To Xia Wennan, walking around campus at this hour both seemed like a thing of the distant past and something that had just occured yesterday. Countless memories rushed to the forefronts of his mind; when he remembered his first days in university, he turned to ask He Yufeng, “Senior, in my first year, did you welcome the new students at orientation?” He Yufeng smiled at Xia Wennan’s words. “You still remember?” “Some memories in life leave a particularly deep imprint,” said Xia Wennan. Coming to a halt, he looked out at the stretch of boulevard before him that led up to an antiquated structure housing the campus library. He both missed and regretted the loss of his precious years as a student, which made him want to recover his memories now more than ever and retrieve the most precious events of his life: his university days, his last memories of his grandpa, and last but not least, whatever had happened in the laboratory of that red-brick building. Leaves rustled in the breeze, the cold air with its unique scent buffeted him head-on, tinged with the smell of chocolate truffles. Xia Wennan turned to find He Yufeng, only to discover that He Yufeng was standing right beside him, his eyes lingering on Xia Wennan’s face.
“What is it?” Xia Wennan couldn’t help asking. He Yufeng said, “Little junior, do you still remember what I said to you when we were walking down this street in the year I graduated?” Xia Wennan was bewildered. “What did you say?”
He Yufeng said, “I told you to come to Moze after you finish your studies and that I’d be waiting for you… But you didn’t come. Why would you want to go to Ming Yan?” “I… don’t remember.” Xia Wennan looked at He Yufeng. “Did you think that senior wasn’t good enough for you?” asked He Yufeng. “I really don’t remember though.”