Tartaglia and Zhong Li

The morning bus to the university was packed. Tartaglia, fighting off sleep, hung on the handrail while Yiter discussed rumors about the new, stern history professor. Suddenly, Tartaglia's gaze froze: before him sat a man in an impeccable gray suit. His calm and majesty seemed unearthly in the noisy crowd. Tartaglia didn't yet know his name, but his heart already skipped a beat. Next to the stranger sat a scowling man with turquoise-colored hair—Xiao. When his gaze met Yiter's, both looked embarrassed. In Xiao's prickly appearance, Yiter saw something that made his heart beat faster.

The shock overtook the friends in the classroom: the same man from the bus was standing at the lectern. "My name is Zhong Li, I'm your new professor," he said in a velvety voice. Tartaglia, who usually sat in the back row, instantly became the most diligent student, peppering the professor with questions for just one glance from his attentive amber eyes.

At the same time, Zhong Li introduced his son to the group. Xiao, a transfer student from another city, sat in the only available seat—next to Yiter. Thus began their final academic year: while Tartaglia stormed the electives, trying to charm the professor, Yiter became Xiao's faithful guide, gently thawing the ice in the reclusive boy's soul amid the noisy campus corridors.