The next day in class, Zhao Mingyue was looking down at her lessons when she caught a glimpse of Mao Jianlan getting up and leaving, only to sit back down a short while later. Zhao Mingyue didn't think much of it and continued reading.
Someone tapped on her desk with a pen, trying to get her attention. Zhao Mingyue looked up and saw that the person next to her had changed to Wang Xingkai. Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, "Why is this guy so persistent? I haven't really paid him any attention."
Wang Xingkai opened his mouth to speak, but seeing that everyone around him was quietly studying, he opened his notebook, tore off a piece of paper, wrote a few words, and pushed the paper over. It read: "Zhao Mingyue, I'm treating you to a movie tonight."
Zhao Mingyue glanced at it and wrote on the paper, "No, I want to study." She had gone out to play all day yesterday, while everyone else was studying; she had to catch up quickly. Her classmates were different from others; they had lost so much in those ten years, and now they wanted to make the most of every minute. Therefore, they studied exceptionally hard, absorbing knowledge like water from the sea. Zhao Mingyue had already finished reading *Dream of the Red Chamber* and was currently studying *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. Her classical Chinese was limited, and she still found reading ancient texts like *Records of the Grand Historian* a bit difficult, so she started with novels that were a mix of classical and vernacular Chinese.
Wang Xingkai pushed the note over again: "It's okay to take a break now and then, it won't take up much time."
Zhao Mingyue could only reply, "If I'm going, I'll go with my boyfriend, not with you."
Wang Xingkai was greatly discouraged, but he still touched his nose and replied, "It's not a big deal to watch a movie with classmates."
Zhao Mingyue said, "No, I don't have time. Besides, my boyfriend would be unhappy if he found out. Please switch seats with Mao Jianlan. You're affecting my studies. Thank you."
Wang Xingkai was devastated and didn't reply to the note. After a while, Mao Jianlan switched seats back, and Zhao Mingyue asked her in a low voice, "Why did you switch seats with him just now?"
Mao Jianlan smiled, a slight smirk playing on her lips: "To make him give up."
Zhao Mingyue: "..." Mao Jianlan, who is not very old and speaks the least, seems to be the most insightful and sharp-witted person.
On Tuesday, the class monitor announced: "The class committee has decided that we will visit the *** and the Forbidden City this Sunday, and the cost will be deducted from the class fund. Students who are not going, please sign up."
Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, "I just went there, and now I have to go again? Should I go or not? It's the first class activity, it seems wrong not to go, but going seems like a waste of time and money." After thinking for a long time, she finally decided to go, thinking of it as a way to connect with her classmates.
After class, Zhao Mingyue packed her bag and headed to the library. Everyone was studying hard, and she couldn't fall behind. She hadn't had the chance to study properly in her past life, so she couldn't miss this opportunity. No matter what, reading more books was always a good thing.
The most popular reading room in the library is the periodicals reading room. It's the source of the latest information, and everyone is like a thirsty baby eager to be the first to drink its mother's milk. So whenever a new newspaper or magazine comes out, it's always the most sought-after. If you go late, there won't even be any book tags left in the reading room.
Zhao Mingyue wasn't very interested in the latest periodicals, and she never tried to grab a book card. She preferred to read whatever was available in the old periodicals and the library.
She was flipping through a history journal in the back issue periodical reading room when Mao Jianlan came over and found her: "Xiao Zhao, your letter."
Zhao Mingyue was overjoyed: "Is there a letter for me?" She was surprised that her family had replied so quickly. It seemed like only a few days had passed. She eagerly took the letter and found that it was not from her hometown, but from her hometown. The envelope was from Tsinghua University.
Zhao Mingyue opened the letter with curiosity, her first glance falling on the signature. It was from Shen Xuyue! Why would he write to her? Was there something he couldn't say in person? Zhao Mingyue's heart pounded with nervousness. She quickly glanced around, relieved no one was watching. She unfolded the letter and read it quickly, finding it filled with ordinary stories and nothing particularly noteworthy. Only at the end, in English, was written "Yours, Xuyue." A sudden realization dawned on Zhao Mingyue: this was a love letter.
The tension melted away, replaced by joyful happiness. Shen Xuyue really knew how to be romantic. Zhao Mingyue decided to read the letter again carefully from beginning to end. Mao Jianlan brought over a magazine: "Who wrote you the letter?"
Zhao Mingyue quickly folded the letter, placed it under her book, and shook her head: "A friend."
Seeing her beaming with joy, Mao Jianlan's eyes lit up. "I think it's a local postmark. Could it be from that classmate from Tsinghua University? It's probably true. You two are really romantic. It's such a short distance, yet you still write letters. Isn't that a waste of stamp money?" Mao Jianlan smiled.
Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, "Am I really so bad at hiding things? It's so easy for him to tell." She replied, "Okay, it was him who wrote it."
Mao Jianlan shook her head and sighed, "People in love feel like they've been apart for three autumns if they don't see each other for a day." Then she lowered her head and went to flip through her book.
Zhao Mingyue felt that Mao Jianlan's words sounded familiar, so she secretly took out the letter again, unfolded it, and read it word by word from the beginning. The letter began: "Dear Comrade Zhao Mingyue: It is as if you have seen me! My roommate just read a poem that says, 'A day apart feels like three autumns,' and I suddenly felt a connection with it. It perfectly describes my feelings at this moment. Although we have only just parted, I already miss you terribly, as if your smile is still within reach. The words of the ancients are concise yet profound. I have decided to start studying the Book of Songs from today onwards, and I will report my progress to you every now and then, hoping to receive your supervision..."
Zhao Mingyue covered her forehead with her hand to hide the lingering sweetness and smile on her face. Shen Xuyue was too good at being romantic. Actually, it wasn't that Shen Xuyue was good at being romantic; it was that everyone in this era was good at being romantic.
Zhao Mingyue searched for a long time in the library and finally found a copy of the Book of Songs. Shen Xuyue was studying there, so she should also learn some of it.
Zhao Mingyue immediately wrote back. Their correspondence continued, and soon it was almost the weekend. They would meet again then—this was the way lovers in the throes of passion. Zhao Mingyue loved this state of being; she poured out her thoughts into writing. She could talk about studies, ideals, or life, but her feelings were always kept secret. However, she could express them through poetry. For example, Shen Xuyue wrote in a letter, "Today I read the lines from the *Book of Songs*, 'In life and death, in separation and reunion, we are bound together; holding your hand, we will grow old together.' This is perhaps the most ideal state of love and marriage, and I wish all lovers in the world could achieve this."
Zhao Mingyue recalled that when she usually met Shen Xuyue, he rarely said such sentimental things. He always talked seriously about studies, life, current events, the past, and the future. She never expected that he was such a sensitive and emotional person. Zhao Mingyue was filled with gratitude and emotion. She felt so lucky that she hadn't missed out on such a person as Shen Xuyue.
On Saturday afternoon, Zhao Mingyue returned to her dormitory after class and found Shen Xuyue already waiting at the door. Zhao Mingyue quickly ran up to him: "Xuyue, how long have you been here?"
Shen Xuyue looked at her, then glanced at the classmates following behind: "Let's go now and have dinner at our place."
"Okay, let's put the books back."
A group of girls returned to their dormitory and still needed to freshen up. Zhao Mingyue tied her hair up and then secured it with a handkerchief. Li Chunmei said, "Wow, Zhao looks good with her hair tied up like that."
Zhao Mingyue said, "Why don't you do it like this too?"
Li Chunmei shook her head: "I can't do it. My hair is too thick and messy. It won't look good if I tie it up."
Gao Dongfang said, "Come on, Xiao Zhao, let me try, you help me with it."
Zhao Mingyue helped Gao Dongfang tie her hair up like her own: "Second Sister's hair was just braided, it's a bit curly, like it's been permed. This is a different style, and it looks pretty good, doesn't it?" Gao Dongfang was the second oldest in the dormitory, hence the nickname "Second Sister," while Tang Weihua was the eldest.
Everyone gathered around to take a look: "Hmm, not bad. Much better looking than two braids."
"It looks good, I even want to grow my hair long," Qian Sisheng said with a smile. She was the only one in the whole dormitory who cut her hair short because she likes to play volleyball and said that short hair is more convenient for sports.
Gao Dongfang touched his hair somewhat shyly: "Isn't it too messy? It might affect my work a bit."
"It's already evening, and we don't need to do anything else. It's fine, let's leave it at that. Is everyone ready? Let's go." Zhao Mingyue clapped her hands, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and went out the door.
Shen Xuyue waited outside for about fifteen minutes before the group of girls came out. He noticed that Zhao Mingyue's hairstyle was different from usual; her hair was tied back, making her look particularly gentle and quiet. He couldn't help but stare at her for a few more seconds.
Li Chunmei nudged Zhao Mingyue: "Hurry up and go over there."
Zhao Mingyue smiled and walked to Shen Xuyue's side. Shen Xuyue glanced at Zhao Mingyue's hair accessory, his lips curving into a smile. He turned back to everyone and said, "Let's go, let's take the bus."
Zhao Mingyue suddenly remembered something: "Won't it be too late tonight? What if there are no more buses?"
Shen Xuyue said, "It won't be too late. There are still buses at 9:30. If it gets too late, we'll find a way to get you back. It won't be past your lights-out time." The school's lights-out time is 10:30.
Several of the women followed behind Shen Xuyue and Zhao Mingyue, watching the young couple walk side by side ahead. Although they didn't say anything, everyone could feel the sweet atmosphere between them, and the women chuckled. Hearing the laughter, Zhao Mingyue felt embarrassed and stopped walking with the others, leaving Shen Xuyue to walk alone. The women then nudged and pushed her to Shen Xuyue's side, and Shen Xuyue turned back to give them a grateful smile.
Upon arriving at Tsinghua University, Shen Xuyue led everyone to the cafeteria for dinner. After dinner, he gave everyone a tour. Everyone thought their own school was already very large, but after arriving at Tsinghua, they realized that there are always higher levels and more capable people. Tsinghua's campus is several times larger than that of Beijing Normal University, and it would take a whole day to explore it all. For now, they could only get a general overview.
Shen Xuyue led everyone to the auditorium, which was already bustling with activity. The athletes' march was playing over the loudspeakers, and the teachers and students watching the performance were gradually taking their seats. Shen Xuyue called over his roommate and said to everyone, "I have a performance to do in a little while, so I won't have time to keep you company. Let my classmate watch the performance with you." After introducing everyone, he left.
Seeing this, the female students over there probably knew what was going on; it seemed like they were planning a mixed-gender social event. Several of the girls looked at Zhao Mingyue with amused expressions, but Zhao Mingyue waved her hand, saying, "I don't know either."
However, the boys were all quite reserved and didn't know what to say, which made the girls feel a little relieved. Soon after everyone was seated, the host went up to announce the program. First, the school leaders gave a welcome speech, and then the evening's entertainment began. The first performance was a group dance with a distinctly contemporary feel, called "Not Loving Red Dresses, Loving Military Uniforms." Gao Dongfang whispered in Zhao Mingyue's ear, "How come the Tsinghua students are still so old-fashioned? They should have some of the spirit of the new era."
Zhao Mingyue couldn't help but laugh: "I don't know either."
A boy overheard their conversation and said somewhat awkwardly, "This dance was choreographed by the senior students last year. They said that this time there was too much time to choreograph a new dance, so they decided on this program."
The second performance was a large chorus of "The Yellow River Cantata." This song is magnificent, and as a chorus, it was incredibly moving. It was Zhao Mingyue's first time hearing a chorus performance; the sound was like waves crashing from front to back, truly powerful. The third performance was a solo of the familiar "My Motherland," accompanied by the previous choir. The singer was a petite female student, but her voice was exceptionally beautiful and full of energy—truly wonderful to hear. In this day and age, seeing such a high-quality live performance is a rare treat; everyone was completely immersed in the music.
The fourth performance was a guitar duet. The guitarist was a short boy carrying a yellow acoustic guitar. As soon as he came on stage, the entire auditorium erupted in applause. One of Shen Xuyue's classmates introduced him, saying, "This is our school's prince of love songs, a guitar virtuoso."
Zhao Mingyue found it extremely novel; it was unbelievable that someone could play the guitar and sing love songs. However, today he wasn't singing a love song; he was playing and singing a song he composed and wrote the lyrics for, called "Youth." The melody wasn't particularly beautiful, but the lyrics resonated with many people. Moreover, the boy's voice was indeed very pleasant to listen to—very magnetic and captivating. Even Mao Jianlan thought it sounded especially good.
Next came a short, humorous Peking Opera performance, followed by a play, an excerpt from the famous play "Thunderstorm." Qian Sisheng pushed Zhao Mingyue, saying, "Little Zhao, this is a play. Our drama club will be staging plays like this in the future."
Zhao Mingyue looked at the people on the stage. Due to the lack of supplies, the props and costumes were very simple and old, and she didn't know when they were left over. Although the actors were amateurs, they still performed quite well. At least they stirred up everyone's emotions, which was really good.
After the play ended, the host came on stage to announce: "Next, please welcome Shen Xuyue, a freshman from the Department of Environment and Engineering, to perform an accordion solo."
Several of the sisters nudged Zhao Mingyue, saying, "Little Zhao, Little Zhao, look, your man is here."
Shen Xuyue went on stage, and Zhao Mingyue noticed that he had changed his clothes, wearing a borrowed coat. His hair was neatly combed, and he stood on the stage with an imposing presence. He glanced around the audience, looked at Zhao Mingyue's location, bowed, and then began to play. Zhao Mingyue was stunned when she heard it; it was "Red Berries Bloom." Almost everyone in the audience was also stunned.
Although the Cultural Revolution was over, Soviet songs were still banned at that time, at least in public. Shen Xuyue was incredibly bold to sing this at the welcome party. Zhao Mingyue couldn't help but feel a little worried for him. Shen Xuyue had already begun singing: "By the fields and riverbanks, red berries are blooming..."
Everyone in the audience was captivated by the beautiful melody and singing, swaying to Shen Xuyue's music with rapt attention. When the piece ended, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Surprisingly, no one dared to say that it was inappropriate.
Zhao Mingyue had no interest in watching the rest of the program; she was eagerly waiting for Shen Xuyue to arrive. Not long after, Shen Xuyue turned around from behind, found Zhao Mingyue, and squeezed in next to her to sit down.
Zhao Mingyue reached up and touched her nose, finding beads of sweat on it. She lowered her voice and whispered, "How dare you sing this song?"
"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Shen Xuyue said with a smile.
Zhao Mingyue shook her head: "No, do your school teachers allow it?"
Shen Xuyue said, "Of course, the teachers in the Youth League Committee know. I've already rehearsed, so there won't be any problems."
Zhao Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief: "I was worried that you would be called in for a talk by your boss tomorrow."
"Don't worry, I definitely wouldn't risk singing this if I wasn't confident. This is a university campus, the atmosphere is much more open. Don't you think I sang what everyone feels? I think everyone likes it too." Shen Xuyue was a little proud.
Zhao Mingyue let out a soft sigh: "Tell me earlier next time. I was so worried about you."
Shen Xuyue whispered in her ear, "Okay, I was going to give you a surprise."
Zhao Mingyue's face flushed, and she said, "I'm not much happy, but I'm quite surprised."
Shen Xuyue chuckled, then changed the subject: "Your hair looks beautiful tonight."
Zhao Mingyue's face turned even redder: "Really? Thank you."
"It really is beautiful."
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