Wild Star Lantern

Gu Jia Nian failed the college entrance exam and went to her grandmother’s house in the countryside for summer vacation. She accidentally entered a villa covered in creeping plants and inhabited by a recluse known by the villagers as someone who never left their house and avoided the light. Children even secretly called him a vampire behind his back. As the vacation came to an end, she did two things: discussing with her parents about retaking the exam and confessing her feelings to him. One succeeded, the other failed. Two years later, Gu Jia Nian studied diligently in the competitive Chinese literature program at a prestigious university. In a literature appreciation class, the professor assigned a reading list, with nearly half of it coming from a rising star novelist—who had won major literary awards with a full-length novel and a series of medium-length novels. Gu Jia Nian sat in the library at 2 a.m., opening the preface of that full-length novel. It began: “Rough start, with over a dozen interruptions due to the erosion of romantic fantasies by harsh reality. Until one day, she knocked on my door, cleared the messy Chinese hawthorn outside, and handed me a box of pastries. From then on, light poured in.” Guide for newcomers: The male lead falls for the female lead after she comes of age. They get together after she retakes the exam. Six-year age gap, Student-Teacher Relationship (SC). Told from the perspective of Chi Yan. After deleting the twelfth draft’s beginning, someone with no sense of timing suddenly knocked on his door. He opened it with a frown and found a shy high school girl standing outside, with big eyes, fair skin, and a box of cookies in her hands. Due to family obligations, he reluctantly put an end to his reclusive life and started taking care of this girl who had been crushed by the pressure of the exam. He let her read at home. Gave her a key. Accompanied her to doctor appointments. Accompanied her on shopping trips. Comforted her, encouraged her, praised her… The girl was polite and sensible, but she never called him “brother.” Finally, as her summer vacation came to an end and she was about to start retaking the exam, she awkwardly confessed her feelings to him. “…” Chi Yan glanced at her. “Let’s talk about this after you finish your exam.” After the second year’s exam ended, Chi Yan sent her a text on WeChat, calculating the time the results would be released. “How did it go?” A long while later, she replied, “Well, I did great.” Followed by another message: “Thank you, Brother Chi Yan.” Chi Yan, brother. “…” Damn, it’s easier to be deceived as you grow older.