The New Year's holiday was only three days long and it was also near the end of term. Most students whose homes were far away wouldn't opt to put themselves through a trip at this time. For the two days before the holidays, Cheng Xu seemed to be in low spirits. When Xu Tangcheng went to the library with him to study, he saw him holding a pen and staring at his phone that he had put to the side in a stupor. When Xu Tangcheng occasionally talked to him, he took a long time before pushing his glasses up and answering with a "Huh?"

"Why are you so distracted lately?" Xu Tangcheng asked in a low voice. "Did something happen?"

Cheng Xu's lips twitched but he made no noise. In the end, he shook his head and said, "It's nothing."

Even though that was what he said, Xu Tangcheng saw with his own eyes Cheng Xu writing down a formula that would be suitable for certain conditions under a question that did not have those conditions. In a normal derivation calculation, he unexpectedly calculated the value of a.

Xu Tangcheng analysed it for a while and felt that this line of thought for solving the question was indeed very mystical. Was this the power of the top student in the year?

"Cheng Xu." He blinked and called out Cheng Xu's name.

Cheng Xu raised his head and looked at him.

"This a… is a parameter without a fixed value given in the question."

"Ah…" Cheng Xu looked at his unintelligible workings and mumbled, "I got it wrong…"

"Enough studying." Xu Tangcheng finally could not bear it anymore. He stood up and patted Cheng Xu's head. "Let's go grab some food."

At the wide stairs at the entrance of the library, Xu Tangcheng draped an arm around Cheng Xu's shoulders, his other hand pushing up Cheng Xu's chin that was on the verge of jabbing into his neck. He asked, "What are your plans for New Year's?"

Hearing the question, Cheng Xu's eyes looked at him dully for a while before he answered slowly. "Dunno."

Xu Tangcheng spied that he was again looking down to check his phone and wondered, So distracted, who on earth is he waiting for a message from?

In an afternoon in winter, sunshine could always bring utmost pleasure to anyone. When going from the library to the dining hall, they had to pass by the school's main building, and in front of the main building was a wide and empty space. Other than a flag pole reaching high up to the sky, there was nothing to provide shelter. In the summer, passing through this area was a torment but in winter, it became a delight. The sun made Xu Tangcheng feel lazy, the arm that was draped over Cheng Xu also grew increasingly heavy.

"You're pressing down so hard that I'm not going to be able to grow taller." Cheng Xu shrugged his shoulders and grumbled.

"Friend, even though you entered university young, you're already twenty-one."

This time, Cheng Xu did not take his time like he had before. His reply was immediate. "I can still hit a growth spurt at twenty-three."

Xu Tangcheng had just been inadvertently teased about his height by that younger brother of his back home not too long ago. Now that he was with Cheng Xu who was shorter than him, he felt very comfortable interacting with him. He gripped Cheng Xu's shoulder and gave him a couple of quick upward pulls. "All right, I'll stop pressing down on you. If you don't have any plans for New Year's, why don't you come home with me? Otherwise, you'll be bored on your own for three days again."

Cheng Xu entered university early so he was quite a bit younger than his batchmates. He seemed rather unable to integrate with the crowd; perhaps that was the reason. He wasn't antisocial, it was just that whenever he spoke or did something, he always gave others the feeling that he was still a child.

"No thanks, I…"

Cheng Xu had just opened his mouth to turn him down when the phone he was holding the whole time suddenly buzzed. He stopped speaking halfway and paused, then quickly brought his phone up.

It lasted only a few seconds from start to end but in that short time, Xu Tangcheng saw his face brighten up in stages, then gradually turn to ash.

While eating, Cheng Xu pushed the broccoli to the side and asked Xu Tangcheng in a muffled voice whether or not he could still follow Xu Tangcheng home for New Year's.

"Sure. We'll leave in the afternoon of the 29th." Xu Tangcheng picked up the chicken drumstick that he had just put on his own tray and gave it to Cheng Xu. "You get very bad car sickness, don't you? Then, we'll take the train back."

Xu Tangcheng did not bring up the phone call just now and also did not ask Cheng Xu why he suddenly changed his mind. He asked Cheng Xu for his ID and went to Beijing North Station that afternoon to buy two tickets.

He had not taken the train home in a long time, ever since he bought a car. Due to the fact that it was the holidays, there were exceptionally more people on the train. Tailing after Xu Tangcheng, Cheng Xu's small body was squeezed and pushed from side to side, and his glasses were even pushed off his nose by a very large cloth bundle, nearly falling to the ground. Xu Tangcheng turned around and saw that, and immediately reached out a hand to bring him to his front. With one hand protecting him, he pushed Cheng Xu to walk into the carriage. He settled Cheng Xu in the window seat, opened the window and told him to let him know at once if he felt unwell.

After the train started moving, Xu Tangcheng took Cheng Xu's tumbler and got up to get hot water for him. But before he could take more than a couple of steps, a female voice unexpectedly called out to him. He turned around and saw a cheerfully smiling girl wearing a checkered coat with a thick scarf wrapped around herself.

He matched her to a name in his memories very easily.

"It's really you! I thought it might be when I saw you just now but I didn't dare say anything then." The girl beckoned him. "It's been a long time."

Xu Tangcheng gave her a slight nod and said with a smile, "Wan Zhi."

Even though many years had passed, Wan Zhi's looks had not changed much since their junior high days. Her features had only grown out more, blossoming to look even prettier.

Sitting with Wan Zhi that day were a few of Xu Tangcheng's other junior high schoolmates. Xu Tangcheng found out that they had just had a small meetup in Beijing and were going home together. It was only then that he recalled that a while ago, Han Yin had asked him whether he was free today. Their coincidental meeting lasted until they got off the train. Xu Tangcheng pulled along Cheng Xu who was in low spirits from the train ride and, at the same time, still carried on chatting with his former schoolmates.

After they exited the platform, Wan Zhi stood on tiptoes and looked towards the cars waiting in front. She turned her head and asked Xu Tangcheng with a smile, "How are you guys going back? My dad is here to pick me up, why don't we give you guys a ride? It's quite cold today."

Xu Tangcheng smiled and turned her down politely. "Thank you but my friend can't ride in a car. He gets very bad car sickness."

Wan Zhi saw that the guy standing next to him was indeed looking very unwell so she did not force him and even asked how Cheng Xu was, full of concern.

"Wan Zhi, can you give me a ride? My house is on your way back."

"How on earth is it 'on her way'..."

The screech of brakes interrupted the group's teasing and laughter. All of them fell silent in unison. No one knew what was going on but in silent unison, they all looked towards the young handsome guy who had suddenly turned up but was not saying a word.

As usual, Yi Zhe was wearing his school uniform. He propped a leg long enough to make Cheng Xu envious against the ground and his eyes looking unwaveringly at Xu Tangcheng.

"On holiday already?" Xu Tangcheng didn't inquire into the reason for Yi Zhe's rather sudden appearance and just asked him that with a smile.

"Yeah." With so many people suddenly staring at him, Yi Zhe didn't know how to react. He looked around, eyes sweeping across every person's face. Finally, he leaned towards Xu Tangcheng and nudged Cheng Xu's backpack that Xu Tangcheng was holding. "I'll carry it for you."

At this point, a girl regained her wits and asked Xu Tangcheng rather ruefully, "He came to pick you up? Your younger brother is really handsome."

The group of "oldies" who had bid farewell to even their university days looked at the familiar school uniform in front of them. Inevitably, it was rather hard for them to take their eyes away. When riding the mountain bike and holding the handlebar, the teenager naturally had to curve his body and the school uniform that covered his back outlined a slight peak in the middle, a look unique to the immaturity of youth. This young man was tall and broad with looks that were pleasing to the eye, and every bone in his body and every breath he took were suffused with the essence of youth.

Xu Tangcheng noticed the sudden silence. He watched Yi Zhe act as though there was no one around them, hanging the backpack on the handlebar before continuing to stare fixedly at him, and finally let out a laugh. He turned around to say goodbye to the others.

Yi Zhe rode his bike at a walking speed. Because the speed was too slow, he had to sometimes twist and turn as he cycled, and sometimes paddled along with his feet on the ground to avoid the oncoming people. Xu Tangcheng saw that he was still only wearing his school uniform and a sweatshirt in this kind of weather, so he said, "It'll take a while to walk back. Are you cold? If you're cold, you can ride ahead first."

"I'm not cold."

Walking on Xu Tangcheng's other side, Cheng Xu kept studying Yi Zhe furtively. From being envious of his height, he was now envious of his looks. He couldn't resist asking Xu Tangcheng, "Is he your younger brother?"

Xu Tangcheng nodded. Yi Zhe quietly pulled the brakes a few times. He kept his head lowered the whole time, rolling the wheels over the loose bricks of the pavement, section by section.

"He's so tall…"

Cheng Xu said that line in a very soft voice. Yi Zhe did not hear him but he heard the laugh that came from Xu Tangcheng. When he looked up, he also saw Xu Tangcheng draping an arm around Cheng Xu's shoulders and tousling Cheng Xu's hair.

His brows furrowed. He lowered his head again and resumed pulling the brakes single-mindedly.

"Why did you go to the station?" Xu Tangcheng asked when he was done laughing.

"To pick you up," Yi Zhe said. "I asked Tangxi what time you were coming back."

Ride a bike to pick someone up? It was indeed something unusual.

"Is there something you're looking for me for?"

Since he had purposely asked what time he was coming back and also purposely gone to the station to wait, surely it wasn't simply because it was the holidays and he was too happy.

Yet, when suddenly asked this question, Yi Zhe didn't answer even after a long while. He saw that Cheng Xu was also turning his head to look at him rather curiously. Yi Zhe took out his hand from where he had stuck it in his pocket and shook his head. "Nothing."

"Really?" Xu Tangcheng didn't really believe him and asked again in a doubtful tone.

"Yeah."

Xu Tangcheng nodded skeptically, then suddenly thought of something. He said to Yi Zhe, "Ah, that's right, do you have a phone? Every time I see you, I forget to ask. If you have a phone, give me your number. It'll be convenient if anything happens and we need to contact each other."

Yi Zhe shuffled forward a couple of steps and turned his head towards Xu Tangcheng, He said rather hesitatingly, "I don't have a phone now."

Phones were for contacting people and he had never had the need for that in the past. He looked at Xu Tangcheng, "Why don't you give me your number?"

That night, Xu Tangcheng received two text messages from unknown numbers. One was from Wan Zhi. Its contents were two short lines telling him that she was Wan Zhi and that she had gotten his number from Han Yin. She also added a smiley face at the end.

The other one was from Yi Zhe. The contents were even more succinct: This is Yi Zhe.

Before time crossed over to the year 2008, Yi Zhe bought his first phone and sent his first text message.

That night, he rode his bike at a very fast speed, passing through street after street brightly lit like iridescent glass, flying under lantern after lantern, bright red and trailing coloured silk hangings above his head. The streets were full of people out for walks and admiring the lights. When Yi Zhe passed by them, he could hear their unrestrained laughter and spirited discussions. But strangely, for the first time ever, he felt that the sound of people talking wasn't that noisy and was bearable even without his earphones. The red lanterns emblazoned with the large characters spelling out "New Year's Day" also didn't look so ugly. Even this festive day that originally did not mean much to him also suddenly became something he could endure, and even, come to like a little.

Everything that brought him to his side should be categorised as Good. This was Yi Zhe's simplest and truest understanding of the world.

The red bike weaved through the heart of the city, going in the direction where the lights gradually dissipated. Slowly, he left the hustle and bustle far behind him and the lights were no longer as bright.

When he was nearly at the archway that overlooked a tall slope, the unfamiliar beep of a message notification broke through the gradually pervading silence.

Time: 18:52. From: xtc.

Okay, got it.

He reached the slope.

Yi Zhe gripped his phone and let go of the handlebar. As he dived down the slope at an insane speed that seemed on the verge of going out of control, the light from the phone screen streaked across the darkness in a surging trajectory, unyielding, blazing.

Yi Zhe had done the same thing countless times but never once had it shook him the way it did now. His heart was pounding too hard, refusing to calm down no matter how deeply he breathed.

It was an ear-piercing braking sound that ended this round of stimulation. Yi Zhe returned the phone to his pocket. His legs propped against the ground, his back to the trees, he turned his head to look at the slope.

The message notification sounded for a second time. Yi Zhe was briefly stunned, suspecting that he was hearing things after the adrenaline rush. Then, he quickly thrusted both hands into his pocket.

Fabric rustled. His right hand touched the cold metal of the phone while his left hand bumped against a folded piece of paper—his results from the last province-level exams.

The phone screen lit up again.

You bought a phone?

T/N:

Cheng Xu saying that he can still hit a growth spurt at twenty-three is not as random as it may appear to be. It seems to be a fairly common belief in China that you can still hit a growth spurt at that age even though it does not appear to be backed up by actual data. There's even a book that outlines all the things you can do to make the most out of that growth spurt.