Chapter 69 (Extra 9)
“Hiss—bro, be gentle, be gentle!”
In the infirmary, Yu Le sat on the edge of the bed, wincing in pain and tilting his face up. “My brain is throbbing with pain!”
Lu Yao stood in front of him, tossing the bloodied cotton swab and taking a fresh one to apply more medication. “Now you know it hurts. Wasn’t it quite thrilling when you started the fight earlier?”
Yu Le grimaced, taking small breaths. “If I wasn’t feeling so miserable, I’d already be the laughingstock of the whole school.”
“Everyone’s busy with their studies. They don’t have time to laugh at you.” Lu Yao tilted his chin up to make him look higher. “Besides, do you think your current appearance isn’t amusing enough?”
“Not now,” Yu Le said matter-of-factly. “Anyway, only you can see it.”
Lu Yao raised his eyebrows, speaking vaguely, “It’s fine if I see it, but others can’t?”
“Of course,” Yu Le swung his legs, grinning. “After all, big brother won’t laugh at me. He’ll only pity me—ow! Be gentle!”
Lu Yao smirked slightly, easing his movements but not holding back his words. “Be gentle? You should hurt a bit more to remember this lesson.”
During this time, a student came in to fetch something. He greeted Lu Yao with a “Brother Lu” and quickly left without lingering.
As Lu Yao finished applying the medication, the class bell rang.
Yu Le, holding a tube of ointment that had been opened once, followed Lu Yao back to the classroom. Unexpectedly, as soon as they entered, a passing classmate grabbed him, eyes darting around his face like a spotlight.
“I can’t believe it, did you really get bitten?!”
The news spread like wildfire. Whether standing or sitting, at the door or the podium, everyone’s eyes were fixed on him, practically glowing with curiosity.
Yu Le was confused. “What do you mean bitten?”
Shen Yu, carrying a stack of books, came in just in time, quickly putting down the books to take a closer look at Yu Le, astonished. “There’s blood! Brother Lu, you’re too ruthless!”
Lu Yao rolled his eyes, ignoring him, and went directly back to his seat.
Yu Le didn’t understand. “What does this have to do with Brother Lu? It’s something I did myself, has nothing to do with him.”
Shen Yu looked doubtful. “You did it yourself? It wasn’t Brother Lu who bit you?”
Shen Yu’s question voiced everyone’s curiosity, and though everyone tried to hide their interest, they were eagerly waiting to hear the answer from the person involved.
Yu Le was momentarily at a loss. “What are you thinking? How could it be? I just had some ice cream after the physical exam and got it stuck and pulled.”
Oh, case closed.
The truth was, as expected, not as exciting as the rumors.
It was better not to listen.
Everyone, deflated like a punctured balloon, scattered. Shen Yu apologized with a smirk and slipped away to continue moving books.
Yu Le returned to his seat and shared the absurd rumor he had just heard with Lu Yao, chuckling. “What do you think they’re imagining? I didn’t provoke you. No, I did provoke you, but you wouldn’t just bite me.”
Lu Yao asked, “Oh? Then how do you think I would bite you?”
“You shouldn’t bite me at all. Where would I get bitten—”
Yu Le seemed to realize something, and his voice gradually faded away.
After a long pause, he continued, “These people, I don’t know what they’re thinking all day. Seems like they have too little homework. Tsk, strange, where’s my test paper…”
His tone was deliberately calm, but his eyes couldn’t meet Lu Yao’s directly. He buried his head in the drawer, desperately searching for the missing test paper.
Lu Yao noticed Yu Le’s awkward avoidance, his gaze shifting silently to Yu Le’s ears and neck.
Perhaps Yu Le didn’t even realize that the area was already flushed red.
—
It took just about ten minutes to drive from Xuan High to Lu Yao’s home. After the first few days when a driver picked them up, Lu Yao had been riding his bike with Yu Le.
Going to and from school, and sitting together in class, it was like being inseparable.
Yu Le had no interest in forums or social media, and he didn’t even have an account. The rumors about him and Lu Yao being a couple in the Xuan High forum only came to his attention when he learned about them from his former deskmate halfway through the semester.
Former Deskmate: [Link]
Former Deskmate: [Considering we were classmates for two years, and I’ve copied countless math homework from you, tell me honestly, have you and your new deskmate become a couple?]
Yu Le clicked the link and quickly exited.
Yu Le: [No, what are you thinking? I already said the forum is full of rumors. Do you believe it?]
Former Deskmate: [Please, I don’t want to believe it, but they have pictures and everything. It feels like the truth is right in front of me. Otherwise, can you provide some evidence to refute it?]
Yu Le: [What evidence should I provide?]
Former Deskmate: [Emmm, the list of 365 girlfriends your deskmate has? Even just one would do.]
Yu Le: [How many times do I have to say it? He doesn’t have any girlfriends!]
Former Deskmate: [Alright, alright, if he doesn’t have any, he doesn’t. Why are you so worked up about it?]
Former Deskmate: [I’m not against you two being together. I’m just worried because the school bully group has some messy conflicts, and I’m afraid you might get involved.]
Yu Le: [What conflicts?]
Former Deskmate: [Have you forgotten about the fights behind the school? Do you think your new deskmate just relies on virtue to sit on the school bully throne without ever fighting?]
There’s some truth to that.
Lu Yao was too laid-back, not competitive, not aggressive, and always seemed indifferent to conflicts. Yu Le had completely forgotten about Lu Yao’s reputation as a school bully.
This guy was rumored to be the top gang leader of Nan Street, with thousands of little brothers spread across Xuan City, strong enough to lift statues from fountains!
Though obviously exaggerated, it still showed how deep Lu Yao’s reputation as a school bully was.
However, Yu Le found it hard to imagine Lu Yao in a fight. Since he couldn’t picture it, he hadn’t mentioned it. But now that it came up, he couldn’t help but be intensely curious about Lu Yao’s past conflicts.
“Buddha?” Shen Yu shook his head repeatedly. “Brother Lu is not a Buddha. He’s clearly invincibly lonely. No one can beat him in fights or academics. He’s at the top of the pyramid, with nothing left to desire. What else can he do but lie flat?”
Shen Yu rambled on, but Yu Le’s focus was solely on one point: “Is Brother Lu really good at fighting?”
Shen Yu: “Absolutely, one punch and they’re down. It’s not an exaggeration.”
Yu Le: “Do the people he beats up come back for revenge?”
Shen Yu: “They used to, but since Brother Lu cleaned up and defeated those who came back with helpers, no one dares to seek revenge anymore.”
Yu Le: “That’s so cool!”
Shen Yu beamed with pride. “Of course, Xuan High’s pride isn’t named for nothing.”
Yu Le gave a thumbs-up in admiration and, during the afternoon break, shared the glorious history of his new deskmate with his old deskmate while riding on the back of the school bully’s bike.
Yu Le: [How’s that? Impressive, right?]
Former Deskmate: [Impressive/thumbs-up]
Yu Le: [/hands-on-hips/sunglasses]
Former Deskmate: [It’s impressive, but why do you sound like you’re showing off everything? What are you so proud of?]
Yu Le: […Is it like that?]
Former Deskmate: [Isn’t there???]
Yu Le couldn’t answer, so he chose to end the conversation unilaterally.
Just as they reached the traffic light, Lu Yao reminded Yu Le to hold on before braking.
Yu Le held onto Lu Yao with one arm, put away his phone, and looked up to see a few thuggish-looking guys standing under the traffic light, glaring at them.
Yu Le nudged Lu Yao. “Bro, look over there.”
Lu Yao glanced over.
Yu Le, having just heard about the conflicts, felt a bit stirred. “They seem to be staring at us. Brother Lu, do you think they’re your old enemies?”
Lu Yao nodded.
Yu Le was surprised. “Really?”
Lu Yao: “They used to collect protection fees downstairs at the internet café. I’ve beaten them a few times.”
Yu Le: “A few times?”
Lu Yao: “That yellow-haired one, he’s come back several times with helpers.”
“Oh.” Yu Le realized. “So the ones Shen Yu mentioned who were beaten up after seeking revenge are them…”
Lu Yao didn’t hear clearly and turned his head. “What?”
“Nothing.” Yu Le hugged Lu Yao tightly in admiration. “Bro, you’re amazing. Teach me sometime?”
The green light came on, and Lu Yao rang the bell, riding across the street. “Teach you what, how to fight?”
Yu Le: “Yes.”
Lu Yao: “Who do you want to beat up?”
Yu Le: “Do I have to have someone I want to beat up to learn?”
Lu Yao: “If you’re not fighting anyone, what’s the point of learning to fight?”
Yu Le: “Well… what if I go online and someone tries to collect protection fees from me?”
Lu Yao: “Do you think I’m dead?”
Yu Le: “……”
A week after the midterm exams, Lu Yao was frequently called away by the competition team teachers due to the competition. Several times, the classroom was empty by the time he was released, leaving Yu Le alone to finish a physics multiple-choice paper. Only then was Lu Yao allowed to return.
Lu Yao had suggested multiple times that Yu Le ride his bike home first, but Yu Le didn’t mind waiting a bit longer, as doing homework was the same whether at home or in the classroom.
The last class of the afternoon was chemistry. Before the bell rang, Yu Le saw members of the competition group waiting at the door.
“I won’t be waiting for you in the classroom today.”
While the teacher was turned away to write on the board, Yu Le quietly whispered to Lu Yao, “I’m going to the shop by the side door to buy some headphones. It might take a while to choose. When you’re done, come find me there. I’ll be waiting at the door.”
Lu Yao nodded. “I’ll message you when I’m done.”
Yu Le gave him an “OK” sign and they split up after class. Lu Yao went to the temporary office for the competition group, and Yu Le headed straight to the side door headphone shop.
His Bluetooth headphones had mysteriously disappeared, so he planned to buy a wired pair temporarily to avoid having them lost again.
When school ended, the store was still quite crowded. Estimating Lu Yao’s usual finish time, Yu Le figured he had about ten minutes. By the time he paid, there were only a few students left in the store.
Outside, there was a bench under the street trees. Yu Le, unpacking the headphones, headed there to wait.
Unexpectedly, just as he stepped off the curb, a boy holding a cigarette blocked his way.
Yu Le continued to unpack the headphones. “What’s up?”
The boy grunted, lifting his chin to indicate Yu Le should turn around.
Yu Le turned and immediately recognized the familiar yellow-haired boy.
It wasn’t exactly a close acquaintance, just someone he had seen from a distance when crossing an intersection a while back. The mention of “yellow-haired boy” by Lu Yao had left a strong impression. The first thing he thought of when he saw him was—
The rumor about the little gang that had been beaten up by Lu Yao several times for collecting protection fees outside an internet café.
Seeking revenge?
Could it be that his old desk mate was right?
The yellow-haired boy smirked and confirmed Yu Le’s guess, “Finally, after watching for so long, I finally caught you alone.”
“I didn’t provoke you.” Yu Le said calmly.
The yellow-haired boy crossed his arms. “Oh, you didn’t provoke me? But your good buddy who wears the same pants as you did. Didn’t you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” Yu Le replied logically. “So you’ve been beaten up by my good buddy many times, and since you’re not strong enough to fight back, you’re trying to pick on me instead?”
The yellow-haired boy was speechless. “Do you have a problem with how I speak? Are you looking for a beating?!”
Yu Le said, “If I could speak, would you not hit me today?”
“Damn it!” The yellow-haired boy swore, throwing his cigarette butt on the ground. “I don’t want to waste words with you. I’m here to fight, and you’re going to get beaten up today. Not even Jesus can save you!”
Yu Le sincerely advised, “I suggest you don’t hit me today, or you’ll be in trouble.”
“I don’t pick the day when I fight.” The yellow-haired boy rolled up his sleeves and approached Yu Le aggressively. “Do you think you can rely on that Lu Yao to avenge you? Think about it. With such a big city, where will he find people to help him—damn, who’s that?”
“You’re right here. Do I need to look elsewhere?”
Lu Yao had seized the yellow-haired boy by the back of his neck. As his indifferent voice rang out, the yellow-haired boy’s expression changed drastically. “Lu Yao?! Where the hell did you come from!”
Yu Le said, “I gave you a suggestion, but you didn’t listen.”
The yellow-haired boy’s attitude shifted the moment he saw Lu Yao.
Yu Le stood just a couple of steps away, watching as Lu Yao held the yellow-haired boy by the scruff like a chick. The boy was rooted to the spot, too afraid to move or even look at Yu Le.
“Want to know? Sure, let’s talk about it in the alley.”
Lu Yao dragged the red-faced yellow-haired boy into a nearby alley. As he passed Yu Le, he casually said, “Wait for me here.”
Yu Le nodded obediently, watching the yellow-haired boy being dragged away with a pained expression. He took a few steps forward, sat on the bench, and calmly tested the sound quality of his new headphones.
Before a song finished, Lu Yao returned.
“Let’s go.” Lu Yao gave Yu Le’s head a light push from behind. “Let’s head home.”
“Oh.” Yu Le packed up and stood up, noticing Lu Yao’s injured face. He stopped and frowned. “You’re hurt. How did you get that?”
Lu Yao casually draped his coat over his arm, showing no signs of having just fought someone. “There was a bamboo pole jutting out by the wall. I didn’t notice and scraped it.”
Yu Le fell silent for a moment. “Did they leave?”
Lu Yao said, “Not yet.”
Yu Le immediately lifted his foot. “I’ll go check.”
Lu Yao grabbed his backpack strap. “What are you looking for?”
Yu Le said, “To see if I can get a few more kicks in.”
“If you go in again, they’ll be gone.” Lu Yao smirked slightly, pulling him back. “It’s getting late. Let’s go home for dinner.”
Yu Le was worried about explaining things to Mrs. Lu, so he came up with several excuses on the way home, but Lu Yao’s simple “scraped it” easily covered it up.
Yu Le was relieved that Mrs. Lu didn’t ask any more questions.
“Your mom trusts you too much.”
Back in the room after dinner, as Yu Le applied medicine to Lu Yao’s injury, he marveled, “Such a blatant excuse, and she didn’t ask anything.”
Lu Yao did not comment.
Yu Le thought about the yellow-haired boy. “How many times have you beaten him?”
Lu Yao replied, “Four times, I think. Can’t remember clearly.”
Yu Le said, “That many? He’s really stubborn. Even after being beaten so many times, he still dares to provoke you. If it were me, I’d hide my tail and stay out of trouble, no matter how embarrassed I felt. Avoiding a beating is the most important thing.”
Lu Yao said, “Don’t worry, he won’t dare come again.”
Yu Le asked, “Did you threaten him?”
“Sort of.” Lu Yao glanced at him. “Aren’t you angry?”
Yu Le replied with a smile, “Why would I be angry? They tried to get back at me because they knew I’m with you, but failed? The problem is with them, not you. I’m not unreasonable.”
Lu Yao was silent for two seconds, then slowly repeated, “My person?”
Yu Le asked, “Isn’t that right?”
Lu Yao did not respond. Yu Le looked up at him and was taken aback by the ambiguous look Lu Yao gave him.
He swore he had said it with a very simple and familiar attitude, just out of habit, without much thought.
But when those words were isolated, repeated, and emphasized, they suddenly carried an indescribable subtlety.
Yu Le was momentarily at a loss for words, staring blankly at Lu Yao, his hand frozen in mid-air, unsure whether to put it down or continue.
“What’s wrong?” Lu Yao asked calmly.
Yu Le looked away, his gaze darting. “Nothing. I just said it casually, with no other meaning.”
Lu Yao nodded. “Got it. I didn’t say you were wrong.”
Yu Le was silent.
After waiting for a while and not getting a response from Yu Le, Lu Yao asked, “Are you done applying the medicine?”
“Not yet, almost done.” Yu Le broke off the cotton swab and took a new one to continue applying the ointment.
Though it was still just the two of them in the room, the atmosphere felt different from before.
Yu Le tried to focus on Lu Yao’s injury, but he couldn’t ignore the intense presence of Lu Yao’s gaze on his face.
The presence of Lu Yao’s breathing seemed suddenly very strong.
And that phrase “my person” kept swirling in his mind, making his thoughts a chaotic mess.
Did Lu Yao’s reaction imply that he accepted the term “my person”?
So, did “my person” mean someone from before, or someone from now?
Lu Yao noticed Yu Le’s trembling eyelashes. “What are you nervous about?”
“I don’t know.”
Yu Le, unsure of his own thoughts, looked into Lu Yao’s eyes and, with almost reliant trust, directly asked, “My heart is racing a bit. Is that normal?”
Lu Yao’s eyes flashed, and he saw Yu Le press his lips tightly as if regretting what he said. Yu Le muttered uncertainly, “This is something I can talk about, right?”
Lu Yao, visibly more tense, seemed at a loss as he applied the ointment.
Lu Yao took hold of Yu Le’s wrist, intending
to say something, but the distant sound of his younger sister calling them downstairs for fruit was faintly heard.
Yu Le, as if granted amnesty, looked at Lu Yao with wide eyes. “Is my sister calling us?”
Lu Yao, catching the look of desperation in Yu Le’s eyes, slowly released his grip and nodded. “Yes, let’s go down.”
Yu Le quickly put away the ointment and went downstairs.
As the sound of his hurried footsteps faded away from the door, Lu Yao looked back at the medicine on the table.
The lid was still off, almost rolling behind the keyboard.
