Chapter Six: A Sleepless Night

The quiet night had finally descended, and the once bustling city gradually fell into silence. Night was tranquil, fair in its stillness, bestowing upon each soul a gentle solace and peace. It soothed the heart, offering comfort. Yet for some, the depth of night was cold and unrelenting, steeped in loneliness, the perfect backdrop for sorrow and tears.

The dormitories of Chuangxin High School burst into life. After an exhausting day, most students had returned to their rooms, busily tending to their own affairs—some washing clothes, others showering, chatting, or otherwise occupied.

There were four boys’ dormitory buildings and three for the girls, each five stories tall. The buildings were numbered from one to seven, starting with the boys’ quarters. Xiao Lin lived on the second floor of Building Three.

He shook out his damp hair and, picking up his basin, stepped out from the communal shower room on the first floor—each dormitory building had its own.

“It’s freezing! Why doesn’t this school set up private showers in the dorms?” grumbled Wang Tao, trailing behind Xiao Lin.

Wang Tao, Xiao Lin’s roommate, was of average height and middling academic performance; his favorite pastime was gossiping—wherever there was excitement, he was sure to be found.

Senior year dorms housed four per room, while the first and second years had six. The school administration had arranged this as a special concession for the seniors.

Xiao Lin shared his room with “the Doctor” Lin Xudong, Wang Tao, and Yuan Weiye.

Yuan Weiye never bathed in winter. In his words, “Bathing in winter is just picking a fight with yourself.”

Seeing Xiao Lin walking briskly, Wang Tao muttered as he jogged to catch up.

Pushing open the dormitory door, Xiao Lin saw Yuan Weiye sprawled on his bed, engrossed in a volume of Tagore’s poetry, reciting with theatrical flair: “The furthest distance in the world is not between life and death, but when I stand before you, yet you don’t know I love you.”

Xiao Lin smiled, picking up a dry towel to rub his hair.

“Weiye, are you planning to use poetry to charm a girl again?”

“Boss Xiao, you make it sound so crude. I’m merely seeking a kindred spirit of the opposite sex.”

“Nonsense. Old Yuan, stop pretending! You’re just desecrating Tagore’s poems—better spend your time on the Pythagorean theorem,” Wang Tao sneered as he entered, catching Yuan Weiye mid-boast.

“What did you say, you brute? You’re the one desecrating poetry. My math is just fine!”

“Oh, really? Second to last and you still have the nerve to boast?” Wang Tao retorted disdainfully.

“If not for Boss Xiao propping you up from the bottom, you’d be dead last,” Wang Tao said, flipping him off. “You should be thanking Boss Xiao.”

Yuan Weiye let out a strange cry, “Boss Xiao, he’s mocking me and dragging you into it. Let’s join forces and teach him a lesson. Come on!”

“I don’t really mind,” Xiao Lin replied with a gentle laugh, ignoring their bickering as he walked over to set his basin on the balcony washstand. Casually, he asked, “The Doctor isn’t back yet?”

“You know him—unless the self-study room closes, he won’t return,” Yuan Weiye replied.

“Hey, Old Yuan, that new girl Wang Yuqing who came to our class today—she’s pretty, isn’t she? Are you planning to give up on Meng Ranran and pursue her instead?” Wang Tao teased.

“So vulgar. Can’t you see Wang Yuqing’s interested in Xiao Lin? Such a waste,” Yuan Weiye sighed, shaking his head.

Wang Tao perked up, “Master of romance, tell us more.” Xiao Lin, too, looked to Yuan Weiye, curious about his analysis.

Clearing his throat for effect, Yuan Weiye began, “I observed her today. This young lady is the very picture of grace and talent, as beautiful as an orchid, as gifted as a fairy—her looks could put the moon to shame. But I noticed, the moment she saw Xiao Lin—” Yuan Weiye glanced at Xiao Lin.

Seeing Xiao Lin’s lack of reaction, he went on, “After she saw Boss Xiao, she was as wistful and delicate as Lin Daiyu herself, with sorrow etched into her cheeks and a fragile beauty about her.”

“Oh? And why is that?” Wang Tao pressed.

“That, I don’t know. Let’s have Boss Xiao explain—surely there’s a story between you two,” Yuan Weiye said, looking at Xiao Lin with gossiping eyes.

Finding both of them gazing at him, Xiao Lin touched his nose, “I don’t know her.”

“That’s it?” They waited, but when Xiao Lin said nothing more, they couldn’t help asking.

He nodded, falling silent. Yet Wang Yuqing’s arrival had stirred memories buried deep within Xiao Lin. When she had said after class that she was from Donghai Affiliated High, a single name flashed through his mind—the girl who haunted his dreams.

A pang shot through Xiao Lin’s heart at the thought. He clenched his fists, stepped to the balcony window, and drew a deep breath of the cold night air, as if that could dispel the ache inside.

His deep-set eyes brimmed with pain as he gazed into the sky, searching the misty darkness for a trace of someone. But the overcast night was veiled in fog; few stars showed, and even the moon was nothing but a blurry outline.

Softly, Xiao Lin murmured, “Rou’er, are you well?”

Had Wang Tao and the others seen him then, they would have noticed the glimmer of tears in his eyes.

Elsewhere, in the Jinxiu residential complex, Wang Yuqing had arrived at her uncle’s home. When he opened the door and saw her, his surprise was so great he could have fit an apple in his open mouth. Though puzzled as to why his usually obedient niece hadn’t arrived as scheduled, he said nothing once she was safely inside. He and his wife quickly readied a room for her.

Now, Wang Yuqing sat at a small desk, chin propped in her hands, deep in thought. She could not understand why Xiao Lin had changed so much. Once, he had shone like the brightest star in the night sky, his brilliance impossible to hide. Ever since she’d met him at the exam center, she’d been drawn to his radiant smile. From that day, she had worked hard, hoping to one day catch up, to stand by his side and talk with him. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, he always seemed beyond reach, unattainable.

Now, when she had finally managed to stand beside him, the boy had changed; he seemed distant, cold to everyone, almost like a stranger.

Softly, Yuqing whispered to herself, “Xiao Lin, you are my dream. No matter what has happened to you, I will bring back the person you once were—I promise.” Determination shone on her sweet face. She picked up pen and paper, searching her mind for every memory of Xiao Lin, writing them down one by one. She would find a way to bring back the excellence of the boy she admired.

For Yuqing, this would be a sleepless night. And Xiao Lin, too, as memories of sadness surfaced, tossed and turned in his bed, unable to find rest in the silent darkness.