The next morning.
There was a morning run, as per school regulations, once a week in winter.
Gao Pingyang led by example, appearing on the track early in the morning.
While Yun Ci was lining up, he wanted to check the time on his phone and saw two unread messages.
yx: [Woke up late.]
yx: [Might not make it; help me check in.]
yc: [Do you think]
yc: [Gao Pingyang can’t tell who is who?]
After a while, Yu Xun replied.
yx: [Of course not, I’m afraid you’ll get scared off by another confession, so I just wanted to find a topic to chat with you.]
“…”
Yun Ci looked at the word “confession,” put away his phone, and stopped replying. He coldly organized the line. These college students had endless questions: “Class Monitor, do we have to take off our jackets to run?”
Someone else asked, “Class Monitor, where do we put our clothes if we take them off?”
“Take them off or not; put them wherever,” he said, “If you freeze, that’s your problem.”
The track was full of people from different majors and classes. The arts students were very noticeable with their colorful hair. The vocal music students were also not to be outdone; at a glance, you couldn’t tell the men from the women, all with long hair. Liu Sheng’s short hair stood out, and he jogged over to greet, “You’re organizing the line? I’ll head over first.”
Amid the chaos, Gao Pingyang started taking the roll call: “Yu Xun, Yu Xun—Has Yu Xun arrived?”
The students in their class looked at each other in confusion.
University was different from high school; after classes, everyone had less contact with each other. They know very little about their classmates, including the class monitor’s whereabouts.
At this moment, another class monitor’s reluctant voice sounded:
“He caught a cold.”
Gao Pingyang turned to Yun Ci: “Is he unwell?”
Yun Ci: “Uh.”
Gao Pingyang: “Does he have a fever? How high is it? Will it affect attending class later?”
Just covering for him was already giving him a lot of face, asking in such detail.
Yun Ci turned his face away and said woodenly, “Forty degrees, almost cooked.”
Gao Pingyang crossed out the name “absent without leave” he had written and changed it to “sick leave”: “That serious? Let him rest well.”
However, in the second half of the run, the “sick” person showed up.
He ran along the outer edge of the track, joining the line, and then Gao Pingyang pulled him out of the team: “—You, come out.”
Yu Xun was about to say, “I woke up late and was delayed,” when he heard Gao Pingyang ask: “Running with a fever? Don’t you know to take care of your own body?”
“…Fever?”
“Aren’t you burning at forty degrees?” Gao Pingyang said, “Yun Ci told me.”
Class Two just happened to run past the two of them.
Yun Ci was leading the team in the front, already two laps in.
Yu Xun immediately understood: “Oh, a fever, but I’m quite resilient.”
“I heard exercise helps recovery.” He ignored Gao Pingyang’s reaction and squeezed into Class Two’s run, “…I’ll run two laps to recover.”
Gao Pingyang couldn’t stop him: “You—Hey—if you feel unwell, step out! Do you hear me!”
Yu Xun didn’t listen because once he joined the team, he ran straight to the front to run side by side with the person there.
Seeing the person next to him, Yun Ci’s expression cracked a bit: “What are you doing here?”
“Your class is in front,” he added, “This is our class.”
Yu Xun noticed Gao Pingyang watching from the side and theatrically coughed into his fist a few times, then said: “Didn’t get it wrong; I’m supposed to follow your class.”
Yun Ci: “…”
Yu Xun kept coughing, saying between coughs: “After all, not feeling well, I can’t run too fast. Your class is ahead; my forty-degree feverish body can’t catch up.”
As Yu Xun spoke, he kept looking at Yun Ci.
When their eyes met, Yun Ci pulled up the zipper on his jacket, covering half his face.
Grandpa Xiao Ming lived to be a hundred years old.
He shouldn’t have meddled. (Meddling in other people’s affairs shortens ones life.)
Yu Xun ignored his actions and pursued his gaze, asking: “Did you ask for leave for me?”
Yun Ci: “…”
After pulling up his collar, his voice was a bit muffled, “I wasn’t fully awake this morning; I had a brain cramp.”
“…”
–
Running practice is only once a week, so the next day, they could get up a bit later.
As usual, Yun Ci turned off the alarm and got up. The alarm not only showed the time but also the date, 12.30, prominently displayed on the screen.
He stared at those numbers for a long time.
Then he opened the calendar, where special dates marked by the user were in red. On the entire calendar page, only 12.31 was marked in red.
He looked at it for a while, then closed the calendar app and got up to wash up as usual.
*
At noon, at the Nanyang University cafeteria.
With New Year’s approaching, the entire Nanyang University was filled with a festive atmosphere, with lanterns and decorations along the commercial street and central avenue. The whole campus was decked out in red, almost like celebrating the New Year.
The festive spirit spread into the cafeteria.
The food counter had “Happy New Year” banners hanging above.
After class, Yun Ci stepped out of the teaching building, passing a tree-lined path decorated with red ornaments.
Li Yan urged him on the phone: [Class over? Today the cafeteria has limited fried chicken legs, one per person. You can’t get more even if you try; damn, it’s like a flashback to high school.]
Li Yan: [If you don’t come soon, there won’t be any left. I’m not giving you my chicken leg.]
Li Yan: [Hurry up.]
But despite Li Yan’s urging, Yun Ci arrived late.
When he got there, Li Yan was joking with him: “Still not here yet—back in high school, my uncle used to be keen on grabbing chicken legs, but now in college, he might have matured.”
Zhou Wenyu: “Another possibility is that he has no competition now.”
“…”
“Bang.”
Yun Ci appeared behind him, placing his tray on the table.
Unexpectedly, he said nothing and just sat down to eat.
Li Yan thought to himself that if he didn’t give him a knock on the head, it would feel off.
After a while, he tentatively said: “You’re pretty quiet today.”
Yun Ci: “Am I?”
Li Yan: “Yes. You didn’t even hit me.”
“……”
Yun Ci’s response was still indifferent, “You just want to get beaten up that badly.”
Zhou Wenyu changed the subject: “So, New Year’s is coming up; have you guys figured out how you’re celebrating?”
As soon as he said that, the atmosphere unintentionally became even more silent. Yun Ci picked up his tray and said, “I’m done eating; I’m leaving.”
Zhou Wenyu: “Huh? But you barely ate anything?”
At this, Li Yan finally realized and was silent for a few seconds: “I forgot; New Year’s is coming up, and this guy doesn’t celebrate.”
Zhou Wenyu asked, “What do you mean by not celebrating?”
Li Yan: “I don’t know the specifics; he never said, but apparently it’s some special day for him, and he never celebrates it. Back in high school, during New Year’s, we would plan to hang out, but no one could get him to come, not even Yu Xun.”
Li Yan added: “One time, even Yu Xun tried but couldn’t get him to come. That tells you how serious it is.”
Zhou Wenyu: “…That is pretty serious.”
Yun Ci didn’t know what these two were talking about in private. He didn’t go back to the dorm; subconsciously, he wanted to avoid all lively, noisy, and crowded places, so he went to the study room.
In the study room of Nanyang University, apart from a few rows of bookshelves, there were only desks and chairs, row after row, with many people sitting there, but it was still quiet as if no one was there.
Only the sound of pages turning and pens scratching on paper could be heard.
As soon as he sat down in a corner seat, his phone vibrated lightly.
yx: [/photo.]
It was still a selfie. In the dorm, holding a pen and doing homework.
For some reason, Yun Ci could immediately tell that this photo wasn’t just a status update; it was more about asking where he was and why he hadn’t returned to the dorm.
Yun Ci didn’t reply.
He raised his hand and put his phone in silent mode.
In dorm 608.
Yu Xun tapped his fingers on the table, waiting for a long time, but still didn’t receive a message.
Liu Zi was sitting opposite him, talking endlessly about his New Year’s plans: “I’m not planning to go home. The holiday pay for working during New Year’s is much higher; I definitely want to earn that money.”
“What about you?”
“Or should we do something big together?”
“Set up a stall, sell some small fireworks or something; we could make a lot. This business is better than instant noodles,” Liu Zi pondered, “If I sell off-campus, it shouldn’t break any rules.”
Yu Xun absentmindedly replied, “Wear a mask, and if someone comes to catch you, just turn around and run. Who would know you’re a student here?”
Liu Zi: “……”
Liu Zi: “Got it.”
During the conversation, Yu Xun’s phone vibrated.
He almost immediately checked his phone.
It wasn’t a WeChat message, but a browser notification: Based on your frequent searches for “You should spend New Year’s with someone you like at least once,” xx Browser recommends related information, “New Year’s Couple Celebration Guide,” please check it out~
Liu Zi, with sharp eyes, saw it and asked, “Frequent searches? Why are you searching for that?”
Yu Xun turned off the screen.
Liu Zi: “Are you planning something big for New Year’s? Not sure what to sell and investigating the market—”
Yu Xun interrupted him casually: “What were you saying about selling?”
Liu Zi: “Fireworks. Sparklers.”
Yu Xun successfully changed the subject: “Sounds good.”
Liu Zi: “Right, I thought it was a good idea too.”
Yu Xun: “Mm, remember to run fast if you get caught.”
“……”
Liu Zi kept talking about his grand plans, but Yu Xun barely listened. He thought about that webpage; a few years ago, he had searched for the exact same phrase, but with the development of the internet over the years, the answers had changed, with many new activities added.
He recalled a certain incident from high school and thought Yun Ci seemed not to celebrate New Year’s.
He came back to reality and heard Liu Zi asking: “How are you spending New Year’s?”
Yu Xun didn’t talk about himself and suddenly brought up something else: “Do you remember the New Year’s in our sophomore year?”
Sophomore year. New Year’s.
The keywords were very specific.
Liu Zi said: “Of course I remember; who at West High doesn’t? You invited Yun to the basketball court for a New Year’s Eve game to compete for some ‘2021 West High Basketball King’ title and planned to make a comprehensive summary of your 2021 performance, but Yun didn’t even acknowledge you.”
Though it was understandable that this kind of activity would be ignored.
But Liu Zi, standing up for his buddy: Though the activity was indeed a bit bizarre, not showing up was a sign of disrespect.
Yu Xun thought he did more than just ignore him.
During the entire New Year’s period, even their classmates couldn’t reach Yun Ci.
That winter in their sophomore year, he cornered Yun Ci at the back door of their class: “Are you gonna play or not?”
Yun Ci didn’t mock the Basketball King activity, nor did he say anything Yu Xun expected. His expression was colder than usual, with irritation between his brows: “Move.”
“I don’t want to say it a second time.” Yu Xun still remembered Yun’s dark eyes and unusually aggressive tone, “Or do you need a beating to learn how to get lost?”
……
“Why did you suddenly bring this up?” Liu Zi asked.
Yu Xun squeezed his hand, thoughtfully saying, “Nothing, just happened to remember.”
Liu Zi was about to leave, got up, and thought to himself, makes sense.
On a holiday like New Year’s, recalling past rejections—old grudges from years ago resurfacing today—was reasonable.
Yun Ci didn’t return to the dorm until almost lights out.
Everyone else was pretty much in bed. Liu Sheng was playing a new instrument, a thumb piano he bought for fifty yuan but could play like it was worth five hundred.
Peng Yiyuan had been officially rejected today and was silently heartbroken in bed.
Wang Zhuang, however, was quite happy, feeling joyful about the upcoming holiday even after lights out. He said before sleep: “New Year’s break, welcoming the new year. Happy New Year, everyone.”
Others responded, but Yun Ci remained silent.
In the festive atmosphere, Yun Ci shrank under the blanket, lowered his eyes, and opened the morning’s calendar in the darkness.
He just kept looking.
He kept watching until the current time on his phone changed to midnight, and the date officially flipped to the 31st.
12/31, 00:01.
A new year was about to begin, and this was the last day before the new year.
Everyone was cheering and looking forward to welcoming the new year and the days to come.
Yun Ci didn’t fall asleep until the second half of the night. He had a dream that night.
The dream started with a sharp sound.
The initial scene was pitch black, a dizzying blackness, with the sharp sound slowly becoming clearer. It was a siren, but different from the usual sirens he heard, it was sharp and eerie.
There was also a sound similar to that of an explosion. The noise became even more chaotic.
The black scene gradually had a bit of color.
Red, like fresh blood.
It seemed like the whole world was bleeding, and everything in sight was stained with a glaring scarlet color.
He wanted to scream in the dream, but his throat was forcibly choked by something, and he couldn’t make any sound.
Only one place was a different color from the surroundings. More accurately, it was a person. A long-haired woman.
The woman was emitting a white light.
Then he heard a voice from deep in his memory, a woman’s voice: “Xiao Ci.”
“Don’t be afraid; mom is here.”
“You can’t sleep.”
“You have to stay awake; don’t close your eyes.”
“……”
The white light gradually faded, and the last bit of color was swallowed by the scarlet. Before the woman’s voice disappeared, it was so weak that she could hardly finish her last sentence.
“What will our Xiao Ci become in the future? Mom probably won’t be able to see it.”
The dream ended abruptly.
Yun Ci woke up in a cold sweat, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, unable to focus, momentarily unable to distinguish if he was in a dream or in his dorm room.
Ten minutes later, at the end of the dorm hallway.
There was no one in the hallway in the middle of the night; the entire floor was unusually quiet.
Yun Ci sat on the stairs, holding his phone, and opened the calendar. There was a note next to a special date, displaying two characters.
“Death Anniversary.”
Time seemed to pass very slowly, and for a moment, he almost couldn’t feel anything until a sound pulled him out.
It was a snap of the fingers.
“Hey.”
Yu Xun stood with one hand in his pants pocket; the other hand had just finished snapping and hadn’t retracted. He was wearing a thin set of loungewear, and a breeze blew through the hallway. He bent down and said, “What are you doing sitting here?”
Yun Ci turned his phone screen off, extinguishing the only glow in the hallway.
“Why are you out here?” he asked back.
Yu Xun straightened up and said, “Oh, you woke me up.”
“…………”
Yun Ci’s thoughts briefly detached from the date and the dream, and he said calmly, “I didn’t make any noise when I got out of bed.”
Yu Xun: “I’m a light sleeper.”
As he spoke, Yu Xun walked up a few steps and stopped just below Yun Ci’s level, “Move over?”
“?”
“It’s hard to fall back asleep once woken; I’ll just sit here for a bit.”
Yun Ci: “You can sit anywhere.”
Yu Xun: “It’s different; sitting below you makes me a head shorter. As for sitting above you, it used to be fine, but now that I’m chasing you, being a head taller isn’t appropriate, so let’s just sit together.”
The lingering effects of their former enmity were evident at this moment.
Yun Ci was speechless.
The two were silent for a while.
Yu Xun didn’t ask why Yun Ci was sitting there so late, and Yun Ci didn’t explain. The sensor light in the hallway, triggered by their earlier movement, flickered and then went out.
Darkness acted as a protective color, concealing emotions.
Yun Ci sat for a while.
After a while, his emotions calmed, and he could speak a little.
Yu Xun seemed adept at sensing such subtle changes in the atmosphere, and he timely said, “You’re up so late.”
Yun Ci thought he wouldn’t want to talk.
After a long pause, he said, “I had a dream.”
He actually responded.
Especially to someone he once thought he could never reconcile with.
Since knowing that Yu Xun secretly liked him and was persistently pursuing him, some defenses seemed to be gradually breached.
Yu Xun’s voice was still casual and sleepy, “What kind of dream?”
This time, Yun Ci didn’t answer.
Yu Xun didn’t press further.
He reached into his pocket, took out his phone, and the hallway had a faint glow from the screen again, “Can’t sleep anyway; might as well do something.”
He looked down, typing with one hand, searching for something on the page.
When he looked up again, his voice was lazy and sleepy, “……Want to hear a fairy tale?”
“?”
It was a question Yun Ci hadn’t expected.
The phone’s glow illuminated Yu Xun’s face, making his features look particularly striking. The screen showed: Selected bedtime stories for coaxing your partner to sleep; the first story, “Little Cat Looking for Friends,” second story “Little Fox Buying Candy.”
“Listening to it makes it easier to sleep,” Yu Xun said, “Which one do you want to hear?”
“……”
Yun Ci was momentarily stunned.
It seemed like a window was left open somewhere, with occasional gusts of wind blowing through the hallway.
The wind blew from behind, lifting the hem of his clothes.
Yu Xun glanced at him and finally said, “The second one then, shall I start?”
