1985, the year of the great writer, began with Infernal Affairs!

Xie Lu glanced at the sky; the sun was already beginning to set, and he estimated it was past four in the afternoon.

It takes more than an hour to cycle from Shuangshui Village to the county town. By the time Zhao Wanwan got home, it was already dark.

"I send you."

Zhao Wanwan quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need, I can go back by myself."

Regardless of Zhao Wanwan's wishes, Xie Lu had already walked to the wall and pushed out his old-fashioned bicycle: "It'll take an hour to ride. It's not safe for a girl like you to ride alone. Anyway, I'm free. I'll take you to the county town and then come back."

Wang Yufen chimed in, "Yes, yes, let Xie Lu take you. Although the road is safe, it's always worrying to leave a girl alone."

Zhao Wanwan was about to decline when Xie Lu had already pushed the cart to the gate of the courtyard. He turned back to look at her and said, "Let's go, it'll get dark if we dawdle any longer."

She had no choice but to push her bicycle and say goodbye to Wang Yufen and Xie Youshan.

The two left the courtyard one after the other.

Xie Lu greeted his parents, got on his bike, and slowly rode ahead.

Zhao Wanwan followed behind him, her plastic sandals tapping on the pedals, the wheels leaving shallow ruts on the dirt road.

Once you leave the village, there's a dirt road.

On both sides of the road were endless cornfields, the corn already taller than a person, a lush green expanse, rustling in the wind.

In the distance, rolling hills appear in varying shades of dark blue-green under the afternoon sun.

Xie Lu slowed down and waited for Zhao Wanwan to mount up so they could ride side by side.

"Is it hot?" he asked.

"It's alright." Zhao Wanwan raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

It was actually very hot. In the afternoon of August, the sun was still scorching. The dirt road was burning hot, and the heat rose from the ground, hitting our faces.

But she didn't say it.

Xie Lu glanced at her flushed cheeks, then suddenly turned the handlebars and rode into the shade of the trees by the roadside.

Those were several old locust trees, their branches and leaves lush and verdant, casting a large patch of shade on one side of the dirt road.

"Let's take a break," Xie Lu said, stopping on one foot.

Zhao Wanwan also stopped.

The two men parked their car against a tree trunk and stood in the shade.

A breeze blew from the cornfield, carrying the scent of grass and earth, and surprisingly, it was quite refreshing.

Xie Lu took his water bottle out of the bicycle basket, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to Zhao Wanwan: "Have some water."

Zhao Wanwan took it, hesitated for a moment, and then took a small sip from the spout.

The water was boiled and cooled in the morning. It tasted slightly sweet, though she didn't know if it was just her imagination or if the water was actually a little sweet.

After she finished drinking, she handed the kettle back to Xie Lu.

Xie Lu took it and naturally took a sip as well.

Seeing his actions, Zhao Wanwan's face flushed again, so she quickly turned her head away and pretended to look at the cornfield in the distance.

"When are you going to Wuhan to report for duty?" Xie asked.

September 5th.

Zhao Wanwan answered Xie Lu's question, then countered with, "East China Normal University requires freshmen to register between the 5th and 7th. What about you?"

"Wuhan University is around the same time," Xie Lu said. "I plan to leave on the 4th and take the train."

"By train from the county?"

"Yeah, I'll take the train to Beijing and then transfer," Xie said. "It'll take two days and one night."

Zhao Wanwan softly exclaimed, "Ah!"

"Yes," Xie Lu smiled, "but it's good too, we can enjoy the scenery along the way."

The two remained silent for a while.

An old farmer carrying a hoe walked by on the ridge of a distant field. When he saw them, he called out something from afar, probably asking if they wanted some water.

Xie Lu waved his hand, and the old farmer swayed away.

Zhao Wanwan suddenly broke the silence: "Lawyer Xie, what do you want to do in the future?"

Xie Lu thought for a moment and said, "I want to be a writer, what about you?"

"I want to be a teacher when I grow up."

"That's good." Xie Lu nodded. "You'd be very suited to be a teacher."

Zhao Wanwan turned her head to look at him: "Why?"

"Because you are serious and patient. In the past, when you explained problems to your classmates, you were always patient and thorough."

Zhao Wanwan was surprised that Xie Lu would remember these things, and her face flushed again: "That's because... I knew all those questions."

"Knowing how is one thing, being willing to teach is another. Not everyone is willing to spend time explaining problems to others."

These words warmed Zhao Wanwan's heart.

No girl dislikes being praised.

If so, then it means the girl doesn't like you.

She lowered her eyes and looked at the tips of her shoes.

Her sandals were covered in mud, so she rubbed them on the grass.

While nuzzling against you, Zhao Wanwan whispered, "Actually, I used to be quite resentful of you."

"Hmm?" Xie Lu raised an eyebrow.

"In every exam, you were always first and I was always second. I studied desperately, doing practice questions until midnight, but I still couldn't beat you. At that time, I wondered, what kind of brain does Xie Lu have?"

Hearing Zhao Wanwan's words, Xie Lu laughed: "So you came to give me money today to bribe me so I'll let you pass the exams in the future?"

"No way!" Zhao Wanwan said urgently, only to realize that Xie Lu was teasing her again after she finished speaking. She glared at Xie Lu angrily.

Xie Lu laughed even harder.

After laughing enough, Xie Lu said seriously, "Actually, you don't need to be unconvinced. I only scored twelve points more than you in the college entrance exam, but do you know what those twelve points mean?"

Zhao Wanwan shook her head.

"That means I only guessed two more multiple-choice questions correctly than you and got two more points on the essay. This is not a difference in intelligence at all, but just a difference in luck and performance under pressure. So don't think too highly of me, I'm just an ordinary person."

Zhao Wanwan looked at Xie Lu without saying anything.

She recalled that throughout her three years of high school, Xie Lu was always the first to arrive at the classroom and the last to leave.

The classroom was freezing cold in winter, and he was wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat with chilblains all over his hands, yet he was still doing his homework.

The classroom was as hot as a sauna in the summer. His forehead was covered in sweat and the back of his shirt was soaked, but he was still reciting his lessons.

That wasn't luck.

It was built up over countless days and nights.

But she didn't say it.

Some things become vulgar when said aloud.

"Have you rested enough?" Xie asked. "It's time to go. If you delay any longer, you won't get home until dark."

The two got back on their bikes.

The dirt road was full of potholes, and the bicycle bounced along, its bell jingling.

Occasionally, a tractor would rumble by, kicking up clouds of dust. Xie Lu would quickly have Zhao Wanwan ride to the side of the road and wait for the dust to settle before continuing.

Xie Lu stopped when he rode across a riverbank.

This is a small river, not deep, and crystal clear, where you can see the pebbles and small fish at the bottom.

A narrow stone bridge spans the river, allowing only one bicycle to pass at a time.

"I'll push the car over there first, then come back to help you," Xie said.

"No need, I can manage by myself," Zhao Wanwan said, already pushing her bike towards the bridge.

The bridge surface is paved with bluestone slabs. Over the years, the surface of the slabs has been worn smooth and covered with moss.

Zhao Wanwan pushed the cart carefully forward.

The wheels made a rumbling sound on the stone slabs.

When she reached the middle of the bridge, her foot suddenly slipped.

"Watch out!" Xie Lu reacted quickly, rushing forward to support her arm, her elbow showing a faint pinkish hue.

Zhao Wanwan staggered for a moment, then regained her balance.

The bicycle was tilted to one side, and the wheels were still spinning freely.