Is Ye Yuan going to play basketball?"
"Forget it, I'm exhausted right now."
"I'm not trying to criticize you, Ye Yuan, but with your attitude, how are you supposed to make friends?"
"Forget it… him? Forget making friends—just finding someone to hang out with is already a struggle."
No one knew exactly who had said it, but the words expressed what everyone present was thinking.
"Hahaha." As soon as the words left the speaker's mouth, everyone around started laughing. At Wanglin University, it was common knowledge that Ye Yuan had no background and was easy to bully.
Ye Yuan showed no expression on his face, but deep down, he silently noted this encounter. He simply walked slowly off the basketball court, planning to find a quiet place to rest.
He had grown accustomed to such situations. He wouldn't forget this humiliation; rather, he would remember it and release it in the future. But for now, he had to focus on his studies. At this moment, all he could do was maintain a calm exterior, showing no trace of resentment on his face. Yet inside, emotions—anger, fear, sadness—hovered dangerously close to the surface.
Whenever Ye Yuan comforted himself this way, he would touch the wound on the right side of his waist, reminding himself not to forget today's humiliation.
The only person who had asked Ye Yuan whether he wanted to play basketball was his only close friend, or "bro," named Cheng Ping. Cheng Ping came from a better background; his family ran a small business.
...
"Phew—"
Ye Yuan found a relatively empty spot and sat down, beginning to think about what he needed to do today. He knew very well how much his parents had sacrificed for him, so he couldn't afford to get angry or worry them.
Not long after, he took out his phone to check the time. His parents had bought it to make sure he could stay in touch, fearing that he might become isolated. Even so, he was still encountering his share of troubles. Ye Yuan sighed internally, checked the time, and then heard someone calling from behind.
"Ye Yuan! Ye Yuan! Wait for me!"
It was Cheng Ping. "Were you okay on the basketball court?" he asked with concern.
"I didn't really take it to heart," Ye Yuan replied quietly.
"That's good," Cheng Ping responded.
"Walk with me on the way?" Ye Yuan asked.
"Sure," Cheng Ping agreed.
As they walked, Ye Yuan and Cheng Ping chatted about various topics, from the school goddess to campus gossip. But suddenly, Ye Yuan sensed a strange, abrupt gaze on him. Someone was watching him.
Following his instincts, he looked toward that direction. He saw a figure not far ahead. The person was extremely unusual—neither clearly male nor female. Because it was far away, the details weren't very clear, but he could still make out that the figure seemed to have no shadow. Moreover, Ye Yuan noticed that the figure's clothing looked like a theatrical costume.
Ye Yuan blinked. When he looked again, the figure had vanished. His mind raced, and his hands felt pale and cold. Even though society emphasized not believing in rumors, seeing something like this firsthand made it hard not to believe—could ghosts really not exist?
"Ye Yuan? Ye Yuan!"
Cheng Ping called again, and this final call snapped Ye Yuan back to reality.
"Are you okay? Feeling sick or unwell?" Cheng Ping asked.
"Nothing… just tired. I was looking around," Ye Yuan replied.
Even if Ye Yuan had said, "I just saw a ghost!" Cheng Ping probably wouldn't have believed him.
Ye Yuan calmed himself and said, "If there's nothing else, let's keep going."
Cheng Ping treated the incident as a minor matter, but Ye Yuan felt differently. He had seen the figure of a theatrical performer wearing ancient wedding attire.
"Maybe the school hired someone to perform, and they left quickly because they didn't want to be seen," Ye Yuan reasoned to himself.
"Let's go. If we don't, we'll be late," Cheng Ping urged.
"Got it, we're going," Ye Yuan replied.
When they reached the classroom, they opened the door and entered. The other students, seeing them, continued with their own tasks. Everyone was absorbed in their own world, Ye Yuan noted. He and Cheng Ping found their seats and resumed chatting as they sat together.
Suddenly, Ye Yuan said, "I'm going to take a short nap. Wake me when the teacher comes."
Cheng Ping knew that Ye Yuan must have been emotionally drained from the laughter on the basketball court, so he replied, "Sure, I'll wake you when the teacher comes." Ye Yuan nodded.
A moment later, Ye Yuan placed his hands on the desk, slowly closed his eyes, and allowed his heartbeat to calm. For this brief moment, closing his eyes became his only escape from the chaos.
Seeing Ye Yuan sleep so peacefully, Cheng Ping didn't dare disturb him and quietly organized his study materials beside him.