The day was stormy with windswept rain, the sky dark and gloomy. Several buildings on the university campus had their lights on, with rain slanting through the hazy glow. The air was moist and cool, evoking the misty charm of Jiangnan's rainy scenery.
Lin Zeqiu's hair and clothes were soaked by the rain. Carrying two suitcases alone, he strode quickly ahead. Dad called out to him, "Qiu Qiu, don't rush! Come back, let Dad help with the luggage."
Lin Zhixia chimed in, "Brother! I can help carry things too!"
Lin Zeqiu glanced back at her. "A gust of wind could blow you away."
Lin Zhixia wrapped both arms around Mom's. "No it couldn't, I'm standing very steadily."
Lin Zeqiu gave her a cold look. "You're clinging to Mom very steadily, you mean."
"I'm not clinging to Mom," Lin Zhixia stubbornly argued.
Lin Zeqiu couldn't help asking, "Do you think you act like a college student?"
Releasing Mom's arm, Lin Zhixia said calmly, "Nobody's perfect—everyone has flaws. One of mine is that at fifteen, I still like to act spoiled and am not mature enough. But I'm not bothering anyone, and I don't plan to change."
Lin Zeqiu realized his tone had been harsh again, provoking his sister's defiance. Not wanting to argue further, he conceded, "As long as you're happy."
Lin Zhixia took Mom's arm again. "Mom, do I annoy you?"
Mom said softly, "Silly child, how could Mom and Dad ever be annoyed by you? Both you and your brother are in college now, but in my eyes, you're still not grown up, just like when you were little."
Dad added, "Our Xia Xia is only fifteen—she really isn't grown up yet. She just started school a bit early..."
Looking at his children, Dad felt a surge of pride. None of his ancestors for eighteen generations had produced a scholar, yet his son and daughter had both been admitted to prestigious universities—news that had spread throughout their hometown. Everyone said the Lin family's ancestral graves were emitting auspicious smoke, and relatives and friends kept calling to ask about his parenting methods.
What methods did he have? He'd hardly managed the children at all.
Before she was three, Lin Zhixia already knew more characters than Dad. By four, she could read classical Chinese fluently and even tell him stories.
Recalling his daughter and son in their younger days, Dad's face broke into a broad, cheerful smile. Holding an umbrella, he tilted its handle toward Lin Zeqiu, sheltering his son from the wind and rain. "Qiu Qiu is eighteen, in college now," he said. "Qiu Qiu has grown up."
Lin Zeqiu's fingers were marked with red lines from the heavy luggage. He paused, wiped his face, and replied, "You and Mom just wait four more years. I'll be earning money then—over a hundred thousand a year. We'll buy a bigger house with a large living room, and put a long sofa in it..."
He kept his head slightly lowered, murmuring on.
Lin Zhixia looked up at him, listening to his simple aspirations, and suddenly felt a bittersweet ache in her heart. She thought of their home in the provincial capital—the damp walls and floors during the rainy season, the old water pipes wrapped in waterproof tape, the electrical system that often tripped in summer.
"I'll take care of buying the house!" Lin Zhixia suddenly declared.
Mom laughed and asked, "How old are you? At least your brother is an adult."Lin Zhixia declared without hesitation, "In three more years, I'll be an adult. I've applied for early graduation—after finishing my bachelor's degree in 2012, I might go to Cambridge for my PhD. Cambridge has a Quantum Computing experimental group, and the professor there researches across mathematics, physics, chemistry... interdisciplinary fields, which is exactly the direction I want. I'll complete my doctorate before Brother graduates from university."
After Lin Zhixia said this, Lin Zeqiu froze in place, rooted at the entrance of the male dormitory.
His damp cotton t-shirt clung to his back, and a knot tightened in his chest, leaving him thoroughly unsettled. He abruptly took a deep breath, hoisted his suitcase, and sprinted up several steps. Lin Zhixia praised him, "Wow, Brother's physical fitness is amazing—you'll definitely ace your university PE test."
The dormitory buzzed with students and parents bustling about. Eager parents tended to their sons, but Lin Zeqiu's situation was reversed—he refused to let his parents help him unpack. He deftly made his bed and even peeled two apples for Mom and Dad. He didn't give one to Lin Zhixia because she had no interest in apples.
Seeing how independent he was, Mom and Dad quickly felt reassured.
That evening, Mom, Dad, and Lin Zhixia bid farewell to Lin Zeqiu and began their journey home. They even accompanied Lin Zhixia to her university gate, waving goodbye outside the campus.
She was like a bird that had long left the nest, remembering the shelter her parents provided but unable to fly back to her old home. She stood quietly in place, waiting until Mom and Dad had disappeared into the distance before turning to enter the university gates.
By then, the rain had lightened, droplets sliding from high eaves into puddles, creating ripples that spread in endless circles. Gazing at this scene, Lin Zhixia recalled when she was nine years old, running a fever after receiving the Hepatitis B vaccine. Her parents had rushed her to the hospital overnight, and as she lay in the hospital bed with an IV drip, the only sound in her ears was the steady patter of night rain.
Lin Zeqiu had come to Beijing, close to Lin Zhixia. Every week, he would invite her out to meet and treat her to a meal at a nearby snack shop.
Lin Zhixia had long achieved financial independence. With just her scholarships, she lived comfortably.
Lin Zeqiu's university living expenses came from his parents—a thousand yuan per month deposited directly into his bank card. His daily spending was minimal, limited to books and meals with almost no other expenses. He didn't play games, buy new clothes, or date—even though several girls at his school pursued him aggressively.
Putting himself in her shoes, Lin Zeqiu couldn't help but worry, "Is anyone harassing you at your school?"
Lin Zhixia was nibbling on a grilled chicken wing and mumbled in response, "What kind of harassment?"
Lin Zeqiu thought of his female classmates' bold and straightforward advances. He frowned deeply, "Is there anyone insisting you become their boyfriend?"
Lin Zhixia wiped her mouth, "Boyfriend?"
Lin Zeqiu tightened his grip on the cola bottle, "Slip of the tongue."
"Haha, probably not a slip," Lin Zhixia mercilessly exposed him, "Are there girls chasing you at your school, wanting you to be their boyfriend? Brother, you're eighteen, almost nineteen—it's okay to date now."
But Lin Zeqiu said, "Waste of time."His cold and stubborn tone couldn't quell Lin Zhixia's curiosity: "Do you know why girls like you? Do you believe in love? Do you think two people's consciousness can be compatible?"
Lin Zeqiu sidestepped those topics: "Stop talking about useless things. Spend more effort on your experiments. Didn't you say you want to complete your undergraduate degree within three years?"
"That's right," Lin Zhixia leaned back in her chair, "I've been so busy lately, going to the Laboratory almost every day."
Lin Zeqiu began his rigid lecturing again: "That's good. While you're in school, you should focus more on studying..."
He delivered a long speech while Lin Zhixia listened absentmindedly. She knew that young men and women would inevitably experience some budding emotions, harboring a vague longing for "soulmates." Even she couldn't escape this spell - why was that?
Lin Zhixia wanted to find someone to explore this question with her, and Jiang Yubai seemed to be the best candidate. He was gentle and patient, knowledgeable, tolerant, with clear and sharp thinking - he was Lin Zhixia's favorite conversation partner.
One evening in late October, during a QQ video call with Jiang Yubai, Lin Zhixia abruptly asked him without any preamble: "If someone likes you, do you know why they would like you? Do you believe in love? Do you think two people's consciousness can be compatible?"
Why would she like you?
Do you believe in love?
Can your consciousness be compatible?
On the desktop computer screen, it was as if a light had been ignited, falling into Jiang Yubai's eyes. His thoughts were thrown into chaos, like experiencing an unprecedented Big Bang of the Universe.
He picked up a glass and took a sip of yogurt.
He appeared completely composed.
Over the past few months, Jiang Yubai's tutor had summarized Cambridge interview question types, response strategies, and psychological tactics for him. That teacher had taught in Europe for many years and was very familiar with the Cambridge and Oxford interview processes. He not only expanded Jiang Yubai's thinking but also taught him a set of social interaction methods.
Jiang Yubai knew that Lin Zhixia was asking for his perspective, waiting for his answer. She didn't have any romantic notions or tendencies toward love talk. He couldn't let her discover... his current state of mind.
Jiang Yubai adopted the rigorous attitude he used for interviews. He lifted his head toward the screen and answered fluently: "The following is my personal understanding. If I like you, 'like' is a verb that expresses my desire..."
"What desire?" Lin Zhixia interjected.
Jiang Yubai said: "The desire to be with you."
Lin Zhixia cupped her face in her hands: "We're together right now. We're good friends."
"Yes," Jiang Yubai agreed, "We are indeed friends."
Before speaking, Jiang Yubai had mentally prepared himself. He should avoid discussing his feelings about Lin Zhixia. The more he talked about "love," the more likely he was to reveal his true feelings. He knew nothing about "love" itself, relying solely on blind courage to feel his way through the dark in matters of emotion.
Lin Zhixia didn't notice his psychological changes. She approached from a philosophical perspective, analyzing the meaning and possibility of "soulmates" with him. Perhaps it was her illusion, but tonight his gaze seemed particularly focused on her. Her thinking speed slowed down, almost melting under his gaze.She had only gotten halfway through her explanation of "soulmates" when she suddenly forgot what she was going to say.
Instead, she asked Jiang Yubai about his interview.
Jiang Yubai said he would probably take the interview in December this year.
The elimination rate for the interview was quite high, and he wasn't entirely confident about it.
"I have a feeling you'll pass," Lin Zhixia told him. "I plan to apply for a PhD at Cambridge. We could spend two years there together."
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