Sorry, I Don't Like Girls

Bai Yunsheng had a dream.

A strange dream.

In the dream, morning mist curled through the air. The surrounding vegetation was draped in white gauze, blurred beneath a heavy dampness. The moisture-laden fog floated around him, dragging down his body until it grew heavier and heavier. Bai Yunsheng even felt as though his soul had been beaded with damp droplets.

A gust of wind drifted in from nowhere, scattering the mist. Light broke through the clouds and spilled into the woods, driving away the gray gloom around him. In the forest that had originally contained only Bai Yunsheng, flights of stone steps gradually appeared. Not far away, someone stood with his back to him. The man was tall and slender, standing in the light, his entire body covered in the falling radiance. Though the light was bright and warm, it carried an air of emptiness.

Bai Yunsheng instinctively stepped forward, but the man suddenly moved. Still facing away from him, his once-straight back bent. As he hunched over, his legs folded as well, and then he knelt down, pressing his hands to his forehead and kowtowing reverently against the stone steps.

Bai Yunsheng's previously steady heart suddenly gave a heavy thump.

The man made his way up the mountain one step, one kneel at a time.

For some reason, Bai Yunsheng wanted to get closer, yet he could not. Whenever he approached, the man moved farther away from him.

Bai Yunsheng could only watch helplessly as the man made his way toward the mountaintop, his figure gradually shrinking until it finally vanished.

As the empty steps remained, the scene around him suddenly began to change. The next second, Bai Yunsheng found himself standing before a temple. The figure that had just disappeared up the stairs was now standing beside a monk. The two were saying something, but Bai Yunsheng could not hear them. Then, the man walked into the temple. Bai Yunsheng could not move and could only watch as that figure slowly entered the temple. The doors slammed shut with a boom, and the closing gates stirred up a violent wind...

Bai Yunsheng jolted awake and found himself lying in bed. Moonlight shone brightly outside the window, spilling into the room. He lay there with his eyes open, the rhythm of his heart in the dream carrying over into reality. His heart refused to calm down for a long while...

The man's back in the dream had seemed familiar yet strange, but Bai Yunsheng truly could not remember who it was.

He spent a quiet weekend.

That day, just after Bai Yunsheng came out from Wu Shanye's place, he received a call from Meng Shangzhi. The two had not contacted each other for two days.

"Brother?"

"Are you free today?"

"Yes."

"Shouldn't you make good on that meal?"

The hand holding Bai Yunsheng's phone curled slightly. He had not expected Meng Shangzhi to personally come collect on that meal. "Sure. I happen to know a newly opened restaurant. I'll send you the address, and we can meet there."

"No. I'll take you there."

"What?"

"Look up."

Bai Yunsheng obediently raised his head. Tiny flower petals, blown in from who knew where, drifted and swayed through the air. They brushed past Meng Shangzhi's clothes and fell to the ground. Meng Shangzhi moved, straightening from where he had been leaning against the car door. A cigarette was held between his fingers. There was some distance between them, and Bai Yunsheng could not actually see Meng Shangzhi's eyes clearly, yet he knew with certainty that Meng Shangzhi was looking at him.

Bai Yunsheng quickened his pace. By the time he reached Meng Shangzhi, the cigarette between Meng Shangzhi's fingers was gone. "How did you know I was here?"

"I asked your dad. He said you were practicing piano at your teacher's place."

Bai Yunsheng tilted his head up, unable to hide the delight in his eyes. "Did he tell you about this place too?"

"Han Chen is my friend. Of course I know this place."

"You know Senior Brother?"

Meng Shangzhi nodded. "Get in."

Bai Yunsheng had intended to go around to the back seat, but Meng Shangzhi had already opened the front passenger door for him.

"Get in."

Bai Yunsheng ducked his head and got in.

Music flowed softly through the car. It was the light music Bai Yunsheng liked, its melody gentle and faintly sorrowful, forming a sharp contrast with the bright sunshine outside.

"Where to?"

"231 Huangshan Road."

"Okay."

"I haven't eaten there before. I only heard from my classmates that it's really good."

"That's fine."

Because Wu Shanye's home was rather far from downtown, Meng Shangzhi drove for quite a while before they arrived.

As soon as they got out of the car, they saw a long line of people outside the restaurant.

The meal had come too suddenly, and Bai Yunsheng had not had time to get in line online. Looking at all the people sitting outside and waiting, he said somewhat apologetically, "Should we go somewhere else? There seem to be a lot of people."

Meng Shangzhi shook his head. "No." Then he walked over and sat in one of the waiting seats. Bai Yunsheng had no choice but to follow and sit beside him.

The moment Bai Yunsheng and Meng Shangzhi sat down, many people looked over. One gaze followed another, mainly because the two of them were too eye-catching. On top of that, Meng Shangzhi's temperament differed from that of ordinary people, making him even more noticeable.

Bai Yunsheng did not feel uncomfortable, but he was afraid those stares might offend Meng Shangzhi. He leaned closer, just about to speak, when Meng Shangzhi suddenly turned toward him. "Do you want to look at the..."

They were a little too close, their noses nearly touching. Bai Yunsheng blinked, then immediately realized what was happening and leaned back slightly. Red crept up his ears, and the words he had wanted to say were completely forgotten because of how close they had been. "A-anything is fine."

Meng Shangzhi stared at Bai Yunsheng's reddened ears for quite a while before shifting his gaze away. "Mm. Then I'll take a look first."

"Order whatever you want. Don't hold back."

"Of course."

Their brief exchange ended. One lowered his head to look over the dishes, while the other idly watched the leaves swaying outside.

Several tables ahead of them went in.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over Bai Yunsheng's head, blocking his view. He looked up and saw an unfamiliar girl. She was very pretty. She merely glanced at Bai Yunsheng before turning her gaze toward Meng Shangzhi beside him.

"Hello."

Meng Shangzhi only lifted his eyes briefly before immediately looking back at his phone. Then he asked Bai Yunsheng beside him, "Do you drink fruit wine? It isn't very strong."

Bai Yunsheng saw the embarrassed expression on the girl's face and gently nudged Meng Shangzhi. "Brother, she's talking to you."

Only then did Meng Shangzhi look at the girl again. "I don't know her, so I didn't know she was talking to me." Meng Shangzhi explained his rude behavior, then said to the girl, "May I ask what you need?"

The girl did not get angry over being ignored. She smiled openly. "Can I add you as a friend?" As she spoke, she took out her phone and gave it a little shake.

By this point, anyone with eyes could tell what the girl meant.

Bai Yunsheng wondered how someone like Meng Shangzhi would turn her down.

Then he heard Meng Shangzhi reply casually, "Sorry, I don't like girls."