The weather was getting colder. The past few days had been overcast, the sky heavy and gray. The evergreens along the paths beside the teaching building were completely withered now, the last curled leaves falling to the ground.
The classroom lights glowed white as the old professor lectured from his PPT. Time passed quickly, and the bell rang right on schedule at 5:20.
After the fourth class in the afternoon, the entire teaching building came alive with noise and movement.
Students packed up quickly and filed out through the back door.
Ye Ran stood, slinging on his backpack. He had only taken two steps when someone called his name from behind.
“Ye Ran.”
It was the class monitor, Nie Anrou. “I need to talk to you about something. Are you going to the cafeteria? Let’s go together.”
“Sure.”
The hallway was crowded and noisy, the cold wind rushing in. The temperature difference between indoors and outdoors felt like two different seasons. Ye Ran, sensitive to the cold, wrapped his scarf slowly around his neck until half his face was hidden.
Nie Anrou couldn’t help but laugh. “Is it really that cold?”
Ye Ran glanced at her bare legs, hidden under sheer “invisible” tights, and said nothing.
When he’d woken up that morning, Little Fatty had been sighing nonstop, complaining that it was only 8°C today.
Autumn and winter in the capital were dry and biting. Over his gray hoodie, Ye Ran had put on a black cotton jacket; the high collar paired well with his scarf. His skin was pale with cool undertones, his slender phoenix eyes framed by long lashes. When the corners of his eyes reddened slightly from the cold, it gave him a lazy, vivid charm that drew people in.
Nie Anrou smiled and said, “I wanted to talk to you about our class gathering. We’re planning it for this Sunday—just to go out, eat, drink, take some pictures. Everyone in the class isn’t very familiar yet, and we’ll be together for four years, so it’s good to get to know each other.”
“I’m fine with that,” Ye Ran nodded.
“As for the cost, we’re not using class funds. We’ll just split it evenly. The counselor told me the school will have a festival week before New Year’s, so that money will be used then.”
They walked downstairs together, moving slowly with the crowd.
Ye Ran kept his hands in his pockets, warming them with a handwarmer. “Okay, who should I give my share to?”
“Just give it to the class treasurer.”
Ye Ran thought for a moment, then paused—wasn’t the treasurer Liang Feng?
Clearly, Nie Anrou had the same thought. She sighed, smoothing her wind-blown hair. “Tell you what, just give the money to me. When Liang Feng collects, I’ll hand over both our shares together.”
“Thanks.” Ye Ran let out a breath of relief.
Nie Anrou smiled. “Then let’s add each other on WeChat.”
Ye Ran took out his phone. The lighting in the stairwell was dim, so his phone screen automatically brightened. The glare made it hard to read names.
They stood by the railing on the third-floor landing, scanning codes under the faint hallway light.
With a soft ding, Nie Anrou put her phone away. “All done. I’ll message you tonight once the place is booked.”
“Alright. Thanks for organizing everything,” Ye Ran said with a smile.
“No problem.”
Nie Anrou was about to say something else when a low male voice sounded not far away.
“Ye Ran.”
Both of them turned toward the sound.
Shen Shi stood there, his head slightly lowered, watching them.
He wore a black cotton jacket, his tall figure straight and poised. His short dark hair was tousled by the wind. Leaning casually against the wall of the corridor, his expression looked indifferent, almost lazy—but those dark phoenix eyes were cold and deep, calmly fixed on the two of them.
It was impossible to tell how long he’d been standing there before he finally spoke.
“Ah… you’re Shen Shi, right?” Nie Anrou immediately tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling shyly and sweetly. Then she turned to Ye Ran and said, “You two already planned to go together? I won’t disturb you, then. I’ll head off first. Bye-bye.”
Ye Ran came back to himself and waved at her. “Bye.”
…
The noise in the teaching building gradually subsided, and the stairs were almost empty.
“Shen Shi,” Ye Ran rewrapped his scarf and walked toward him. “What are you doing here?”
The Mingli Building was shaped like an “H.” Ye Ran had classes in one wing, and Shen Shi was in the other. The distance between the two sides was a bit far, and Ye Ran had already resigned himself to not running into Shen Shi today—yet here Shen Shi was, right on time, waiting by the stairwell.
“Our class ended early,” Shen Shi said.
He straightened up and fell into step beside Ye Ran as they went downstairs, asking casually, “Who was that girl?”
“She’s our class monitor. She said the class is planning a small get-together this Sunday, but the place isn’t decided yet. She’ll let me know when it’s confirmed.”
“Sunday?”
Ye Ran nodded. “Yeah. I’m skipping the cafeteria today. My cup broke during class, so I’m going to the supermarket to get a new one.”
Shen Shi stopped with him and said, “I’ll come with you.”
There were several supermarkets on the Beijing University campus—big and small ones scattered along the student life street. In the evenings it got lively; some stalls were simmering oden, filling the air with savory aromas.
Ye Ran entered a small supermarket. It was crowded at this hour. He went to the household aisle to pick a water bottle, and halfway through, his phone vibrated, a message from Nie Anrou.
[Ye Ran, we’ve booked the place—it’s at Swan Hotel. Got a private room, and after dinner we’ll do some karaoke. It should wrap up around nine.]
He replied: [Okay.]
When he looked up again, someone was already standing in front of Shen Shi.
A long-haired girl wearing pearl earrings and a fitted trench coat was smiling sweetly, asking for his WeChat. Three or four of her friends stood behind her, watching eagerly.
Light spilled over the two of them. Shen Shi had his hands in his pockets, his gaze lowered, his expression lazy and detached.
“Sorry,” he said, “I don’t have WeChat.”
Ye Ran froze for a moment.
The girl also froze. “Then… QQ?”
“Don’t have that either.”
“Then what do you have?”
“Email.”
Who even used email to make friends these days?
Even the dullest person would get the message. The girl didn’t press further—she shrugged regretfully and walked off with her friends.
As they passed Ye Ran, he caught snippets of their conversation—their curiosity barely hidden.
“D*mn… the campus heartthrob really lives up to the name. He’s got me good.”
“He’s even more handsome in person!”
“Didn’t even give out his WeChat… bet it’s full of pretty girls already. Whatever, forget it.”
…
Ye Ran couldn’t help but laugh.
Shen Shi, at some point, had walked over to him. He looked up slightly and asked, “What are you laughing at?”
Ye Ran said, “I just realized—I don’t have your email either.”
Shen Shi paused, then after a few seconds of silence, took out his phone. “Want to add it?”
“Now?” Ye Ran blinked.
“Tonight,” Shen Shi said. “I’ll download it first.”
Ye Ran burst out laughing. “No need. We can just talk on WeChat.”
He glanced at the shelf full of water bottles, picked one with high heat insulation, and asked casually, “That girl was pretty. Why didn’t you add her?”
Most freshmen, after years of academic pressure, were naturally curious about the opposite sex. Some students in the art department had already started dating during military training—by the time Ye Ran found out, some were on their second or even third relationships.
He’d been amazed at first, but after seeing enough of it, he’d gotten used to it. Still, in Shen Shi’s case, it was strange—he hadn’t had a single female friend in months.
That was odd for someone like him. With a face like Shen Shi’s, he could be cold and aloof, or if he wanted to, effortlessly flirtatious.
“Not interested,” Shen Shi said flatly. Then, lowering his gaze, he added lightly, “You want to date?”
Ye Ran sighed inwardly. How could he? With a homophobic friend right beside him, he couldn’t possibly indulge in any “worldly desires” for the next four years.
Besides, their circle was already messy enough. Just the thought of the potential drama that might come with dating gave him a headache.
“We’ll see,” he said, keeping it vague—after all, if a guy solemnly declared he wasn’t interested in dating, it’d probably raise more questions than it answered.
Shen Shi didn’t respond.
Ye Ran finally chose his cup and headed to the cashier, but after a few steps he noticed Shen Shi still standing by the shelf, motionless. The bright light outlined his cold, shadowed features.
“Shen Shi?” Ye Ran asked, puzzled, walking back. He followed Shen Shi’s gaze toward the cups. “What is it? Something wrong with that one?”
Shen Shi snapped out of it at the sound of his voice.
“Nothing,” he said, catching up with Ye Ran. “Just remembered something.”
“What is it?”
“Yu Ting once dated someone. It didn’t end well.”
Ye Ran was startled and unconsciously slowed his steps. Yu Ting’s gentle, bookish face flashed in his mind, he never would’ve guessed that the model student type had ever been in a relationship.
“What do you mean, ‘didn’t end well’?”
Shen Shi said, “The girl was from the next class. They used to bring each other food every day. He liked her so much that one time, they ran away from home together. She said she’d stay with him forever. Then their parents found out and separated them, but Yu Ting never really got over it.”
That but alone was enough to spell tragedy.
Ye Ran felt a pang of tension. He never imagined that behind Yu Ting’s sunny smile hid such a miserable past.
“And then?”
Shen Shi gave him a sidelong look and said, “Later, the girl went abroad.”
Ye Ran drew in a sharp breath.
Such a classic novel plot.
“Yu Ting didn’t do well on that exam, almost failed to make the cut.”
With one hand in his pocket, Shen Shi went on lazily, “If you really want to date, it’s best to wait until you have a stable job and life first.”
“Otherwise, it’ll only hurt both sides.”
Ye Ran nodded slowly, his expression serious. “Yeah.”
Thinking again of Yu Ting’s always-sunny smile, he felt a sudden sense of respect.
Almost failed the exam yet still got into Beijing University, Yu Ting had once been a genius, too.
“Oh right, our class gathering’s set. It’ll be at the Swan Hotel, probably won’t be back till late,” he said to Shen Shi, snapping out of his thoughts.
“What time?” Shen Shi asked.
“Maybe around nine or ten.”
Just thinking about it gave Ye Ran a headache.
He’d thought it was just a simple dinner, but apparently there would be karaoke afterward—and karaoke always meant drinking. With Liang Feng there, he really didn’t want to stay long. But since the plan was already set, even if he wanted to leave early, he’d have to stick around for a bit.
As he waited in line, feeling irritable, Shen Shi’s calm voice came from behind him: “It’s fine. I’ll probably be at the Swan Hotel that day too.”
“You will?”
“To celebrate Yu Ting’s birthday.”
“Yu Ting’s birthday? How many of you?”
Shen Shi was silent for two seconds. “Two.”
Ye Ran: “…”
Two—just the two of them?
Not even their roommates?
He hesitated. “Yu Ting… doesn’t have many friends?”
“Right.” Shen Shi nodded.
“…Then I’ll prepare a gift for you to bring to him,” Ye Ran said, and added, “If we finish early, I’ll come find you guys.”
“Okay.” Shen Shi lowered his eyes, glancing at Ye Ran’s slightly relaxed expression. “I’ll send you the room number then.”
With that worry settled, Ye Ran scrolled through his phone while waiting in line.
By chance, he saw Yu Ting’s latest post on his Moments. Pausing, he thought of the boy’s hidden past and decided to take a look.
The background was filled with blooming tulips.
Beneath it was a single line of text—
[Tulips—but can they match my brother’s towel scent?]
Ye Ran: “…”
Ye Ran: “…………”
He slowly put his phone down, his gaze distant and confused.
Well.
It seemed Yu Ting… had already gotten over his heartbreak.
***
Dorm 317.
After washing up, Yu Ting got into bed early. His roommates were all lying around on their phones. It was cold tonight, and nobody felt like talking much.
He yawned and was about to put his phone down when the screen suddenly lit up. He glanced at it—
Shen Shi: [You there?]
Yu Ting: “…”
Yu Ting: “…………”
In an instant, he shot upright like a carp flipping out of water, staring at the screen with grave seriousness.
Nothing good ever came from messages like this.
Those two plain, ordinary words carried an inexplicable sense of impending doom.
Like a weasel paying a New Year visit to a chicken.
Suppressing his unease, Yu Ting cautiously typed: [Here. What’s up?]
The other side was silent for a long time.
Yu Ting grew increasingly restless. Just as he was about to call Shen Shi to ask what was going on, a new message appeared.
Shen Shi: [I remember you dated someone before.]
Yu Ting: “…”
Yu Ting: “…………”
He knew it.
He stared at the short sentence in peace, as if accepting his fate.
He knew it.
[Shen Shi,] he typed slowly, word by word. [Are you even human?]
[You really had to dig up something from kindergarten to stab my heart again?]
Shen Shi: [Kindergarten?]
[Yeah,] Yu Ting typed, sighing as he went. [That little girl later went abroad with her parents. I almost failed my elementary school entrance exam after that.]
Shen Shi: [Oh.]
A few seconds later—
Just when Yu Ting thought the conversation was over, another message came.
Shen Shi: [I’ll treat you to dinner this Sunday.]
Yu Ting’s spirits instantly lifted, all heartbreak forgotten. [For real? What’s the occasion?]
Shen Shi: [You were born.]
Yu Ting: “?”
Yu Ting: “???”
Shen Shi: [It’s your birthday.]
Yu Ting took a deep breath, swallowing down the imaginary blood rising in his throat. [Three years of friendship, three years of birthday dinners—and you’re still not good? Come on, you didn’t forget my birthday’s in June, right?]
Shen Shi paused. [Celebrating early.]
[Half a year early, huh?]
[Swan Hotel. You coming or not?]
Yu Ting gritted his teeth in indignation. Was this about money?!
[Coming!] he replied sweetly. [Bro, do you need just my presence or my name on the guest list?]
[Both.]
[Got it, bro,] Yu Ting said. [If there’s anything else you need, just say the word. Honestly, I could celebrate my birthday 365 days a year for you.]
Shen Shi didn’t answer. [Going to sleep.]
Yu Ting responded with gentle devotion: [Mmmmmm.]
Even after the screen went dark, he still felt dazed, like he’d just hit the jackpot.
Was this real?
Shen Shi was treating him to dinner?
Terrifying. Could this be… a Hongmen Banquet? (a trap disguised as a feast)
The world suddenly seemed full of kindness toward him, and he could hardly believe it.
Was this really not a dream?
The more he thought about it, the stranger it felt. Finally, Yu Ting sat up in bed and cautiously tested the waters in the dorm: “Hey, guys, if… I mean if I were to have my birthday this weekend, what would you think?”
The dorm fell silent.
Only the faint glow of three other phone screens reflected across the room.
When no one replied after a long time, Yu Ting’s enthusiasm faded. He turned over, ready to sleep—
Then, out of the quiet, came a roommate’s voice:
“We’d all chip in to give you thirty million.”
Yu Ting: “!!!”
What? Th–thirty million?!
D*mn! That was so touching—even if they were just talking big, the sentiment alone was enough—
Roommate #1: “Wish you ten million happiness.”
Roommate #2: “Wish you ten million joy.”
Roommate #3: “Wish you ten million courage.”
Roommates #1, #2, & #3 together: “Hahahahaha!”
Yu Ting: “…”
Yu Ting: “…………”
Great. Confirmed.
Not a dream.
Author’s Note:
Next chapter: the party!
Sending everyone thirty million—
Ten million happiness,
Ten million joy,
Ten million effort!
Hahahahahahaha!
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