“Let’s wait until Huzi and the others finish this lap before we go out.”
“Hu Zi and the others have passed by. Lao Gu didn’t look for us. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go over there.”
Yang Feiwen peeked out to spy on Lao Gu, while reaching out to Yu Sui with his other hand, but couldn’t seem to touch him.
“Sui’er?” Yang Feiwen turned around.
The person who was standing there had long disappeared, leaving only a cool breeze.
“???”
Yu Sui followed Yan Xiu silently. As the path became more and more remote, he began to suspect this classmate wanted to trick him into a deserted place and beat him up.
In fact, he wanted to sneak away as soon as he saw Yan Xiu walking up to Lao Gu. Who knew that before he could slip away, Yan Xiu appeared beside him without anyone noticing and took him away.
His wrist was held by Yan Xiu, who seemed to have forgotten to let go after pulling him out.
Young Master Yu was half-dragged, half-walking in this position, having secretly glanced at Yan Xiu’s legs several times out of the corner of his eye.
Why are you walking so fast? That’s not how you use your long legs.
It felt strange to have his wrist shackled in someone else’s hand. Yu Sui spent the time thinking about how to withdraw his hand without making it awkward.
Later, when he finally tried to pull his hand back naturally by scratching his head, Yan Xiu stopped in front of a door and released Yu Sui’s hand.
Yu Sui calmly put his hands in his pockets and glanced at the nameplate before entering.
[Disciplinary Inspection Office]
“……”
The expert rule-breaker was a little panicked at this moment.
“You just dragged me here like that, what about Lao Gu?” Yu Sui asked behind him.
There was no one in the office. Yan Xiu turned on the light and motioned him to sit on the sofa.
The office of the disciplinary committee had a conference table that could accommodate twenty people. Next to the conference table was a bookshelf built into the wall, and there was also a small reception room with a sofa, a coffee table, and tea sets.
This condition was better than the treatment that Lao Gu had in the office, so some which was why people at No. 26 High School often accused the disciplinary department of being corrupt.
After Yu Sui finished speaking, he noticed a subtle expression on Yan Xiu’s handsome face with a sharp temperament. The tip of his eyebrows was slightly raised—it was a somewhat playful arc.
“He’s so confident in you that there’s a 98% chance he’ll automatically come up with an excuse for you.”
Yu Sui: “…”
The young master touched his nose awkwardly and threw himself into the sofa.
Yan Xiu sat down across from him and took out a square object from the bag he had been carrying. He then placed it on the coffee table before pushing it in front of Yu Sui.
It was a lunch box. Judging from the steam on the surface of the lid, the food inside should still be hot.
Yu Sui was stunned: “What’s this for?”
Yan Xiu was straightforward: “Here’s some food for you. There’s a cabinet on your right with disposable utensils inside.”
Yu Sui: “…”
He couldn’t help but glance several times at Minister Yan’s dashing face, suddenly feeling a tragic sense of solemnity, as if facing a dire situation.
Maybe Yan Xiu himself didn’t realize it himself, but as a simple, ordinary, and an average student who occasionally broke some rules, Yu Sui felt utterly terrified at that moment.
Yan Xiu’s calm tone was like he was giving a death row inmate his last supper, telling him in a dignified, cold, yet pitying tone, “Eat, fill your stomach before you go.”
The hairs on his neck stood up. Yu Sui pursed his lips and said obediently: “We’re so familiar with each other, just say what you want to say directly.”
This wasn’t the first time Yan Xiu had heard someone say “He and Yu Sui are very close with each other”, but it was the first time he had heard the person involved use “we”.
Yan Xiu lowered his eyes and looked at him for a while, then pulled the lunch box over. Tapping the table lightly with his fingers, he opened his palm: “Chopsticks.”
Yu Sui fumbled to the cabinet where disposable utensils were kept, somewhat bewildered as he took out a pair of chopsticks and handed them over.
Yu Sui recognized at a glance that it was food from the school canteen, especially from the teachers’ canteen. The food in the teachers’ canteen had more choices and richer flavors than those in the student canteen.
When he first entered school, the boundaries between the two canteens were not clear, and Yu Sui went inside a few times with a few teachers just by showing his face.
He stared blankly as Yan Xiu mixed the rice in front of him, as if he just remembered that he didn’t have a proper dinner, and quietly turned his gaze away.
After mixing, Yan Xiu put his chopsticks on the lunch box and pushed it to the other side: “Eat.”
Although Yan Xiu did not promise anything in front of Uncle Yu, just like Tang Ying said, it would have been fine if he hadn’t met him, but now that Yu Sui was in front of him, he didn’t mind taking care of him, just like he usually did with his younger cousins.
Yan Xiu didn’t expect that Lao Gu would take him out to run as punishment, which delayed dinner.
“…” Yu Sui glanced at the lunch box and whispered. “But I’ve already eaten.”
“…”
The two looked at each other silently and thought of the takeout order at the same time.
It was originally worth only twenty yuan, but after the disciplinary committee arrived, it was now worth two class points. Every week, six classes were selected for the Red Banner Award every week. Throughout the past year, these six classes were usually tied for first or second place, only losing two or three points over an entire month. So, those two takeout points were incredibly expensive.
Yan Xiu’s thin lips parted, and said perfunctorily: “That’s a snack, not a full meal.”
He paused for a moment and then said, “You don’t want it?”
The minister’s attitude wasn’t great, but he did what he could to coax Yu Sui to eat. Yu Sui stared at the lunch box and thought for two seconds, before reaching out and taking it.
While Yu Sui ate, Yan Xiu picked up a book and read it.
The young master ate in a proper and slow manner. Finally, he took a tissue to wipe his mouth and asked, “How much?”
Yan Xiu glanced at the lunch box on the table.
There was still some food left inside; it seems the takeaway really took up some space in the young master’s stomach.
“I’ll transfer the money to you.” Yu Sui took out his phone and muttered, “WeChat, right? Are you in the class group? I’ll add you…”
Yan Xiu didn’t react to the first half of the sentence, as if he was thinking about whether it was necessary for Yu Sui to pay him back. After hearing this, his fingers twitched slightly.
“No need.”
Yu Sui suddenly stopped swiping his phone.
Under the fluorescent light, he had long eyelashes—his emotions were hidden in heavy shadows when he wasn’t looking at anyone.
Yu Sui put down the phone as if nothing had happened and smiled meaninglessly: “Oh, thank you.”
“By the way, you still haven’t told me why you came to find me.” Yu Sui asked politely. “Is it because of Mai Dayong?”
After all, Mai Dayong had claimed that Yu Sui had a fight with him.
Yan Xiu didn’t remember Yu Sui fighting, which was evident from Lao Gu’s attitude.
Yu Sui has an innocent look, probably because he always has a smile on his face. Boys who were pretty, well-behaved, and polite were always likable.
But Yan Xiu’s eye twitched, and he keenly sensed that the young master was unhappy again.
He wiped his forehead, then picked up the kettle with his thumb, and poured two glasses of water: “Did you hit him on the face?”
“…Yeah.” Yu Sui lowered his eyes, feeling like a suspect in an interrogation room.
Lost in his own dramatic thoughts, a shadow suddenly fell over him. Yu Sui instinctively leaned back, his head hitting the sofa, and his forehead was flicked by someone’s finger.
“Mai Dayong always moves around with his gang in school. How dare you get into such trouble?” Yan Xiu’s inquiring eyes swept Yu Sui from head to toe.
Yu Sui twitched his lips and said desperately, “Maybe it’s because I’m also a troublemaker?”
Flicking someone’s forehead was a strange and intimate gesture. After Yu Sui finished speaking, he stiffened his neck and quietly moved away from Yan Xiu.
“Minister, do you know that there is a bully in our school?” Yu Sui said.
Every school had one or two terrifying names. High school students were in phase mixed with rebellious and immature thoughts. Every year, there are one or two prominent figures. The former school bully of No. 26 High School was Wang Ze, who was a grade higher than them.
Mai Dayong and Shen Ji, among others, followed Wang Ze and took advantage of his power. Until Wang Ze met the school bully, Yu Kan, and was defeated miserably. That incident caused a big fuss, and Wang Ze dropped out of school.
The young master sat upright and said helplessly that before the class was divided, Yu Kan was his classmate, and Mai Dayong could just make a fuss in private but didn’t dare go too far for fear of attracting Yu Kan’s attention.
“But I was the one who threw that punch.” Yu Sui rubbed his forehead unconsciously. “Are you going to write my name too?”
Yan Xiu answered irrelevantly: “It is wrong to hit people.”
“I know, I was wrong.” Yu Sui said this meekly and asked, “A-Wen said that the school has been cracking down on fighting lately…”
Yu Sui stopped talking when the bell for evening study rang.
The evening break,delayed by the penalty run and meals, passed quickly.
Yan Xiu and Yu Sui left the office one after another, talking and answering each other like ordinary classmates, so they didn’t fall into an awkward situation.
It was a hot day, and the contrast between leaving the air-conditioned room and walking down the hallway was obvious.
While speaking, Yu Sui happened to glance sideways and caught a glimpse of Yan Xiu’s profile. He suddenly felt that there should be a drop of sweat there, but when he turned his head away, he saw nothing.
“They’re not catching a fight.” Yan Xiu noticed that Yu Sui stopped, so he also stopped to wait for him. “Fighting refers to a struggle where both sides are evenly matched.”
“……” Yu Sui blinked lightly, suddenly realizing something.
Yan Xiu: “The patrolling leader passed by the English Corner that day and saw more than seven students gathered in a scuffle. Then, someone noticed the leader and ran away in two groups.”
“There’s someone running along down there.”
“That’s not a fight. It was a one-sided beating.”
The nature of school bullying was much more serious.
Yu Sui listened to Yan Xiu’s cold tone while tilting his head to look at the men’s restroom downstairs where the light was on.
When he first met Yan Xiu, he felt that this man only had a handsome face but was difficult to get along with. Later, facts proved that Yan Xiu was indeed difficult to get along with. Perhaps he had been reserved for too long and never figured out how to communicate with others—he couldn’t tell a story well, nor could he hold a conversation.
Yan Xiu leaned on the railing and looked downstairs with him.
“Minister, there is someone in there,” said Yu Sui.
Yan Xiu glanced at him.
“It’s time for class now.” Young Master Yu’s slender, pale finger pointed downwards. The longevity lock on the red rope pressed against his wrist, making his skin look even colder and paler.
“The toilet switch is inside, and everyone can touch it when they enter. The cleaning lady usually only turns on the two lights outside, and only turns on the lights inside just before the class ends.”
“It’s so bright in there now… wait.” Yu Sui wanted to say that there might still be a group skipping classes, but before he could finish anything, his sharp eyesight caught sight of a schoolbag close to the men’s restroom door.
Yu Sui gripped the railing and leaned as far as he could to get a clearer look at the schoolbag. His arm was suddenly yanked back, and Yan Xiu pulled him off. This time, he lost control of his temper: “If you want to die, don’t die in front of me.”
“Who wants to die?” Young Master Yu Sui also got angry and slapped Yan Xiu on the arm, “Get down, get down quickly!”
That backpack was a popular item two years ago, and imitations of that backpack were everywhere in the streets and alleys. So, it didn’t take long for this backpack to be abandoned by everyone, and few people were using it anymore.
Yu Sui could only think of one person who used this model in No. 26 High School—someone who occasionally was stopped outside the dormitory, would hold his schoolbag while reading silently, waiting for his roommate’s malicious interest to fade away.
Yu Sui was so anxious that he left Yan Xiu and ran away.
The incident caused a big stir that day. It was said that the minister was taking a walk with his new desk mate Yu Sui at night. They passed by the men’s restroom on the lower floor and caught a whole group of people inside.
“The entire class 6 was called out. What happened?”
“What do you mean the whole class? They only called a few people!”
“Who?”
“Shen Ji’s parents are here—did you see? The one who sways her waist the most when walking is Shen Ji’s mom? I heard she’s something else.”
“But why were Yan Xiu and Yu Sui taking a walk? A stroll during evening self-study? Why weren’t they in class?”
“Damn, Lao Gu was also called over!”
Yang Feiwen rushed out from the overwhelming gossip and tried his best to run to the front. Unfortunately, halfway there, he was caught by the Director of the Moral Education Department and the Class 3’s Mathematics teacher who arrived late.
“Why are you butting in?” The Math Teacher of Class 3 said coldly. “Go back to self-study! Stop spreading rumors all day long! Learn from the good students in your class!”
Yang Feiwen raised his chin and pointed inside the office: “Brother Cheng, please let me go! Aren’t the good students in our class there?”
“Go! Go where?” the math teacher said, “I’m telling you to study!”
The representative of Class 3 returned dejectedly. Class monitor Yi Tian looked over nervously: “How is it?”
“I can’t get in.” Yang Feiwen sighed. “But it doesn’t look good. Too many parents showed up on the other side, spitting saliva all the time. They are scarier than the aunties in the wet market.”
Everyone in Class 3 sighed gloomily.
That day, Yan Xiu and Yu Sui cornered eight people in the men’s restroom: Mai Dayong, Shen Ji, and six other boys, plus Fu Xiang crouching in the corner.
Fu Xiang was sitting on the floor of the cubicle. He usually studied hard and read a lot, so he wore glasses early on. At that time, his glasses were shattered into two pieces outside the cubicle and were picked up and played with by one of the boys.
Perhaps it was because Yan Xiu didn’t have the armband with him at the time, so the group of people didn’t react.
It was an obvious case of school bullying. Yu Sui rushed in to help Fu Xiang, only for Fu Xiang to dodge away.
Except for Fu Xiang, this group of people had just met Yan Xiu not long ago. They never expected to meet him again in just a few hours. Old grudges mixed with new, making them so furious they could practically taste blood.
“We’re just skipping class.” Shinji scratched his head and said with a smile. “Minister, why are you so serious? We are all skipping class here. It would be boring if you had to be so stern.”
Shen Ji pointed at Yu Sui and said, “Otherwise, how do you explain why Yu Sui is wandering around outside with you at this time?”
“Skipping class?” Yu Sui forcefully pulled Fu Xiang. “You call this skipping class? Fu Xiang! Get up!”
Fu Xiang didn’t respond, trembling as he dodged again.
“So what if we’re skipping class?” Mai Dayong said viciously. “Fu Xiang is skipping class with us, just hanging out. If you don’t believe me, ask him yourself!”
The argument didn’t last long because the cleaning lady was attracted by the noise, immediately reported it to the teachers.
This incident had serious consequences, so the school administration came forward to investigate the case. Yu Sui and Yan Xiu, as the parties who discovered the incident, were present, and Mai Dayong’s parents were called in.
Mai Dayong’s parents seemed busy with work and were very impatient when they came. On the contrary, Shen Ji’s mother glanced at Shen Ji who was standing stiffly beside the desk, and pulled him over: “Who said my son is bullying someone? Look at him! I’d be burning incense in gratitude if he wasn’t the one getting bullied!“
“My son was a loner when he was young. I put so much effort into helping him open up a little. How could he possibly do something like bullying others?”
Among this group of parents, some had some idea of their children’s true nature. But regardless, if the bullying accusation was confirmed, their kids would most likely be expelled. So they started shouting too.
“Where’s the evidence? Why are you slandering my son without any proof? He’s just a bit mischievous, joking around with his classmates!” Shen Ji’s mother even walked up to Fu Xiang. “Young man, how’s your relationship with our Shen Ji? Tell the teacher the truth!”
“Don’t touch him.” Yu Sui gently pulled Fu Xiang over.
“So you’re the one who misunderstood my son,” Shen Ji’s mother said, smiling at Yu Sui.
Lao Gu blocked all people and waited for Fu Xiang’s class teacher to come over and coax Fu Xiang.
“What’s going on, kid? Tell us the truth. No one can do anything to you.”
Fu Xiang didn’t say a word the whole time, just held on to his schoolbag as people pull him away. Even now, no one had come from his home yet.
“Don’t go over there.” Yan Xiu held Yu Sui back. “He’ll speak if he wants to.”
“What do you know?” Yu Sui pulled his hand back. He held back his anger and whispered. “I hate people like you the most—the kind who seem rational but are actually self-righteous, always keeping your hands in your pockets acting like it’s none of your business, just moving your lips to boss people around.”
