The next day, the weather wasn't good; it was both muggy and hot, with the feeling that it might rain. Xiang Yu hesitated, wondering whether to reschedule, but since she had already missed one planned trip to the school, she decided to go this time. She stayed at home, painting while waiting for Lu Heng to come and pick her up.
Instead, she received a call from Xiao Zhanyuan. "Xiang Yu," he said, "come downstairs in a bit, I have something to tell you." Before she could refuse, he hung up. Xiang Yu had no choice but to change clothes, wash her face with some cold water, and go downstairs to meet Xiao Zhanyuan. Though they hadn't seen each other for just two days, Xiang Yu felt a strange sense of disorientation. Seeing Xiao Zhanyuan standing there filled her with inexplicable pain and regret. She composed herself and walked over, trying to greet him cheerfully. But before she could say anything, Xiao Zhanyuan leaned down and hugged her, his head resting in the crook of her neck. His voice was in her ear but sounded extremely distant. "Xiang Yu, don't push me away, don't struggle. I've come to say goodbye. From now on..." His voice choked, and he paused for a long time. "From now on, I'll stay far away from you." After a long time, Xiang Yu's lowered hand finally wrapped around him. She could clearly feel Xiao Zhanyuan's body tremble. She gently patted him twice in a comforting manner. "Alright, this is good too. Xiao Zhanyuan, the Xiang Yu in your dreams once loved the Xiao Zhanyuan in your dreams too. But no one can predict fate, which ultimately kept them apart. Maybe everyone has their own destiny, and we can't force things. To have come this far is already good, isn't it?" Xiao Zhanyuan didn't answer; Xiang Yu only felt his body trembling. Finally, Xiao Zhanyuan left. Their embrace emptied, and neither dared to look into the other's eyes, saying their farewell just like that. Perhaps, reaching this point was already enough.
When Lu Heng arrived, he saw Xiang Yu and Xiao Zhanyuan hugging each other. Surprisingly, he didn't feel angry; instead, a sense of sadness washed over him. He felt that the hug was not one of joy but of sorrow. After Xiao Zhanyuan left, Lu Heng stood downstairs for a long while before going up to find Xiang Yu. She looked a bit downcast. When she saw him, she smiled, but he still felt that her eyes were tired and sad, like a bird that had flown for a long time but couldn't find its way home. Lu Heng's life was simple, and he often felt that he couldn't understand Xiang Yu. He didn't know why she was sad, what she was thinking, or who she was looking at.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Lu Heng looked at Xiang Yu in confusion, while she glanced at the dark, overcast sky that seemed about to rain. She took a rainbow umbrella from the balcony and said, "Let's go, let's visit the school again."
The school guard recognized them and let them in after hearing they wanted to look around the campus, reminding them to avoid getting caught in the rain. They thanked him and entered the campus one after the other.
The summer campus was quiet and lush. They walked along the dawn redwood path, looking at the trees reaching towards the sky. Suddenly, Xiang Yu asked, "Do you remember I once told you about a tree outside our classroom window? In winter, it's bare without a single leaf, but many sparrows perch on it, so I called it the Sparrow Tree." Lu Heng frowned, trying to remember, but shook his head, "I don't recall that at all." Xiang Yu stared at him, feeling dazed for a moment. She then realized that she might never have mentioned this tree to Lu Heng in this life. They had never ridden the Ferris wheel together to watch the sunset over the city either. For a moment, she felt a bit dejected, but then she thought she was being too capricious. Didn't she wish for Lu Heng to live well and for herself to accompany her grandmother and Lu Heng? Why did she always have so many unreasonable worries? Lu Heng watched her expression, not knowing what she was thinking, but he couldn't bring himself to ask. The unspeakable emotions clogged his heart, making him feel unsettled. Although Xiang Yu was right in front of him, right by his side, he always felt he couldn't grasp her.