Chapter 3 Ripples · A Pact Under the Moonlight
When the scent of osmanthus filled the campus, Lin Yan received a reminder of his mother's death anniversary. That day, he sat alone on a garden bench, twirling an old gear in his hand and staring blankly into the distance.
Su Wantang spotted his lonely figure from afar and quickened her steps. She sat beside him without a word, only offering a piece of candy—his familiar lychee flavor.
"Thanks," Lin Yan murmured, his voice trembling slightly.
"Want to talk about it?" Su Wantang asked softly.
After a long silence, Lin Yan began to speak of his mother. He said she loved clocks and watches, always fiddling with parts in the afternoon sunlight, which draped over her like a golden veil. After her death, he'd become obsessed with repairing timepieces, as if it could freeze those fleeting moments in time.
Su Wantang listened quietly, the moonlight silvering her hair. When he finished, she gently took his hand: "From now on, I'll help you hold onto time."
Lin Yan's heart jolted. Her hand was light, yet it felt like a weight lifting from his chest, touching a chord deep in his heart.
Their relationship shifted subtly after that. While cleaning the classroom together, Su Wantang would secretly draw two stick figures holding hands on the blackboard, only to blush and erase them when Lin Yan caught her; Lin Yan would slip her favorite soda to her before debate competitions when she grew nervous.
Chen Ye shook his head at their interactions: "Ugh, you two are just one step away from confessing."
For the school science festival, Lin Yan planned to build a large mechanical clock. Su Wantang volunteered to help, and the two spent nights in the lab, lost in their work.
One evening, the lab lights suddenly failed. In the darkness, Su Wantang accidentally brushed against Lin Yan's face. After a heartbeat of silence, they both laughed. As Lin Yan fumbled to fix the light, he noticed a smudge of oil on her cheek. He reached out to wipe it away, his touch as gentle as if handling a precious artifact.
As the science festival drew near, the mechanical clock neared completion. On a full - moon night, they stood on the school rooftop, gazing at the city beneath the stars.
"When the clock is done, let's make a wish together," Su Wantang said.
"Okay." Lin Yan nodded. The moonlight fell over them like a dreamy veil. Under the stars, they vowed to cherish this bond no matter what the future held, like guardians of the ever - turning gears of time. And this tender feeling spreading under the moon was like ripples on a lake, etching an indelible mark on their youthful years.