Chapter 3 | The Secret Seat in the Library

Since that rainy night, Zhou Yu started going to the library more often.Before, after evening self-study, he would usually play basketball with his teammates or go back to his dorm to play video games.The library was a place he only went to before exams.But now it was different.It was 8:30 PM.Zhou Yu pushed open the library door.It was quiet inside.The lighting was soft.There was a faint smell of paper and wooden tables in the air.He stood at the door and looked around.Soon, he saw Lin Nian.She was still sitting in that corner spot.By the window.A stack of exercise books lay open on the table.She was looking down, writing intently.Zhou Yu suddenly felt like laughing.He realized that this spot seemed to have become her "fixed seat."He walked over.He gently pulled out a chair.Lin Nian looked up.She was startled when she saw it was him.“It’s you again.”Zhou Yu smiled.“What, is the library off-limits?”Lin Nian shook her head.“No.”She smiled slightly.“I just didn’t expect you to actually come to study.”Zhou Yu said, pretending to be very serious:“I actually love studying.”Lin Nian glanced at him.She didn’t say anything.But she clearly didn’t believe him.Zhou Yu couldn’t help but laugh.He put down his bag and took out a math workbook.He opened it.Then he looked at it for two minutes.…He hadn’t solved a single problem.He secretly glanced at Lin Nian.She had already finished a page.Zhou Yu suddenly felt a little unconvinced.He lowered his head and continued calculating.Ten minutes later.He finally couldn’t hold back.“Lin Nian.”Lin Nian stopped writing.“Hmm?”Zhou Yu pushed the workbook towards her."Can you do this problem?"Lin Nian glanced at it.It was a function problem.She picked up a pen.She wrote a few lines on the scratch paper."You need to substitute first.""Then differentiate."She wrote quickly.Her thinking was very clear.Zhou Yu watched her write.Suddenly, he thought her handwriting was also very beautiful.Very neat.Just like her.Lin Nian finished writing and pushed the paper back."That's it."Zhou Yu glanced at it."It's so simple."Lin Nian said softly:"Actually, it's not difficult."Zhou Yu suddenly smiled."Then, can I ask you about problems I don't understand in the future?"Lin Nian hesitated for a moment.She originally wanted to say, "Teacher is more suitable."But seeing Zhou Yu's very serious expression.She nodded anyway."Sure."Zhou Yu's mood suddenly improved.After that day.A strange phenomenon began to appear in the library.Every evening.The window seat.Where there were always two people.One quietly working on problems.The other, working on problems while asking questions.Sometimes.Zhou Yu was genuinely studying diligently.Sometimes.He just sat there reading.Occasionally glancing up at Lin Nian across from him.One day.As the library was about to close.The librarian came over to remind them:"Ten minutes until lights out."Lin Nian looked up.She rubbed her eyes."Is it already that late?"Zhou Yu glanced at the time."Ten-thirty."Lin Nian packed up her books.Suddenly, she noticed a bottle of milk on the table.She paused, startled."What's this?"Zhou Yu said casually,"I bought it at the convenience store.""I grabbed an extra bottle too."Lin Nian looked at the bottle of milk.She didn't take it immediately.She said softly,"Actually, you don't need it."Zhou Yu smiled."You need to supplement your nutrition in your senior year of high school."Lin Nian was silent for a moment.Then she said softly,"Thank you."She put the milk in her bag.The two walked out of the library together.The campus was quiet at night.The wind rustled through the leaves.As they walked to the edge of the playground,the basketball hoops looked quiet in the night.Zhou Yu suddenly said,"Lin Nian.""Hmm?""What do you want to be when you grow up?"Lin Nian thought for a moment."A doctor."Zhou Yu was a little surprised."Why?"Lin Nian looked at the lights in the distance.Her voice was very soft.“Because when I was little, my mother had a very serious illness.”“Back then, I thought, if only I could save someone.”Zhou Yu didn’t speak.He just nodded.After a while.Lin Nian asked:“And you?”Zhou Yu thought for a moment.“I never thought about it before.”“But now…”He paused.Lin Nian looked at him.“Now what?”Zhou Yu smiled.“Now I feel like I should seriously think about the future.”The evening breeze blew across the playground.The night was deep.They slowly walked towards the school gate.At that moment, neither of them knew.Many years later.They would lead completely different lives.But on this autumn night.The seat by the window in the library.Would become the gentlest memory of their youth.