Early spring.
The rain had just ended, leaving behind a lingering chill.
In the morning air, the last breath of cold seeped into the hearts of those carrying unspoken burdens. Fine drizzle hung in the sky like a thin veil of mist, shrouding all of Yudu.
Tap…
Footsteps echoed in a familiar stairwell.
Tap…
Different from yesterday—the weather, the intent.
Tap… tap tap tap.
After a pause, the steps resumed, three more strikes ringing softly through the empty halls of the building.
Inside an office, Mo Yachen—who had been sending his girlfriend a good-morning message—turned slowly at the sound. His face was calm, unhurried.
Creak.
The door opened. Tang Li entered in a casual tracksuit, droplets of water still clinging to his forehead. Yachen wordlessly handed him a wet wipe. Tang Li smiled, took it, and quietly wiped away the sweat.
A cup of steaming water was set in front of him. Gesturing politely for Tang Li to sit, Yachen spoke only after settling behind his desk.
"Wondering why I asked you to come so early this morning?"
Tang Li blew on his cup, eyes following Yachen's every move.
"Yesterday I received a flood of applications—students requesting to move off campus, to quit the student council, to dissolve their clubs… Most were trivial. But among them was one worth noting."
He pulled open a drawer, took out a set of papers, clipped them neatly together, and glanced at Tang Li before opening the file.
"An exchange program application. I printed it out last night."
Tang Li closed his eyes briefly. He had already guessed why Yachen called him here. But to see it printed, formal, weighty—that was another matter.
This wasn't some trivial request. An exchange student bore the face and reputation of the university. It was like a business contract: once in print, it carried real weight, even legal implications.
He exhaled, white vapor spilling into the cold air, gaze drifting toward the rain sliding down the window.
"Ah. Then I assume it's mine." His voice carried a calm edge. "My grades—you can check them on the university site. Given my record last semester, applying for the program shouldn't be excessive."
A quiet confidence, almost pride, lingered in his tone.
But Yachen's eyes never moved from the page—not the achievements, not the awards, only one detail:
1+3.
One year here. Three years at Qinghu.
At most, Tang Li would stay in Yuyang for half a year before leaving. And where most students graduated was usually where they stayed to work, to build their lives.
Which meant… was he planning to leave Yuyang entirely? To leave Ji Yu?
"With your qualifications, of course the application is valid. For your future, I wouldn't block it—even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have the right."
He looked up, smiling politely. Outside, rain caught the morning light and steamed away.
"But your choice of 1+3… not ideal. Sports majors don't have the stability or contracts of engineering or business programs. And more importantly—"
His voice dropped.
"Ji Yu."
Silence.
Tang Li's eyes turned cold, fixed sharply on him. It wasn't surprising—Yachen was Ji Yu's boyfriend. What surprised him was how directly Yachen had said her name.
"Are you trying to distance yourself from her?"
The building was quiet, the campus nearly deserted in the holiday lull. The hot water in his hands had already cooled before Tang Li finally spoke.
"…Partly. If I leave, maybe it'll be better for everyone. Maybe I'll find greater opportunities there. And you won't have to worry about Ji Yu seeking me out."
For a long moment, Yachen said nothing. Then, at last, he reached into his drawer, pulled out a stamp box, and pressed the red seal onto the paper.
Walking across the empty campus, Tang Li tugged his collar up against the cold. His eyes wandered over familiar places: the basketball hoop scarred with his shots, the benches where he had joked with friends about girls, the stairwell where Ji Yu once played silly stepping games.
This was his university.
But not his life.
There were friends, beautiful girls, a sky where morning fog burned away into sunlight, each dawn carrying a promise of quiet happiness. He could have lived like that, comfortably, forever.
But—
The moment he stepped into his dorm building, that gentle fog dissolved completely.
Ji Yu.
He didn't want to embarrass her. He didn't want to embarrass himself. He knew her closeness was born of friendship. But to Yachen? Perhaps it never looked so innocent.
And besides… Qinghu had already invited him. This exchange program was good for everyone.
Replaying it once more in his heart, Tang Li's stiff expression softened.
Morning light spilled across his fingertips, stopping at the red seal stamped on the paper.
"What?! You're going to be an exchange student!?"
Ji Yu, still wearing her apron, gasped in shock.
Then, as if that wasn't enough, she tore off the apron, fixed her hair quickly, and rushed up to him.
"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner!?"