The misty steam washed away the grime of the day. Water trickled at his feet, splashing into tiny droplets.
The sticky discomfort vanished. The clean, refreshed feeling after a shower was comfortable. Gu Yu threw himself onto the bed, sinking into the soft bedding as the wooden frame let out a soft creak.
Another busy day was ending. He pulled out his phone, its corners chipped, and opened an app.
The glass screen was covered in glaring cracks. He glanced at the balance—a decent sum, but still a far cry from covering the high tuition and living expenses for college. Gu Yu wasn’t actually sure if it was enough. He’d saved roughly the amount he found online, but there would likely be other costs, and he needed to plan for a rainy day.
This habit developed shortly after his father passed away. That period had been sudden and overwhelming; amid the grief, he had to learn to take care of himself. Many people pitied him, but pity didn’t pay for the groceries, water, and electricity.
He lived cautiously on the meager inheritance, but the various expenses broke him. Thus, he learned the importance of hoarding grain against a famine.
At 9:50 PM, he couldn’t sleep. He usually didn’t close his eyes until 10:30 PM, and even then, he would have to suffer through another few dozen minutes before falling asleep.
Gu Yu wasn’t interested in short videos and hadn’t downloaded any games. He usually spent this free time sitting alone, staring at the distant city lights and letting his mind wander.
He’d thought about selling this old house, risking everything to set down roots in another city for college and start a new life. But the thought vanished quickly. This was the home his parents had spent their lives protecting. Without it, he would be like a small boat that had lost its oars, drifting further away with the rushing current, never to return.
He would rather the house rot from years of neglect than lose ownership of it. As long as the home existed, he always had a way back.
He wondered if the person across the hall felt the same way. She hadn’t been back in so many years and might never return, yet she kept the place and left Gu Yu the keys. Gu Yu never viewed the keys as a gift; he thought Yun Qianxin had entrusted them to him to look after that “home.”
‘But… if you don’t come back soon… I’ll be gone, Sister Qianxin.’
A melodic ringtone shattered the silence. Gu Yu picked up his phone. The contact name read “He Yu.”
“Hello, hello? Can you hear me? Mole, Mole, this is Sweet Potato.”
Gu Yu smiled bitterly. The girl’s liveliness always broke the somber atmosphere, pulling him back and turning him into that slightly dazed, sunny youth.
They first met on a late afternoon at the start of school. He had been inconspicuous among the freshmen and their parents, finishing his registration alone and sitting quietly in the classroom.
He Yu had sat in front of him since the beginning of the term. That day, she wore a white pleated dress and lace socks. Her soft, straight hair was tied in a high ponytail with a four-leaf clover clip, and her skin was so pale it looked translucent.
She sat there holding a thick book, sunlight pouring in through the window while the blue curtains fluttered in the breeze. Her beautiful face was bright and moving, giving her the air of a literary girl. Later, after getting to know her, Gu Yu realized she was a bit of a scatterbrained, lively girl who often came up with strange ideas.
Back then, she wasn’t reading some cold or sad Western literature, but *The Three-Body Problem*, a rare sight on a girl’s bookshelf.
“I’m here. May I ask what the great Boss He needs?”
“You forgot already? Hurry up and tell me a bedtime story.” He Yu sounded noisy, not at all like someone about to sleep. She sounded more like a mountain bandit who had just stumbled upon a big deal.
“Fine, fine, as you wish. What do you want to hear?”
“Hmm… a dark fairy tale. The darker the better.”
Gu Yu was silent for a few seconds, feeling a bit helpless. “Can’t you listen to something a normal girl would like?”
Actually, this answer suited He Yu’s personality perfectly. Sweet, happy children’s stories didn’t fit her at all.
“Not up to you. Just start.”
“Wait a second, let me look one up online.”
“…So you didn’t prepare at all? You’re just going to look one up now?”
“Please, my lady, did you expect me to make one up myself?” Gu Yu asked back with a wry smile.
“Fine… anyway, did you find one?”
“Yeah, how about this one, The Nightingale and the Rose.”
Gu Yu picked a story at random. He hadn’t even checked the content; he just liked the title. He read it listlessly. The other end of the line was quiet, save for the faint sound of breathing.
The Nightingale and the Rose, by Oscar Wilde, tells the story of a young man who wants to pick a red rose from his garden to give to the girl he loves. But it is the dead of winter, and he cannot find a red rose anywhere, so he cries in sorrow.
His crying attracts a nightingale. Moved, the bird resolves to help him and discovers the only way to produce a rose. The nightingale pierces its breast against a thorn on the rose tree and sings all night long. Its blood flows through the stems and into the tree.
Later, the flower blooms, but the nightingale dies.
The young man takes the flower to propose to the girl, but she rejects him. The red rose is tossed onto the ground by the young man, where it is crushed into dust by a cart wheel.
When he finished, the phone was silent. Gu Yu wondered if He Yu had been affected by the story. After half a minute of silence, he asked cautiously, “Class Monitor? Are you still listening?”
“Gu Yu…”
The girl’s voice was faint and airy. It was subtle and didn’t sound like her, yet he couldn’t detect any sadness.
“You… what is your relationship with Luo Ming?”
Gu Yu didn’t react immediately. It was an easy question to answer, but he hadn’t expected her to ask so suddenly or so seriously.
“Luo Ming and I… we’re classmates… friends, I guess. Similar to us. Why do you ask?”
“Nothing.” Her tone returned to its usual vigor. “Tell me another one.”
“Tell you another what? It’s time to sleep, my lady.”
“We don’t have class tomorrow. Are you in a hurry to go on a date with some girl?”
“Yeah, with Luo Ming.”
“Huh?” He Yu’s voice sharpened. Realizing her unusual excitement, she quickly composed herself and pretended not to care. “Didn’t you say you were just classmates and friends?”
“I’m joking. We have to work tomorrow. We have to get up early, and I don’t want to get lectured by the Boss.”
The girl wouldn’t let it go. “Just one more, and I’ll bring you coffee at the shop tomorrow morning.”
“…You really want to hear another one?” Gu Yu laughed.
“Stop talking. I’ll add two buns. Are you going to tell it or not?”
“Deal.”
Gu Yu found another story. To earn his buns, he put a bit more effort into his tone to make it more expressive.
“That’s gross. How about you just read without emotion like before?”
“Hey, I’m… forget it. Whatever you want.”
After he finished, He Yu didn’t pester him anymore. They said goodnight and hung up. Gu Yu switched to his messaging app and saw a message from thirty minutes ago. He’d been too busy telling stories to notice.
Luo Ming: “Go to bed early. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
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