"What is it? Do you know who it belongs to?"
"No, I don't. I only know he was from Haibin and came here to study. After graduating, he stayed in Minqing. A couple of years ago, Haibin held a hometown gathering and a class reunion here, and lots of people came. I..." Ruan Yuxia said with disappointment. "I went to look, but I couldn't find him. I don't know... I don't know if he's still in Minqing."
"What is it?" Wu Ling asked, reaching out as she spoke to pull the talisman off Ruan Yuxia's chest.
Ruan Yuxia's rigid body seemed to relax.
She held out both hands, and a hardcover notebook appeared in them. It was the kind of old-fashioned black notebook with a piece of paper stuck in the middle bearing the words "Advanced Mathematics." The corners and spine were worn.
"This is it," Ruan Yuxia said.
Her face reddened a little.
Wu Ling took a look. "Hold on to it."
She took a coin from her pocket and placed it on the notebook. Pressing her finger against the coin, she closed her eyes and silently recited something.
Ruan Yuxia seemed to hold her breath.
They stayed like that for a minute.
Wu Ling took the coin back.
"How did it go?" Ruan Yuxia asked urgently.
"It won't work. You've had the notebook for too long. There's no way to contact its original owner anymore," Wu Ling said, then added, "It's also possible the owner didn't care about the notebook, so he didn't leave a strong enough impression on it."
Ruan Yuxia let her hands fall, disappointed. "So I can't find him?"
"We can help you look through the lists of graduates from the school over the years. You knew him, right? You'll recognize him if you see