"Sometimes, even when you want to do something with all your heart, your resolve isn't really tested until you come to a crossroad." At Daiyu's words, Xiao Zhan is forced to halt in his tracks. He'd met her seated on the couch upon his return, and after a brief nod in greeting, started on his way to the bedroom. He should have known that she wouldn’t be able to keep from commenting about his absence throughout the night. "Where were you?" she asks. "I tried calling your phone

"Yibo, we need to talk." Glancing up from the sink where he's just spit, Yibo sees Yi Qin standing awkwardly at the bathroom entrance. Mighty uncomfortable, he rubs up and down his arms. "Uh, this might be... this is definitely a bit weird, but we've decided to moan for you later tonight." Taken aback, Yibo stares at his reflection in the mirror, trying to make sense of what Yi Qin just said. Knowing Yi Qin, he soon realizes that no further explanation will make it clearer an

"They're going to do it again," one of the hostel members face contorts in disgust. "It's not even six a.m. yet! How can they be so inconsiderate?" "Actually it’s past six,” Yanlin corrects, and the man's glance is like a shard of glass. "You're smiling?" his raccoon eyes narrow into slits. "This is funny to you? Your kids live here." “It’s alright," she replies. "They were already asleep.” "I'm not complaining," someone off to the side remarks. "That's the most excitement I'

Altan Khan "Hey! Baby! Can I lick your ass?" Zahn, seated by my side, does not find it funny. "How crass!" We continue listening. From...

The quiet can be scary. Wrapped in Xiao Zhan's arms and watching the sun slowly rise beyond the barricaded windows, Yibo feels as though he is in a dream. The oranges and pinks, fiery, vivid, and sweeping, filter through the gaps in the iron bars, casting patterned shadows across their naked bodies. The quiet however, warns him that this, in actuality, might be the start of a nightmare. He has enough evidence from the past to prove it. Trepid, he shifts even further into Xiao

DAY 3 “Oh... he’s here!” Xiao Zhan was preoccupied with scooping out seaweed and egg soup into his bowl, so it wasn't until he was tapped on the arm that he looked up to see what they were talking about. “Yibo,” Qiu Huiyan said, and the group of four all turned their attention to the student seated alone at the far end of the cafeteria. "He seems to be in a hurry," the second female said as they resumed selecting from the buffet of dishes and filling up their trays. "Eating s

"Is there trouble in paradise?" Yuze asked. Yibo wasn’t surprised. As soon as he had come into the bathroom and their eyes had locked, he'd been sure that Yuze was there to cause trouble. Not that he cared. At this point he didn’t care about anything- the test, Xiao Zhan, his life—he didn’t even know why he was still around. Probably just looking for a reason to leave. The next paper which was language was at two pm, so he had just under an hour left on their lunch break to d

DAY 2 "He's not here." Xiao Zhan looked up from the clipboard of names he had been scanning and met the Dean's smug gaze. "Is he coming to Daiwen on his own?" the Dean asked. "I don't know," Xiao Zhan returned his attention to the clipboard. "He's responsible for himself. He can decide whether to show up for his own exam or not." Eyebrows lifting and eyes widening, the Dean was surprised. "This is a different tune you're singing," he said. "I almost expected you to drive him

The gentle breeze that accompanied the two young men on their walk carried the faint scent of fallen leaves, and the crisp reminder of the approaching winter. Zhelinzhen was a lively town during the day, but now, in the late hours of the night, the streets were nearly deserted. The moon hung low, street lamps warmed the pathways, and in the tranquil silence, the gentle lapping of water against the distant shores could almost be heard. "This restaurant must be really far," Wei