(2/4)
Chapter 17: Moments
The next morning, there were two consecutive sessions of Legal History.
In the large lecture hall.
The Legal History professor was introducing the topic while facing the projection screen: “In our Legal History course, we actually study the law, the occurrence of related systems, their development, evolution, and the science of their patterns.”
“Law is closely related to our lives, and its role and importance are reflected in every aspect of daily life.”
“So in this session, we will continue studying the legal systems of the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period…”
Since the course began, Yun Ci had realized that the schedules of Class 1 and Class 2 were highly overlapping.
Although the classes were supposed to be divided, this division was very casual. Most of the courses were still held in the large lecture hall, with both classes attending the lecture together. They usually had two consecutive sessions, starting at eight in the morning and lasting until lunchtime.
The most obvious manifestation of the class division between Class 1 and Class 2 was just in the seating arrangement.
The students from the two classes each sat in one half of the lecture hall, separated by an empty row in the middle. This row was empty with a tacit understanding from everyone, looking like the 38th parallel.
Generally speaking, university students wouldn’t be so disciplined.
It’s common in other majors for students to sit dispersed.
But they were Class 1 and Class 2 of the Law School.
Their class monitors were one surnamed Yun and the other surnamed Yu.
…
Moreover, it was said that these two had just privately fought and were just bailed out of the police station by their counselor.
As a result, none of the students from the two classes dared to make a sound, and they obediently distinguished themselves from the other class.
As the class monitor, Yun Ci didn’t realize his classmates had so many thoughts. He was satisfied with the class order, looking at his prepared notes and focusing on the key points he hadn’t fully remembered last night.
On the podium, the Legal History professor, probably having heard some gossip about the two classes, couldn’t help but digress: “I heard that some of our students are very righteous.”
“Reporting extortion to the police immediately is the right thing to do, but your subsequent actions… there’s no need to gather so many people, mass gatherings can disrupt social order.” As he spoke, the Legal History professor called out, “What do the two involved parties think?”
This matter wasn’t going away.
Yun Ci wanted to bury his head in his textbook. He stood up with a cold face and responded briefly, but being called out like this made the tips of his ears slightly red.
Yu Xun was much more straightforward: “I’ll be more mindful next time, and try to control the number of people.”
Legal History professor: “…It’s best if there is no next time.”
The whole class wanted to laugh but didn’t dare to.
Soon it was break time, and Yun Ci went to the hallway to take a call from Yan Yue.
Yan Yue had already heard the gist of what happened from Gao Pingyang. When the call connected, he didn’t speak immediately. The receiver was silent for a long time until Yun Ci broke the silence: “Dad.”
Yan Yue said, “A 1,200-word reflection; don’t just write it on paper, remember it in your heart.”
Yun Ci said “Oh” out loud, thinking that only people in their profession would take a student’s insincere reflection so seriously. Reflections are something students don’t even take seriously on paper, let alone remember in their hearts.
Due to the large number of people involved in this incident, Yan Yue didn’t just focus on him but also asked about Li Yan and Liu Zi.
After all, these two were also Director Yan’s students.
Especially Li Yan.
“When your Uncle Li entrusted A-Yan to me,” Yan Yue said, “I asked you to guide him more towards positive and healthy directions. Since you two have a good relationship, you should make progress together and study well.”
Yun Ci said, “He’s doing well academically.” Except for Chinese.
Sure enough, Yan Yue’s next sentence was: “Let him read more classic literature from home and abroad in his spare time to cultivate his literary talent.”
Yun Ci responded verbally, “Oh.”
His acquaintance with Li Yan was thanks to Yan Yue’s arrangement.
Li Yan’s father and Yan Yue were old acquaintances. When Li Yan got into West High, he was in his rebellious phase and started hanging out off-campus. Yan Yue arranged for them to be in the same class, thinking that peers would be easier to talk to.
When they first met, Li Yan was also quite defiant towards Yun Ci, the class monitor: “Who are you? Mind your own business.”
“I don’t want to meddle,” Yun Ci said, “I just want to observe.”
“To see the legendary Master Yan’s prowess outside school.”
As a result, Li Yan was quite mediocre outside school, trailing at the end of the group, completely unnoticed. He was angry and embarrassed: “I just joined, wait until I gain more experience, at least I can stand in the middle of the group!”
Yun Ci squatted next to him: “I’m not doubting your ability.”
Li Yan: “?”
Yun Ci: “I just think this group isn’t that great. You’re overqualified to follow them.”
Li Yan stroked his chin, and after a while, acknowledged this view: “There’s some truth in that, I’ll withdraw first.”
Li Yan didn’t really want to learn bad things; he was just rebelling. With Yun Ci pulling him, he went along with it.
Later on, Li Yan often expressed his amazement to him: “I really admire you, Yan Yue controls you so much, and you’ve never thought of rebelling?”
“…”
After hanging up the phone, Yun Ci went to the vending machine to buy a bottle of water, then wandered back to the classroom.
When he had nothing to do, he would browse his Moments, checking the latest updates from Li Yan and some old classmates.
The first thing that came up was from Li Yan.
His Moments revealed a state of extreme mental instability: Early morning class every day, early morning class every day, I can’t take this early morning class anymore.
Yun Ci casually gave it a like, then continued to scroll down.
After scrolling through a few posts, the page stopped on a certain black profile picture.
The person with the black profile picture had just posted a new update: [Injured my right hand, how am I supposed to take notes?]
Below, they had even seriously attached a picture.
In the picture, the person’s bandaged hand was struggling to hold a pen, and the notebook on the desk was completely blank.
…
The appearance of this black profile picture was so abrupt.
He almost forgot that he had added Yu Xun as a WeChat friend.
Yun Ci lingered on this post for a few seconds, then, driven by an instinctive overreaction, he reflexively closed WeChat.
However, even after closing WeChat, that photo lingered in his mind.
He couldn’t help but think that this person was injured because of him.
During the break between classes, just before the next session started.
The students who had gone out gradually returned to the classroom.
All the students from Class 1 were neatly seated on their side, watching as the class monitor from Class 2, with a cold expression, crossed the “38th parallel” in the middle and walked into their area.
He was holding something in his hand.
Some people buried their heads, sending private messages to each other.
[?]
[Did anyone see what it was?]
[A challenge letter, maybe.]
[That challenge letter is densely packed with words, can’t see clearly.]
[Maybe a few words aren’t enough to express the hatred between them.]
[…]
Yu Xun was sitting in the back row, separated from the rest of the class.
Yun Ci walked to the last row, standing above Yu Xun with a posture that made it seem like he was looking for trouble—this stance was very similar to when he had thrown down his report card back in their first year of high school.
—”Slap.”
But this time, what he threw in front of Yu Xun was a neatly written class notebook.
“Just finished writing it,” Yun Ci said after throwing down the notebook, explaining in a “take it or leave it” tone, “Suddenly don’t like this notebook anymore, don’t want it.”
Yu Xun picked up the notebook with one hand and flipped through it. He stayed on each page for a long time, seemingly reading it very carefully.
Then, in a very unserious tone, he said, “…No problem, I think it looks pretty good. A gift for me?”
Yun Ci pressed his lips together: “I don’t want it anymore.”
He insisted, “Not giving it to you.”
Yu Xun replied with an “Oh”: “Then it’s a gift for me.”
“…”
Damn it.
This guy doesn’t understand human language.
Yun Ci didn’t want to say any more.
Anyway, the notebook was delivered, so they were even. No one owed anything.
Just as Yun Ci was about to turn and leave, Yu Xun’s lazy voice rang out again: “But I still have some personal opinions and notes to add during the lecture. It’s inconvenient for me to hold a pen, so I need someone to help me write them down—don’t know if any kind-hearted person would be willing to help me out.”
That kind-hearted person couldn’t possibly be him.
…
Thinking this, Yun Ci’s turning motion somehow stopped.
The bell rang for the next class.
The second half of the session began, and the Legal History professor returned to the classroom with a water cup.
He looked down at his course materials, found the page he hadn’t finished in the previous class, and when he looked up again, he noticed that the two students who had been sitting on opposite sides of the classroom were now sitting together.
The Legal History professor looked once, then again.
He began the lecture formally, but after saying a few words, he couldn’t resist glancing over again.
Yun Ci, feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles: “…”
“Ahem,” the Legal History professor pulled his wandering thoughts back, “Okay, let’s continue. We mentioned the large-scale legal reforms in the late Qing Dynasty, which were actually a passive choice driven by the times.”
“The background and guiding principles of the constitutional preparations…”
This was all content Yun Ci had reviewed the night before, so it went in one ear and out the other.
Two notebooks lay open in front of Yun Ci.
Whenever the professor marked something on the course materials, Yun Ci would copy it down carefully in one notebook, then the other.
One of the notebooks was Yu Xun’s.
The previous page still had Yu Xun’s handwriting—sharp and messy.
This guy kept his notes very concise, often condensing a long sentence into three or four words. If Yun Ci hadn’t been familiar with the previous knowledge points, he wouldn’t be able to understand what subject the owner of this notebook was studying even if he picked it up on the street.
The seats in a university classroom aren’t like those in high school, where two seats are together and each pair is separated. The large lecture hall seats are like those in a conference room, with no gaps between long rows.
It was the first time he sat next to Yu Xun.
In high school, they were in different classes, and the first and seventh classes weren’t even in the same building.
He never would have imagined that he and Yu Xun would be like this someday.
The Legal History professor continued the lecture, moving on to the second section.
Yu Xun tapped the table with his pen, reminding Yun Ci: “Write this down.”
Yun Ci tapped the notebook in front of him with his pen in response: “I’ve written it, check for yourself if you’re not blind.”
Yu Xun: “I also want to add a personal comment.”
Yun Ci: “Speak.”
Spit it out quickly.
Yu Xun directed: “Here, in this blank space, add a note.”
“‘This teacher is pretty good.'”
Yun Ci: “…”
Yu Xun continued: “And here, add a note saying, ‘This section is simple, easy to remember.'”
“And here, write, ‘This point is unlikely to be tested, probably useless to remember.'”
Yun Ci: “…”
So these are your so-called opinions and notes.
Why didn’t he just walk away earlier?
After a long time, Yun Ci gritted his teeth and asked: “Do you have any more nonsense to write?”
Yu Xun, perhaps for the convenience of directing him, propped his chin with one hand, tilted his head, and instead of looking at the projector, he kept his gaze fixed on Yun Ci.
Upon hearing this, he thought for a moment and said, “There’s one more thing.”
Yun Ci instinctively felt it wouldn’t be anything good.
Sure enough, Yu Xun, twirling his pen, casually said, “2023.9.23, 10:25 AM, Xiao Ci.”
What the hell kind of annotation was that?
Yun Ci almost snapped his pen in frustration.
Meanwhile.
During their note-taking session, both classes, Class 1 and Class 2, were collectively distracted, secretly playing with their phones and chatting privately.
After a whole class on Legal History, they hadn’t retained any knowledge points.
[They’re sitting together, what do you think?]
[You call that sitting together?]
[What would you call it then?]
[I think it’s more like they didn’t finish arguing during the break and continued their confrontation during class.]
[… +1]
[Nodding hard.]
[…]
–
After class, Yun Ci went straight to Li Yan’s dormitory with his textbooks.
Li Yan was already used to his uncle’s”seeking refuge” behavior.
He didn’t have any classes in the morning and was gaming in the dormitory: “Treat my dorm as your second home, make yourself comfortable. If you want to sleep, you can choose between my bed and Zhou Wenyu’s. You’ve been here so many times, I’m not going to entertain you.”
Zhou Wenyu, who was busy with homework nearby, expertly shifted a bit and added, “I had class the day of the fight, otherwise, I’d have been there to back you up.”
Yun Ci, sitting at the corner of the long table, turned even darker at the mention of this.
“It’s over,” Yun Ci finally said, “Don’t bring it up again.”
Zhou Wenyu and Li Yan exchanged glances.
They both saw the same thought in each other’s eyes: true deep-seated hatred is when, after a fierce fight, neither side wants to mention it again.
Li Yan mimed zipping his lips: “Got it, I’ll shut up.”
Yun Ci glanced at him and changed the topic: “Gaming?”
Li Yan: “Yep.”
His fingers quickly tapped the keyboard, shooting at the targets. The kill notification appeared on the screen.
Li Yan continued, “Still the same old game, Infinite Glory. Back in high school, we were restricted and could only sneak in a few games at internet cafes. Now that we’re in college, we can play to our heart’s content.”
As he spoke, he remembered something and asked without looking up, “By the way, did you recover your game account?”
“…”
After Li Yan asked, he received silence.
He had just finished a round and looked up, noticing his uncle’s inexplicably darkened face again.
Yun Ci spent the entire afternoon in their dorm, finishing his homework and even downloading a new mobile game to play.
After playing a couple of rounds, he habitually opened WeChat.
He glanced at it, but there were no unread messages from a certain black profile picture.
At this time, he was probably working.
…
Yun Ci paused, thinking, what does it matter what he’s doing?
He casually clicked into Moments.
Sure enough, the black profile picture was at the top of his friends’ latest updates.
[How to tie a bandage].
The format was the same as the morning post, simple and pointed, with a picture of a hand. The background was a dessert shop, focusing on a half-unwrapped bandage.
Yun Ci: “…”
…Has he always posted like this?
These two Moments were very clean. He didn’t know Yu Xun’s friends, and they had no mutual friends, so he couldn’t see any comments or likes from others, nor did he know their opinions and attitudes towards Yu Xun’s behavior.
Yun Ci put down his phone and five minutes later, suddenly stood up and said to Li Yan, “I’m heading back.”
Dorm 608 was bustling.
Luo Sifang was boosting Peng Yiyuan’s rank: “You should have told me earlier, Master Peng. There’s no need for you to go to an internet cafe just because your computer hasn’t arrived, and get extorted by thugs. If you want to rank up, just come to me…”
Peng Yiyuan, without his glasses, having skipped classes during the day and with messy hair from sleeping, lazily said, “I’ll treat you to dinner.”
Luo Sifang: “I want beef noodles.”
Peng Yiyuan: “Sure, my treat.”
Luo Sifang: “That’s more like it, Master Peng! Having money really makes a difference!”
Yun Ci pushed the door open and entered. Yu Xun’s seat was empty; he hadn’t returned yet.
He pulled a chair opposite Yu Xun’s bed, took out a book titled *College English CET-4 and CET-6 Vocabulary*, and started studying. Luo Sifang and Peng Yiyuan glanced at him while gaming, feeling a bit pressured.
This pressure lasted until lights out.
Recently, Yu-ge had been working late, often sneaking back after curfew. Except for Yu Xun, everyone else had finished their nightly routines and gone to bed. Luo Sifang, lying in bed, watched as Yun Ci took out a USB lamp without a shade and continued studying.
“…” Luo Sifang couldn’t help but poke his head out from under the covers and asked, “Aren’t you going to sleep, Ci-ge?”
Yun Ci glanced at Yu Xun’s bed.
Luo Sifang noticed the glance and, barely believing it himself, asked, “You can’t be waiting for—”
Yun Ci flipped a page in his vocabulary book and interrupted, “I’m preparing for the CET-4 and CET-6.”
Luo Sifang: “…”
You’re preparing a bit early, aren’t you?
Regardless, Yun Ci managed to hold on with that excuse until one in the morning.
The other roommates had all fallen asleep one by one, and he was half-heartedly memorizing vocabulary until he heard the dormitory door lock click.
The weather had turned cooler, and the person who entered seemed to bring a bit of the night’s chill with them. Yun Ci looked up and saw Yu Xun, who had just come back from work and climbed over the wall.
Yu Xun gently closed the dormitory door, and just as he turned around, he was blocked by Yun Ci.
Yun Ci, with a cold face, held a roll of bandages and said, “Give me your hand.”
Yu Xun, just like last time, extended his hand to him.
In the moment when the lights were off and he couldn’t clearly see Yu Xun’s expression, Yun Ci seemed to catch a hint of “compliance” from this person.
It seemed like no matter what he said, this person would comply.
“Change the bandage.”
Doing this kind of thing, even for the second time, still felt awkward and uncomfortable.
The second time he applied medicine to Yu Xun’s wound didn’t feel much better than the first.
Yu Xun let him remove the bandage, but just as Yun Ci was about to finish applying the medicine, Yu Xun suddenly asked, “Staying up this late, were you waiting for me?”
Yun Ci screwed the lid back on the disinfectant bottle. “Can’t you see that vocabulary book?”
“…”
“I’m preparing for exams.”
–
Before sleeping, Yun Ci closed his eyes and heard faint sounds from the lower bunk.
Rustling noises.
It sounded like Yu Xun was changing clothes after washing up.
The sound of a jacket zipper being pulled down, then the sound of a belt being undone, the rustling of putting on clothes, and finally, the sound of the blanket being lifted.
Yun Ci pulled his own blanket over his ears.
The sounds were gone, but the events of the day replayed in his mind.
Unable to sleep, he opened his phone under the covers and, against his better judgment, checked Moments again.
At this hour, there weren’t many updates from friends.
But among the few, there was one from the black profile picture.
yx: [My hand is injured. How will I buy food in the cafeteria tomorrow?]
Yun Ci: “…”
Does this person use Moments just to post this kind of stuff? Do any friends actually want to see this???
Just then, Li Yan sent him a private message.
Li Yan: [Are you asleep?]
Yun Ci: [No]
Li Yan: [What are you doing?]
For the third time, Yun Ci used the somewhat absurd excuse: [Studying vocabulary, preparing for the CET-4 and CET-6 exams.]
Li Yan: […You’re crazy.]
After a brief exchange, Li Yan got to the point: [I’m rushing to finish my assignments. I can’t complete them on time. Do you think you could cross disciplines and help me write some?]
Yun Ci: [I think you’re dreaming]
After a while, Yun Ci sent Li Yan a screenshot. The screenshot showed the option “No longer see his/her Moments.”
Yun Ci: [Will this block Moments?]
Li Yan replied a few minutes later: [?]
Li Yan: [Yes. But who are you blocking?]
Li Yan: [Normally, you wouldn’t block anyone. It’s not like you. When we first met, I was in my rebellious phase, posting 800 Moments a day. You were exasperated but never thought of blocking me.]
…
Li Yan’s rebellious phase Moments were indeed quite rebellious.
Constantly heartbroken at midnight, feeling like the world was against him.
Every time Yun Ci saw them, he couldn’t help but frown.
Li Yan, impressed with his own understanding of Yun Ci: [The only person who could make you block them wouldn’t have the surname Yu, right?]
Yun Ci didn’t want to talk about this, so he didn’t reply.
But after a while.
Li Yan sent another message: [That doesn’t make sense.]
[He hasn’t posted any Moments in the past couple of days. What are you blocking? Preventative measures?]
Yun Ci: [?]
What do you mean he hasn’t posted?
Li Yan sent a screenshot. In the screenshot, the black profile picture’s Moments were completely empty: [I added him as a friend a while ago, I forgot why. I think it was for a school event Mr. Yan organized. Anyway, I’ve never seen him post any Moments.]
Looking at the screenshot, Yun Ci finally realized.
There’s a setting on Moments called “Only visible to specific people.”
For every Ko-fi received for a perticular novel, I will release a new chapter!
THE [ONLY VISIBLE TO SPECIFIC PEOPLE] CLASSIC HAHAHAHA – I’m deeeeaaad