Liang Juejun gave a teasing smile. "You wouldn't dare."
Xia Yinuo truly didn't.
"Hahaha, just kidding!" Xia Yinuo laughed.
Liang Juejun stood up and ruffled Xia Yinuo’s hair. "Still in the mood for jokes. Do you have a first-aid kit? We should apply some iodine."
"I do, it's outside."
Liang Juejun had Xia Yinuo sit on the sofa while she went to light the candles and fetch the medical kit. As she applied the medicine to Xia Yinuo’s knee, she remarked, "Your dorm leader was right—how do you always manage to get hurt? You're like a porcelain doll, hm?"
Xia Yinuo rested her chin in her hands, watching the iodine-soaked cotton swab glide across her knee. "I can't help it. I probably have a Vitamin A deficiency; my night vision isn't great. But you can't return the goods now."
After finishing, Liang Juejun blew gently on the wound. "Fair point," she said.
Xia Yinuo chuckled. Watching Liang Juejun pack away the supplies, she asked, "What kind of activities did you have at your party tonight?"
"We made dumplings."
"No way! Dumplings for Mid-Autumn Festival instead of mooncakes?!" They really were a creative bunch of foodies.
Liang Juejun remained calm. "Yes, we had mooncakes for dessert. They enjoyed them. And you? How was your Mid-Autumn Festival at home?"
Xia Yinuo’s eyes lit up. "Hehe, let me show you something."
By the candlelight, a brand-new copy of *Indoor Potted Plant Cultivation* came into view.
Liang Juejun looked puzzled. "Isn't this the same book you gave me?"
Xia Yinuo weighed the book in her hand. "It is. But the library's loan period is three months. Once the three months are up, it has to be returned."
Borrowing a book was such an ambiguous affair—one borrow, one return, two opportunities to meet.
Liang Juejun did indeed look a bit disappointed. "Oh. So the three months are up, and it has to go back?"
Xia Yinuo smiled deviously. "Not necessarily!"
"Why?"
"For example, if I 'accidentally' lost the book..."
"You..."
"Hey, hey, I know you'd hate to part with it. Nowadays, most books are checked out by scanning student IDs; old books with these physical library cards are rare. Especially one about potted plants." Xia Yinuo laughed at her own clumsy excuse. "The lady at the library is so fierce. When I told her I lost it and wanted to pay for it, she gave me a real earful. She said students like us don't know how to cherish books and think money can solve everything. Don't you think I've been wronged? It was all to protect your copy. So, I asked my uncle to help me find an identical one. He brought it over during dinner tonight. I'll take it to the library lady tomorrow."
The candlelight flickered, casting shifting shadows across Xia Xiaobao’s determined yet childish face. The furniture in the living room stretched into strange, exaggerated silhouettes, creating a whimsical, distorted aesthetic that was utterly intoxicating.
Liang Juejun felt her heart stir.
Xia Yinuo showed off her dimples, continuing to act cute. "Don't be too moved. It's only right."
Liang Juejun took Xia Yinuo’s hand. "Do you remember last year's Mid-Autumn Festival?"
"Of course," Xia Yinuo replied. "We were at Mount D."
"Do you remember what we talked about that day?"
Xia Yinuo gestured animatedly. "Of course! I learned that someone is three years older than me. As they say, 'Three years older, a gold brick to hold!'"
"What kind of nonsense is that?" Liang Juejun laughed.
"And you made me call you 'Senior Sister.'"
Liang Juejun nodded. "Back at the badminton hall, someone was calling me 'Liang Juejun' quite comfortably."
"Ahem, was I? Hehe."
"I remember what you said on the mountain very clearly," Liang Juejun said. "You said that hardships brew a more authentic life, and that in the mountain wilderness before dawn, there will be a fog light to guide your way."
"Hm?"
Liang Juejun smiled. "I thought to myself then: how could a girl so much younger than me say something like that?"
Xia Yinuo nodded, looking at the ceiling as if in deep thought. "Well, it must be because I am mature, steady, brilliant, and wise!"
Ignoring the jokes, Liang Juejun said seriously, "Xiaobao, meeting you... I also feel it was the most beautiful accident."
Xia Yinuo beamed and squeezed Liang Juejun’s hands. So Liang Juejun understood—the song she had sung at the "Flowers Never Sleep" concert, *Meeting You*, had been for her.
After a long moment, Xia Yinuo asked a random question. "Dazzling fluorescent lights are too piercing; the sharp contrast of black and white always makes the eyes uncomfortable. Candlelight is different. Senior, do you know why people always find candlelight romantic?"
"Because in the dark, the pupils dilate," Liang Juejun explained. "It beautifies what a person sees. The flickering effect also romanticizes the visual perception."
"Is that so? Let me see if your pupils are dilated." As she spoke, Xia Yinuo leaned in close to look into Liang Juejun’s eyes.
Liang Juejun’s gaze was soft and profound, while Xia Yinuo’s eyes were clear and transparent in the dancing candlelight. Tender hearts and burning flames danced together in the room, lingering in the quiet depths, silently composing a beauty that felt removed from the world. Xia Yinuo’s mood was like the pale yellow candlelight, leaping in a happy ascent, as if she were drifting in a hazy mist.
The two of them gazed at each other with such deep affection that an indescribable pressure built up in their chests, making it hard to breathe. Since the atmosphere was so perfect, it would be a crime not to do something.
The candlelight flickered and dissolved into their eyes, a play of light and shadow. Xia Yinuo felt Liang Juejun’s elegant scent wafting toward her, making it impossible not to draw closer, and closer still. Liang Juejun smiled faintly and closed her eyes.
Suddenly, the living room flooded with light. The power was back.
The abrupt brightness was jarring. Xia Yinuo raised a hand to shield her eyes from the stinging glare, muttering through gritted teeth, "Stupid lightbulb!"
Liang Juejun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She cupped Xia Xiaobao’s face and said, "It’s alright." Then, she covered Xia Yinuo’s eyes with her hand, feeling the flutter of her eyelashes against her palm. Liang Juejun leaned down and gave Xia Yinuo a quick peck on the lips.
Releasing the dazed Xia Xiaobao, Liang Juejun was in an excellent mood. "Okay. The power is back, so I should head home."
Xia Yinuo watched her with a lingering, reluctant gaze, like a puppy watching its owner leave—it was enough to melt anyone's heart. Liang Juejun pinched Xia Yinuo’s cheek and laughed. "Silly girl, go to sleep!"
***
Mai Shining’s photography studio officially opened on October 1st.
Xia Yinuo naturally went to show her support. She had asked Liang Juejun if she was coming, and Liang Juejun said she would, but she had to stop by the lab first, so Xia Yinuo should go ahead.
The studio was named "Damai Photography Studio." Why "Damai"? Mai Shining explained: "People call me 'Xiaomai' (Little Mai) now, but when I'm in my thirties or forties, are they still going to call me that? They might have the face to say it, but I wouldn't have the face to answer. It's like you, Xia Xiaobao—when you're eighty years old, I'll look at your wrinkled face and have to say, 'Dabao, see you every day!'"
Xia Yinuo was speechless and couldn't find a single reason to argue.
The studio had two floors, decorated in a minimalist rustic style. Mai Shining hated the gaudy decor of traditional wedding photo studios; she insisted that this was a *photography studio*—not just for weddings and portraits, but for art. Consequently, Maimai had been hands-on with every detail of the renovation.
Xia Yinuo admired Mai Shining’s artistic persistence. After a quick tour, she asked, "Where's Jikang?"
"He went to pick up my parents. He'll be here in a bit."
"Actually, I didn't come alone today."
"What, are you not a human today?"
Xia Yinuo was long immune to Mai Shining’s sharp tongue. She didn't mind at all; instead, she chuckled to herself.
As they spoke, Xia Yinuo spotted Liang Juejun standing at the entrance with a bouquet of flowers, checking her phone. She ditched Mai Shining and jogged over to greet her.
Mai Shining followed Xia Yinuo’s gaze, saw Liang Juejun, and shouted, "Holy crap, Xia Xiaobao, you really aren't human!"
Xia Yinuo led Liang Juejun into the studio. "Was it easy to find? Why did you buy flowers?"
Liang Juejun smiled. "It's common courtesy."
Xia Yinuo feigned heartbreak. "I've never even received flowers from you, and Maimai gets them before me!"
"Alright, stop it," Liang Juejun teased.
"Ahem," Mai Shining walked up. "Senior Liang is here too! Look, you didn't have to bring anything. It's quite embarrassing, hahahaha, right, Xiaobao? Ah? Hahaha!"
"Congratulations, Maimai." Liang Juejun handed over the flowers.
Xia Yinuo linked her arm with Liang Juejun’s, her gaze so tender it could practically turn to water.
Mai Shining had a sudden realization. "Wait, you two..."
Xia Yinuo looked smug, while Liang Juejun gave a gentle smile.
"Senior Liang!" Mai Shining shouted. "Feel free to look around. I'm going to borrow Xia Xiaobao for a second!" With that, she practically kidnapped Xia Yinuo and dragged her upstairs. Xia Yinuo waved cheerfully to Liang Juejun.
Once they reached the second-floor office, Mai Shining slammed her hand on the desk. "Spill it!"
Xia Yinuo crossed her arms. "It is as you see."
Mai Shining slapped Xia Yinuo on the back. "Look at you go!"
"Gentle, sister!"
"Hey, how's the progress?"
"What progress?"
"Don't play dumb with me!"
"Hey!"
"Oh, come on, what's there to be embarrassed about? Tell me so I can feel embarrassed too."
"No comment." Xia Yinuo blushed.
"Tsk, tsk." Mai Shining pinched Xia Yinuo’s cheek with a lecherous grin. "Our Xiaobao is so pure!"
"Keep your hands to yourself."
Mai Shining slapped her forehead as if having an epiphany. "Oh! Don't tell me... you're actually the submissive one!!!"
Xia Yinuo nearly choked. She reached out to cover Mai Shining’s mouth. "Sister, can you keep it down?!"
"Ahhh? Really? I was right?!" Mai Shining’s eyes sparkled, the fires of gossip burning bright.
"No, it's not like that! We haven't even gotten that far!"
Mai Shining was already beaming with joy. "Ah, I knew it. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask your master. I've galloped through the fields of love for many years. What do they call me in the underworld? Hm?"
Xia Yinuo sighed. "The Terror of the Dating World."
"That's right! Don't change the subject. Keep talking."
Xia Xiaobao said awkwardly, "There's not much... just... a normal kiss!"
Mai Shining clapped and laughed loudly. Xia Yinuo was fuming, so Mai Shining waved her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I won't laugh at you. You're finally learning! Do you know the 'Eiffel Tower Flip'?"
"The what?"
"Haven't you seen Stephen Chow's movies? He won the beauty's heart with his divine 'Eiffel Tower Flip' kissing technique."
"Are you serious? I don't remember that!"
"I used to think you were just emotionally stunted, but I didn't realize you were also... technically challenged."
"Hey!"
"Fine, fine. My point is, you have to be proactive, okay? With someone like your Professor Liang, you should use a fiery, scorching, love-filled kiss to melt her! Trust me, I'm right!"
Xia Yinuo was speechless. "I can't just grab her and start gnawing on her like a hooligan!"
"Idiot! Even if you haven't eaten pork, surely you've seen a pig run? When the mood is right, it happens naturally. And then the next step... well, I don't need to say more. The key is, you have to create opportunities for the mood to be right. I used to think you were a romantic, artistic youth, so why are you such a coward when it's time to actually perform?"
"..."
"Of course, maybe your Professor Liang is a wolf in sheep's clothing..."
"Hey!"
"Can you say anything other than 'hey'?"
"Maimai, does Jikang know how 'expert' you are?"
"..."
After their little chat, they walked back out. Mai Shining approached Liang Juejun with a sly look. Xia Yinuo was terrified she would say something earth-shattering, but Mai Shining only said calmly, "Perfect timing. I prepared a gift for Professor Liang, and I'll give it to you today."
Liang Juejun hadn't expected this. "That's too kind of you."
The three of them went back into Mai Shining’s office. Mai Shining picked up a framed photo from the corner and gently unwrapped the paper. "When we were in Dongzhuang, something Professor Liang said really moved me. I had this photo enlarged and framed specifically for you."
The photo captured the green hills, clear waters, blue sky, and white clouds of Dongzhuang. Liang Juejun was leaning against the stone bridge railing, and Xia Yinuo was standing a short distance away. Both were seen from behind. It was dusk, and the image was bathed in warmth and tranquility, looking like a movie poster.
Liang Juejun gently stroked the frame. "I love it. Thank you, Maimai."
Mai Shining waved it off. "It's nothing."
Xia Yinuo’s eyes widened. "When did you sneak that shot?"
Mai Shining tapped Xia Yinuo on the head. "What do you mean 'sneak'? This is art. Do you understand art?"
"Then give me a copy too..."
"No flowers, no photo," Mai Shining said, making a flipping gesture with her hand. "Besides, I've already given you a great gift. Remember: the Eiffel Tower!"
Xia Yinuo: "..."
Many of Mai Shining’s friends and family came that day, and the studio was bustling upstairs and down. Zhang Jikang arrived with Mai’s parents and busied himself looking after everyone. Xia Yinuo introduced Liang Juejun to them one by one. Later, in a quiet corner, she squeezed Liang Juejun’s hand.
"One day," she whispered firmly into Liang Juejun’s ear, "you will stand before my parents just like this, openly and proudly."
***
