Qi Yang ended up waiting all the way until the second year of high school.
It wasn’t that Mu Yicong couldn’t take it anymore and came looking for him. It was that in the second semester, their school divided into arts and science tracks.
Mu Yicong and Ren Wei chose science. Cui Wu chose arts. Qi Yang didn’t care which track he took. Qi Dahai, insisting that boys should choose science, filled out the form for him. Liu Dameng just followed Qi Yang and chose science.
The people he knew were scattered far and wide. Except for Liu Dameng, who was still stuck with Qi Yang in the same class, everyone else had their own new classmates and friends. That long, drawn-out bullying campaign against Mu Yicong was finally over.
Sometimes, when Qi Yang ran into Mu Yicong in the hallway or the school cafeteria, they had become complete strangers.
They would meet each other’s eyes, both expressionless, as if they didn’t know each other, and then look away.
Until the second year of high school, the only real intersection they had was on the school’s Honor and Shame board, and on Tieba, which was still popular back then.
Mu Yicong would get into the top three or win some other pointless award, his mugshot posted on the honor board; Qi Yang would be on the shame board for skipping class or fighting.
The posts on the affiliated high school’s Tieba that linked the two of them together were even more ridiculous.
Besides some idiot asking who the troublemakers at the school were, which always included Qi Yang’s name, the one he couldn’t stand the most was a post discussing the class and school heartthrobs.
“Wow, look, this person tied you and Mu Yicong for the top spot.”
Liu Dameng scrolled through his phone with a huge grin, reading word for word.
“‘Although the two are different styles—Mu is more aloof and refined, while Yang, though also cold, feels more roguish…’ Fuck, even ‘Yang,’ and ‘roguish.’ I’d rather say ‘asshole’!”
Qi Yang found it all boring. He left Liu Dameng behind and headed to the cafeteria.
“Wait for me, Roguish Yang!” Liu Dameng called after him, trying to gross him out. “Who is this Strawberry Crush Ice who posted this? She must have a crush on you. Hey, why doesn’t anyone write about Liu Dameng?”
Liu Dameng shamelessly registered an account and nominated himself. Qi Yang walked into the cafeteria and went straight to the second floor.
The affiliated high school cafeteria had two floors. The first floor was cheaper. The second floor was more expensive, where you could order food a la carte and get small dishes. It also had a designated staff area. There were way fewer students here than on the first floor. It was much quieter.
Liu Dameng yelled that he wanted black pepper beef, and went to find a seat. Qi Yang went to order a few stir-fry dishes.
Just as he ordered, Cui Wu came up with two other people and called out to him, “Yangzi!”
Even after the track division, Cui Wu still liked to hang out with Qi Yang. In his words, the students in his new class were all bookworms, no fun.
If they weren’t going to the internet cafe or skipping evening self-study in the afternoon, they’d still get together to eat.
Qi Yang turned around. Looking over Cui Wu’s shoulder, he saw Mu Yicong coming up the stairs.
Behind him was Ren Wei.
“This guy is here to freeload again.” Cui Wu’s gaze followed Qi Yang’s, his expression a bit disdainful.
“Who?” Qi Yang asked.
“Who else?” Cui Wu went to get a few drinks. “Didn’t they end up in the same class? Everyone in their class knows that Ren Wei follows Mu Yicong everywhere, eating and taking taxis, always taking advantage of him.”
Mu Yicong’s gaze turned just then and met Qi Yang’s.
Qi Yang didn’t hold his gaze. He turned his face away, waved at Liu Dameng, and gestured for him to come get the food.
Liu Dameng was still scrolling through the posts. He hopped over and hung himself on Cui Wu’s shoulder, holding up his phone to share.
Although there were fewer students on the second floor, with the amount of traffic, it was still easy to bump into people.
As Liu Dameng hooked his arm around Cui Wu’s neck and stepped back, he bumped right into someone. That someone grabbed him by the back of his collar.
“Are you Liu Dameng?” the bumped man asked, sizing him up. He wasn’t wearing a school uniform and had bleached hair. He obviously wasn’t a student of the affiliated high school. He had a raised eyebrow as he looked Liu Dameng over.
Behind him, three or four other ruffians, equally scruffy, followed.
“Who the hell are you?” Liu Dameng shoved him off with his elbow, straightening his clothes.
His phone fell to the ground. The bleached-hair guy stepped on it, grinding it under his shoe, then kicked it aside.
The bleached-hair guy’s commotion was too loud. Half the people on the second floor turned with their trays to look at them.
Cui Wu cursed “fuck” and was about to step in. Qi Yang pressed him down, his eyes fixed on the bleached-hair guy.
The bleached-hair guy spat out a name Qi Yang had never heard before, claiming to be his brother, and asked Liu Dameng if he had gone looking for trouble last Saturday.
Liu Dameng’s face lit up in understanding. He let out an “Ah,” his aggression even more intense than the bleached-hair guy’s. “So you’re his brother. Go find Lai Jiahao. What are you coming after your grandpa for?”
“You fucker! I AM coming after you!” The bleached-hair guy slapped Liu Dameng across the head.
The moment he made his move, Qi Yang let go of Cui Wu and kicked the bleached-hair guy. The guy wasn’t expecting it and staggered back several steps, knocking over some students’ trays.
Gasps and shouts erupted around them. Cui Wu charged forward like a tank. The two sides clashed in a chaotic mess, hot soup and rice spilled all over the floor.
A few teachers ran over, yelling “What’s going on?” Others were contacting the school security office.
A few students who knew Qi Yang immediately rushed in to help. Qi Yang only targeted the bleached-hair ringleader, kicking him to the ground. Seeing the security guards charging up the stairs, he shouted to Liu Dameng, “That’s enough.”
Liu Dameng had been slapped across the face and was in a red haze now.
He grabbed a freshly cooked bowl of rice noodles from the counter and was about to smash it over the bleached-hair guy’s head. Qi Yang kicked him, and the big ceramic bowl smashed to pieces with a loud crack.
“Bastard! See if you can get out of the affiliated high school gate today!” Liu Dameng was still pointing at the bleached-hair guy and provoking him, even as Qi Yang pulled him back.
The gangsters from outside the school didn’t know their own strength. Someone grabbed a chair and swung it.
Liu Dameng dodged, but the chair, accompanied by nearby screams, flew straight towards the crowd.
Qi Yang saw Mu Yicong’s annoying face. He didn’t even think—his legs moved before his brain did. He raised his arm to slightly shield his head and took the chair head-on.
The stainless steel chair leg smashed into his forearm, the pain making him grit his teeth. He turned around, grabbed the guy who threw the chair, and kicked him viciously in the gut.
By the time they were pulled apart by teachers and security, Liu Dameng was still hopping and trying to land punches on the bleached-hair guy, cursing out his mother.
“Alright, stop watching! Those eating, go to the first floor!” Several teachers were pulling people, and others were dispersing the crowd.
The bleached-hair guys were taken to the security office. Old Wu, who was still Qi Yang’s homeroom teacher, rushed over. Seeing the students being held back, his face turned as black as a pot.
Someone in the crowd of onlookers screamed in fright, “There’s blood!” The teachers hurriedly checked the students for injuries. Old Wu grabbed Qi Yang’s arm.
Qi Yang’s forearm had a gash nearly ten centimeters long. He hadn’t felt it before, but now he saw that his school uniform sleeve was soaked through with blood, dripping down his wrist in big drops.
“Is the bone okay?” Old Wu asked.
“No.” Qi Yang flexed his wrist and pulled his arm back from Old Wu’s grip.
“Hospital first.” Old Wu said, turning to point at Liu Dameng and Cui Wu. “All of you, follow me.”
Except for a swollen face, Liu Dameng was mostly fine. Cui Wu had a few blisters from the hot soup on his right hand. Aside from Qi Yang, who needed stitches, the others basically had minor scrapes.
After they were treated at the hospital, they were taken straight to the police station responsible for the affiliated high school’s jurisdiction.
—The school had chosen to report the campus fight to the police.
It wasn’t a complicated matter. According to Liu Dameng’s account, Lai Jiahao from No. 1 High School had contacted him last Saturday for help in a fight. The person they fought was the adopted younger brother of the bleached-hair guy, so he came to the school for revenge.
The police dealt with student fights often. But this time, it involved two schools and social loafers, damaged school property, and caused injury to students. It sounded quite serious.
From school leaders to the parents who were frantically arriving, plus the bleached-hair guys crouching on the floor, the whole police station lobby was buzzing with noise, as lively as a bus station.
But the parents who were called in knew their own kids’ reputations. They each scolded their own children first, instead of making a big scene demanding the school take responsibility.
After Liu Dameng finished giving his statement and came down, he first apologized to Qi Yang. “Sorry about that, Yangzi. I’ll give you the money for the stitches in a couple of days.”
“Why didn’t you tell me Lai Jiahao called you out for a fight?” Qi Yang asked him.
“I didn’t think it was a big deal,” Liu Dameng said, looking exasperated. “It really wasn’t a big deal. What’s there to fight about with kids from No. 1? Fucking idiots. We just exchanged a few insults. Who knew that bitch would find some brother to come after me…”
Before he could finish, a heavy kick landed on Qi Yang’s back, sending him stumbling forward several meters. He nearly cracked his forehead on the corner of the wall.
Qi Yang turned around with cold eyes, meeting his gaze with Qi Dahai’s face, which was even more vicious than his own.
“You can’t give your fucking dad a moment’s peace, can you?” Qi Dahai yelled. He raised his foot to kick again.
Several teachers rushed to stop him, telling him to calm down, not to hit the kid. Liu Dameng pulled Qi Yang aside, whispering in a stunned voice, “So you got your love of fighting with your feet from your dad, huh?”
This was the first time Qi Dahai had truly disciplined Qi Yang, and also the first time in Qi Yang’s life that he had been genuinely beaten by this dad of his.
He saw an irritability and anger in Qi Dahai’s face that he had never seen before, but he vaguely felt it wasn’t because of him. Qi Dahai was just venting his anger by kicking him.
The police officer stood up to stop him. Qi Dahai shoved Old Wu, who was blocking him, aside, went over, and said a few words to the officer.
The young officer looked at Qi Dahai, then at Qi Yang, and led Qi Dahai to an inner room.
Qi Yang saw Qi Dahai shake hands with a man who looked like the station chief. After he came out, he went directly to the principal.
Throughout this whole process, Qi Dahai’s phone kept ringing. It never stopped.
Answering the call, he said to the principal, “Handle it however you see fit. If Qi Yang needs a demerit or suspension, we’ll go along with the school’s decision. We’ll pay for whatever was damaged. I’ve got some urgent business. I’m leaving this brat in your hands.”
Qi Dahai came in a flurry, kicked Qi Yang in a flurry, and left in a flurry.
Before he left, he pointed at Qi Yang and cursed him again. “Go home and let your mom deal with you! Tell her I won’t be home for dinner.”
Qi Yang never knew exactly how this whole mess was resolved.
Because he was directly suspended for half a month, and during the suspension, he had to write a 3,000-word self-criticism.
The only thing he knew was that Liu Dameng got hit worse than him: one-month suspension plus a demerit. Cui Wu and the others were okay, just getting a school-wide disciplinary warning.
Zou Meizhu didn’t “deal with him” the way Qi Dahai had said. When she saw the stitches on his arm, all she could do was scream.
Hearing that Qi Dahai had kicked him at the police station, she was heartbroken. She called Qi Dahai directly and gave him a piece of her mind.
Qi Yang couldn’t be bothered to listen to her yelling. The painkillers for his arm were starting to wear off. He closed the door and went to his room to sleep.
He had just taken off his blood-soaked clothes when his phone vibrated on the bed.
Qi Yang glanced over lazily. A text message was on the screen. The sender was actually “Son.”
Mu Yicong: I’m outside the complex.
A few seconds later, another new message followed: Come out.
A few seconds after that, another one: Come out for a bit.
