He walked to a seat by the window. The tabletop was smooth, bearing only the marks of time. His slender fingers slowly brushed across the cool surface, their fingertips seemingly touching the lingering warmth of past days and nights of concentration.
His gray-blue eyes appeared a deep amber in the warm light of the setting sun, reflecting the empty classroom and the burning orange clouds in the sky outside the window.
There were very light footsteps at the door.
He didn't look back.
Bai Zhiye stood quietly at the door of the classroom, her figure outlined with a gentle golden edge in the backlight, holding two thick, meticulous class notes in her hands.
She said nothing, quietly looking at his back immersed in the sunset, with a peaceful smile on her face as if she was waiting for a painting to be completed.
Hua Jinyue hugged her empty school uniform jacket, curled up by the cold door frame at the back door, and her head slowly sank into a deep sleep.
The last golden ray of sunset danced on her slightly curled eyelashes, which were stained with gold flakes, and a satisfied smile hung on the corners of her mouth.
In the shadows of the corner at the end of the corridor, Ye Fanshuang hadn't left. She leaned against the cool marble wall, her head tilted slightly upward, the lines of her profile delicate and detached in the twilight. In her hand, she clutched a small, freshly printed photo, still warm from the printer—that solo photo.
In the photo, the extremely faint, icy "smile" at the corner of her lips is frozen forever.
She stretched out her fingertips wearing white lace gloves (she didn't know when she put them on), and through the thin lace, she brushed the corners of Ye Qingliu's lips in the photo with great elegance and tenderness, her movements reverent and respectful.
The golden light of the setting sun fell on her long eyelashes, casting a small shadow. There were no traces of tears on her frozen face, only the "smile" at the corner of her lips, softened by the twilight, which was particularly clear and lonely in the deserted corner.
She quietly looked out the window at the huge setting sun sinking into the buildings, as if she was enjoying a grand and lonely curtain call that belonged only to her.
Ye Qingliu withdrew his gaze and looked out the window.
All the golden butterflies in the sky have fallen, only the gentle evening breeze rolls up the scattered paper scraps like a final sigh.
From the distant playground came the sound of discordant singing and vague cheers.
He raised his hand. The setting sun's rays fell on his fingers, leaving behind the rough texture of the pottery jar and the clear, subtle fragrance of pine smoke ink.
He opened his palm, and the ceramic seal engraved with "Guard the Heart" looked simple and warm under the warm light.
He took a deep breath of air tinged with summer grass, paper ash, and the ink of pine smoke. His gray-blue eyes reflected the burning orange clouds in the sky, the fading gold flowing through the empty classroom, the quiet silhouette at the door, and his sister sleeping soundly beside it.
It also clearly reflects——
This summer, it began with a burning butterfly festival, ended with a quiet "guarding the heart" seal, and was sealed with a single ice jade photo, which will never end.
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