Xie Xie

As soon as the Blue Silver Grass and spear vanished, Tang Wulin heard his stomach growl. It was not loud, but in the quiet dormitory, it sounded especially clear.

The fierce battle on the train, the exhausting journey here, and the thorough cleaning of the dormitory had all piled up. Hunger surged over him at once. His stomach felt empty and panicky, and even his limbs were a little weak.

He rubbed his stomach and turned toward where Yun Xiao had been standing, intending to ask how to get to the cafeteria.

"Yun Xiao, do you know where the cafeteria is?"

No one answered.

Tang Wulin froze, then took two steps forward.

The person who had just been clinging to the side of the cabinet had vanished. Only the metal cabinet door swayed slightly, creaking softly in the quiet dormitory.

"Huh? Where did he go?"

He scratched his head and muttered in confusion, thinking Yun Xiao had slipped out while he was not looking.

"I'm here..."

A thin, weak voice came from behind the metal cabinet, carrying a tremor it could not quite suppress.

Then, the cabinet door was slowly pushed open a crack. Yun Xiao poked his head out from inside, his messy purple hair sticking up everywhere, his black-rimmed glasses having slid all the way down to his chin. Behind the lenses, his eyes still held lingering shock.

He clung to the edge of the cabinet door and did not dare come all the way out for a long time, as though afraid another golden spear might suddenly fly at him.

"Why are you hiding in the cabinet?"

Tang Wulin was even more puzzled. He looked Yun Xiao over and felt that this new roommate seemed a little too timid.

"Th-the wind outside is kind of strong, so I came in here to hide."

Yun Xiao stammered out an excuse. Even he felt it sounded ridiculous after saying it, so he quickly lowered his head and picked at the rust on the cabinet door.

He did not dare tell the truth. He was afraid that if he admitted he had been frightened by what had just happened, a spear might end up pressed to his own throat. After all, this new roommate moved fast and ruthlessly. He looked rather friendly, but when he acted, he showed no hesitation at all.

Tang Wulin was so hungry that his head felt heavy. He had no interest in picking apart the holes in that explanation, so he repeated his question.

"Oh, never mind. How do I get to the cafeteria? I'm hungry."

Only then did Yun Xiao dare slowly edge out of the cabinet. He patted the dust off himself and pushed his glasses back up from the tip of his nose.

His heart was still pounding, and he spoke half a beat slower than usual, but he still explained the route clearly, afraid Tang Wulin would fail to find it and come back.

"Leave the dormitory building and go straight. Turn right at the third corner, pass two rows of plane trees, then turn left at the second intersection. You'll see the cafeteria's white building.

You'd better hurry. Otherwise, there might not be anything left to eat."

"Thanks!"

Tang Wulin's eyes lit up. After thanking him, he turned and ran toward the door.

His canvas bag bounced against his back as he pulled open the half-closed dormitory door and darted out in a few strides. His light footsteps quickly faded down the hallway.

The dormitory finally became completely quiet.

Yun Xiao looked at the open door, then turned toward Zhou Changxi, who was still sprawled on the floor, and cautiously moved closer.

"Zhou Changxi, are... are you okay?"

Zhou Changxi sat on the floor with his back against a bedpost. Cold sweat dripped down his cheeks from his forehead, and the back of his school uniform was soaked through, stained dark with sweat.

His legs were still weak. He tried twice but could not stand. Red marks had appeared where the Blue Silver Grass had constricted his arms, and they ached faintly.

Just recalling the icy sensation of the spear tip against his throat made his back go numb, while his heart continued pounding wildly.

Hearing Yun Xiao's voice, he weakly lifted his eyelids. His voice was several degrees hoarser than usual.

"Yun Xiao, give me a hand... My legs are weak."

In all his life, he had never been so close to death.

He had thought the newcomer was a soft target, perfect for establishing dominance and venting his frustration. Instead, he had kicked a titanium alloy steel plate, the sharp kind at that.

Yun Xiao hurriedly reached out and pulled him. It took every ounce of his strength to drag the burly Zhou Changxi onto the edge of the bed.

The two looked at each other and saw lingering fear in the other's eyes. Neither spoke for a while. The only sound in the dormitory was Zhou Changxi's heavy breathing.

Meanwhile, Tang Wulin followed the route Yun Xiao had described toward the cafeteria.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the plane tree leaves, casting mottled patches of light over the asphalt road.

Cicadas chirped one after another. Freshmen traveled the roads in groups of twos and threes. Some carried luggage while searching for their dormitories, while others held lunch boxes on their way back. The campus was lively everywhere.

The wind carried the aroma of food from the cafeteria, mixed with the faint scent of disinfectant, making his stomach growl even more eagerly.

As he turned the second corner, he caught a familiar flash of red from the corner of his eye.

A red-haired girl sat on a roadside bench, her back straight. Her red athletic outfit made her hair stand out even more as she quietly looked toward the distant sports field. Who else could it be but Huang Feng'er?

"Big Sister! So you were here!"

Tang Wulin's eyes brightened as he hurried over, his voice carrying the delight of unexpectedly running into family.

He had assumed Huang Feng'er had already familiarized herself with the class and gone to the cafeteria to eat.

Huang Feng'er heard him and turned her head to glance at him. Her fingertips pressed against the bench as she was about to stand, but she seemed to suddenly remember something. Her movements paused, and she sat steadily back down. Her expression remained blank, though a hint of barely noticeable mischief hid in her golden eyes.

"Big Sister, have you eaten?"

Tang Wulin stopped in front of her, caught his breath, and asked curiously.

He glanced around but saw neither a lunch box nor a takeout bag from the cafeteria.

"Sit first."

Huang Feng'er did not answer his question. She shifted aside, making room for half the bench, her tone calm.

"I have something to tell you."

Tang Wulin was a little puzzled, but he obediently sat down beside her.

The wooden bench carried warmth from the sun. As soon as he sat down, he felt something sticky beneath him. Something was not right, as though he had sat on something.

He was just about to ask what was going on when Huang Feng'er's calm voice rang out.

"The paint on this bench hasn't dried."

"Huh?"

Tang Wulin froze for a moment, then instinctively reached beneath himself and felt around.

His fingertips came away covered in pale blue paint. It was sticky and carried a sharp turpentine smell.

He looked at Huang Feng'er again. She sat perfectly straight, her pants spotless. Clearly, she had known the paint was not dry and had deliberately only let the edge of her pants touch it, without getting any on herself.

So she had specifically told him to sit down just to tell him that?

"Tang Wulin, don't just sit there. Go throw away that sign beside you first." Jin Qiu's voice sounded in his mind, holding back laughter and brimming with malicious delight. His Mental Detection had already swept over the small wooden sign standing beside the bench. The red-painted words were written clearly enough, but he had not told Tang Wulin beforehand. He had simply been waiting to watch Tang Wulin make a fool of himself. This kid was usually so serious; it was rare to see him this clueless. "Otherwise, you two can just stay sitting there. You'll be stuck until dark and still won't be able to get up." Jin Qiu added, finally unable to hold back his laughter.

Tang Wulin's mouth twitched, but he said nothing.

He silently stood and looked toward the grass beside the bench. Sure enough, there was a palm-sized wooden sign standing there. It read, in neat red paint, "Paint Not Dry, Do Not Sit." However, it had been placed too far off to the side and was mostly obscured by waist-high foxtail grass. No one would notice it without looking carefully.

He bent down and pulled out the sign. With a slight exertion of his fingers, the brittle pine sign snapped cleanly in two.

He applied force with his fingertips and rubbed the broken pieces into fine wood chips in a few motions, casually scattering them into the grass beneath the nearby tree shade without leaving a trace.

A large patch of pale blue paint stained the back of his pants like an irregular patch. Although Huang Feng'er had not gotten much on herself, a faint streak still marked the edge of her pants.

The two stood beneath the plane tree, lowered their heads to look at each other's pants, then exchanged glances. Neither said a word.

The wind carried the scent of food over again, and Tang Wulin's stomach growled at an extremely inappropriate moment, loud and clear beneath the quiet shade of the tree.

He looked up at Huang Feng'er, about to suggest they eat first, when he saw a boy walking toward them along the distant path.

The boy was tall and slender, with fair skin, neat brownish chestnut hair, a high nose bridge, slightly deep-set eyes, long eyelashes, and an exceptionally handsome face.

And judging by the expensive casual outfit he wore, Tang Wulin could tell at once that he had to be very wealthy.

"Looks like the comic relief of the Shrek Seven Monsters has arrived." Jin Qiu recognized the boy as Xie Xie as well. Xie Xie had left quite an impression on him in the original story. After all, when he first saw Xie Xie in the animated comic, he had thought he was Wang Dong Version Two.

Xie Xie walked at an unhurried pace, both hands tucked into the pockets of his casual pants. The cuffs were tapered, exposing a sliver of slender ankle. His sneakers looked light, but the patterns along their sides gleamed faintly. They were clearly high-end custom-made shoes.

The ivory casual outfit he wore was smooth and made of rare ice silk fabric. A ring of extremely fine dark golden cloud patterns was embroidered around the cuffs, appearing and disappearing in the sunlight. Its luxury lay hidden in the details.

He had been heading back to the dormitory after strolling around campus when he spotted two people seated beneath the plane trees from afar. One was red, while the other was dressed in purple and yellow. They sat motionless on the bench like two statues. He found it somewhat amusing, mixed with his inborn sense of superiority. In his eyes, these two freshmen looked rather rustic, probably standing there foolishly because they could not find their way.

"Hey, what are you two idiots standing around here for?"

He stopped and called out.

His tone was far from friendly, carrying a casual, condescending air. It was like teasing a stray kitten by the roadside in passing, with disdain and pride hidden beneath his offhand voice.

Tang Wulin was staring at the pale blue paint stain on his pants, wondering whether soapwort could scrub it off later. He did not pay Xie Xie any attention at all.

Huang Feng'er did not even raise her eyelids. Her gaze rested on the horizontal bars in the distant sports field, as though the person beside her was no different from air.

The two simply sat there quietly, treating Xie Xie's words as wind passing by their ears.

Xie Xie raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

Ever since he was young, he had been the center of attention wherever he went. He had never been so openly ignored before.

A young man's competitive spirit was immediately provoked. He took two steps forward, closing the distance, and raised his voice considerably. Most of the pride drained from his tone, replaced by a stubborn unwillingness to concede.

"Hey, hey! I'm talking to you two! Did you hear me? Hey!"

He shouted twice in a row and even raised a hand to wave. His dark green eyes widened round, stripping away the aloof nobility he had initially carried and giving him a more lively, youthful look.

This time, Tang Wulin finally reacted.

He slowly turned his head and glanced at Xie Xie. Without explaining or getting angry, he simply raised his chin and pointed at the empty space in the middle of the bench, his tone extremely calm.

"You sit down first. I'll tell you why in a moment."

Xie Xie was even more confused.

He looked Tang Wulin up and down. The other boy's dazzling purple-and-yellow shirt, along with the dirt on his pant legs, made him look like an ordinary freshman from some small county town.

Yet Tang Wulin's gaze was too composed, so composed that curiosity grew wildly in Xie Xie's heart like weeds.

He glanced at Huang Feng'er beside him again. Red hair, golden eyes, and a rather pretty face, though she was as cold as ice.

After hesitating for two seconds, curiosity overwhelmed his pride. He shrugged, walked over, and carelessly dropped into the middle of the bench.

The wooden seat was warm from the sunlight. He even casually bounced a little after sitting down, completely unaware that anything was wrong.

"Alright, can you tell me now?"

He crossed one leg over the other, rested an elbow on the bench back, and turned toward them. His dark green eyes were full of inquiry.

"Are you two being punished here or something? Acting all mysterious. What's going on?"

Huang Feng'er finally turned her face toward him. Her golden eyes swept over him indifferently, and her voice showed no fluctuation, as calm as though she were commenting on the weather.

"The paint on this bench hasn't dried."

"Huh?"

The curiosity on Xie Xie's face instantly froze. His mouth hung slightly open as he remained stunned in place for a long moment.

He instinctively pressed his palm against the seat beside him. A sticky sensation immediately spread across his hand, soft yet oddly elastic.

He abruptly raised his hand and saw that his entire palm was covered in pale blue paint, gleaming in the sunlight with an unfinished sheen. Even the spaces between his fingers had stuck together, while the sharp scent of turpentine rushed into his nose.

His mind buzzed, and he instantly understood—he had fallen for it.

"Damn it!"

He cursed under his breath and pressed against the bench to spring up. His butt had barely lifted half an inch when one of his arms was firmly held down by a hand.

That hand looked thin and small, but its strength was astonishing. Its fingers clamped around his forearm as though welded in place. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not stand.

Xie Xie turned his head and met Tang Wulin's pitch-black eyes.

The boy wore a completely serious expression, without the slightest smile of success from a prank. Yet his gaze clearly said, "Don't be in such a hurry to leave."

"What's the rush?"

Tang Wulin withdrew his hand and patted the large pale blue stain on the back of his pants. Then he pointed at the faint smear along the edge of Huang Feng'er's pants, his tone utterly straightforward.

"Do you want only the three of us to have sat on a bench with wet paint?"

Xie Xie's movements paused.

He looked down at the sticky paint on his palm, then instinctively rubbed his butt. There was no need to think about it. The back of his newly bought custom casual pants had definitely become a complete mess.

First came a surge of speechless frustration, mixed with annoyance at being tricked.

But on second thought, if he were the only one jumping up and down, shouting and making a fuss, would that not make him look even more foolish?

Besides, these two were sitting there perfectly calmly without a trace of panic on their faces. If he jumped up and started yelling, he would only look unable to keep his composure and lose face.

His mouth twitched as the force of his struggle slowly weakened. After several seconds of silence, he dropped back onto the bench with a thud and even leaned against the backrest, wearing the air of someone who had given up completely.

He was already covered in paint anyway. Standing up would not help.

He rubbed the back of his hand against the clothes behind him, but it only became stickier the more he rubbed. In the end, he simply gave up.

He leaned his head against the plane tree trunk, looked at the swaying leaves overhead, and began contemplating life with a dead-eyed expression.

It was the first day of school. New clothes, new pants. He had not provoked anyone or done anything to anyone, so how had he somehow ended up sitting on a bench with wet paint?

"Hahahaha, not bad, kid. You're pretty wicked." Jin Qiu laughed so hard in the Spirit Sea that he slapped the tree trunk, sending glimmering specks falling from the rustling leaves. "That kid got taken down by you the moment he arrived. Dorm life is going to be lively from now on. With that proud attitude of his, I bet he's never suffered this kind of silent loss in his life."

Tang Wulin ignored him. He stared ahead with his back straight, his expression so calm that it was as if he were not the one with paint all over his backside.

The wind carried the sound of cicadas past them. Plane tree leaves rustled, and sunlight filtered through the gaps between them, casting shifting spots of light over the three.

The three sat side by side on the bench with wet paint: one expressionless, one deadly serious, and one looking utterly dead inside. The scene was strangely harmonious.

(Because my high school entrance exams are coming up, updates have been a little slow. Please understand. There have also been fewer updates; I only updated four thousand words today.)