School life was monotonous. The four of us were all studying Criminal Investigation, which meant spending every day listening to the teacher lecture about determining time of death and a bunch of other professional knowledge. It was so complicated! I used to think being a cop was all about living like a chubby corrupt official: lounging in an office with secretaries bringing tea, then taking one to a hotel in the evening to “discuss work, ideals, and the future.”

But later, our teacher set the record straight, telling us that kind of life was reserved for the Director. I earnestly told Brother Xiang and Tai Long, “Once we’re out in society, no matter if they stick us in the Municipal Bureau as some department head or send us to a district or county station as a small-time chief, we’ve got to endure it, got it?”

Our teacher, who had been nearby, cut in, “You won’t even make it to department head. Even if you’ve got connections, you’ll still have to wait your turn to become Director. Either the current Director retires or gets promoted first. Managing to become one before thirty-five is already an achievement.”

That was when I realized even becoming a Director wasn’t a walk in the park. Oh well, being a department head doesn’t sound so bad either—we’re not greedy.

The week passed quickly. To be fair, we found the criminal investigation curriculum pretty interesting. The teacher often showed us real police documentaries, and they were as thrilling as horror movies. Even the tough guys and tomboyish girls would gag or run to puke. Even Little Fatty, usually fearless, looked pale as a ghost.

Speaking of Little Fatty, his attempt to quit his night watch job failed miserably—thanks to the school giving him a raise. He later said he owed me a meal, and he did take me out… to the cafeteria. He added two braised eggs to my plate, but one got snatched by Tai Long, and Brother Xiang took half of the other.

Doesn’t matter, the week sped by. We didn’t see Han Si Fan and her group once—it was no surprise since they were in a different program. They were studying Administrative Execution, the office-job type, so their classes weren’t far from ours, but they were busy and didn’t swing by.

Friday came fast, and as soon as class was out, the four of us made a beeline for the internet café. As usual, Brother Xiang dashed to the front desk to flirt with the girl there, while Tai Long, Little Fatty, and I headed to our favorite gaming room.

When I stepped into the room, there she was—Li Shanshan, looking even paler than before. Standing next to her was a guy, plain-looking with a neat buzz cut, giving off a sharp vibe. He was tugging at her arm, and they seemed to be arguing.

The room was otherwise empty except for Shanshan, with four vacant seats. Instinctively, I sat down beside her, and I overheard the guy saying, “Shanshan, stop being so stubborn, okay? This is for your own good. You’re still too young. When you grow up, you’ll understand.”

“I don’t get it! Get lost!” Shanshan suddenly shouted, her eyes reddening with anger.

“Come with me! You’ve been gaming for ten days straight—are you trying to kill yourself? Your body can’t handle this! If you keep it up, I’ll call your parents!” He grabbed her arm again.

“Go away! I don’t know you!” Shanshan screamed. Then, to my shock, she pointed at me and yelled, “This is my boyfriend now! Get lost!”

Great. I’d been dragged into it for no reason. But since Shanshan had dragged me into her mess, I couldn’t just sit there and say nothing. I stood up, looked at the guy, and said, “Bro, don’t you think this is a bit much? She said she doesn’t know you. What are you trying to do, pull some daylight mugging in a law-abiding internet café?”

“Shut up! I’m her boyfriend!” he shot back, only for Shanshan to slap him across the face and snarl, “Not anymore. Get lost!”

“Don’t be like this. We’ve been together for six years. Don’t you know what kind of person I am? And I know you wouldn’t find another boyfriend behind my back. I know you too well.” The guy looked at her helplessly.

But before he could finish, Shanshan suddenly lunged at me, pressing her lips against mine. It was a full-on kiss. No, scratch that—a tongue kiss.

When she pulled away, she turned to the guy and said, “Now do you believe me? He’s my boyfriend now. Believe it?”

The guy was livid, his chest heaving as he glared daggers at me. “Fine!” he spat and stormed out.

After he left, Shanshan slumped into her chair and buried her head in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

I was stunned—seriously stunned. My first kiss… stolen by a stranger. Sure, she was pretty, so I didn’t really lose out, but still! I clutched my chest, feeling my heartbeat go wild as I watched Shanshan cry her heart out. Could this be the legendary “love at first sight”?

No, no, probably not. I usually get like this around pretty girls. But why was my heart racing so fast this time?

Tai Long nudged me and whispered, “What are you waiting for? Go comfort her! She’s already made a move, and you’re still standing there like an idiot?”

I scooted my chair closer to Shanshan, about to say something when she suddenly turned and hugged me, crying even harder. A faint, sweet scent wafted over, and for a clueless virgin like me, it was an entirely new experience.

She clung to me, crying, and I didn’t know what to do. I just let her hug me, staying silent. Eventually, she cried herself out and leaned on my shoulder as if she’d fallen asleep.

“Man, I worked my butt off chasing that girl, buying her drinks and everything for half a month, and this guy swoops in because she’s fighting with her boyfriend? What a jerk move… but I respect it,” Brother Xiang joked later, demanding I treat him to a meal.

I was beyond awkward. Shanshan had probably just kissed me to spite her ex. When she woke up, we’d probably go back to being strangers.

But this girl could really sleep. She stayed on my shoulder until nine the next morning—over ten hours. My shoulder was killing me, but I didn’t have the heart to wake her.

Brother Xiang and the others played games all night while I sat there imagining all kinds of scenarios for when Shanshan woke up. If she just walked away without a word, how embarrassing would that be? Should I offer to buy her breakfast? Or maybe get her a hotel room to rest properly? (Don’t get the wrong idea—I swear my thoughts were pure, like mountain spring water!)

Around nine in the morning, I felt her stir. She stood up, and I quickly rubbed my sore shoulder.

“Thanks,” Shanshan said, looking genuinely apologetic. I gave her a wry smile and shook my head. “It’s nothing,” I said. Honestly, getting to hug a pretty girl wasn’t exactly suffering.

I thought she’d just leave after that, but to my surprise, she sat back down, massaged her temples, and after a moment’s thought, she smiled faintly at me.

“Hey, ‘boyfriend,’ buy me breakfast?” she said with a grin.