SIIL Chapter 33

The evening breeze lifted the strands of hair on the boy’s forehead, revealing the faint scars on his brow and temple—reminders of when Chi Yu had once thrown a small rock at him. That was probably the first time Chi Yu had seen blood, and the usual defiant look in his eyes instantly gave way to panic, the dark irises filled with confusion.

Chen Yifang stood by the school gate, talking to Lin Jing. Throughout the conversation, she avoided Lin Jing’s gaze, her fingers intertwined in front of her, exuding an air of embarrassment that was impossible to ignore. Fu Jianguo stood at a distance, clad in a black jacket that barely concealed the police uniform underneath. A cigarette burned slowly between his fingers, but the ground around him was already littered with several discarded butts, some still faintly glowing.

Whatever Lin Jing said seemed to elicit nothing but silent nods from Chen Yifang. Before leaving, Lin Jing gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, likely offering some words of comfort.

Chi Yu watched from behind a wall as Chen Yifang walked straight past Fu Zhi’an and got into the car. Fu Jianguo, after taking one last drag on his cigarette, turned to leave but then paused, doubled back, and bent down to pick up the scattered cigarette butts, pocketing them before heading to the car.

Only after the silver sedan had completely disappeared from view did Chi Yu step out from behind the wall. He walked over to the spot where Fu Zhi’an had been standing and stood there, staring at the ground, lost in thought for a long time.

Chi Yu wasn’t accustomed to taking the bus, so when he stood at the fare box, he searched every pocket but couldn’t find any change. Annoyed, he pulled out a large bill from his wallet and tossed it in. As he walked further into the bus without waiting for the driver’s reaction, the driver shouted after him that he wouldn’t be getting any change.

The air inside the bus was thick with an unpleasant mixture of smells—various foods, sharp perfumes, and stale air. The bus’s constant jolting made Chi Yu feel dizzy, but his mind was unusually clear. Memories he had long forgotten seemed to resurface, like peeling off a bandage stuck to the skin—painful and unwanted.

Fu Zhi’an had always had exceptional grades, yet he had attended the same middle school as Chi Yu. When Chi Yu was reluctantly forced to participate in sports events, there was Fu Zhi’an in the crowd of girls waving cheer flags, his eyes casually drifting over to Chi Yu. Every time Chi Yu was stuck in the office, writing self-reflections, it wouldn’t be long before Fu Zhi’an would appear, sitting at a desk grading papers for the teachers—often spending the entire afternoon there.

These moments became clearer and more intense in his mind—expressions of love so strong and straightforward that they made his eyes sting just thinking about them. Chi Yu reached up to rub his eyes but didn’t lower his hand until the bus announced his stop. He pressed on his eye sockets, then stepped off the bus.

The streetlights cast long shadows as Chi Yu approached his door, only to stop a few steps away when he noticed a figure in white waiting there.

“Back from wandering?” The girl’s voice had a teasing lilt, her head tilted as she smiled innocently at him.

Chi Yu didn’t move from his spot. He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse. “What do you want?”

The girl didn’t seem to mind his cold tone at all. Instead, she sauntered over and hooked her arm through his, still smiling as she said, “Oh, nothing much. Just wanted to see how much more money my brother could waste.”

“Your homeroom teacher called Dad today.”

“I picked up.”

Chi Yu watched as she walked over to the door, giving it a playful tap, raising an eyebrow at him.

Chi Yu turned on the lights and grabbed a can of soda from the fridge, taking a few large gulps as he leaned against the wall, watching her as she nosily examined the room. She stopped at the dining table, wrinkling her nose at the untouched food.

Noticing Chi Yu’s increasingly impatient expression, she nonchalantly grabbed a piece of beef and popped it into her mouth, mumbling as she chewed, “Your teacher didn’t say much, just that Dad should make time to visit the school.”

“This must be something serious,” she added with a smirk, licking her fingers. “Normally, First High doesn’t care much about what you do. They usually just call Dad, say a few words, and then hang up, and not long after, they receive a donation.”

“But this time, they actually want Dad to go to the school.”

“Did you kill someone?” she asked after a pause, seeing the gloomy look on his face.

“No.”

Relieved, she pouted and reached for another piece of beef but then seemed to remember something.

“You and that Fu guy got caught?”

The air seemed to freeze instantly, and Chi Yu’s grip on the soda can tightened involuntarily. He stared at her for a long time before finally speaking, his voice almost a whisper. “How did you know…”

Seeing the sudden vulnerability in Chi Yu’s eyes, she almost laughed. Crossing her arms, she leaned against the dining table.

“He might as well have written it on his face.” She paused, then continued, “When he’s with you, his eyes never leave you.”

Feeling that her words might have been too sentimental, she added, “He looked like a total creep.”

Chi Yu didn’t sleep well that night. The dark circles under his eyes were severe, and his usually fair skin now looked pale and sickly. As soon as he arrived in the classroom, he slumped over his desk, motionless. It wasn’t until someone sat down beside him and placed a hand on his forehead that he stirred.

“Are you sick?”

Chi Yu gently pushed the hand away, muttering a barely audible response.

Fu Zhi’an withdrew his hand and said nothing more. It wasn’t until PE class, when the rest of the students had packed up and gone downstairs, that only the two of them and Wang Xiao, who was clutching his stomach, remained in the classroom.

Wang Xiao stared in disbelief at the test paper in front of him. He followed the sleeve of the school uniform up to Fu Zhi’an’s calm face.

“Go copy it outside.”

Sweaty palms clutching his stomach, Wang Xiao awkwardly cleared his throat and slowly straightened up. “You really are a genius, Fu Zhi’an. Just looking at the back of my head, you knew I wanted to copy your homework.”

Fu Zhi’an’s expression didn’t change, but Wang Xiao got the hint. He quickly gathered his things and headed for the door, glancing back as he went. “I’ll keep an eye out for you and Chi Yu!”

Almost the moment Wang Xiao closed the door behind him, Fu Zhi’an quickly walked over to Chi Yu, grabbing his wrist and forcing him to look up. The sight of Chi Yu’s pale face was unexpected, and Fu Zhi’an’s breath caught, his grip loosening slightly.

“Those clichés don’t suit you,” Fu Zhi’an said quickly, his eyes locked on Chi Yu’s, searching for any hint of emotion. “Don’t give me that ‘breaking up for my own good’ crap.”

“I won’t be okay after we break up.”

“And you better not transfer schools.”

Fu Zhi’an’s chest heaved with emotion, his tone firm yet laced with a subtle tremor. He forced a smile, trying to mask the despair and vulnerability in his eyes.

“When did you start liking me?”

Fu Zhi’an hesitated for a moment before blurting out, “The second time I saw you.”

“Because the first time I saw you, you looked too pissed.”

Outside the door, Wang Xiao chewed on his pen, struggling to figure out how Fu Zhi’an had jumped from the first formula straight to the answer. He thought about going in to ask. But through the gap in the curtains, he caught a glimpse of the two boys embracing inside.

It was a genuine, heartfelt hug, so sincere it was impossible to look away.

Wang Xiao rubbed the back of his neck, then turned to stand in front of the window, blocking it completely with his body. Biting down on his pen, he scribbled a note in the margins of his paper.

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