(1)
“Chao Ge, where are you heading after school today?” Lei Laohu said with a hint of teasing, greeting Zhou Chao, who was leaning against the school gate with one foot propped against the wall.
That “Chao Ge” was a small joke meant to show friendliness. With graduation approaching, the aggression on his face seemed to have faded a lot; he looked as if he had matured overnight.
“Yeah, I’m planning to take my brothers for a ride today.”
“Not bad. Too bad your motorcycle only seats two, otherwise you could take me along.”
“Ha, it can actually seat three, but I’d probably have to carry three.”
“Hah, take me for a ride sometime too! Tsk, once I start high school, I want to buy a motorcycle myself.”
“Sure, if you’re thinking of buying a motorcycle, you can ask me for advice.”
“Alright, then I’ll ride the motorcycle to T City for school and ride it back home after class—fun and convenient.”
“Ha, that would be a thrill every day.”
“Hey, I knew you’d understand the joy of riding!”
“Zhou Chao! Are you coming to play games with Young Master today or not?” Sun Wei ran out of school quickly, carrying a backpack that looked like it hadn’t been washed in three years. Usually, he was among the first to rush out, but today he got caught by the teacher to help with some chores.
“You play games every day, man.”
“Occasionally, occasionally. What do you mean every day? At least one or two days a week I have to hurry home.”
Zhou Chao was amused. “The hell kind of ‘occasionally’ is that?”
“Ah Wei, how’s it going? Is Zhou Chao coming?” Fang Qiang came out right behind Sun Wei. The weather was probably unbearably hot for him—he had not only rolled up the sleeves of his short-sleeved shirt but also lifted the hem, revealing a belly that, while lacking a six-pack, was still solid—unfortunately, the thick black hair was a bit off-putting.
“He’s not coming.”
“Oh, Ah Qiang, not working today?”
“Balance work and rest, play once in a while.” Fang Qiang grinned, naturally draping his hairy arm over Lei Laohu’s shoulder. “Lei Laohu, want to go play games?”
“No, I’m out of money.”
“I’ll treat you, I’ll treat you. It’s just two arcade tokens!”
“Alright… let’s go!”
“Zhou Chao…” An Jing squinted against the sun and walked over to him weakly. “Let’s go for a ride… Xiao Ying said she’s not going today.”
“Hmph, Big Fox Spirit, take good care of Xiao Jing for me.”
“Ha…! Don’t worry!” Zhou Chao was startled at first, then chuckled softly. “Are you going home with Wangwang today to figure out how to make new pastries?”
“Yeah, I want to work on how to make matcha mini cakes today.” Zhu Ying stretched and glanced at Wang Xinru, who was wearing long sleeves and long pants yet still had a dry forehead without a drop of sweat. “We’re planning to buy ingredients right now.”
“Will I be able to eat them when I get back from the ride?” An Jing tilted her head and asked.
“That depends on how smoothly things go today!”
Just as everyone was waving, saying simple goodbyes, and heading off in different directions, a sudden rush of hurried footsteps came from not far away. Before anyone else could react, Zhou Chao felt someone grab his collar hard.
(2-1)
Zheng Kang had come to pick up Ninth Love.
During the last class of the day, the teacher wasn’t there. Some students were studying in the classroom, while others had gone to the playground—no one was there to supervise.
But he was different. Ten minutes into the last class, he had climbed over the school wall and left.
To avoid being discovered, he didn’t even bother bringing his backpack and rushed straight to Small City No.2 Middle School without stopping.
To surprise Ninth Love, he even bought a bouquet of flowers on the way—even though it wasn’t a special day, he thought such a sudden surprise would surely feel romantic to her.
He was so confident because, back then, it was exactly this move that won her heart and made her his.
But in fact… this had also left a hidden flaw.
If Ninth Love could be taken from someone else by him, could she be taken from him by someone who treated her even better?
Zheng Kang hadn’t worried at first, but as time passed, his suspicions grew.
Although he felt he had always been good to Ninth Love, he wasn’t as skinny as he was three years ago anymore—he had gained a lot of weight.
This made him lose some confidence in himself, so he tried to make up for it by being even better to her. But her attitude grew colder day by day.
Even though he tried to tell himself that this was just how it was when a relationship became stable, he couldn’t help overthinking.
That’s why today, no matter what, he had to pick her up at the school gate. He wanted her classmates to see clearly that he was her real boyfriend.
When Zheng Kang arrived at the school gate with the flowers, school had already let out.
The bustling entrance was full of students, but he immediately spotted Ninth Love standing across the street, staring into space.
“Xiao Ai!” he waved excitedly, raising the bouquet high.
He expected a surprised smile, but she showed no reaction, just staring blankly into the distance.
Zheng Kang followed her gaze and saw a boy leaning against the wall by the school gate.
Beside him stood several pretty girls, along with a few other boys who were saying goodbye.
He was even more handsome than in first year of junior high—not only had he not gained weight, but his features looked even more sculpted and angular.
“Xiao Ai… what are you looking at?”
“Ah? Huh? Nothing.”
Zheng Kang took a deep breath, forcing a smile, and tried to make his voice as gentle as possible. “Here, I climbed over the wall to buy these for you. They’re the freshest flowers.”
“Mm… thanks.” Ninth Love casually hugged the bouquet without even looking at it, her eyes scanning Zheng Kang’s face before instinctively glancing back.
“Why are you looking at him…”
“Nothing. I was just surprised he hasn’t changed much.”
“You… do you actually want to get back together with him? Don’t you know what a scumbag he is?!” Zheng Kang got a bit agitated.
“I don’t…”
“Then he must have approached you, right? I’ll go talk to him and tell him to stay away!”
Zheng Kang crossed the road without another word. A van coming from a distance nearly crashed into the flowerbed beside the road before barely managing to stop.
“You looking to die, you brat!”
The van driver’s angry shout went completely unheard by Zheng Kang. Now, his eyes were fixed only on the boy chatting with others—Zhou Chao.
The girls around him were all pretty, and they all seemed to have an ambiguous relationship with him.
—Disgusting!
Zheng Kang gritted his teeth, quickened his pace, and grabbed the other’s collar roughly. “I’m warning you!”
(3)
The sudden turn of events stunned everyone for several seconds. Even after snapping out of it, no one understood what had happened.
Sun Wei was the first to ask, “Damn, Zhou Chao, did you mess with his girlfriend?”
“Hell no, I never mess with women who have boyfriends, alright? Even a son of a bitch wouldn’t do that, would he?”
Zheng Kang’s forehead veins bulged as if hit where it hurt. He yanked Zhou Chao’s collar tight. “I’m warning you, stay away from Xiao Ai!”
“…Xiao Ai?” Zhou Chao finally realized something.
But An Jing beside him was even more surprised. “Ahh—! You’re that guy who made Zhou Chao wear the green hat!”
“What are you talking about?! He was the one who treated Xiao Ai badly, so she broke up with him!” Zheng Kang glared fiercely at An Jing, but Zhu Ying glared back angrily.
“What are you looking at? Trying to lay a hand on my Xiao Jing?”
“Look, don’t be ridiculous, alright?” Zhou Chao said with a helpless smile, slowly pressing down on Zheng Kang’s hand that was gripping his collar. “Even I’m not that into sloppy seconds.”
“What did you say?!?!”
Bang!
“If you’ve got something to say, say it nicely. Don’t start throwing punches!” Lei Laohu, who had already walked off, came back and stood in front of Zhou Chao, tilting his head to whisper, “Hey, Zhou Chao, if it’s your fault, you should apologize quickly.”
Zhou Chao wiped his mouth, half annoyed and half amused. “It’s got nothing to do with me. I haven’t exchanged a word with that woman in years.”
“The thief cries ‘Stop thief.’” Fang Qiang sneered. His build was much bigger than Zheng Kang’s, and he seemed to have grown a bit taller recently. For a middle school student, just standing there was like a wall, casting a heavy shadow. “Do you think I don’t know what kind of people you and that woman are? And you still have the nerve to come here and say that? If Zhou Chao hadn’t held me back back then, I’d have gone to your school and taught you a lesson.”
“No matter what, Zhou Chao would never have anything to do with that woman again.” An Jing nodded, frowning. “Accusing him without knowing the facts and hitting him—aren’t you going too far?”
“Hah, you think I don’t know? Someone told me that Xiao Ai has been going to Class Five a lot recently, and she even walks part of the way home with a few boys from Class Five after school.”
“…” Zhou Chao glanced sideways at Sun Wei.
An Jing’s eyes were practically rolling back.
Fang Qiang’s mouth twitched, and he was momentarily speechless.
As for Sun Wei, he had come to watch the fun, but now he realized the real protagonist of this scene was himself! His face instantly twitched—and his legs started trembling along with it.
Lei Laohu looked at the others in confusion. Though he didn’t understand what was going on, he sensed a subtle shift in the atmosphere.
Zhu Ying was about to speak, but An Jing gently squeezed her hand. She turned back and saw her quietly shake her head.
“Hah, looks like you’ve done your homework.” Zhou Chao wiped the corner of his mouth hard, stood up straight with a faint smile, and puffed out his chest. “Then I won’t pretend anymore. Haven’t had a woman in a while, so I thought I’d see if I could go back to an old flame.”
“I’LL F*ING KILL YOU!!!” Zheng Kang exploded in rage. He never expected Zhou Chao to be so arrogant, not even offering a single word of explanation.
Lei Laohu frowned. He didn’t help fight back. Watching Fang Qiang step in and wrestle with the opponent, he suddenly remembered something and looked back at Sun Wei. “Hmm… that Ninth Love—she always comes to find you, doesn’t she?”
“I…”
“Remember to treat us to a meal then.” Lei Laohu clicked his tongue and shook his head, then cracked his neck and charged in too. “You want to lay a hand on my brother? You’re asking for it!”
An Jing patted the ashen-faced Sun Wei gently and sighed softly. “Ah Wei… now do you understand the weight of the word ‘brothers’?”