Chapter 67: Anonymous
Compared to their previous instructor Luo Peng, Huo Ran's classes were more relaxed. For the final Magical Artifacts course, students only needed to write a paper and take a closed-book exam, saving them from the hassle of searching for bizarre items.
With only a month left until summer vacation, the university students training to be demon hunters, previously living a carefree life, no longer dared to play games and started to seriously prepare for their final exams. Jiang Hong returned to dorm life, joining his peers in collective activities. However, just being away from Lu Xiu for half a day made him restless, as if missing something vital.
"Son, are you in love?" He Jian asked cheerfully.
"No, no, no!"
During dinner, Jiang Hong was still looking at his phone.
"You're cutely arguing again," He Jian teased, scraping Jiang Hong's face. "Smiling stupidly while texting, if it's not love, then what is it?"
"I'm just looking at a collection of cold jokes!" Jiang Hong argued futilely.
Lu Xiu hadn't replied to his messages all afternoon, seemingly busy. He only asked Jiang Hong in the evening if he had eaten and who he was with. Jiang Hong, rarely with his roommates since the holiday, didn’t want to detach from the group, so he replied that he was in the dorm. Lu Xiu then didn't bother Jiang Hong anymore.
Jiang Hong felt a bit anxious. At night, while going to study with his roommates, he was somewhat distracted, thinking about not letting He Jian discover his love affair... Wait! I'm not in a relationship at all!
What is Lu Xiu doing? Preparing for another lesson? He's been so busy lately.
Jiang Hong had already forgotten that dream, but deep inside, there seemed to be a persistent feeling.
"What's on your exorcism comprehensive course's final exam?" Jin flipped through a book on Buddhist history, his head spinning from reading, annoyed that he even had to write a paper for an elective course.
Jiang Hong said, "You have to make a talisman or weapon. Do you want me to help you with anything?"
Jin shook his head, maybe just bored from studying too long and wanting to talk.
"Are you okay?" Jin leaned closer to Jiang Hong, asking softly, "Nothing happened, right?"
"No, nothing." Jiang Hong quickly clarified, "Do I look that abnormal?"
"You seem distracted," Jin added.
Jiang Hong wiped his sweat. Did Jin notice it too?
Suddenly, a soft murmur arose in the library. Jiang Hong looked up, surprised. A dazzling head of golden-red hair came into view, followed by a boy in a loose white T-shirt, sports shorts, and red AJ sneakers.
It was Si Gui!
Si Gui, appearing somewhere other than the administrative building, was a first for Jiang Hong. Seeing him in the activity room always seemed normal, but in places like the library, his golden-red hair seemed a bit too flamboyant.
Many students, not even sure who Si Gui was, curiously stared at him. But almost instantly, they felt an oppressive aura emanating from him, and soon no one was looking his way.
The moment He Jian saw Si Gui, he instinctively stood up, as the racial effect suppressed everything else.
"Stay seated," Si Gui said coldly, then pulled up a chair to sit across Jiang Hong, put on his headphones, and opened his phone.
Filled with confusion, Jiang Hong looked at Si Gui and mouthed, "What's wrong?"
Si Gui: "?"
Jiang Hong whispered, "Is something the matter?"
Si Gui: "No."
Jiang Hong had thought Si Gui's rare visit might be for some important notification, but his current behavior left him utterly puzzled.
Everyone in the dormitory looked at each other, and Jin wrote on a notebook: [Is he the phoenix raised by the principal?]
Jiang Hong wrote back: [The principal is not Dumbledore. Where would he get a 'raised phoenix'?]
Jin: "..."
Jiang Hong: [He is indeed a phoenix, but I don't know why he's here.]
Suddenly, Si Gui glanced at Jiang Hong, who was writing and drawing with Jin in a notebook. Jiang Hong immediately stopped and refocused, starting to memorize the key points of his Exorcism History class. Si Gui's presence seemed to have a strange, mysterious power that finally allowed Jiang Hong to concentrate.
After memorizing for a while, Jiang Hong began to take notes, wearing headphones, momentarily losing himself in his work, unaware even when Jin was replaced by someone else. That person came over, gently tapped Jin's shoulder, made a "shush" gesture, and Jin packed up and left. The newcomer sat down in the vacant seat.
Jiang Hong was still memorizing his notes, his lips moving silently, when someone pulled his notebook away and wrote: [Late night snack?]
Jiang Hong wrote back without thinking: [Wait three minutes.] But then he noticed the handwriting wasn't right and quickly turned around.
It was Lu Xiu!
Lu Xiu had appeared at some point, but where was Jin?
"Ah!" Jiang Hong was startled, immediately removing his headphones, both Si Gui and Lu Xiu watching him intently.
"You..." Jiang Hong said, "how did you get here?"
"I messaged you, but you didn't reply," Lu Xiu said, still expressionless.
Jiang Hong then realized it was already ten o'clock, and the library had emptied, with most students returning to their dorms, leaving only a few scattered around.
"I'll finish memorizing then leave," Lu Xiu said, leaning back idly, one hand resting on the back of Jiang Hong's chair.
Si Gui was also lounging lazily, watching a movie on his phone.
"Not much left," Jiang Hong said, "I’ll just organize a bit."
Si Gui’s gaze drifted from his phone screen and met Lu Xiu's eyes.
"Why are you here?" Lu Xiu suddenly asked.
"Nothing special," Si Gui replied. "Just curious, wanting to get closer, feel more clearly."
Lu Xiu: "Curious about what?"
Si Gui: "Emotions, human emotions."
Lu Xiu: "Don’t you have emotions?"
Si Gui: "I lack them inherently, so I'm learning. What, do you have a problem with that?"
Lu Xiu then fell silent, his expression turning stern.
Jiang Hong sensed the atmosphere becoming somewhat tense, glancing at Lu Xiu and then at Si Gui, wondering what exactly had happened.
"Alright." Jiang Hong packed up his notebook and books.
"I'm leaving," Si Gui announced as he got up.
"Bye... goodbye." Jiang Hong was even more perplexed, thinking to himself: Did you really come just to keep me company for the evening study session?
Lu Xiu asked, "Do you need me to tutor you?"
"Not for now," Jiang Hong replied, feeling much better at the end of the day upon seeing Lu Xiu. "What brings you here?"
"Can't I come to find you?" Lu Xiu said. "Has that bird been acting strangely lately?"
"What?" Jiang Hong asked. "Which bird? Oh, you mean Si Gui? No, not at all. I saw him in class today. He's been holed up on the couch playing games all day. He was odd tonight, too."
The two of them went to the cafeteria for a late-night snack and then walked back to the dormitory through the night at Tsangqiu University.
The path from the cafeteria was quiet, moonlight shining through the trees, with couples holding hands and strolling slowly everywhere. Jiang Hong, carrying a sling bag, saw the shadows of himself and Lu Xiu under the moon and wanted to say something but didn't want to break the comfortable silence.
"What were you thinking about today?" Lu Xiu asked.
Jiang Hong became suddenly nervous when Lu Xiu asked him out of the blue.
Ah, has he noticed it too?
"No, no, not at all," Jiang Hong said guiltily.
"You’re preoccupied with something," Lu Xiu stopped walking, his brows slightly furrowed, gazing into Jiang Hong's eyes.
Jiang Hong: "Because of the exams! I'm afraid of failing! I feel like I haven’t learned much this semester, and the exams are already here."
Lu Xiu accepted this explanation, showing an 'I see' expression, and said: "Shall I help you study?"
"Let me sort things out after these exams," Jiang Hong didn’t refuse this time.
"Okay, as you wish."
But Jiang Hong felt that if Lu Xiu tutored him, he would be even more distracted.
"You should go back."
Gradually, as they reached the foot of Lu Xiu's dormitory, Jiang Hong wanted to stay with him a little longer yet also wanted to leave quickly, feeling incredibly conflicted.
The surroundings were filled with couples cuddling and whispering sweet nothings, making the dormitory under the moonlight seem enchanting and romantic — the essence of summer nights was everywhere, as if in this season, falling in love was the only thing to do.
Suddenly, Lu Xiu stopped, looking at Jiang Hong, his lips moving slightly but no words came out.
What did he want to say?
"Goodnight, sleep well," Lu Xiu finally said, patting Jiang Hong's head and then turning to go upstairs.
Jiang Hong: "..."
I still can't go to sleep!
Back in his dorm, Jiang Hong began making plaster molds, followed by preparing a crucible. After setting up the crucible stand, he started preparing to cast some parts of a Western sword. To not disturb his roommate, he worked on the balcony, with Zhang Xiting helping to set up a sound barrier. Under the moonlight, with a small desk lamp, he busied himself until 2 a.m.
"When will you attach my leg?" Old Sun asked.
"Turn the music down," Jiang Hong instructed, securing the crucible to the pressure regulator and plugging it in to start melting the alloy.
He couldn't help but marvel at the best thing about Tsangqiu University: the freedom for students to use electricity. Whether it was air conditioning, refrigerators, or any other power-hungry devices, students could simultaneously run multiple electric grills in their rooms for barbecues or hot pots without any questions asked. The fuses never blew, even when Jiang Hong used an electric induction crucible, the lights didn’t even dim.
Just for this, his alma mater was a treasure of the universe!
"I want legs," the Sky Cat Spirit said again. "Be careful, don’t burn yourself. If you really can’t, just attach one for now; I can hop."
Jiang Hong: "No, can't you just properly cultivate and absorb your spiritual energy? If you cause trouble on campus, the dorm supervisor will definitely confiscate you. I really don’t want to deal with that chicken; it's too noisy."
Old Sun again suggested, "Then attach that fake hand from the wardrobe to me."
Jiang Hong: "..."
Old Sun: "Then I can help you."
Jiang Hong: "Using a camera and a fake hand to pour molten metal over a thousand degrees into a crucible, you’re just asking to set the dorm building on fire, aren't you?"
"Speaking of which..." Jiang Hong carefully made the mold and asked, "If you become a spirit, will you have arms and legs?"
"I don't know," Old Sun hesitated, "Probably."
Jiang Hong: "How long would that take?"
Lao Sun: "I'm not sure, theoretically, it requires enough spiritual energy."
"You're starting to talk more and more like a modern person now," Jiang Hong said with a smile.
Lao Sun spent every day in the dormitory, listening to their conversations and learning to speak like them, no longer as clueless as he was at the beginning.
At this point, Lao Sun suddenly let out a sigh.
Jiang Hong: "What are you sighing about?"
Lao Sun said, "Well, we are neither kin nor kindred, and yet you have done so much for me..."
"Don't use retreat as an advance," Jiang Hong said. "Alright, I know. Once I finish making the sword for Lu Xiu, I'll figure out how to get you a leg."
Every late night, it was Lao Sun who accompanied Jiang Hong, engaging in endless conversations with no real substance, until Jiang Hong sleepily went to bed in the early hours.
For several days, Jiang Hong was exceptionally busy, until three days later, during a practical class, Jin asked him, "Can you do me a favor today?"
"Of course," Jiang Hong said. "What do you want to do?"
Jin said, "I want to go to a jewelry store to pick out a gift. Will you come with me?"
"Wow, you got a girlfriend?" Jiang Hong was shocked.
"Shh," Jin immediately said, "It's not certain yet. I'm planning to confess to her tomorrow."
Jiang Hong: "Which class is she in?"
Jin pointed to a girl in the practice class area. Jiang Hong had seen her before; she was a management student, really pretty and charming, like a Persian cat.
"She's so beautiful!" Jiang Hong said. "Have you talked to her?"
"I added her on QQ," Jin said, "and we chat occasionally."
After selecting a bracelet with Jin, Jiang Hong suddenly realized something. Wait, this meant he was the only one in the dorm who was still single!
After shopping, Jin invited Jiang Hong for afternoon tea. They sipped through straws, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Why tomorrow?" Jiang Hong asked.
"May 20th," Jin said, "a day for confessions."
"Oh—" Jiang Hong understood. Jin was nervous, but Jiang Hong kept reassuring him, "Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. You’re perfect, how could she not like you?"
Jin said, "Really? But in your eyes, all your brothers are perfect, right?"
Indeed, in Jiang Hong’s heart, his roommates were the best. But Jin couldn't help saying, "I have a strange temper, more than one person has told me..."
"Not at all," Jiang Hong said. "You’re not strange in the slightest."
Jin wavered for a moment, continuously checking his chat history with the girl he liked, saying, "I feel like she’s also somewhat interested in me."
"More than just a bit!" Jiang Hong said. "She will definitely accept, be bold, be confident."
"Look at our chats," Jin said. "We talk about ten times a day on average."
So, Jiang Hong began to analyze with Jin. But no matter how they looked at it, the girl seemed indifferent. Her messages were filled with excuses like "I’m going to take a shower" or "I’m going to eat," typical evasion tactics. Jiang Hong, trying to boost Jin’s confidence, reluctantly encouraged him.
"But she never initiates a conversation," Jin said, "I always have to start."
Jiang Hong asked, "Is she from the demon clan? What race is she?"
"A cat," Jin replied.
"Oh, cats are like that," Jiang Hong said, "all proud and tsundere. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine."
Jin kept mulling over his chats with the beautiful Persian cat, and suddenly Jiang Hong felt a bit stunned.
Isn't this just like me? Ah, ah, ah?
Jiang Hong facepalmed, recalling how he'd also been anxiously waiting for Lu Xiu recently.
Jin: "?"
"It's nothing." Jiang Hong was a bit downcast, just then his phone chimed with a message.
[Do you have time tomorrow? Any plans after the exam?]
Hearing the special notification sound, "Ding Dong," Jiang Hong was like a puppet with its strings pulled, instantly forgetting everything he was thinking about.
[Yeah, I do.] Jiang Hong replied.
[Let's have dinner together in the evening, I've booked a restaurant in Xi'an.]
Jin glanced at Jiang Hong and then at his phone, smiled, but said nothing.
That night, Jiang Hong was busy until nearly three in the morning, crafting a hilt model for a Western sword according to Lu Xiu's hand size. He tried holding it and realized Lu Xiu's hands were quite large and his fingers long.
The next day, he went to his exam, still groggy from lack of sleep.
"Have you finished making the weapon?" Xiao Pi was sitting beside him.
"Not yet…" Jiang Hong said, "I guess it'll take until next semester."
Xiao Pi said, "Let me show you what I've made…"
As he spoke, Xiao Pi somehow pulled out a huge sword, resembling a door plank, struggling to hold it up.
"Be careful!" the students warned in unison, "You're going to hit the ceiling fan!"
"Who did you make this weapon for? Yourself? Can you even swing it?" Jiang Hong was shocked. And this thing was just a model; once cast in metal, it would weigh at least a hundred pounds.
Xiao Pi said, "It's a gift for Lian Jiang."
Jiang Hong: "…"
"Put away all extracurricular items." Suddenly, the teacher entered the classroom and started distributing papers, announcing, "It’s time for the exam."
Lately, Jiang Hong was extremely tired, spending every day laboring over that Western sword. He hadn't properly written his thesis and, despite studying for the closed-book exam, getting a high grade seemed unlikely, though passing shouldn't be a problem.
After finishing the exam, everyone felt relieved. Today was the special confession day, followed by a weekend. After dispersing, everyone was excited to go out and play. Compared to heading home for the holidays, this peculiar unofficial holiday had the boys particularly excited and nervous.
As Jiang Hong was leaving, he suddenly saw Cao Bin, looking very handsome.
"Wow—" the students almost boiled over with excitement, asking, "Principal! Who are you waiting for?"
"Waiting for Jiang Hong," Cao Bin said.
Jiang Hong was momentarily flattered and surprised. Cao Bin was actually waiting for him at the classroom door?!
Then, Cao Bin took a small dagger from the inner pocket of his suit and handed it to Jiang Hong.
"Could you also bring this to him tonight?" Cao Bin asked.
"Oh, okay." Jiang Hong hadn't yet figured out who "he" was when Cao Bin had already left.
Maybe it's for Lu Xiu? How did Cao Bin know they were meeting tonight? Jiang Hong returned to his dorm to find his roommates getting ready for their dates.
"Are you sure you want to wear a suit?" He Jian asked. "Maybe something more casual would be better."
In the dorm, everyone was trying on outfits and styling their hair with wax. Jin borrowed He Jian's suit and looked very handsome in it. This surprised Jiang Hong; Jin and He Jian could actually share clothes. He Jian’s oversized suit jacket looked perfectly tailored on Jin.
"None of you are coming back to spend the night, right?" Jiang Hong asked.
Zhang Xiting was flying to Shanghai to see his girlfriend, He Jian was going out with his girlfriend in the evening, and if Jin's confession went well, he'd probably be out watching the stars and the moon, not returning either.
Everyone confirmed they wouldn't be back.
"Then I can continue working on my sword," Jiang Hong said. "A decade to forge a sword... What are you looking at? Aren’t you leaving? Still playing games, careful not to miss your flight."
Sitting at his desk with his computer on, Zhang Xiting said, "I’ll leave right after this game... and let me check the confession wall too..."
"Oh, right!" Jiang Hong, suddenly ignited with a gossiping spirit, said, "Today’s confession wall must be really lively!"
Jiang Hong leaned in to see, and on Cangqiong University's BBS confession wall, there was actually a ranking today! What on earth was this!
Male student with the most confessions: Cao Bin, a total of 977 times.
"Hahaha—" Jiang Hong laughed loudly. "Principal Cao! Won't he be embarrassed?"
"It's a tradition," He Jian said, "I left one too."
Zhang Xiting asked, "Did you go anonymous?"
He Jian said, "No."
You could choose to be anonymous or not. Jin said, "I also confessed, but I didn’t have the courage, so I went anonymous."
Zhang Xiting said, "Let’s see, a few other people... Let's start with Professor Ke Da!"
Professor Ke Da received 42 confessions, completely overshadowed by Cao Bin, and there were many comments like [I'm a guy, and I really like Professor Ke Da!].
Jiang Hong kept laughing, and then Zhang Xiting opened the confession rankings for a sequential order.
Second place in the overall rankings was Fang Yilan, third place was a senior counselor named Qingya, and fourth place was Xiang Cheng with 330 confessions.
"Fifth place..."
"Professor Lu!"
"Wow!"
Lu Xiu received over two hundred confessions, and there was a yearly comparison showing that last year on this day, Lu Xiu had received over thirty confessions.
"Oh—"
Everyone looked at Jiang Hong, who hesitated with an "uh," unsure whether to be happy or annoyed. After pondering for a while, he said, "Maybe it’s because he started teaching and supervising internships this year?"
"Yeah, yeah." Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Let's check He Jian…" Zhang Xiting began to search.
He Jian: "No need for that!"
"You say no, but your body is very honest," Jin teased, holding He Jian down.
Jiang Hong: "You’re clearly looking forward to it!"
"Wow—"
He Jian received 73 confessions, quite popular. The confession wall itself had many who were just joining in for fun, casually confessing.
"Let's see you." Jiang Hong egged on Zhang Xiting.
Neither Zhang Xiting nor Jin had any confessions. Zhang Xiting said, "I have a wife already, let’s hope Jin is successful today!"
"Let's check Jiang Hong." He Jian urged Zhang Xiting to search for Jiang Hong.
"Of course, I don't have any," Jiang Hong said, having only a few friends besides his dorm mates, like Xiao Pi and Lian Jiang.
"You do!" He Jian exclaimed as if he had discovered a new world, and everyone chorused, "Yes!"
Jin even patted Jiang Hong on the head, as if he had achieved something remarkable.
Jiang Hong: "!!!"
Stunned, Jiang Hong saw a male avatar with no anonymity, leaving the message: [I like Jiang Hong.]
"Wow—" Zhang Xiting said, "Who's this great guy? Let’s see?"
He Jian: "That's so heartwarming."
Zhang Xiting clicked on the avatar, finding the personal profile empty, with no history, like an account specifically created for the confession.
"Who is this?" Jiang Hong asked. "Why would they do this? Are you guys teasing me?"
"Why would we do that?" He Jian said. "Confessions are sacred!"
"I know who this is," Jin said. "Just ask him face-to-face."
Jiang Hong: "Who?"
Zhang Xiting: "Alright, alright, let's not look anymore. Keep playing dumb."
Jiang Hong: "I'm not playing dumb, but who could it be…"
Suddenly, Jiang Hong realized the only possibility. No, no, no… Could it be Lu Xiu?
Is it Lu Xiu?
"Wait, let me check…" Jiang Hong said. "Can you trace the IP address?"
"No," Zhang Xiting said. "Can’t trace it."
Jiang Hong clicked on the avatar, examining it over and over. It was just a very ordinary, forum-default avatar. The way the message was phrased, it seemed so much like Lu Xiu, but...
Ahhh—Jiang Hong fell onto the bed in frustration, yelling, "What’s going on?! This is driving me crazy! Ah! Why did you all leave?! Don't leave me behind!! Hey, wait! You're leaving just like that?"
Chapter 67: Anonymous
Compared to their previous instructor Luo Peng, Huo Ran's classes were more relaxed. For the final Magical Artifacts course, students only needed to write a paper and take a closed-book exam, saving them from the hassle of searching for bizarre items.
With only a month left until summer vacation, the university students training to be demon hunters, previously living a carefree life, no longer dared to play games and started to seriously prepare for their final exams. Jiang Hong returned to dorm life, joining his peers in collective activities. However, just being away from Lu Xiu for half a day made him restless, as if missing something vital.
"Son, are you in love?" He Jian asked cheerfully.
"No, no, no!"
During dinner, Jiang Hong was still looking at his phone.
"You're cutely arguing again," He Jian teased, scraping Jiang Hong's face. "Smiling stupidly while texting, if it's not love, then what is it?"
"I'm just looking at a collection of cold jokes!" Jiang Hong argued futilely.
Lu Xiu hadn't replied to his messages all afternoon, seemingly busy. He only asked Jiang Hong in the evening if he had eaten and who he was with. Jiang Hong, rarely with his roommates since the holiday, didn’t want to detach from the group, so he replied that he was in the dorm. Lu Xiu then didn't bother Jiang Hong anymore.
Jiang Hong felt a bit anxious. At night, while going to study with his roommates, he was somewhat distracted, thinking about not letting He Jian discover his love affair... Wait! I'm not in a relationship at all!
What is Lu Xiu doing? Preparing for another lesson? He's been so busy lately.
Jiang Hong had already forgotten that dream, but deep inside, there seemed to be a persistent feeling.
"What's on your exorcism comprehensive course's final exam?" Jin flipped through a book on Buddhist history, his head spinning from reading, annoyed that he even had to write a paper for an elective course.
Jiang Hong said, "You have to make a talisman or weapon. Do you want me to help you with anything?"
Jin shook his head, maybe just bored from studying too long and wanting to talk.
"Are you okay?" Jin leaned closer to Jiang Hong, asking softly, "Nothing happened, right?"
"No, nothing." Jiang Hong quickly clarified, "Do I look that abnormal?"
"You seem distracted," Jin added.
Jiang Hong wiped his sweat. Did Jin notice it too?
Suddenly, a soft murmur arose in the library. Jiang Hong looked up, surprised. A dazzling head of golden-red hair came into view, followed by a boy in a loose white T-shirt, sports shorts, and red AJ sneakers.
It was Si Gui!
Si Gui, appearing somewhere other than the administrative building, was a first for Jiang Hong. Seeing him in the activity room always seemed normal, but in places like the library, his golden-red hair seemed a bit too flamboyant.
Many students, not even sure who Si Gui was, curiously stared at him. But almost instantly, they felt an oppressive aura emanating from him, and soon no one was looking his way.
The moment He Jian saw Si Gui, he instinctively stood up, as the racial effect suppressed everything else.
"Stay seated," Si Gui said coldly, then pulled up a chair to sit across Jiang Hong, put on his headphones, and opened his phone.
Filled with confusion, Jiang Hong looked at Si Gui and mouthed, "What's wrong?"
Si Gui: "?"
Jiang Hong whispered, "Is something the matter?"
Si Gui: "No."
Jiang Hong had thought Si Gui's rare visit might be for some important notification, but his current behavior left him utterly puzzled.
Everyone in the dormitory looked at each other, and Jin wrote on a notebook: [Is he the phoenix raised by the principal?]
Jiang Hong wrote back: [The principal is not Dumbledore. Where would he get a 'raised phoenix'?]
Jin: "..."
Jiang Hong: [He is indeed a phoenix, but I don't know why he's here.]
Suddenly, Si Gui glanced at Jiang Hong, who was writing and drawing with Jin in a notebook. Jiang Hong immediately stopped and refocused, starting to memorize the key points of his Exorcism History class. Si Gui's presence seemed to have a strange, mysterious power that finally allowed Jiang Hong to concentrate.
After memorizing for a while, Jiang Hong began to take notes, wearing headphones, momentarily losing himself in his work, unaware even when Jin was replaced by someone else. That person came over, gently tapped Jin's shoulder, made a "shush" gesture, and Jin packed up and left. The newcomer sat down in the vacant seat.
Jiang Hong was still memorizing his notes, his lips moving silently, when someone pulled his notebook away and wrote: [Late night snack?]
Jiang Hong wrote back without thinking: [Wait three minutes.] But then he noticed the handwriting wasn't right and quickly turned around.
It was Lu Xiu!
Lu Xiu had appeared at some point, but where was Jin?
"Ah!" Jiang Hong was startled, immediately removing his headphones, both Si Gui and Lu Xiu watching him intently.
"You..." Jiang Hong said, "how did you get here?"
"I messaged you, but you didn't reply," Lu Xiu said, still expressionless.
Jiang Hong then realized it was already ten o'clock, and the library had emptied, with most students returning to their dorms, leaving only a few scattered around.
"I'll finish memorizing then leave," Lu Xiu said, leaning back idly, one hand resting on the back of Jiang Hong's chair.
Si Gui was also lounging lazily, watching a movie on his phone.
"Not much left," Jiang Hong said, "I’ll just organize a bit."
Si Gui’s gaze drifted from his phone screen and met Lu Xiu's eyes.
"Why are you here?" Lu Xiu suddenly asked.
"Nothing special," Si Gui replied. "Just curious, wanting to get closer, feel more clearly."
Lu Xiu: "Curious about what?"
Si Gui: "Emotions, human emotions."
Lu Xiu: "Don’t you have emotions?"
Si Gui: "I lack them inherently, so I'm learning. What, do you have a problem with that?"
Lu Xiu then fell silent, his expression turning stern.
Jiang Hong sensed the atmosphere becoming somewhat tense, glancing at Lu Xiu and then at Si Gui, wondering what exactly had happened.
"Alright." Jiang Hong packed up his notebook and books.
"I'm leaving," Si Gui announced as he got up.
"Bye... goodbye." Jiang Hong was even more perplexed, thinking to himself: Did you really come just to keep me company for the evening study session?
Lu Xiu asked, "Do you need me to tutor you?"
"Not for now," Jiang Hong replied, feeling much better at the end of the day upon seeing Lu Xiu. "What brings you here?"
"Can't I come to find you?" Lu Xiu said. "Has that bird been acting strangely lately?"
"What?" Jiang Hong asked. "Which bird? Oh, you mean Si Gui? No, not at all. I saw him in class today. He's been holed up on the couch playing games all day. He was odd tonight, too."
The two of them went to the cafeteria for a late-night snack and then walked back to the dormitory through the night at Tsangqiu University.
The path from the cafeteria was quiet, moonlight shining through the trees, with couples holding hands and strolling slowly everywhere. Jiang Hong, carrying a sling bag, saw the shadows of himself and Lu Xiu under the moon and wanted to say something but didn't want to break the comfortable silence.
"What were you thinking about today?" Lu Xiu asked.
Jiang Hong became suddenly nervous when Lu Xiu asked him out of the blue.
Ah, has he noticed it too?
"No, no, not at all," Jiang Hong said guiltily.
"You’re preoccupied with something," Lu Xiu stopped walking, his brows slightly furrowed, gazing into Jiang Hong's eyes.
Jiang Hong: "Because of the exams! I'm afraid of failing! I feel like I haven’t learned much this semester, and the exams are already here."
Lu Xiu accepted this explanation, showing an 'I see' expression, and said: "Shall I help you study?"
"Let me sort things out after these exams," Jiang Hong didn’t refuse this time.
"Okay, as you wish."
But Jiang Hong felt that if Lu Xiu tutored him, he would be even more distracted.
"You should go back."
Gradually, as they reached the foot of Lu Xiu's dormitory, Jiang Hong wanted to stay with him a little longer yet also wanted to leave quickly, feeling incredibly conflicted.
The surroundings were filled with couples cuddling and whispering sweet nothings, making the dormitory under the moonlight seem enchanting and romantic — the essence of summer nights was everywhere, as if in this season, falling in love was the only thing to do.
Suddenly, Lu Xiu stopped, looking at Jiang Hong, his lips moving slightly but no words came out.
What did he want to say?
"Goodnight, sleep well," Lu Xiu finally said, patting Jiang Hong's head and then turning to go upstairs.
Jiang Hong: "..."
I still can't go to sleep!
Back in his dorm, Jiang Hong began making plaster molds, followed by preparing a crucible. After setting up the crucible stand, he started preparing to cast some parts of a Western sword. To not disturb his roommate, he worked on the balcony, with Zhang Xiting helping to set up a sound barrier. Under the moonlight, with a small desk lamp, he busied himself until 2 a.m.
"When will you attach my leg?" Old Sun asked.
"Turn the music down," Jiang Hong instructed, securing the crucible to the pressure regulator and plugging it in to start melting the alloy.
He couldn't help but marvel at the best thing about Tsangqiu University: the freedom for students to use electricity. Whether it was air conditioning, refrigerators, or any other power-hungry devices, students could simultaneously run multiple electric grills in their rooms for barbecues or hot pots without any questions asked. The fuses never blew, even when Jiang Hong used an electric induction crucible, the lights didn’t even dim.
Just for this, his alma mater was a treasure of the universe!
"I want legs," the Sky Cat Spirit said again. "Be careful, don’t burn yourself. If you really can’t, just attach one for now; I can hop."
Jiang Hong: "No, can't you just properly cultivate and absorb your spiritual energy? If you cause trouble on campus, the dorm supervisor will definitely confiscate you. I really don’t want to deal with that chicken; it's too noisy."
Old Sun again suggested, "Then attach that fake hand from the wardrobe to me."
Jiang Hong: "..."
Old Sun: "Then I can help you."
Jiang Hong: "Using a camera and a fake hand to pour molten metal over a thousand degrees into a crucible, you’re just asking to set the dorm building on fire, aren't you?"
"Speaking of which..." Jiang Hong carefully made the mold and asked, "If you become a spirit, will you have arms and legs?"
"I don't know," Old Sun hesitated, "Probably."
Jiang Hong: "How long would that take?"
Lao Sun: "I'm not sure, theoretically, it requires enough spiritual energy."
"You're starting to talk more and more like a modern person now," Jiang Hong said with a smile.
Lao Sun spent every day in the dormitory, listening to their conversations and learning to speak like them, no longer as clueless as he was at the beginning.
At this point, Lao Sun suddenly let out a sigh.
Jiang Hong: "What are you sighing about?"
Lao Sun said, "Well, we are neither kin nor kindred, and yet you have done so much for me..."
"Don't use retreat as an advance," Jiang Hong said. "Alright, I know. Once I finish making the sword for Lu Xiu, I'll figure out how to get you a leg."
Every late night, it was Lao Sun who accompanied Jiang Hong, engaging in endless conversations with no real substance, until Jiang Hong sleepily went to bed in the early hours.
For several days, Jiang Hong was exceptionally busy, until three days later, during a practical class, Jin asked him, "Can you do me a favor today?"
"Of course," Jiang Hong said. "What do you want to do?"
Jin said, "I want to go to a jewelry store to pick out a gift. Will you come with me?"
"Wow, you got a girlfriend?" Jiang Hong was shocked.
"Shh," Jin immediately said, "It's not certain yet. I'm planning to confess to her tomorrow."
Jiang Hong: "Which class is she in?"
Jin pointed to a girl in the practice class area. Jiang Hong had seen her before; she was a management student, really pretty and charming, like a Persian cat.
"She's so beautiful!" Jiang Hong said. "Have you talked to her?"
"I added her on QQ," Jin said, "and we chat occasionally."
After selecting a bracelet with Jin, Jiang Hong suddenly realized something. Wait, this meant he was the only one in the dorm who was still single!
After shopping, Jin invited Jiang Hong for afternoon tea. They sipped through straws, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Why tomorrow?" Jiang Hong asked.
"May 20th," Jin said, "a day for confessions."
"Oh—" Jiang Hong understood. Jin was nervous, but Jiang Hong kept reassuring him, "Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. You’re perfect, how could she not like you?"
Jin said, "Really? But in your eyes, all your brothers are perfect, right?"
Indeed, in Jiang Hong’s heart, his roommates were the best. But Jin couldn't help saying, "I have a strange temper, more than one person has told me..."
"Not at all," Jiang Hong said. "You’re not strange in the slightest."
Jin wavered for a moment, continuously checking his chat history with the girl he liked, saying, "I feel like she’s also somewhat interested in me."
"More than just a bit!" Jiang Hong said. "She will definitely accept, be bold, be confident."
"Look at our chats," Jin said. "We talk about ten times a day on average."
So, Jiang Hong began to analyze with Jin. But no matter how they looked at it, the girl seemed indifferent. Her messages were filled with excuses like "I’m going to take a shower" or "I’m going to eat," typical evasion tactics. Jiang Hong, trying to boost Jin’s confidence, reluctantly encouraged him.
"But she never initiates a conversation," Jin said, "I always have to start."
Jiang Hong asked, "Is she from the demon clan? What race is she?"
"A cat," Jin replied.
"Oh, cats are like that," Jiang Hong said, "all proud and tsundere. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine."
Jin kept mulling over his chats with the beautiful Persian cat, and suddenly Jiang Hong felt a bit stunned.
Isn't this just like me? Ah, ah, ah?
Jiang Hong facepalmed, recalling how he'd also been anxiously waiting for Lu Xiu recently.
Jin: "?"
"It's nothing." Jiang Hong was a bit downcast, just then his phone chimed with a message.
[Do you have time tomorrow? Any plans after the exam?]
Hearing the special notification sound, "Ding Dong," Jiang Hong was like a puppet with its strings pulled, instantly forgetting everything he was thinking about.
[Yeah, I do.] Jiang Hong replied.
[Let's have dinner together in the evening, I've booked a restaurant in Xi'an.]
Jin glanced at Jiang Hong and then at his phone, smiled, but said nothing.
That night, Jiang Hong was busy until nearly three in the morning, crafting a hilt model for a Western sword according to Lu Xiu's hand size. He tried holding it and realized Lu Xiu's hands were quite large and his fingers long.
The next day, he went to his exam, still groggy from lack of sleep.
"Have you finished making the weapon?" Xiao Pi was sitting beside him.
"Not yet…" Jiang Hong said, "I guess it'll take until next semester."
Xiao Pi said, "Let me show you what I've made…"
As he spoke, Xiao Pi somehow pulled out a huge sword, resembling a door plank, struggling to hold it up.
"Be careful!" the students warned in unison, "You're going to hit the ceiling fan!"
"Who did you make this weapon for? Yourself? Can you even swing it?" Jiang Hong was shocked. And this thing was just a model; once cast in metal, it would weigh at least a hundred pounds.
Xiao Pi said, "It's a gift for Lian Jiang."
Jiang Hong: "…"
"Put away all extracurricular items." Suddenly, the teacher entered the classroom and started distributing papers, announcing, "It’s time for the exam."
Lately, Jiang Hong was extremely tired, spending every day laboring over that Western sword. He hadn't properly written his thesis and, despite studying for the closed-book exam, getting a high grade seemed unlikely, though passing shouldn't be a problem.
After finishing the exam, everyone felt relieved. Today was the special confession day, followed by a weekend. After dispersing, everyone was excited to go out and play. Compared to heading home for the holidays, this peculiar unofficial holiday had the boys particularly excited and nervous.
As Jiang Hong was leaving, he suddenly saw Cao Bin, looking very handsome.
"Wow—" the students almost boiled over with excitement, asking, "Principal! Who are you waiting for?"
"Waiting for Jiang Hong," Cao Bin said.
Jiang Hong was momentarily flattered and surprised. Cao Bin was actually waiting for him at the classroom door?!
Then, Cao Bin took a small dagger from the inner pocket of his suit and handed it to Jiang Hong.
"Could you also bring this to him tonight?" Cao Bin asked.
"Oh, okay." Jiang Hong hadn't yet figured out who "he" was when Cao Bin had already left.
Maybe it's for Lu Xiu? How did Cao Bin know they were meeting tonight? Jiang Hong returned to his dorm to find his roommates getting ready for their dates.
"Are you sure you want to wear a suit?" He Jian asked. "Maybe something more casual would be better."
In the dorm, everyone was trying on outfits and styling their hair with wax. Jin borrowed He Jian's suit and looked very handsome in it. This surprised Jiang Hong; Jin and He Jian could actually share clothes. He Jian’s oversized suit jacket looked perfectly tailored on Jin.
"None of you are coming back to spend the night, right?" Jiang Hong asked.
Zhang Xiting was flying to Shanghai to see his girlfriend, He Jian was going out with his girlfriend in the evening, and if Jin's confession went well, he'd probably be out watching the stars and the moon, not returning either.
Everyone confirmed they wouldn't be back.
"Then I can continue working on my sword," Jiang Hong said. "A decade to forge a sword... What are you looking at? Aren’t you leaving? Still playing games, careful not to miss your flight."
Sitting at his desk with his computer on, Zhang Xiting said, "I’ll leave right after this game... and let me check the confession wall too..."
"Oh, right!" Jiang Hong, suddenly ignited with a gossiping spirit, said, "Today’s confession wall must be really lively!"
Jiang Hong leaned in to see, and on Cangqiong University's BBS confession wall, there was actually a ranking today! What on earth was this!
Male student with the most confessions: Cao Bin, a total of 977 times.
"Hahaha—" Jiang Hong laughed loudly. "Principal Cao! Won't he be embarrassed?"
"It's a tradition," He Jian said, "I left one too."
Zhang Xiting asked, "Did you go anonymous?"
He Jian said, "No."
You could choose to be anonymous or not. Jin said, "I also confessed, but I didn’t have the courage, so I went anonymous."
Zhang Xiting said, "Let’s see, a few other people... Let's start with Professor Ke Da!"
Professor Ke Da received 42 confessions, completely overshadowed by Cao Bin, and there were many comments like [I'm a guy, and I really like Professor Ke Da!].
Jiang Hong kept laughing, and then Zhang Xiting opened the confession rankings for a sequential order.
Second place in the overall rankings was Fang Yilan, third place was a senior counselor named Qingya, and fourth place was Xiang Cheng with 330 confessions.
"Fifth place..."
"Professor Lu!"
"Wow!"
Lu Xiu received over two hundred confessions, and there was a yearly comparison showing that last year on this day, Lu Xiu had received over thirty confessions.
"Oh—"
Everyone looked at Jiang Hong, who hesitated with an "uh," unsure whether to be happy or annoyed. After pondering for a while, he said, "Maybe it’s because he started teaching and supervising internships this year?"
"Yeah, yeah." Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Let's check He Jian…" Zhang Xiting began to search.
He Jian: "No need for that!"
"You say no, but your body is very honest," Jin teased, holding He Jian down.
Jiang Hong: "You’re clearly looking forward to it!"
"Wow—"
He Jian received 73 confessions, quite popular. The confession wall itself had many who were just joining in for fun, casually confessing.
"Let's see you." Jiang Hong egged on Zhang Xiting.
Neither Zhang Xiting nor Jin had any confessions. Zhang Xiting said, "I have a wife already, let’s hope Jin is successful today!"
"Let's check Jiang Hong." He Jian urged Zhang Xiting to search for Jiang Hong.
"Of course, I don't have any," Jiang Hong said, having only a few friends besides his dorm mates, like Xiao Pi and Lian Jiang.
"You do!" He Jian exclaimed as if he had discovered a new world, and everyone chorused, "Yes!"
Jin even patted Jiang Hong on the head, as if he had achieved something remarkable.
Jiang Hong: "!!!"
Stunned, Jiang Hong saw a male avatar with no anonymity, leaving the message: [I like Jiang Hong.]
"Wow—" Zhang Xiting said, "Who's this great guy? Let’s see?"
He Jian: "That's so heartwarming."
Zhang Xiting clicked on the avatar, finding the personal profile empty, with no history, like an account specifically created for the confession.
"Who is this?" Jiang Hong asked. "Why would they do this? Are you guys teasing me?"
"Why would we do that?" He Jian said. "Confessions are sacred!"
"I know who this is," Jin said. "Just ask him face-to-face."
Jiang Hong: "Who?"
Zhang Xiting: "Alright, alright, let's not look anymore. Keep playing dumb."
Jiang Hong: "I'm not playing dumb, but who could it be…"
Suddenly, Jiang Hong realized the only possibility. No, no, no… Could it be Lu Xiu?
Is it Lu Xiu?
"Wait, let me check…" Jiang Hong said. "Can you trace the IP address?"
"No," Zhang Xiting said. "Can’t trace it."
Jiang Hong clicked on the avatar, examining it over and over. It was just a very ordinary, forum-default avatar. The way the message was phrased, it seemed so much like Lu Xiu, but...
Ahhh—Jiang Hong fell onto the bed in frustration, yelling, "What’s going on?! This is driving me crazy! Ah! Why did you all leave?! Don't leave me behind!! Hey, wait! You're leaving just like that?"
