The third time Si Bin lifted Xiao Bai off his desk, the phone screen resting on his exercise book lit up.
Xiao Bai let out a few "meows" from under the table, its claws hooking into the hem of Si Bin’s trousers.
Si Bin glanced at the phone and saw a WeChat message from a name he barely recognized.
Du Hangyu: "Bin-ge, Bin-ge."
Before Si Bin could reply, Du Hangyu sent another message: "Bin-ge, guess who I ran into today?"
Xiao Bai tried to pounce onto Si Bin’s lap, but Si Bin’s legs were too long; the kitten misjudged the height and failed to make the jump.
An image appeared on WeChat.
Du Hangyu continued: "I saw Lin Murun on the high-speed rail."
At the sight of Lin Murun’s name, Si Bin finally picked up the phone and tapped on the image.
It was a very clear photo. Si Bin immediately spotted Lin Murun sitting in the aisle seat.
In the photo, Lin Murun was leaning back against the seat with his eyes closed, resting. Half of his delicate face was buried in a scarf, seemingly unaware that he was being surreptitiously photographed.
"Where is he going on the high-speed rail?" Si Bin asked.
"Back to H City, I assume," Du Hangyu replied instantly. "This train is going from N City to H City."
Si Bin ignored the cat for a moment. Holding his phone, he thought for a second before tapping on Gao Yuan’s profile picture to ask: "Did Little Teacher Lin not go to the music studio?"
Gao Yuan must have been on his phone, as he replied immediately: "He hasn't been to the studio since early November. The boss said he’s busy with exams."
Si Bin stared at the words on the screen, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Aren't you two on good terms? How did you not know this?" Gao Yuan asked.
Si Bin wanted to explain, but after typing and deleting several sentences, he ultimately sent nothing.
Gao Yuan continued: "You’ve been busy with exams too and haven't been to the studio in a while. If you ask me, you high schoolers should focus on your studies first."
"Will he be going back to the studio later?" Si Bin asked.
"Probably not," Gao Yuan said. "The boss found a more suitable full-time violin teacher."
Seeing that Si Bin was ignoring it, Xiao Bai tried every trick in the book to make noise and attract his attention.
Si Bin put down his phone, watched the kitten for a moment, then leaned over to scoop it up onto his lap.
When Gao Yuan didn't get a reply, he added another message: "By the way, the boss wants to hold a small recital in the performance room next week. I have a piece too—remember to come and support me!"
Si Bin’s brow twitched slightly as he replied: "Not going."
Gao Yuan grew anxious. "Why? Last time you took me to see Little Teacher Lin perform, I went without a second thought."
"It’s different." Si Bin leaned back in his chair, eyes lowered as he stroked the back of Xiao Bai’s neck. He replied: "Not in the mood. Maybe next time."
With that, he pressed the lock button.
On the other end, Gao Yuan began a frantic bombardment of messages.
Si Bin waited for him to calm down before reopening WeChat and clicking on the photo Du Hangyu had sent.
In the picture, Lin Murun didn't look to be in a good state; his face still carried the pallor of illness.
Si Bin thought back to Friday, when he had seen Lin Murun in the school infirmary.
When he had walked into the infusion room, the young nurse had just finished changing Lin Murun’s IV bag. She nearly collided with Si Bin as she turned around.
"Ah! Sorry," she whispered.
Si Bin shook his head to indicate it was fine and stepped past her.
Once the nurse left, Si Bin sat on the edge of Lin Murun’s bed, gently tucking the boy's right hand—the one with the IV—under the covers.
Lin Murun was fast asleep, undisturbed by Si Bin’s movements.
The metal-framed glasses that usually sat on the bridge of his nose had been carefully removed by Si Bin and placed on the nightstand.
Without the lenses in the way, Si Bin noticed the faint dark circles hidden beneath his thick eyelashes.
Si Bin had sat quietly by the bed like that, watching over Lin Murun until the medicine was finished, then called the nurse over to remove the needle.
Not long after the needle was pulled, Lin Murun woke up. He must have felt the sting, as he instinctively tried to withdraw his hand.
"Don't move yet," Si Bin had said quickly.
Lin Murun was dazed from sleep, his eyes clouded with a hazy drowsiness.
After seeing Si Bin clearly, he sat up, wanting to say something.
Si Bin noticed his soft hair was a mess; a few strands of his fringe were sticking up stubbornly like the tips of a kitten's ears. It was a sight that made one's heart itch.
*I wonder if his illness is better...*
Si Bin leaned back in his chair, idly stroking Xiao Bai’s soft fur as Gao Yuan’s question echoed in his mind: *"Aren't you two on good terms? How did you not know this?"*
Were they on good terms?
Perhaps they were.
Si Bin’s gaze always seemed to revolve around Lin Murun; it had become a sort of habit.
He didn't know how Lin Murun saw him, nor did he dare to ask abruptly, but in his heart, he always felt that Lin Murun treated him differently than others.
Like that cup of coffee, or the preferences and unconscious trust he displayed in Si Bin's presence.
But today, Gao Yuan’s question had plunged Si Bin into self-doubt.
*Are we really on good terms?* Si Bin asked himself.
Maybe they were, yet today Si Bin could only learn of Lin Murun’s itinerary from an outsider, and only then did he find out that Lin had already left the music studio.
Lin Murun had always been a man of few words. He seemed the same toward everyone—polite yet maintaining a sense of distance, with emotions that rarely fluctuated.
Si Bin sighed, leaning his head back against the chair.
There was a massive floor-to-ceiling bookshelf in his study, filled with many books—teaching materials as well as extracurricular reading.
Out of the corner of his eye, through the transparent glass, Si Bin caught sight of the second shelf: a hardcover edition of *The Little Prince*.
He thought of the fountain pen engraved with the patterns of the Little Prince and the fox.
*"If you love a flower that lives on a star, it is sweet to look at the sky at night. All the stars are a-bloom with flowers."*
*"One runs the risk of weeping a little, if one lets oneself be tamed."*
Si Bin’s Adam’s apple bobbed; his lips were pressed tight.
The kitten scurried back and forth in his palm, its touch soft, but Si Bin was no longer in the mood to play. He raised a hand to rub his brow, sighed, and stood up to place Xiao Bai back in its bed.
***
By the time Lin Murun returned to school, it was already six in the evening.
The sky was completely dark. Only a few scattered windows in the cafeteria were still serving food. He took a tray, swiped his card, and ordered two random vegetable dishes to fill his stomach.
His illness hadn't fully passed, and after being exposed to the cold wind on the mountain, Lin Murun’s head began to throb again. After finishing his meal, he returned to the dormitory, found his cold medicine, and mixed a cup of the granules.
It seemed he was starting to run a low fever again.
He pressed the back of his hand against his forehead, thinking hazily.
Cheng Song hadn't returned to the dorm; he had likely gone straight to the classroom. After finishing the medicine, Lin Murun washed his cup and opened the window to let some air in.
The campus streetlights were all on. A few gusts of wind this morning had carpeted the grounds in golden fallen leaves. The students loved the scenery, stopping one after another to take photos with their phones.
A leaf fell from a tree, brushing against the tip of Lin Murun’s nose. He instinctively closed his eyes and took a step back.
"Lin Murun!" Li Menglai’s voice called out from behind him.
He turned and saw Li Menglai, wearing a scarf, waving at him.
Seeing him stop, Li Menglai tightened her grip on her backpack strap, which was sliding off her shoulder, and ran toward him.
"I just went to the small garden!" As Li Menglai spoke, white mist puffed from her mouth and nose.
Lin Murun gave a soft "Mm," and heard her continue: "The fallen leaves over there aren't as pretty as the ones here. The cleaning ladies already swept them all up."
With that, she fished her phone out of her pocket and said to Lin Murun, "Wait for me a second! I'm going to take a few photos."
She crouched down and began photographing the leaves on the ground from various angles.
"Okay." Lin Murun stood quietly to the side, waiting for her to take the photos, adjust the colors, and post them to her Moments.
"Remember to like my post!" Li Menglai waved her phone.
Lin Murun nodded.
"Aren't you going to take any?" Li Menglai asked as she put her phone away.
"What?" Lin Murun asked.
"The leaves!" Li Menglai said. "Tomorrow all these leaves will be swept away."
"No," Lin Murun said. "Just looking is enough."
"That’s such a shame!" Li Menglai nagged. "Just take one. Post it to your Moments. Everyone is posting leaf photos—even Si Bin posted two."
Hearing Si Bin’s name, Lin Murun hesitated for a moment before pulling out his phone and opening his Moments feed.
Just as Li Menglai had said, the usually eclectic feed had turned into a uniform display of fallen leaves from every possible angle. As Lin Murun’s finger slid across the screen, he saw a sea of brilliant gold.
Among the many photos, Lin Murun spotted the ones Si Bin had posted at a glance.
That post had no text. Besides the leaf photos, there was a picture of two cats snuggled together, sleeping.
The photos Si Bin had posted were taken before sunset, with plenty of ambient light. The golden leaves against the clear sky created a very comfortable color palette. Lin Murun swiped and saw the next image: Xiao Bai and Da Bai curled up on the sofa. Their clean fur glowed softly in the sunlight, looking exceptionally soft and fluffy.
Lin Murun smiled and saved the photo of the two cats, then gave Si Bin’s post a "like."
"See, I didn't lie to you, did I?" Li Menglai said.
"Mm." Lin Murun exited WeChat and opened his camera. After finding a good angle, he took a few photos of the leaves.
"Remember to post them! We'll give you likes!" Li Menglai said happily.
Lin Murun nodded. "Okay."
As the two of them climbed to the fifth floor, they happened to run into Si Bin at the entrance of Class 1.
Si Bin glanced at them and gave a polite nod in greeting.
"Si Bin," Lin Murun called out to him.
Si Bin asked, "What is it?"
"I have something for you," Lin Murun said.
Si Bin hadn't expected Lin Murun to give him a gift. He raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked, "What is it?"
Li Menglai had already slipped away silently. Lin Murun rummaged through his backpack, pulled out a small box, and handed it to him. "I bought this at a small shop in front of an elementary school."
Si Bin took it and found that the gaudy little box was filled with individual coffee candies.
"I used to eat coffee candy from this brand all the time when I was a kid," Lin Murun explained. "I went back to N City today and thought I'd bring some for you."
Si Bin held the box, looking a bit dazed.
"I remember you like coffee, but I don't know if you'll like coffee candy."
Seeing that Si Bin didn't respond, Lin Murun assumed he didn't care for such trifles and said, "But these candies are just for kids. The taste definitely can't compare to hand-ground coffee. If you don't like them..."
"I like them." Si Bin smiled and opened the packaging. "I like them, thank you." He took two candies out of the box and held them out to Lin Murun. "Want to have some together?"
Lin Murun hesitated for a moment but took the candy.
As Si Bin unwrapped the paper, he asked pointedly, "You didn't go to the music studio today?"
"No. Teacher Yuan found a more suitable violin teacher." As soon as Lin Murun finished speaking, he felt an itch in his throat and couldn't help but cough a few times.
Si Bin reached out and patted his back, concerned. "It's so cold out and you're still sick. Why did you run off to N City?"
Lin Murun coughed until his face was flushed. After a moment of recovery, he said in a low voice, "To visit my teacher."
"You could have waited until you were better," Si Bin said, withdrawing his hand. "You should rest when you're sick."
"I couldn't wait." Lin Murun shook his head. "It had to be today."
"Why?" Si Bin asked.
Lin Murun didn't answer immediately. His eyelashes fluttered slightly, his beautiful eyes veiled in the shadows of the hallway lights. He squeezed the candy in his hand, and only after a long silence did he answer hoarsely:
"Today is the anniversary of her death."
***
**Glossary**
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 杜航宇 | Du Hangyu | A classmate/acquaintance of Si Bin. |
| 朋友圈 | Moments | WeChat's social networking feature (similar to a wall or feed). |
| 琴行 | Music studio / Piano studio | Refers to the place where Lin Murun worked part-time. |
| 祭日 | Death anniversary | The anniversary of the day someone passed away. |
| 大白 | Da Bai | "Big White," the older cat in Si Bin's house. |
| 小白 | Xiao Bai | "Little White," the kitten Si Bin recently got. |
| 罗老师 | Teacher Luo | Lin Murun's late teacher (implied to be the mother of the girl in the previous chapter). |
