It was the end of summer vacation, with only two days left before school started. She had some free time to take a walk, explore the school, and meet the other teachers.

  She stood in front of the vanity, looking at herself with satisfaction. Her hair was loosely tied up at the top of her head, a light touch of makeup on her face, wearing a pair of reading gsses, and dressed in a simple, dark blue suit. She looked every bit the "teacher" now.

  She grabbed her handbag and left the dormitory. She decided to take a walk outside the school, just as dusk was settling in. The fields under the setting sun were enchanting.

  Leaving the school gates, she walked along the main road, which was lined with tea gardens. The low shrubs were neatly pnted in rows across the fields. She gazed at the tea trees and imagined the tea-picking season, picturing the fields full of young women, their heads wrapped in scarves with conical hats tied on, hands and feet wrapped in cloth, bending low to pick tea, baskets in hand. It must have been such a captivating scene.

  Not long after, she came upon the Bai residence. The house looked particurly beautiful in the glow of the setting sun, surrounded by tea gardens. She paused for a moment, and at that very moment, the red gate of Bai's residence opened. A 1964 Chevrolet drove out, speeding toward Taipei and kicking up a cloud of dust. A 1964 Chevrolet! It was now 1965—what a wealthy man! Fang Siying thought. In the U.S., many international students spent their free time studying cars, and she had caught that habit too. As a result, she could almost instantly identify the year and model of any car.

  She passed by Bai's residence, and not long after, she came upon the "Hanyan Vil" again. The burned house beckoned her, and after a brief hesitation, she stepped through the iron gate. Sure enough, the roses were still blooming beautifully. She picked two stems and stood there, gazing at the ruins for a long while. Then, she turned around and walked out. The sunset was burning beautifully on the horizon. She took a deep breath, feeling filled with warmth and strength. "I will never regret my choice!" she told herself.

  Back at the dormitory, she pced the two roses in a vase on her desk. The vibrant red of the roses complemented the green bamboo leaves, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene. She gazed at the vase for the rest of the evening. As nightfall descended, the croaking of frogs and the chirping of insects filled the fields around her. She listened intently, then let out a soft, gentle sigh. She opened the desk drawer, pulled out a stack of stationery, and began to write a letter in English. The content of the letter was:

  "Dear Alec,

  I am sorry, but I have decided to stay in Taiwan and not return to the United States. I hope you won't be angry with me, and I wish you find a better woman than me. I can't expin how everything happened; it was just... just a coincidence. On that afternoon in May, I impulsively decided to take a trip to the outskirts. Then I found myself captivated by a pile of ruins and a little girl..."

  She didn’t finish the letter, abandoning her pen with a long, resigned sigh. It was something she couldn′t expin. Alec would never understand what happened. She couldn’t make him understand. He'd probably think she was losing her mind! Yes, she stared bnkly at the two roses on her desk. Who knew why she stayed? There was a man overseas who wanted to marry her. She was over thirty—she should have married by now. Who knew! Maybe she really had gone mad!

  The school year had started three days ago. Standing in the cssroom, Fang Siying lectured while gazing at the girl sitting in the center of the first row. She was teaching a math problem, "chickens and rabbits in the same pen," but the girl wasn′t looking at the bckboard. She had one small hand resting under her chin, and her eyes were half-closed, staring bnkly out the window. Her pale face held a certain focused expression that made Fang Siying follow her gaze out the window. Outside, there was a rge banyan tree, and in the distance, a few white clouds floated in the sky.

  Fang Siying paused her lecture, softly calling, "Bai Tingting!"

  The girl didn’t notice, still lost in her thoughts as she stared out the window. Fang Siying cleared her throat, slightly raised her voice, and called again, "Bai Tingting!"

  The child still didn′t respond. Her dark, deep eyes seemed almost unnatural for a child, and the focused expression on her face seemed out of pce for someone so young. What could be occupying this child's mind? Fang Siying furrowed her brows and raised her voice, "Bai Tingting!"

  This time, the girl heard. She suddenly jumped up, standing rigidly, her eyes wide with fear as she locked her gaze on Fang Siying. Her small, colorless lips trembled slightly, and her thin fingers nervously gripped the textbook on her desk. She opened her mouth and softly said, "Oh, teacher?"

  The timid, almost pleading tone in her voice completely disarmed Fang Siying. She unconsciously rexed her furrowed brows and walked to the girl′s desk. Bai Tingting looked up at her with a passive, waiting expression, as if expecting to be reprimanded.

  "You weren't paying attention," Fang Siying's voice was unexpectedly gentle. "What were you looking at?"

  Bai Tingting licked her lips with the tip of her tongue, and Fang Siying's soft tone and kind gaze seemed to encourage her.

  "There's a bird's nest in that tree," she said softly. "A mother bird keeps flying in with food. I was watching to see if there were any baby birds."

  Fang Siying turned her head, and sure enough, among the dense branches of the tree, a nest was steadily perched in the fork of two branches. She turned back to look at Bai Tingting, lost in thought. She couldn't bring herself to scold the child.

  "Alright, sit down. You need to pay attention in css, or how will you understand?" She paused and added, "After school, come to the teacher's lounge. I want to have a talk with you."

  "Oh? Teacher?" The same look of panic returned to the girl's face.

  "Don't be afraid," Fang Siying reassured, gently pressing on the girl's tiny shoulder. It was so frail. "It's nothing serious, just a little talk. Now, sit down. Let's get back to the lesson and stop worrying about the birds."

  Bai Tingting hesitated for a moment, then slowly sat down, though her eyes still seemed distant, her thoughts lingering on the birds outside the window.

  "Teacher." Bai Tingting called softly, her head lowered.

  "Come here, Bai Tingting," Fang Siying beckoned, pulling her gently to her side. She studied the delicate, beautiful face of the child with concern. "Do you understand the lesson I taught in css?"

  Bai Tingting nodded, but there was hesitation in her eyes, and she looked uncertain. Fang Siying could tell that the child was struggling, not just with the material, but with something deeper.

  "Your homework," Fang Siying continued, her voice gentle but firm, "it's not just that you made mistakes. The way you approached the problems... It's like you didn't even try to think about them. Did you understand what we learned? Did you pay attention during css?"

  Bai Tingting shifted uncomfortably, her small hands csped tightly in front of her, as if bracing for something worse.

  "Do you want to learn, Bai Tingting?" Fang Siying's tone softened, her heart aching for the girl in front of her. "I can help you, but you need to be willing to try. I can't help you if you don't even try."