Yet, despite their exhausting days, they always made time to chat before going to bed and work through the homework questions assigned by their professors. 

Today, Yan Shou had a night shift at a 24-hour convenience store near the dorm building. Fortunately, he wasn't too exhausted from his studies or work today. Since the store was completely empty, he took advantage of the quiet downtime to revise his notes from class. He was deeply engrossed in his notebook when the bell above the door suddenly chimed, signaling a customer's arrival.

“Welcome to the store!” Yan Shou greeted automatically, without looking up from his notes.

“Can I have a cold drink with less sugar, but one that still tastes sweet?” Hearing the familiar, sweet voice, Yan Shou quickly looked up and smiled.

“XiaoXi? What are you doing here at this hour? It's almost midnight,” Yan Shou said, glancing down at his phone screen to check the time.

“Ah!” Lin XiaoXi groaned dramatically, plopping himself down against the checkout counter. “I'm completely exhausted from practice, and I haven't eaten a single thing all day. When I remembered that you were working the night shift here, I decided to come over and treat myself to something good.”

Yan Shou laughs at the sight of Lin XiaoXi's exhausted, puppy-like state. “Okay, go sit over there. I'll bring some instant noodles and a drink over for you,” Yan Shou said, pointing toward the seating area arranged neatly by the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Lin XiaoXi nodded quickly and dragged his wobbly legs over to one of the chairs.

Yan Shou prepared two steaming bowls of instant noodles, topping each one with a perfectly cooked egg and some freshly sliced cucumber. Because he had been so focused on his shift and his studies, he hadn't actually eaten his own dinner yet, and that savory aroma of the broth made him realize he was absolutely starving from hunger. After setting the food aside, he went over to the beverage cooler and took out two bottles of soy milk and two bottles of soda, making sure they both would have plenty of options to choose from.

Carrying the tray over to the seating area by the window, Yan Shou set the bowls down in front of them. The warmth of the food immediately filled the quiet space, casting a cozy glow against the dark, empty street outside. 

Lin XiaoXi’s eyes lit up the moment the tray touched the table. Without waiting for another second, he broke his chopsticks apart and took a large bite of the noodles, letting out a satisfied sigh as the warmth of the hot noodles hit his stomach. “Oh my god, Yan Shou, you are literally my savior! This tastes really amazing.”

Yan Shou sat down across from him, pulling his own bowl closer. He slid a bottle of soy milk and soda toward Lin XiaoXi, keeping one of each for himself. “Eat slowly, no one is going to steal it from you,” Yan Shou said.

They both ate the noodles in silence for some time before Yan Shou spoke again. “You said you hadn't eaten anything all day? Is your agency’s training always this intense?”

“Lately, yeah,” Lin XiaoXi mumbled through a mouthful of noodles, nodding weakly. “The debut evaluations are coming up, so the instructors are pushing us to our absolute limits. If we fall behind even a little bit, we risk getting cut from the final lineup. It’s so brutal.”

Yan Shou hummed in response. This was what each and every person had to go through, whoever wanted to debut in the showbiz industry. It didn't matter where you were coming from, rich or poor. Because in the entertainment industry, it was the public and the fans who decided to like somebody.

“Don’t overdo it,” Yan Shou said, with a gentle tone. Then he reached over and placed the extra egg into Lin XiaoXi’s bowl. “Ambition is fine, but not at the expense of your health. If you collapse from exhaustion, all that hard work won't mean anything.”

Lin XiaoXi nodded excitedly, looking down at the extra egg in his bowl, and then up at Yan Shou. A soft, genuine smile slowly spread across his face. “Wow. I didn't know that our legendary top student actually knew how to look after people.” He puffed his chest and looked at Yan Shou with confidence. “Don't worry, I'm tougher than I look.”

“Clearly not tough enough to remember to eat dinner,” Yan Shou retorted, though a small, relieved smile formed at the corner of his lips.

“Ugh! You always win our arguments,” Lin XiaoXi pouted, then stuffed the whole egg into his mouth.

Yan Shou laughed at the sight of the pouting puppy. “Just eat!” He said.

The two of them continued to eat in a comfortable silence, watching the occasional car pass by the floor-to-ceiling glass window. Yan Shou was feeling very light. For a moment, the heavy weight of the past and the uncertain future seemed to fade away, replaced by the simple comfort of a warm meal at midnight.

A sharp buzz cut through the comfortable silence as Lin XiaoXi’s phone vibrated violently against the plastic table. He swallowed the rest of his food quickly and, after wiping his hands with a tissue, picked up the mobile phone. His eyebrows knitted together as he unlocked the screen, browsing through the messages. The glowing light reflected on his face as he skimmed a newly pinned notice on his agency's trainee group chat. “Oh, wow, speak of the devil,” he said out loud, making Yan Shou flinch.

Yan Shou paused, his cup of soy milk halfway to his mouth. He looked at the younger boy’s sudden change in expression, a small frown forming on his face. “What is it? Did something happen at the agency?”

“There’s a massive announcement!” Lin XiaoXi practically yelled, though he caught himself and lowered his voice, leaning across the table toward Yan Shou.

"The agency just finalized the venue for our pre-debut showcase next week. It’s going to be a huge live performance at the Grand Horizon Hotel downtown! Apparently, a ton of industry investors, senior idols, and even some media outlets are going to be there. This is our biggest chance.”

Yan Shou nodded slowly, recognizing the weight that this opportunity held. “That sounds like a major performance. You’ve been working non-stop for this.”

Lin XiaoXi’s eyes sparkled with a sudden, hopeful energy as he stared at Yan Shou. He gripped his phone tightly in both hands, thought for a few seconds, then turned to look over at Yan Shou, who was still slurping his noodles peacefully. “Yan Shou... you have to come! Every trainee gets a few exclusive VIP tickets for family or friends." 

Yan Shou choked on a mouthful of noodles, quickly gulping down some soda before looking over at Lin XiaoXi. He blinked, caught off guard by the sudden invitation. He looked down at his own bowl of noodles, then back up at Lin XiaoXi’s bright, pleading eyes. “Me? Are you sure you shouldn't give it to someone else? I don't really know much about showbiz performances.”

“I don't care about that! Not everyone present there has to know about those things. It's just for fun and socializing anyway,” Lin XiaoXi insisted, a stubborn pout returning to his lips. He gave Yan Shou a look through puppy eyes that refused to take no for an answer.

“Plus, you're my friend. Having the legendary top student cheer for me would be the ultimate confidence boost. Please say yes?” he said in a sweet voice, grabbing Yan Shou's hands and swinging them slowly.

"Please? Pretty please!"

Yan Shou let out a soft sigh, but the warmth in his chest completely melted away any hesitation. He looked around the quiet, brightly lit convenience store, then back at Lin XiaoXi's eager face, a genuine smile finally forming on his lips. “Alright, alright. Send me the details. I’ll be there on time.”

"Yes!!" Lin XiaoXi shouted in excitement. He quickly stood up and walked towards the exit. "I will send you all the details on your phone." Yan Shou was still processing everything when Lin XiaoXi opened the door of the convenience store, then paused in his tracks. "And don't choose your outfit yet, we will choose it together, ok? Now bye-bye! Good night!" Saying that, Lin XiaoXi exited the store.

Yan Shou remained there dumbfounded, his mind still loading everything that had just happened. 

Outside, as Lin XiaoXi opened the door to his car, he pulled up a chat box and quickly typed out a message. He sat inside the car and pressed the send button before starting the engine and driving off.

[Be ready to meet someone!]