After Liang Juejun left City C, Xia Yinuo went to the affiliated hospital for a follow-up X-ray. Her cast was removed, and she began her rehabilitation. It was a gradual process, moving from slight movements to gripping, squeezing, and eventually weight-bearing exercises. When the cast came off, Xia Yinuo ignored the doctor’s amused expression and insisted on keeping the plaster as a souvenir.
Once New Year's Day passed, the school’s exam week arrived. Naturally, both teachers and students became busy. For undergraduates, it meant dealing with final exams for various subjects. For graduate students, the real challenge lay in scheduling experiments, organizing data, and preparing for the annual academic conference before the Spring Festival.
Liang Juejun called Xia Yinuo after returning to the country. Xia Yinuo told her that the cast was off, her hand was mostly recovered, and she had slowly begun performing light experiments. Liang Juejun asked if there would be any lasting effects. Xia Yinuo laughed and said that fortunately, she wasn't that old yet, so she was recovering well. Besides, she had been drinking plenty of bone broth and was fully equipped with wrist and elbow guards. Liang Juejun simply said, "Oh, that’s good then. Make sure to rest well."
The bridge of connection that had been built between them because of Xia Yinuo’s injury seemed to collapse in an instant.
Before exam week, Xia Yinuo received an email from the Teaching and Research Office regarding the schedule for proctoring and grading. Obviously, she would be involved in Liang Juejun’s course. That evening, she received an email from Liang Juejun saying she would pick up the exam papers from the Academic Affairs Office before the test and that Xia Yinuo should go directly to the classroom to proctor. The sign-off was a brief "Best regards." Xia Yinuo replied with a simple "Okay."
On the day of the exam, Xia Yinuo arrived early. Liang Juejun was already standing by the podium with another proctor from the Academic Affairs Office. Liang Juejun was dressed formally—dignified, elegant, and every bit the professional educator, a sight that was truly pleasing to the eye.
Xia Yinuo entered the room wearing a sky-blue disposable non-woven medical mask. When Liang Juejun saw her, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. Xia Yinuo’s eyes crinkled into a smile behind the mask, but Liang Juejun said nothing. Afterward, the proctors read the exam rules, distributed the papers, and verified student IDs. The bell rang, and the exam began. Once they confirmed everything was in order, the three proctors stood in three different corners of the room. Liang Juejun stood by the podium, while Xia Yinuo stood at the back.
After a while, Liang Juejun used the excuse of patrolling the room to walk slowly over to Xia Yinuo. Leaning toward her ear, she whispered, "Why the mask? Do you have a cold?"
"My wisdom tooth is coming in. It’s a bit inflamed, and my face is swollen," Xia Yinuo replied in a low, somewhat muffled voice.
Liang Juejun reached out, and before Xia Yinuo could stop her, one side of the mask was pulled down. Seeing Xia Yinuo’s slightly puffy right cheek, Liang Juejun let out an unkind chuckle.
Xia Yinuo felt frustrated but couldn't lash out, so she just glared at the snickering Liang Juejun.
With her hands behind her back, Liang Juejun leaned in close to Xia Yinuo’s ear again. "Your hand isn't even fully healed, and now your tooth is like this?"
Xia Yinuo gritted her teeth and squeezed out a line: "Because I am a woman prone to injury."
Liang Juejun stifled a laugh behind her hand, then put her hands back behind her back and walked solemnly from the back of the room to the front.
When the two-hour exam ended, the teacher from the Academic Affairs Office collected the papers and left first. Liang Juejun caught Xia Yinuo’s arm. "Come to my office. I brought you a New Year's gift."
Xia Yinuo smiled, her heart filling with joy. she followed Liang Juejun quietly to the elevator. Liang Juejun asked, "What do you plan to do about the tooth?"
"It’s a bit inflamed right now. Once the inflammation goes down, I’ll go have it pulled."
The elevator arrived. Xia Yinuo held the door open for Liang Juejun to enter first, then followed her in and pressed the button for the ninth floor with her knuckle.
Liang Juejun glanced at the elevator button and continued, "Does it absolutely have to be pulled?"
Xia Yinuo said, "Yes, because it’s growing in crooked."
Liang Juejun couldn't help but laugh. "You really are having a 'double blessing' of joys."
"I’d rather call it 'When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility...'" Xia Yinuo muttered. *Professor Liang, that’s not how you use 'double blessing.'*
"Then can you take off the mask?"
"I’m afraid not..." Xia Yinuo clearly saw Liang Juejun stifling another laugh.
Leaving the elevator, they walked down the long corridor. Liang Juejun swiped her card to enter her office, then took a box of chocolates and a wrapped gift from her drawer, handing them to Xia Yinuo. "A late New Year's gift. Happy New Year."
Xia Yinuo accepted them with both hands, her face beaming. "Thank you, Senior. But I didn't prepare a gift for you."
Liang Juejun gestured for Xia Yinuo to sit while she leaned against the edge of her desk. "It’s fine. The faculty's annual meeting is coming up soon. Are you ready?"
Xia Yinuo sat down obediently. "Our work as students is relatively simple—just finish our personal summaries and have a meeting within the lab. It’s the professors who will be busy; they have to give expert reports at the main conference."
"This is my first year on the job, so I don't have to report. But it is my first time attending an annual meeting at a domestic university. I don't know what it’s like."
"They’re all about the same. A few academicians sit at the front, followed by summary reports for each discipline. Of course, the overall tone is usually pre-determined." As a veteran PhD student, Xia Yinuo had plenty to say on the matter. Thinking of a funny description, she asked, "Senior, do you know how people joke about academic conferences?"
"How?" Liang Juejun asked curiously.
"They say it’s a chance for 'online friends' who usually only communicate via papers and emails to finally meet in person."
"That description is... very interesting!" Liang Juejun laughed.
"Besides that, the conference provides a chance for the vast number of hardworking, impoverished graduate students to get a free boxed lunch."
"That is a good point."
During their subsequent conversation, Liang Juejun mentioned that she had to organize some data before the conference and would return to the US for the Spring Festival afterward. Remembering her previous clumsiness when discussing Liang's return to America, Xia Yinuo simply nodded this time. Although Liang Juejun didn't seem to mind, it was her private life, and prying wasn't Xia Yinuo’s style.
After saying goodbye to Liang Juejun, Xia Yinuo returned to the lab and unwrapped the gift. Inside was a set of wrist and elbow guards.
After a week of anti-inflammatory medication, Xia Yinuo finally went to the hospital to have the troublesome wisdom tooth extracted. However, the things that are hardest to extract, besides teeth, are feelings of love. You can decide to pull a tooth, but you cannot forget the taste of salty blood mixed with bitter anesthetic flowing into your mouth. As for love, once it has taken root, a person with a heart must wait for it to sprout, bloom, and bear fruit.
Exam week ended, and the undergraduates headed home for the holidays. The graduate students and supervisors remained on the front lines of scientific research. Then came the faculty’s annual meeting, which was a few days of bustling activity. A week before the holiday, the lab’s work for the year finally came to a close.
Every Spring Festival was a bit complicated for Xia Yinuo. She had to look at the schedules of both the Xia and Li families before deciding where to spend the holiday. Her paternal grandparents had passed away years ago. This year, Xia Yan planned to spend the New Year in City C before taking his wife and child to visit his mother-in-law. Coincidentally, the Li family also planned to spend the New Year in City C and set off for Li Du’s hometown on the first day of the lunar year. After consulting with both parents, it was decided that Xia Yinuo would spend New Year’s Eve with the Xia family. To be honest, whether it was going to Aunt Deng’s hometown or Uncle Li’s, Xia Yinuo felt a bit awkward. It wasn't that the people there were unkind, but she couldn't avoid being gossiped about by irrelevant people. Clearly, Xia Yinuo did not enjoy that kind of attention.
On New Year’s Eve, Xia Yinuo had lunch with the Li family and then went to the Xia house. Xia Yan and Deng Rouyue were busy preparing the reunion dinner. Xia Yinuo wanted to help but was shooed out of the kitchen to look after the child. Her little brother, Xia Yiyan, was five years old—the age where children are most playful. Xia Yan warned his son that his sister’s hand had just healed and he shouldn't be too rowdy. The little boy agreed with his mouth, but the moment they turned around, the two of them were playing together again.
During the reunion dinner, Deng Rouyue suddenly asked, "Xiaobao, do you have a boyfriend?" Hearing this, Xia Yan also looked up at Xia Yinuo.
Xia Yinuo remained composed. "Not yet."
Deng Rouyue smiled. "After the New Year, Xiaobao will be twenty-five. It’s time to start looking for a partner."
Xia Yinuo knew Deng Rouyue meant well and could only say, "There’s no rush for that."
Unexpectedly, the little boy protested loudly, "Sister isn't getting married! Sister is mine!"
He was promptly swatted on the bottom by Deng Rouyue, who chided, "Stop talking nonsense."
Xia Yinuo quickly added, "Dad, Aunt Deng, don't worry about this. Let nature take its course."
New Year’s Eve was, as usual, a barrage of messages and texts. One wondered how much revenue the Spring Festival contributed to the telecommunications industry. Following tradition, Xia Yinuo replied to those she needed to, then held her phone and wondered: *How is Liang Juejun’s Spring Festival going in America?*
Liang Juejun had returned to the US two days before New Year’s Eve. Her stepmother was French-American and didn't understand traditional festivals like the Spring Festival. Although her father wasn't overly old-fashioned, Chinese people still viewed the Spring Festival as the most important holiday. Before the New Year, Liang Juejun accompanied her father and stepmother to a nearby Chinese organization to celebrate early, making dumplings and such. The family of three had a very happy time.
Just after a simple breakfast on New Year’s Eve, Liang Juejun’s email notification chimed:
[Senior: Happy New Year! The first sun of the New Year hasn't yet risen over the West Coast of America, but City C has already finished ringing in the new. I spent the New Year with my dad, my aunt, and my brother. Now that I’m grown, I don't have to go jump a hundred times behind the door on New Year’s Eve—they say that’s how you grow taller. The sound of firecrackers outside is deafening. How is your holiday going? I wonder how you all celebrate the New Year. Happy New Year, and may everything go your way.
—Nuo]
*An ocean and a sixteen-hour time difference lie between us. Can you see my concern and longing for you through a simple email?*
Liang Juejun smiled as she held her phone. She wondered how Xiaobao’s tooth was doing and if she could finally take off her mask and show her dimples. She replied to the email:
[Xiaobao: Is it the middle of the night and you’re still not sleeping? Thank you for the email; Happy New Year to you too. The New Year in San Francisco is very lively; the atmosphere in Chinatown is even thicker than back home. When I was in school, there were activities organized by Chinese students and teachers, but not this year. The one who enjoys the Spring Festival most is my stepmother; her enthusiasm makes every year feel rich and fulfilling. I wish you and your family a Happy New Year and good health! Don't be a "woman prone to injury" anymore.
—Liang]
Fate will always build a bridge to bring you closer to the one you love.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
附医 | Affiliated Hospital | Short for the hospital affiliated with the university.
教研办 | Teaching and Research Office | Administrative office for teaching and research.
智齿 | Wisdom tooth |
容易受伤的女人 | A woman prone to injury | Also the title of a famous song by Faye Wong ("Fragile Woman").
双喜临门 | Double blessing | Usually refers to two happy events occurring simultaneously; used ironically here.
天将降大任 | When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility | From a famous quote by Mencius about enduring hardship before success.
小宝 | Xiaobao | Xia Yinuo's nickname (literally "Little Treasure").
三藩市 | San Francisco | A common Cantonese-based transliteration for San Francisco.
