Be Passionately In Love

On Friday night, even at eleven, the school gate was still crowded, with a few cars sporadically parked along the roadside. It had just rained, leaving the ground muddy and littered with autumn leaves, blending with the desolation of the dampness. Some hurried past with textbooks in their arms, while others were returning from a gathering, dragging their scattered group across the street after a hearty meal. Coincidentally, they were a few from the Humanities School. Spotting someone standing by the flower bed, they greeted him, "Luzhou, what are you doing here?"

Chen Luzhou had his hands in his pockets, still wearing the black baseball jacket with white sleeves from when he had kissed Xu Zhi in the stairwell earlier. His lower half was clad in gray sweatpants, paired with black limited-edition sneakers. At the moment, he was chewing on a piece of candy, absentmindedly grinding a discarded cigarette butt under his shoe, trying to kick it toward the trash bin. Hearing someone call his name, he instinctively looked up and recognized a few guys from the neighboring class. They weren’t close, but he could tell they were from his school—one or two even had names he could recall, having played basketball together recently. Still nudging the cigarette butt, he replied, "Waiting for a friend. Your class had another dinner?"

A couple of the boys stopped to smoke by the roadside and chat with him. One with dyed blond hair pulled out a lighter from his pocket, passing it around while talking to Chen Luzhou. "We were just talking about you."

"About me?" Chen Luzhou kept his head down, still kicking the butt.

"Yeah, about you and Xu Zhi—the department belle from Architecture. You two seem pretty close?"

Chen Luzhou frowned slightly, almost imperceptibly. He didn’t like discussing Xu Zhi with others, especially not with this half-familiar crowd. Casually, he replied, "Yeah, we knew each other before. What, are people gossiping about us?"

The guy laughed meaningfully, lighting a cigarette and exhaling. "Nah, just casual talk. We’re just worried our department’s heartthrob might get snatched away."

Chen Luzhou shot him a sidelong glance, his tone light. "Cut it out. You’re worried she’ll get snatched by me, aren’t you?"

The other chuckled awkwardly. "Honestly, we’ve got bets you might not even win her over. Rumor has it she had a boyfriend in high school and never really got over him. Someone tried to pursue her before, and she said she wasn’t interested in dating for now."

Chen Luzhou’s expression remained unreadable as he stared at him. "High school? She said that?"

The guy blew out a smoke ring, grinning. "Why would I lie?"

Chen Luzhou hummed in response. Just then, a taxi slowly pulled up across the street. Thinking it might be Zhu Yangqi, he glanced over half-heartedly.

But the person who stepped out of the taxi was the last person he expected to see here.

The guy carried a backpack, looking around in confusion before lowering his head to text someone. If bespectacled, white-shirted academic types were a dime a dozen on campus, Chen Luzhou might have initially dismissed it as a lookalike. But the way he stood there, clearly waiting for someone to pick him up, confirmed it was him.

Moreover, Tan Xu had a distinct aura—tall, probably around six feet, lean but pale, his lips perpetually bloodless and weak, his entire demeanor radiating exhaustion as if the world owed him something. Even the taxi driver kept checking the meter, wondering if he’d overcharged him.Seeing that Chen Luzhou hadn't spoken for a while, the boys from the next class didn't press further either. They said a quick "we're heading in first" to him before entering.

Chen Luzhou didn't leave immediately either. With both hands in his pockets, he stood on the edge of the flower bed nearby, occasionally tapping his toes against the ground. His fingers kept pressing the lock button inside his pocket, making the phone screen in his trousers flicker on and off. His eyes were slightly unfocused as he stared at the ground, wanting to see who Tan Xu had come to meet. He already had a pretty good guess—Tan Xu didn't know anyone else here.

So when Xu Zhi came out bare-faced with glasses on, he wasn't particularly surprised or shocked. He just couldn't help but sneer inwardly—had she even finished her structural drawing assignment before sneaking out for a midnight snack with someone?

After the two left, Chen Luzhou waited another ten minutes before Zhu Yangqi finally arrived in a flurry. Rushing out of a taxi, Chen Luzhou wasn't paying attention at first, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone. When he heard rapid footsteps approaching, he guessed it was probably Zhu Yangqi. Locking his phone, he hopped down from the flower bed edge and looked up—just in time to see a massive dark figure charging at him like a storm. He didn't even have time to dodge before a solid punch landed squarely on his jaw.

The pain made him suck in a sharp breath, nearly knocking him off balance. Thankfully, he reacted quickly—one hand clutching his jaw, the other grabbing the assailant's shoulder—just barely steadying himself. Looking up, it was indeed Zhu Yangqi.

"Fuck, can't you watch where you're swinging?" Chen Luzhou gritted his teeth, rarely cursing.

Zhu Yangqi was equally stunned. He'd meant to hit his chest, but Chen Luzhou had just jumped down from the flower bed at that exact moment, throwing off his aim and landing the punch on his jaw instead.

"Shit, why were you so slow today?" Zhu Yangqi was baffled—normally, his reflexes were much quicker. "What were you thinking about just now?"

Chen Luzhou tilted his head back, still clutching his jaw and wincing in pain. His hand rested on Zhu Yangqi's shoulder, which felt as hard as a rock. He gave him a cool, sidelong glance. "Been working out?"

Zhu Yangqi had bulked up even more since National Day, his entire body now packed with muscle, looking every bit like a gym trainer handing out flyers on the street. But he didn't have time to show off his biceps. "Is your face okay? If you get a scar, Xu Zhi's gonna kill me."

Chen Luzhou lowered his hand, testing his jaw with a few cautious movements. At least it wasn't dislocated. The sharp pain had faded, leaving only a dull throb, but he ignored it, shoving his hands back into his pockets with a cold laugh. "Yeah, right. Like she'd even care about me now?"

Zhu Yangqi studied his familiar, handsome face and finally relaxed, exhaling in relief. "Good, no permanent damage." On closer inspection, though, there was a tiny scrape under the corner of his mouth. "Want to grab a band-aid from the pharmacy?"

"Forget it," Chen Luzhou muttered, brushing him off. "How'd you know I was in Beijing? Did Xu Zhi tell you?"

Zhu Yangqi said, "I've got an old classmate in your school's art department. He only just found out you were here and thought I already knew—otherwise he would've told me sooner. You two are seriously something, coming here this long without even reaching out? What's that about?"Chen Luzhou walked with him toward the traffic light, planning to grab a quick bite across the street, then finally said, "Too many things going on. I originally wanted to invite you out for a meal this weekend, but midterms are coming up soon. I’ve been busy catching up on missed classes, and she’s been pulling all-nighters lately because her professor’s been pushing them hard. Neither of us has had much time to meet up, let alone make plans with you. Figured I’d wait until things settle down before reaching out."

Zhu Yangqi punched him again. "Couldn’t you have just texted me first?"

"Wanted to surprise you," Chen Luzhou glanced at him and gave a half-hearted smile. Spotting a fallen shared bike by the curb, he bent down to pick it up casually. "I didn’t tell her I was coming either. She was still mad at me—just managed to cheer her up. You think I had time to think about you?"

Zhu Yangqi: "...You bastard."

At this hour, only a few late-night eateries near the school were still open. Chen Luzhou had just seen Xu Zhi and Tan Xu enter the one next door, so he turned toward another barbecue stall instead. The moment they sat down, Zhu Yangqi couldn’t resist asking, "From the way you sounded earlier, did you and Xu Zhi have a fight?"

Leaning lazily back in his chair, Chen Luzhou grabbed the menu from the table and tossed it to him, then gazed indifferently at the street outside. "Tan Xu’s here. Xu Zhi’s having dinner with him."

Zhu Yangqi scanned the QR code on the table, comparing the food options while clicking his tongue. "I was just about to suggest inviting Xu Zhi out. Where are they eating? Should we go over and join them?"

"Don’t go looking for trouble," Chen Luzhou said coldly, still staring outside.

Zhu Yangqi shot him a glance, only for Chen Luzhou to add flatly, "An old classmate comes to Beijing, and she’s having a meal with him. Perfectly normal."

Zhu Yangqi: "What’s not normal is that Tan Xu should be retaking his college entrance exams right now. Why’d he suddenly come to Beijing? And why come to your university, A University? It’s not like he’s here for sightseeing. The answer’s obvious—he came to see Xu Zhi."

"So what? He’s a repeat senior with an uncertain future. With his mental resilience, who knows if he’ll even get into our school next year. What’s he coming to see Xu Zhi for? Empty promises? Then I’ll donate some cilantro—Xu Zhi likes that." Chen Luzhou tossed his phone onto the table, his tone indifferent.

Just then, the server brought out a cold dish—blanched okra—but forgot the vinegar. "One moment, I’ll go get it for you."

"No need, I’ll just dip it in him," Zhu Yangqi said.

Chen Luzhou: "..."

The server stared at Zhu Yangqi in shock.

Zhu Yangqi burst out laughing and raised his chopsticks. "Just kidding. Go ahead and get it." After the server left, he glanced at the guy across from him. Scanning the surroundings, he realized no one else even came close—his buddy was still the undisputed champion of good looks. Even dressed like an idiot in that baseball jacket (why did he always style himself like an athlete?), girls still couldn’t stop sneaking glances at him. Out of nowhere, Zhu Yangqi blurted, "How come you look even hotter than before? Like, more than during summer break. But honestly, your fashion sense is... questionable. Can’t you wear a white shirt for once, dude? With a body like yours, why waste it on casual wear every day?"Similarly, Chen Luzhou couldn't agree with Zhu Yangqi's fashion sense either. Dressed like a gaudy Christmas tree every day, adorned with all sorts of trinkets that jingled noisily as he walked—you didn't even need to look up to know it was him approaching. Chen Luzhou scoffed, "You want me to imitate Tan Xu? He's the one who wears white shirts every day."

"It's not like only he can wear white shirts. Suit shirts are standard for tough guys. I don’t know if it's because my taste was spoiled by you growing up or what, but even our school heartthrob looks just average to me. You know what my art school classmate said? He said, 'I never thought the high school heartthrob would be Chen Luzhou, and then in college, it’s still Chen Luzhou. My mom’s had two husbands, but the heartthrob is still fucking Chen Luzhou.'"

Chen Luzhou: "..."

The shop was crowded, bustling with people gathered around tables in small groups. The warm, fragrant aroma filled the air, and the youthful faces around them made Zhu Yangqi reminisce about summer break. The only difference was that instead of the Qingyi dialect, the chatter around them was now a mix of authentic Beijing accents and various regional dialects.

They continued chatting idly for a while.

"Are there a lot of Beijing locals at your school?"

"Not really."

Zhu Yangqi sighed and asked, "How’s your dorm situation? Mine has two idiots who argue every day. I can’t stand it—one of them is a real piece of work. He’s decent-looking, but whenever a girl shows interest in him, he posts her photo in our dorm group chat and starts critiquing her. Then, as soon as the lights go out, he starts talking about all the pretty girls on campus."

College was different from high school. In high school, conversations about girls were more innocent, focused on feelings. But in college, guys’ discussions about girls often took a cruder turn, circling around the same few questions. Some even bragged about it, showing their roommates intimate photos with their girlfriends—nothing explicit, but still uncomfortable. Chen Luzhou and Li Ke had encountered this a few times while playing Werewolf in the dorm, which was why Chen Luzhou didn’t like talking about Xu Zhi with others.

Finally, Zhu Yangqi couldn’t resist his curiosity and asked, "Earlier on WeChat, you said something unexpected happened at home. What was it?"

"They got divorced. The court battle lasted over two months. Chen Xingqi went with him, and I set up my own household—I didn’t follow either of them."

Zhu Yangqi was stunned, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a duck egg. He took a long moment to process this, afraid of prying further and making Chen Luzhou feel worse, especially since he was already in a bad mood tonight. After a while, he clicked his tongue and settled on a harmless remark: "Well, he won’t be winning Model Entrepreneur next year then."

Chen Luzhou smirked indifferently. "...You’re not as funny as your classmate."

Zhu Yangqi glanced at the groups of student friends outside the window and suddenly suggested, "How about I crash in your dorm tonight?"

Chen Luzhou took a sip of his beer. "No way. My dorm bed barely fits me as it is. I’ll book you a hotel room."

Zhu Yangqi eyed their builds—Chen Luzhou was tall and lean, while he himself had grown considerably broader. He pushed his luck: "Then get me a presidential suite.""Fuck you," Chen Luzhou cursed with a laugh, lazily getting up to go settle the bill. "Honestly, given my current situation, if you were really a bro, you'd roll up a mat and go sleep on a park bench for the night."

"Pfft."

In the end, they got a standard room, and Chen Luzhou didn’t leave either, just crashed at the hotel for a bit. By then, it was almost 4 a.m., the sky faintly lightening at the edges. Half-asleep, he heard Zhu Yangqi still rambling about his miserable college life. Chen Luzhou turned his head with a look of utter despair, and Zhu Yangqi, seeing his bloodshot eyes, immediately shut up. "Alright, sleep."

At some point—Zhu Yangqi thought it must be around 7 or 8 a.m., but the sky outside was still dark—he heard rustling as someone got up. Groggily, he asked, "What time is it?"

Chen Luzhou, bleary-eyed, leaned against the headboard, trying to shake off the drowsiness. This was the worst—finally falling asleep only to be rudely awakened by his internal clock. After a moment, he grabbed his jacket and pulled it on, his voice hoarse from exhaustion: "Five."

Zhu Yangqi, still half-asleep, draped an arm over his head. "Do your morning classes start this early? But it's Saturday."

Chen Luzhou rolled out of bed, slouched over to put on his shoes, his face nearly touching his knees. His voice was clearer now, methodical: "I’m going back to have breakfast with her. I’ll catch up on sleep in the dorm later. If you’re still here when I wake up, entertain yourself. There’s a game in the afternoon—if you want to watch, I’ll have Xu Zhi come get you. Campus access is tricky without a student ID."

Zhu Yangqi only caught bits and pieces before drifting back to sleep.

But Xu Zhi overslept. After grabbing late-night snacks with Tan Xu the night before, she’d stayed up all night working on a new round of structural diagrams for her assignment. Knowing she wouldn’t have time today because of Chen Luzhou’s department’s game, and with an aerial shoot scheduled for Sunday in the suburbs, she hadn’t slept until nearly 3 or 4 a.m. By the time she woke up, it was already 7 or 8. She immediately fished her phone from under her pillow and sent Chen Luzhou a WeChat message.

Xu Zhi: Had breakfast yet?

Xu Zhi: What time’s the game this afternoon?

Chen Luzhou didn’t reply. Xu Zhi downed a coffee and went back to her diagrams. Around noon, she sent another: ??? Bro?

Xu Gongzhu, dragged into the grind, groggily climbed down from her bunk, gripping the ladder as she complained, "I can’t get our structural design teacher’s words out of my head—'Your horizontal lines should evoke calm, vertical lines must stand tall and dignified, curves should be elegant.' How the hell do you even do that? Last night, I dreamed she wrote on my assignment, 'You drew this well. Please never draw again.' Nope, I’m switching majors next year. I can’t keep pulling all-nighters like this."

A WeChat notification popped up—but it wasn’t from Chen Luzhou.

Xu Zhi sighed, staring at her phone.

Xu Gongzhu, now in her slippers, asked, "What’s wrong? Did you fight with Campus Idol Chen?""No," Xu Zhi was in her pajamas, wearing a rabbit-eared hair clip on her head, her face bare and fresh, her round eyes glancing back at Xu Gongzhu. She leaned her elbows on the back of the chair, twirling a paintbrush lazily in her hand. After a moment's thought, she said, "Gongzhu, can you do me a favor? A friend of mine is coming—"

Xu Gongzhu cut in, "Is it because you can't make it to Chen Luzhou's basketball game this afternoon? Want me to go cheer for him instead!?"

Xu Zhi shook her head. "No, my friend is a repeat student. He didn’t do well in this year’s college entrance exam and wants to get into our school next year. He said he’s been struggling to focus on his studies lately and wants to visit our campus for motivation. He’d like to look around during the day, but I’m going to watch Chen Luzhou in the afternoon. Could you show him around campus for me?"

Xu Gongzhu pouted. "But I wanted to go see the hot guy play basketball."

Xu Zhi replied, "And I want to see my boyfriend play too."

Xu Gongzhu’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. "...Wait, you two are together now? I thought he was still chasing you?"

Xu Zhi gave a small nod. "Yeah, I’m planning to tell him after the game. But he hasn’t replied to my messages all day. Do you know what time their match is this afternoon?"

Just then, Liu Yisi returned from the library and hung her bag on the chair. "The basketball game? It’s at three, I think. But on my way back, I saw Chen Luzhou heading out of the dorm with Zhao Tianqi and the others. They’re probably going to the court now."

By around 1:30 p.m., Chen Luzhou still hadn’t replied. Xu Zhi changed her clothes and headed downstairs. The court wasn’t too crowded yet—just a few scattered groups of people, including quite a few girls in short skirts, likely from the humanities department, making a big deal out of it with their makeshift cheer squad.

The Beijing air was crisp and dry. Though it had rained the day before, the court was already completely dry. The overcast sky made the whole place look a bit dull without the sun. The referees and equipment hadn’t arrived yet, and only a few guys were warming up on the court. Three or four basketballs thudded against the backboard one after another, with the occasional girl stepping in. The scene was pretty casual—just your typical inter-department match.

Chen Luzhou was leaning against the basketball hoop chatting with someone. When Xu Zhi walked in, the person he was talking to seemed to recognize they were from the same province and gave him a look. Chen Luzhou turned his head, and amidst the bustling crowd, their gazes met in a silent, intense exchange that lasted about five seconds. Chen Luzhou then calmly turned back, his eyes indifferently scanning the court for a few seconds before lowering, lost in thought. After another brief pause, he lazily straightened up from the hoop, bent down to grab a random water bottle from the case beside it, unscrewed the cap as he walked toward her, and handed it to her, keeping the cap in his own hand.

"Up early?" he asked.

"Where’s your phone?"

"Charging in the dorm. It died."

"You play basketball without your phone?" Xu Zhi took a sip of water.

Chen Luzhou smirked and spread his arms. "Want to search me? Really didn’t bring it. Slept out with Zhu Yangqi last night, forgot the charger. Just plugged it in when I woke up."

"Zhu Yangqi’s here?" Xu Zhi froze.

She handed the water back to him. Chen Luzou screwed the cap back on and held onto the bottle. "Yeah. I’ll grab my phone later. He might look for me when he wakes up. Or you could text him, say we’re together, and tell him to just find you."

"When Zhu Yangqi looks for you, you remember your phone. When I look for you, it’s always charging. Chen Luzhou, are you getting tired of me?"

"You’ve got some nerve saying that," he glanced down at her, tone flat. "If anyone’s tired here, it’d be you first."

Xu Zhi suddenly stared at his face, ignoring the many eyes around them, and reached to touch the corner of his mouth. "Don’t move. What happened here? Did Zhu Yangqi get too excited and hit you?"

"Quick on the uptake, huh?" Chen Luzhou turned his face away, avoiding her touch. "It’s nothing. He didn’t mean to. Can you play?"

"Not really."

Chen Luzhou chuckled. "Can you shoot?"

"Yeah."

As they spoke, they slowly walked to the side of the hoop where only two or three people were warming up.

Chen Luzou tossed the water bottle onto the mat under the hoop, shrugged off his black sports jacket, and whispered by her ear, "Let’s shoot ten. If you win, I’ll think about that ‘more interesting’ request of yours."

Author’s Note: 200 red envelopes.

Tomorrow will likely be a double update combined into one.