In the increasingly bright white light and the rich, sweet fragrance, the blurry white gradually became clear, outlining a rough silhouette as the light and shadows shifted.

The grapevines were lush and thriving, like an endless corridor intertwined into a canopy of blooming flowers. The rich fragrance was so strong that it seemed to settle on the eyelashes. The setting sun blazed like molten gold, vivid and intense, like an oil painting.

A young man seemed to be asleep on a rocking chair beneath the vines, with one hand hanging loosely, his fingers slightly curled. The golden evening sunlight shimmered down in large patches of purple and gold. The green and gold light filtered through the gaps in the swaying vines, brushing gently against the peacefully sleeping boy’s face. A soft gilded glow covered his lashes, making him appear gentle and harmless.

Lu Li’s heart, for some reason, began to beat wildly amidst the sweet and rich fragrance.

The evening breeze lifted the boy’s loose collar, revealing a glimpse of his glaringly white collarbone and a slender, soft waist. Half-dreaming, he opened his eyes, turned his head toward Lu Li, and with a voice still groggy from sleep, called out.

“Lu Li——”

At 4 a.m., Lu Li suddenly opened his eyes on the large bed in the bedroom, his chest heaving violently, his breath heavy. His blond hair was damp, clinging to his forehead, and he was holding Jiang Yi tightly.

He had almost clung to Jiang Yi for half the night, half-asleep.

Lu Li hesitated for a moment and, feeling a wet sensation, cursed under his breath in English with a dark expression.

He carefully let go of Jiang Yi, got up, and went to the bathroom to take a cold shower, throwing his dirty underwear into the trash can.

After showering, Lu Li sat on the bed, dazed.

He was trying to recall exactly what the teacher said during the biology class yesterday.

He knew that what had just happened was a normal physiological phenomenon.

But what he wanted to know was whether it was normal to dream about Jiang Yi during that.

If he had dreamt about Jiang Yi in today’s situation, he would gladly continue dreaming and even excitedly tell Jiang Yi upon waking what Jiang Yi looked like in his dream and how they talked together.

But given today’s incident, Lu Li thought this particular dream had to be buried deep inside, never to be spoken of. He couldn’t let even the slightest hint of it slip out.

Thinking from the opposite perspective, if Qin Lan had told him that during his first growth experience, he dreamt of him, and that he had come out just when he called his name…

His first reaction would be to kick Qin Lan down the stairs of the teaching building. From then on, every time he saw Qin Lan, he would want to punch him.

Still shaken, Lu Li glanced toward the trash can. After thinking for a moment, he immediately got up, tied the garbage bag securely, and, still not reassured, pushed the trash can under the bed and kicked it all the way in.

After destroying the evidence, Lu Li sat back down at the head of the bed, continuing to stare blankly.

He thought it over and realized that because of this incident, it was very likely he would never be able to sleep in the same bed as Jiang Yi again.

More than an hour later, the first rays of light filtered through the gap in the thick bedroom curtains, and the alarm clock rang.

Jiang Yi rubbed his eyes, yawned, and, as usual, squinted for a little while before half-waking and opening his eyes. He turned his head to look at Lu Li.

Something was strange about Lu Li today. He wasn’t hugging him like a big stuffed toy as he did every morning but was sitting at the head of the bed, looking somewhat dazed.

Jiang Yi wasn’t fully awake yet. Lying on the pillow, he opened one eye and squinted the other as he mumbled, “What’s wrong?”

Who would have thought that such an ordinary question would be like a drop of water falling into a sizzling pan of oil? Lu Li jumped up in fright and hurriedly got up, trying his best to sound calm as he said, “Nothing.”

Jiang Yi thought, how strange.

He sat up, thinking that maybe Lu Li was sick, which was why he seemed so out of it, with slow reactions.

Jiang Yi half-knelt on the bed, wanting to reach out and touch Lu Li’s forehead, but saw that Lu Li had retreated all the way to the sofa, looking like an animal that had been startled and run off.

Jiang Yi: “???”

He raised his hand midair, confused, wondering if maybe he was the one who was sick, which was why Lu Li wanted to stay far away from him.

So, Jiang Yi’s hand shifted course and touched his own forehead.

After a few seconds.

Jiang Yi mumbled to himself, “No, I’m not sick…”

He raised his head and tentatively asked, “Lu Li, are you sick or am I?”

Unexpectedly, before he could finish his sentence, he heard Lu Li explode like a cat that had its tail stepped on, saying, “Talk properly.”

“Wait until you’re fully awake before calling my name.”

Mumbling like in the dream—what kind of behavior is that!

Jiang Yi, at a loss, obediently said, “Oh.”

Lu Li added with a stern expression, “And button up your pajamas.”

Jiang Yi pouted, “My pajamas have always been buttoned properly…”

He would feel uncomfortable for the whole night if he didn’t finish buttoning them, so how could his pajamas be undone?

Lu Li said nothing, his face taut as he stared at him.

Jiang Yi lowered his head to check and found that one button on his pajamas really had come undone.

Feeling confused, he scratched his nose and buttoned it back up.

Seeing Jiang Yi’s pajamas neatly buttoned, Lu Li discreetly breathed a sigh of relief. But then he noticed Jiang Yi getting up to make the bed as usual.

Lu Li felt a wave of panic wash over him. The bedsheets today were light-colored. If there were any marks, they would be glaringly obvious.

Lu Li wasn’t even sure if he had stained the sheets last night.

After all, both pairs of his pants were dirty.

Seeing that Jiang Yi was about to fold the sheets, Lu Li rushed over, grabbed the sheet, and said, “I’ll do it.”

“You go brush your teeth.”

Jiang Yi glanced at him and shook his head.

He said honestly, “You don’t make the bed neatly.”

“It bothers me.”

Lu Li: “…”

After a long pause, he forced out, “I’ll make it neatly today.”

Jiang Yi continued shaking his head, still honest as ever, “No, you never make it neatly.”

Lu Li: “…”

Seeing that Lu Li was stubbornly gripping the sheets, Jiang Yi recalled his strange behavior that morning and figured Lu Li might be in a bad mood. So he comfortingly handed two pillows to Lu Li.

He coaxed, “You go arrange these two pillows.”

“That’s easy.”

“Just remember to smooth out the wrinkles on top.”

Lu Li seemed determined to fight the sheets, stubbornly replying, “I’ll make the bed.”

The two of them stood at an impasse for nearly two minutes before Jiang Yi finally gave in, saying, “Alright.”

“But can you wait until I’ve brushed my teeth and washed my face before you make it?”

“When I’m done, I’ll leave the room, and maybe I won’t feel so bothered by it if I don’t see it.”

Lu Li quickly agreed, urging, “Hurry up. I’ll wait for you to finish, and then I’ll make it while you have breakfast.”

Jiang Yi nodded and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

While Jiang Yi was brushing his teeth, Lu Li occasionally glanced under the bed, half-expecting the trash can to suddenly leap out, miraculously fighting its way to Jiang Yi.

This might sound far-fetched, but it was exactly how Lu Li felt at the moment.

If he could dream about Jiang Yi in his first experience, what else could be impossible?

In the bathroom, Jiang Yi was brushing his teeth, still wondering why Lu Li had been so jumpy today.

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure it out, so he just wiped his face and sighed deeply at the reflection in the mirror.

“Understanding Lu Li’s mind…”

“… is like trying to find a needle in the sea.”

Jiang Yi stepped out of the bedroom, and before leaving, he poked his head back in, saying, “I’m going to eat breakfast.”

“You can make the bed now.”

Lu Li sat squarely on the large bed, looking steady and unmoved as he calmly replied, “Alright.”

As soon as Jiang Yi closed the bedroom door, Lu Li immediately jumped to his feet, shaking out the sheets to thoroughly check for any suspicious stains.

To his great relief, the sheets were clean, with no signs of anything inappropriate.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lu Li began the difficult task of folding the bed.

Five minutes later.

Lu Li, now frustrated by the mess he had made of the bed, bent down and grabbed the trash can from under the bed, ready to throw the crumpled sheets in along with the earlier evidence of his “crime.”

Just as he reached out to kick the trash can from under the bed, Jiang Yi’s voice suddenly called out from outside the room, “Auntie asked me to remind you—”

Lu Li froze in place, lying on the edge of the bed with his head down, not daring to turn around. He tried to remain calm, responding, “Got it, you two go ahead and eat.”

Jiang Yi stood in the doorway, spoon in hand, staring at Lu Li lying flat on the bed, as if he was trying to hide something.

Hesitating, Jiang Yi asked, “Are you sure you’re okay today?”

Lu Li, staring down at the floor, about to come face-to-face with his earlier “crime,” immediately replied, “I’m fine, just go eat.”

“I’m coming soon.”

Jiang Yi paused for a moment, then said, “Alright, just hurry up then.”

Lu Li stiffly nodded.

Half an hour later, Lu Li watched as the bedroom trash can was safely thrown into the large outdoor dumpster, and he finally let out a breath of relief.

On the way to school, Jiang Yi was focused on memorizing vocabulary words but noticed that Lu Li was unusually quiet today.

Normally, Lu Li would poke at him, play with his hair, his hand, or his backpack, as if trying to make up for the time they couldn’t see each other during class. But today, Lu Li sat straight up in the car, keeping a good distance from him.

Jiang Yi didn’t think much of it and continued studying his English vocabulary.

— — —

Morning.

During a break in the international class, Lu Li drummed his fingers on the desk, clearly restless.

After a while, he looked up. “Qin Lan.”

Qin Lan, who was yawning, turned around and asked, “What’s up?”

Lu Li stared at him for a few seconds before irritably muttering, “Forget it.”

Qin Lan turned back around, and just as he closed his eyes for a nap, he heard Lu Li again, “Qin Lan.”

Qin Lan forced his eyes open and turned his head. “What is it now, my dear brother?”

Lu Li sneered, “Drop the ‘dear,’ it’s disgusting.”

Qin Lan: “…”

So, it’s perfectly fine for him to fawn over his childhood sweetheart, calling her pretty and cute, but when I use one affectionate word, it’s disgusting? Famous double standard?

Qin Lan resigned himself. “What’s going on? What do you need?”

Lu Li pursed his lips, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the desk. After a brief silence, he muttered, “I have this friend.”

Qin Lan: “…”

What a classic, old-fashioned opening.

With a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, Qin Lan replied, “And?”

Lu Li hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “He’s… not too familiar with, you know, that stuff.”

Qin Lan blinked. “What stuff?”

Lu Li cleared his throat. “You know, the stuff we covered in class yesterday.”

Qin Lan thought for a moment and then suggested, “Tell him to watch some educational videos.”

Lu Li’s expression darkened. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I’m talking about, you know, that first time stuff.”

Qin Lan: “Then tell him to watch action films.”

Lu Li lost his patience, using his foot to pull Qin Lan’s chair over. “Can you take this seriously?”

Qin Lan, now exasperated, threw up his hands. “I’m trying to be serious! What do you want from me?”

“If he doesn’t understand that part, then he should just watch some action films!”
“What do you expect me to do? Teach him myself?”
“Or do you want me to break it down like a lesson in rocket class, write it all out in a notebook, and then read it aloud to him?”

Lu Li: “…”
That sounded somewhat reasonable. But also, not really.

He pursed his lips and gestured for Qin Lan to come closer, whispering something.

Qin Lan’s mouth twitched. “So, you’re saying your friend dreamt about your friend’s… friend?”

Lu Li kicked him. “Keep it down.”

Qin Lan slowly responded, “You know what Zhong Mao dreamt about the first time he had one of those dreams?”

Lu Li shook his head suspiciously.

Qin Lan: “An elephant. He dreamt about an elephant.”
“This kind of thing is entirely subjective, you know!”
“Are you going to say that just because Zhong Mao dreamt of an elephant, his future wife will be an elephant?”

Qin Lan wanted to shake the sense into Lu Li, to shake out whatever was going on in his head, but he didn’t dare.

He thought Lu Li had come to him with a serious issue. After all, people in their circle had seen and experienced a lot more than most; they were typically more mature than the average person.

It was like a graduate student preparing for a complex thesis defense, only to be asked by the professor, “What’s one plus one?” And the student takes four out of the five seconds to process the absurdity of the question.

Lu Li, still uncertain, asked, “Really?”

Qin Lan replied, “What else? Are you going to set Zhong Mao up with an elephant wife?”

Lu Li was still skeptical. “Then who did you dream about?”

Qin Lan paused before answering, “A washing machine.”
“I dreamt of a washing machine spinning and spinning. I kept pouring in laundry detergent until I was exhausted. That’s my life experience in a nutshell.”

Seeing Lu Li’s doubtful expression, Qin Lan said irritably, “What? You planning on marrying me off to a washing machine now?”

Lu Li coughed, offering a few half-hearted remarks. After hearing Qin Lan’s explanation, he leaned back in his chair and exhaled a long breath.

It really wasn’t a big deal. Some dreamt of elephants, others of washing machines.

Lu Li slept in the same bed as Jiang Yi every night, so it wasn’t surprising he dreamt about him.
Besides, Jiang Yi was way cuter than an elephant or a washing machine. Dreaming about him was perfectly normal.

Lu Li glanced down at his body and muttered to himself, “I misjudged you this morning, buddy.”

Now that the prospect of sleeping next to Jiang Yi again without any awkwardness was back on the table, Lu Li felt a wave of joy.

That night, Jiang Yi noticed that Lu Li had returned to normal, no longer acting as jumpy as he had that morning. This put Jiang Yi at ease.

However, when it came time to sleep around 9:30 PM, Lu Li’s behavior took another strange turn.

Staring wide-eyed at Jiang Yi, Lu Li suddenly blurted out, “No.”
Without any context, he added, “You need to dream about me too.”

After mulling it over the whole night, Lu Li decided—forget the elephants and washing machines. Jiang Yi couldn’t dream about fridges or tricycles; Jiang Yi had to dream about him.

Confused, Jiang Yi asked, “Dream about what?”

Lu Li stared intensely. “Nothing in particular.”

Jiang Yi touched Lu Li’s forehead, checking if he had a fever. When he found nothing, he patted Lu Li’s hair and said, “Forget about the dreams. Let’s just go to sleep.”

Otherwise, Lu Li might start acting weird again in the morning and fight over who got to fold the blanket.

Lu Li continued staring at him. “No.”
“You need to watch me fall asleep.”

That way, when he dreamed, there would be a higher chance Jiang Yi would appear.
He was sure it was because he had been secretly playing with Jiang Yi’s eyelashes every night before bed, staring at him for too long, that he had ended up dreaming about him.

Jiang Yi: “…”
What did he mean by “watch me fall asleep”?
He had only ever heard that line in dramas when someone was on the verge of death.

Jiang Yi, half-distracted, replied, “Fine, fine, I’ll watch you fall asleep every night.”

Lu Li mulled it over seriously for a moment. Then he got up, went to the study, and printed out half a page of math formulas, which he stuck to his forehead with double-sided tape.

Returning to the bedroom, Lu Li lay down on his side, facing Jiang Yi with the half-page of math formulas stuck to his forehead. “Turn over and look at me.”

Jiang Yi turned and saw Lu Li with the formula sheet taped to his head, leaving only his eyes exposed. Lu Li urged him to hurry up and really look at him—properly.

Finally, Lu Li added that he would do this every night. Today, it was math; tomorrow, English; the day after, physics. Eventually, he’d find a subject that would interest Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi: “…”

He silently closed his eyes, thinking about calling his father to come pick him up and take him back home.