A few days after move-in, the entire dorm room was finally settled in.
Hua Hongxiao joined his roommates in exploring the campus before the semester began. They experienced everything from the welcome party and club registration to discovering hidden spots in gardens where college couples could meet in secret.
Yet, despite these shared adventures, Hongxiao felt a lingering sense of distance from his group. He was part of it but also felt like an outsider observing from afar.
Xiaolong and Feng were the dorm's ringleaders, always cooking up new ways to have fun. In his mind, Hongxiao secretly dubbed them Duan Yu and Xiao Feng, after characters from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils—legendary heroes who were as inseparable as they were adventurous.
Among his other roommates, the youngest and oldest shared a dynamic of playful insults and protective instincts, almost like the young noble Ya Nei and his father, the marshal Tai Wei, in Water Margin. Then there was the politically-minded former class monitor, who gave "life lessons" with the zeal of a dedicated moral guide. Hongxiao suspected he aspired to become a Mentor to everyone.
Hongxiao kept these nicknames and observations to himself. He felt like an observer, examining the people around him from a distance. He couldn't explain why he felt this way. Back in high school, he had friends and never felt this sense of separation.
An old poem popped into his head: "The lonely rabbit moves east, then looks west; new clothes replace old, friends never as good as the past."
Hongxiao's high school years had been filled with hours spent memorizing ancient poetry in preparation for the Language Art section of the University Entrance Exams, though he hardly used any of it. But this verse perfectly captured his feelings now.
If only people's thoughts were transparent, he thought. Then maybe there would be no barriers between them. He recalled something Zhang Xiaolong mentioned about a new professor researching telepathy.
"Hey, last time, you mentioned a professor in our department who studies telepathy? Do you think he'll teach us?" Hongxiao asked Xiaolong one night before the semester began.
Xiaolong was busy playing cards with Feng, and their dynamic duo, like Duan Yu and Xiao Feng, was unbeatable.
"No idea. But I did see that he's looking for research assistants in his lab," Xiaolong replied, dealing another hand.
Mentor suddenly perked up, as if he had tuned into the conversation's frequency. "You mean Professor Zhu? He'll be teaching our introductory neuroscience course. His lab's work on advanced brain activity research is top-notch. Our school really went out of its way to bring him over from the States."
Hongxiao checked his schedule. Introductory Neuroscience wasn't until sophomore year—perhaps they thought freshmen needed a foundation in biology first.
Maybe I'll check out that job posting tomorrow, he thought, pulling the covers over his head as his roommates' card game continued into the night.
The next morning.
The first day of classes didn't bring too many lectures. The course material felt manageable, but the campus's layout added its own challenges. With only ten minutes between classes, some first-years found themselves sprinting between campuses, weaving through an underground tunnel that crossed a major city road.
"This tunnel only opened a few years ago," Xiaolong commented as they dashed through it. "Before that, students had to cross Jian Guo Road. Heard there were a few accidents."
Hongxiao knew Duan Yu had spoken; now Xiao Feng would chime in.
"Yep. Apparently, our university president, Mr. Zhou, had to go to the city government multiple times to make it happen," Xiao Feng added.
Hongxiao didn't join the conversation. Less athletically inclined, he was almost out of breath already from all the running.
By two o'clock in the afternoon, classes were over, and Hongxiao and other boys walked out of the final classroom together.
After getting a chance to meet the other half of the class - girls - for the first time, the boys felt a little disappointed.
They couldn't help but notice that, while beautiful girls often graced the campus pathways, the ones in their own class seemed rather ordinary by comparison
"Should've chosen a different major," Ya Nei joked.
Seeing the lack of ambition from his "son", Tai Wei gave Ya Nei a sharp flick on the head, sparking laughter from the other guys.
'I didn't even choose this major,' Hongxiao thought quietly to himself.
On the way back to the dorm, Hongxiao took a detour to the bulletin board.
The board held official announcements, locked safely behind glass. Some sections allowed students to post smaller notices, and Hongxiao found what he was looking for after some searching: a small advertisement for research assistants.
Professor Zhu Di's Neuroscience Lab is recruiting freshmen as research assistants. Interested students, please go to Room 301 in the Ninth Building between 1 and 3 p.m., September 1–7.
Not exactly the grand recruitment announcement he expected. Hongxiao found himself wondering if research on telepathy and out-of-body experiences was perhaps still a fringe science.
He glanced at his watch—a vintage Seagull given to him by his grandfather. His grandfather had planned to give it to him as a college gift but had gifted it before leaving on an urgent trip.
Grandfather had spent his entire career working in the public health and disease prevention sector. After retirement, he was invited to serve as a consultant for a research institute in Beijing. Mostly, he worked from home, receiving written materials from Beijing, doing paperwork, and sending it back—a small hobby for his retirement.
But one day, he was suddenly asked to go to Beijing in person. The family worried that, at his age, such a long trip would be too much for him. But Grandfather was determined to go.
Not long after, the terrible news came that he had passed away in Beijing from a sudden heart attack.
Grandmother caused quite a stir, saying she'd sue the institute, and if that failed, she'd appeal to higher authorities. In the end, the relevant departments stepped in, elevating Grandfather's funeral and compensation to the level of a retired senior official, which finally settled the matter.
The watch now held a deeper meaning for Hongxiao, a reminder of his grandfather's sudden death. It was almost like a gift from someone who had sensed their own impending departure from the world.
He sighed. Grandpa, even if this telepathy research is real, could it bridge the gap to someone who's already gone?