Chapter 63
During her years of studying, what comforted Jiang Mu the most was the change in her mother’s outlook. Perhaps having faced life and death, many things no longer weighed as heavily on her heart. Each day, she and Chris would leisurely drink tea and tend to their flowers, quietly enjoying a peaceful life she had never known before.
Even that time when Jiang Mu returned to China alone to visit her father, Jiang Yinghan didn’t say much about it when she came back.
Every now and then, Jiang Mu would mention Jin Chao in front of her mother. At first, Jiang Yinghan seemed reluctant to hear about him. But later, on days when her mood was better, she would listen for a while, but later, when she was in a better mood, she would listen quietly as Jiang Mu chattered on beside her without responding.
It took Jiang Mu a long time to recount Jin Chao’s story over the years, as not every time was Jiang Yinghan willing to listen, and not every time could she bring herself to continue. But when she finally finished piecing together the details of Jin Chao’s legal case, Jiang Yinghan suddenly asked one day, “So what is he doing in China now?”
The question made Jiang Mu’s nose sting with emotion. She picked up her teacup to hide her welling eyes as she stood and walked toward the kitchen, replying, “We’re not in contact anymore.”
After that, Jiang Yinghan never asked about Jin Chao again, and Jiang Mu never brought him up either.
……
The following year, Gu Zhijie completed his postgraduate studies. Jiang Mu asked if he planned to stay in Australia, but he firmly told her he was returning to China. After studying for so many years, he finally graduated. It was time to put what he’d learned to use. He wanted to return to his homeland and contribute, in whatever small way he could, to the nation’s aerospace industry.
Before he left, Jiang Mu and a few senior students hosted a farewell party for him. After a few drinks, Gu Zhijie asked her, “What about you? What are your plans? Will you go back to China someday?”
Jiang Mu absentmindedly swirled the champagne in her glass and shrugged. “I’m not sure. My family’s here… so maybe I won’t go back.”
Gu Zhijie responded with a hint of regret, “That’s a shame. You’ve worked so hard and done so well. Not going back would be a loss for the country.”
The past two years of global instability have deeply affected many overseas students like them. Waves of patriotism had surged over political stances, and conversations inevitably turned toward their homeland. Gu Zhijie was one of them. Though Jiang Mu knew he was teasing her, she still felt a twinge of guilt compared to his unwavering sense of duty.
Before leaving, Gu Zhijie told her, if she ever had the chance to visit Jiangsu, she must reach out to him, and he’d treat her to crayfish and long eel noodles in Huai’an. Jiang Mu smiled and promised she would.
After his return to China, they stayed in touch from time to time, but only with brief festive greetings during holidays. Aside from that, their lives no longer overlapped.
In her final year of graduate school, Jiang Mu got the chance to join her professor on an academic exchange visit to Caltech. She cherished the opportunity deeply, after all, it was one of the world’s top science and engineering universities, especially in fields like physics, planetary science, and aerospace.
Before the trip, she had a long and serious conversation with Jiang Yinghan about her future after graduation. Her research focused on astrometry and astronomical mechanics, but finding a suitable job near Melbourne was proving difficult; the options were very limited.
After listening to her plans, Jiang Yinghan fell silent for a long moment before speaking, “The way you’re approaching this decision is flawed. You shouldn’t base your choice on location alone. You need to think about your own growth first.”
Back when Jiang Yinghan had just undergone surgery, her body’s recovery had been uncertain, and having her daughter by her side during those fragile years had been a comfort. But now, so much time had passed, she had long grown accustomed to life with Chris. As for Jiang Mu’s future, she encouraged her to think long-term and pursue the career she truly wanted.
After that conversation, Jiang Mu set off for Los Angeles. But what she never expected was that her visit to Caltech would lead to an encounter with an old acquaintance she hadn’t seen in years — Gu Zhijie.
Fate truly worked in mysterious ways. Who would’ve thought they’d run into each other in a different country altogether? It had been three years since they last met, and he had clearly matured a lot. After all, he’d been traveling extensively for the sake of China’s aerospace efforts, even his hairline had started to recede. Yet despite it all, he carried himself like a spirited and accomplished man, confident and full of purpose.
His presence here was work-related, an assignment under a collaborative project. After chatting a bit, Jiang Mu learned that after returning to China, Gu Zhijie had actually gone back to Nanjing. He was now working at a branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. When she asked what he was doing there, he replied that he spent most of his time at the observatory.
It was the very place where the asteroid “China” had been discovered. Over the years, Jiang Mu heard about many of the scientific achievements made there. Unfortunately, she had never had the chance to visit the old site up in the mountains and see the ancient astronomical instruments, like the armillary sphere and the gnomon, with her own eyes.
Seeing how interested she was, Gu Zhijie asked when she would be graduating. Jiang Mu told him it would be soon, just a few more months. Gu Zhijie said that his team was currently short of two research assistants, and if she was interested, he’d make sure to save a spot for her when he got back.
The offer came so suddenly that Jiang Mu couldn’t give an immediate response. Gu Zhijie just laughed and said there was no rush as she still had a few months left and could take her time to think it over. He also mentioned a small get-together the next day with some colleagues from China who had come over for the same project, along with a few local peers, and invited her to join.
The gathering was held at a rooftop bar. Most of the attendees were Chinese, and the group was largely male. So, when Jiang Mu arrived that evening, the moment she walked in, everyone started teasing Gu Zhijie, urging him to introduce her. For once, Gu Zhijie looked a little embarrassed and said, “This is Jiang Mu, my junior from Canberra, we met while studying there.”
The group wasn’t large, about a dozen people. They drank a little, chatted about this and that, nothing too serious. The atmosphere was relaxed and light-hearted.
Later, Jiang Mu stepped over to the edge of the terrace to take a call from her professor. Just as she hung up, a middle-aged man came over to smoke. Earlier during introductions, she had heard others respectfully refer to him as “Professor Gan,” so she gave him a polite nod.
But Professor Gan’s gaze lingered for a moment on the small jade pendant resting against her collarbones and said, “Linglong dice, carved with red beans of longing.”
Jiang Mu froze slightly, then lowered her head and cupped the little jade bead in her hand. “Excuse me… do you know the story behind this pendant?”
Professor Gan smiled and replied, “The red agate at its center is carved to resemble a red bean, a symbol of longing. It’s hollowed out and inlaid so that each of the six faces of the die reveals a red dot. That’s the ‘Linglong dice with red beans of longing.’ A love so deep it enters the bone. In ancient times, this used to be a token of affection between lovers. Not many people wear them anymore.”
After finishing his words, Professor Gan stubbed out his cigarette and went back inside.
Jiang Mu turned to face the night breeze, her long hair billowing behind her.
“Now you’re willing to give it to me? When we were kids, no matter how much I begged, you refused. So stingy.”
“Back then, I really couldn’t give it to you. But now…”
“Now you can? Why?”
“That ties back to the origin of this thing. I’ll tell you slowly in the future.”
……
She had tried, truly tried, to experience the world. Over the years, she had met many exceptional men, yet none had ever stirred even the faintest ripple in her heart, because none of them were him.
If she were honest, they had only been together for a week, just a fleeting seven days. Yet it felt long enough to be etched into her very bones. Even now, just recalling something he had once said could send her emotions surging.
Only he could make her, standing here in this foreign city, surrounded by unfamiliar faces and places, clutch that tiny jade bead so tightly she nearly lost control.
At that moment, she realized there would be no one else. No one in this lifetime could ever move her as effortlessly as he had. Only that land. Only him.
She picked up her phone and dialed Jiang Yinghan.
“Mom,” she said, “I want to go back to China… to build my future there.”
A few minutes later, Jiang Mu walked over to Gu Zhijie, eyes bright and steady. He was still drinking and chatting with a few friends, but when he caught sight of the fire in her gaze, he excused himself politely, “Sorry, give me a moment.”
He stood up and followed her to a quieter corner, asking, “What’s going on?”
Jiang Mu’s chest rose and fell with emotion. This was no small decision. But in that single moment, she had chosen for the first time in years to take charge of her own life. The emotion surged so strongly that a vibrant flush of red rose to her cheeks. She looked at Gu Zhijie and asked, “That research assistant opening you mentioned yesterday, were you serious?”
Gu Zhijie blinked, surprised for a moment. “Of course I was. Have you made up your mind?”
Jiang Mu nodded. “I have. I’ll come back right after graduation.”
A smile lit up Gu Zhijie’s eyes. “Didn’t you say your family’s here, and you weren’t planning on going back?”
A radiant, irrepressible excitement spread across Jiang Mu’s face. “I’m going back to do my part for the country’s space program.”
Gu Zhijie threw his head back and laughed loudly.