Chapter 11.5|Then We Hug

Yin believed that no matter which group she was placed in, her role as a guide lacked persuasiveness. Nevertheless, after the afternoon rehearsal, she approached Miss Pan to inquire about the reason for being assigned to the "Chinese Dance" group. Surprisingly, the response she received was that the biggest similarity between judo and Chinese dance lies in their combination of strength and flexibility.

She was taken aback by this explanation and puzzled by the fact that even Xu Zhiyi was unaware of her judo practice. Where did Zang Kai's extraordinary insight come from?

It was only a few minutes before the second evening self-study session that Yin finally caught up with Kai.

"Zang Kai, what's this judo on the form about?" Yin lowered her voice.

It was clear in her memory that she had casually filled in "learning to make traditional pastries" in the "special skills and interests" section on the form. 

"I asked Bro Yi before submitting the form, and he mentioned it. I thought your judo skills might be beneficial, so I took the liberty to add it for you," Kai explained. He realized he might have unintentionally caused trouble by acting on his own assumptions, as Meng Yin had not mentioned it herself, possibly for her own reasons. With this in mind, Kai continued, "Meng Yin, I apologize. If this matter troubles you in any way, please feel free to talk to me, and I will help resolve it."

"It's nothing, just curious and wanted to ask," Yin replied.

With lingering doubts in her heart, Yin returned to her seat. How did Xu Zhiyi know about this? She hadn't mentioned it to him. Where did he find out? Why didn't he come to ask her about it?

Lost in thought, Yin glanced at the English exam paper. The article discussed the origin, utility, essence of Japanese judo, and its inclusion as an Olympic competition since 1964. 

The first word in the article was "judo," Yin repeatedly circled the word with a black marker, as if a thread was tugging at her heart.

The distance from the classroom building to the school gate is neither long nor short. Amidst the embrace of the night wind, Yin was able to distinctly sort out a few matters. 

Yin called out to Xu Zhiyi and suddenly paused, asking, "How did you know that I practice judo?" 

Zhiyi was not surprised, as he had been waiting for Yin to inquire. "I had some guesses before, but you managed to evade them," he replied candidly, "I found out the truth that day at the police station." 

"Then why didn't you ask me afterwards?" 

Zhiyi slightly bent his knee, his gaze parallel to Yin's. "You are a sentimental person," he coaxed her like one would a drowsy child, "there are many stories you haven't decided whether to share with me, so I am waiting." 

A surge of emotion suddenly welled up, and Yin inexplicably imagined stirring up her ignorant temper as she used to. 

She did indeed do just that in front of Xu Zhiyi. 

"So why did you have Zang Kai write it in the form?" 

The night couldn't conceal the starry gaze of Zhiyi, from which Yin seemed to see her own reflection. Despite the fact that she was posing a question tinged with a bit of an attitude, she felt her nostrils tingle. 

"Because," Zhiyi looked at Yin, pausing for a second, "you radiate your own brilliance, deserving to shine brightly." 

Xu Zhiyi always remembered the once free-spirited Meng Yin, but now in her eyes, some of that light had grown dim, and he did not want to see those negative factors constantly trailing her. He knew she was trying to rediscover herself. As a somewhat unorthodox bystander, he wanted to lead her out of the darkness before dawn, welcoming the first light on the horizon.

Yin raised her drooping eyelids, opened her mouth, unsure of what to say. 

For the first time, someone explicitly told her: Meng Yin, you are also shining, not just a passerby desperately seeking light. 

The softness of youth, like a colour card, even within the same colour range, had varying shades of brilliance, full of curiosity yet without any hint of intrusive probing. 

Unconsciously, a hint of tears wrapped in her voice as she uttered the name, "Xu…Xu Zhiyi... I started judo because, because of my time at the Third High School..." 

Zhiyi interrupted her before she could continue, "Related to the least happy thing at the Third High School, right?" 

Yin nodded in realization. "Have you thought about sharing with me the happiest and least happy things?" 

She nodded again.

 "Then let's go," Zhiyi stood up, moving forward, "I'll walk you home." 

Yin followed, suddenly rubbing her nose, "Xu Zhiyi, we agreed to share before the monthly exam." 

"Uh-huh," Zhiyi replied, "I've also thought about the happiest and least happy things at FHS." That night, Yin dreamed of returning to the Third High School. Unlike the stories preserved in her memory, the stories in her dreams unfolded in the direction she had once imagined.