Reunion
After the Lunar New Year, Jiang Zhizhi returned to school for the new semester and resumed her busy campus life. She and Qiu Han also completed preliminary preparations for their experimental project and began applying for experimental testing.
The weather gradually became warmer. Coming out of the laboratory, Jiang Zhizhi walked on the school's tree-lined path. Tiny petals that came from nowhere fluttered in the wind, bringing a faint fragrance. Everything made her feel relaxed and happy.
Not far away by the lake, Jiang Zhizhi saw someone drawing. The boy was behind a drawing board, with his back against the lake, and seemed to be drawing the tree-lined path in front of him.
Jiang Zhizhi found it quite interesting. Most people prioritize mountains and water when painting landscapes, and few people paint the road by the lake with their backs to the water.
She didn't want to disturb him, so she deliberately avoided the direction where the boy was drawing and planned to leave in a detour. Suddenly, she heard Qiu Han's excited voice behind her.
"Zhizhi!" She ran towards her, panting but full of energy. "Professor Yang said we can conduct the test during EAST's nighttime experimental window! He said that many people are interested in our experiment now, and on the day of the test, many people might come to observe together. Oh my god, I'm so nervous!"
Jiang Zhizhi smiled and comforted her, "It's okay, we will succeed."
"I don't even dare to think about what will happen if the test is successful, Zhizhi. We might become famous overnight!" Qiu Han hugged Jiang Zhizhi's arm excitedly, his voice trembling slightly.
She was very happy, and Jiang Zhizhi was happy with her.
At this moment, the boy who was drawing by the lake suddenly stood up and walked over, looking at her curiously, "Jiang Zhizhi?"
The boy had long black hair that reached his shoulders, and he used a black clip to style his hair in a lazy and beautiful way, making him look as delicate as a girl.
His facial features are also very delicate, his skin is fair, his temperament is elegant and he has a somewhat unruly beauty.
"Wow, he's a handsome guy." Qiu Han covered his mouth and whispered in Jiang Zhizhi's ear.
Jiang Zhizhi looked at him. She was sure she didn't know this person, but she felt inexplicably familiar with him. "Do we know each other?"
"Can I draw a picture for you?" Instead of answering Jiang Zhizhi's question, he asked.
"Okay, okay!" Before Jiang Zhizhi could reply, Qiu Han pulled her to sit down in front of the small flower bed under the willow tree. "Is an hour okay?"
"Okay." A smile appeared on the corner of his lips. He returned to his easel, changed a piece of drawing paper, and kept painting while looking at Jiang Zhizhi in front of him.
Time passed little by little until the sun set and the green willow branches were dyed a light golden color by the sunlight. He finally put down his brush.
Qiu Han ran over curiously, wanting to see how the boy drew himself and Jiang Zhizhi, but when he looked over, he found that there was only Jiang Zhizhi and a golden willow tree on the drawing paper.
She was embarrassed for a moment before she realized that the boy just said he wanted to draw a picture for Jiang Zhizhi.
They came here just for Jiang Zhizhi.
"Okay, then you guys chat, I'll go back to the dormitory first." Qiu Han was not a petty person. She secretly winked at Jiang Zhizhi and walked away politely.
Jiang Zhizhi also walked over and saw the painting drawn by the boy.
This tree-lined path is usually bustling with people, but in the boy's painting, it is quiet and peaceful.
This style of painting suddenly reminded Jiang Zhizhi of a young man she had briefly interacted with before.
She turned her head and looked at the boy again. His overly dark eyes seemed to be accustomed to loneliness and alienation. When she looked into his eyes, she felt that this person was difficult to approach. However, deep in his pupils, she could feel a bit of warmth like melting winter snow.
"Could it be... are you Qingtian?"
"I'm so glad you still remember me."
He speaks Mandarin very fluently and doesn't look like a native of N country at all.
"Why are you here?" Jiang Zhizhi asked curiously.
"I'm an international student, currently studying at the Jinghai Academy of Fine Arts. When I'm not in class, I go to Shuimu University to paint, hoping to run into you." Qingtian Guang walked up to Jiang Zhizhi, the corners of his lips slightly raised. "Actually, we've run into each other many times, but you're always in a hurry, so we haven't had a chance to talk."
"Really? Sorry, I've been busy preparing for an experiment lately. I'm a bit busy."
"It's okay. Although I couldn't meet you, I spent a lot of time painting beautiful landscapes." Qing Tianguang took the painting off the drawing board and handed it to Jiang Zhizhi. "I give it to you. We once used a painting to represent our separation, and this painting represents our reunion."
"Thank you." Jiang Zhizhi took the painting. "The painting you gave me before is at my home in Nanshi. I kept it well. I will keep this one well too."
*
In the dormitory, Lin Xin and Qiu Han were discussing what had just happened. Seeing Jiang Zhizhi come back, Lin Xin immediately came over curiously, "Zhizhi, I heard that another boy came to chat with you?"
"That boy definitely likes you!" Qiu Han pointed at Jiang Zhizhi and said, "Who draws just one person? I was sitting right next to you, and he treated me like air! Zhizhi, after I left, did he confess to you?"
"No." Jiang Zhizhi smiled helplessly, "He is a friend I knew before. He is now studying at Jinghai Academy of Fine Arts."
"He's a top art student from the Jinghai Academy of Fine Arts. No wonder he's so handsome." Qiu Han rubbed his chin with a click of his tongue. "Our senior Xu is in big trouble now."
"Zhizhi is already very popular in school. Senior Xu is an exchange student abroad, so there's nothing we can do about it if someone takes advantage of her situation." Lin Xin said with a smile.
Jiang Zhizhi felt helpless after being teased by them. "Stop talking nonsense, there's nothing going on between Xu Qingbo and me."
"Oh, so it's about that boy from Jinghai Academy of Fine Arts?" Qiu Han smiled playfully. "By the way, I don't know his name yet."
"Qingtian Guang."
"Qingtian? He's from Country N?"
"Um."
"There's nothing good about people from country N. Senior Xu is more suitable for you." Qiu Han made another judgment as usual.
*
After that meeting, Qingtian Guang often came to the school to meet Jiang Zhizhi. Sometimes she was very busy and would leave in a hurry after just a few words, and sometimes she would walk around the campus for a while and take a walk.
Jiang Zhizhi thought he had become more cheerful than when he was a child, but after spending some time together, she discovered that he was still the same as before. Apart from being able to communicate normally with her, he didn't talk to anyone else and was completely detached from this world.
Compared to people, he prefers scenery, trees, flowers, water, breeze... which can stir his emotions better.
"Do you have time this weekend? There's a tree celebrating its birthday in Jinghai Forest Park. Do you want to go and see it together?"
"Tree's birthday?"
"Well, it's a thousand-year birthday. Isn't that interesting?"
Jiang Zhizhi was silent for a moment, then said, "Actually, I'm about to start doing experimental tests, so I'll be very busy..."
Qing Tianguang blinked, seemingly not understanding what Jiang Zhizhi meant. "Are you... rejecting me? I just think this is very meaningful. Just like when you took me to see that thousand-year-old tree, I want to take you there too... Is that not okay?"
He looked at her intently, and his gaze made it impossible to refuse her.
"Okay, that's the last time. Let's go to the tree's birthday party together. After that, don't always come to school to find me. I will be very busy next time." Jiang Zhizhi said tactfully.
"I understand. I'll come see you after you're done with your work. Remember to wait for me this weekend."
He smiled again, his delicate and elegant face looked so beautiful that it seemed to be glowing.
After seeing Qing Tianguang off, Jiang Zhizhi sighed helplessly. When she was about to return to the dormitory, she suddenly received a call from Li Rongrong.
"Hello? What are you doing?"
For some reason, Li Rongrong's voice on the phone had a slightly dead tone. This reminded Jiang Zhizhi of how heartbroken she was on the wedding day of the male star she had pursued.
"I'm at school? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Jiang Zhizhi asked worriedly.
"I'm fine, I just want to ask you, who was that handsome guy with you just now?" Li Rongrong asked resentfully.
"ah?"
Jiang Zhizhi was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked around, and saw Li Rongrong staring at her at the scene of the incident not far away.
Li Rongrong snorted and walked up to her angrily, "Jiang Zhizhi, you've been dating someone without telling me, haven't you?"
"I don't."
"Who is that person?"
"A friend..."
"Friends? Do friends need to be so close to talk?"
Li Rongrong's questioning made Jiang Zhizhi sigh helplessly.
But seeing Jiang Zhizhi like this, Li Rongrong felt that she was guilty. "Huh, I was right, wasn't I?"
"Let's not talk about this anymore. You finally came to see me once. Let's go. I'll treat you to a delicious meal."
"Are you trying to bribe me?"
Li Rongrong was reluctant, but after tasting the food recommended by Jiang Zhizhi, her mood immediately improved.
After calming down, she began to inquire about Qingtian Guang's situation. She got the whole story from Jiang Zhizhi and learned that Jiang Zhizhi and he were dating in the forest park. She became furious again.
"No, I want to go too."
"Ah? What are you going to do?"
Jiang Zhizhi actually wanted to talk it out with Qingtian Guang when they met on the weekend, hoping that he would not come to her so often in the future. However, she couldn't say these words in front of Li Rongrong.
Qingtian Guang is a solitary and introverted person, and she was afraid that if she didn't handle the situation properly, she would hurt him.
"What's wrong? Are you afraid that I will disturb your private time?" Li Rongrong said unhappily.
"No... Oh, never mind. Come along if you want."
But at the weekend, Jiang Zhizhi didn't wait for Li Rongrong to show up, she only received a call from her.
"Sorry, Zhizhi, I have something urgent to do and can't go over. I hope you have fun with that handsome guy..."
Li Rongrong has always been like this in a hurry. Jiang Zhizhi didn't think much about it and took the subway to the forest park with Qingtian Guang.
They went there very early, arriving at around eight o'clock in the morning. When they entered from the entrance, the air was fresh and cool. Taking a deep breath, they could smell the strong fragrance of plants and the humus smell of soil. It made people feel as if they were suddenly pulled away from their busy lives and became refreshed.
Compared to Jiang Zhizhi, Qingtian Guang is a frequent visitor here. Once he enters the forest park and is surrounded by towering trees, his expression, which seems alienated from the world, becomes gentle and warm.
Jiang Zhizhi followed him to the location of the thousand-year-old tree that was celebrating its birthday. There were not many people here, and the staff had decorated it with some ribbons. When the breeze blew through the forest, the ribbons fluttered in the air, which was very beautiful.
She turned to look at Qingtian Guang and was about to say something when she suddenly saw him put down the drawing board, took two steps back and sat on the bench at the back.
"Want to draw?"
"Well, I've always wanted to paint a picture of it with you, as well as the tree in Nanshi. It was such a pity that I didn't paint it that time..." He took out his paintbrush, as if he was immersed in a world of imagination.
Jiang Zhizhi watched him drafting quickly. He looked like a leisurely person, but his pen moved steadily and quickly when he was drawing.
Watching the boy next to her drawing seriously and absorbedly, time around her seemed to slow down, the fresh air became more noticeable, and her hearing seemed to become more acute.
After about an hour, he finished painting the tree, turned to look at Jiang Zhizhi, and then skillfully added a girl's silhouette in the blank space next to the tree.
Jiang Zhizhi could tell at a glance that it was her childhood appearance. Except for her movements, she was almost exactly the same as the one in the painting Qingtian Guang had given her.
"Zhizhi, you are the most special girl I have ever met. Like these ancient trees, you possess an endless vitality and the power to transform decay into new life. Since we separated six years ago, I have been missing you and imagining you. I have painted my image of you on paper hundreds, thousands of times. Finally, I realized that I couldn't keep reminiscing about the past. I had to come find you."
Qing Tianguang looked at Jiang Zhizhi sincerely and gently held her hand. "I came here specifically to see you. I want to be with you forever."
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