Chapter 1
The Night of Madness (Part One)
For the graduating students of Shazhou College, June 30th was always a day shrouded in gloom, humidity, and ambiguous emotions. The scent of lake water drifting through the air seemed to carry the heavy weight of parting sorrow.
In 1993, just like any other year, this peculiar date emerged with the same insidious timing as the Student Affairs Section Chief—that man with his insincere, skin-deep smiles. It always seemed to spring from the shadows to scatter couple after couple.
The men’s and women’s dormitories stood in parallel rows, facing each other. Between them lay a volleyball court and three basketball courts, forming a clear dividing line separating the boys' and girls' dorms. Behind the women’s dorms stood the experimental building, while behind the men’s dorms rose a nameless hill of some local fame. Most of the hill lay within the college grounds, with a small portion extending outside, separated by a boundary wall. The section of the hill inside the campus was covered with dense trees and wild grass, retaining a raw, natural charm that naturally made it a sanctuary for students seeking romance.
The setting sun had painted the sky with a fading glow, but Shazhou College, situated by the lake, was already sinking into darkness.
Hou Weidong sat at the edge of a grove on the hill, tucked behind a large clump of weeds. He had chosen his terrain wisely. If a passerby walked along the path just a meter away, the angle of the streetlights would cast the deep weeds into shadow, creating a blind spot. He and his girlfriend, Zhang Xiaojia, had tested this spot multiple times and finally confirmed it as one of their fixed meeting places.
Inside the weeds lay two smooth bluestone slabs. Hou Weidong had secretly brought them from a college construction site a year earlier. Placed among the grass, they served as makeshift stools, offering a bit more comfort for their sittings.
Down below, the college broadcast room was airing its evening routine. It began with a segment of college news, droning on for ten minutes about trivial campus matters. Listening to these mundane updates, Hou Weidong couldn’t help but recall his first days at school, when he had been so thrilled that a news report he wrote was adopted by the campus radio station that he couldn’t sleep. Now, the campus news felt flat and ordinary, covering things he had long since done himself.
After the news came twenty minutes of music. Sitting in the grass at the foot of the hill, Hou Weidong could hear the most popular song of the moment drifting from the direction of the college: “There’s a girl in the village named Xiao Fang, beautiful and generous, with a pair of lovely big eyes… Thank you for the love you gave me, unforgettable for this life and the next.”
As the song floated through the air, couples began to emerge from their dorms, gathering at the foot of the hill and walking along a path close to the weeds toward the football field below. Before the song “Xiao Fang” had even finished, more than a dozen couples had passed by. Based on Hou Weidong’s years of observation, those walking side by side were mostly freshmen; those holding hands were likely sophomores or juniors; and those embracing tightly were, without a doubt, seniors.
Since it was the night before graduation, and the college administration had begun to advocate for more humane management, they turned a blind eye to romantic relationships. The campus discipline patrol also showed leniency, granting all its members leave so as not to disturb these young men and women who would soon “fly apart after leaving school.”
Of course, Hou Weidong had no fear of the campus discipline patrol. The captain of the patrol was concurrently the head of the college security department, Director Hu, while the vice-captain was traditionally a student cadre. Hou Weidong happened to be that student cadre serving as vice-captain. He was often the one who specifically arranged when the patrol would go out. Thus, for three years, Hou Weidong had roamed freely across the college playgrounds, lakeside, and the hill, never once being caught.
Sitting on the bluestone slab, listening to the familiar song, chewing on a blade of grass, and inhaling the scent of familiar greenery, Hou Weidong muttered to himself, “What time is it? She’s late again. How inconsiderate.”
Couples continued to pass by on the path, embracing intimately, which only made Hou Weidong more anxious. Finally, the familiar sound of footsteps crunching on leaves—“sha, sha”—reached his ears. He immediately stood up. As Xiaojia turned into the weeds, Hou Weidong pulled her into his arms, kissed her cheek, and said, “Why are you so late? You’re so talkative.”
“I’m a girl; I naturally have the right to be late.” Zhang Xiaojia was carrying a small bag containing some snacks. She kissed Hou Weidong first, then added, “Duan Ying was crying terribly. It took me a lot of effort to calm her down.” As she spoke, Xiaojia hugged Hou Weidong tightly, as if afraid he might be swept away by a sudden gust of mountain wind from some unknown corner.
Duan Ying was Xiaojia’s roommate. Her boyfriend was from the Accounting Department and had been assigned to a large state-owned factory in Hubei Province, while Duan Ying had been assigned to a state-owned enterprise in Yiyang County. They were thousands of miles apart. When the assignment results came out, Duan Ying realized that a breakup was inevitable. But when the separation actually became real, her so-called coolness shattered like porcelain.
Speaking of Duan Ying, Hou Weidong said with some relief, “Fortunately, it’s only a three-hour bus ride between Yiyang and Shahe. It seems we really do have some fate.”
Yiyang County, Wuhai County, Linjiang County, and Chengjin County were all subordinate counties of Shazhou City. The four counties surrounded Shahe like stars surrounding the moon. Because Yiyang County was home to Shazhou College, it was much more famous than the other three.
Xiaojia pinched Hou Weidong’s arm hard, looking displeased. “We only have some fate.” She emphasized the word “some” heavily.
“I expressed myself poorly, my words didn’t convey my meaning. Please forgive me, Your Highness.” As Hou Weidong spoke, he sat back down on the bluestone slab, and Xiaojia naturally settled onto his lap. However, she lowered her head and remained silent, indicating she was still angry.
Hou Weidong quickly pleaded for mercy. “The Buddha says it takes five hundred years of fate to share a boat, and a thousand years to share a pillow. We have ten thousand years of fate. We belong together through heaven and earth, forever sharing the same bed.” Xiaojia made no secret of her fondness for sweet words. Hearing Hou Weidong’s confession, she quickly cheered up. She magically produced several fragrant braised chicken wings, placing one in Hou Weidong’s mouth. He took a bite, and then she took a bite.
With a beauty in his arms, the hormones in Hou Weidong’s body surged a millionfold. Habitually, he reached behind her into her clothes. Xiaojia’s skin had a smooth, delicate texture, along with a faint, elusive body fragrance that made Hou Weidong intoxicated.
Xiaojia had specially worn an orange two-piece skirt suit that day. Of course, in the night, the color didn’t matter; what mattered was the style. This two-piece suit was the best outfit for a date with a lover. “Best” meant it allowed Hou Weidong to touch her easily, yet could be quickly adjusted in case of an emergency. Pants were troublesome to put on, and long dresses were inconvenient for physical intimacy.
Xiaojia lay limp in Hou Weidong’s arms, letting his palms rest lightly on her chest as they clung close. July 1st was the day they would leave school. Thinking of this, Xiaojia felt her heart in a tangle. She quietly took out a stack of tissues, carefully wiping the oil from her hands, then hugged Hou Weidong’s strong body tightly, resting her head against his chest.
Hou Weidong sniffed Xiaojia’s hair and whispered, “I’m feeling uncomfortable.” Xiaojia reached out and touched him; what she felt was hard. She gritted her teeth and said, “Today, I’ll give it to you.”
Although Hou Weidong had long harbored this thought, hearing Xiaojia take the initiative made his heart race wildly. He looked around. Although this spot was hidden, it was too close to the path, and other couples might enter at any moment. Having served as vice-captain of the campus discipline patrol for over two years, and having participated in several undercover stakeout operations with the security department colleagues, he had mastered the essence of guerrilla tactics. After a moment’s thought, he had an idea. “It’s too close to the path here; it’s not safe. Let’s go up to the mountainside.”
The wall on the hill separated the college from the outside world. At some point, a hole had been smashed in the wall, just large enough for one person to pass through. In 1992, a local youth had crawled through the small hole into the college, intercepted a student couple on the hill, and stabbed the male student twice. Fortunately, the boy was a sports major and physically strong. Despite his injuries, he fought back fiercely. Seeing he couldn’t succeed, the youth fled, sparing the girl from insult. The male student had a major blood vessel punctured and nearly died from excessive bleeding. After this incident, the hole in the wall was patched up. However, a few days earlier, when Hou Weidong and Zhang Xiaojia went up the hill, they discovered a new small hole in the wall.
Hearing Hou Weidong’s suggestion, Xiaojia hesitated. “The wall is broken; I’m a bit scared.” Hou Weidong was prepared. He drew the dagger from his waist, which he carried for courage. “I have this guy with me; what’s there to fear?” Because he was studying in the Political Science and Law Department, Hou Weidong had joined a sanda (Chinese kickboxing) class run by college teachers in his freshman year. He had practiced sanda for four years and was quite skilled. With a dagger in hand, he didn’t fear encountering three or five hooligans. Moreover, the two of them had walked this hill at night for over three years and had never encountered any hooligans. This was the last night before leaving school; Hou Weidong estimated he wouldn’t be so unlucky as to meet hooligans on this very night.
The two climbed unevenly to the mid-section of the hill, where there was a flat area they had scouted out long ago. This flat spot was recessed into the mountainside, with a dense thicket of shrubs above it. They sat down, looking down at the college football field, with the shrubs behind them, hiding them securely.
Hou Weidong magically produced a bedsheet. It was a winter bedding item, usually kept in a box. After leaving school, this old sheet would be useless. Hou Weidong intended to use this old sheet to open a new era. Xiaojia hadn’t expected Hou Weidong to even bring a bedsheet. Her whole body was burning hot. She scolded him, “You’ve planned everything just to lure me here, but I’m not willing.” Although she said this, her hands and feet didn’t stop; she helped spread the sheet. Once the sheet was laid out, Hou Weidong placed the dagger within easy reach, and the two then embraced wildly.
Chapter 2
The Night of Madness (Part Two)
Over the past three years, apart from not having fully consummated their relationship, they had done everything else. After a period of mutual touching, the two lay panting on the bedsheet. Xiaojia said with some worry, “Will I get pregnant?” Hou Weidong proudly took a small box from his clothes nearby and said, “Xiaojia, look what this is?” Xiaojia took it, held it up to the moonlight, looked at it for a while, and said in surprise, “A condom.”
“Exactly. The ten-yuan kind I bought.” Ten yuan was a considerable sum for a student in 1993, so to highlight its price, Hou Weidong specifically mentioned it.
Speaking of this condom, there was a story. Two months ago, when their passion surged, they had discussed buying condoms. But when they entered a pharmacy, a young woman was standing there. Hou Weidong and Xiaojia immediately lost their courage to buy condoms. They visited several pharmacies in a row, checking the prices, but the other pharmacies were doing such good business that they didn’t dare to buy condoms under everyone’s gaze. They ended up buying two packs of band-aids and left empty-handed. They had even made fun of themselves many times over this matter.
Hou Weidong smoothly removed Xiaojia’s white panties, but he was stumped by the condom’s outer packaging. The packaging of the ten-yuan box was exceptionally good. Hou Weidong was like an ant on a hot pan, struggling with the packaging for a long time without being able to conquer the condom.
Xiaojia lay on the bedsheet, gazing up at the vast sky. She felt very calm about the upcoming experience of growing up. They had been in love for years, and reaching this point was a natural progression. Seeing Hou Weidong’s awkwardness, she took the condom and said, “Let me do it.” She felt along the four corners of the outer packaging, found the pre-cut opening, and with a gentle tear, took out the condom.
Hou Weidong didn’t take the condom and smiled. “I don’t know how to use it; you help me put it on.” Xiaojia reached out and twisted Hou Weidong’s arm. “If you don’t know how to use it, I certainly don’t either.”
“Don’t overthink it; just put it on, and it’ll work. Didn’t you watch the science popularization film at the college that day? You weren’t paying attention, were you?”
Xiaojia burst out laughing. “That day, you all said you weren’t paying attention, but actually, everyone was drooling.” As she spoke, Xiaojia, blushing and heart pounding, tried for a while, clumsily putting the condom on Hou Weidong.
Hou Weidong had always been physically strong. In the dormitory, he often boasted about women with Jiang Dali and Liu Kun. Although he talked a big game, the three of them were genuine virgins. Their real sexual knowledge mostly came from pornographic videos.
By the time the condom was on, he was already on the verge of climax. Xiaojia below him closed her eyes tight, presenting herself as if ready to be picked. This was a scene Hou Weidong had fantasized about countless times. But when the dream came true, he was surprised to find he didn’t know where to start. At the critical moment, Xiaojia relaxed. She opened her eyes, saw Hou Weidong looking foolish, and reached out to guide him forward.
Just as he was about to enter the harbor of happiness, Hou Weidong suddenly climaxed. Xiaojia was also ignorant about sex. Seeing Hou Weidong struggling for a while and then finishing before reaching the destination, she let out a long sigh, feeling slightly disappointed. She was a considerate girl and knew Hou Weidong had strong self-esteem, so she gently wrapped her arms around his solid back to comfort him.
Hou Weidong hadn’t expected his long-awaited first time to end like this. He was very depressed, roaring silently in his heart, “Is this the legendary premature ejaculation?”