The next evening Linda did not return till the light was extinguished. The room was very dark and they could not see her expressions clearly. However, everyone knew she had passed a shocking day. And it was true. Linda said she could not help to go and look for Chen Lei in the early morning. They could not focus on reading at all, and so they talked for a whole day under the Statue of Premier Zhou. Chen Lei comforted Linda repeatedly, saying his parents had loved him excessively. Linda asked Chen Lei about his plans in the future, and Chen Lei hesitated between his mother and his girl friend. Sometimes he said he loved Linda, sometimes he said he was a good son and did not want to hurt his mother’s feelings. They talked till 10 o’clock, but all was a mess. At last, having nothing to express, Chen Lei had to send Linda back to her dorm. When they reached the door of the 14th building, a moving scene exploded, like a volcano that had been suffocated for a thousand years. This shocking scene could be compared to any classical movies.

 Following was the oral statement of Linda (kept weeping from the very beginning to the end)

 “Holding my hand, he sent me to the door. We paused. Neither of us wanted to leave. In the dim light I could partially perceive his features and hear his quick breath. I slipped his grasp and walked off. I knew he was still standing there. 

‘You be back! Do not stand there! What are you doing on earth?!’

I took several steps forward, and I could not help looking back. 

He was still waiting for me. My tears streamed out. I ran to his embrace. He hugged me very tightly. 

“Let me kiss you. Even if we can not be together for ever, we can share this moment.”

He cried and his tears fell on my coat. I closed my eyes, and I did not want to see him in sadness. He kissed my forehead. It was truly a magic feeling. As if there were only we two all over the world.

We gazed at each other in silence, for a long time. But we had to leave each other. He squeezed a smile. 

‘Go back at once, it is too cold outside. Your shirt so thin, you will catch cold.’

Not until then did we discover that our hands were holding very tightly. Slowly I loosened my hand, and our hands would separate at once. 

Suddenly he stepped forward and grabbed me by the hand: ‘Let me hold your hand for another minute.’

I was really very very sad. I said: ‘Let me hug you!’

This was the last sentence I spoke to him. I am really very, very sad.”

Silence. Her roommates did not know how to console her. Only she knew the bitter sweetness. For a long time Sophie could not fall asleep. For the first time she sensed the great power of love, like a sparkle of fire buried deep in a volcano, which could never be restrained by any earthly strength.