The alarm rang at ten o’clock, and Pei Xi was awakened by the vibration of his phone. The cold sensation made him wrap himself tighter in the quilt.
His head felt heavy and groggy, and a dull ache throbbed at the back of his skull, causing him to furrow his brows.
The phone continued to vibrate. Struggling to open his eyes, he fumbled under his pillow, retrieved the phone, and turned off the alarm.
Overwhelming drowsiness washed over him, and as soon as he closed his eyes, he fell back asleep.
By the time he fully woke up, it was already noon.
Pei Xi rubbed his heavy head, sitting dazedly on the bed in a half-asleep state before letting out a yawn.
Lin Shaojun’s voice came from outside the door, and as he opened it, a rush of cold air flooded in.
“Achoo—”
Pei Xi sneezed, the chill instantly enveloping him. He quickly hugged the quilt tighter—it was so cold.
“Third Brother? You didn’t go to class?” Lin Shaojun glanced at him curiously, surprised to see him looking freshly awakened. During their time sharing the dorm, he had never seen Pei Xi sleep in.
Pei Xi nodded listlessly. He had only intended to sleep for five more minutes but hadn’t expected to wake up at noon.
Lin Shaojun handed him a portion of the takeout he had brought back, saying, “You haven’t eaten yet, right? Come have some.”
“Okay.” As Pei Xi climbed down from the bed, his legs felt weak, and he nearly stumbled. Luckily, Lu Li, who was passing by, steadied him.
“Be careful.”
After steadying himself by holding onto the desk, Pei Xi murmured a soft “thank you.” He kept his head down, and no one noticed the tips of his ears turning red beneath his hair.
Seeing his pale complexion, Lu Li reminded him, “The temperature has dropped. You should wear more layers.”
Pei Xi didn’t dare look at him, only muttering quietly, “I know, thank you.”
No wonder he had been feeling chilly. It turned out the temperature had dropped.
Pei Xi changed into a long-sleeved set of pajamas and put on his jacket, but he still felt a bit cold and lacked energy. He kept sniffling from time to time, guessing he must have caught a cold.
Yesterday, the dorm was still using air conditioning, but today, even the fan wasn’t turned on.
Pei Xi opened his phone, and the first notification was the weather forecast for Ningcheng.
[Ningcheng Announcement: According to the meteorological station, strong convective weather is expected to arrive in the early morning. Cold air will continue to affect our city, with temperatures expected to drop to 10°C–15°C. Some areas may experience rainfall. Citizens are advised to dress appropriately, stay warm, and guard against colds. When going out, check the weather forecast and bring rain gear.]
He checked the current temperature—it was only 13°C. No wonder he still felt cold even with his jacket on.
Pei Xi was particularly sensitive to the cold. Although Qiaochuan Island never saw snow, the damp, chilly winters were unbearable. On days when he didn’t have to attend school, Pei Xi would hide at home, unwilling to go out.
Every time autumn transitioned into winter, he would inevitably catch a cold without fail.
What he hadn’t expected was that Ningcheng, like Qiaochuan Island, could experience sudden, drastic temperature drops without giving him any time to adjust.
[Mom: The temperature dropped in Ningcheng today. Did you wear an extra jacket, sweetie?]
[Dad: Some areas in Ningcheng might have rain. Remember to bring an umbrella when you go out.]
[Mom: Do you have enough clothes? Do you need me to send some from home?]
[Dad: Buy a few new sets of clothes, don’t catch a cold.]
[Dad: [Transfer] Please accept.]
Looking at the messages his parents sent in the group chat, Pei Xi felt a warmth in his heart. He hadn’t told them about his cold, not wanting them to worry about him.
The clothes he brought really weren’t enough for changes, so he ended up ordering two sets on Taobao.
Ding dong—
[You have a new message, please check.]
When Pei Xi saw the notification bar showing a Douyin message, he instinctively glanced at Lu Li, who was sitting diagonally across from him.
His gaze lingered only for a moment before he quickly looked away. He didn’t want Lu Li to notice anything unusual.
After learning that Lu Li was his top supporter, Pei Xi’s feelings were somewhat complicated.
So even the aloof, untouchable flower could fall from his pedestal.
[User 10557880: It’s getting colder in Ningcheng. Wear more, don’t catch a cold.]
[User 10557880: The weather isn’t good today. Remember to bring an umbrella if you go out.]
[Xixi: Already have a cold Q_Q]
Pei Xi clearly saw Lu Li frown after reading his message, a look of concern on his face.
[User 10557880: Have you taken medicine?]
[User 10557880: Is it serious? Do you need to see a doctor?]
He saw Lu Li’s status bar still showing [Typing…]. The message was taking a long time to arrive, but then he heard a very soft sigh.
Pei Xi couldn’t help but wonder what that message Lu Li deleted might have been.
[Xixi: Just a bit of a runny nose.]
[Xixi: It’s okay, don’t worry.]
[User 10557880: If you don’t have classes this afternoon, rest well in the dorm.]
[User 10557880: You need plenty of rest to recover quickly from a cold.]
[Xixi: I’ll take medicine and take a nap. After waking up, I need to go to the library.]
The book he borrowed from the library last time was only for three days, and it’s due back today.
[User 10557880: Can’t a roommate help?]
[Xixi: My roommates don’t like reading. They don’t even know where the library is. Better not trouble them.]
Pei Xi stole another glance at Lu Li, unable to resist teasing him a little.
[Xixi: There is one roommate who could help, but I don’t dare ask.]
[User 10557880: Why?]
[Xixi: Because he’s a bit intimidating and doesn’t like me.]
[User 10557880: How could anyone not like you?]
Looking at the message Lu Li sent, Pei Xi couldn’t hold back a soft pfft of laughter.
Fortunately, Zhai Jiarui and Lin Shaojun were busy duo-ranking in a game, and Lu Li was also intently focused on his phone. No one paid any attention to what he was doing.
[Xixi: I heard he’s straight and homophobic, so I don’t dare talk to him, afraid he’ll look down on me.]
Pei Xi saw Lu Li’s frown deepen even further.
[User 10557880: The sky outside is very dark, it might rain. Wear an extra layer when you go out and bring an umbrella.]
[Xixi: Got it.]
[Xixi: Well-behaved.jpg]
After lunch, Pei Xi rummaged through his suitcase and found the common medicine his mom had prepared for him.
He changed the duvet cover and everything to thicker fleece blankets. After finishing all that, Pei Xi was exhausted, his head feeling dizzy and heavy.
Before going to bed, he opened TikTok and selected a few casual photos from his album, posting a “followers only” update.
【Xixi: Want to fall in love. Anyone care to volunteer?】
After leaving this explosive post, he turned off his internet connection, intending to take a peaceful afternoon nap.
4 p.m.
When Pei Xi woke up, the sky had already darkened.
The gloomy, overcast sky seemed to be brewing a storm, and the wind had picked up outside.
Pei Xi checked the weather forecast—rain was expected within the next hour.
He quickly got dressed, grabbed an umbrella, picked up his books, and hurried toward the library.
Fortunately, it only started raining after he arrived at the library.
Large raindrops pounded against the floor, the sound of pouring rain filling the air. The downpour was fierce, accompanied by strong winds that beat heavily against the doors and windows.
Pei Xi returned his books to the library. With the rain so heavy, he couldn’t leave anytime soon and had no choice but to linger there.
He found a seat in a corner. Perhaps because of a cold, he felt weak and lethargic, constantly fighting the urge to sleep.
The library was quiet, with only the occasional rustling sound of pages being turned.
Unable to resist the overwhelming drowsiness, Pei Xi eventually laid his head on the table and fell asleep.
It wasn’t until around six o’clock, when students around him began getting up one after another, that the sound of chairs and tables being moved jolted him awake. Groggily opening his eyes, he felt a dull ache in his arms from lying on the table for so long. He checked his phone—it was already this late.
He quickly packed his things and hurried to leave. Only when he reached the library entrance did he realize it was still raining outside.
The rain had lightened considerably, but the wind continued to howl wildly. Damp mist, mingled with raindrops, swept toward him, and a bone-chilling cold seeped into the air.
Pei Xi hugged his arms, about to open his umbrella, when he suddenly realized he had no idea where he had left it.
He retraced his steps, searching carefully, but found no sign of it.
Resigned, Pei Xi stood listlessly under the eaves, wondering when the rain would finally stop.
“Want to walk together?”
Pei Xi froze for a moment, then turned sharply to look at the man beside him.
Lu Li?
What was he doing here?
Didn’t this scene feel familiar?
Seeing his puzzled expression, Lu Li explained, “I was in the library too. I just happened to see you here.”
Pei Xi noticed the book in Lu Li’s hand and suddenly remembered that he and 【User 10557880】 often discussed various books. Both of them were quiet by nature and shared a fondness for the serious, tranquil atmosphere of libraries.
“Thanks, then.”
Pei Xi walked into the rain with Lu Li, this time without deliberately keeping his distance.
They walked close together, and the cool, minty scent clinging to Lu Li grew more pronounced in the damp air, lingering around Pei Xi’s nose—fresh and crisp, much like Lu Li himself.
He suddenly realized that Lu Li seemed to be deliberately slowing his pace to match his.
Thinking of their recent conversations about astronomy, Pei Xi felt a strong urge to see if the book in Lu Li’s hand was the one they had discussed—The Vast Universe.
The library was quite far from the dormitory. With such a long walk ahead, he really wanted to share his latest thoughts on the cosmos with Lu Li.
But unfortunately, he was Pei Xi, not Xixi. He couldn’t speak freely to Lu Li while hiding behind a pseudonym, and Lu Li likely wouldn’t have the patience to listen to him anyway.
The two of them remained silent all the way back to the dormitory.
Pei Xi had caught a bit of wind, and his cold worsened. What had started as a slight stuffy nose now turned into a constant runny nose, and his voice grew thick and muffled.
As soon as he turned on his mobile data to order takeout, his phone began vibrating wildly, with messages popping up one after another in rapid succession.
[Notification: User 10557880 and 35 others have sent you private messages.]
What happened?
Pei Xi was completely baffled.
[User 10557880 has posted a new work.]
Pei Xi saw that Lu Li had tagged him, so he tapped on the notification.
[User 10557880: @XixiBaby, am I good enough for you?]
Pei Xi: “??”
The moment the screen lit up, Pei Xi’s fingers froze on the display.
The background in the video was still the familiar bathroom he knew. Warm yellow light spilled from above, casting a dim glow. The steam on the mirror had been wiped away, clearly reflecting half of a figure.
Lu Li was shirtless, leaning lazily against the sink with one hand holding his phone and the other hanging loosely at his side.
He must have just finished showering, as droplets of water still clung to his skin.
Those tiny beads of water slid down along the contours of his body—from the curves of his chest muscles to the ridges of his abs, winding their way downward before disappearing into the loosely tied towel around his waist.
Pei Xi stared wide-eyed at those finely sculpted V-lines, swallowing hard.
Suddenly, he remembered the post he had made before his nap—his original intention had just been to tease Lu Li a little.
The video played on repeat, over and over, and Pei Xi’s heart pounded like a drum, his breathing growing increasingly erratic.
[What more is there to say? Wishing Xixi and UserBro a happy 99!]
[I’ll contribute to the wedding fund, UserBro—99 Carnival gifts!]
[I approve of this marriage!!]
Flustered, Pei Xi exited User 10557880’s profile. He hadn’t yet made up his mind about dating Lu Li—not even online dating.
He quietly tapped the like button, figuring that was enough of a response.
[Xixi: It’s raining, but I can’t find my umbrella.]
Lu Li replied almost instantly.
[User 10557880: Where are you now?]
Pei Xi knew he would follow up with, “Do you want me to pick you up?” so before that could happen, he preemptively cut Lu Li off.
[Xixi: But I ran into a really kind classmate who shared his umbrella and walked me back to the dorm.]
[Xixi: There are still good people in the world after all.]
[Xixi: kitten lying down.jpg]
Shortly after, Pei Xi watched as Lu Li, who had been about to head out, abruptly turned back. He dragged his chair over with a dark expression, radiating cold energy and clear irritation.
Lin Shaojun, startled by the sudden movement, glanced at Lu Li’s gloomy face and suddenly understood. “Lu, did you just get dumped?”
Zhai Jiarui spared a moment to look at Lu Li, confused. “When did he even get into a relationship?”
“Oh, right,” Lin Shaojun nodded. “So, it’s more like he hasn’t even caught up yet, but already got rejected.”
Pei Xi, eavesdropping quietly, stole a glance at Lu Li. His face was dark, his jaw tightly clenched, looking as if he were grinding his teeth. It seemed Pei Xi had successfully tipped over the jealousy jar.