Some people are brown dwarfs. Born where matter is scarce, they cannot ignite themselves. Cold and tiny, they emit infrared light invisible to the naked eye.
But she always believed she was a "sun." Every time she made progress, she grew a little heavier. She loved herself a little more, and grew heavier still. And so she grew, dim and lonely, until she became heavier and heavier.
One day, fusion began to blaze wildly in her core. At last, the light of a star pierced the cosmic dust and became visible.
A human sent her a signal: "Hey, I've been watching you for a long time. How are you so dazzling? You're so bright I can't sleep, even here on Earth."
She was quite pleased with herself.
Only afterward did she realize that the signal had come from billions of light-years away. When it was sent, she was still a dark star.
The plot:
Xu Zhiyi suspects that a guy in the graduate-school entrance exam study room has a crush on her. He sits beside her at meals, brushes past her when they walk, and stands behind her while memorizing texts. Anonymous gifts keep appearing at her seat, too. But she has no proof.
They keep running into each other, time and again. One day, she can't help complimenting him: "You're really handsome." But after that, he never shows up in the study room again. Then another guy shyly comes up to her. "I was the one who sent the gifts."
Still unconvinced, she goes to find him. "Don't get the wrong idea. I don't like you..."
What a thoroughly satisfying case of imagining someone was interested in her. One attempt at taking the initiative, and she's doomed to be shy for the rest of her life.
Five years later, Xu Zhiyi runs into that guy again. What is she supposed to do? She still suspects he has a crush on her.
Theme: Fall in love in a way that gives you the confidence to take the plunge
