“Ding-ding-ding,” the bell rang, marking the end of the week-long final exams. Math was one of those things: either you knew it, or you didn’t. If you understood the formulas, you were golden, and if not, well, that was obvious too. Xia Fu didn’t even need to discuss or compare answers with others after handing in her paper; she knew exactly where she stood.

The girls from the Finance Department had finished their last exam yesterday morning, so by the time Xia Fu pushed open the dorm room door this afternoon, Ji Xiaowei was already on the train home. The usually lively dorm was now silent, leaving Xia Fu as the only one left.

Pink and lavender sheer curtains tied back with ribbons hung against the railing, fluffy blankets rolled up like little cakes, exposing the bare wooden bed frame. The dorm’s simplicity reminded Xia Fu of when she first started school.

F University had given all new students a welcome pack, a big sack stuffed with two seasonal blankets and a set of blue-and-white checkered sheets. While some didn’t like the standardized university setup and gave theirs away to the dorm manager, Xia Fu had kept and used hers all this time.

“Goodbye to this cramped bed that even my grandma would complain about!”

“Goodbye to the old blanket from home, used until it practically smelled sour!”

She buried her head in the blankets, inhaling the fresh scent of sunshine, her heart filled with dreams of the future—until her brother’s sudden debt fell heavily on her shoulders.

After a whole year at school, Xia Fu’s luggage still wasn’t much; she packed up a few odds and ends Fang Jingcheng had given her, and with a sack, suitcase, and backpack, she was good to go.

Once she double-checked her list, she grabbed her suitcase and headed downstairs. Fang Jingcheng had been waiting a while; they held hands as they walked together, heading in the opposite direction of most students returning home for the summer. Instead, they were heading toward the central academic area.

Thanks to her previous competition experience, Xia Fu’s application to stay on campus for the summer was a breeze. However, when the dorm manager notified her to go register the door access for her temporary dorm, she was genuinely surprised.

To make it easier to manage students, those staying on campus were usually grouped together, typically housed in the empty graduate dorms. But on Xia Fu’s form, it clearly said “Elite Court.”

Could there be a mistake?

She double-checked the notice, then turned to Fang Jingcheng, hoping his expression might confirm whether this was some kind of gift from him.

“Elite Court?”

Fang Jingcheng gave a casual whistle, looking quite pleased. “Yep, not bad, right?”

He put his hand on her shoulder, picked up a strand of her long hair, and slowly twisted it. With a random sigh, he added, “Seems like the professors have finished grading your exams. You must’ve aced your major courses.” He didn’t seem to be fishing for praise.

Being able to stay on campus wouldn’t have been possible without Professor Zhou’s help, and it just so happened that Elite Court was close to the professors’ office building. After registering her card, Xia Fu decided to drop by and personally thank Professor Zhou.

“Already approved? The admin’s pretty efficient this time—I thought it’d take at least a week.”

Zhou Hongxia nodded as she accepted Xia Fu’s gratitude. She put down the exam papers she was grading and looked at her slightly nervous student, speaking warmly:

“Oh, right. Today I ran into Professor Zhang from your Probability Theory class. Want to guess your final score? Full marks, and you ranked first in the class with your essays counted too! He even jokingly complained that I ‘snatched away’ one of their class’s top students,” she said with a teasing tone when she mentioned Professor Zhang.

The two professors, both well-known advisors in the same department, had overlapping research fields. Not only did students on the Campus Forum often compare their teaching styles, but there was also a subtle rivalry over who could recruit the best students during admissions.

“Snatched away?” The memory of that midterm paper still stung, where her score had dropped, supposedly because of “being led astray by a male classmate.” If Professor Zhang had really valued her, he wouldn’t have teased her about showing off in class…

The bias was a bit annoying. Thinking of this, Xia Fu straightened up and vowed her loyalty to her advisor:

“He won’t snatch me away! You were the one who guided me through the competition; I chose my advisor long ago!”

Seeing her student’s serious expression, Professor Zhou couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I know. That’s why I got you this dorm room. Since you’ll be working on my projects, it’s best to be nearby for convenience. Once you pass the interview, you’ll be living here officially, and this early experience should motivate you. Oh, and the stipend for the summer project should be quite decent, too.”

Professor Zhou took out her latest printed paper. Handing it to Xia Fu, she met her eyes and said:

“Consider this a reward for a hardworking student. Everyone has to climb up step by step, and if you keep reaching higher, this will all feel natural.”

As the youngest female professor in the department, Zhou Hongxia’s words carried weight, and even the usually bold Fang Jingcheng could only sit quietly as she spoke.

But how high could she really go?

Everyone? Could she one day stand on equal footing with Professor Zhou?

Xia Fu gazed at the professor’s dark, gemstone-like eyes. Even if it was just a casual comment, the dreams it ignited were both dazzling and almost out of reach.

Today, however, as she opened the iron gate of Elite Court and looked around the room that would be her temporary home, her own dream felt almost tangible. A small wardrobe by the door, an independent bathroom with light blue tiles, a creamy-colored desk behind which stood a soft single bed. Between them was a small window with pale yellow curtains filtering the summer sunlight.

Her own little room…

Xia Fu clutched her backpack strap tightly, her heart fluttering with excitement, as if she were stepping into college all over again.

For Fang Jingcheng, who was tall, the room felt a bit cramped. He set down the sack and felt like it filled up the space. Scratching his nose, he muttered under his breath, “The seniors graduated a while ago, so it should be cleaned. Still smells a bit dusty, though.” Then he opened the curtains.

“Wow, it’s actually a great view. Come here; you can see the garden from here.”

The warm breeze lifted Xia Fu’s long hair as orange-red sunlight poured in, and Fang Jingcheng’s exclamation echoed through the room.

Following his gaze, she looked out. Under the pavilion with red-tiled eaves was a deep green pond, where the shimmering ripples reflected the sunset, like someone had thrown fire from the sky, the colors blossoming into the depths below.

It should have been a scene of a setting sun and a fading day, but it was instead vibrant as burning red silk, rich as blood flowing.

Once again, Xia Fu thought of Zhou Hongxia’s words:

Climb higher, reach higher…

From following Fang Jingcheng, admiring all of this, to living on this floor and overlooking this view—if she didn’t rush into a job but pursued further studies, reaching Zhou Hongxia’s level, could she one day even touch the moon?

She toyed with that unlikely wish, then turned to see Fang Jingcheng’s bright smile.

“Not bad, right? I’ll bring over that latex mattress and pillow I got you earlier. You should have a pretty comfortable stay over the summer.”

Later, as night fell and the bright silver moon cast its gentle light over her, Xia Fu’s summer had officially begun.