It was as if waking from a dream. Edward Harris snapped back to reality, clenched the tissue in his hand, and stuffed it into his pocket without another glance.

He wanted to know why Eric Wright thought he was strange, what exactly was strange about him, why Eric Wright noticed his gaze, noticed that he was looking at him, and why he gave him his contact information.

The rain grew heavier and heavier, but Edward Harris seemed completely oblivious, even forgetting his original purpose. It wasn’t until he was almost at the dormitory that he remembered he was supposed to go straight to the student’s house for tutoring.

He was late, apologized, received the student’s report card, began the tutoring session, discussed things with the student’s parents, and rushed to his next part-time job—none of this was any different from before.

After changing out of his café uniform, Edward Harris boarded the last bus back to school. There were only three passengers on the bus. He pushed open the window, letting the cool breeze after the rain brush against his face, soothing the restlessness that had lingered in his heart all day.

He reached into his pocket and took out the tissue, only to find that the writing on it had been blurred by water, now almost illegible. It was like a sword gleaming with light, hanging over his head all day, only to vanish the moment he looked straight at it.

The feeling made him very uncomfortable.

Back at the dorm, Edward Harris unlocked his desk drawer, took out a very old notebook, opened it, recorded today’s expenses, calculated the payday and the remaining debt, and felt suffocated.

It was another heavy day, but somehow a little different. After getting into bed, Edward Harris closed his eyes and remembered something in the darkness.

He casually brought up Eric Wright, but from his roommates, he got almost the same response as from William Thompson.

One roommate even offered a more scandalous rumor.

“I heard his private life is really messy, sleeps around, but he actually prefers guys.”

“Seriously? That’s so gross, I’m gonna puke.”

“Haha, so Eric Wright really has slept with guys? The girl I like even used to like him…”

“Why are you bringing him up today, 一宵? Don’t tell me you…”

“No way! Our handsome Harris has basically been living like a monk these years in college, right? He doesn’t go near girls, let alone guys. Isn’t that right, 一宵?”

Edward Harris listened to their laughter and chatter, pretending to be asleep. This kind of topic wasn’t new in the boys’ dorm; usually, he would play along or laugh a couple of times, putting on a sociable front.

But tonight, in the darkness, his face was cold, and he didn’t laugh.

He had a lot he wanted to say, but in the end, he held back and said nothing.

It was a week later, in the afternoon, when he saw Eric Wright again. That day, he happened to have no elective classes, and the student he tutored had taken the day off, so he unexpectedly had a free afternoon. Edward Harris decided to use this rare time to review English in the study room, preparing for the TOEFL exam.

He only planned to take it once, and he had to succeed the first time. Saving up the 2,100 yuan registration fee wasn’t easy—Edward Harris had no backup plan.

It was in this study room that he ran into Eric Wright again, though the other didn’t seem to notice him. They were separated by just one aisle, sitting diagonally across from each other, so Edward Harris could see Eric Wright’s profile with just a glance.

Eric Wright studied much more seriously than he’d imagined, barely even drinking water all afternoon. His textbooks were thick, filled with notes and sticky tabs, and he looked very focused as he typed on his keyboard.

When it was time to eat, the once-crowded study room gradually emptied as people left one by one, until only the two of them remained.

The air was very quiet. Edward Harris packed up his things, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and left without saying a word.

That night, while working at the café, Eric Wright’s profile kept appearing in his mind—the afternoon light, the fine fuzz on his skin, and the way he leaned back in his chair, eyes closed and head tilted after getting tired.

It bothered Edward Harris, and he even made a rookie mistake while taking orders, something he never did.

It was raining again outside, though not heavily. When Edward Harris returned to school, he ran along the deserted tree-lined path. Under the dim streetlights, his sense of direction seemed confused, and he somehow ended up back at the science building where he’d studied that afternoon.

Maybe because he’d been running, Edward Harris’s heart was pounding as he went upstairs, but the moment he entered the classroom, he suddenly felt calm.

There was only one boy with glasses in the classroom. When he heard the door, he looked up in confusion.

Edward Harris averted his gaze, walked to the seat he’d used that afternoon, put down his bag, and glanced at the seat where Eric Wright had sat, now empty.

On the whiteboard were posted the rules for overnight study. The ceiling lights were glaringly bright. Some rain had blown in, so Edward Harris got up to close the window.

Standing by the third-floor window, he suddenly noticed someone squatting under the streetlamp downstairs, holding a transparent umbrella and feeding a stray dog hiding under the umbrella with half a sausage.

Maybe it was the familiar clothes, but Edward Harris recognized Eric Wright at a glance. Even from a distance, he could clearly see Eric Wright’s smiling eyes and the gentle way he petted the dog’s head.

He closed the window and sat down to read.

Not long after, there was a sound at the door of the study room as a third person entered. Edward Harris didn’t look up, but he already guessed it was Eric Wright.