That night, the two of them sat hand in hand watching television. The atmosphere was so harmonious it practically bubbled over with affection—the kind shaped like little hearts.
It lasted until Liang Juejun’s phone rang. She picked up and began a long conversation in English. Judging by her tone and the content, it seemed to be her father and stepmother. Xia Yinuo glanced at the time; it was nearly eleven. She stood up, pointed at the wall clock and then at the door, signaling that it was time for her to head back. Liang Juejun followed her to the door while continuing her call.
With her back to Liang Juejun, Xia Yinuo changed into her shoes and opened the door. When she turned back to say goodbye, Liang Juejun stepped forward and gave her a brief hug, whispering a soft "good night" into her ear. Xia Yinuo only pursed her lips and smiled, her eyes sparkling with a brilliance that made one's heart skip a beat.
Not long after Xia Yinuo left, Liang Juejun ended her call. As soon as she hung up, a text message arrived: "Good night." Liang Juejun couldn't help but smile, a flicker of tender warmth appearing in her dark eyes. That ancient legend about the apple... it really was quite effective.
Their romantic dynamic was simple. During the day, both were busy with their respective work. Most of their time together consisted of simple weekday dinners or going for a run or a game of tennis in the evening. Liang Juejun was already an avid athlete who exercised at least twice a week, and she was actually quite a skilled tennis player. As for Comrade Xia Xiaobao, it could only be said that her interest lay more in the company than the sport.
Early one morning, Xia Xiaobao was in a fantastic mood. This was because, just after she woke up, her dear Teacher Liang had rung the doorbell to deliver breakfast. Xia Yinuo asked with a grin what had prompted this sudden whim, as she had assumed the "loving breakfast" treatment would end once her hand injury healed.
Liang Juejun arched an eyebrow. "Consider it compensation for that late-night snack the other time."
Xia Yinuo opened the container and saw that it was actually a breakfast Liang Juejun had prepared herself. During the month she was injured, although breakfast had been provided diligently every day, Liang Juejun had always bought it from the shop in the residential area. She had never made anything herself before.
A wave of warmth flooded Xia Yinuo’s heart.
Liang Juejun glanced at Xia Yinuo, who was standing there dazed. "What are you staring for? Eat quickly. And don't you dare eat just a tiny bit and claim you're full." She then headed into the kitchen to get utensils.
Watching Liang Juejun’s retreating figure, Xia Xiaobao was so moved she felt like crying.
Upon arriving at the medical school, the two entered the lobby and headed for elevators going in different directions. After entering her elevator, Xia Yinuo stood near the door, looking radiant as she greeted acquaintances. Just as the doors were about to close, a girl with short hair ran toward them, clutching a large box of pipette tips and gloves. Xia Yinuo reached out to hold the door for her. The girl stepped inside, thanking her breathlessly. Xia Yinuo politely asked which floor; the girl replied, "Tenth floor, thank you."
After Xia Yinuo had been busy all morning, Tang Shuliang emerged from his office and caught her before she could even take off her gloves. "Xiao Xia, did you see the email I forwarded to you?"
Xia Yinuo replied, "I haven't had a chance to look yet."
"It's about this year's Conference on Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells," Tang Shuliang said. "You went to the one in Beijing two years ago, and last year it was in Guangzhou. This year it's in Dalian. Get ready, register online first, and take Liu Yan with you."
"Oh? Just Liu Yan and me?"
"Xiao Ke and Wang Meng have other tasks during that time. Take your junior sister out to see the world. These conferences might not be incredibly exciting, but since the college gave us the slots, we have to go. You’re graduating next year, so it’s time to start thinking about jobs. Visiting the exhibition might give you some new ideas. There was originally a youth forum for academic exchange, but I’ve reconsidered. Your new paper hasn't been published yet, so it wouldn't be appropriate to release the data. The old data isn't worth presenting, and besides, you're busy and don't have much time. Check the email when you have a moment."
"Alright, I'll let Liu Yan know."
"In principle, the college reimburses student travel at the rate of second-class high-speed rail, but go ahead and book round-trip flights in advance. The lab will cover the cost."
"Okay, thank you, Professor Tang."
To be honest, these conferences often invited several international industry experts, executives from famous global corporations in related fields, and heads of university research groups and institutes. Following the principles of professionalism, cutting-edge research, and internationalism, they were dedicated to building a platform for global enterprises, scientists, and research institutions to cooperate, showcase, and exchange freely, promoting international business collaboration. For a student focused purely on academics, there wasn't much to actually do; it was mainly for exposure. The main issue was that Xia Yinuo was currently very reluctant to leave C City.
At noon, the lab members usually went to the college cafeteria together. This was the best way for newcomers to quickly become acquainted with their seniors. Xia Yinuo spoke briefly with Liu Yan about the conference in Dalian next month, telling her to request leave from classes early and arrange her experiments. The young girl was thrilled upon hearing the news and spent the entire meal asking questions.
After eating, as the weather was a bit hot, Wang Meng and Ke Dinghao said they were going to buy drinks. The rest of the group stood by the entrance chatting while they waited. Xia Yinuo stood there idly, not expecting to see Liang Juejun approaching with Qi Milan, an associate professor from the same lab. Qi Milan had taught Xia Yinuo years ago; she was a plump, friendly middle-aged woman.
Xia Yinuo straightened up and waited for them to approach, greeting them respectfully. "Hello, Professor Qi. Hello, Professor Liang."
Qi Milan asked warmly, "Xiao Xia, have you eaten?"
Xia Yinuo glanced at Liang Juejun, who only smiled without speaking.
"I've eaten," Xia Yinuo said. "I'm waiting for someone."
"Xiao Liang and I are just about to eat, so we'll head in now," Qi Milan said.
"Goodbye, Professor Qi. Goodbye, Professor Liang."
Liang Juejun nodded and followed Qi Milan into the cafeteria. The professors and students from Academician Cheng’s lab usually had their meals ordered collectively, with cafeteria staff delivering them directly to the lab every day. It was rare for Liang Juejun to come to the cafeteria in person for lunch.
*Sigh, the way Professor Liang looks when she doesn't say a word is truly beautiful.*
While she was still lost in thought, she suddenly heard someone call out, "Yanyan!"
Xia Yinuo looked up. Liu Yan said to the girl in front of her, "Xuanyi! What a coincidence, you’re here for lunch too!"
Xia Yinuo smiled to herself, thinking, *Well, obviously. People come to the cafeteria to eat, you silly child.*
"Yeah, is your whole lab here together?" Shen Xuanyi asked, though her eyes were fixed on Xia Yinuo.
"Yep!" Liu Yan turned to Xia Yinuo and the other seniors. "This is my roommate, Shen Xuanyi."
Shen Xuanyi greeted everyone and said they were heading in to eat, then entered the cafeteria with her companion.
That evening back in their dormitory, Shen Xuanyi asked Liu Yan, "That person standing next to you at noon—tall, thin, fair-skinned, wearing blue, with a stud in only her right ear—is she a new student in your year?"
Liu Yan burst out laughing. "New student? That’s our Lead Senior! The one who’s supervising my experiments!"
Shen Xuanyi was shocked. "No way! I thought she was a freshman! She looks so young! I saw her in the elevator this morning. I was carrying a box, and she asked what floor I needed and pressed the button for me."
"What a coincidence. Senior Xia does look young."
"I’ve heard you talk about your senior so much, I thought she’d be someone serious and rigid. I really didn't expect this."
"See? I told you guys wouldn't believe me," Liu Yan teased. "Isn't she young and beautiful?"
"Yeah. The lead seniors in our lab are almost thirty and all married."
"Senior Xia is twenty-five this year, I think. I heard she doesn't have a boyfriend."
"Really?"
"Yeah. With her qualities, she probably just has high standards. Speaking of which, she’s taking me to Dalian for a conference next month."
"Just the two of you?"
"Yep!"
"That’s so lucky!"
***
In the blink of an eye, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived. For the first time, Xia Yinuo felt that having to go home to "report in" for the holidays was a burden, though she scolded herself for being unfilial. The thought of Liang Juejun being alone made her feel uneasy. Liang Juejun, however, waved it off. "You’re overthinking it. I have friends in China too. The International Exchange College is having a Mid-Autumn party, and May invited me to go."
Xia Yinuo asked, "Cheng Yaojin? Do they celebrate Mid-Autumn too?"
Liang Juejun tapped Xia Xiaobao lightly. "It’s called 'doing as the locals do.' Next time you see her, don't you dare let the name 'Cheng Yaojin' slip out."
"Alright, I know. Have fun."
That evening, after finishing dinner at home, Xia Yinuo made an excuse about having things to do at school and drove back. Around eight o'clock, she saw that Liang Juejun’s apartment was still dark. Knowing she hadn't returned yet, Xia Yinuo sat in her car and waited. She ended up drifting off into a daze until she heard someone knocking on the window.
"How did you fall asleep? How long have you been waiting? Why didn't you call me?" Liang Juejun asked.
Xia Yinuo rubbed her eyes and saw Liang Juejun. "Just a little while." She then greeted May, who was standing behind Liang Juejun. "Hi, May."
May waved at Xia Yinuo, her smile full of hidden meaning. She then took her leave and headed back.
"Does May have a Chinese name? If not, I suggest she call herself Cheng Yaojin. He was a great figure of the Sui and Tang dynasties, after all." Xia Yinuo got out of the car, checked her watch, and stretched her limbs.
"Still joking around. You’ll catch a cold sleeping like that with the AC on."
"I won't. Shall we go up?"
"I’m afraid going up won't do much good," Liang Juejun said, pointing at the dark building. "There’s a power outage."
"Huh? What happened?" Xia Yinuo only then noticed that the building before her was shrouded in darkness.
"The whole campus is out. It’s been about twenty minutes, just as the party was ending. Someone called security and property management. They said because of the Mid-Autumn holiday, there aren't enough repairmen, so they’re prioritizing the power supply for the laboratory buildings first."
Xia Yinuo nodded. "In a crisis, the labs and teaching buildings naturally come first. The residential areas have to wait. The poor souls working overtime on experiments are in trouble, especially those halfway through a procedure."
"I hope they fix it soon. Those technicians are working hard."
"Then... what about us?"
"What do you think?"
Xia Yinuo suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "I have candles at my place!"
Liang Juejun smiled and said nothing. Xia Yinuo locked her car, and the two of them headed to her apartment together.
Using the flashlights on their phones, they successfully entered the apartment. Upon entering, Xia Yinuo said the candles were in the study and went in to find them. Once she found them, she happily pulled out a pair of candles, but as she stood up, she hit her leg—just above the knee—straight against the corner of a cabinet with a loud *thud*. Since she was wearing shorts, there was no fabric to cushion the blow. The impact was so solid and painful that she crouched back down, grimacing.
Hearing the noise, Liang Juejun ran in and asked what happened. Xia Yinuo gritted her teeth and said it was nothing, just a bump. She stood up, covering the struck knee with her hand.
Liang Juejun walked over and bent down, pulling Xia Yinuo’s hand away. "Let me see if you’re hurt."
By the light of the phone, they saw that a patch of skin had been scraped off Xia Yinuo’s knee. The surrounding area was already red and would likely bruise by tomorrow, but fortunately, the bone seemed fine.
Liang Juejun frowned and reached out to gently stroke the area. Xia Yinuo let out a sharp hiss of breath, looked at Liang Juejun guiltily, and then started to laugh.
Liang Juejun asked, "Does it hurt?"
Xia Yinuo hurried to say, "It hurt for a second when I hit it, but I can't feel it now, hahaha."
Liang Juejun remained crouched there, looking up at Xia Yinuo. She said softly, "But my heart aches for you."
*Oh, my heart...* Xia Yinuo felt her own heart melt into a puddle.
"Your heart aches?" Xia Yinuo whispered. "How about... I rub it for you?"
