For preview purposes only; final product may differ
Author: Lyu Tian Yi
Translators: Wendy
Editor: 星星Nyani
Lin Feiran sat in the music room, poring over the piano score.
With the school arts festival just a week away, he had been gearing up for a solo piano performance. His practice had dwindled since starting high school, and the recent move to a boarding school had meant even less time on the piano. It had been nearly a month since he last played, and the piece, which used to flow under his fingertips without a second thought, now felt foreign despite the familiar melody.
After reviewing the music, he set it on the stand and readied his hands for practice. But his focus was interrupted by a deep, lulling male voice announcing, “This marks our school’s fourth Cultural Arts Festival. Culture shapes school spirit, and art…”
Lin Feiran’s gaze drifted to the front of the room, drawn by the deep voice. There, two students were rehearsing behind a podium. The girl, Wang Yao, was class president of the class next door. Known for her beauty, vivacity, and eloquence, she was the kind of girl who naturally made heads turn when she walked past, always at the centre of everyone’s attention. She was the female emcee for the event. Beside her stood the owner of the captivating voice as well as the male emcee, Lin Feiran’s arch-rival, Gu Kaifeng.
Though the rivalry is completely one-sided on Lin Feiran’s part.
Lin Feiran couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Gu Kaifeng.
Gu Kaifeng, only a high school junior, had grown to an impressive height of 184 centimetres and was very well-built, making one wonder what he had been eating since young. His well-proportioned muscles and his strikingly handsome features made him stand out amongst others even in just his school uniform. He was, without any doubt, the school hottie.
He might have a head start on me now, but guys don’t stop growing until twenty, right? We’ll see who has the last laugh! Lin Feiran, standing at 175 centimetres, silently seethed as his fingers absentmindedly struck the keys before him.
Lin Feiran transferred to this boarding school a month ago. His father was suddenly reassigned to the European branch of his company before Lin Feiran’s junior year, leaving him without a guardian. Since his mother was busy with her career in their hometown, which lacked comparable educational resources, his father faced a tough decision. Therefore, Lin Feiran, who had been coddled and spoiled from birth, was sent to this boarding high school.
Lin Feiran embraced the transfer in the beginning, drawn to the allure of boarding school life and the freedom away from his parents. He dreamt of an idyllic life, but he soon realized that reality fell far short of his expectations because his roommate was none other than Gu Kaifeng himself.
Gu Kaifeng wasn’t bad per se. His issue was that he was too perfect: strikingly handsome, academically brilliant, athletic, wealthy, multi-talented, and perfectly poised, albeit somewhat standoffish to strangers. Accustomed to being the centre of attention, Lin Feiran hated being in his roommate’s shadow ever since he moved here. Gu Kaifeng was taller, more popular, and more generous than he was. He outperformed Lin Feiran by seven places in the first midterm exams, and recently, during Sports Day, he also stole first in the men’s 3000-metre race and finished third in the high jump.
What bothered Lin Feiran the most was the 4 × 400-metre relay he took part in. An unfortunate fall left him lagging behind, and despite his desperate efforts, he couldn’t make up for the lost ground. However, after he passed the baton to Gu Kaifeng, Gu Kaifeng managed to overtake three rivals, bringing their team to second place.
No one blamed Lin Feiran after the race. Two girls even brought him purified water and first-aid spray to treat his wound. Yet, seeing everyone flock to Gu Kaifeng’s side, praising him like some kind of hero, Lin Feiran couldn’t help but feel overshadowed. It was he who had always been the star of athletic events since elementary school!
In short, everything sucked.
Lin Feiran bit his lip, his thoughts wandered as his fingers once again danced over the piano keys. Because he wasn’t paying attention, several wrong notes slipped out. Just then, The dismissal bell rang, interrupting his already troubled practice. Frustrated, Lin Feiran stopped playing and just sat there.
This was the final study session of the afternoon. In light of the upcoming festival, the teacher had granted special permission for the two emcees and Lin Feiran to use this music room for rehearsal during this time of day. Lin Feiran could practice the piano while the emcees rehearsed their lines.
As the last notes from the piano faded away, Wang Yao’s crisp voice cut through the silence. “Kaifeng, are you heading to the canteen?”
Gu Kaifeng responded indifferently, “I’ll go later.”
Lin Feiran sensed that the reply was less about going later and more about not wanting to go with Wang Yao. He had long noticed that Gu Kaifeng seemed unaffected by the charm of pretty girls.
There was an incident a week after Lin Feiran transferred. He was hanging out after class when an adorable girl from another class shyly approached him. She handed him a delicate envelope, sparking delight in him. he couldn’t help but think his charm was truly irresistible. He had only been at the school for a few days, and someone had already sent him a love letter. Hardly able to contain his smile, he played along and asked, “Who’s this for?”
The girl blushed and stammered, “Could you please give this to Gu Kaifeng? Thank you.”
Lin Feiran, who had been waiting for the girl to answer “you”, was stunned speechless.
Lin Feiran was also quite popular at his previous school, thanks to his delicate features and strikingly “beautiful” face, so much so that he was often mistaken for a girl during his childhood. At any school, a boy with such striking looks would usually be the centre of attention, even if he was of slender build and lacked height. However, next to Gu Kaifeng, with his handsome features and strong masculinity, Lin Feiran didn’t quite stand out as much. Girls, especially those looking for a boyfriend, seemed to prefer someone like Gu Kaifeng. After all, dating someone prettier than themselves can be too intimidating.
Feeling annoyed, Lin Feiran returned to the class and tossed the letter at Gu Kaifeng before slumping into his seat across the aisle. He watched as Gu Kaifeng casually tossed the love letter on his desk. Lin Feiran hadn’t yet developed a strong dislike for Gu Kaifeng at the time, so out of curiosity, he asked, “Are you just going to leave it there?”
Gu Kaifeng glanced at him. “What, should I toss it on the floor instead?”
Lin Feiran could only gape at him for a bit. “No, I mean, aren’t you going to read it?”
Gu Kaifeng raised an eyebrow and looked over at Lin Feiran, “Is it from a girl?”
Lin Feiran rolled his eyes as if it wasn’t obvious enough. “Yes, she’s quite pretty.”
Gu Kaifeng just shrugged. “I’m not interested in reading it then.”
Lin Feiran didn’t think much of it at the time, but he later realized how strange Gu Kaifeng’s reaction was. As their relationship gradually grew colder and they spoke less, Lin Feiran never got another chance to ask, leaving him no choice but to bury his curiosity.
Wang Yao, who had already been rejected once yet refused to give up, stayed in the music room. She spoke out in the direction of Lin Feiran, “Alright then, have you guys ever heard about the story of this room?”
Gu Kaifeng, his face a cold mask, lowered his head and flipped through his script, remained silent.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward, so Lin Feiran quickly replied, “What story?”
Wang Yao playfully stuck out her tongue and spoke with a hint of mystery, “Legend has it, someone died here. If you stay here during the night, you might see something…unworldly.”
Just as Lin Feiran was about to speak, Gu Kaifeng snorted and said without looking up, “Think about it, billions of people have lived and died on Earth. It’s impossible to find a place where no one’s ever died, you know?”
This left both Wang Yao and Lin Feiran stunned into silence.
Lin Feiran turned his head and gave Gu Kaifeng a huge eye roll behind his back. Can’t you go one day without showing off?
Wang Yao finally headed to the canteen. Gu Kaifeng leaned against the podium to read his lines while Lin Feiran resumed his piano practice. Halfway through the piece, Gu Kaifeng abruptly tossed his script onto the podium and exited the room without a word, hands in his pockets, leaving an air of nonchalance behind.
The truth was, Gu Kaifeng had his own doubts about Lin Feiran. There were two main reasons for this.
Gu Kaifeng, a natural lone wolf, had the luxury of a private room thanks to his father’s donations. The school had always given him his own space without a roommate. But when Lin Feiran arrived, due to the shortage of dorms, his solo living situation changed. Gu Kaifeng, not usually one to get upset over small things, had hoped to get along with his new roommate. However, Lin Feiran often seemed a bit out of sorts and distant. To Gu Kaifeng, the reason wasn’t clear. He could sense Lin Feiran’s underlying discomfort but couldn’t pin down the cause, and this uncertainty led him to start slowly pulling back. Now, even though they shared the same space in both the classroom and the dorm room, they lived their own lives as if the other didn’t exist, interacting only in their own bubbles.
As soon as Gu Kaifeng left the room, Lin Feiran stopped playing.
He tidied up the music score and stuffed it into the bench, making a hasty exit from the room as if being chased by an unseen force.
Lin Feiran felt a bit silly admitting it, but he was never known to be a scaredy cat. Snakes, bugs, or rodents that freaked out most people were nothing to him, the power given through experiences of growing up in the countryside. But one thing he did fear was ghosts. After Wang Yao’s casual mention of the ghost story, Lin Feiran did not dare to stay in the room alone, regardless of the story’s authenticity.
He was raised by his grandparents in the countryside, mostly because his parents were always too busy with work. His grandpa, who often spun tales of the supernatural without any real skill, would be considered a charlatan by today’s standards. His favourite pastime was telling Lin Feiran ghost stories, crafting them with such convincing detail and dramatic twists that they utterly captivated his young grandson. Though these stories often left Lin Feiran terror-stricken, his insatiable curiosity always drove him to listen as if under a spell. He would even coax his grandpa for more. Over time, these stories wove a tapestry of fear into Lin Feiran’s psyche, a phobia of ghosts that haunted him even after growing up.
Lin Feiran always had the idea that his grandpa could be one of the best horror fiction authors if he stopped being a charlatan.
After grabbing a quick bite in the canteen, Lin Feiran headed back to the classroom. He wanted to knock out his homework fast, so he could chill in the dorms later that evening.
They had a long dinner break after the afternoon study session while the evening session was set to last until eight. Back in his seat, Lin Feiran opened his math workbook. He’d barely finished two problems when Gu Kaifeng walked in, clutching a stack of test papers - likely given by a teacher in the corridor.
Expressionless, Gu Kaifeng started distributing the papers. When he was about a meter away, Lin Feiran snuck a peek and saw that they were the essays handed in a few days ago from their Chinese literature class. Lips pursed, he watched Gu Kaifeng intently from the corner of his eye. Gu Kaifeng handed an essay to the student in front of Lin Feiran and then paused, holding the corner of the next essay, gazing at it for three long seconds. Then, his lips twitched into a sly smirk.
Lin Feiran’s heart skipped a beat.
Suppressing a chuckle, Gu Kaifeng handed Lin Feiran his essay and moved on.
Looking down, Lin Feiran’s eyes landed on the glaring red “15” and the “Off-Topic” comment scrawled on the page by the teacher. His ears burned.
His handwriting? Complete chicken scratch.
Lin Feiran was strong in many subjects, but essays were his weak spot. In subjects that required a lot of memorization such as Chinese literature, he could easily excel with some effort, and his hard work usually paid off in good grades. Yet, ever since he was young, he’d found writing essays challenging, and his messy handwriting only made it worse. Writing an 800-word essay was a struggle for him, to the point where he had to count punctuation marks to meet the word count. Despite being a junior in high school, his essay-writing skills were still at an elementary level.
Out of everyone, why was it Gu Kaifeng who saw my essay? He damn stared at it for, like, three whole seconds. That was totally on purpose!
While Lin Feiran was mortified about his essay, Gu Kaifeng, the cause of his embarrassment, stood casually by the whiteboard, putting his essay up with magnets. His neat calligraphy and impressive writing often landed his work on display as a prime example to their Chinese literature teacher’s delight.
Lin Feiran envied Gu Kaifeng for a moment before he crumpled his own essay, the one Gu Kaifeng had examined for three seconds, and shoved it into his drawer. Then, he stormed out of the room. On his way past the whiteboard, he “accidentally” bumped into Gu Kaifeng with a bit of extra force while staging it was an accident.
Gu Kaifeng gave him a look but said nothing, simply stepping aside lazily to let Lin Feiran pass. The whole thing looked like a standoff between a ruffled, agitated kitten and a big dog that couldn’t be bothered to care.
Lin Feiran was looking for a fight, but Gu Kaifeng wasn’t even fazed. Feeling a bit burned, Lin Feiran muttered, “You’re blocking the door.”
Rather than getting annoyed, Gu Kaifeng raised an eyebrow and flashed a mocking smile. For the first time in three days, he spoke to Lin Feiran with clear enunciation, “Today, the weather is sunny, not a cloud in the sky, with white clouds in sight, clouds floating over…”
The students in the front row chuckled, leaving Lin Feiran seething. “You…!”
What a jerk!
Gu Kaifeng stopped reciting and lazily tapped his A+ essay on the whiteboard twice, “Learn from it.” He then went back to his seat in the last row, hands in his pockets.
Lin Feiran was so enraged that he wanted nothing more than to pounce on Gu Kaifeng and bite him.
To prove his earlier actions were unintentional and to smooth over the awkwardness, Lin Feiran made a quick pit stop at the restroom before heading back to class. He sat in the third-to-last row, just one aisle away from Gu Kaifeng. As he walked back to his seat, Gu Kaifeng could be seen sitting with his arms crossed and chin slightly raised, watching Lin Feiran expressionlessly. One of his long legs stretched into the aisle as if his leg could block off three rows. A limited-edition Air Jordan was on that foot - a model Lin Feiran had been eyeing forever.
Even money couldn’t always buy limited edition kicks. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
He shot Gu Kaifeng a glare. Gu Kaifeng just raised an eyebrow and followed Lin Feiran’s gaze to his Jordans.
Lin Feiran fell silent.
With a smug grin, Gu Kaifeng rocked his foot with the shiny Jordans back and forth. He watched with satisfaction as Lin Feiran, now seething with anger, spun around and slammed into his seat so hard he almost broke the chair!
Just then, the bell for evening study chimed. Gu Kaifeng, all smiles, whipped out a new sheet of paper and got to work.
Lin Feiran turned back to his math workbook, face smoothing over, but the frustration was still eating at him.
Everyone wore uniforms in high school, so there weren’t many ways to show personal style except for accessories like their shoes and watches. Lin Feiran, an ordinary student who only had the pocket money he’d saved up, couldn’t blow cash on fancy watches, so he got into collecting cool sneakers instead. He brought a suitcase just for his six pairs of high-end, trendy basketball shoes when he transferred to the boarding school.
Lin Feiran decided to wear his prized Nike Galaxy Foamposites on his first day, prepared to wow his new roommate, Gu Kaifeng. He had his whole story of how he painstakingly got them on eBay rehearsed a thousand times, ready to casually boast if Gu Kaifeng showed any interest, “They weren’t too pricey, just a little over nine grand RMB.” He’d been asked about them before and had always kept his cool reply ready.
Yeah, Lin Feiran was exactly the kind of guy who lived for those moments of vanity! He knew exactly how to flash his coolness!
When he was putting on those sneakers, Gu Kaifeng was coming back from the boiler room. Lin Feiran saw him glance at his shoes, so our Lin Show-Off was all ready to flaunt, but Gu Kaifeng didn’t even blink. His gaze lingered on Lin Feiran’s Foamposites for less than a second before looking away, treating them like they were just regular, no-name shoes.
Lin Feiran couldn’t believe it. Does this guy not even know what Galaxy Foamposites are?
Without a word, Gu Kaifeng put his basin on the rack and opened a huge three-tier shoe cabinet at the corner of the dorm. Inside were at least twenty pairs of basketball sneakers, including a bunch of super expensive limited editions. Lin Feiran spotted the Galaxy Foamposites, the same pair he was wearing, was among them.
Lin Feiran hadn’t noticed this cabinet when he arrived the night before. He never imagined he’d get a rich roommate with a special shoe cabinet in the dorm. Seeing it now, he felt suddenly outclassed, like a villain outshone by the movie’s hero, despite Gu Kaifeng having done nothing.
Gu Kaifeng spent a moment looking at his collections, then casually picked out a pair of sneakers, a different pair from Lin Feiran’s. He didn’t show off; he just chose a pair and put them on, expressionless. He was kind enough not to wear the same shoes as Lin Feiran, but to Lin Feiran, just seeing that vast collection was a hit to his pride. Gu Kaifeng didn’t even need to show off for the damage to be done.
While Gu Kaifeng was busy, Lin Feiran quietly slid his other five pairs of sneakers under his bed. When he emerged, his face turned a deep red, the embarrassment burning through him.
Lin Feiran kept hearing about Gu Kaifeng’s achievements from their classmates as days went by, mostly about how outstanding and aloof he was, almost like a cool idol. Lin Feiran couldn’t help but feel a bitter taste of envy. He used to be the centre of attention, but now he felt side-lined. This shift left him feeling disconcerted; the frustration of losing the admiration he was used to slowly morphed into a deep annoyance he couldn’t shake off.
With a heavy sigh, Lin Feiran closed the math workbook he had been breezing through and, albeit reluctantly, pulled out “Excellent Essays of High School Students” to start studying.
He was determined not to fall behind!
Evening study wrapped up by eight. It was time to head back to their dorms. Unlike most boarding schools in the country where 4-6 students typically share a room, this school offered the luxury of double rooms. As a result, roommates generally got along quite well. Roommates usually walked back together, chatting and laughing, but Lin Feiran and Gu Kaifeng were different. They walked on opposite sides of the path, almost like there was an invisible divider between them. Lin Feiran, perhaps trying to stand out a bit, even walked on the curb like he was trying to look taller.
They kept a similar pace at first, but Gu Kaifeng seemed to start walking a bit faster, leaving Lin Feiran behind. Feeling a rush of competitiveness, Lin Feiran sped up, briefly getting ahead. Gu Kaifeng glanced at him, amused, and picked up his pace, passing Lin Feiran again. Refusing to be outdone, Lin Feiran pushed himself to walk even faster. Suddenly, they were in a silly speed-walking race!
Gu Kaifeng, taller and with longer legs, naturally had the edge. Lin Feiran realised he couldn’t win and, in a sudden burst of impulse, sprinted towards the dorm.
Seeing Lin Feiran bolt off like a rabbit, Gu Kaifeng was a mix of irritated and amused. Shaking his head, he muttered under his breath, “Damn, what’s gotten into him?”
“What’s up?” Wang Zhuo, Gu Kaifeng’s deskmate, happened to pass by and casually asked.
Gu Kaifeng, who was on good terms with Wang Zhuo, replied, “Just figured out my roommate is a little silly goose.”
Wang Zhuo laughed. “Why ‘little’?”
Gu Kaifeng glanced at Wang Zhuo, who was 181 centimetres tall, and said, “He’s short, why not?”
“It feels like a nickname,” Wang Zhuo teased.
Gu Kaifeng scoffed, “A nickname? Do you want one too?”
Wang Zhuo made a face. “Nah, I’ll pass.”
By the time Lin Feiran got back to the dorm, he realized how silly he’d been.
Embarrassed, he was icier than usual when Gu Kaifeng followed him in a couple of minutes later. He decided to use his cool exterior to hide his embarrassment.
Gu Kaifeng, completely disarmed by this little silly goose, leaned against the wardrobe and looked at him in amusement. “Why the long face? Thought you won our little race there,” he joked.
Lin Feiran chose not to reply. He, indeed, had intended to “outpace Gu Kaifeng”, but he felt too embarrassed to admit such a childish silly thought.
Yeah, Lin Feiran knew he was being ridiculous, but he couldn’t help it!
Lin Feiran’s face flushed as he glared coldly at Gu Kaifeng. He was about to snap back when his phone rang. He stepped outside and checked the caller ID, surprised to see his dad’s number. His dad, Lin Chengyu, had only left for Europe a month ago and wasn’t due back for another two months.
“Hey, Dad. Why are you calling from this number? Aren’t you still in Europe?” Lin Feiran asked after picking up.
“Feiran, your grandpa’s not doing well,” Lin Chengyu’s voice came through, heavy with concern.
A chill ran through Lin Feiran. He went quiet. A moment later, he responded carefully.
Lin Chengyu explained that his grandpa’s stable condition had suddenly deteriorated. He would come to Lin Feiran’s school the next morning to take him back to their family home in the countryside to visit his grandpa, perhaps for the last time.
“Okay, Dad. I’ll get ready.” Lin Feiran managed to say, ending the call shortly after.
Lin Feiran returned to his dorm room paler than before, though it was barely noticeable due to his fair skin. Gu Kaifeng, still leaning against the wardrobe, hadn’t moved since Lin Feiran left. He didn’t seem to have let go of the earlier embarrassing topic either. “So, were you race-walking with me earlier? How old are you, huh?” he teased as soon as Lin Feiran closed the door behind him.
The jab hit Lin Feiran hard, already fraught with worry. He clenched his fists, glaring. “Just shut up!” he snapped.
Gu Kaifeng, seeing Lin Feiran irritated, felt even more amused. He just snorted and shrugged nonchalantly and grabbed his basin to leave.
Lin Feiran took off his school uniform, crawled into bed, and pulled the blanket over his head. The thought of his grandpa becoming just a black-and-white photo and a small box of ashes hit him hard, filling him with deep sadness and emptiness.
He and his grandpa were incredibly close. He had lived with his grandparents in the countryside until he was seven before moving to the city where his father worked for elementary school. But he always returned to his grandparent’s house every winter and summer break, a tradition that faded as he got busier in middle school.
His grandpa was a playful old man, a master storyteller of spine-tingling ghost tales, and a great companion on their wild adventures across the hills and fields. They spent springs hunting crickets in the lush grass and fishing in the glistening lakes, and summers building mud dams in gullies, punctuated by impromptu swims when the sun beat down too hard. Autumns were spent harvesting sweet potatoes and baking them to perfection in a kiln. They would devour them eagerly, still warm and fragrant, blowing on each bite to cool it down. Winters were for creating snow sledges and going down hills with the icy winds blowing at their faces.
These memories usually stayed tucked away in the back of Lin Feiran’s mind. But now, they crashed over him in waves, evoking nostalgia as profound as a tempestuous sea. Curled up under his blanket, jaw clenched, he buried his face in the pillow and let the tears flow quietly.