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

After reading it, Xie Lu smiled. This wasn't just not in a hurry; it was clearly frantic. But since they couldn't directly urge Xie Lu, they could only say it indirectly.

Xie Lu carefully put the letter away.

On the afternoon of the fifth day, after writing the last period, Xie Lu put down his pen and let out a long sigh of relief.

The prequel is finally finished.

Eighty-five thousand words.

It has taken about a month from when I started writing until today.

He held the thick stack of manuscript paper in his hands; it felt heavy and gave him an indescribable sense of security.

The sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the manuscript paper and on his face. He sat there, lost in thought for a while, not thinking about anything.

Then, he carefully tidied up the manuscript paper, put it in the drawer, and locked it.

I'll send it to Editor-in-Chief He sometime tomorrow or the day after.

We also need to send it to Dean Zhou; he's waiting to see the outcome.

He looked out the window; the autumn sky was high and blue, and the clouds were white.

Xie Lu suddenly remembered something.

He hadn't seen Zhao Wanwan for several days since they parted ways at East Lake.

I was busy writing, teaching, and doing various other things the other day, and I barely had time to contact her.

She didn't send a message either; I wonder what she's busy with.

Xie Lu stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the sycamore trees outside.

Tomorrow is Saturday, no classes.

He plans to visit East China Normal University.

On Saturday morning, Xie Lu got up very early.

He didn't tell his roommate where he was going, he just said he was going out to take care of some errands.

After a half-hour bus ride, I got off at the gate of East China Normal University.

Xie Lu knew what major and class Zhao Wanwan was in. After making a few inquiries about her major and class at the school, he naturally found Zhao Wanwan.

When Xie Lu found Zhao Wanwan, Zhao Wanwan had just finished class.

She was wearing a light blue cardigan over a white shirt, and her hair was tied in a high ponytail. When she saw Xie Lu, her eyes lit up immediately.

"Why are you here?" Zhao Wanwan ran up to her, slightly out of breath, with an undisguised smile on her face.

"I was free this weekend, so I came to check in. Are you free this morning?"

"No, it's nothing!" Zhao Wanwan quickly shook her head, her ponytail swaying back and forth.

"Shall we go for a walk?" Xie Lu pointed to the area outside the school gate.

Zhao Wanwan nodded vigorously.

There is a small street outside East China Normal University, with various shops on both sides selling stationery, snacks, clothes, as well as a few small restaurants and book stalls.

It wasn't the weekend, so there weren't many people on the streets.

The two walked side by side, neither too close nor too far, about an arm's length apart.

Zhao Wanwan was very excited, like a little tour guide, pointing to this shop and saying their steamed buns were delicious, pointing to that shop and saying their notebooks were cheap.

Xie listened attentively, nodding occasionally and asking from time to time, "What about that company?"

As she passed the bookstall, Zhao Wanwan stopped and browsed through the magazines on the stall.

Xie Lu stood to the side, his gaze sweeping over the colorful covers. Suddenly, he spotted a familiar cover on a newspaper, the latest issue of "Contemporary."

On the cover, the name "Infernal Affairs" is printed in a prominent position.

Zhao Wanwan saw it too.

She looked up at Xie Lu, smiled, and didn't say anything, but her eyes said "I understand".

Xie Lu smiled but didn't say anything.

Continuing on, Zhao Wanwan stopped in front of a stall selling hair clips. She picked up a light blue plastic hair clip and tried it on in front of a small mirror. The stall owner, a middle-aged woman, enthusiastically complimented it on how pretty it was. Zhao Wanwan hesitated for a moment, then put it down.

Xie Lu glanced at it, said nothing, but as Zhao Wanwan turned around, Xie Lu casually took out his money, bought it, and put it in his pocket.

When I came out of the small street and started walking back, it was almost four o'clock in the afternoon.

The autumn sun sets early, and the light begins to soften, carrying a faint golden hue.

"Let me take you back to school."

Zhao Wanwan didn't refuse and gave a soft "hmm".

The two walked back side by side. This time, they spoke much less. It was very quiet around them, with the occasional bicycle jingling as it passed by, and the sound of a bus announcing its stop coming from afar.

Not far from the entrance of East China Normal University, at the corner ahead, stood a young couple.

They looked like students; the boy was wearing a dark blue jacket, and the girl was wearing a floral dress.

The two people stood facing each other, very close yet very far apart.

The boy stretched out his hand halfway, then pulled it back.

The girl's hands hung at her sides, her fingers tightly twisting the hem of her clothes.

The two of them just stood there, neither of them saying a word.

As Xie Lu and Zhao Wanwan approached, they realized that the two were clearly a young couple who had only recently started dating. Their faces were full of nervousness and awkwardness. They wanted to hold hands but didn't dare, so they tentatively and hesitantly reached out.

The boy slowly reached out his hand again, his fingertips touching the girl's fingertips.

As if electrocuted, the two of them flinched simultaneously.

A few seconds later, the boy mustered his courage again, reached out and gently grasped the girl's fingertips. The girl blushed instantly, lowered her head, and didn't pull away.

But the boy's palms seemed sweaty; he gripped the hand briefly, then let go.

It just goes on like this, touch it, loosen it, touch it again, loosen it.

Seeing this, Xie Lu was anxious for them.

Finally, Xie Lu couldn't stand it any longer and quietly took a step forward.

Then, he quickly reached out, grabbed the boy's hand, and pressed it onto the girl's outstretched palm. The movement was swift and decisive, without any hesitation.

The boy froze, then turned around abruptly, his face full of astonishment.

The girl felt the large hand in her palm, looked up, her face turned even redder, her eyes were watery, and her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Before they could react, Xie Lu had already turned around and quickly took Zhao Wanwan's hand.

"Run!" he whispered.

Zhao Wanwan was pulled along by him, and before she could even react, her body had already started running with him involuntarily.

The wind whistled past my ears, carrying the coolness of autumn and the fragrance of unknown flowers.

They ran past the gates of East China Normal University, past the astonished gazes of the gatekeepers, and past a few sycamore trees whose leaves were beginning to turn yellow by the roadside.

Xie Lu slowed down and stopped when he turned into a quiet alley.

He let go and turned around.

Zhao Wanwan stood in front of him, her cheeks flushed and her chest rising and falling slightly.

Zhao Wanwan lowered her head, not daring to look at Xie Lu, her eyelashes trembling like butterfly wings being blown by the wind.

Zhao Wanwan's hand was still in the position where it had been held, slightly curled up, as if savoring the warmth of that moment.

After a long while, she slowly raised her head, her eyes bright and sparkling.

"Xie Lu." She called his name softly, her voice as light as a feather.

"Mm," Xie Lu responded, looking at her.

Zhao Wanwan lowered her head again, but the corners of her mouth quietly curved up, her lips pursed, and an unconcealable smile overflowed from the corners of her eyes and brows.

"I have a really great day, how about you?"

Zhao Wanwan whispered her feelings.

Xie Lu took out the light blue plastic hair clip he had bought at the stall earlier from his pocket, and without saying a word, put it on Zhao Wanwan and pinned it to her hair.