| BYSG | Freshman | 1
"Xiao Yu... Xiao Yu...!"
Just before Shen Yu's consciousness fully plunged into chaos, he heard his own name being screamed desperately. Around his ring finger, something cool and firm encircled him, trying to hold on to his soul and prevent it from leaving.
He knew—it was a ring.
A ring Cheng Mofei had prepared to propose to him.
They had met in the early spring of 2023. That year, broken and fragmented, he had come to Yancheng City alone to attend his mother’s funeral. By chance, he ended up in Cheng Mofei’s car by accident. Their story began there.
Later, due to his personality flaws, the two broke up and got back together for seven years.
Now, just as they were about to finally achieve happiness, Shen Yu's life was coming to an end.
"Ding."
The ring could no longer fit the fingers of the young man who had become skin and bones after months of treatment. It slipped to the ground.
A small circle, engraved with the initials of their surnames, resembled the end of their relationship.
...
Suddenly, the sound of an alarm clock broke through the air.
Shen Yu abruptly opened his eyes, the peeling corners of paint on the ceiling slowly coming into focus.
The early September heat lingered, and the electric fan whirred as a thin layer of cold sweat coated his body.
His pale fingers reached out to silence the blaring alarm on his cracked phone screen, shutting off the seven o'clock alarm.
As soon as the alarm stopped, he sat up in bed and headed to the bathroom to wash up.
The rental apartment's bathroom had a decent-sized mirror, reflecting the face of a boy, youthful and tender at around seventeen or eighteen years old.
Even though more than two months had passed, Shen Yu still felt dazed.
It was as if he had died, then come back to life.
He couldn’t tell if the memories of a parallel version of himself had merged into his mind or if time had truly gone back, sending him back to the summer after his high school graduation at the age of eighteen.
At this point in time, he hadn’t yet started college, his mother was still alive, he hadn’t met Cheng Mofei after graduation, and his body had yet to fail him.
He decisively changed his college application preferences, setting his first choice to a university located far in the north. That very night, he boarded a train heading to Yancheng City.
From the south to the north, over a thousand kilometers.
The sleeper berth wasn’t comfortable to sleep in, but it saved money.
He was going to find Cheng Mofei, and he was going to find his mother.
Leveraging his title as the city’s top student, he contacted the university and secured a spot in Yanda’s faculty dormitory for over two months. During that time, he worked part-time both on and off campus, saving up some living expenses and establishing a few connections.
Today was the day of Yanda’s freshman registration. He was about to move into the new dormitory he had worked so hard to secure.
Cheng Mofei was one year ahead of him and was currently a sophomore—his senior.
Shen Yu had heard Cheng Mofei mention numerous stories about his university days. He knew that in Cheng’s freshman year, one of his dormmates had been diagnosed with a serious illness and had taken a leave of absence for treatment, leaving the bed empty until a new student moved in during his junior year.
Yanda’s dormitory allocation was notably flexible—so much so that it could be described as extremely accommodating.
Familiar new students could use the school’s online dormitory portal to request living together in advance. Those who didn’t make a choice would be assigned rooms by default according to their major.
Room changes were also easy to arrange, and if students want to live off-campus or rent a house, the procedure can be easily approved.
Shen Yu seized the opportunity, leveraging the connections he’d made through his campus job to have himself "assigned" to Cheng Mofei’s dormitory.
In addition, he drafted a rough "Plan to Pursue Cheng Mofei" in his phone’s notes app, its content brimming with inexperience and youthful naivety.
He couldn’t help it—he had no experience in such matters. Even in their previous life together, it was Cheng Mofei who had taken the initiative to pursue him.
But in this life, he wanted to be more proactive. He wanted to make up for the countless times their relationship had fractured due to his personality flaws.
He wanted to be with Cheng Mofei early on.
He wanted to keep his body healthy.
He wanted to live a good life with him.
After a quick rinse at the sink, Shen Yu undressed, stepped under the shower, and let the water cascade over him. He applied the body wash from the rack generously, scrubbing every inch of his skin, and after rinsing and drying off, he carefully smoothed on the matching brand of body lotion.
The light, sweet scent of oranges enveloped him entirely.
Shen Yu had never been this meticulous about self-care before.
When he was very young, his mother had divorced his father and left him. Since then, there have been few women in his life.
In the past, he hadn’t even known what body lotion was. He’d always bought the cheapest, most practical body wash he could find at the supermarket without a second thought.
This habit was something Shen Yu had gradually developed after being with Cheng Mofei.
The northern climate was dry, and having lived in the south for so many years, he found it hard to adjust. He was either suffering from nosebleeds or painfully dry lips, and his hands had become rough and chapped.
Before they moved in together, Cheng Mofei had given him numerous lip balms and hand creams. After they started living together, he even bought Shen Yu body lotion and insisted on helping him apply it carefully after every shower.
The body wash Shen Yu was using now was also Cheng Mofei’s favorite scent. It was something he had randomly discovered in a small campus supermarket during his university days. Cheng Mofei had used it ever since, never switching to another.
That was the kind of person Cheng Mofei was—resolute and loyal.
Like a dog.
...
At Yanda, Dorm 520 in Building 11,
Xiao Xiong struggled to sit halfway up on his bed, braving the cold blast of the air conditioner as he glanced down at the two people below.
Cheng Mofei had already finished washing up and was dressed neatly, holding his phone and handling messages.
The other roommate, Sun Xinghe, had also come out of the bathroom and was carefully changing clothes in front of the wardrobe.
Xiao Xiong, still half-asleep, glanced at the time and couldn’t help but click his tongue. “You’re up early.”
Sun Xinghe cheerfully replied, “Today’s the freshman orientation. I’m going to pick up my girlfriend and help her move in.”
Sun Xinghe was dating a junior from high school. She was one year below him and had excellent grades. This year, she successfully entered the same university as him, and they had finally made it official.
Xiao Xiong clicked his tongue again and then glanced at Cheng Mofei, who was still engrossed in his phone. “Does this mean the dorm will soon just have me, the lonely bachelor?”
One was obsessed with his relationship, always sticking with his partner.
The other was consumed by studying and academics, with a face so handsome it could drive people crazy. In his freshman year alone, he had received countless love letters and confessions.
Who knows, maybe one day he would suddenly be taken.
As he changed, Sun Xinghe casually said, “Isn’t there a freshman moving in today?”
Xiao Xiong, upon hearing this, glanced at the empty bed across from him, clasped his hands together, and said, "I hope it's a fellow shut-in single dog like me."
Sun Xinghe shot him a glance, then laughed, saying, "Get up already. The registration starts at 8 AM. Since me and Brother Fei won’t be around, when the new guy arrives, you can entertain him."
Xiao Xiong rolled out of bed, groaning, "Fine."
Cheng Mofei was still absorbed in his phone, not paying much attention to the conversation between the two.
Today was the day for the freshman orientation, and he had volunteered to assist with the welcome activities. Since he got up, his phone had been buzzing non-stop with messages from various groups.
Just as he finished replying to a message from a teacher, the student council president’s message suddenly popped up:
[The face of Yanda depends on you, Xiao Cheng. We’ve arranged the best C-position for you. Hurry up and pick up your exclusive outfit!]
Cheng Mofei: "?"
...
The Yanda campus was vast, split by a street that divided it into two sections.
The faculty dormitory and the student dormitory happened to be located in different areas.
Carrying his packed luggage, Shen Yu slowly crossed the pedestrian bridge towards the opposite side.
Standing high on the bridge, he could see the Yanda sign and the bustling crowd of students below. For some reason, he felt uneasy.
He was about to see Cheng Mofei.
The nineteen-year-old Cheng Mofei.
The Cheng Mofei who doesn’t belong to him.
By eight or nine in the morning, the sun had already risen, making the air a bit warm. As the shouts of people selling phone screen protectors echoed from the bridge, Shen Yu quickened his pace, burying his head as he silently reviewed the notes on his phone.
Cheng Mofei loved oranges the most, and he also liked everything with an orange scent. Shen Yu had just used orange-scented body wash, and now his body was "marinated" in that fragrance—surely, it would leave a good impression on Cheng Mofei.
Today was the freshman registration day, and many seniors would be volunteering for the orientation. Shen Yu guessed that Cheng Mofei must be one of them. He just didn’t know in which area he would be or if they would even cross paths.
But it wasn’t urgent. Even if they didn’t meet during the registration, he would see him at the dorm later. It was just a matter of time.
In his memories, Cheng Mofei had always liked it when he took the initiative. So, when they met later, Shen Yu decided he would greet him enthusiastically and call out “Senior!” to leave a good impression as someone easy to approach.
It would help pave the way for the distance between them in the future.
Descending from the bridge, Shen Yu followed the crowd toward the main entrance of Yanda University. Most of the new students had family members accompanying them, while he alone carried his luggage, looking out of place.
Fortunately, Shen Yu had already grown used to it. He didn’t mind, as he had registered for school alone in his past life too. What’s more, his thoughts were entirely occupied by Cheng Mofei, leaving no room for anything else.
Soon, his steps suddenly stopped. His breath quickened, and without realizing it, his eyes became a little red, with tears welling up.
The crowd around him continued to flow, but his world stood still as a figure appeared in his line of sight.
Cheng Mofei, wearing a dog-ear headband, stood at the school gate, draped in a welcoming sash. Alongside other senior students with animal headbands, he was smiling and answering questions for the new students passing by.
With his nearly 1.9-meter tall frame and striking appearance, Cheng Mofei stood out as the brightest presence in the crowd.
At nineteen, Cheng Mofei's face appeared a bit more youthful. He no longer carried the same composure Shen Yu had remembered. Instead, his face was filled with fresh, vibrant energy, the kind that only belonged to his student years, full of clarity and passion.
Shen Yu wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there. All he knew was that time seemed to freeze for what felt like an eternity. He greedily watched his lover from his student years, his heart tangled with emotions—throbbing, surprise, nervousness, unease, and anticipation...
Finally, as he saw Cheng Mofei walk away with a male student, leaving both the school gate and his line of sight, Shen Yu hastily grabbed his luggage and quickly followed behind.
It was as though he was afraid someone would “steal” him away.
Seeing Shen Yu alone with his luggage, some senior students kindly called out, “Are you a freshman? Which building are you staying in? Let me help you with your luggage.”
Shen Yu politely declined, hurrying after the crowd.
Cheng Mofei and the male student hadn’t walked too far before stopping.
They were on a small stone path behind the school gate, near a hollowed-out corridor covered in plants. The greenery shaded most of the sunlight, and the spot looked like one of those romantic meeting places often found in university campuses.
The male student in front of Cheng Mofei suddenly said something, his face and ears turning bright red, clearly showing signs of shyness.
A loud alarm went off in Shen Yu’s heart.
Although both he and Cheng Mofei had been each other’s first loves and never had any relationships during their college days, and it was highly unlikely that Cheng Mofei would accept this male student confession, it didn’t mean that Shen Yu could remain calm upon seeing his young lover seemingly being confessed to.
Shen Yu quickened his pace, nearly running, his feet practically sparking with each step.
Cheng Mofei frowned, clearly rejecting the male student in front of him. He even took a small step back, creating some distance.
His voice was cold as he spoke to the male student, “I thought I made it clear enough—I’m straight. I’m not interested in guys.”
Just at that moment, Shen Yu, who had been listening in, tripped and twisted his ankle, causing both him and his luggage to tumble onto the grass beside the stone path.
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