Volume One, The Moonlight of Cambridge (Part One)

"This is also a form of invitation," Liang Chen sighed, "You see, after saying so much, has there ever been a time when you took the initiative to inquire about me?"

My parents... Liang Chen pressed his lips together, his crescent-shaped eyes still smiling, "They separated a long time ago, a year after we came to the United States"

1

On that day, they saw dinosaur fossils that were seventy million years old, as well as mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses. Many specimens of fish were preserved in formalin solution, while another hall displayed various stuffed animals arranged to depict a forest scene. Liang Chen mentioned that in the national parks of the United States, one can see bison, elk, wolf packs, and grizzly bears

The results of the final exam have been announced, with Liang Chen once again taking the top spot, while Mo Jingze ranks second. This time, he did not spend time on practice, scoring 98 in English, but seeing Liang Chen's total score, which was four points higher than his, even in mathematics, his strongest subject, Liang Chen scored one point more. During the winter break, the district education committee organized a mathematics competition class for the first year of junior high school, with each school selecting about ten seed candidates, divided into three classes. Naturally, Mo Jingze was among them, but he did not see Liang Chen's figure; instead, a girl who recited with him also attended. During the winter break, the district education committee organized a mathematics competition class for the first year of junior high school, with each school selecting about ten seed candidates, divided into three classes. Naturally, Mo Jingze was among them, but he did not see Liang Chen's figure; instead, a girl who recited with him also attended.

"However, you actually remember it all," Liang Chen said with a tone of satisfaction, "It's been almost twenty years."

Yet a trace of warmth surged within his heart

"Museum." She smiled, her eyes curving with delight, "The newspaper says there is a recently unearthed dinosaur fossil."

"Well, I am a girl..." Liang Chen said, laughing as she spoke, "Oh dear, I just dread it when others ask me, how do you know Mo Jingze?"

0

The loudspeaker announced the list of winners for various events, and Mo Jingze secured second place in both the 400 meters and long jump. The homeroom teacher, beaming with joy, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Not bad, excelling in both academics and athletics." At that moment, the results for the women's 800 meters were being announced, and the first place was unexpectedly Liang Chen. Mo Jingze could hardly believe his ears and exclaimed, "Is this a case of the same name?"

The financial crisis swept across the globe, and in the deep autumn, Mo Jing lost his job on Wall Street. His partner of many years married someone else within just a month. In order to maintain his legal status in the United States, he traveled far and wide, lowering his pride to reach out to old classmates and friends, hoping to find a new position in a company or research institution, or alternatively, to return to school and change his status to that of a student. However, finding a place to belong amidst the wave of layoffs proved to be no easy task, and his journey to Chicago was obstructed by a snowstorm. He thought that even if he went, the chances of turning things around were slim. The airport was bustling with crowds, yet his heart felt like a vast wilderness.

Yes, but it is with friends

Mo Jingze recalled for a moment, "Did I not ask later?"

Perhaps. Mo Jing thought for a moment and said, "I really don't know what to say."

I am also looking it up in the dictionary while reading

Of course I remember. Mo Jing smiled, "You overshadowed me on the rankings for three years in middle school."

Mo Jingze smiled and said, "I have always thought that your English is particularly good, just like reading a book in Chinese"

That was nearly twenty years ago. Now she stands before me, saying: "Long time no see. Do you still remember me?" Yet the demeanor she carries remains unchanged, poised and at ease, wise and lively.

One time, as he rode through an intersection, he saw Liang Chen propping her bicycle to the side, bending down as if she were checking the valve core and tire. As he rode past her, Mo Jingze thought about stopping to ask if she needed help. However, he had never greeted Liang Chen before, so he hesitated for a moment and continued to ride forward. Yet, she did not seem like a complete stranger; Mo Jingze gradually slowed down, and when he reached the next intersection, he stopped naturally. Just as he turned to look back, he found Liang Chen leisurely riding over, with a bicycle between them, stopping at the crosswalk, waiting for the traffic light.

Yes, I have been working here for several years. I originally planned to go to Jamaica during the Christmas holiday, but now it seems that both the flight and the hotel need to be rescheduled

"Where to?" he asked

Indeed, in Mo Jingze's mind, the pronoun for Liang Chen is "he"

You may ask me why I am staring blankly at the glass

Mo Jingze smiled, "Could it be Siberia?" He recalled the National Geographic and thought to ask if there were any articles about the Arctic, but ultimately refrained from saying it.

At that time, I had just started the first year of junior high school, you think too highly of me. I also had to look up words in the dictionary, and since I had already promised to lend it to you, I had to read it quickly and understand it all. Otherwise, I would be at a loss when we talked.

I am in New York, this time for a business trip. Mo Jing, however, concealed the true reason, saying, "I was originally supposed to go to Chicago as well, but due to the weather, the flight could not be made."

I originally wanted to ask you if there is an issue of a magazine that features an article about the Arctic. Mo Jing then said, "But I am afraid you might think, 'What a greedy guy, coming to trouble me again.'"

Standing before him at this moment is the first opponent in his life that he must confront, as well as the first person who makes him feel a sense of loss and frustration

The discussion among the girls reached Mo Jingze's ears, and he felt quite unconvinced. The other party's English score was 99; was that not an unfair advantage? However, upon closer inspection, Liang Chen's performance in other subjects was not inferior to his, and he had far outstripped the second place in total score. Mo Jingze calculated in his mind that even if he performed normally in English, it was uncertain who would come out on top against Liang Chen. In the corridor, the bulletin board displayed several excellent essays from the midterm exam, the first of which was Liang Chen's. The handwriting was free and spirited, yet the structure was composed and robust. Mo Jingze could not help but mentally compete with the other party again, imagining what the other person looked like—likely mature, wearing a pair of thick glasses, and a frail scholar devoted solely to reading the classics.

Mo Jingze recalled an old incident: "I once thought that 'Liang Chen' was a boy." He was referring to the boy who led the recitation.

How much remains in the depths of memory that they are unaware of about each other

Mo Jing then asked: "Did you go to Huangshi later?"

Is it because you originally believed that your performance would not encounter competitors

2

"Not as many times as you." Mo Jing pretended to be serious, "I have counted."

Liang Chen was somewhat surprised: "Are you talking about Lin Fan, that little chubby guy? Hey, do you think it makes you look bad that a girl took first place?"

It has been a long time... I didn't expect to meet you here. Do you also live in Boston? Or have you just arrived?

Then we can only "raise a glass to invite the bright moon."" Mo Jing chuckled lightly, "By the way, regarding the *picture* book, your parents are here, right? Aren't you spending Christmas with them?"

You too, you remember it all. Mo Jing felt immensely comforted, realizing that he was not the only one who remembered those subtle past events

"Let's go to the train station," Mo Jing said, looking down at his watch. "I wonder if there are still tickets available for the return to New York; the bus service is likely suspended. If it really comes to that, we can just stay an extra night in Boston"

After the school year began, the two still acted like strangers, meeting without smiles or greetings. On the way home from school, he was with several boys; she was chatting and laughing with a group of girls. Their names still topped the academic ranking list, in first and second place. Until winter, when they attended the competition class, the two skipped class together again, still going to the museum to see the Taiwan butterfly exhibition. When they came out, it had started to snow, all the cars were moving at a snail's pace, and the bus stop was filled with people waiting eagerly. Liang Chen said, "Why don't we walk back?" They stepped on the crunching snow, and Mo Jing suddenly remembered to ask, "Why do you always stare out the window?"

"You didn't ask me if I wanted to go to the museum," Mo Jing shook his head, "Just tell me, the newspaper said there are dinosaur fossils there"

Is there an urgent matter to attend to?

Only then did he pull himself out of his thoughts, focusing intently on the smiling face before him. He was uncertain, hesitating as he called out the name that had not been mentioned for over a decade: "Liang Chen?"

That is fine, tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and there is still time to return home and reunite with family

It must have been during the winter break of his second year in high school, Mo Jing recalled that he had sent a New Year greeting card to Liang Chen, who was far away in the United States. It was as if the card had sunk into the sea, and since then, there had been no news. He had not mentioned this to anyone, believing that this matter had long been ground into dust by the passage of time. Yet now, looking at Liang Chen's calm and smiling face before him, he suddenly remembered the anxious and uneasy feelings he had when he dropped the envelope into the mailbox

Liang Chen shook his head: "It is because I think you are particularly cool, appearing to handle everything with ease. At first, I thought you were a bit... arrogant."

During that holiday, he borrowed magazines from Liang Chen several times. The two would meet at the park at the T-junction, sometimes pushing their bicycles, each buying a popsicle, eating while chatting about interesting stories from the books. Then, without saying much more, they would simply bid each other farewell.

Mo Jingze had a dream. In the dream, he was all alone, facing an endless expanse of snowy wilderness, devoid of birds and human traces; upon turning around, he found a city blanketed in snow, with towering buildings and empty, narrow streets, where icicles hung from the windows like white eyelashes on hollow eyes. Whether in the wilderness or the city, all scenes were shrouded in thick fog. The pervasive, cold white mist was everywhere, penetrating his skin, immersing him in a primordial state, with no knowledge of where it began or where it ended, and no one to accompany him. Whether in the wilderness or the city, all scenes were shrouded in thick fog. The pervasive, cold white mist was everywhere, penetrating his skin, immersing him in a primordial state, with no knowledge of where it began or where it ended, and no one to accompany him.

Mo Jing had nothing to say

"Frost flowers, I always feel that they are a path that can lead to another world," Liang Chen blinked his eyes, "or perhaps to a place that is particularly distant"

Mo Jingze first encountered this name on the academic ranking list for the midterm exam of the first semester. He faced a setback during that exam, scoring only in the seventies in English. Fortunately, his performance in other subjects was outstanding, placing him among the top in overall grades for the academic year. The mathematics teacher, who was also his homeroom teacher, specifically sought him out for a conversation, reminding his beloved student to mend his ways and not to neglect any subject. Mo Jingze felt a slight sense of injustice; he understood all the English questions, but this was his first English exam, and he was unaware that it was unnecessary to draw four-line grids on the paper. He spent three-quarters of the exam time drawing horizontal lines, evenly spaced, neither too dark nor too light, leaving him with no time to answer the questions carefully. He usually did not confront his teachers, merely pursing his lips and silently accepting the homeroom teacher's earnest advice. Spread out on the desk was the list of rankings for the entire academic year; his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the name at the top—he firmly believed that was where he rightfully belonged. Yet, it read: Class 5, Year 1, Liang Chen.

Mo Jingze nodded: "However, the first time I encountered these words was in the National Geographic magazine you lent me. That summer, I bought a new English-Chinese dictionary, and my vocabulary expanded rapidly"

It is almost Christmas, and I still have to continue with business trips

Mo Jing then chuckled: "You haven't greeted me at school either."

At the end of December, the school organized a New Year's performance, and Class Five's program was a conventional poetry recitation, with Liang Chen's name listed among the reciters. In the front row, a boy and a girl resembled Mo Jingze's imagination closely; the boy was of medium height with a fair complexion, and his voice was clear, yet it sounded somewhat ethereal. In contrast, the girl next to him had a beautiful voice that was not sharp and sweet like most girls. Mo Jingze glanced at the program list, and next to Liang Chen's name was Lin Fan. In contrast, the girl next to him had a beautiful voice that was not sharp and sweet like most girls. Mo Jingze glanced at the program list, and next to Liang Chen's name was Lin Fan.

But you are not the kind of person who likes to pry. Therefore, I have always thought you were very cool. Liang Chen raised an eyebrow, "If you were really very talkative, you wouldn't be the Mo Jingze in my mind."

Perhaps this is fate. He decided to give up the hopeless wait and went to the airline counter to process his ticket refund. Then, with his coat draped over his arm and pulling his suitcase, he walked towards the escalator down. He could not articulate whether he felt bitterness, regret, disappointment, or the hidden sense of relief and liberation he was unwilling to acknowledge. He ordered a cup of black coffee at the café, and behind him stood an Asian woman with short black hair and a beige coat. She seemed to have been standing right behind him while he was queuing at the airline counter, with a deep burgundy carry-on beside her. At this moment, she held a cup of latte and stood next to him at the coffee counter. Mo Jingze shifted slightly to make room for the sugar and milk, but she did not reach out to take them. She merely stood a step away, and after half a second of silence, asked, "Is it you, Mo Jingze?"

It is because of this. Liang Chen also smiled, "Isn't that so? You have also ranked first several times.

"How could this be?" Liang Chen said, "I was so sincere in wanting to befriend you. I asked if you wanted to go to the museum and even said I would bring magazines for you"

The list was hung in the corridor, inevitably attracting the attention of some classmates. "You are quite impressive!" a friend from the soccer team came up from behind and put his arm around Mo Jingze's neck. He smiled helplessly a couple of times and heard a girl nearby exclaim, "Liang Chen, oh, he was my classmate in elementary school, so impressive."

Ah, I see. You have been there too, right

You walk without paying attention to others. At school, you have never greeted me.

Oh. Mo Jing then nodded and brushed past her. After walking a few steps, she couldn't help but turn back. "What kind of dragon is that?"

The homeroom teacher also heard Liang Chen's name and pointed to a girl not far away who was drinking water vigorously, "I didn't expect her to be such a good runner." She was wearing the most ordinary deep blue sportswear with white stripes, her cheeks flushed from running, beads of sweat still glistening, and the sunlight danced on her hair

Mo Jing then shook his head

"Why not... spend Christmas together?" Liang Chen tilted his head and said, "If you don't mind, I have a guest room at my place."

If we hadn't gone to the museum together that day, would we have had the chance to talk at all? Liang Chen asked

Mo Jing then asked, "Has your father been there?"

At that moment, I thought to myself, this girl is truly strange... but...

I probably don't need to reschedule; we were originally supposed to meet today. " Mo Jing slightly shook his head, " There's no need to go now either.

Mo Jing nodded and then shook his head. "I am convinced both in heart and mind. I just cannot accept being surpassed by someone who looks like a 'bookworm', but I truly admire you. In my heart, you are the proud one, disdainful of greeting me."

Is his father a university professor

Since that sports meeting, Mo Jingze found that she often encountered Liang Chen in the corridors, on the playground, and in the research office, with their names frequently mentioned together by the teachers. She also discovered that her home was not far from his, and like her, he also rode a bicycle to school. After leaving school, she would ride along a long gentle slope on the tree-lined road, pass through a bustling market, and arrive at a T-junction, where directly ahead was a small park. He would then turn left while she turned right. Every day during school, she would pass the T-junction at 7:05 AM. He would either arrive a bit earlier or a bit later, and they would ride to school one after the other.

After two classes, she no longer appeared in the competition class. Mo Jing gradually forgot about this figure. It was not until the sports meeting at the end of April that he signed up for the long jump. While waiting for his turn, he saw the girl standing at the starting line for the 800 meters. Her hair was not long, styled in two small pigtails, and she moved gracefully as she began to run

He said to wait for him to go together. Liang Chen smiled, "But he often sends me magazines, National Geographic. One issue introduced several national parks. If you want to see it, I will bring it to you next time."

"So, where do you plan to go next?" Liang Chen's question interrupted Mo Jingze's thoughts

Coyote, buffalo, moose..." Mo Jingze recited one by one, "Have you seen all of these?"

He shivered slightly, waking up in the seating area of Logan Airport. It was not cold around him; the vast building was warm and dry, filled with numerous stranded travelers, and the air seemed stagnant, making the originally spacious area feel incredibly suffocating. Outside the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, there was still a white expanse, indistinguishable in his daze between snow and fog. Mo Jing had already been sitting in the airport for over ten hours, with the flight he was waiting for yet to arrive, and the delay seemed to stretch indefinitely. Outside the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, there was still a white expanse, indistinguishable in his daze between snow and fog. Mo Jing had already been sitting in the airport for over ten hours, with the flight he was waiting for yet to arrive, and the delay seemed to stretch indefinitely. This was a premeditated snowstorm that had drained his last glimmer of hope. This truly was the coldest winter of his life

How can this be said

Long time no see. She smiled with relief, Do you still remember me and the library

No," Liang Chenyang raised the newspaper in his hand, "I don't feel like attending class today, so I'm skipping it

That was already a year ago

Liang Chen tilted his head to look at him, "Actually, I have always thought you were particularly impressive."

However, I never feel that we are strangers. Our names are always next to each other on the list, and it is not easy to avoid seeing them.

Yes, it seems to be in the United States

Mo Jing nodded, "So am I"

"It is truly unfair," Liang Chen exclaimed, "I have seen your exam paper and I also saw you at the sports meet. There is really a sense of... mutual appreciation. I really want to get to know you. As children, we have this feeling of finding someone similar to ourselves. But even when we see each other on the way to school or while riding our bikes, you never say a word to me."

You clearly did not stop, nor did you slow down, as you rode past me. If I hadn't kept up, I would have been late for school. Do you know that I leave at the same time every day, right on the dot?" Liang Chen pouted, glancing at him with a smile, "My bike is perfectly fine."

Then, there was a long wait, and the colorful visions gradually turned gray. He wanted to ask Liang Chen if he had received that letter. But at this moment, he lacked the courage to inquire.

2. The two took a taxi to the north bank of the Charles River. Liang Chen works at a research institution affiliated with a university and lives in Cambridge. The snowstorm intensified, and not far from their home, there was a convenience store where they bought enough food to prepare for the possibility of being snowed in. There was also a pack of frozen dumplings in the refrigerator, which they boiled and ate. They turned up the heating, one wrapped in a blanket, each occupying a sofa, and began to talk about their experiences over the years

During the summer vacation, I still have to attend the mathematics competition class. Liang Chen has registered, but he continues to be absent every few days. One day, Mo Jing was delayed when leaving and arrived at the school gate ten minutes late, only to see Liang Chen leisurely walking down the stairs with his backpack.

I want to be the same. I put a lot of pressure on myself, usually I don't work this hard in class

His initial resentment towards this "bookworm" Liang Chen unexpectedly dissipated like smoke in the sunlight

"I also thought about it, being young and shy." Mo Jing smiled, "Once I saw you, it seemed like your car had broken down. I was going to stop and ask if you needed help, but then your car was fine again."

Mo Jingze smiled and did not answer, but asked, "What about you? Was your flight canceled?"

Mo Jingze felt a bit lost; during the final exam, he had been careless and mistakenly wrote the wrong symbol for a fill-in-the-blank question, resulting in a deduction of two points in mathematics. He was still thinking about competing with Liang Chen in the competition, but he had not shown up. It seemed that only that girl from Class 5 had come. When he came to his senses, he realized he still remembered her name, Lin Fan. She appeared to have little interest in the class, often resting her chin on her hand and turning to look out the window. One day, Mo Jingze happened to sit behind her and noticed that her gaze was not fixed on the bare branches outside, which had lost all their leaves, but rather on the frosted glass. She seemed to be lost in thought, tracing a shallow line on the surface with her finger. Following that delicate finger, Mo Jingze wanted to see what she was looking at. The girl seemed to sense his probing gaze, turned her head slightly, and their eyes met. She smiled faintly and quickly turned back around. The girl seemed to sense his probing gaze, turned her head slightly, and their eyes met. She smiled faintly and quickly turned back around