On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter

Back in her dorm room, Su Yuqing finished washing up and lay on her warm bed. Her phone screen lit up; it was a message from Chen Mo.

[Chen Mo]: Today is your first time performing on stage. How is it going? Are you getting used to it?
[Yuqing]: I can get used to it if you're here.

[Chen Mo]: I watched the video Wang Lan recorded. You have a great stage presence; you could consider developing in that direction in the future. (Heart emoji)

[Yuqing]: I'm not used to being in the public eye, so never mind. (smiley face emoji)

[Chen Mo]: Actually, I prefer watching you perform live to watching videos. You shine even brighter under the lights than usual.

Chen Mo's straightforward words made Su Yuqing's cheeks flush, but her heart felt as sweet as if a candy had exploded inside.

She buried her slightly flushed face in the soft pillow, and it took her a while to calm her excitement before she returned with a shy expression.

[Yuqing]: (Shy expression)

[Chen Mo]: It's getting late, get some rest.

[Yuqing]: Mm, goodnight, sweet dreams.

As Su Yuqing looked at the few short lines of text, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up. She recalled his focused gaze on the stage tonight, his fingertips brushing away the snowflakes in the snow, and their hands tightly clasped together at the oden stall... All of this gathered into a warm current that slowly surged in her heart.

After replying to her dream, she placed her phone beside her pillow, as if Chen Mo were nearby with her, and drifted off to sleep with a heart full of peace and sweetness.

The snow outside the window continued to fall silently, covering the entire campus.

As the semester draws to a close, everyone drifts off to sleep, longing to go home.

A few days later, the dormitory building was filled with the sounds of suitcase wheels rolling, students saying goodbye, and laughter as they made plans for the holidays.

Chen Mo and Su Yuqing had already packed their bags.

Their luggage was much more than when they arrived. In addition to books and clothes, there were also local specialties from Hunan and Sichuan—chili sauce and cured meat for the grandparents, a Hunan embroidery scarf for Chen Xi, and various snacks for Li Fengzhi and Li Gang.

"Finally, I'm going home." Su Yuqing looked at the dormitory building where she had lived for nearly half a year, her eyes showing reluctance, but even more so, longing for home.

My university experience over the past few months has been wonderful and fulfilling.

"Yes, Grandpa and Grandma said they're ready to pick us up from the airport. They said they've already booked a private hotel room." Chen Mo smiled and ruffled her hair, then naturally took the heavier luggage bag from her hand.

The two hugged Zhou Yue, Lin Xiaoxiao, and Zhao Ya goodbye, promising to keep in touch during the holiday.

Wang Lan, Li Zhe, and Shen Xinghe also came over to help with the luggage. The boys patted each other on the shoulder and joked about things like "See you next semester" and "Get your red envelopes ready for Chinese New Year."

On the way to the airport, the two looked out the window at the fleeting street scenes of Hunan and Sichuan. The feeling of novelty and unfamiliarity they had when they arrived was completely different from what they had felt when they arrived. At this moment, they were filled with a sense of homecoming.

"I didn't expect that about half a year has passed here in the blink of an eye. It feels like a very long dream," Su Yuqing said softly.

She did have a dream last night. In the dream, there was the starry sky of Yunxijian, the smell of formaldehyde in the anatomy class, the aroma of coffee while studying late into the night before finals, and... She turned her head to look at Chen Mo, her eyes crinkling, and Chen Mo was always by her side.

Chen Mo held her hand tightly, a gentle smile curving his lips: "This is not a dream, it's the road we've walked together. There's still a long road ahead."

The plane soared into the sky and pierced through the clouds.

This time, Su Yuqing was no longer the little girl who was amazed by everything outside the window. She leaned quietly on Chen Mo's shoulder, watching the city below gradually shrink, feeling a sense of peace.

Below the clouds lies Hunan and Sichuan, the land that has witnessed their new journey of youth; above the clouds, at the other end of the flight path, lies their hometown, filled with warm lights and loved ones. After several hours of flight, the plane landed smoothly at the familiar Jiangcheng Airport.

As soon as I turned on my phone, the family group chat started buzzing with messages.

Grandpa and Grandma even made a video call. On the screen, the two old people couldn't stop smiling and kept asking, "Have you arrived yet? Have you come out? We're waiting at the exit!"

After collecting her luggage, Su Yuqing walked to the arrivals gate and saw the two familiar figures eagerly waiting from afar.

"Grandpa! Grandma!" Her eyes welled up with tears, and she ran over with her suitcase, like a fledgling returning to its nest into her grandmother's open arms.

"Oh my, my Qingqing is back! Let Grandma see if you've lost weight?" Grandma hugged her tightly, her wrinkled hands gently patting her back, her voice choked with emotion.

Grandpa stood to the side, trying his best to maintain his usual seriousness, but the smile in his eyes and brows was hard to hide. He looked Su Yuqing up and down, then looked at Chen Mo who was pushing the luggage behind him, and nodded repeatedly: "Good, good, it's good that you're back! You look great!"

Chen Mo walked closer and called out with a smile, "Grandpa, Grandma."

"You've been away for almost half a year, and you seem more mature now." Grandpa patted his grandson's shoulder with satisfaction.

"Grandma, now that you have a granddaughter-in-law, you don't need your grandson anymore," Chen Mo teased his grandmother, who was holding Su Yuqing beside him.

"You're such a big boy, why are you still acting like a baby in your grandma's arms? Come here, aren't you ashamed?" Grandma said with a smile, opening her arms to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo smiled helplessly and immediately changed the subject.

Watching the two of them having such a hilarious conversation, Su Yuqing couldn't help but laugh.

On the way home, my grandparents' care was like a gentle spring rain, meticulous and warm.

"Are you used to the food at school? Hunan cuisine is so spicy, can your stomach handle it?"

"Aren't you tired from studying? You all seem to have lost weight."

"How are things going with your roommates? You haven't been mistreated, have you?"

Su Yuqing and Chen Mo answered with smiles, picking out interesting anecdotes to share, such as the joy brought by Wang Lan's Northeastern accent, Miss Zhou Yue's generosity, the starry sky during their camping trip at Yunxijian, and the revolutionary friendship forged while studying together for the final exams.

The grandparents listened with surprise at times and burst into laughter at others.

The car drove into the familiar residential area and parked downstairs.

Since it was a private room at a hotel, we naturally contacted Su Yuqing's parents in advance. Since the child was away from home, this welcome-back meal was a family reunion.

Li Fengzhi and Li Gang were already waiting at the entrance of the building, and Li Mingyu excitedly jumped up and down waving, "My sister and brother-in-law are back!"

"Mom, Uncle Li Gang, Xiaoyu!" Su Yuqing greeted her parents and younger brother as soon as she got out of the car.

Suddenly, with tears welling up in her eyes, Li Fengzhi went up to her, grabbed her hand, and examined her closely.

"Good, good, you look great." Tears welled up in Li Fengzhi's eyes, but she was filled with relief.

For the past six months since her daughter left home, she had worried about her day and night. Now, seeing her daughter return safely, seemingly even more cheerful, a huge weight has finally been lifted from her heart. (End of Chapter)