The soft light of dawn slipped through the cracks of the window. A fan in the corner of the room spun slowly, making a gentle whirring sound. The bedsheet was crumpled, and in the middle of it lay a young man curled up in sleep — his face filled with a peacefulness only dreams can bring.
His name was Zhaolu.
Zhaolu suddenly smiled faintly in his sleep. Eyes still closed, he murmured,
> "Bailan… You're just as beautiful as ever… You don't know, but your smile steals my sleep every night…"
But just as he reached out in his dream to touch Bailan, somewhere between dream and reality — SLAP!
> "Zhaolu! How long are you going to sleep? You have an exam today! Get up!"
Zhaolu opened his eyes and saw his mother standing in front of him — wearing a scarf on her head and holding a broom in hand.
> "Mom?! Ugh, Mom! It's just…" He jumped up from the bed in embarrassment, his face turning red.
His mother chuckled,
> "Who were you dreaming about, huh? Why were you smiling like that?"
Lowering his head in embarrassment, Zhaolu replied,
> "No one, Mom… Just a bad dream."
Zhaolu quickly changed and left home to meet his best friend. At the corner of the street, his friend Eugene was waiting. Eugene was the opposite of him — quiet, but intelligent.
> "Zhaolu! Tomorrow's Bailan's birthday! I want to treat her…"
> "Bailan?" — Zhaolu's face changed slightly.
"Yeah, I've liked her for a long time. I think I should finally tell her."
Zhaolu's heart trembled. He saw Bailan every night in his dreams. And now Eugene, his friend… he liked her in real life!
As they kept walking and talking, they reached a corner near a factory. Suddenly, they saw Bailan coming on her bicycle, wearing her school uniform.
> "Bailan!" — Eugene called out.
But Bailan stopped with a slightly annoyed face.
> "I have something to do. Let's talk later."
She sped off, clearly upset.
Zhaolu and Eugene followed her. Bailan stopped in front of a factory — it was her first day at a new job. But as she looked back and saw them following, she snapped,
> "Are you two following me?" — she said angrily.
The factory workers nearby noticed.
> "Sister, are these guys bothering you?" — one of them asked.
Before Zhaolu could explain, two workers stepped forward and confronted them. Things escalated quickly, and the verbal argument turned into a fight. Amidst the chaos, a suitcase flew open and hit the ground.
> "That's mine!" — Bailan shouted.
But it was too late.
The suitcase burst open. All her clothes flew out into the air, swirling like colorful leaves. It looked like a scene from a movie.
Everyone froze. Even Zhaolu.
Bailan ran to catch her red chiffon scarf, and at that moment, Zhaolu's eyes locked onto her.
Sweat glistened on her face, her eyes sparked with anger — and yet, within that fury was a strange beauty. Her hair flew wildly, and standing amidst the scattered clothes, in that single moment, Zhaolu thought to himself,
> "This is you, Bailan… even more beautiful than in my dreams…"
Suddenly — sirens! The police had arrived.
> "What's going on here?" Zhaolu and Eugene were taken to the police station.
But luck was on their side — at the station, the officer looked shocked.
> "Zhaolu?! What are you doing here?"
Zhaolu looked down,
> "Dad… it was just a little mistake…"
Yes, that officer was Zhaolu's father. He heard the full story and laughed.
> "Don't you two have exams today? Go! Get to school quickly!"
The two of them ran all the way to school, but fate had another twist.
> "Sorry, you're late. No entry allowed."
Zhaolu and Eugene looked at each other and burst out laughing.
> "What a crazy day, huh?" — Eugene said.
Zhaolu replied,
> "This is just the beginning…"