The sudden shift from boisterous energy to silence prompted Liang Juejun to re-examine the apartment. The sofa, coffee table, TV wall, CD rack, cactus, and fish tank—everything was orderly, simple, and warm, much like its owner. She had noticed the massive fish tank earlier; it held only a shallow layer of water and, naturally, no fish. Instead, a single turtle lay lazily on the fine sand of its basking platform.
Seeing Liang Juejun staring at the tank, Xia Yinuo crouched down to eye level with the creature. "This is LoVo," she introduced. "Hi, LoVo, say hello. This is Senior Liang."
"LoVo? As in the human colorectal cancer cell line?" Liang Juejun asked.
"Haha, a fellow professional indeed! You guessed it in one go." Xia Yinuo tapped on the glass, but the turtle remained entirely unresponsive. "It’s been getting cold lately, so he’s probably about to hibernate."
Liang Juejun also crouched down, peering at the turtle through the glass. "I’ve seen many kinds of pets, but this is the first time I’ve heard of one named after a tumor cell line," she teased.
Liang Juejun’s V-neck sweater was cut somewhat low; as she crouched, it was inevitable that a bit of skin would be revealed. Xia Yinuo discreetly looked away.
"There’s a bit of a story behind it," Xia Yinuo said. "Back when I was an undergrad, his previous owner was a senior in the lab. The senior was graduating, and no one wanted the turtle, so I brought him home. At the time, I was working on a small project culturing LoVo cells, so I just decided to call him LoVo."
"Tumor cells possess infinite proliferative potential, and your LoVo will live for a hundred years. It’s actually quite a fitting match."
"Bingo. That was exactly the idea." Xia Yinuo’s lips curled into a proud smile.
"Such a large tank just for one turtle?" Liang Juejun asked.
"I used to keep fish, but fish die easily, and it’s sad when they do. To avoid unnecessary grief and the accidental 'slaughter' of innocent lives, I figured a turtle was best. They’re easy to keep, live a long time, and they’re quiet. You feed them, scrub the tank, and when you’re bored, you can talk to them. We might end up spending most of our lives together. Five years have passed already, and LoVo has grown several sizes."
*Talking to a turtle when bored?* Liang Juejun found the thought amusing, though she realized she had long since discovered how interesting Xia Yinuo was.
"I wouldn't have pegged you for such a homebody."
"Haha, you even know the term 'homebody'?"
"Of course. I’ve learned quite a lot since returning to China."
"Impressive. Let me get you something to drink. Do you prefer tea or coffee?"
"Coffee, thank you." A true American-style preference.
"I only have the canned kind, so please don't look down on it."
Compared to coffee, Xia Yinuo preferred tea and various dairy products; she was a loyal fan of anything milk-related.
Liang Juejun indicated she didn't mind. The two stood up and headed to the kitchen fridge.
When Xia Yinuo opened the refrigerator, Liang Juejun was stunned by the sight of dozens of neatly arranged bottles of yogurt, fresh milk, and Yakult. She looked at Xia Yinuo with an expression of utter disbelief.
"Uh, well, I really like drinking these, so I keep a bit of a stock..." Xia Yinuo felt a flush of embarrassment. She couldn't very well let the other woman think she was a child who hadn't been weaned yet.
Xia Yinuo pulled out a can of coffee, quickly shut the fridge, popped the tab, and poured the coffee into a cup before handing it to Liang Juejun. Liang Juejun sat on the sofa, looking at Xia Yinuo with a playful, teasing smile. Usually so steady and composed, yet she loved milk enough to keep a massive hoard—the humor of it was delightful. No wonder there had been several bottles of milk in her backpack during that mountain hike.
At the thought, the corners of Liang Juejun’s mouth curled into a deep smile once more.
Feeling sheepish, Xia Yinuo searched for a distraction. "Why don't I give you a quick tour of the place?"
"I’d love that!" Liang Juejun replied with genuine interest.
"So, living room, kitchen, study, guest room, master bedroom," Xia Yinuo pointed them out one by one. "And the bathroom and balcony."
"Didn't you say you were going to give me a tour?" Professor Liang clearly had a hidden mischievous streak.
When Xia Yinuo opened the door to the study and flipped the switch, the surprise was even greater than the fridge. Two massive bookshelves lined the walls on either side, packed to the brim with books. A desk sat in the center of the room, and the curtain behind it was a vintage-style map of the entire world.
"Welcome to my humble study—LoVo’s forbidden zone."
Approaching the shelves, Liang Juejun noticed there were almost no professional or medical books. From *Guwen Guanzhi* and *Zizhi Tongjian* to *Dream of the Red Chamber* and *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*; from Lu Xun and Mao Dun to Jin Yong and Wang Xiaobo; from Shakespeare and Austen to Mark Twain and Hemingway; from Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie to Keigo Higashino and Nanpai Sanshu—even *Doraemon* and *Harry Potter* were there. It was a dazzling array, yet perfectly organized. As for the books on the top shelves, one would need to stand on a small wooden step-stool to reach them.
Liang Juejun couldn't help but marvel, "You’ve read so much!"
"Extensive reading, but not specialized. Some I bought myself, others were gifts from elders or friends over the years." Xia Yinuo pulled a book out at random. "Look at this one. My dad gave it to me, but I just couldn't get into it. It’s basically just a decoration."
"It seems I can just borrow books from you next time instead of running to the bookstore." Liang Juejun looked over the rows of books, her footsteps slow as she scanned the various titles. Her fingertips lightly brushed the spines, pausing occasionally to pull one slightly forward.
"Of course. My uncle works at a publishing house," Xia Yinuo continued. "Sometimes he brings me a few books to look at."
Liang Juejun nodded, noticing a small, hollowed-out blackboard-style frame hanging on the wall opposite the window. Curiously, there was nothing inside the frame. Moving closer, she saw that the frame highlighted a patch of old, greyish wall covered in a child's doodles. The drawing was of a little train with only one carriage, but it had eyes and a mouth—exaggerated and funny. It looked somewhat familiar.
Xia Yinuo pursed her lips in embarrassment. "I drew that when I was little. This study used to be my bedroom. When the apartment was renovated and the walls repainted after I graduated university, I couldn't bear to cover it up, so I kept it. I don't know if you ever watched a cartoon when you were a kid called *The Happy Family Car*."
"I have! No wonder it looked familiar!" Liang Juejun recalled it, her face lighting up with joy. "I even remember the song. *Di-da-da, di-da-da, di-di-da-da, the Happy Family Car*, right?"
Xia Yinuo laughed and nodded. Pointing to the wall by the window, she said, "Look, there’s more good stuff over there."
Liang Juejun’s gaze followed. A narrow strip of the wall was noticeably more aged than the rest; it was a record of Xia Yinuo’s height as she grew up. Every so often, there was a horizontal line drawn in pencil with a date beside it. It spanned from 1987 to 2005, ending when Xia Yinuo turned eighteen.
Xia Yinuo lightly stroked the wall, her voice softening. "When I was little, they drew every single one of these lines themselves."
Liang Juejun didn't know exactly who "they" referred to—likely her parents and grandmother. An image flickered in Liang Juejun’s mind: a little girl standing straight against the wall, mischievously tiptoeing until an adult scolded her, forcing her to stand flat. Once the adult marked the height with a ruler, the girl would spin around impatiently, cheering for every centimeter gained. At the thought, Liang Juejun’s gaze turned tender. She didn't speak, simply leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, watching Xia Yinuo.
Xia Yinuo gestured to her current height and smiled. "Look, such a tiny thing grew up to be this tall. I don't know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, haha."
*Dressed in such soft pink, it suddenly makes me want to pinch her cheeks.*
Liang Juejun suddenly remembered something and asked, "Do you know how the other teachers in the faculty describe you?" She felt a bit gossipy the moment the question left her lips.
Xia Yinuo was curious. "How?"
"They say you’re a 'Three-Good Student.'"
"Oh, that. Hahaha, I know."
"What do you think of it?"
Xia Yinuo looked helpless. "It’s overpraise. I’m not that good. Sometimes I’m just put on a pedestal and then I can't find a way down."
"Are you afraid of not being able to come down once you're up there? You’re far too humble sometimes," Liang Juejun remarked.
"My teachers always said that humility is a traditional virtue of the Chinese people." Xia Yinuo chuckled, raising her left hand to brush her eyebrow.
"Touching your eyebrow when you're nervous. Behaviorally speaking, you’re being evasive."
"Well, Senior, I... I’m a relatively traditional Chinese person. You know how we are... quite... reserved!" Xia Yinuo, the Grandmaster of Taiji.
Liang Juejun shrugged at the response. "Well, that day on the mountain, you said I could tell you anything I wanted. I just wanted to say that if you ever have anything making you unhappy, you can tell me too. I’m a pretty good listener."
Xia Yinuo rubbed her chin, thinking for a moment. "I think I’m quite happy, really."
"Okay." Liang Juejun nodded.
A guitar leaned against the fabric sofa by the bookshelf—a standard folk acoustic guitar. Several flamboyant signatures were scrawled across the empty space on the body.
Liang Juejun pointed to the guitar, her tone returning to its usual gentle lilt. "So, do you play this guitar for LoVo when you're bored?"
"I don't mind if you think so, hahaha."
"I didn't realize you played."
"A friend has a band. We played together a bit during undergrad, but not much lately. The band holds a concert at the school every year; I’ll invite you to the next one."
"I’d like that. Why don't you sing something now?"
*Now?* Truly, there was no time like the present.
"Alright." Xia Yinuo carried the guitar back to the living room. She turned off the main lights, leaving only a row of wall lamps behind the TV and a floor lamp next to the fish tank.
Xia Yinuo had long since noticed that when Liang Juejun spoke to someone or listened to them, she almost always looked them directly in the eyes. Perhaps she felt it was a matter of politeness or habit, but Xia Yinuo wasn't quite used to such a naked, direct gaze. At least now, Xia Yinuo could read a great deal of expectation in Liang Juejun’s eyes.
Holding the guitar, Xia Yinuo asked, "What do you want to hear? *The Happy Family Car*?"
"Hey," Liang Juejun laughed, lightly swatting Xia Yinuo’s arm before sitting down, ready to be an audience of one.
"I don't listen to many English songs," Xia Yinuo said.
Liang Juejun pulled a cushion into her lap, finding a comfortable position. "It doesn't have to be English."
Xia Yinuo sat cross-legged on the sofa. After strumming a few chords and clearing her throat, she said, "Are you ready? Next up is a song that isn't mine, but I find it quite meaningful. Even though it wasn't the theme song for World Vision before, it’s called *Yellow*. I hope you like it."
Anyone born in Xia Yinuo’s era would certainly know Jay Chou, and thus would know the monologue at the beginning of his song *Snail*. Liang Juejun, in all likelihood, did not know that reference. Indeed, seeing Liang Juejun’s raised eyebrow, she clearly didn't. Xia Yinuo gave a light cough and began to sing:
*Look at the stars,*
*Look how they shine for you,*
*And everything you do,*
*Yeah, they were all Yellow.*
*I came along,*
*I wrote a song for you,*
*And all the things you do,*
*And it was called Yellow.*
From the very first line, Liang Juejun felt a sense of being struck. It wasn't just because she had loved *Yellow* for many years and knew it by heart, but because of Xia Yinuo’s magnetic voice—the way she sang was like a gentle, unfolding narration. Liang Juejun watched Xia Yinuo’s face. Xia Yinuo offered a small smile, then lowered her head to continue strumming and softly crooning.
*So then I took my turn,*
*Oh what a thing to have done,*
*And it was all Yellow.*
*Your skin,*
*Oh yeah, your skin and bones,*
*Turn into something beautiful,*
*You know, you know I love you so,*
*You know I love you so.*
*I swam across,*
*I jumped across for you,*
*Oh what a thing to do.*
*Cos you were all Yellow,*
*I drew a line,*
*I drew a line for you,*
*Oh what a thing to do,*
*And it was all Yellow.*
*Your skin,*
*Oh yeah your skin and bones,*
*Turn into something beautiful,*
*And you know,*
*For you I'd bleed myself dry,*
*For you I'd bleed myself dry.*
*It's true,*
*Look how they shine for you,*
*Look how they shine for you,*
*Look how they shine for,*
*Look how they shine for you,*
*Look how they shine for you,*
*Look how they shine.*
*Look at the stars,*
*Look how they shine for you,*
*And all the things that you do.*
When the song ended, Liang Juejun didn't speak. She buried her face in the cushion for a long moment before looking up, her eyes filled with a smile. "Do you know?" she said softly. "I’ve heard this song countless times. I’ve heard so many people sing it—at home, in the car, in bars. But I feel like you sang it right into my heart. You... you’ve given me many surprises tonight."
Xia Yinuo froze, having worried she’d picked the wrong song. *Look at the stars*—had it reminded Liang of her late mother? Fortunately, the reaction was better than expected. "Surprises?"
"Yes. First, saving me on a rainy day, and then treating me to dinner."
"Ha, our great nation is a land of ceremony and propriety, a land of propriety." She was about to rub her eyebrow but remembered what Liang Juejun had said and pulled her hand back mid-air.
"And then, a turtle named LoVo, a room full of books, a doodle, a guitar, a song—all surprises," Liang Juejun continued. She looked at the stunned Xia Yinuo and pointed toward the kitchen with a mischievous grin. "And, of course, a fridge full of milk."
*OMG!* Xia Yinuo screamed internally. *Of course she remembered the milk!*
Liang Juejun waved a hand in front of Xia Yinuo’s eyes. "Hey, hey, are you spacing out? What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, I was thinking... maybe I should have sung *Yellow Submarine* instead," Xia Yinuo snapped back to reality, strumming the guitar as she sang, "We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine!"
Liang Juejun hadn't expected that and burst out laughing. "Your grandmother was right. You really are a character."
"Thank you for the compliment, Professor Liang, and thank you to my dear grandmother for the praise." She didn't forget to lean forward in a bow, fully embracing her role as a "live wire."
*Isn't this nice? This is how she truly is—lively.* Her eyes were bright and clear, and when she laughed, a small dimple appeared on her right cheek.
Thinking back to what Xia Yinuo’s grandmother had told her—this person, over all these years, had refused to reveal even a hint of negative emotion to anyone, including her closest family and friends. Was that right? Was hiding away quietly this person’s specialty? Was she so afraid of loss that even her pet was a turtle that could stay with her for a long, long time?
Liang Juejun stood up and walked to the balcony, leaning against the railing to look at the sky. The rain had mostly stopped, and the night felt increasingly crisp and cold. Xia Yinuo set down the guitar and followed quietly, unsure of what to say.
Liang Juejun spoke slowly. "Your grandmother is so good to you, and you are so filial to her. It’s truly enviable. It’s getting late, and the rain has stopped. I should head back."
"Oh, then I’ll walk you!" *Good girl, shouldn't you be trying to get her to stay a bit longer?*
"No need, it’s just the next building over."
Ultimately unable to win the argument, Xia Yinuo walked Liang Juejun to the door. Liang Juejun changed into her shoes at the entryway, and they said their goodbyes.
After the door clicked shut, Xia Yinuo stared at the slippers Liang Juejun had just taken off. After a long moment, realizing she was dazing off, she bent down to place the slippers neatly into the shoe cabinet.
Returning to the sofa, Xia Yinuo fell into deep thought. From Liang Juejun’s initial academic presentation to their first formal encounter at the Human Body Museum, then to the rapid progress of their relationship during that starry night on the mountain, and finally to tonight’s time alone. The desire to get close to her, to understand her, was growing in her heart—so strongly that it frightened her.
Tonight, Liang Juejun had been as poised, kind, and humorous as ever. Xia Yinuo had no idea how to explain whether her feelings for Liang Juejun were something more than friendship. At her core, Xia Yinuo was a person of restraint; she was afraid of disappointment, and even more afraid of hurting others. Before things reached a turning point, she would leave it to time, playing the role of LoVo for a while.
*Waiting. Perhaps fate will give us a sign.*
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| LoVo | LoVo | A human colorectal cancer cell line. |
| 三好学生 | Three-Good Student | A student who is good in study, character, and health. |
| 太极宗师 | Grandmaster of Taiji | Used metaphorically for someone who is evasive or good at deflecting. |
| 活宝 | Character / Live wire | Someone who is funny, lively, or a bit of a joker. |
| 《快乐家家车》 | The Happy Family Car | A Chinese animated series from the late 90s/early 2000s. |
| 礼仪之邦 | Land of Propriety | A traditional epithet for China, emphasizing its history of etiquette and ritual. |
