The world is full of beautiful scenery; what matters is the person watching it with you. At the moment the sun broke through the clouds and crested the horizon, Liang Juejun felt the morning light spill across her face like a baptism of rebirth and redemption.
Joyful shouts drifted from not far away, likely from other sunrise-watchers. Xia Yinuo clapped her hands and stood up. Seeing Liang Juejun simply sitting there and smiling at her, she reached out a hand to pull her up, then tilted her chin toward the source of the shouting. Understanding the gesture, Liang Juejun stood. Xia Yinuo cleared her throat and counted, "One, two, three!"
Together, they released their wildest shouts into the vast, empty valley.
When they had exhausted their breath, they looked at each other and burst into laughter. It was the first time Xia Yinuo had seen Liang Juejun laugh with such unbridled abandon, and it filled her heart with delight.
"Xiao Xia, thank you," Liang Juejun said.
Xia Yinuo didn't answer immediately. With a lingering smile, she bent down to begin packing their things. After a moment, she looked up, blinked, and said seriously, "Senior, you can consider me a friend and tell me anything you want, but please don't say thank you. I didn't do these things just to earn your gratitude."
Startled by the directness, Liang Juejun eventually replied, "Alright, I understand."
Neither felt like sleeping, so they worked together to strike the tent and pack. People who spent their lives in laboratories tended to have excellent hands-on skills—a trait that transcended gender, often leaving men of the liberal arts feeling inadequate when faced with women of the sciences. The hiking packs were soon stuffed full of gear once more. When Liang Juejun offered to help carry some of the load, Xia Yinuo waved her off, saying she would split the weight with Zhang Jikang later.
It was still early, and the mountain air was crisp and refreshing as they strolled back toward the resort. Liang Juejun’s belongings, including her phone, were still in her room. Since she hadn't returned the previous night, she worried that Professor Liu, her roommate, might be concerned. Moreover, after a day of hiking, they both felt the need to wash up. They parted ways to return to their respective rooms.
Before leaving, Liang Juejun said to Xia Yinuo, "I'll wait for you for breakfast."
"Okay!" Xia Yinuo agreed happily. She turned to leave but then spun back around. "My phone number—"
"I have your number," Liang Juejun said.
"Huh?" Xia Yinuo blinked, confused.
"You included it in your email."
"Oh, right. Haha. Well, see you in a bit." Xia Yinuo realized Liang Juejun was a truly diligent teacher; she had recorded the phone number of a TA she hadn't even met yet, just in case of an emergency.
Someone once said that the shower is the best place for deep thought. As Xia Yinuo stood under the spray, letting the hot water cascade from head to toe, the events from last night until now felt like a dream.
There is a strange magnetic field between certain people that draws them together. At first, it feels like mere attraction, but by the time it takes root and sprouts in the heart, that person has already begun to occupy one's entire soul. It is like a seed waiting to germinate inside a bottle; one can never be sure if the future will be beautiful, but the seed waits with sincere, stubborn persistence.
Breakfast was not the private affair Xia Yinuo had imagined. Instead, they ran into various acquaintances, as it seemed everyone had risen early. The entire restaurant had transformed into a lively banquet hall. As soon as Zhang Jikang spotted Xia Yinuo, he hurried over. He gave Liang Juejun a quick greeting before asking, "Xiao Bao, are you going back to campus later, or straight to Sanhe Villa?"
Only then did Xia Yinuo remember it was her grandmother’s birthday. The elderly woman disliked the extravagance of hotels, so Li Qinglan had arranged a celebration at their home in Sanhe Villa. As old neighbors, colleagues, and friends, Zhang Jikang’s family was naturally invited.
Xia Yinuo instinctively glanced at Liang Juejun, who was sitting across from her, before answering Zhang Jikang. "I'll go straight there. I'll head back to school tonight."
"Alright, let's head back together then. I'm going to call my mom," Zhang Jikang said before walking away.
Once he was gone, Xia Yinuo turned to Liang Juejun. "Today is my grandmother’s birthday, so I have to go to my mother’s house to celebrate. When I was seven, my parents divorced, and I lived with my grandmother in the C University faculty housing—the same building you're in now. When I started university, I lived in the dorms, and my grandmother moved in with my mother. After I started my master's, I moved back into the old apartment by myself. My mother and her current husband live in Sanhe Villa because it's closer to their workplace. Zhang Jikang and I grew up together in the faculty housing, and his family eventually moved to Sanhe Villa too. His father is also a professor at C University, and his mother is a colleague of my mother’s at the hospital."
Liang Juejun was a bit dazed by the rapid-fire explanation. It took her a moment to digest it all. Seeing her expression, Xia Yinuo asked, "Did I speak too fast? Was I unclear?" She simply didn't want Liang Juejun to have even the slightest misunderstanding about her relationship with Zhang Jikang.
"I understand," Liang Juejun said.
"That's good."
The return journey didn't follow yesterday's hiking route; instead, they took a bus down the winding mountain road. Shortly after breakfast, the group gathered their gear and set off. Xia Yinuo was noisily pulled onto one of the buses by acquaintances, leaving her to watch helplessly as Liang Juejun boarded another bus with Chen Diandian and, surprisingly, Ke Dinghao.
Not long after the bus started moving, Xia Yinuo received a text from Liang Juejun. It was a simple sentence: *Wish your grandmother a happy birthday.* Xia Yinuo stared at her phone for a long time before replying: *I will. Thank you on her behalf.*
By the time she arrived at Sanhe Villa with Zhang Jikang, it was already evening. The house was already bustling with activity. Li Qinglan, Li Du, Li Xiuheng, her uncle, her aunt, and several old family friends were all there.
When Xia Yinuo and Zhang Jikang entered, both still in their hiking gear, Zhang’s mother came forward to help them off with their massive packs. She scolded her son playfully, "Look at you, not taking care of Xiao Bao at all."
Xia Yinuo quickly interjected, "Auntie, I'm the one who dragged Jikang to our department's event. I made sure he carried all the heavy stuff! Hahaha, sorry to keep everyone waiting!" She then ran to her grandmother’s side and said with playful devotion, "Happy birthday, Grandma! Hehe!"
"I know you have a sweet tongue!" Grandma laughed. "Go wash your hands quickly; you're covered in the dust of the road."
Her uncle, Li Qingfeng, emerged from the kitchen and grabbed Xia Yinuo. "Xiao Bao, give Mu Mu a call. It should be morning over there, and she ought to be up by now. That girl hasn't called yet today."
Xia Yinuo agreed.
Li Mu—or Mu Mu—was Li Qingfeng’s daughter and Xia Yinuo’s younger cousin. She was twenty years old and studying at a university in London.
"Mu Mu, you up yet?" Xia Yinuo sent a voice message.
After a while, a groggy voice replied, "Just woke up. What's up?"
"What's up? It's my grandmother’s—your grandmother’s—big birthday today. If you don't want Uncle to nag you to death, you'd better show your face and pay your respects."
The phone rang immediately. An excited voice shouted from the other end, "Xia Xiao Bao! Why didn't you remind me sooner? Quick, let me talk to Grandma!"
Xia Yinuo handed the phone to her grandmother, telling her it was Mu Mu. Grandma took the phone happily. Whatever the little troublemaker said on the other end had Grandma beaming with joy.
Since everyone present was close family or dear friends, there was no need for stiff formalities. They spent the evening eating, drinking, and laughing. Xia Yinuo made sure to tell her grandmother, "I told a teacher at my college that it was your birthday today. She asked me to give you her best and wish you a happy birthday!"
"Good, good!" Grandma nodded happily, looking at her large family with immense satisfaction.
When the party ended, Li Qinglan wanted her daughter to stay the night at Sanhe Villa, but Xia Yinuo said she needed to go back to pack and had to be in the lab early the next morning. Thus, Li Xiuheng drove his sister back to C University.
Halfway there, Li Xiuheng suddenly said, "Xiao Bao, when you're free, I want to introduce you to someone."
"Who?" Xia Yinuo, who had been leaning comfortably in the passenger seat, immediately became alert.
"Qi Qian, a buddy of mine. He's at the C University Affiliated Hospital now, same as me."
She knew it. Nothing good ever came of these conversations.
"Brother, why are you starting this too?" Xia Yinuo said, exasperated.
"Oh, come on, you're twenty-four. Didn't Grandma say she went to a fortune teller? They said our Xiao Bao is going to have great 'peach blossom luck' in her zodiac year! Hahaha," Li Xiuheng teased.
"You're still laughing? What century is this? You actually believe that?"
"Grandma said it's better to believe it than not! It puts her mind at ease," Li Xiuheng consoled her.
"It's definitely you. You're just throwing me under the bus to save yourself."
"Haha, don't wrong me! Do you think Grandma nags me about marriage any less than she nags you?"
"Fine, fine. We'll talk about it later. I'm really busy lately."
Back in her small apartment, Xia Yinuo tidied up and took another shower, feeling much more refreshed. It was past eleven. The two-day trip had been exhausting, and she was finally ready for a good night's sleep.
On the other side of town, Liang Juejun had already turned in. The trip had been tiring, but as she looked back on it, her heart felt full. Xia Yinuo’s words lingered in her mind, refusing to fade:
"Suffering brews a more authentic life."
"Sublimated suffering is a priceless treasure."
"Life itself is an experience."
"Someone will eventually lead you out of the haze."
"I didn't do these things just to earn your gratitude."
Liang Juejun was surprised that she had revealed so many private matters to Xia Yinuo. With just a few sentences, the younger woman had struck the core of a knot she had carried in her heart for over a decade. Had time finally washed away the pain and helplessness, or was it the starlight, the sunrise, and the words of the girl named Xia Yinuo that had warmed her drifting heart?
Coming back, it seemed, had been the right decision.
