The early morning mist hung lightly over the North Lake, carrying with it a faint, refreshing fragrance that drifted through the trees. Birds, early risers themselves, chirped and flitted among the cherry blossom trees, which had burst into full bloom overnight. Just yesterday, the trees had been dotted with small buds, but now, a sea of pink blossoms stretched along the lakeshore.
As the cheerful chirping of birds reached his ears, Xu Ze slowly opened his eyes. He looked around in confusion before suddenly jolting upright, thinking to himself, How did I end up here?
After a moment, the events of the previous day came flooding back, and his expression darkened. He clearly remembered getting drunk, feeling his body stiffen from the cold, and then collapsing by the lakeside.
How did I survive a night in such freezing temperatures? And why do I feel as if I just woke up from a warm bed? Xu Ze touched his forehead, confirming he wasn’t feverish or feeling any discomfort. In fact, he felt remarkably refreshed, with no signs of a cold or hangover. It was baffling. He turned in circles, trying to make sense of it, but the only thing he noticed was that the jade pendant he had been clutching was gone, likely lost somewhere in the pile of leaves.
Xu Ze didn’t have time to dwell on it. He had less than two hours before class, and after spending the night outside, he was sweaty and needed a shower. Plus, his roommates were probably worried sick about him.
Brushing off the petals and leaves clinging to his clothes, Xu Ze took a deep breath, letting the crisp, flower-scented air fill his lungs. After last night’s emotional release, he felt much calmer. He pushed a certain figure deep into the recesses of his mind and smiled softly at the sea of pink blossoms along the lakeshore. The cherry blossoms are in bloom, and I got to see them before anyone else.
He jogged back toward the dormitory, passing early risers who were just starting their morning runs. As they caught sight of the blossoms, they cheered in delight.
Xu Ze ran through the trees, the faint scent of flowers trailing behind him.
When he finally returned to the dorm, his roommates were visibly relieved. Fatty, in particular, studied him carefully, making sure he was okay before letting out a sigh. “A Ze, if you hadn’t come back, the boss was ready to grab a knife and go after that scumbag and his floozy. Glad you’re back—now I don’t have to deliver prison meals to him!”
“Shut it, you jinx!” Luozi shot Fatty a glare. Seeing that Xu Ze seemed unaffected and even in high spirits, he couldn’t help but marvel at how Xu Ze had managed to bounce back so quickly. He clapped Xu Ze on the shoulder and said, “Glad you’re back. What’s done is done. You’ve been on the school’s heartthrob list before—plenty of girls have crushes on you. That woman just got to you first. I’ll introduce you to a few more tomorrow. We’ll find you ten or eight girls to make them jealous!”
“Oh, and I heard you took on four guys yesterday, knocked down that bastard Tao Zhixiong, and even got rescued by the super beauty Sun Lingfei. Not bad, kid. You’ve got potential.” Luozi winked and gave Xu Ze another pat on the shoulder. “Keep it up. Our dorm finally has a fourth hero. I’m rooting for you…”