Order Reconstruction
The day I returned from the north, the air was slightly cool.
As the car drove back to campus, the shadows of the trees receded in the sunlight, and even the air carried a long-lost familiarity.
Zhiwei leaned against the car window, squinting at the old teaching building, and smiled: "It's so strange, it feels like I've gone back to the year I first came here."
Pan Qiu hummed in response and said nothing more, feeling a slight emptiness in her heart—as if some kind of past liveliness had been taken away, leaving only an echo.
Yueyue dropped them off at their dormitory and then hurriedly went to return the rental car. She figured she'd headed back to the lab after that. She couldn't bear to leave the mice she hadn't taken care of for days.
Zhiwei followed behind Panqiu, dragging her suitcase, looking around as she walked.
“This building hasn’t changed,” she murmured, “even the light here is the same.”
Pan Qiu smiled and said, "Some things change so slowly that we mistakenly believe they are unchanging."
That night, they shared a room.
A breeze slipped in through the cracks in the window, carrying a hint of late summer dampness.
The light was soft and yellow. I had just returned from a trip, and the room was a bit messy, but it had that long-lost warm messiness.
Zhiwei leaned against the carpet, looked around, and laughed out loud: "You actually still have this painting."
The painting of the Rowan tree still hung above the desk. "Of course," Pan Qiu smiled, her face slightly flushed.
Zhiwei rested her chin on her hand and examined the painting for a while, then suddenly burst out laughing: "Do you remember what I said back then? I said the way you look at the painting is like a weasel worshipping the moon—too devout."
Pan Qiu was amused: "And then you told me the big news that you were transferring schools."
The two burst into laughter. When the laughter subsided, Zhiwei suddenly regained her composure, a soft light appearing in her eyes. She stood up, walked to the window, and saw the yellow-glazed flowerpot—
The glaze gleamed softly under the light, and the little succulents inside were quietly stretching out.
“Isn’t this the one we bought at the yard sale that year?” she asked.
“Yes,” Panqiu nodded, “It was empty until you transferred schools, and only recently… did it get a resident.”
"We've waited long enough."
“Yes,” Panqiu said softly—perhaps some things are meant to be waited for.
The air grew still. The shadows of the trees outside the window swayed gently in the wind.
After a while, Zhiwei suddenly smiled and her tone became light: "I have to be honest with you about something."
Pan Qiu turned her head: "What?"
“I helped Lin Yue tamper with the gifts we exchanged at Christmas that year.”
Pan Qiu was taken aback: "You mean... the cup with only one heart?"
“Yes!” Zhiwei couldn’t help but laugh. “He told me in advance that he wanted to give it to you, and I’ve been helping him hide his signature at the very end.”
Pan Qiu smiled and said, "I never expected there to be such a story..."
“He kept nagging me, saying that giving flowers was too old-fashioned, giving pens was too boring, and a cup was just right—I could see it every day.”
Pan Qiu chuckled softly, "Later, I really did see it every day. I kept it in my office and used it every day, and it's still here now."
Zhiwei squinted her eyes teasingly: "Back then, I really thought you two would get together sooner or later. Now it seems there's no chance, right?"
Panqiu was taken aback by her question, and it took her a long time to manage a smile.
"So, Lin Yue is really good in every way... I initially thought he was a bit naive, but actually he's quite insightful."
She paused, her gaze falling on the painting, her voice so soft it was as if she were talking to herself.
"We couldn't be together back then, and now things have changed even more."
She smiled and added, half-jokingly, "Now that you mention it, it's my turn to feel regret."
Zhiwei looked at her, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "I think you're just expressing your regret verbally."
Both of them remained silent for a moment.
The lamplight outside cast a soft shadow on the glass. Zhiwei looked at the succulent and said softly, "This flowerpot has finally found its sweetheart. What about you?"
Panqiu didn't answer, but gently touched the round leaf.
"What can I expect?" she whispered. "I just want to graduate smoothly."
Zhiwei suddenly smiled, her tone softening: "I really feel like an experienced person now. Want to hear a secret?"
Looking forward to autumn.
Zhiwei placed her hand on her lower abdomen and smiled gently: "I'm pregnant."
Pan Qiu paused for a few seconds, then smiled and reached out to hug her: "Really?"
"Yes, it's still early, only a few weeks. I haven't told anyone yet." There was a light in Zhi's smile, a gentle and reassuring light.
"I'm happy for you," Panqiu said.
"Thank you." Zhiwei sighed softly. "To be honest, I'm a little scared too. But maybe that's just how people are—life starts on its own before you're ready."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
The wind outside the window rustled the curtains, creating a flowing effect like light.
Zhiwei suddenly whispered, "You'll get better too. When you graduate next year, I'll bring him to see you again, or you can come to see us."
Pan Qiu didn't speak, she just nodded.
After Zhiwei left, the campus became completely quiet.
The air in July is thick and bright, and even the cicadas' chirping carries a scent that seems to melt you in the heat.
The campus is almost deserted during the day, with only the occasional roar of delivery trucks echoing in the distance.
At night, the lights in the teaching building were turned off one by one, leaving only the top floor of the library still lit.
Pan Qiu spends most of her time in the laboratory.
She and James are preparing their paper on "internal language bilingual switching mechanisms".
This time, they were no longer as flustered as before—the data was organized in an orderly manner, the code was clean, and the memos was refined.
Occasionally, when there were uncertainties, they would argue with each other, and James would push back his chair and say with a smile, "If Ethan were here, he would definitely make us go back and run it again."
Pan Qiu smiled, but didn't reply.
Chase's coaching style is completely different from Ethan's.
She rarely offered detailed advice, but at every meeting she would ask three questions: "What do you want to talk about?" "How do you plan to talk about it?" "Who are you talking to?"
Her tone was gentle, yet it made it impossible to avoid the core issue.
Pan Qiu gradually realized that those abstract questions were actually a kind of guidance at a higher level.
But occasionally, she would still miss Ethan's thoughtfulness—
He would write a sentence in the margin of the document, "The logic here is good, but the tone is too hasty."
Small arrows will be inserted between paragraphs to say, "This paragraph needs a breather."
Those markings no longer exist.
Half of July had passed when Panqiu discovered something unexpected.
Sometimes, Yueyue would walk back to the dormitory building with James, holding a cup of iced coffee and smiling nonchalantly.
Pan Qiu first noticed that subtle atmosphere one evening—
When she got home, she saw Yueyue in the backyard, looking down at something, while James stood beside her, looking serious.
Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the blinds, scattering fragments of light and shadow across the two of them.
She didn't say anything, but just watched quietly for a few seconds.
At that moment, she suddenly felt a little dazed—
Time really does move forward.
It's only been a week into August, and the weather is still sweltering.
The leaves on the campus trees were bleached white by the sun, and the wind carried a sluggish air.
That day, Panqiu was revising her paper in the lab when her email suddenly beeped.
She opened it—the sender was Chase.
Subject: Autumn PhD Student Orientation Coordination
Hi, looking forward to autumn!
Do you have time to coordinate the work for this year's PhD student orientation event?
Key tasks include coordinating student volunteers, scheduling flash talks by faculty, and helping freshmen adjust to the environment.
The logistics, such as venue setup and catering, will be handled by administrative staff.
We can meet next week to discuss the specific details.
—C.
After she finished reading, her finger paused for a moment on the touchpad.
That tone—steady, concise, and carrying an unspoken trust.
She couldn't help but think of the same season last year.
At that time, she was having a falling out with Ethan because she mistakenly believed that he had a wife and children.
She was relieved to learn that he would be unable to attend the welcome party that year and agreed to volunteer.
On the day of the orientation, he still rushed over, looking travel-worn.
She still remembers the feeling of being struck by that sudden appearance.
The sunlight outside the window fell on the ground, reflecting a layer of bright white light.
She suddenly became lost in thought—the world works so naturally.
Even if someone is missing, we won't stop.
She replied to the email: "Of course, I'd be happy to take responsibility."
The moment she sent the reply, she felt a slight sense of disorientation—
It's as if I've signed a contract to completely say goodbye to the past.
The following week was almost entirely devoted to preparing for the orientation.
Chase introduced her to the college's administrative coordinator, who helped her create a new student group and a volunteer list.
She receives confirmation emails in her inbox every day:
"Professor Patel has confirmed his participation in the Lightning Talks."
"Student volunteers have been assigned."
"The application to print the manual has been approved."
One letter after another, like a series of rhythmic mechanical echoes.
As night fell, the air conditioner in the laboratory building hummed, and the breeze gently ruffled the documents on the corner of the desk.
She leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on the line of bold text on the laptop screen:
Orientation Week Coordinator: Qiu Pan.
Pan Qiu smiled.
Yes—her world was completely turned upside down after she returned from Bergamo.
And now, it has finally restored order.
Stable and quiet
So steady that even his heartbeat seemed unlikely to be easily disturbed by anyone anymore.
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