The calendar beginning with 12 had only its last two or three pages left. Another year was drawing to a close, after the snowy Christmas Eve not long ago.
Jing University campus.
The students, who had no such arrangement as moving exams forward, were nervously preparing for exam week as usual while also breathing a slight sigh of relief over the approaching New Year's Day holiday.
Night had fallen, and the hands of the quartz clock had already passed eleven.
Yet the figures gathered in The Cabin by the lakeside had not returned to their rooms to prepare for bed an hour ago as they normally would.
Perhaps it had something to do with today being a day off. Of course, the more important reason was—
"Seriously, he only came back a few days ago, and now he's run off again. That guy really is busy."
Fashionably and beautifully dressed, Ming Ling had come over to freeload dinner and stay the night on her day off. Hearing the conversation turn to the guy who was absent again, she gave an annoyed little snort.
"It's not the junior's fault. This time, it was an overseas internship arranged by the school."
The tall, gentle figure knew the dissatisfaction in Ming Ling's snort was because of her. Xia Yao smiled lightly and spoke up for the young man.
Still, she recalled how, at the end of Christmas Eve, while walking through East River's bustling, lovely pedestrian street, he had suddenly told everyone that he was about to leave for an internship in North America.
She had thought that before winter vacation, she would be able to see him every day after his exams, lounging lazily beside the small table. She could not help feeling a little disappointed.
"But with Senior's failing-student level, he