1Yue Sheng, I have told you before. It is the weariness of a tired bird returning to the forest.
“Don’t touch me. Let me sleep a bit longer,” grumbled the young boy who, just a second ago, was still immersed in his dreams, sounding impatient.
He was patted again.
He covered his face with his fingers and rubbed it several times before reluctantly lifting his head.
There was a slight mark from the edge of the table next to the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye. His ink-black hair, extending beyond his eyebrows, looked somewhat disheveled from leaning on the table for too long, indicating how difficult it was for him to wake up.
As his slender fingers moved away, a beam of sunlight fell perfectly on his face. His eyes narrowed, and his gaze became tender and moist.
“It’s been ten minutes since class started,” Yu Yuesheng raised his thin eyelids and examined him, speaking in a cold tone. “What’s your name?”
“Me?”
“…,” Yu Yuesheng remained silent, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Qi juan put his hands in the pockets of his oversized school uniform. Amidst the sound of chairs and tables being dragged, he stood up and stated his name.
Because of his slim figure, his face appeared rather small. The zipper of his uniform was pulled all the way up, almost reaching his slightly pointed chin.
After standing up, he was half a head taller than Yu Yuesheng, and the zipper pull gleamed brightly under the sunlight.
“Is it ‘Juan’ from ‘fatigue’?” Yu Yuesheng asked.
Qi Juan’s face turned pale. He raised his hand and rubbed his sore neck, saying, “Yes. As long as the Laoshi finds it easy to remember.”
Yue sheng, I’ve told you before,
It’s the weariness of a tired bird returning to its nest.
In reality, his stomach still felt a dull pain. In this life, although he hadn’t been drinking heavily for several days and caused gastric bleeding, the ailment still tormented him, requiring several days of intravenous drips in the hospital.
He had a miserable night and didn’t even take a day off. He rushed to the school early in the morning, thinking he could make a good impression and remedy the situation, but he didn’t expect to fall into a deep sleep during the first class.
“Got it. Sit down and pay attention next time,” Yu Yuesheng let him off and continued with the lesson.
Qi Juan sat at the back of the classroom, resting his cheek on his hand and staring at Yu Yuesheng, trying to etch his features into his mind over and over again.
That feeling of revisiting an old dream suddenly came back, and the brief unhappiness was quickly pushed aside.
His phone vibrated twice in his pocket, but Qi Juan resisted the urge to check it. He couldn’t focus on the class; he only knew that he was holding a pen and scribbling aimlessly on the rough draft paper.
If this isn’t a dream, it’s too wonderful.
When Han Xiao, his desk mate, sneakily glanced over as if searching for treasure, Qijuan bumped him and swiftly snatched away the paper, mysteriously saying, “Go listen to your lesson, I don’t want you to see.”
Han Xiao muttered, “Tsk, stingy.”
Originally, Qi Juan intended to draw Yu Yuesheng, but unfortunately, the Qijuan with the surname “soul artist” lacked skill, and his own terrible drawing skills made it look ugly. So he crumpled the paper into a ball and stuffed it into the desk compartment. He then started twirling a ballpoint pen between his fingertips, leisurely making circles.
“That’s it for this class, class dismissed,” Yu Yuesheng said, wiping the chalk dust off his fingers with a cloth and picking up his lesson plan before leaving.
The classroom suddenly became bustling, filled with the sound of dragging desks and chairs. A few people nearby were discussing how the new teacher resembled a certain movie star, praising his concise and efficient teaching style, and how he didn’t drag on.
Qi juan listened and gradually, a smile formed at the corner of his lips. After a while, he remembered to retrieve his phone and took a quick glance.
Zuo Ziming had sent him a WeChat message: [Help me.]
Qi Juan picked up the fruit tea on his desk and took a sip. He then composed a reply: [What happened, Mingming? Did you have a conflict with Chen Dog2 陈狗( Chen Gou) “狗” Literally means dog. And it is rather a nickname. ?]
Just as he sent the message, a sudden cramp hit his stomach, causing him to lose balance. The chair crashed to the ground with a loud bang, and his knee forcefully collided with the desk leg. Qi Juan held onto the bruised area, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Many people around looked over, and Han Xiao extended a helping hand to him, asking, “Are you okay?”
”Thanks, I’m fine.” Qi Juan patted Han Xiao’s hand on the back and supported himself with the desk leg as he stood up. “Let’s disperse, go do whatever you need to do.”
He dispersed the crowd, thinking it was fortunate that it was the end of class. He glanced at the surrounding classmates, patted off the dust from his clothes as if nothing had happened, and continued to sit in his seat.
Once others thought he was really fine, he instinctively bumped his forehead against the textbook, unable to resist rubbing his stomach quietly with his hand.
It felt prickling inside, and it hurt so much that he clenched his silver teeth. His pitch-black hair was also slightly damp with sweat.
Zuo Ziming: [How did you know?]
Can’t I be a prophetic fortune-teller???
Qi Juan’s hands were trembling as he typed, and he said with a mix of frustration and amusement, [I guessed it.]The stomach pain had subsided somewhat, and Qu Jian felt both annoyed and amused. He felt like this reincarnated world was like a system that constrained him from speaking too much.
Zuo Ziming replied, [Oh, I thought you already knew.]
[He borrowed money from me, lying that it was for his grandmother’s medical expenses, but that scoundrel used it to buy gaming equipment.]
[Damn it, I’m so angry.]
[And the damn guy has no intention of paying me back. ]
[/crying]
The phone kept vibrating, and the blue light from the screen reflected in his eyes.
Borrowing money?
Qu Jian thought to himself, “How did the script I received at school earlier differ from the previous one? Well, it does add a bit of novelty.”
During the long break, Qu Jian intercepted the unlucky Chen Dog with a group of people. Qu Jian had been using a nickname for him for so long that he couldn’t quite remember the person’s real name anymore.
Chen Dog, a towering figure, looked strong like a bull. Unfortunately, at this moment, he was cowering in the corner of the restroom, holding his head and begging for mercy: “Brother Jian, spare me! I really don’t have it now. Otherwise, why would I be dragging this out?”
“Others trusted you and lent you money, and this is how you repay them? It feels good to spend someone else’s money, doesn’t it?” Qu Jian took a puff of his cigarette, then followed it with a kick to Chen Dog’s body, causing him to scream in pain. “Consider this a lesson for you today. Let’s see if you dare to do it again next time.”
He coldly instructed the others, “Carry on.”
The cramped space was filled with dry smoke, mingling with cries and sounds of fighting.
Qu Jian stepped out and flicked the cigarette ash, asking Zuo Ziming who was standing beside him, “Did you lend him your living expenses too?”
Zuo Ziming scratched his crew cut and lamented, “If it wasn’t for him saying that his grandmother was sick and in urgent need, I wouldn’t have believed his nonsense.”
“I knew it. Learn from this mistake. Look at him, all he cares about is eating, drinking, and having fun. I don’t think he has any filial piety. If his grandmother is really sick, his parents should take care of it. It’s not his turn to borrow money,” Qu Jian said, raising his tiptoe and disdainfully kicking the person on the ground.
Immediately after,
there was the sound of coins dropping into the account.
Zuo Ziming looked at the red envelope on his phone in astonishment and asked, “Why did you transfer money to me? Do you have enough for yourself?”
Qu Jian glanced at his remaining balance, quickly stuffed his phone back into his pocket, and smiled casually, “My dad transferred a few months’ worth of living expenses to me recently. And there’s nothing extra I need to spend money on, so you can use it for now.”
“Alright, I’ll remind that Chen dog. As soon as I have the money, I’ll repay you immediately. If he keeps stalling, I’ll give it to you as a birthday gift, which is this month.” Zuo Ziming expressed his concern.
“Not in a hurry,” Qu Jian licked his molars and squatted down, lifting the person who was huddled inside with a bruised and swollen face. “Did you hear? Do you know what to do?”
As the sentence reached its end, his tone rose, filled with a provocation that could crush someone. But when his eyes curved, the tear mole at the corner also slightly lifted, clearly exuding a seductive and deep affection.
Perhaps he was blessed with a pair of affectionate and captivating eyes.
Otherwise, why would he be so ruthless in his actions?
Chen Dog wondered.
Chen Dog clenched his teeth, his mouth corners swollen, leaking air as he spoke, “I know, I know. I’ll save money to repay Zuo Ziming.”
“That’s about right,” Qu Jian chuckled lightly and let go of his hand.
After returning to the classroom, Qi Juan hadn’t even stayed for two classes when Yu Yuesheng sent someone to inform him and called him into the office.
“I just heard about the incident during the break. Why did you fight?”
It seemed that Yu Yuesheng was unaware of the situation. He spoke in a cold manner, which matched his slender figure. The buttons on his light blue shirt were also properly fastened. Perhaps due to his youthful and refined appearance, he didn’t appear rigid, but rather had a sense of restraint.
Qi Juan only remembered the shallow mole that Yu Yuesheng had touched, causing tears to well up in his eyes. He could never forget the trembling eyelashes and the compassionate gestures. Those actions would stay with him for the rest of his life.
He loved the contrast and cuteness of it all. He was determined to twist the situation around once again.
Qi Juan pondered for a moment and asked, “Did Chen Geou tell you?”
Yu Yuesheng nodded.
Qi Juan continued, “He’s quite spirited. He actually played the victim first. Did he cry and say that I took advantage of having more people and just went up and beat him?”
“?”
Suddenly, something dawned on Qi Juan. He quickly added, “It seems like I guessed right.”
“…”
Oh.
My stomach doesn’t hurt.
Qi Juan continued speaking reassuringly, “He deserved it. He cheated my friend out of money and didn’t pay it back. It’s too much. We’re all students. Who has money? He’s enjoying himself while making it difficult for others to get by.”
Qi Juan lowered his head, but his words were unyielding.
“Playing the hero,” Yu Yuesheng said. “I will contact their homeroom teacher to handle this. But you should inform the teacher or your parents. Fighting is not right. Tomorrow morning, write a one-thousand-word self-reflection for me.”
“Ah?” Qi Juan couldn’t help but mutter.
“If I remember correctly. Two days ago, at the entrance of the bar–“
Seeing Yu Yuesheng looking at him expressionlessly, Qi Juan could only lower his head in a dejected manner and interject, “Understood, Laoshi.”
—
Moonlight poured in through the window, blending with the cold white light emitted by the desk lamp.
Qi Juan, defeated in his first battle, begrudgingly scribbled with a water-based pen to meet the word count. At the same time, he chatted and complained to Zuo Ziming: [Wuwuwu, I’ve encountered an obstacle on the path of life QAQ]
Zuo Ziming: [What happened?]
Qi Juan bit the pen cap: [I’m shutting myself off.]
Zuo Ziming: [??]
Zuo Ziming: [You should bloom.]
Qi Juan: [I can’t come up with a self-reflection. This is too difficult. I haven’t written this many words in ages QAQ]
Zuo Ziming: [I found a few online and combined them together. I’ll copy it for you later. Come to our classroom door tomorrow morning to pick it up.]
Qi Juan: [Yay! You’re the best!] He sent a bunch of emoticons like “excited” and “love you” in response.
Zuo Ziming: [Oh, forget it. You have no sincerity at all.]
Qi Juan: [Hehehehehehe, kisses]
Qi Juan pushed aside the stack of papers on the desk and lay down on the bed, looking up at the bright light on the ceiling. His beautiful, dark eyes blinked softly.
—
The next morning, bright and early. Qi Juan went to the classroom, and Yu Yuesheng was sitting at the podium reading the morning exercise. When Qi Juan approached, Yu Yuesheng called him over and extended his hand, “The self-reflection.”
Qi Juan unloaded his backpack, unzipped it, and handed over the self-reflection. The surrounding area was filled with the sound of reading.
As Qi Juan watched Yu Yuesheng frown, he inexplicably felt a bit nervous, and his fingers kept fidgeting with the seams of his pants.
Yu Yuesheng raised his hand and tapped on the desk. “Did you write this yourself?”
Qi Juan stared at him. “…”
Yu Yuesheng glanced at him calmly. “You didn’t copy it?”
“…”
Yu Yuesheng said, “Speak.”
“Uh, well…” Qi Juan thought for a moment, nibbled on his fingernail without shame, and said, “A friend of mine helped me write it. He understood my thoughts, so he relayed them on my behalf.”
His fingers intertwined as he kept fidgeting, and Qi Juan innocently smiled, raising his eyes.
He was preparing to change his tactics, to get closer first and then see what happens.
“…”
Yu Yuesheng pressed the self-reflection under the chalkboard eraser. “Go to morning reading first. Don’t attend the last two classes. Come to my office and rewrite it. Leave as soon as you finish.”
Alright.
Qi Juan felt a sense of satisfaction in his heart, but who could have predicted such a miscalculation?
Just like now, the office was air-conditioned, and he hadn’t eaten breakfast due to saving on living expenses.
A certain Qi “Writing Self-Reflection” Juan had no choice but to tightly grip his stomach under the desk while writing sluggishly with his other hand. The words appeared slow and sluggish, like a turtle’s pace.
The stomach pain came at the worst possible time, and Qi Juan lamented in his mind, wishing he could kill himself a thousand times over.
Yu Yuesheng was focused on grading assignments, not even lifting his head. Warm sunlight filtered through the soft curtains, casting a thin layer of candlelight-like glow on his slender wrist, which protruded slightly. It shimmered brightly, creating a serene and tranquil scene.
Qi Juan glanced at him and felt even more miserable. He longed to nestle in Yu Yuesheng’s arms, like a little kitten, enjoying the gentle strokes of his soft fur.
Cold sweat was about to seep out, and Qi Juan felt like half of his fist was being swallowed up by the pain in his upper abdomen. Unable to bear the agony, his body trembled, and he couldn’t help but let out a soft “hiss.”
Yu Yue sheng stopped his pen and glanced over. “Toothache?”
Yue sheng, you really have no keen observation.
Qi Juan: “Yeah, toothache. It’s really painful.”
Yu Yuesheng casually crossed out a mistakenly written word. “Endure it a bit and finish writing quickly.”
“Sure. I’ll do that,” Qi Juan said.
Perhaps due to emotional factors, his stomach keep churning incessantly. He couldn’t help but sink his hand deeper, as the cold and chilly air inside was swirling recklessly. The inner walls felt like they were being vigorously cut by shards of ice, causing a sensation of coldness and pain.
The cramping didn’t stop, even extending to his lower abdomen.
Qi Juan had no choice but to change his position and place his arm horizontally across his abdomen for warmth, although it seemed to have little effect.
On the other hand, the air conditioning blew a cold breeze onto his body. “Cough, cough, cough…” The acidic fluid in his stomach was churning, almost on the verge of surfacing. Qi Juan had been enduring it, but suddenly, even his breathing became somewhat disordered, and he couldn’t help but cough, “Cough, cough. Laoshi, may I go to the restroom?”
“Go quickly.” Yu Yuesheng pinched his brow and replied.
Following the instruction, Qi Juan ran quickly to the restroom. Stepping out from the air-conditioned room, he was met with a stuffy heat sensation. The sunlight in the corridor was scorching, causing dizziness. With each step, the pain in his abdomen deepened.
Once he closed the cubicle door, Qi Juan forcefully pounded on his stomach for a while. Waves of collisions hit his palm, possibly due to spasms, causing excruciating pain as if it wanted to escape for dear life.
“Cough…” Qi Juan tightly clutched the front of his shirt. Bent over, he tried hard to induce vomiting but couldn’t. He reached into his clothes and pressed for a while until the churning acidic fluid was finally expelled.
Looking at the yellowish puddle, Qi Juan couldn’t help but retch again, feeling restless. He grew agitated, raised his long leg, and kicked the door panel in frustration.
“Are you okay, Tongxue?3“Tongxue” (同学) = Classmate/ schoolmate” Someone in the adjacent cubicle knocked.
“I’m fine,” Qi Juan replied absentmindedly, quickly flushing the toilet. But then, his stomach churned again, and he leaned against the door, sliding down a bit.
In the hot and stuffy space, sweat trickled down his spine, and he could no longer distinguish whether it was the pain or the heat. Clutching the paper for a while to release the built-up tension, his abdomen finally softened and sank in. His body was covered in cold sweat from the pain, and as the nausea subsided, a dull ache remained in his empty stomach, giving him a sensation as if his body had been hollowed out.
As he listened to the sound of the person in the adjacent cubicle closing the door and walking away, Qi Juan couldn’t help but mutter a curse.
After composing himself, he squatted down for a while to alleviate his low blood sugar before pushing open the door. He then leaned over the sink and rinsed away the lingering sourness in his mouth with a handful of water.
He finally walked back to the office.
Yu Yuesheng raised his hand to turn off the air conditioning and noticed Qi Juan’s pale complexion. He said, “Is your toothache real? Lao Yuan came by earlier and left a box of painkillers. Do you want to take some?”
Lao Yuan was their Chinese language teacher who had a chronic back pain problem.
“Sure, I’ll take them. I’ve taken this kind before,” Qi Juan replied, accepting the painkillers and absentmindedly swallowing two dry pills.
Yue Yuesheng found a disposable paper cup for him and reminded, “Would you like me to get you some hot water? You can use the water dispenser over there.” He pointed with his hand.
“No, thank you, Laoshi. I’m much better now.” Qi Juan smiled. He almost slumped his entire body onto the table, finally managing to find a somewhat comfortable position. He didn’t want to move a step now.
“Sit up and write.”
This was probably a common habit of the teacher. Qi Juan liked to write while lying down, and he couldn’t even count how many times he had been lectured about it since he was young. He instinctively replied, “It’s fine, I don’t have nearsightedness. I can be willful for a few more years.”
“…” Yue Yuesheng felt like Qi Juan could write a thousand-word self-criticism in a matter of minutes.
–
The office quieted down once again, with time silently flowing within. Qi Juan pinched his stomach and occasionally stole glances at Yue Yuesheng. It had been a while, and his stomachache had only gotten worse. After being distracted for a while, he was at a loss for what to write next.
“Laoshi,” Qi Juan called out.
“What now?”
“Can I take a break?” Qi Juan felt upset hearing the impatient tone, and most of the words he wanted to say suddenly got stuck in his throat.
“Is it a toothache now? Or do you need to use the restroom?”
Forget it. What should I say? What should I say?
Qi Juan pointed to the previous paper cup and said, “Teacher, I’m thirsty. I’ll just have some water.”
Yue Yuesheng: “…”
After taking the paper cup, Qi Juan tried his best to walk to the water dispenser in a normal manner. He endured the pain and filled the cup with most of it with warm water. Unfortunately, his stomach ache was intense, and his hands and feet were unsteady. Before he could take a sip of the hot water, he accidentally spilled it.
“Ouch—” He burned his finger, and the paper cup slipped from his hand, falling to the ground with a “clatter,” spilling a steaming puddle of water with a crooked mouth.
Yue Yuesheng quickly got up and approached, saying, “What happened? Did you burn yourself?”
“It seems like it,” Qi Juan crouched in front of the water dispenser, curling up into a ball.
Yue Yuesheng said, “Show me your hand.”
“…” Qi Juan shook his head and instead kept his hand behind his back.
Ignoring his protest, Yue Yuesheng directly took his hand and moved it to the side with cold water, turning on the faucet.
The gushing cold water felt particularly soothing on his hand, but it released the suppression in his stomach, causing intense agitation.
Qi Juan took in a gentle breath of cool air, his face turning pale, and his forehead suddenly bumped against Yue Yuesheng’s scapula.
Gently nuzzling, like a little kitten.
Yue Yuesheng instinctively stepped back and asked, “Where does it hurt?”
“It’s hot. If it was any later, I would have turned into a little pig’s trotter. It could be a good appetizer for tonight’s drinks.” Qi Juan tilted his head, his eyes shining as he stared at him.
Yue Yuesheng: “…”
“Thanks to the Laoshi‘s timely rescue,” Qi Juan finally glanced at his own reddened fingers, “Luckily, my hand is okay, right?”
Yue Yuesheng let go of his hand and said, “Go ahead and rinse it a bit more.”
“Okay.”
As Yue Yuesheng walked away, Qi Juan’s expression returned to normal.
He stood there, dazed for a moment, then casually rinsed his hand with cold water and wiped his scalded fingers. He adjusted his chair and calmly wrote his self-criticism. At this moment, he didn’t want to stir up any more trouble.
–
After a while since the end of the school bell rang, Yue Yuesheng put away his teaching materials and stood up, saying, “Let’s go, let’s have a meal.”
Qi Juan hesitated, writing and stopping, managing to fill half of the paper with half-hearted content. When he heard those words, he paused for a moment, and his initial response was, “I’m not hungry.”
He was thinking that he had lent his living expenses to Zuo Ziming, and now he only had a little over a hundred left for the month. He couldn’t afford to eat, so he must become a fasting-style beautiful youth.4The phrase “要做绝食系美少年” literally translates to “must become a fasting-style beautiful youth.” It expresses the idea that the person is determined to refrain from eating in order to achieve a certain aesthetic or desired appearance, often associated with being slim and attractive. It suggests a willingness to undergo extreme dieting or even a hunger strike to maintain a specific image.
Yue Yuesheng capped his pen and neatly collected the scattered test papers aside. He reminded, “Afternoon classes.”
“Really not—” “Gurgle.” Qi Juan turned his face away, pretending not to hear anything.
Yue Yuesheng raised an eyebrow and looked at him.
“Not eating, trying to lose weight,” Qi Juan wanted to make another struggle.
Yue Yuesheng, following professional ethics, casually said, “Don’t starve your stomach.”
Although he said it calmly, the meaning behind his words was like a spoonful of warm medicinal soup feeding into one’s heart. The warmth diffused, and a mist of water enveloped the air.
Qi Juan pursed his lips and, as if possessed by a ghost, followed Yue Yuesheng.
They arrived quite late, and there were not many people left in the cafeteria.
The ceiling fans were clattering, and a few aunties were busy mopping the floor. Looking at the greasy food, Qi Juan couldn’t help but frown. He suspected it was due to the medication; he was feeling a bit nauseous.
“Not appealing to your taste?” Yue Yuesheng glanced at him casually.
“It’s hot, so I don’t really feel like eating,” Qi Juan replied, poking at the food on his plate with his chopsticks, selecting a few dry vegetable leaves and reluctantly swallowing them.
After a few bites, Qi Juan succumbed to the unfortunate fate. The food seemed to be tracing the path of an ulcer, mercilessly attacking with a sharp intensity that left his face pale and covered in cold sweat.
He wasn’t sure whether enduring the pain at this moment was considered resilient or foolish.
Yue Yuesheng seemed oblivious, still engrossed in reading the news while eating. Qi Juan pinched his stomach, his hand pressed against it, silently waiting for Yue Yuesheng to finish his meal.
“Shall we go?” Yue Yuesheng said.
Qi Juan lifted his face, his smile somewhat irrelevant. “Laoshi, you guessed it right. My stomach is acting up and it hurts. What should I do?”
Yue Yuesheng furrowed his brow. “Let me take you to the medical room to have a look.”
Qi Juan pressed his hand against his stomach even harder and took the opportunity to say, “Ouch. I can’t move. Laoshi, my stomach hurts.”
His complexion should be really bad by now. Qi Juan stared intensely at Yue Yuesheng, hoping to discern what he was thinking.
Please, don’t furrow your brow.
What does it feel like to be disappointed? You’re in pain, your stomach is killing you, and the implied message has already been conveyed: Can you help me? Carry me? Or at least support me?
But as he watched Yue Yuesheng turn around and call the cafeteria staff, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. His scapula even trembled with amusement.
“Tongxue, are you alright? My delivery truck is parked at the cafeteria entrance. Let me carry you there,” the uncle said with a benevolent expression, his well-developed biceps appearing formidable.
“No need to trouble yourself, I can walk,” Qi Juan heard himself say.
He stood up, but felt the pain in his abdomen like a twisting knife. His eyelashes were dampened with a thin layer of sweat, making it difficult to see clearly.
Immediately after, everything went black before his eyes, as if he had fallen into a soft embrace.
The author has something to say:
Qi Juan: Who is it? Who caught me???
