He’s Gone (1)

Ruan Qingmu listened in a daze and he finally whispered after a long time, “I’ve already registered and I’ve already returned the form to Old Jian.”

There was nothing Qin Yuan could do about the fact that the distance between them was growing.

Every time they got slightly closer, he would feel slightly happier. Whenever they separated, he couldn’t help but feel depressed.

When they split up at the riverbank in his previous life, this person gazed at the torrential river water and said something after being silent for a long time, “If it’s true, I will return justice to you the next time we meet.”

He seemed to always faintly hope for another meeting on another day from that point on.

He always dreamt of this person eventually coming up to him with a guilty conscience and solemnly apologizing to him. He would arrogantly and proudly laugh. “Aiya, it turned out there would be a day for Qin-shaoxia to admit he was wrong. It’s okay. I’ll let you pay me back with a jar of peach blossom wine…”

He came back from his trance, rubbed his face hard, and forced out a smile at Qin Yuan. “It’s just upstairs and downstairs. You can look for me to play cards in the future. I can also go down to ask you a question. Things will be the exact same between us.”

Qin Yuan silently sat down and quietly leaned against the wall, lowering his phoenix eyes.

After a long time, he looked at the time displayed on the desk lamp and softly spoke. “Let’s go to sleep now.”

Ruan Qingmu suddenly took out his phone and aimed it at the desk lamp, looking for an angle.

Left and right, he shot several pictures and looked at that person in the background of the photograph, feeling his heart slightly move.

He secretly adjusted the angle and was about to press the shoot button when Qin Yuan raised his head and silently looked over.

Ruan Qingmu’s hand slightly shook when he took the picture and the image he shot was somewhat blurred.

As if weaved by water, a warm halo shone on that familiar side face in the camera lens. When Qin Yuan faced the camera lens, he had a calm expression and his pair of phoenix eyes slightly flickered with a glowing light in them.

Ruan Qingmu hurriedly waved his hand. “It’s nothing. I only took a picture of the desk lamp.”

He picked up his phone and used the picture search feature on Taobao. Soon, the exact same item was identified.

… It fucking cost 798 yuan??

It was produced in the UK and was honored with Germany’s red dot industrial design award: “Simple and elegant exterior, top-quality texture guarantee.” What the hell? Didn’t it only cost a few dozen yuan for a similar desk lamp by Yiwu Production on Taobao?

He searched for a long time and finally closed Taobao resentfully.

Damn. He wanted to buy a similar desk lamp to use on the fourth floor in the future, but it actually will cost him an entire month of his living expenses.

Last month’s suffering had just finished and he just received the new 800 yuan living expenses for this month. Even if he wanted it, he couldn’t spend his money recklessly either.

In this shitty world, it was enjoyable to have an air conditioner and a cell phone. It was just that everything needed money and he even had to earn it himself!

***

The action on Old Jian’s side was swift. The procedure was immediately completed after receiving Ruan Qingmu’s application to move dorm rooms.

There was no class on Saturday afternoon. Before Ruan Qingmu left the school and went home, he went to the first floor to move his luggage first.

When he pushed open the 106 dorm door, there was no sign of the cold and quiet roommate in the dorm room. It was unknown if he was busy with something or not. Ruan Qingmu looked at the utterly empty dorm and started to pack up his things.

He was suddenly stunned when he opened the unlocked cabinet.

There was an extra plastic bag in it. When he opened it, there was a small exquisite desk lamp inside. A note was left beside it with a firm stroke written using a fountain pen.

“A parting gift – Good luck in improving your grades.”

***

On the far side of the road outside the school, Qin Yuan pulled open the passenger seat’s door and sat in the back.

Uncle Yan steadily started the car. Looking at the boy sitting in the backseat, he was feeling slightly uneasy.

He had watched this kid grow up. Although he always looked like a teenager who showed very little emotion in others’ eyes, Uncle Yan could clearly tell whenever the boy was in a bad mood.

If his family’s young master could be seen as slightly cheerful at the start of this semester, he currently seemed much gloomier now.

“Xiao-Yuan, have you been studying hard lately?” Uncle Yan didn’t know what to say.

Qin Yuan withdrew his gaze from the scenery outside the window. “Um, not hard.”

The car drove out of the area near the school and headed in the direction of a luxurious neighborhood.

September’s temperature was slightly cooler and the breeze outside the window entered through the half-opened window. They carried the fragrance of unknown flowers and trees on the roadside, which was a dark, subtle, and familiar smell to this city.

Qin Yuan sat in the passenger seat, his dark bangs being blown by the wind. He lowered his head and silently tore open a pack of small pastries in his hand. He slowly put the pastry in his mouth and bit into it.

When Ruan Qingmu left, the bed and desk had already been tidied up and there was only a bag of this left on his desk.

The snow-white crunchy skin and the dark red sweet-sour Chinese hawthorn filling. It was the same ones he placed on Qin Yuan’s desk when he had first moved into 106.

Hawthorn Pies.

He had never eaten something like this before. The sweet-sour taste mixed with the crunchy skin seemed to make the taste last.

Uncle Yan looked at him from the rearview mirror and curiously asked, “It’s a snack from the school cafeteria, ah. It’s strangely well-made.”

This kid had never eaten dessert before. That thing must be quite sweet, right?

Qin Yuan let out an “uh” and corrected. “A student gave it to me. It’s not from the cafeteria.”

Uncle Yan was delighted. “Ohh, was it the student living in the same dorm room as you?”

After school started, this kid suddenly took the initiative and told him a new student had moved into his single-person dorm. Although he was from another class, it looked like Qin Yuan’s dorm mate was fascinating and had good character.

Even if it was only these few words, Qin Yuan had said it sincerely and happily.