The centenary anniversary was the biggest celebration at A University this year, and as a result, it was exceptionally lively.
The crowd was bustling. Even though Lu Huai and Chi Yuan were guided by others, they both worried that they might be separated by some unknown activity taking place on campus at any second.
Having only left for two years, Lu Huai walked through the crowd and looked at the vibrant faces around him, feeling an unexpected sense of unfamiliarity. He was standing there in a daze when Chi Yuan patted him on the shoulder.
“Stop looking; it is normal to feel like a stranger.” Chi Yuan beamed, as if he could see through Lu Huai’s thoughts at a glance. He gestured with his chin toward a new building to the east. “Before you left, was I not working on a project? I earned some money and donated it to our alma mater.”
Lu Huai noticed the pride hidden in his tone and smiled. “Well, I did not expect Mr. Chi to be so generous.”
“Of course.”
The other man’s voice trailed off suddenly. Lu Huai was suspicious, but before he could react, Chi Yuan pulled him into his arms. Because Lu Huai had been looking down, he was caught off guard by the sudden pull and his chin struck Chi Yuan’s shoulder hard. Both of them let out a muffled groan.
“You.” Lu Huai gritted his teeth in pain. When he came to his senses, he realized his wrist was still tightly gripped in Chi Yuan’s palm. His expression darkened, and he muttered unnaturally, “What are you acting crazy for all of a sudden?”
Chi Yuan rubbed his shoulder with a huff. Hearing this, he could not help but laugh out of anger. He raised his phoenix eyes, prepared to retort, but caught sight of Lu Huai’s reddened chin. He swallowed his words silently and said, “Watch where you are walking. You were almost bumped into by someone.”
He had not expected such a reason. Lu Huai looked at Chi Yuan in surprise, only to find the man turning his head away and walking forward with a muffled sound. Lu Huai’s eyes flickered, as if he had understood something, and the corners of his lips curled upward.
He stepped forward to follow, catching sight of Chi Yuan furrowing his brows, seemingly annoyed. He understood that the other was not used to this sudden mutual concern, so he took the opportunity to steer the conversation. He smiled faintly: “I am not someone who cannot dodge.”
Hearing the familiar retort, Chi Yuan subconsciously prepared to snap back, but then he saw his mentor walking toward them with several students. He stopped in his tracks.
Lu Huai did not wait for a response. He looked up and happened to see Professor Wang, who had taught him National Economics, walking toward them. Lu Huai looked closely and spotted a familiar face among the students: the vice monitor from his undergraduate years. Lu Huai guessed that he must now be Professor Wang’s doctoral student.
Feeling Chi Yuan’s stiff back, Lu Huai’s eyelashes fluttered and a smile appeared on his lips. Taking advantage of the distance, he whispered jokingly: “It has been two years since you left school; are you still afraid of your mentor?”
Chi Yuan gritted his teeth and emphasized: “This is respect.”
“Lu Huai!” Han Ying was following right behind his professor. He had been hoping to discuss some details of his recently published paper, but he did not expect to see an old friend while walking. Fearing the other might leave, he called out loudly.
Professor Wang clearly remembered both Chi Yuan and Lu Huai. He recalled an essay assignment from their sophomore year where these two young men, not knowing what kind of rivalry they were fueling, had both submitted thirty-thousand-word papers within ten days. The papers were correctly formatted and reached the standard of a graduation thesis. The key issue was that they had both driven the rest of the class to overwork themselves, and too much of their “thirty thousand words” was just “citing classical references,” which greatly increased the professor’s workload.
He glanced at the clearly excited Han Ying. Thinking there was no rush, he suggested: “Why do you not young people catch up? We can discuss our matters later.”
“Thank you, Professor!” Han Ying did not decline. After saying goodbye, he ran quickly toward the two of them.
Seeing Professor Wang glance at them and nod briefly before turning back, Chi Yuan let out a slow sigh of relief. Having been part of Professor Wang’s research team, he had fresh memories of those experiences.
He glanced at Han Ying, felt no recognition, and lowered his eyes to ask Lu Huai: “Do you know him?”
“Yes.” Lu Huai’s eyes curved upward. He glanced at Chi Yuan before continuing: “I assume he is here to catch up with me. Do you not want to avoid him?”
Hearing the first half of the sentence, Chi Yuan had originally intended to say “I will wait for you in the conference room,” but since Lu Huai had taken the initiative to suggest he avoid them, he narrowed his eyes. He scrutinized the two of them, feeling a strange sensation in his heart: “Why would I need to avoid you just to catch up?”
Lu Huai simply looked at him steadily, smiling without answering.
Inexplicably understanding, Chi Yuan was speechless. He left behind a single sentence, “Remember the speech,” and turned to leave.
“Why did he leave as soon as he saw me?” Han Ying walked up in two or three steps. He had already raised his hand to greet them, but only saw Chi Yuan’s retreating back. He looked at Lu Huai, whose gaze was fixed on the other man, and reminded him loudly: “Ahem, come back to reality.”
“Han Ying, long time no see.” Lu Huai turned his head and looked at his friend. Recalling his earlier guess, he asked: “Doctorate?”
“Of course.” Mentioning his recent situation, Han Ying raised his head proudly. “I have always kept my word.”
As he spoke, his gaze fell back on Lu Huai, and he frowned: “I thought you would never come back.” He glanced in the direction Chi Yuan had left, shaking his head with a teasing smile. “Back then, when you suddenly told me you were going abroad, even though the quota had been set long ago and I saw you had not filled out the forms, I thought you would give it up. I did not expect…”
“Sigh.” Han Ying sighed dramatically. “Still have not let go?”
Lu Huai was not surprised that Han Ying knew he liked Chi Yuan. Hearing him say this, his heart actually settled. He smiled: “Whether I let go or not is irrelevant. Going abroad at that time was just to calm down. Now that I have figured things out, I have naturally returned.”
Han Ying dragged out his tone, nodding as if it were a serious matter: “Oh.” He sighed: “I thought the word ‘impulse’ was completely unrelated to you, but as soon as you encounter Chi Yuan, the calmness on your face is like paper: one poke and it tears.”
“Are you together?” Han Ying remembered that two years ago, he was the one who submitted Lu Huai’s materials. Coincidentally, he had bumped into Chi Yuan kissing Fang Qiming at the bottom of the dormitory building. He had felt heartbroken for his class monitor at the time, and only later did he realize why Lu Huai had suddenly gone abroad.
It was hard enough harboring secret feelings, but enduring that kind of stimulus to his face was truly painful.
He had not expected Han Ying to ask so directly. Lu Huai was stunned, but since the other already knew, there was no need to hide it. He shook his head and lowered his voice: “I suppose it is still early.”
It was rare to hear such uncertainty from Lu Huai. Han Ying widened his eyes in surprise: “Not yet? You really know how to endure. Before, when Fang Qiming spread rumors about you and Chi Yuan, I thought it was a strategy to provoke him. I did not expect that the person spreading the rumors and the subject of the rumors would get together and then break up, and you still have not said anything.”
“What rumors are you talking about?”
He had always thought that the idea of him liking Fang Qiming was just a rumor. He thought it would dissipate once the teasing died down. He did not know why the rumors had become more and more real, to the point where all his friends took it for granted that he and Chi Yuan were rivals. Although he did not understand why Fang Qiming never clarified the situation, he had been about to set the record straight when he heard Chi Yuan was with him, so he took the opportunity to leave the country. Now that so much time had passed, it was pointless to explain it all. But now, revisiting the past, he heard a different version from Han Ying.
Han Ying was even more surprised than him: “You did not know? Fang Qiming intentionally made your relationship sound ambiguous. When people asked him, he would act shy and vague. I heard him do it several times.”
“So that is how it was.” Han Ying finally reacted. He sneered, “I thought you just could not be bothered to care.”
He then looked at Lu Huai comfortingly: “But it is fine; you are back now.”
Lu Huai lowered his eyes. Because of Han Ying’s words, he recalled what Fang Qiming had said to him: “Chi Yuan will never like you.” He had previously thought it was inexplicable, but looking back now, he realized that Fang Qiming had intended that all along. But why would Fang Qiming, who was chasing Chi Yuan, drag him into it? It was truly ridiculous.
Seeing Lu Huai’s poor complexion, Han Ying knew he had spoken out of turn. He squeezed his friend’s shoulder as if to comfort him and softly changed the subject: “You have not said yet; now that you are back in the country, do you have any plans?”
“Yes.” Lu Huai looked up and smiled helplessly. “And many of them. For instance, am I not here to pick something up?”
“Fulfilling a wish?” Han Ying raised an eyebrow knowingly. He checked his watch and stopped delaying Lu Huai’s time. “Then go quickly. I have to go back to talk about models with Professor Wang. I have been so worried about them lately.”
“Yes.” Lu Huai did not stop him. He waved at Han Ying. “Let’s keep in touch when you are free.”
Their school had a large Paulownia tree. Because couples often walked in that area, it was known to students as the Lover’s Tree. Later, it gradually gained fame, and some people even tied red ribbons on it to pray for marriage. However, in the middle of the night, it looked exceptionally eerie on the dim path, and because the red color was so evocative, only a box filled with red ribbons and the name Lover’s Tree remained.
Three years ago, in winter, it started snowing suddenly when he came out of the library.
The first snow in mid-December.
Lu Huai rubbed his frozen fingertips and looked up at the falling snowflakes. One snowflake happened to land on his eyelashes.
Not wanting to shake it off, he subconsciously held his breath and kept his eyes open, watching the white crystal disappear into nothingness bit by bit.
That was a winter night that belonged solely to him.
Later, he was suddenly in the mood. The big Paulownia tree was right next to the library. Thinking about how he had never been there in his three years of college, his footsteps turned toward it involuntarily. Of course, Lu Huai recalled, a part of it also had to do with Chi Yuan. At that time, Chi Yuan had probably just met Fang Qiming, but his eyes were filled with love—Lu Huai could see it clearly. So, he indulged in a moment of childish superstition.
Lu Huai walked along the path, thinking carefully about how he had written down those thoughts and where he had tied the red ribbon.
However, along with the Paulownia tree, the person who claimed he would be waiting in the conference room—Chi Yuan—also appeared before his eyes.
The other man was standing under the tree, looking up.
Chi Yuan seemed to have noticed him as well. The two gazed at each other from a distance, as if the scene had frozen, and all superfluous movements ceased.
Lu Huai’s heart suddenly began to beat violently. The red ribbons filling the tree seemed to be fluttering in the wind, proclaiming a long-buried love that was now about to break through the soil.
He thought that he really should get something back.