The chat box was quiet for a while.
Yun Ci waited nervously for the other party’s reply for the first time, until the black avatar replied: [It’s hard to say who will be number one.]
It seemed like Yu Xun didn’t notice anything and didn’t pursue it.
But the smell of gunpowder was ignited.
Even though Yun Ci’s heart was beating fast, he couldn’t help but think of one thing: between him and Yu Xun, there could only ever be one number one.
But besides the desire to win, there were some other indescribable emotions.
For the first time, Yun Ci took the initiative to bring up the matter of Yu Xun pursuing him: [Is this how you chase someone?]
…
What was he talking about chasing someone.
Moments later, the black avatar replied with two sentences.
yx: [But I think you would prefer someone excellent.]
yx: [For example, someone who gets the top score in the exam.]
yx: [To stand by your side, to be recognized by you, I should be the top scorer this time.]
Yun Ci: “…”
So no matter what, they still had to compete for the top score in the final exam.
He turned off his phone and continued reviewing.
He thought it was no accident that he and Yu Xun ended up fighting at the beginning.
*
In the evening, in dorm room 608.
Wang Zhuang, who had been shopping all day and hadn’t reviewed at all, wailed in the dormitory: “…We have to review the entire book, not just the last two weeks. Even if I had two more months, I wouldn’t be able to finish.”
Luo Sifang was still playing games: “I told you, stop shopping all day.”
Wang Zhuang: “Why are you still playing games? Don’t you have to prepare for the final exam?”
Luo Sifang once again demonstrated his amazing talent in computer science: “…Do I need to prepare for the final programming exam? But if I don’t push until the last moment this season, I really won’t have any hope.”
“…”
Wang Zhuang then asked Liu Sheng: “What about you?”
Liu Sheng: “Writing songs. I just need to submit one of my usual compositions.”
This person had many original songs. Liu Sheng was sensitive by nature; even the flash event during the New Year had inspired him to write a song.
So Wang Zhuang silently looked at Peng Yiyuan.
Peng Yiyuan, anxious but very calm, said: “For our final, we have to perform a stage play. I’m considering whether I can play a tree and get through the exam peacefully.”
“I should have enrolled in your major too,” Wang Zhuang said. “You play a tree, I play grass, and we’ll promote an environmental protection theme.”
Peng Yiyuan sat up abruptly: “That’s a good idea. I’ll write it down.”
“…”
Yun Ci came back from the cafeteria with takeout, pushing the dormitory door open just in time to hear this.
Wang Zhuang asked him: “Ci-ge, what do you think?”
Yun Ci was holding a textbook in one hand: “Think about what.”
“Playing a tree and you playing grass?” He said lightly, “I think if he acts like that, he’ll fail.”
“…”
Peng Yiyuan’s note-taking hand paused, and he lay back down: “I should go to sleep. Maybe I’ll come up with a solution in my dreams.”
Wang Zhuang: “No, I was asking you, don’t you think the final exam is outrageous, isn’t the pressure huge, isn’t being a law student at this moment unbearable—”
But Yun Ci didn’t feel unbearable at all: “I’ve almost memorized it all. Just need to consolidate it once, and I’ll be the top scorer in the final exam.”
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a bit of movement behind him; someone tall was standing behind him, also entering the room.
That person was very tall, bringing in some wind and snow as they entered.
He casually took off his coat, leaned forward as he spoke, his voice very relaxed, joining the conversation: “We’ll see who comes out on top then, Xiao Ci.”
When Yu Xun spoke, the coolness hit the back of Yun Ci’s neck.
This wasn’t the first time Yu Xun called him “Xiao Ci,” but it was the first time Yun Ci got goosebumps.
It was cold.
It was too cold outside.
Yun Ci kept a straight face, ignoring the itch at the back of his neck, and walked straight to the table, placing the takeout food on it.
Wang Zhuang didn’t notice the subtle change in atmosphere between the two. He was desperate: “Neither of you think there’s too much to memorize, you’re even planning how to compete for first place??? Why, why do I have to share a dorm with you two? Now I’m not just anxious, I’m also pressured.”
Peng Yiyuan sincerely invited him to sleep: “Why don’t you come sleep for a bit too.”
Wang Zhuang: “No, I’m going to study now.”
Yu Xun was also holding a meal, probably just got off work, and packed it on his way back through the cafeteria.
“Limited edition chicken leg,” Luo Sifang, who was playing a game, smelled the familiar aroma and glanced at Yun Ci’s meal box, “You actually got one tonight?”
Yun Ci broke open the disposable chopsticks: “Is it hard to get?”
Luo Sifang: “Very hard, it’s like opening a blind box with the school’s kitchen, and it’s limited, so it’s all about luck recently, sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s not.”
When Yun Ci arrived, the chicken leg slot at the cafeteria window already had a “sold out” sign.
He happened to get the last one.
But Yu Xun wasn’t so lucky; he came back late and only had some vegetables and stir-fried meat left at the window.
The two unexpectedly ended up eating together, their meal boxes placed very close, making Yun Ci feel at a loss for where to put his hands and feet.
At this moment, Luo Sifang glanced at them again and sincerely asked, “Ci-ge, why are you holding the chopsticks with your left hand?”
Yun Ci was struck, stiffened for a moment, then nonchalantly switched the chopsticks to his right hand: “Training.”
Luo Sifang: “?”
Yun Ci: “Training the flexibility of my left hand.”
Luo Sifang: “Why are you training it?”
Yun Ci, with a blank face, continued to make up an excuse: “To play Candy Crush.”
“Using both hands to play faster.”
“…”
Though absurd, it seemed somewhat reasonable.
Yu Xun, sitting beside him, laughed as he heard this: “…Starting to play Candy Crush?”
That feeling of discomfort for Yun Ci intensified with his laughter.
“So what?” he said, gripping his chopsticks, “I can still get first place while playing games and studying.”
Yu Xun was sitting very slouched; he hadn’t started eating yet. Though he was joking with them, his eyes clearly showed fatigue. With that weariness, he said in a soothing tone: “Yeah, really impressive.”
Yun Ci calmed down for a moment, then glanced at Yu Xun’s meal box again. Yu Xun’s two dishes seemed too little, and he looked very tired.
So, for some reason, before he started eating, Yun Ci coldly took the “limited edition chicken leg” from his meal box and tossed it into Yu Xun’s untouched meal box.
“…”
After tossing it, he froze.
Yu Xun, who had been sitting slouched, suddenly sat up straight.
Even Luo Sifang, who caught a glimpse of the chicken leg being thrown and saw it make a parabolic arc, paused in his game: “…?”
“Limited edition,” Yun Ci said numbly, “I got it.”
His brain was on standby, not sure if it was working, but his mouth seemed to have its own system: “The most direct way to show off is to give it to your opponent.”
Giving. It. Away.
That’s right.
He just wanted to show that he got the last one.
Upon hearing this unexpected yet reasonable explanation, Luo Sifang had a “sure enough” expression. He turned back, and continued playing his game as if nothing had happened.
Yu Xun lowered his eyes and stared at the chicken leg in his meal box for a long time.
Finally, he said, “Thank you for your—” he chose his words, “generosity.”
Yun Ci: “You’re welcome.”
After saying this, the itching sensation all over his body seemed to lessen significantly.
While eating, Yu Xun suddenly mentioned Fish Fish: “Senior Sister asked if we wanted to go see it tomorrow. Yu Yu has grown a bit and looks different now.”
They had kept it in the dorm for a while. Saying he didn’t want to see it was a lie.
Besides, Yu Yu was technically his first pet.
Yun Ci: “What time?”
Yu Xun thought for a moment: “She interns, so she should be free after six.”
“Are you coming to the east gate?” Yu Xun added, “We’ll meet near the cake shop.”
Yun Ci responded, and after answering, he realized: “Who said I’m going with you.”
Yu Xun gave him a reasonable excuse: “It’s cheaper to share a ride.”
Although Senior Sister’s place wasn’t far from the school, the rent around the school was high, so she rented a two-bedroom apartment three to five kilometers away.
Before going to see the cat, they went to a pet store to buy some new cans of food for Yu Yu.
The two were looking at cat food cans on a shelf.
The female store clerk was watching the store while observing the activity at the shelf.
The scene was quite eye-catching: two handsome guys, one with a slightly enchanting appearance, striking up a conversation: “There are a lot of varieties. How do we choose?”
The other, indifferent, replied: “Read the labels.”
“…”
“It should be a kitten,” Yu Xun said while squatting and picking out cans.
“There’s no ‘should be,'” Yun Ci said, “it is a kitten.”
Yu Xun put down the adult cat food: “So these rows won’t do.” He quickly had another question, seemingly particularly enthusiastic about shopping with Yun Ci, “What flavor should we buy?”
Yun Ci: “Just pick any.”
At the checkout, the female clerk had just finished scanning when she was about to ask, “Are you keeping a cat in the school?” Yu Xun proactively started introducing: “We found the cat together at school.”
Yun Ci: “…”
Yu Xun: “The cat is called Yu Ci Ci back then—”
Yun Ci grabbed the bag and pulled him out of the pet store.
Now, as long as Yun Ci stood next to this person, regardless of whether he spoke or not, or what he said or did, he felt completely uncomfortable.
So he walked ahead as he used to, putting some distance between himself and Yu Xun.
Yu Xun caught up, observed his expression, put away some of his casual demeanor, and asked, “Are you angry?”
Before Yun Ci could speak, Yu Xun continued, “It’s rare to go shopping with you, I couldn’t help it, and I can’t guarantee there won’t be a next time.”
Yu Xun was always straightforward.
“…”
Yun Ci’s heartbeat quickened. He zipped up his jacket, buried his chin in it, and walked even faster.
When they entered the neighborhood, Senior Sister had just gotten home.
He and Yu Xun didn’t enter the house; they stood in the hallway while Senior Sister brought out the cat, which Yun Ci took.
Yu Yu seemed to remember him, blinking at him a few times before quietly settling in his arms.
Kittens eat a lot and grow quickly, changing noticeably; it felt much heavier in his arms now.
After holding it for a while, Yun Ci remembered the person next to him, so he turned slightly, intending to pass the cat to Yu Xun.
But as he turned, he noticed Yu Xun’s gaze wasn’t on the cat.
The hallway was long and dimly lit.
Yu Xun’s coat was open, and he leaned against the wall, head slightly lowered, eyes fixed on him, filled with light, a faint glimmer.
The kitten, being playful, didn’t stay quiet for long and started wriggling to get down.
Under Yu Xun’s gaze, Yun Ci let go.
“Meow.”
Fish Fish slipped into the house.
Senior Sister asked Yu Xun, “Aren’t you going to hold it?”
Yu Xun withdrew his gaze: “It’s fine; if it wants to go in, let it go in.”
Senior Sister thought it felt strange.
Rather than coming to see the cat, it seemed this junior with the surname Yu was here to see the person next to the cat.
“Alright,” Senior Sister said, “if you want to see Yu Yu sh again, just let me know anytime.”
Not wanting to disturb Senior Sister for too long, they handed her the cans and then got back in the car to return to school.
On the way back, perhaps due to the unexpected eye contact in the hallway, neither of them spoke much.
“It’s grown a bit.”
“Yeah.”
“Looks quite healthy.”
“…”
After these few words, they fell into an inexplicable silence.
Until they got out of the car, with Yu Xun getting out first: “I’m heading back to the store, you can ask the driver to go a bit further.”
After Yu Xun left, Yun Ci rolled up the car window.
Before getting out, he noticed a keychain in the corner of the seat.
It looked familiar, Yu Xun had used it several times to open the dormitory door.
Yun Ci, holding the car door, bent down to pick up the keychain, guessing it fell out of Yu Xun’s coat pocket.
On his way back to the dorm, Li Yan sent a message.
Li Yan: [You’re not in the dorm?]
yc: [Went to see the cat.]
Li Yan: [Yun Xun Xun?]
yc: [?]
When did the name change?
Li Yan explained, each word he sent back filled with strong emotions: [As far as I’m concerned, no matter what, it’s called Yun Xun Xun, not Yu Ci Ci.]
yc: […]
Immediately, Li Yan sent a video call request: “Is the cat still there? Let me see, bro.”
“…”
“Li Yan is inviting you to a video call.”
Yun Ci unhesitatingly chose to reject.
yc: [Call rejected.]
Li Yan: […]
Li Yan: [You didn’t even pick up this time.]
Comparing the two experiences made Li Yan realize how tolerable the last time was: [Last time, there were at least three seconds, couldn’t you give me three seconds again this time?]
yc: [No cat.]
yc: [Saw it earlier and left.]
After replying, Yun Ci walked into the dormitory building.
When he reached the staircase corner, the familiar spot reminded him of the video call with Yu Xun, and then he recalled the surprising feeling after his video call with Li Yan: he didn’t mind taking Yu Xun’s video call.
Yu Xun seemed different.
Yun Ci stopped at the hallway corner.
…
Damn.
He cursed inwardly, telling himself it must be an illusion.
Yes, an illusion.
He didn’t like video calls with Yu Xun either; it was just a last resort when he picked up his call before.
Feeling frustrated, Yun Ci, with no one around, opened the chat window with the black avatar, impulsively, as if to confirm his guess, and pressed the “video call” button.
[Waiting for the other party to accept the invitation.]
Yun Ci’s impulsiveness lasted only three seconds. After three seconds, he didn’t know what to do if Yu Xun actually answered.
Just as he was about to hang up, the call connected.
Background noise came through the phone, it was noisy in the store, then the camera shook and finally focused on Yu Xun’s face.
Yu Xun seemed to have tidied his hair.
He even found the best angle, lifting the camera slightly to shoot from above, though his face didn’t need any special angles to look good.
The video call was too close, face to face, with no gaps.
Yun Ci was momentarily speechless. Then, with one hand, he hooked the keychain and held it up to the camera, finding his voice before Yu Xun could speak: “No other reason.”
He added: “Just wondering, is this yours?”
How can a single chapter make me giggle every couple chapters!!! These two are so silly <3