Song Yu always said things he couldn't understand. Yue Zhishi had discovered this since he was little.

No matter how many times it happened, he would always try to figure out what Song Yu truly meant to express. As a result, he completely zoned out while ordering, and only snapped back to reality after Xia Zhixu, who was sitting opposite him, called his name several times.

"What?"

Xia Zhixu smiled, "Want a drink?"

Yue Zhishi shook his head. "I just had milk tea."

"Oh, I see." Xia Zhixu looked down at the menu. "Then I'll have two calamondin colas. This daifuku looks good, I'll have one of those, and a Castella cake, a matcha red bean dorayaki..."

Song Yu stopped him. "Are you here to eat Japanese food or dessert?"

Holding the menu, Xia Zhixu smiled. "Xu Qichen has hypoglycemia, so he can eat a lot of sweets. I'm used to it when I eat out with him. My apologies."

After speaking, he moved the menu over to Yue Zhishi. "Lele, see what you want to eat. The ramen here is good."

"He's allergic to wheat, he can't eat noodles." Song Yu glanced at the menu, chose some dishes from the options Yue Zhishi could eat that he probably wouldn't dislike, and ordered on his own initiative.

"How tragic." Xia Zhixu counted off all the wheat products he could think of. "Doesn't that mean you can't even drink beer?"

"Minors aren't allowed to drink alcohol anyway." Xu Qichen poured a cup of barley tea for Yue Zhishi, pushed it over, and smiled at him. "The daifuku doesn't have wheat flour. It's glutinous rice skin wrapped around fruit and cream. You should like it."

Yue Zhishi smiled too. "Yeah, I like glutinous rice."

In fact, Yue Zhishi also really liked these two upperclassmen. Even though they weren't from the same school and had only met once, whether through conversation or eye contact, neither of them showed excessive curiosity or a probing attitude. They were very affable, maintaining a very subtle balance that made Yue Zhishi feel very comfortable.

The waiter brought over the calamondin colas and two glasses filled with ice. Xia Zhixu thanked him, but instead of giving Xu Qichen his share directly, he poured the ice from one glass into the other.

This action seemed to displease Xu Qichen, but his displeasure was only expressed by frowning at Xia Zhixu.

"I'll leave one piece for you then?" Xia Zhixu flicked his wrist, leaving the last, teetering piece of ice in the glass with a clink. "You should drink less iced stuff. You're going to eat spicy food in a bit, it'll be a hassle if you get a stomachache."

Xu Qichen didn't respond. After Xia Zhixu finished speaking, he poured the soda and placed the glass with only one piece of ice next to Xu Qichen's hand.

Yue Zhishi watched their every move, a little puzzled in his heart, but even the source of his confusion was vague. He had friends too, like Jiang Yufan, and he had seen how friends acted with each other, but these two in front of him were different.

It was as if there was a transparent thread connecting them—from finger to finger, corner of the mouth to corner of the mouth, from their eyes to their brows—it was everywhere, intricately intertwined. A single move from one would affect the other's entire being.

So strange. But what was even stranger than this wondrous connection was the fact that Yue Zhishi found he could perceive it.

Xia Zhixu took a sip of his cola, his face scrunching up from the sourness of the calamondin. He looked at Song Yu. "You did well on the mid-term joint exam. I heard them say your math score was especially high."

"It was alright." Song Yu started chatting with him about the science comprehensive exam questions. Xu Qichen ate his ramen in silence.

The waiter served a flaming assorted seared sushi platter, which had six different flavors. Yue Zhishi picked a piece of sweet shrimp sushi, which was Song Yu's usual favorite, and placed it in his bowl. He then took a bite of the avocado sushi himself. Slices of avocado drizzled with soy sauce and salad dressing rested on a firm, sweet ball of vinegar rice. Although it was vegetarian, being seared with a blowtorch gave it a smooth and dense texture, with a slight caramel aroma that melted the moment it entered his mouth.

"Is it good?" Xu Qichen asked.

Yue Zhishi nodded while chewing. He saw Xia Zhixu pick one up for Xu Qichen. "You'll know if you try it. Eat more."

Xu Qichen said again, "Lele really enjoys his food."

Yue Zhishi swallowed the food in his mouth. "Because of my allergies, there are many delicious things I can't eat. The things I can eat are already very few, so I have to savor the taste seriously and eat a little more, so I don't lose out compared to others."

Song Yu sipped his tea. "Such fallacious reasoning for being greedy."

Xia Zhixu, on the other hand, strongly agreed with Yue Zhishi's statement. He clinked his glass against Yue Zhishi's, his canine teeth showing with his smile. "I like that saying. People who respect and enjoy good food are especially cute."

Song Yu poured another cup of hot tea and told Yue Zhishi to drink it. Yue Zhishi wanted to save room for other food, so he acknowledged him but let the tea sit until it was lukewarm without drinking it. In the end, Song Yu drank it himself and poured a new cup. "If you don't drink this, you can't have a single bite of dessert."

Only then did Yue Zhishi give in. He swallowed the crab meat tamagoyaki in his mouth, held the teacup with both hands, and finished it in small sips.

"You're quite a fierce older brother." Xia Zhixu placed a piece of pan-seared foie gras sushi on Yue Zhishi's plate. "Lele, eat this. With the apple slice underneath, it's delicious."

Yue Zhishi said thank you and took a bite as Xia Zhixu had suggested. He normally disliked animal liver and wouldn't even eat foie gras at Lin Rong's restaurant, but in this situation, he felt it would be rude to refuse. Yet, after one bite, he discovered it was completely different from what he had imagined.

The texture of the foie gras was dense, almost like a very compact heavy cheesecake, but the flavor was the rich aroma of animal fat seasoned with black pepper and rock salt. The taste was mellow, and the apple slice balanced the greasiness well. Paired with the refreshing, springy vinegar rice, it was unexpectedly delicious.

"It's delicious." Yue Zhishi looked up and smiled at Xia Zhixu, his eyes shining brightly.

"Right? Big brother doesn't lie."

Indeed, preconceived notions could very well lead to missed opportunities and regrets.

While he was wholeheartedly focused on eating, the three third-year high school students had already shifted their conversation from academic competitions to the college entrance exams. It seemed to be an unavoidable topic.

Listening to them chat, Yue Zhishi couldn't help but interject, "Senior Xia, have you decided on your major preference?"

Suddenly asked, Xia Zhixu tilted his head back slightly and thought for a moment. "I'm quite interested in studying computer science. As for where to study..." He leaned on Xu Qichen's shoulder. "I'll go wherever Xu Qichen goes. We've already agreed, we'll probably go to Beijing."

Xu Qichen put down his chawanmushi, pushed Xia Zhixu's head off his shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Who agreed with you?"

His ears had turned red. Yue Zhishi noticed.

He turned his head to look at Song Yu. "Brother Song Yu, what about you?"

Song Yu lowered his eyes. "Haven't thought about it."

The assorted tempura platter was served. A large, fragrant, and crispy plate of fried shrimp, fried crab legs, fried green pumpkin, fried squid, and fried shiitake mushrooms. Just looking at it was enough to make Yue Zhishi drool. This kind of cold, damp, rainy day was perfect for eating crispy, hot fried food, but the batter in these Japanese restaurants was made with wheat flour, so he couldn't have a single bite.

Hearing Song Yu's answer, Xia Zhixu said with a laugh, "Doesn't Peiya School have a third of its students go abroad every year without taking the college entrance exam?"

Song Yu said, "Not that many. That's an exaggeration."

Xu Qichen also asked, "Are you going abroad? Do you have to prepare for exams now too?"

"Not necessarily." The answer he gave was vague.

Hearing the words "go abroad," Yue Zhishi, who was already struck by the tempura blow, suddenly became even more dejected. So Song Yu might go abroad for university? How many years did university take in a foreign country? Would he only be able to come back during breaks? How many days off would he get in a year?

In just a few short seconds, he had imagined a scene of himself, lonely and helpless in high school, while Song Yu was studying and partying abroad.

"What are you spacing out for? Not eating anymore?" Song Yu asked.

Yue Zhishi shook his head. "I am." As he spoke, he picked up a piece of shrimp tempura for Song Yu and ate a small bite of cold seaweed salad himself.

"Lele is going directly to the Senior High Division, right?" Xu Qichen asked.

"Come to our Jingjian School," Xia Zhixu teased him. "The cafeteria at Jingjian is delicious."

But Yue Zhishi said, "Peiya doesn't have remedial classes and has more extracurricular activities."

"That's true. I don't want remedial classes either."

Yue Zhishi thought again, no matter where he went for high school, he would eventually be separated from Song Yu. No matter where Song Yu went to university, they wouldn't be able to see each other every day. If he really went abroad, after a few years, who knew when they would see each other again.

The more he thought about it, the more sullen he felt, and he lost his appetite. The rain outside had been falling for nearly two hours, and it finally stopped. Xia Zhixu insisted on paying the bill, saying he wanted Song Yu to owe him a meal so he'd have a chance to cash it in. Song Yu didn't refuse and stood in the back with Yue Zhishi, waiting for them.

His gaze drifted forward unconsciously. Song Yu saw Xia Zhixu leaning against the front counter, with Xu Qichen standing beside him, very close. The backs of their hanging hands seemed to brush against each other fleetingly, their fingertips almost touching before separating again in the next instant. Xia Zhixu's hand pressed against the seam of his pants, rubbed it, then unnaturally and awkwardly stuffed it into his jacket pocket. Xu Qichen's fingers curled into his palm, pulling away a bit, and his head lowered.

Song Yu averted his eyes and looked back at Yue Zhishi. Usually, after eating something delicious, his face would be full of satisfaction, but today he was sullen. Song Yu thought for a moment, then said to him, "Today's tempura was just average."

Yue Zhishi looked up, his big eyes looking clear and bright under the restaurant's lights.

Song Yu added, "We didn't finish the rice flour I bought last time. I'll fry some at home tomorrow."

If it were in the past, Yue Zhishi would definitely have smiled and said okay, with a look of anticipation. But today of all days, even after Song Yu had said all that, Yue Zhishi just nodded and turned his face toward the street outside the glass door.

Song Yu frowned, but the other two had already paid and returned. Xia Zhixu even teased, "Look at you, all sullen and troubled every day. Let's go."

One pair lived in Hankou, the other in Wuchang. Their routes weren't the same, so they parted ways after passing through the turnstiles to enter the station. Song Yu led Yue Zhishi home by subway. There were fewer people on the train than before, but there were still no seats. Song Yu went in, found a hand ring to hold onto, and had Yue Zhishi stand next to a pole.

The subway started moving. The rapidly flashing billboards outside the window always made one zone out. Yue Zhishi looked at the reflection of Song Yu and himself in the glass. There was a height difference of more than half a head.

'Don't they say mixed-race people grow tall?' Yue Zhishi thought. 'Why can't I ever grow taller than Song Yu?' The age gap couldn't be erased, and neither could the difference in their builds.

"What are you spacing out for?" Song Yu looked down at him. "With that long face, do you think my speech was so bad that I'm going to lose?"

"Of course not." Yue Zhishi immediately raised his head. His hair had gotten a little wet in the rain earlier, and it had become a bit curlier after drying. The light in the carriage was bright, making it look fluffy when it shone on him.

Song Yu raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. Yue Zhishi blinked, then looked at him again. "Brother Song Yu, are you really going abroad?"

Not expecting this question, Song Yu was stunned for a second, then answered truthfully, "I haven't thought about it."

"Can you choose not to think about it?" Yue Zhishi pressed.

Song Yu looked at him, as if holding back a laugh. "What do you think?"

'I don't think you can.' Yue Zhishi answered in his heart. But for Song Yu to say that, it must mean he hadn't decided whether to go abroad or not. Otherwise, he would have just informed him directly. Thinking this, Yue Zhishi felt much better.

The carriage doors opened, and several people got on, among them a couple. The girl was wearing the boy's jacket. He was suddenly reminded of earlier and turned his head to ask Song Yu, "What did you mean just now when you said 'they're not friends'?"

Song Yu knew he wouldn't understand and didn't want to explain too much, so he put him off with a phrase just like when he was little, "Not ordinary friends."

"I can tell, they're really good friends." Yue Zhishi thought of the second half of what Song Yu had said before: they aren't brothers. Since they weren't blood brothers, being friends was also great. His mouth moved faster than his brain, and he turned his head and said, "Let's be not-ordinary friends too."

Not expecting him to say that, Song Yu averted his face unnaturally.

"I don't make friends with little kids."

For some reason, seeing Song Yu act like this made Yue Zhishi a little happy. He tried to get a better look at his face, as if analyzing a glimmer of hope from this one-hundred-percent rejection.

He was a little kid, but Song Yu was already grown up. His birthday was in the winter.

So, when he grew up, Song Yu would be friends with him.

The people in the carriage were all standing crookedly, but Song Yu stood as straight as a pillar one could lean on. Yue Zhishi held his arm, looking at his own reflection in the glass.

He had to grow up a little faster.

After one stop, quite a few people got off, and they finally found seats.

Perhaps he was sleepy after the meal, or maybe the cold medicine from the morning was finally kicking in. As he sat there, his eyelids suddenly started to feel heavy. Yue Zhishi couldn't fight the drowsiness, his head bobbing down like he was fishing. He fell asleep, his body swaying with the carriage, nearly slumping onto the shoulder of the auntie sitting to his right.

Song Yu, who had been looking down at his phone, saw how sleepy he was. He reached out, grabbed his hood, and forcefully pulled him over to lean toward him. The carriage swayed, and Yue Zhishi, like a small magnet, plopped onto his shoulder and slept soundly.

A young girl in the opposite seat had been holding up her phone, pointing it at the two of them. Song Yu glanced up, and the girl immediately had the expression of someone who'd been caught, pulling her phone back a little.

But Song Yu didn't stop her, nor did he look at her again. He just raised his hand to pull Yue Zhishi's hood over his head, tugging it down to cover most of his face. Then he reached inside to feel his forehead before finally letting his hand down. Yue Zhishi seemed to be half-awakened by the movement and snuggled against his shoulder, burying his head lower before continuing to sleep.

His old habit of falling asleep as soon as he got on a vehicle was impossible to break. When Yue Zhishi was little, on buses and coaches, leaning on a shoulder wasn't enough; sometimes he would just slump onto Song Yu's lap, wrapping his arms around his waist, and wake up with imprints all over his face.

Song Yu opened his phone, exited the chat with Xia Zhixu, and tapped into his chat with Yue Zhishi.

Yue Zhishi's tracking skills were at a kindergarten level. From the moment he left the house that morning, Song Yu knew he was being followed. So he took the opportunity to secretly take a picture of his side profile on the subway and sent it to him. He originally wanted to scare him a little, but he hadn't expected the guy to forget his phone.

He opened the photo that he didn't get to use, zoomed in, and could still see Yue Zhishi's ridiculously long eyelashes. Song Yu stared at the unanswered chat box, then lowered his eyes to look at the person on his shoulder.

His reaction was too slow; it was too late to unsend it.

The author has something to say: The girl: Don't stop me, I'm going to post #SubwayHotties#