Chapter 8

The first time Yuan Ye ever saw Fang Shaoyi was in his third year of university. That year, Guan Zhou had just started university. Actually, he was merely half a year younger than Yuan Ye, but Yuan Ye had skipped several grades so had entered university two years before him. On the day of orientation, Yuan Ye helped him carry his luggage and move into school. It was only the two of them.

The upperclassman originally in charge of welcoming the new students got called away halfway through their conversation and only pointed them in a general direction. Yuan Ye and Guan Zhou walked an entire circle around the lake but still couldn’t find their destination.

It was so hot that there was a layer of sweat on Yuan Ye’s forehead. His annoyance level kept rising. Even so, he was still very courteous when asking passersby for directions. Two people walked over from in front of them. Yuan Ye politely approached and asked them, “Ey, hi classmates! I want to ask where the dorms are?”

Yuan Ye had thought that his call of “classmates” was very friendly and amiable; he was only asking for directions but had given them a title and had said “hi”. But the person directly across from him completely ignored him while the person off to the side was looking at him without a smile that wasn’t really a smile. Both of them were handsome. At the time, Yuan Ye had thought, Back then, in Yuan Ye’s heart, Fang Shaoyi was his friend, his bro. In the beginning, he had found Fang Shaoyi’s celebrity status new and interesting, but after enough time, it became irrelevant. Fang Shaoyi probably also liked how Yuan Ye could always surprise him with his thinking, so treated him like a little brother. When they had nothing else to do, he would tease him.

Yuan Ye would eat with Fang Shaoyi too, in the school cafeteria. A bunch of girls sat around them. Yuan Ye quietly asked Fang Shaoyi, “Yi ge, don’t you ever get annoyed?”

Fang Shaoyi answered, “I’m used to it.”

“If it were me, I’d be royally pissed.” Yuan Ye bit into his corn, then added, “I’m even royally pissed now.”

Fang Shaoyi smiled. “Just eat.”

Guan Zhou quickly lost favor in Yuan Ye’s eyes. Yuan Ye had already hung out with him for over a decade; looking at him didn’t feel fresh. In those days, Yuan Ye’s only goal was to play with Fang Shaoyi. He even spent Christmas with Fang Shaoyi that year.

Neither Fang Shaoyi nor Yuan Ye thought Christmas was too important. They treated it like an ordinary weekend. Yuan Ye was in Fang Shaoyi’s dorm, sitting on his bed. His feet dangled casually over the edge and he would also swing them around occasionally. Fang Shaoyi was sitting in a chair, reading a book. After a bit, he looked up and asked, “Want to visit a film crew? I could take you.”

Yuan Ye asked, “Director Wei’s film crew?”

Fang Shaoyi shook his head and said with a smile, “What, every film I participate in has to be Director Wei’s?”

Yuan Ye stated, “Then no.”

Though he said no, he still went in the end. That was Yuan Ye’s first time visiting a film set. The magnificence surprised him. This was a historical movie with a slight wartime background. The crew was huge, easily several hundred people. Fang Shaoyi’s character was a young king. It wasn’t his turn to film yet.

At the time, Yuan Ye wore a round ski cap and carried a backpack on his back. From behind, he looked like a little boy working with the equipment team.

Someone was moving stuff and had to pass beside them. Fang Shaoyi reached a hand out and tugged Yuan Ye closer to himself, saying, “Don’t let them bump into you.”

Yuan Ye got squished by the guy moving stuff, causing his waist to bend and him to lose his balance. Fortunately, Fang Shaoyi was standing next to him. Yuan Ye fell directly onto him, face getting buried in the other’s collar.

In that moment, Fang Shaoyi’s body fragrance instantly traveled into Yuan Ye’s nostrils. He had always loved the way Fang Shaoyi smelled. His dorm room was always filled with this faint aroma. It was really pleasant. Fang Shaoyi instinctively raised his arms to circle him slightly.

Yuan Ye was glued to his body for about three to five seconds. He only straightened himself up after the person moving stuff had completely finished walking by.

He put his hands in his jacket pockets, then took one out to rub his nose. After, he looked up to gaze at Fang Shaoyi. They made eye contact. The reflector close by was mirrored in his eyes, making it appear extra bright. Yuan Ye finished rubbing his nose and laughed, pleased. He said, “Yi ge, you smell so good.”

Following this, Yuan Ye scooted forward once more so that his nose was where Fang Shaoyi’s collar was. The tip of his nose even brushed against the other’s chin.

The weather was quite chilly. His nose was a bit cold. The moment they made contact with one another, it felt like a dragonfly gently tapping the water’s surface, or like a butterfly shyly kissing a kitten.