Washing dishes or doing something else, that was his life. A life where he had paid the price he deserved for his own actions.

In mid-August, I received that acceptance letter stamped with the gold-leaf school emblem.

On the bright red cover, the four words "Student Nina" were written firmly and upright.

Holding it, I walked to the window and looked toward the distance.

After this summer, I would leave this small city where I had lived for eighteen years and go to a brand new place full of infinite possibilities.

There, no one knew me, and no one knew my past.

With a brand-new identity, I would start my new, brilliant life.

And all those past darknesses and injuries would become a blurry, far-removed landscape behind me.

19

September, the autumn sky was high and the air was crisp. The day of parting had finally arrived.

Mom and Dad insisted on taking me to the train station. For this, Dad specially took a day off from the factory. They started getting busy early in the morning, checking my luggage over and over, terrified I would forget something. Mom even stuffed the entire insulated lunch box with my favorite braised ribs and Coca-Cola chicken wings, saying this was the "taste of home" so I wouldn't have to treat myself poorly on the train.

Looking at their busy figures, my eyes grew warm. This past year, they were my strongest backing, using unconditional love and support to accompany me through the most difficult times. There seemed to be more wrinkles on their faces, but the glow in their eyes was brighter than ever before.

"Mom, Dad, don't worry. I’ve grown up and can take care of myself." I walked over and hugged Mom from behind.

Mom turned around and touched my face, her eyes red. "In Mom's eyes, you’re always a child no matter how old you get. In Beijing, where you don't know anyone, you must take care of yourself. Don't scrimp on money, and don't wrong yourself, you hear me?"

"I hear you," I nodded hard.

Dad walked over and took the suitcase from my hand. He didn't say much, but his words carried great weight: "Once you get to university, study hard, and don't worry about things at home. I’ve got it covered."

Our family walked out of the house. On the way downstairs, we met a few familiar neighbors. Seeing us with bags large and small, they greeted us enthusiastically.

"Yo, Master Xu, sending Nina off to university?"

"Nina is truly reliable; she scored as the city's top scholar, she’ll definitely have a great future!"

"Take good care of yourself when you get to Beijing!"

Mom and Dad wore proud smiles, thanking them repeatedly. I responded to their blessings with a smile, feeling incredibly composed. These people who might have gossiped behind my back about my withdrawal now used their most sincere kindness to see me off on my new journey. I knew this kindness was something I had won with my own efforts and grades.

When we reached the complex gate, my footsteps paused subconsciously, my gaze sweeping over that familiar unit building not far away. Behind those tightly closed windows, my entire childhood and youth had once lived, and my most painful nightmare had also resided there. Now, the place was long since empty. I heard that not long after Uncle Miller was discharged, the Miller family hurriedly sold the house, moved back to their old hometown in the countryside, and had had no news since.

This place, which carried too many memories, had finally exited my life in a thorough way.

When we arrived at the train station, the platform was crowded, filled with the sorrow of parting and longing for the future. Mr. Zhou had actually come too, accompanied by Luke.

"Teacher!" I called out in surprise.

Mr. Zhou walked over with a smile and patted my shoulder firmly: "Good kid, I knew you could do it! I don't have anything to give you, just one sentence: once you’re at university, the sky is high and the sea is wide—keep shining, and don't embarrass our school!"

"I definitely will!" I nodded heavily.

My gaze turned to Luke. He still had that cold and detached look, wearing a simple white T-shirt and carrying a backpack, his eyes behind the black-rimmed glasses as calm as water.

"You’re going to Beijing too?" I asked. He nodded. "Tsinghua."

We looked at each other and smiled; everything was understood without words. For the past year, we were each other's strongest rivals and also the comrades who understood each other best. We didn't have many words between us, but that bond of mutual appreciation was more real than any speech.

"See you in Beijing," he said.

"See you in Beijing," I replied.

The boarding announcement broadcast sounded. I hugged Mom and Dad one last time, holding back tears, and waved goodbye to them solemnly before walking into the carriage with Luke amidst the crowd.

The train started moving slowly, and the scenery outside the window began to recede. I saw Mom and Dad standing on the platform, waving at me incessantly. Mom had already been reduced to tears, while Dad held her shoulders firmly. My tears could no longer be held back, sliding down my cheeks.

Goodbye, my home. Goodbye, my past.

The train gradually accelerated, and the platform outside the window became blurry. Just as the train was about to leave the station, my gaze inadvertently swept over a corner at the end of the platform.

There, a man wearing a cheap security uniform was holding a long cleaning tool, sweeping trash off the ground. He seemed to hear the roar of the train and subconsciously looked up, staring in the direction where I was.

It was Seth. He was even more gaunt and aged than when I last saw him at the school gate—skin dark, eyes hollow, completely lacking the spirit a person of his age should have, as if life had drained him of all vitality. He stood there blankly, watching this train filled with hope and the future roar past him.

Our eyes met for a fleeting moment, separated by a thick glass window and an uncrossable chasm.

I saw the expression on his face transition from numbness to shock, then to a bottomless regret and despair.

He seemed to recognize me, his lips moving, but he couldn't emit a sound.

And I simply looked at him calmly, as if looking at a passing stranger who had nothing to do with me. Then, I slowly turned my head, not looking at him again.

The train roared, leaving him, that small city, and all my pasts far behind.

The sunlight shone through the window onto my face, warm and bright.

I knew my new life had already begun.

20

After a long journey of more than ten hours, the train finally arrived in Beijing.

When I dragged my suitcase out of the station, I was greeted by the unique, bustling, and fast-paced atmosphere of this international metropolis. Surrounded by high-rises and dense traffic, the air was filled with an interweaving of Mandarin and various dialects; everything felt novel and exciting to me.

The university had sent a special shuttle bus to the exit to welcome new students. I successfully found the reception point for my school and, with the enthusiastic help of seniors, boarded the bus heading to campus.

My university was located in the Haidian District of the capital, surrounded by the nation’s top academic institutions. The campus was rustic yet elegant, with red-walled, grey-tiled buildings nestled among lush trees, full of deep humanistic atmosphere and historical heritage. It felt as if the fragrance of knowledge was floating in the air.

This was the place where I would struggle and live for the next four years, perhaps even longer.

Under the guidance of volunteers, I completed the enrollment procedures and received my dorm key. My room was on the third floor—a standard quad with beds on top and desks below, complete with a private balcony. By the time I arrived, two of my roommates were already there.

"Hi, I’m Clara, from Shanghai," a girl with a high ponytail, who looked very capable and cheerful, took the initiative to greet me.

"Hi, I’m Faye, from Guangdong," another girl, wearing glasses and looking somewhat quiet and delicate, nodded at me with a smile.

"Hello, I’m Nina, from S Province," I put down my luggage and responded with a smile.

"Nina? You must be the top scholar from our province!" Clara’s eyes lit up. "I heard your name in the freshman group chat before school started. I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence that we're in the same dorm! It’s a pleasure to meet you!"

Faye also adjusted her glasses and looked at me with some surprise: "So you’re Nina. You’re amazing."

Their enthusiasm and candor brought me a sense of relief I hadn't felt in a long time. No one here knew my past; no one cared about the scars I once had. In their eyes, I was just a new classmate with good grades, whom they would be spending the next four years with. This feeling was truly wonderful.