The wind brushed across the river, creating fine ripples in the shimmering dawn light. It was just after five in the morning, and the entire city was shrouded in a hazy mist.

In the live stream, the viewer count was at a rare four digits, and the bullet comments were sparse.

• Morning, fellow Dou-friends.
• Is this actually 5 AM Beijing time?
• I refuse to believe my eyes.
• The workers are already brushing their teeth.
• The students are already memorizing vocabulary.
• Happy birthday, Dou-zi!
• Where’s Xie Lan?

Dou Sheng’s face was pressed close to the lens, while Xie Lan stood two steps behind, barely making it into the edge of the frame.

“He’s not quite awake yet. We played with classmates until very late yesterday. I dragged him up this morning, and he’s a bit mad at me,” Dou Sheng yawned. “I’ll just stream for a tiny bit, only a few minutes.”

• Here we go again, the “accidental” display of intimacy.
• Please describe the process of “dragging him up” in detail.
• I heard your beloved God S made a comeback and showed his face for you yesterday.
• Are you happy?

Dou Sheng let out a “tsk.” “If we’re talking about that, I’m wide awake.” He glanced back at Xie Lan and gave a theatrical sigh. “Such a huge surprise, and he didn’t tell me in advance. Math competition prep is so busy—you practically grind your brain to dust—so I have no idea when he arranged the music or how he snuck out to rent a venue to record… Sigh, I won’t go on. I’m almost embarrassed to tell you guys; it feels like I’m showing off.”

• Friend, you ARE showing off.
• Luring the dogs in just to slaughter them at dawn.
• You truly are the #1 fan in history.
• Wait, I’m starting to forget what the word “fan” even means.
• Fan (Boyfriend).

Xie Lan walked closer, looking listless. “Don’t talk nonsense to the audience. I wasn’t mad at you this morning.”

• Morning, Lan-zai!
• What’s for breakfast?
• Lan-zai’s birthday gift was top-tier status!
• Now viewers on both YouTube and Bilibili know it’s Dou-zi’s birthday!

Xie Lan was exhausted; even reading the small text of the comments was a struggle. He glanced at the screen, gave a perfunctory greeting, and then stepped out of the shot, whispering to Dou Sheng, “Stop broadcasting. Didn’t you want to go for a walk?”

“I only started it because you looked sleepy. I’ll turn it off now,” Dou Sheng said immediately.

• ???
• What! You wake us up and then dump us?
• Xie Lan, you’re so cruel.
• Dou-zi, do you have any principles?
• Cold, demonic, sigh.

Dou Sheng ignored the “kind” greetings on the screen, smiled, and switched the camera to the rear lens, pointing it at the river. “I’ve been broadcasting all morning and I’m exhausted. Say goodbye to the river, everyone.”

• As we all know, ‘all morning’ equals five minutes.
• I’ll say goodbye to your grandma’s leg.
• I’m throwing a slipper at your head.
• You dare go offline???

Just as the threatening comments appeared, the screen went black.

Dou Sheng tucked his phone away. “Reporting: I have followed orders and gone offline.”

Xie Lan glanced at him and then turned to look at the river. The sun had mostly risen on the east bank. The tallest building in the city was half-reflecting dazzling sunlight and half-draped in morning shadows. It was beautiful.

“Are they gone?”

Dou Sheng hummed. “All four took one taxi.”

Xie Lan instinctively breathed a sigh of relief, then paused. “Leaving so early… I wanted to have them stay for breakfast.”

Dou Sheng burst out laughing. “Little friend Xie Lan, can you be any more fake?”

Xie Lan raised an eyebrow. “Is it that obvious?”

“You might as well tape the words ‘THEY’RE FINALLY GONE’ to your forehead.” Dou Sheng laughed heartily, reaching out to grab Xie Lan’s hand. He interlaced their fingers and squeezed tightly. “Don’t think about it. Once school starts, no one will mention it again.”

Xie Lan’s ears felt a little warm, but fortunately, it was only a little. The riverside path was empty and peaceful. A few morning runners jogged past them, but neither of them pulled their hands away.

“There’s a rumor at English High,” Dou Sheng said suddenly. “People who hold hands by this river will never let go of each other.”

Xie Lan froze. “You actually believe that?”

Despite his words, he instinctively tightened his grip.

Dou Sheng held his boyfriend’s hand with one hand and kept the other in his pocket, squinting slightly into the morning breeze with a smile on his face. “When does the arrangement for Shao Shi 2 start?”

Xie Lan thought for a moment. “October, I think. The League and the recommendation exams should be over by then.”

Dou Sheng said immediately, “Then we have plenty of free time. Let’s do a big collaboration.”

“Collaborate on what?”

Dou Sheng pulled out his phone and showed him a Taobao order page—it was filled with various uniforms and costumes ordered in the middle of the night, some with very exaggerated colors.

“The masterpiece of the year, the final strike for the Top 100 Creators,” Dou Sheng said. “I got inspiration from the birthday song last night. I want to do a classic Japanese anime COS medley, like a ‘Dou-brand Anime Protagonist Kaleidoscope.’ I need you to rearrange several songs for my BGM—it has to be perfectly timed. You in?”

Xie Lan’s spirits lifted. “That really is suited for a high-quality production. I think it’s a great idea.”

Just as he was about to plan the details, his phone began to vibrate. Xie Lan pulled it out, and his smile instantly stiffened.

“Who is it?” Dou Sheng leaned over.

“My dad…”

London is seven hours behind Beijing; it was just before 11 PM there. Xie Lan stared at the name jumping on the screen for a long time before finally answering. Dou Sheng continued to hold his hand as they walked, showing no major reaction.

“Dad,” Xie Lan said softly. “Is something wrong?”

There was the sound of a television in the background—BBC’s nightly Dateline London. The familiar British accents drilling into his ears created a sharp sense of displacement against the river in front of him and Dou Sheng holding his hand.

Dou Sheng was sharp; he sensed the shift and started playfully wiggling Xie Lan’s fingertips.

The TV volume was quickly turned down. Xie Jingming’s tone was very kind. “It’s been a long time since we talked. The first round of your domestic competition should be over, right? How was it?”

Since Xie Lan had rejected the university exchange suggestion on Messenger, his father hadn’t reached out, leaving Xie Lan a bit stunned by the question. After a long pause, he replied, “It was good.”

Just as he finished, a British female voice spoke on the other end. Although it was quiet and immediately interrupted by his father, Xie Lan caught half a sentence.

He asked sharply, “Where are you going? I heard E… I heard her mention flight tickets.”

Xie Jingming sighed. “I’ve taken half a month off. I want to take your aunt to travel within China. So, I also wanted to ask if you’d be willing to spare two days to accompany your old man.”

Xie Lan stopped in his tracks, feeling it was absurd. “Me accompanying the two of you on a trip in China?”

“No,” Xie Jingming’s tone was somewhat helpless. “I know you can’t accept her yet. But if you’re willing to see me, I’ll take two days out to come see you by myself. You’ve been back for almost half a year; I can’t stop worrying.”

Xie Lan remained silent. Dou Sheng naturally turned to stand in front of him, blocking the dazzling sunlight from his eyes.

After a long time, Xie Lan answered cautiously, “I came back to do what I wanted to do, not to cut ties with you.”

Xie Jingming breathed a sigh of relief. “Elizabeth and I return on the 8th. We’ll visit a few other cities first. I’ll make time to see you around the 12th or 13th. If you’re willing, let me know in advance—I won’t force you. By the way, I’ve spoken with your Auntie Zhao. Your tuition and living expenses are covered until you graduate from university. Just focus on your studies.”

The call ended. Dou Sheng asked softly, “He’s coming to see you?”

Xie Lan seemed to deflate, tucking his phone away. “Yeah, he’s coming.”

“With that woman?” Dou Sheng asked.

Xie Lan shook his head. “He’s not crazy enough to flaunt her in front of me. I guess… he just simply wants to see me.”

He knew Xie Jingming too well, and therefore knew his father was telling the truth. The truth made things difficult, because it was hard to refuse.

Dou Sheng gave a casual smile. “Let him come then. I’ll be your local guide with you.”

“What’s a ‘local guide’?” Xie Lan was blank.

“Hospitality,” Dou Sheng said. “It means: I opened this road, I planted this tree; if you want to pass, leave your son with me.“

Xie Lan looked even more confused. “Is that what hospitality means?”

“Yes,” Dou Sheng said righteously, then added after a pause, “But don’t write that in your essays.”

Xie Lan: “…”

They walked a few more steps hand-in-hand. Dou Sheng asked, “Can your dad accept… us?”

Xie Lan thought for a moment. “He won’t be happy, but he probably won’t completely reject it. He… even though he’s traditional in some ways, his mindset has become very Westernized.”

“That’s fine then,” Dou Sheng relaxed. “Then it doesn’t matter. Let him come; I’ll handle him.”

Xie Lan was speechless. “You make it sound like you’re going to fight.”

“No way,” Dou Sheng laughed easily. “If he bullies you, I’ll just beg him not to.”

“…”

Xie Lan sighed, hesitated for a while, and finally sent an “OK” hand emoji back to his father.

---

Xie Jingming’s itinerary was soon finalized. Xie Lan helped him buy round-trip tickets between S City and H City and booked a hotel. Being a bit mischievous, he booked the hotel on the other side of the city, planning to terminate the reception immediately if his father dared to bring Elizabeth or ordered him back to London.

The night before his father’s arrival, Xie Lan was in his daily routine of chatting about music and bickering with Pei Qing when he suddenly received a call from Old Ma.

“The first-round scores are out. Come to school.”

Old Ma was concise, his tone quite serious. Xie Lan couldn’t get another word out of him. He had no choice but to rush to school with Dou Sheng. He felt fine on the way, but standing outside the office, he suddenly hesitated. Old Ma’s attitude made him unsure. Remembering those fill-in-the-blank questions he’d answered with such blind confidence, he suddenly felt nervous.

“It’s okay.” Dou Sheng squeezed his hand. “If you didn’t do well, Old Ma would have rushed to the house to comfort you personally. He wouldn’t do this.”

Xie Lan hummed, took a deep breath, and knocked.

“Come in.”

A casual, very young voice—likely in his twenties—spoke from inside. Xie Lan froze and looked at Dou Sheng questioningly; Dou Sheng was also a bit stunned.

Footsteps approached the door, and it was pulled open. It was a tall, thin young man with somewhat aloof features but a gentle tone.

“Xie Lan and Dou Sheng, right?” The man smiled at them, then turned to the room. “Teacher, they’re here.”

Old Ma called from inside, “Come in directly, don’t just stand there.”

The young man sat back down at a desk and said to Xie Lan, “You guys chat. I’m just here to visit my teacher.”

Likely a former student of Old Ma, Xie Lan realized and nodded politely.

Dou Sheng asked uncertainly, “He Xiu?”

He Xiu? Xie Lan instinctively looked at the young man again.

He Xiu looked surprised. “You’ve seen me?”

Dou Sheng was blunt. “In the display case in the administration building.”

He Xiu laughed. “Fair enough.”

Old Ma smiled at him. “Every batch of students knows your face. You’re hanging on the wall, immortalized.”

“You make it sound like I’m dead…” He Xiu sighed. “With your phrasing, you still have the nerve to complain about other people’s Chinese skills.”

Xie Lan immediately jolted, using his “Class 4 Owl” gaze to stare at Old Ma.

Old Ma chuckled awkwardly. “Anyway, the first-round scores are out. Everyone in Math Group A made it to the second round. I went to the city office to inquire—Xie Lan, you did really well this time.”

“Indeed, very well,” He Xiu agreed, turning to Xie Lan with a smile. “I finally managed to come back for a few days of summer break, and I have an urgent mission from the admissions office to ‘scout’ the high school juniors.”

Xie Lan was confused by the jargon, but he cared more about the score. “Can I know my grade?”

“First-round scores aren’t usually publicized,” Old Ma paused. “But your case is special; all the schools know now.”

Xie Lan asked immediately, “What was my score?”

“Full marks,” Old Ma’s face broke into a wrinkled grin. “And there was no tie. You’re the only one with a perfect score. We basically haven’t seen a perfect score in years.”

Xie Lan finally breathed a long sigh of relief, then asked, “What about Dou Sheng?”

Old Ma said, “Second. But I don’t know the exact score.”

Since hearing Xie Lan got a perfect score, the smile in Dou Sheng’s eyes couldn’t be hidden. Hearing this, he just casually put his arm around Xie Lan’s shoulder. “That’s fine. I’m satisfied as long as I’m right next to Xie Lan.”

“Have some ambition!” Old Ma sighed, pulling two stacks of materials from his drawer. “The second round is right after school starts; time is tight. He Xiu organized two sets of T University’s recent independent recruitment and recommendation exams. They’re very valuable; look over them carefully.”

Dou Sheng immediately took them. “You called us here just for this? Does everyone else have these?”

“Yes, the others are coming to get them tomorrow. I’ll mail Wang Gou’s to him,” Old Ma said. “Besides that, He Xiu wants a quick word with Xie Lan.”

“With me?” Xie Lan was surprised, not understanding what this senior would want to talk to him about.

He Xiu stood up. “In the corridor?”

Dou Sheng asked, “Can I listen in?”

“Whatever,” He Xiu said. “But it doesn’t have much to do with you.”

Dou Sheng still followed them out symbolically, standing at the office door and chatting idly with Old Ma.

Xie Lan stood by the corridor window. He was confused until He Xiu mentioned the AMC; then he realized. Old Ma had mentioned that domestic universities seemed to care about that. He Xiu called it a “chat,” but all the questions revolved around math competitions.

He asked when Xie Lan started with the AMC, what the competition training system was like at Winchester, whether he had formally attended international competition camps, and so on.

Xie Lan answered them all. He Xiu didn’t say much; mostly he just listened, nodding occasionally. He even agreed with Xie Lan when he mentioned the difference in problem-solving logic between the AMC and domestic leagues.

“The top few in the provincial league can participate in the winter camp. The winter camp selects people for the national team to represent China in the IMO—the same process as in the UK,” He Xiu finally explained briefly with a smile. “The math departments at both T and P universities are good. Do you have a preference yet?”

Xie Lan couldn’t figure out his angle, so he just said honestly, “I want to go to T University.”

“I see.” He Xiu relaxed. “Then I have nothing more to ask. Good luck with the second round.”

The bathroom door at the end of the corridor suddenly creaked. He Xiu’s gaze immediately moved past Xie Lan toward it. Xie Lan instinctively looked back and saw another tall boy emerge from the bathroom, lazily jogging a few steps and jumping to touch the ceiling.

“I have to go,” He Xiu said. “I’m meeting friends at a trendy hotpot place. T University’s early signings are in September. See you around.” He stepped past Xie Lan. “Message me on WeChat if you have questions.”

Xie Lan was baffled. Once He Xiu and the other boy had gone downstairs, he asked Dou Sheng, “What does He Xiu do?”

Dou Sheng replied, “Old Ma told me he’s a student assistant for T University’s admissions office this year. I guess he’s checking up on your situation for the school.”

Xie Lan gave an “oh.” “Does Old Ma have anything else?”

“No, let’s go.” Dou Sheng rolled up the materials and stuffed them into his pocket with a “tsk.” “Old Ma really loves being mysterious.”

---

It was going to rain tonight; the wind blowing against them was humid and warm. Under the dim night sky, Xie Lan and Dou Sheng walked toward the West Gate. Halfway there, Xiao Ma sent a message saying there was a traffic jam on the west side and he’d pick them up at the East Gate instead.

Outside the East Gate was a wide overpass with a pedestrian bridge; the other side of the bridge was lined with restaurants. The two turned back. Dou Sheng scrolled through a review app as they walked. “Should we just grab a meal to celebrate your victory in the first round?”

“Sure,” Xie Lan said. “Let me see those papers.”

“See what? Look at them when we get home,” Dou Sheng grumbled. “Don’t ruin your eyes in the dark.”

Xie Lan had no choice but to give up. Just as he was about to contact Xiao Ma, he stopped in his tracks. He instinctively reached out and grabbed Dou Sheng’s sleeve.

“What?” Dou Sheng looked up.

Xie Lan whispered, “Look at the bridge.”

He Xiu and the other boy were on the pedestrian bridge, walking up the steps. The other boy held a half-eaten old-fashioned popsicle, hissing at the cold as he held it to He Xiu’s lips. He Xiu took a natural bite, swallowed, then turned his head to plant a kiss on the boy’s cheek.

The two quickly disappeared over the bridge.

While Xie Lan was still in a daze, he heard Dou Sheng hiss beside him. “The rumors were actually true.”

“What rumors?” Xie Lan asked immediately.

Dou Sheng thought for a moment. “He Xiu is a legendary god from English High—the type who got a near-perfect score on the National College Entrance Exam. Rumor has it he has a boyfriend who was in his class.”

Xie Lan: “…”

Old Ma’s earnest advice suddenly surfaced in his mind: “Talk to He Xiu—about studies, about life, about everything.”