Record of All Things

Ten minutes later, Jiang Hong was carrying a fake hand and looking at his roommate in disbelief.

“I’m Jin,” the roommate said.

“I’m Jiang Hong.” Jiang Hong pointed to the blue name tag on his bed, and the two of them were now considered acquainted.

“The previous batch of seniors who lived in this dorm were from the medical department,” Jin explained. “This is a model they used to practice acupuncture. Let me do it! You rest!”

“Let’s do it together.” Jiang Hong began to compete with him for the fake hand.

“I can handle it,” Jin emphasized repeatedly, “you rest.”

“No no no,” Jiang Hong said, “my mother said, cleaning is a friend’s duty…”

“My father said, heavy work should not be done by friends…”

Both wanted to build a good relationship with each other. Jiang Hong held tightly to the fake hand, and Jin finally had to give in and let him do some light work.

Jin was almost two meters tall, with a well-built body and just the right amount of muscle. He didn’t have the intimidating presence of a bulky muscle man, but had a strong masculine aura. He had slightly curly hair and a stubble on his face, but he gave off a gentle and reliable feeling.

Jiang Hong went to the bathroom to get some water and tried the water heater. The facilities in this dormitory were very nice, with air conditioning, fans, separate bathrooms, and separate wet and dry areas.

The dormitory was more than twice the size of the dormitory in Jiang Hong’s previous school, with each person having a separate desk and bed, instead of the bunk bed and desk layout. There was also a resting area and TV cabinet in the corner, but of course, the TV needed to be purchased separately.

It was surprising that the university was so rich. The living conditions for first-year students were excellent.

“Can we buy a washing machine?” Jiang Hong climbed up to remove the curtains and prepared to hand wash it.

“No,” Jin said, “there is no drainage hole, but there is a laundry room downstairs. Hey, be careful!”

Jiang Hong stood on the windowsill, and Jin immediately held his waist from behind, trying to half-hug him. Jiang Hong almost screamed. Two boys doing this was really weird, especially since they had only known each other for five minutes! It felt like they were acting in a romantic drama… and when Jin didn’t hold him, it was okay, but when he did, Jiang Hong felt itchy and slipped, and Jin ended up giving him a princess hug.

Jin: “…”

Jiang Hong: “………………”

The two of them looked at each other, and suddenly there was a cough at the door.

Jiang Hong and Jin turned their heads at the same time and saw a tall and thin fair-skinned young man with glasses. Thick bangs covered his eyebrows, and he was wearing a black shirt.

“Um.” The young man had no expression as he observed Jiang Hong being hugged and nestled in Jin’s arms.

Jiang Hong and Jin immediately separated, their expressions strange.

“Hi,” the young man said.

“Hi,” Jiang Hong said awkwardly.

The young man dragged his suitcase into the dormitory and picked up the fake hand that was placed on his bed. He looked at it and threw it onto an empty bed.

“Sorry,” Jiang Hong immediately apologized. “We are cleaning.”

The young man gestured that it was okay, blew the dust off the table, looked around, and noticed that the name tag on his bed was just hung up. It was the same color as Jiang Hong’s – blue with his name on it: Zhang Xiting.

Jiang Hong noticed the name tag on Jin’s bed, along with an absent roommate’s, had a red background. Why did they have to be different colors?

“I can help,” Zhang Xiting said. “What do you need to do?”

“Rest for a while,” Jin said. “Long-distance travel can be tiring.”

“You can help me remove the air filter,” Jiang Hong immediately said.

Zhang Xiting nodded, and then jumped onto the table and removed the air filter for cleaning.

Why were all these roommates so agile? Each one of them was like a skilled acrobat… Jiang Hong wondered.

After Zhang Xiting arrived, Jin and Jiang Hong were suddenly silent, and the atmosphere became awkward.

“You guys can continue doing what you’re doing.” Zhang Xiting glanced at Jiang Hong and Jin from his peripheral vision. “Don’t worry about me.”

Jiang Hong thought his words sounded strange.

“Um, I’m going downstairs to buy some detergent,” Jiang Hong said.

“Okay,” Jin said. “Do you need money? I have cash here.”

Jiang Hong waved his hand and quickly went downstairs.

In the dormitory, after Jiang Hong left, Zhang Xiting and Jin continued to clean in silence, the atmosphere carried a slight tension, as if two fierce beasts were thrown into the same cage.

“I’ll take the trash out,” Jin said. “Help me out.”

Zhang Xiting: “Do not bully the kid.”

Jin’s face instantly changed and he made a wild, animalistic growl, as if he wanted to come over and fight with Zhang Xiting.

“How was I bullying him?” Jin tried to restrain his anger.

“Just a reminder.” Zhang Xiting turned around to face Jin, pushed up his glasses, and looked at him. The two men sized each other up, before Jin left with a scoff.

Jin walked almost 500 meters before he found the designated trash dump. He met Jiang Hong, who had just returned from buying detergent.

On his way from the dormitory to the supermarket and back, Jiang Hong felt that the school was getting more and more weird, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was strange. Everything was so quiet and there were students on the way, but for some reason, it always felt off. He looked around and luckily saw Jin.

Jin was shirtless again. Presumably he often sunbathed and his skin had become a little tanned.

The two nodded silently and walked together.

“Where are you from?” Jin asked.

“Chongqing.” Jiang Hong said, “And you?”

“Nice place,” Jin said, “I’ve been there. My mother is Kashmiri (1), and I became a citizen with my father. My family settled in Tianshui, Gansu.”

“Ah,” Jiang Hong said. “Did you go to Chongqing for a show?”

“I went to see a performance,” Jin said. “My relatives perform in the circus.”

Jiang Hong nodded. Jin had a strong and tall build, but his face did not show any mixed-race features. Other than having hair that looked like it had been permed, his skin color and body type were that of a healthy Han Chinese male.

“Are you…” Jiang Hong began.

“You…” Jin said at the same time.

The two fell into an awkward silence. Jiang Hong said, “You go first.”

“You go first,” Jin quickly replied.

Jiang Hong scratched his head and couldn’t help saying, “Are you feeling a bit nervous?”

“Yes.” Jin’s expression was distorted by the sun.

Jiang Hong suddenly burst into laughter, and Jin laughed along with him. He understood what Jin meant.

“It’s my first time leaving home and interacting with people by myself,” Jin said. “I can’t help but feel… nervous.”

Jiang Hong burst into laughter, patting his sweaty shoulder, saying, “Me too. Well, I’ve always been a bit like that.”

Jin lightly patted Jiang Hong’s back. “I hardly have any friends at home.”

“Uh-uh.” Jiang Hong understood. This tall guy didn’t seem like he was very good at socializing.

“What about school?” Jiang Hong couldn’t help asking.

“My grandfather taught me how to read and write,” Jin said. “After he passed away in November last year, I signed up for this year’s college entrance exam and was accepted here.”

Jiang Hong nodded. “My condolences.”

“I was mentally prepared a long time ago. He died of old age; it’s nothing.” Jin said good-naturedly.

As he spoke, Jin casually picked up a butterfly from somewhere in midair. Jiang Hong only saw a flash before the butterfly was handed to him, fluttering its wings and flying into the blue sky as he opened his fingers.

“Death is only a transformation from a cocoon to a butterfly.” Jiang Hong remembered that saying.

“Yes.” Jin smiled, looking very handsome, and then he hooked his arm around Jiang Hong’s shoulder and walked back to the dormitory.

The dormitory was already much tidier. The floor had been washed quite clean in the short twenty minutes Jiang Hong was gone, revealing cool and clean tiles, and the air conditioning was also turned on.

Jiang Hong finished wiping all the desks and thought to himself that he finally got it done.

“He Jian didn’t come,” Zhang Xiting said while making the bed. “You don’t have to help him clean, let him do it himself.”

“I’m already cleaning anyway. It’s just a small matter.” Jiang Hong said, “Do you know Jin?”

When Jiang Hong turned around, he noticed that Jin and Zhang Xiting seemed to have been observing him all the time, and there was still some doubt in Zhang Xiting’s eyes.

Zhang Xiting replied, “No. I just saw his nameplate by the bed.”

Jiang Hong looked at the red nameplate and nodded. He made the bed and started putting things away. He saw that Jin’s desk had several translated novels and a Messi figurine from the Argentina team, while Zhang Xiting’s desk had a small laptop and a framed photo of him and a girl. Next to the photo frame, there was a small Hatsune Miku figurine.

Jiang Hong brought a Nintendo Switch console and a Bluetooth speaker to school. Hevplanned to buy a computer after the military training was over in a few days.

After hanging up the washed and dried curtains, the autumn sun shone brightly through the clean glass windows of the tidy male dormitory.

Jin changed into a pair of sports shorts. He propped up his legs on the bed rail to take a nap.

Zhang Xiting opened his computer and started playing games.

Jiang Hong noticed that Jin and Zhang Xiting hadn’t said a word to each other since he returned to the dormitory, and the atmosphere was a bit strange.

“What are you playing?” Jiang Hong leaned over, hoping that Zhang Xiting wouldn’t find him annoying.

“Dota,” Zhang Xiting answered. He didn’t seem to mind Jiang Hong’s presence. “Do you play?”

“I do, but I rarely play,” Jiang Hong said.

Jiang Hong pulled up a chair and sat down beside Zhang Xiting, watching him play. Zhang Xiting’s reactions were incredibly fast! He easily destroyed the enemy tower with just a few clicks, and his speed and technique were several times better than Jiang Hong’s.

“You’re so good!” Jiang Hong couldn’t help but praise him.

Zhang Xiting was even able to multitask, playing the game while explaining it to Jiang Hong without finding him annoying. Jiang Hong looked at the photo frame for a moment, and Zhang Xiting seemed to know what he wanted to ask. “My girlfriend.”

“She’s really beautiful,” Jiang Hong said.

The girl in the photo was fair-skinned and elegant.

There were also two baskets of Go (2) pieces and a folded chessboard on the desktop.

“Do you play Go?” Jiang Hong asked.

“Can you?” Zhang Xiting asked.

“I can play a little,” Jiang Hong said.

Zhang Xiting stopped playing the game and said, “Come on, let’s play a game.”

Jiang Hong hesitated. “I’m not very good at it…”

“You’ll be fine!” Zhang Xiting insisted.

Jiang Hong played Go with Zhang Xiting for an hour. Zhang Xiting’s skills were very advanced, but Jiang Hong still managed to win. He had learned from a good teacher when he was young. There was still a gap between him and a professional, however, he still held his own against Zhang Xiting, an amateur.

Zhang Xiting was impressed by Jiang Hong’s skills. “You’re so good?!”

“I learned when I was young…but I’m only half good. Compared to a professional, there’s still a gap. There’s always someone better,” Jiang Hong said modestly.

Zhang Xiting agreed, “You’re right, there’s always someone better.” He then sighed.

Jiang Hong noticed that Jin had woken up and was reading a book while lying in bed. He asked, “Jin, what are you reading?”

“Hamlet.” Jin raised the cover towards Jiang Hong.

Jiang Hong felt that there was some tension between his two roommates. In order to make them get along better, he suggested, “I’m hungry, shall we go out to eat?”

This proposal gave both of them a way out. Zhang Xiting closed his laptop, changed into a T-shirt, and Jin put on a shirt. The two sandwiched Jiang Hong in the middle and went downstairs to the cafeteria for dinner, getting along much better now.

This trip really tested Jiang Hong’s ability to create a lively atmosphere. Even though he was known as the king of icebreaking in high school, he felt powerless in the face of his two roommates who rarely spoke. He first chatted with Zhang Xiting, then turned to ask Jin, going back and forth between the two like a child caught in the middle of his parents’ broken relationship.

“Enough is enough! Why is everything so strange?!” Jiang Hong thought.

Finally, when they sat down for dinner, Jiang Hong received a WeChat message.

Lu Xiu: “Is everything okay?”

Jiang Hong: “It’s great. I met two new roommates who are easy to get along with. Senior, have you had dinner?”

Lu Xiu: “If you have any problems, let me know.”

Jiang Hong noticed that both Jin and Zhang Xiting were looking at him, so he shook his phone and said, “My senior is asking about me. Do you have a one-on-one mentor?”

“It’s a senior sister,” Zhang Xiting replied, “and she hasn’t started school yet.”

Jin said, “There did offer to find me a mentor, but I declined because I’m afraid of causing trouble for others.”

Both of them realized that the atmosphere was too tense, so Zhang Xiting finally asked, “What do you eat in your hometown?”

“There’s a lot of delicious food.” Jiang Hong finally picked up the conversation and started talking with the two about food. Jin also occasionally expressed some opinions. Both sides seemed to be trying to give Jiang Hong face while avoiding directly answering each other’s questions. After some back and forth, the atmosphere finally became less strange.

At night, there were more people in the school, with senior students returning in pairs or groups, either arm in arm or skateboarding past.

“I finally know why this school feels so strange to me!” Jiang Hong exclaimed.

Jin: “?”

Zhang Xiting remained silent.

Jiang Hong nervously said, “Haven’t you noticed? There are no animals in the school! No birds, no cats, not even insects!”

“Uh-huh…” Zhang Xiting replied.

Jin: “So what?”

Jiang Hong remembered the moment he arrived at school last night. As soon as he entered the campus area, the bird calls disappeared, and the sounds of cicadas and crickets were all gone, leaving only the sound of the wind.

“They probably sprayed insecticide,” Jiang Hong said.

But as long as there were people around, many lights were on in the dormitory building, and it looked quite lively. With roommates for company, Jiang Hong didn’t feel scared anymore.

Back in the dormitory, the three of them lay in bed. Jin muttered to himself, “Speaking of eerie things… The last time I was in the Taklamakan Desert, what I encountered was truly eerie.”

Zhang Xiting: “?”

Jiang Hong remained silent.

Jiang Hong was most afraid of supernatural events, but since it was something Jin himself had experienced rather than something he had heard, it should be less supernatural. So he gathered his courage and asked, “What happened?”

“I drove there myself to deliver food to my cousin,” Jin said. “Halfway through the drive, there was no moon or stars, and there was no road in the desert. A man stood on a sand dune, with a pale face, wearing a blue Zhongshan (3) suit, holding an old enamel basin in his hand…”

Oh my god! Goosebumps rose all over Jiang Hong’s back and arms.

“Probably a dried-up corpse,” Zhang Xiting said, “dried up in the desert…”

Jiang Hong thought, please stop talking! It’s so scary!

“I don’t know,” Jin said. “I thought he was asking me for water.”

“Probably died of thirst, and his ghost keeps asking passers-by for water,” Zhang Xiting said.

Zhang Xiting finally started talking to Jin, but it was in such a situation. Jiang Hong really wanted to beg them not to talk about it anymore, but the two new friends had just started chatting with each other, and it was not easy to interrupt them. Outside, it was pitch black, and the screens of their phones illuminated the room with white light.

Jin continued, “I drove the car over there. Can you guess what I saw?”

“What?” Zhang Xiting asked.

“His feet were buried in the sand, and there was nothing below his knees…”

Ah ah ah, can you please stop talking! Jiang Hong screamed in his heart.

“I’m from Huzhou. A long time ago, there was a traveler passing through our town who was killed for his money. His body was buried in the lotus field and fertilized. The lotus roots that grew out of it looked like hands and feet. When the lotus roots were cut open, they had a red core that looked like blood…”

Jiang Hong remained silent.

“Did his eyes turn into lotus seeds?” Jin asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t see it with my own eyes. Later, we found someone to catch the evil spirits and took care of all the grievances and hatreds in the lotus field…”

“Human hearts are even more vicious than demons…” Jin said.

Jiang Hong lay flat and put on his headphones, turning the volume up to the maximum.

Five minutes later, he was trembling and secretly took off one side of his headphones to see if they were done talking.

“With good conditions, some corpses can be preserved for thousands of years…” Jin said.

Jiang Hong put on his earphones at the speed of lightning, covering his ears decisively.

After some time passed in the darkness:

“Jiang Hong?”

“Jiang Hong, Jiang Hong?”

“Jiang Hong!!”

“Ah–!!”

Jiang Hong bounced up with his blanket and saw Zhang Xiting’s face illuminated by the pale light of his phone. Zhang Xiting said, “Are you okay?”

“I…I’m fine.”

Jin and Zhang Xiting had stopped chatting at some point and were both looking at him. Zhang Xiting said, “You’re shaking quite hard.”

“I…” Jiang Hong said, “Are you guys finished talking? I was just listening to music. I’m scared!”

“Scared? What are you afraid of?” Jin asked.

“Ghosts!” Jiang Hong cried out in despair. “I’m scared of ghosts! The stories you guys told were really scary!”

A strange silence fell over the dorm room. After three whole seconds, Jin suddenly burst out laughing and Zhang Xiting shook his head. “You…you’re afraid of ghosts?!”

“Can we please stop talking about this?” Jiang Hong pleaded. “I’m really scared…”

His two roommates remained silent.

Zhang Xiting had initially thought Jiang Hong was just teasing them, but when he realized that this guy was really scared of supernatural events, he quickly changed his tone and said, “I’m sorry. We won’t talk about it anymore.”

Jin also apologized, “Sorry, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Jiang Hong said. “I’ll just…put on my earphones.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Zhang Xiting and Jin expressed their sincere apologies.

All of his roommates had fallen asleep. Jiang Hong clutched his blanket as cold air from the air conditioner blew over him. Outside the dorm room window was pitch black, with only the sound of the wind in the mountains and no bird chirping. All the lights in the school had been turned off.

He was so scared… Jiang Hong continued to ruminate on the story of the dead person and the lotus root. The more he thought about it, the more he felt scared.

He looked at his phone and saw that Lu Xiu had sent him a message: “Are you asleep?”

Jiang Hong remembered that Lu Xiu had told him to contact him if he needed anything, but his roommates weren’t intentionally trying to bully him, so he didn’t mention it. He just said that everything was fine, except that it was too quiet in the school and he had read a scary ghost story before going to bed, so he was a little scared.

Lu Xiu: “……….”

Jiang Hong responded with a “face-palm” emoji and didn’t receive any more messages from Lu Xiu. Presumably, Lu Xiu thought he was weird.

Ah, it’s still so scary… Jiang Hong couldn’t fall asleep. He felt that there was an inexplicable gloominess in the school. He accidentally saw the prosthetic hand on the empty bed diagonally across from him that hadn’t been thrown away, which was even scarier!

“Are you okay?” Zhang Xiting whispered in the darkness.

Jiang Hong propped himself up with his blanket and crawled towards the foot of the bed, facing Zhang Xiting’s bed. The two beds were joined together at the foot.

“I’m…fine,” Jiang Hong said.

“Are you really scared of these things?” Zhang Xiting also sat up.

Jiang Hong took a picture of his own face with his phone, then took one of Zhang Xiting’s face, vigorously nodding. Zhang Xiting made a gesture and had him turn his sleeping direction around. He also moved his pillow over so that their heads could be close together.

Zhang Xiting lay on the bed, raised his hand, reached over the bed railing, and gently pressed his palm against Jiang Hong’s forehead. His palm was warm and large, and after Jiang Hong was touched on the forehead, he suddenly felt much better.

“Exercise more, and you’ll become braver,” Zhang Xiting said.

Jiang Hong thought to himself, forget it, I don’t want to exercise that kind of bravery.

“You’ll have to face it sooner or later,” Zhang Xiting said again.

“Stop talking,” Jiang Hong whispered, “I’ll get scared again.”

Zhang Xiting laughed to himself, finding Jiang Hong amusing.

Zhang Xiting was still messaging his girlfriend, and the light from his phone screen illuminated his face. Jiang Hong suddenly realized that his face was quite handsome without glasses. Everyone he had met in university had such high levels of attractiveness, including Lu Xiu, the head teacher, and even his two roommates, Jin and Zhang Xiting.

“How long have you two been together?” Jiang Hong whispered.

Zhang Xiting looked up, recalling their first meeting.

“Since sixth grade,” Zhang Xiting said.

“Wow, childhood sweethearts,” Jiang Hong said.

Zhang Xiting turned his head to look at Jiang Hong. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No,” Jiang Hong answered.

“I don’t believe you,” Zhang Xiting said.

“It’s true,” Jiang Hong said. “My mom wants me to focus on studying in university before I start dating. Do you know any girls you can introduce me to?”

“I only know my senior sister,” Zhang Xiting said.

“How is she?” Jiang Hong said. “I really like senior brothers and sisters; they take care of people so well!”

“She’s very gentle,” Zhang Xiting replied, “but you wouldn’t want to date her. She’s a snake demon. You can find someone else. You’re so handsome, as long as you want to date, you’ll find someone quickly.”

Jiang Hong quietly chuckled a few times, and when he heard Jin turning over, he stopped talking. He covered his head with the blanket for a while, feeling less nervous, then slowly put the blanket down and fell into a deep sleep.

At eleven-thirty, the door of the dormitory was pushed open and a dark figure walked in.

In the stillness, Jin and Zhang Xiting suddenly stopped breathing. They both opened their eyes but did not get up.

Only Jiang Hong was sleeping soundly, lying askew next to the pillow, with his feet wrapped in the blanket and breathing evenly.

The figure walked up to Jiang Hong, reached out and lightly pressed his forehead, then placed something next to his pillow.

After that, he left the dormitory like a gust of wind, gently closing the door without a sound.

Zhang Xiting sat up, looked at Jin, then looked outside the door. Jin got up, walked over, and locked the door. Everything returned to normal as they went back to sleep.

The next morning, Jiang Hong felt refreshed. He slept well all night. For some reason, this school was so peaceful at night, which made him sleep soundly. Perhaps it was because of the high oxygen level in the mountains.

Jiang Hong sat on the edge of the bed with messy hair and found something next to his pillow.

“Hmm?” Jiang Hong said, “What is this? It wasn’t here last night. Did it fall from the ceiling?”

It was a thin black piece slightly larger than a one-yuan coin, with a faint glow under the sunlight. At first, Jiang Hong thought it was the back of the wall covering, but when he looked up at the ceiling, it was intact.

He looked at it over and over again. There were even fine lines on it.

“Your friend brought it.” Jin was brushing his teeth, with a towel hanging around his neck.

Zhang Xiting went to the bathroom. Before leaving, he said, “Is it your senior brother?”

Jiang Hong held the black semicircular thin piece. “Did Lu Xiu come over in the middle of the night? I didn’t know.”

“You were sleeping,” Jin replied.

“You lack vigilance,” Zhang Xiting said while brushing his teeth at the sink.

“It’s okay,” Jin said again, “we’ve got your back.”

Jiang Hong: “???”

He messaged Lu Xiu and asked if he had come over last night. Lu Xiu simply replied with a “yeah.” When Jiang Hong asked what this thing was, Lu Xiu only replied with: “Protective charm.”

His senior brother was really kind, knowing that he was afraid of ghosts and giving him a protective charm.

Jiang Hong was touched and decided to cherish this strange thing and keep it in his wallet.

Footnotes

1. Kashmiri – the people, culture, language, and region of Kashmir, which is a region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. The region of Kashmir is known for its beautiful landscapes, including the Himalayan mountain range, as well as its rich cultural heritage, which includes traditional crafts such as weaving and woodcarving, and a unique cuisine.

2. Go – also known as Weiqi, Go is a two-player board game that originated in ancient China more than 2,500 years ago.

3. Zhongshan – a type of formal attire that originated in China during the early 20th century.

Liu Xiu helped Jiang Hong with his luggage, walking ahead while Jiang Hong looked around curiously.

“Oh, those are clothes hanging out to dry.” Jiang Hong saw the row of “people” in the woods and realized they were clothes hanging there.

“This is the school’s back entrance, so not many people pass through here,” Liu Xiu explained.

“Um, senior.” Jiang Hong noticed Liu Xiu’s other empty hand, which was shaking uncontrollably.

“What?” Liu Xiu quickly glanced at Jiang Hong.

“Your hand, is everything okay?” Jiang Hong asked.

Liu Xiu also noticed it and immediately put his hand in his pocket, saying, “It’s nothing.”

“You’re all wet…” Jiang Hong said, “Did you just go swimming or are you sick and sweating?”

“…” Liu Xiu didn’t answer.

Exiting the woods, Jiang Hong finally saw the normal student dormitories in the distance. Although it was still a bit far, the dorms were on a hillside with scattered lights. There was also a large lake in front of them, and on the other side of the lake was a gymnasium.

“The dorms are closed.” Liu Xiu looked at his smartwatch. “We can’t get in now. Let’s go to our association’s lounge.”

“At this time of night?” Jiang Hong remembered that they had only arrived at the school’s back entrance at 8 p.m.

Liu Xiu went around to the back of the gymnasium, which was a three-story student activity center. The building wasn’t tall, but it was narrow. Jiang Hong followed him for a while until Liu Xiu opened a password-locked door and turned on the lights.

Inside was a spacious wooden floor training hall, with snow-white Western fencing uniforms hanging on the side.

“Senior, is this your club?” Jiang Hong thought to himself that this school was quite rich. It even had a fencing association.

“Just call me by my name,” Liu Xiu said. “I study fencing and came here for that.”

Liu Xiu opened another door and waited for a while as Jiang Hong looked around curiously. Jiang Hong wanted to pick up a rapier, but Liu Xiu said, “The second one is mine.”

Jiang Hong picked up a rapier and swung it a few times before putting it back. He saw that the handguard had the character “Xiu” engraved on it.

“If you want to join, just fill out the application,” said Lu Xiu. “But there are many clubs in the school, so you don’t have to choose this one.”

“Oh… is it because you practice fencing that your hands shake?”

Jiang Hong followed Lu Xiu into a small room, which was a lounge with several beds.

“You can take a shower in there.” Lu Xiu gestured towards the bathroom. “There are snacks and instant noodles in the cabinet.”

“Thank you, senior,” Jiang Hong said obediently, quickly plugging in his phone to charge.

“Call me by my name,” Lu Xiu reminded again. He seemed to not like being called “senior”.

Jiang Hong immediately nodded and corrected himself, “Thank you, Lu Xiu.”

He thought Lu Xiu would leave after bringing him to the club lounge, but he didn’t expect Lu Xiu to lie down on another bed.

“Lu Xiu, if you’re busy, you don’t have to take care of me,” Jiang Hong said. His phone was still not turned on yet.

“The dormitory is locked,” Lu Xiu said casually. “I can’t go back either.”

“I’m sorry for the trouble.” Jiang Hong felt a bit guilty.

Lu Xiu didn’t answer, just lay there lost in thought.

Jiang Hong felt that this senior was cold but still easy to talk to. It was as if Lu Xiu was someone who was difficult to approach naturally, but because he was assigned to be his mentor, he was trying hard to appear more enthusiastic.

Finally, the phone turned on. Thank goodness, there was a signal in the school. Jiang Hong replied to his worried parents’ messages, took a shower, put on loose shorts and slippers, and sat on the bed with wet hair, looking at his phone.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lu Xiu get up and take out two boxes of instant noodles. “I’ll go get some hot water.”

Jiang Hong looked out the door and saw Lu Xiu’s profile as he stood by the hot water tank. At that moment, Jiang Hong finally paid attention to Lu Xiu’s appearance. He thought this senior was really handsome–the most handsome guy he had ever seen among other boys.

In Jiang Hong’s high school, Lu Xiu would definitely be the school hunk that people would take photos of on the street. He didn’t even need to dress deliberately, just a black long T-shirt, sports pants, and white sneakers. His appearance was enough to beat any fashionable outfit. Jiang Hong himself was also very conscious about his good looks, but for the first time, he felt inferior in front of another boy.

He had just picked up his phone and was about to take a picture of Lu Xiu’s profile when Lu Xiu noticed his movement and looked at him.

“My mother asked me who I’m with,” Jiang Hong asked. “Is it okay?”

Lu Xiu nodded and turned slightly to let Jiang Hong take a picture, which he sent to his parents.

Lu Xiu came back with a bowl of noodles and they ate in silence. During the meal, Jiang Hong wanted to get closer to Lu Xiu but couldn’t find a topic. For someone like Jiang Hong who liked to talk, silence was shameful.

So he tried to make small talk, “Lu Xiu, you’re so handsome, do you have a girlfriend?”

Lu Xiu: “…”

Jiang Hong’s awkward chat was very damaging to his personal image. After all, talking about such things shortly after meeting for the first time seemed offensive. But for two straight guys, this kind of social icebreaker was still tolerable.

“If not, then what?” Liu Xiu completely disregarded common sense.

Jiang Hong thought: Oh, can you answer like that? Then how do I continue this awkward chat?

Jiang Hong could only laugh awkwardly. “Are there many pretty senior sisters in our school?”

“Not many,” Liu Xiu said coldly. “So, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Uh…sorry, I tend to talk nonsense when I’m nervous. Don’t take it seriously,” Jiang Hong said.

Liu Xiu’s face eased up slightly as he looked at Jiang Hong. He wanted to say a few more things to make up for it, but Liu Xiu didn’t give him the chance. He got up and went to take a shower.

The sound of water came from the bathroom, and there was only a curtain separating them. Jiang Hong lay down on the bed and could see Liu Xiu’s lower leg under the curtain. He seemed to have a tattoo on his leg.

So handsome; he had a tattoo, Jiang Hong thought, but he didn’t look any longer and started playing with his phone.

After a moment, Liu Xiu came out with his hair still wet, sitting on the bed bare-chested and putting on a short-sleeved t-shirt. Jiang Hong had fallen asleep.

Liu Xiu looked at Jiang Hong’s sleeping face for a moment, then covered him with a thin blanket, turned off the light, and lay down on the other bed.

In the darkness, Liu Xiu let out a small sigh.

The morning sun shone on Jiang Hong’s face as he opened his eyes and saw Liu Xiu.

“Wake up,” Liu Xiu said with a hint of drowsiness, his hair a little messy.

Jiang Hong slept well. He yawned and sat up like a carp.

“Liu Xiu, did you sleep well last night?” Jiang Hong asked.

“No, but I’m used to it,” Liu Xiu said, already wearing a hoodie. “Go wash up, have breakfast, and then register.”

This wasn’t a senior, it’s a nanny! But for Jiang Hong, his time at home had always been like this. His parents had always given him the best, taking care of every little detail, and he was already used to it.

People say “your classmates are not your parents” – but clearly they were, since the senior even brought him a toothbrush and towel, and by the time he finished washing up, Jiang Hong couldn’t wait to join this warm family!

In the early morning, there were students practicing in groups of two or three in the fencing club. When they saw Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong walk out of the rest area, there was a sudden silence and everyone’s gaze was a bit strange.

“Good morning!” Jiang Hong didn’t know them, but he was always very cheerful and outgoing.

The team members took off their masks and looked at Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong with expressions of shock and curiosity.

“Let’s go,” Lu Xiu said without looking at his teammates.

Jiang Hong: “…”

Jiang Hong thought it was strange, but he didn’t ask and just thought to himself, “Is Lu Xiu not on good terms with his teammates?”

The sun had risen and the whole school was alive. When Jiang Hong walked out of the club, he couldn’t help but exclaim in his heart – this college was really beautiful, with mountains on both sides, water on one side, and Qinling Mountains to the north and west. The air was crisp in the autumn, and you could even see the milk cap on top of the snow mountain in the distance.

Perhaps it was because the school had not officially started yet, there weren’t many students on campus, and most of them were dressed fashionably. There were no bicycles going back and forth on the main road, and it seemed that skateboarding was popular. Occasionally, Jiang Hong would see a few boys speeding by on skateboards, carrying a waist bag.

But even stranger things happened.

When the walking, skateboarding, or chatting students, both male and female, saw Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong walking together, they all stopped in their tracks and looked at them with curiosity.

“This school has a really beautiful view,” Jiang Hong sincerely praised, “and the climate is very pleasant.”

“Um,” Lu Xiu said absentmindedly.

“Where is the dormitory?” Jiang Hong looked around and waved to people passing by, but no one responded.

As more and more quiet gazes were directed at them, Jiang Hong felt a little uncomfortable.

“On the mountain,” Lu Xiu said calmly. “You’ll go there later.”

Lu Xiu suddenly stopped and stood still, saying coldly, “What are you looking at?”

Jiang Hong was startled, but he realized that Lu Xiu was talking to the students who were staring at them. When they met Lu Xiu’s gaze, they immediately turned their heads and pretended nothing had happened.

Lu Xiu moved his lips silently, not swearing, but making a soft sound with a hint of hoarseness. Jiang Hong couldn’t make out what he said.

The people nearby all went their separate ways.

“What did you say?” Jiang Hong asked.

“Nothing,” Lu Xiu said calmly. “Now let’s go to the cafeteria.”

The core circle of the school was the administrative building. The first circle consisted of the cafeteria and the student union. The second circle was the teaching building. The third circle was the student dormitory. The fourth circle was the playground and the club activity center, and the fifth circle was the moat, mountain, wall, and old factory.

Liu Xiu led Jiang Hong up a small hillside, and their view widened slightly. Jiang Hong dragged his luggage and was a bit out of breath, but he saw the buildings that Liu Xiu had mentioned.

“Such a big school only admits a little over 200 students a year?” Jiang Hong said incredulously.

“That’s something you should ask the principal,” Liu Xiu replied.

During his sophomore summer camp, Jiang Hong had been to Beijing, and this school was almost as big as the Summer Palace. Nearly two kilometers away, a Chinese-style building stood at the center of the entire campus. The wooden structure had nine floors with intricate carvings and paintings, red pillars and dark green glazed tiles that reflected brightly in the sunshine. Wow! It was simply…

…disconcerting.

It was like forcibly inserting an antique Tang-style palace from the movie “Spirited Away” into a school filled with modern buildings. For some reason, Jiang Hong felt as though the strange giant building would take off like a rocket if it had an engine attached to its bottom.

“The school looks like…” Jiang Hong murmured to himself.

“Well, it’s the Tai Chi formation,” Liu Xiu said, unusually talkative. “The central area is the Tai Chi, and the outer area is the combination of the River Diagram and the Luo Shu. Did you figure it out?”

“Oh, no,” Jiang Hong said awkwardly. “I just thought it looked like a temple.”

As they got closer, Jiang Hong noticed that the teaching buildings were also very unique, each with its own style that blended elements of Han, Tang, Qing, and the Republic of China, as well as modern architecture. There were also many beautiful murals painted on the walls.

Liu Xiu led Jiang Hong through the teaching building area and arrived at the cafeteria. The cafeteria was divided into twelve dining areas, each of which was spacious and had signs indicating specific dietary restrictions such as no beef, no chicken, no pork, no lamb, no fish, vegetarian, etc.

Jiang Hong: “???”

Jiang Hong had never seen such detailed dietary restrictions in a cafeteria before.

Liu Xiu signaled to Jiang Hong, asking if there was anything he didn’t eat. Jiang Hong waved his hand, and Liu Xiu used his own meal card to buy breakfast for both of them. The food was good, with a choice of coffee or tea, Western-style scrambled eggs, fried potato cakes, and even a bowl of noodles.

Jiang Hong could tell that Liu Xiu didn’t like to talk, so he didn’t try to make small talk with him. The two of them finished their breakfast in silence, and a few senior male students who had overslept came into the spacious cafeteria. When they saw Jiang Hong and Liu Xiu sitting together, they looked at them curiously.

Jiang Hong noticed, and it seemed like everyone was giving him that kind of look. Since he had just started school, no one could be targeting him, so it must have been directed at Liu Xiu.

But he didn’t ask and pretended nothing was wrong.

“How much was breakfast? Let me transfer the money to you, senior.” Jiang Hong took out his phone.

“No need,” Liu Xiu said coldly.

“Then I’ll treat you to a meal when I get my meal card.”

Liu Xiu didn’t answer. After a moment, he suddenly looked up and scanned the cafeteria with his eyes. The students who had been staring at them immediately lowered their heads and started eating.

“Let’s go after we finish eating,” Liu Xiu said in a low voice, picking up the trays and getting up with Jiang Hong.

Jiang Hong’s curiosity was at its peak – had Liu Xiu done something wrong?

But he quite liked this quiet senior, perhaps because of his first impression. Liu Xiu was really handsome, and Jiang Hong was into good looks. As long as they were attractive and weren’t bad people, he was willing to get close to anyone.

Moreover, Liu Xiu was kind to him. Although he acted coldly, Jiang Hong could see that he was caring for him as much as he could. He was the first friend Jiang Hong had made in college.

“We’re here.”

Liu Xiu brought Jiang Hong to the administrative building, the nine-story Tang-style overlapping palace in front of them. The plaque outside the main entrance of the palace hung high, with the words “unwavering resolve in the face of adversity” written in regular script.

Jiang Hong: “……………”

This university was really too strange! Why would there be a plaque with such a motto at the entrance of an administrative building?! It was clearly a temple from any angle! Did they build a temple in the center of the school to ward off evil spirits because the school was haunted? Jiang Hong silently thought of many campus ghost stories and legends.

Liu Xiu gestured for Jiang Hong to go inside, and they took the elevator to the third floor. The female voice inside the elevator announced the floor:

“Third floor, Academic Affairs Office.”

Jiang Hong looked outside through the railing on the third floor. Although the administrative building was only nine stories tall, each floor had a high ceiling, and his location was equivalent to the seventh or eighth floor of a residential building. He realized that the administrative building was indeed arranged like the central circle of a Tai Chi diagram. But in the Yin-Yang areas of the Tai Chi, only the Yang area had buildings, while the Yin area was a huge lake with many lotus flowers.

Although the view was refreshing when he looked out the window, Jiang Hong felt that the atmosphere of the school was becoming more and more eerie.

Lu Xiu brought Jiang Hong to the entrance of the ‘New Student Registration Office’ and said, “You go in and register.”

“Thank you,” Jiang Hong replied.

Inside the registration office, there was a desk with a swivel chair behind it. A man dressed in a black suit lay half-reclined in the chair, with his feet up on the desk and a copy of ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ covering his face. He was sleeping.

On the wall in front of him hung a calligraphic scroll with the words “Time has no bounds, only the lamp of the heart can shine eternally.” On both sides of the room, there were several colorful paintings.

“Excuse me, hello?” Jiang Hong approached the man and spoke softly, “Teacher, hello.”

The man was still asleep.

Lu Xiu, who had been standing outside the registration office, looked inside after hearing Jiang Hong’s voice. He turned around and made a gesture while making an indistinct sound in his throat.

Jiang Hong suddenly felt a wave of energy rushing towards him. It was like an invisible force passing by him.

“Mr. Xuan!” Luxiu shouted coldly.

The book on the man’s face was knocked off, and he was startled. He slipped and fell behind the desk with a loud crash.

“Ah! What happened?!” the man woke up, yelling.

“Ah!“ Jiang Hong was also scared. What was that just now? A gust of wind?

“Mr. Xuan, a new student is here to register,“ Luxiu said sternly from outside the door and closed it behind him.

The man had a dazed expression on his face as he got up from the floor. Jiang Hong hurriedly reached out to help him up. Mr. Xuan sat up straight and rubbed his eyes, nodding his head while picking up the book from the floor.

“What happened just now?” Jiang Hong was still shaken.

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing,” Mr. Xuan said as he tried to regain his composure. He looked at Jiang Hong and muttered to himself, “Oh, new student registration. Yes, yes, you have finally arrived.”

Jiang Hong stood there feeling embarrassed while Mr. Xuan introduced himself, “I am Mr. Xuan Hezhi, and what is your name?”

Xuan Hezhi had thick eyebrows and large eyes, and he looked very upright and young, not even thirty years old. He had the face of a director of education.

“I am Jiang Hong.” Jiang Hong took out his admission notice.

“Oh, let me see.” Xuan Hezhi typed Jiang Hong’s name into the computer.

“I found it,” Xuan Hezhi said. “Great, it’s a rare talent, a rare talent…”

Jiang Hong asked, “What did you find?”

Xuan Hezhi looked up at him and smiled. “You’re a pretty handsome young man.”

“Oh,” Jiang Hong blushed. He quickly replied, “No, no, Senior Lu Xiu is even more handsome.” He wondered why he had answered that way.

“He’s the most popular guy on our campus,” Xuan Hezhi said. “He’s not human; you can’t compare yourself to him. You’re already very handsome.”

“Hahaha,” Jiang Hong didn’t expect Xuan Hezhi to say that. “You’re really funny.”

“Um,” Xuan Hezhi checked Jiang Hong’s identity against a photo and said, “You’re from Chongqing, right? Oh, Lu Xiu volunteered to take care of you. Oh, it’s you. He’s been waiting for you for a long time.”

“Huh?” Jiang Hong didn’t understand. “No, we just met last night.”

“Oh, okay. I won’t pry into a student’s personal matters,” Xuan Hezhi muttered. He stood up and went to the cabinet to look for Jiang Hong’s file, taking out his college entrance exam papers.

“You did well in the subjects,” Xuan Hezhi said. He stamped the acceptance letter and put it together with the papers.

“I’m ashamed,” Jiang Hong said humbly. He thought to himself, but I’m not a special talent, I only study liberal arts?

Xuan Hezhi wrote a note for registration, saying, “Take this note to collect your student ID card, dormitory key, and name tag. They have all been prepared for you. Lu Xiu will take care of you and you can ask him if you have any questions.”

“Thank you, teacher,” Jiang Hong said obediently. He wondered if this was some kind of special social practice. Perhaps helping a younger student could earn him some points?

After leaving the room and closing the door behind him, Xuan Hezhi began to casually read “Rich Dad Poor Dad”. Lu Xiu waited for Jiang Hong in the hallway. Upon seeing the note, he said nothing and led Jiang Hong to collect his meal card and dormitory key. On the way to the dormitory, they passed by the school supermarket where they bought some daily necessities, including imported goods.

“We can order things online, and they’ll be delivered to the village below the mountain every evening after school starts. The school will distribute them to the dormitory,” Lu Xiu said. “Add me on WeChat and I’ll send you the delivery address.”

Jiang Hong, who had just arrived in Xi’an, wanted to go out and explore. “How do I get out of the school?”

“Every half hour, there’s a bus from the front gate and the side gate. The one at the side gate will arrive at half past the hour, and the back gate is on the hour. When you’re ready to come back, just get off at your dormitory.” Lu Xiu pointed to the building in front of them.

Jiang Hong looked up at the dormitory building in front of him, which was still empty and uninhabited.

Lu Xiu added him on WeChat and led him into the elevator, and then to the door of his dormitory.

“Thank you, senior,” Jiang Hong said obediently again.

Lu Xiu looked at the door of the dormitory and hesitated for a moment. He seemed to realize that he might cause unnecessary trouble for Jiang Hong if he accompanied him all the way.

“Shall I come in with you?” Lu Xiu asked.

“No need,” Jiang Hong said. “Thank you for your help.”

“In that case, I won’t accompany you any further,” Lu Xiu said. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

“How about I treat you to dinner tonight?” Jiang Hong hurriedly said.

“Let’s talk about it after you settle down,” Lu Xiu said as he walked away without looking back. Instead of taking the elevator, he walked quickly down the stairs with his hands in his sweatshirt pockets.

Jiang Hong stood there for a moment and looked out of the corridor to see Lu Xiu’s figure leaving downstairs.

Jiang Hong whistled at him, and Lu Xiu stopped in his tracks, a little hesitant.

“Senior!”

Lu Xiu turned around and looked up at the ninth floor.

“Thank you!” Jiang Hong threw him a flying kiss. All in all, his enrollment was quite pleasant.

He pulled out the keys and opened the dormitory door, pushing it open to reveal a pile of garbage, a semi-naked young man in black pants covered in sweat and cleaning the mess, and a severed hand in the garbage heap.

Jiang Hong: “…”

The young man stopped and looked at him.

“Hello,” Jiang Hong said. He did a double take and exploded, “Oh my god! Why is this dorm so dirty?! What happened?! Is there a murder case?!”

Recruitment Brochure for China National Exorcism College

The China National Exorcism College is a public full-time general higher education institution with the mission of cultivating high-quality Exorcisms and equipment technicians. It has multiple majors, including Resources and Information (Exorcism Local Culture Pathway), International Resources and Information (Exorcism Non-Local Culture Pathway), Environmental Engineering (Feng Shui), Theory and Applied Materials Science (Exorcism Theory), Bioinformatics (Research), Industrial Engineering (Magic Weapon Production), Automation (Collection), Architecture (Formation and Trap Research), History (Exorcism History), Medicine (Alchemy), Electronic Communication (Electronic Exorcism), Analytical Studies (Paranormal Phenomenon Analysis), and more than 40 disciplines in total.

Admission Requirements: Chinese nationals of the human and demon race aged 16 to 24, with three generations of direct relatives who have served as registered exorcists in the Exorcism Committee, or fresh graduates who have passed the eighth national census and are registered with the ability to communicate with the Earth’s veins.

In addition, the college has a foreign student department. For details, please consult the director of the admissions office, Xuan Hezhi.

Admissions Phone: 400-521-521

—

On the morning of the college entrance exam results, Jiang Hong exploded into the brightest fireworks in the sky.

“I actually passed the top tier! Hahaha! I passed the top tier! Mom! Dad! I’m going to a top-tier school! Mom! Let’s go to the temple to give thanks!”

Jiang Hong could not believe that he had exceeded the admission line by 14 points! 14 full points! Jiang Hong was so excited that he ran barefoot out of his house and found his mother playing mahjong in the community center. His mother was shocked and overjoyed.

The mother and son hurriedly took a taxi. Jiang Hong’s mother first went to the temple to give thanks, and then they rushed to Jiang Hong’s father’s workplace. Upon hearing the news, he canceled the meeting, opened a bottle of champagne. The bottle cap ricocheted, making the light bulb on the ceiling burst, but they didn’t care. The family of three celebrated with joy, crying tears of happiness, and quickly informed relatives and friends to book a celebratory feast.

Jiang Hong looked at his exam results page again and again, feeling a sense of relief that he had finally completed his task.

At the age of 18, he felt a sense of immense relief at this moment, as he had reached the end of a chapter in his life and was about to open a new one.

He grew up in a loving family and was a happy child. His parents and grandparents poured a lot of care and attention on him from an early age, and he never lacked for anything in terms of food, clothing, or other necessities.

He was also obedient and adorable, and his arrival brought great progress to his father’s career, making him a successful local business owner. He had a wide range of interests from a young age, and whenever he saw something fun, he wanted to learn and try it. His parents were happy to let him taste the joys of this vast world one by one, so he learned to play musical instruments, play sports, and read books. However, he was not particularly proficient in any of these things.

But that didn’t matter, as the experience was what was important. His parents comforted themselves in this way. Jiang Hong was also optimistic and broad-minded, playing basketball every day and playing games. He graduated from primary school and, being sensible and ambitious, was admitted to a prestigious middle school. His grades were average, ranking in the middle of his class, occasionally slipping to the bottom due to his addiction to games, but his parents did not blame him too much.

Jiang Hong grew up with a healthy diet, approaching 1.8 meters tall and extremely handsome, with a sunny personality and able to get along with anyone. However, the society would not be lenient just because of his good looks. The first round of attacks came when he was 17 years old. As a playful and optimistic Aries, Jiang Hong did not think about college until his senior year of high school, when his homeroom teacher reminded him that he had to make a decision soon. However, it was too late, and with limited talent, he struggled to barely touch the admission line. Jiang Hong’s parents believed in fate and thought that everything was predetermined, so they simply let things be.

Of course, they didn’t say this in front of their son. Jiang Hong’s father explained that studying was a lifelong pursuit and that one should do their best and leave the rest to fate. He also promised that Jiang Hong could inherit the family business in the future, so he shouldn’t feel too much pressure. Jiang Hong’s father would rather see his son lead a happy life than be crushed by academic pressure.

After celebrating with a big meal, the family began to prepare for Jiang Hong’s college application. Based on the recommendation of an old monk from the temple and the results of a fortune telling, they chose the Mechanical and Electronic Engineering program at Northwestern University of Technology, as it was in line with the family’s business. Jiang Hong didn’t object much to the choice of major, as he had always been interested in vehicles and mechanical toys. He had planned to repeat a year of high school but unexpectedly passed the exam.

That night, Jiang Hong couldn’t sleep as he thought about his unexpected success. He had always been a mediocre student, but he had scored fourteen points higher than the minimum score for admission to a first-tier university!

He was already looking forward to his college life. Jiang Hong’s father asked him how his desk mate did on the exam before going to bed. Jiang Hong replied with a smile, “Oh, he got into Peking University.”

Realizing that there will always be someone better than oneself, the father and son were silent for a few seconds, but quickly regained their smiles.

Jiang Hong was satisfied with himself, having done his best. Jiang remembered that his father had promised to buy him a car if he got into a first-tier university, so he could drive around and explore. Thinking about his upcoming college life, he couldn’t help but feel excited and unable to sleep.

Two months of summer vacation flew by in the blink of an eye, and Jiang Hong received the admission notice from Northwestern University of Technology as he had wished. His parents gave him some money to purchase necessities for his new life. Jiang Hong dressed in trendy jeans, dragged his suitcase, and was sent to the airport by his father.

Unfortunately, the admission notice strongly advised that parents should not accompany their children to school during their first year.

“I can handle it,” said Jiang Hong. Although he grew up in a well-off family, he was still capable of being independent. He could do laundry and move into a dormitory on his own.

“When you get there, make sure to establish good relationships with your roommates,” Jiang father and mother reminded him repeatedly. “The school is not home, and teachers are not parents who will pamper you.”

“I know.” Jiang Hong kissed his mother and hugged his father. He waved goodbye to his parents, passee through security, boarded the plane, and flew to his destination – Xi’an.

Jiang Hong looked out of the airplane window and thought about his 18-year life, feeling a mixture of nervousness and excitement about his upcoming future. Upon landing, a minibus with the words “Welcome to Northwestern University of Technology” was parked outside the airport.

“Are you a new student?” The driver was an elderly lady who was dressed in a suit and appeared energetic.

“Yes, that’s right.” Jiang Hong put down his luggage, and the lady asked, “Can I see your admission notice?”

Jiang Hong checked his admission notice with her. He had filled out a detailed application form on the website before coming, including options such as whether he needed airport pick-up, dormitory requirements and roommate preferences, dietary restrictions, and more. This university was too considerate, making new students feel like they were in paradise.

“You can sit anywhere on the bus,” the lady said casually.

Jiang Hong had just boarded the bus, but the door suddenly closed, and the minibus drove away.

“Huh? Am I the only one?” Jiang Hong asked.

“Yes.” The lady smiled and said, “You’re the only one I need to pick up today.”

Jiang Hong thought she was working too hard. She could have waited for a few more flights to arrive so she could pick up more students.

“How many people are in this year’s intake?”

“More than two hundred people?” The lady said, “I don’t remember.”

“Only two hundred people?” Jiang Hong thought he misheard.

“You should ask the faculty,” the lady said with a big smile, and Jiang Hong leaned against the window.

“Oh my,” Jiang Hong wanted to say “slow down,” but after seeing how the lady drove, speeding and racing all the way, he thought safety was more important and quickly fastened his seatbelt.

Quality was more important than quantity for students, Jiang Hong consoled himself, but two hundred people were still too few, not even enough for one department in a key undergraduate school.

But soon, Jiang Hong’s attention was drawn to the breathtaking scenery of the Qinling Mountains in early autumn. The minibus drove onto the highway towards Lintong, passed through rolling hills, and turned off at the highway exit to enter a winding mountain road. A ribbon-like indigo river meandered through the valley, while golden, light red, and green colors mixed with the pine and cypress trees and maple forests that covered the mountainsides. The sky was a washed-out blue, and the river seemed to flow from the ground towards the horizon at the end of the valley.

The scenery was so beautiful, just like a computer desktop background! Jiang Hong couldn’t help but exclaim.

Wait, why is the scenery a bit blurred?

Jiang Hong thought he might have blurred vision, but suddenly realized that the old lady had driven the minibus through a motion blur…

“Auntie!” Jiang Hong held onto the seatback and yelled, “You’re speeding!”

“No, no,” the old lady said casually. “This is a normal phenomenon. It happens every time we enter the mountains.”

Jiang Hong: “???”

Suddenly, the blurred scenery outside the car window reverted back to the lush Qinling forest, and the blurring disappeared in an instant.

Jiang Hong was bewildered, and saw their car turn onto a fork in the road, just like in the animated film Spirited Away. The road leading to a secret realm was flanked by a row of neatly arranged stone lions, followed by dragon, phoenix, qilin, and strange animal sculptures.

“Wow, what is this?” Jiang Hong muttered to himself.

The sunset shone on the forest, dyeing everything in shades of purple and red. Jiang Hong looked around, and suddenly felt his eyes blur again. It seemed that the elm trees on both sides of the road were moving aside?

He shook his head, and the forest seemed to revert to its original state.

They were the only car on the road, and as the sky darkened, the atmosphere became indescribably eerie.

“This, this, this…” Jiang Hong held onto the seatback, feeling a little scared. “Auntie, are we not there yet?”

“Almost there, almost there!” the old lady said.

As it got darker, the minibus turned on its headlights, and two white beams shone out.

Jiang Hong’s spine instantly broke out in cold sweat. It felt as if he had entered a horror movie!

He opened his phone and found that he had no signal.

Then, the minibus drifted suddenly, and the old lady jerked the steering wheel and opened the door.

“We’re here! Have a pleasant first year!” the old lady said.

Jiang Hong: “…”

He almost got thrown out of the car and was standing in front of a massive stone tablet with “China Sky University” inscribed on it. In tiny, barely visible letters beside it, “Northwestern University of Technology” was also written crookedly.

Looking around, he saw a road leading to a distant iron gate.

“Wait!” Jiang Hong was about to turn around, but the car that brought him here had already left.

The last rays of the sun were crimson, shining on the stone tablet, and the golden letters shone brightly. Strange Chinese parasol trees crowded around him on all sides, and the path seemed to be leading to the dark unknown. In that darkness, countless twisted ghosts were lurking, glaring at him with bared teeth and claws.

In just a short half-day, Jiang Hong went through a rollercoaster of emotions from excitement to nervousness, worry, panic, and finally fear.

Three seconds later, Jiang Hong shouted, “Is anyone there?! What kind of place is this?!”

The sun had completely set, and the shadows of the mountains covered the forest at the foot of Qinling Mountains, leaving only a faint light in the sky. There were no streetlights on the road.

Jiang Hong was about to explode, shouting a few times, but no one responded. Standing on the roadside was not a solution. He dragged his luggage and walked towards the only small path.

“Is anyone there?!” Jiang Hong began to regret applying to this university. He wanted to take pictures, but when he turned on the flash, the surroundings became even scarier. He walked forward cautiously, looking around, and his phone not only had no signal but was also running out of battery.

He heard the sound of a door slamming in the distance. Someone’s there!

Jiang Hong rushed forward as if he had been saved, shouting, “There’s someone here, there’s someone here!”

As he got closer, he saw that there was no one there. It was just the mountain wind blowing branches and occasionally hitting a metal gate, which made the scene even more eerie.

Jiang Hong gathered his courage and pushed the metal gate. The gate made a rusty “creak” sound, and it seemed like something was scurrying around behind it.

Not far away, the sound of dripping water, “drip, drip,” had been ringing for some time. Jiang Hong walked in and saw a row of dilapidated factories.

Jiang Hong: “…”

Jiang Hong felt like he had entered the set of a horror movie in a mountain village. He tightly gripped his phone.

“Is anyone there…” Jiang Hong’s voice involuntarily lowered, tinged with fear.

He turned to the side wall, and in front of him was an empty playground, with several houses hidden in the darkness, without any lights. The temperature difference between day and night in the mountains was extreme, and as soon as the sun set, it became cold, making Jiang Hong shiver.

What was that? Jiang Hong approached and realized that there were rows of tombstones on the playground. He was too scared to get any closer. What kind of place was this?

He couldn’t take it anymore. “Is anyone there? I want to go home!”

He turned on the flashlight mode on his phone and heard the sound of the wind in the distance, and faintly, there was singing, Fei Yuqing’s “I Want to Sing for You.” However, the combination of the phonograph-like singing and Fei Yuqing’s voice made it all the more chilling.

“…if I lose you…like a rose in the wind and rain…”

There should be someone there, right?

When Jiang Hong walked out of the field along the small path, he felt as if someone was touching the back of his neck.

“Ah!” Jiang Hong immediately turned around and found someone standing behind him.

Jiang Hong screamed in terror. His phone battery died at this very moment.

Dragging his luggage, Jiang Hong started to run frantically, but suddenly collided with someone, who immediately grabbed his wrist and pulled him into his arms.

Jiang Hong was terrified and shocked to be hugged by a stranger.

“Ah!”

“Wait!”

“Who are you?!”

“What are you doing?!”

Jiang Hong screamed in panic.

“Stop! Calm down! It’s me!” The person was a male and shouted at Jiang Hong.

Jiang Hong turned around to run away, but the man suddenly grabbed his arm. His palm was warm and it made Jiang Hong less afraid.

“It’s you,” the man whispered. Seeing that Jiang Hong stopped running, he let go of his hand.

Breathless and panting, Jiang Hong waved his hand and asked, “Where is this place? Is this really a school? Why is there a graveyard?”

The man remained silent.

He looked at Jiang Hong and motioned for him to follow him to a place where there was light.

The moon had risen and was shining brightly in the sky, and the field had taken on a different appearance under its light.

Jiang Hong saw the male’s face clearly. He had good skin, slightly curly hair, delicate features, thick eyebrows, and a high nose. He exuded a cold yet approachable aura.

“Are you talking about this?” The male motioned for Jiang Hong to look.

“Ah…” Jiang Hong turned his head towards the field, and now he saw it clearly. In the center of the field was a divided flower bed, each bed planted with blue and white flowers. Next to it were wooden signs with class names written on them, although they were hard to read.

Tonight was a full moon night, and under the moonlight, the flowers were glowing like fireflies. It was truly beautiful!

“Oh, it’s a flower bed,” Jiang Hong said. “You scared me…”

Jiang Hong felt a bit embarrassed and smiled at the man.

“You’re Jiang Hong,” the man said.

“How do you know?” Jiang Hong was surprised that a stranger knew his name.

“I’m Lu Xiu. Remember my name. Lu Xiu. I’m your senior and I’m here to pick you up.”

“Turns out I didn’t come to the wrong place,” Jiang Hong said with lingering fear, then laughed a few times cheerfully. But Lu Xiu didn’t laugh. His eyes gazed at him with helplessness.

Jiang Hong wanted to shake hands with him, but it felt too formal. A hug would be even weirder, so he finally patted his arm.

After the moonlight shone down, the school seemed to have changed its appearance. The factory buildings, the playground, the vast flower garden, and even the forest all seemed to be emitting a gentle glow. The wind blew gently as they stood at the end of the flower field. Lu Xiu lightly flicked his hair off of his forehead with his finger, then looked at Jiang Hong and found him still staring at him. Their eyes met for a moment, and Jiang Hong quickly averted his gaze, turning his head to look at the flower field.

“The moonlight is very beautiful tonight,” Lu Xiu said.

Jiang Hong couldn’t help but say, “The wind is also blowing very comfortably.”