Dongzhou University wasn't far from the hotel, just a few stops away on the subway.
Beyond the gates stretched a long, tree-lined avenue. The plane trees on either side were bare, their branches reaching into the gray-blue sky. But it was easy to imagine how beautiful it must be in summer, when thick foliage blotted out the sky and scattered dappled light across the ground.
"That's the library." Pu Yu pointed to a gray-and-white building not far away. "I usually study there."
Yuan Su followed her finger with his gaze, making a mental note of where the library was.
"That's a classroom building." She pointed in another direction. "That's where we have classes. Sometimes it takes forever to find the right room. It's just so big."
"That's a dining hall. There are three of them. The spicy stir-fry at Dining Hall Two is the best. I'll take you there later~"
She kept up her commentary as they walked, like a little tour guide.
Yuan Su followed her, listening to all the little details of her daily life and imagining her making her way through this vast campus alone.
They passed the library, the sports field, and the artificial lake.
All the while, Pu Yu kept stealing glances at Yuan Su's face.
He took in everything around him with a calm gaze, almost detached.
There was no envy, no regret.
It was as though he were watching a film that had nothing to do with him.
Yet Pu Yu's heart ached.
If not for that gambling addict of a father, if not for that enormous debt, Yuan Su's grades should have brought him here-or even to a better university-where he could have attended classes and studied with his head held high.
When they reached the lake, Pu Yu stopped.
A thin