ITC chapter 6

 

After parting ways with Wen Ruqing on bad terms, Bai Xizhou had a dream. He dreamed about his university days—scenes playing out like a movie reel before his eyes.

He rarely reminisced about the past, yet the memories seemed more vivid than ever, as if they had never faded.

In a pitch-black room, the only source of light came from a movie playing on repeat. His face flickered between light and shadow in the darkness. That day wasn’t particularly special. He simply sat there and watched the same movie three times in a row.

When the credits rolled at the end of the third screening, Bai Xizhou finally stood up from the sofa and walked out of the theater.

That day, he had dinner plans with his two best friends. They didn’t attend the same university, but they lived close enough to meet up regularly. Over dinner, they shared stories about their lives and recent experiences.

They were all genuinely happy that day.

But the very next day, Bai Xizhou applied to a school in Germany.

Everything that followed was part of the standard study-abroad process—enrolling in language classes, passing the school’s written test and interview, and receiving an acceptance letter, all without telling anyone.

To others, this decision didn’t make much sense. After all, domestic and international legal systems are completely different. Bai Xizhou had even stated clearly that he didn’t plan to stay abroad and practice law. When he returned, he’d still need to study domestic laws and pass certification exams. His time abroad seemed like nothing more than a way to add a bit of sparkle to his résumé.

But Bai Xizhou knew the reasons for leaving weren’t that simple. There were just too many things he couldn’t put into words.

On the day he left, he didn’t tell a single soul. He boarded a plane to Germany alone.

By the time his parents and friends found out, he had already been in Germany for two days.

That was probably the boldest thing he had done in his twenty-something years. It was also the first time he stepped out of the life he had always known and saw a brand-new horizon.

Maybe to make up for their indifference toward him, his parents regularly transferred money to his account during his time abroad. But fueled by anger, Bai Xizhou cut up his bank card in a fit of rage one day when he had an emotional breakdown. He didn’t spend a single cent of their money—he covered all his expenses himself.

The dream ended there.

When Bai Xizhou woke up, it felt like the shattered bank card was still lying on the table before him.

He rubbed his temples, got up to boil some water, and made himself a cup of coffee.

But so many years had passed. Why was he suddenly thinking about all this again?

Maybe it was because Wen Ruqing had asked him—who did you study law for?

Bai Xizhou took a sip of coffee. The instant coffee tasted awful, but at least it helped clear his foggy mind.

Thinking back to his study-abroad days, he remembered how driven he had felt every single day.

Alone, he handled the enrollment process. Alone, he hired an agent to find a rental. In an unfamiliar place, being deceived was almost inevitable. Sometimes, he regretted his decisions, but by the next day, he always bounced back—because he knew that what he was chasing was slowly becoming clearer.

His first time sharing an apartment, his first time cooking, his first time independently handling a case, and his first time receiving heartfelt gratitude from a client—those fresh and exciting “firsts” became his most valuable treasures.

Perhaps he should thank Wen Ruqing. It was true that he entered this field because of someone, but every step he took afterward was for himself.

Bai Xizhou tidied himself up and went downstairs. He thought he’d see Wen Ruqing and his aunt having breakfast, but neither of them was there today. The hall felt a little empty, and there was a “Gone Out” sign hanging on the door.

He rubbed his nose and pushed down the strange feeling stirring inside him, then left for work.

Legal aid wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Bai Xizhou spent his morning handling consultations and reviewing several contracts. In the afternoon, he followed a car into the city to mediate a labor dispute case he had taken on a few days ago. By the time he returned to town, it was already dark.

After grabbing a quick dinner, he headed back to the inn. It was still empty. Bai Xizhou instinctively glanced toward the window where Wen Ruqing often sat.

Why did Wen Ruqing keep popping into his mind?

At first, it was because of the scars on Wen Ruqing’s hands. Bai Xizhou had naturally worried that Wen might harm himself again, so he allowed him to stay close.

But everything changed after last night.

His unconscious confession, his serious reflection on the questions Wen Ruqing had asked—all of it showed that Wen Ruqing was no longer just an acquaintance. He shouldn’t have let his emotions affect Wen Ruqing. After all, Wen knew nothing about his struggles.

Should he apologize?

Bai Xizhou turned off the hot water. Steam swirled in the bathroom.

For once, he didn’t spend his shower replaying the day’s work in his mind. Instead, he was thinking about someone else.

It had started as a coincidence, a brief encounter. He thought it would end as nothing more than passing strangers. But the reality was—Wen Ruqing had barged into his world.

The thought made Bai Xizhou’s lips curve into a faint smile. Strangely enough, he didn’t dislike it.

He dried his hair and left the bathroom. Just as he sat down, there was a knock at the door.

It was Wen Ruqing.

Bai Xizhou opened the door and found Wen Ruqing standing outside. For a moment, he was stunned.

It couldn’t be this dramatic, could it? He had just been thinking about him, and now he was right there at his door.

“Do you want to come in and sit?” Bai Xizhou asked awkwardly, his hands still busy drying his hair.

After last night’s unpleasant ending, it felt almost impossible to act normal around him now. 

“I won’t come in.” Wen Ruqing clasped his hands behind his back, clearly hesitating as if he had more to say. “I went back to my aunt’s place today, so I wasn’t around the whole day. You must be pretty tired from work, right? I heard you went to the city and came back pretty late.”

“A little tired, yeah, but I’m used to it.” Bai Xizhou leaned against the doorframe. If Wen Ruqing hadn’t shown up, he probably would’ve gone to bed soon. “Did you need something?”

Wen Ruqing didn’t respond right away. The two stood there at the door in an awkward silence.

Bai Xizhou didn’t speak further. He simply looked at him, arms crossed and leaning on the frame, waiting for Wen Ruqing to get to the point.

Under Bai Xizhou’s gaze, Wen Ruqing finally lowered his head, let out a soft sigh, and pulled out a piece of cake from behind his back.

“It’s my birthday today. I saved you a piece of birthday cake. I thought it’d go bad if I left it overnight, so I brought it over.”

The cake was in a takeout container, slightly tilted. It must have shifted during the trip because the sides were smeared with cream, making it hard to see its original design. From the number of fruits inside, it seemed to be a fruit cake.

So this was the reason he had been so hesitant and beating around the bush? Just to deliver a piece of birthday cake?

But Bai Xizhou didn’t really like cake, nor did he quite understand why Wen Ruqing had gone out of his way to bring it over.

He was about to refuse.

Wen Ruqing held the cake carefully with both hands, presenting it to Bai Xizhou. His eyes sparkled with anticipation, as if Bai Xizhou just needed to take the cake for him to light up with joy. For some reason, Bai Xizhou suddenly thought of a shy girl in high school who had nervously handed him a love letter.

They weren’t similar at all, yet this scene brought that memory to mind.

“I…” Bai Xizhou started, intending to tell Wen Ruqing that he didn’t like overly sweet cream, or fruits and bread smeared with it. But what came out instead was something completely different. “Why?”

Why did Wen Ruqing go out of his way to bring him a cake? Bai Xizhou didn’t even know it was Wen Ruqing’s birthday. He hadn’t prepared a gift, and to top it off, they had argued just the night before.

“I wanted to apologize.” Wen Ruqing’s expression was unusually earnest. “Last night, I might have crossed some boundaries. I’m really sorry for making you upset.”

“I can’t give you the answers you’re looking for.”

Bai Xizhou’s expression darkened. No boundaries last night, but suddenly boundaries today? Then what did knocking on someone’s door in the middle of the night count as?

“No, no! That’s not what I meant!” Wen Ruqing quickly clarified, sounding flustered. “I just… I want to be friends with you. The kind without any ulterior motives.”

He admitted to being too forward at first—foolishly thinking he had Bai Xizhou figured out, believing they shared the same struggles. But that wasn’t the case at all.

Maybe the way he spoke last night would have angered anyone. After all, not everyone could understand his thoughts. Most people would simply see it as manipulation.

Who would want to be approached by someone with an agenda?

Now Wen Ruqing had thought it through. Even if he couldn’t get what he initially wanted, just being friends was fine too. That’s why he came over.

The problem was, he wasn’t good with words and didn’t know how to express himself properly.

Bai Xizhou chuckled softly. It wasn’t clear what he found funny, but his gaze lingered on Wen Ruqing before dropping to his wrist. Something seemed to cross his mind, and he turned back into his room.

“It’s your birthday today. I’ll give you a gift. Hold out your hand.”

Wen Ruqing obediently stretched out his hand.

“No, the other hand.” Bai Xizhou pointed to the one with the wristband.

Wen Ruqing froze, unable to move.

Seeing through his hesitation, Bai Xizhou grabbed the hand Wen Ruqing tried to hide behind his back and quickly removed the dark blue wristband.

A scar was revealed between them.

Bai Xizhou’s movements were so fast that Wen Ruqing didn’t have time to react. By the time he came to his senses and tried to pull his hand away, he found that he couldn’t. He looked at Bai Xizhou with panic in his eyes, the kind that appears when a secret is suddenly exposed.

If time could rewind, Wen Ruqing would never have knocked on Bai Xizhou’s door tonight and ended up in this impossible situation.

He didn’t know what Bai Xizhou was going to do, and he didn’t care. He was just terrified—afraid that Bai Xizhou would ask about the scar. Even though he had the right to refuse to answer, he was still scared.

The silence around them was deafening. Wen Ruqing could faintly hear the sound of cars passing by, fading back into stillness. But even in the empty hallway, he felt as if there were voices whispering in his ears—

Calling him pathetic.
Calling him attention-seeking.
Calling him weak.

But the ridicule he feared didn’t come. Instead, he felt a cool sensation on his wrist. Bai Xizhou fastened a watch around it, covering the scar completely.

It was Bai Xizhou’s own watch—the one he often wore—but its hands had stopped moving.

“I saw it back when we were at Mr. Chen’s place,” Bai Xizhou explained. “You were washing your hands.”

That was their first real interaction—the reason Bai Xizhou had allowed Wen Ruqing to approach him afterward. Bai Xizhou was never the type to avoid problems. If Wen Ruqing sincerely wanted to be his friend, then this issue had to be addressed sooner or later.

A breeze from the hallway blew in, carrying the wristband to the floor, where it rolled a few times before being forgotten.

Wen Ruqing stood frozen, realizing it had been back then.

He had thought Bai Xizhou wouldn’t notice. And even if he did, he had never mentioned it all this time.

So what did today mean?

“It’s just a thank-you gift for the cake. Don’t worry—I won’t tell anyone about this, not even your aunt. But I still think you should tell your family.” Bai Xizhou fastened the strap, but it was loose even at the last hole—Wen Ruqing’s wrist was thinner than he’d expected. “Don’t do this to yourself again. You didn’t tell your aunt because you were afraid she’d be heartbroken, right?”

“You could’ve just pretended not to know.” Wen Ruqing gave up resisting and let Bai Xizhou hold his hand. “This is my own business, Lawyer Bai.”

“But aren’t we friends?” Bai Xizhou replied matter-of-factly. “Shouldn’t friends be honest with each other? Besides, I don’t think this is just your business. If I see my friend hurting themselves and do nothing, then what kind of friend does that make me?”

Wen Ruqing’s face went blank for a moment. He lowered his head and stared at the watch on his wrist.

At first, he had approached Bai Xizhou with ulterior motives, treating him with extra care because he needed something from him. He had assumed Bai Xizhou would see through it. But now, things seemed to have shifted.

Did Bai Xizhou really want to be friends with him?

Wen Ruqing had always lacked friends. His connections with others were shallow, and most of his time was spent focusing on his studies. Everything else was a mess.

He didn’t really know what defined a friendship, having never taken the initiative to make one before. Bai Xizhou would be the first—though, initially, Wen Ruqing had his own agenda.

“If we’re not friends, then give the watch back.”

Bai Xizhou reached out as if to grab it, but Wen Ruqing quickly stepped back and held the watch protectively to his chest.

“How can you take back something you already gave?”

His body reacted faster than his mind. Even if he didn’t fully understand Bai Xizhou’s definition of friendship, he definitely didn’t want to give the watch back.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind—if he returned the watch, then maybe they really couldn’t be friends anymore.

“It’s late. I have work tomorrow. I’ll take the cake.” Bai Xizhou stretched and gave a small laugh, his tone lighter than before. “Happy birthday, my friend.”

With that, Bai Xizhou closed the door.

Wen Ruqing remained standing outside, dazed. He kept staring at the watch on his wrist, his lips curving into a faint smile.

Back inside, Bai Xizhou sat down and opened the cake box. He scooped up a bite with his finger, then absentmindedly scrolled through the webpage on his screen.

But no matter how much the page moved, he didn’t process a single word.

Wen Ruqing wasn’t as clever as he thought—not when it came to dealing with people.

A bit clumsy.

A bit interesting.

Bai Xizhou chuckled and took another bite of the cake. Maybe coming to Yun Duan Town was the right choice.

Maybe this experience could change something.

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Frozen Starlight
Wen Ruqing was born in Lixia—the beginning of summer.

TLN: Lixia (立夏) is a traditional Chinese solar term that marks the beginning of summer. It usually falls around May 5th–7th in the Gregorian calendar, depending on the solar cycle.