“Liu Bingran really is sick in the head!”
Yang Liang was so angry his face turned red and his neck bulged. “That day in training, he was the last one dragging behind. The teacher said that passing the message was something he volunteered to do, no one asked him to, but he didn’t pass the message and almost caused Yan-ge to miss the deadline for the review and registration. What a fool!”.
Dong Xi was holding a cup of freshly filled hot water, and his face didn’t look too good either. “He’s not sick, he’s just disgusting on purpose.”
Yang Liang: “I can’t take it anymore. I really want to beat him up and smash him into a pancake!”
Dong Xi: “And then you’ll get a disciplinary punishment that probably won’t be cleared even after you graduate.”
“…Fuck!” Yang Liang ruffled his hair roughly. “It’s frustrating!”
Dong Xi: “He’s the kind who only pulls shady stuff from behind. If you try to go against him openly, not only will you not be able to deal with him, you might even suffer a loss.”
Yang Liang: “Then what? Do I have to stoop to his level? I don’t even know how to.”
With a screech, the balcony door was pushed open. Yan Chen came back in after his call and said to them, “The final tryout list is out and it’s been posted in the group chat. Make sure you check it yourselves.”
Yang Liang immediately grabbed his phone and was very happy to find his name on the list.
But even more satisfying than that was the fact that he couldn’t find Liu Bingran’s name!
Yang Liang: “Hahahahahaha I swear I want to laugh to the heavens eight hundred times!”
Dong Xi: “He didn’t make it?”
Yan Chen: “Kicked off.”
Dong Xi was a little surprised. “Kicked off?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the dorm door was kicked open with a “bang”, and Liu Bingran stormed in furiously, shouting, “Yan Chen, what the hell are you trying to do?!”
His voice was deafening.
Yan Chen leaned back in his chair and gave him a cold look. “You tell me, what am I doing?”
Liu Bingran: “You’re just seeking personal revenge!”
“What?” Yang Liang couldn’t take it anymore. “Revenge? Who hid the message and didn’t pass it on? Why didn’t you yell about personal revenge then? Double-standard dog!”
“What does this have to do with you?” Liu Bingran yelled at him, panting heavily. “Mind your own damn business!”
Yang Liang: “You did something dirty and got what you deserved, and now no one’s allowed to call you out?”
Liu Bingran: “You!”
“The list’s already been approved by the teacher. If you have a problem, go talk to him.”
Yan Chen cut him off coldly. “My patience is limited. Don’t go crazy in front of me.”
Liu Bingran: “There were clearly supposed to be thirteen spots. Now there’s only twelve. And you’re telling me you didn’t do anything shady? Do you think I’m an idiot?!”
Yan Chen: “So what if I did?”
Liu Bingran’s eyes were about to pop out of his head. Just as he opened his mouth again, Dong Xi interrupted him. “Objectively speaking, only three people will actually get to compete in the Universiade in the end. This is just a tryout. Whether it’s twelve or thirteen people doesn’t really matter…it’s just a matter of one less runner-up.”
Dong Xi was obviously trying to soothe things, but it only made Liu Bingran even more furious. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying I’m just an extra runner-up?”
“Not at all.” Dong Xi shrugged. “I’m just stating facts.”
Yang Liang was a straightforward person who didn’t like beating around the bush. He figured that things had fallen out tonight and there was no need for him to swallow his anger and maintain superficial harmony.
Yang Liang: “It’s true. The list was made based on the rankings from the last competition. The top twelve got in. Who told you to swim your way into thirteenth instead of third? Who else can you blame?”
Dong Xi gave a polite smile. “If you’re destined to be eliminated in the end, you might as well quit early. It saves you time and doesn’t waste everyone else’s resources. Of course, I’m just stating the facts, not talking about anyone in particular.”
Yang Liang: “Exactly. You swam so badly, but you blame others for not opening a back door for you?”
Liu Bingran: “You guys…”
Yan Chen: “If you have the ability, go find the teacher and add your name yourself. If not, shut your mouth and stay quiet.”
Three against one, the outcome was obvious.
Liu Bingran was so angry he couldn’t speak.
His chest heaved violently, and he exhaled twice. “Okay, you’re great.” He glared at Yan Chen fiercely, his voice squeezed out from between his teeth. “I’ll remember this. Let’s wait and see!”
The door slammed shut behind him as he left.
The dormitory fell silent, and after hearing the footsteps fade away, a cheer suddenly erupted, “Cool! So cool!”
Yang Liang was so happy he pounded the table. “Finally, I don’t have to put up with him anymore! My mom was right…evil people need other evil people to deal with them!”
Dong Xi: “Hey, watch your words. What do you mean ‘evil people deal with evil people’?”
Yang Liang reacted and chuckled sheepishly. “I meant justice came down from the heavens. I wasn’t calling Yan-ge an evil person. Yan-ge, you get what I mean, right?”
Whether Yan Chen understood or not, he hadn’t really listened to them at all.
Although the recording was already over, the group chat hadn’t been disbanded. Just ten minutes ago, An Xue had @’d everyone to notify them the recording had been submitted to the competition officials.
[Okay okay, got it. Now we just wait for the award, right? Thank you An-chan, I understand very clearly!]
[What should I wear on the day of the photoshoot?]
[…I’m impressed by you guys, if you’re really that idle, can you solve the problems right under your nose?]
[What problem?]
[It’s raining! Did you bring an umbrella?!]
After reading the messages, Yan Chen got up and went to the balcony.
Sure enough, just now when he’d been on the phone, it was still a quiet night sky. Now, it was already filled with the rustling sound of raindrops threading through the leaves.
He exited the chat, and the weather forecast at the top of the screen showed it would rain tonight.
He skillfully opened the photo album. The class schedule indicated that French Class 3 had lessons tonight.
——-
History of French Literature, Building 3.
The students in Class 3 were watching a classic French film from the last century.
The plot was delicate, the visuals grainy, and the iconic costumes and makeup were filled with the taste of time. Even now, it didn’t feel outdated at all.
People have a consistent appreciation for excellence. The large classroom was silent and everyone wore headphones, engrossed in what they were watching.
Except for Ye Wenyu.
He shifted his gaze from the laptop to his phone. After staring at it for a while, he picked it up and lit the screen.
He didn’t do anything, just set it down again and drifted his gaze back to the computer.
But he couldn’t keep his eyes still. They kept floating back to the phone. He covered the back of his headphones with one hand and picked up the phone again…
This cycle continued many times, but he still couldn’t make up his mind.
Where did the bite mark on the back of his hand come from that night? Why did he take a photo and send it to Yan Chen? What did they say in that voice call that followed?
He wanted to know, but he was afraid to find out.
He was afraid he did something that made Yan Chen angry, afraid he lost control and made things awkward between them.
“Hey, are you sending it or not?” Chi Dongting had leaned over next to his ear at some point and whispered.
Ye Wenyu came back to his senses and lowered his headphones. “What?”
Chi Dongting: “I said, are you sending the message or not? What’s there to hesitate about? Aren’t you and Yan Chen close?”
Ye Wenyu thought that if they were really that close, he wouldn’t be so torn.
Chi Dongting: “You’re acting like it’s a confession or something. If it’s that hard to say, why don’t you tell me what you want to say and I’ll send it for you?”
Ye Wenyu: “…No need.”
It wasn’t a matter of who sent it.
Chi Dongting: “Then how much longer are you going to think about it? Since that night you guys came back from drinking, it’s been, it’s already been…”
“Four days,” Ye Wenyu blurted out.
It had already been four days since he last saw Yan Chen.
“Oh right, four days. You’ve been restless for four whole days.” After saying that, Chi Dongting let out a small “eh”: “You remember so clearly! So what actually happened that night?”
“…Nothing happened,” Ye Wenyu replied.
Chi Dongting: “Really?”
Ye Wenyu half-explained, half-tested: “You were in the dorm when I came back that night. Did I look weird or anything?”
‘Weird?’ Chi Dongting thought about it and shook his head honestly. “Not really.”
Ye Wenyu let out a breath of relief.
“It’s just some stuff about the dubbing competition I want to discuss with him.” He said, “But I haven’t figured out the best way to say it.”
“Oh.” Chi Dongting believed him. “Then take your time…no, hurry up and think it through. Watching you like this feels exhausting.”
Ye Wenyu nodded.
Indeed, since he still didn’t know how to bring it up, he might as well wait until next time they meet again and see what kind of attitude Yan Chen had.
But it had already been four days.
It had been four days since the recording ended. When would they meet again?
…
Maybe today his luck was good, like drawing a good fortune in a lottery, so much so that when he yawned, someone handed him a pillow.
As soon as class ended, he received a message from Yan Chen asking if he was currently at Building 3.
Ye Wenyu paused when he saw it, removed his headphones, and replied: [I was having class here, and we just finished. What’s wrong?]
Yan Chen: [I’m downstairs.]
Ye Wenyu: [Downstairs? Right now?]
Yan Chen: [Mm?]
It was already a little past 8 p.m., nearly 9. Why would Yan Chen be here at this time?
He thought about this and asked about it too, but Yan Chen didn’t reply. Not wanting to make him wait, he could only pack up quickly and head downstairs.
Autumn had arrived. The rain outside was different from summer’s heavy downpour. It was soft and dense like ox hair, drizzling over the whole campus and making the air feel chilly.
Before he even reached the bottom of the stairs, Ye Wenyu spotted Yan Chen standing by the entrance.
While others had at least put on light jackets, he was still in a thin short-sleeved shirt. As the crowd flowed out, he stood tall and straight among them, his expression cold and detached, standing out like a crane among chickens and effortlessly attracting everyone’s attention.
Ye Wenyu’s steps paused for a moment, then he quickly sped up and walked over.
Yan Chen caught his figure from the corner of his eye, turned his head to look, and his expression changed slightly, no longer as distant and aloof as before.
Ye Wenyu stopped in front of him. “Why are you here?”
Yan Chen’s eyes swept over the umbrella in his hand without any expression. “I was passing by while on a night run and it started raining, so I came to borrow your umbrella.”
Ye Wenyu had of course seen the umbrella in his hand but before he could ask, Yan Chen had already spoken: “It’s broken, I can’t open it.”
‘Oh.’
Ye Wenyu opened his eyes and agreed. Suddenly, he remembered…Chi Dongting hadn’t brought an umbrella either.
His umbrella wasn’t too big or too small, good enough for two people, but squeezing in three tall boys would be quite the stretch.
“It’s fine, don’t worry about me, Conghua also brought an umbrella. I’ll squeeze in with him!”
Chi Dongting grinned and, before leaving, leaned in and whispered into Ye Wenyu’s ear, “It’s always easier to talk things out in person. Come on, Wenyu! I and the Bodhisattva are rooting for you!”
The rain had come suddenly, and many students were caught without umbrellas. They were stuck at the entrance waiting for friends to pick them up, or braving the rain with books over their heads and sheer courage.
Ye Wenyu opened the umbrella. Yan Chen was taller than him, so he had to raise his arm higher than usual to hold the umbrella.
Away from the crowd, only the sound of raindrops brushing against the umbrella surface remained in their ears. Occasionally, the wind blew them inward, wetting their clothes and the backs of their hands.
Ye Wenyu: “Later, just take my umbrella and use it to go back.”
Yan Chen gave a low “mm” and his gaze fell on the back of Ye Wenyu’s hand. The area above the base of the palm was fair and clean, with nothing there.
Of course, he didn’t dare to bite hard back then. Now, a few days later, the mark had completely faded.
Ye Wenyu noticed his gaze, and the small awkwardness and discomfort in his heart instantly magnified.
His grip on the umbrella handle tightened slightly.
‘It’s okay. At least, Yan Chen’s attitude didn’t seem any different from before…there were no changes or signs of anger.’ He comforted himself.
It looked like he hadn’t done anything too outrageous while drunk that would affect their relationship.
Only that bite mark and that message were still messing with his mind.
Once he was sure Yan Chen wasn’t angry, he stopped holding back and simply brought it up.
Ye Wenyu: “I was drunk that night. It wasn’t until the next day that I saw I sent you a message in the middle of the night.”
Yan Chen easily picked up on the implication in his words. “You forgot?”
Ye Wenyu nodded honestly, but for some reason, Yan Chen’s gaze made him feel inexplicably guilty.
After a while, Yan Chen finally spoke. “It’s fine. If you forgot, you forgot. It’s not a big deal.”
In the few quiet seconds that followed, Ye Wenyu grew increasingly anxious.
As soon as Yan Chen spoke, and with that tone, a word suddenly popped up in Yan Chen’s mind: scumbag.
…It was strange.
And it made him feel even more burdened.
“So what’s up with that bite mark?” he insisted for once. “Did I bite myself?”
Yan Chen: “No.”
Ye Wenyu: “Then…”
Yan Chen: “I bit you.”
Ye Wenyu: “…?”
Ye Wenyu was momentarily stunned and needed a moment to process. “You…why did you bite me?”
Still the same question. Clearly, the sober Wenyu and the drunk Wenyu shared the same brain circuit.
Yan Chen’s lips twitched slightly. “Because I was in a bad mood.”
Ye Wenyu: “?”
‘Bad mood, so you bite people?’
He couldn’t follow that logic, so he had to move on to the next question. “Then why did I send you a photo?”
Yan Chen: “To condemn my evil deeds.”
Ye Wenyu froze. “Condemn?”
Yan Chen said seriously: “You said it was evidence, and that you’d definitely find a chance to bite back in the future.”
Ye Wenyu: “…”
Ye Wenyu: “Did you agree to that?”
Yan Chen: “You wouldn’t go to sleep unless I agreed.”
Ye Wenyu: “…”
Ye Wenyu briefly imagined himself in his mind, hugging the phone and acting unreasonable while drunk…
Forget it, it’s better not to imagine.
So that voice call of unknown length was just him throwing tantrums and making threats, while Yan Chen patiently coaxed him to sleep?
How did it end up like that?
He clearly used to just fall asleep when drunk. When did his drunken behavior start to deteriorate?
Ye Wenyu’s emotions were tangled and embarrassed. He didn’t know what to say for a while, so he just lowered his head and walked seriously, not daring to look at Yan Chen.
The latter, however, whether out of sudden interest or a whim, suddenly asked, “Do you still want to learn the magic trick from last time?”
Ye Wenyu: “?”
The hibiscus flowers had already withered. Without petals, he casually plucked a leaf as a substitute.
They stopped by the lakeside in the drizzle.
Ye Wenyu stretched out his hand, watching as Yan Chen slowed down his movements, hid the leaf outside the base of his thumb, and when he turned the hand upward, the leaf slipped into his palm as the thumb relaxed.
So that was how it was done.
It was a simple little trick that you could understand at a glance.
But Ye Wenyu wasn’t really focused on the magic.
He looked at their clasped hands, curled his fingers slightly, and asked on a whim, “Do promises made while coaxing someone still count?”
All the tangled thoughts had mixed together. His single-core processor was handling them one by one, and now it finally got to this one…
—Yan Chen bit his hand.
He had looked at that photo countless times. The bright red bite mark had once only filled him with confusion, but now after knowing the context, it suddenly carried a strange, inexplicable ambiguity.
Yan Chen had bitten him.
His lips had pressed against his skin and left such a clear bite mark.
Yan Chen had bitten him.
But he had forgotten about it and couldn’t remember a thing.
A wave of regret and frustration surged in him, and he couldn’t help but ask again, “Do promises made while coaxing someone still count now?”
Yan Chen looked up at him.
“Why,” his voice was deep and a bit lazy, “you want to bite back now?”
Ye Wenyu’s gaze swept past the corner of his mouth, then met his eyes again and didn’t say anything.
The casual look in Yan Chen’s eyes faded under his stare, and his eyes were as dark as a rainy night.
“You really want to bite back?”
Raindrops gathered on the surface of the umbrella and dripped down from all sides. The curtain of water was like vines taking root and spreading, trapping them in this narrow space.
Yan Chen’s hand was very dry. He was dressed more lightly than anyone else, yet his body temperature was still warm and hot, as if he didn’t belong to this rainy night, and yet blended in perfectly.
Ye Wenyu felt Yan Chen grip his hand tightly, and the warmth from his palm continuously flowed into him.
He heard the sound of rain hitting the ground with a constant patter-patter, and something unexpected seemed to be silently growing
After a moment, Ye Wenyu’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and he suddenly pulled his hand back.
“Yan Chen.” He spoke, the shift in topic a bit abrupt, “I want to treat you to a meal, is that okay?”
Yan Chen’s eyes flickered slightly. “Treat me to a meal?”
“Yeah.” Ye Wenyu nodded seriously. “Thank you for being willing to help us. I want to treat you alone to a meal. Is that okay?”
Of course Yan Chen had no reason to refuse. “Okay.”
Ye Wenyu: “Tomorrow?”
Yan Chen: “I’m not sure if there will be any last-minute training.”
Ye Wenyu: “Then I’ll contact you tomorrow. If you have other plans, we can reschedule.”
Yan Chen nodded and took the umbrella from his hand. “Let me do it.”
Ye Wenyu handed him the umbrella and only then did he realize his right hand had gone a bit stiff.
That was close…he almost said it out loud.
He clenched the hand hanging at his side tightly, trying to dispel the panic and chaos in his heart.
There was no way to tell whether it was the dim, rainy night that bewitched him, or the person standing in front of him.
In those few seconds of silence, an inexplicable emotion drove an equally inexplicable impulse, and he almost said something ridiculous like “I want you to bite me again”.
Fortunately, that moment passed.
He anxiously thought to himself, ‘It should be fine soon.’
–
The next afternoon at three o’clock, after elective class ended, Ye Wenyu opened WeChat. The two messages he had sent Yan Chen still hadn’t been replied to.
People were leaving the classroom one after another. Ye Wenyu was the last to go, and he dialed Yan Chen’s number.
It rang several times before the call was answered.
Ye Wenyu asked, “Are you busy?”
Yan Chen: “Yeah, training new students.”
“?!” Ye Wenyu didn’t get it. “You are also responsible for training the freshmen?”
On the tree-lined path beside the Mingde Square, a line of green-uniformed ‘little frogs’ looked on as the cold-faced temporary instructor answered a phone call. Although his expression didn’t change much, his entire aura shifted.
Yan Chen put on his Bluetooth earpiece in front of the group. “I’m helping a friend majoring in national defense train the freshmen for two days.”
Ye Wenyu finally realized that the delayed military training had begun. “Then is it inappropriate for me to call you now?”
“It’s okay.” The green-uniformed little frogs were standing at attention. Yan Chen walked from the front row to the side. “Is it about the meal?”
Ye Wenyu: “Yeah, do you have your training schedule now?”
Yan Chen: “Yeah, there’s no training tonight.”
Ye Wenyu understood. “Is Nanchang cuisine okay?”
Yan Chen: “Okay.”
Ye Wenyu: “Then I’ll make a reservation soon…”
“Report, Instructor!” Suddenly a loud male voice came through the earpiece. “My legs are numb!”
Yan Chen: “Endure it.”
Male voice: “Report, Instructor, they’re really numb!”
Yan Chen: “Say one more word and you’ll get an extra thirty minutes of training.”
The voice shut up immediately.
Yan Chen retracted his gaze. After a while with no response from Ye Wenyu, he said, “Make the reservation, and then?”
“And then I’ll send you the location…” Ye Wenyu paused for a moment before continuing, his voice carrying a bit of confusion and hesitation, “Do you really have to be that fierce?”
“I don’t mean you’re fierce, I mean, from the standpoint of a military training instructor…”
He chose his words carefully, unsure how to accurately express himself.
Maybe the impression left by his own military training instructor was just too strong. Even after two years, hearing this kind of dialogue still gave him a lingering fear.
Yan Chen: “You think I’m being too fierce with them?”
As soon as he said that, a bunch of eyes turned to him in unison, as if they had seen the light of salvation.
Ye Wenyu said tactfully, “I just think it would be nice if you could be a little more understanding.”
Yan Chen raised his eyes to look at the group of people sweating profusely in front of him.
The sweaty group looked back at him pitifully.
After two seconds.
Yan Chen: “Ten-minute rest on the spot.”
“Wow! Senior is awes…”
Yan Chen: “One more word and back to standing.”
“…”
“Okay.” Yan Chen said to Ye Wenyu. “Go on.”
Ye Wenyu forgot what he was saying. After thinking a bit, he remembered: “Can you eat spicy food?”
Yan Chen: “A little…”
After hanging up, Yan Chen lifted his eyes and met a row of eager stares.
He put away his phone and said coldly, “What are you all staring at me for?”
“Senior.” The same boy who complained about numb legs took the lead again. “We have a small, really small suggestion.”
Yan Chen looked at him expressionlessly.
“It’s really small.”
The boy smiled flatteringly. “We just feel bad that you’re sacrificing your precious personal time to train us.”
“So for the next two days, could the Senior continue talking to his girlfriend while training us?”
Hehe, I couldn’t resist humming Enhypen’s “Bite Me” as I did this chapter.
