Spring 1981, Reading Room of the Capital Library
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting clear beams of light into the air filled with the scent of old books and fine dust.
The reading room was quiet, with only the rustling of pages turning and the occasional cough.
Li Jing sat by the window, a tall pile of review materials in front of her. She was engrossed in them, her brows slightly furrowed, struggling with a math problem.
Suddenly, a slightly hurried figure approached, seemingly also aiming for the best-lit spot.
He moved a little too quickly, and as he turned to the side, his elbow accidentally knocked over a stack of books that were about to fall off Li Jing's desk.
With a crash, books and notebooks scattered all over the floor.
"Huh?" Li Jing was taken aback, her brows furrowing unconsciously.
Before she could even see who the culprit was, a deep, slightly flustered male voice rang out, "I'm so sorry! Comrade, I'm really sorry!"
Li Jing was initially a little uncomfortable, but upon hearing this deep and pleasant voice, her resentment instantly dissipated, and she slowly raised her head.
What catches the eye is a neat buzz cut and a face with well-defined features.
The man was wearing a very upright military uniform, but without collar insignia or cap badges, and his posture was very straight.
He looked very guilty, and before she could say anything, he quickly squatted down, his movements incredibly fast, "I'll help you pick it up."
Upon seeing his appearance, Li Jing was stunned and slightly taken aback.
When she came to her senses, she subconsciously said, "No...it's okay, I can do it myself..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by the speed and focus with which the other person was organizing their things.
The man was incredibly quick and efficient. Almost instinctively, he first gathered the scattered papers, sorted them by size and category, and then picked up the books one by one, arranging them neatly with the edges aligned, as if he were organizing barracks in the military.
He had his head down, his profile was taut, and his expression was unusually serious, as if he were carrying out an important mission.
Li Jing watched as his large, calloused hands deftly restored everything to its original state, even more neatly arranged than before.
Her heart began to pound uncontrollably, so loudly in the quiet reading room that she could almost hear it herself.
Guan Hongqi had no idea what she was thinking. He stood up and handed the organized documents back to her with both hands, his eyes filled with sincere apology. "Alright, comrade, please check if anything is missing. I'm really sorry, I was too hasty."
Li Jing then came to her senses and hurriedly took it. The moment she touched his fingertips, she felt a slight electric shock, and she lowered her head, her voice soft, "It's...it's okay."
Seeing that she really didn't mind, Guan Hongqi seemed relieved, nodded, and sat down in the empty seat next to her.
He did nothing else but quickly took out a book from his bag and began to read intently.
Li Jing sat up straight again, but found it difficult to concentrate.
My peripheral vision always unconsciously darts to the side.
The man sat upright, and his posture while reading the book was one of well-trained and proper.
The sunlight outlined his rugged profile and short stubble.
At that moment... she felt her cheeks getting hot.
Time slips away quietly as the pen tip rubs against the pages of the book.
She stared absentmindedly at the same question, and before she knew it, her friend Xia Linlin's clear voice rang in her ears, "Xiao Jing! Let's go eat!"
Li Jing was startled and subconsciously looked up, seeing Xia Linlin waving at her. She quickly glanced at the man next to her.
The man remained engrossed in his book, seemingly undisturbed, and the military water bottle beside him showed no signs of being touched.
After thinking for a moment, Li Jing lowered her voice and said to her friend, "Linlin, I... I haven't finished this problem yet. You go ahead, I'll solve it myself later."
"?!" Xia Linlin looked at her in confusion, as if to say: You're not even enthusiastic about eating, are you out of your mind?
However, she also noticed Li Jing's somewhat unfocused gaze at this moment.
Following Li Jing's gaze, she glanced at the rugged-looking man beside her, seemingly understanding something. A knowing smile immediately appeared on her lips, and she silently mouthed, "Something's up?"
Li Jing's ears turned even redder when her friend saw through her, and she shook her head in denial.
But the two were friends after all, and even though Li Jing denied it, Xia Linlin understood.
She stopped insisting that Li Jing go to dinner with her, patted her on the shoulder, mouthed "Good luck," and then walked away with a smile.
After Xia Linlin disappeared, Li Jing breathed a sigh of relief and picked up her pen again, but she couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.
Two little voices were fighting inside her: Should she ask? Or should she not?
When this man isn't looking at people, he looks so serious. If she does something... will it bother him?
But... the person is right here. If I don't say anything, who knows if I'll run into them again tomorrow?
Li Jing hesitated and struggled for so long that nearly two hours passed without her realizing it.
As more and more people came to the library in the afternoon, Li Jing finally took a deep breath, as if she had mustered the greatest courage of her life.
She picked up the marked physics workbook, her fingers turning slightly white from the pressure, stood up, and walked to the seat next to her.
“Comrade…” her voice trembled slightly, “Excuse me, could you help me with this question? I’m not very good at it.”
Guan Hongqi looked up when he heard the voice, and his sharp gaze softened when he saw that it was her.
He looked at the book she handed him and the delicate handwriting marked with confusion, remained silent for a moment, and then reached out to take it.
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