"Farewell forever… this cage of a world…" The whisper vanished into the night sky as a bleak, lonely arc cut through the darkness…
Several days earlier…
Wuhan University — a prestigious institution steeped in history, renowned for its profound academic heritage and vibrant youthful energy. Countless students here chased their dreams, poured their sweat and tears, and wrote their own chapters of youth.
Ding Li was a junior at Wuhan University and the vice-chairman of the student union. With outstanding grades, he was deeply respected by both professors and peers. He also had a gentle, considerate girlfriend — Jiang Mengyan, the chairwoman of the student union. The two were deeply in love and universally regarded as the campus's model couple.
On this particular afternoon, the sky over Ding Li's hometown was bathed in golden sunlight, quiet yet brimming with life. The afternoon sun was neither as dazzling as the morning rays nor as tender as the setting sun. It was like a long, languid poem, slowly flowing into every corner, bringing endless reverie — a lazy, comfortable moment in life.
"Hey, Mengmeng." "Okay, okay~ Don't worry, I'm heading back to school right now." Ding Li hung up the phone with a soft smile and stood silently in front of his old, rundown family home.
He had come home during the Qingming Festival to pay respects to his parents. Memories of the past flooded back like a tide, making his eyes moist. But thinking of his girlfriend brought an involuntary smile to his lips. The sadness in his eyes and the joy at the corners of his mouth perfectly illustrated the conflict in his heart.
His parents had always hoped he would get into a top university and bring honor to the Ding family. He had worked tirelessly and lived up to their expectations by being admitted to Wuhan University. Yet fate played a cruel joke on him during his freshman year.
A sudden flood devastated his hometown and took his parents' lives forever. From that day on, the trajectory of Ding Li's life changed completely. Even though he tried to face life bravely, grief clung to him like a shadow. His world became like that lazy afternoon sunlight — he only wanted to drift through life in quiet idleness.
He nearly dropped out in his first year, overwhelmed by despair. Then he met her — Jiang Mengyan. She reignited the fire in his life. In just a year and a half, he transformed into a brilliant, outstanding student. By his junior year, he had secured a guaranteed postgraduate spot and become vice-chairman of the student union.
But the heavens seemed determined to toy with him again, plunging his life back into bottomless darkness.
After lingering a little longer, he opened his arms, took one last breath of his hometown's air, turned, and left. After many transfers, he finally arrived at Wuhan Railway Station and boarded the subway back to campus as usual.
Watching the crowded carriage, he took out his phone, wanting to send a selfie to his girlfriend — a simple, happy moment to tell her he was almost there. Just as he adjusted the angle and was about to press the shutter, a child suddenly dashed over and crashed into him.
Ding Li stumbled. His phone flew out of his hand, arcing through the air and landing — of all places — directly beneath the short skirt of the girl standing beside him.
Everything happened too fast to react. He froze for a split second, then hurriedly bent down to retrieve it. His finger accidentally pressed the volume button, causing the screen to flash.
At that exact moment, the girl turned around and saw him.
Terror and fury flashed in her eyes. She pointed at him and screamed, "Ah! You pervert!"
Her scream instantly drew everyone's attention from everyone around them.
Ding Li was stunned. He hurriedly explained, "No, you've got it wrong! I was just picking up my phone!"
But the girl didn't believe a word. In today's climate, upskirt photography incidents were all too common, and women were understandably on high alert. She pulled out her own phone, recorded him, took photos, and stormed off in anger.
By the time Ding Li returned to his rented room near campus, the video had already exploded online. Public outrage erupted. Netizens branded him a voyeuristic creep. His photos were maliciously circulated, and doxxers dug up his personal information, and the edited screenshots looked damning.
The campus that once admired him now pointed fingers at him. His girlfriend Jiang Mengyan saw the video and, despite knowing his character, couldn't fully suppress her doubts. His friends — the people he once relied on — began mocking and avoiding him. Wherever he went, he felt whispers and stares boring into his back.
The pressure crushed him. He resigned from all positions, quit every club, and locked himself in his room, sinking into depression.
One night, his phone rang in the darkened room. The screen showed "Princess Mengmeng ♡". His heart clenched. He took a deep breath and answered.
Jiang Mengyan's voice came through, weary and resolute: "Ding Li… I'm sorry. My parents keep asking about you. I can't take the pressure anymore. I want to believe you, but… those photos on your phone… how do you explain them?"
Ding Li fell silent. Any explanation now sounded hollow. He forced a bitter smile. "Mengmeng, it's all a misunderstanding. Those photos were doctored. I swear I never—"
A long silence on the other end. Then a trembling sigh. "I really wanted to believe you… but I can't keep going like this. Let's… let's break up. We should focus on our studies. Maybe after graduation we can talk again. Please take care of yourself."
Click.
The call ended. Ding Li slid to the floor, all strength leaving his body. Tears welled up but refused to fall.
He had lost his parents. Now he had lost the last light in his life.
He opened his laptop and scrolled through old photos with Jiang Mengyan — every smile now a knife in his chest. Then he opened the folder with his parents' pictures. "Mom… Dad… your son is useless…"
He walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and let the water pour over him, as if it could wash away the sin the world had painted on him. Steam filled the room…
Later, dressed in his best clothes, he stood before the mirror. The man staring back was hollow-eyed, a soulless shell.
At midnight, he climbed to the rooftop. Fine rain began to fall, soaking his hair and clothes. Thunder rumbled. A flash of lightning illuminated the sky.
In that brief light, he seemed to see his parents smiling down at him from heaven — warm, forgiving, welcoming.
Another thunderclap.
"Farewell forever… this cage…"
His body traced a desolate arc through the stormy night and fell.
In that instant, his world turned to utter darkness—