Early the next morning, Lin Murun found himself added to a small group chat.
The group name was blunt and straightforward: "The Foodies."
Lin Murun clicked on the member list and saw that while there weren't many people, both Lin Qingqing and Si Bin were there. He returned to the chat interface and typed a single question mark.
Seeing that everyone was present, Yu Qianyi proposed, "Today is Little New Year! Let's grab dinner together!"
Lin Qingqing was very supportive, replying with a quick, "Okay!"
The group quickly descended into a heated discussion about the time and location for the meal.
Noticing a new message notification in the top left corner, Lin Murun temporarily exited the group chat.
The new message was from Si Bin.
Si Bin: "Murun, are you going?"
Lin Murun set down his pen and thought for a moment before replying, "I'm fine with whatever."
The sound of firecrackers suddenly erupted outside the window, followed closely by the giggling of children.
Lin Murun looked out and saw the sky filled with gray clouds. He remembered the city weather forecast mentioning there would be light rain today.
Despite knowing it would rain, Yu Qianyi had still chosen to organize a gathering. Beyond just wanting to relax, she likely wanted to spend a lively Little New Year with her friends.
In the building opposite his, many people were washing their windows. Watching the residents busy with their cleaning, Lin Murun suddenly remembered that Si Bin seemed to live alone.
He wondered if Si Bin’s home had any "Fu" characters hung up or paper-cut window flowers pasted.
At that thought, Lin Murun picked up his phone and replied to Si Bin: "Do you want to go to the dinner? If we take the subway, it shouldn't take long to get from the station to the commercial district."
Si Bin replied: "Okay, let's go then."
Considering that Si Bin had to rush back from Z City, Yu Qianyi set the dinner time for six in the evening. As for the location—after some discussion, they finally settled on the same teppanyaki restaurant they had visited before.
By the time Si Bin exited the station, a light drizzle had begun to fall. He was wearing a black trench coat, and there was a faint trace of exhaustion between his brows.
"Si Bin!" Lin Murun waved to him from the station exit.
When Si Bin saw Lin Murun, a smile flickered in his eyes.
"Did Murun come alone?" he asked.
"Yeah," Lin Murun answered. "Qingqing went to the restaurant first."
"Then let's head over too." Si Bin gently took Lin Murun’s hand.
At exactly six o'clock, the two arrived at the teppanyaki restaurant right on time.
Since it was dinner time, a long queue had formed at the entrance again. Fortunately, Yu Wenbo had booked a table in advance, saving them from the wait.
The group returned to their previous spot, sitting around the chef.
The last time they had gathered, although they were all in the same grade, they weren't in the same classes. It was inevitable to feel a bit stiff eating with people they didn't know well. This time, however, Yu Qianyi had brought only close friends, so everyone was much more relaxed. After eating for a while, they began to chat.
The conversation started with topics related to the New Year and red envelope money, but Yu Wenbo suddenly mentioned how relatives compared their children's final exam grades. The topic shifted entirely toward "City Merit Student" titles and the College Entrance Exam.
"Sigh... based on their usual grades, Lin Murun and Si Bin would definitely have secured spots for the City Merit Student title," Yu Qianyi said regretfully.
"Actually, losing the City Merit title isn't a huge deal," Yu Wenbo said. "Just make sure to grab a spot through the independent recruitment exams next year."
Yu Qianyi nodded. "Speaking of independent recruitment... this September, we'll be seniors."
Lin Qingqing picked up the thread, sighing, "I can't believe we're about to become seniors!"
Li Menglai took a sip of her drink and asked curiously, "Have you guys thought about which university you want to apply to?"
"I have no idea..." Yu Qianyi said while eating. "My parents want me to go to the local normal university. What about you, Qingqing?"
"Me?" Lin Qingqing thought for a moment. "I haven't decided on a school yet, but I'll probably study medicine."
"Your grades are good; getting into a top medical school won't be a problem... Since you're doing medicine, what does Lin Murun want to study?" Yu Qianyi turned the topic toward him.
Lin Murun glanced at Si Bin beside him and answered, "I want to study law and apply to S University of Political Science and Law."
"I want to go there too, but their law department's cutoff score is way too high..." Yu Wenbo scratched his head. "I might not make it. To be safe, my dad wants me to apply to S University of Finance and Economics."
"Bin-ge is definitely going for A University, right?" Yu Wenbo asked Si Bin.
Si Bin, who hadn't participated in the conversation until now, shook his head. "I'm applying to S University."
"Huh? Didn't you say before that you wanted to go north?" Just as Yu Wenbo finished speaking, he remembered the relationship between Si Bin and Lin Murun. He slapped his forehead and quickly added, "Maybe I remembered wrong! A University is way too far from here anyway."
Si Bin smiled, looking down at Lin Murun, who was eating. He said softly, "Yes, it's too far."
"I've always wanted to learn street dance, but my mom won't let me." Li Menglai rested her chin on her hands. "Once I get to university, I'm going to join a street dance club!"
"Me too!" Lin Qingqing said happily. "How about we apply to the same school and join the street dance club together?"
Li Menglai laughed and agreed, "Sure!"
Although the busy life of a senior wasn't something to look forward to, the group couldn't help but dream about the future as they ate and drank.
The ages of seventeen and eighteen were full of vitality and a future of infinite possibilities.
After finishing their meal, they weren't ready to call it a night. Yu Qianyi suggested going to the nearby Nanshan Park to set off fireworks.
Lin Qingqing was the first to agree, but fearing Lin Murun might want to go home early, she looked back at him expectantly.
Lin Murun checked the time and nodded.
The group left the mall and took a bus to Nanshan Park.
The light rain was still falling, and the wind carried a heavy dampness.
Yu Wenbo and Zhou Xuan bought a lot of fireworks from a vendor and carried a large plastic bag to a small pavilion where they could shelter from the rain.
Yu Qianyi and Lin Qingqing scrambled to take the large firework tubes, placed them in an open space, lit the fuses, and ran.
The flames consumed the fuses in an instant. With a loud *pop*, the charges shot into the sky, and colorful fireworks bloomed amidst the hazy mist and rain.
Excitedly, Yu Qianyi pulled out her phone and took several photos of the successive explosions.
Si Bin and Lin Murun sat side by side on the steps of the pavilion, holding burning sparklers in their hands.
Beautiful sparks splattered in the darkness, as brilliant as falling stardust.
Seeing that everyone else was busy setting off fireworks, Lin Murun asked softly, "Are you going back to Z City tomorrow?"
Si Bin paused slightly and looked at him. "Hmm? How did you know?"
"You didn't bring any luggage when you came back," Lin Murun said. "So I guessed you'd have to go back."
Si Bin smiled. "Yeah, I have to go back. I hadn't had the chance to tell you yet."
Thinking of the exhaustion on Si Bin's face at the station and the sound of his voice on the phone yesterday, Lin Murun hesitated before asking quietly, "Is Uncle Si... not doing well?"
"Yeah." Si Bin didn't intend to hide it from Lin Murun, so he spoke truthfully. "The doctor said it might be within the next few days."
Lin Murun frowned slightly, but then he heard Si Bin’s gentle voice. "It's okay, Murun. Birth, age, illness, and death—they're all natural laws."
A warm palm brushed through Lin Murun’s hair. He heard Si Bin say softly, "I'm a little sad, but I'm not losing my mind over it. Don't worry."
Lin Murun looked into his dark eyes, thought for a moment, and then sat up straight. "If you need a shoulder..."
Si Bin let out a soft laugh and obediently leaned against his shoulder.
The sparklers were long, blooming with dazzling sparks in the misty, rainy night.
Lin Murun turned his head and saw the brilliant light of the sparklers reflected in Si Bin’s dark eyes.
"Thank you," he heard Si Bin whisper.
A sudden flash of light from a camera dazzled Lin Murun’s eyes.
He instinctively turned his head, and immediately felt the weight on his shoulder lighten.
Li Menglai smiled and waved her phone at them. "The photo turned out great. Do you want me to send it to you?"
Lin Murun hurriedly looked toward Yu Qianyi and the others, who were still setting off fireworks nearby.
"Don't worry, they didn't notice." As if seeing his concern, Li Menglai whispered, "They're all too busy with the fireworks!"
"Why are you all huddling in the pavilion!" Lin Qingqing turned around and waved at them. "Come and set off some fireworks!"
"Coming!" Li Menglai put away her phone and ran over.
"Let's go, we should head over too," Si Bin said to Lin Murun with a smile.
He seemed to have adjusted his state of mind; the brief vulnerability he had shown just now felt almost like an illusion to Lin Murun.
"Si Bin." Lin Murun stood up and called out to him.
"Hmm?" Si Bin turned back, patiently waiting to hear what he had to say.
"If you're unhappy, you can tell me," Lin Murun said, standing on the step and looking into Si Bin’s eyes. "Don't keep it bottled up inside. Your boyfriend will worry."
Si Bin was stunned.
After a moment, he lowered his eyelashes and replied with a soft laugh, "Okay."
Lin Murun stepped forward, looked up at him, and said, "In front of me, you're just Si Bin. You don't need to carry so much responsibility."
Si Bin looked down, gazing tenderly into Lin Murun’s beautiful amber eyes. After a long silence, he opened his arms and pulled Lin Murun into a hug.
"Okay," Si Bin whispered.
Over there, Lin Qingqing turned around just in time to see the two of them embracing. Her hand jerked in shock, and she immediately grabbed Yu Qianyi. "Come on! Let's go buy some more fireworks."
Unaware of anything, Yu Qianyi happily agreed.
By the time Lin Murun and Si Bin walked to the middle of the square, Lin Qingqing and Yu Qianyi were already heading back with their newly bought fireworks.
Zhou Xuan glanced at them and reminded, "Even though we're not at school, you'd better not let Yu Qianyi see you like that."
"Right," Yu Wenbo agreed. "She's a loudmouth; she can't keep a secret to save her life."
Yu Qianyi, who happened to overhear this, asked indignantly, "Brother, who are you calling a loudmouth?"
"You heard wrong!" Yu Wenbo laughed it off. "The rain is getting heavier. Let's go home after we finish these fireworks."
Just then, Lin Murun’s phone rang.
Under everyone's gaze, he answered the call.
"Hello, Student Lin." Wu Jiayi’s excited voice came through the phone.
"Chuchu is awake!"
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
干饭人 | The Foodies | Slang for people who love to eat; literally "rice-eaters."
小年 | Little New Year | A traditional festival about a week before the Lunar New Year.
市三好 | City Merit Student | Short for "City-level Three-Good Student" (good in ethics, study, and health).
自主招生 | Independent Recruitment | A system where universities recruit students based on their own criteria alongside the Gaokao.
S政法大学 | S University of Political Science and Law | A fictional university specializing in law and politics.
S财经大学 | S University of Finance and Economics | A fictional university specializing in finance and economics.
南山公园 | Nanshan Park | South Mountain Park.
大喇叭 | Loudmouth | Literally "big horn/megaphone"; someone who spreads news quickly.
打哈哈 | Laugh it off | To use humor or vague talk to deflect a topic.
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