FENG YU'S POV
The room smells like instant noodles and cheap detergent.
Feng Yu sits cross-legged on his bed, laptop balanced on his knees, the screen's glow casting shadows across his small dorm room. His roommate won't arrive until tomorrow, an early move, as a privilege for scholarship students.
He's alone. Good.
The browser has seventeen tabs open. All of them are about one person.
Su Yishui's Instagram. His Weibo. His Twitter. The X University basketball team page. News articles about his family's business empire. A feature in Beijing Youth magazine about "The Next Generation of Business Leaders."
Feng Yu has read them all. Multiple times.
He clicks to a new photo, Yishui at a charity gala three weeks ago, wearing a dark suit, smiling that polite smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. The one he saves for cameras and strangers.
Feng Yu knows all his smiles.
He's been watching for a long time.
"Finally," he whispers to the screen, fingers hovering over the trackpad. "Tomorrow."
His phone buzzes. Text from Zheng Yi.
ZHENG YI: Dude, you up? Can't sleep. Too excited.
FENG YU: Same. When are you coming?
ZHENG YI: Tomorrow. Has your room been assigned to you?
FENG YU: Building C, room 304. You?
ZHENG YI: Building C, 304! We're roommates! Okay, now I'm definitely not sleeping. Coffee tomorrow before orientation?
FENG YU: Definitely. 8 AM?
ZHENG YI: Perfect. Night, stalker. 😏
FENG YU: I'm not …
ZHENG YI: Kidding! Mostly. Get some sleep.
Feng Yu sets his phone down. Looks back at the screen.
Zheng Yi knows about his "interest" in Su Yishui. Knows about the café incident five years ago, when Yishui, just fourteen, visiting Beijing, told some bullies to leave Feng Yu alone.
One word. "Stop."
And they had.
Zheng Yi thinks it's romantic. A childhood crush that motivated Feng Yu to work hard, earn a scholarship, and make something of himself.
Zheng Yi doesn't know about the seventeen tabs. The saved photos. The detailed notes about Yishui's schedule, habits, and favorite places.
Zheng Yi doesn't need to know everything.
Feng Yu closes the tabs one by one. Shuts the laptop.
Tomorrow, he'll see Su Yishui in person. Not through a screen. Not from across a street or a crowded café.
Tomorrow, everything changes.
He lies back on the bed, stares at the ceiling. His mind runs through scenarios, possibilities, and opening lines.
Sleep doesn't come.
Instead, he thinks about dark eyes and rare smiles and the way Yishui's voice sounded in that café five years ago.
Kind. Authoritative. Safe.
Feng Yu wants to hear it again.
Wants to be the reason for one of those rare, genuine smiles.
He'll make it happen.
He's good at making things happen.
By the time dawn breaks through his window, Feng Yu has a plan.
6 HOURS LATER, X UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
The campus is bigger than the photos suggest.
Feng Yu stands at the main gates, duffel bag over his shoulder, taking it all in: ancient trees, stone pathways, students everywhere in casual chaos.
"There you are!" Zheng Yi appears, grinning. "Ready for orientation?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Just got here?
"Yes. Let's go. "
They walk together toward the administration building. Zheng Yi chatters about his roommate, the cafeteria food he has already tried, and the cute girl he saw at checkin.
Feng Yu nods, responds when appropriate, but his mind is elsewhere.
Calculating.
If Yishui follows his usual routine, and he does, Feng Yu has tracked it online for months; he should be at basketball practice until noon. Then the cafeteria for lunch.
Feng Yu could engineer a meeting there. Accidental. Natural.
" literally seven forks. Who needs seven forks? Feng Yu, are you listening?"
"Sorry. Just nervous."
"About what? You're the smartest person I know. You'll be fine." Zheng Yi bumps his shoulder. "Come on. Dean's office first, then we can explore."
They climb the stairs to the third floor. Long hallway, frosted glass doors.
DEAN WANG, ADMISSIONS
Feng Yu knocks.
"Come in!"
Dean Wang sits behind a cluttered desk, papers everywhere. He looks up, smiles warmly.
"Ah! One of our scholarship students. Name?"
"Feng Yu, sir."
"Feng Yu! Perfect scores, very impressive. We're thrilled to have you." He pulls out a folder. "Your schedule, dorm key, student ID. Building C, room 304."
"Thank you, sir."
"Now, I know arriving can be overwhelming, so I've arranged for one of our junior students to show you around. He should be here any…"
The door opens.
Feng Yu doesn't turn immediately. His heart is already racing, hands slightly clammy, because he knows, he somehow knows…
"Ah, perfect timing! Su Yishui, come in."
And there he is.
Taller than Feng Yu expected, at least 6'1", broad shoulders in a simple white tshirt. His hair is slightly messy, like he just finished practice. His face is everything the photos showed and nothing like them, sharper, more real, more there.
When Yishui's eyes scan the room and land on Feng Yu, something flickers across his face.
Curiosity? Interest?
Gone too quickly to tell.
"This is Feng Yu, freshman, just arrived. I was hoping you could show him around?"
Yishui's expression shifts to polite warmth. "Of course." He extends a hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Su Yishui."
I know. I know everything about you.
Feng Yu takes the hand. Warm, calloused, strong.
"Feng Yu. Thanks for doing this."
Up close, he can see the slight dark circles under Yishui's eyes. Late night, probably. The basketball team had practice until eleven last night, Feng Yu saw it on the team's Instagram story.
"No problem. Dean Wang always volunteers me for this stuff." Yishui's smile is easy, practiced. "Ready?"
Feng Yu nods, not trusting his voice.
They leave the office together. The hallway suddenly feels too small.
"So," Yishui says as they walk, "where are you from?"
"Shijiazhuang."
"Nice. Small town?"
"Yeah. Nothing exciting."
"Exciting's overrated." Yishui pushes open the main doors, leads them outside. "Shijiazhuang to Beijing is a big jump, though. You managing okay?"
"So far."
They walk in silence for a moment. Feng Yu is hyperaware of everything, the way Yishui walks, confident and easy. The height difference makes Feng Yu tilt his head slightly to look at him. The woody scent of his cologne.
"What are you studying?" Yishui asks.
"Business Management."
"No shit? That's my major." For the first time, there's genuine interest in Yishui's voice. "What year track?"
"Four years."
"I'm third year." Yishui stops in front of a brick building. "This is Building C. Your dorm. Room 304, right?"
"Yeah."
"Third floor. The elevator's been broken for a week. Stairs are that way." Yishui points. "Cafeteria is that building, academic buildings north, library east. Pretty simple once you walk it a few times."
"Thanks."
There's a pause. Yishui checks his phone, frowns.
"I've got class in fifteen minutes. You good from here?"
This is it. This is where Yishui leaves and becomes just another student. Feng Yu passed in the hall.
Unless.
"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks again." Feng Yu pauses, like something just occurred to him. "Hey, if you're in Business Management too, maybe I could ask you about classes sometime? If you're not too busy."
Yishui's expression softens. "Sure. Yeah, that'd be fine."
"Cool. Um, how would I… "
"Right. Here." Yishui pulls out his phone. "Give me your number. I'll text you."
Feng Yu recites his number. Watches Yishui save it.
"Got it. I'll send you a message so you have mine." Yishui's phone buzzes; someone is calling. He glances at it, sighs. "I really need to go. But yeah, hit me up if you need anything. Welcome to X University."
"Thanks."
Yishui jogs off toward the academic buildings, phone to his ear.
Feng Yu stands there, alone, heart pounding.
His phone buzzes.
UNKNOWN NUMBER: Hey, it's Yishui. Good luck with your first day.
Feng Yu saves the contact immediately.
Then he allows himself a small smile.
Step one: complete.