Chapter Two: Returning Home
At the end of 2019, Li Fengyu was feeling quite troubled. Today was a holiday, yet he had stayed up late last night, only falling asleep at three in the morning. This morning, not only did he oversleep, but he also nearly missed the early morning reading session. Born in 2004, Li Fengyu attended the Vocational Technical College in X City, H Province, where he studied graphic design. He hadn’t taken his middle school studies seriously and, as a result, hadn’t even managed to get into a general high school. Thinking about this often led him to complain to Li Sen, his close friend. The two were inseparable, spending much of their time together like true confidants.
“Fengyu, have you packed your things? The school’s about to open, and the homeroom teacher is urging you,” Li Sen said as he pulled his suitcase while tidying his belongings.
Hearing Li Sen call him, Li Fengyu hurriedly replied, “Almost done, almost done. I’m just packing now—there’s so much stuff, I have to take it slow. Besides, the school doesn’t open until eleven, trust me. The notice said so.”
“Yeah, right. You kept me up until three in the morning last night, and this morning I ended up missing early reading because of you,” Li Sen grumbled, clearly annoyed.
After tidying and packing his lower bunk, Li Fengyu dragged his suitcase and said to Li Sen, “Hey, we’re good friends, right? Usually, it’s just the two of us sticking together in class. Don’t be so petty.”
Li Sen squinted at him and smiled faintly. “Hmph, you’re way too carefree. This time, because we both overslept, the teacher assigned us three extra essays for holiday homework. Thanks a lot.”
Li Fengyu laughed heartily and made a gesture. “No problem. If it comes to it, I’ll write them for you.”
Hearing this, Li Sen also chuckled. “You really mean that? Ha ha.”
As the two shared a lighthearted moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside the dormitory. The door swung open, revealing the class monitor—a tall, upright young man with fair, sharp features, deep black eyes, and thick eyebrows—who said, “A Sen, Fengyu, you two still haven’t finished packing? The homeroom teacher is rushing you.”
The class monitor wasn’t particularly close to either Li Sen or Li Fengyu but got along with most classmates reasonably well. He never bullied anyone and maintained decent relations with others.
Upon seeing the class monitor, Li Fengyu and Li Sen quickly grabbed their things and followed him out, asking as they walked, “What’s going on? Didn’t the notice say the school opens at eleven? Why are they rushing us so much?”
The class monitor scratched his head, saying, “I don’t know. Something feels off. They opened the gate half an hour early and didn’t explain much—just told us to leave quickly.”
Before Li Fengyu and Li Sen could fully grasp what he meant, they had already reached the gate. There, a tall young woman with blond hair, glasses, and delicate features hurried over and said, “You’re here. Nobody’s left in the dorm, right? Hurry up and leave. The rest will be explained in the WeChat group.”
Although puzzled, Fengyu and Li Sen said nothing more and headed outside. At the campus entrance, many students were heading home, while parents waited to pick up their children. After reaching an intersection, Li Sen boarded a bus and waved goodbye, saying, “You goof, see you next year.”
Li Fengyu smiled faintly in return. “Son, see you next year.”
He then made his way toward the north gate of the school, knowing his parents were waiting for him there. Along the way, he couldn’t stop wondering about the cryptic words from the teacher and the class monitor. When he finally arrived home, Li Sen had sent him many messages. The moment Li Fengyu opened his phone, he froze.