Chapter 55
The August winds began to carry the coolness of early autumn, dispelling the heat of midsummer and bringing with it the scent of farewell. At the small town's train station platform, similar scenes always unfold—hugs, words of advice, waving goodbye, and turning away.
Xu Nianlei's luggage was simple: a slightly worn suitcase and a bulging backpack. Wang Xiuqin insisted on seeing her off to the station, repeating the same advice she had given countless times along the way: "Remember to call when you get to school... The weather in the south is humid, so make sure to air out your blankets often... Get along well with your classmates..."
This time, Xu Nianlei didn't find it annoying. She listened quietly, nodding occasionally. The platform was crowded with people seeing them off, and the air was filled with sorrow and parting emotions.
"Mom, let's stop here." Xu Nianlei stopped and turned to face her mother.
Wang Xiuqin's eyes instantly reddened. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she only reached out to straighten her daughter's collar and said, "Take good care of yourself."
Those five simple words brought tears to Xu Nianlei's eyes. She stepped forward and gently hugged her mother, feeling Wang Xiuqin pat her back lightly twice, just like when she was a child and she was being lulled to sleep.
"I'm leaving." Xu Nianlei let go of her hand and picked up her suitcase.
Just as she turned to enter the carriage, Wang Xiuqin suddenly took an envelope out of her bag and stuffed it into her hand: "This...you take it."
Xu Nianlei paused for a moment, then looked down and saw the corner of a stack of banknotes peeking out of the envelope.
"mom..."
"Take it." Wang Xiuqin turned her face away. "Don't mistreat yourself while you're out there."
Xu Nianlei gripped the envelope tightly, feeling its weight, not only because of the money inside, but also because of this clumsy yet sincere maternal love. She suddenly noticed that her mother's temples had sprouted gray hairs.
The train slowly started moving. Xu Nianlei sat by the window, watching her mother's figure on the platform grow smaller and smaller until it became a blurry dot. The small town gradually receded from view, and those familiar streets and buildings slowly disappeared behind her.
She opened her phone; the class group chat was still buzzing with discussions about their upcoming university life. Li Yue posted a photo of the normal university's gate, while Zhang Xiao complained about the dormitory conditions at the finance and economics university. She scrolled down, but still didn't see that familiar profile picture posting anything.
She opened her chat window with Lu Baiyan; the last message was from a week ago, where he briefly informed her of her registration date at University A. She hesitated, wondering whether to send a farewell message, typing a few words before deleting them.
As the train pulled out of the county town, the scenery outside the window began to look unfamiliar. Fields, villages, and distant mountains unfolded like a flowing scroll painting. Xu Nianlei took out her blue notebook from her bag and flipped through it page by page. The densely packed formulas, scribbled thoughts, and brief words of encouragement were all testaments to her journey.
On the last page of her notebook, she solemnly wrote a line:
"Set off. With all the light in your arms."
She closed her notebook and looked out the window. The sky was blue, and the sun was shining brightly.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Lu Baiyan also boarded a train heading north. His luggage was even simpler, consisting of only a suitcase and a backpack. Zhao Mei and Lu Zhenhua both came to see him off, and unlike the sadness of other families, their farewell was exceptionally restrained.
"Focus on your studies at school and take care of your health." Zhao Mei straightened his collar, her tone as stern as ever.
Lu Zhenhua patted his son on the shoulder: "Take care of yourself."
Lu Baiyan nodded, turned, and walked into the carriage. His seat was by the window, where he could see his parents waving from the platform. They didn't turn away until the train started moving.
He took a book out of his bag, but didn't open it for a long time. The scenery rushing past the window reminded him of that figure who always had his head down, yet stubbornly kept his back straight.
My phone vibrated; it was a message from Xu Nianlei:
"Bon Voyage."
He stared at those four simple words for a long time before replying:
"The same to you."
The conversation ended there, as is typical of their relationship.
The train sped through fields and tunnels, leaving everything familiar behind. Lu Baiyan gazed out the window, recalling the first time he saw her being harassed by her father in the alley, her profile as she diligently took notes in the library, her trembling shoulders as she cried on the rooftop, and her radiant appearance at the sharing session.
He knew that they had all gone down the paths they were meant to take.
Xu Nianlei arrived at F University in the evening. The southern campus was completely different from the northern one, with lush banyan trees, humid air, and freshmen coming and going with accents from all over the country. She dragged her luggage to the registration office of the Chemistry Department, completed the enrollment procedures, and received her dormitory key.
The dormitory was a four-person room, and when she arrived, her other three roommates were already there. One was a gentle girl from Jiangnan, another was a cheerful girl from Northeast China, and the third was a local girl who was enthusiastically helping everyone unpack their luggage.
"You must be Xu Nianlei?" The girl from Northeast China greeted her with a smile. "My name is Li Meng, this is Lin Xiaoyu, and that's Chen Jing. We're family from now on!"
Xu Nianlei nodded somewhat shyly in greeting, but her heart was warmed. This was the first time she had her own social circle, the first time she didn't have to worry about being excluded or ridiculed.
While making her bed, she carefully placed the blue notebook under her pillow and tucked the photo Lu Baiyan had given her into her diary. These were her memories of the past, which she would carry with her, but not as a burden, but as a source of strength.
That evening, the four girls went to the cafeteria for dinner. Walking through the unfamiliar campus, looking at her energetic classmates, Xu Nianlei suddenly felt a sense of unreality. Just a few months ago, she was anxious about whether she could go to university, but now she was standing on the campus of her dreams.
"Nianlei, why did you decide to study chemistry?" Lin Xiaoyu asked curiously.
Xu Nianlei thought for a moment and said, "Because chemistry is amazing; it can change the form of matter and create new things."
Just like life, as long as you find the right conditions to react, you can be completely transformed.
It was late at night, and her roommates were all asleep. Xu Nianlei lay in bed, listening to the faint chirping of insects outside the window, unable to fall asleep for a long time. She opened her phone, looked at the grayed-out profile picture, but ultimately didn't send any messages.
She knew that some roads were destined to be walked alone.
Meanwhile, at University A in the north, Lu Baiyan stood on his dormitory balcony. The northern night sky was exceptionally clear, dotted with countless stars. He thought of the girl who always looked at him timidly, of her gradually hardening gaze, and of her composure at the final sharing session.
He took out his phone, opened that familiar chat window, typed and deleted, finally leaving only one line:
Have we arrived?
After successfully sending the message, he turned off his phone and looked up at the distant night sky.
Two parallel lines, after a brief intersection, each extend into different distances. But the light that burst forth when they met remains forever in each other's lives.
A new story has just begun.
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