Li Zi sat on her bed and checked the date on her phone. It really was Li Zhenting’s birthday. Her phone had been damaged over the New Year, and since she had replaced it with a new one, many of her saved important dates were gone. The phone hadn't given her a single reminder.
Feeling a wave of distress, she collapsed onto her pillow and closed her eyes, forcing her rusty brain to start working.
Should she call him now? It was already past ten; he was almost certainly out celebrating with his friends. If she called, she wouldn't know what to say other than an apology. Despite her best efforts, she had fallen back into her old habit: the moment she got busy, she cast everyone else aside.
She had clearly decided to learn from her past mistakes, to prioritize her life properly, and to stop being so self-centered. Scenes that still made her heart race with lingering fear flashed through her mind. Finally, after much deliberation, she climbed out of bed.
She pulled out her printed course schedule. Tomorrow morning’s classes were all general public lectures held for several majors at once. After a moment’s thought, she got up and walked out of her room.
Her three roommates were still in the middle of their "interrogation session." When they saw her emerge, they all turned to look.
"Tianwu, do you have classes tomorrow morning?" Li Zi asked Yu Tianwu, who was currently being pinned to a stool by the other two.
"No, why?"
"I might have to head out tonight and I’m not sure if I’ll be back in time tomorrow. Could you cover a class for me? Just in case the professor takes attendance."
Yu Tianwu was the best in the dorm at applying makeup and altering her voice. If she disguised herself slightly with a mask and glasses and kept her mouth shut, she might actually be able to pull it off.
"Huh? I mean, I can, but where are you going this late at night?" Yu Tianwu’s hands were still held captive at her sides, so she could only strain her neck to look at Li Zi.
"Going home for a bit," Li Zi replied succinctly. "I’ll leave it to you then. I’ll try to get back as soon as possible."
Seeing the situation, Hua Yi and Xie Bing released Yu Tianwu, allowing her to stretch.
"You’re going back to celebrate Li Zhenting’s birthday?" Xie Bing asked. As expected, she was the quickest to read Li Zi’s mind.
"Ooh! Romantic Li Zi is online! Don't worry, leave your class to me!" Yu Tianwu grew excited the moment she heard the plan, thumping her chest in a solemn promise.
"Alright, I’m counting on you." Li Zi nodded her thanks, went back to her room to pack a few things, and came out with her bag.
Yu Tianwu was still leaning against the doorframe, winking and nudging her. As Li Zi brushed past her, she whispered a single sentence: "I know about you and Xiao Liu."
*So there’s no need to hide it.*
Leaving a shell-shocked Yu Tianwu behind, Li Zi left the dormitory without looking back.
***
"Brother Li! Thank you for all these years. Because of you, we have stable jobs."
"Yeah, if it weren't for Brother Li, I’d probably still be a street thug. *Sniff*... even my mom doesn't look down on me anymore."
"Brother Li! You’ll always be our Big Brother!"
A group of grown men were huddled together, faces covered in tears and snot, taking turns raising their glasses to toast Li Zhenting. Li Zhenting responded to each one, smiling as he downed his drinks.
"Friends walk together for a lifetime! Those days will never come again!"
Someone, fueled by the alcohol, started belting out a song at the top of their lungs. Unfortunately, his voice sounded like a cracked bronze bell, leaving the listeners in agony.
Tang Jiu was also draped over the others' shoulders when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out sluggishly, swiping several times before he managed to unlock the screen.
!!!
It was Li Zi! She was asking on WeChat where they were!
His brain cleared instantly as he shoved off the person slumped against him. He stole a glance at Li Zhenting, who was sitting in the middle drinking gloomily, and replied: "We’re at the barbecue place we always go to. Sister Li Zi, you’re back??"
"Yes. I’ll be there in about half an hour. Don't tell him yet."
"Got it!!!!!"
Tang Jiu felt like he was carrying a massive secret; he was beyond excited. He stopped drinking and stopped acting crazy. Instead, he started urging everyone to slow down, especially Li Zhenting. He went as far as to physically block Li Zhenting’s glass.
"Brother, stop drinking. It’s bad for your health."
Li Zhenting: "?"
Who was the one shouting for another crate just a minute ago?
"Leave me alone. I’m perfectly sober." He impatiently pushed Tang Jiu’s hand away and raised his glass to his lips again.
"Oh, man." Tang Jiu was frantic. *Brother! My dear Brother! If you’re dead drunk when Sister Li Zi shows up, it won't be a surprise—it’ll be a disaster!*
"Brother! Doesn't Sister Li Zi dislike it when you drink?" he blurted out, grasping for an excuse.
To his surprise, Li Zhenting actually paused. "So what? It’s not like she’ll ever know."
After saying that, the corner of his mouth twitched bitterly.
Tang Jiu was speechless. Utterly speechless. *Brother, do you realize you look exactly like a resentful, spurned lover right now?*
*She didn't know before, but she’s about to know very soon!!! Brother, wake up!*
At that moment, he really wanted to commit mutiny and snatch every bottle away from Li Zhenting. But he didn't dare.
"Brother... *hic*... even though... Sister-in-law didn't celebrate with you today... you... you still have us!"
"That’s right!"
Two men stumbled over to lean against Li Zhenting. "Even if you get dumped one day, we... uh, we will always be your brothers!"
"Exactly!"
"Who got dumped?"
"Who’s dumping him?"
In a private room filled with the boisterous shouting of men, the sudden sound of a woman’s voice was exceptionally jarring.
The room fell silent instantly. Everyone stared blankly at the door. The protagonist of the rumors they had been whispering about all day had suddenly appeared, holding the door curtain aside and looking at them with confusion.
Except for the two drunks still clinging to Li Zhenting and mumbling, everyone else felt their intoxication vanish by half.
"Holy crap, is that Sister Li Zi? Or am I hallucinating?"
"I see her too..."
"Me too..."
Once they confirmed it wasn't a collective hallucination, everyone instinctively turned their gaze toward the head of the table, where Li Zhenting was currently being smothered by his friends.
Li Zhenting was stunned. His hand, holding a glass, was frozen in mid-air, while his other hand was in the middle of shoving a drunk away. When Li Zi’s voice first rang out, he thought he had drunk so much that his brain was malfunctioning and he was hearing things.
It wasn't until Li Zi walked up to him and frowned at the pile of empty bottles that his "Li Zi Anger Warning Radar"—honed since childhood—was activated. He slammed his glass onto the table, shoved aside the two brothers who had finally realized what was happening, and sat bolt upright.
"Li... you... you... why are you here?"
Tang Jiu, who had been waiting for his moment, finally saw his opening. He stepped forward, placed his hands on Li Zhenting’s shoulders, and said, "Sister Li Zi is here! We were just finishing up and heading home. Everyone was so happy we ordered way too much. Since you’re here, we’ll leave Brother in your hands!"
With that, he shot a look at the others.
Some caught on instantly. "Right, right! Most of the alcohol on this table was drunk by us."
"Oh, I’m suddenly so sleepy. Old Zhang, give me a ride home."
"Now that you mention it, I’m tired too. Let’s call it a night!"
Li Zi watched their performance with amusement but didn't call them out. She stepped forward and took Li Zhenting’s hand.
"So, are you coming back with me, or going with them?"
His brothers were frantically winking at him. Li Zhenting suddenly felt a bit bashful and cleared his throat.
"I’m not going the same way as them," he said.
Tang Jiu rolled his eyes hard. *My dear Big Brother, at a time like this, can't you say something sweet? Have some backbone!*
"Alright, then I’ll take him with me. Get home safely, everyone. Try to take a taxi."
Li Zi waved to the group, pulled Li Zhenting up, and led him out of the room.
Once they were outside, the night breeze cleared more of the alcohol from Li Zhenting’s head. His tall frame hesitated slightly. Trying his best to ignore his thundering heartbeat, he asked again, knowing the answer: "Aren't... aren't you busy? Why did you come back so suddenly?"
"I forgot to deliver something."
"Oh... I see..." Li Zhenting couldn't hide the disappointment on his face.
"You really are an idiot," Li Zi said helplessly.
"Huh?"
Li Zhenting looked at her in confusion. In his usually fierce eyes, there was a hidden sense of disappointment and grievance that he wasn't even aware was overflowing.
Li Zi sighed inwardly. Dealing with an idiot like this, if she didn't think a bit more and do a bit more, it really would be hard not to mess things up.
*Mwah.*
Li Zi pressed her hand against the back of the man’s head, pulled him down slightly, and kissed him.
"I forgot to say: Happy Birthday."
The man reacted instantly. He wrapped his arms around Li Zi, opened his mouth, and met her kiss.
The early spring night still held a trace of chill, but the boiling joy in his veins made Li Zhenting feel hot all over. Never had he felt more clearly how much Li Zi valued him than at this moment.
"What about your school?" he asked breathlessly during a break.
"I’ll rush back tomorrow morning," Li Zi said. She nipped his lower lip, causing him to let out a soft gasp, leaving him no room to think of anything else.
***
Later, as a certain someone lay on the bed, breathless and dazed, Li Zi coaxed him: "Did you miss me?"
"...Not at all." He still clung to a shred of consciousness, stubbornly refusing to admit it.
"Ah! You—"
In the next second, his tone changed completely.
"Really didn't miss me?"
"...You brat."
"Every day... I thought about you every day."
"My Tuesday to Friday evening classes are just for credits; I only need to show up. I can video call you then."
"Who wants to video call you..."
Despite what he said, on the first Tuesday night after Li Zi returned to school, Li Zhenting placed a video call exactly on time.
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
小柳 | Xiao Liu | Diminutive for Liu Yan, Yu Tianwu's secret boyfriend.
卷王 | Academic overachiever | Literal "King of Involution," refers to someone extremely competitive in studies.
公共课 | General public lectures | Large classes shared by multiple majors.
怨妇 | Resentful lover | Literally "resentful woman/wife," used here to describe Li Zhenting's sulking behavior.
嘴硬 | Stubbornly refusing to admit | Literal "hard mouth," meaning someone who won't admit their true feelings.
