Before Yun Ci and Yu Xun went back, Yu Xun received a phone call.
There was a student group for their off-campus apartment, where occasionally the building manager would post notices, and neighbors had exchanged phone numbers.
The caller was a sophomore living next door.
On the call, the boy said cautiously, “What’s up, man? Are you involved in something?”
“There are people in the hallway blocking your way.”
Yu Xun had the phone on speaker. Hearing this, he and Yun Ci exchanged a glance, unsure of what was going on. Then he said nonchalantly, “Yes, I’m involved.”
“But I have a lot of enemies,” he added, “I’m not sure which ones you’re talking about.”
The boy described, “One has curly hair and braids. Looks like a shady character from outside.”
“……..”
Yu Xun understood the situation and said lightly, “Oh, got it.”
The boy asked curiously, “Do you know him?”
Yu Xun replied, “Yes.”
“He’s an old loan shark from the underworld.”
The boy said, “……That’s quite something.”
Yu Xun added, “Yeah, he’s ruthless. If you see him, remember to steer clear.”
“……”
Liu Zi was still unaware that his reputation had been tarnished.
He, along with his brothers and a group from Li Yan, were waiting in the apartment hallway. Liu Zi, with a toothpick in his mouth, was about to curse out, “Damn, they’re still not back,” when he saw a sneaky-looking guy come out of the neighboring apartment. The guy didn’t even use the elevator; he pushed open the fire escape door and sprinted down the stairs.
“Quite the fitness enthusiast,” Liu Zi commented, “This guy actually took the stairs to work out.”
They had been waiting for more than half an hour when the two finally returned.
As soon as Yun Ci got out of the elevator, he saw a crowd packed in the hallway: “……”
The hallway was crowded with people, including former roommates from Room 608.
Luo Sifang waved his hand in the crowd.
Yun Ci’s expression was blank as he said, “Explain.”
“We came to wait for you,” Liu Zi explained, “You didn’t reply to messages, so we were worried you two might sneak away for some alone time.”
Li Yan added, “On New Year’s Eve, we should be hanging out with the guys.”
Yun Ci almost forgot that these people had indeed been preparing for tonight’s activities for a while.
He put away the keys he was holding and asked, “Where are we hanging out?”
Liu Zi said, “Let’s find a place in the university, then I’ll get some fireworks.”
“……”
“These fireworks of yours,” Yun Ci looked at him, “How long will you keep selling them?”
Liu Zi politely responded, not using his usual dismissive tone, “Until I graduate and enter the workforce.”
“……..”
On their way to enter the university campus, they received a call from Gao Pingyang.
Gao Pingyang asked on the phone, “Where are you guys?”
Yun Ci answered vaguely, “We’re out.”
Gao Pingyang didn’t mind the vague answer and said, “I don’t care where you are. Just don’t set foot in the university tonight!”
“?”
Gao Pingyang continued, “Don’t cause any trouble tonight—”
Yun Ci said, “We won’t.”
Before he could finish, Gao Pingyang interrupted, “I saw Liu Zi and Li Yan leaving the school gate with a group of people!”
“……”
It turned out Gao Pingyang was giving them a warning.
He was worried they might stir up some trouble like before.
A group of people gathered at the school gate, discussing their plan.
Liu Zi scratched the back of his head and said, “This is my last venture. Since we can’t get into the university, what should we do?”
Li Yan asked, “Should we be strategic or force our way in?”
Someone suggested, “Or we could just go in, worst case, we write an apology.”
Liu Zi and Li Yan insisted, “We’re not writing apologies. We’ve done that enough in the past. No way we’re going into the university.”
This was indeed Liu Zi’s last venture before starting his internship next year.
Li Yan turned to Yun Ci and asked, “What should we do, uncle?”
Yun Ci coolly said, “Disband.”
“……”
Li Yan silently turned away.
Under the streetlight, the group huddled together. Yun Ci and Yu Xun sat a bit further away.
Bored, Yu Xun played with Yun Ci’s hand and, after a while, started writing in his palm.
The first character was complex.
“I.”
Then there was just one stroke.
A heart.
The final character.
“You.
It was a very tender moment.
It might have been too gentle, causing Yun Ci to suddenly think, under the streetlight, that if they hadn’t met again or if Yu Xun’s game character hadn’t been exposed, he and Yu Xun might have really drifted apart during their senior internship.
After writing, Yu Xun noticed Yun Ci’s sudden change in expression: “?”
Yun Ci pulled his hand away and stuffed it into his pocket.
After a moment, he suddenly said, “Not enough punches.”
He had only punched once that day.
Thinking about it now, it didn’t seem sufficient.
……
Whether or not Yu Xun fought back was irrelevant.
Yu Xun asked, “What do you mean ‘not enough punches’?”
Yun Ci replied, “I haven’t punched you enough.”
Yu Xun raised an eyebrow and said, “How about we have a fight now?”
“…” After saying that, Yu Xun bent down and presented himself, saying, “Go ahead and hit me.”
Yun Ci couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Just then, Liu Zi and the others came up with a plan: “Let’s go eat at the mall across the street first.”
Yun Ci asked, “And then?”
Liu Zi replied, “And then we’ll see!”
Yu Xun suddenly suggested, “Let’s go to West High.”
“Let’s set off the fireworks there this year.”
His suggestion caught the others by surprise for a moment.
Then it was met with enthusiastic responses: “Sounds good.”
“It’s been a while since we went back there.”
Someone said, “Besides, we’ve already graduated, so even if we get caught, we won’t have to write an apology.”
“Can’t you have some vision? We’re going back to school for nostalgia—not for some trivial reason like avoiding writing an apology.”
“…”
Yun Ci maintained his hands in his pockets and walked forward.
Yu Xun caught up and held his hand. When he couldn’t grasp it, he stuffed both their hands into Yun Ci’s pocket.
“Your hands are cold,” Yu Xun made an excuse, acting a bit spoiled.
The two lingered at the back of the group. Once they entered the mall, they found the ground floor had an arcade, with shooting and competitive games on one side and claw machines on the other, filled with plush toys.
Liu Zi, not forgetting his flirting plan, stopped by the claw machine area: “I’m going to play a few rounds.”
Li Yan said, “…If you can’t catch anything, don’t try too hard.”
Liu Zi replied, “Nonsense. Once she sees how skilled I am at grabbing toys, she’ll fall for me.”
“…”
A group of boys incongruously occupied the claw machine area.
Yun Ci bought some tokens and started playing.
Yu Xun was next to him, each at their own claw machine.
From a distance, others might think they were on a date.
At first, it was true, but after a few rounds, Yun Ci’s grip on the claw lever became increasingly intense, and his focus more serious. Even when the main group started to leave, he remained at the claw machine, buying another batch of tokens.
Yu Xun said, “Let’s go. Do you still want to play?”
“You caught three,” Yun Ci said with pursed lips, “I caught two.”
Yu Xun replied, “…I’m your boyfriend, so whatever I catch is yours.”
Yun Ci said, “It’s not the same.”
“…”
Yu Xun understood immediately as a long-time rival, “You’re saying you won’t leave until you catch four, right?”
Yun Ci nodded.
…
Yun Ci was focused on catching toys.
Yu Xun stood slightly behind him and, after a moment, took out his phone and took a picture of Yun Ci’s back.
As Yun Ci realized he was being photographed, he managed to catch the fourth toy.
The score was now four to four, a tie.
“I’m thinking of posting it on WeChat,” Yu Xun said, showing the phone screen, “Caption ready: Boyfriend’s competitive spirit.”
Yun Ci didn’t care what he posted but emphasized, “Make sure to note it’s four to four.”
“…”
Yu Xun said, “I’ll write four to five, making it your win.”
Yun Ci could continue playing for another twenty minutes, but he didn’t want to cheat. He lifted his chin and said, “I never cheat.”
So when Yu Xun posted on WeChat, the caption only read “4:4.”
—
The group had a simple meal and then went to buy fireworks.
Fireworks were hard to find; there were many shops selling them around the Spring Festival, but fewer around New Year’s Eve. And it was already quite late.
However, Liu Zi was an expert in this area: “I know a place. They’re open year-round and have a wide variety. Other shops get their stock from there.”
They occupied a whole section of the subway car.
When they got off at the station, Yun Ci noticed the surrounding scenery was somewhat familiar, especially a nearby construction site with high-rise buildings.
He had seen fireworks here before during the Spring Festival.
But now the buildings were even taller.
Yun Ci looked around a bit more, then followed Liu Zi’s directions and realized they had arrived near South Street.
The fireworks shop was next to a factory, looking less like a store and more like a warehouse. The place was packed with large boxes of fireworks.
There were smaller ones outside, ten yuan per box.
Liu Zi walked in with his hands in his pockets, shaking as he went: “Boss, I’m here to restock.”
The boss, lounging in a chair, didn’t bother to get up and greeted him: “Help yourself.”
Yun Ci wandered around the store.
Yu Xun was outside, answering a call from Yu Ying.
As Yun Ci was about to leave, the fireworks boss half-sat up in his chair and squinted at Yu Xun standing outside: “Is he with you?”
Liu Zi was busy choosing fireworks and didn’t hear clearly.
Yun Ci followed the boss’s gaze and answered, “Yes.”
The boss went back to lounging and said, “He’s been here before. I remember.”
He remarked, “It’s rare to see such a handsome young man.”
Yun Ci vaguely sensed there might have been something he didn’t know that happened here. He was about to ask “When,” when the boss continued, “He came here during the last New Year’s and bought several boxes of fireworks.”
“And everyone set off fireworks on South Street.”
“He insisted on setting them off at the construction site.”
“The view must have been terrible with the high rises, but he wouldn’t listen. He spent the whole night setting them off.”
“…”
Yu Xun finished his call and, after wishing Yu Ying a Happy New Year, hung up and noticed Yun Ci looking at him.
“All done?” he asked.
“Not yet,” Yun Ci said. “Still paying.”
Yu Xun bent down and picked a few convenient items at the entrance, then asked, “Do you want to set off fireworks?”
Yun Ci’s mind was momentarily blank, unable to process what he was saying, only recognizing his voice. He responded with a simple “Mm.”
His thoughts drifted back to that New Year’s Eve when he wasn’t with Yu Xun.
He remembered the fireworks that lit up the sky that night.
The fireworks they had planned—he hadn’t missed them.
It turned out that this person, who spoke of breaking up, had secretly harbored feelings for him for a long time without him knowing.
Yu Xun selected a few easy-to-handle items and stood up, saying, “Boss, let’s settle the bill.”
Yun Ci didn’t know if Yu Xun had acted like this on the Spring Festival night.
He only knew that during the one and a half years apart, he had also secretly harbored feelings for him.
Every day, he liked him more and more.
—
West High had closed its campus. Under the cover of night, the campus appeared somewhat indistinct.
The group climbed over the wall to get in.
Li Yan touched his head, feeling a mix of unfamiliarity and nostalgia: “When we were in high school, I always thought West High was huge.”
Liu Zi, after landing, said, “I also thought so. It suddenly feels smaller now… though the wall is easier to climb.”
Someone made a dramatic comment: “Because our world has become bigger!”
“Geez, so dramatic.”
“…”
In the chaos, Liu Zi shouted, “—Who’s handing up the fireworks?”
Yun Ci was the last to climb over.
When he climbed, Yu Xun was below, ready to catch him.
Yun Ci crouched on the wall, looking at West High in the night, with a flood of memories related to this person.
He had also climbed this wall before—back then, doing such slightly rebellious things was about showing off. There was a popular snack shop outside school, and Class Seven often climbed over the wall to buy snacks during lunch. Eventually, it turned into a battle between the classes.
The person who led that battle was now standing below, ready to catch him.
Yu Xun urged, “Come down, I can catch you.”
Yun Ci replied, “I can jump down myself.”
Yu Xun said, “I want to catch you.”
He added, “I thought about it back in high school.”
…
Even though he had heard it many times, Yun Ci still couldn’t help but blush.
Damn.
How many things did this person think about in high school?
Yun Ci closed his eyes and jumped, falling into a somewhat hard but exceptionally warm embrace.
With over half an hour left until midnight, the group took the fireworks to the basketball court, an open space suitable for fireworks besides the playground.
“The West High basketball court should be renovated by now,” Liu Zi murmured. “It was under renovation until graduation.”
Li Yan said, “Doesn’t matter. As long as there’s a ball in your heart, any place is a court.”
As they approached the court, although it had been renovated, the layout was still similar to before, with iron nets around the perimeter. In one corner, a few basketballs lay scattered on the ground.
The same place.
They had played countless times here.
Yun Ci was thinking when he saw Yu Xun take off his coat in the middle of winter, as if it were summer. Yu Xun tossed his coat aside, wearing only a thin sweater, and went to grab a ball from the rack.
The young man dribbled the ball, his coat fluttering in the wind. He turned his wrist and passed the ball to Yun Ci’s feet: “Want to compete?”
Yun Ci picked up the ball, unzipped his coat, and faced the wind, saying, “Sure.”
He added a childish taunt from high school: “Loser calls the winner ‘father.'”
Just like back then.
After saying that, he threw the ball in a perfect arc, scoring.
With still some time before midnight, the others sat around the court to watch.
Liu Zi and Li Yan cheered for their respective friends.
Liu Zi: “You’ll win for sure. Make him beg for mercy.”
Li Yan: “In terms of skills, my friend is definitely better. You must have forgotten the West High basketball tournament…”
Liu Zi: “The West High basketball tournament was meaningless,” Liu Zi retorted. “Didn’t it rain that day? We didn’t even finish the game.”
Li Yan: “Does it matter if we finished? Before it rained, my friend was dominating yours.”
Liu Zi: “You must be mistaken. Who was dominating whom?”
“…”
A one-on-one match was simpler and more straightforward than a team game—just steal the ball and score. They collided and clashed repeatedly, with the ball banging against the backboard, making a familiar “thud” sound.
Yun Ci’s excitement grew.
His blood was boiling, with the only sounds being the wind rushing past as he ran and the ball hitting the ground.
In the night, visibility was poor, relying on streetlights to illuminate the court.
“Thud”—another score.
As the score was tied, distant footsteps seemed to approach.
“Damn, the patrol uncle,” Liu Zi suddenly stood up. “It’s been three years since graduation, and I forgot about this. How come this uncle is still so dedicated after all these years?”
The group was in a panic: “What should we do?”
“Run?”
“What about the fireworks?”
“…”
“Set them off first,” Yu Xun’s voice cut through the chaos, “and then run immediately.”
In the confusion, they quickly lit the fireworks. The fuses flickered with weak light, and suddenly, a loud bang echoed through West High, with several fireworks bursting into the sky.
The dazzling fireworks lit up the night sky.
The midnight bell rang.
The new year had arrived.
Before Yun Ci could react, Yu Xun grabbed his hand and ran with him through the crowd.
After the game, their palms were sweaty and their bodies were hot.
Yun Ci was being tightly pulled along, almost feeling like he might fly. In the next moment, the person holding his hand turned back and, amidst the explosion of fireworks, said, “Happy New Year, Xiao Ci.”
The group sprinted forward with all their might.
Behind them was a spectacular display of fireworks.
“Happy New Year.”
You should be a wild wind.
Forever young.
Forever free.
—
Author’s Note:
That’s the end of the main story! Every time I start writing, I’m always quite nervous, worried about not meeting everyone’s expectations. I’ve done my best to finish it, and I’m very, very grateful for everyone’s companionship and support these days. I’ve received all your suggestions. If fate allows, I’ll see you again in the next story, friends!
I’ll take a short break before updating the extras.
Ahhhhh I had to let it sit for a while before I could bring myself to acknowledge that this would be the end of their story…
Fly free forever <3
Thank you for all your hard work translating the story!