Early summer sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the ground with shimmering spots of light the size of copper coins. The university campus was much like these trees—verdant and lush. Within this green sanctuary, young souls burned with the passion of youth, radiating a brilliance even more dazzling than the summer sun.
On Sunday morning, Xia Yinuo made a trip to the laboratory. Liu Yan had called her the day before, saying she was struggling to understand a few experimental results and wanted to ask for guidance. The two lab sisters sat before the office computer, discussing the data and logbooks for a long time before finally identifying the crux of the issue and brainstorming improvements for the experimental protocol.
When they finished, Xia Yinuo stood up and stretched, then went over to fiddle with the spider plant on the windowsill. Noticing the ring on Xia Yinuo’s right ring finger, Liu Yan asked with a mischievous grin, "Senior Sister Xia, you’re head over heels in love, aren't you?"
Xia Yinuo didn't deny it. She smiled and said, "I feel like I haven't done an experiment in half a month. It’s inconvenient for someone working in a lab to wear a ring; I’ll have to hang it around my neck eventually."
Liu Yan didn't press further, instead suggesting, "Do you have plans later? Why don't we grab lunch together? Senior Brother Zhang and Xiao Bing specifically reminded me not to forget them when it was time to eat."
"I have to pick up my younger brother this afternoon. I promised to spend the day with him. Let’s move it to tomorrow; I have to come back tomorrow anyway to take graduation photos."
"Alright then. Have you finished all your departure procedures?"
"The process is complete. There isn't much left in my dorm, I just need to go to the housing center to register. Graduation is next week, and my diploma and degree certificates should be ready in the next couple of days."
Liu Yan sighed softly. "Sigh, with Senior Brother Ke gone and now you leaving, it feels like our group has lost a lot of its spark."
Xia Yinuo laughed. "Silly girl, there are still so many people in the lab! Out with the old, in with the new. You won't even have to wait until the end of summer before the next batch of freshmen arrives, and then you'll be the Senior Sister."
Liu Yan lowered her head, looking a bit dejected. "Actually, everyone is really going to miss you."
"I know. I'll come back to visit when I have time," Xia Yinuo patted her junior's shoulder. "And I'll make sure to drag your Senior Brother Ke back for a visit too."
Leaving the lab, Xia Yinuo went straight to Xia Yan’s company to pick up the young boy, then headed to Mai Shining’s studio. When the siblings arrived, Liang Juejun was already there chatting with Mai Shining. As soon as the boy saw Liang Juejun, he gave a cheer and lunged toward her. Xia Yinuo told him not to play too wildly and sat down beside Mai Shining.
As it happened, when Zhang Jikang’s mother, Cai Lingxiao, learned that Mai Shining was pregnant, she was overjoyed. She wished her son could marry Mai Shining immediately and produce a chubby grandson right then and there. Consequently, she spent every day beaming with joy, discussing the wedding details with Mai Shining’s mother. Long ago, Mai Shining had declared that if she ever married, she would never hold a banquet—just registering the marriage would be enough. Somehow, she had been persuaded otherwise and decided to have a wedding. Zhang Jikang, in between his work, was also busy attending to every detail, and the wedding was swiftly put on the agenda.
At the mention of this, Mai Shining rolled her eyes. "My mom and Auntie Cai are just too much; they want to make a huge scene with drums and gongs. I really don't know what to say, and I don't want to spoil their fun. Fortunately, fewer people get married in the first half of the year, so booking a hotel and everything wasn't too difficult."
Xia Yinuo reached out to touch Mai Shining’s belly, tilting her head with a smile. "Mhm, just let them worry about it. You just focus on taking care of the baby."
Mai Shining slapped Xia Yinuo’s hand away. "Hmph, you better be ready to be my bridesmaid!"
Xia Yinuo glanced at the sofa opposite them. The young boy was leaning against Liang Juejun’s lap, focused entirely on fiddling with a 5x5 Rubik's Cube, while Liang Juejun looked down at him with a gentle gaze.
Xia Yinuo said, "Don't worry, it's just being a bridesmaid. This humble servant shall give her all, until her dying breath."
"Cut it out!" Mai Shining said. "What I mean is, I want both you and Professor Liang to be my bridesmaids."
Hearing this, Liang Juejun looked up and asked, "Really?"
"Yeah! Is there a problem?" Mai Shining asked.
Liang Juejun’s face lit up with a smile. "Of course not!"
Xia Yinuo pointed at Liang Juejun and said to Mai Shining, "But she can't drink..."
Mai Shining patted her chest. "I know! Don't you worry about that! It's my turf, I've got it covered!"
The little boy asked eagerly, "What about me? What about me? Sister Mai Mai, what am I going to be?"
Mai Shining’s phoenix eyes flickered as she threw him a flirtatious wink. "You, of course, will be my groom! How about that? Happy?"
The boy thought for a moment, then shook his head seriously. "No, I want to be my sister's groom."
Liang Juejun covered her mouth to hide a giggle, while Xia Yinuo nearly doubled over laughing. Mai Shining stepped forward and caught the boy, rubbing his cheeks vigorously. "So young, and already such a sister-obsessed monster!"
The boy grunted as he escaped Mai Shining’s clutches and dove back into Liang Juejun’s arms to continue with his Rubik's Cube.
Xia Yinuo pulled Mai Shining back down to sit. "You're about to be a mother, be careful."
Mai Shining brushed it off. "Anyway, how's the coffee shop coming along?"
"The location is chosen and the negotiations are done," Xia Yinuo replied. "I'm going to the university's real estate office next week to sign the contract. I called that Master Zhang you recommended; he said he can send people over for the renovations anytime. Actually, those things are easy to handle; the main issue is manpower."
Mai Shining nodded. "Mhm?"
"I'll need to hire a full-time barista who can also serve as the shop manager—someone who can take charge and is trustworthy."
Mai Shining snapped her fingers, a hint of cunning in her smile. "Hehe! I knew it! I really am your lucky star!"
Xia Yinuo felt a chill down her spine. "I'm all ears!"
"Remember Fan Mi? The one with the little curls who used to share a dorm with me?"
"Of course I remember. Where is she now? Italy? I haven't heard you mention her in a while."
"Exactly! When I was shooting in Milan, she was on a study tour in Florence, and we met briefly. Actually, over the years, besides her main profession in photography, she’s also studied baking, wine, coffee..." Mai Shining counted them off on her fingers. "In short, she's a total foodie who doesn't stick to her proper business!"
Xia Yinuo couldn't help but laugh. "And so?"
Mai Shining turned serious. "Her mother fell ill last year, so she came back to take care of her family. She wants to settle down in C City but hasn't been able to find a suitable job yet. I asked her to join the studio, but that girl... you know, I pursue the humanistic art of photography, while she’s always done documentary photography. Most of the orders the studio gets now are commercial shoots, and she doesn't want to do studio work, so I didn't force her. As for starting her own business, all the money she saved over the years went toward her mother's medical bills. So, I think you two could actually work together!"
"I see!" Xia Yinuo realized. "I think that could work too. Let's find a time to meet."
Mai Shining blinked. "She's coming over in a bit!"
Xia Yinuo had met Fan Mi a few times during their university days. Fan Mi was a very interesting person—optimistic, generous, and her laugh was so carefree it seemed almost mindless. Unlike Mai Shining’s focus on artistic photography, Fan Mi did documentary work. The two of them had once engaged in a fierce two-hour debate in front of Xia Yinuo regarding the social significance and aesthetic value of Walker Evans' work. The result was that Xia Yinuo fell asleep in their dorm; when she woke up, she was greeted by a spread of beer, soda, mineral water, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and mixed congee. The two debaters' eyes were bloodshot from drinking and their tongues were tied, yet they still refused to yield an inch to each other.
Fan Mi’s philosophy on life was this: photography was the love of her life, and it was fine to earn some money from it, but it couldn't be used as a calculated means of survival. Otherwise, day after day, they would grow sick of each other, and the loss would outweigh the gain. Aside from special commissions for newspapers and magazines, Fan Mi was unwilling to do major commercial shoots or be a photographer who only took "pretty" pictures. If you asked her if she felt it was a waste, she would surely answer: *I'm doing what I love in the way I love; why should I feel it's a waste?*
For Fan Mi, love and photography followed the same logic. It was better to forget each other in the world than to struggle together in a drying pond. Life must always retain some lost beauty; the one you love most should be kept safely in the depths of your heart, but you don't necessarily have to be together. If life must be reduced to the mundane details of daily chores, then just find someone compatible. Who says it has to be the one you love most? Don't people already know the difference between a drop of mosquito blood and a cinnabar mole, or a grain of leftover rice and the bright moonlight?
Clearly, Fan Mi’s views were not shared by Mai Shining. Because of this, the two had argued countless times. But for those in the arts, how could they lack such spirit? Otherwise, how could they have remained such close friends for so many years? Fan Mi was unwilling to join the "Big Wheat" Studio, even though she knew her friend was trying to give her a hand. Despite Mai Shining’s teasing about her not sticking to her "proper business," Fan Mi remained steadfast, happily tinkering and tossing things about. Mai Shining supported her because Fan Mi was born to be someone who tinkered and explored.
*A person of noble character seeks harmony but not uniformity.* Respecting everyone's way of life while finding common ground is a mandatory lesson in our growth.
Having not seen her for several years, Fan Mi still had her head of little curls. Standing before everyone, her smile still looked exactly as it did when she was twenty. Xia Yinuo laughed and said, "You really are still the Xiao Mi in my memory; you've hardly changed since university."
Fan Mi gave a "hehe" laugh. "You haven't changed either, Xia Xiaobao! You're practically a fossil of C University."
This made Mai Shining very dissatisfied. "What kind of preservatives are you people eating?"
Fan Mi huffed, indicating that her ability to stay so young despite years of traveling and sleeping rough was purely due to her natural, undeniable beauty.
After a brief introduction between Fan Mi, Liang Juejun, and the little boy, and after half a day of joking around, they turned to serious business.
When discussing their respective business philosophies for the coffee shop, down to details like the renovation style, Fan Mi and Xia Yinuo hit it off immediately. Right then and there, the two decided to open a shop that combined a bakery and a café.
Fan Mi was so excited she couldn't help but exclaim, "What a coincidence! I've been looking for a partner for a while but couldn't find the right one. I never expected that after all this circling around, it would be you!"
Xia Yinuo smiled. "It's like searching far and wide only to find it right under your nose."
Mai Shining tapped the table. "Hey, let me remind you two. Even between brothers, accounts should be clear. You'd better clarify the profit-sharing between capital investment and labor investment first."
Xia Yinuo said, "That's simple, a fifty-fifty split is fine."
Fan Mi was shocked. "How can that be! Xiaobao, this shop is yours!"
"It'll be ours from now on," Xia Yinuo said. "I still have to work my regular job; there will be plenty for you to worry about in the future."
Fan Mi insisted, "Fifty-fifty is really too much. If it weren't for me, you could hire a manager for much less than that."
Meanwhile, the little boy sat obediently on Liang Juejun’s lap. Liang Juejun had her arms circled around him, her chin resting on his shoulder as her hands manipulated the Rubik's Cube. The boy watched the "magic" at her fingertips without blinking.
Xia Yinuo glanced at the two of them, her smile warm enough to be intoxicating. She said, "Where else would I find a barista, baker, artistic director, and shop manager all in one? Actually, I'm the one profiting."
Mai Shining waved her hand. "Fan Dami, why are you talking so much! If the young lady herself doesn't care about the money, why are you being so wordy? Your mom still needs money for her illness anyway; fifty-fifty it is!"
Fan Mi grabbed Xia Yinuo’s hand. "Fine! I'll definitely work hard!"
Mai Shining sighed with emotion. "Life is truly wonderful! A few years ago, who would have thought you two would become partners?"
Fan Mi laughed and asked, "What, do you regret it? Why don't you move your studio to North Street too? It would be great to be neighbors."
"Forget it," Mai Shining smiled mischievously at Xia Yinuo. "Someone has a C University complex, but I don't. I'm going to think about where we should go later to celebrate and have some fun!"
Xia Yinuo was about to say that her current physical condition wasn't suitable for that, but Fan Mi spoke up first to stop her: "No!"
Mai Shining got anxious, shouting about how unfair it was. "Fan Dami, look at you, why are you always going against me!"
Liang Juejun, who had been silent, handed the solved 5x5 Rubik's Cube to the boy and smiled. "Mai Mai, everyone is keeping an eye on your belly!"
When we are young, we are always full of expectations—about love and distant places, about vows and tomorrow. Now, life is gradually becoming clear. Even if there are no grand, earth-shattering legends, there are friends to walk beside us. Like the shimmering light on the water accompanying the moonlight in the night, we wander on, and on...
***
That evening, after Liang Juejun finished her shower and came out of the bathroom, Xia Xiaobao was sitting cross-legged on the bed reading a book. Liang Juejun turned to take a bank card out of a drawer and handed it to her.
Surprised, Xia Yinuo looked up. "What's this for?"
"Won't you need money for many things coming up?" Liang Juejun asked.
"Mai Mai and I already made a budget; it's enough," Xia Yinuo replied.
"Things usually go over budget."
"I'm not a 'usual' person, and Mai Mai usually isn't a person..."
"Whether you need it or not, just keep it," Liang Juejun said firmly.
Seeing Liang Juejun’s certain tone, Xia Yinuo didn't refuse further. She took the card and teased, "Tell me, which of us is going to manage the household in the future?"
Liang Juejun acted as if it were a matter of course. "You, obviously. I don't know anything about financial management."
"I don't know either!" Xia Yinuo said.
"Then you can learn slowly."
Xia Yinuo covered her face. "Are you sure? I'm a shameless 'NEET'—my parents bought my house and car, and most of my savings were given to me by them. Only a small portion comes from my hard-earned PhD stipend and scholarships. Now I'm being 'kept' by you; I'm practically the biggest parasite of all. I just made up my mind to open a small shop and do a little business, and then you..."
"What, are you afraid I can't afford to keep you?" Liang Juejun interrupted her playfully.
Xia Yinuo didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "The three doctors in my family are all staff within the C University system. I know roughly how much the salary plus the 'five insurances and one fund' comes to."
"And so?"
"My point is, it's not actually that much. You should keep it for yourself."
"Do you know what my previous income was? When I was recruited, the university also gave me a settling-in allowance," Liang Juejun leaned in close to Xia Xiaobao and smiled. "Besides, keeping you doesn't cost much at all."
Xia Yinuo fell back onto the bed, laughing uncontrollably. Suddenly remembering something, she sat bolt upright and asked, "What do you think of Xiao Yan?"
"He's smart and cute. I like him very much," Liang Juejun replied.
"Mhm, I like him too," Xia Yinuo said.
Liang Juejun: "..."
"But you can't like him *too* much," Xia Yinuo added.
Liang Juejun: "..."
"Because the one you like most has to be me."
***
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