Crossing the Clouds and Sky to Fall in Love with You - Chapter 2

I met A-Jun (Han Jun) in a somewhat strange way.

We met in a compulsory foreign language course; as first-year students, different departments were placed in the same large class. But even in a class of over a hundred people, those who are naturally dazzling always quickly stand out and draw attention.

He was one of those people. And even though it was a morning class, he always brought a guitar. I later asked around and found out they had formed a band, and at the time, with Saya-senpai’s singing, they were already well-known on campus.

The first time he and I made eye contact wasn’t in class, but on a night when they were performing in the school plaza.

The name Lü Han Jun was already etched in my mind from the teacher’s roll call, but what I hadn’t expected was—he actually remembered me too!

“You’re Yu Xiaoning, right?” Back then, “Man Mian Yu” (Human-Faced Fish) wasn’t as famous as it is now, so I could easily approach him, the guitarist.

“I remember you.” That sunny smile easily made my heart flutter.

I became their fan since then, and often attended their live performances. Han Jun was a liberal arts major, and it was surprising that a liberal arts student had such a passionate and unrestrained singing voice! His looks and playing skills could easily win the hearts of young girls. Although Jack-senpai’s style—at times wild, at times gentle—was also very attractive, Loser had the perfect “bad boy who’s irresistibly charming” vibe, and Monk-senpai’s taciturn silence was also very unique.

I had a crush on him, but I never said anything.

It wasn’t until the start of the third academic year, as their popularity continued to soar with their bar residencies and public performances, that they were clearly on a trajectory of rapid fame. During a break after performing at “Plato,” Han Jun put his necklace around my neck.

Then, he confessed his feelings.

I accepted his proposal to be my girlfriend without hesitation—and then, he stayed overnight in my small studio apartment… Everything happened so naturally that even now, I still can’t believe we’re dating.

It feels like a dream, light and airy…

“…Hey! That’s mine! You… Xiaoning! You be the judge!”

My train of thought was snapped back by the noise beside me. Saya-senpai was angrily clutching the top half of the last bottle of beer, while the bottom half was firmly in Monk-senpai’s large hand.

“I got it first!”

“You’ve had enough to drink.”

“I don’t care! I finally came back to sing, I’m happy, and you’re bullying me!”

Saya-senpai, you’re so fierce, who would dare to bully you? “Ah… haha, Senpai, your face really is quite red…” While Han Jun and I were huddled in the corner eating dinner, she had downed “at least” two more bottles.

“Hear that? That’s justice.” Monk-senpai snorted and effortlessly pulled the beer bottle away.

Saya-senpai froze for a moment, then burst into tears and ran out of the break room. Jack-senpai and Loser yelled, “She’ll go call for another case!” and ran out in perfect sync to catch her. A-Jun, sitting next to me and watching the chaos, shook his head.

“Want another piece?”

“No, thanks!” I burped.

“Eating so little? By the way, did you eat your breakfast this morning like a good girl?”

“Of course! You bought it for me!” I pouted, leaning close to him while scrolling through my phone. “What time did you leave this morning?”

“Seven o’clock. You were sleeping like a pig.”

I stared blankly into his smiling eyes, then next second, I pretended to hit him with my phone! He laughed and caught it. “Don’t hit me, I surrender… What are you looking at?”

The screen of my phone showed a photo that looked like a tide, but even in the night, the light hitting the seaside was a mesmerizing, deep blue.

“Blue Tears.” The caption explained.

“You’re reading Chu’s travel log again? Where is this?”

“I don’t know, he didn’t say; it’s so beautiful!”

“You! You always get obsessed with niche things, like novels, travel writers, and us!”

“I naturally dislike things that are too famous.” It’s true, for some particularly famous novels and movies, the more people recommend them, the less I want to watch them—maybe it’s my innate rebellious streak? Or perhaps a preference for being different.

“Is that so? Then I should start worrying.” He smiled.

“Why?”

“Because we’re starting to get famous. Didn’t you say you don’t like bands, novels, or movies that are too famous?”

I nudged him with my elbow. “You… no way! I’ve been following you guys since you weren’t popular, so I won’t feel averse to it.”

“Really?” He looked unconvinced.

“Really! In fact, it’s the opposite. I’ll feel proud that I know you guys. It’s the same with Chu! I’ve been following his travel log for three years, and his followers finally passed two thousand. I heard a publisher is interested in working with him!” I couldn’t help but lift my chin. “Whether it’s you guys in Man Mian Yu or Chu, time will prove my keen eye!”

In response to my triumph, he affectionately ruffled my hair. “Yes, yes, yes!”

I just love it when he treats me like this.

Whenever he’s by my side, I always feel that happiness is right here with me.

I’m truly, very happy.

“The melancholy that pervades the tide, for whom does it weep.” This was the caption Chu wrote for that photo; it’s simple and direct, but his words are also very captivating.

I looked it up afterward and found out that Blue Tears is actually a type of microbe! I hadn’t expected it to be a living thing, not just a natural wonder…

So beautiful.

Perhaps because I learned about another beautiful thing, I was in a particularly good mood during class today. I was nagging Yiting about the new update posted yesterday—she also got to know Chu because of me. Just as we were engrossed in our discussion, a sound of something dropping behind us caught my attention.

I turned around. A boy in an electric wheelchair was bending over, but he couldn’t reach the thermos at his feet.

I walked around and grabbed it. By chance, his hand, which was eagerly trying to retrieve it, brushed against mine.

“Sorry!” He pulled his hand back.

I shook my head and handed the cup back to him; he gave me a grateful smile.

As soon as I sat back down, I was met with Yiting’s admiring gaze. “What’s with you?”

“I’m touched by your willingness to help people!” She used that exaggerated, praising tone to describe something incredibly ordinary. “Hey! That looks like a transfer student!”

I looked back. The refined-looking boy was diligently copying notes with his head bowed. “Oh really?” I hadn’t even noticed.

“Yeah! He’s quite handsome, and judging by his clothes, his family background seems good too… It’s a pity, he can’t walk at such a young age.”

“Why do you sound so regretful?”

“It is! He’s totally been envied by the heavens, such a handsome boy…”

“Students over there, your voices are too loud!”

With the teacher glaring at us, Yiting and I immediately held our breath and quickly lowered our heads, pretending to be serious!

When the long elective course ended, we walked out of the classroom together, unexpectedly hearing the sound of heavy rain… It’s what season now and we’re still having these afternoon thunderstorms?

“The rain is so heavy! Seriously…” Yiting quickly rummaged through her bag for her folding umbrella.

Holding my own umbrella, I paid special attention to the boy in the wheelchair. He first sighed looking up at the downpour, then flipped through his backpack, seemingly unable to find anything, with a troubled look.

“I don’t have class this afternoon. Do you want to eat together?”

I was called back and almost agreed, but I looked back at the electric wheelchair and saw that he was resolutely maneuvering it into the curtain of rain!

“Uh! I still have class this afternoon, so let’s go our separate ways! That’s it for today, bye!”

“Oh, I’ll head back then!”

I smiled at Yiting, watched her walk a few steps away, and immediately opened my umbrella and rushed onto the accessible ramp, giving him half of the space.

He looked up, saw my umbrella, and turned back with a look of surprise. “Classmate…”

“The rain is falling so hard, you’ll be soaked in a few minutes like this!” I was a little annoyed. Couldn’t he have asked someone for help?

“I’m sorry… you’re right.”

“It’s okay. I’ll follow you. Let’s just get out of this ramp first.” It was hard to hold the umbrella walking one behind the other, and this way I would be soaked in no time too!

“Thank you… I forgot my umbrella when I left home this morning!” He smiled helplessly and self-deprecatingly, and I noticed a layer of fog on his glasses.

“Are you a transfer student?” I unconsciously used the information Yiting had given me.

He nodded generously. “Yeah, it’s my first semester since transferring… so I don’t know many people. My wheelchair can’t keep up with you walking on foot!”

In college life, class cohesion is often weak. Many people are indeed lone wolves, or they just stay within their small circles, often appearing very indifferent to the people and things around them.

I pursed my lips and extended my hand to him. “My name is Yu Xiaoning. What’s yours?”

“Tao Yi’an. Nice to meet you.” The smile he offered then held a bit of warmth.

After chatting briefly about our departments, I learned that he had studied law before transferring! “Why did you switch majors?”

“Cold, hard statutes and litigation aren’t for me.” He shrugged. “I fought with my family for a long time, and they finally agreed to let me switch departments. I think it’s great to be able to transfer here, the environment is beautiful.”

“Yes, and not only is the environment good, but our school clubs are even more diverse…” I paused, glancing in another direction. The direction we were heading was opposite to the one leading back to my studio apartment. “Where do you live?”

“Sorry, I forgot to mention. I only need to get to the west gate. Someone will come to pick me up. I can’t live off-campus by myself, so I have to trouble my family to pick me up.”

“Oh…” Hearing that someone would pick him up, I inexplicably felt relieved.

When I saw the car coming to pick him up, I admit I was a little startled—it was a luxury imported SUV! And the person who got out to meet him didn’t look like a family member, but more like his butler or chauffeur… Yiting was right? Is he really the young master of some wealthy family?

“Thank you, Classmate Yu. Be careful on the way back, the rain is heavy.” He drove his wheelchair directly onto the car using a specially equipped platform. The driver closed the rear door, and he waved at me through the window.

Tao Yi’an… huh? A bit of a mysterious person, but he seems nice!

It took me a while longer to get back to my place. Because of the heavy rain, all the cyclists on campus were wearing those ridiculous plastic bag-like raincoats. Thanks to their donkey-like appearance, my walk in the rain became a little less boring! Haha, that sounds a bit mean!

I still had one free period before my afternoon class… I was planning what to eat when I suddenly noticed a tall figure with a large backpack blocking the entrance to the apartment building!

This person… I’ve never seen them before? They were quite tall, dressed all in white with dark jeans, just standing there, neither entering nor leaving. I didn’t know what they were doing.

“Excuse me, sir, can I get by?”

He turned his head. His shoulder-length hair swayed in a light, fluffy way. I frowned, staring at his fair, flawless face. The huge camera held in his hands quickly drew my attention away. Was this why he was blocking the doorway?

His voice carried through the rain. “I apologize, after you.” He politely stepped back. His backpack was already exposed to the rain.

My gaze returned from the camera to him. His three-quarter puff sleeves made me frown—a weird person, but he didn’t seem to notice my look, maintaining a kind smile. I closed my umbrella and went upstairs. Peeking through the stairwell gap… he was back in his original spot, holding the camera, taking close-up shots of the door. I didn’t know what he was trying to photograph.

Strange? What’s so special about the entrance to this old apartment building… I went upstairs with a head full of questions. As I pulled out my key to unlock the iron door, a major point suddenly dawned on me—or should I say, I finally figured it out?

He… he was a girl!