Chapter 78

Chapter 78

"Heng, your nose is bleeding!"

"..." Xie Hang then felt warmth in his nose.

Ji Mian quickly grabbed some tissues for Xie Hang.

After receiving them, Xie Hang quickly dealt with it and rushed to the restroom.

When he got back, the class bell was ringing.

Ji Mian asked with concern, "Are you feeling hot?"

Xie Hang was utterly embarrassed and didn't dare to look at him, "A bit."

"You should eat lighter meals for a while. Skip the cafeteria; the food's too oily." Ji Mian, still concerned, handed Xie Hang his last tissue.

Ji Mian's pale hand came back into view, and Xie Hang subconsciously touched his nose with his fingers. Fortunately, nothing else came out.

"...Yeah."

*

A few days later, Ji Mian's injury was almost healed. It still hurt a bit, but he could at least lift his arm.

As soon as he felt better, he was back on the court, playing hard.

Xie Hang went with him to the field. When they got to the court after running, Ji Mian was gone.

He texted Ji Mian.

"Xie Hang": Where you at?

After two minutes, there was still no reply.

Xie Hang put his phone away and went through a side gate by the court. After six months, he knew most of Ji Mian's basketball buddies.

"Hey, senior," he called to a guy watching from the side, "Where's Lu?"

"A girl just called him over; he went that way."

He pointed to the door on the left side of the court, which was rarely used as it was far from the dormitories and the supermarket.

"Thanks, senior." Xie Hang thanked him and prepared to go over.

"Uh..." The guy scratched his head, hesitating to say it might not be a good time to go over.

A girl calling him to a quiet path at night? Probably a confession.

Xie Hang paused, waiting for him to say something.

"Uh, never mind."

Xie Hang turned back and exited through the door the guy had pointed to.

Outside the left door was a narrow path, shaded by thick trees, with no streetlights—just a faint glow from the field lighting the way.

Xie Hang walked down the path and stopped as he reached the corner.

"...These things, perhaps you may not remember them, but for me, each one is a very precious memory."

The girl's voice carried a hint of tears, "I... really like you."

The air fell silent for a moment, the wind rustling through the treetops, creating a lonely rustling sound.

After a long time, a voice Xie Hang knew all too well spoke:

"Sorry..."

The apology was quiet, but when it reached Xie Hang's ears, it weighed on his heart like a mountain.

His fate would likely be summed up in this gentle "sorry."

He lingered for a moment before turning and leaving.

*

A few months later, the freshmen faced their second finals week of college.

Ji Mian had crammed for half a month before the exams, and by early July, after finishing his last exam, he slumped on the desk like a boneless blob, motionless.

Xie Hang came in from another exam room and saw that Ji Mian was the only one left in the classroom. He walked over to him. "How'd it go?"

"...Not bad," Ji Mian replied weakly, "At least I won't flunk. How about you, Brother Heng?"

"I'm doing okay too."

Ji Mian managed to lift his head slightly.

He knew that Xie Hang's "okay" was in a league of its own. Xie Hang's "okay" meant a solid score above ninety.

When the previous semester's results were announced, Xie Hang's overall score was third in their department, and his GPA was firmly in first place, a shoo-in for grad school.

Xie Hang asked, "Feel like grabbing dinner?"

"Huh? Brother Heng, don't you usually skip dinner, though?"

"The semester's almost over, and I want to hang out with you."

Ji Mian was a bit surprised; it wasn't often that Xie Hang suggested going out.

Unfortunately, he couldn't make it today.

"Sorry, Brother Heng, I can't make it today."

"You got plans with someone?"

Ji Mian touched the tip of his nose, a bit embarrassed, "Not exactly, I'm gonna meet Song Yu later..."

"What's up?"

"I, um..." Ji Mian stammered, his cheeks turning red in an instant.

Xie Hang froze at his reaction.

"You're gonna confess?"

"Uh... yeah."

Xie Hang fell silent.

"I was thinking, the semester is ending... Brother Heng, don't you think I'm decent? What if Song Yu says yes?"

"What if he says no?"

Ji Mian said discontentedly, "Brother Heng, you shouldn’t discourage people at times like this. Say something positive."

Xie Hang twitched the corner of his mouth, "Well, good luck then."

Ji Mian beamed, "If it works out, dinner’s on me!"

"What if it doesn’t work out?"

Ji Mian: ...

Why did it feel like this guy was rooting for him to get rejected?

He gritted his teeth and said, "If I fail, you owe me... an ice cream!"

Xie Hang lowered his eyes, "Sure."

*

Ji Mian went to confess, the bet still on his mind.

This was his second time confessing to someone for a mission, and it was different from the first world.

When he first started doing missions, his mind was clear, and he had no psychological burden when confessing.

But now, his heart was set on Duan Zhuo, and yet he had to confess to someone else. Even though he knew Song Yu would say no, it still felt weird.

He asked Song Yu out, keeping it short and simple, "If you’re not into anyone, could you... give me a shot?"

Song Yu had a hunch the moment he got Ji Mian’s message.

He pursed his lips, "Lu Zhou, you’ve done a lot for me..."

Ji Mian interrupted him, "Don’t say that. I want you to like me for me."

Song Yu was caught off guard.

To him, and to everyone else, the guy in front of him was the perfect catch.

He was like the sun. Even from a distance, his warmth reached you without trying.

Song Yu thought, if He Chang hadn’t come first, he might’ve said yes to Ji Mian without a second thought.

But He Chang had been his first.

Throughout freshman and sophomore year, Song Yu barely noticed He Chang. All he knew was that he was the troublemaker sitting behind him, sleeping through most of the classes and not liking to talk to people. To be precise, he didn’t like to talk to Song Yu.

He Chang was tight with the guys but never talked to Song Yu.

By sophomore year, the workload got heavier. Song Yu hated exercise, and with the tougher classes, he spent most days glued to his desk.

Back then, he’d make up any excuse to skip morning runs, even going so far as to run for class discipline officer just so he could stay in the school building during the morning exercises.

As a result, his physical fitness was much worse than that of other students.

Near the end of the first semester of the second year, the school arranged the last physical fitness test. Unfortunately, their PE teacher was a very responsible young teacher who didn’t go easy on anyone.

Song Yu only had the spirit to face challenges in academics; when it came to other aspects, he would retreat whenever possible. Thus, the most difficult and exhausting 1000-meter test was postponed to the very end—after all other tests were completed and his energy was completely drained.

Song Yu remembered the sun blazing that day, weirdly warm for winter.

He, bundled in a thick down jacket, lagged behind at the end of the group.

Whether it was the harsh glare of the sun or the suffocating warmth of the down jacket, during the last lap, he began to feel dizzy, and the track beneath his feet appeared to warp and blur.

Then, his legs began to give way. Song Yu clearly realized that he was likely to be the only one in recent years to pass out during a fitness test.

Before losing consciousness and collapsing, his last thought was: This is so humiliating.

When he came to, he found himself lying on a bed in the school infirmary. The doctor told him there was nothing wrong with his body, but because he had been unconscious for a while, the friends who had come to accompany him had been called back to class.

The infirmary was overheated, making it uncomfortably warm.

His down jacket lay by the bed, and he was draped with a thinner school blazer, faded from washing but spotless.

He carried the unfamiliar jacket back to the classroom and handed it to the boy sitting behind him, who looked worried.

He Chang looked utterly surprised, "How... how did you know it was mine?"

Song Yu paused before replying, "Well, because, there's a hole in the sleeve..."

Then he noticed the usually reserved boy's tanned face turn bright red in an instant.

"You’ve got it wrong, it’s not mine."

Song Yu knew he wasn’t mistaken, but he didn’t expose He Chang.

The jacket stayed on his seat until the semester ended, until one day it was quietly removed.

...

Song Yu always knew that He Chang’s kindness was like that slightly worn school blazer. It might not shine as bright as the sun, but it gave him every bit of warmth it could muster.

He bowed his head and murmured, "I’m sorry."

...

After Song Yu walked away, Ji Mian lingered for a while, staring at the crescent moon in the night sky and exhaling deeply.

It’s done.

When the next semester starts and Song Yu and He Chang get back together, his mission in this world will be completely fulfilled.

He trudged back to the dorm, not forgetting his bet with Xie Hang.

As he neared the supermarket, Ji Mian pulled out his phone to text Xie Hang for his location, but the system stopped him first.

"No need to ask."

Ji Mian was startled and looked up.

Directly ahead, by the supermarket entrance, someone was propped against the wall, nibbling on an ice pop as he waited. In the other hand, hanging down, was a transparent shopping bag, filled to the brim with ice pops.

A moment later, Xie Hang seemed to sense something and turned his head, accurately meeting Ji Mian's gaze.

After a brief moment of surprise, he curved his lips and smiled at Ji Mian.

That nearly tender look, for some reason, made Ji Mian’s chest constrict.