The White Moonlight’s Second Chance

September in Haishi still held the lingering heat of summer, oppressively stifling.

Surrounded by the incessant dragging of suitcases, Su Yan stood rooted at the school gates, awaiting the arrival of his own new beginning.

This, he mused, was already his second university enrollment, not a repeat year, but an unfortunate do-over.

In his previous life, during the summer after his college entrance exams, Su Yan had toiled diligently for over two months, working himself to exhaustion just to scrape together his tuition fees.

Yet, before the money had even warmed his hands, he was struck by a car and sent flying over ten meters, all for the sake of saving a little girl who was trying to pick up a five-yuan note in the middle of the road.

His life, it seemed, was only worth five yuan.

Fortunately, Heaven had eyes.

Before he died, he heard a crackling electrical sound, which roughly conveyed that he had accumulated much good karma in his life and shouldn’t have died so young, promising him a better reincarnation in the next life.

A ‘better’ reincarnation, he discovered, was being transmigrated into an old-school, melodramatic, angsty BL novel he had read to pass the time a few days prior, specifically as the childhood sweetheart and ex-boyfriend of the possessive, psychopathic protagonist gong.

His role was that of a sickly, universally adored ‘white moonlight’ destined for an early death, but had anyone ever heard of a ‘white moonlight’ whose cause of death was having their oxygen mask unplugged by the protagonists?

That sounded suspiciously like murder.

This book had so many plot holes he couldn’t even begin to complain, and the author’s literary prowess was severely lacking; not only was the protagonist gong ridiculously overpowered, a veritable jack-of-all-trades who could master anything he set his mind to, but even Su Yan, a minor character who only appeared for a few chapters and was quickly written off, also received ridiculously overpowered buffs.

For instance, the ‘universally adored’ aspect…

The only silver lining was that this life truly was a good reincarnation. In his previous life, he had been an orphan, unloved and uncared for, living a life worse than a blade of grass.

This time around, putting aside the ridiculous plot points, he had loving parents and an endless supply of money.

Having been reincarnated with his memories from birth, he had always meticulously avoided the Lu family, even managing to cry and beg his parents to help him steer clear of the original plotline.

Now that university had finally arrived, a period when the protagonist gong and shou were destined to meet, he no longer held the title of ‘ex-boyfriend.’ Surely he wouldn’t be tormented again, would he?

This day truly marked his new beginning.

Enrollment was scheduled for three days, so Su Yan chose the middle day to arrive. A-University was located right in Haishi, a top-tier institution nationwide, and its greatest advantage was its proximity to home.

His parents had initially promised to see him off, but as they packed their bags, they announced, “It’s our wedding anniversary, so we booked tickets to Sanya. We’ll be gone for half a month. You’ll have to manage on your own, dear.”

Never mind, it was in the same city anyway.

Even at seven in the evening, it felt as bright as midday, with the sun showing no signs of setting. Su Yan felt as though he was melting away. His expression was languid, his long lashes fluttering as he helplessly fanned himself.

It wasn’t that he was being stubborn by standing there; rather, he had added a friend on the campus group chat at the end of the summer, who happened to be his roommate. The day before coming to school, this roommate had offered to pick him up, telling him to wait at the school gates.

He simply plopped down onto his suitcase. Why wasn’t his roommate here yet?

‘Could he be playing a prank on me, letting an innocent, handsome young man roast under the summer sun until he melts away, thereby depriving the nation of a pillar of society?’

This joke drifted idly through his mind, and Su Yan suddenly felt a chill.

‘What a terrible joke.’

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a young man approached from afar. He had wheat-colored skin, a charming snaggletooth that showed when he smiled, and wore a simple tank top that revealed his muscular arms.

“Hello, I’m Song Xingyu.” Song Xingyu spotted Su Yan immediately upon reaching the entrance and introduced himself.

The young man was seated on his suitcase, his fair skin slightly flushed from the sun, his chestnut hair gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

When speaking, Su Yan liked to meet the other person’s gaze with his beautiful amber eyes, his long lashes casting a shadow beneath them. His pale pink lips parted slightly, and his clear, melodious voice chimed, “Su Yan.”

“I know your name.”

As Song Xingyu spoke, he naturally took Su Yan’s suitcase. During this, whether intentionally or not, his palm clasped Su Yan’s before he immediately released his grip as if burned.

He offered an apologetic smile.

Su Yan, however, paid no mind to this, instead sensing an icy, malevolent gaze. The feeling was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, a sense of dread and a chill creeping into his heart.

This wasn’t the first time; it had been bothering him frequently since he couldn’t remember when.

He abruptly turned his head, but saw nothing, only chattering freshmen dragging their suitcases into the school. ‘Strange, very strange.’

This time, the sensation was more terrifying and unsettling than many times before.

Yet, he forced himself to remain calm and replied, “I know your name, too.”

They had already introduced themselves when they added each other as friends.

“But you don’t need to take my suitcase; I can manage it myself.”

Su Yan knew his new roommate was being kind. Since his home was in the same city, he hadn’t brought much, just some clothes.

He wasn’t so delicate that he couldn’t even carry his own suitcase.

‘Why not a weakling? Because ‘delicate young man’ sounds more appealing; ‘weakling’ is a bit harsh.’

“Let me help you with it. The dorm building is quite far,” Song Xingyu said, assuming Su Yan was simply being shy.

Hearing this, Su Yan resigned himself to indulging in being a weakling.

It truly was quite far. The two walked for a full ten minutes under the scorching sun. Luckily, Su Yan had brought an umbrella, and to make it easier to hold, he moved a little closer to Song Xingyu.

That icy, spine-tingling sensation seemed to return.

It almost gave him goosebumps. He couldn’t even describe what the feeling was, having even looked it up online to see if it was persecutory delusion, but the result was obvious: it wasn’t. Other psychological conditions didn’t match either, so he had to let it go.

But soon, this feeling was cast to the back of his mind because it was simply too hot, and he had spent half the day running around the freshman registration area.

Compared to that, he felt even more grateful. If not for his excellent Chinese roommate, he might have struggled for half the day alone.

He considered giving him an award later: ‘One of China’s Top Ten Strongest Men.’

Song Xingyu himself would probably laugh in exasperation if he heard that.

After Song Xingyu’s attentive assistance, everything was finally settled before 8:30.

The moment the dorm door opened, the cold air pierced him to the bone, a chill creeping from head to toe.

Their school was a top-tier university, and even the dorms were among the best: four-person rooms, two bathrooms, and tiled floors.

It was far superior to his previous life’s dorm, which was akin to a thatched hut.

They were on the third floor, and opening the window revealed a lush expanse of green outside, a gentle breeze whispering through the leaves and caressing his cheek.

Su Yan promptly shut the window, as the breeze was still hot.

Song Xingyu had been the first to arrive in the dorm, followed by Su Yan.

He squatted down, opened his suitcase, and hung all his clothes in the wardrobe. The bedding sets were all uniformly purchased from the school, and the color scheme was quite tacky, especially the school logo.

‘I’ll buy a new set later, yes, that’s the plan.’

Su Yan took everything out of his suitcase, then turned to make his bed. Just as he picked up the ugly patterned duvet cover, Song Xingyu, hearing the rustle, immediately came over. “Let me help you.”

‘What a strange feeling; he’s too enthusiastic. It’s like a burly man in a maid outfit hearing a sound and immediately rushing over, saying, “Master, I am here to serve you.”’

‘Oddly intriguing.’

“No, no, I’m fine. I can do it,” Su Yan successfully defended his right to put on the duvet cover. He didn’t see the reluctance on Song Xingyu’s face as he turned away.

He finished in no time at all; these tasks were simple for him. Having been an orphan in his previous life, dormitory life was second nature.

Just as he had neatly arranged all his daily necessities, the dorm door was pushed open again. Another roommate had arrived.

Though he wore the simplest T-shirt and shorts, the exaggerated luxury brand logos emblazoned on them screamed, ‘Attention, rich person incoming! Don’t annoy me.’

His face was devoid of expression, clearly conveying: ‘Don’t mess with me.’

Su Yan took the initiative to introduce himself. Surprisingly, the other person was quite straightforward; after a few words, he immediately chummed up with Su Yan.

His name was Chen Xubai, also a local from Haishi, and he had even been in the class next to Su Yan in high school. Unfortunately, Su Yan had no recollection of him, so he had to end that topic.

Chen Xubai was rather misleading in appearance; he deliberately wore ostentatious luxury brands to project an unapproachable image, but in reality, his heart was as simple and unpretentious as a farmer’s.

“You’re quite beautiful.”

Chen Xubai, seeing such a gender-blurring beauty for the first time, sincerely complimented him. He probably thought Su Yan would be pleased by the praise.

Who knew, he then noticed someone secretly pulling their collar higher, covering their fair, exquisite collarbone.

Chen Xubai: “…”

The few of them exchanged a few simple words. Su Yan, noticing it was almost dinner time, offered to treat them to a meal. If asked why, it was simply out of happiness.

He had finally escaped that nightmarish existence.

Su Yan figured their other roommate probably wouldn’t arrive tonight, so he decided to treat just the two of them for now and compensate the new roommate later.

The matter was thus settled.

Su Yan’s knuckle-defined fingers slid across his phone screen. Eventually, tired of scrolling, he simply lay down on his bed, ultimately settling on a local eatery.

The price was suitable; if he treated them to something too expensive, his roommates might feel awkward and subtly or overtly try to split the bill.

The restaurant was located in the university town, not far, but walking several kilometers on a sweltering summer night was a significant challenge.

Unfortunately, Su Yan wasn’t interested in a challenge.

Less than ten minutes after getting into the car, they reached their destination. His roommate beside him chattered away. Chen Xubai was surprisingly cheerful, and his humorous and engaging conversation was never tiresome.

After he ordered a few signature dishes and stir-fries, the waiter exited the private room with the menu.

The restaurant in the evening was filled with a ceaseless clamor. Su Yan’s clear, beautiful eyes stared at the private room door, which creaked as it swayed, like a mere decoration, and he sighed.

Once the dishes were served, Chen Xubai pulled them into a discussion, sharing gossip about several freshmen from various colleges and departments, finally bringing up a ‘prominent figure.’

“Lu Lin, you know him, right? He was from the school next to ours,” Chen Xubai nudged his arm, a smile playing on his lips.

Su Yan’s hand, poised to pick up food, froze. Why was this person suddenly brought up? How could he not know him?

If he hadn’t desperately pleaded with his parents for days back then, he would have been forced to attend Haishi First High School.

His parents, seeing him lost his appetite and couldn’t sleep, finally agreed to his decision, which was quite absurd—choosing a lower-ranked school over a good one.

They had suspected for a long time that their son was in love and planned to elope with his girlfriend.

“He also got into our department.” This statement made Su Yan start, his pupils widening slightly. ‘According to the original book’s plot, wasn’t he supposed to go to the adjacent department?’

‘Maybe he had a sudden whim,’ he thought, unwilling to expend his few remaining brain cells on contemplating Lu Lin.

“It’s only the first day of school, and Lu Lin is already a campus celebrity. Is this the advantage of being academically brilliant, handsome, and charismatic?” Chen Xubai fell silent for a moment after speaking.

Su Yan was speechless, having mostly forgotten the original book’s plot after so many years.

Yet, what he vividly remembered was that Lu Lin had never been a “campus celebrity”; instead, he had always been cold and sullen, causing people to repeatedly click their tongues in disbelief.

Chen Xubai glanced at Su Yan, then quietly added, “You could be too.”

Su Yan, inexplicably encouraged: “?”

“You all like him so much?” Song Xingyu, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. “Then you’re in for a big surprise.”

Su Yan, lacking enthusiasm, lazily propped himself up with one hand, his other fair, slender finger scrolling on his phone as he updated his mother on his enrollment. He didn’t hear the ominous words.

Su Yan, seeing that they had eaten enough, got up to pay the bill. All the way back to the dorm, his heart felt heavy.

He thought he had simply overeaten, so he gently rested his head against the window. The city’s neon lights streamed through the car window, illuminating his exquisitely delicate profile. His two roommates were still bonding.

But Song Xingyu noticed his abnormality, repeatedly glancing his way. Su Yan noticed his gaze and said calmly, “I’m fine.”

The closer they got to the dorm, the stronger his unease grew.

Until the instant the door was pushed open, the instant the cold wind permeated his very being, he felt a chill run through him, his fingers numb with tension, eventually curling into his sides.

It was Lu Lin.

The young man had striking silver hair, and though he wore a simple white T-shirt and black pants, he carried himself with the bearing of a model. The black pants accentuated the straight, slender line of his legs. He stood on the balcony, his back to them, smoking.

Hearing them, he turned his head, a half-smoked cigarette still夹 between two fingers. He had alluring peach blossom eyes, a prominent nose, pale pink, thin lips, and a sensual tear mole beneath one eye.

He was indeed very handsome.

To Chen Xubai, Su Yan and Lu Lin were two distinctly different styles of handsomeness.

Lu Lin leaned casually against the railing, first starting in surprise, then raising an eyebrow upon seeing Su Yan, letting out a soft chuckle.

It was as if to say, ‘I’ve finally found you.’