Chapter 3: A Rooftop Epiphany and the Ghost of High School

More than ten minutes later, I found myself standing with him inside a skyscraper’s elevator.

“Hey, are you sure this is allowed? Aren’t rooftops typically off-limits?”

I asked with a touch of unease, surprised that Ren Yunkong’s ‘great spot’ was none other than this skyscraper near my home. Despite having walked past it countless times, I had never once ventured inside, and rumor had it, it soared to a dizzying eighty stories.

“Relax,” Ren Yunkong said, dangling a key in his hand, which he’d apparently just procured from a building manager downstairs. “My dad is one of the shareholders here.”

Well, I suppose I shouldn’t have bothered asking; the wealthy, it seemed, could always indulge their whims.

Moments later, the elevator ascended to the very top floor. Traversing a brief corridor, we came upon a tightly locked door. Once Ren Yunkong unlocked it with his key, a staircase winding upwards was revealed beyond.

Ascending the stairs, we naturally emerged onto the expansive rooftop of the skyscraper.

“Wow!”

A howling gale swept past my ears, and as I stood by the protective railing, a profound sense of exhilaration filled my chest. Before my eyes lay an endless panorama of urban architecture. Tiny cars, like industrious ants, crawled sluggishly across the distant streets below, and from this vantage, the entire sprawling city unfolded, an unobstructed vista stretching to the horizon.

“Look over there! Those birds are flying at our level now!”

I pointed excitedly at a flock of pigeons soaring nearby, thrilled by a sight I had never witnessed before.

“So, how about it? Don’t you feel much better now?”

Ren Yunkong offered a knowing smile, as if he could peer directly into my thoughts.

“Whenever I’m feeling down, I often seek out places like this,” he explained. “There are plenty of other tall buildings near my house that I can get access to.”

He tilted his head back, gazing up at the sky, his eyes distant and unfocused. In that moment, he felt utterly unlike the Ren Yunkong I knew.

“I have a distinct feeling,” he mused, “as if I once floated in mid-air, gazing down at the boundless earth beneath my feet. Everything appeared so infinitesimally small; it was truly wondrous…”

Was that truly the sensation? His words piqued my curiosity, prompting me to cling to the railing and cautiously peer over the edge.

“It really is true! It looks incredibly high!”

With a surge of excitement, I stretched my hand out into the open air. It was my first time gazing down from such a dizzying height, and the novelty of it all was exhilarating.

“Hey, be careful…”

Seeing my entire upper body leaning precariously over the railing, Ren Yunkong let out a gasp of alarm. He lunged towards me to pull me back, but in his haste, he misstepped into a puddle on the rooftop. His foot slid out from under him, and his hand, in a desperate attempt to regain balance, inadvertently clutched onto my pants…

“Ah!”

I was yanked unceremoniously to the ground, my pants pulled down to my knees in the process.

“I’m so sorry, it was an accident…” Ren Yunkong grimaced, clambering to his feet, evidently having taken a considerable tumble himself. He stammered out apologies, his words tumbling over each other.

“Pfft…”

However, upon seeing me clad only in my underwear, my legs exposed, he found himself struggling to suppress his laughter. He held it in, his cheeks puffed out, his mouth forming a perfectly round ‘O’.

“You…”

My face burned crimson as I hastily pulled up my pants. Yet, the buttons had been completely ripped off, and I knew that if I released my grip, they would simply slide down again.

“What are you laughing at? This is all your doing!”

As if the situation wasn’t mortifying enough, his continued amusement fueled my indignation.

“I’ll buy you a new pair of pants… Hahahahaha!” The words barely left his lips before his composure shattered completely, and Ren Yunkong burst into uncontrolled laughter.

“And pink underwear, no less…”

What was so amusing about that? I certainly hadn’t bought the underwear myself; how could a mere student like me afford such luxuries? His look of utter fascination only intensified my irritation. Still, I had to admit, being a guy caught in pink underwear was undeniably mortifying.

Well, it seemed I had managed to embarrass myself yet again.

Despite these seemingly minor, unpleasant mishaps, we lingered on the rooftop for a considerable time that day.

****

In the aftermath of that incident, I felt I had gained a preliminary understanding of Ren Yunkong. Yet, a persistent feeling lingered that we inhabited entirely different worlds. Throughout the remainder of our school days, his entourage constantly shifted, new girlfriends and hangers-on appearing and disappearing, and our own interactions remained sparse. Curiously, however, whenever I found myself in trouble, he would invariably emerge to offer timely assistance, a pattern that even included an occasion when I was chased and assaulted by hooligans in the street.

That particular incident, however, stemmed primarily from my girlfriend.

Indeed, during my high school years, I had a girlfriend. I’d embarked on a single romantic relationship, and the object of my affection was Xu Qianran, the undisputed beauty of our class. When classmates first whispered that she liked me, I simply couldn’t believe it. Yet, events often unfold in unexpected ways, and soon enough, we naturally, and quite inevitably, became a couple — in secret, of course. After all, dating was strictly forbidden on school grounds.

During a holiday shopping trip with my girlfriend, Xu Qianran caught the attention of a few thugs. The situation escalated rapidly, becoming incredibly dire; I was on the verge of despair. Then, as if from nowhere, Ren Yunkong suddenly materialized, single-handedly resolving the crisis. I was utterly astonished to discover his martial arts prowess, a truly hidden talent! He managed to defeat multiple assailants, and though he appeared quite battered and miserable by the end, in my eyes, it was an absolutely incredible feat.

I couldn’t be certain if it was related to that incident, but shortly thereafter, Xu Qianran initiated our breakup.

I had always lacked confidence, feeling unworthy of her, and deep down, I harbored a premonition that my relationship with the beautiful class flower was destined to end. Nevertheless, the swiftness of our demise plunged me into a prolonged period of despondency. Perhaps it was on that very day she realized my utter inability to protect her, leading to her complete disillusionment. Each time these memories resurfaced, a wave of self-reproach washed over me; I felt utterly useless. From that moment onward, I became acutely aware of my own profound powerlessness.

High school life, in truth, passed by in a blur. Following the arduous college entrance exams, we all dispersed. I enrolled in an ordinary local university, a choice neither stellar nor dismal, while Ren Yunkong, under his family’s arrangements, departed to study abroad.

By the time he returned to the country, I had just graduated. The very day I left campus, I received a call from an unfamiliar number, only to discover it was him. I was perplexed as to how he’d acquired my number, but after a brief greeting and a few casual pleasantries, he abruptly ended the call.

Until today…

I stood anxiously by the roadside. Though our agreed-upon time was still minutes away, I couldn’t shake the nagging suspicion that Ren Yunkong might stand me up. After all, it had been an age since we last saw each other.

Vroom~~~~~vroom~~~~

A sudden, guttural roar of an engine pierced the air. In my line of sight, a flamboyant sports car sped from the distance, gradually decelerating until it idled directly before me.

My lip twitched involuntarily. This, I surmised, must be one of those legendary XXXX cars. While I couldn’t quite identify the emblem on its hood, given my usual disinterest in such vehicles, the sight of such a lavish car cruising the streets, combined with its driver’s ostentatious flair, strongly suggested it could only be him.

True to form, the car window slowly descended, revealing a handsome countenance. Though he appeared considerably more mature than my high school memories suggested, that infuriatingly smug expression instantly gave him away.

I felt an overwhelming urge to land a punch squarely on that face; he was simply too insufferably arrogant.

“Hey there! Long time no see, indeed!”

Ren Yunkong greeted me with a grin. As I hurried closer, I noticed a woman, provocatively dressed, occupying the passenger seat.

“This is Mu Feng, my high school classmate,” Ren Yunkong stated, introducing me to the woman.

“Ah, hello!” I managed, a wave of awkwardness washing over me. Such social encounters were decidedly not my forte.

“Oh, your classmate is quite the handsome young man himself!” a delicate voice chimed in from the back of the car. ‘Wait, this car has a back seat? And another woman?’

‘Only you would manage something like this!’

I found myself utterly speechless, unable to articulate the whirlwind of emotions I felt. My sole desire was to collect the money and make a swift exit.

“How much do you need? Just name your price!” Ren Yunkong declared, grandly pulling out his wallet. Inside, I glimpsed stacks of hundred-yuan bills alongside a collection of colorful cards.

“Uh, not much. Three hundred yuan should be more than enough,” I mumbled. I had already calculated the sum meticulously; it would comfortably see me through to the next month, especially since I still had my part-time job at the supermarket.

“That little? Are you absolutely certain?” Ren Yunkong asked, his gaze fixed on me with an air of suspicion, as if he’d misheard. “Why not take a few more? We’re brothers, after all; there’s no need to be polite! Or perhaps just take this card and use it for whatever you need for now…” With that, he attempted to thrust a card into my hand.

“No, no, no!”

That amount would far, far exceed what I could ever hope to repay. Startled, I quickly pushed his hand away, then deftly plucked three red banknotes from his wallet before stepping back.

“This is plenty,” I insisted, waving a dismissive hand. “Since we’re brothers, three hundred is all I need, and I promise I’ll pay you back!”

Apparently realizing there was no swaying me, Ren Yunkong didn’t press further. He merely sighed and conceded, “Fine. Just promise me you’ll call if you ever find yourself in a tight spot again!”

The car window, having ascended halfway, abruptly descended once more.

“Ah! I almost forgot,” he exclaimed, poking his head out. “Did you know our high school reunion is tomorrow night?”

‘Is that so?’ In truth, I had long since lost touch with my high school classmates. Burdened by the pressures of daily life, I rarely had the luxury of keeping up with such events.

“But… I have work tomorrow night,” I said, a troubled expression crossing my face. I distinctly recalled that my shift at the supermarket was scheduled for then. However, a thought suddenly struck me. “But I could try to leave early. Perhaps I could still make it?”

“Alright, then. Tomorrow night at 8 PM, at Xingle Garden Restaurant. Don’t forget.”

After a moment of thought, Ren Yunkong affirmed that it was fine, then raised the car window once more. “If anything comes up, remember to give me a call!”

“Goodbye!”

I waved goodbye to the retreating luxury car. Suddenly, a wave of melancholy washed over me. ‘A high school reunion…’

Involuntarily, Xu Qianran’s image surfaced in my mind once more.

****

Time, as always, seemed to fly by.

By the time I finally emerged from the haze of work-induced exhaustion, it was already nearing ten o’clock at night.

“Damn it! It’s so late! What about the reunion now!”

Stepping out of the supermarket where I worked, I frantically dialed Ren Yunkong’s number.

– Mu Feng, what’s going on with you? –

Ren Yunkong’s voice, brimming with exasperation, immediately launched into a complaint. – I called you several times, and you didn’t answer! –

“My apologies, my apologies! I was swamped with work earlier and didn’t have a moment to check my phone.”

I wiped the sweat from my brow, apologizing profusely. In truth, I’d been startled myself when I finally picked up my phone to see five or six missed calls. By this hour, the reunion was surely over. I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of self-reproach for standing them up; I should have simply declined the invitation yesterday.

I had anticipated an early departure from work, but to my utter surprise, the supermarket, usually quiet and deserted, had been inexplicably bustling all evening. A queue of customers had begun forming at the checkout counters from early evening, stretching for hours, leaving me utterly swamped with no time even for a sip of water.

‘Was this the rhythm of an impending apocalypse?’ I couldn’t help but inwardly grumble.

“So, what now? Have you all… finished eating already?” I asked cautiously, thinking that at this rate, I might as well just head home.

– Yes, the dinner party ended ages ago. You’re far too late; there isn’t even a chicken bone left! – Ren Yunkong scoffed mercilessly. The background noise on his call was incredibly chaotic; I could even hear someone shouting loudly.

Then, his tone abruptly shifted.

– But no one’s left yet! A lot of them felt it wasn’t enough, so now we’re all at the KTV. Everyone except the teachers, who headed home early. –

‘Just as I suspected.’ The noise alone told me something was amiss. ‘Are they really having that much fun? They must have had quite a bit to drink.’

– Just get over here now! We’re at the Aurora Entertainment City. Call me when you arrive. –

Ren Yunkong’s voice now carried a hint of impatience.

“Hey! Wait…”

– Remember to take a taxi over quickly, don’t waste any more time dawdling. I’ll cover the fare! – he added as an afterthought.

‘Ugh.’ I was rendered speechless. I had actually been planning to use the excuse that the buses had stopped running and transportation was inconvenient to escape.

Well, there was no choice then. It was my fault today, after all. So, I walked to the roadside and raised my arm. Soon, a taxi pulled up before me.

“To Aurora Entertainment City.”

After giving the driver the address, I leaned against the car door in the back seat, lost in thought.

So many years had passed. Many of my high school classmates must be doing better than me, right? Though they couldn’t compare to a rich second-generation like Ren Yunkong, many of them must have found excellent jobs by now—in state-owned enterprises, public institutions, foreign companies, or even working abroad…

Those were things I couldn’t even dream of achieving! I often heard from the internet and colleagues’ conversations that class reunions were essentially competitive gatherings where former classmates implicitly compared their successes. If I had done well, that would be one thing, but me…

The thought of my old classmates looking at me with mocking eyes made my scalp tingle, making me wish I could get into a car accident and die. And Xu Qianran, she would probably be there too, wouldn’t she? If she saw me in my current state… My fingertips had unconsciously dug deep into my flesh. I suddenly felt an urge to immediately tell the driver to stop, to turn the car around and drive as far away from Aurora Entertainment City as possible!

But if I did that, it would be a huge disservice to Ren Yunkong. After all, I had already promised him I would come, and besides, I still owed him money. ‘I should have just declined yesterday!’ I regretted it deeply.

No matter, what was coming would inevitably come.

Standing before the KTV room door, I hesitated and deliberated for a long time, meticulously tidying my clothes and double-checking that nothing was amiss before quietly pushing the door open.