Whenever the red thread appeared alone and then disappeared, Xu Xing could randomly see the red thread in the following days for varying lengths of time—sometimes as long as half an hour or an hour, but as short as five or ten minutes. Regardless of the duration, this time was enough for Xu Xing to untie the butterfly knot on Lu Che.

Frowning, Xu Xing spent the entire morning lost in thought. He was waiting for the red thread to appear, yet he was also afraid of it, caught in a contradiction that he found hard to escape.

The homeroom teacher stood at the podium emphasizing that midterms would take place next week, scanning the faces of the sixty or so students in the class before finally stopping on Xu Xing—who looked utterly distracted, clearly in a trance.

The homeroom teacher directly called out, “Class monitor, winter has arrived, and spring isn’t far off, right?”

Xu Xing looked up at the podium, bewildered. “Huh?”

Lu Che, sitting at the back, answered for him: “Our class monitor, he’s always in spring all year round~”

“…”

The homeroom teacher ignored Lu Che’s banter, mainly because she believed Xu Xing was focused and self-disciplined; whatever he set his mind to, he would strive to achieve.

Xu Xing didn’t need to worry, and as for Lu Che, worrying wouldn’t help.

---

Today was Ke Dis birthday. Although he had celebrated early on Saturday, he still invited the entire dorm to skip evening study and go out for dinner together.

When Me Di bought this up to Lu Che, Xu Xing was nearby.

Lu Che didn’t give a definitive answer, and once Ke Di left, he asked Xu Xing, “Class monitor, are you going?”

Xu Xing replied, “I’m not going.”

And then he added, “You shouldn’t go either.”

There was only a brief silence between those two statements, but Xu Xing struggled intensely within himself during that time. Deep down, he hoped that Lu Che would go with Ke Di; this way, during the time the red thread appeared, the distance between the two of them would limit his ability to untie it, buying him another day.

But dragging things out only made his inner turmoil more suffocating.

Lu Che didn’t notice Xu Xing’s discomfort; instead, he enjoyed the way Xu Xing made authoritative requests, happily responding, “Sure, I’ll listen to whatever you say~”

Xu Xing remained silent and turned away.

—I’ll listen to whatever you say~

—I want you to always love me, always be by my side.

But I can’t be that selfish.

…

At ten o’clock at night.

Xu Xing returned to the dorm but felt restless. He stood in the hallway, letting the cold wind blow against him. It was chilly, but the biting cold made him feel more alert.

Everyone closed the door as they returned to the dorm, blocking the howling cold wind outside. Xu Xing stood outside, savoring a moment of silent for himself.

Leaning on his hands, Xu Xing unlocked his phone, and the light from the screen reflected on his face, bringing a glimmer to his eyes. He opened the notes app, hesitated for a moment, and typed five words:

“You like Lu Che.”

Xu Xing was afraid that once he untied the red thread, even the warmth in his heart that Lu Che had brought him would be blown cold by the wind, so he wanted to leave himself a few words.

Memories of the time spent with Lu Che flooded his mind, and he converted those memories into words, writing them down one by one:

• He would privately negotiate with the restaurant to ensure your missing delivery was expedited.
• He said, “Class monitor, from now on, you can just sit and wait for me to get your utensils.”
• He went off-campus to fight, got caught in the rain, but remembered to have someone bring you an umbrella.
• He knew that white chocolate wasn’t your favorite candy and said he wanted to share all the sweets with you.
• …
• Before lending you his headphones, he would warm the ear tips so you wouldn’t feel cold.
• His temper wasn’t great, but despite you yelling at him to get lost, he always begged for mercy.

He was truly great.

You really like him.

Xu Xing bit his lip, his eyes fixed on the screen, his fingers stiff from the cold, slowly but very carefully typing the last line—

You must always remember, you like him, Xu Xing likes Lu Che.

His left thumb gently pressed the period. At the same time, a faint red light appeared in the palm of his hand, where the red thread connected, trailing down along the lines that represented fate.

Xu Xing froze for a moment.

The phone screen remained on his note to himself. He turned off the screen and headed towards dorm 311.

When Xu Xing knocked on the door, he found that the other roommates in Lu Che’s dorm had been taken away by Ke Di. Lu Che had just come out of the bathroom after taking a hot shower.

Lu Che had changed out of his school uniform into his own clothes; his sweatpants were untied, but the bow at his waist fluttered in the wind.

Seeing Xu Xing, Lu Che raised an eyebrow in surprise, his lips curling up as he joked in a playful tone, “What’s up, class monitor? It’s just me in the dorm; you can do whatever you want~”

Xu Xing didn’t answer and walked straight to Lu Che’s bed.

Lu Che was about to close the door and follow when he heard Xu Xing say, “Lock the door.”

Lu Che: “…”

He turned back, uncertain, “Huh?”

Xu Xing had already sat down by Lu Che’s bed, his expression normal as he said, “Lock it.”

Click—

Lu Che immediately locked the door without hesitation. His lips were already turned up high as he eagerly approached the bed, holding onto the top bunk railing with one hand, standing in front of Xu Xing.

Xu Xing looked up, his gaze first landing on the bow in front of him, then he raised his eyes to Lu Che’s face.

Lu Che, looking down at Xu Xing, pinched his chin, his eyes sparkling with amusement, and he said in a low voice, “Class monitor, if you don’t want to do something to me, then let me do something to you; I really want to do something for you.”

Xu Xing lowered his eyes and said, “Sit down.”

“Hey~”

At Xu Xing’s instruction, Lu Che obediently sat at the edge of the bed, completely shedding the earlier teasing demeanor.

Xu Xing gazed solemnly at Lu Che, their eyes locked, while Lu Che looked back at him, his smile growing wider.

Lu Che gently asked, “Class monitor, what’s wrong? Did you suddenly realize I’m handsome?”

Xu Xing candidly replied, “I’ve always thought you were handsome.”

“…”

Lu Che felt a bit embarrassed by Xu Xing’s direct compliment, his ears turning slightly red. He shamelessly said, “If you look a little longer, you’ll find I’m not only good-looking but also very easy on the eyes; you’ll never get tired of looking at me for a lifetime.”

Xu Xing couldn’t help but chuckle at this and replied, “I’m not sure about that; I’ll have to wait until I’ve looked at you for a lifetime to answer.”

Lu Che: “…”

Lu Che felt a rush from Xu Xing’s casual remarks, lowering his gaze as he fixated on Xu Xing’s lips, wanting to lean in for a kiss, but Xu Xing blocked him.

Xu Xing raised his arm to create space between them, meeting Lu Che’s innocent and yearning gaze as he softly said, “Close your eyes. No matter what I do, you mustn’t open them.”

“…”

The school hunk could barely contain his smile, grinning mischievously as he asked, “Is there a surprise?”

Xu Xing lowered his gaze, mumbling, “Maybe…”

Xu Xing’s heart was also filled with a faint hope for a surprise that felt unlikely.

Seeing Xu Xing’s bashful demeanor, Lu Che took it as shyness and obediently closed his eyes, his smile still wide.

Xu Xing’s gaze fell on the bow at Lu Che’s waist, his head lowered, afraid to look at Lu Che’s face. He feared that facing Lu Che’s eager expression might weaken his resolve.

His fingertips grazed the folds of Lu Che’s pants, and though he couldn’t pull the red thread, Lu Che seemed to notice and laughed, “You’re being so proactive?”

The teasing tone had more flirtation than mockery.

Xu Xing didn’t respond.

Though Lu Che kept his eyes closed, he still playfully asked, “Class monitor, I can just keep my eyes closed, and I can do whatever, right?”

Xu Xing focused solely on the bow at Lu Che’s waist. He decided to take the plunge, disregarding the possibility of touching something sensitive, and finally grasped one of the trailing ribbons.

With a heavy heart, Xu Xing held the delicate ribbon, biting his lip, but in this final moment, he hesitated once more.

At that moment—

Since Lu Che’s question didn’t receive a response, he took it as Xu Xing’s silent consent. Without opening his eyes, Lu Che relied on instinct; he suddenly wrapped his arms around the person in front of him. His hands slid along Xu Xing’s back, stroking upwards until he cradled Xu Xing’s neck, leaning in to kiss him.

Xu Xing was caught off guard, feeling Lu Che tighten his grip around his neck, drawing closer, and the soft lips brushed against his nose for a fleeting kiss before capturing his lips, kissing him with fervor and passion.

Xu Xing was lost in the sweet entanglement of their lips, both of them engulfed in a fervent, blazing emotion. As Lu Che’s advances grew increasingly intense, their warmth heightened, their bodies pressed together, and Xu Xing trembled in response.

Xu Xing had no intention of rejecting him, but a clear thought surfaced in his mind: once the red thread was untied, he could do whatever he wanted…

His index finger curled around the trailing bow. Xu Xing closed his eyes and gently tugged—

The bow tied to Lu Che’s pants instantly came undone.

At the same time—

Lu Che’s heated kiss came to an abrupt halt.

Xu Xing felt the bed frame against his back, and Lu Che, who had been leaning over him, suddenly withdrew as if shocked.

Xu Xing strained to lift his gaze to Lu Che, and after their intense kiss, he saw surprise and bewilderment etched on Lu Che’s face. His heart sank, and his hand clutched the sheets tightly.

Lu Che suddenly sat up, frowning deeply, raking his fingers through his hair in frustration, avoiding Xu Xing’s gaze.

Xu Xing hung his head, watching as the two red threads slowly faded away. The answer was clear and within reach, just as he had expected. Xu Xing was certain he didn’t have the courage to hear Lu Che say it aloud, so he stood up and left dorm 311.

As the door opened, the cold wind hit Xu Xing, making him shiver all over.

Trying to act casual, Xu Xing thought it was good that untying the red thread hadn’t affected him. He unlocked his phone, and the home screen remained on the notes app. He felt relieved that he still remembered the words he had left earlier—

Xu Xing liked Lu Che.

He still liked him.

·

Back in the dorm.

Wang Zicong had just finished his shower and asked upon seeing Xu Xing, “Xingxing, where did you go? Isn’t it cold outside?”

Xu Xing walked to his bed, his lips pale, and said, “It’s very cold; I felt like I was losing sensation.”

Wang Zicong said with concern, “Quickly drink some hot water to warm up!”

Xu Xing replied, “Okay,” and then nonchalantly went to take a shower. After showering, he moved out a small desk, pulled out a thick study guide, and studied until the dorm lights went out.

Everything was fine.

However, that night, Xu Xing tossed and turned, unable to sleep even at three in the morning. Rubbing his tired eyes, he reached for his phone on the pillow and pulled it under the covers, staring blankly at the screen.

He had replied to Lu Che, “I will always be here,” and Lu Che responded, “I will always love you.” Their chat history ended there.

Perhaps because his eyes were accustomed to the darkness, they couldn’t adapt to the brightness just yet. He stared at the WeChat chat box with Lu Che for a while longer, suddenly feeling a sting in his eyes. He spread his palm to cover his eyes, feeling the trembling sensation beneath his eyelids resonate in his heart. His fingertips brushed the corner of his eyes, and he felt tears.