【Senior, are you free this afternoon?】
Yu Zhiling had just finished drying her hair when a message popped up on her phone resting on the desk. She assumed it was about the keys.
Little Fish: 【Yeah, I am.】
Mo Zhu replied almost instantly: 【Our event wraps up today. Would you like to drop by and help boost our participation numbers? Afterward, I can return the borrowed keys to you.】
Yu Zhiling knew about the event—a handmade architectural model competition organized by his department. As a graduate student, she didn’t need to attend such activities for extracurricular credits, but back in her undergrad days, she’d joined plenty of cross-department events.
Yesterday’s rain must have dampened turnout, with many students likely skipping it.
Little Fish: 【Sure.】
A sticker popped up in response—a little bear nodding enthusiastically.
Yu Zhiling’s brows lifted slightly. During their first meeting, Mo Zhu had struck her as the quiet type, and in the two days since they’d exchanged contacts, he hadn’t messaged her at all. She’d pegged him as the aloof, cool type.
Her own sticker collection was vast, so she sent back an identical bear.
After blow-drying her hair, she flopped onto her bed and reopened her phone, still on the chat with Mo Zhu. Curious, she tapped into his Moments.
There was only one post, dated June 8th of last year.
It was the day the national college entrance exams ended. Outside the high school gates, crowds of parents clutched flowers, waiting for their children. Third High had been a testing site that year, just as it always was.
Rain had fallen that day. Amid a sea of umbrellas, Yu Zhiling spotted one in pale green.
The person holding it stood with their back to Mo Zhu’s camera. Under the umbrella, the figure wore a loose dress, long hair cascading down like a waterfall. Even from just the silhouette, she recognized herself.
The photo seemed crowded, yet the moment she saw it, her gaze locked onto that lone figure at the center.
Yu Zhiling frowned slightly, exiting the photo to check the caption…
There wasn’t one.
Just the image, posted without a single word.
Did he know that was her? Had he recognized her when he helped her the other day?
Then again, she might just be overthinking it. She and Mo Zhu had never met before—just strangers passing by. Time eroded such fleeting memories. How could he possibly remember her?
It was just a silhouette. Maybe he didn’t even realize it was her.
Yu Zhiling set her phone aside and pulled the covers over herself.
Shu Feng leaned against the doorframe, brushing his teeth with a deadpan expression.
Mo Zhu finished changing, tucking his Bluetooth earbuds into his bag. Just as he packed up, Shu Feng slung an arm over his shoulders, peering around from behind.
“Spill it. You’ve got no classes these days. Why are you crashing at school instead of going home to your mom?”
Mo Zhu didn’t even glance at him, shrugging off Shu Feng’s arm. “You’re nosy.”
Shu Feng blocked his path. “No dodging. Something’s up. Why are you dressed so sharp today?”
Mo Zhu rolled his eyes. “Move. Aren’t you going to the event?”
Shu Feng gaped. “Dude, it’s only 10 a.m.! The event’s at 3 p.m.!”
Mo Zhu sidestepped him, already walking away while checking his phone. Yu Zhiling had sent a message.
Little Fish: 【Is the event at 2 p.m.?】
MZ: 【3 p.m. We were setting up at 2 the other day.】
Little Fish: 【Got it.】
Mo Zhu chuckled at the chubby little fish in her profile picture, unconsciously tapping on it.
“Mo Zhu patted me and said: ‘5 million to leave my son alone.’”
Yu Zhiling: “?”
Mo Zhu: “……”
He swiftly recalled the pat, unsure if she’d seen it. Awkwardness settled in. After a beat of silence from her end, he feigned nonchalance with a new message.
MZ: 【Senior, it might rain this afternoon. Don’t forget an umbrella.】
Yu Zhiling was still lounging in bed, staring at the retracted pat. She debated whether to acknowledge it or play dumb when his new message arrived.
Little Fish: 【Okay, thanks.】
She lazed a while longer, only getting up to wash and dress after her roommate returned. Stepping onto the balcony, she eyed the overcast sky. Her weather app showed no rain, but she grabbed an umbrella anyway, heeding Mo Zhu’s advice.
The cafeteria was packed at peak lunch hour. Yu Zhiling had just settled at a table when someone slid into the seat opposite her.
She looked up.
Mo Zhu wore a loose sweatshirt and jeans today, no cap. His tall frame made the once-spacious spot feel cramped.
Yu Zhiling blinked. “Mo Zhu?”
Mo Zhu grinned. “Senior, what a coincidence.”
Quite the coincidence indeed. He’d spotted her in line the moment he walked in. Originally planning to grab takeout, he’d changed course when he saw her settle at a table.
“Is this seat taken?” Mo Zhu asked casually. “Couldn’t find anywhere else.”
Yu Zhiling shook her head, gesturing. “It’s fine. I’m eating alone.”
Mo Zhu beamed. “Thanks, Senior.”
He stirred his noodles, lips quirking upward.
Yu Zhiling wasn’t used to his company, eating more stiffly than usual. She considered asking for the keys now to skip the trip to the event, but she’d already promised to help with turnout.
The meal passed in mild awkwardness, though Mo Zhu kept the conversation flowing.
“Senior, no classes today?”
Yu Zhiling replied, “Not busy lately. Free today.”
Mo Zhu nodded. “I see.”
Good. No commitments meant no rush.
The meal stretched over twenty minutes, Mo Zhu’s leisurely pace slowing hers down too.
Once done, Yu Zhiling stood with her tray. “I’ll head out first. Need to drop off some materials. See you at three.”
Mo Zhu nodded. “Sure.”
He watched her leave, then returned his tray before slinging his bag over his shoulder and ambling toward the event hall.
Shu Feng strolled in munching a burger, raising a brow at Mo Zhu. “You left so early, yet here you are, barely ahead of me.”
Mo Zhu lounged in a corner chair, fiddling with a Rubik’s cube.
“No eating in the academic building. The cameras are watching.”
Shu Feng stuffed the last bite into his mouth, spreading his hands. “Boom. Gone. Who checks cameras at lunchtime anyway?”
The PA system crackled to life: “A603 classroom—yes, you, the guy in the blue sweatshirt. Stop staring at the camera and report to the monitoring room.”
Shu Feng: “?”
Mo Zhu snorted, nudging Shu Feng’s shoe. “Go on. Let the guard drag you out personally.”
Shu Feng tearfully went to receive his disciplinary notice, happily accepting the deduction of two points in extracurricular credits.
Mo Zhu put on his Bluetooth earphones and leaned back in his chair to nap, only to be awakened by a tap on his shoulder.
He opened his eyes and met a pair of bright, clear eyes.
Yu Zhiling leaned slightly forward, her gaze locking with his, her right hand frozen mid-air—she had been the one to tap him.
"It's three o'clock. I see your event has started. Should I just sign in and join?"
Mo Zhu’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he sat up and removed his earphones. "Let me guide you, senior."
He found a quiet spot to sit. A small table was laid out with wood and tools, and Mo Zhu, nearly six-foot-three, looked almost comically cramped on the tiny stool, his long legs struggling for space. Across the table, he studied the person opposite him.
"Our activity invites students to use these materials and tools to build their ideal house—free creativity is encouraged. Do you have any ideas, senior?"
Yu Zhiling slipped on a pair of gloves and picked up a wooden plank. "So I can just do whatever I want with these?"
"Mm, yes."
"That sounds fun." She smiled, picking up a ruler and pencil. "I’m decent at drawing. I’ll sketch a roof first and cut it out later."
She genuinely enjoyed this kind of hands-on activity. Unlike poetry or speech competitions, which never held her interest, crafting things with her hands was right up her alley.
So absorbed was she in her work that she failed to notice the unusual intensity in the gaze fixed upon her from across the table.
The small table between them did little to obscure anything. As she bent over her project, a loose strand of hair fell against her cheek. Mo Zhu’s eyes never left her—this was the face that had haunted his dreams countless times. The person he’d searched for so long had been right beside him all along.
So what if she was five years older? Age meant nothing to him.
Yu Zhiling was struggling to stabilize a bridge she was assembling. Just as she reached for a nail to secure it, a pair of hands reached over from the other side.
Mo Zhu lowered his gaze. "This is a mortise-and-tenon joint. Just press it into the right spot."
His hands were warmer than hers. The moment their fingers brushed, Yu Zhiling flinched and pulled back.
"...Got it."
Mo Zhu withdrew his hands without a word, his dark eyes lingering on her.
She was adorable.
The event lasted until seven in the evening. Since Yu Zhiling needed to retrieve the exhibition hall keys, she stayed behind to help clean up after everyone left.
Mo Zhu switched off the last light in the hall and slung his bag over his shoulder as he stepped outside. Rain had begun to fall. Yu Zhiling stood by the corridor window, turning at the sound of his footsteps.
Just like a year ago, outside Third High School, when she had glanced back, her brows lifting first, then the corners of her eyes, until her entire face bloomed into a smile.
Back then, it hadn’t been directed at him—but he’d remembered it all this time.
This time, though, she was smiling at him.
"You’re done cleaning up?" Yu Zhiling asked.
Mo Zhu’s throat tightened as he walked toward her, stopping only when he stood close enough to envelop her completely in his shadow. He looked down at her, the height difference not just imposing but possessive.
She stood solely within the bounds of his shadow.
"Mm. Are you cold, senior?"
Yu Zhiling lifted her sleeve. "Not at all. I’m wearing a hoodie underneath. What about you? Just one layer?"
Mo Zhu shook his head. "I’m fine. Used to it."
"Tomorrow’s supposed to be colder. Dress warmer," she reminded him.
"Will do. You too, senior." Mo Zhu unhooked the exhibition hall keys from his own ring and handed them to her.
"Thanks."
Yu Zhiling tucked them into her bag and was about to say goodbye when Mo Zhu took a step forward.
Her words died in her throat.
"...Mo Zhu?"
"Senior, are you free tonight?"
"Huh?" She blinked, then recovered. "Did you need something?"
"Let’s grab dinner." His voice carried a hint of amusement. "Don’t misunderstand—it’s just to thank you for helping us clean up. The team’s going out. Join us?"
Yu Zhiling took a step back, instinctively declining. "No need, really. It was nothing. You all go ahead—I’ll pass."
She had barely walked a few steps when a girl from the architecture department looped an arm through hers.
"Senior, come with us! There aren’t many girls in our group—keep me company?"
Before Yu Zhiling could refuse again, another girl latched onto her right arm.
"Senior, please? We booked a private room. After dinner, we’ll all come back together."
Out of the thirteen event organizers, only three were girls—and they all swarmed her, pleading.
Mo Zhu leaned against the stair railing, watching her flustered, trapped expression with quiet delight.
Shu Feng materialized beside him with a smirk. "You’ve got a thing for her, don’t you?"
It was meant as a joke. He’d known Mo Zhu for years, and the guy had always brushed off teasing, acting like he’d sworn off romance entirely—no women around him, no interest. Shu Feng never imagined Mo Zhu would fall for someone he’d just met, from a different major, and five years his senior.
"Mm."
The casual reply took Shu Feng a second to process. He laughed and clapped his friend’s shoulder. "Yeah, right. Like you’d ever—wait, what did you say?"
Mo Zhu nodded. "Yeah. I like her."
He paused, tilting his chin toward Yu Zhiling, still surrounded by the group.
"I like her. I’m pursuing her."
Shu Feng: "?"
Shu Feng: "You’re dead serious?!"
Mo Zhu never joked with him. Shrugging off Shu Feng’s grip, he schooled his expression and walked toward Yu Zhiling.
She had just agreed to the girls’ dinner invitation when she looked up and saw Mo Zhu approaching.
His gait was lazy yet effortlessly graceful—good-looking people could make even walking seem like art.
Mo Zhu smiled, eyes crinkling. "Senior, come with us. I’ll walk you back afterward."
Yu Zhiling thought this junior was genuinely warm-hearted. Despite his aloof appearance, he seemed gentle and kind.
"Alright. Sorry for the trouble."
Mo Zhu only smiled in response, this time not replying.
They walked side by side, and in his peripheral vision, he saw her open an umbrella—a vibrant green sunshade, the only splash of color in a sea of black and white under the rain.
Mo Zhu chuckled softly. "Senior, this winter, I’d like to visit Lingcheng. I’ve heard the snow-covered pines are beautiful. Would you show me around when I go?"
Yu Zhiling agreed without hesitation.
"Of course. Just message me when you arrive, and I’ll take you."
Mo Zhu swallowed. "Mm. I will."
