Jiang Wen returned to the dorm; the main light was already off, only two desk lamps left on. He lifted the magazine Zhao Binlin had carelessly tossed aside and sat down in his own chair.

Zhao Binlin rolled over, poking his head down from the bed, whispering, “Xi Gaoyuan went with his girlfriend to the movies last night for the Avengers premiere, went to bed before nine tonight.”

Jiang Wen nodded.

“And you?”

“What about me.”

“What’d you do with Cheng Jiajia?”

“Studied in the classroom.”

“Playing it cool, keep it up.” Zhao Binlin’s face was written all over with mischief, like some kind of instigator. “You gotta make a move on her, man — how are you supposed to round the bases if you don’t take initiative, and how are you supposed to experience the joys of life without rounding the bases? If you’ve got the will, today’s date’s in the classroom, tomorrow’s date’s in bed — how wonderful is that?”

Jiang Wen fiddled with his phone, ignoring his crude talk.

Long since used to his emotional coldness, Zhao Binlin didn’t mind either. “Texting Cheng Jiajia? So focused.” He craned his neck nearly to breaking to get a look, from a different angle, at what was actually on Jiang Wen’s phone screen — a flashy new racing game.

“Boring, so boring.” Zhao Binlin sighed deeply, muttering to himself, “Right, of course — how could dating ever be more fun than gaming.”

The sports meet arrived as scheduled.

Qide’s sports meet traditionally allowed three days without school uniforms.

After a brief assembly on the field, the Iron Lady had the class monitor lead them to sit in Class Nine’s section of the stands. Because a student had snuck off during last year’s sports meet and something had happened on the way, with the parents making a huge fuss at the school afterward, this year’s event was being managed far more strictly — the Iron Lady repeatedly emphasized that no one was to run off, and they had to check in at set times.

The weather was scorching. Several girls paired up here and there, chatting to pass the time.

Jiang Wen had an injured knee and hadn’t signed up for any events. Wearing a white baseball cap to block the sun, he watched videos on his iPad. As it neared lunchtime, big clumps of clouds gathered together, the sky suddenly darkening — rain was coming again.

Jiang Wen looked up and found someone standing in front of him without his noticing when. He didn’t react in time, his gaze traveling from bottom to top.

Ripped jeans, up to a black T-shirt, a skull pendant necklace baring its teeth on her chest — a very edgy look. Jiang Wen’s shock steadily built. After a brief silence, he asked, “What are you doing standing here.”

They’d been in a cold war for many days now.

Feng Ning’s eyes crinkled slightly at the corners, not answering his question but asking her own: “Remember these clothes? I wore them specially to show you.”

His expression shifted; he said stubbornly, “Don’t remember.”

“How could you not remember? I don’t believe it.” Feng Ning smiled brightly, clearly pleased with herself. “Wasn’t it love at first sight for you? How could you not even remember what I was wearing?”

“Who fell in love with you at first sight?” Jiang Wen shot up to his feet, thoroughly worked up. “This is ridiculous!”

Jiang Wen didn’t even bother with his iPad. He was mad, both embarrassed and angry, storming off in a huff, his steps as hurried as someone fleeing a famine, while she followed leisurely behind him.

The two of them walked out of the school gate one after the other, turned several corners, passed several streets, and arrived once more at that familiar alley entrance, where Feng Ning leisurely stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

Jiang Wen finally slowed his pace, his tone unfriendly. “Don’t follow me.”

Feng Ning kept smiling, her peach-blossom eyes sparkling. “If I follow you, you get mad. If I don’t follow you, you also get mad. So what exactly do you want?”

“I want you to stop following me.”

“Don’t you want to know why I came looking for you?”

“No.”

She tilted her head up, pushing his shoulder again and again. “Saying one thing and meaning another again — how much longer are you going to keep up the act? Hm? Liars grow long noses, you know.”

Jiang Wen was a head taller than Feng Ning, yet he stumbled backward, retreating step by step until she’d pressed him back against the wall, nowhere left to go. “What exactly do you want.”

She rose onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his earlobe, light as a dragonfly skimming water, just a touch of warmth. “I want this.”

Jiang Wen’s back went rigid, his heart pounding, so intensely that his face flushed red despite himself. He was at a complete loss, so startled his words came out garbled. “You, you……”

Feng Ning, shameless as ever, leaned in close to his ear, murmuring flirtatiously, “That mole on your abs is so sexy, let me touch it.”

Jiang Wen’s whole body stiffened, his chest feeling like it had caved in, his vision going hazy.

She still wasn’t done — leaned in closer still, pressed right up against him, the skull necklace digging hard and painfully into his chest.

Seeing no response from him, Feng Ning dropped her nonchalant expression, saying sorrowfully, “Jiang Wen, I regret it. Please don’t be with any other girl, okay? I don’t know what to do anymore. I feel so awful inside — so awful I can’t focus in class, can’t sleep at night. I think about you every day, about how hot and cold you are with me, about how you ignore me.”

“You feel awful too?” he accused, as if out of his mind. “You’re not awful at all — if you were, why were you watching comedy skits?”

“I was making the best of a bitter situation, forcing a smile through the pain.”

In the distance, thunder rumbled dully from the clouds, and within a minute, fat raindrops began to fall. Pedestrians on the road hurried along, breaking into a run, rushing to find shelter under eaves — no one paying any attention to what was happening in this corner.

“You’re lying.” Jiang Wen was finally about to lose it, his mind in a haze, even his voice sounding unusually wronged. “You clearly don’t like me.”

Staring straight at him, Feng Ning said softly amid the rain, “I do like you. You’re my little prince.”

They were both soaked through.

Jiang Wen watched, wide-eyed, as she tenderly took his hand and laced their fingers together, the sensation pulling his heart down with it.

Feng Ning pulled his hand up and kissed it intimately against her lips, then leaned in to kiss his mouth.

He held out for no more than two seconds before his tongue slipped out to meet hers on its own. A tingling numbness shot up from the base of his spine, spreading through his entire body.

—Ring ring… ring ring…

The iPhone alarm rang right on schedule in the pale light of dawn, jolting him awake from this absurd, ridiculous dream.

As if his memory had cut out, Jiang Wen’s back was drenched in sweat. He steadied his breathing, still caught somewhere between sleep and waking, his mind a haze, dazed and unable to come back to himself.

Loss, embarrassment, frustration — all sorts of complicated emotions tangled together. He lay in bed, closed his eyes, then opened them again, staring at the ceiling until his mind finally cleared.

He reached a hand down under the covers — sticky wetness. A few seconds later, he punched the bed and cursed under his breath.

Friday, the eve of the weekend — the classroom was always especially restless.

It was Feng Ning’s turn for cleaning duty today. After the last self-study period ended, she diligently swept and mopped, polishing the tile floor until it gleamed. By the time she finished cleaning, the classroom had emptied out.

After shutting the windows and doors, turning off the fan, and checking the outlets, Feng Ning clapped her hands in satisfaction and headed downstairs with her backpack.

Shuang Yao had plans today, going out to dinner with her family, so Feng Ning had to take the bus home alone.

Out the school gate, passing a roadside shop, she wandered over to pick out a chocolate-flavored popsicle. She hadn’t gone far when she suddenly heard someone calling out.

Feng Ning licked the sugary residue off her lips and turned to see an SUV slowing down, its window rolling down, Zhao Binlin leaning his head out from the passenger seat. “Feng Ning, where are you headed? Want a ride?”

“Bus stop’s just fifty meters away, goes straight to my door, no need.”

“Who’s all with you? Going out to have fun?” She was curious, bending down to take a look — didn’t recognize the driver, but the one sitting in the back looked pretty familiar.

Jiang Wen was sitting in the car. Seeing Feng Ning holding up a nearly melted black ice cream bar, with her usual smile, his gaze met hers by accident.

His whole body stiffened, and he immediately turned his head away.

Zhao Binlin, all cheerful, said, “We’re gonna finish dinner tomorrow and come find you to hang out, Jiantang?”

Feng Ning nodded. “Yeah, you’re coming, right, I’ll go book you a spot when I get back.”

“Can we bring a couple more people?”

“Sure thing.” Feng Ning agreed readily, then put on a stern face. “But not too many, don’t drink me into the ground.”

A car behind them honked. Feng Ning waved a hand. “Alright, see you tomorrow, you guys get going, stop blocking the road.”

“Hahahaha, alright, see you tomorrow.”

Feng Ning hummed in acknowledgment, then added, “Also, you guys — driving underage isn’t okay, be safe, don’t get caught by the traffic police.”

Ji Chiyang laughed gleefully. “She’s fun.”

“Right? Real character.”

Ji Chiyang, eager, said, “Where are you guys drinking tomorrow, bring me along.”

After saying that, he glanced instinctively at Jiang Wen. Seeing no particular expression on his face, Ji Chiyang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He hadn’t forgotten the dark look on Jiang Wen’s face back when he’d said he wanted to pursue Feng Ning — he’d even felt a bit regretful about it at the time. Only, within a couple days, Jiang Wen had gotten with Cheng Jiajia at lightning speed, and his own attention had shifted too, so he hadn’t thought much more about it.

Besides, he himself switched girlfriends about once a week — everyone was just playing around, no need to take it seriously.

Dinner was at a new chain restaurant Xi Gaoyuan’s family had franchised. Today was a couples’ outing — everyone with a girlfriend had brought her along, adding up to a dozen-plus people, filling up a private room, eating in a lively mood.

After the meal, some of the single guys started stirring things up, insisting all the couples present kiss one by one. The suggestion sent the mood even higher.

Everyone was having fun. Xi Gaoyuan led the way, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend for a minute-long kiss. The rest followed suit one after another.

Amid the laughter and noise, Jiang Wen stared at the table full of scattered dishes and cups, not really paying attention.

Zhao Binlin tilted his head, asking, “What’s up with you today, you’ve been spaced out all day.”

Just then the crowd’s teasing landed on Jiang Wen — the girls pushed Cheng Jiajia, the guys pushed Jiang Wen, everyone chanting together, “Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss! Kiss her!”

“Everyone else already kissed, you two can’t chicken out!”

Pei Shurou smiled faintly, not the least bit anxious. Others couldn’t tell, but having grown up with Jiang Wen, she could see at a glance whether he actually had feelings for Cheng Jiajia or not.

Cheng Jiajia, half-reluctant, blushing, was pushed forward by the others.

She tilted her face up slightly, and just as their lips were about to meet, Jiang Wen turned his head aside.

Cheng Jiajia froze, then, feigning composure, turned her body away.

Denied their show, the crowd deflated, sighing in disappointment. Xi Gaoyuan, disgusted at his cowardice, couldn’t help but curse, “Damn it, Jiang Wen, do you have to be such a wimp?”

Zhao Binlin gripped his shoulders with both hands and shook him, mimicking a movie lead’s line, gritting his teeth, “Jiang Wen, I hate how you’re like a rock!”

Jiang Wen shoved him off and stood up. “You guys have fun, I’m going to the bathroom.”

With him gone, Cheng Jiajia was left alone in place, awkward. The room’s mood froze for a moment; Pei Shurou patted her comfortingly. “It’s fine, that’s just how A’Wen is, he’s probably still not used to this.”

That was indeed the case — having lived over a decade with almost no outward emotion, so cold toward girls that people wondered if he was gay.

The few childhood friends around him all knew that Jiang Wen’s family had once had a Daoist priest read his fortune, predicting a “love calamity” for him. They’d waited so long for him to finally get a girlfriend, only for it to turn out just the same as always — very hard to please.

Xi Gaoyuan sighed, “Ugh, we all thought Jiang Wen’s iron tree had finally bloomed, but turns out it only budded, damn it.”

Cut off from the noise, he splashed cold water on his face. Water gushed from the tap, and Jiang Wen looked at himself in the mirror, still restless and irritable.

Just now, the instant Cheng Jiajia had leaned in to kiss him, he’d found himself unable to stop thinking about last night’s dream.

Even the details played out vividly again in his mind. Only, in front of him, the person had been someone else.

After washing his hands, Jiang Wen found himself an empty balcony and stood there catching the breeze for a long while.

He suddenly slammed his hand against the railing, still not satisfied. He turned in a circle, then, venting his frustration, kicked the wall.

No one knew that in this season of budding spring fever, in this deserted corner —

Young Master Jiang, the iron tree, had already bloomed spectacularly, with a bang that shook heaven and earth.