Chapter 1

「What is love at first sight? It’s when you come into my dreams and my thoughts from the first time I saw you, unable to be brushed away.」

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Perhaps it was because summer at Rong1 has not yet left, so the heat swirled in the air, provoking the perseverance of the people. It was to the extent that Cheng Yan only stopped in his track when a shadow overclouded the road ahead of him, finally aware that someone was pulling him.

The sunlight was shining from his back, so when he turned his head, he couldn’t see him clearly except for a subtle raise at the corner of his mouth and an attractive jawline.

He heard him ask, “Student, may I ask for the direction of the assembly hall?”

“To the south.” He mumbled, turned around, and headed straight for the dormitory without waiting for his thanks.

The campus of Rong University is full of camphor because their headmaster wanted it to be similar to how cities in the north structures theirs, so many roads were alike. The road that person was headed to and this road to the dormitory doesn’t look any different, yet only people who often live here can tell the difference.

The sounds of cicadas were gone, but people’s frustration can’t be eased with each paper ripped from the calendar, especially with a weather like this. So when rowdy voices accompanied with a view that repeats, it can make someone perceive being sunk into an endless nightmare, unable to get away.

Sweat rolled from his forehead to his eyelashes. Cheng Yan stared at the mirage-like scene, his thoughts clunky.

It was fortunate that the air conditioners were running for every floor in the dormitory. Before he had entered the building, he was rescued by the locks of cold air seeping through the slits of the door.

A rare reflection of a figure appeared in a mirror by the corner of the first floor. The spotless mirror reflected his drooping head, the hair tucked by his ear, and those thick glasses.

To describe him with his classmate’s comments: Cheng Yan’s appearance was similar to his personality.

Thus, the moment he entered his dormitory, he was merely welcomed by a loud clacking of the keyboard and a shout, “Cheng Yan, you’re back? Just in time, well, weren’t you going to attend a lecture by the south campus? Help me receive my delivery for me.”

This was Liu Chuan. They were in the same dormitory but not in the same division. Liu Chuan’s major and also his future was decided by his family, so even if he was about to graduate, he has been holing up in the dormitory every day.

Cheng Yan heard him but he didn’t immediately reply. Instead, he climbed up to the top bed. After a while, Liu Chuan asked again. Only then did he softly reply, “Not going.”

Hearing this, Liu Chuan couldn’t restrain making a hiss followed by a “DEFEAT” sound from his computer. He then quickly stood up, speaking towards the beds, “Why aren’t you going? You should go or else my package will be returned.”

This caused Cheng Yan’s dizziness to grow worse. It only calmed down with the cold air blowing at him.

Liu Chuan waited but he was ignored. Helpless, he angrily pulled his chair, which made a screech, and sat down for another match.

Cheng Yan heard the screech and merely reacted by lying on his sides and faced the wall, staring silently.

The lecture will be talking about employment, arranged regularly for the fourth-year students. This one was mainly targeted for the business students but Cheng Yan was studying languages so he had decided not to go.

He had only rested shortly but for some reason, he had a light dream vaguely about light shining from behind those lips and that opening and closing lips as he gently asked. He seemed to have said something to which he also replied with something.

But what did he say? Cheng Yan woke up perplexed. He looked at the time and then stared at the ceiling as he thought.

He figured that there was one more hour before the lecture starts. He got up, told Liu Cheng that was still playing games, and walked out towards the South campus.

Liang Chen from the student council was standing by the door. She was very surprised to see him and even thought that it was someone else since many people in the university were like Cheng Yan. When she confirmed that it was Cheng Yan, she hastily handed the register to a student beside her and ran towards him.

“Ah Yan.” Liang Chen shouted.

Cheng Yan slightly smiled when he saw her and replied, “Why are you here?”

“Sigh, they didn’t have enough people from the student council so they asked me to come to make up for it.” Liang Chen grinned and stood beside him. She grabbed his arm, without caring for others’ frequent looks towards their way.

It was still early but the hall was packed full. Liang Chen strolled around with Cheng Yan and still couldn’t find a suitable place to sit. In the end, she ignored the rules and took Cheng Yan to the front seats reserved for the student council. Then she went back to help out and only came back after the lecturer came on stage.

Unlike Liang Chen, Cheng Yan never had a presence. People were only aware of him when Liang Chen came and saw him.

Liang Chen was his childhood friend but she was talented at sociology. For the reason that she knew many people and also because she was with Cheng Yan, people around them were whispering.

Although they were unclear, some keywords can be heard.

But Liang Chen was bold and didn’t care. She said in a joking tone, “Do you know who’s here today?”

“Hm?” Only then was Cheng Yan aware that she came back.

However, before she could explain, the lecturer spoke.

Cheng Yan doesn’t remember what was being said, all he remembers is how bright the spotlights were on the stage and also that figure with a slim-fitting blazer. The smile at the corner of his mouth was just as beautiful as the first time he had seen him this afternoon.

In an instant, the whole world seems to be quiet. It did not matter if it was the wooden podium or the red cloth on every single chair—everything disappeared in his sight as if he was separated from the world, except for the man he was staring at who was standing in the centre, as dazzling as the sun.

The light behind him embraced his body as if to blend every corner of his clothes to the light, disabling others to see him clearly.

Cheng Yan involuntarily narrowed his eyes.

And then he heard, with a mixture of the microphone’s weak buzzing, that person open his mouth, saying, “Hello everyone, my name is Huo Sheng.”