The first time Lin Jianqiu fought with Zhou Xuchuan was over the more than 300 questionnaires that had been sent out.
She said that if you ask the wrong person, the answer you get will not count no matter how beautiful it is. He said, then go and find the people you missed. Just pointing out the problem, people who can't catch the last train still won't be able to go home.
A night shift investigation led to two people who would not otherwise have known each other start working side by side.
Lin Jianqiu was accustomed to correcting every sentence before sending it out. He was also accustomed to returning himself to a safe position before others got tired of it. But Zhou Xuchuan always acted first: checking routes, repairing equipment, changing plans, and catching temporary troubles for everyone.
She was moved by his warmth and reliability. He liked the way she refused to mess around with data or cater to anyone.
But later on, the "I understand why you're sad" she wanted was often replaced by a set of solutions; the things he desperately took on, in her opinion, might just be another arrangement without her consent.
She has just entered college and is still striving for more choices in the future; he is already at the intersection of graduation and must decide on a job, income and a city to settle in. Train tickets to other places, unspoken family concerns, a job signed in advance, and a resume submitted without permission gradually pushed them to the same problem——
How far can people who love each other go for each other, and where should they stop and give the other person the choice?
Intent: Love is not about being silent, nor is it about settling a dilemma; true closeness is about expressing needs, acknowledging boundaries, and respecting each other's right to be themselves.