Chapter 0030

The intercity bus from the city to the east side was always half-empty. Leaving the concrete jungle of the city, the scenery along the way was vast and empty, a grayish expanse.

In what should have been the lush end of summer, sparse, dry grass clung to the ground, a stubborn hint of green unwillingly showing amidst the withered brown. Lu Ze sat by the window, the faint smell of gasoline filling the bus. He was wearing headphones, still on the phone with Li Ang.

“It’s just a bit of pharyngitis, not a big deal. I’ve talked to my friend there, he’ll take care of her, don’t worry too much…”

Lu Ze glanced out the window and said in a deep voice, “Okay, thank you.”

Every time Lu Ze visited Sun Shuqin, he would stand at the door for a long time, feeling as if vines were growing from the ground, wrapping around his body, a sense of suffocation rising involuntarily.

The moment he sat down opposite Sun Shuqin, separated by the glass, the vines suddenly sprouted thorns, piercing his heart and blood vessels, the unbearable pain finally overwhelming him.

She looked even more haggard than before, her eyes sunken, the whites of her eyes yellowed. Her hair was completely white despite her being only in her forties. The blue uniform hung loosely on her shoulders, and she looked swallowed by the thin plastic chair. Only when she saw Lu Ze did a flicker of life appear on her sallow face.

“Are you still coughing?” Lu Ze asked about her health as soon as he sat down.

“Not anymore, I’m fine, they’re all taking good care of me, don’t worry about me, how are you…”

Sun Shuqin didn’t talk much about herself, instead asking and reminding Lu Ze about many things.

How have you been eating lately? Are you sick? Are your studies tiring? Eat more fruits and vegetables. Summer is almost over, don’t sleep with the windows open at night, you’ll catch a cold…

She couldn’t ask anything new, still the same trivial, everyday questions, about the life of her son, whom she hadn’t been a part of for a long time but constantly worried about.

Lu Ze answered all her questions, his answers mostly the same: I’m fine, don’t worry, and so on. Sometimes he would add a few more details, like saying the old water dispenser at home was broken and he had bought a new one.

These were all lies. The apartment was empty, there wasn’t even a stool in the living room, let alone a water dispenser.

When visiting Sun Shuqin, Lu Ze often made up such stories, simply because she was always especially happy when he said these things.

The more specific details made her feel as if she was there, as if she was really a part of his life.

Before leaving, Lu Ze took out his report card, unfolded it, and pressed it against the glass. “I had my monthly exam, did okay.”

Sun Shuqin leaned forward to look. A faint glimmer appeared in her eyes, which had long become like a dry well from years of crying.

Her lips trembled as she nodded repeatedly. “Good… good…”

Then she heard Lu Ze say, “Take care of yourself, Mom.”

——

The two-day holiday was worse than no holiday at all. Two days off, two hundred days’ worth of test papers.

What drowning in a sea of problems, this was a tsunami. Gu Yan was dizzy from doing test papers. His phone kept vibrating next to him. It was Xiao Jin going crazy.

Earth Chief: I’m going to riot! I’m really going to riot! Why can’t I come and see you??

After coming to Lingnan High, Gu Yan realized how merciful his previous high school had been. Xiao Jin had sent a message saying he wanted to come to Lingnan to see him on the second.

Gu Yan calculated the time. He had to go back to school for self-study on the third, and he still had a pile of test papers that could burst his backpack. He told Xiao Jin not to come yet, so Xiao Jin started complaining dramatically.

Earth Chief: You don’t love me anymore, do you have someone else there? You scumbag!

Tangent: [Eye roll]

Gu Yan took pictures of the holiday notice and the thick stack of test papers and sent them to Xiao Jin, who finally quieted down.

Earth Chief: Holy shit, insane.

Only the two experimental classes on the fourth floor of Takeoff Building were open. The classroom was filled with bowed heads, everyone writing furiously, except for the empty seat next to Gu Yan.

During the break, Song Yang, feeling extremely unbalanced, leaned on the railing outside Experimental Class 2 and wailed. His voice echoed in the empty building. Gu Yan and Goudan, embarrassed, dragged him back to the classroom.

Near noon, Song Yang turned around and asked Gu Yan, “What are we eating for lunch?”

Gu Yan, used to just grabbing something, couldn’t think of anything. It was a holiday, and there were no stalls at the school gate. The notice said that a window would be open in the cafeteria, but this notice was basically useless. No one cared. No one usually went to the cafeteria, and even fewer people would go there during the holidays.

“Whatever, anything.”

Song Yang clearly wasn’t planning on “whatever.” He looked like he was about to channel his frustration into his appetite. “No one’s watching us these days, let’s buy something good to eat.”

Gu Yan glanced at him. “Don’t tell me you’re planning on setting up a feast in the classroom.”

Song Yang craned his neck and cupped his hands around his mouth to call Goudan, but Ci Xiaolin glared at him, so he sat back down obediently and fiddled with his phone under his desk.

After a while, he turned to Gu Yan. “After school, Goudan, Zhao Jing, and I will go to the snack street on Qingyuan Street to get takeout. Your foot is injured, so don’t come with us, it’s quite far. We’ll eat together when we get back…”

Gu Yan thought for a moment. “Then I’ll go buy some drinks later.”

“Okay.”

Only Old Ge was at Qingkou. When Gu Yan entered, the old man was fiddling with something with his back to the door.

The automatic sensor at the door announced “Welcome,” and the old man jumped, startled, turning around quickly. Gu Yan saw a small wine cup in his hand.

Seeing who it was, he visibly relaxed, muttering, “You scared me.”

Gu Yan went to the shelf by the wall and grabbed a bunch of drinks, then went to check out. Old Ge looked at him and said, “Eh?”

“Are you Xiao Ze’s classmate? You came looking for him last time…”

It took Gu Yan a while to connect the affectionate nickname with Lu Ze. He asked, “Lu Ze?”

Old Ge fiddled with the scanner and looked up. “Yeah.”

“Yeah, we’re classmates.”

Gu Yan stood at the counter, watching Old Ge press the scanner a few times, but it didn’t turn on. He patted it irritably, but it was still useless. He tossed it aside. “What high-tech crap, why does it keep malfunctioning…”

Old Ge threw the scanner aside. “Just transfer me twenty yuan.”

Gu Yan glanced at the drinks on the counter, estimating that it would be at least thirty something. “Twenty? I took quite a lot…”

Old Ge waved his hand. “Twenty, since you’re Xiao Ze’s classmate, consider it a discount. Just come and support my business more often.” He walked to his recliner by the wall, then turned back and added, “It’s okay even if you don’t buy anything, you can come and hang out with Xiao Ze, he’s often here.”

Gu Yan took out his phone to scan the QR code, thought for a moment, and transferred thirty yuan. The speaker announced, “Thirty yuan received.”

“Hey—” Old Ge sat up from his recliner and looked at Gu Yan, then chuckled hoarsely. “Quite the principled young man…”

There were several bottles on the counter. Gu Yan turned to the wall. “Uncle, can I have a bag?”

Old Ge was concentrating on finding a channel on his radio. He pointed. “There are some behind the counter, get them yourself.”

Gu Yan thought, you’re really trusting.

The door sensor beeped twice, announcing “Welcome.” It wasn’t unusual for people to come and go in a supermarket. Gu Yan didn’t pay much attention, just focusing on packing his drinks into a bag.

The newcomers quickly stopped at the counter. “A pack of Jade Stream cigarettes…”

Gu Yan looked up. Two young men, looking like thugs, were standing opposite him. One had yellow hair and a cigarette in his mouth, his thin frame emphasized by his tight-fitting shirt. The other one was more muscular, with short hair and a tattoo extending from his neck to behind his ear.

They clearly mistook Gu Yan for the shop owner. Gu Yan wanted to say he wasn’t, but then he saw Old Ge dozing off in his recliner by the wall.

He called out to Old Ge, but there was no response. The two men at the counter became impatient, tapping their fingers on the counter. “Hurry up, what are you doing!”

Gu Yan sighed and moved his drinks aside. The cigarettes were displayed separately in a glass cabinet behind the counter, with price tags underneath. He opened the cabinet and took out a pack.

“Twenty-three.” As he took out the cigarettes, Gu Yan was cautious, holding onto the pack until the man paid before handing it over.

Gu Yan was about to leave with his bag of drinks when Song Yang called, asking when he would be back.

As he was talking, he saw the yellow-haired guy take a pack of gum from the shelf near the door and quickly put it in his pocket.

“Do you need us to come and get you…” Song Yang asked on the phone.

Gu Yan said into the phone, “No, I’m at Qingkou, I’ll be back soon… Holy shit!”

The yellow-haired guy, who had reached the door, took a can of drink from the cooler and put it in his pants pocket.

Tsk, that’s too much, do you think everyone is blind?

Gu Yan turned to look at the wall. The old man was dozing off in his recliner, looking very comfortable.

Seeing the two about to leave, Gu Yan called out, “Dude, you have to pay for your stuff!”

Song Yang, who hadn’t hung up yet, was confused by Gu Yan’s sudden outburst, repeatedly asking “Huh?” on the phone.

The two thugs didn’t take Gu Yan seriously at all. The tattooed man didn’t even turn around. The yellow-haired one did glance back, a smirk on his face, as if challenging him.

Gu Yan chased after them with his phone. Just as he lifted the plastic curtain at the door, he saw Lu Ze not far away, about to enter the supermarket.

Lu Ze’s eyes fell on the two thugs, his brows furrowing slightly, his expression turning alert. His change of expression was more like a subconscious reaction, instantly becoming wary after seeing the two.

Gu Yan stood at the door. “Dude, did you forget to pay for something?”

Lu Ze glanced at the yellow-haired guy’s bulging pockets. He walked forward, blocking their way.

The two, probably used to acting arrogantly, showed no sign of panic after being caught. The tattooed man pushed Lu Ze’s shoulder unceremoniously.

“I’ve already paid, get out of my way if you know what’s good for you…”

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Ze, with an expressionless face, kicked the tattooed man’s knee. The move was so swift and decisive that even Gu Yan gasped. It looked painful.

He had some experience himself. When Lu Ze fought, he always aimed for vital points. He was fast and reacted quickly, his movements clean and efficient. Temples, solar plexus, joints, if you were hit by him, you wouldn’t recover for a while.

The tattooed man immediately bent over, clutching his knee and wailing. The yellow-haired guy, seeing this, swung his fist at Lu Ze, but Lu Ze slapped him on the head, sending him stumbling.

Song Yang kept saying “Hello? Hello?” on the phone. Gu Yan finally remembered that he hadn’t hung up yet.

“I’ll be back later, there’s a situation here.”

“What happened? Do you need us to come over?”

“No, someone’s causing trouble, Lu Ze is also here, he…” As Gu Yan was speaking, he saw the yellow-haired guy pull out a switchblade from his back pocket. The gleaming blade was at least fifteen centimeters long.

The last thing Song Yang heard on the phone was Gu Yan shouting “Lu Ze,” then the call was disconnected. He held his phone for a few seconds, stunned. Goudan asked him, “Are you stupid?”

“Someone’s causing trouble at Qingkou. The call was disconnected before he finished. I heard sounds like fighting, Older Brother Ze is also there.”

Zhao Jing came out of the classroom after putting down his things. “What are you two doing? Did you ask when Gu Yan will be back?”

Goudan: “Gu Yan and Older Brother Ze seem to be ambushed at Qingkou, they’re fighting.”

Zhao Jing froze, then turned and shouted into the classroom, “Boys, come out and help! Gu Yan and Older Brother Ze from our class are being attacked at Qingkou!”

The boys in the classroom grabbed stools, mops, and anything they could find, rushing out. Song Yang and Goudan each grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall and ran ahead.

But when they arrived, they were completely dumbfounded by the scene.

One person was lying on the ground, and the yellow-haired guy was sitting against the wall, covered in dust, half of his face red. He was holding a switchblade in front of him defensively, his face full of panic.

Not far away, Gu Yan was holding Lu Ze’s waist, trying to stop him from approaching.

Old Ge, holding a broom, stood beside them and tried to persuade him. “Alright, alright, that’s enough…”

The boys turned to Zhao Jing. “Who did you say was attacking whom?”

Zhao Jing turned to Goudan. “Who did you say was ambushing whom?”

Goudan looked at Song Yang.

Song Yang: “…”