The weeks passed with the quiet rhythm of time that comes after storms. Autumn melted into the edge of winter, leaves crunching beneath hurried student feet, the sky washed in pale gold and soft blue.
Inside the university walls, everything looked normal again.
But for Chi Cheng and Wu Suo Wei… things had changed.
They were quieter now, but not distant. There was a fragile intimacy to them like the space between them had grown warmer, more sacred. And though the university had long known of their relationship, it was now that people had begun to understand it. Respect it.
There was no need for declarations. They walked side by side. Ate together. Laughed softly. Sat shoulder to shoulder during lectures. And still… Suo Wei blushed when Chi Cheng brushed his fingers against his.
That morning, Suo Wei had tucked a small note into Chi Cheng's basketball bag before practice.
"You said I was yours. So don't be afraid anymore. I'm not."
— Da Bao ♡
Chi Cheng found it right before a game, and though he didn't show it, he gripped the note in his hand until the paper wrinkled. His heart thumped loudly in his chest.
Later, when he scored the winning shot, the first person he looked at wasn't the crowd. It was Suo Wei standing off to the side, wearing Chi Cheng's jacket and grinning through a red face.
And he felt it again. That overwhelming urge to kiss him in front of everyone.
He didn't. But his eyes whispered everything.
On the other side of campus, Guo Cheng Yu was walking beside Jiang Xiao Shuai, arms swinging gently between them. Their hands brushed. Shuai looked away, his face pink as usual.
"You've been staring at me the entire time," Shuai muttered.
"I always do," Cheng Yu replied with a grin. "It's your fault for having a face that distracts me."
Xiao Shuai gave him a sharp glance, but his lips twitched. "And you always flirt like a fool."
"Then why are you still walking with me every day?" Cheng Yu teased.
Shuai paused, then mumbled, "Because… you're not always a fool."
That silenced Cheng Yu for a heartbeat.
He turned, caught Shuai's hand mid-swing, and held it. Not fully laced. Just gently. Lightly. Like a question.
Shuai didn't pull away.
That evening, Chi Cheng and Suo Wei sat in their room. The window was cracked open, letting in the cold wind. Suo Wei curled under the blanket with a cup of warm milk while Chi Cheng read over notes for an upcoming exam.
Suo Wei watched him quietly.
Then said, "I used to think… you'd leave me one day."
Chi Cheng looked up. His eyes softened. "I used to think I didn't deserve you."
A long silence.
Then Suo Wei slipped from the bed, sat beside him, and leaned into his shoulder.
"Let's stop thinking like that," Suo Wei said. "It hurts too much."
Chi Cheng nodded. "Okay."
They stayed like that. Just holding each other. Breathing together.
Across campus, Cheng Yu and Xiao Shuai were sitting on the steps behind the music building. Shuai had brought a sketchbook, drawing idly. Cheng Yu watched the strokes until he leaned forward and asked quietly:
"Can I kiss you again?"
Xiao Shuai froze. Looked up.
There was something heavy in his chest, like fear… but it was also warmth.
He nodded once.
And Cheng Yu kissed him slow, gentle, like they had all the time in the world.
The next morning, the university committee posted an official notice: Wang Shuo had been suspended for violating student code of conduct. He would not return for the semester.
Rumors swirled. Whispers danced. But no one dared speak too loud.
Suo Wei read the notice in silence, Chi Cheng's hand warm around his.
"It's over," Suo Wei said.
Chi Cheng nodded. "He doesn't get to hurt you again."
"I'm not afraid anymore," Suo Wei whispered.
"You were never weak," Chi Cheng replied. "You just never stopped loving. That's your strength."