Brand new coordinates
The September wind, carrying the scent of an unfamiliar city, caressed the young faces. Four teenagers, like seeds sown in different soils, began their journey of sprouting and growing in their respective new coordinates.
University A, Department of Physics.
Jiang Qi's name spread like wildfire from the very beginning of the semester. His status as a gifted student admitted through the special admission program, his gold medal in a competition, and his strikingly handsome yet aloof face quickly made him the center of attention among the freshmen. He remained a loner, dressed simply in dark clothing, moving between the historic Gothic buildings and modern laboratories. His coursework was effortless; professors admired his sharp intuition, classmates revered his talent, and some bold upperclassmen or fellow students even tried to approach him. The notes they offered or the subtle invitations he politely and aloofly declined: "Sorry, I have plans."
His "appointment" is usually at nine o'clock in the evening. Whether he's spending the day in the lab validating models or researching cutting-edge literature in the library, he always returns to his dorm on time, puts on his headphones, and clicks on the pinned cat avatar. Only when the video call connects and Su An's smiling face appears on the other end of the screen does his icy aura of unapproachability quietly melt away.
"How was your day?" Jiang Qi would ask, with his tidy desk in the background.
"That was great," Su An's voice came through the earpiece, clear and gentle. "I had an introduction to classical literature class today, and the professor was really interesting. How about you? Any progress on that project?"
"Hmm, the data fit is higher than expected." Jiang Qi would share his progress concisely. Occasionally, when he encountered a tricky problem, he would frown and describe it, not to seek answers, but more like to organize his thoughts. Su An would always listen quietly and then say, "Take your time, you can definitely do it."
Sometimes they don't talk much, just keep their video chat on, each reading or doing homework, occasionally glancing up at the other on the screen, exchanging a smile, and then looking down again. That kind of companionship across the screen is silent yet profound, as if the other person is right there within reach. His roommate once jokingly asked him, "Have you met your online boyfriend in person yet?" Jiang Qi just glanced at him indifferently and didn't comment, but the next time they video chatted, he would subconsciously adjust the angle to make sure the background wasn't too cluttered.
University of British Columbia, Department of Chinese Literature.
Su An was like a fish swimming into the long-awaited ocean. The rich literary atmosphere at Peking University ignited his thirst for knowledge. He actively participated in class discussions, joined the reading club, and began trying his hand at writing short poems and essays, submitting them to the school magazine. His writing gradually gained traction; readers left comments praising his "clean and warm" prose. In this open and free environment, his personality became more cheerful, and a confident light shone in his eyes.
He made new friends, and they would go to the library together, attend lectures, and explore the city's hidden bookstores and cafes. But when his friends asked if he was single, he would smile frankly but a little embarrassedly and say, "No, I have a boyfriend. He's studying physics at University A." This would elicit a chorus of surprise and good-natured teasing.
The nightly video chat with Jiang Qi was the most anticipated moment of his day. He would share with Jiang Qi good sentences he had read, interesting things he had encountered, or his newly written, somewhat immature lines of poetry. Jiang Qi might not understand the literary imagery and techniques, but he would listen attentively and then say "very good," or point out a particularly precise word. This interdisciplinary exchange was unique and novel. Once, when Su An was writing about the stars at night, Jiang Qi told him a short, little-known fact about the propagation of starlight in astrophysics. Su An listened intently, feeling that reason and emotion were wonderfully intertwined at that moment.
D University, Sports Management major.
Jiang Zhao was undoubtedly a perfect fit. His outgoing and lively personality, excellent athletic ability, and natural organizational skills made him a star within just a few weeks of the start of the semester. He joined the basketball team and became the team's resident joker thanks to his good skills and witty banter; he was elected as the class's sports and cultural representative, and the first social event he organized was a great success.
His university life was filled with various activities, training, and socializing, making it incredibly lively. But no matter how bustling the daytime was, the first thing he would do without fail when he returned to his dorm at night was to calculate the time difference and send a message to Lin Jun, or directly video call him.
"Brother Jun! Look how cool I am playing basketball today!" He might send a blurry video of himself scoring a goal.
"Brother Jun! We went to that hot pot place you mentioned today, it was super spicy! It was so satisfying!"
"Brother Jun! I think I've angered the counselor again, what should I do? I need help urgently!"
Lin Jun's messages were usually sent in the early morning or late at night, with backgrounds ranging from libraries and dormitories to the empty campus in the early morning. Sometimes he wore gold-rimmed glasses and a simple shirt, making him look even more mature and handsome. He would patiently listen to Jiang Zhao's machine-gun-like sharing, occasionally offering a few sarcastic comments, but always with a tolerant smile in his eyes. He would remind Jiang Zhao which courses needed to be focused on, offer calm advice when Jiang Zhao complained about interpersonal relationships, and, when Jiang Zhao was homesick or encountered setbacks, say in a deep, steady voice through the screen, "It's okay, I'm here."
This noisy yet steadfast companionship across the ocean became the most reassuring backdrop to Jiang Zhao's university life.
UCL, Faculty of Management.
Lin Jun found himself in a completely unfamiliar country, where language, culture, and academics were all challenges. He adapted quickly, excelling in his studies and developing a more composed and reserved demeanor. He didn't isolate himself within the Chinese community but actively integrated himself, participating in group discussions, engaging in project practice, and occasionally going to bars with classmates for drinks, behaving appropriately and speaking with remarkable eloquence.
But his phone's screensaver is a group photo of the four of them in front of the carousel during their high school graduation trip. His pinned WeChat account is always that talkative "Zhao." On his way to class in the early morning, he'd listen to short voice messages from Jiang Zhao, sometimes just aimless rambling, sometimes excited sharing; a smile would unconsciously creep onto his face. After finishing his studies late at night, he'd video call Jiang Zhao, watching the chatter on the other end of the screen dispel the loneliness of being in a foreign land.
Once, Jiang Zhao proudly showed off an event planning proposal he had independently completed in a video. It was quite decent. Lin Jun read it carefully, nodded, and said, "You've improved." Those three simple words made Jiang Zhao jump around in the dormitory for a long time with joy, which made his roommates complain that they "couldn't bear to look at him."
A brand new city, a brand new campus, a brand new life trajectory. They are all striving to grow in their own coordinate systems, experiencing the growing pains and the joy of achievement. Geographical distance is an objective reality, but those late-night video calls, those everyday snippets shared at any time, those care and encouragement across time zones, are like invisible threads, firmly holding them together.
They are proving with their actions that true feelings will not be defeated by distance, but will only be tempered and strengthened in their individual journeys. Their story has long since transcended the walls of the campus, and is now being written in a wider world.
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