CHAPTER 2
Right now, the people passing by were all students. They did not dare stop for fear of getting dragged in, yet they could not resist sneaking a look.
The ones who had guessed on the harder questions automatically ran Yu Fan’s line through their heads like a reading-comprehension exercise and arrived at roughly this meaning: “Try staring one more time and see if I don’t pop your eyeballs out.”
The two girls stuck in the middle glanced at each other and decided to bolt.
Before they could, the boy behind them moved first.
He lifted a hand, hooked his thumb under the strap of his backpack, and to everyone’s shock and alarm walked calmly toward Yu Fan.
Yu Fan watched him without much expression. When he saw the boy coming over, he slowly stood up.
“School is out, why aren’t you going home. What are you all standing around for?”
A loud, commanding voice cut across the scene.
Yu Fan’s eyelid twitched. He tilted his head and glanced past the boy. He did not see the person yet, but he saw a shiny bald patch.
The mood that had just tightened in him evaporated. He slouched back down into his seat.
The other boy clearly recognized the voice too and stopped walking.
A slightly short, stocky middle-aged man came from the school gate with a dark blue briefcase in hand. He glared as he walked, and in an instant the crowd scattered.
It was the school’s director of student affairs. When he saw who was causing the commotion, his brows shot up. “Yu Fan? You again. School has not even started today. What are you doing here?”
Yu Fan first looked back at the milk-tea shop, then at him. “Does the school own this place?”
The director was struck speechless for two seconds. Then, catching sight of Yu Fan’s face, he widened his eyes again. “And what happened to your face? Got into another fight, didn’t you?”
“I fell.”
“Don’t try to fool me. Where would you have to fall to get like that.”
Yu Fan thought it over. “Not far. Want me to take you to see?”
The director drew a deep breath.
After a long break and a nice New Year, he had almost forgotten what it felt like when Yu Fan made his chest ache with anger.
“Just you wait. School starts tomorrow and I am talking to your homeroom teacher.”
He finished wagging his finger at Yu Fan, then turned to look at the other student standing nearby.
For a split second, Yu Fan thought he was watching a Sichuan opera face-change.
“Jingshen, heading home?” The director smiled warmly.
Yu Fan watched the irritatingly good-looking boy finally take his eyes off him. The boy lowered his gaze and answered without much tone. “Yes.”
The director patted his shoulder. “Hold on. I need you for something. Come back into school with me for a bit.”
Then the director looked at Yu Fan again and his brows knotted up. “And you. Go home if you have nothing to do. Stop wandering around like some hooligan.”
Yu Fan lifted his hand and gave a perfunctory wave, as if to say goodbye.
The students nearby were speechless.
Did he think there was any part of him right now that did not look like a hooligan.
As they watched the director leave, Yu Fan was about to turn his head when the student walking beside the director suddenly looked back.
Yu Fan raised a brow. The hand he had been lowering came up again and he openly sent the boy an international gesture.
This was the scene Wang Lu’an returned to.
Panting, he set the takeout box on the table and blurted, “Why did Fat Tiger come out. He wasn’t here to nab you, was he? What did you two say?”
The director’s name was Hu Pang. In private, Wang Lu’an called him Fat Tiger.
“Just said hello,” Yu Fan said with a glance at him. “Why were you running? You forgot to pay?”
Wang Lu’an let out a breath and sat down. “From across the street it looked like you were about to throw down, so I ran faster. Hey, who ticked you off. There was a tree in the way, I didn’t see…”
As he spoke he looked toward the school gate, catching only a fleeting silhouette.
He blinked and blurted, “Chen Jingshen.”
Yu Fan said, “You know him.”
“Isn’t he the one from Class One…” Wang Lu’an paused. “You don’t know him.”
Yu Fan’s look said, Are you dumb? Wang Lu’an remembered that his buddy had been in the same class for three terms and probably still had not memorized all the names of his own classmates.
But still.
“Do you remember you read out self-criticisms six times in front of the whole school last semester?”
Yu Fan was quiet for a moment. “No.”
“Think harder,” Wang Lu’an said. “Every time you finished, it was his turn to go up and accept an award and give a speech.”
Where did he get that many awards.
“And on the grade ranking sheet, his name is always first. Not that you would know. You never look at that thing.”
Oh. A model student.
Yu Fan understood. No wonder he looked so annoying.
Starving, Wang Lu’an shoveled a few mouthfuls of barbecue into his mouth, then remembered to ask, “So what did Chen Jingshen do to piss you off?”
“Nothing,” Yu Fan said, eyes on his phone. “Can you eat quietly?”
“It is too spicy. I have to breathe.”
He glanced at Yu Fan and then startled, grabbing his sleeve. “What the hell, what happened to your hand? When did you get cut? I didn’t see that just now.”
Yu Fan did not look up. “Careless.”
Wang Lu’an stared at the long slice and was stunned. “How can that be careless? It is a long cut. Does it not hurt?!”
“Here. Give me your hand, I will blow on it for you.” Wang Lu’an leaned in and blew twice over the back of Yu Fan’s hand.
Yu Fan pushed his head away. “Don’t be gross.”
He really did not feel pain. The cut was long, but shallow. Maybe he had not gotten his fill in the fight. When the blade split his skin, there had even been a faint, fine thrill.
Weird. Yu Fan stared at the cut for a few seconds, then came back to himself and looked at his phone. The super-long snake he was controlling had just crashed into the edge of the screen. Game over.
Bored, he closed the game and stood up. “I’m heading back.”
“This early?” Wang Lu’an said, “There is no one at your place. Going back is boring. Come to my place. I just bought a few new game cartridges.”
“No.” Yu Fan refused without hesitation. He had just brawled. His clothes were filthy and there was still a tang of blood in his nose. He rubbed his nose lightly. “I’m off.”
Early February in Nancheng was fickle. It had been sunny that afternoon. Now a fine rain had settled in.
Yu Fan pulled up his hood, shoved both hands in his pockets, and wound his way through a few turns to an old street.
The shops were shabby, the buildings low. A secondhand phone store was blasting some unfortunate remix.
Yu Fan turned into the old residential compound at the curb and saw a small moving truck blocking the stairwell. A few movers were hauling furniture upstairs. Two middle-aged women stood by the truck chatting.
He glanced at the blocked doorway and stepped aside to wait for them to finish moving.
The two women by the truck had not noticed him and kept chatting happily.
“If you need anything, just come upstairs and find me. The surroundings are a bit rough, but the neighbors are warm. Everyone lives close. If something small comes up, people will help.”
“Thank you, jie. I made some dumplings. Once I tidy up, I will take some to everyone door to door.”
“No need to be so polite. Oh, but don’t go to 201.”
“Huh. Why not?”
“It is nothing.” The woman hesitated, then lowered her voice. “A father and son live there. Neither one is any good. The man’s wife ran off. All he does is drink and gamble. He comes back once every few days. The boy is a no-good delinquent who is always causing trouble. Years ago those two fought at home all the time. The noise scared me so much I did not dare step outside all day.”
“Mom!”
A small voice piped up from the compound’s rusty iron gate.
Bundled up like a little ball, a girl skipped over with a lollipop she had just bought. Her gear was too bulky, and after a few skips she was moving out of sync. A few steps later her front foot caught her back foot and she pitched forward.
Yu Fan moved fast, bending to hook a finger through the little hood on her coat.
The girl was caught steady. She hung there, tipped forward, still clutching her candy, her face blank and adorable.
The woman’s heart almost leapt out of her chest. She rushed over to check. She squatted and pulled her daughter into her arms. Once she saw the child was fine, she looked up gratefully. “Thank you…”
The person had already turned and gone upstairs. All she saw was a tall, thin back.
The social delinquent went home, tossed the bread he had bought on the way onto the table, and took a shower.
When he came out, his phone was buzzing non-stop. With no one else at home, Yu Fan walked over, picked up the phone, and checked while toweling his hair.
[Wang Lu’an: You copying the winter homework or not. Want me to send it?]
[Wang Lu’an: Maybe write a few lines just to get by, otherwise tomorrow you will be stuck in front of the class bulletin board again. What is the point?]
[Wang Lu’an: Where are you?]
[Wang Lu’an: Shit, I just saw a message in the school group. The education bureau is cracking down. The school’s elite class is being shut down. Those top students are getting scattered into the regular classes.]
[Wang Lu’an: Wonder if our class will get any new students.]
[Wang Lu’an: Also, opening ceremony at 8 tomorrow. Meet in the classroom at 7:40. Do not be late.]
[Wang Lu’an: ???]
Yu Fan bit into the bread and typed slowly.
[-: Send it.]
[Wang Lu’an: Huh.]
[Wang Lu’an: You finally replied. I thought you got cornered again.]
[-: The homework.]
The other side blasted over a dozen documents.
[-: That many.]
[Wang Lu’an: Just copy Fang Qin’s subject. The other teachers do not care about you anyway.]
[Wang Lu’an: Did you see what I said. We are getting a new classmate.]
Yu Fan rummaged for a long time before he dug up a pen that worked.
[-: Saw it. Not interested.]
At eight the next morning, Yu Fan stood before the shut school gate, listening to the march of the athletes playing inside.
He checked his phone.
[Wang Lu’an: Bro, the entire school is on the field. The principal is here. Where are you.]
[-: Overslept.]
[Wang Lu’an: What now. The gate is closed. You cannot climb the wall during the flag-raising, right.]
Going in now would be no different than skipping the ceremony.
Yu Fan did not think twice and replied, “Ping me when the flag-raising is over.”
He shoved the phone into his pocket and planned to kill some time and slip in once everyone dispersed. When he lifted his head, his eyes met someone’s on the other side of the iron gate.
Hu Pang had his hands clasped behind his back. “Where are you going.”
What rotten luck today.
Yu Fan was silent for two seconds. “Flag-raising.”
Hu Pang nodded and opened the small side door in the gate. “Go in.”
Yu Fan said nothing.
As if afraid he would run, Hu Pang escorted him along the back of the crowd toward the Grade Two lines.
The entire school was already queued up on the field. Students in the back rows could not help sneaking glances as he passed.
Yu Fan ignored the attention and sauntered ahead of Hu Pang.
“Sour face first thing in the morning,” Hu Pang said. “What, did I interrupt your skipping school?”
“No,” Yu Fan said, expression flat with sleep. “I will make sure to smile more during the flag-raising.”
Hu Pang had nothing to say to that. He pointed a few steps ahead. “Your class is right there. Go stand in place. I will let your homeroom teacher know about the lateness later.”
“Remember the line is ordered by height. Find your spot. The photography club is taking pictures.”
He threw that over his shoulder and left. Yu Fan walked to the end of the line he had indicated, took his place, and yawned into his collar.
The new family upstairs had dragged furniture around until three in the morning.
He did not sleep well in that apartment. The slightest sound woke him, and he ended up pulling an all-nighter along with them.
He was just about to sleep on his feet when the speakers on the stage let out a sharp clang. A microphone had hit the ground.
The noise stung Yu Fan’s ears. Irritated, he lifted his head to see which school leader could not even hold a microphone.
He found himself looking at the back of a head.
For a second, Yu Fan was blank.
The school had a tradition of lining up by height. Yu Fan was the tallest in his class, so he always stood at the very end. In front of him was always Wang Lu’an.
Yu Fan studied the back in front of him.
Broad shoulders. A clean, close-cut head of hair. A white jacket so bright it looked new. The scent of laundry soap.
By comparison, Wang Lu’an’s yellowed, old jacket with “South City No. 7, I’m the Boldest” scrawled across the back looked like it had been rescued from a trash bin.
So who was this.
The next second, as if he had heard Yu Fan’s question, the boy turned around.
Yu Fan was so tired his brain lagged. He and that expressionless gaze stared at each other for a long moment before it registered. He knew that punchable face.
It was the guy who had tried to pick a fight yesterday.
Chen something Shen, what was it.
Yu Fan had not remembered yet when the other boy moved first.
Chen whatever Shen shifted to the side, leaving a gap between them.
Yu Fan had been about to ask if he had lined up in the wrong class. Seeing this, he shoved one hand into his pocket and said coolly, “Looking for trouble, are you.”
“Shorter ones stand in front.”
With that one line, Yu Fan had nothing to say.
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