7:40 a.m.
The sky was gray and heavy, clouds rolling and gathering—it looked like a downpour was coming.
Gewu Building.
“So you had a fever in the middle of the night last week?”
As they climbed the stairs, surrounded by classmates still half-asleep, only Little Fatty was full of energy.
It was Wednesday today; first period was Chinese.
The three of them had all chosen the same teacher. The big lecture hall was packed, only a few scattered seats left.
“Yeah, it went away after the IV drip,” Ye Ran said.
“We actually slept through all that? Didn’t notice a thing?” Brother Shu muttered.
Ye Ran thought about it. “You two do sleep pretty soundly.”
The snoring had been loud enough to shake the heavens, yet somehow hadn’t woken them.
Little Fatty and Brother Shu exchanged looks of existential doubt while Ye Ran, book in hand, stood at the back door of the classroom looking for seats.
“Ye Ran!”
Amid the noisy chatter, a lively female voice called out.
Ye Ran turned toward the sound. A familiar girl smiled brightly and waved at him—there happened to be three empty seats behind her.
Seeing her face, Ye Ran’s scalp slowly went numb.
“Holy cr*p,” Little Fatty squeaked, green with envy, “Ye Ran, when did you start chatting up girls? Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. She’s my senior from the same department.”
Since the senior had already saved seats, Ye Ran had no choice but to go over. The three seats were by the aisle; Ye Ran sat on the outside. When he looked up, he caught sight of a figure in the row ahead.
It was Shen Shi.
He had actually picked Professor Chen’s Chinese class too.
Students from the Finance Department were scattered around him. There was still an empty seat next to Shen Shi—probably saved for someone.
His classmates were enthusiastic; within minutes, five or six people had already greeted him. One guy even stood leaning on the desk beside him, chatting away.
“Ye Ran,” the senior called.
Ye Ran turned his attention back. “Ah, yes?”
Cheng Xinxin was wearing a white floral dress today, her face done up with an effortless “bare-faced” look. Her long hair flowed smoothly over her shoulders, her manner soft and elegant—enough to make several freshmen nearby stare.
She propped her chin on her hand and smiled, sitting with the casual confidence of someone used to being admired. “So, how’s life at Beijing University treating you?”
Cheng Xinxin wasn’t just Ye Ran’s senior in the same program—they’d actually known each other since high school. So, on Ye Ran’s first day registering at Beijing University, it was Cheng Xinxin who had shown him around.
He nodded. “I’ve gotten used to it. The cafeteria food’s pretty good.”
“That’s true—way better than No.1 High’s,” Cheng Xinxin complained. “You freshmen had it rough this year with the military training. Back when we did it, it rained on and off for almost a month… But hey, how come you didn’t get tanned?”
She raised an eyebrow and studied his face.
Ye Ran’s skin was very fair—an even, cool shade of white. Outside, the wind howled and the clouds churned; inside, the fluorescent lights glowed bright. Sitting under their spill of light, he looked up, blinking in mild confusion.
Oh my.
Cheng Xinxin felt her heart skip a beat.
D*mn, he was really good-looking.
Compared to Shen Shi, who was currently the campus heartthrob in University City, she definitely preferred Ye Ran’s face.
Ye Ran had a clean, delicate look. His phoenix eyes were long and narrow—not small, just finely shaped. His double lids were faint, but the corners of his eyes curved upward, giving them a natural charm when he blinked.
It wasn’t the kind of face that struck you as breathtaking at first glance—but the longer you looked, the harder it was to look away. Once you’d seen those eyes curve in a smile, you’d only find him more and more attractive.
The semester had just started; most freshmen were still recovering from military training, while the upperclassmen were more interested in the newly popular Shen Shi. But it was easy to imagine that before long, the mild, easygoing Ye Ran would draw plenty of attention of his own.
“I used sunscreen,” Ye Ran explained.
“Oh, I see…” Cheng Xinxin said—but honestly, what good was sunscreen during military training!
“So if you go on hikes, you probably won’t tan either?”
“Hm?” Ye Ran hadn’t thought of that. He paused, then said, “Not sure. Depends on the weather, I guess.”
“Then I suggest you join one of those clubs—get to see nice scenery and not worry about tanning. Perfect combination! Like our school’s hiking club—though it’s less about hiking and more about using school funds to eat and hang out. Pretty easygoing.”
Ye Ran nodded. “I’ll think about it…”
He suddenly grew alert and glanced at the smiling Cheng Xinxin. “Senior, I forgot to ask—what club are you in?”
“The hiking club,” Cheng Xinxin said, blinking innocently.
Ye Ran: “…”
As expected.
That suspicious phrasing made sense now.
Seeing her motives exposed, Cheng Xinxin didn’t bother to hide it anymore. “You really don’t want to join? Our club loves welcoming handsome guys like you. With you around, the girls could probably walk ten kilometers farther!”
Little Fatty, who had been waiting ages for a chance to speak, finally jumped in. “What about me, what about me, senior? Look at me!”
He mimicked Ye Ran’s expression just now, blinking dramatically. His round, fair face broke into a smile, and he tilted his head up at a calculated forty-five degrees, full of enthusiasm.
Cheng Xinxin studied him for a few seconds. “Hmm… your voice is pretty nice.”
Little Fatty: “…”
“Hahahahaha!” Brother Shu instantly burst out laughing, full of schadenfreude. “I’m dying—either looks or voice, huh? Senior, what about me?”
Cheng Xinxin looked at him and said, “Your voice is nice too.”
Brother Shu: “…”
Smile instantly disappears.jpg
This time, Ye Ran couldn’t hold back his laughter and chuckled into his cup. “Hahaha.”
The hot water he’d poured before class steamed faintly upward.
When Cheng Xinxin called to him again, there was still a trace of laughter in his eyes. Some nearby classmates glanced over curiously, but he didn’t notice. “Ah? What is it, senior?”
“Join our hiking club,” Cheng Xinxin said.
Ye Ran: “…”
He quietly put away his smile and set down his cup. “Senior, I think I’ll look around first.”
“Our hiking club is definitely the best club on campus! You won’t regret it if you join!” Cheng Xinxin tried hard to persuade him.
Little Fatty opened his mouth, still unwilling to give up. “Senior, if Ye Ran doesn’t want to go, I can—”
“Ten yuan membership fee,” Cheng Xinxin said.
Little Fatty: “…”
Little Fatty silently lowered his head, eyes misty. “Sorry for bothering you.”
Ye Ran laughed again.
Cheng Xinxin smiled. “Hey, little Little Fatty, do you really want to join?”
Within ten minutes, Little Fatty had taken three emotional blows straight to the heart.
“I…” He swallowed his pride along with a mouthful of blood and asked tearfully, “What do you think?”
“I think,” Cheng Xinxin said, “you can drag your roommates along with you.”
Little Fatty immediately turned to Brother Shu. “Brother Shu, let’s go together.”
“Add one more,” Cheng Xinxin said.
Little Fatty turned again. “Ye Ran…”
“Ye Ran.”
A clear, low male voice suddenly reached Ye Ran’s ears. He froze, looked around blankly, and said, “I think someone just called me.”
Before he could turn away, he saw Shen Shi in the row ahead looking back at him.
Shen Shi was dressed in black again—his favorite color. The short sleeves revealed his lean, defined forearms. He sat lazily against the back of his chair, long pale fingers resting loosely on the armrest.
He had turned around slightly, his gaze calm and steady on Ye Ran’s face. His voice wasn’t raised, yet it carried clearly through the chatter. “Come here a second.”
“Oh.”
Ye Ran got up, wondering what Shen Shi wanted.
Behind him, Cheng Xinxin was already clutching her face, squealing under her breath, “Oh my god—double chef’s delight!”
Ye Ran looked at her, puzzled. “?”
“Nothing, go ahead,” Cheng Xinxin hushed herself instantly, then added, “And—ask Shen Shi if he wants to join our hiking club! We’re desperate for handsome guys!”
***
Class was about to start. The old professor was setting up his PowerPoint on the podium.
The classroom buzzed with chatter; latecomers stood by the back door, scanning for empty seats.
The seat next to Shen Shi was still empty. Ye Ran leaned down slightly, unable to hear him clearly. “What’s up?”
“I didn’t bring a notebook.”
Ye Ran blinked. “A notebook…?”
“Mm.” Shen Shi was concise. “For taking notes.”
Ye Ran was silent for a few seconds, suddenly full of respect.
Everyone knew that university Chinese, as a general elective, was a class most students just coasted through. He hadn’t expected Shen Shi to take even a public elective so seriously.
No wonder he was the top scorer of Province A.
Truly, on a different level.
“I didn’t bring one either,” Ye Ran admitted after a pause. “I can ask around for you.”
Shen Shi hesitated, then said, “No need. I’ll write in the textbook.”
At the front, the old professor was testing the microphone.
Three minutes left until class. The room was completely full, and those who came late had to stand at the back, still scanning for open seats.
Ye Ran returned to his spot. Cheng Xinxin leaned forward eagerly. “So? So? Is Shen Shi interested in our club?”
“I didn’t ask,” Ye Ran said.
“Huh?” Cheng Xinxin was disappointed, but recovered quickly. “Then what did you two talk about?”
“Shen Shi asked if I had a notebook. He wants to take notes.”
Cheng Xinxin froze. “…”
A few seconds later, she said sincerely, “D*mn. That’s impressive.”
At exactly eight o’clock, class officially began.
The professor’s voice was calm and gentle. “Students, this is our third meeting. Please settle down. Today we’ll be discussing classical poetry. Everyone, open your books…”
Ye Ran flipped to the right page. The amplified voice of the professor filled the room, occasionally crackling with static.
Outside, dark clouds thickened; the light in the classroom dimmed. Thunder rumbled through the heavy sky.
The classroom quieted down. The curtains trembled violently in the wind.
Little Fatty and Brother Shu were secretly gaming under the desk, their fingers moving swiftly over their phones as colorful game effects flashed across the screen.
Ye Ran listened to the lecture for a while, but soon drifted off. His gaze wandered and fell on the empty seat beside Shen Shi.
…Huh?
He blinked. No one was sitting there?
He turned his head slightly—seven or eight male students stood at the back row, covertly playing on their phones. Some of them knew each other, some didn’t.
Even so, none of them chose to sit beside Shen Shi.
…
Chinese class was only one period long.
When it ended, everyone rushed out, hurrying off to their respective major classes.
Ye Ran, as a freshman, didn’t have many courses. Little Fatty and Brother Shu waved to him as they hurried away toward another teaching building.
“Ah, see you.”
Waving back, Ye Ran packed his books and looked up.
Shen Shi was already gone.
The classroom was crowded, the old professor still standing at the lectern, waiting for the next class to begin. New students were flooding in to find seats. Ye Ran didn’t linger and left as well.
***
The rain was pouring down.
The first-floor lobby was packed with students trapped by the weather. Cold air swept through as they grumbled about the bad luck.
Ye Ran stared helplessly at the torrential rain outside. He had even reminded Little Fatty to bring an umbrella this morning—and now, of course, Little Fatty had one, and he was the one who’d forgotten.
Dark clouds rolled across the sky, thunder roared, and lightning flashed like a dragon weaving through the clouds.
The rain came down in sheets, dense and unrelenting, pelting the ground with sharp crackling sounds.
There were twenty minutes left before the second period started. Another wave of students came down the stairs, crowding the entrance until the lobby felt suddenly cramped.
Ye Ran was pushed into a corner. A girl bumped into him and apologized quickly.
“Sorry! I stepped on your shoe…” She turned with some difficulty, her eyes landing on his face—and her tone immediately changed. “Why don’t we add each other on WeChat? I can send your shoes to be cleaned.”
Ye Ran’s shoes were a new autumn release—leather, not waterproof.
“It’s fine. I’ll just wipe them off when I get back.”
But the girl persisted. “Better safe than sorry, right? Add me on WeChat, junior.”
Ye Ran hesitated. “Really, it’s okay…”
Before she could press further, her eyes suddenly lit up. She stared past him, grabbed her friend’s arm, and whispered excitedly, “Over there! Over there!”
Ye Ran turned, puzzled—and saw a familiar figure approaching.
“What’s wrong?” Shen Shi asked as he came closer, lowering his head slightly.
He held an umbrella. His voice was calm and cool.
“It’s nothing,” Ye Ran said, surprised he’d come over. “Someone just stepped on my foot.”
Shen Shi looked down at his shoe. A clear gray footprint marked the top.
Then his gaze shifted to Ye Ran’s empty hands. “Did you bring an umbrella?”
Ye Ran paused. “…No.”
“Let’s go,” Shen Shi said. “The rain’s not stopping anytime soon.”
Without waiting for a response, he walked ahead, ignoring the curious glances from all around.
Ye Ran heard the murmurs that followed—both male and female. Shen Shi’s title as “Campus Heartthrob” was still fresh gossip, and until something new came along, people’s curiosity would linger.
After a moment’s hesitation, Ye Ran followed.
Click.
The umbrella opened. The dorms were a fair distance from the teaching building. As Ye Ran stepped into the wind and rain, the slanting gusts instantly soaked the hem of his pants.
Shen Shi’s umbrella was a small, single-person one.
The rain blew sideways, making Ye Ran squint. He didn’t dare stand too close, afraid of crowding the space.
The next second, a warm, broad hand landed on his shoulder. Shen Shi drew him in under the umbrella, his voice steady and indifferent above his head. “Let’s go.”
For the rest of the walk, Ye Ran could only feel the growing heat of Shen Shi’s palm.
He wondered if it was because he himself was too cold—otherwise, why did it feel so warm?
…
What usually took twenty minutes took only ten that day.
The moment they stepped into the dormitory lobby, warm air from the central heating greeted them, and Ye Ran felt like he’d been reborn.
Most of his clothes were soaked, and the footprint on his shoe had been washed away completely, replaced by rainwater.
Shen Shi’s clothes were dark and clung slightly to his body, outlining his tall, lean frame. He brushed back his damp hair casually, his long, dark eyes expressionless as he watched Ye Ran unlock the door.
Shivering, Ye Ran went straight to the bathroom to check the hot water.
“Thank goodness, there’s hot water.” He turned and asked, “Shen Shi, do you want to shower first?”
Shen Shi pulled off his wet shirt, revealing a pale, slender waist. “You go first.”
Ye Ran quickly averted his eyes. “Okay, just give me seven or eight minutes.”
He grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom.
The water was pleasantly warm. Thinking that Shen Shi was waiting outside, Ye Ran didn’t dare linger—he washed his hair, showered, and came out quickly.
“I’m done,” he said, pushing open the door and drying his hair. “Shen Shi, you—”
He stopped mid-sentence.
The room was empty. Shen Shi was nowhere to be seen.
The phone on the desk lit up—a message had come in minutes ago.
Shen Shi: [I went to class.]
…
Staring at the message, Ye Ran’s hand stilled mid-motion, towel in hand.
A few seconds later, he sighed softly.
For some reason, his mind drifted back to the image of Shen Shi sitting alone in class that morning.
Next time, he thought.
Next time in class, he had to sit next to Shen Shi.
Author’s note:
Ye Ran: He’s so nice…
#NotNecessary
#HeCouldHaveJustGivenYouTheUmbrella
#SchemingBoy
