Friday, students gradually walked into the classroom.

Zhou Siyue still entered the classroom right on time with Song Ziqi. As soon as he put down his backpack, he realized something was off. The seat next to him was empty, the desk had been cleaned spotless, gleaming in the light, without a single extra book.

It was as if no one had ever been there.

Kong Shadi also noticed. Usually at this time, Ding Xian would already be sitting in her seat, loudly reading English. Although it carried a strong 'plastic' accent, it sounded especially energetic.

The two exchanged glances. Kong Shadi winked at Zhou Siyue, meaning—'Where is she?'

Zhou Siyue shook his head.

'Overslept?'

It was the last day of the sports meet, with only two relays and the closing ceremony left. Classes without morning events chatted idly in the classroom. National Day holiday was approaching, and everyone had lost the will to study. In groups of two or three, tall and short, they gathered to shoot the breeze.

After morning reading class, Ding Xian still hadn't appeared.

Kong Shadi finally couldn't hold back. She turned around, slapped Zhou Siyue's desk hard, and demanded loudly, "Where's your deskmate?"

"How would I know?"

Zhou Siyue frowned, lowered his head to read, too lazy to even lift his eyelids.

Kong Shadi grew anxious, pointed her finger at Zhou Siyue and said, "How are you even a deskmate? You don't even know where she went?"

Zhou Siyue closed his book, tossed it on the table, leaned back against the chair, and glanced at her mockingly, "Now you're worried? Weren't you ignoring her a few days ago?"

"You!" Kong Shadi gritted her teeth, "Weren't you ignoring her?! What kind of spat did you have with her again?! Did you make her so angry she left?"

Zhou Siyue looked like he'd heard a joke. "Me? Anger her?"

'Who angered whom?!'

"It must have been you who angered her. She probably thinks we're all ignoring her, so she just decided not to come to school."

Kong Shadi could only think of this possibility. She had been stubborn since she was a child, rarely backing down and unaccustomed to apologizing even when she made a mistake. Although she felt guilty, the words 'I'm sorry' just wouldn't come out.

Sometimes she hated herself, but there was nothing she could do. Several times these past few days, she had run into Ding Xian on the road and wanted to go over, hold her hand, and tell her to make up. But then she'd think about it again and feel she couldn't swallow her pride; why should she apologize first?

So, they had a cold war for a few inexplicable days.

Zhou Siyue sneered, "Hardly."

He crossed his arms over his chest, glancing out the window. Lush green leaves swayed in the wind, the view expansive. After a moment, he added sarcastically, "You think too highly of yourself. Maybe she doesn't even care about you."

Kong Shadi's smile froze. She suddenly looked at Zhou Siyue and said nothing.

Song Ziqi returned from outside, sat in his seat, and picked up a bottle of water to drink:

"She took leave to go to Shanghai."

"What?!" Kong Shadi exclaimed.

Zhou Siyue turned his head back and kicked Song Ziqi's stool with his foot. "Who said that?"

Song Ziqi gulped down a few mouthfuls, then pointed to Liu Xiaofeng, who was talking to Liu Jiang outside the classroom. "I asked him. Ding Xian mentioned it to him yesterday; she took leave today to go to Shanghai."

"Liu Xiaofeng?"

They said in unison.

Song Ziqi nodded, "Yeah, Liu Xiaofeng said so."

Zhou Siyue leaned back in his chair, his gaze slightly averted, eyes slightly narrowed, staring at the boy's back for a long while.

Kong Shadi suddenly felt a bit smug and couldn't help but mock Zhou Siyue, "Wow, your deskmate isn't even as close to you as Liu Xiaofeng is to her, huh? Tsk tsk tsk..."

Zhou Siyue scoffed, shaking his head self-deprecatingly. He truly didn't understand.

'What exactly is this girl thinking?'

'She's afraid of what others might say, so she distances herself from him. But she's close to Liu Xiaofeng, and she's not afraid of what people will say? Why does he have to be treated so differently in this matter?'

Then he suddenly remembered the letter in his desk.

He had actually seen it early that morning. Whose handwriting could that 'dog scratch' be but hers? He hadn't thrown it away or read it. There was an inexplicable irritation in his heart, feeling that this girl was becoming more and more capricious. If this continued, she would ride all over him.

Sometimes, he truly wanted to give her a good thwack, to clear out the mush in her brain.

'So what if I didn't read your letter?'

'Is it really necessary to use Liu Xiaofeng to spite him?'

'Ridiculous.'

The desk lid was open. Zhou Siyue lowered his eyes, gazing at the pink something tucked between the books.

'Let's see what you wrote.'

He smoothly pulled the envelope out, opened it, took out the letter paper, and flattened it.

The first sentence immediately stunned him.

"Dear Student Zhou Siyue:

The first time I saw you was on the steps of the teaching building. My friend and I were walking up arm in arm, and you were walking down, hands in your pockets, head bowed. At that moment, I thought to myself, 'This boy is really handsome...'"

Zhou Siyue's mouth twitched. 'Is this girl crazy?'

Reading further, he couldn't laugh at all.

'Is this a freaking love letter?'

By the second page, Zhou Siyue's face had darkened. He crumpled the letter into a ball and tossed it into the trash can with a smooth parabola.

...

Shanghai.

Ding Xian arrived in Shanghai a day early with Ye Changqing.

That week, there were two art exhibitions. The first was a world touring exhibition by famous artists, and the second, five days later, was the University Student Art Exhibition, showcasing outstanding works from students across the country.

The original plan was to return home after attending the touring exhibition, but Ye Changqing received a last-minute invitation to the art exhibition, so he hurriedly took Ding Xian there.

After attending both exhibitions, five days had passed. Just before their return journey, Ye Changqing took Ding Xian to an art gallery in Shanghai.

The gallery was in Wutong Nanlu Alley. It was Ding Xian's first time in Shanghai. As Ye Changqing's car drove along, the fleeting scenery captivated her. Like a little sparrow just out of its cage, she was filled with curiosity about everything around her. She then realized that away from Yansan Hutong in Beijing, the outside world was truly vast.

As the autumn wind swept through, a chill descended.

On both sides of the road were sturdy French parasol trees with tall trunks and large crowns. A few tender yellow leaves drifted down with the wind, paving the asphalt road with a light yellow carpet, glistening under the golden sun.

The car stopped at the entrance of a slender alley. On both sides stood magnificent white old Western-style houses. Amidst the dense foliage of the parasol trees, Ding Xian immediately spotted a red-glowing signboard.

— Dali Gallery.