They took the opportunity to relieve themselves by the trees behind the mountain. Bai Shi watched as Pei Cangyu unzipped his pants with total nonchalance. Feeling a bit awkward, Bai Shi tried to move further away, but Pei Cangyu grabbed him. "Where are you running off to? Just hurry up so we can go."
Bai Shi had no choice but to attempt using the bathroom in the wild. As he pulled down his zipper, he even jerked his head back suddenly, afraid something might leap out of the brush. His hyper-vigilance made Pei Cangyu laugh. Bai Shi shot him a glance but ignored him.
They were standing too close; the silence was becoming stifling. When Pei Cangyu finished, his eyes accidentally flickered toward Bai Shi. He raised an eyebrow. "You... certainly knew where to grow that..."
At that time, Bai Shi was still pure and untainted. His face flushed as he said stiffly, "None of your damn business."
Pei Cangyu turned his head away. Bai Shi’s serious reaction made him feel embarrassed too; it wasn't like he’d looked on purpose, but now he felt like a pervert. Pei Cangyu’s ears turned a slight shade of red. He let out a "tch" and walked off.
Once Bai Shi finished and caught up, the two of them crouched low, approaching the campsite like secret agents. Squatting at the edge of the woods, Pei Cangyu let out two bird-like *coo-coos*. He turned to Bai Shi with a triumphant grin. "That’s our secret signal. Listen closely; there’s a difference in the long and short notes."
With that, he called out again: "*Coo-coo—coo-coo-coo—coo!*"
A tent flap flew open, a branch was hurled out, and a girl’s indignant voice rang out: "Pei Cangyu! Stop that noise! People are trying to sleep!"
Pei Cangyu rubbed his nose awkwardly. He turned back to explain to Bai Shi, "Of course, any secret signal carries the risk of being compromised."
Pigou had already emerged, wearing an oversized QR code sweatshirt that matched Pei Cangyu’s. He ran over and crouched beside them. "Where are the others? Did they fall in battle?"
Apple and the rest walked over, and Apple kicked Pigou in the rear. "Are we going or not? Look at you three, acting like common thieves. Is all this really necessary?"
Pei Cangyu stood up, picking a blade of grass off his head. "Let’s move. I want to be back in time for a midnight snack."
The six of them headed down the mountain. Bai Shi walked second to last, with Pigou bringing up the rear. Pei Cangyu led the way with a map, wandering left and right. Finally, Feiji, panting for breath, asked, "Big brother, we’re all friends here. Tell the truth—are you lost?"
Pei Cangyu looked down at the map again and handed it to Apple. "What do you think?"
Apple shook his head. "My geography is trash. I can't tell north from south."
Monkey asked, "Then who’s good at geography?"
The group fell silent for a moment, their eyes drifting toward Bai Shi.
Pei Cangyu immediately protested, "He’s just good at math! That doesn't mean he’s good at geography."
Monkey gave him a strange look. "Didn't you see the rankings for last week’s school exam?"
Pei Cangyu blinked. "We had an exam last week?"
Everyone: "..."
Feiji squeezed through. "Pei Cangyu, don't block someone else’s light just because your little lackey is more successful than you. Have some grace." He snatched the map from Pei Cangyu and handed it to Bai Shi. Pei Cangyu watched the map go, pouting with a hint of resentment.
Bai Shi identified their direction almost instantly and found the right path. He glanced at Pei Cangyu, who was acting all huffy and annoyed. Bai Shi felt a strange sense of satisfaction; he realized Pei Cangyu was bothered by losing to him, which surely meant something.
Under Bai Shi’s guidance, they soon reached the mountainside. After rounding a loop of a well-maintained stone staircase, they found a genuine little temple.
Pei Cangyu’s spirits lifted. He grabbed the map back, looking from the paper to the building. "Not bad, not bad. This is the place."
The others followed him up.
The temple didn't occupy much space. It enshrined three Taoist deities. Outside was a small courtyard with a tree draped in long, fluttering red ribbons embroidered with gold characters—clearly prayer strips.
Apple hesitated. "Are we really going to pray? I’m not exactly a believer..."
Pei Cangyu threw an arm around his shoulder. "Just a look. We’re just looking."
Feiji followed behind them, sounding mysterious. "Have you guys heard the saying? 'Pass a temple without a bow, and disaster follows you now.'"
The group stopped in their tracks and looked at him. Pigou grabbed Feiji’s hand and slapped him across the mouth. Feiji broke free. "Fine, fine! Don't blame me for not warning you."
The atmosphere suddenly turned eerie and superstitious.
Monkey pulled out his Youth League badge, polishing it until it shone. He smoothed his hair into a "mature" style. "Alright, I’ll start. Let’s recite the New Era..."
Everyone turned and walked away.
Monkey followed behind. "Don't you guys have any political awareness?..."
In the end, the believers—Feiji and Pigou—went to pray. Modern temples offered a one-stop service for incense and offerings; a quick scan of a QR code handled the payment. Pigou’s family was in business, so they were particular about honoring the gods. He insisted on a lucky number for his donation and transferred 888 yuan. Seeing this, Feiji bowed a few extra times, hoping the gods wouldn't play favorites when granting wishes, since their intentions were the same.
Monkey, the materialist, was busy studying the inscriptions on the stone tablets in the courtyard. Judging by the rubbings, this was an ancient site. Apple followed him, looking bored out of his mind.
Bai Shi and Pei Cangyu were busy examining the prayer strips on the tree.
"Hey, hey, look at this one," Pei Cangyu called out to Bai Shi, his face alight with amusement.
Bai Shi walked over, standing on his tiptoes to see. The strip read: *May there be a '99' in my license plate number.* Pei Cangyu laughed. "People actually pray for stuff like that?"
They circled the tree, finding all sorts of wishes: for children, for marriage, for wealth, for exams. As Pei Cangyu walked, he sighed, "Human desire is truly bottomless."
He paused, startled by his own words. Bai Shi thought, *Oh no.* Sure enough, Pei Cangyu slapped his forehead and pulled his "Edgy Notebook of Good Words and Phrases" from his bag. He started writing down the thought he just had, but after writing "Human desire is truly," the idiot actually forgot the rest!
Pei Cangyu turned to Bai Shi, looking anxious. "What did I just say?"
Bai Shi thought for a moment. "You said you should listen to Bai Shi. Whatever Bai Shi says goes. Bai Shi is Pei Cangyu’s master."
Pei Cangyu nodded along. "Oh, right..." He lowered his head to write, but after two words, he realized what was happening. He picked up a stone and chucked it at Bai Shi. "Bullshit!"
The others gradually gathered around, having a grand time reading other people’s desires.
Monkey read one: *You old hag, get off the pot if you aren't gonna use it. Drop dead.*
Apple found one: *Mistresses go to hell!!*
Feiji found another: *Why can't a man marry two wives?*
Pei Cangyu laughed. "It’s a damn soap opera."
Pigou suggested, "Hey, let’s write some too."
Pei Cangyu rubbed his hands together. "Sure. I’ve already got plenty of wishes."
Monkey wasn't satisfied. "We can write them, but we should aim higher. We need broader minds."
Apple nodded. "Fine, fine. I’m writing 'World Peace' anyway."
Feiji frowned. "Aw, you stole my dream. Then I’ll write 'Human Progress.'"
Pei Cangyu cleared his throat. "What a coincidence. Me too. I’ll write 'Eradicate Global Famine.'"
Pigou nodded. "Then I’ll write 'Universal Peace.'"
Bai Shi: "..."
When they finished writing and looked up at each other, they all simultaneously covered their ribbons. They kept a suspicious distance from one another as they hung them up, letting their grand global dreams grow strong on that little tree on a remote mountain.
The temple caretaker had finished his dinner and insisted on telling them the temple's history—which god had saved the people, why it was so effective now, "Just look at all these banners on the wall."
While the others were distracted, Bai Shi slipped back to the tree. He wanted to find what Pei Cangyu had written.
First, he found Pigou’s, because Pigou was afraid the gods wouldn't find him and had left a signature: *I really want the limited edition GT collab sneakers. Give me a sign in a dream when they drop. Thanks. —Pi Dongzheng.*
Bai Shi walked clockwise and saw the next one: *I had some thoughts after seeing that 'two wives' thing. But can the mistress be Xiao X-ya? I really like her; I’ve dreamed about her for a year straight. But my parents might not agree because they won't let me marry a Japanese girl.*
Bai Shi was speechless. Was this supposed to be a "Teenage Troubles" column?
He circled further and saw Feiji’s, hanging ostentatiously on the outside.
*I have sinned. I confess. I made up a ghost story and now my sister is in the hospital from fright. She can't eat anything. Dammit, how was I supposed to know she was that cowardly? If I’d known, I wouldn't have made it about food.*
Bai Shi tossed it aside. What kind of confession was that? He was mixing up his religions.
Monkey’s was the most obvious.
*There is a typo in your stone inscriptions. I suggest you fix it. P.S. I checked; it’s not a variant character.*
Bai Shi: "..."
Finally, he found Pei Cangyu’s. Bai Shi stood on his toes to pull it down.
The first line was about a game console, but it had been crossed out and replaced with "Eradicate World Famine." Bai Shi’s eye twitched. Pei Cangyu was probably the only one who actually took the "global dreams" thing seriously.
The second line was about his grandmother, wishing for her health and for her to be free of pain.
The third line was also about his grandmother, wishing that one day she could find her son.
The three lines were crammed together. Pei Cangyu had even drawn arrows to move the second and third wishes to the top, pushing the "World" to the bottom.
"What are you looking at?" Pei Cangyu’s voice suddenly appeared behind Bai Shi, giving him a start.
Bai Shi raised the red ribbon in his hand. "Just looking for a place to hang mine."
Pei Cangyu’s eyes lit up. "What did you write?"
"It’s a secret."
"Tch." Pei Cangyu rolled his eyes. "I didn't want to know anyway."
As he spoke, he looked around and found an empty branch for Bai Shi. "Here, put it here."
Bai Shi walked over to hang his ribbon. He turned to look at Pei Cangyu, catching him trying to sneak a peek. Pei Cangyu whipped his head away and let out another "tch."
Bai Shi hung up his ribbon. It was completely blank.
"Hey! Let’s go!" Feiji waved at them. "Hurry up! Pigou’s out of money now that we’ve reached the 'thirty years ago' part of the story!"
The boys grabbed their bags and ran like the wind.
After dinner that night, the class held a bonfire party. Only a few people were willing to perform, the same ones who always did over the three years of middle school. Everyone else was just eating snacks. It was then that Pei Cangyu realized how popular Bai Shi was. The girls shared everything with him and looked for any excuse to talk to him.
"What’s so good about Bai Shi?" he asked Apple.
Apple, a veteran Bai Shi-hater, immediately agreed. "Nothing. He just gives off this weird vibe."
"Vibe?" Pei Cangyu frowned. "I don't smell anything."
"Not a smell, it’s..." Apple searched for the words. "It’s an aura. An aura. He’s not even that good-looking. And he’s the type where if he says one sentence, he’s actually thought of ninety more. There’s always a distance between him and everyone else..."
Pei Cangyu went silent.
Apple paused. He realized that when Pei Cangyu asked "What’s so good about Bai Shi," he was just making a casual joke between friends, not actually looking for a list of flaws.
They fell into silence. Apple coughed and nudged Pei Cangyu with his elbow. "Hey, what I meant was..."
"You’re going too far." Pei Cangyu turned to him. "You can say Bai Shi has a bad personality, that he’s gloomy, or that he has a sharp tongue. But you can't say he’s not good-looking. You have to be honest."
Apple: "..."
He slapped Pei Cangyu on the back. "Dumbass!"
Bai Shi had been sitting in the tent for a long time before Pei Cangyu finally finished with his friends and crawled inside.
"Where were you?" Pei Cangyu asked as soon as he entered. "I didn't see you just now."
"Chatting with Qi Shuo and the others."
"Oh," Pei Cangyu nodded wistfully. "The girls, huh."
Bai Shi looked up at him. "What about them?"
Pei Cangyu sat down, tugging at his collar. "I just feel like... I don't really understand girls..."
Bai Shi smiled. "Do you understand boys?"
"Boys..." Pei Cangyu waved a hand dismissively. "We’re all the same, I think. Pretty much identical."
Bai Shi looked at the mess of books, pens, and clothes Pei Cangyu had strewn across the floor. "Do you want to clean up?"
Pei Cangyu turned his head, pouting at the effort. "Let’s just sleep like this."
He flopped down first and kicked Bai Shi’s leg with his foot. "You turn off the light."
Bai Shi clicked off the light and lay down next to Pei Cangyu. They both stared up at the ceiling of the tent.
"Hey, count them. I counted fifteen black squares." Pei Cangyu rested his head on his arms, using his foot to nudge Bai Shi’s.
Bai Shi moved away. "I’m not counting. That’s boring."
"Tch." Pei Cangyu continued counting on his own, this time the white squares, swinging his legs as he did.
Bai Shi glanced at him. "Stop swinging."
Pei Cangyu grinned. "I’ll swing if I want to."
Bai Shi’s head throbbed. He said it again, "Stop swinging."
Pei Cangyu crossed his legs and kept swinging, his feet cutting through the darkness in blurred shadows. "I’m gonna swing, and I’m gonna swing with style..."
He didn't finish his sentence because Bai Shi lunged over and bit him hard on the cheek. In an instant, Pei Cangyu felt blood flow.
Pei Cangyu reacted, shoving Bai Shi away. Bai Shi hit the side of the tent. Pei Cangyu touched his right cheek and found his hand covered in blood. He kicked out, his foot landing on Bai Shi’s chest with a dull thud.
"Are you fucking crazy?!" Pei Cangyu pressed a tissue to his face, glaring at Bai Shi.
Bai Shi lowered his head and whispered, "I’m sorry..."
Pei Cangyu stood up to leave. Bai Shi leaped up and grabbed his hand.
"Get lost." Pei Cangyu looked down at him.
Bai Shi didn't move, nor did he let go. He repeated, "I’m sorry."
Pei Cangyu shook his hand off. Bai Shi hit the tent again and curled up in the corner. Pei Cangyu unzipped the flap and walked out.
Once outside, he didn't know what to do. He went to the bathroom, getting angrier the more he thought about it. He returned to the tent fuming. *Dumbass, absolute dumbass. I should beat him up.*
When he entered, he saw Bai Shi huddled in the corner, holding a pen and writing something in his "Edgy Notebook." Pei Cangyu snatched it away. Bai Shi’s hand trembled, but he said nothing and didn't look up.
Pei Cangyu looked at what Bai Shi had written in his book: *You probably know, don't you? I am what they call Satan. Everyone I love is destroyed by me. —From "Autumn Wind."*
Pei Cangyu frowned and looked at Bai Shi again.
Bai Shi threw the pen aside and hugged his knees. Just like the countless nights he had silently watched his parents rage and hurt each other, he felt the anger Pei Cangyu was radiating. He thought that tomorrow, Pei Cangyu would move to a different tent. They wouldn't sit together on the bus ride back. They would change seats at school. They would have no more intersection. Pei Cangyu would still have his friends; he would still have girls who liked him despite his lack of tact. His carefree kindness would attract even more people in the future. They would never cross paths again...
Pei Cangyu sat down beside him and tossed the notebook into his lap, scowling. "You should stop reading books like this. Why do people spend so much time reflecting on themselves? It’s not fun."
Bai Shi looked up in surprise. Pei Cangyu pointed at his notebook. "If you want to write, start from the back. I’ll write from the front. That way we can keep it separate; it’s hard to organize if we write together."
Bai Shi stared at him. Pei Cangyu was flipping to the very last page. "See? There’s plenty of room here..."
Bai Shi suddenly asked, "Does it hurt?"
Pei Cangyu paused, then touched his face. "It doesn't really hurt, it just feels weird."
Bai Shi thought for a moment and said honestly, "I’m just that kind of person."
Pei Cangyu found it almost funny. "What kind of person?"
"I don't know. Just... this kind."
"Oh. Okay." Pei Cangyu shook the notebook again. "Did you hear what I said?"
Bai Shi took it. "I know. I’ll write from the back."
"Good." Pei Cangyu lay back down. He was tired and wanted to sleep.
Bai Shi also lay down, turning on his side to face Pei Cangyu. "But I won't hurt you."
Pei Cangyu was amused by the dramatic, script-like line. "Oh, the shorty’s big dream."
Bai Shi let out a sharp hiss and curled his legs.
"What’s wrong?" Pei Cangyu watched as Bai Shi knit his brows.
Bai Shi pressed his knees. "My legs hurt. I’m having a growth spurt."
Pei Cangyu laughed. "You sure have a way with words."
Bai Shi stared at him. "I’m serious."
Pei Cangyu closed his eyes and pulled up the blanket. "Sure. Go to sleep."
Bai Shi rolled over and looked at Pei Cangyu’s notebook again. He flipped from the back. The quote on the very last page was from *Blade of the Immortal*, a style beloved by the "chuunibyou" Pei Cangyu. It read:
*“Then... one day, we shall meet again on the road to the Yellow Springs.”*
***
