The teacher on the podium was still patiently explaining a problem to a student. Lin Murun set down his pen and typed with both hands: *Doesn't he often go to the coffee shop near the Xingyue Music Studio?*
*He doesn't go that often,* Gao Yuan replied. *He only signed up for a membership card there during the summer break after his freshman year.*
*Are you planning to give him coffee?* Gao Yuan sent another message.
*That was the plan,* Lin Murun replied. *If he doesn't like it, I won't.*
*You still can; he drinks it occasionally,* Gao Yuan said.
By then, the teacher had finished the explanation. The student thanked him and returned to their seat with their scratch paper and workbook. Lin Murun lowered his head and quickly typed: *Okay, thanks.* After sending the message, he tucked his phone back into his desk.
Once the phone was away, Lin Murun used the rest of the evening self-study session to catch up on the notes he had missed over the past two days. Just before the bell rang, Yu Qianyi tapped him on the back from the row behind and whispered a reminder, "Don't forget the senior is still waiting for you at the milk tea shop."
Lin Murun nodded and returned the notebook to Zhou Xuan.
Just as Si Bin had predicted, the rain had not stopped by the end of the session. Lin Murun checked the sky and headed out the school gates with his umbrella.
The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the temperature had plummeted after the winter shower. Despite wearing his winter coat and a scarf, Lin Murun’s face was pale from the cold.
Due to the rain, business at the milk tea shop was slower than usual. As soon as Lin Murun reached the entrance, he saw Bei Fan sitting in the corner.
Facing the door, Bei Fan saw him and greeted him with a smile. "You're here?"
Lin Murun folded his umbrella and stepped inside.
"Are you feeling better?" Bei Fan asked with concern.
"Much better," Lin Murun replied.
He didn't see Wu Chuchu, so he asked, "Did Senior Wu not come?"
"She wanted to," Bei Fan said, pulling out a chair for Lin Murun to sit. "But the weather is too cold, and she wasn't comfortable leaving the child home alone, so she stayed back to keep him company."
After speaking, Bei Fan pushed the menu toward Lin Murun. "What would you like to drink? It's on your senior."
Lin Murun shook his head. "Thank you, Senior, but I'm still taking medicine, so I can't have milk tea."
Bei Fan nodded and didn't press further.
"Your senior saw these workbooks when she passed by a bookstore and thought they were quite good, so she asked me to buy them for you." He took several exercise books out of his bag and handed them to Lin Murun.
Lin Murun took them and realized they were all exercises he had already completed.
"Thank you," he said, putting the books away. "It's kind of her to always keep me in mind."
"It's only right," Bei Fan said. "Chuchu said that if it weren't for you, she wouldn't have even had someone to talk to during her most difficult times."
Lin Murun replied modestly, "I didn't really do much to help."
Bei Fan smiled. "Sometimes, a simple favor for you can be a great kindness to someone else."
This felt like a bit too much praise. Lin Murun paused, wondering why Bei Fan was putting him on such a pedestal. He shook his head. "You're overstating it, Senior."
Just then, Bei Fan's phone rang. He took it out, glanced at the caller ID, and said to Lin Murun, "Sorry, I need to take this."
Lin Murun nodded. "Please, go ahead."
Bei Fan stood up and walked out of the shop.
Not knowing when he would return, Lin Murun pulled out one of the workbooks and began reading.
Bei Fan’s call lasted quite a while. It wasn't until Lin Murun had finished reviewing two major problems that he returned to the shop.
"I'm so sorry, something came up at the company suddenly. I have to go back and work overtime," he said, gathering his things.
Lin Murun replied politely, "Take care, Senior."
Bei Fan settled the bill, then opened WeChat and said to Lin Murun, "If you don't mind, let's add each other. It's a bit inconvenient to always have your classmates pass messages."
Lin Murun said "Okay" and opened WeChat to scan Bei Fan’s QR code.
After the request was accepted, Bei Fan tucked his phone into his coat pocket. "I'll be going then. It's cold out, so head back to school early."
"Okay. Goodbye, Senior," Lin Murun said, standing up.
Bei Fan smiled at him, not forgetting to add, "Contact me on WeChat if you need anything," before leaving.
Lin Murun nodded. He stood at the shop entrance and watched him drive away before heading back to school with the workbooks in his arms.
That night, as Lin Murun was preparing for bed, his phone screen suddenly lit up.
He picked it up from his pillow and saw that Bei Fan had liked his post on Moments.
Under the photo of fallen leaves, there was a new comment.
Bei Fan: *Very beautiful. You really have an eye for angles.*
Out of politeness, Lin Murun replied with a "Thank you" and locked his screen.
Early the next morning, Lin Murun braved the light rain to visit the coffee shop near the Xingyue Music Studio. The owner had already prepared the coffee after receiving his transfer.
"Would you like a breakfast roll, student?" the owner suggested enthusiastically. "The bread just came out of the oven, still steaming. It's the best breakfast to go with coffee."
Lin Murun didn't know if Si Bin had eaten breakfast. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "I'll take two, then."
As soon as Si Bin arrived at the classroom door, he received a WeChat message from Lin Murun.
Lin Murun: *Are you at school yet?*
Si Bin unlocked his phone and replied: *Just arrived. What's up?*
*I brought you coffee,* Lin Murun said.
Si Bin was confused: *Coffee?*
Before he could send the message, Lin Murun’s voice came from behind him.
"Si Bin."
Si Bin turned around to see Lin Murun, the tip of his nose red from the cold, carrying a takeout bag as he climbed the stairs.
Lin Murun had jogged all the way back to school, afraid the coffee would get cold. The rainy air was damp, and the ends of his soft hair were slightly wet.
Si Bin hurried forward to take the umbrella and the paper bag from him. After seeing the logo on the bag, Si Bin was stunned. "You went to the coffee shop this early?"
"It wasn't that early." Lin Murun stepped aside to let a passing student through. Once the person was gone, he looked up at Si Bin. "I ordered the coffee in advance; I just had to pick it up."
"Gao Yuan said you don't like coffee, but I couldn't think of what else to give you." Lin Murun hadn't had time for breakfast, and the jog had left him a bit tired. He caught his breath slightly before continuing, "So I asked the shop owner and bought the Blue Mountain you usually drink."
Si Bin was dazed. "You asked the owner?"
"Mhm." Lin Murun nodded. "I also bought breakfast rolls. I don't know if you'll like them."
The rain was still falling, and a translucent white mist permeated the air. The temperature was low, but Si Bin felt as though his heart had been touched by something warm. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly. Looking at the corners of Lin Murun's eyes, which were slightly flushed from the exertion, he sighed and reached out to brush the droplets of water from the ends of the boy's hair.
"It's so cold, and you haven't recovered from your cold yet. Why go through all this trouble? We could have gone to the coffee shop together after the rain stopped."
Lin Murun shook his head. "It's not the same."
"How is it different?" Si Bin asked.
"Yesterday I bought milk tea for Yu Qianyi and the others, but I didn't buy any for you," Lin Murun explained.
Holding the bag, Si Bin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I was joking. How could I actually let you go out in the rain to buy it?"
Lin Murun bit his lower lip and turned his head slightly. "Anyway... anyway, I already bought it."
Si Bin stared at him for a moment and then began to laugh silently.
"What are you laughing at?" Lin Murun frowned slightly.
"Nothing."
Si Bin checked his laughter and looked into his eyes, saying softly, "I'm just really happy. Thank you."
With that, he took a roll out of the paper bag and handed it to Lin Murun. "You haven't had breakfast yet, right? Don't go hungry."
Lin Murun reached out and took the roll.
Si Bin took a bite of the other roll and said to Lin Murun, "Let's go."
"Where?" Lin Murun asked.
"Before morning self-study starts, I'm going back to the dorm with you." Si Bin pointed at his hair. "To dry your hair."
Lin Murun gave an "Oh" and followed Si Bin down the stairs.
In the blink of an eye, the weekend arrived. After the evening self-study session, Si Bin took Lin Murun to the library.
The teacher on duty had already left, but the students in the study room were all conscientiously reading at their seats. In the vast room, it was so quiet that one could hear the sound of pages turning.
Si Bin led Lin Murun into the study room. The sound of the door opening caught the attention of the students sitting near the entrance.
A few of them looked up and waved at Si Bin.
Si Bin responded with a smile.
The two found a spot by the window. After taking out their exercises and notes, they began to study diligently.
The lights in the study room were bright, so their eyes didn't hurt even after sitting and reading for a long time. After finishing a test paper, Lin Murun took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, turning to look out the window.
Outside the first-floor study room was a green belt. The once lush leaves had all fallen, leaving only bare branches that glowed softly under the streetlights, looking like beautiful antlers on a reindeer's head.
Lin Murun stared out the window for a while before pulling his gaze back, preparing to start the next set of exercises.
He reached for his glasses on the table and suddenly noticed two milk candies next to them.
Startled, Lin Murun picked up one and realized it was the same brand he had eaten during his last bout of low blood sugar. He looked up at Si Bin across from him, only to see Si Bin with his head down, scribbling on scratch paper, seemingly unaware of his gaze.
Lin Murun smiled silently and tucked the two candies into his school uniform pocket.
At ten past ten, the two left the study room. There was no wind tonight; the weather was clear, and the temperature was slightly higher than usual. Looking up, they could see the bright moonlight.
Lin Murun and Si Bin walked slowly toward the student dorms along the path, stepping through the pools of light from the streetlamps.
"Are you getting used to the large study room?" Si Bin asked.
Lin Murun nodded. "It's quite good. Are we going again tomorrow?"
"Yes," Si Bin said. "If you're willing, we can go every day until the final exams."
"Okay." Lin Murun was standing right where the wind funneled through. Feeling a bit cold, he tucked his hands into his pockets and said to Si Bin, "It's late. You should head home."
"Mhm." Si Bin smiled. "Then I'm off. See you tomorrow."
Lin Murun’s fingers brushed against the milk candies in his pocket. He gripped one of them in his palm and said softly to Si Bin, "See you tomorrow."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
星月琴行 | Xingyue Music Studio | A music/piano store near the school.
蓝山 | Blue Mountain | A variety of coffee.
餐包 | Breakfast roll / Bun | Small bread rolls often eaten for breakfast.
奶糖 | Milk candy | A type of chewy candy made with milk.
朋友圈 | Moments | The social feed feature of WeChat.
大自习室 | Large study room | A communal study area, likely in the library.
