Lin Feiran finished the evening self-study period in an uneasy state. Up until school let out, he had still not seen the little girl’s ghost or Ms. Zheng again.

The next day was Wednesday, a very normal day, and also Lin Feiran’s birthday.

A birthday on Wednesday would not be all that fun. Evening self-study lasted until 8 o’clock, and the school would not let students leave campus. Lin Feiran was planning instead to go somewhere with Gu Kaifeng on either Saturday or Sunday to have fun and eat a big meal in celebration, so he did not bother to mention his birthday.

The second period that morning was English, Ms. Zheng’s class. Lin Feiran worried about whether Ms. Zheng would come to class, but when the school bell rang, Ms. Zheng walked up to the podium with a calm expression on her face, wearing her typical elegant and nicely-tailored work clothes.

From behind her glasses, Ms. Zheng’s stern gaze swept slowly over the students in the classroom. After a short silence, she greeted as usual, “Good morning, students.”

“Good morning, teacher,” Lin Feiran called out along with the crowd. He noticed that Ms. Zheng’s eyelids were somewhat swollen, as if she were crying last night or had gotten little rest.

In order to determine the situation of the little girl’s ghost, Lin Feiran did not absorb Yang energy from Gu Kaifeng.

After several minutes, his Yin-Yang eyes activated. The instant that the chilly energy surged through his body, Lin Feiran did not delay in raising his head and looking around.

He soon spotted the little girl’s ghost.

She was sitting on the podium, both arms propped up on her knees with her chin resting on her hands. In her hair, she was wearing a new barrette she had received from Lin Feiran.

Noticing that Lin Feiran could see her, the little girl’s ghost waved to him and gave him a radiant smile. Her pitch-black eyes curved adorably as the corners of her lips rose gently. Her little round nose appeared very compatible with her smiling face... and most importantly, she was no longer bleeding from every orifice. Her small face was white and clean, free of any traces of blood. Her level of scariness had instantly been reduced by 90 percent.

Lin Feiran thought of what his grandfather had said. Ghosts whose unfulfilled wishes are very strong will often have a dreadful appearance. But once these wishes are fulfilled in part or in whole, then their appearance will return to normal.

——Ms. Zheng had believed it.

Ms. Zheng must have said something to her, so her number of unfulfilled wishes had decreased... As Lin Feiran thought about it, his nose turned sour. When Ms. Zheng turned around to write on the board, he quickly showed the little girl’s ghost a gentle and kind smile, then touched Gu Kaifeng with his calf and began to listen to the lesson attentively.

After class ended, Lin Feiran saw the little girl’s ghost in the hallway again. She had not followed Ms. Zheng back to the faculty office, but had quietly stood by the classroom door as if waiting for Lin Feiran.

“That’s good. If there’s anything else you need help with, come and find big brother any time,” Lin Feiran urged earnestly. “If you want any toys or snacks, you can tell big brother.”

The little girl’s ghost licked her lips greedily. Her big eyes roamed around before returning to Lin Feiran and she cautiously and solemnly said, “Before I reincarnate, I want to eat one more ice cream.”

“No problem!” Lin Feiran assured with confidence. “Ran-ge will treat you to one.”

I, Ran-ge, am very reliable!

Lin Feiran recalled the steps needed to make offerings to ghosts and added worriedly, “But by the time it gets to you, it may have melted a little.”

The little girl’s ghost, who in the past had always either kept quiet or given only reserved smiles, was now laughing so hard even the gap between her front teeth showed. “I’m not worried even if it melts. Big brother, you’re really cute!”

The good teenager Lin Feiran, who felt happy when he assisted ghosts, had now done another good deed. Full of satisfaction, he returned to the classroom, poked Gu Kaifeng, and started to prepare for Chinese literature next period.

Even the tie on his chest seemed more brightly-colored!

The whole day passed calmly. After the last period that afternoon was over, Lin Feiran and Gu Kaifeng went to the cafeteria for dinner. After eating and drinking their fill, there was still some time before evening self-study, so Gu Kaifeng pulled Lin Feiran mysteriously to the fence behind the courtyard.

The two stood in front of the fence. Lin Feiran remembered how the day before yesterday, Gu Kaifeng had brought him to a place near here and kissed him fiercely and thoroughly. His cheeks went red and he asked with a hint of expectation, “What are we doing here?”

Gu Kaifeng did not answer. He nimbly climbed the fence and flipped himself over. It was only from the other side of the fence that he suddenly opened his mouth to say, “RanRan, happy birthday.”

“... You remembered? I only told you once.” Warmth flowed through Lin Feiran’s heart.

“Of course. What would I be if I couldn’t even remember my own wife’s birthday?” Gu Kaifeng stuck a hand through a gap in the fence and caught Lin Feiran’s wrist. “A test for you. When’s my birthday?”

Lin Feiran blurted out, “July 16th.”

Gu Kaifeng’s lips lifted gently. “I also only told you once.”

Lin Feiran did not want to give in. “I have a good memory.”

Gu Kaifeng tore through Lin Feiran’s facade mercilessly and asked, “Then why do you struggle to memorize ancient prose like it’s a matter of life and death?”

Lin Feiran immediately fixed him with a fierce glare!

“Ah, right.” Lin Feiran was puzzled. “If you wanted to tell me ‘happy birthday,’ why did you have to go over the fence to do it? Were you afraid I’d bite you?”

Gu Kaifeng gave a cheerful whistle. “Your husband’s going to get your birthday cake and present. I’m skipping evening self-study. I’ll see you at 8 o’clock in the dorm... Kiss me, will you?”

Lin Feiran obstinately scooted back, but Gu Kaifeng was holding his wrist so he could not run away.

“Come closer and let me kiss you, that’s fine too,” Gu Kaifeng immediately compromised.

Lin Feiran’s face slowly heated up and he lowered his eyes in embarrassment, revealing his long eyelashes. Those eyelashes teased Gu Kaifeng and made his heart itch, so he increased the strength in his hand, mercilessly tightening his grip, and spoke like a true ruffian, “If you don’t let me kiss you, I won’t let go. You can stand here with me through the entire evening self-study period.”

“You...” Lin Feiran complained inaudibly before he turned his head and pressed his cheek to the fence.

Gu Kaifeng kissed his face through the fence. Dissatisfied, he said, “Your mouth, too.”

Lin Feiran turned around slowly until he was facing Gu Kaifeng directly, his face still pressed against the fence...

Through a narrow gap in the fence, the two people’s lips met. With one hand, Gu Kaifeng continued to hold Lin Feiran’s wrist, preventing him from pulling away. With the other, he reached through a neighboring gap to touch Lin Feiran’s soft black hair and red hot ear.

A cold wind shook the treetops and the few remaining yellow leaves floated slowly down. One of them brushed Lin Feiran’s shoulder, passed through the fence, then flew by Gu Kaifeng’s waist, taking with it a sweet secret as it was carried by the wind into the distance.

Upon returning to the classroom, Lin Feiran asked the teacher supervising evening self-study to excuse Gu Kaifeng, saying Gu Kaifeng was not feeling well.

In the first year of high school, Gu Kaifeng had caused a lot of trouble, and though he was now much more restrained, the teachers were still used to this sort of behavior from him. Besides, Gu Kaifeng’s grades were quite good in all his subjects, so the teachers’ demands for him were more relaxed. The teacher instructed Lin Feiran to remind Gu Kaifeng to look for his homeroom teacher tomorrow and obtain an excuse note.

Because all Lin Feiran could think of was Gu Kaifeng and the surprise he might be given for his birthday, the long, consecutive evening self-study periods passed without Lin Feiran having any idea as to what he learned. When the bell rang for dismissal, he hurriedly pulled one of Gu Kaifeng’s pens from his pocket and, at the speed at which he ran the 400m relay, rushed out of the classroom and straight to the dorms.

He ran very quickly and left the other students far behind, so on his way to the dorms, he did not see a soul anywhere around him.

The road was dark and gloomy. If Lin Feiran had walked this path several days ago, the Yin-Yang eyes would pulse within his heart even if they were not active. But in this moment, he did not feel the slightest bit afraid. He simply thought about how Gu Kaifeng was waiting for him in the building just ahead, and of how the small window on the upper floor was lit up just for him, and he was instantly filled with warmth like if he had taken a big gulp of Yang energy.

—That person, he was not only a source of Yang energy, but also a source of courage.

Lin Feiran ran into the dorm building and took the stairs two at a time, all the way to the fifth floor. The door to room 508 was open, and Gu Kaifeng was there waiting. He was standing with his arms folded in the shadows where their room met the hallway. His hair, caught at just the right angle by shadows and light, framed his face, an inky black halo emitting a lustrous, crystalline shine.

Lin Feiran, who was very concerned with his own appearance, halted his footsteps, which had been as hurried as if he were racing for reincarnation, and walked over in a seemingly leisurely manner.

Gu Kaifeng laughed very handsomely. “Baby’s so anxious?”

Lin Feiran breathed heavily, gulping down air. “No... hoo... Not anxious at all... hoo...”

So saying, Lin Feiran walked into the dorm room, panting.

Gu Kaifeng had cleared the surface of their desks and pushed them together in the center of the dorm room. On the desks lay an exquisite cake box, a gift box tied with a ribbon, and a large bouquet of lilies with a letter pressed between the flowers.

Lin Feiran’s eyes shone. On his handsome face surfaced an innocent, childlike joy.

“Happy birthday.” Gu Kaifeng hugged him from behind, lips gently grazing Lin Feiran’s ears. He added softly, “My little prince.”

Lin Feiran ardently caught hold of the hands that were hooked around his waist. He really wanted to turn around and kiss Gu Kaifeng, but because he was thin-skinned he could not help but struggle a little. As soon as he resisted, Gu Kaifeng released him from his embrace. Under Lin Feiran’s somewhat regretful gaze, he picked up the gift box and held it out to Lin Feiran, saying, “Open the present first. I guarantee you’ll like it.”

“Mm.” Lin Feiran glanced swiftly at Gu Kaifeng’s lips, then looked down to remove the ribbon and tear off the wrapping paper. He exposed a brand-new shoebox, and the familiar logo on the lid made Lin Feiran’s heart jump wildly. “The fuck?”

The shoebox contained a pair of limited-edition basketball shoes that had long gone out of stock, and in Lin Feiran’s size at that. Gu Kaifeng had his own pair of these limited-edition shoes, and Lin Feiran had been especially envious of them before, so envious he couldn’t bear it. Whenever Gu Kaifeng wore those shoes, Lin Feiran would turn to stare at him more than a dozen times in a day.

Gu Kaifeng watched Lin Feiran’s expression closely and asked, “Do you like them?”

Lin Feiran was a crybaby by nature. Now that he was feeling both overjoyed and touched, his eyes had already reddened. He was worried that he would let out a sob if he tried to speak, so he pressed his lips tightly together and nodded vigorously in silence.

“They were sold out locally long ago, and nobody was willing to sell. I got these from a guy overseas, a collector. According to him, they haven’t been worn before. They look new to me, too,” Gu Kaifeng swiftly explained, worried that Lin Feiran would dislike the shoes if they were second-hand.