There are many strange anecdotes circulating about PhD students. Some are unverifiable tall tales, others are malicious fabrications, but many are genuine, true stories. For instance, there was a female PhD candidate at a certain university who, during the Q&A session of her thesis defense, was asked by her boyfriend as he raised his hand: "Would you marry me?" The faculty and students present gasped at such a bold and cool move, but the climax was the candidate’s cold and elegant response: "Not relevant. Next question."
After completing a series of tedious procedures and finalizing the defense date, Xia Yinuo felt a sense of grounded certainty once the defense posters were put up on the bulletin boards and in the elevators of the Medical School building.
On the day of the formal defense, Xia Yinuo specifically set an alarm, but she hadn't expected Liang Juejun to wake up even earlier. When she walked into the living room, a gentle breeze stirred the curtains. Her beloved was leaning elegantly against the sofa reading a newspaper, and breakfast was already laid out on the dining table.
Xia Yinuo smiled and leaned over to hug Liang Juejun, her voice sweet and syrupy. "Morning."
Liang Juejun folded the newspaper and stood up, offering a simple, single word: "Eat."
Receiving "good luck" texts from Xia Yan and Deng Rouyue, Xia Yinuo laughed. "It seems everyone is more nervous than I am."
Liang Juejun replied, "Even though some people think the defense is just a formality, you still have to take it seriously."
"Yes, Professor Liang," Xia Yinuo chirped.
"There's no need to be nervous, either. Believe in yourself, and believe in your supervisor."
"Understood, Professor Liang."
Before leaving, Xia Yinuo changed into a formal suit. The clothes had been bought for her by Li Qinglan. Xia Yinuo asked if it was too formal, as she rarely dressed like this and the school had no explicit dress code for the defense. Li Qinglan had insisted that a PhD defense was a major life event; dressing formally was a sign of respect for the committee and for oneself.
The young woman perfectly pulled off the combination of a small black blazer and a white shirt, radiating a crisp, handsome aura unique to women. Liang Juejun watched her for a moment with her arms crossed, then pulled Xia Yinuo back into the bedroom, sat her down in the chair before the vanity, and began searching for something. Xia Yinuo tilted her head back, her eyes clear and mischievous. "Professor Liang, may I ask if I'm going to a defense or a beauty pageant?"
Liang Juejun pulled out a peach-pink lip gloss and held Xia Yinuo’s restless head steady. "What do you think?"
Xia Yinuo was blooming with joy inside. She took the opportunity to pull Liang Juejun onto her lap, circling her waist and gently stroking it. Liang Juejun, however, was as composed as a saint; she sat perfectly straight without her gaze wavering once, focused entirely on her lip gloss application.
Xia Yinuo looked up, her eyes unblinking. It was as if the serene, orchid-like Liang Juejun was glowing right at the tip of her nose. What does it feel like to love someone? It feels as if all emotions have found an outlet, a cure; everything becomes clear. My eyes hold only you, and in your eyes, I see the stars and the sea.
A hint of a smile appeared in Liang Juejun’s eyes as she suddenly said, "Don't stare at me like that."
Xia Yinuo thought of a cheesy line but was too embarrassed to say it out loud—*Every time I think of you, a grain of sand falls from the sky, and thus the Sahara was formed.*
Once she was finished, Liang Juejun finally nodded in satisfaction. She pulled a tissue from the vanity and handed it to Xia Yinuo. "Blot it."
"A kiss would do the trick," Xia Yinuo teased, pouting her lips to kiss Liang Juejun. Liang Juejun laughed silently, and the little rogue pushed her luck, leaning into Liang Juejun’s ear to whisper provocatively, "The 'Great Success' is passing the exams; the 'Small Success' is the wedding night. Today is such a good day, why don't we put both into practice..."
There were four PhD candidates participating in the defense that day: two of Tang Shuliang’s students, including Xia Yinuo, and two students of other professors in the same major. Each person would first give a personal statement, followed by a thirty-minute PowerPoint presentation, twenty minutes of expert questioning, and then a closed-door deliberation by the experts while the audience stepped out.
The conference room was packed with dozens of people. Aside from the defense committee experts and the secretary, most of those present were students from their own lab and other labs in the Medical School who had come to cheer on their seniors and gain experience.
Xia Yinuo was the third speaker. Five minutes before it was her turn, Liang Juejun quietly slipped through the back door of the conference room and sat among the students in the back row. When Xia Yinuo walked onto the stage and politely acknowledged the audience, she spotted Liang Juejun instantly. After a brief flash of surprise, she looked down and stifled a smile. When she looked up again, she had regained her professional, rigorous expression.
Xia Yinuo hadn't mentioned the specific time and location of the defense, nor had she invited Liang Juejun to attend. Clearly, Liang Juejun had seen the posted announcement, noted the details, and arrived right on time.
After a brief personal statement, the formal defense began. Xia Yinuo’s thinking was clear, her demeanor calm and wise. Her answers were logical and well-reasoned, and her time management was perfect. The experts on the committee nodded frequently.
Watching the person on stage from this perspective, Liang Juejun suddenly understood why Xia Yinuo liked to sneak into her classrooms to listen to her lectures. She remembered when they first met; Xia Yinuo had been just as humble, polite, focused, and earnest—and, inevitably, just as radiant.
Nietzsche once said that what many people call maturity is merely having their edges worn away by custom, becoming sophisticated and practical. That is not maturity, but the premature aging of the spirit and the death of individuality. True maturity should be the formation of a unique personality, the discovery of the true self, and a spiritual harvest.
On the spiritual scales of maturity and childishness, Xia Yinuo always held the balance point steadily. Thinking of this, Liang Juejun couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile. Life should indeed have such unexpected warmth and unceasing hope.
As the final question concluded, Liang Juejun quietly slipped out of the conference room.
That evening, Tang Shuliang’s lab had a celebratory dinner. Three large tables were packed in the private room, and even Ke Dinghao had made a special trip back. The atmosphere was exceptionally lively. The stars of the show were, naturally, the two who had defended that day.
The dinner ended in a boisterous fashion. For some reason, Liu Yan had drunk quite a bit. Xia Yinuo was worried, so she and Wang Meng escorted Liu Yan back to her dormitory. Since they didn't know the room number and Liu Yan remained silent, Xia Yinuo remembered that one of Liu Yan’s roommates was named Shen Xuanyi. Wang Meng looked through Liu Yan’s phone, found Shen Xuanyi’s number, and called her. After explaining the situation, Shen Xuanyi came running downstairs in less than a minute.
After a brief greeting, seeing that Liu Yan was fast asleep, Shen Xuanyi didn't say much. She took Liu Yan from Xia Yinuo and Wang Meng, intending to help her upstairs.
Seeing this, Wang Meng quickly said, "Can you manage alone? Let's go up together!"
Shen Xuanyi replied, "Okay, sorry to trouble you both."
Xia Yinuo added, "It's my fault for not looking after her; she must have had a lot to drink tonight. Do you have honey or something in the room?"
Shen Xuanyi shook her head, then nodded, smiling somewhat helplessly.
After seeing Wang Meng off to her dorm, Xia Yinuo walked home.
Perhaps because she had drunk a little herself, Xia Yinuo just stared at Liang Juejun and giggled after entering the house.
Liang Juejun rubbed Xia Yinuo’s head. "Drunk?"
"Mhm! Drunk just from looking at you."
"Little silly."
"Wine doesn't intoxicate, the person intoxicates themselves!" Xia Yinuo stretched her limbs. "Today was really exhausting! Off to the bath!"
Shortly after Xia Yinuo took her pajamas into the bathroom, the phone on the table rang. Liang Juejun took a sip of her coffee, her smile hidden behind the cup. She picked up the phone, stood at the bathroom door, teased, "I'm coming in," and pushed the door open.
Xia Yinuo was sitting in a bathtub full of bubbles, looking at Liang Juejun in shock before breaking into a silly, sweet smile.
Liang Juejun held up the phone. "Here, a call from home."
Xia Yinuo raised her dripping hands and said with a grin, "Answer it for me, put it on speaker."
Liang Juejun crouched down, swiped the screen, and held the phone in front of Xia Yinuo.
"Bao?"
"Auntie Deng."
"Are you home yet?"
"I'm home. The lab had a dinner tonight."
"That's good. When are you coming home?" Deng Rouyue’s voice over the phone was full of affection. "We're waiting for you to come back so we can celebrate!"
Then came a rustling sound, and the young boy, Xia Yiyan, shouted into the receiver: "Sister! Sister! Come back and eat!" followed by Deng Rouyue’s low, scolding voice.
Xia Yinuo’s eyes crinkled into crescents. She splashed her hands in the water, scooped up a small clump of bubbles, and mischievously smeared them onto Liang Juejun’s face, all while saying obediently into the phone, "Sister will be back this weekend!"
Liang Juejun didn't dodge. She just looked at Xia Yinuo with a provocative and meaningful gaze, gesturing with her chin toward Xia Yinuo’s chest. Xia Yinuo looked down, her face flushing red, and she quickly shrank back beneath the surface of the water.
Xia Yan’s voice then came from the other end: "This child is truly busier than I am."
Xia Yinuo stuck out her tongue and made a face.
Deng Rouyue laughed. "Ignore those two. What do you want to eat this weekend?"
Xia Yinuo replied, "I love everything you make."
Such a sweet talker.
Deng Rouyue must have been smiling from ear to ear. "You child! I know. You get back to what you're doing, I'll hang up now."
"Okay, goodbye Auntie Deng."
After hanging up, Liang Juejun said, "There's also an unread text message."
Xia Yinuo rested her chin on her hands at the edge of the tub, her large eyes blinking as she mimicked Xia Yiyan’s tone: "Sister Liang, read it to me!"
"Am I Siri?" Liang Juejun asked.
The little rogue kicked her legs and acted spoiled. "Is Siri’s voice as beautiful and tempting as my Sister Liang’s?"
*Xia Yinuo, you little temptress!*
Liang Juejun had no choice but to open the message. "Hmm, it's an unknown number." She began to read: "Senior Xia, I was so happy to see you successfully defend your thesis today. Especially the way you stood on the stage—graceful, wise, and intelligent. It was like a spring breeze blowing, spreading warmth everywhere."
Liang Juejun shot Xia Yinuo a quick glance. "From the first moment I saw you, I felt you were special. After our few brief encounters, I was even more struck by how outstanding you are. I don't know when it started, but the longing in my heart has been gradually swelling. If I don't say these words now, I'm afraid I won't have the chance after you graduate. Senior Xia, I like you. I like you, even though I know it's a one-sided love with no future..."
"Wait, wait, wait—who is this?" Xia Yinuo’s scalp felt numb. She interrupted the "Liang-style Siri" and leaned forward, trying to see the phone screen.
Liang Juejun dodged to the side and continued reading: "Even though I know it's a one-sided love with no future, I still can't help but follow you. My head is full of you—every look, every smile, every word, every tiny movement has somehow taken deep root in my every nerve."
Xia Yinuo’s mouth formed an 'O' shape.
"But I know deep down that liking someone doesn't mean possessing them. Someone as radiant as you probably wouldn't notice me. So I am full of gratitude for those moments when our lives intersected. I only hope to continue silently wishing you well like this. You don't even need to know who I am; I only wish for you, who are so warm, to have a happy future."
Setting the phone down, Liang Juejun looked at Xia Yinuo with a suspicious expression.
Xia Yinuo waved her hands frantically. "I don't know anything about this!"
Liang Juejun narrowed her eyes. "You don't? But they said there were moments when your lives intersected..."
Xia Yinuo nearly jumped out of the tub. "Heaven be my witness, I really don't know! And there were so many people at the defense today... let me see the message."
Sure enough, it was an unknown number. Coincidentally, during the New Year a few months ago, this same number had sent a "Happy New Year" message. Naturally, it hadn't been signed either. Amidst the flood of New Year greetings, Xia Yinuo had ignored it and hadn't deleted it; it had just sat at the bottom of her inbox.
Liang Juejun grumbled, "Well, someone's had their eye on you for a long time."
Hearing this, Xia Yinuo was delighted. She looked around playfully. "Ooh, whose house is this? The vinegar is so sour! Let me have a sniff!"
Liang Juejun grabbed the towel hanging on the edge of the tub and draped it over Xia Yinuo’s head. "Don't get cocky!"
Xia Yinuo laughed heartily, heedless of anything. "Our Professor Liang is jealous! You're so cute when you're jealous!"
Liang Juejun gritted her teeth. "You'd better think about how you're going to handle this!"
"You can rest absolutely easy on that!" Xia Yinuo’s vision was blocked by the towel, so she tilted her head back and twisted her neck, trying to shake it off.
The air in the bathroom was damp. Xia Yinuo’s fair face was steamed pink by the mist, and a shallow dimple appeared on her right cheek.
Seeing those soft, pink lips, Liang Juejun felt a sudden rush of heat to her head and leaned in to kiss her.
Caught off guard by the kiss, the blindfolded Xia Yinuo froze for a second before turning joyful. She sat up straight, just beginning to savor the mellow aroma of coffee on Liang Juejun’s breath, when Liang Juejun gave her lip a mischievous little nip and decisively pulled away. Before Xia Yinuo could say anything, the towel was whipped off her head. By the time she regained her senses, she was left looking at Liang Juejun’s retreating back. "Hurry up and wash, then get to the bedroom!"
Xia Yinuo sat in the tub, her eyes darting around. She licked her lips, wanting more, and let out a long, triumphant laugh toward the ceiling.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
登科 | The Great Success / Deng Ke | Historically passing imperial exams; here refers to PhD defense (Big Dengke) and marriage (Small Dengke).
小宝 | Bao / Little Treasure | Liang Juejun's pet name for Xia Yinuo.
柳下惠 | Liu Xia Hui | A historical figure known for his extreme self-control and moral uprightness.
大登科 | Big Dengke | Passing the highest level of imperial exams; modernly used for graduation/defense.
小登科 | Small Dengke | A metaphor for one's wedding night.
沈萱怡 | Shen Xuanyi | Liu Yan's roommate.
夏奕言 | Xia Yiyan | Xia Yinuo's younger brother.
邓柔月 | Deng Rouyue | Xia Yinuo's stepmother (often referred to as Auntie Deng).
