In early September 2008, high school began.
Jiang Yubai carried a backpack and wore a student uniform as he walked through the gates of the international school.
He was assigned to Class A of the freshman year, which had fourteen students. Among them was a girl named Zhao Gefei, who often organized gatherings for the Chinese students in the class.
Zhao Gefei treated Jiang Yubai with particular attention, even going so far as to personally prepare a bento box for him.
Jiang Yubai thanked Zhao Gefei for her kindness, then proceeded to share the bento with the entire class, earning everyone's praise. However, he himself didn't take a single bite, which was quite disrespectful.
Zhao Gefei was not discouraged.
She persisted for many days until one of Jiang Yubai's friends relayed a message to her: "You cook for Jiang Yubai every day, exhausting yourself and annoying him. It's like 'poking a stick where there are no dates'—completely pointless."
Zhao Gefei suspected that Jiang Yubai had asked his friend to deliver this message.
After all, given his friend's level of Chinese proficiency, he couldn't possibly have used such a complex, profound, and rare folk proverb like "poking a stick where there are no dates" so flexibly.
Zhao Gefei was a person with pride.
She sought out Jiang Yubai and asked him directly, "Don't you like women who are good to you?"
Jiang Yubai countered, "Do you like men who are good to you?"
Zhao Gefei raised an eyebrow. "Yes."
Jiang Yubai leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance toward the school gate.
Zhao Gefei followed his line of sight and spotted a disheveled middle-aged man collecting plastic bottles.
Frowning in shame and anger, she said, "Are you making fun of me?"
On the contrary, Jiang Yubai had no intention of mocking anyone.
He was merely pondering whether the attraction between people could be categorized into many types.
If his appearance were to change drastically, his thoughts and personality would inevitably change along with it. Every person's traits and disposition are interconnected.
Jiang Yubai said briefly, "Thank you for the bento boxes you've been making."
Zhao Gefei stepped forward. "That's not just a bento box—it's a 'love-filled bento.' Sharing the love-filled bento I made for you with others is a waste, you know?"
Jiang Yubai replied, "As long as someone ate it, it wasn't wasted. But that someone couldn't be me."
His rejection was both tactful and direct.
Zhao Gefei asked him angrily, "Jiang Yubai, don't you know how miserable it is to have a crush on someone?"
Jiang Yubai didn't answer.
Zhao Gefei could only say, "Fine, you win."
She turned and walked away.
Jiang Yubai took a thermos from his backpack and poured half a cup of water into the lid.
He sat on the soft sofa at the end of the corridor, drinking the water as if it were tea. A cold breeze tousled his hair slightly as a group of fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boys walked up the stairs—they were Jiang Yubai's friends. They gathered around him like stars surrounding the moon, discussing the group assignment their teacher had given them.
Someone asked Jiang Yubai, "What did Zhao Gefei say to you earlier?"
Jiang Yubai was accustomed to keeping his private matters to himself.
He said, "Nothing much. I passed by and greeted her."
A few days later, it happened to be the school's equestrian class, and Jiang Yubai and his classmates went to the riding arena.
The riding arena was some distance from the school. After the students got off the bus, a cool breeze swept across the open grassland. The equestrian coach led the students to the stables and allowed them to take a couple of photos with the flash turned off.Jiang Yubai was the most enthusiastic photographer.
He dashed off like an unbridled wild horse to capture a panoramic shot from afar, then ran back to the stables and slowly crouched down to photograph the majestic horses from a low angle.
Liu Pu from the neighboring class stood nearby and asked Jiang Yubai’s classmate, “Is your class’s Jiang Yubai someone who’s never seen a horse before, or... a photographer?”
The classmate defended Jiang Yubai: “He’s two years younger than me—he skipped a grade. Young people like taking photos.”
“Can Jiang Yubai ride a horse?” Liu Pu asked again.
The classmate pointed a finger at a sleek black horse: “That’s the horse Jiang Yubai raised since he was a child, named ‘Lychee.’ Several people in our class have their family horses boarded in the school stables. They’re cared for by professionals—it’s quite convenient.”
Before the words faded, several professional coaches appeared around the stables.
The coach repeatedly explained key riding techniques to the students. He emphasized that safety gear must be worn before mounting.
The students all seemed well-behaved, with no troublemakers in sight. The coach was about to praise them when suddenly, a piercing scream cut through the air.
The coach spun around to see a student named Liu Pu open a wooden gate and climb onto a relatively young, temperamental snow-white stallion.
The white horse reared its head with a loud neigh, then galloped wildly across the pasture.
Liu Pu screamed frantically, “Ah! Help! Teacher! Save me! Save me! This horse is too strong! I can’t hold on!”
The more panicked Liu Pu became, the more frenzied the white horse grew.
A thought flashed through the coach’s mind: “This could be fatal.”
Two coaches quickly mounted their horses and raced toward Liu Pu.
The students fell into chaos, murmuring and discussing the scene.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yubai pulled out his phone and dialed 120 for emergency services.
Shortly after he made the call, Liu Pu was thrown from the horse’s back. Jiang Yubai shouted at him, “Don’t reach out! Curl into a ball!”
Liu Pu was too terrified to think straight—how could he possibly heed Jiang Yubai’s advice?
Stiff as a zombie, Liu Pu stretched out his arms rigidly and landed straight on the ground. A few seconds later, he burst into agonized wails: “My hand! My hand’s gone!”
The equestrian coaches rushed over with a first aid kit, surrounding Liu Pu to administer emergency care.
There were four coaches on-site. Following fracture first aid protocols, they quickly stabilized Liu Pu’s limbs to prevent him from thrashing unconsciously.
As Liu Pu’s cries grew weaker, someone asked fearfully, “He’s not going to die, is he? He’s only sixteen.”
Zhao Gefei declared loudly, “Jiang Yubai called 120—Liu Pu won’t die!”
The ambulance hadn’t arrived yet, and the on-duty doctor assigned to the equestrian center was nowhere to be seen—he had been staying in the lounge on the east side of the grounds. The coaches continued their fracture first aid.
One coach took a moment to call the lounge, but no one answered.
Jiang Yubai glanced toward the east-side lounge.
The next second, he swung onto a horse and urged it into a gallop.
Riding a gleaming black horse, he sped across the vast green pasture as exclamations of astonishment rose behind him from his classmates.
Jiang Yubai tightened the reins, fearless, focused only on finding the doctor as quickly as possible.
The lounge drew nearer. He slowed down in time, circled to the backyard of the building, and, peering over a low wall, spotted the doctor dozing on a lounge chair.Jiang Yubai sat astride the horse like a prince who had traveled from afar. He said clearly, "My classmate just fell off a horse. I called 120. The coaches are all waiting for you, Doctor."
The doctor immediately snapped awake. He glanced at his phone and asked hurriedly, "It's only 1:40 in the afternoon. Don't you have class?"
"We arrived early," Jiang Yubai explained. "While the coach was lecturing, my classmate secretly climbed onto the horse's back."
The doctor glanced at Jiang Yubai, then pushed over a small electric scooter. Carrying his medical equipment, he rode the scooter and rushed swiftly toward Liu Pu.
Jiang Yubai led the black horse across the rippling green grassland. From a distance, he saw the doctor kneeling beside Liu Pu. A few minutes later, an ambulance arrived, forcing today's equestrian lesson to end early.
Jiang Yubai raised his hand to smooth the black horse's mane. The horse lifted its head proudly and stomped its front hooves forcefully.
This black horse was named "Lychee."
Lychee had just turned seven—in its prime—an extremely expensive purebred horse. Shortly after its birth, it caught the eye of Jiang Yubai's father, who gifted it to Jiang Yubai as a birthday present.
The young Jiang Yubai was overjoyed.
He often spent long hours shoveling feed in Lychee's stable, working until he was drenched in sweat. He had heard that horses are herd animals that don't recognize owners and are friendly to everyone, but his Lychee was different—since growing into a majestic and powerful steed, it would adopt an "I'm noble, you're unworthy" attitude toward all humans.
Jiang Yubai had boarded Lychee at the school stables hoping it would learn manners from the other students' horses.
However, Lychee had performed exceptionally well earlier. It carried Jiang Yubai to the lounge with unwavering determination like a warhorse, completely unaffected by the classmates' shouts.
The "falling incident" involving Liu Pu came to an end.
Two weeks later, he returned to campus with extraordinary resilience—his left hand wrapped in bandages and his right leg in a cast.
His classmates welcomed him back like a hero, which brought him great comfort.
However, Zhao Gefei from Class A told him that Jiang Yubai was the first to call 120. Jiang Yubai had also ridden to the lounge to fetch the doctor, making the girls from both Class A and Class B scream over his handsomeness and bravery.
Jiang Yubai never mentioned the incident to Liu Pu, nor did he even ask Liu Pu to treat him to a meal.
Liu Pu had to admit that Jiang Yubai was chivalrous, broad-minded, calm, and rational—never demanding repayment for favors, much like the great heroes described in martial arts novels. Though Liu Pu had initially felt resistant toward Jiang Yubai, he later inexplicably integrated into Jiang Yubai's social circle, bridging the connection between Class A and Class B of the freshman year.
Soon, students from both Class A and Class B noticed that Jiang Yubai often carried a camera when visiting various venues, capturing the surrounding scenery.
It wasn't unusual for a rich second-generation heir to dabble in photography. What was unusual was that Jiang Yubai's friend inadvertently revealed that all of Jiang Yubai's photos were taken for a particular girl to see.
Which girl?
Everyone's curiosity peaked at once.
Until they saw Lin Zhixia at the school gate.It was a sunny weekend, and the students had just finished attending a lecture. As they stepped out of the campus, they happened to see Jiang Yubai tugging on Lin Zhixia's backpack strap, while Lin Zhixia playfully tugged at Jiang Yubai's sleeve in return. Their relationship appeared extremely close.
On Monday morning, the moment Jiang Yubai stepped into the classroom, someone immediately asked him, "Hey! Jiang Yubai, buddy, did you get a girlfriend from another school?"
Jiang Yubai flatly denied it: "I've never been in a relationship, and I don't want to be in one."
His classmate pressed further: "Then who was that pretty girl with you at the school gate over the weekend?"
Jiang Yubai declared loftily: "She was my classmate in elementary and middle school. I've known her for six years—she's my friend."
Everyone exclaimed, "Wow, childhood sweethearts!"
Childhood sweethearts.
Such a simple idiom made Jiang Yubai drift into a daze for a moment.
At that time, Jiang Yubai had just entered his second year of high school.
He had been living in Beijing for a full year.
During that year, separated from Lin Zhixia, they had developed the habit of video chatting.
Lin Zhixia had even vowed earnestly: "Jiang Yubai, wait for me. Next year, when I go to university in Beijing, we'll be able to see each other often. I'm really looking forward to it. I'll get to see that horse of yours in person—it's so adorable."
Jiang Yubai took her words to heart.
However, after Lin Zhixia started university, her studies grew increasingly demanding.
In Lin Zhixia's Laboratory, researchers were required to turn off their phones. As a result, she often shut hers off. She stopped answering Jiang Yubai's calls, stopped replying to his messages, and her QQ status was perpetually offline.
The photos Jiang Yubai sent her sank like stones in the ocean. She had completely and utterly vanished from his world.
For years, Jiang Yubai had often heard Lin Zhixia say, "You're my best friend." He had almost been brainwashed by her, forcing himself to frame everything within the bounds of "friendship."
He lost sleep over Lin Zhixia's sudden coldness.
His pillow seemed to carry the faint scent of Strawberry.
The word "Strawberry" took on an almost bewitching quality.
In the dead of night, Jiang Yubai abruptly sat up, picked up a pen intending to write a letter to Lin Zhixia, but struggled for a long time without managing to write a single word—as if he had suddenly reverted to his elementary school days.
He recalled a line of poetry Lin Zhixia had once shared with him: "For love, the brush is hard to wield; a poem revised a thousand times brings peace of mind."
The meaning of the line was that, out of affection, writing becomes difficult, and only after countless revisions does one feel somewhat at ease.
Jiang Yubai sat quietly at his desk until two in the morning, yet the letter paper bore only one sentence: "Long time no see, Lin Zhixia."
He had overestimated his writing speed and underestimated his own feelings.
The moon hid behind dark clouds, and the pitch-black night offered not a glimmer of light. A tangled mess of restlessness and irritation consumed Jiang Yubai.
He capped his pen, walked back to his spacious bed, and took out a copy of Human Observation Diary handwritten by Lin Zhixia. Flipping to the chapter titled "Exploration and Reflection on Quantum Field Theory," he was met with a dense sea of physics formulas. Drowsiness instantly washed over him, and exhaustion poured over his head like a waterfall.
He finally fell asleep.
No matter how much Jiang Yubai liked Lin Zhixia, he simply couldn't read her physics manuscripts.
In his hazy dreams, Jiang Yubai remembered a classmate once asking him, "Jiang Yubai, do you have any idea how miserable it is to have a crush on someone?"
He hadn't known before.
Now, it seemed he was beginning to get an inkling.
*In short, the year Lin Zhixia came to Beijing for university, Jiang Yubai lost contact with her for several months.
Jiang Yubai asked over a dozen people, and everyone told him that Lin Zhixia was thriving in her university life, highly valued by her professors, and praised by all the senior students in the same laboratory building.
Lin Zhixia was happy and fulfilled—a true genius should be in the right environment.
Jiang Yubai couldn't describe his feelings.
Every night before bed, Jiang Yubai would flip through the quantum field theory notes Lin Zhixia had given him—they were his bedtime reading and a way to chase memories.
One night, after reading a page of notes, Jiang Yubai had a bizarre dream.
He dreamed that he and Lin Zhixia remained friends until their hair turned white and their backs bent. Leaning on walking sticks, they strolled along a tree-shaded path. Lin Zhixia said, "Thank you for staying with me until ninety. You’ve been my friend for life, more important than any partner. Why, like me, have you never been in love?"
In the dream, Jiang Yubai replied, "This is something you’ll never understand."
Lin Zhixia questioned, "Never?"
Jiang Yubai remained enigmatic.
The next morning, Jiang Yubai woke up with the dream still vivid in his mind.
He remembered the dappled, swaying shadows of trees, the age spots covering the back of his hand, and the portable electronic walking stick.
Compelled by some strange impulse, he threw on his clothes and stood before a floor-length mirror. The reflection showed a sixteen-year-old youth—tall, long-legged, with jet-black hair.
He roughly pulled open his collar, revealing a broad, robust chest. Youth seemed frozen in that moment, and he began to recall last night’s peculiar dream.
It was the weekend, no classes. After breakfast, Jiang Yubai went to the stable to feed the horses.
He brought a bucket of feed mixed with carrots, strawberries, pumpkin, and apples, but the black horse named "Lychee" stood proudly in the corner, seemingly unwelcoming.
Jiang Yubai called softly, "Lychee."
Lychee stamped a hoof in place.
Jiang Yubai lifted the heavy wooden bucket with one hand: "No appetite? I’ll leave first."
Lychee nearly charged out of the stall.
Jiang Yubai placed the bucket in the feeding trough.
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms , horses like Red Hare and Dilu were said to understand human nature.
But "romance" was, after all, fiction. In reality, the steed Jiang Yubai had raised since it was a foal ate like a piglet, never stopping no matter what he said.
Jiang Yubai didn’t care whether Lychee could understand him.
He just needed someone to listen.
Although Jiang Yubai had many friends, he rarely opened up to others, perhaps because his upbringing had also been somewhat solitary. After all, loneliness is the norm in life.
Jiang Yubai’s parents were busy with work, and his grandparents often taught him to "be wary of others." Since last year, he had attended management training courses at the company. With growing experience and age, his trust in adults was gradually declining.
Back in his first year of middle school, Duan Qiyan often accused Jiang Yubai of being scheming, malicious, and not a good person.
Lin Zhixia always argued fiercely with Duan Qiyan. She said Jiang Yubai was the best person in the world, her forever best friend.
Jiang Yubai asked Lychee, "How long do you think 'forever' is?"Lychee finally finished a bucket of feed. It stretched its neck and leaned closer to Jiang Yubai.
The bay horse next door suddenly let out a whinny—it had noticed Lychee had eaten a pile of delicious food while it received no such treat.
Jiang Yubai rang a bell, and the stable staff hurried over to serve the bay horse an extra meal.
Jiang Yubai casually opened the stall door, and Lychee slowly walked out.
He led Lychee for a stroll in the garden. He said succinctly, "Lin Zhixia's physics notes are like cryptic texts. I can't understand them."
Lychee lowered its head, allowing Jiang Yubai to stroke its forehead.
Jiang Yubai continued, "Last night I had a dream. Lin Zhixia and I were friends until ninety, single our whole lives, and only let go freely when dying."
Lychee exhaled heavily, shaking its head left and right. Jiang Yubai deliberately misinterpreted its gesture: "Are you trying to tell me reality is the exact opposite of dreams?"
He praised earnestly, "You're absolutely right."
He patted Lychee's mane: "Worthy of being the champion horse I raised myself."
Not long after, Lin Zhixia finally called Jiang Yubai.
Lin Zhixia said she had been extremely busy lately and definitely hadn't been intentionally ignoring him.
She agreed to Jiang Yubai's request of "meeting at least once a month." She became a frequent visitor to Jiang Yubai's home.
Jiang Yubai kept a kitten named "Strawberry."
Lin Zhixia adored "Strawberry" and was also quite interested in "Lychee." When she strolled with Jiang Yubai in the garden, Lychee would obediently follow behind them, its hoofbeats becoming soft and slow.
The early autumn wind tousled Lin Zhixia's long hair. She tucked a strand behind her ear and sat on a bench.
Opening her backpack, she happened to find a box of biscuits and asked, "I brought Strawberry biscuits today. Would you like some?"
Jiang Yubai nodded.
Lin Zhixia took out a biscuit: "Ah, open your mouth."
Jiang Yubai pressed his lips together.
Lin Zhixia tilted her head: "Do you want it or not?"
Lychee also tilted its head in imitation.
Jiang Yubai turned to look at Lin Zhixia.
She blinked, reaching forward until the biscuit touched his lips. He took a bite, and crumbs from the strawberry filling scattered at the corner of his mouth.
Just as Lin Zhixia was about to wipe his mouth with her fingertip, she suddenly felt shy. She handed him a napkin: "You'd better do it."
Jiang Yubai took the tissue.
Lin Zhixia randomly changed the subject: "How's school going for you?"
"Attending classes as usual," Jiang Yubai summarized, "It's fine."
Lin Zhixia seemed to see through him: "Did something happen? Tell me, I'll help you figure it out."
Jiang Yubai employed reverse psychology: "I can't waste your time."
Lin Zhixia, being clever, instantly grasped his underlying meaning: "Don't worry, I won't lose contact with you again. I'll give you the landline number at the laboratory. If you can't reach me, just call that number..."
Jiang Yubai handed her his phone, and she immediately entered a series of digits.
The setting autumn sun cast its remaining light into his eyes, making his gaze warm and clear. Lin Zhixia stared captivated, while he revealed softly, as if telling a story, "Not long ago, I had a dream."
"What dream?" Lin Zhixia's curiosity was piqued.He completely recounted his dream of meeting Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia at ninety years old.
In just a few words, Lin Zhixia was stunned: "Really?"
She said, "I feel something is off."
Jiang Yubai retorted, "Don't you want to be friends with me for a lifetime?"
Lin Zhixia hesitated, her words caught in her throat.
Jiang Yubai remained polite and restrained. He swiftly changed the subject to avoid making Lin Zhixia feel awkward.
Jiang Yubai was only sixteen this year. His romantic experience was as pure as a blank sheet of paper, and Lin Zhixia was no different. He wasn't sure whether his feelings for Lin Zhixia could be considered "true love"—everything has two sides, and emotions are a double-edged sword. He would reserve the good side for Lin Zhixia and bear the bad side himself, suppressing thoughts related to anxiety, frustration, jealousy, and possessiveness to the lowest possible point.
This kind of unrequited love wasn't particularly miserable because it was inherently positive and bright.
Within just a few seconds, Jiang Yubai came to a realization. He stood up from his seat and said to Lin Zhixia, "It's getting dark. Let me walk you back to school."
He reached out a hand toward Lin Zhixia. She grasped his fingers, and he pressed lightly against her fingertips before hesitantly letting go. They walked side by side in the fading glow of the setting sun, their shadows overlapping as if they had never been apart.
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