The living room of the Lin family was cramped, with white-painted walls and furniture that was about sixty to seventy percent new.
The sofa's armrests and back were covered with beige embroidered cloth to protect against dust. Though the sofa had been used for a long time—its cushions slightly sunken and corners faded, giving it a somewhat worn appearance—it was kept meticulously clean.
"Please sit down first. I'll bring you some fruit," Lin Zhixia said warmly and openly.
Jiang Yubai stood motionless at the entrance. "Should I change my shoes?"
Lin Zhixia was prepared.
A few days earlier, she had bought a brand-new pair of men's slippers, secretly wrapped them in a plastic bag, and hidden them in a clean box on the top shelf of the shoe cabinet.
Now, in front of Jiang Yubai, she took out the plastic-wrapped package and handed it to him. Then, she called toward the kitchen, "Mom, my friend is here."
Mom was cooking in the kitchen. Hearing her daughter's voice, she set down the spatula and walked into the living room.
The aroma of food wafted into the living room—the familiar scent of braised chicken legs. Lin Zhixia happily circled her mom once and expressed her feelings plainly: "Thank you, Mom. You've made so many delicious dishes. My friend will definitely like them."
Mom didn't reply immediately. She paused upon seeing Jiang Yubai and asked, "Xia Xia, is this the good friend you've known for five years?"
"Yes," Lin Zhixia introduced him. "Back at Experimental Primary School, Jiang Yubai was my deskmate. The day after I had a fever from the Hepatitis B vaccine, he came to our house to bring me my homework. Mom, do you remember?"
Mom vaguely recalled the incident. Clutching her apron, she lowered her voice and said, "Please, have a seat."
Jiang Yubai was polite and courteous. "Hello, Auntie. I'm Jiang Yubai. I transferred to Experimental Primary School in fourth grade and later skipped a grade to attend the Olympiad class at Provincial No. 1 Middle School. I was Lin Zhixia's classmate in both elementary and middle school."
Observing her mom's expression, Lin Zhixia added enthusiastically, "Jiang Yubai is in the top five of our grade in middle school. When I participate in competitions, he often ranks first in the grade. We often discuss mathematics, physics, philosophy, and economics. Jiang Yubai has carefully read every paper I've published."
Mom smiled slightly, her fingers loosening their grip on the apron. "Students from No. 1 Middle School are all good kids."
Jiang Yubai rarely visited others' homes empty-handed. He took out a can of green tea, a box of Hong Kong-style pastries, and an exquisite tea set, placing them slowly on the table as gifts for his visit. Lin Zhixia and her mom watched him intently.
Taking a step back, Jiang Yubai said politely, "I brought a few things. They taste quite good…"
Before he could finish, Lin Zhixia interrupted, "You're visiting my home. I can't accept your gifts for no reason."
"It's not for no reason," Jiang Yubai explained. "Auntie has prepared so many dishes. I'd like to invite her to have some tea."
Lin Zhixia suddenly moved closer to Jiang Yubai and asked softly, "Jiang Yubai, you've changed so much. You're more articulate than when you were little. Did you read a lot while studying in Beijing? Did you use the 31-day bookmark I gave you?"
Perhaps not wanting her mom to hear, her voice grew even softer. "Use one bookmark each day, think of Lin Zhixia once a day."Jiang Yubai found himself at a loss for words—a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.
He stood quietly in place, the tips of his ears slightly flushed. Slowly turning his face away, he deliberately avoided Lin Zhixia's gaze. His youthful, somewhat clueless demeanor actually put Lin Zhixia's mom at ease.
Mom instructed, "Xia Xia, why don't you and your friend watch some TV for a while? The pressure cooker is still stewing the pig trotters—I need to check on it."
"Okay, Mom," Lin Zhixia replied.
Mom turned and headed to the kitchen to continue cooking. For lunch today, she had prepared a lavish spread of six dishes and one soup to entertain Lin Zhixia's good friend.
Lin Zhixia brought out a glass bowl from the kitchen, filled with easy-to-peel fruits like oranges, bananas, longans, and lychees. She placed the bowl on the coffee table, then bent down and gently pushed the table closer to Jiang Yubai.
Sitting on the sofa, Jiang Yubai hesitated for a moment before picking up a lychee.
As he peeled the skin, the abundant juice splattered everywhere.
Lin Zhixia opened a pack of wet wipes, took one out, and handed it to him. She added, "I bought a few types of fruit and chilled them in the fridge for a bit. It's so hot today—I was worried you might feel uncomfortable."
The temperature outside had reached 34 degrees Celsius, and Lin Zhixia's home didn't have air conditioning.
The standing fan faced them, whirring as it blew a strong breeze. The hem of Lin Zhixia's dress flowed like lotus leaves on a pond, swaying and fluttering gently. She pressed her hands down on her skirt, keeping the fabric's edge covering her knees.
Jiang Yubai stared straight ahead, not letting his eyes wander. "Thank you for going to the trouble of preparing all this."
"Don't mention it—no need to be so polite with me," Lin Zhixia said cheerfully.
Jiang Yubai's words had been unintentional. In reality, his mind was repeatedly echoing one of Lin Zhixia's reminders: Use one bookmark every day, think of Lin Zhixia once every day.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhixia watched his profile, unable to guess what important matter he was pondering. He glanced sideways at her, as if catching her peeking. "Are you still looking at me?"
Lin Zhixia asked, "Is that not allowed?"
Jiang Yubai didn't reply. He simply smiled. And with that smile—oh, what a smile it was—his eyes brimmed with amusement, casting everything around them in a warm hue. Lin Zhixia's cheeks flushed pink.
Stammering, Lin Zhixia said, "I... I won't look at you anymore."
Jiang Yubai suggested, "Let's watch TV."
Lin Zhixia found the remote and pressed the power button.
On the wooden cabinet against the wall stood a 28-inch color TV. This television, manufactured in the last century, had accompanied Lin Zhixia throughout her entire childhood. She had loved watching TV as a child, but since starting junior high, her leisure time had shrunk considerably, and she wasn't sure what programs were interesting these days.
So she simply asked him, "Which channel do you like?"
Jiang Yubai answered honestly, "Educational ones."
Lin Zhixia happened to flip to CCTV-7.
As everyone knows, CCTV-7 is the military and agriculture channel. At that moment, it was broadcasting "Greenhouse Vegetable Cultivation" for its viewers.
Thus, Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai began observing the growth journey of greenhouse vegetables together.CCTV-7 invited an agricultural professor to meticulously explain "how to utilize bees for pollination in greenhouses during winter." In the cold winter days, diligent bees shuttled through the greenhouse, efficiently collecting vegetable nectar, while a few small bees got stuck in the membrane gaps. The expert suggested farmers intervene manually, promptly stepping in to rescue the bees.
Lin Zhixia watched with great interest, while Jiang Yubai was distracted.
Lin Zhixia continued, "A few years ago, there was a wasp nest hanging outside my brother's window. Have you ever seen a wasp? They're much scarier than bees. A single wasp is about this big..." She gestured a length with her fingers.
Jiang Yubai lowered his head to examine her fingers. "Are you scared?"
Lin Zhixia revealed, "I'm okay. When I see wasps, I don't panic. But my brother is different. He was bitten by a centipede when he was little, so he's especially afraid of insects. When he saw that wasp nest, he almost went crazy."
Today, Jiang Yubai had discovered Lin Zeqiu's weakness.
Jiang Yubai never expected that Lin Zeqiu, who always appeared cold and aloof, would break down at the sight of a tiny insect.
There were insects in Jiang Yubai's backyard too. Even though the gardeners worked hard to remove pests and weeds, raising fish and birds, every summer inevitably saw a few flying insects escape to freedom. Jiang Yubai never paid any attention to those creatures. He didn't react when he saw wasps either, unless one turned aggressive and stung him.
He commented, "Lin Zeqiu's personality... is quite special."
"Mhmm," Lin Zhixia expressed agreement.
Jiang Yubai lowered his head and picked up another lychee.
Lin Zhixia's hands moved faster. She had already peeled off most of the hard shell, revealing the gleaming white flesh. Holding the remaining shell, she steadied the lychee and reached it toward Jiang Yubai's mouth—this move caught him completely off guard.
Jiang Yubai immediately leaned back, retreating to the farthest corner of the sofa, and called her name: "Lin Zhixia."
Lin Zhixia's mom often fed her lychees, leaving an imprint in her subconscious to imitate. Seeing Jiang Yubai pick up a lychee, she naturally peeled one for him. When he spoke her name, she suddenly realized her behavior was inappropriate.
Her cheeks flushed red with both embarrassment and frustration. "You... I—why can't I speak properly?"
Jiang Yubai remained calm. "It's okay, don't rush. Whatever you want to say, you can take your time."
Lin Zhixia stood up and extended an invitation. "Let me show you my room."
Jiang Yubai followed Lin Zhixia into her bedroom.
The bedroom was clean and tidy, with bright windows and spotless surfaces. The walls were painted light pink, full of a young girl's living atmosphere. On Lin Zhixia's bed lay three stuffed toys—the Little Penguin she won at the aquarium, the little kitten Jiang Yubai gave her, and the Swiss Mountain Dog Jiang Yubai gave her.
The first shelf of Lin Zhixia's bookcase held a collection of birthday gifts she had received, including a hairpin box, a crystal palace, physics exercise books, and a Spaceship model—all of these were Jiang Yubai's contributions.
In short, traces of Jiang Yubai were everywhere.
Though Jiang Yubai showed nothing on the surface, he felt secretly pleased inside. Just as he was about to speak to Lin Zhixia, she suddenly crouched down.Lin Zhixia pulled a wooden box from under her bed. The box was filled with scattered components, circuit boards, and various tools. As she rummaged through it with her hands, she said, "This summer vacation, we can build a robot together."
"Build a robot at your house?" Jiang Yubai stepped closer to her.
"We could go to school too," Lin Zhixia planned seriously. "If I just ask the teacher, they'll give us a classroom... Let's go to school. There's air conditioning and lots of computers there."
Jiang Yubai tactfully suggested, "My house has air conditioning and many computers too."
"My Dad won't let me go to your house anymore." Lin Zhixia sighed softly.
Jiang Yubai asked quietly, "Why?"
Resting her chin in her hand, Lin Zhixia explained, "The victimization rate for girls under eighteen is much higher than for adult women over eighteen. Probably because of this, both Dad and Brother are quite strict with me."
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Yubai expressed succinctly, "From their perspective, I can understand them."
Lin Zhixia gripped a hammer and tapped the edge of the wooden box. "Jiang Yubai, you're so good, so understanding."
"You flatter me," Jiang Yubai responded modestly.
Lin Zhixia pushed the box in front of Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai's high school elective courses included mathematics, physics, economics, and further mathematics. He had spent considerable time studying physics, and his physics tutor had systematically taught him circuit knowledge. But he had never considered making a circuit board himself.
He was full of interest in robots.
Sitting on the floor, he examined the contents of the box and asked, "What other components do you need?"
Lin Zhixia turned on the electric fan and sat beside him.
The fan created circulating air, its rotating blades directed at Jiang Yubai. Lin Zhixia could more clearly perceive that Jiang Yubai had a pleasant scent—a fresh, subtle fragrance that reminded her of summer mint.
Moving closer to him, she declared proudly, "I've earned a lot of scholarship money. I'll buy the components myself."
But Jiang Yubai said, "Since we're building the robot together, you should let me cover part of the cost."
"Well, since you said so," Lin Zhixia turned her face to look at him, "alright then, I'll make you a list."
Jiang Yubai pulled out a circuit board. "If we can't finish during summer vacation, I'll take everything to Beijing. We'll complete this project in Beijing."
"Okay, okay!" Lin Zhixia agreed happily.
While Jiang Yubai examined the circuit structure, Lin Zhixia patiently explained it to him.
Lin Zhixia said she wanted to create a humanoid robot—first drawing the model with SolidWorks, performing dynamic analysis with ADAMS, designing the PCB circuit with Altium Designer, preferably installing a camera and audio transceiver, then using pattern recognition algorithms to analyze video images and natural language processing algorithms to analyze tokens... In short, their robot must learn to avoid obstacles and achieve simple voice responses.
The more Lin Zhixia talked, the more excited she became, almost unable to stop.Jiang Yubai maintained his composure and calmly asked, "You mentioned cameras, sensors, voice transceivers—with all these hardware and software devices combined, roughly how much would it cost? Is your scholarship enough?"
Lin Zhixia blinked.
She mentally calculated the expenses and was immediately rendered speechless.
Her ideal robot was essentially a bottomless money pit.
As Lin Zhixia remained silent, Jiang Yubai pressed further, "Approximately how much?"
Lin Zhixia countered, "Jiang Yubai, have you ever earned a scholarship?"
During his three years of junior high at Provincial No. 1 Middle School, Jiang Yubai had indeed received scholarships.
Jiang Yubai clearly remembered earning 700 RMB.
His mom had said, "700 yuan can buy a lot of things."
His dad had said, "Not bad, 700 yuan is quite substantial."
Only his uncle told him the truth: "Xiao Jiang, you're outstanding, truly your parents' son. But your parents earn more than 700 in a minute."
Jiang Yubai wasn't discouraged. He knew that once he grew up, he too could make a fortune daily and reach his parents' level. So he replied with extra calm, "I earned 700."
Lin Zhixia patted his shoulder. "Let's make a simple robot, nothing flashy."
Surprisingly, Jiang Yubai said, "I want something flashy."
Lin Zhixia pondered thoughtfully.
Jiang Yubai elaborated, "I want the robot to speak, make gestures, and avoid obstacles."
Lin Zhixia gripped the wooden box with both hands as Jiang Yubai negotiated with her, "You can consider me your partner. You contribute technically, I'll provide the funds—we'll both be shareholders in the robot company."
Lin Zhixia accepted his proposal but hesitated, "It might cost tens of thousands of RMB..."
Jiang Yubai nearly blurted out: Is tens of thousands all it takes?
After a moment's consideration, he revised his response: "Alright, I trust your planning."
Lin Zhixia rallied her spirits and threw herself into the grand task of building the robot. She brought over a chair and placed it in front of the desk, inviting Jiang Yubai to sit beside her.
Then, she opened a Word document on her computer: "Jiang Yubai, let's start with 'requirement design.' I'll record the robot's functions and email the document to you."
Jiang Yubai placed his hands on the keyboard. He typed out a line—The Robot Jointly Created by Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai.
Lin Zhixia nodded approvingly. "Yes, it's a testament to our friendship."
Jiang Yubai gazed at the screen and smiled faintly. "Give it a name."
Lin Zhixia rattled off a string of suggestions: "Xia Bai, Zhi Yu, Lin Jiang, Strawberry Lychee... I just discovered today that you like lychees."
Jiang Yubai simply said, "Strawberry Lychee isn't dignified enough."
Lin Zhixia made the final decision: "Lin Jiang, let's call it Lin Jiang—it has both a surname and a given name."
Jiang Yubai highlighted the robot's formal name in bold black font—Lin Jiang.
The bedroom window was wide open, summer breeze filtering through the screen, warm and lingering. Shadows of swaying trees danced on the wall, cicadas chirped incessantly, and a fan stood behind Jiang Yubai, bringing him a unique coolness—different from the central air conditioning at his home. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he always felt Lin Zhixia's room carried a faint, sweet fragrance of strawberries.The atmosphere in the room was very relaxed as Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia discussed the specific functions of the robot, exchanging ideas back and forth. After a lively and detailed discussion, Jiang Yubai set fourteen goals, and Lin Zhixia annotated each one with the required software and hardware.
Lin Zhixia was in an excellent mood.
The blue sky and white clouds outside the window perfectly reflected her inner state. She felt as if she were floating on clouds, strolling through the air, and wandering freely in an unbounded space.
At noon, Lin Zhixia's Mom finished preparing lunch.
Standing in the living room, Mom called out, "Xia Xia, it's time to eat. What have you and your friend been busy with? Are you hungry?"
Lin Zhixia had just printed out a requirements document for the robot. She handed the paper document to her Mom and said, "Mom, Jiang Yubai and I are planning to build a robot. We've been discussing the functional details."
Mom glanced at it and remarked, "Xia Xia's friends are all the smartest kids."
After placing the document on the dining table, Mom turned to Lin Zhixia and said, "I just remembered—your Dad mentioned Jiang Yubai to me."
"What did he say?" Lin Zhixia pressed for details.
Mom reminded her, "The parent-teacher conference secretary... Did your Dad ever tell you about that?"
Lin Zhixia knew exactly what Mom meant by "the parent-teacher conference secretary incident."
Every time the school held a parent-teacher conference, Lin Zhixia's Dad would actively attend. According to school rules, parents were supposed to sit in their child's seat. Logically, since Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai were desk mates, their parents should have met long ago. However, Lin Zhixia's Dad had never met Jiang Yubai's parents; he had only encountered the secretary of Jiang Yubai's Mom's secretary.
That's right—Jiang Yubai's Mom's secretary also had a secretary.
The secretary of Jiang Yubai's Mom's secretary was a woman in her twenties. This young woman had attended several parent-teacher conferences on behalf of Jiang Yubai's family. She communicated with all the subject teachers and recorded everything they said with a voice recorder, which left a deep impression on Lin Zhixia's Dad.
Just as Lin Zhixia was thinking about her Dad, he walked through the door.
Dad was wearing a cotton T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, and he headed straight for the living room. When he saw Lin Zhixia, he reached out and patted her head. "Xia Xia, has your friend arrived?"
Lin Zhixia replied somewhat shyly, "Dad, turn around."
Dad turned and found himself face to face with Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai greeted him, "Hello, Uncle."
Dad laughed heartily. "Hello there, Jiang Yubai, young classmate." Without saying more, he picked up his lunchbox and left for the store to tend to business. During summer vacation, students often came to buy soda and snacks, so he couldn't afford to stay home and waste time.
The living room in Lin Zhixia's house was directly connected to the kitchen. The so-called "dining area" was a separate corner of the living room, furnished with a round table and four wooden chairs.
Jiang Yubai proactively helped set out the chairs. He, Lin Zhixia, and Lin Zhixia's Mom sat around the table together.
Holding her chopsticks, Lin Zhixia recited the dishes: "Braised chicken legs, spicy pig trotters, pork-stuffed tofu rolls, oil-braised prawns, steamed water bamboo shoots, oyster sauce lettuce, and tomato egg soup. What a feast! Mom, you're the best."Mom wiped her face with a damp towel. The kitchen was very hot, and she had sweated quite a bit. She had just changed her clothes and washed her face before letting Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai come out to eat.
Lin Zhixia gazed at her mom and suddenly said, "Mom, let's buy an air conditioner tomorrow."
Mom replied, "No need to buy one. Air conditioners aren't essential. Xia Xia has money now, but we should spend it where it matters most."
"Air conditioners are essential," Lin Zhixia stated with factual reasoning. "The weather is getting hotter and hotter."
Mom placed a chicken drumstick in Lin Zhixia's bowl: "Xia Xia, eat first. We'll talk about the air conditioner tonight."
Jiang Yubai did not state his position. He quietly listened to the conversation between Lin Zhixia and her mother while thinking that both of Lin Zhixia's parents called her Xia Xia, and his QQ nickname for her was also Xia Xia. This childhood name suited Lin Zhixia perfectly—she was as warm, cheerful, and radiant as summer.
Jiang Yubai's mind was filled with thoughts of Lin Zhixia when she placed a piece of tofu skin roll stuffed with meat in his bowl: "This is my mom's specialty dish. It's really delicious."
Jiang Yubai took a bite, chewing slowly and deliberately before saying, "It's delicious. Thank you, Auntie."
Both Lin Zhixia and her mother smiled. As Lin Zhixia lowered her head to continue eating, the front door opened again, and she heard heavy footsteps. Turning to look, she saw Lin Zeqiu standing silently in the entryway, his schoolbag slung over one shoulder, exuding a chilly aura.
Lin Zhixia called out, "Brother, come eat quickly! Today's lunch is super delicious."
Lin Zeqiu walked over without a word.
The atmosphere at the table was harmonious, making Lin Zeqiu almost believe that Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia were the real family—this realization put him on high alert and put him in a state of high vigilance.
Lin Zeqiu pulled up a wooden chair and placed it between Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai, forcing Jiang Yubai to move aside and make space for him.
Jiang Yubai picked up his rice bowl and moved to the edge of the table. He accepted this arrangement without a word, using his chopsticks only to pick from the two dishes in front of him. His dining manners remained impeccable, capturing Lin Zhixia's full attention.
Lin Zhixia stood up from her seat and rearranged the dishes on the table. She moved the plate of braised chicken legs closer to Jiang Yubai's left side and also scooped a spoonful of soy-braised prawns for him.
She turned the fan to its highest setting and adjusted its angle so that when the base rotated, the breeze would blow directly toward Jiang Yubai.
Lin Zhixia's meticulous care for Jiang Yubai made Lin Zeqiu lose his appetite for the day's lunch.
The brilliant, dazzling summer sunlight could not dispel the gloom in Lin Zeqiu's heart. He set down his rice bowl and asked, "Jiang Yubai, when did you come to my house?"
Jiang Yubai answered truthfully, "Ten in the morning."
Ten in the morning?!
Lin Zeqiu looked up at the wall clock.
It was now 12:10 PM Beijing time—meaning Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai had been alone together for over two hours.
Dad was busy at the supermarket, Mom was cooking in the kitchen, and Lin Zeqiu had been at school for extra classes... With no one supervising Lin Zhixia, she and Jiang Yubai had been alone in the house and might have forgotten the boundaries between boys and girls.
Lin Zeqiu sighed inwardly.
Lin Zhixia called softly, "Brother."
Lin Zeqiu covered his forehead.
Lin Zhixia called again, "Brother!"
Lin Zeqiu ignored his sister.
Mom interjected, "Qiu Qiu, Xia Xia is calling you. Answer her."
Lin Zeqiu's attitude remained unyielding. He let out a cold laugh from the back of his throat, "Heh."
Mom had already eaten half a bowl of rice and drunk half a bowl of soup. She grabbed the keys from the table and said casually, "It's too hot today. Several customers in the neighborhood asked your dad to deliver beer. Qiu Qiu, stay home and look after your sister's friend. I'll go help your dad—he can't manage alone."
"Sure," Lin Zeqiu agreed with unusual readiness. "Jiang Yubai and I have known each other for a long time. We get along well."Jiang Yubai didn't expose Lin Zeqiu. He played along very cooperatively: "Yes, we have a good relationship."
As someone in the know, Lin Zhixia froze momentarily. Holding her rice bowl with a chicken leg in her mouth, she pondered her brother's motives.
With a "bang" of the door, Mom went out. Lin Zeqiu lightly tapped the table with his left hand and said in an unfriendly tone: "I have no classes this afternoon. Whatever game you two want to play, include me."
Before Lin Zhixia could speak, Jiang Yubai quickly said: "Lin Zhixia and I are designing robots. We plan to use Ada for dynamic analysis, combining pattern recognition and natural language processing algorithms to handle video and audio... You should join us too. The more the merrier."
Lin Zeqiu didn't understand the first half of Jiang Yubai's sentence at all.
He keenly sensed Jiang Yubai's hostility.
Admittedly, the more he looked at Jiang Yubai, the more displeased he felt.
He casually accepted the challenge: "I'd like to play with robots too."
After speaking, he picked up a chicken leg and put it in Lin Zhixia's bowl: "Your favorite chicken leg, I dipped it in sauce for you. Is this meal good? Only our family truly understands you, right?"
Jiang Yubai smiled. Using his chopsticks, he twisted off a shrimp head and picked up the tail: "Lin Zhixia, I can peel shrimp for you."
"Really?" Lin Zhixia didn't refuse. "Then peel one for me."
Before the meal, Jiang Yubai had already washed his hands once.
After Lin Zhixia spoke, Jiang Yubai went to the kitchen to wash his hands again. He took a disinfectant wipe, carefully dried his fingertips, and sat back in his seat with an elegant posture as if occupying a high position.
Then, like an assembly line worker in a factory, he began focusing on peeling shrimp.
He peeled two shrimp and placed them in a small dish.
After Lin Zhixia ate the shrimp, she happily said: "Okay, I've tasted them and received your kindness. You're a guest, you should eat and don't need to take care of me."
Lin Zeqiu watched Jiang Yubai coldly, thinking: This guy really knows how to put on a show.
No wonder his sister was fooled by Jiang Yubai.
However, Lin Zeqiu would always see things clearly.
Lin Zeqiu pushed aside the dish Jiang Yubai had placed the shrimp in. He served Lin Zhixia a bowl of soup and asked solicitously: "What have you been busy with lately? How did you sleep last night? Do you still want to go to the library this weekend? Brother will go with you."
Lin Zhixia was flattered.
She and Lin Zeqiu had been siblings for over ten years, and Lin Zeqiu had never referred to himself as "Brother" in front of her before.
Jiang Yubai didn't know this.
Jiang Yubai only thought Lin Zeqiu was competing with him.
Jiang Yubai wouldn't admit defeat easily. He seized the opportunity to change the subject: "Where can we buy motor driver boards and motor base plates? Should we start building the robot from the base plate?"
In this round of competition, Jiang Yubai came out on top—Lin Zhixia prioritized answering Jiang Yubai's question.
As Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai discussed robots, Lin Zeqiu couldn't get a word in edgewise.
Jiang Yubai glanced at Lin Zeqiu, fully displaying his "invincible" demeanor.
Lin Zeqiu's face turned ashen. He was so angry he nearly exploded on the spot.
Lin Zeqiu hastily finished the rice in his bowl, picked up his schoolbag, and headed toward the bedroom. Stopping at the doorway, a plan suddenly occurred to him.
With his back to Lin Zhixia, he said: "I got 29 points in math, out of 150 total."29 points?
Lin Zhixia was stunned.
No matter what Jiang Yubai said to her, she couldn’t process it anymore. She hurriedly asked, “Brother, did you come across a lot of questions you couldn’t solve?”
Lin Zeqiu had dealt a blow to the enemy at the cost of suffering a greater one himself: “There were too many questions I couldn’t solve. If you’re willing to explain them to me after you finish eating, come over. If not, that’s fine too—I’ll figure them out on my own.”
Her brother was about to enter his final year of high school next semester, yet his math score had suddenly dropped to 29 points. This worried Lin Zhixia deeply. She knew her brother was a proud person—unless the situation was truly critical, he would never reveal his grades, let alone proactively ask Lin Zhixia for help.
But Jiang Yubai stood up and reminded her, “I heard Lin Zeqiu is at the top of his class in high school. To suddenly score 29 points…”
Lin Zhixia blinked.
Jiang Yubai changed his tone: “Could he have run into some kind of problem?”
Lin Zhixia abandoned her meal. She dashed into Lin Zeqiu’s bedroom and slapped her hands on the desk with a “smack.” “Brother, take out that 29-point test. Let me have a look.”
Lin Zeqiu didn’t have any 29-point test at all!
Yes, he had lied earlier.
In his backpack was only a test paper with a score of 139.
Jiang Yubai, like a silent ghost, appeared behind Lin Zeqiu. Calmly, he suggested, “Take out the test. Lin Zhixia can help you identify and fill the gaps.”
Lin Zeqiu hadn’t expected this guy to be so ruthless. He looked all noble and aloof, yet he was driving him into a corner with no way out!
Where could Lin Zeqiu possibly produce a 29-point math test? He could only say, “Don’t worry about it. Let me think it through myself first.”
Lin Zhixia recalled her brother’s contradictory words and actions. Her unconditional trust in him wavered slightly. Transforming into a little devil, she asked directly, “Did you really score 29 points? When did you take the test?”
Lin Zeqiu couldn’t hide the truth from Lin Zhixia.
He knew she would trace every clue and corner him until he had no escape—this was how Lin Zeqiu had endured life since childhood. He simply tidied his desk and issued an eviction order: “I’m tired. I need to take a nap.”
“Alright, we won’t disturb you then. Rest well,” Jiang Yubai said politely.
Then, Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia returned to her bedroom to continue discussing their grand robot project.
Lin Zeqiu passed by the door several times but never stepped inside. Jiang Yubai kept pressing the issue of the “29-point math test,” and Lin Zeqiu hadn’t yet thought of a countermeasure.
He had miscalculated.
He had underestimated Jiang Yubai.
Lin Zeqiu wandered around the living room for ten minutes, then sat on the sofa for half an hour, glancing at Lin Zhixia periodically. Eventually, he truly grew tired and drowsy—last night, he hadn’t closed the window screen properly, and a few mosquitoes had gotten in, disturbing his sleep.
He returned to his bedroom, lay down on the bed, and thought: I’ll just sleep for ten minutes.
Who would have thought he’d sleep for three hours?
When he woke up, the house was eerily quiet. Startled, he rushed barefoot to Lin Zhixia’s bedroom without even putting on his slippers.
He found only Lin Zhixia there.
“Where’s Jiang Yubai?” Lin Zeqiu demanded.
“He went home,” Lin Zhixia said, licking an ice cream. “He left ten minutes ago.”This evening, Jiang Yubai's parents hosted a banquet for Miss Jessica.
Miss Jessica's father is a prominent figure on the global rich list. She also has three older brothers. As the only daughter in the family, she is the apple of her father's eye—this wealthy heiress from Singapore is highly likely to become Jiang Shaoqi's future wife.
For both personal and practical reasons, Jiang Yubai had to attend tonight's banquet.
So, Jiang Yubai had just left.
Lin Zhixia saw him off and took the opportunity to visit the family supermarket, returning with a strawberry ice cream cone. Just as she was happily eating it, her brother said dejectedly, "I didn't hear any sound..."
"You were sleeping too soundly," Lin Zhixia revealed. "Jiang Yubai and I were speaking softly, afraid of disturbing you."
Her brother fell silent.
"There's chilled watermelon in the fridge. Would you like some, Brother?" Lin Zhixia asked again.
Sure enough, her brother brought over the watermelon. He sat in Lin Zhixia's room, quietly burying his head in eating the watermelon, completely devoid of the arrogance he had shown hours earlier.
Watching him, Lin Zhixia murmured to herself, "I'll definitely miss you when I go to study in Beijing."
Her brother paused for a moment. After a while, he whispered as if talking in his sleep, "Me too."
From July to August 2009, Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai often met at Provincial No. 1 High School.
Lin Zhixia secured a small classroom in the science building from a teacher. She and Jiang Yubai worked on building a robot there. They wanted a robot with complex functions, so Lin Zhixia's craftsmanship was extremely meticulous.
She taught Jiang Yubai how to solder circuit boards.
During his first attempt, Jiang Yubai accidentally burned himself, leaving a scar on the back of his left hand. He didn't mind at all, but Lin Zhixia felt somewhat guilty. Jiang Yubai then said, "Scars are marks of growth."
Lin Zhixia laughed at his remark.
They collaborated for over a month and achieved some basic functions.
By late August, as Lin Zhixia was about to leave for Beijing, she entrusted the robot to Jiang Yubai. She said to him earnestly, "Jiang Yubai, I'm leaving Lin Jiang in your care. Once I'm settled in Beijing, we can play with it together."
Holding Lin Jiang, Jiang Yubai promised, "Don't worry. I'll protect it while you're away."
"Mmhmm!" Lin Zhixia beamed.
Before departing for Beijing, Lin Zhixia's classmates held a farewell party for her in the cafeteria of Provincial No. 1 High School.
Dong Sunqi, Duan Qiyan, Shen Fuxuan, Tang Tingting, and others all attended. To Lin Zhixia's surprise, even Jin Baihui showed up.
Jin Baihui appeared for about two minutes. She flashed past everyone. As she passed Lin Zhixia, Jin Baihui said, "You must work hard in university."
Lin Zhixia replied, "Of course."
Jin Baihui nodded. Then, she broke into a sprint and ran out of the cafeteria.
No one understood Jin Baihui's behavior.
Shen Fuxuan joked, "This scene feels familiar. My first impression of Duan Qiyan was him madly dashing outside the classroom..."
At Shen Fuxuan's remark, everyone present burst into loud laughter.
Duan Qiyan pressed his lips together, both embarrassed and annoyed.
Tang Tingting was also laughing at him. He waved his right hand in front of her eyes. Tang Tingting snapped at him fiercely, "What are you doing?"
Duan Qiyan insisted, "Running is youth, running is vitality."Dong Sunqi slowly stood up, clapping vigorously: "Great! Well said! Running is youth, running is vitality!"
Everyone quieted down, their gazes focusing on Dong Sunqi.
Dong Sunqi calmly took charge: "Hello seniors, I'm Dong Sunqi, Lin Zhixia's elementary school classmate. I have an idea. Since Lin Zhixia is going to Beijing for university, let's take turns saying a few words to her - words of blessing - to lighten the atmosphere!"
Jiang Yubai was the first to agree: "Alright, I'll start."
Lin Zhixia turned her head to look at him as he said: "May all of Lin Zhixia's questions be answered, may she forge ahead courageously on unknown paths, and may everything go smoothly."
"Okay!" Lin Zhixia said with full energy.
Shen Fuxuan continued: "I wish you... happiness every day, and may the you in parallel universes be happy too."
"Just that one sentence?" Duan Qiyan interrupted, "You're being too casual."
Shen Fuxuan smiled without responding.
Duan Qiyan eagerly stepped up: "Watch this - Lin Zhixia, I wish you boundless happiness like the Eastern Sea, longevity matching the Southern Mountain, peace year after year, longevity rivaling the heavens..."
Duan Qiyan rattled off over a dozen idioms in one breath, stunning everyone at the table. Deeply satisfied, he sipped his milk and smacked his lips, prompting Tang Tingting to say: "Please don't smack your lips, I'm begging you."
Shen Fuxuan also asked him: "Never had milk before?"
Duan Qiyan was puzzled. He had spoken so eloquently, so why had he become the target of everyone's criticism again? He bent over to eat his rice as the farewell activity continued.
The cafeteria during summer break was quiet and deserted, with only Olympiad class and advanced class students holding their ground. The entire cafeteria appeared spacious and empty, with students' voices carrying far into the distance.
At the corner of the long table, Shao Dongxu tapped his metal bowl with a spoon. He asked: "Lin Zhixia, when you turn eighteen, can we gather together?"
Tang Tingting became particularly alert: "Brother Dong, what are you planning?"
Jiang Yubai detected a subtle tone in Tang Tingting's voice. He carefully observed Shao Dongxu, smiled faintly, and said evasively: "We'll talk about it when the time comes."
Shao Dongxu was still waiting for Lin Zhixia's response.
Lin Zhixia bit into a soup dumpling, focusing intently on her meal. Whenever someone blessed her, she would happily clap twice.
This gathering didn't bring about sad emotions - classmates shared amusing school experiences, laughing together with bursts of "hahaha."
When it was time to part, Lin Zhixia waved to everyone, saying: "Goodbye, everyone, you're the best!"
The students from Class 17, who had known Lin Zhixia for four years, only then began to feel a hint of sadness.
With Lin Zhixia leaving, their sense of security was leaving too.
No other classmate was like Lin Zhixia - maintaining a gentle attitude, quickly solving difficult problems, then breaking them down and teaching them to classmates in the simplest way. She was warm-hearted, adorable, helpful, willing to share everything she knew, and full of energy at all times.
And now, she was walking forward alone, with Jiang Yubai following behind her.
At the provincial No. 1 High School's entrance, Tang Tingting ran out a few steps: "Lin Zhixia..."
Lin Zhixia stopped and turned back with a smile: "You were my favorite classmate from our first-year class."
Tears welled in Tang Tingting's eyes. She calmly accepted reality, saying only: "If fate allows, we'll meet again."
Lin Zhixia nodded repeatedly: "Yes, we definitely will."The summer heat was sweltering, with cicadas chirping incessantly. The long wind came and went, tousling her hair. Turning to face her classmates once more, she declared resolutely, "I will never forget you!"
"I won't forget you either!" Duan Qiyan proclaimed loudly.
"No one will forget," Shen Fuxuan murmured to himself.
Wan Chunlei looked up at the sky and said, "Time flies so fast. It feels like just yesterday we were rehearsing the play 'Changes' together."
Tang Tingting gazed into the distance and called out, "Goodbye, Lin Zhixia!"
Borrowing Jiang Yubai's earlier words, Lin Zhixia used them as her farewell message to her classmates. She said earnestly, "May all your questions be answered, and may you forge ahead courageously on unknown paths, sailing smoothly... I'll take my leave now. Goodbye!"
The sultry summer breeze brought a sheen of sweat, the air seeming to stand still, while the sunlight remained grand and brilliant.
This summer had ended prematurely.
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