At fifteen, Wei Yimeng and Ji Hengyi became seatmates, sitting one in front of the other after a seating change. A bright, cheerful optimist meets a meticulous, anxious top student. Over more than a decade, they share the stress of high school and college entrance exams, the pain of heartbreak, and the confusion of growing up. They carefully test the boundaries of friendship, then retreat in unspoken understanding. All the "what ifs" they never said aloud become secrets they cannot speak of. In their own cowardly way, they protect a relationship that lasts longer than love, preferring to leave things unsaid, to pull back before they ever reach out.
Theme: The deepest way to cherish someone is to be willing to remain one step away forever
