The dorm room was quiet.
The whole dorm building lay in darkness.
Ye Ran frowned slightly, Shen Shi’s arm tightened around him, too tight. Just when Ye Ran was short of breath, Shen Shi suddenly loosened, buried his face against Ye Ran’s neck, and said lowly: “…Sleep.”
Ye Ran: “Sleep?”
Not asking anymore?
Shen Shi made a sound, tone sour and sharp: “Just some old man. What’s there to say.”
Ye Ran: “???”
He went blank. “Wait… what old man?”
Shen Shi moved away coldly and pulled him down onto the bed. His face was hidden in the darkness; only his tense jawline could be seen, carrying the youthful sharpness of his age. He scoffed: “So many tricks, of course it’s an old man.”
A boy like him, pure and pretty, had never even watched a video, let alone learned tricks.
Ye Ran: “…”
He suddenly felt indirectly insulted.
The bedding was soft and comfortable. Curled in Shen Shi’s arms, Ye Ran couldn’t help lowering his gaze with a small smile.
No matter what, Shen Shi didn’t keep digging, nor did he throw another tantrum, that was good enough. Ye Ran didn’t think too deeply about why Shen Shi wasn’t asking who that “Shen Shi” was. He simply kept the silence, wrapped his arms around Shen Shi’s waist, and nuzzled him.
His obedient, gentle manner significantly eased Shen Shi’s emotions. After a few seconds, Shen Shi, still cold-faced, pulled him closer.
Late at night.
Moonlight faint.
Held in the familiar embrace, Ye Ran’s eyelids grew heavy. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard Shen Shi’s voice again.
The boy spoke by his ear, wide awake, softly asking: “…What was so good about him?”
It sounded like he was talking to himself, or asking the air. This version of young Shen Shi, existing only in the past, buried his face into Ye Ran’s neck and murmured gloomily: “…What does he have that I don’t.”
Ye Ran’s heart thudded.
He snapped fully awake, staring at the darkness, unmoving.
Only after Shen Shi fell asleep in this position, still frowning even in slumber, did Ye Ran lower his head and sigh silently.
Tonight should’ve been a good chance.
He could’ve used the tension and misunderstanding to provoke Shen Shi and increase the chances of him waking up.
But he couldn’t bring himself to use such methods on Shen Shi.
Ye Ran lowered his gaze, long lashes casting shadows.
He lightly kissed Shen Shi’s eyelid. Looking at the boy’s youthful but handsome features, he suddenly saw the brilliance and unruliness of the soul from the past.
In this limited time, he wanted to look at him more.
…
The days that followed were uneventful.
But Ye Ran sharply sensed time speeding up. Shen Shi applied to live on campus and, with his excellent monthly exam results, successfully convinced the grade director to assign him to Ye Ran’s dorm.
At first, classmates whispered about it. But after they saw Ye Ran fully blend into Shen Shi’s friend group, they gradually stopped paying attention.
Autumn came and went.
Before midterms, Ye Ran was force-fed basic knowledge by Shen Shi every night. Their usual pre-sleep hugs and kisses were all canceled. Young Shen Shi’s temper was awful, he slammed doors and stormed out several times, only to come back after washing his face, forcing himself to continue tutoring.
Ye Ran, afraid of angering him too much, took the initiative to hold him and feed him kisses. He bit his clothes to keep himself quiet, his eyes misty and flushed. Shen Shi, completely seduced, would dazedly follow him into the blankets to fool around.
By the time he realized it, there was only one week left until midterm exams. Thanks to Shen Shi’s skill in predicting exam questions, Ye Ran casually muddled through the midterms. In a class of 40 students, he still managed to rank around 30th.
The day the midterm results came out, the weather was gloomy.
The temperature was 3°C above zero.
Dark clouds rolled and rumbled, gathering and spreading from afar.
The classroom lights were on, bright incandescent bulbs shining. Yang Wei stood on the podium, holding an enamel cup, leisurely lecturing on life’s big principles.
Under the desk, Ye Ran boredly reached for Shen Shi’s hand.
The boy who always played on his phone in class propped his head up, lazily curling his lips into a smile, deliberately dodging twice. Ye Ran wasn’t anxious; with narrowed eyes like a cat hunting fish, he waited for the right moment to pounce and successfully caught his hand.
A suppressed laugh sounded from behind.
After class, Jiang Yun casually swapped seats with Shen Shi.
He stared expressionlessly at this pair of “dog boys,” his mood having shifted from initial shock to cold indifference.
…This d*mn world.
Why is it that some people sneak early romances yet still manage to be d*mn top of the school?
During the second period, Yang Wei again drifted off-topic and started telling stories from the past.
Outside, heavy rain poured down, with clouds and strong winds.
Inside, the heating was warm and classmates whispered softly.
Ye Ran held Shen Shi’s hand, opened his palm, and wrote words on it.
Shen Shi concentrated, thinking carefully. After a few seconds, he glanced at Ye Ran and, suppressing a smirk, said, “I.”
Ye Ran nodded and affectionately pinched his fingertips, writing the second character.
“Want.”
“To test.”
“Beijing.”
“University.”
Shen Shi: “……”
He fell silent. After a few seconds, with a serious expression, he looked at Ye Ran and said, “Change it.”
Ye Ran chuckled quietly and tried hard to hold back laughter. “Even with tutoring from you, no?”
Shen Shi frowned, his mind racing at high speed. This boy who never frowned even in the face of difficult problems was now seriously thinking it over. Half the class passed before he looked at Ye Ran and handed over a full page of his plan.
“Can do,” Shen Shi said as he capped his pen, glancing at Ye Ran seriously. “But when you’re tutoring, don’t grab me or try to trick me.”
Ye Ran propped up his cheek. “Not even a kiss?”
Young Shen Shi was especially serious, resolute: “Can.”
Ye Ran laughed again, then softly shook Shen Shi’s fingers. His lowered lashes hid the emotion in his eyes. He said gently, “Then I’ll really give it my all.”
He would accompany Shen Shi through the rest of high school.
Time clearly passed faster.
Sometimes in the blink of an eye, Ye Ran saw day turn into night. No one else around seemed to notice, everyone else busily studying and living their lives. Following Shen Shi’s study schedule, Ye Ran successfully squeezed into the top ten in his class in the final exam of the second year.
Besides his own effort, this was thanks to Shen Shi’s exam question predictions and subconscious memory hints.
All of senior year was a dark, bleak memory for all students.
After entering senior year, Shen Shi became more steady. Beyond endless practice, he also helped Ye Ran consolidate basics and fill in gaps.
The boy who once blushed from Ye Ran teasing now countered teasing.
He could naturally kiss and hug Ye Ran in the dorm, quietly wash his underwear, and watch Ye Ran’s infatuated expressions with lowered eyelids.
Since senior year started, all high schools in the city had joint exams, with rankings both in class and citywide.
Ye Ran’s first joint exam results were disappointing. Shen Shi silently studied his test paper for a long time. Starting the next day, he began targeted tutoring.
He never complained or grew impatient.
No matter how Ye Ran scored, he silently stayed up late reviewing Ye Ran’s papers and revising plans until Ye Ran came to coax him to sleep, only then stopping.
He gradually shed his awkward, aloof personality, no longer stubbornly opposing his family or teachers. Amid the spotlight, he repeatedly claimed first place and competition gold awards.
That was the shining Shen Shi in those years Ye Ran never experienced.
Now Ye Ran could stand in the bustling crowd, watching the outstanding boy on the podium, applauding him.
In the second joint exam, Ye Ran’s results improved significantly.
That time, the school underwent a big reform and chose two students from the class, the most improved and the highest scoring, to take a photo as encouragement. The photo would be displayed in the class bulletin board.
Ye Ran and Shen Shi were chosen.
Both wore the Haicheng High School uniform, which was only worn on major festival days, neat and refined. Standing side by side under the camphor tree, the shadows swayed and the autumn breeze was pleasant.
“Click.”
Time froze at that moment.
On that never-before-existing photo, the handsome, aloof boy tilted his head quietly watching the person beside him.
Ye Ran smiled brightly, his beautiful clear eyes reflecting Haicheng No. 1 High School’s sunny autumn day.
The teaching building was bathed in rosy light.
His soft, clear profile was outlined, a real, vivid image.
The first half of the semester was busy and fulfilling.
In the second half, it was all exams, big and small, happening every few days. Ye Ran’s grades steadily improved, finally breaking the 600-point barrier.
The usually impassive Shen Shi couldn’t help but curl his lips. In the dorm, suppressing his joy, he kissed Ye Ran deeply and heavily.
His body became broader and stronger, his facial features more defined. Yet his black eyes remained as focused and silent as when they first met.
He etched every feature, every brow and eye, into his heart.
Senior year’s winter break lasted only one week. When it ended, the intense revision life resumed.
Time slipped through fingers like sand.
On the day of the college entrance exam, light rain drizzled, wetting parents’ clothes around the test site.
Ye Ran and Shen Shi were assigned the same exam center but different buildings.
Before entering, Shen Shi’s eyes were dark and intense. Although his face showed pressure, his tone was calm, reassuring Ye Ran: “It’s just a small test. Like we said, do what you know first, don’t waste time struggling with hard questions.”
“After the test, where do you want to go? Domestic or abroad?”
Ye Ran hid under an umbrella, holding his hand, not caring about others’ glances. “Hmm… Domestic. Abroad isn’t as fun as home.”
“Okay,” Shen Shi nodded. The security line at the door was removed, teachers organized discipline. Ye Ran walked forward with the crowd. Just before entering the exam room, Shen Shi suddenly said softly to him, “We will go to the same university.”
He turned his head and saw Shen Shi’s tense eyes. “Right?”
Ye Ran was silent for a moment, then smiled: “Of course.”
“We will definitely go to the same university.”
—That is where we will truly meet.
No matter how time changes.
Whether it’s the “future” or the “past.”
We will meet.
…
The night the college entrance exam results came out, Ye Ran excitedly threw himself into Shen Shi’s arms. Seeing the dark circles under Shen Shi’s eyes, he comforted him: “You don’t have to worry now, right?”
The boy who hadn’t slept well for a month silently held him, lifted his shirt hem, eyes showing some smile, and said, “We should celebrate.”
“How?”
“Do it.”
The young, vigorous little wolf cub became the alpha wolf, his thoughts increasingly unreadable, but only when looking at Ye Ran did his eyes show genuine warmth and tenderness.
Two months after the exam, the two drove to Tibet.
They saw mountains, rivers, lakes, sun, moon, and stars.
They met many new friends, mostly strangers, but on this inevitably long and lonely journey, they added many new experiences for each other.
The two-month trip ended, and university opening day arrived.
Ye Ran packed and boarded a plane with Shen Shi, flying to Beijing.
The airport was crowded, full of calls welcoming new students.
The familiar gates of Beijing University gradually came into view.
Ye Ran got out of the car and, among the anxious, curious students, went with Shen Shi to find their classroom.
On the stairs to the third floor, Ye Ran heard a familiar voice.
He looked up and saw a blurry figure.
A boy in white stood by the floor-to-ceiling window.
Golden sunlight framed him with a halo. He crouched down, helping a girl next to him pick up books.
His slender, reserved phoenix eyes smiled softly, voice gentle and clear, slowly saying, “It’s okay. I’m Ye Ran, a freshman in the arts department.”
The girl said something unknown.
He was momentarily stunned, then turned his head and smiled again. His eyes seemed to shimmer with a gentle lake’s reflection: “You’re welcome.”
…
Ye Ran slowly stopped walking.
Looking at himself in Shen Shi’s memories.
“He” stood in the light.
Bright and gentle.
That sensitive, mild, and grayish “Ye Ran” lacking care had already shone so brightly in Shen Shi’s eyes the very first time they met.
…
The surrounding scenery began to crumble and collapse at this moment.
The world flipped upside down, chaos everywhere.
But his hand was held tightly.
A shadow appeared before him.
A man bent down. His features were hard to see but he exuded a refined, composed aura. He raised his hand, lightly brushed away the tears under Ye Ran’s eyes, and with a low, warm voice coaxed him: “Baby.”
“Home now.”
Author’s Note:
Everyone should understand this, right?
Bro Zhouzi is outwardly cold but deep and passionate inside. It’s love at first sight.
Big Shen’s premise for “marriage before love” is a forcible takeover, stealing Yezi away from almost being engaged to someone else.
