In February 2003, on the first day of the High School Olympiad class at Provincial No.1 Middle School, Wei Ruoxing bumped into Tan Qianche at the entrance of the boys' dormitory building.
The weather that day was unpleasant, with a drizzling gray rain. Wei Ruoxing held an umbrella in her left hand and carried a suitcase in her right. Through the misty drizzle, she and Tan Qianche locked eyes for a long moment.
"Hello," Wei Ruoxing greeted.
Tan Qianche was wearing the winter uniform of Provincial No.1 Middle School. He stood about 186 centimeters tall, with a slightly tanned complexion and long legs. His every movement exuded a bright and cheerful energy that dispelled the chill and gloom of the winter rain.
He walked toward Wei Ruoxing and, noticing the name tag on her suitcase, asked, "Are you Wei Ruoxing, the new transfer student?"
Only one narrow path at the dormitory entrance remained free of puddles. Tan Qianche stepped over the numerous water channels. Wei Ruoxing glanced down before replying, "I'm in Class 18. I transferred from Jiangming No.1 Middle School."
"Jiangming No.1 Middle School?" Tan Qianche remarked fairly, "That's a good school. If you were able to transfer to our class, it means you're quite capable too."
For no particular reason, Wei Ruoxing felt compelled to one-up him: "I've won a provincial-level competition first prize."
Tan Qianche smiled and said, "That's great, a first prize."
His praise ended with just that one sentence.
As a transfer student, Wei Ruoxing was unfamiliar with the campus. The rainy path was slippery, and the wheels of her suitcase were completely broken. She couldn't find the girls' dormitory and was too embarrassed to ask anyone for help. With students coming and going across the campus, she paused briefly outside the boys' dormitory, never expecting to run into Tan Qianche, the class monitor of Class 18.
Tan Qianche carried her suitcase all the way to the girls' dormitory.
Unsure how to repay him, she fished two pieces of candy from her pocket and pressed them into his palm. Watching her retreating figure, he unwrapped one of the candies and tasted a sweet yet tangy lemon soft candy.
Wei Ruoxing was not a local of the provincial capital.
At the end of the previous year, her parents had relocated due to work changes, and the entire family moved to the provincial capital. Her parents then arranged for her transfer. Uprooted from her familiar environment and suddenly thrust into a completely unfamiliar city and a class that had already bonded, she felt somewhat apprehensive.
That year, Wei Ruoxing had just turned sixteen.
She struggled at Provincial No.1 Middle School. She couldn't adjust to the boarding school life, failed to integrate into the social circle of Class 18, and faced immense academic pressure—the teaching methods at Provincial No.1 Middle School were quite unique. The Olympiad coaches adhered to the principle of "teaching students according to their aptitude." Believing Wei Ruoxing to be a promising student, they assigned her a heavy workload.
Wei Ruoxing always believed she could complete her assignments on time and meet the teachers' expectations if she just pushed a little harder.
Thus, she burned the midnight oil in her dorm room, battling through consecutive late nights. However, she often felt drowsy during the day, struggled to concentrate at night, failed to complete her homework properly, and saw her exam scores steadily decline, gradually slipping from the upper-middle to the lower-middle ranks of her class.Wei Ruoxing's parents, upon learning about their daughter's situation, were naturally very concerned—their daughter had never given the family elders any reason to worry about her grades since childhood. Her parents called the homeroom teacher and described Wei Ruoxing's issues in detail. The homeroom teacher took it seriously and repeatedly arranged talks with Wei Ruoxing, often calling her out to the corridor for chats during evening self-study sessions.
The homeroom teacher was a woman in her forties. She cared about every student, including the newly transferred Wei Ruoxing.
One remark from the homeroom teacher struck a chord with Wei Ruoxing: "You can go home on weekends, right? If you're struggling with your studies, find a tutor to help you review the competition knowledge points. One of my students from last year won a national silver award and was also the top science scorer in the college entrance exam. Let me share his study experience with you—what are exams? Exams are like sampling surveys, selecting a few samples from a vast pool of test points to assess your mastery. To score high, you must first identify and fill gaps, familiarize yourself with and master all knowledge points... You're a smart student, you understand what I mean, right?"
Wei Ruoxing quickly said she understood.
Her parents arranged a tutor for her, but she also wanted to find a high-achieving student at school to tutor her. After careful consideration, she settled on Tan Qianche.
At that time, Tan Qianche consistently ranked first in the entire school. He had excellent grades, a cheerful personality, a serious attitude, and was the class monitor of Class 18, Grade 10. He took the lead in helping classmates with their studies, which undoubtedly contributed to building a positive class atmosphere and promoting the fine spirit of "finding joy in helping others"—this was exactly what Wei Ruoxing had in mind.
She found out that Tan Qianche enjoyed playing video games, so she spent over a thousand yuan to buy a small gaming console. Taking advantage of the relaxed dormitory management during the weekend break, she secretly brought the console to school.
That day happened to be Tan Qianche's birthday.
Wei Ruoxing invited Tan Qianche to come downstairs. They sat side by side on a bench in the garden of Provincial No. 1 High School, where pale pink hibiscus flowers bloomed beside their shoulders. A gentle breeze swept past, scattering petals that tinged her pure white skirt with pink—much like her cheeks, which were flushed with a rosy hue at that moment.
"Tan Qianche," she suddenly called out to him.
Tan Qianche turned his head to look at her with interest.
Wei Ruoxing held the gaming console in both hands. Though her intention was to seek academic guidance and apprenticeship, she felt as nervous as if she were confessing her feelings and could only utter his name again: "Tan Qianche."
Tan Qianche abruptly leaned closer to her, startling her into a gasp. He remained seated, laughing heartily, while she flushed with anger and scolded, "Are you messing with me?"
"Weren't you the one messing with me first?" Tan Qianche lazily leaned back against the bench. "Since I sat down, you've called my name four times."
He tilted his head back slightly, the curve from his chin to his neck appearing flawless.
Tan Qianche was handsome and exceptionally talented academically, earning him the nickname "Class 18, Grade 10 Heavenly Descendant." This moniker was overly embarrassing—neither rhyming nor meaningful.
So, Wei Ruoxing composed a rhyme for Tan Qianche: "Class 18's Tan Qianche, aces every test with ease, wins Olympiads effortlessly, brilliant mind with profound depths."
She wrote this rhyme in her Chinese literature notebook. It was discovered by her deskmate and the students in front of her, eventually spreading throughout the entire grade and even reaching neighboring schools.Recalling that catchy rhyme, Tan Qianche couldn't help but chuckle.
The evening breeze tousled the sunset clouds as he studied her in the fading twilight.
Wei Ruoxing sat with her legs pressed together, clutching a box tightly as if having made a monumental decision. "Happy birthday, Class President," she declared. "I'm giving you a gaming console. It cost over a thousand yuan—not too expensive, not too cheap. Just accept it."
"Is that all?" Tan Qianche asked.
Wei Ruoxing reacted as if facing a formidable enemy. "What else do you want?"
Tan Qianche moved closer again, though this time his movements were deliberate and slow. He took a gentle breath and inquired, "What shampoo do you use? It smells so nice."
"Do you want to use it too?" Wei Ruoxing shoved the gaming console against his chest. "Fine, I'll get you a bottle of shampoo as well."
Perplexed, Tan Qianche asked, "What exactly do you want from me? Can you just say it outright? All this guessing is exhausting."
Wei Ruoxing turned slowly. They sat facing each other, no more than ten centimeters apart. She could clearly see his deep brown eyes, his tall, straight nose, and the faint, elusive smile at the corners of his lips. Summoning all her courage, she asked solemnly, "Can I become your disciple?"
Tan Qianche rested his left elbow on the back of the chair and tore open the gaming console's wrapping paper with his right hand. Skillfully freeing the device from its packaging, he remarked, "Alright, I'll accept this disciple's gift. The gift may be modest, but the sentiment is profound."
"Modest?" Wei Ruoxing was half-convinced, half-doubtful.
With an air of authority, Tan Qianche deceived her: "You're not from around here, so you wouldn't know. In our culture, we deeply respect teachers and value mentorship. The more valuable the disciple's gift, the better. A little over a thousand yuan is barely acceptable."
"What kind of gifts do people around you give as disciple offerings?" Wei Ruoxing hoped he would provide real-life examples.
He replied effortlessly, "Gifts shouldn't be given arbitrarily; it depends on the teacher's caliber."
Unaware that she was being led along, Wei Ruoxing asked, "What's your caliber?"
"Me?" He suddenly straightened his posture. "What caliber do you hope I am?"
Wei Ruoxing pulled a report card from her backpack—it was her monthly exam results from the previous month. She ranked 41st in the Olympiad class, though there were only about sixty students in total.
After reading her scores, Tan Qianche couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. "You seem pretty sharp. How did you end up with such awful results? Did you do it on purpose, or do you really not know how? You're not stupid, are you?"
Wei Ruoxing remained silent.
Tan Qianche rolled the report card into a tube. Those dismal grades made him dizzy just looking at them.
"You don't need to teach me," Wei Ruoxing said, her voice as soft as water. "Let me study on my own, Class President."
Tan Qianche was taken aback.
Wei Ruoxing had already stood up, her backpack in hand.
Bathed in the glow of the sunset, she appeared radiant and untouchable, her pride unassailable. "I used to be in the top ten at Jiangming No. 1 High School. I ranked in the top twenty citywide in the high school entrance exam and won a provincial competition first prize. I'm not stupid—I just haven't adjusted to life here yet. You don't need to teach me! I don't need it. We'll meet again at next month's exams."
Her voice was exceptionally gentle, even somewhat sweet. Even though she was issuing a challenge, Tan Qianche didn't take it seriously. He raised the gaming console in his hand. "What about this expensive disciple's gift you bought?"
"It's yours!" she exclaimed loudly.
He laughed. "I can't just take your things for free!"She was still sulking: "I didn't just give it away for free!"
"Then what was it?"
"A birthday gift!"
She practically roared the words: "Happy birthday!"
Tan Qianche laughed so hard he couldn't straighten up.
He sat beneath a blooming hibiscus tree, the small gaming console now dotted with pink petals. Taking out a dark handkerchief he always carried, he gently wiped the screen clean, pressed the power button, and created a new female character named "Xingxing" (Little Star).
The gaming console allowed players to customize their character's appearance.
Tan Qianche selected a wild-haired creature that looked like the Lion King from Africa.
From that day on, Tan Qianche would set aside half an hour daily to play with "Xingxing" on his console. As the most popular student in his grade, his every move attracted attention. Soon, his deskmate discovered his secret.
The deskmate, being a gossip, spread the word everywhere: "Tan Qianche only has one female character in his game console - a Lion King lookalike named Xingxing!"
When Wei Ruoxing heard the rumors, she felt as if thorns were pricking her back.
In late May, the first-year students held a "major cleanup" activity. Wei Ruoxing and Tan Qianche happened to be assigned to clean the biology laboratory building. Wei Ruoxing carried a broom and dustpan as she set off, while Tan Qianche followed empty-handed behind her. Even the labor committee member found this unacceptable and criticized Tan Qianche: "Brother Che, you're much stronger than Wei Ruoxing. With her slender arms and legs, she doesn't have much strength for work..."
Tan Qianche tugged at Wei Ruoxing's sleeve and tattled: "The labor committee member says you're weak at manual labor."
But Wei Ruoxing retorted: "I'm actually quite strong when I work."
As if eager to prove herself, she immediately started sweeping the ground. The labor committee member stared in astonishment while Tan Qianche smiled brightly. He took the broom from Wei Ruoxing, slung it over his shoulder, and led her toward the biology lab building.
Behind the biology laboratory building stood a bamboo grove.
Every spring, Provincial No.1 Middle School would have students dissect small animals like rabbits, white mice, and frogs as extended experiments for biology class. Rumor had it that some misbehaving students secretly buried animal remains in the bamboo grove behind the lab building - though Wei Ruoxing didn't believe such exaggerated tales.
Gripping her broom tightly while sweeping the leaf-covered courtyard, she confronted Tan Qianche: "Class monitor, I need to talk to you. Is that Lion King character in your game console named 'Xingxing'? Did you intentionally let your deskmate see 'Xingxing'?"
Tan Qianche flatly denied it: "I did no such thing."
Wei Ruoxing was furious: "You clearly did!"
Tan Qianche bantered back: "Did not."
"You did!"
"Did not!"
"Did!"
After more than ten rounds of this back-and-forth, Tan Qianche suddenly reversed the question: "Did or didn't!"
Wei Ruoxing instinctively answered: "Did not!"
Tan Qianche spread his hands helplessly, making Wei Ruoxing nearly explode with anger. She threw her broom to the ground: "Just because you get good grades, do you think you can look down on others? Because you always rank first in the grade, do you despise other people's efforts? Do you know how many people aren't as lucky as you? Just because you look down on me, does that mean you can bully me every day?"
Before she finished speaking, her eyes filled with tears.
Tan Qianche was stunned.
He truly hadn't expected things to develop this way.
This was also the first time in his life he had ever teased someone.He had no idea that girls couldn't withstand such teasing from him.
He wanted to apologize but couldn't bring himself to say it—wouldn't that be admitting he was wrong? Did he truly feel remorse? Frankly, not much.
Tan Qianche once again took out the handkerchief he always carried. He handed it to Wei Ruoxing, and the clean, soft fabric surprised her a bit. Just then, he added, "I don't look down on you. I teased you because..."
He took a step forward, looking directly at her: "I like you. Can't you tell? Even my deskmate noticed."
All fell silent.
The drifting clouds gradually stilled.
Nearby and in the distance, lush green bamboo grew densely, shadows crisscrossed everywhere, and the sunlight was serene. Tan Qianche continued on his own, "You rest. I'll sweep the floor."
Tan Qianche rolled up his sleeves, revealing his arms—the class labor monitor was right; Tan Qianche was indeed strong. His arm muscles were firm, and the veins were clearly visible. Wei Ruoxing crouched nearby, secretly watching him. He said again, "If you want to look, come over and do it openly. It's not like I'm stopping you."
Wei Ruoxing remained unmoved.
She still thought Tan Qianche was making fun of her.
But Tan Qianche said, "In the whole school, I only show this to you."
Wei Ruoxing lifted her head and met his gaze... cloud shadows, sky light, and bamboo leaves were all reflected in his eyes.
He slowly drew closer to her as if capturing a small animal, knelt on one knee before her, and faced her directly. The silence stretched on, the atmosphere growing increasingly ambiguous. He asked again, "Do you have any feelings for me?"
He pinched his fingers: "Just a little is enough."
Wei Ruoxing rarely had the upper hand. She turned her head away and said, "Not even a little."
Tan Qianche was undeterred. He asked, "What kind of guy do you like?"
Wei Ruoxing sneered, "Gentle, considerate, emotionally intelligent, and knows how to respect others!"
Every one of those traits was practically the opposite of Tan Qianche—especially the last one, which was completely contrary to him. Tan Qianche's catchphrase was: "You're too dumb; I can't teach you."
In Class 18 of Grade 10, many students had suffered some form of humiliation when asking Tan Qianche for help with questions. Wei Ruoxing wasn't the first, and she certainly wouldn't be the last.
She told Tan Qianche, "I've been annoyed with you for a long time. How could I possibly have feelings for you?"
Tan Qianche sat on the tiled edge of the flower bed, lost in thought. He leaned on the broom, his demeanor still captivating, as if the broom weren't a broom but the scepter of some kingdom.
Despite being rejected in his confession, he still held the upper hand. So, unhurriedly, he asked, "Are you cold?"
No sooner had he spoken than a chilly gust of wind swept by, making Wei Ruoxing shiver. Tan Qianche then began telling her a ghost story about the biology lab building—it was said that countless small frogs, rabbits, and white mice had died there, and tens of thousands of spirits gathered in one place, murmuring a single phrase...
At this point, Tan Qianche motioned for Wei Ruoxing to come closer.
Wei Ruoxing leaned in, and he, like a magician, pulled a paper rose from his pocket and gently tucked it behind her ear, repeating once more, "Wei Ruoxing is smart and beautiful."
Wei Ruoxing's heartbeat suddenly raced violently, so fast it felt like it might leap out of her throat. Observing her expression, Tan Qianche finally showed a genuine smile: "You like me too."He murmured to himself, "You like it too."
Wei Ruoxing punched him in the chest, signaling him to shut up. But he insisted on talking, chattering away like someone who'd never spoken before. Wei Ruoxing's cheeks grew redder than the rose by her ear. He laughed again and said, "I still have your apprenticeship gift. Am I your boyfriend or your coach now?"
Wei Ruoxing stubbornly replied, "Neither."
Tan Qianche was quite easygoing: "Fine, if you say so." But then he asked, "Can you give me a kiss?"
Wei Ruoxing turned her back to him, focusing on sweeping the floor: "In your dreams."
Tan Qianche pleaded, "Just one kiss? I'll cherish it for a lifetime."
"Don't lie to me," Wei Ruoxing said dismissively. "In two or three years, you'll forget all about it."
Tan Qianche shook his head: "If I don't want to forget something, I'll remember it for life..." There was an inexplicable touch of sadness in his words, but he quickly teased, "You wouldn't understand, would you?"
Wei Ruoxing threw down the broom. She plucked the rose from her ear and loosened her grip with one finger. Tan Qianche thought she was going to throw it away. As he stood beside her ready to catch the flower, she rose on her toes and kissed him gently on the cheek—a brave yet tender gesture that made the bamboo leaves in the courtyard seem to cheer in the wind.
Thus, the relationship between Tan Qianche and Wei Ruoxing was settled.
Tan Qianche kept his promise. He devoted himself wholeheartedly to teaching Wei Ruoxing, guiding her transition from mathematics competitions to physics competitions—physics being Tan Qianche's specialty.
Wei Ruoxing was indeed promising. Once she found the right study methods, she progressed rapidly. Combined with her affluent background—her parents invested heavily in hiring tutors for various subjects, particularly emphasizing her English skills—she gradually became the star competitor of her grade at Provincial No. 1 High School.
Wei Ruoxing always traveled with Tan Qianche to cities hosting competitions, even when they couldn't compete simultaneously. Their relationship was both mentor-student and friendship, more intense than lovers yet remarkably pure. They vowed to secure admission to the nation's best university together, eventually return to teach at a university in their provincial capital, and become an enviable, genuinely devoted couple growing old together.
At eighteen, Wei Ruoxing was already contemplating phrases like "growing old together."
She wanted to slowly experience life's long journey with Tan Qianche. Perhaps with him by her side, forty years would pass like fleeting clouds, eighty years like the snap of a finger. When they were old and toothless, he could still pull a rose from his pocket to make her laugh.
Tan Qianche declared earnestly, "That's easy enough! I promise you right now."
"You have to keep your word," Wei Ruoxing reminded him.
Tan Qianche retorted, "When have I ever broken a promise?"
Wei Ruoxing remained silent.
It was the end of 2004. The provincial capital saw a long-awaited heavy snow, blanketing Provincial No. 1 High School's campus under a thick layer of fresh snow. The teaching buildings and dormitories looked as if spread with pure white cream.
Wei Ruoxing was overjoyed. She tugged Tan Qianche to walk in the snow, though he was reluctant. Wei Ruoxing said, "I saw a quote on QQ Zone a couple days ago."
The campus under the moonlight was tranquil and serene. Tan Qianche took Wei Ruoxing's hand. Neither wore gloves, and the winter wind chilled their knuckles, making them clasp hands tighter.
Tan Qianche asked her, "Isn't QQ Zone full of non-mainstream stuff?"Wei Ruoxing sighed, "It is quite unconventional, and I don't even know its origin, but I just love that line."
"What exactly is the line?" Tan Qianche asked her.
She released his hand, stood on tiptoe, and reached for the top of his head, catching a few white snowflakes. As delighted as a child, she said, "Don't laugh at me when I tell you—the line is: 'When frost and snow cover a hundred heads, it can still be called growing old together.'"
Tan Qianche remained unmoved, as expected. "It's tacky and overly sentimental."
Wei Ruoxing said sheepishly, "If I knew how to write poetry, I'd do it myself."
Tan Qianche then added, "But I like it."
Wei Ruoxing linked arms with him, and he said, "If you like it, I like it."
"You have no sense of self," Wei Ruoxing criticized him.
He replied, "My own definition is my self." Pointing at the sky, he declared, "In the next ten years, I will achieve earth-shattering accomplishments."
"Before you turn twenty-eight?" Wei Ruoxing sounded somewhat incredulous.
Tan Qianche suddenly became modest: "Probably."
Wei Ruoxing asked again, "If you achieve great success by twenty-eight while I remain unknown, what should I do?"
The winter wind made Tan Qianche's head spin. Without thinking, he said, "You can come to my Laboratory and assist me. I'll hire you as a researcher. We'll collaborate as a couple—you'll be the next Marie Curie."
Wei Ruoxing didn't respond.
She pulled her scarf higher, covering half her face. In the howling north wind, frost and snow surged like tides, gradually obscuring her vision.
Winter passed and spring arrived, bringing warmer temperatures. Provincial No. 1 High School organized a province-wide high school academic friendship competition as a warm-up activity for the spring season.
Both Tan Qianche and Wei Ruoxing were top competitors from Provincial No. 1 High School, so naturally, they were expected to bring honor to the school in such minor competitions.
All high school students at Provincial No. 1 High School who passed the preliminary exams could participate in this competition, making the internal selection highly attractive to many top students.
Within Class 18, bets were placed on whether Tan Qianche or Wei Ruoxing would take first place—the vast majority wagered on Tan Qianche, while a very small number believed Wei Ruoxing might win, thinking Tan Qianche might intentionally get a few questions wrong to let his girlfriend take the championship.
However, Tan Qianche's deskmate said, "The probability of Cretaceous dinosaurs coming back to life is higher than Tan Qianche intentionally getting questions wrong! I've been his deskmate for so long—don't I know him?"
The deskmate's guess proved correct.
Tan Qianche once again topped the overall rankings.
Everyone was already accustomed to this—including Wei Ruoxing. She hadn't taken this competition seriously at all.
The day after the results were posted, Wei Ruoxing skipped her noon nap. She washed a box of grapes and brought two dragon fruits to share with Tan Qianche in the classroom. Arriving half an hour early, she found Tan Qianche already seated in the back row.
Wei Ruoxing wanted to surprise him. She deliberately circled to the back door of the classroom and was about to enter when she heard Tan Qianche's deskmate ask, "Is Wei Ruoxing the star student you've been cultivating, Teacher Tan?"
Tan Qianche said, "Of course."
"Yeah," another person chimed in, "When Wei Ruoxing first transferred here, her grades were so poor. It's all thanks to our Brother Che's guidance, right, Brother Che?"
Tan Qianche didn't refute it. He even added, "My girlfriend's talent is a bit lacking. She's not very bright—a bit slow."
The deskmate asked further, "You both plan to become physics teachers in the future. If her level is low, won't she hold you back?"
"How could that happen?" Tan Qianche said impatiently. "I'll just write a few more papers and put her name on all of them. Won't that boost her academic reputation? Things will work out when the time comes."
Someone else asked, "Could Wei Ruoxing surpass you?"
Tan Qianche responded in surprise, "Are you dreaming?"Tan Qianche's voice was pleasant to hear. But at this moment, every word felt like a knife slicing through Wei Ruoxing's heart. She had to admit one fact—in Tan Qianche's eyes, she remained a pitiful, slow-witted fool. He liked her, but didn't appreciate her. He adored her, but didn't respect her.
Wei Ruoxing's hands went weak, the dragon fruit dropping to the ground, which she didn't bother to pick up.
She ran crying all the way back to her dorm, sobbing as she went, crying until she dry-heaved in the bathroom. Had she dated any other boy in the school, it wouldn't have come to this—only Tan Qianche was the exception. He was heaven's favored son who had never faced any setbacks. He looked at failures as if they were ants, and viewed successful people as glimpses of his future self.
He was already an exceptional person, yet he still intensely admired strength. This couldn't really be blamed on him—who doesn't admire strength? Even Wei Ruoxing herself wasn't immune to this common tendency. But she wanted his whole heart, not to be treated like a defeated opponent receiving condescending pity.
Wei Ruoxing stayed in her dorm all day, thinking throughout.
Early the next morning, she called her parents and decided to study abroad in America. She couldn't remain at the same university as Tan Qianche. She wanted to change environments, push herself to sprint forward—she could soar high even without his help.
Wei Ruoxing came from an exceptionally privileged family. When her parents heard she wanted to study overseas, they supported her one hundred percent, immediately helping her make plans. She had already won highly prestigious physics awards, and coupled with her strong English foundation, she easily stood out among the pool of applicants.
After everything was settled, Wei Ruoxing told Tan Qianche about her decision.
They had their confrontation in the hallway on the top floor of the academic building. Tan Qianche initially didn't believe her. Even after hearing her explain multiple times, he still couldn't accept reality, questioning her repeatedly: "You're dumping me?"
She retorted: "It's that I don't want to be dumped by you."
Tan Qianche laughed in extreme anger: "Of course you don't want me to dump you—who else could teach you properly besides me?"
Wei Ruoxing's face turned pale. All her countless words condensed into one sentence: "You're too arrogant."
"My arrogance makes you dislike me?" Tan Qianche went mad, losing all decorum, "Or have you taken a liking to some worthless guy?"
He gripped Wei Ruoxing's wrist tightly. The morning breeze tangled her hair as she reasoned gently: "I can't stand you always looking down on me, calling me stupid in front of classmates. I've told you a thousand times—I'm not stupid, you're just too smart. You're brilliant and proud, how could I ever compare to you? Just chasing after you exhausts me to death. Let go... let go of me!"
During their argument, Wei Ruoxing threw out a harsh remark: "You've been pampered since childhood, always getting perfect scores on exams. Classmates don't dare provoke you, teachers praise you daily. You're a genius who's never faced setbacks—you could never understand me! You and I are from two different worlds!"
Hearing her final words, Tan Qianche seemed to have a sudden realization.
He released her, smiling radiantly: "Go then, the farther the better."
Wei Ruoxing instead halted her steps.
Tan Qianche elegantly cursed one word at her: "Scram."
Before turning away, Wei Ruoxing's face was expressionless.
After turning away, her tears fell like rain.Her pocket still held the handkerchief, rose, and couple's pen that Tan Qianche had given her. She cherished these items immensely, yet also wanted to discard them entirely, leaving not a single one behind.
Both her parents were waiting for her outside the school gate.
A black Audi was parked by the roadside. Wei Ruoxing wiped her tears as she slipped into the car. Seeing her heartbroken sobbing, her mom asked, "Xingxing, what's wrong? Are you sad about leaving your classmates and teachers now that you're going to college in the U.S.?"
She admitted, "I'm so reluctant to leave..."
Her mom comforted her, "Oh, it's not like you'll never see them again. You'll return to China someday, and you can meet again."
"No," she murmured to herself, "We won't meet again. There's no future anymore..."
There was no future left.
Her relationship with Tan Qianche, which had lasted over two years, ended on a clear, sunny early summer day.
During her studies in the U.S., every time she recalled that day, she felt there were countless ways she could have tried to salvage things, countless methods for an honest conversation, yet neither of them had taken any—during the first year, merely thinking of Tan Qianche made her ache. Studying abroad was exceptionally tough, but she dared not relax for even a moment.
Even though Tan Qianche had hurt her so deeply, she still couldn't forget the tenderness they had shared. She also believed that when he told her things like "I want to marry you and spend my life with you," his deep affection had been genuine... Yet, when she heard about Tan Qianche's vibrant college life, she began to doubt whether that first love had just been an illusory dream.
Fate, fate—in the end, they were destined to meet but not to stay together.
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