It was the second period of evening self-study.
Su Xiaoran’s pen shook as she worked on her practice paper. She shivered and nudged her desk-mate. "Hey, don't you think it's freezing in here?"
Her desk-mate, currently engrossed in a gaming magazine, didn't even turn his head. "You’re dressed too light."
"I’m wearing way more than you." She was at least wearing a jacket; her desk-mate only had on a thin sweater, yet he had the nerve to talk.
The desk-mate flipped a page, glanced up at the teacher supervising the session, then looked back at Su Xiaoran. "Just ask for a leave and go home."
Su Xiaoran glanced at the windows. They were all shut tight, so it wasn't a draft. "Whoa, it’s getting foggy outside."
Her desk-mate turned to look as well. "The weather forecast said the fog would last for a few days."
As he spoke, he noticed something and pointed it out to her. "Hey, isn't Pei Cangyu’s seat empty?"
Su Xiaoran looked over. "Yeah, it is."
"Go sit there. He’s right next to the heater. Just turn it on."
Su Xiaoran looked hesitant. "I don't even know him. Besides, who knows where he went? If he comes back and sees me there, what if he hits me?"
"No way," the girl in the seat in front of them turned around, her ponytail swinging. "He’d hit a girl?"
Su Xiaoran mimicked Pei Cangyu’s usual scowl. "Maybe. He’s been a super-senior for six years, after all."
Her desk-mate laughed. "Being in 'Grade 13' doesn't mean he's been here for six years. With your math skills, you might be the next one repeating a grade."
Su Xiaoran flushed, spat out a few "ptui-ptuis" to ward off the bad luck, and shivered again.
The girl in front continued to urge her. "Just go, or you'll catch a cold."
The desk-mate chimed in. "Yeah, go ahead. The teacher is right there; he can't just start swinging. If he tries to hit you, I’ll yell for help."
"Whatever." Su Xiaoran rolled her eyes and went back to her paper, occasionally rubbing her arms for warmth.
Her desk-mate shrugged, finished the last page of his magazine, stuffed it into his desk, and began organizing his corrected mistakes.
The classroom fell silent again.
Outside, the fog was so thick that even the lights of the building below were invisible.
Su Xiaoran sneezed, wiped her nose with a tissue until the tip was bright red, and looked longingly at Pei Cangyu’s seat again. "Hey, where do you think he went?"
Her desk-mate didn't look up. "Who knows? Smoking? I saw him last period. Oh, maybe he went home early."
Su Xiaoran bit her lip and made up her mind. "Fine, whatever. I’m going." She tapped her desk-mate’s shoulder. "If you see him coming, give me a sign so I can run back."
The desk-mate looked toward the front of the room. "I’ll only see him if he comes through the front door."
The teacher stood up, preparing to go over the morning’s practice paper. Taking advantage of the brief rustle of movement, Su Xiaoran slipped into Pei Cangyu’s seat. Leaning against the wall, she twisted the heater dial. A wave of warm air immediately hit her back, and she squinted in comfort.
"So nice..." She stretched her cramped fingers and began flipping through her paper to keep up with the teacher.
From this vantage point, she felt like she had a view of the whole class. It really was a great spot—isolated, independent, like a hermit living...
Before she could finish her poetic thought, the student in front, Zhang, woke up from a nap and habitually turned around. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he muttered, "Brother Pei..."
Then he realized a rather nervous-looking girl was sitting in Pei Cangyu’s seat. He froze mid-rub, his voice stuttering. "What happened to you, Brother Pei?"
Su Xiaoran: "..."
The back door creaked. Pei Cangyu walked in.
The teacher only spared him a glance and didn't stop talking.
Pei Cangyu was wrapped in a chill, his face set in a grim line. He reached his desk in a few strides. He was so tall that his shadow completely blocked the light. Su Xiaoran gave a violent shudder. Zhang added helpfully, "Brother Pei, this girl insisted on sitting in your seat..."
Su Xiaoran suddenly remembered all the "legends" about Pei Cangyu—how he once got so drunk he dove into the sea to find his phone, how he’d collected those "special service" cards slipped under hotel doors, how he hung out with thugs from Z-District, how he had a girlfriend who worked as a bar hostess...
There were so many rumors that she wanted to stand up and bolt, yet she found herself unable to move.
To her surprise, Pei Cangyu didn't even look at her. He had no reaction to her being in his seat. Instead, he grabbed two stools from the stack at the back of the room. He set one upright and laid the other on its side. Then, he sat on the fallen stool, using the upright one as a desk. He pulled a pen from his pocket, picked up the practice paper Su Xiaoran had accidentally knocked to the floor, and said absolutely nothing.
Zhang, disappointed that there was no drama, turned back around.
Su Xiaoran sat stunned for a moment before continuing to write on Pei Cangyu’s desk. Meanwhile, the owner of the desk was "at her feet"—since he was sitting on a stool on the floor, it was... well...
Feeling guilty, Su Xiaoran turned and asked, "Do you want to see my notes?"
Pei Cangyu looked at her, expressionless. "No thanks."
Then he went back to hunching over the stool. His large frame was cramped beside the small stool as he scribbled on his paper.
Su Xiaoran thought for a moment and added, "I only sat here because I was cold." She glanced at the teacher. "I'll leave as soon as the teacher isn't looking."
Pei Cangyu gave a grunt of affirmation.
"Thanks."
"Mm."
Su Xiaoran watched Pei Cangyu’s profile for a moment before turning back to her work.
Her desk-mate sent her a text: *How is it? Did he yell at you? Should I tell the teacher?*
*No, omg, it’s so weird...*
*Is he mad?*
*I don't think so.* Su Xiaoran put her phone down and realized she hadn't brought a red pen. She tentatively called out to him. "Um, can I borrow a red pen?"
Pei Cangyu looked up at her and handed her the pen.
As Su Xiaoran used his red pen, Pei Cangyu stared blankly at his paper until she handed it back.
The girl in front also sent a text: *I saw that! LOL, you made him sit on the floor.*
*It wasn't me! He just did that when he got here. I didn't even say anything.*
*Seriously?! Tell me everything after school!*
*Do you like this type? The 'thug with a cold exterior and a warm heart'?*
*Ooh, so you already know he’s warm inside?*
*[Emoji] Let me see whose thirst cage is left open.*
*[Emoji] Oppa, it’s me!*
Su Xiaoran put her phone away and glanced at Pei Cangyu again. For some reason, she felt like a princess being guarded by a knight. Then she shook her head, telling herself not to project too much onto someone she barely knew.
But she still found herself glancing at him every now and then, just wondering. Would a guy like this have a cat or a dog? The more she thought about it, the more curious she became, so she texted the girl in front again.
*Do you think he has a cat or a dog?*
*I know this one! A cat.*
*Why?*
*You know, like in manga. The delinquent who looks tough but pets stray cats in the rain?*
*Get out of here...*
For some reason, perhaps because of Pei Cangyu’s attitude, Su Xiaoran’s fear of him had vanished. And though it was a bit embarrassing to admit, as a girl who never got into trouble, she felt a sense of "anthropological observation" toward a delinquent who seemed to be living his life so recklessly. She also discovered that if she spoke to Pei Cangyu in a gentle tone, he wouldn't snap at her.
"Hey, um, do you have a cat or a dog?"
Pei Cangyu looked up at her. "A dog. I had one when I was a kid."
Whoa, he was surprisingly easy to talk to.
Su Xiaoran pressed on. "Really? What kind of dog?"
"It was a..." He didn't finish his sentence because his phone started ringing.
Pei Cangyu stared at the phone, and a cold sweat actually broke out on his forehead. He stared at the vibrating device for a long time before finally hanging up. Then, looking heavy-hearted, he slumped back over the stool.
Su Xiaoran texted the girl in front: *You guessed wrong. It’s a dog.*
When the bell rang for the end of class, Su Xiaoran got up from Pei Cangyu’s seat and thanked him again. Though his expression remained neutral, he repeatedly said it was no problem, eventually sounding a bit shy. Su Xiaoran couldn't wait to share this with the girl in front.
As she was about to leave, Pei Cangyu suddenly called out to her. "Oh, right. You asked me earlier. It was a Golden Retriever."
Su Xiaoran blinked, took a moment to recall the question, and then smiled. "Oh, a Golden Retriever. Nice."
Wow, she didn't expect him to remember. Su Xiaoran suddenly understood: this was the kind of guy who just didn't know how to handle women. If he was even slightly stern with girls, they’d feel wronged, but if he let things slide, most girls would walk all over him—he was that kind of guy. He was helpless against them. Or rather, he was exactly the type to attract girls like the one in front of her—girls who looked well-behaved but were secretly wild at heart.
She waited for a friend from the next class and lingered for a while before finally leaving the school building. With the fog so thick, everyone had their flashlights on. As she neared the school gate, she saw Pei Cangyu walking hurriedly. Su Xiaoran watched his tall, lean figure stride across the road. She could see him clearly because a car across the street had its bright lights on. A tall man stood in front of the lights. As Pei Cangyu approached, the man reached out to take his backpack and draped an arm over his shoulder. Though Pei Cangyu shrugged him off, the man leaned in close to talk to him. Pei Cangyu lowered his head and ducked away slightly, but it wasn't a real attempt to escape; at the very least, he didn't succeed. They were so close that Pei Cangyu seemed enveloped by the man. He didn't even look up, only nodding slightly when the man said something.
Then, the man opened the car door for Pei Cangyu, walked around to the other side, and drove away.
Su Xiaoran watched the car disappear into the distance and pulled out her phone.
Sigh, she had so much to share with the girl in front. It was exhausting.
***
Bai Shi seemed to be in a very good mood. Pei Cangyu kept his head down and remained silent.
"You didn't put on your seatbelt," Bai Shi pointed out. "Do you want me to help you?"
"No, no." Pei Cangyu grabbed the belt and clicked it into place with a forceful shove.
Bai Shi reached out and touched his arm. "Why are you so cold?"
"Huh? Oh, I was outside memorizing vocabulary during self-study." Pei Cangyu didn't think much of it.
He stole another glance at the cheerful Bai Shi, thinking it might be better to clear the air. Yeah.
But what should he say? You were too impulsive, Pei Cangyu. You’re an adult; how can you still not control your mouth?
Speaking of which, yesterday’s kiss had been a total heat-of-the-moment thing. He had reacted immediately by jumping away, but Bai Shi had pulled him back, only for Pei Cangyu to break free again. Bai Shi had worn a complex expression that said, *'Didn't you start this? Why do you stop whenever you want? Do you think it's fun to toy with me?'* It had made Pei Cangyu feel incredibly awkward.
At this point, being so conflicted felt a bit excessive. He wasn't some master of seduction playing hard to get; he was just a kid who loved a simple life. Why did things have to get so complicated?
It was like being in a sauna. When you can't get out, the only thing you can do is take off the towel you're wrapped in. The problem was, the reason you felt the towel had to come off was because it was too hot—and it was too hot because you were in a sauna, not because you loved being naked. It was like... Pei Cangyu scratched his head. Simply put, he was trapped. If he stayed at Bai Shi’s house, he couldn't avoid this kind of kindness. And if he couldn't avoid the kindness, he couldn't bring himself to reject it harshly. So...
Was there any precedent for someone dying of heat in a sauna?
Bai Shi brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. His icy fingers helped the flushed Pei Cangyu cool down. He looked up and his eyes met Bai Shi’s in the rearview mirror. Bai Shi’s eyes crinkled into a smile.
In that moment, Pei Cangyu suddenly thought: *This smile is different from before.* In his memory, Bai Shi had never smiled like this. Although it felt wrong to say this about someone whose house he was staying in, Pei Cangyu’s obsession with leaving wasn't just because Bai Shi liked him; it was also because Bai Shi’s gentleness always felt slightly "off." It wasn't the warmth brought by a person’s genuine affection, but rather a result of lowering the voice and adjusting the pace of speech. Pei Cangyu didn't think he had a talent for reading people, so if he felt this way, it was probably partly due to primal instinct, and partly because this was Bai Shi. Perhaps this was a connection? One that only existed with Bai Shi?
Regardless, Pei Cangyu felt a bit dazed by Bai Shi’s smile. This unadorned honesty was the kind of friend he had always dreamed of having—the friend he had missed out on due to a twist of fate, the friend he had almost opened his heart to years ago.
Yeah, how could anyone actually die of heat in a sauna?
As he thought this, he suddenly relaxed. It was as if the dark clouds looming over his heart had dispersed. Maybe this was enough. Don't think too much. This was fine.
So, when Bai Shi’s fingers brushed against his cheek, Pei Cangyu didn't pull away.
***
