The class bell rang soon, and Yun Ci rarely lost focus during class.
During the class, he kept looking at his phone, occasionally exchanging messages with Yu Xun.
yc: [What page are you on?]
yx: [Page 108.]
Yun Ci originally intended to check in but, after doing so, a strange competitive urge arose: [We’re on 109.]
Yu Xun replied in his usual tone: [Oh, then you guys are teaching faster.]
[…]
After a while.
Yu Xun sent another message: [Look outside the window.]
yc: [？]
Following what he said, Yun Ci looked up out the window.
There was nothing outside, except for the nice weather. The sky was clear, with the wind rustling the treetops, and the sound of cicadas filled the air.
What Yu Xun wanted to share with him was precisely these mundane and trivial details.
yx: [The sky is very blue today.]
As if he wanted to fill in the blank period of their disconnection.
Even though they weren’t in the same classroom, they could still chat about nothing for a long time.
This class was taught by Gao Pingyang. Yun Ci was sitting in the front row as usual. Normally, he would prepare himself before doing something “bad,” but surprisingly, Gao Pingyang glanced at him several times and didn’t say anything.
Li Yan, who had been hurriedly sent away by the class bell, also sent him a few messages.
Li Yan was still in shock but couldn’t expose it: [That introverted boy, what’s so good about him? Can’t you find someone else???]
Yun Ci didn’t reply.
He didn’t know how to explain this “introverted boy.”
After Yu Xun moved out, Yun Ci never mentioned his relationship again, so Li Yan assumed they had broken up. With Li Yan’s gossipy nature, it was surprising he hadn’t asked for specific reasons.
Whenever they chatted, the term “your boyfriend” never appeared in the conversation.
…
Before putting away his phone, Yun Ci received the last two messages from Yu Xun.
yx: [Don’t leave after class.]
yc: [？]
yx: [Let’s go to the cafeteria, I’ll make sure you eat.]
[…]
Yun Ci thought to himself that he didn’t need anyone to make sure he ate; he wasn’t a child.
But he couldn’t help the small smile that crept up on his lips.
–
The last time Yun Ci ate in the university cafeteria was a few months ago.
Since he had been burying himself in studying, he lost interest in crowded places. Going to the cafeteria and sitting among the crowd to finish a meal had become a rare thing.
He had closed himself off, only getting food from the window and taking it back to his dorm to eat—this saved time, allowed him to review legal provisions while eating, and avoided any disturbances.
Li Yan and Zhou Wenyu occasionally dragged him out to eat, but he rarely spoke. Things that were supposed to be interesting seemed to have lost their appeal.
Facing the meal in front of him, Yun Ci found the sensation of sitting in the bustling cafeteria, surrounded by noise, strangely disorienting.
“What are you spacing out for?” Yu Xun, sitting across from him, tapped the edge of his tray with chopsticks to remind him, “Eat.”
Yun Ci picked up his chopsticks.
Before eating, he remembered an overlooked detail: “How did you know what floor our classroom is on?”
Before class ended, Yu Xun had appeared at the back door of their classroom.
He had said “don’t leave after class,” but hadn’t asked for the room number.
After their classes separated, most updates were posted in their respective class groups.
Yu Xun didn’t mention how he couldn’t help but pay attention to any information about Class Two, he just said, “Of course I know.”
In the passing crowd.
Yu Xun’s voice sounded quiet: “I also know what time your classes start every day, how many people show up for each lecture, the top scores, and which events you signed up for in the sports meet.” He paused, “And how many awards you won in debate competitions.”
“…”
After a while, Yun Ci responded with a cool “hmm,” then said, “Unlike someone, whose news is impossible to find out.”
Yu Xun didn’t participate in any activities, seemingly afraid of running into him.
When signing up for the debate competition, Yun Ci thought he would see Yu Xun’s name on the Class One list, but instead saw a stranger’s name in Gao Pingyang’s office.
It was the new class president of Class One, they said.
Only at the end of each semester, Yun Ci could see him on the Class One grade sheet.
“…”
Yu Xun said quietly, “My fault.”
“It won’t happen again.”
“You won’t lose track of my news anymore.”
Under Yu Xun’s supervision, Yun Ci finished his meal. After he finished, Yu Xun asked, “Want another bowl?”
Yun Ci: “…Are you raising a pig?”
Yu Xun replied, “Raising a Xiao Ci.”
It had been a long time since Yun Ci had heard the nickname “Xiao Ci,” so long that he didn’t immediately retort. Instead, he was momentarily stunned—back then, every time Yu Xun called him that, he felt it was intentional provocation, making him want to punch Yu Xun out of the university.
Yun Ci came to his senses and saw another serving of food in his bowl: “…”
He gripped his chopsticks and poked the meal.
Then Yu Xun said again, “Going back to the dorm after this?”
Yun Ci casually replied, “Yeah, why?”
Yu Xun leaned back, cracking his knuckles, his ears slightly red, but he still pretended to be casual as he said, “The apartment I rented is quite large; it’s a bit of a waste for one person.”
He couldn’t hide his nervousness when he said, “Want to move in together?”
This sentence came a year and a half late.
Yun Ci poked the food again, and strangely, he felt a bit nervous too.
After a while, he said, “Okay.”
–
To move out of the dorm, he needed a day student’s certificate from the counselor. After getting it stamped according to the procedure, he could hand it to the dorm manager and move his stuff out.
After lunch, during the noon break, Yun Ci went to Gao Pingyang’s office to get his form stamped.
As third-year students, they weren’t as tightly controlled as they were in their first year.
Gao Pingyang, feeling a bit sentimental, said, “Getting the day student’s certificate? Another one leaving.”
“By next year, there probably won’t be many of you left in the dorm.”
Holding the form, he asked casually before stamping it, “Did you talk to your dad?”
Gao Pingyang assumed Yun Ci had discussed this with Yan Yue, given their long friendship. He understood Old Yan’s educational style very well: “It’s good to move out and get some practice. You’ll have to live independently during your internship later anyway.”
Yun Ci said, “I haven’t told him.”
Gao Pingyang’s hand paused as he was about to stamp the form.
Yun Ci: “I’ll tell him myself. Go ahead and stamp it; even if he wants to settle accounts, he won’t hold you responsible.”
Gao Pingyang rubbed his nose, realizing that his old tricks had been seen through by his student.
“Alright,” Gao Pingyang stamped the form and said, “You handle your dad yourself.”
Yun Ci took the paper and thanked Teacher Gao.
Just as he was about to leave, Gao Pingyang called out to him again: “By the way, about today’s class…”
Yun Ci thought to himself that it was still uncertain how Yan Yue would settle accounts with him, but Gao Pingyang’s account seemed ready to be settled now.
Yun Ci was prepared to honestly admit, “I was playing…”
Playing on his phone.
Yes. He was.
Chatting with someone for an entire class.
However, Gao Pingyang placed a hand on his shoulder, patted him appreciatively and sincerely, and said, “You were playing on your phone—I am so happy! You finally realize that you need some entertainment outside of studying.”
Then he waved his hand grandly and said, “Feel free to play more in the future, not just during class but also after class!”
“You can play now when you don’t have a job, and later when you start working, you can still play! Life is about experiences!”
Yun Ci: “…”
Gao Pingyang must be crazy.
He opened the office door and went out. Outside, Yu Xun was leaning against the wall, waiting for him.
Through the slightly ajar door, Gao Pingyang saw his two students, who used to fight fiercely and then stopped speaking to each other, now standing side by side in the hallway, talking about something.
This time, the intensely bright summer sunlight fell on them.
Yu Xun accompanied Yun Ci to the dormitory building.
The dorms were reallocated in the second year. Although the personnel didn’t change much, dorm 608 was no longer called 608. They had moved to the adjacent building, room 402.
The dorm layout had also changed. Only the first-year dorms had the strictest conditions; the other dorms no longer had communal long tables, nor were they bunk beds. Each person had a bed, still in the bunk bed style, but beneath the bed was a wardrobe and a set of desk and chair.
Luo Sifang no longer played games; the pressure of a senior-year internship was imminent. After finishing a section of his program, he looked up and was startled to see an “old friend”: “Whoa, Yu-ge?”
Everyone had matured a bit.
Luo Sifang had undergone eye surgery during the holidays and no longer wore glasses. He rushed over to give Yu Xun a brotherly hug: “After you moved out, you stopped responding to messages and we couldn’t even get you for birthdays. If I didn’t see you now, I’d almost think we weren’t attending the same university…”
Yu Xun patted his back and joked, “We handsome guys are like this, more mysterious.”
Luo Sifang: “…”
Just waking up, Wang Zhuang: “…”
Wang Zhuang had switched majors, changing his direction in the second year.
For him, the college entrance exam choices were very “naive,” filling in the highest-scoring and best majors possible, but not necessarily the ones most suitable for him.
They chatted for a while.
Wang Zhuang mentioned Peng Yiyuan: “Master Peng is still so carefree.”
Luo Sifang said, “He has his own difficulties too. Whatever he does, his successful business father criticizes him. If it were you, you couldn’t handle it either.”
Wang Zhuang nodded, “That’s true.”
“Sheng-ge has been performing with an orchestra recently,” Luo Sifang, as the dorm leader, reported on everyone’s activities, “The money they earn barely covers their food and lodging. Musicians really live for their dreams.”
At this point, Luo Sifang remembered the main matter: “Why did you come back? To visit us?”
“Helping him move,” Yu Xun took the suitcase Yun Ci handed over, placing his palm on the handle and slightly raising his eyebrows, “Dorm leader, we’re moving off-campus.”
We.
Luo Sifang pondered this word.
“You guys?”
“Yeah.”
Luo Sifang: “Does ‘you guys’ mean you two are living together?”
Yu Xun replied with another “yeah.”
With his vision restored after the eye surgery, Luo Sifang clearly saw a black cord around Brother Yu’s neck, and then turned to see a similar cord around Yun Ci’s neck as he bent over to pack.
“…”
“Do you think,” after the two left, Luo Sifang woodenly asked Wang Zhuang, “that the probability of friends wearing matching items purely because of brotherly love is high?”
Wang Zhuang, who hadn’t had eye surgery: “?”
Luo Sifang regretted his perfect vision: “Never mind, you don’t get it because you’re nearsighted.”
Yun Ci packed up quickly; he didn’t have much to take. Just like Gao Pingyang always said, as they were heading out for internships next year, the dorm was becoming emptier.
A suitcase, some toiletries, and textbooks—that was all.
Carrying his things, Yun Ci and Yu Xun walked through the university campus, took the elevator up the apartment building, and as soon as Yu Xun opened the door, Fish rushed to the door and rubbed against their pant legs.
Yu Xun handed over the spare keys: “House keys, your set.”
Yun Ci reached out and took the keys.
The cold and aloof youth’s expression had a rare touch of excitement, reminiscent of their first day at university. The key ring spun around his fingers.
Lmfoakfkdks Yu Xun if this wasn’t mutual you are emitting some stalker behavior there hahhaa