As the last withered leaf trembled and detached from its branch, spiraling down to the ground, the second-year high school students completed their final qualifying exam subject.

Li Wu and Ran Feichi were in the same examination room. After turning in their papers, the two walked out comparing answers. Just as they stepped outside, they saw Gu Yan waiting in the hallway.

Ran Feichi, who had been chatting pleasantly just moments before, dropped a quick “I have something to do” and rushed straight to his girlfriend.

Gu Yan playfully swatted his arm while Ran Feichi beamed with joy, practically wagging an imaginary tail.

Li Wu stood motionless, his expression blank as he watched their retreating figures.

The surroundings were bitter cold. After a moment, he exhaled a white mist and descended the stairs alone.

Back in the dormitory, Li Wu unusually didn’t read. He took off his outer coat and school uniform, sat back on his bed, and listened to his MP3 player.

The young man leaned against the wall, plugged in his earphones, and isolated himself from the world.

Lately, he had been listening to these English works repeatedly until he knew them by heart, with some passages he could even recite from memory.

But there had been no opportunity to prove himself.

For nearly a month, Cen Jin had been overwhelmingly busy, each weekend only dropping him off at the community entrance before rushing back to work overtime at the company.

She returned late and rose late, and even though they shared the same space, they rarely crossed paths.

Their WeChat conversations were pitifully sparse, mostly about basic life and study matters, with casual chats few and far between.

This state was somewhat passive, but Li Wu understood that the distance between him and Cen Jin was vast, and he couldn’t deliberately draw closer. Excessive attention might make her suspicious.

It was too powerless.

After staying in this frustrated state for a while, he yanked off his earphones and decided to get down to read.

Cheng Rui and Lin Honglang entered the dormitory pushing and shoving each other, Lin Honglang expressing complete disdain while Cheng Rui grinned mischievously.

Cheng Rui looked up at the young man with one foot on the ladder: “Where are you going?”

Li Wu stepped down two rungs before athletically jumping off: “Where else? Reading.”

His tone was cold, causing Cheng Rui to look twice: “Did you not do well on the exam?”

“No,” Li Wu pulled out a chair and sat down.

Cheng Rui followed and pretended to massage his shoulders: “Then what’s wrong, dear customer~”

Li Wu remained silent for two seconds, shrugged trying to shake off his paws, but failed, only saying: “Nothing.”

The room temperature was already low, and Li Wu was like a refrigerator. Cheng Rui’s teeth chattered as he immediately changed the subject: “Where’s that bastard Ran Feichi?”

Lin Honglang, chewing gum and starting a game of King of Glory, didn’t look up: “Definitely off having fun with his girlfriend.”

“Oho―” Cheng Rui smirked wickedly, then mysteriously muttered: “Wonder how far they’ve gotten.”

Lin Honglang snorted: “At least kissed by now.”

“Ah!” Cheng Rui suddenly screamed sharply: “I can’t hear this! I can’t hear this! Pure innocent me can’t handle such things!”

Lin Honglang cursed: “What’s wrong with you, got rabies?”

Cheng Rui settled down again, adopting a young boy’s dreamy expression: “What do you think kissing a girl feels like?”

“Well…” Lin Honglang glanced at him sideways, curling his lips without speaking.

Cheng Rui knew exactly what he meant, also grinning foolishly.

Li Wu listened until he was thoroughly annoyed, his ears turning bright red.

Extremely irritated, he slammed his book shut with a bang, pulled on his school uniform, and walked out.

Cheng Rui heard the door close and turned around puzzled: “What’s wrong with him?”

Lin Honglang, still immersed in his recent triple kill, replied carelessly: “Who cares about him.”

Li Wu stayed at the track field until seven o’clock.

Until the sky turned heavy blue-black, with no curved moon or starlight visible.

He faced the surging cool wind, silently reciting vocabulary and sentence patterns while walking aimlessly round and around the rubber track as if this might filter out the restlessness within him.

But it was completely useless.

Li Wu pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen showing no message notifications, like looking at an empty room with four white walls. The bone-chilling wind penetrated his coat, only making him more frustrated with himself. Li Wu left the track field.

Back in the dormitory, he took a shower and brought a book back to read in bed.

Confirming his emotions wouldn’t settle, he actively sent Cen Jin a WeChat message: I finished my exams.

After tapping the screen and waiting for several minutes, there was a response. Li Wu hurriedly opened it to see just two words: Okay.

A moment later she asked another question: Are you on break?

Li Wu replied: No, still have class tomorrow.

Cen Jin: Mm, rest well tonight.

Those final four words were ending the conversation, Li Wu knew this all too well.

He tried to continue, and started typing: Are you still working overtime…

As he typed, his hand stopped. The young man stared at the blinking cursor for a while, then deleted all these words.

Nearly ten o’clock, and Ran Feichi hadn’t returned.

Cheng Rui sat cross-legged on his bed looking around: “Where’s Ran Feichi, why isn’t he back yet?”

Lin Honglang glanced at his phone: “No reply to messages, no answer to calls.”

Cheng Rui put on a serious face, no longer joking: “He wouldn’t have gone to get a room, would he?”

“He’s wearing his school uniform, which hotel would dare let him in.”

“There are places that don’t follow the rules though.”

“Let him be, every man has to have such a day.” Lin Honglang was unconcerned.

Just as he finished speaking, a loud male voice suddenly came from next door: “Room check! Is everyone here?”

“Shit? Surprise inspection today?” Cheng Rui broke into a cold sweat, quickly stuffing his phone under the covers: “Li Wu! Quick, turn off the lights!”

Li Wu looked up, not reacting for a moment.

“Hurry!” Cheng Rui urged frantically.

Only then did Li Wu lean toward the headboard, reaching out to snap all the switches off. The entire dormitory instantly became pitch black.

Through the wall, the inspection teacher’s voice was audible: “Everyone’s here, right… Mm, all of you get to bed early, there’s still class tomorrow.”

Then came scattered “Goodnight teacher,” “Goodbye teacher.”

Experiencing this for the first time, Li Wu sat motionless in place.

Lin Honglang leaned out halfway, whispering: “What are you sitting there for, put two pillows in Ran Feichi’s bed!”

Li Wu asked in a low voice: “This way we won’t be discovered?”

Lin Honglang said: “Leave it to fate, I used to get away with this when I went out to use internet cafes.”

The footsteps in the corridor drew closer.

Li Wu immediately got up, leaning over to take large steps toward Ran Feichi’s bed, just about to pull his pillow―

The door handle clicked, clearly too late now.

The hallway’s fluorescent light flooded in.

Along with it came the tall dark shadow in the doorframe.

“Is everyone here?” the male teacher demanded sternly, sweeping his flashlight around.

Li Wu quickly turned his face away, steadying his breath.

The teacher walked in, carefully surveying the whole scene.

The upper bunk near the door seemed unusual, with bedding and pillow still neatly folded. He became displeased: “Where’s the student who sleeps in this bed?”

He glanced at the bathroom, door open, pitch black, clearly no one there either.

Cheng Rui, who had been lying flat in terror for quite a while, sat up, rubbing his eyes and pretending to be drowsy: “Ah… good morning teacher.”

The male teacher was amused by him: “What morning,” then became serious again: “Whose bed is this? Where’s the person?”

The entire dormitory maintained a tense silence, with no one speaking.

“Speak up!” the teacher shouted again.

The situation allowed no time to think, Li Wu steadied his heart and reported his name in a deep voice: “Li Wu.”

Cheng Rui drew in a light breath but didn’t speak further.

In the darkness, the young man spoke clearly and firmly, having already decided to take the blame: “It’s Li Wu’s bed.”

The teacher raised his flashlight, comparing it with the resident student roster: “Li Wu from Class 10, Grade 2, right― do you all know where he went?”

The light fell on Li Wu, who remained motionless: “Don’t know.”

Lin Honglang helped with the lie: “He went home. He came back after finishing exams today saying his blanket was too thin and went home to get a blanket, he’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

The male teacher didn’t believe it, snorted coldly, made an X in his form, and gave a few more words of criticism, before leaving.

Only after the footsteps outside faded did Cheng Rui finally exhale, vigorously rubbing his arms: “Damn, damn, scared me to death, I still have goosebumps all over.”

Li Wu remained silent, returning to his side.

Cheng Rui watched his unhurried movements and began lavishing praise: “Li Wu, I’ve never seen anyone more righteous than you, are you a male Bodhisattva descended to earth? I think our dorm won’t need lights anymore, we can live successfully until graduation just on your holy light.”

“Behave yourself.” Lin Honglang coldly sneered.

Li Wu didn’t respond, just spread out his blanket and lay back down.

Cheng Rui was still curious about his thought process during those brief two minutes: “No really, Li Wu, what were you thinking? How did you decide to take the blame?”

Li Wu finally spoke: “I’m just one person.”

Cheng Rui understood – if Ran Feichi was caught, Gu Yan would likely be implicated too, they might become a pair of star-crossed lovers. Thinking of this, he grew increasingly impressed with this later-arriving roommate, pretending to sob: “I’m so moved, Li Wu, from now on you’re my idol.”

Li Wu ignored him.

But having never lived in the dormitory before, he didn’t understand the rules, so he turned and asked: “What happens next?”

Cheng Rui said: “Get criticized in the office, worst case they call your parents.”

“What?” Li Wu sat up abruptly.

“What’s wrong!”

Li Wu rubbed his head vigorously, but it was too late for regrets now.

―

Cen Jin returned home in the early hours, finishing her night routine close to 2 AM. She was exhausted and fell straight into deep sleep until woken by her pre-set alarm.

Cen Jin half-lifted her eyelids, wanting to check the time, but unexpectedly found two missed calls.

The caller ID clearly showed three characters: “Teacher Zhang.”

Exclamation marks filled her mind as Cen Jin immediately called back.

The call connected instantly, the tone imposing though not fierce: “Is this Li Wu’s guardian?”

“Yes, I’m…” Cen Jin couldn’t accurately define her position, hesitating two seconds before saying: “I’m his sister.”

“Li Wu didn’t return to the dormitory last night.”

“What?” Cen Jin was genuinely startled.

Old Ginger is spicier – the class teacher successfully caught her off guard: “So you didn’t know either?”

Cen Jin fell silent: “Mm.”

Teacher Zhang asked further: “So he didn’t come home, right.”

Cen Jin still responded “Mm,” having already exposed herself, there was no point trying to cover up. But she was also curious – why would Li Wu stay out all night, and where would he go if not in the dormitory?

The words “illegal internet cafe” began haunting Cen Jin’s mind.

“Come to school for a bit, talk to him, and pay more attention to the child usually, his previous growing environment was special too, I’m just worried one careless moment he’ll go down the wrong path,” Teacher Zhang sighed slightly, saying helplessly: “Today when I asked he wouldn’t tell me the truth either, I just don’t understand G…”

Cen Jin quickly tidied up, only applying light makeup, before rushing to Yi Zhong School.

On the way she accelerated several times, eager to know the truth, while also feeling angry – at herself, at Li Wu, both.

When she arrived at Yi Zhong, it was just after class, the corridors noisy as Cen Jin hurried along with her handbag.

The camel-colored coat wrapped her figure elegantly, and with her dominating aura of leveraging beauty, young boys and girls along the way instinctively made way for her, then whispered watching her departing figure.

The Grade 2 Teaching Group office was bright and clean.

Cen Jin immediately spotted Li Wu inside. The youth stood sideways, his upper body largely hidden by the green plants on the windowsill, his face showing no waves of emotion, sunlight warm and gentle, like a frame captured from a youth film.

― If only he wasn’t being punished by standing.

Cen Jin took a deep breath, and slowly calmed herself, before putting on a slight smile and entering.

Teacher Zhang noticed her first, waving: “Over here!”

Only then did the youth turn his face, the clear brightness in his eyes finally showing subtle turbulence.

“Teacher Zhang,” Cen Jin stopped beside Li Wu, gave him a fierce glare, and then smiled at the teacher: “Sorry to worry you.”

For some reason, this powerful glare seemed to hit Li Wu’s sweet spot.

He had to turn his face slightly, pressing his lips together to stop from smiling.

“Where did you go last night?” After apologizing to the teacher, she interrogated him: “Tell the teacher truthfully.”

Li Wu remained silent.

“Hey? Speak up.” Cen Jin grew annoyed, her tone sharpening.

Li Wu stayed quiet for a moment, then said: “Went home.”

Complete nonsense. But the youth’s gaze was steady, not wavering at all. Cen Jin almost believed him, couldn’t help pausing: “What time?”

“After finishing the exam,” Li Wu’s voice was steady, reasonable, and well-founded: “You were working overtime yesterday, you weren’t home when I went to sleep, then this morning you weren’t awake when I left for school, so you thought I never went back at all.”

Cen Jin was nearly led along, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly twice, suddenly backing down, unable to utter another word.

Their eyes met briefly, until the class bell rang sharply, finally waking Cen Jin from her daze.

She turned to ask the teacher: “Can I speak with him privately for a moment?”