"Ah—"

　　Gu Pan screamed in agony, collapsing to the ground. He tightly clutched his right foot, curling up like a desperate caterpillar on the edge of his emerald green lawn.

　　From his sideways position, he could see the dumbbell he had kicked away. It hadn't rolled far, just half a meter. The deep gray object seemed to smirk at him, mocking the fallen fool who had forgotten he was barefoot in his fit of rage.

　　The excruciating pain in his big toe gradually subsided. Gu Pan sat up, and on the wall in front of him, at eye level, hung a piece of white paper. "10 days left until the end of the vacation," the red number "10" had been corrected and painted over by him before he left for work in the morning. Updated daily.

　　Back when he was preparing for the college entrance exams, he hadn't even circled down the days on the calendar. Now, however, he was creating a sense of urgency for the imminent end of a summer break. The reasons were complex, but the only resounding one was that he was eager to achieve his set exercise goals. That is, to complete six sets of arm and core exercises on the emerald green lawn and witness a noticeable improvement in his physique and strength.

　　Because it would bring him a sense of confidence. Confidence when facing Ling Hanlu.

　　But he had failed. And so, he was angry.

　　He had visited Ling Hanlu's balcony five days ago. The Milan flowers had been moved outside, placed on a metal rack to bask in the sun. In the spot where the sunlight couldn't reach directly, a light grey long skirt was hung to dry. The pattern was indistinct, finely fragmented, in apricot yellow. The fabric was extremely light and fluttered in the wind. Gu Pan stared, mesmerized, feeling as if it was Ling Hanlu performing some eerily styled dance. The moment "she" lifted her leg, Gu Pan's heart skipped a beat.

　　Upon returning home that day, Gu Pan began counting down to the end of the summer vacation. "15 days left until the end of the vacation," the message on the wall read.

　　From then on, with each alteration of the number on the wall, his anxiety grew.

　　He felt nervous when looking in the mirror because next to the vanity mirror was a poster of Peng Yuyan, shirtless. The absurd desire for victory and the feeling of powerlessness made him feel shameful hatred towards the smiling male celebrity before him.

　　When he turned to online love-making videos for study, he felt uneasy. Sure, at fourteen, guided by Yu Yan, he had touched a woman's chest, and just a month ago, he had hesitantly lost his first kiss to Lu Yitong. Based on incomplete and baseless presumptions, the 18-year-old Gu Pan was probably ahead in terms of practical sexual exploration compared to most peers in the country. But once these "wonderful" things were associated with Ling Hanlu, he would panic.

　　Gu Pan turned off the bedroom light, sitting on the edge of the bed. On his tablet, two Caucasians were entwined, their gasps and moans overlapping in two different frequencies. The man's strength was astonishing, maneuvering the woman in various positions - kneeling, lying, crouching, jumping. Their eyes glazed, murmuring words as if possessed by spirits... Gu Pan felt a shiver run through his body, followed by dampness.

　　However, when Ling Hanlu's face forcefully intruded into the climaxing images, the wonderful scenes Gu Pan had imagined turned instantly grotesque. He had tried this many times, each time catching a whiff of a bloody, damp scent. He became more certain that what truly captivated him was the image of skirts fluttering as seen from a distance on the balcony... This imagery aligned more with the current truth of his body and soul.

　　Yet, the countdown sticker on the wall, akin to a death knell, left him feeling restless.

　　"Mr. Su, I like someone, but I can't control the pace of my feelings. There's always a voice urging me to hurry up. What should I do?"

　　Gu Pan had already accepted the identity of being a "non-patient" as defined by Su Chiyuan. However, he felt that if he were only regarded as a "seeker of help," it would be too much of an understatement of the torment brought by the countdown strip. He felt it was a plea for help, yes, that's it!

　　"Don't worry. Where does the voice come from? Is there a specific person? What does it mean by 'hurry up'? Is there any specific content?"

　　"It's specific, but I can't say... I can only tell you, I can't ignore it." Gu Pan was grateful that his communication with Su Chiyuan at the moment was only through short messages. Otherwise, he couldn't guarantee that the uncontrollable sobbing in his voice wouldn't completely collapse his already fragile image. He couldn't forget the three years in elementary school when he was called "spoiled baby." It was too shameful.

　　"Can't say? Alright! The information you've provided is too abstract. But regardless, even if it's fulfilling a promise, you shouldn't forget that discerning right from wrong is your right."

　　"It's so hard."

　　"Even if it's hard, you still have to stick to your principles. Gu, our conversation now feels like talking in circles, do you understand what I mean? When you trust me enough in the future, perhaps I can truly help you."

　　"It's really too difficult. I'm sorry, Mr. Su, goodnight!"

　　Gu Pan hastily closed the chat interface. To him, the blackened screen was like a blackboard wiped clean by the class monitor during recess. Whatever happened on it a second ago, no one was interested in remembering. A few gray-white traces and the dust floating in the air were its resolute solo performance before the curtain fell.

　　But Su Chiyuan happened to be the diligent student that existed in every class. His dedication and sincerity made even the so-called "empty consolation" and guidance carry a touching authenticity.

　　After pondering for a long time, Su Chiyuan sent several concerned text messages, but Gu Pan didn't reply to any of them. He knew that his evasive cries for help lacked sincerity, which filled him with guilt. However, the young man didn't have the courage to let the other party understand the "mission" he was carrying.

　　Gu Pan didn't turn on the lights. He groped his way back to the living room, guided by the sporadic light from the front building, and lay back on the emerald green lawn. The green fibers on it had once witnessed his purest impulses and most single-minded efforts. Perhaps they could help him sleep well tonight...

　　2

　　Gu Pan was woken up by a video call invitation and was still groggy. It was from Lu Yitong.

　　"Guess where I am?" Lu Yitong extended her selfie stick further away, and the background suddenly appeared behind her face, reducing the sense of oppression.

　　Still lying down, Gu Pan struggled to open his eyelids. He brought the phone closer, trying to quickly assess Lu Yitong's current surroundings. He hoped this morning's conversation could end with quick questions and answers.

　　However, the background didn't offer any distinctive features. All he saw was a wall and an ordinary wooden door.

　　Seeing that Gu Pan didn't engage in the conversation as she had expected, Lu Yitong decided to decrypt it herself.

　　"I'm at home. In my bedroom. I haven't shown my private space to anyone else..." Lu Yitong disappeared from the camera, giving the chance for her room's wallpaper, curtains, oil paintings, and the giant plush toy on her bedside to be seen. "See?"

　　"Oh, I see. Looks nice," Gu Pan politely glanced over. He didn't stare, just glanced at the overview. Natural wood base with colorful details. Indistinct but clearly feminine.

　　"Next time you come to my place, I'll give you a tour in person," Lu Yitong said, already silently anticipating the real time for this "next time" to come.

　　"No need. Lu Yitong, you don't have to... I..." Gu Pan felt more than just joy in Lu Yitong's words; it was as if a hand was reaching out from the screen. A slender, comforting hand, carrying full warmth, dragging away his mental and emotional unrest.

　　"Gu Pan, I know what you want to say. You don't have to feel guilty or indebted to me. That kiss was consensual. Although it was indeed a precious first kiss."

　　"Ah? I didn't mean to..." Gu Pan became a bit more awake after hearing this. Being skillfully manipulated by a girl's eloquent words, he even sat up, devoid of any fatigue. Surprisingly, after this exchange, Gu Pan actually felt somewhat indebted to Miss Lu. Especially when he reflected on his original intention to kiss Lu Yitong, that attempt and experience felt "motivated by impure intentions." At least in that moment, Lu Yitong's lips seemed more sincere and pure than his own.

　　"You still look half asleep. Want to go back to sleep for a while? Sorry, I didn't make you mad, did I? I guess you wouldn't, Auntie always praises your kindness and generosity..."

　　"Okay, then I'll go back to sleep..."

　　"Wait, almost forgot to thank you!"

　　"Thank me for what?" Gu Pan started to tread carefully, feeling intimidated by Lu Yitong's frequent use of various polite expressions.

　　"For the blue printed scarf, you said it was just a piece of cloth that day. I've seen it at the art museum. I liked it, but thought it was too dignified so I didn't buy it. I know you were too embarrassed to say it in front of Auntie. Thank you for the gift!"

　　With a firm expression of gratitude, Lu Yitong promptly ended the video call.

　　Gu Pan sat cross-legged with a dumbfounded expression. Many boys may study military strategy from a young age but never truly grasp it. Meanwhile, some girls seem to naturally understand the art of war, with the aroma of 'lifting a thousand catties with four ounces' flowing through their veins.

　　Gu Pan lifted his hand from the ground, the palm showing faint imprints from the deep green grass. There was also a mark left on the grass, evidence of his sweaty palm.

　　He got up and hurried back to his bedroom. The scarf that Lu Yitong had thanked him for had been sitting on the bookshelf for a month. Taking it out and unfolding it, the once sweet floral scent had faded, almost imperceptible now. He draped the scarf loosely around his neck, placing beside it a small accessory of the same floral pattern that he had bought from the gift shop at the art museum. He felt that this combination made for a complete gift. They had been dormant for a month, but Lu Yitong's thoughtfulness had now given them wings. And now, they wanted to fly.