Chi Zhao's world has one absolute rule: keep a physical distance of 1.5 meters from other people, and maintain a psychological distance of at least three sentences.
Lin Wanli's daily routine is a precise system: filter out the noise with her sketchbook, build barriers with plant names, and always sit in the corner nearest the window.
On their first day as transfer students, they hid from the crowd in the same abandoned astronomy classroom. Ten minutes of silence passed, until a rare hoopoe flew past the window.
Later, they became deskmates.
Their conversations began with mathematical formulas on sticky notes. Their understanding grew from sitting back-to-back in the library. Their safe space took shape during silent Friday nature walks.
They thought it was just a non-interference pact between two people with social anxiety.
Until Chi Zhao discovered that Lin Wanli's sketchbook was filled with drawings of his back.
Until Lin Wanli saw that the margins of Chi Zhao's math notes were filled with observations about hoopoes.
It turned out the deepest echoes don't need to be carried by sound.
