It was another cold weekend in Beijing. Same gridlocked streets, same tangled alleyways, same impatient horns echoing through the haze. People hurried home, hands stuffed into pockets, collars up against the wind.
Wu Suo Wei wove through the traffic on his scooter, steam from his noodle boxes rising into the air. His face was nearly frozen, but his eyes were steady. The thin white hoodie did nothing against the cold, yet he rode faster, weaving between cars like it was second nature. His grandma had taken a big order and asked him to deliver it quickly.
He had promised her he would.
At the same time, on the other side of the city, a party was underway. In a marble mansion inside Imperial Heights, Beijing's second-generation heirs drank and smoked under gold lights. It was Chi Cheng's birthday.
His best friend Guo Chengyu had ordered from half the city's restaurants just to make a game out of it. Whoever's food showed up first would win fifty thousand yuan. The loser would pay for everyone's food and drinks for the next month.
"Yo, I'm telling you, my order's coming first," Wen Chao said loudly, swirling his drink. "Everyone knows my restaurant. The delivery guys always rush my address."
Guo laughed. "What about you, Chi Cheng? Where'd you order from?"
"I don't know," Chi said lazily. "Some shrimp noodles. Downtown."
"Downtown? Then you're screwed."
Chi exhaled a stream of smoke, eyes on the TV. "Doesn't matter."
The room roared with laughter. Champagne bottles popped. Li Xinyue, dressed head to toe in Dior, placed her bet on her father's imported champagne order. Wen Chao was betting on himself. Everyone was talking over each other.
Chi Cheng sat apart from the noise, black silk shirt, silver chain glinting faintly under the light. He looked untouchable — dangerous even — the kind of man people stared at but never approached.
Beside him, Wang Shuo, his on-and-off flame, wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"It's your birthday, Chi Cheng. Try to act like it," he said, teasing.
"Maybe if you gave him some space," Li Xinyue muttered, "he'd breathe long enough to celebrate."
Wang shot her a glare. "Mind your own business, princess." Then he leaned closer to Chi's ear, voice low. "I can make you excited if you let me."
Chi stood, brushing him off. He stepped onto the balcony, picked up his pet snake, Xiao Cu Bao; Little Vinegar and let it curl lazily around his wrist. The metal of his Patek Philippe gleamed under the city lights.
He stared out at the skyline and took a slow sip of whiskey. Inside, people were laughing, shouting, wasting money. He felt none of it.
Once, he used to enjoy nights like this. Now, he would rather be home, playing PS5 with Gangzi, his driver. The only things that grounded him anymore were his snakes.
Then a scooter screeched into the driveway.
Chi smirked faintly. "Let's see who wins."
Wu Suo Wei arrived, panting, hoodie damp from sweat and cold. He carried just one delivery bag. Another rider was waiting for the elevator, loaded with boxes, so Wu took the stairs instead, bounding up two steps at a time.
Guo Chengyu opened the door, the smell of alcohol spilling out with the noise.
Wu froze. The place was full of smoke and neon. People were shouting, laughing, sprawled over furniture. And in the middle of it, a tall man in black, cigarette in hand, kissing someone openly in front of everyone.
He blinked, reading the name on the receipt again. "Order for… Chi Cheng?"
Guo looked up. "Downtown Courtyard Noodles?"
"Yeah, two bowls."
"Holy shit," Guo shouted. "We have a winner! Chi Cheng's noodles are here first!"
Everyone cheered. Wu set the bag down, trying to ignore the attention.
"Thanks, man!" Guo said. "Don't forget your tip!"
"Wen Chao, pay up!"
Wen Chao groaned and pulled out a wad of bills, throwing them across the room. The cash hit Wu's face and fluttered to the floor. Laughter followed.
Wu stared for a second, then crouched, picked up one 100-yuan note, and shoved the rest back into Wen's chest. Before anyone could react, he grabbed Wen's drink and poured the whiskey over his head.
"You can keep the change, asshole."
The room fell dead silent.
Chi Cheng turned from the balcony, eyes narrowing. For a second, their gazes locked — cold black meeting fierce brown.
Wu's pulse spiked. "Happy birthday, man," he said quickly. "Enjoy the noodles while they're hot. Don't forget to rate and review."
He turned and bolted, running down the stairs. When he reached the gate and found it locked, he didn't stop — he climbed over the wall using stacked cement bags and disappeared into the night.
From the balcony, Chi Cheng watched him go, a faint smile curving his lips. "Interesting."
Back at Courtyard Noodles, Wu dropped his helmet onto the counter.
"Never again," he muttered. "I'm never delivering to Imperial Heights again."
A week later, his grandma was shouting from the kitchen.
"Xiaowei! Hurry up, you'll be late for your first day!"
He laughed, mouth full of dumpling. "Coming!"
At nineteen, Wu Suo Wei was heading to Beijing University on a Sports Talent Admission scholarship. Years of skating medals, good grades, and a recommendation from Coach Xu had finally paid off.
"Don't forget to eat well," Grandma said, fussing with his scarf.
"I will."
"Bring your friends home sometime," Grandpa added, smiling over his glasses.
"Sure, Laoye. But Coach Xu's training schedule's brutal."
"Then we'll bring food to you," Grandma said.
He hugged her tight. "My Laolao worries too much."
"You'll always shine the brightest," she whispered.
He grinned and left with his duffel bag, the smell of noodle broth still clinging to his clothes.
Beijing's early autumn was crisp and blue. On the bus, he watched mothers helping sons with luggage, and it made him think of his own mother back in Harbin.
When he arrived at the university, the size of the campus took his breath away.
Music played from the sports field. Students shouted. Cheerleaders practiced on the track. The ice rink gleamed under the sunlight at the far end of campus.
He stood for a moment, breathing it in, then smiled. This was it. A new start.
The rink's doors opened with a chill. Inside, the sound of blades cutting ice echoed like music. Wu pressed his hand to the glass. This, he thought, was home.
His dorm room was labeled "305 – Only Legends Allowed."
He slid the door open and was hit by the smell of instant noodles.
A tall guy tossed a basketball on his bunk. "Yo! The skater kid's here. I'm Liang Qiang, Mechanical Engineering."
At the desk, someone waved without looking up. "Chen Rui. Computer Science. Watch the cables."
A third guy, neat and polite, stood with a smile. "Jiang Xiao Shuai. Medicine. Don't worry, you'll survive this place."
"Wu Suo Wei. Sports Science," he said, laughing.
Within minutes, they were already teasing each other like old friends.
A week later, Wu had settled in. He was already known around campus — the quiet skater with a killer smile and scholarship talent.
"Dawei , I am still not used to the bland food here." He bitterly ate his wonton soup.
"I told you, XiaoShuai, whenever you get free time, I can take you to my Laolao's noodle shop; she makes the best spicy shrimp noodles." Wu suo wei slurped his noodles and ate his tea eggs with zero complaints.
"Really? Thanks! I am looking forward to it." Shuai smiled and finished his soup.
"What class do you have next?" Wei asks.
"Film appreciation optional class"
"Oh, me too, dude! Finally, we are in the same class. Let's go."
The two walked to the class. They looked pretty together; they often caught glances of girls looking at these soft, charming-looking boys. Shuai was dressed in a soft, mint-green knit sweater and beige trousers. He wore big glasses. Wu Suo Wei mostly wore streetwear denims and matching hoodies; he often wore his black skating gloves out of habit.
When they walked in, the room buzzed. Three men entered Guo Chengyu, Wang Shuo, and a tall figure in black.
Wu froze. No way.
"That's him," he whispered.
"Who?"
"The guy in black."
A girl in front turned and said, "That's Chi Cheng. And that's Guo Chengyu. Everyone calls them the Double A Campus Gods. They're rich, smart, and untouchable."
Wu snorted. "Yeah, I've seen their kind."
But his eyes stayed on Chi Cheng anyway.
That night, on the rink, Wu practiced until the others left. Coach Xu's playlist was still playing — Einaudi's Experience.
Under the lights, he moved like he was born on ice. Focused, graceful, completely lost in it. When he smiled mid-spin, it was the kind of smile that made people stop breathing for a second.
Up in the bleachers, Chi Cheng sat alone, cigarette unlit. He had come for quiet, but found himself watching instead.
He watched the boy spin again and again, the black training outfit clinging to his lean frame.
"So, the delivery boy can skate like that," he murmured.
He didn't light the cigarette. He just sat there, watching and for the first time in a long while, something in him stirred.
He'd always photographed animals. His snakes. The stillness of their eyes. But now, he was thinking about bringing his camera here.
For once, a human subject had caught his attention.