I will always have faith in her.

When I got home that day, I saw Gu Wanlin sitting on the side of the sofa bench with both legs raised on the sofa, his trouser legs rolled up to his thighs, and two black devices attached to the top of his left knee and the stump of his right leg.

I tossed my bag onto the sofa, leaned over to her, and let her lean against me. It was actually quite uncomfortable for her to sit like that; she had to lift herself up and adjust her position from time to time, otherwise she would easily slip off or lean to one side.

I was complaining that I was exhausted and annoyed after a long day of meetings, but my eyes were drawn to the black device on her leg. "What kind of high-tech thing is this?"

After moving in with Gu Wanlin, I really benefited from a lot of her good stuff. Not to mention the bathtub with bubble massage, the air wave therapy device she usually uses to massage my legs and promote blood circulation is perfect for relaxing my muscles after exercise. I tried it once and loved it. Another time, I complained about sitting at a desk for too long and feeling tired, and she dug out her own air-pressure relief cushion and lumbar support for me. After using them, my back and buttocks stopped hurting, and I felt like I could work all day again.

Gu Wanlin stared at the iPad in his arms, his right hand wearing an assistive device with an Apple Pencil fixed to it. Without even looking up, he said, "Electrostimulation patches can stimulate muscle movement and slow down atrophy. It's been a long time since I stopped using them, so I'm too lazy to take them off."

I helped her take it off. "What, does this mean I won't have to go through all the hardship of squatting after using it? I'll have to try it." As I said this, I stuck it on my own leg and pressed the switch.

Gu Wanlin looked up in surprise, staring at me as if I were an idiot. I didn't understand the meaning behind her look. By the time I felt a sharp, electric shock and screamed in agony, it was too late.

"Gu Wanlin, why didn't you tell me it hurt so much?"

“I told you about electrical stimulation. How can it not hurt when you get shocked?” Gu Wanlin turned her gaze back to the iPad. Tomorrow was the first class Professor Yang had arranged for her. I then noticed that she was still looking at the prepared slides, which were covered with circles and dots and neatly written notes. But the corners of her mouth that were secretly crookedly smiling betrayed her.

I wailed, "You did this on purpose!"

Gu Wanlin looked at me, blinked, and her eyes held a clear cunning and feigned innocence: "Is it possible that I don't feel anything at all? I don't know if it hurts or not, so how can I tell you?"

Now that they've already played this card, what else can I say? But it's a good thing that she can joke about this kind of thing now.

She poked her leg with her knuckles and nodded in satisfaction, "It's definitely much tighter than before."

I put it back to her, saying, "Then you can use it more often."

She cares about her health, so I'd be happy even if she gave me another shock.

"You've watched it so many times already, why are you still watching it?" I asked her.

Gu Wanlin hummed in agreement. "I'm used to going through things one last time." Gu Wanlin was always meticulous, thorough, and responsible in her work.

I patted her head and said, "You'll definitely do a great job. But don't accept any notes from strangers, and don't add strangers' contact information. Mom is afraid you'll get kidnapped by bad people."

She rolled her eyes at me.

The next day, I rearranged my schedule to accompany Gu Wanlin to the school. I felt in my heart that this was just as important to Gu Wanlin as her return to the rehabilitation center for rehabilitation, or even more important.

Before leaving, I looked at Gu Wanlin, dressed neatly and sitting in her electric wheelchair, and my heart was filled with emotion. We had accompanied each other from our awkward teenage years to adulthood, and witnessed many important moments that were significant to each of us. We parted ways just before graduating from school, and then reunited, with a five-year gap in between. These five years were like a shapeless telescoping ruler, making me feel that the distance between us was sometimes near and sometimes far.

Today she chose a smart casual outfit: light gray casual trousers paired with a light khaki casual blazer, and a silver chain watch on her wrist. She wore a white crew-neck short-sleeved shirt underneath and white sneakers, adding a touch of casualness without being overly formal or stiff. This was an outfit I rarely saw during her student days, a glimpse into her five years of adult professional life that I had never witnessed before. Half of her wardrobe is filled with this more mature style of dress; I've seen it before, but this is the first time I've seen her wear it.

Professor Yang had taken a break early and was waiting for Gu Wanlin to arrive. As soon as they met, she asked her with concern, "How are you feeling today?" Gu Wanlin smiled and replied, "I'm not that fragile, I'm fine."

Although Professor Yang looked stern, she was extremely thoughtful. The podium in the large classroom was very high, and professors usually stood to teach. She had her students help set up a table of suitable height next to it, along with a microphone and projector, so that Gu Wanlin's wheelchair could be driven in and she could sit behind the table to operate the computer.

With all preparations complete, Professor Yang patted Gu Wanlin on the shoulder. "I never check attendance, you know that. There are more students here today than usual. They came because they saw your resume, but don't be nervous, I believe in you."

I gave Gu Wanlin a thumbs-up and sat at the back of the classroom so she wouldn't be distracted if she saw me from the front.

After Gu Wanlin spoke, our five-year separation, besides being reflected in her clothing style, took on a more concrete form elsewhere.

The first time I saw her was at a student event. She was a sophomore, and you could still see the nervousness hidden behind her youthful exuberance and high spirits as she stood on the stage facing such an important occasion. I don't know if she was nervous now, having not faced crowds for so long since her injury, because even if she was, she hid it very well, speaking fluently and confidently.

I've heard her speak English during her student days. Although it was fluent and skillful, like many students who can score high on standardized oral exams, her accent, grammar, and vocabulary were somewhat overly formal after a long second language learning career focused on exams. Now, her spoken English has become more natural and relaxed, increasingly approaching that of a native speaker. She speaks with ease and humor.

Gu Wanlin, you have truly grown up so well. I feel proud of her in my heart, yet I also resent how unfair fate has been to her. But even so, she still shines brightly in front of others like the radiant moon.

I will always have faith in her.

An hour passed quickly, and as soon as Gu Wanlin finished, she was immediately surrounded by a group of students. There was no shortage of ambitious people here, and from university planning and school applications to overseas job hunting, a bunch of people were eager to replicate Gu Wanlin's growth path, with endless questions waiting for her.

The two students sitting behind me, a boy and a girl, seemed to have decided to wait until the very end to go over, and instead sat there chatting for the time being.

The girl asked, "Have you looked at this senior's LinkedIn profile?"

The boy replied, "How could I not look at it? I searched for her name as soon as Professor Yang announced it."

Girl: "The school I went to for my master's program and the job I got after graduation were both Tier 0, each one harder to get into than the last. I would have been satisfied if I could have gotten into Tier 1. This resume is just too strong. It's such a pity that I'm like this now. Is my paralysis in a high position? It seems like my hands don't work very well."

The boy made a gesture, "Shh, keep your voice down, are you afraid people won't hear you? Professor Yang already reminded us not to discuss the senior's physical condition in public." But he couldn't help but lower his voice even further and lean closer to the girl, saying, "But my friend sat in the front today and messaged me during class, saying that one of this girl's legs doesn't look quite right, it looks like a prosthesis."

"Huh? Holy crap... this is too, too, too..." The girl stammered for a while before continuing, "This is too tragic. It must have been really tough for them, they're really strong-willed despite their disability."

I finally couldn't help but turn around to look at them, which startled the two of them, who then slipped away with their books.

I don't like people talking about Gu Wanlin like that.

To be fair, although these two people were talking about Gu Wanlin's health behind his back, their intentions weren't bad. It's just that the environment we live in is really terrible. It still lacks respect and tolerance for people and is full of implicit discrimination without realizing it.

I dislike the officially recognized and widely used term "disabled person" or "person with disabilities" in Simplified Chinese. Shouldn't we focus on the person when referring to someone, instead of labeling them first? Unfortunately, outside of my own circle, I rarely see more appropriate terms like "person with physical or mental disabilities" or "wheelchair user" in the Simplified Chinese world.

The word "disabled" itself implies discrimination. What does "disabled" correspond to? Completeness, health. Doesn't it presuppose from the outset that the human body should and must have a "complete" form, and only this form is ideal and perfect? ​​Anything that doesn't conform to this standard is considered incomplete. How is this any different from the narrow-minded discussion of "beauty" in the past?

If we can gradually accept that "beauty" is diverse, then why can't human physical states be diverse as well? Physical and mental disabilities are simply a form of life, and "health" and "disability" are states that change at any time. Everyone will experience moments of "disability" in their lifetime, which is part of human diversity. What's there to be surprised about?

I also dislike the arrogant and offensive phrase "disabled but determined." Gu Wanlin has indeed lost the ability to walk, but she can still think and express herself as before. Would her talent and abilities be affected by her physical disability? Even if she weren't as outstanding as she is today, is it something to be exaggerated about that she lives a life like everyone else?

This is all so terrible. I have paid attention to these issues in the past, but mostly in a superficial way. It is only when all this happens to Gu Wanlin that I truly feel the pain, although it is far less than one percent of what she is carrying.

I checked my watch; Gu Wanlin had been surrounded by students for almost half an hour after class, and she hadn't been able to relieve stress from sitting for so long. I went over and whispered the situation to Professor Yang, who immediately stepped forward to shield Gu Wanlin from the students who kept asking her questions. Seeing that someone had come to her rescue, Gu Wanlin secretly breathed a sigh of relief and politely said goodbye to the students who were saying their farewells, "You can email me if you have any questions." She also smiled and thanked the students who wished her a speedy recovery.

As the crowd dispersed, perhaps finally able to relax, she indeed couldn't hold on any longer, and her lower body began to spasm slightly. Professor Yang hurriedly asked with concern, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Gu Wanlin pressed his arm against his agitated leg. "I'm really fine, you don't need to worry. Spasms are common, and moving around is good for the muscles."

Even though I was there, Professor Yang insisted on taking Gu Wanlin back to her car, saying she was fine. On the way, he said he had originally planned to take Gu Wanlin home and cook a simple meal for her, but he had been busy that day and hadn't prepared in advance. Buying groceries and cooking took a long time, so since Gu Wanlin was already tired, he advised her to lie down and rest. He promised to take her home next time when he was better prepared, and repeatedly reminded her not to push herself too hard, as taking care of her health was essential for long-term success. Gu Wanlin obediently agreed to everything.

She was really tired and lay down as soon as she got on the bus. I helped her fix her hair and asked, "How are you feeling today?"

Gu Wanlin looked at me, his face tired but his eyes bright, "I think I'm alright."

I ruffled her hair and said, "I think you're amazing."

She shook her head and dodged me, saying, "Hey, stop messing around, my hair is all messed up again after I just got it done."

I prefer to knead.