1: An eerie light

In the summer of 2000, "pitter-patter," the fine drizzle fell upon the campus like nimble spirits, weaving a fresh musical movement.

In the corridors of the teaching building, students stood in small groups leaning against the railings, quietly admiring the rainy scene. Their faces bore either relaxed smiles or thoughtful expressions. The sound of reading aloud drifted from the classrooms, intertwining with the sound of rain outside like a harmonious symphony.

The rain gradually ceased, and the campus was filled with a fragrance of mixed earth and grass—nature's purest breath. Leaves swayed gently in the breeze, shaking off residual droplets that shimmered with crystalline light under the sun. Birds hopped and chirped joyfully on the branches, seemingly cheering for the rain's departure.

The campus in the rain was like a fresh and elegant ink wash painting, with less of its usual bustle and more tranquility and poetry. This rain not only washed away the dust of the campus but also nourished our souls, giving us a moment of pause and reflection in our busy academic lives, harvesting a unique and beautiful memory.

However, people's attention was soon drawn to a figure beneath the dormitory building.

That figure stood tall; one could see he had sharp brows and bright eyes, a dignified air, and was quite handsome. His bronze skin and well-defined muscles were like pieces of hard alloy joined together, glistening under the sun. With a perfect golden ratio physique and distinct muscle lines, he provided an extremely strong visual impact. He wore only a simple tracksuit with a few letters vaguely visible on it, looking like a knockoff of some international brand that one could tell was fake at a glance.

The young man held a bouquet of flowers, and at his feet, a circle of candles arranged in a heart shape burned intensely, just as fiery as his heart.

This person was none other than Wei He. Having just started his freshman year, he had decided to cast aside his pride and go all out under the advice of his troublemaking roommates. He himself was somewhat eager to try, wanting to say goodbye to being single in his first year and win over the girl he had a crush on in one fell swoop.

Seeing this situation, people immediately understood that this fellow was here to confess his love. Moreover, since he was making such a grand scene, the crowd of onlookers began to stir and slowly gathered around. Many girls who knew Wei He suddenly became popular as they vividly recounted his past deeds.

However, after a long time, nothing substantial could be said. Simply put, this fellow was too ordinary—so ordinary that he didn't stand out at all among the boys. Although he was somewhat handsome, it was buried under his "branded" clothes... After his shout, which he couldn't hide his excitement in, Su Qinglei didn't come down for a long time. Only a girl from her dormitory poked her head out and shouted that she wasn't in the room and had gone out to see a movie with Senior Liu Xinxin. The speaker was Su Qinglei's best friend, Lisa. Lisa's face flashed in Wei He's eyes: skin as white as congealed fat, large nimble eyes under long eyelashes, a perky little nose, and a slightly upturned cherry mouth with a hint of flippancy. She said with a face full of disdain, "Wei He, both your parents are just workers, and your clothes are so worn out that you're reluctant to replace them. How can you compare to Senior Liu Xinxin? His father is the richest man in S City, and he came to pick up Xiao Qing in a BMW Z8. Do you know how much that costs? Tsk, you loser, you won't be able to afford it in your lifetime. Stop daydreaming; a toad shouldn't think of eating swan meat."

At this moment, Lisa felt a bit sour inside. Why didn't Liu Xinxin like her? She wasn't bad either. Sigh!

Wei He also knew about this senior; his family was very wealthy, and he had been pursuing Su Qinglei.

Su Qinglei was also a freshman. She had a lovely face, snow-white skin, and a pair of phoenix eyes that seemed to harbor a unique charm. She wore an exceptionally tight-fitting T-shirt and jeans that fully revealed her exquisite curves. Her eyes were clear, like a spring on a rock, and her long hair was draped down, looking very moving.

The crowd broke into an uproar, and Wei He fell silent. It was already so late, and going out to see a movie—everyone knew what that implied. On the surface, Wei He didn't show too much disappointment, but his three roommates felt very bad for him and paid for a few drinks at a restaurant on the student street.

After three rounds of drinks, several of them were bragging and shouting, "It's just money! One day, I'll be on the billionaire list too!"

"Good brother, we've got your back. Come on, bottoms up..."

The four of them walked unsteadily toward the school. At some point, the figures of those three troublemaking roommates gradually drifted away from him. Wei He didn't care and walked toward the dormitory with uneven steps.

On the way back to school, he passed an internet cafe. It was filled with smoke, and the sounds of games came from it from time to time. Wei He also frequented this cafe; his favorite game was the newly popular Red Alert. Although he wasn't very good at it, and coincidentally someone was playing it today, Wei He was in no mood for online gaming at the moment.

A torrential downpour poured down, washing away some of Wei He's drunkenness and pulling him out of that intoxicated state. In a haze, Su Qinglei's figure appeared before Wei He.

Wei He stared somewhat foolishly at Su Qinglei's graceful figure for a long while, squinting and shaking his head. In the next moment, Su Qinglei asked somewhat shyly, "Is there something you want with me?" She gave Wei He a charming smile, her voice pleasant to the ear, entering with an indescribable quality that made one feel as if they had eaten a celestial fruit, every pore exuding a hint of comfort.

Wei He grinned foolishly, thinking it was his own hallucination. Just as he was about to say something, in the next second, a strange light emitted from the internet cafe, enveloping Wei He and shining so brightly that one couldn't open their eyes.