Together Forever

Chapter 21.4

Final Chapter

He never did return again.

When it was time for her graduation ceremony, Tong Yan went back to the university.

She had arrived in Shanghai one day prior and completed all the necessary formalities for graduating from the school. That night, she stayed at Shen Yao's home and arrived at the university the following day.

Of the twenty-three students in her class, twelve were admitted directly or by recommendation into other universities for graduate studies. Five or six of the remaining students had received offers from the prestigious schools they had desired. Shen Yao's wish was fulfilled, and she truly was accepted into Yale.

Zhou Qingchen, on the other hand, was not going to continue studying and rather, had obtained a job working in the Singapore government. Jingjing, hence, had unexpectedly become like the swallow that had flown up to the top of the branch and transformed into a little phoenix[1] [a woman who has transformed from rags to riches], busily accompanying him to carry out the formal procedures and paperwork while incidentally also making her own preparations to go abroad with him.

Graduation was a fork in the road of life, but there were no road signs.

After July, everyone would begin embarking along his or her own road, moving towards utterly different lives.

Very early on, during the internship period, the dormitory had basically been half emptied.

The beds were empty, their deep green metal frames as well as wooden bed boards bare and exposed, just as they had been when they first entered university. The shelves were also bare, a layer of dust cloaking them. Shen Yao stepped in but strolled only one circle around the room before she broke down, left, and began going to every other place to find people to say goodbye to.

Unable to sit there in the dormitory room, in the end, Tong Yan could only head over early to hang around in front of the auditorium, waiting, with nothing to do, for the ceremony to begin.

The previous night, she and Shen Yao had squeezed together on one single-size bed to sleep, and now she finally felt that her lower back was a little sore.

She sat down on the steps and drew her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees as she watched the people going in and out of the main doors of the auditorium to prepare for tonight's graduation celebration and party.

She remembered the previous year's celebration had been outdoors, and she and Shen Yao had stood crammed against the entrance of the library, joining in on the excitement. Time had passed with a "whoosh," and now it was her turn.

Apparently, the previous couple of days had been gloomy with continuous rain, but today the weather had cleared. The morning breeze blew in her direction, carrying a touch of moisture on it. Her arms were wrapped around her calves while his name repeated over and over again in her mind.

So much time had passed, yet she could still remember, that day, the weather had been very nice. The morning sunlight had shone in through the window, and he had been completely enveloped in its glow. Casually, he had held the chalk and written his name: Gu Pingsheng.

Four or five people walked out from inside the auditorium, all of them junior schoolmates who were part of the Sunshine Theatre Society.

And there was also Ai Mi, who had already started a job at a television station.

After the numerous commendations of "congratulations on graduating," Ai Mi stayed and sat down side by side with her. "So, what will it be? Is your future one of a great lawyer or a judge? Or maybe a prosecutor?"