Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  Beside the school field sat a dense grove.

  Making her way through the grove, she glanced at the dense parasol and ginkgo trees. Pain flashed through her eyes.

  The silliness and innocence of her youth came rushing back to her.

  There were always many couples who would get together in the earlier part of high school, but when the time came for graduation, most of them would become unsure about their futures.

  And so, on the night of the end of the college entrance examinations, this little grove would fill up with many couples.

  It was almost like a standard practice.

  In the grove, many couples liked to etch their names on a particular paulownia tree with thick large branches, which was nearly a century old.

  She recalled how, on the last day of the college entrance examinations, after handing in her exam paper, she had hurriedly gone to find Si Zhengting at his exam venue. Without so much as a word, she had grabbed him and brought him here.

  When they had gotten here, they realized that they were late and a long queue had already formed.

  Zhuang Nainai had made a disappointed expression.

  Si Zhengting, not understanding, had asked, “What are we doing here?”


  Raising her head and pointing toward the paulownia tree, she had said, “Do you see that tree over there? Everyone likes to etch their names there so that their love will be ‘imprinted’ on the campus grounds. But it seems like we’ve come too late.”


  Si Zhengting had furrowed his brows. “Why must our memories be stuck in school?”


  Perplexed, Zhuang Nainai had turned around, only to feel his hand holding hers and hear his calm voice telling her, “We’re going to be together for life, and so will our memories.”


  Hearing the sweetness, she had been unable to resist a smile. Yet, there had still been some regret. “But I still want to keep our memories from high school! I heard that this tree had a lifespan of more than 200 years, and right now it hasn’t even hit 100! If we etch our names onto the tree, it will mean that we can be together for a century more!”


  At this point, she suddenly reconsidered what she had said. “But how can 100 years be enough? I want to be with you for a very, very long time.”


  Smiling at Si Zhengting, she had grabbed his hand tightly. “I want to be with you in this life, and the next, and the following one…… Si Zhengting, am I being too greedy?”


  Si Zhengting’s gaze at that point in time had been warm and full love.

  After thinking for a moment, he had then grabbed her by the arm. “Come with me.”


  Following him with curiosity, they had then gone into the depths of the grove.

  Amongst the trees stood a strong, eye-catching pine tree.

  Si Zhengting had pointed toward it. “We can etch our names here.”


  Zhuang Nainai had been confused, asking, “Why?”


  “Because a pine tree normally lives for 4000 years,” Si Zhengting had replied.

  Four thousand years……

  Zhuang Nainai’s eyes had brightened, then dimmed back down. “The school brings in new trees to plant every year, so we won’t know if this pine tree is going to be moved away. Even if it can live for 4000 years, what’s the use?”


  Si Zhengting had then grabbed her by the wrist and walked forward. “It won’t be moved away.”


  Zhuang Nainai had been stunned for a moment before she finally understood. “Oh right, the Imperial Group belongs to your family, so if you tell them not to remove it, nobody will ever dare! Ha, this is great!”


  Picking up a sharp rock, she had run over to the tree, beaming at Si Zhengting. On the tree, she had etched both their names, linked together by a heart shape in the middle of their names.

  With a glance at Si Zhengting, she had then added “together forever.”