The wind has softened, the clouds are light, and the drizzling rain falls on the streets and alleys of Hangzhou. Sitting by the window in the twelfth lunar month, drawing the beige curtains, the pitch-black night is as usual, unable to find any mottled color. In this kind of weather, in this season, what one waits for in anxiety is the piercing cold. And I lightly place my thoughts on this sheet of plain paper, adding a bit of warmth and color in the fragrance of the words, to get through this bone-chilling winter.\ Who said that sooner or later, you will meet someone who truly belongs to your soul… And if you meet them but cannot have them, it is too late. Life is so long, yet so short. Being with someone you love, time may sometimes end, and being with someone boring, even a passing encounter can feel long… I have always believed that, whether early or late, meeting someone is both a blessing and fate. Meeting you is the most beautiful fate of my life.\ A small bunch of roses, accompanied by a carnation, gently placed in a cup, poured over with boiling water; soon, the water surface floats with the colors and fragrance of blooming spring, warming the heart with the colors of spring. At this time, my writing also falls into warm tones because of you. I don't know if it's deliberate romance or slowly learning to quietly enjoy life, but I often become fond of a fallen leaf, a little flower, or even a small dog… You said I am a good man who can both earn a living and cook, and as for your affection and care towards me, I smiled gently upon hearing it.\ Although you do not have the proud appearance and figure of an angel, nor the extraordinary talent and carefree spirit of Li Qingzhao or Su Xiaomei, you are devoted to your studies and passionate about your work, living an ordinary life every day. Your support and understanding of me is what I am most grateful for and what moves me most deeply—I feel it in every fiber of my being. We are all ordinary people destined to depart quietly in the ordinary course of life. I am thankful for the heaven's favor in sending you to my side, and for the remaining decades of time ahead for us to hold hands and walk side by side. Time may leave marks of age on our faces, and the years may wash away worldly love, hate, and grievances—the only thing that cannot fade is the eternity etched in the moment our souls collide, the companionship through thick and thin until old age, and the sunset silhouette of holding hands and growing old together.\ The bustling city plays out countless stories every day, with openings and closings having long become commonplace.When alone, I often stare into the night, letting my heart cool down, yet longing remains so abundant; it can become full because of a single person. You are the world I cannot touch, and also the harbor my heart can reach. No matter what happens, I am always willing to listen to your endless stories, even if they are just a woman's small thoughts, I will listen attentively. Even though the hidden fragrance has long faded, you still linger outside my window entwined with green vines. Perhaps it is not out of attachment, but simply to listen to the whispers of time together.
Thank you for accompanying me from 2013 to 2014, thank you for your soft and gentle care and greetings, thank you for your support and understanding of my work and life, thank you for your tolerance, and thank you for everything you have done for me.
Time is fleeting; if one is not careful, the most beautiful years can be missed. Yet, this encounter has become the most beautiful color in the years that were missed. Your orderly footsteps quietly pass outside my window; whenever I open the window, the fragrance you brought drifts in, like apples, like citrus, not overly sweet but enticing.
Warm memories are always the sweetness that cannot be erased from the heart. On the journey of life, having a confidant as a companion may add more vibrancy; in a simple life, with more understanding and comprehension, life can go further. Leaning by the window, my thoughts bloom; on a thin sheet of paper, I gently write: You are the most beautiful fate of my life.
——This piece is respectfully dedicated to the students taking the college entrance exams!
