I can't fall in love with you.

On an ordinary day, Amy Lin, as usual, plunged enthusiastically into the vast ocean of knowledge in the university library. With great anticipation, she was eager to find a precious research material on Chinese classical literature. Far away from her homeland, homesickness spread slowly in her heart like a gurgling stream, and those ancient words were like invisible but tough threads, tightly connecting her to her distant hometown. She gracefully weaved through the bookshelves filled with ancient tomes. Her bright almond - shaped eyes scanned eagerly across the spines of each book, not missing any clue. Just as she stood on tiptoe, stretching her arm to reach a long - desired book on the top shelf, she unexpectedly collided head - on with someone rushing towards her. The books in her hand fell with a "clatter". In the library, which was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard, this sound was particularly harsh, as if shattering the original tranquility. "Oh, I'm really sorry!" Amy was startled and quickly apologized. At the same time, she instinctively crouched down to pick up the books. Just then, a slender and fair hand picked up the books in a flash. Amy looked up subconsciously and, in an instant, met a pair of deep and melancholy blue eyes. Those eyes were like a deep pool, as if they could draw people into an endless mystery, making one intoxicated. "It's okay. It was my fault for not paying attention," Leonardo de Luca said gently. His voice was deep and magnetic, like an elegant movement from the ancient times, with every note trembling gently in the air. He handed the books back to Amy. His eyes lingered on her for a moment, and he was immediately deeply attracted by her unique oriental charm and the faint scent of books. That kind of aura was like a treasure that had never been discovered in the long river of a thousand years, a charming smell he had never encountered in his long life, mysterious and alluring. Amy took the books shyly, smiling politely, but her heart was in a flurry. She couldn't help but notice the unique temperament of the man in front of her. His slightly curled flaxen hair fell naturally on his forehead, and his straight nose was like a towering mountain. He exuded an innate mysterious artistic air, as if he himself was a carefully carved work of art. After a brief eye - contact, like a frightened fawn, Amy quickly thanked him and then left in a hurry, hugging the books, while her heart beat involuntarily faster, thumping like a drum in her chest. That night, the night sky, like a piece of black silk, gently wrapped the earth. Amy dialed her parents' phone number, and soon, her mother's gentle and concerned voice came from the other end, "Honey, how was your day at school?" "Mom, I met a special person in the library today. His name is Leonardo, and he's of Italian descent. He has a very artistic temperament, and he's really interested in Chinese culture," Amy couldn't help sharing today's experience, with a hint of excitement in her tone. Then, her father's steady voice came from the phone, "Amy, you have to be careful when making friends abroad. Don't get too close to strangers casually, you know?" "Got it, Dad. It was just a chance encounter, and we just had a brief chat," Amy replied, but in her heart, she couldn't help thinking about Leonardo's deep eyes that seemed to hide countless stories. A few days later, in the bustling campus cafeteria, people were coming and going. Amy and Vivian were carrying their trays, looking for an empty seat in the crowded place. Suddenly, Amy's eyes were attracted by a familiar figure - Leonardo was standing not far away, looking around the cafeteria, apparently also looking for a seat. "Hey, isn't that the Leonardo you mentioned?" Vivian noticed Amy's gaze keenly. A sly smile appeared on her lips, and there was a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Go say hello." Before Amy could respond, Leonardo had already seen them. A polite smile instantly appeared on his face, and he walked towards them with elegant steps. "What a coincidence. We meet again," his voice was clear and pleasant even in the noisy cafeteria. "Yeah, what a coincidence," Amy felt her cheeks getting slightly hot, as if a warm current rushed to her face. She quickly introduced Vivian, "This is my roommate, Vivian. Vivian, this is Leonardo." Vivian greeted enthusiastically, "Hi, Leonardo. Amy has mentioned you to me quite often." Hearing this, Amy couldn't help glaring at Vivian, feeling both shy and annoyed, blaming her for blabbing. The four of them sat down to have a meal together. During the conversation, Leonardo showed an astonishing understanding of various cultures. From the glorious Italian Renaissance, the masterpieces created by great artists, to the wonderful and profound Chinese historical allusions, the wisdom and philosophy contained in the ancient stories, he could talk about them freely. This wonderful talk made Amy's favor towards him grow a little more. However, although Leonardo had special feelings for Amy in his heart, his thousand - year - long lonely life had made him extremely cautious about emotions, as if building an invisible high wall in his heart. He deliberately kept an appropriate distance from Amy, as if carefully guarding something. After the meal, Leonardo gracefully got up to leave, "It was a pleasure having dinner with you. I hope we'll have another chance to communicate." His eyes lingered on Amy's face for a moment, with a trace of tender emotion that was hardly noticeable, and then he turned and left calmly. Watching Leonardo's receding figure, Vivian gently nudged Amy, with a naughty smile on her face, teasing, "Amy, I think he has a crush on you." "Don't talk nonsense. We've just met, and we're just ordinary friends," Amy quickly denied it, but in her heart, she couldn't help feeling a glimmer of anticipation, looking forward to meeting Leonardo again and expecting more stories to happen between them. A few days later, an art lecture with the theme of "The Integration and Collision of Eastern and Western Arts" was held on campus. Amy was very interested in this topic. Like a bird eager for knowledge, she arrived at the venue early, carefully selected a seat in the front row, and was eagerly looking forward to the start of the lecture. Before long, she saw Leonardo walking in with familiar steps. The moment their eyes met, both of them were slightly startled, as if time stood still for a short moment. Then Leonardo found a seat nearby and sat down. After the lecture, Leonardo made his way through the bustling crowd and came straight to Amy. With a gentle smile on his face, he said, "Amy, you're also interested in this lecture? I thought the viewpoints on the mutual influence of Eastern and Western arts just now were particularly profound and really benefited me a lot." "Yes, especially the influence of Chinese ink - wash paintings on Western Impressionism. It was really eye - opening. From the perspective of Eastern culture, the integration of arts actually reflects the communication and collision of different ethnic groups' perceptions of the world," Amy's eyes sparkled with excitement, like twinkling stars in the night sky, and she couldn't wait to share her insights. Leonardo nodded in agreement, "That's right. Art is indeed borderless. Arts from different cultural backgrounds inspire and learn from each other, resulting in many wonderful and unique changes. Just like during the Italian Renaissance, it was also influenced by the culture brought by trade from the East, injecting new vitality into artistic creation." The two of them got more and more engaged in the conversation. Before they knew it, they came to the campus lake. The afterglow of the setting sun, like a layer of golden gauze, gently fell on the shimmering lake surface. The entire lake seemed to be inlaid with countless twinkling gems, creating a romantic and quiet atmosphere. Amy was deeply attracted by the picturesque scenery in front of her and couldn't help stopping to appreciate it. Leonardo quietly looked at Amy's profile. Her well - defined face looked particularly soft in the glow of the setting sun, and an inexplicable feeling welled up in his heart, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples. But he quickly suppressed it, as if afraid that this emotion would break the existing tranquility. However, at this moment, Amy's phone rang inappropriately, shattering the beautiful tranquility. It was her mother calling. "Amy, how have you been recently? Is your study busy? Have you been eating well?" Her mother's concerned voice came from the other end of the phone, full of motherly love. "Mom, I'm fine," Amy replied, but her eyes involuntarily looked at Leonardo, and a sense of panic welled up in her heart. Her mother seemed to sense her daughter's absent - mindedness, and there was a hint of worry in her tone. "Amy, is there someone beside you? Is it that Leonardo? Amy, Mom knows you've grown up and have your own ideas, but falling in love in a foreign country can face many complicated problems. Your dad and I are really worried about you." Amy felt a burst of annoyance in her heart, as if her beautiful dream had been forcefully interrupted. "Mom, I know. We're just friends," she said, and then hung up the phone. Her mood became a bit heavy, as if covered by a layer of haze. Leonardo noticed Amy's strangeness keenly and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong at home?" "Nothing. My mom is just worried about my life here," Amy forced a smile, trying to hide her annoyance. Leonardo knew that Amy's family might have concerns about their interaction. A hint of bitterness welled up in his heart, like tasting an unripe fruit. "I'm really sorry if I've caused you trouble." "It's okay. It has nothing to do with you. My parents just worry too much," Amy quickly explained, but in her heart, she couldn't help thinking about where her relationship with Leonardo was going. The night gradually fell, like a black curtain slowly descending, enveloping the entire campus. The streetlights on campus came on one by one, and the dim yellow light stretched the shadows of Amy and Leonardo long, as if painting a story - filled picture on the ground.