The Wind Rises over Qingdao Bay

In March, sea fog rolls through Badaguan in Qingdao, carrying the chill of early spring.

On the first day of the second semester of her sophomore year, Lin Wan pushes open the classroom door. Her short hair is damp, her uniform hangs open, and a plain black T-shirt shows underneath.

The new English teacher, Su Qing, is standing at the lectern, smiling as she introduces herself. Sunlight streams through the glass, illuminating the fine lines at the corners of her eyes.

Lin Wan's pencil tip presses hard into her brand-new textbook, leaving a sudden, jagged scar.

She doesn't know that this crack will stretch through ten long winters in the lives of two lonely souls.

Theme: A student-teacher romance.