Chapter 159 The Ouija Board (36) In his eyes, everything was like a miracle. ...
They didn't know how many fourth days they had passed.
The fourth day of carnival, which had refined the most people, showed no sign of the next day approaching, as if another layer of lock had been added, and this day had been sealed off alone.
In the vast campus, apart from the cult leader who was guarding the club building as the ceremony was about to begin, there were only Xie Tan and Lu Jinzhao.
Xie Tan felt that this place was like an abandoned timeline, and only the two of them, with their "extraordinary" settings, could reach it.
They possessed a secret space and time that belonged only to them.
So Xie Tan made a suggestion.
Let's go on a date.
Lu Jinzhao's eyes lit up: "Yay!"
Two male college students embarked on a campus romance.
They walked hand in hand along the winding path, their shadows intertwined, their paths traversing uneven cobblestones.
Lu Jinzhao recounted recent interesting events, while Xie Tan listened quietly, occasionally chiming in with a few words, just like all the paths they had walked.
All the ghosts and monsters on campus disappeared, as if they had never existed. It was just Xie Tan's hallucination during his pheromone outburst, and none of them mentioned it.
When winter comes, the flowers and plants wither and die, leaving only bare branches that weave and swirl in the air, like a long-abandoned mansion in a horror movie.
The complex terrain of Di Da was swept away into the air, becoming much clearer, and the unease of youthful thoughts hiding behind the shadows of trees diminished.
However, the dark night and clouds hung over them, and they seemed to be walking along a path where the world was gradually crumbling, heading towards the end of oblivion.
So little secrets don't need to be hidden; they swell along with everything that's about to end, and in this absurdity, their hearts beating for each other can fill the whole world.
As they walked, they looked at the old buildings of the university, compared them with the styles of the new buildings, and talked about their history, old stories, and strange tales.
They leaned against the railing of Yubo Lake, enjoying the breeze, watching the shimmering water, and feeding the small fish;
They sat on the artificial grass piled with fallen leaves, heads close together, looking at the comic books they had taken from the library corner of the school building. The wind blew across the grass, creating waves, and their intertwined hair and clothes were also part of those waves.
They walked along the artificial lawn, searching for the remaining leaves on the ground, comparing whose was the prettiest, and pressing them into their books as labels. In the end, unable to decide which ones to keep, they pressed them together between the pages, calling it "not being alone."
They went to a coffee shop and made their own coffee and desserts. One of them was focused on making latte art, while the other stared at the former. In a moment of distraction, the other gently wiped the cream off the other's cheek, ruining the latte art. The one who caused the trouble received a glare, but then burst into laughter again.
They visited the University of Deutsche Welle's art museum and student gallery, and this time the talkative one became a different person, introducing this little world of art by combining the knowledge from the book;
They decided to draw on their own, so they went into the art room to draw together. They also did all sorts of crafts, trying them all out, pairing each one with others to keep the principle of "not being alone".
They decided to relive the atmosphere of their first date, so they went to the screening room and borrowed a videotape from the film club. This time, they were showing a horror movie, but as they watched, it wasn't as scary as their everyday lives, so they quickly became distracted. When they turned around, they found the other person already watching them, just like the first time...
As another midnight approached, they sat on a bench, each with an earphone, listening to old songs from decades ago, and looking at the empty fountain square in front of them.
"There is usually a flock of white pigeons flying around the fountain. They are kept by the school staff. They circle around in a spiral, like a long ladder in a magic movie. You have to walk quickly, otherwise you will fall down. But as long as you keep up, you will feel like you are flying with the birds."
Lu Jinzhao flapped his hands like bird wings, flew to Xie Tan's eyes, and showed them to Xie Tan.
Xie Tan followed his hand and looked at the fountain again. Miraculously, even though he hadn't observed it closely, he seemed to be able to see that scene. His imagination had become concrete in Lu Jinzhao's words.
"You come here all the time?"
"I've even fed them."
"Then they must really like you."
"Many people feed them, and they've all gotten quite chubby. But when they fly, they're like kites, slow and leisurely, very carefree. It's truly amazing."
"They must like you."
“I quite like them too, they’re so nice to pet.” Lu Jinzhao asked curiously, drawing out his words, “But how does Atan know they like me? Can you understand animals?”
"No need." Xie Tan turned to him and smiled. "Isn't it perfectly normal to fall for you?"
Lu Jinzhao was stunned by that smile, and his heart throbbed with a powerful "thump," as if he had fallen into a fountain.
He asked, "Does that include Atan too?"
"If you want to hear me confess my feelings, just say so."
"I want to hear Atan confess his feelings."
"..."
"Ah Tan? Ah Tan—"
"I like you," Xie Tan said softly. "I like you the most."
His hand touched his, but was grabbed by the back of his hand, a large palm sliding in from the base of his palm and holding his five fingers.
Lu Jinzhao leaned against Xie Tan's shoulder for a while, then whispered, "I like A-Tan the most too."
Xie Tan thought Lu Jinzhao was shy.
He gets shy too.
Xie Tan's heart was incredibly tender, and he tightened his grip on Lu Jinzhao's hand.
They enjoyed the peace and quiet for a while, and it was good that no one spoke.
Looking at the fountain in front of him, Xie Tan would imagine the scene described by Lu Jinzhao; even the most mundane scene would be transformed into a work of art.
No, it surpassed even the most beautiful paintings. In Lu Jinzhao's eyes, the scenery, adorned with such magic, was dynamic and alive.
It is a chance for survival amidst destruction.
So he became interested, and this time without Lu Jinchao having to say anything, he took the initiative to ask about the world in Lu Jinchao's eyes: the small square where the fountain was located, the old trees surrounding the small square, the mottled benches under the trees, the teaching building behind the benches, and the sky behind the building.
And Lu Jinzhao certainly did not disappoint his expectations.
When we talk about the small square, it's not just a small square. The students and teachers coming and going, and many interesting things happen there, so it doesn't feel empty at all.
When talking about old trees, it's not just about the thin snow on the branches in winter; spring buds, summer flowers, and autumn leaves are all there, and one tree can show the scenery of all four seasons.
Speaking of the bench, there are falling raindrops, resting leaves, people who have sat there, and resting cats—all of these are traces that have accompanied it through its mottled state.
The old teaching building has a story behind every brick and every window. Year after year, different people sit behind the windows, and each has a different story.
The sky behind the lecture building, night and day, dusk and moonset, twinkling stars, sunshine and rain, mist and dust, have long stretched out the time of this small campus, as if telling a story from now all the way to prehistory.
The constant cycle of existence and impermanence in the world seemed like a miracle to him.
"How amazing!" Xie Tan, having glimpsed his world, also exclaimed in amazement.
"Right? Everywhere is interesting."
"That's because you find everything interesting; your eyes are amazing," Xie Tan said. "Has it always been like this?"
Lu Jinzhao reminisced: "I used to find it boring, but it turned out like this."
He thought Xie Tan would press for details about the reason for the change, but Xie Tan asked, "Do you like things the way they are now?"
"It feels good."
Xie Tan felt the weight on his shoulders, the warmth of their clasped hands, the steady and powerful pulse, and the real presence of another person.
He could tell that this was the truth.
His heart was touched once again, and as he gazed at the impending storm, his expression relaxed.
It's like they've figured something out.
"That's great," Xie Tan said.
"With Atan here, of course everything is great!" Lu Jinzhao hugged him and rocked him back and forth, glancing at the time on his watch. "It's almost midnight again in less than an hour. Is there anywhere else you want to go?"
"Yes," Xie Tan said, "the library."
Lu Jinzhao stopped abruptly.
He loosened his embrace slightly and met Xie Tan's gaze, who had turned his head to the side. Xie Tan's eyes were extremely calm, and even carried a smile.
"now?"
"Sigh..." Lu Jinchao hugged him again and complained, "Happy times are so short. Is our date really going to end like this? Di University isn't that big, is it? Maybe we can go around again from the beginning?"
“We can’t keep going like this. We’ve already passed the 30th several days ago. Aren’t you tired of it?” Xie Tan rubbed Lu Jinzhao’s handsome face until it turned a little red, then pulled him up and led him away.
"What does it matter? If I'm with Atan, I can stay on the 30th forever."
Lu Jinzhao pouted, his face showing obvious childish displeasure, but he still obediently let Xie Tan lead him: "If you ask me, staying on this day is actually the safest. The first four days of this ceremony are separated from the last day, the 'starting day,' with clear boundaries. And this fourth day is the boundary itself, sealed off separately. Apart from everything in the ceremony, it is impossible to jump to the fifth day."
"The people who were sent away by Atan before the 31st, because the time difference between their jumps was only one day, there is still a possibility of catching up with the fifth day. But if we are locked in the fourth day, which is both the closest and the furthest from the fifth day... we can stay here well until this world line is destroyed, so let's just stay and enjoy our time together."
He made no attempt to conceal anything about "rituals" or "world lines," since A-Tan already knew them anyway.
In the end, the childish, complaining tone had transformed into a calm acceptance of having made a decision.
“Sounds good,” Xie Tan agreed.
He thought to himself, "So this is the fourth day I can't escape."
Lu Jinzhao's eyes crinkled into a smile: "Is it settled then?"
“But you’ve forgotten one thing, this is a ritual I designed,” Xie Tan said. “This is something I wanted to do.”
"Like a wish?" Lu Jinchao asked, following him into the library and weaving through the bookshelves.
"yes."
“I can help Atan achieve that.”
"I will do it myself."
"Don't you believe me, Atan?"
"No, I can do this, so there's no need to make a wish... Ah, it should be called a 'to-do list'." Xie Tan's gaze swept across the rows of bookshelves, searching for a source of fire similar to that in the comics. "As for what can be called a wish, I do have one, and only you can grant it."
"What? What?" Lu Jinchao leaned closer.
I'll tell you in a bit.
"Alright." Lu Jinzhao reluctantly gave in when Xie Tan said that only he could make it happen. "But I can help with things other than wishes."
He stepped back a step, placing his hands on Xie Tan's shoulders to stop his boyfriend's steps.
Then, he lowered his head and looked ahead with Xie Tan, his smile fading slightly, and whispered in Xie Tan's ear, "Do you see that?"
What do you see?
The library was also dark, with wooden bookshelves on both sides reaching the ceiling, forming a narrow passageway.
The smell of books is sometimes similar to dust, like the marks of time, stretching the narrow passageway outwards.
Another study was just ahead, dimly lit and shrouded in mystery, an unknown space that could easily stir up unease.
But as Xie Tan was stunned, he suddenly caught a glimmer of light.
It was a rising red line, fixed in the center of his vision.
He suddenly realized that it was a flame!
"That must be the book that Atan is looking for."
Behind him, the figure that enveloped him smiled and nudged his face.
"If I help Ah Tan find it, what reward will I get?"
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