Shadows in Time

The height of summer at Guangling University always held the most candid feelings of youth. Luo Tianlin, from the men’s dorm room 347, wrote his affection for Liao Jingwen, from the women’s dorm room 312, into the morning light of the lab, laid it between the sheets of paper at the calligraphy club, and tucked it into the little snacks he brought her, always remembering what she liked. His advances were open and sincere, like a breeze passing through campus, frank and passionate as they swept into Liao Jingwen’s seemingly tranquil world. Chance encounters in the library, working side by side at club events, awkward small talk during lab shifts... Amid the beautiful scenery of Longguo’s top university, the two maintained an unspoken distance. They shared a connection that went beyond friendship, yet an invisible sheet of paper still kept them from taking the final step. Liao Jingwen’s gaze followed him in secret, while Luo Tianlin’s smile shone bright. Their campus days slowly unfolded in the delicate space between friendship and something more. In May 2022, a sudden upheaval struck like a downpour. News of his grandfather’s death extinguished Luo Tianlin’s light completely. The boy who had laughed and joked in the lab became a silent, solitary figure overnight. Hiding his grief and confusion, he kept up with his studies while clinging to the conviction that he would “give her a better future,” plunging headlong into the abyss of entrepreneurship. The chill of the warehouse, the dangers of capital, and the malice of his rivals could not grind away the last glimmer in his eyes. That light always reflected Liao Jingwen. By the time the name “Luowen Technology” resounded through the business world, the boy he had once been had transformed into a master strategist at the helm. Yet Luo Tianlin, standing at the summit, chose to remain the most silent shadow behind Liao Jingwen. An anonymous trust fund, silent protection, watching from afar on campus.