Before Yu Xun’s birthday, Yun Ci was mysteriously busy preparing for the birthday event.
This day, before Yun Ci left the house, he was blocked by Yu Xun at the bathroom door: “So busy, going out so early again.”
If asked, the answer was always that Liu Jiayu’s midterm was approaching.
Yun Ci replied without changing his expression, “My student must get second-to-last in this midterm.”
Yu Xun, who also tutored during the holidays, suddenly connected some dots: “Second-to-last?”
Yun Ci: “Mm.”
Yu Xun asked again: “From West High?”
Yun Ci thought he was deliberately picking a fight: “I’ve mentioned it before.”
“Oh, regarding things about people other than you,” Yu Xun said, “I’m not very clear.”
“…”
Yu Xun didn’t say anything more.
He kept one hand blocking Yun Ci, while the other hand pulled out his phone, opened a WeChat chat, and turned the screen towards Yun Ci: “The one with the surname Liu?”
On the screen.
The black avatar didn’t say much, occasionally replying with just one or two words.
But the other person’s messages were long, accompanied by a bunch of roaring emojis: [Yu-ge, I must keep my second-to-last place in this midterm, I absolutely can’t let Liu Jiayu surpass me, I heard he’s also hired a tutor and is doing a lot of practice papers. My status in the grade depends on you, Yu-ge!!!]
Liu. Jia. Yu.
Yun Ci stared at these three words, falling silent: “…”
After a while, he said: “Tell him not to worry, he hasn’t been doing many practice papers.”
Then Yun Ci, already fueled by a competitive spirit, said calmly, “But after today, he will.”
Yu Xun tilted his head, looking at him.
Yun Ci met his gaze.
Both saw a familiar signal in each other’s eyes.
The signal of a battle.
So while Yun Ci prepared for the birthday event, he also dragged his student into intensive training.
Liu Jiayu didn’t know why his tutor suddenly went crazy, calling him at 4 AM.
Yun Ci: “Get up and do questions.”
Liu Jiayu completely lost it: “Are you insane?!?! What time is it?!!!!”
Yun Ci made the call standing in the hallway outside the dormitory: “The time doesn’t matter, but there’s thirteen days, four hours, thirty-six minutes, and twelve seconds until the midterm.”
He paused for a second, giving Liu Jiayu enough time to process: “Get up.”
Liu Jiayu stared at the ceiling, feeling the world was a bit surreal.
But he soon heard that the second-to-last in their grade got up at three in the morning.
“……”
“Are they all nuts,” Liu Jiayu muttered as he moved his own wake-up time an hour earlier, looking at his increasingly dark circles, “….why did his tutor also go crazy.”
Why are there so many crazy tutors in the world?
Liu Jiayu mumbled to himself: “Although I want to get second-to-last, my competitive spirit isn’t that strong…”
So where does this strong competitive spirit come from? It feels like the situation is gradually shifting away from the two of them.
Yun Ci insisted on giving it his all in both areas.
On the other side, he rarely contacted Liu Zi.
He and Liu Zi hadn’t added each other as friends.
When a mutual acquaintance was asked to share the contact, the old classmate was also very surprised: “You want to add Liu Zi? Can’t you argue offline, why argue online.”
That old classmate thought for a moment, and then found it strange again: “…I heard you used to compete together, I don’t understand, we can’t understand you anymore.”
After Yun Ci sent the friend request, he thought Liu Zi would reject it.
But Liu Zi quickly accepted.
Yun Ci found it strange.
yc: [Do you know who I am?]
Liu Zi replied instantly: [With this white avatar and ID, you think I’m blind?]
[…]
Liu Zi certainly wouldn’t reject Yun Ci now, but his awkward heart hadn’t fully turned around, so he immediately added: [How about this, I’ll delete you once, you add me again, and I’ll reluctantly agree. Let’s go through the process again.]
yc: [Have you seen a doctor.]
Liu Zi: [?]
Liu Zi: [What doctor.]
yc: [A psychiatrist.]
Liu Zi: […]
Liu Zi held back the urge to curse, trying to maintain politeness: [So, what’s the matter?]
In the dormitory.
Yun Ci chatted with Liu Zi behind Yu Xun’s back.
Yu Xun sat at the long table, his hand under the table occasionally reaching out to secretly hold Yun Ci’s hand.
Yun Ci typed a couple of words, then pretended to exit and browse the web, avoiding being seen by him.
[On the twelfth of this month,] Yun Ci typed intermittently, [Are you free?]
April twelfth.
Liu Zi understood immediately.
But he racked his brain on how to respond. He couldn’t show that he understood, yet had to unreasonably agree right away.
Liu Zi: [Yes.]
Liu Zi: [I’ve been really bored lately, with nothing to do, so I want to see what you’re up to.]
yc: [Think whatever you want.]
yc: [As long as you’re free.]
Yun Ci imagined many scenarios for the birthday party. Although he thought Yu Xun would probably want to spend it with just the two of them, for some reason, this time he wanted to make it lively.
He hoped that when Yu Xun looked back on this day, he would have many memories.
He hoped that Yu Xun’s world would have more sounds.
After sending this message, Yu Xun seemed to sense something, and his hand under the table lightly hooked Yun Ci’s finger like a feather.
–
On the twelfth.
Yun Ci checked the weather forecast in advance; it was going to be a sunny day.
There were half-day classes that afternoon.
In the classroom, Yun Ci tentatively asked, “Do you have plans later?”
Yu Xun: “?”
He was lying on the table lazily and said, “Can this be understood as you asking me out?”
This person had decided to grow his hair long and trimmed it into a medium length, with bangs hanging down and covering his eyes. To make it easier to sleep, he had piled up books very high in front of him, just like in high school.
Yun Ci responded with an “Mm”: “So, are you free?”
In fact, Yu Xun had guessed that Yun Ci was preparing something but pretended not to know, occasionally causing trouble to show he felt neglected and making Yun Ci coax him a bit.
“Yes,” he said, “I’m always free for you.”
“When do we leave?” Yu Xun asked again.
“After class.”
They started chatting casually.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll know when we get there.”
“……”
They chatted intermittently until the teacher Gao Pingyang accurately called them out: “You two stand up, whatever you’re whispering about, share it with the class.”
The classroom fell silent.
Only Yu Xun himself was indifferent. He stood up from behind the tall stack of books, not even standing properly, and said casually, “Lao Gao, do you really want to hear it?”
Gao Pingyang: “…Mind your manners and call me Teacher Gao.”
“Oh, Teacher Gao.”
Yu Xun said, “He’s asking me out.”
Yun Ci: “……”
Yu Xun deliberately slowed down, saying the second half of the sentence, maintaining their apparent persona: “He’s asking me out for a fight after class.”
Gao Pingyang pretended to be polite: “No need to wait for after class, why don’t you two start now?”
Yu Xun seemed completely oblivious to the underlying tone: “That’s not impossible.”
He glanced around the classroom: “It might be hard to determine a winner quickly, though. Will it disrupt your class?”
Gao Pingyang was so angry he almost couldn’t speak.
Most students, once they enter university, have a more distant, polite, and mature relationship with their teachers. It’s rare to encounter such “energetic” students.
He pointed to the hallway: “You two, stand outside. This is the first time I’m making university students stand in the hallway to attend class.”
Yun Ci took his books and stood in the hallway with Yu Xun.
Getting punished by the teacher to stand on his birthday.
Only this person could make this happen.
“Couldn’t hold it in,” Yu Xun said lightly.
Normally, Yun Ci would retort a few words.
But today was a special day, so he responded unusually: “It’s okay.”
“You spoke well,” Yun Ci lied to make him feel better, “Continue next time.”
They stood for about half an hour. As soon as the class bell rang, Yun Ci extended his hand to Yu Xun.
Yu Xun glanced at him without saying a word, grabbed his hand, and then, as if being pulled along, Yun Ci dragged him down the stairs of the teaching building, rushing to the bus stop.
Yu Xun’s light words floated through the wind created by their run, reaching Yun Ci ahead: “…So impatient. If you want, we can go on dates every day, and I can have a birthday every day.”
“……”
That wasn’t necessary.
Yun Ci didn’t have time to explain, dragging him all the way to the bus stop, barely catching the last bus. After boarding and paying, they walked to the back seats.
After sitting down, Yun Ci, slightly out of breath, explained: “This bus only runs once in the evening.”
Nanyang University had many students, so logically, there wouldn’t be so few buses.
Yu Xun glanced at the scenery passing by outside the window and habitually held Yun Ci’s hand as he spoke: “Where is this bus headed?”
Yun Ci said, “To the beach.”
The journey from Nanyang University to the beach was a bit long, with the scenery along the way gradually becoming unfamiliar.
Li Yan and Liu Zi had arrived earlier, setting up tents according to the instructions Yun Ci had posted in the group: “What the hell is this, how do we set it up, and there’s a bonfire too???”
They each brought three or four friends, forming a group.
The two groups, once at odds, had grown strangely closer after the last basketball game.
Luo Sifang and the other four from the dormitory were also there, setting up the barbecue grill.
Because of their presence, Liu Zi and Li Yan’s friends didn’t find the gathering too strange. They found a reasonable explanation: “We’re all in the same dorm, what’s wrong with celebrating a birthday together? Besides, we agreed our current tactic is politeness.”
“……”
“Being polite is a display of comprehensive qualities.”
“……”
Liu Zi moved closer, coughed at Li Yan: “Hey, Li.”
Li Yan: “I have a name.”
Liu Zi: “It’s not important. As long as you know I’m calling you.” He moved two steps closer to Li Yan, lowering his voice, “Tell me, is this guy just celebrating my brother’s birthday today, or is he planning to make an official announcement?”
This question stumped Li Yan: “……He didn’t say, I don’t think he’d make an announcement today.”
So he thought for a moment, then took out his phone to poke Yun Ci: [Do we need to buy more roses?]
Yun Ci, on the bus, replied quickly.
yc: [?]
yc: [What for?]
Li Yan typed each word deliberately: [To. increase. the. momentum.]
Li Yan pretended not to know, but it was a struggle for him. He wore a pained expression, racking his brains: [To reflect our elegant and refined taste, to show elegance, and to show Yu Xun and his group what we’re capable of.]
[…]
Old friends for many years.
Yun Ci didn’t quite understand Li Yan anymore.
Yu Xun was holding one of his hands, making it inconvenient for him to type, so he didn’t reply.
As evening approached, the car slowly came to a stop.
It was already getting dark, and Yun Ci said a very cliché line he had prepared in advance: “Close your eyes.”
Although they hadn’t made their relationship public, neither of them had deliberately avoided suspicion.
Liuzi had just finished setting up the tent, sitting on the beach and looking towards the bus stop, when he saw two familiar figures walking over, holding hands.
Both were tall, standing side by side. Whether intentionally or coincidentally, they were both wearing black today. Although the patterns were different, the styles were very similar. The sea breeze blew their loose clothing, outlining their figures.
Especially Yu Xun — he walked lazily with his eyes closed, half a step behind. His features were blurred by the afterglow of the sunset, but against the light, his silhouette was illuminated by the strong contrast.
Someone asked in shock, “Why are they still holding hands?”
“Didn’t you see Yu-ge’s eyes are closed? Clearly, his eyes are uncomfortable,” Liuzi knocked hard on his underling’s forehead and said, “This is called polite guidance. What do you know!”
“…”
The person accepted this ridiculous reality after being hit: “…Oh. The wind is strong by the sea, it’s easy for sand to get into your eyes.”
Yun Ci’s birthday celebration was a camping trip by the sea, waiting for the sunrise. According to the online guides, this place was perfect for watching the sunrise.
When Yu Xun opened his eyes, he found that almost everyone he knew from South University was in front of him: “So many people.”
Luo Sifang was beside him, diligently trying to start a fire by friction, finally producing a weak flame.
The flame reflected in everyone’s eyes as he led the cheer: “Happy birthday, Yu-ge!”
Amidst the cheer, the group Li Yan brought along was noticeably silent: “…”
Li Yan reminded them: “Be polite.”
Still silent: “…”
Li Yan continued to mobilize them: “Not only should we shout, but we should also shout louder than the others.”
Under his efforts, the group reluctantly said with a sense of awkwardness: “H-happy birthday.”
Although he had wanted to spend his birthday alone with Yun Ci, having so many people together wasn’t bad either. Yu Xun smiled lightly and said, “Thank you.”
They gathered around the bonfire and had a simple barbecue they made themselves, followed by cutting the cake.
Before cutting the cake, Yun Ci tugged on Yu Xun’s sleeve: “Make a wish.”
Yu Xun didn’t really believe in such things: “Does it work?”
Yun Ci wasn’t really into it either: “Just for show.”
Yu Xun closed his eyes, finding that he didn’t have many wishes left to make. What he wanted was already by his side.
In the end, a few words flashed through his mind.
‘Always together.’
As he opened his eyes, the sea breeze blew like waves, causing the weak candle flame to flicker and unexpectedly go out.
“…”
Liuzi immediately got up to lighten the mood: “Damn, I told you, stand closer, the sea breeze is strong. Why are you standing so far apart — if it goes out again, you might as well eat the candle.”
But no one really took this small mishap to heart.
Yu Xun hesitated a bit when cutting the cake.
Yun Ci: “What’s wrong?”
Yu Xun asked him: “Did you make this?”
“…” Yun Ci glanced at the cake, “Is it that obvious?”
He had tried several times, and even this attempt couldn’t be considered a success. It still looked quite different from the cakes sold in stores.
“What to do,” Yu Xun said, “I don’t really want to cut it.”
After eating the cake, the remaining activity was waiting for the sunrise.
But with a group of people together, it didn’t feel boring.
Liu Sheng had brought a guitar and was practicing on the side.
Luo Sifang and the others brought cards, and the rest gathered to play card games.
In the face of various “games,” the once opposing groups quickly forgot their past grievances and immersed themselves in the game roles.
Liuzi, holding his cards, jiggled his leg: “I’m a tycoon, I have a bankruptcy card that can make one of you go bankrupt overnight. None of you better mess with me.”
Li Yan, holding his cards: “You think you’re great? I have a revival card, who wants to join me?”
Yun Ci played a round with them but found it quite unenjoyable — mainly because Yu Xun kept giving him cards from the side, supplying whatever he lacked.
Rather than playing the game, Yu Xun seemed to find more fun in handing him things.
Before the second round started, Yun Ci stood up, using the excuse: “I’m a bit sleepy, I’ll take a nap first.”
After he entered the tent, Yu Xun also stood up.
Someone asked: “Yu-ge, are you sleepy too?”
Yu Xun found a very half-hearted excuse: “My hand’s broken, can’t hold the cards.”
“…”
Then they watched as Yu Xun walked towards the tent where Yun Ci was.
Liuzi knocked on his brother’s forehead again, frantically trying to cover up: “What are you looking at? They’re going into the tent to fight, you want to go too?”
“…”
Inside the tent.
Yun Ci had just sat down for a few minutes when the tent zipper was pulled open from the outside.
Yu Xun squeezed in from outside — not even bothering to close the zipper, he went straight to hug him.
The space inside was already small, and with Yu Xun’s tall figure, there was almost no extra space after squeezing in two people.
All they could breathe in was the scent of each other.
Yun Ci, close to his ear, in this confined space with only the two of them, said: “Happy birthday.”
Yu Xun, like a large animal, hung onto him, lowering his head, his tousled hair brushing against Yun Ci’s ear, tickling.
He didn’t respond verbally.
He just kissed him.
The noise outside the tent suddenly faded away.
The kiss lasted a long time, making Yun Ci feel a bit breathless.
Just before he lost the ability to think, he remembered there was a gift he hadn’t given yet: “Wait.”
Yu Xun didn’t really want to stop: “?”
Yun Ci pushed him away: “The gift.”
Yu Xun joked, giving him another kiss before letting go: “Aren’t you the gift?”
Yun Ci: “…The other one.”
He hadn’t brought anything in his hands when he arrived.
So the gift shouldn’t be something big, probably very small.
Yu Xun asked: “Where is it?”
In the cramped tent, Yun Ci’s legs could only stay bent. He maintained this posture and pointed to his pants pocket.
“It’s a bit tight,” Yun Ci tried to straighten his legs, “hard to take out.”
As soon as he finished speaking.
Yu Xun’s wrist pressed down, his fingers probing the edge of the pocket.
Denim pocket, very stiff, making a rustling sound.
He reached further down and finally felt a small box. Inside the box were two necklaces, a matching pair — though calling them necklaces wasn’t quite accurate, as what hung on the black cords were silver rings.
Yu Xun looked at them for a while, picking up the silver ring with his fingers, and said, a bit surprised: “Did you check my shopping cart?”
Yun Ci didn’t deny it.
Yu Xun was actually a bit disappointed: “You didn’t check my phone, huh.”
Yun Ci: “…Why are you so obsessed with checking your phone?”
“It’s not an obsession,” Yu Xun pretended to be casual, “it’s just that everyone else in a relationship gets their phone checked, and if I don’t, it feels like I have no status.”
“…”
But Yun Ci actually understood what he meant.
Because a phone is very personal.
So he wants to show it to you.
“Lower your head,” Yun Ci took the necklace from his hand and said, “I’ll put it on for you.”
Yu Xun followed his words and lowered his head.
When Yun Ci was putting the necklace on him, he felt like he was tying some sort of rope.
From his memory, Yu Xun didn’t wear much jewelry, even though his face was somewhat “flashy.” Back in high school, there was a time when an idol drama became very popular, and earrings became a trend, with many people wearing ear clips. He never saw Yu Xun wear any.
Yun Ci let go, and the black cord hung from his neck, sliding along his collarbone into his collar.
The silver ring was slightly cool, but it quickly warmed up against the heat of his chest.
Yu Xun picked up the other cord and put it around Yun Ci’s neck.
The cord was very thin, and once worn, it was hidden inside the sweatshirt, only occasionally showing a bit of black as the collar moved.
At that moment, they heard Luo Sifang’s voice outside: “Aren’t you two cramped in there? We’re starting the third round, are you playing?”
Yun Ci, half sitting up with his legs bent, lifted the tent flap to go out.
Before Yu Xun went out, he checked the time on his phone.
At the same time, he saw a notification.
[You have missed calls.]
They were from an unknown number.
Yu Xun looked at it a bit longer because there were too many calls. The person had called three times.
But there are many spam calls.
He stepped out, not thinking much of it.
…
Around six o’clock, the sunrise began.
Most people were sleeping in disarray. Yun Ci reminded them, “The sun is rising,” but only a few people got up from their sleep.
He was actually very sleepy himself.
And he started to question why he made this plan. Staying up late? It would have been better to go back early and study.
In the end, it was a call to Luo Sifang that woke everyone up: “Dorm inspection by the student council? So sudden?”
“Will we make it back in time if we rush back now?” Luo Sifang was a bit desperate, “We have a pot and a transformer in our dorm. We didn’t hide them when we left.”
Li Yan tried to comfort him: “We secretly bought a fridge for our dorm.”
Someone remarked: “Isn’t a fridge a bit too much?”
Li Yan: “Summer’s coming, is it too much?”
In short, getting caught with these unauthorized appliances would not just deduct dorm points but academic credits. So upon hearing the student council was inspecting, everyone hurriedly rushed back from the seaside.
“Half an hour—”
“Ask the other brothers in the dorm to stall for a while, we should still make it.”
“How to stall?”
“Bribe the student council?”
“…”
There were no cars to hail, and the bus service was infrequent.
But there were bikes on the roadside that could be unlocked with a scan, and they could ride them a few kilometers to catch another ride.
So they rode back against the sea breeze.
The sunrise painted the coastline, beautiful like a fleeting dream.
Yu Xun rang the bike bell and suddenly called out softly: “Boyfriend.”
“Next semester, let’s move out and live together.”
Yun Ci heard his own voice say, “Okay.”
For the first time, he felt that after starting college, the future was visible.
What he wanted to do and with whom he wanted to be.
So close that he could reach out and grab it.
But at this age, though they were shedding their immaturity, they hadn’t truly grown up yet, and hadn’t even seen the real face of reality.
To the point that they forgot the future is unpredictable.
–
An hour later.
Just as they rushed back to the dormitory building, the student council had finished the inspection, confiscating a pile of unauthorized appliances, including a fridge — too big to move easily.
Yu Xun, walking at the end, had his phone ring again.
“Your aunt had another episode,” the neighbor on the phone said, “I just went out this morning and heard banging on the door.”
“Oh, it scared me.”
“I heard you say she was stable before, why the big commotion now?”
After leaving the seaside, there was no wind in his ears.
Yu Xun stood at the entrance of the dorm building, not going in, and finally said: “Got it, I’ll be right back.”
Awwwwww just when the sparks of life started for Yu Xun again, they’re about to flicker… T^T