Zu Cheng
Soon, it was 9th June, the day of the Gaokao. I was prepared well enough, but that didn't mean it would be easy.
I walked into the exam hall and immediately felt it, the tension. The air was thick, sticky, and buzzing with anxiety. Everyone around me was either muttering formulas under their breath or flipping through last-minute notes like their lives depended on it. Maybe they did.
The desks stretched endlessly, perfect little islands for the chaos of our minds. Invigilators walked silently between the rows, their footsteps echoing like warning bells. A few students tapped pens nervously. Others just stared at the ceiling, eyes wide, probably thinking, I should have studied more.
I took a deep breath, feeling my heart thump like a bass drum. Months of prep, hours of editing, and side hustles—none of it mattered if I froze now. I glanced around. Some kids were pale, some were sweating, and some were fidgeting like crazy. But me? I just gripped my pen, letting the calm I'd built over the last ten months settle in.
This was it. The one shot. I couldn't afford to freak out, couldn't afford to doubt. I had a plan, and for once, I trusted it.
Bring it on, Gaokao.
Gaokao—the kind of exam that knows how to mess even with creative minds. I never expected it to be easy, but this? Sitting here, it felt more like a tense interview than a peaceful test of words.
The paper presented two friends, meant to meet after seven years, each secretly in love with the other. How would I show that to an audience?
Well, it's a lovely plot, but is it suitable for an exam? What were they even seeking from this? Anyway, I had to write what I could.
I could see it all—the air thick with anticipation, memories flickering in their eyes, the hesitation, the unspoken words. My mind raced with camera angles, lighting, pauses, and small gestures saying more than a thousand lines. I didn't just answer the question; I lived it, feeling every heartbeat, every silent confession, every detail whispering the story.
The last bell rang. As the papers were collected, I glanced around. Most of them looked tense, confused, or relieved—everyone lost in their own thoughts. I didn't have time to linger; Ray was leaving for his travel journey again, and I had to see him off.
I rushed to our usual spot—the park beside the cybercafé we worked in . He was waiting for me. He said, "Hey buddy! How did your exam go?"
"It went fine. I guess I'll pass," I replied.
"Sure." He pointed towards my phone.
I was confused but still handed it to him. He logged into his cloud ID and said, "You can use this as a reference."
I couldn't find the words.
"That's just a parting gift from me. " He smiled, and I was too stunned to reply. "Until we meet again, my friend."
"Yea… stay safe and healthy, buddy," I finally managed. My face felt like a red balloon, bursting with happiness.
Then, soon it was late July; results came out, and yep… I passed again.
I got selected for Peking University, Haidian District, Beijing, under the 'Broadcast & Television Directing' department.
But before I actually started university in the middle of September, I had another mission—get rid of my nerdy, zero-fashion look. And the only person in the whole world I could trust with this was Xie Mei.
I called her, already knowing she wouldn't say no. She had also gotten into the Beijing Film Academy, so she was just as busy… or so I thought.
She picked up instantly. "You bastard! You didn't even call me after getting into PKU! Now what? What the hell do you want from me?"
"Uhhh… I kinda forgot to call…" I mumbled. "And… I need your expert advice. You know how I suck at fashion. I don't want to look like I crawled out of a trash heap… but also, not the ultimate nerd either. Can you help me?"
She laughed loudly. "Ohhh, so now my genius powers are required to save the hopeless Zu Cheng, huh? Fine, I'll rescue you from your tragic wardrobe!"
I grinned. "Thanks, girl. You always know how to fix my disasters."
"Of course! That's what best friends are for. Now get ready—we're about to make you look like someone people actually want to notice."
I met her at the little café we always hung out at, and the moment she saw me, she shrieked. "Oh no… this is what you've been parading around in? Are you trying to scare children and animals alike?!"
"Hey! I'm not that awful," I protested weakly, knowing full well she was about to destroy my fashion soul.
"Not that bad?" she snorted. "Zu Cheng, you look like a librarian crashed into a garbage bin, and then someone forgot to dress you properly! And that hair…did a tornado visit you this morning?"
"Fine! Maybe a little messy…" I mumbled.
"A little messy?!" She grabbed my hoodie. "This thing screams 'I lost a bet with my wardrobe.' And that shirt! Seriously, it looks like a sad watermelon exploded on you."
I tried to defend myself. "It's comfortable…"
"Comfortable?! Zu Cheng, comfort doesn't enhance your style; it leads to a fashion disaster. And if we can't fix this, what do you think will happen? Your university life is officially black & white: one white shirt, one black trouser, one black t-shirt, rinse, and repeat. Forever. Welcome to Dullsville."
By the third round, she had me trying on everything she could find. Jackets, jeans, shirts, sneakers—she laughed at every single "almost okay" attempt. "No! Too boring. Ugh! That color is crying for attention, but in a bad way!"
I groaned. "What do you want from me?"
"I want you to stop being a walking corpse! Come on, Zu, you're entering PKU, not hiding in a coffin. If we find nothing else, black-and-white is your only salvation. But I promise, I'll find some life in you yet."
Finally, she stepped back, arms crossed, smirking like a fashion god. "Better. Not perfect, but I can live with this. Now, walk into PKU like someone who owns the world. Or at least doesn't look like he borrowed clothes from a recycling bin."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Thanks… buddy. You really saved me from eternal embarrassment."
She grinned. "Of course! What are best friends for, if not to stop each other from being a complete disaster?"
Well, that's true…
Still, thanks to her, I won't look like I just came out of garbage on the first day of university at least. But as I hoped, they really don't care about your appearance. You can see seniors roaming around with cameras and other equipment, wearing hoodies with huge dark circles under their eyes.
What else would you expect from future directors? They won't show up in front of the camera; why will they care about their looks? We are on the sidelines. Maybe show up during special events… We can dress up then.
At our welcome ceremony, there was a director—our professor, Mr. Qin, also known as the CEO of GLOW Industry. Not famous nationwide, but respected locally. In the future, he'll become the gem of a man who takes GLOW to another level of success.
For my next plan, my goal is to get him on my side. GLOW might still be a new agency, but that doesn't mean he'll take just anyone.
After the ceremony, as I was heading back, I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Yo, Zu! Didn't think I'd see you here… wait—let me guess. Did Mei join this uni too?"
It was Yu Ming, one of my first childhood friends besides her, blurting things out as usual before thinking twice.
"No, I joined here for directing," I said flatly.
"Y—You!? haha… the most unexpected thing… I didn't think that man would ever let you come out of his cage…"
"I won't argue with that. Sorry, my father isn't as chilled as yours but right now he is not opposing me… not like he'll openly ever support… but it's fine for now…"
"Hah? That man is not opposing? I thought you ran away from your house to chase your dreams!"
"Yeah, I would've done that if he'd still opposed me after I got into PKU. Either way, I guess we are gonna be in the same department—just with different goals."
"I guess so. But I'm glad to see you here. After all these years, you always wanted this life, but they never let you."
"Well… they didn't support me, but they didn't want me to fail either. Although their way of showing it just went very wrong."
"Don't defend them when everything went wrong. Even if all they wanted was to see you succeed, they forgot it was your life. In trying to protect you, they broke you from the inside. I don't know how you even made it here, but one thing's certain—that place was never HOME to you; it was CAGE."
I couldn't deny his words. That's exactly how I'd felt my whole life. Still, when I saw they actually cared, I wanted to defend them, but I couldn't ignore what I was hearing now. I opened my mouth to deny it… but the words didn't come out…
He continued, "I don't understand why you're still putting on that fake smile, but I know how much you were bullied—you never spoke about it. You suffered alone… until Mei and I found out what was really happening."
He paused, then asked softly, "You know how you looked back then?"
"How? Pathetic, right?" I looked down. I knew it was nothing but pathetic.
He shook me, gripping my arms. "NO! You looked like you were used to it. It wasn't pathetic! It was painful to watch how smoothly you hid it all. Back then, I never thought you'd ever speak up for yourself. And those parents you say care about you—where were they then? Maybe they're showing some emotion now, but they don't deserve to be defended. Not by you."
"It's different now…" I tried to stop him.
"There is no other way, bro. You can lie to the world, but not to us. You want to act like everything's fine just because you saw a little bit of concern in their eyes, but that doesn't mean they deserve forgiveness. Zu, if anyone was pathetic, it was me. I couldn't stay with you guys—I had to go to America, leaving both you and her behind."
"You were never pathetic. It couldn't be helped."
"Haha... okay. But still, it's wonderful I joined PKU. I got to meet you here again." He smirked.
"You know, that smirk of yours is giving me a creepy vibe… It was like in one of those gay films, where they say, 'Oh, babe!' I missed too much… you're all mine type…" I shot him a sideways look.
"Give me a break; I'm not acting gay, nor did I miss you. No, maybe I did a bit, but SIR, I was genuinely WORRIED about you."
"Yeah, yeah, I know." I glanced at him. "Hey, I forgot to ask, where do you live now?"
"Oh… about that…" His tone dropped as he continued, "I have to go back & forth from home to here."
"Hm? Why's that? It takes almost two hours to reach your place, right?"
He scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah… actually, I applied a bit late, and all the nearby apartments were already full." His voice was light, but I could see the frustration he was trying to hide.
"Hey, I've got two rooms in my apartment. If you don't mind, why don't you stay with me? It's tiring to go back & forth every day anyway." I suggested casually, but his face lit up almost instantly.
"Seriously? That'd help a lot. If it's not too much trouble… should I shift today?"
"Sure, if you want to. Fine by me." I said. For the first time that day, his smile looked completely genuine.
And that's how we ended up living together. It's been a week since he moved in.