“Don’t be so formal. Let’s grab dinner together later,” Zhou Yuqin said. As usual, they walked to the cafeteria on the south side of the campus and sat by the window. From there, they could see the basketball court. Qianye noticed that Zhou Yuqin always chose this spot. She stared blankly outside, and following her gaze, Qianye spotted a boy shooting hoops alone on the court. It dawned on her that even Yuqin—usually so focused on academics and earning money—had her attention captured by someone. It seemed that, in every woman’s heart, there was always a place reserved for love.

“Does he know how you feel?” Qianye asked.

Zhou Yuqin shook her head and took a deep breath, as if she was about to reveal a great secret. “We met in the lab. I never told him,” she replied calmly. “I work hard in my studies, winning first-class scholarships year after year. On top of that, I work every day to send money back home. Someone like me, standing in the face of love, feels inferior. I can never compare to a girl with a privileged background and good looks. No matter how hard I try, love seems out of reach for me.”

“Yuqin,” Qianye said, holding her hand firmly, “you’ll go further than any of them. Most women eventually get bogged down by the mundane, but you’re different.”

Just then, Han Chao called. Qianye gave Zhou Yuqin an apologetic look, and Yuqin, teasing, winked at her. “Go on!”

After more than ten days apart, Qianye missed Han Chao terribly. They shared a meal together, and then Han Chao held her hand as they strolled along Guan Fengting Street. They sat side by side on a stone bench, surrounded by elderly couples, young lovers, and families of three. Different stages of life quietly converged here. Yet the feelings were the same: they all reveled in the beauty of life, filled with gratitude for companionship and love.

Qianye looked up at the paired birds perched on the rooftop tiles, a smile spreading across her face.

“One wish: may my love live a thousand years.
Two wishes: may I always stay healthy.
Three wishes: may we be like swallows in the eaves,
meeting year after year.”

They wandered for a long time, their hands damp with sweat in the summer night, but they refused to let go. Later that evening, he walked her back to her dormitory. Under the library’s streetlights, he nervously kissed her—clumsy yet earnest. Qianye, flustered, grabbed the hem of his shirt, her heart melting completely. She felt as if she had reached the pinnacle of life, wishing that the Earth would stop turning, so their love could remain eternal in that fleeting moment.

“Your boyfriend is so handsome,” Lily, her roommate on the lower bunk, teased when Qianye returned to the dorm. Qianye blushed, replaying the scene in her mind, wondering if anyone had seen them.

“Don’t be shy. When did you meet him? Spill it!” Xiaoqin chimed in with a playful grin.

“High school classmates,” Qianye answered bashfully.

“Well done!”

Everyone joined in, chatting animatedly until lights out.

The next day, after class, Qianye returned to find a flyer on each desk, announcing the time and place for the upcoming welcome party.

That evening, every class sat neatly in blocks. As the performances unfolded one by one, the most memorable was a boy from the Economics Department. He strummed his guitar and sang a heartfelt rendition of “The One and Only”. His voice was clear and deeply moving. At the end of the song, he faced the audience and said, “Today marks the one-year anniversary of my relationship with my girlfriend. This song is for her.” The room erupted into thunderous applause and cheers. The girl, presumably in the audience, was likely in tears by then.

The dazzling lights and youthful atmosphere struck a chord in Qianye. Who wouldn’t yearn to be loved during their prime, to have their story witnessed by everyone under the heavens?

After the party ended, the boy remained the center of everyone’s conversation. Deep down, perhaps every girl dreamed of a fairy-tale confession like that.