Chapter 24: A Ray of Light in the Night

Xu Changhui saw Chen Fan leaning against the wall and walked over. “Brother, you don’t look so well. Are you alright?”

“It’s nothing, just a bit of exhaustion.” Chen Fan wiped the cold sweat from his brow and bit his pale lips.

“I’ve known Xu Changhui since high school—we’re both from the countryside and haven’t seen much of the world,” Lai Guangyi said, turning his head.

Chen Fan waved his hand dismissively, steadied himself on a chair, and sat down. “There’s no sense in dividing city and country. Twenty years ago, Yuanyu was just a small fishing village. The world changes in the blink of an eye—who knows what the future holds?”

“Military training starts tomorrow,” Wei Youlong groaned, his feet propped up on the desk. “I heard it’s all under the blazing sun. I need to figure out how to get a doctor’s note and skip it.”

“It can’t be that bad. It’s just a week—you can tough it out,” Chen Fan glanced at the time, preparing to climb into bed.

“That’s easy to say. With this heat, you’ll get heatstroke if you’re out too long. And getting a tan isn’t great either—I’ve worked hard to keep my skin this fair,” Wei Youlong stretched out his arm, paler than a girl’s.

“Have you ever dated anyone?” Wei Youlong suddenly asked.

“I did in high school,” Xu Changhui scratched his head. “We broke up after the college entrance exam. She’s gone north for university now.”

“I’ve had two or three, but that was back in elementary school,” Lai Guangyi reminisced. “Didn’t know anything then—thought holding hands could get you pregnant.”

“And you?” All eyes turned to him. Chen Fan shook his head. “I’ve never dated anyone. Not once.”

“Oh, I thought I was behind, but it turns out I’m way ahead,” Wei Youlong beamed, humming a little tune.

“This guy, who knows how many girls he’ll mislead,” Chen Fan sighed helplessly, turning over and drifting to sleep.

…

“Whoa, there’s a light.”

“For real—it’s flying.”

“It’s just a flying light, what’s the fuss? Bunch of country bumpkins, haven’t even seen a comet.”

“No, it’s inside the room.”

“I even saw it curve upward, spiraling like a spring.”

“What? Where?” Wei Youlong sat up, pulled back his bed curtain, and poked his head out. The dorm was pitch black—he saw nothing.

“Come on, where’s this light? It’s already midnight. Can we get some peace? We have military training tomorrow,” he grumbled.

“I’m telling you, I saw it—right by Chen Fan’s bed.”

“Aren’t you planning to fake sick and skip training?”

Their chatter annoyed Wei Youlong. “I’ll go a few times, show up wounded—maybe win a model student badge. You must be seeing things. Unless Chen Fan’s keeping fireflies, what light could there be? Go to sleep,” he said, dropping the curtain and quickly falling back asleep.

“But I really saw it. Xu Changhui, you saw it too, right?” Lai Guangyi whispered.

Xu Changhui nodded repeatedly. “I was close, but didn’t get a clear look. There were two beams of light—one rising from below, one descending from above. It lasted just a few seconds.”

“Could Chen Fan really be keeping fireflies?”

“No idea. Who would keep those? We don’t have any back in my village.”

“Do you even have fireflies in your village? Isn’t it all bullfrogs?”

“Haha, exactly. Even if you wanted to keep them, you couldn’t.”

“Then what’s the point? Let’s ask Chen Fan tomorrow. If he’s got some, maybe we can borrow a few for fun.”

“Sure thing. City folks sure know how to play.”

“Are you people going to sleep or not? Buzzing like mosquitoes,” Wei Youlong roared from behind his curtain, immediately silencing the room.

Chen Fan had been sleeping soundly, only to be jolted awake by a sudden flash of light, then kept up by their murmured conversation. Half-awake, he caught every word, but any trace of sleep had vanished.

“These guys really know how to make a scene—so late and still not sleeping. And now they’ve discovered my secret. Tomorrow I’ll have to think of a way to cover it up,” Chen Fan thought, turning over and planning his response.

To be safe, he jumped out of bed, grabbed his Werewolf card deck, and took it back under his covers. He also ordered an opaque black bed curtain online—no more rumors of mysterious midnight lights would start at this school.

By the hallway’s faint light, Chen Fan checked the Werewolf cards and found the Guardian card was missing.

“Will I be able to conjure a giant shield, like the warriors in ‘300’?” he mused, muttering a few spells, but nothing happened.

“Never mind, I’ll ask the Elder tomorrow. Sleep comes first,” he thought, packing the cards away in the corner of his bed.

“Rise and shine, young masters!” A clear, ringing voice woke Chen Fan from sleep. He forced his eyes open, glanced at the dim sky outside, and checked the time.

It was just after six. He’d never gotten up this early, not even for morning study in high school. Who was the unlucky soul who woke him today?

“You’re finally up! The morning is the best part of the day,” Wei Youlong called from under his bed, bouncing with so much energy that Chen Fan felt an urge to hit him.

Recalling his schedule for the next few days, Chen Fan grumbled, “Why get up so early? The freshman orientation isn’t until eight.”

“Morning run, of course! A bit of exercise does wonders for your health,” Wei Youlong replied, demonstrating high-knee lifts.

“I’ll pass. You go ahead,” Chen Fan forced a smile, though inwardly he was cursing the other’s ancestors.

Wei Youlong shrugged. “People these days are just too lazy.”

Chen Fan sulked, ignoring him.

Nothing was more painful than not being able to wake naturally. After getting up, Chen Fan felt dispirited. The thought of spending every day with this annoying roommate made his chest tighten as if he’d suddenly developed heart disease.

At least he got along well with the other two—so far, anyway.

“Chen, do you keep fireflies?” Lai Guangyi asked, still brushing his teeth, unable to hold back his curiosity about the light from last night.

Chen Fan smiled. “Where would you find fireflies in the city?”

“But Guangyi and I both saw light by your bed last night. We can’t both be wrong,” Xu Changhui insisted.

Chen Fan frowned, then his face lit up as if realizing something. “Oh, that must be my dad’s ladybugs. I must have brought some along when I packed, and forgot to close the lid last night—they escaped.”

“Ladybugs can glow?” Lai Guangyi was intrigued.

“I added some fluorescent agent to their wings, so of course they can glow,” Chen Fan improvised.

“Really? Can we see them? I’ve never seen a ladybug before,” Xu Changhui asked eagerly.

Facing their expectant gazes, Chen Fan forced an awkward laugh. “They flew away last night—so fast I couldn’t even catch them.”