Moonlight spilled through the gaps between the leaves, casting shadows that swayed with the wind. The air was filled with the scent of laundry detergent.
Ji Zhaoxi was carrying a stack of materials, so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open.
She could have gone back to the dorm by herself. The campus was safe; it wasn’t as though some terrorist was going to suddenly appear and hurt her.
But Lu Huainan insisted on waiting for her every time they left together, and she felt too awkward to say anything. After all, Lu Huainan was rather sensitive.
Lu Huainan glanced at Ji Zhaoxi beside him and followed awkwardly at her side. He was especially afraid that she would ask why he kept following her.
Fortunately, she didn’t.
They were walking very close together. Every time their arms accidentally brushed, Lu Huainan would even hold his breath.
He was a little dazed. Was he really not dreaming?
Not long ago, she had hated him so much.
“Lu Huainan, when did you first meet me in high school?” Ji Zhaoxi suddenly asked, sounding curious.
Lu Huainan paused and lowered his head. “I… met you in my first year of middle school.”
“I sprained my ankle while running on the field back then. You carried me to the infirmary.”
His voice tightened slightly when he brought it up.
Later, though, he transferred schools for the last two years of middle school, then transferred back in his first year of high school.
Ji Zhaoxi looked at him and fell silent for a moment. “Are you sure it was me?”
She had done something so kind, yet she had no memory of it at all.
Lu Huainan was silent for a while before answering firmly.
“It was you.”
Ji Zhaoxi couldn’t help laughing. “You still remember something from so long ago? If Senior Brother heard that, he’d definitely say you had a crush on me again.”
Lu Huainan didn’t say anything. He simply continued walking at her pace.
The smile on Ji Zhaoxi’s face gradually stiffened. She scratched the back of her head, her voice trembling slightly. “You really do have a crush on me?”
Seeing her freeze up, Lu Huainan’s heart was suddenly squeezed tight. He said coldly, “Could you stop being so full of yourself?”
Ji Zhaoxi relaxed. This was the Lu Huainan she knew—much more normal.
Seeing the relief spread across her face, Lu Huainan’s eyes instantly reddened. He looked up at the leaves overhead, trying to force back his tears.
He hated Ji Zhaoxi so much.
The gentle breeze blew away some of Ji Zhaoxi’s weariness. She smiled and said, “If you fall down now, I probably wouldn’t be able to carry you.”
Watching the students training on the field, she suddenly became interested.
“Lu Huainan, let me carry you now. I want to see if I can still lift you!”
Looking at Ji Zhaoxi’s bright, eager eyes, Lu Huainan’s entire face flushed red.
When he saw her already getting ready, his voice changed with panic.
“Are you crazy? We’re not children anymore!”
“What’s the harm in trying?” Ji Zhaoxi looked at him expectantly.
Lu Huainan awkwardly shifted his gaze away, feeling as though his whole body was burning.
“No. People will laugh at us.”
Ji Zhaoxi immediately wilted. “All right, then.”
She had wanted to see how strong she was now.
Lu Huainan glanced at her from the side, his heart feeling heavy.
She was always like this…
Only a few days remained before the holiday began. Some students had already started dragging their suitcases home, and those who went home early often found themselves watched by the others.
Ji Zhaoxi was no exception.
The weather was scorching hot, and the sun hung high in the sky. Sweat covered the foreheads of the students dragging their suitcases, but it couldn’t hide how happy they were.
“I’m so jealous.” Ji Zhaoxi leaned against the corridor railing, staring at the students below.
Senior Brother silently took a sip of his milk tea.
Could he say that he was even more jealous?
He didn’t even get a vacation!
Ji Zhaoxi told her parents the good news that she would be taking a break.
Mother Ji exclaimed in surprise, “I thought graduate students didn’t get summer vacation?”
“Of course we do! Mom, don’t you want me to have a vacation?” Ji Zhaoxi protested.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. The moment this girl came home, she would be arguing with her every day again.
Mother Ji coughed. “Of course we do, of course we do. Your father and I miss you terribly—we’ve been missing you so much we could cry. We’re waiting for you to come home.”
Ji Zhaoxi was satisfied. She comforted her, “It’s okay, Mom. Don’t be sad. I’ll be home soon.”
After hanging up, Ji Zhaoxi sighed. She hadn’t realized her mother had cried over this. From now on, she should call home more often.
At last, the final day arrived. Ji Zhaoxi dragged her suitcase straight to the laboratory.
Lu Huainan had brought his suitcase too, and the two cases were placed side by side.
Senior Brother stared at them with a faintly reproachful, sour tone. “Junior Brother, Junior Sister, are you really in such a hurry? You’re going home tonight?”
They couldn’t even wait until the next day.
Ji Zhaoxi smiled brightly. “That’s right, Senior Brother. Make sure you work hard in the lab over the summer.”
Looking at the two suitcases behind them, Lu Huainan’s heart swelled.
Unable to resist, he secretly took a photo of the two suitcases leaning against each other.
This was the first time they were going home together.
Just as Ji Zhaoxi turned around, Lu Huainan hurriedly fumbled to turn off his phone.
“Do you think we’re leaving too soon?” Ji Zhaoxi asked quietly.
They could have gone home the next day, but she couldn’t wait a moment longer.
Lu Huainan shook his head and answered softly, “I want to go home early too.”
He wanted to go home with her.
Not long afterward, their supervisor came in. When she saw the suitcases in the back, the corners of her mouth twitched.
“Are you really in that much of a hurry?”
She couldn’t understand young people these days. Wasn’t it better to get a good night’s sleep before going home? Why did they have to rush around like this?
Over the past few days, she had often seen students racing across campus with their suitcases. They clearly couldn’t wait to escape the university.
Ji Zhaoxi was especially diligent that day. Whatever her supervisor asked her to do, she did. She was so obedient it was almost suspicious.
She couldn’t let anything go wrong with tonight’s plans!
Senior Brother had been crying the whole time.
He wanted to go home. He really wanted to go home!
He hadn’t even gotten a vacation during his first year of graduate school!
Wen Shuning was conducting an experiment when she suddenly heard a strange noise coming from beside her. She turned her head and saw someone leaning against the wall with a vacant expression.
“It’s all right. We should get a week off during the winter vacation.” Wen Shuning smiled and comforted him.
The moment Senior Brother heard that winter vacation would only be a week, he sank into utter despair.
He didn’t want to pursue a PhD anymore. He truly couldn’t take this kind of hardship. Maybe he should just join a major tech company through campus recruitment and start working.
Even full-time jobs offered more vacation than graduate school!
The sky grew darker and darker as time passed. The laboratory was especially quiet.
At that moment, Ji Zhaoxi was staring intently at the clock.
The moment it was time, she would rush out.
She tugged at Lu Huainan beside her. He came back to himself and began packing up.
Their movements were quiet, but they still disturbed the sensitive Senior Brother in the distance.
He stared at them with a deeply aggrieved expression.
How audacious! They were already starting to pack up!
Ji Zhaoxi gave him a smug smile.
Senior Brother: …
He didn’t like Junior Sister anymore.
