Charlotte Lee, together with Zoe Young and Ray Cindy, represented the liberal arts class as flag bearers in the flag-raising ceremony. The ones raising the flag were Andrew Lane and Thomas Chase.

Naturally, they would notice the unusual looks from others, including Thomas Chase.

He turned around, smiled at Charlotte Lee, looking a bit awkward.

"Long time no see."

"Yeah, long time no see."

Charlotte Lee spent her last days at home in comfort. Her family problems still weren't resolved, but after her breakdown, her mother's face miraculously stopped trembling.

After Thomas Chase's guaranteed admission was settled, he finally seemed to have the courage to send Charlotte Lee his first text.

"Are you okay?"

Charlotte Lee didn't reply.

Seeing this boy again, she suddenly felt as if a lifetime had passed.

In the sunlight, Charlotte Lee's smile was dazzling.

Thomas Chase was stunned for a moment and said, "You still smile like that— even more beautiful."

Words that might sound a bit cheesy to others, Charlotte Lee gladly accepted.

"Actually, I've always been beautiful."

She lifted her head proudly.

Then quickly lowered it to type out a text.

"Charles Johnson you bastard."

Ray Cindy raised her hand to block the overly bright sunlight in front of her. She squinted, looking at the sea of people, but in the end, still didn't look at Zoe Young.

In the end, Ray Cindy understood that there was an untouchable secret in her heart. She didn't know when she'd have the courage to uncover it.

So she would continue to be humble and proud in this solitary way.

But still, in a small but firm voice, she said, "No matter what, back then, thank you."

Zoe Young smiled.

"Back then, thank you too, Michelle."

Thank you for your "Seventeen Without Tears", your thumbtacks, your clattering stick, and for standing outside the glass wall watching me with chickenpox, that gentle smile.

Many years later, she wouldn't remember Ray Cindy, only these details.

Our memories always pick out the things we thought unimportant at the time to keep in our collection.

The long graduation ceremony was finally coming to an end. Zoe Young stood behind the podium, feeling like she was about to faint from the sun.

In a daze, she seemed to see Benny's face in the crowd, but it disappeared in a flash.

That bit of youthful shadow gradually faded away. It was as if her childhood had vanished without a trace. But whenever she needed warmth and strength, the memories were there, and Benny would always be there too.

Just like when Michael finally grinned and told her, "Jesse Hunter said you're not happy. We're in the same class, so I have to take good care of you. But actually, I'm a little jealous too, so I have to find you a boyfriend... You won't blame me, right?"

In fact, from beginning to end, she was always so deeply loved.

Those who are loved have no right to blame.

Suddenly, someone patted her on the shoulder. She looked up and found it was that Australian foreign teacher. The old man was barely squeezed into a small patch of shade among the crowd of teachers, beckoning her to come hide from the sun.

Zoe Young gratefully rushed over.

They quietly listened to the leader's speech over the loudspeaker. Zoe Young believed this wouldn't be the last time in her life she'd hear a leader's address.

Amusingly, the Australian old man clearly didn't understand a word, but still listened intently with a frown.

When it finally ended, he clapped and said to Zoe Young, "Congrattions!"

Zoe Young smiled and thanked him.

"So what's your future n?" (What are your plans for the future?)

The future? Zoe Young turned her face, thinking. At that moment, a flock of white doves was released from their cages, the flapping of their wings sounding like a sudden wave.

Seven graduates, seven doves.

Michael was no longer there, but she still had a dove.

In fact, the last thing Michael said to Zoe Young wasn't a tearful "Be happy," but rather, with great righteousness, "I'm going ahead to buy land and pay off my mortgage. When you two come, you can rent my house!"

Andrew Lane rolled his eyes. "Just take your medicine, landlady!"

No one expected that Michael couldn't wait and went off to start her land-grabbing campaign in the underworld the very next day.

As Zoe Young thought about this, tears welled up in her eyes.

The old man looked kindly at the girl in front of him, watching her smile with tears in her eyes.

"My future n?" (My plans for the future?)

She pointed at the flocks of white doves.

"Fly free."

"Sometimes, I feel like life is like a spinning top, going round and round, and sometimes you find yourself back at the starting point."

"Every time you grow up a little, you think things will be different, but in the end, you realize it's just a more advanced copy." The long-gone old days have actually come full circle, washing over each of them again.

"But I still think I've lived a wonderful life."

The world isn't perfect, but they still have the power to choose and to change. At worst, she could reach out and create a new world. Just like when she was a child. Braving all obstacles, her little universe would always explode one day. She would never give up her Athena.

Epilogue: Year after year of abundance, week after week anew... "Come on, don't mind Daddy, come play with Auntie!"

Zoe Young clapped her hands, and Sophie Young rolled her eyes at her father Joel Young, wiggled her hips, and ran into her aunt's arms.

"You're just spoiling her!" Joel Young glared for a moment, then sighed helplessly and walked away.

Back then, Uncle Jack who used to threaten Joel Young with harsh punishments, suddenly became especially good-tempered. Together with the always doting Aunt Jenny, and the ever-mischievous Zoe Young, these three made five-year-old Sophie Young stand tall and dare to glare and puff her cheeks at her father.

"Great-grandma fell asleep again."

"Good girl, let's not disturb great-grandma. Let's go play in the living room." Zoe Young led Sophie Young out of grandma's room. As she closed the door, she paused, turning back to look at her grandma on the bed. Having just finished her IV, she had fallen into a deep sleep, only a ring of white hair showing at the edge of the blanket.

Year after year of abundance, week after week anew. The epilogue is always the clearest, most lucid grandma, but now, because of Alzheimer's, she can hardly recognize anyone. In grandma's world, Zoe Young is still the little girl who would sneak money from grandma's coin box after losing at "fishing," but now, 周周's mom has married Uncle Quinn, and Joel Young has graduated college, married, and had a child.

In grandma's world, there are no longer the bonds of time. Everyone she loves stays in the most beautiful moments, happily living around her.

Sophie Young always mysteriously pulled her aunt over to her little table and took out a pink sketchbook.

Then, like presenting a treasure, she showed it to Zoe Young.

Zoe Young opened it. The drawings were crooked, the bodies round, circling around— they seemed to be sheep.

Sophie Young excitedly explained at her side.

"This is the grassland, and on the grassland lives a group of especially brave sheep."

She turned to the second page: "This is Happy Woolly."

Third page: "This is Lazy Woolly."

Fourth page: "This is Hot Woolly."

Fifth page: "This one is..."

Zoe Young laughed, "I know, this is... let me think, what other sheep are there... oh, right, this is Pretty Woolly."

"No!" Sophie Young suddenly got excited, put her hands on her hips, and shouted, "That's not it! This sheep is the smartest, kindest, most beautiful, most... most... most pure white on the whole grassland. She, she's called Snowy!"

Zoe Young almost fainted.

Why isn't the name in the "×羊羊" format? And what does "most pure white" mean?

Sophie Young was still lost in her anger, continuing, "And, Happy Woolly and the others all like Snowy!"

Then she saw her aunt's sly smile.

She always knew her aunt was much scarier than her dad.

"窈窈," Zoe Young smiled, pointing at the crooked sheep on the page, "this Snowy is actually you, isn't it?"

Sophie Young was shocked, her face turning red as she protested, "It's not me, how could it be me, it's not me, not..."

But her voice got smaller and smaller, "...how did you know?"

Zoe Young gently tapped Sophie Young's nose. As she smiled, she suddenly felt tears at the corner of her eyes.