I’d be opposed?”

“Not exactly.” Xie Yichen raised an eyebrow. “I was just curious — what are your thoughts, you and Dad, about Mr. Li’s niece?”

Qiu Ruoyun studied him for a moment, then laughed: “Is that what you were worried about? Do you think we came here from the Qing Dynasty?”

It really had been unnecessary concern on his part. He’d almost forgotten his mother had been through several boyfriends herself. Xie Yichen gave a quiet laugh and moved toward the door with his unhurried, easy gait: “Fair enough. I just wanted to ask.”

“A’Chen.” Qiu Ruoyun called after him.

“Mm?”

“Whatever you choose to do with your relationship is your business — I trust you to know what you’re doing.” Qiu Ruoyun was still smiling, though she paused. “But as for your cousin’s situation — don’t put too much of yourself into it. The money that’s been lent is gone. Neither I nor your father will truly blame you for it.”

Xie Yichen stood where he was and said nothing.

After a moment, he said in an offhand tone: “You think he won’t make it work?”

Qiu Ruoyun: “It’s not whether he can or can’t. The company is too small — it has a low capacity to withstand risk. The market changes by the day right now. Nobody can say for certain, and there’s no point betting on a one-in-ten-thousand chance of success.”

Xie Yichen said: “Weren’t you and Dad once a small company too?”

“Exactly. That’s why I know better than anyone how easily you can die.” Qiu Ruoyun’s tone remained even. “Don’t let something called ‘family loyalty’ drag you down as well. It’s not worth it.”

Xie Yichen looked at her quietly for a moment, and then something else came to mind.

On Qiu Zhao’s side, he had been managing a blockchain platform for some time. Not long ago, he had released a financial product, and then Xie Zhenlin and Qiu Ruoyun had promptly established a three-way fund, absorbing the capital raised by that product and putting it into operation through the fund, managed by the investment bank.

It was a way of restricting Qiu Zhao’s authority — through a third party, in a manner that meant Qiu Zhao had no direct access to the money at all.

His parents’ approach to things had always been consistent — whether toward him or toward themselves, they operated with a rationality that was near-absolute. Xie Yichen smiled faintly: “Understood.”

—

“So he can’t come and you’re making me the consolation prize?! What kind of super backup option am I?!”

Hu Ke’er had of course been thrilled at the idea of going to the concert — the tickets had sold out in seconds, and she’d been lamenting ever since. So when this unexpected windfall landed in her lap, she was overjoyed.

“I never said that.” Ning Sui was sitting at her desk, applying her skincare products and talking to Hu Ke’er on a voice call, her tone perfectly guileless.

Hu Ke’er: “……”

Right, she hadn’t said it out loud. How generous of you.

Blame herself for asking too much. This was such a good opportunity — why wasn’t she taking Xie Yichen? She’d been expecting a prime display of the power of close friendship, and then she’d been told the boyfriend wasn’t available.

She was about to continue complaining when Ning Sui said brightly on the other end: “My roommate is back, I need to go downstairs and help her carry things up. Talk later, kisses.”

Hu Ke’er: “?”

Truly, what a waste of her affection.

Liang Xinyue returned in full princess fashion, bags and luggage in tow. This time Ning Sui finally got to meet her childhood sweetheart boyfriend in person — he was slender and tall, quite refined in his features, and dressed with a distinct sense of style.

Liang Xinyue introduced Ning Sui to him with easy confidence: “This is the beautiful roommate I’ve mentioned.”

The boyfriend greeted her rather carefully.

Ning Sui smiled back, picked up one of the smaller suitcases, and headed back upstairs first. As she walked away, she could hear the two of them behind her, murmuring to each other.

Liang Xinyue: “Why do you keep looking around while you’re talking to my roommate?”

The boyfriend’s aggrieved voice: “Because I’m afraid you’re going to quiz me on how many colours are on the wall and I’m trying to count them in advance.”

Liang Xinyue: “……”

Once they were finally settled in, Liang Xinyue stretched her arms overhead and collapsed into her chair: “Ah, the winter holiday went by too fast! It’s gone in the blink of an eye!”

The winter break had brought some particular change to everyone in the dormitory. Liang Xinyue had spent every day with her boyfriend, and the glow of it showed on her face. Yu Qin had learned how to do her makeup by following beauty bloggers online. Bi Jiaxi had lost a noticeable amount of weight and looked a shade paler — by her own account, the result of daily low-calorie meals and cucumber face masks.

After a long absence, coming back to campus still carried a faint, pleasant feeling of strangeness and anticipation, the way the very first day of term always did. Freshly pasted banners, new display boards, updated digital screens at the school gates, announcements for every kind of event and lecture — it all made her look forward to the new semester ahead.

The course schedule had already been finalized at the end of the previous term. In the first couple of weeks, everyone dove briskly into the rhythm of a new academic year.

Xie Yichen was busy these two weeks — attending classes while preparing for the finals competition with Qu Handong and the others, playing a practice match every day or two. It was hard to find time to see each other.

With the semester just starting, the first couple of lectures were all introductions, nothing difficult, so Ning Sui found herself with a little free time. The magnolia trees were blooming brilliantly, so Liang Xinyue suggested a walk around Tsinghua to take some nice photographs.

Ning Sui technically had a fairly light elective that period, but the lecturer had a tendency to read directly off the PowerPoint slides, which was deeply soporific, and on a day this beautiful, she found herself too tempted. She agreed at once.

Liang Xinyue was thorough and precise in the way she approached things, and she had hired a photographer to trail them. With the temperature gently warming, the two of them wore coordinated, pretty outfits and stopped at landmarks all around campus — the Second Gate, the Shuimu Tsinghua garden, and others.

By the time they had finished their photo tour, it was already close to four in the afternoon. Liang Xinyue glanced at her phone and said: “I heard there’s an inter-school basketball tournament happening at Tsinghua right now. I have a friend from the mathematics department about to play — want to go watch and cheer him on?”

Neither of them had anything else on, so they drifted leisurely along on their bicycles toward the west gymnasium.

When they arrived, the game had already begun. The indoor arena was packed, shoulder to shoulder with spectators, the air thick with the sound of cheering and the sharp rhythmic impact of a basketball against the floor.

Liang Xinyue blinked: “So many people?”

Ning Sui was curious too, and followed her in: “Which one is your friend?”

It was almost impossible to see the court through the press of people, only the blur of moving figures.

Liang Xinyue raised her phone to take a photo, then plunged energetically into the crowd with Ning Sui in tow. The spectators were mostly female. Liang Xinyue threaded her way nimbly through the throng, and after quite a struggle, the two of them finally found a gap near the backboard on the mathematics department’s side.

The game had barely started. The figures on the court moved with fluid athleticism, the basketball booming against the pale wooden floor as each player rushed past in a rush of wind.

Liang Xinyue looked for a while, then pointed: “That muscular one in the red jersey is my friend.”

Ning Sui looked in that direction and managed to identify who she was pointing at.

Liang Xinyue glanced at her knowingly and added: “I know what you’re about to ask. My boyfriend knows I’m here. The three of us grew up together.”

Ning Sui hadn’t expected that context at all, and said with genuine interest: “So what does your friend think about you two being together?”

“Basically… retreating into himself and refusing to speak, you know?” Liang Xinyue adjusted the mineral water she had brought and grinned. “That’s exactly why I’m here — to smooth things over.”

As they chatted, they settled down cross-legged along the sideline.

They watched for a while and gradually understood why there were so many spectators — both teams were genuinely strong, the score locked in a tight battle. The maths department was narrowly ahead, and their side delivered a particularly clean move, followed by a long-distance three-pointer that drew a wave of cheers.

Liang Xinyue was taking photos enthusiastically and joining in with the shouting.

The court was large, and Ning Sui couldn’t make out the text on the scoreboard across the way. She had been watching the match for a while without figuring out who the opposing team was — though some of the faces on the other side seemed strangely familiar: “Who are the maths department playing against?”

Liang Xinyue was about to answer, but the referee’s whistle sounded.

Play halted. The maths department players jogged off the court to drink water and catch their breath, while the players from the opposing team gathered in a cluster, talking strategy.

Ning Sui assumed it was just a normal timeout and didn’t pay much attention — but the crowd soon began to stir with low, excited murmuring, and she looked up. Her lashes gave an involuntary flutter.

— A certain someone who had mentioned he had to be in the computer room for training had apparently descended from thin air.

He was wearing a sharp, clean white basketball jersey now, easy and fresh. His shoes were black, and his number was still 9.

“Computer science department, I think — the information and interdisciplinary school, actually.” Liang Xinyue finished her sentence, then looked over in the same direction, growing more and more excited as she grabbed Ning Sui’s shoulder. “Oh my god, they’ve sent in a substitute — isn’t that the famous Tsinghua campus heartthrob? The one who’s been well known for a while—”

She thought for a few seconds, retrieving the name: “Xie Yichen.”

Ning Sui said nothing. She just kept looking in that direction.

There was heating inside the gymnasium. Xie Yichen was wearing only the jersey — sleeveless, which made the smooth, clean line of muscle in his arms considerably more visible, solid and defined. The moment he stepped onto the court, the noise from the spectators rose significantly, and the morale on the Yao Class side visibly lifted.

A teammate said something to him, and Xie Yichen patted the person on the shoulder and gave a casual, easy smile.

“God, he really is ridiculously good-looking.” Liang Xinyue was still watching, murmuring under her breath.

Ning Sui stilled her breathing, and then heard Liang Xinyue lean in close with a mischievous expression: “I’m going to tell you a secret.”

“What?”

“I heard from some of the girls that—” Liang Xinyue dropped her voice to a whisper, “he’s a little cold in that department.”

“……”

She paused, then offered her assessment with thoughtful gravity: “But honestly, looking at him, I think his proportions are quite impressive.”