—

Why did Shen Zhi agree to be with me back then in the first place?

When Xu Nian dragged him to a bar again that night, Xu Yan sat drunk in the sofa, the music deafening, lights flashing passionately across his face, but he himself was very calm, sinking into a kind of contemplation, contemplating this question.

His liking for Shen Zhi was very simple—at first sight, struck by his looks.

During freshman year military training, one day happened to be overcast, so nobody sweated much. After training ended, many people didn't rush back to the dorm to shower, and went straight out the school gate to the snack street for a group meal. Xu Yan walked out chatting and laughing with his classmates, the group walking leisurely. The popular shops had already been taken by others. A sharp-eyed classmate saw that the barbecue stall across the street still had an open-air seat, so suggested going there to eat.

Xu Yan was a bit distracted, his gaze falling on a group of people across the street. One boy was especially tall, his good figure not hidden even by the cheap camouflage uniform, his hat brim pulled low so his face couldn't be seen clearly, but when he occasionally turned his head, half a chin was revealed—just from those lines, you could tell he was handsome. The fact proved Xu Yan's guess right; almost every girl coming toward them was looking at him. Not the lewd winking men do when looking at pretty women, but the appreciation girls have for the opposite sex, bold or shy, which made Xu Yan very curious too.

The boy and a few people beside him also went to that barbecue stall. They must have had classmates who already grabbed a seat, waving them over. Xu Yan focused his eyes—his table was right next to that empty one. For some reason he suddenly became very proactive, pressing his hand on a classmate's shoulder and saying, 'Let's go, grab the seat, if we're a step late someone else will take it.'

The moment he finished speaking, his classmate shot off like a flash, dashed across the street, took a few steps, plopped down beside the empty table, and proudly raised his fist toward Xu Yan. Xu Yan's hand was still held in mid-air in the posture of pressing his shoulder, dumbfounded. He slowly closed his five fingers and bumped fists with his classmate through the air.

'He was the sprint champion in high school,' another classmate beside him said.

Xu Yan: 'Sou ga!'

Once seated, before Xu Yan could look up at the next table, his classmates were already urging him to order. Everyone enthusiastically marked up the menu, and finally a female classmate took the order and stood up to give it to the server. Xu Yan stood up too, saying, 'Too many people, it's inconvenient to move around, I'll take it, you sit.'

'No no, it's fine.' The girl said while pulling out her chair to walk out, but she hadn't taken two steps before she stepped on something, her center of gravity suddenly tilted, and her whole body pitched forward. Napkins and barbecue skewers all over the ground—Xu Yan's heart tightened, he immediately stepped forward to grab her, but someone beat him to it—that boy. He reached out and gathered the girl in front of him, his five fingers didn't even touch her body, just one arm scooped her up. The surroundings were terribly noisy, but Xu Yan clearly heard the boy say quietly, 'Careful.'

The others reacted, repeatedly saying 'Are you okay, careful, careful.' After the girl stood straight she thanked the boy, he nodded once and sat back down. The thing happened fast and ended fast. Xu Yan still hadn't seen his face clearly, only catching a blurred profile in the chaos. At that moment Xu Yan thought in his heart: Could he be Shen Zhi?

After all, among the new students, besides Shen Zhi, he really hadn't heard of any other famous handsome guy, but looking at this boy's temperament and looks, if he wasn't Shen Zhi, the handsome guy legend should have included him too.

'Isn't that Shen Zhi from the Economics department?' The moment Xu Yan sat back down, his guess was immediately confirmed by his classmate, who kept their voice low. 'I thought he wouldn't come to a place like this to eat carcinogens.'

Xu Yan glanced at the next table again, then said slowly: 'Carcinogens are good.' His classmate twitched the corner of his mouth and looked at him speechlessly.

The next table ordered early, so the barbecue came up after a while. Xu Yan drank his cola and glanced over there from time to time. Before eating, Shen Zhi took off his hat, and in that instant Xu Yan cursed silently in his heart—'fuck'—a head of fluffy soft black hair, nothing like someone who'd been in military training all day. Xu Yan looked at the bangs of the male classmate beside him stuck to his forehead with sweat, and increasingly felt that there might be certain species differences between people.

The roadside stall was full of the atmosphere of everyday life, the sky darkened, lights hung everywhere, illuminating a stretch of bustle. The evening breeze rose gently, Shen Zhi's fair face had an almost otherworldly quality. If not for his bangs being blown by the wind, he sitting there was like a painting—no words, no laughter, no noise, the hand holding the Sprite clean and slender, capable of transforming a barbecue stall into something on the level of The Last Supper on his own. Xu Yan looked at the cola in his own hand and thought: you drink Sprite, I drink cola, we're a perfect match.

So much so that later when he went to pay the bill he was a bit dizzy, passing by Shen Zhi he didn't dare look at him, but his heartbeat was recklessly pounding. His vision swayed, and when he stepped on a barbecue skewer and slipped he hadn't even reacted, his whole body suddenly leaning back. He heard his classmates cry out 'Ooh ooh.'

What's the use of crying, come save me quickly... Xu Yan thought this, when his lower back was suddenly held firmly. He turned his head, and Shen Zhi's face was right there, so close. The night was deep blue, and Xu Yan felt Shen Zhi was a god descended to earth.

Shen Zhi's face showed no expression, he just glanced at the cola at Xu Yan's seat and said lightly: 'You can get like this from drinking cola?'

'Xu Yan, you wouldn't be drunk on cola, would you? Hahahahaha!' Seeing Xu Yan was fine, his classmate simply took Shen Zhi's words and teased him.

Shen Zhi's classmate joked: 'Shen Zhi, what's going on today, everyone passing by you falls down, did you secretly stick your leg out to trip them?' Both tables burst into giggles and laughter, the scene was quite lively.

'...Thanks.' Xu Yan stood up straight. His thoughts were all jumbled, he said something incoherent, 'Then from now on I'll drink Sprite like you.' After saying it he felt it wasn't quite right, made it seem like he'd been paying attention to what Shen Zhi drank—although that was indeed the case. Xu Yan immediately said 'thanks' again, turned his head and ran off to pay, his head buzzing, he didn't know if it was from the noise or from nervousness, anyway he didn't dare look back.

Summer, eighteen years old, first meeting, the barbecue stall chaotic and noisy, but every time Xu Yan recalled it, he felt there was nothing more beautiful than that.

Dong ci da ci, gently knock awake the sleeping heart, slowly open your eyes, dong ci da ci

Dong ci da ci, look at that busy world whether it still turns alone endlessly, dong ci da ci

Dong ci da ci, spring breeze doesn't understand romance, blows the young man's heart, dong ci da ci

Dong ci da ci, let yesterday's tear stains on the face, dry with memory, dong ci da ci

......

A remix of 'Tomorrow Will Be Better' suddenly started playing. Xu Yan blankly came back to himself, thinking the bar was organizing a donation drive, but when he looked up he saw Xu Nian standing on the DJ booth, a pair of headphones around his neck, holding a microphone, one finger pointing at Xu Yan, singing along with feeling.

Sing out your passion, stretch out both your hands

Let me embrace your dream, let me have your sincere face

Let our smiles be filled with the pride of youth

Let us look forward to tomorrow being better

......

...How did Xu Yan forget, his brother had been the solo singing champion of the city's Third Primary School's New Year's performance for five consecutive years—one year he didn't participate because he had chickenpox and was on an IV drip at the Hospital.

Xu Yan picked up his phone, opened the Camera, and filmed Xu Nian's live performance, so that one day when he went home he could show his parents how the daytime proper-looking Little President Xu moonlighted as a DJ hyping crowds at nightclubs.

After one song, Xu Nian raised the microphone. Looking at his posture and tone, this was definitely not his first time doing this—an old atmosphere team member—he raised his voice and roared: 'Ge! Tomorrow will be better!!!'

The people below didn't care what song it was, just cheered and howled along, paper props flying everywhere. Xu Yan put down his phone and stood up, applauding with tear-filled eyes, giving Xu Nian two thumbs up, shouting: 'Xu Nian!!! You're such a stupid cup!!! You're a big stupid cup!!!'

Xu Nian saw Xu Yan excitedly and sincerely giving him a thumbs up. Although he didn't know what his brother was shouting, he figured it must be very touching. Xu Nian was very happy. His brother had been unrestrained and free since childhood, but after meeting Shen Zhi he became constrained and meek at home, and while being meek he didn't forget to hurt his family too—truly brainless.

But now he felt Xu Yan could still be saved. Although he didn't know exactly what his brother had gone through before leaving, the fact that he could come back so cleanly and decisively, even drunk with unfocused eyes, didn't let a single word about Shen Zhi slip out of his mouth, didn't cry or get emotional or lose composure—he was a tough guy!