Part 5
Gu Qingyi took two steps at a time to jump behind the youth straddling a suitcase, patting his shoulder. “Siheng, had another fight with your mother?”
Lu Siheng rubbed his nose and looked back to see Gu Qingyi smiling. Mentioning the matter made him annoyed.
“Sheâs trying to set me up on a blind date again. Iâve forgotten what that little girl even looks like. I don’t know why my mom is so insistent.”
“…” Gu Qingyi offered some kind advice. “If you ask me, you should meet her.”
“Weren’t you against it before?” Lu Siheng caught his guilty expression. “What did my mom give you?”
“Cough, nothing of the sort. You two were the best of friends in kindergarten. Every time I looked for you, you were running after her. Now youâve forgotten her after that feverâdon’t you think youâd feel guilty if she still remembered you and had been trying to find you?”
“Are you just like my mother? Do I need to repeat it? Kin-der-gar-ten.” Lu Siheng cut him off. “Besides, if I forgot her, it proves she wasn’t anyone important. Otherwise, why didn’t I forget you guys?”
Gu Qingyi gave a forced, dry laugh. “…Haha… as long as you’re happy.” He quickly changed the subject, pulling the suitcase along. “Come on, I’ll take you to your dorm.”
Passing a stretch of road, Lu Siheng was drawn to the orderly “flower path” on both sides. Countless potted flowers were arranged under the plane trees, vibrant and colorful.
Seeing him stop, Gu Qingyi explained, “Oh, this is a collaboration between the School of Design and the College of Agriculture. The students grew them themselves. Theyâve even got name tags on them for the upcoming orientation. Theyâre quite nice.”
He patted Lu Sihengâs chest and teased, “What, are you jealous of your juniors?”
“Boring.” Lu Siheng followed along, but his pupils trembled when he saw a cluster of pale blue flowers.
He stepped closer. The petals were thin as a cicada’s wing, shaded in layers of clear, sea-blue butterfly-shaped blossoms. They stood proudly amidst the sea of red and purple.
“What flower is this?” he asked.
“Isn’t it on the tag?” Gu Qingyi asked curiously. “Why the sudden interest in flowers?”
“Butterfly orchid…” Lu Siheng crouched down and picked up the small copper tag hanging from the pot. “School of Design, Q.“
“Aiya, stop looking.” Gu Qingyi pushed him away. “Aren’t you hot? I’m dying here. If you want to grow flowers, I’ll buy you a pot.”
…
Lately, Lu Siheng had been frequently dreaming of a boy whose face he couldn’t see. The dreams were very long, realistic, and full of ups and downs. He was invisibly controlled; every ending was a fall from a great height, and the intense feeling of weightlessness would wake him up drenched in sweat.
After waking, only a pair of heterochromatic blue-brown eyes remained etched in his mind.
Except for this time. He had survived, but the boy had died. The sound of that gunshot seemed to still echo in his ears.
“Lu Siheng, how can you still fall asleep during halftime? Get up, itâs your turn.” Gu Qingyi tossed the basketball onto the boy sleeping on the lounge chair, then sat down beside him to drink some water.
Lu Siheng was jolted awake. He vaguely remembered the words: “Remember me.”
The voice was very pleasantâthe first thing he hadn’t forgotten after waking from the dream.
“Shen…” he whispered the syllable instinctively. It seemed to be a name. When he tried to search his memory for a matching name, the spot where his head had been injured throbbed with intense pain.
“I say, why are you so sleepy lately? In this heat, you can fall asleep just sitting there. Been doing bad things at night? People will think you’re pregnant with how much you’re sleeping.”
“Screw off. Why don’t you have a kid to show me?” Lu Siheng satisfied the otherâs desire to be scolded.
Gu Qingyi handed over an unopened bottle of ice-cold water, pressing it directly against the other’s face. “Don’t mention it. Just clearing your head.”
Lu Sihengâs chaotic thoughts were indeed cleared by the shock. He shivered and dodged away, clutching the basketball. Looking at the group of people sweating on the court, he tossed the ball to Gu Qingyi. “Iâm not playing. You go ahead.”
Gu Qingyi barely caught it. Before he could complain about his friendâs lack of loyalty, he looked up to see the other man had already slipped away.
Orientation Day
In September, catching the tail end of summer, the heat under the red umbrellas was stifling.
Lu Siheng was dragged to the school gate by his roommates for orientation. Even a portable fan couldn’t help. Especially when the noise of suitcase wheels on the ground mingled with the chatter of the crowd, making his already sour mood even worse.
The line of students at the stall was endless. Beside him, his roommate was explaining something to a parent. Lu Siheng took a moment to drink some water to soothe his dry throat. Remembering the warning not to look grumpy, he took a deep breath and tried to cheer up.
“Student, do you have any other questions?”
“I’m sorry for disturbing you, Senior. Can I add your WeChat? If I have things I don’t understand in the future, I can ask you. It won’t take much of your time.” The girlâs eyes were bright. She held her phone, looking expectant and a bit lost.
Lu Siheng was experienced. He reached into the pocket of the person standing next to him and pulled out a phone. “Heâs also your Senior. Heâs much more patient.”
“Uh… alright.”
Having handled that, Lu Siheng took off his volunteer vest, tossed it onto the chair, and stood up to leave.
His roommate, already numb to it, reached out and accurately grabbed the hem of his shirt without looking back.
“Still haven’t given up? Ancestor, this is the third time youâve tried to escape this hour. Who told you to be so popular after appearing in the recruitment video the school released in the spring?”
Heaven knew that Lu Siheng had just been feeling unwell with a cold and accidentally fell asleep on a garden bench. There were many peach trees there, and it was just the right time for the blossoms. He hadn’t known they would be filming a promotional video right then and catch him in it.
Lu Siheng gave in. “Then what do you want me to do?”
“For the sake of our Business Schoolâs image, please endure. You’re our department’s star attraction. We aren’t making you do any work. Can’t you just sit here as a mascot and chat with the new students?”
The roommate took off his gold-rimmed anti-blue-light glasses and put them on Lu Sihengâs face without asking. “Letâs cover up your looks a bitâwill that do? Recruitment for the clubs also depends on you.”
After putting them on, he scrutinized Lu Siheng and sighed. “Brother, you could truly be the star attraction of a nightclub.”
Lu Siheng practically gritted his teeth: “I. Am. Not. For. Sale!”
“Hey!” The roommateâs hand slipped off the shirt as Lu Siheng pulled away. He shouted, “Don’t you want your volunteer hours?”
Lu Siheng stopped in his tracks, turned back to pick up the vest heâd crumpled, and turned to leave again.
“Where are you going?!” the roommate shouted.
“To. Carry. Luggage.”
Hearing this, the roommate shouted gleefully, “Remember not to lose my glasses!”
…
Outside the Girls’ Dormitory
Lu Siheng pulled the luggage to a stop, letting go of the handle. He took off his backpack and looped the strap over the luggage handle. “I can’t go up here. Find a classmate to help you.”
“Senior, thank you. Can I have your contact info? I want to buy you a meal.” The young girl showed her QR code, her smile bright and sunny.
Lu Sihengâs mouth twitched. He raised his hand to adjust the glasses. “Thanks, but Senior can afford his own meals.”
The girl was stunned by his lack of romance. “I didn’t meanâ”
Before she could explain, the person before her had already intercepted a passing boy like a gust of wind.
Lu Siheng acted like a bandit, snatching the otherâs suitcase. “Student, the boys’ dorm isn’t this way. You’ve gone the wrong way. I’ll take you.”
Before the boy could speak, he ran off with the suitcase.
“Stop right there!” The boy who had been robbed of his luggage chased him all the way, panting with exhaustion. “Lu Siheng, you bastard!”
Lu Sihengâs ears twitched. He looked around; it was the orientation “flower path.” Confirming he was far enough from the girls’ dorm, he finally stopped. “You know me?”
“I’m from the Student Union sophomore class.” The boy snatched back his luggage. “Why did you steal my girlfriendâs luggage?”
“Don’t think just because you look like a pretty boy you can be a homewrecker. I’m warning youâmy girlfriend is mine. Don’t even think about her. Not even a secret crush!”
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