Jiang Yubai missed Lin Zhixia's voice, her breath, her warmth, and the way she looked at him—her soft laughter by his ear, her fingers tracing his neck and shoulders... He couldn't clearly reconstruct those past moments in his mind, yet even the fragmented memories were enough to bind him in longing.
At six in the evening, the plane landed at Boston Airport.
Jiang Yubai took a car from Boston, passing the "Longfellow Bridge," and soon arrived in Cambridge. The driver parked by the roadside, and Jiang Yubai called Lin Zhixia again. She hurried down from upstairs, rushing toward him with unrestrained joy: "I missed you so much!"
In the biting cold wind, Lin Zhixia's cheeks were flushed red from the chill. Her eyes shone brilliantly, as if filled with a sky full of twinkling stars, and the white glow of the streetlamp stretched her shadow. She repeated, "I missed you so much."
With just four words, Lin Zhixia shattered Jiang Yubai's defenses. He reached out his hand, and she grabbed it tightly, whispering, "Did you miss me?"
Jiang Yubai sighed softly, "How could I not?"
He led her into the car.
The headlights cut through the night as the car continued forward.
Throughout the journey, Lin Zhixia discussed her recent research progress with Jiang Yubai. She worked fourteen hours a day, waking at six in the morning and going to bed at eleven at night, even using lunch breaks to corner colleagues about her projects. Jiang Yubai asked, "Are your colleagues suffering?"
Lin Zhixia summarized, "Most of our team members work hard because the boss has high admission standards and demanding requirements... I joined this group to access their laboratory, and now I've basically used all their equipment."
Mentioning lab equipment, Jiang Yubai steered the conversation toward the "ptsic" Quantum programming language platform that Lin Zhixia had founded.
Currently, the entire platform was affiliated with Senior Wei Ruoxing's laboratory, but Wei Ruoxing had her own research topics, and her laboratory couldn't fully meet Lin Zhixia's development needs.
Jiang Yubai planned to establish a Quantum Technology Company under an internet firm to fully support the future development of "ptsic," eliminating the need to trouble Wei Ruoxing for her laboratory resources.
Jiang Yubai took a document from his briefcase and handed it to Lin Zhixia: "This is the first draft of the business plan for the 'Quantum Technology Laboratory.' Flip through it when you have time. We'll discuss the specific collaboration details after you return to China."
Lin Zhixia stared intently at Jiang Yubai: "You..."
Jiang Yubai met her gaze: "Me?"
Lin Zhixia solemnly uttered, "Little Jiang."
Jiang Yubai leaned close to her ear: "I'm not little anymore."
Lin Zhixia's breath hitched.
Yes.
Jiang Yubai wasn't little anymore.
Years ago, whenever Lin Zhixia called him "Little Jiang," he would feel particularly embarrassed and flustered, avoiding her gaze and dodging her. But now, his reaction was beyond her expectations.
Jiang Yubai had booked a suite at the Four Seasons Hotel, costing over four thousand dollars per night—more than Lin Zhixia's monthly rent. Lin Zhixia had long grown accustomed to such economic disparities. Carrying her backpack, she strode confidently into the room, headed to the master bedroom, and pressed her hands against the mattress.Jiang Yubai took off his coat and casually remarked, "I'm going to take a shower."
Lin Zhixia turned to look at him: "Me too."
Lin Zhixia meant she was going to shower in another bathroom. But Jiang Yubai unbuttoned his shirt collar, deliberately revealing his collarbone, and left the bathroom door wide open, as if welcoming Lin Zhixia to come in and take a look at any time.
Why was he acting like this?
After just a few months apart, Lin Zhixia felt Jiang Yubai's methods of tempting her were becoming increasingly varied.
Jiang Yubai indeed had his own considerations.
He guessed that the reason Lin Zhixia was willing to meet him during Christmas was because most research projects were suspended during the holiday, with researchers going home to celebrate. Seizing this rare opportunity to be alone with Lin Zhixia, he decided to appropriately relax his self-restraint.
After mentally preparing himself, Jiang Yubai turned on the bathtub faucet. The water rushed noisily, filling the room with warm steam. As he sat in the rippling water, he heard Lin Zhixia ask: "Are you taking a shower right now?"
He remained silent.
Lin Zhixia quietly slipped inside.
Jiang Yubai leaned back.
Wearing a nightgown, Lin Zhixia knelt at the edge of the bathtub. Through the mirror-like clear water, she examined his entire body. After staring blankly for a moment, she cautiously reached out to touch him: "I... this is my first time seeing you..." She paused mid-sentence, then suddenly looked up and stammered: "I don't dare look anymore."
Jiang Yubai grabbed her wrist and kissed the back of her hand. Then he released her and moved to another spot to sit quietly. Mesmerized by his silhouette, Lin Zhixia unconsciously followed him into the water. Only when the water level reached her thighs did she snap out of it and retreat to the edge.
Jiang Yubai was Lin Zhixia's swimming coach. She clearly remembered what he looked like in swim trunks, but her exploration of him hadn't reached its final step. Even though they had lived together for a year, Lin Zhixia had never crossed that most dangerous boundary.
Those brief ten-plus seconds left a deep impression on Lin Zhixia.
Intense curiosity drove her to follow Jiang Yubai, while reason warned her to stay put. Torn by conflicting emotions, she ultimately fled the scene in haste.
Throughout the Christmas period, Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai stayed in a hotel. During the day they went out for walks, in the evening they played games only the two of them understood, and at night they slept together as usual - though Lin Zhixia became particularly well-behaved, never again asking Jiang Yubai to unbutton his clothes for her to study.
Boston's winter was cold and humid, but their room remained bright and warm. On the last day of Christmas vacation, Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia said goodbye at the bedroom door. Lin Zhixia gave Jiang Yubai a packet of Kimhua tea seeds. She said when Jiang Yubai returned home and planted the Kimhua tea in a flowerpot, she would return to China by next autumn when the flowers bloomed.
Kimhua tea originated in China. Lin Zhixia had obtained its seeds at a botanical academic exchange conference. Its flower language meant "ideal love."
That pot of Kimhua tea became the first plant Jiang Yubai ever cultivated with his own hands.
Jiang Yubai placed the flowerpot on his office windowsill, tending to it carefully every day. He even found time to read two books on "flower gardening" and consulted professional bonsai masters.Both he and Lin Zhixia were fully occupied with their daily work, maintaining a weekly phone call routine. Lin Zhixia was publishing papers at an even faster pace than during her doctoral studies. Jiang Yubai observed her growth as if waiting for a golden camellia to bloom.
Senior Wei Ruoxing personally guided Lin Zhixia through the application process for the Young Thousand Talents Program. With her academic track record to date, Lin Zhixia quickly passed the university's resume screening and submitted her review materials in June 2015.
Lin Zhixia wasn't fully aware of how fiercely competitive this year's Young Thousand Talents Program was. Nor did she ask anyone to inquire on her behalf, merely briefly sharing her plans with Professor Shen Zhaohua—if she was fortunate enough, she would become Professor Shen's colleague.
Professor Shen Zhaohua replied promptly, asking how her research in the United States was progressing.
Lin Zhixia truthfully shared that during her year in the U.S., she had been waking up early and staying up late, with minimal social interactions, fully dedicated to her research. Her life had been remarkably tranquil, almost like undergoing secluded cultivation. She had also contributed numerous new ideas to their research group, co-authoring two papers with the group's principal investigator. All colleagues in the team were diligent and hardworking, and she had acquired many new concepts and knowledge. Now, she couldn't wait to return to China.
The next second, a "ding" notification sounded from her email.
Lin Zhixia opened an email from Jiang Yubai. She saw a golden camellia blooming in a flowerpot, its petals tender yellow, branches lush and leaves abundant—a truly exquisite scene.
Jiang Yubai wrote in the letter: "The flower has bloomed. It's time to come home."
Lin Zhixia replied to Jiang Yubai with four words: "See you next Monday."
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