The university at night was a whole different beast.

Gone were the lively conversations, the hurried footsteps, the scent of cheap coffee and mixed pheromones. In their place were long corridors that echoed with nothing but silence, and empty classrooms holding their breath. The School of Drama and Film, in particular, took on a kind of theatrical eeriness after sundown, looking as if it were constantly mid-rehearsal for a horror play no one remembered scheduling.

Li Zhen had no idea why he agreed to this.

Well, actually... He did.

It was just another moment when his existence went off track and, like everything that was ever wrong in his life, it too had something to do with Xu Jinli.

That morning, after Teacher Shen both threatened and forced them with a spontaneous collaboration, Xu Jinli rested his chin on his hand and said with all the sincerity of a cartoon villain: "I'm only available after dark. Think of it as me selling my soul for fame and riches. So if you want to discuss whatever, come find me tonight."

As if that was perfectly normal.

But oh well, here he was.

The halls were dimly lit, and the automatic lights flickered on only when he stepped close enough. Behind him, dark shadows stuck to his ankles, unwilling to let him go, and, from a dark classroom nearby, the sound of a giggle travelled all the way to his ears. A high-pitched, breathy sound that might have belonged to something unholy… if it weren’t closely followed by gasps and the unmistakable smacking of lips.

Great.

Late-night campus couples. Nature’s way of making solitary walks extra awkward.

Li Zhen kept moving, ignoring the faint whispers and the occasional skittering sounds coming from dark corners. His casual pace carried him all the way to the life performance studio, the one that overlooked the south courtyard. By day, it was a favorite among students for its view, but at night, it became a hotspot for horror stories.

The door of the little prop room next to it was slightly ajar, which, considering Xu Jinli’s flair for dramatics, was probably intentional. Grabbing the doorknob, Li Zhen pushed it open, only to come face to face with a vast expanse of red.

The only light inside was coming from a fragile candle, crooked and almost burned all the way to the base, as red fabric hung from the ceiling like bloodied curtains, pooling dramatically at the corners. The small space was filled to the brim with scattered props, dismembered wooden mannequins, broken umbrellas, and something that looked suspiciously like...

...A taxidermied fox wearing a pink feather boa?!

And in the center of it all stood a woman, dressed from top to heel in black.

Li Zhen didn't move.

The woman turned slowly towards the open door, her long black hair trailing an elegant arc in the air, following her movements. What was visible of her face was powdered to a sickly pallor, with black smudges around her eyes and lips that carried a blue tint. But in contrast to her feeble look, her dress was truly something, as beaded black silk clung from her shoulders all the way to the floor, flowing around her in layers like the petals of a dahlia.

All in all, it was both mysterious and slightly creepy, but only as long as she didn't move. As soon as she took the first step towards Li Zhen, her movements changed from those of a stringless doll to the grace and elegance of... a bored swan in a children's production of Swan Lake.

"You gotta be kidding me..." Li Zhen murmured, instantly recognising the infamous "ghost" of the department.

The strange woman came to a stop in front of him. As the candelight flickered and shadows started writhing on the walls, her dry lips opened, letting out a sinister whisper that sounded very much like:

"Boo!"

Xu Jinli's sweet voice cut through the room like a cat announcing it had knocked something off a shelf.

Li Zhen blinked. “...Senior, what are you doing?”

“I'm scaring you.”

“No, you're not.”

“You twitched a little.”

“That was the wind.”

"..."

Xu Jinli dropped the sultry ghost act on the spot and sighed, hands on his hips. "You're no fun, Ah Zhen! I had the lighting, the costume, the backstory... Everything. I was emotionally prepared to haunt you!”

"You rehearsed this?"

"Of course," Xu Jinli answered proudly, his pointy chin lifted in a haughty manner. "Continuously, since early morning." Then, opening his arms wide as if he were expecting a hug, he continued: "Do you think all of this was easy to find?"

Li Zhen stepped further inside and closer to him, his piercing eyes scanning the makeshift set. "You put all of this together just to scare me?"

"Darling, don't flatter yourself." Xu Jinli smiled as he corrected him. "This is as good as my office, I've been haunting this place since my freshman year! After more than a decade, they might as well write me in the syllabus."

To be frank, you've been haunting me since my freshman year, too... Li Zhen couldn't help but think. In heels, Xu Jinli was almost eye level with him, making close contact all the more intimate. Behind the gown, the long and silky wig, and the ghostly white makeup on his face, the only thing that truly belonged to Xu Jinli was the flicker of amusement in his eyes, constantly challenging him. But just as ever, Li Zhen fell silent. He simply stood there, hands in his pocket, following every line of Xu Jinli's movements.

Even dressed like a rejected opera singer, the man still moved like he was on stage. His every gesture was clearly rehearsed, every breath measured for effect, but his performance was full of cracks everywhere. For example, his lips exuded a sort of happiness that was not at all in line with the role he was playing... For example, at an angle he thought was hidden, the tip of his fingers would grip and release his skirt over and over again, betraying how truly nervous he was...

...For example, he clearly enjoyed being watched and even craved it, his body following Li Zhen's line of sight continuously, unwilling to allow even a fleeting blink.

"I knew you'd show up," Xu Jinli said, adjusting some invisible wrinkles on his skirt. "You always do."

“I came because you said we’d talk about the gala.”

“We might.” Xu Jinli grinned. “But first, I needed to make sure you still see me the same way as before.” Next, he took a step closer, stopping right in front of Li Zhen. His bare shoulders caught the flicker of candlelight, and the sugary scent of cherry liquor, the slightly weaker one Li Zhen hadn’t gotten used to yet, hit stronger the closer he came. Then, slender fingers traced the contour of his face, starting from the downturned corners of his green eyes, all the way to his chin. With a slight pinch, Xu Jinli grabbed Li Zhen's face, pushing his head slightly backwards, as strands of his dark hair curled around the pale fingers.

But all of that, and Li Zhen's sole reaction was to arch a brow, asking: "And how is that?"

"Like I'm a problem you're trying to fix."

A beat of silence stretched between them.

Then, after a moment, Li Zhen's monotone voice sounded in between the four walls of the small room. "Senior, you're being overly dramatic," he said.

"You used to like that."

"You used to be less..."

"Charming?" Xu Jinli interrupted, his voice betraying a hint of anticipation.

Li Zhen blinked. "Unpredictable?"

A flicker of something hard to distinguish crossed Xu Jinli’s face, but it was gone as soon as it came. Instead, he leaned in, close enough for his breath to ghost over Li Zhen’s face. In an instant, the smell of cherry liquor merged with something far more comforting. Maybe it was the fragrance of the trees coming from outside the window... or perhaps it was something else entirely, coming from way closer.

“Unpredictable makes good art.”

“You’re not art.”

“I’m not?” Xu Jinli pulled back just enough to meet his eyes, mischief coiling behind his lashes. “Then why are you always watching me like I'm a performance?”

Li Zhen opened his mouth. Then closed it.

Damn it.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Xu Jinli said, dropping both his voice and his hand. "I am a performance, and you can't change that. You can only watch to your heart's content." With that, he turned on his heels, twirling once for effect. The black dress bloomed around him, like storm clouds dancing in the sky without a care for the world...

Without bothering with the destruction they were about to cause, or the one they left behind.

Li Zhen fell quiet again, but his eyes never left him.