As Bright as the Stars

[Age 13, a summer thick with the racket of cicadas] He yanked away the boy tugging her braid. "Touch her again and see what happens." With his schoolbag slung over one shoulder, the boy, Nong Feiyu, stood ramrod straight.

[Age 18, a rainy night when the college entrance exam results came out] She clutched two identical admission letters and waited outside his apartment building until she was soaked through. "How about we go to Zhongcheng together?" The hand wiping the window suddenly froze, water trails winding down like tears.

[Age 25, a new book signing] Camera flashes sparkled as author Lin Wan smiled and thanked her readers. Between autographs, she glanced up and caught sight of a familiar figure at the end of the line. The man wore a simple plaid shirt, an old scar stark between his fingers. "Nong Feiyu?" Her microphone went dead. He took the book, his fingertips brushing the pen name on the title page. "'Waiting for the Isle'? After all these years, who have you been waiting for?"