Even at eleven o’clock on a Friday night, there were still many people at the school gates, with a few cars parked sporadically along the roadside. It had just rained, leaving the road muddy and covered with autumn leaves. The rain added to the desolate atmosphere. Some people hurried past, clutching their textbooks, while others were returning from dinner gatherings, trailing in loose groups. They crossed the street from the opposite side, having just finished their meals. It happened to be a group from the Humanities College. Spotting someone standing by the flower bed, they greeted him, “Lu Zhou, what are you doing here?”
Chen Lu Zhou had his hands in his pockets, still wearing the black baseball jacket from his kiss with Xu Zhi in the stairwell earlier. The sleeves were white, and he wore gray sweatpants with a pair of black co-branded shoes. He was chewing on a piece of candy, using his toe to grind a carelessly discarded cigarette butt on the ground, trying to kick it toward the trash can. When he heard someone call his name, he instinctively looked up and saw a few guys from the neighboring class. They weren’t close, but he could recognize them as people from his college, and he could even name one or two of them. They had been playing basketball together recently. Still grinding the cigarette butt with his foot, he said, “Waiting for a friend. Your class had another dinner gathering?”
A few of the male students stopped to chat with him while smoking by the roadside. One of them, with dyed yellow hair, was taking out a lighter from his pocket to pass to the others while talking to Chen Lu Zhou, “We were just talking about you.”
“About me?” Chen Lu Zhou was still kicking the cigarette butt.
“Yeah, about you and Xu Zhi, that beauty from the Architecture Department. You two seem pretty close?”
At that moment, Chen Lu Zhou frowned slightly. He didn’t like discussing Xu Zhi with others, especially with a group of people he barely knew. So, he casually replied, “Mm, we knew each other before. Why, are there rumors about us?”
The guy laughed, taking a drag of his cigarette with a meaningful look, “No, we were just chatting. We’re worried our department’s handsome guy might get snatched away.”
Chen Lu Zhou glanced at him sideways, his tone light, “Come on, you’re probably more worried about her being snatched away by me.”
The other guy gave a dry laugh, “To be honest, we bet you might not be able to win her over. She had a boyfriend in high school, and I heard she still hasn’t forgotten him. Someone tried to pursue her before, but she said she had dated in high school and didn’t want to be in a relationship for now.”
Chen Lu Zhou’s face showed no extra expression, he just looked at him calmly, “High school? She said that?”
The other guy exhaled smoke rings and said with a smile, “Why would I lie to you?”
Chen Lu Zhou gave a noncommittal “oh,” and just then, a taxi slowly pulled up across the street. He thought it might be Zhu Yang Qi and casually glanced in that direction.
But the person who got out of the taxi was someone he never expected to see here.
The person was wearing a backpack, and after getting out of the car, he looked around with a confused expression, then lowered his head to send a message on his phone. If nerdy-looking students wearing glasses and white shirts were commonplace at this university, Chen Lu Zhou might have thought it was just someone who looked similar. But seeing that newcomer look of waiting for someone to pick him up, he was somewhat certain it was him.
Moreover, Tan Xu had a special aura about him. He was probably about 180 cm tall, thin but very pale, with lips that always looked pale and weak, giving the impression that he was worn out and that everyone owed him something. Even the taxi driver seemed to wonder if he had overcharged him, constantly checking the meter.
Seeing that Chen Lu Zhou hadn’t spoken for a while, the guys from the neighboring class didn’t say anything more. They told Chen Lu Zhou they were leaving and went inside.
Chen Lu Zhou didn’t leave either. He stood on the edge of the nearby flower bed, hands in his pockets, occasionally tapping his toe on the ground. His fingers in his pocket kept pressing the lock button, causing the phone in his pocket to light up and dim repeatedly. His eyes were somewhat unfocused as he stared at the ground, wondering who Tan Xu had come to see. He mostly had an answer in his mind; Tan Xu didn’t have any other classmates here.
So when he saw Xu Zhi come out wearing glasses and without makeup, he wasn’t too surprised or surprised. He just couldn’t help but let out a cold chuckle in his heart. Had she finished her structural drawing assignment? Why was she out so late at night to have a meal with someone?
After the two left, Chen Lu Zhou waited for another ten minutes before Zhu Yang Qi finally arrived in a hurry. He rushed out of a taxi, and Chen Lu Zhou, lost in thought, was looking down at his phone. Hearing rapid footsteps, he guessed it was probably Zhu Yang Qi. He locked his phone and jumped down from the edge of the flower bed. Just as he was looking up, he saw a large black shadow lunging towards him diagonally. He didn’t have time to dodge, and a solid punch landed squarely on his chin.
He inhaled sharply in pain, nearly losing his balance. Luckily, his reflexes were quick. With one hand covering his chin and the other grabbing the person’s shoulder, he barely managed to stay on his feet. Looking up, it was Zhu Yang Qi.
“Damn, can’t you watch where you’re hitting?” Chen Lu Zhou gritted his teeth, rarely cursing.
Zhu Yang Qi was also stunned. He had meant to hit Chen Lu Zhou’s chest but didn’t expect him to jump down from the flower bed at that moment. His fist had gone off course and caught his chin instead.
“Shit, why are your reflexes so slow today?” Zhu Yang Qi was also confused. Chen Lu Zhou used to react much faster than this. “What were you thinking about just now?”
Chen Lu Zhou was covering his chin, tilting his head back, and hissing in pain. His hand was still gripping Zhu Yang Qi’s shoulder, which felt as hard as a rock. Still tilting his head back, he gave Zhu Yang Qi a cool glance, “Been working out?”
Zhu Yang Qi had grown even bigger since National Day, his body now full of muscle. He looked like one of those fitness trainers who handed out cards on the street. But he didn’t bother to show off his biceps to Chen Lu Zhou. “Is your face okay? If it scars, Xu Zhi will kill me.”
Chen Lu Zhou lowered his hand, opening and closing his jaw a couple of times. Fortunately, it wasn’t dislocated. After the intense pain subsided, there was still a slight, lingering ache. But he didn’t pay much attention to it, putting his hands back in his pockets and laughing coldly, “Come on, does she even care about me now?”
Zhu Yang Qi looked at that familiar handsome face, and his worried heart finally settled back in his stomach. He let out a long sigh of relief, “Good, no scar.” Looking closer, there seemed to be a small cut at the corner of his mouth. “Want to go to the pharmacy and get some Band-Aids?”
“Forget it,” Chen Lu Zhou mumbled, brushing off his hand. “How did you know I came to Beijing? Did Xu Zhi tell you?”
Zhu Yang Qi said, “I have a former classmate in the Fine Arts College at your school. He only recently found out you were here. He thought I knew, otherwise he wouldn’t have just told me. You two are too much, you’ve been here so long without contacting me? What’s that about?”
As Chen Lu Zhou walked with him towards the traffic light intersection, intending to grab a bite to eat across the street, he finally said, “Too many things going on. I was planning to invite you for a meal this weekend. We have midterms coming up soon, and I’ve been busy catching up on previous courses. She’s been forced to pull all-nighters by her major course professors lately. We barely have time to see each other, let alone meet up with you. I thought we’d contact you after we get through this busy period.”
Zhu Yang Qi punched him again, “Couldn’t you have told me on WeChat first?”
“Wanted to surprise you,” Chen Lu Zhou glanced at him, finally giving a faint smile. A shared bicycle was lying on its side at the intersection, and he bent down to straighten it up. “I didn’t tell her before I came either. She’s still a bit angry about it. I just managed to cheer her up, didn’t have time to think about you.”
Zhu Yang Qi: “…You dog.”
At this hour, only a few late-night eateries near the school were still open. Chen Lu Zhou had just seen Xu Zhi and Tan Xu enter the one next door, so he turned towards another barbecue stall. As soon as they sat down, Zhu Yang Qi couldn’t wait to ask, “From what you said earlier, did you fight with Xu Zhi?”
Chen Lu Zhou sat down and casually tossed the menu on the table to Zhu Yang Qi. Then he leaned back in his chair lazily, looking at the street scene outside with a calm expression, “Tan Xu is here. Xu Zhi is having dinner with him.”
Zhu Yang Qi scanned the QR code on the table, comparing it with the food menu while clicking his tongue, “I was about to suggest calling Xu Zhi out. Where are they eating? Should we go join their table?”
“Don’t go looking for trouble,” Chen Lu Zhou said, his eyes coolly fixed on the outside.
Zhu Yang Qi glanced at him, seeing him suddenly throw out another sentence, “It’s normal for her to have a meal with an old classmate who’s come to Beijing.”
Zhu Yang Qi: “What’s not normal is, shouldn’t Tan Xu be retaking his exams? Why did he suddenly come to Beijing? And why to your A University? He can’t be here for tourism, right? Isn’t the answer obvious? He’s here to find Xu Zhi.”
“So what? He’s a high school senior, and his future is uncertain. With his psychological state, it’s questionable whether he can even get into our school next year. What’s he coming to find Xu Zhi for? To make empty promises? I should donate some cilantro to him, Xu Zhi likes to eat that.” Chen Lu Zhou tossed his phone on the table, speaking indifferently.
Just then, the waiter brought a cold dish, blanched okra, but forgot to bring vinegar. “Just a moment, I’ll get some for you.”
“No need, I’ll just dip it in his,” Zhu Yang Qi said.
Chen Lu Zhou: “…”
The waiter looked at Zhu Yang Qi in shock.
Zhu Yang Qi laughed, raising his chopsticks, “Just kidding, please go get it.” After saying this, he looked at the person across from him. He glanced around and realized that there wasn’t a single person who could compare. His buddy was still handsome enough to stand out, even though he was dressed like an idiot. Why wear a baseball jacket? He always liked to dress like an athlete. But those girls seemed to have gone blind, their eyes constantly darting towards him. So, Zhu Yang Qi threw out a random comment, “Why do I feel like you’ve gotten even more handsome? You seem even more attractive than during the summer vacation. But honestly, I really can’t compliment your fashion sense. Can’t you wear a white shirt, bro? With such a good figure, why don’t you wear shirts? Why always so casual?”
Similarly, Chen Lu Zhou couldn’t agree with Zhu Yang Qi’s fashion sense either. He always dressed so flashy, like a Christmas tree, covered in trinkets. When he walked, he was like a dog, you didn’t even need to look up to know he was coming, just from the sound of all his jingly accessories. Chen Lu Zhou smirked, “You want me to imitate Tan Xu? He’s the only one who wears white shirts all the time.”
“It’s not like he’s the only one who can wear white shirts. Suits and shirts are the standard outfit for hunks, you know. I don’t know if it’s because your aesthetic standards have been spoiled since childhood or what, but the campus heartthrobs at our school are just so-so. Do you know what my Fine Arts classmate said? He said, ‘I never thought the high school heartthrob was Chen Lu Zhou, and damn it, in university, the heartthrob is still Chen Lu Zhou. My mom has changed twice, but the heartthrob is still fucking Chen Lu Zhou.'”
Chen Lu Zhou: “…”
The restaurant was quite crowded, with people gathered around several tables. The aroma of hot food permeated the entire place, and the youthful faces couldn’t help but remind Zhu Yang Qi of that summer vacation. The only difference was that instead of the Qing Yi dialect, the air was filled with authentic Beijing accents mixed with various regional dialects.
The two continued to chat on and off for a while.
“Are there a lot of Beijing locals at your school?”
“It’s okay.”
Zhu Yang Qi sighed and asked again, “How’s your relationship with your dormmates? We have two idiots in our dorm who argue all the time. I really can’t stand it anymore. One of these idiots is something else. He looks decent, but whenever a girl shows interest in him, he posts her photo in the dorm group chat and keeps critiquing her. Then, as soon as the lights are out, he starts talking about the beauties at school.”
The university is quite different from high school. In high school, discussions about girls tend to be more innocent, purely about feelings. But in university, when guys talk about girls, it often gets a bit raunchy. It usually boils down to asking those few questions, and some guys even use these things as bragging rights, showing their roommates photos of themselves in bed with their girlfriends. It’s not exactly explicit, but it’s always uncomfortable. Chen Lu Zhou and Li Ke had encountered this a few times while playing Werewolf in the dorm, which is why Chen Lu Zhou doesn’t like discussing Xu Zhi with others.
Finally, Zhu Yang Qi couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked, “I asked you on WeChat earlier, and you said there was a bit of an emergency at home. What exactly happened at your home?”
Chen Lu Zhou replied, “They got divorced. The divorce case dragged on for over two months. Chen Xing Qi was taken by him. I’ve established a separate household registration, not following either of them.”
Zhu Yang Qi was dumbfounded, his mouth gaping wide enough to fit a duck egg. He remained speechless for a long while, afraid to ask more and add to Chen Lu Zhou’s troubles, especially since he was already in a bad mood at tonight. After a long pause, he clicked his tongue and only said something inconsequential, “Well, he won’t be able to qualify for the Model Entrepreneur award next year then.”
Chen Lu Zhou smiled faintly, unmoved. “…You’re not as funny as your classmate.”
Zhu Yang Qi, looking at the groups of students passing by outside the window, suddenly said, “How about I squeeze into your dorm room tonight?”
Chen Lu Zhou took a sip of his drink, “Let’s not. My dorm bed is barely big enough for me now. I’ll book you a hotel room instead.”
Zhu Yang Qi looked at their bodies – he was broad, while Chen Lu Zhou was tall and lean. Indeed, he was now quite bulky. Pushing his luck, he said, “Then get me a presidential suite.”
“Suite your ass,” Chen Lu Zhou cursed with a laugh, lazily standing up to go pay the bill. “Honestly, given my current situation, if you were a true bro, you’d roll out a sleeping mat on a park bench for the night.”
“Bah.”
In the end, Chen Lu Zhou booked a standard room. He didn’t leave either, just slept for a while in the hotel. By then it was almost 4 AM, with the sky showing faint signs of dawn. Half-asleep, Chen Lu Zhou heard Zhu Yang Qi still talking about his miserable college life. Feeling somewhat lifeless, he turned his head to look at Zhu Yang Qi, whose eyes were red from lack of sleep. Zhu Yang Qi immediately shut up, “Alright, let’s sleep.”
Later, Zhu Yang Qi thought it must be around 7 or 8 AM, but the sky outside was still dark. He heard someone rustling about, getting up, and asked groggily, “What time is it?”
Chen Lu Zhou was leaning against the headboard with his eyes closed, trying to wake up. This feeling was the worst – finally falling asleep only to be forcefully awakened by his biological clock. He leaned there for a while, then reached for his jacket and put it on. His voice was hoarse from lack of sleep: “Five o’clock.”
Zhu Yang Qi was also in a daze, his hand on his head: “Are your school’s early classes always this early? But it’s Saturday today.”
Chen Lu Zhou got out of bed, bending over to put on his shoes while sitting on the edge of the bed, his face almost touching his knees. His voice became clearer as he spoke methodically, “I’m going back to have breakfast with her. I’ll catch up on some sleep in the dorm later. If you’re still around when I wake up, entertain yourself for a while. I have a basketball game this afternoon. If you want to watch, I’ll ask Xu Zhi to come pick you up. It’s a bit troublesome to get in and out of the school without a student card.”
Zhu Yang Qi heard this in fragments and drifted back to sleep.
*
But Xu Zhi overslept. After having a late-night snack with Tan Xu last night, she returned to her dorm and pulled an all-nighter to work on a new round of structural drawing assignments. Because Chen Lu Zhou’s department had a basketball game this afternoon, Xu Zhi figured she wouldn’t have time to work on assignments today. She also had to go to the suburbs for aerial photography on Sunday, so she didn’t sleep until nearly 3 or 4 AM. When she woke up, it was already 7 or 8 AM. She immediately grabbed her phone from under her pillow and sent a WeChat message to Chen Lu Zhou.
Xu Zhi: Have you had breakfast?
Xu Zhi: What time is the basketball game this afternoon?
Chen Lu Zhou didn’t reply at all. Xu Zhi got up, had a cup of coffee, and continued working on her drawings. Near noon, she sent him another message: ??? Bro?
Xu Gong Zhu, who had been pushed by Xu Zhi’s intense work ethic, groggily climbed out of bed. As she held onto the ladder while climbing down, she complained to Xu Zhi, “Now all I can think about is what our structural drawing professor said. Your horizontal lines should give a sense of calmness, vertical lines should be upright and solemn, and curves should be elegant. How are we supposed to express these concepts? Last night, I even dreamed that her comment on my structural drawing assignment was, ‘You drew very well, please don’t draw again next time.’ I can’t take it anymore. I need to change my major next year. I really can’t handle pulling all-nighters like this every day.”
A WeChat message came in, but it wasn’t from Chen Lu Zhou.
Xu Zhi looked at her phone and sighed.
Xu Gong Zhu, who had just gotten out of bed and put on her slippers, asked, “What’s wrong? Fought with the campus heartthrob Chen?”
“No,” Xu Zhi said. She was wearing her pajamas with a rabbit-ear headband in her hair. Her face was bare, clean, and delicate. She turned her round eyes to look at Xu Gong Zhu, her elbow resting on the back of the chair, twirling a paintbrush in her hand. After pondering for a moment, she said, “Gong Zhu, can you help me with something? I have a friend coming over—”
Xu Gong Zhu: “Is it that you can’t make it to Chen Lu Zhou’s basketball game this afternoon? Want me to go and cheer for you?”
Xu Zhi: “No, it’s not that. This friend of mine is retaking the college entrance exam. He didn’t do well this year and wants to try for our school next year. He says he’s been having trouble focusing on his studies lately and wants to visit our school for some motivation. He’d like to look around during the day. I have to be with Chen Lu Zhou in the afternoon, so could you show him around campus for me?”
Xu Gong Zhu said disappointedly, “But I wanted to watch the handsome guys play basketball.”
Xu Zhi said, “I want to watch my boyfriend play basketball too.”
Xu Gong Zhu’s eyes widened in shock: “…Damn, you two are together? I thought he was still pursuing you?”
Xu Zhi made a sound of agreement, “I’m planning to tell him after the game. But he hasn’t been replying to my messages all day. Do you know what time their game starts this afternoon?”
Just as she finished speaking, Liu Yi Si returned from the library and hung her bag on a chair. “The basketball game? It’s at 3 PM, I think. But when I was coming back, I saw Chen Lu Zhou leaving the dormitory building with Zhao Tian Qi and the others. They’re probably heading to the basketball court.”
By about 1:30 PM, Chen Lu Zhou still hadn’t replied to her messages. Xu Zhi changed her clothes and prepared to go downstairs. At this time, the basketball court wasn’t too crowded yet. There were small groups of people gathered around, including quite a few girls in short skirts, probably from the Humanities College, acting all serious as if they were basketball cheerleaders.
The weather in Beijing was indeed dry. Although it had rained yesterday, the court was completely dry now. However, it was an overcast day without sun, so the whole area looked a bit dirty. The referee’s equipment wasn’t set up yet, and just a few boys were warming up on the court. Three or four basketballs were bouncing off the rim one after another, with occasional girls joining in. The scene was very casual, truly a departmental basketball game.
Chen Lu Zhou was leaning against the basketball hoop, chatting with someone. When Xu Zhi entered, the person chatting with him seemed to recognize that they were from the same province and gave him a meaningful look. Chen Lu Zhou turned to look at her. Their eyes met in that bustling crowd, a calm exchange lasting about five seconds. Chen Lu Zhou turned back nonchalantly, his gaze indifferently scanning the court for a few seconds before lowering his head, lost in thought. After about a few more seconds, he lazily straightened up from the basketball hoop, casually bending down to pick up a bottle of water from the box next to the hoop. He unscrewed the cap as he walked towards her.
Chen Lu Zhou opened the water and handed it to her, keeping the cap in his hand. “Up quite early, aren’t you?”
“Where’s your phone?” Xu Zhi asked.
“Charging in the dorm. It ran out of battery.”
“You don’t bring your phone when you play basketball?” Xu Zhi said, taking a sip of water.
Chen Lu Zhou laughed, spreading his arms, “Want to search me? I didn’t bring it. I slept outside with Zhu Yang Qi last night and didn’t have my charger. I just slept all morning when I got back and only plugged it in when I woke up.”
“Zhu Yang Qi is here?” Xu Zhi was surprised.
After she finished speaking, she handed the water back to him. Chen Lu Zhou screwed the cap back on and held it in his hand, making a sound of agreement. “I’ll go back for my phone later. He might look for me when he wakes up. Or you can send him a WeChat message, tell him we’re together, and he can find you directly.”
“When Zhu Yang Qi looks for you, you remember to get your phone. When I look for you, your phone is charging. Chen Lu Zhou, are you getting tired of me?”
“You have the nerve to say that,” he glanced down at her, speaking coolly. “If anyone’s getting tired, it’s you first.”
Xu Zhi suddenly stared at his face, not caring about the many eyes around them, and reached out to touch the corner of his mouth. “Don’t move. What happened to the corner of your mouth? Did Zhu Yang Qi hit you too excitedly?”
“You’re quite quick to notice,” Chen Lu Zhou turned his face slightly, not letting her touch him. “It’s nothing. He didn’t mean to. Do you know how to play basketball?”
Xu Zhi: “Not really.”
Chen Lu Zhou chuckled, “Can you shoot?”
“Mm-hmm.”
As they talked, they slowly walked to the edge of the basketball hoop. Only two or three people were warming up nearby.
Chen Lu Zhou casually tossed the water bottle onto the mat by the hoop, took off his black sports jacket, and whispered in her ear, “Let’s shoot ten baskets. If you win, I might consider that more exciting request of yours.”