August 29.
The start of the school season.
@Ling: Xia Yiyi, what time does your flight land tomorrow? Tianfu or Shuangliu? I’ll pick you up.
@YiYi: No need, Ling Ge!
@YiYi: My parents are with me. The school has shuttle buses at the airport—super convenient.
@YiYi: Hehe, are you missing me already? Can’t wait to see me?
@Ling: Yeah.
@Ling: I miss you. I can’t wait to see you right now.
@Ling: Why haven’t you replied for so long?
@YiYi: …Wait, why are you suddenly saying stuff like this? It’s making me all embarrassed!
@Ling: I’m just repeating what you said.
@Ling: Besides, that’s exactly how I really feel.
Ahhh!
Xia Yiyang stared at the chat log on his phone screen, his heart bounding like eight hundred little sparrows hopping around wildly.
They say “a short separation is better than a honeymoon”—and that couldn’t be more accurate!
A week ago, the young master had ended his long journey in Rongcheng. With a send-off from Ling Ge, the aunties, and Master Qin, he’d boarded the plane back to Beijing. This trip home wasn’t just about having farewell dinners with his high school classmates—the most important thing was packing everything he needed for the start of the new semester.
He’d never felt time pass so slowly. One week had felt like a whole year, and every day he’d been counting down on his fingers how much longer until he could see Ling Ge again. Though they video-called every night, the young master still felt it wasn’t enough—after all, they’d only just confirmed their relationship and were in that clingy honeymoon phase.
Xia Yiyang missed the Rongcheng summer, missed the ice powder, missed that two-story little building, and missed Sheng Lin even more.
With that thought, he secretly brought his phone to his lips, pressed the voice recording button, and whispered: “Ling Ge, I miss you too. Hang in there—we’ll see each other soon.”
He let go, and the green voice bubble flew off.
“—Dear new students and parents, please look out the window. We are now passing through Rongda University’s most iconic north gate, the ‘Red Gate.’ Up ahead, that grand Chinese-style building is Mingde Tower, built in 1955. It was the university’s very first teaching building and now serves as the administrative center…”
At the front of the shuttle bus, a senior student wearing a volunteer sash stood up and began introducing the buildings outside to the passengers. At her words, everyone raised their phones to capture the scenery outside—even Xia’s father and mother, who were sitting in the row ahead of Xia Yiyang, did the same.
“This university is gorgeous!” Xia’s mother said, snapping photos as she turned back to her son. “After we finish your registration, our family of three has to take lots of pictures!”
“Oh, okay, sure.” Xia Yiyang quickly put away his phone, relieved that his parents hadn’t overheard that saccharine voice message.
That’s right, that’s right, that’s right~
Actually, Xia Yiyang wasn’t arriving at Rongda tomorrow—he was arriving today! After touring the campus with his parents and completing his registration during the day, he’d sneak over to the ice powder shop tonight and surprise Sheng Lin! (^▽^)
The shuttle bus for new students pulled up by the sports field. Everyone got off in order, grabbed their luggage, and headed to their respective departments to complete registration.
Xia Yiyang quickly found the canopy marked “School of Mechanical Engineering.” It was the first day of registration, so the crowd wasn’t too heavy—he reached the front soon enough. After finishing the paperwork, he wasted no time dragging his suitcase straight to the dormitory building—paying the dorm fee, collecting his keys, and listening to the dorm matron’s list of rules and reminders…
Though he and Sheng Lin had agreed in advance that he’d live off-campus, it was still better to stay in the dorms during military training, since there’d be sudden drills, night training, and the convenience of going back for a nap at noon.
With one hand pulling his suitcase and the other holding a campus map, he introduced the school to his parents like a little loudspeaker.
He’d been here for nearly three months and had already set foot on every inch of Rongda’s campus. He could draw the map from memory with his eyes closed. That’s the library over there, that’s the cafeteria—oh, and there’s the Rongda Museum by the east gate. The natural science exhibit there was seriously impressive, like a real-life Animal Crossing museum. He’d visited twice…
Xia’s father and mother, walking behind him, exchanged a glance and spoke in hushed tones.
“Yiyi has changed so much this summer. I was worried he didn’t have any real-world experience and wouldn’t be safe out there on his own, but now it looks like I was overthinking it.”
“Exactly. He packed all his own luggage for the start of school. He even planned the flights, the hotel, and all the restaurants he wants to take us to.”
“I’ve always said—we can’t hold our child’s hand forever. Look, letting him go out and explore on his own—he’s grown so fast.”
“And you’re one to talk! Weren’t you the one who wouldn’t even let him peel fruit before? You might as well have been feeding it straight into his mouth!”
The two of them went back and forth, each saying “you spoil him more” and “you’re the one who spoils him rotten.” Before they knew it, they’d arrived at Xia Yiyang’s dorm.
He’d been assigned to North Park Building 4—the oldest group of dorms on campus. There was no elevator. Xia Yiyang hauled his own luggage all the way up to the fifth floor, sweating profusely, without letting his parents touch his suitcase for even a second.
All the dormitory doors were wide open, with people constantly coming and going. Occasionally, a burst of lively laughter would erupt from one of the rooms—no doubt new classmates introducing themselves.
Xia Yiyang quickly found his dorm—530. That’s right, there were thirty rooms on each floor, and his was the very last one.
He’d arrived early. The four-person room was empty—his roommates hadn’t shown up yet. The dorm was tiny, with bunk beds above desks that already showed signs of age. The aisle between them was narrow, barely wide enough for two people to pass side by side. The washing area was out on the balcony, and there was only one toilet and one shower—mornings and evenings were sure to be a long wait.
As for air conditioning? Just as Ling Ge had said—none at all.
The moment they laid eyes on the little dorm, Xia’s father and mother were already worrying: “Isn’t it a bit too small?”
“I think it’s fine.” Xia Yiyang, on the other hand, adapted quickly. After all, he’d stayed in an eight-person hostel before—roommates with stinky feet, snorers, people throwing wild parties, thieves, and scammers—he’d seen it all. Being able to move into a safe, bright dorm like this was already more than enough for him.
Look—to welcome the new students, the school had even gifted them a cute little pet in the room!
Xia Yiyang calmly caught the big spider that had landed on his bed with a tissue, opened the window, and set it free.
Next, Xia Yiyang busied himself with wiping down the desk, making the bed, and hanging the mosquito net. Xia’s father offered to help, but Xia Yiyang turned him down.
“Yiyi has really grown up,” Xia’s father said to his wife with a pleased look. “Look how neatly he handles all this.”
Xia’s mother agreed: “Before, he never folded his quilt when he got up—he’d just ball it up on the bed and run off, saying he’d sleep in it again at night so there was no need. Tsk, even a puppy knows to scratch out its nest before lying down.”
Xia Yiyang wasn’t happy about that: “Can you two stop digging up the past? The me now isn’t the me from before!”
During the time he’d lived with Sheng Lin, he’d been too lazy to fold his quilt at first too—but after being “corrected” by Sheng Lin a few times, he’d learned his lesson.
As for how he was “corrected”… The young master rubbed his backside and let out a hiss—deciding not to elaborate.
He hadn’t brought much luggage this time. All his summer clothes were at Sheng Lin’s place, and he planned to have his parents mail his winter clothes from Beijing when winter came. The two suitcases he’d brought—one large, one small—weren’t even full. After a bit of organizing, they were emptied out.
The dorm was small, and two suitcases sitting in the middle took up too much space. Xia Yiyang looked around and decided the balcony was just right.
The young master dragged his suitcases out to the balcony with some effort and tried to arrange them neatly. Just as he was busy with that, he heard the dorm room door open.
“Knock knock knock.” Someone knocked, and a somewhat familiar male voice called out: “Is this the freshman dorm for the School of Mechanical Engineering?”
“Yes, it is,” Xia Yiyang heard his mother reply. “And you two are…?”
“We’re graduates from the Mechanical Engineering department, back as volunteers for our alma mater. Here are our alumni cards,” the voice said. “Let me introduce myself—my name is Qin Zaozao, and this is—”
“—Sheng Lin.” A second, deeper voice followed. “May I ask where the new student is?”
“!!!” Xia Yiyang’s mind went blank.
“He’s on the balcony!” Hearing that two of his son’s seniors had come to visit, Xia’s father immediately greeted them warmly: “Yiyi, come out and say hello! You’re all in the same department—you can ask your seniors for advice on anything.”
Ask for advice—ask for what kind of advice?!
Crouched on the balcony, the young master felt like his head was about to explode. He instinctively turned to look at the nearby sink—the blurry mirror reflected his current disheveled state.
After all that time tidying the dorm, Xia Yiyang was drenched in sweat. Late August in Beijing had seen days of continuous rain, with a slight chill creeping in at dawn and dusk—but Rongcheng’s scorching summer was far from over. The tiny dorm was like a steamer, the heat flushing his cheeks pink. Strands of sweat-soaked hair stuck to his forehead, dust clung to him everywhere, and his damp T-shirt plastered to his body, making him look like a grimy little puppy.
According to his original plan, he’d finish tidying the dorm, head to the hotel with his parents to rest, take a nice shower, and dress up to go see Ling Ge in the evening… So why had Ling Ge inexplicably shown up at the dormitory area as a volunteer? Why had he never mentioned this?!
Xia Yiyang really didn’t want to be seen looking such a mess. He wished he could be like that big spider just now—escape right out the window.
Before he could figure out where to flee, the balcony door slid open.
Sheng Lin stood at the threshold, his gaze sweeping down over Xia Yiyang’s flushed face. The man’s tall frame blocked the view of the parents behind him. His voice remained controlled and steady—only Xia Yiyang could see the laughter hidden in his eyes.
“So you’re this year’s freshman? What’s your name?”
Xia Yiyang: “…”
Damn. Since when did Ling Ge have such a talent for acting?
“My name is Xia Yiyang.” The young man stood up and decided to play along. “Hello, senior. Nice to meet you. I hope you’ll take good care of me.”
If it was acting, he could do that too!
Back in the dorm, Qin Zaozao was already chatting animatedly with the two parents—which cafeteria had the best food, which library was easiest to get a seat in, how student IDs got you a 50% discount at the nearby gym… On and on she went, making Xia’s parents nod along, practically ready to pull out a notebook and take notes.
On the balcony, Sheng Lin gazed at the young man with deep, fixed eyes, and deliberately raised his voice: “Junior, the shower controls in the bathroom are a bit tricky. Come with me, and I’ll show you how to use them.”
How could Xia Yiyang not understand? He raised his voice in return: “Sure, thanks for the trouble, senior.”
The two of them walked one after the other into the bathroom on the balcony. The tiny space was cramped—originally only big enough for one person to turn around in, but now with both of them squeezed in together, their bodies were pressed against each other.
They deliberately didn’t turn on the light. The ventilation fan above cast dappled shadows, outlining their intertwined silhouettes.
The door clicked shut. The next second, the young man punched Sheng Lin in the chest, his voice sulky and indignant: “Why didn’t you ever tell me you were going to be a freshman volunteer? Were you doing this on purpose?”
“And you didn’t tell me you were coming a day early, either,” Sheng Lin caught his fist, wrapped his fingers around his wrist, brought it to his lips and kissed it, then asked, “Were you doing that on purpose?”
“…” The young master, hit right where it stung, found himself at a loss for words and felt thoroughly displeased.
He couldn’t figure it out: “How did you even find out anyway?”
Sheng Lin revealed the answer: “Your sister posted a WeChat moment last night, wishing you a smooth journey in your studies.”
Xia Yiyang: “…”
So it was Jian Yun who’d let the cat out of the bag!
Sheng Lin added: “I knew you wanted to surprise me, but I wanted to surprise you too.”
“…Ahem,” the young master tried to suppress the smile spreading across his face, but he couldn’t hold it back, so he had to admit: “Okay, it’s a pretty good surprise.”
The man asked him: “Since it’s a surprise, do I get a reward?”
Xia Yiyang blinked. Though the sparrows in his heart were already singing, he pretended to be reserved: “I don’t know if that’s a good idea—my parents are right outside.”
“You’re right, it’s a bit risky.” To his surprise, Sheng Lin actually let go. “We should get out quickly. Don’t want to make your parents suspicious.”
“Wait!” Xia Yiyang took the bait and quickly grabbed him. “I didn’t say no… Just, one kiss. There’s time for one kiss.”
“Alright, one kiss it is.” Sheng Lin leaned down, found the young man’s lips, and kissed him deeply.
His tongue parted the young man’s teeth, coaxing him into entanglement—saliva exchanged, this kiss carried the preciousness of a long-awaited reunion. They’d only been apart for a week, so why did he cherish him so much it made him want to crush him into his arms?
The heat in the cramped bathroom rose steadily. When the kiss finally ended, Xia Yiyang was dizzy, hanging limply in the man’s arms like he was starved of oxygen, his head resting on Sheng Lin’s shoulder, his whole body drained of strength.
“It’s too hot in here,” Sheng Lin brushed his damp forehead. “Let’s go out.”
“No.” Xia Yiyang tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “One more kiss. Just like that last one.”
Sheng Lin laughed softly, and so he leaned down and kissed him again.
Then, “one more time.”
Followed by, “one last time.”
The two of them had no idea how long they’d been clinging to each other in that tiny bathroom. If it weren’t for Sheng Lin still having some sense of time, they might have kissed until the end of days.
The bathroom door opened again, and fresh air rushed in. Xia Yiyang quickly fanned his face, then went to the sink to wash his face in an attempt to cover up the unnatural flush on his cheeks.
Sheng Lin, with far better composure, stepped out of the balcony calmly. Back in the dorm, Qin Zaozao was still chatting with Xia’s father and mother, chattering away so brilliantly that she had both parents beaming with laughter.
When Sheng Lin emerged, Qin Zaozao shot him a look that said: Bro, I bought you all that time—how are you gonna thank me?
Xia’s father casually asked: “What took you two so long in the bathroom?”
Xia Yiyang: “Uh…”
Sheng Lin: “Our school’s bathrooms are pretty old. I noticed the showerhead was rusted shut, so I had the junior help me clean it out. That’s why it took a bit longer.”
That excuse was passable.
Qin Zaozao had come along just to accompany Sheng Lin in visiting Xia Yiyang. With the mission accomplished, she was ready to make her exit.
“It’s getting late, I should be going too.” Qin Zaozao pulled back her sleeve to check her wrist—where she’d drawn a fake watch. “Uncle Xia, Auntie Xia, I’m actually not in town much, but Sheng Lin is always here in Rongcheng. If little Xia ever needs anything, he can go straight to Sheng Lin! Sheng Lin may not talk much, but he’s really warm-hearted—he just loves helping people.”
Upon hearing that, Xia’s mother thanked her profusely and even offered to treat them to a meal.
“No need to be so polite. Taking care of Xia Yi—taking care of Junior Xia is the least I can do,” Sheng Lin said. “Speaking of which, I run a Rongcheng specialty snack shop just north of the school gate. If you have time, you should come by and try it. Free of charge, of course.”
Xia’s father: “What kind of Rongcheng specialty snack?”
Sheng Lin: “Ice powder.”
“What’s ice powder?”
Xia Yiyang waved his arms enthusiastically as he described it: “Ice powder is a kind of jelly made from ice powder seeds—it’s cool and refreshing, topped with fruit, melon seeds, sesame seeds, and brown sugar syrup! It’s so good! Mom, Dad, you have to try it!”
Unable to resist their son’s passionate recommendation, Xia’s father and mother decided to give it a try.
Young master: ヾ(@^▽^@)ノ
The city he loved—of course he wanted his parents to see it. The food he loved—of course he wanted his parents to taste it. The person he loved—of course he wanted his parents to meet him.
He believed that the things he loved, his parents would love too.
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