The blanket covered most of Chi Wang's face, making the emotions in his eyes even more inscrutable.
The two were very close, so close that their shallow and deep breaths intertwined.
The room was silent, and with each passing second, the strange atmosphere intensified.
In Su Lian's mind, the opening of "Fate Symphony" had already played several times, each rendition more tragic than the last.
Feeling uneasy, he went on the offensive: "Fuck, why did you suddenly open your eyes? You scared me."
Chi Wang's voice still carried a hint of sleepiness as he slowly said, "I woke up when you were touching my chest. I thought it was my dog at first."
No wonder he kept getting caught no matter how he retreated. If only he had known earlier, he wouldn't have struggled in vain.
Su Lian belatedly realized: "Who the fuck are you calling a dog?"
Chi Wang rubbed his face and chuckled: "No, don't take it personally."
Su Lian, under the other's scrutinizing gaze, tried to maintain his composure and looked away.
Regaining his resolve, he propped himself up on the bed, awkwardly rolled over, and planted his bare feet on the floor.
First crawling into bed in the middle of the night, then groping the chest, followed by throwing himself into the other's arms and denying it all - what would Chi Wang think?
It's hopeless, might as well move to another planet. Farewell.
Chi Wang saw through his embarrassment but didn't intend to make things difficult. He joked, "Are you performing acrobatics? Quite nimble."
"..."
Forced to face the awkwardness, Su Lian lowered his eyes, tugged at his wrinkled sweatshirt, and replied irritably, "Can't I be in a hurry to get out of bed because I need to pee?"
Chi Wang seemed particularly patient: "Sure, the bathroom is out and to the left. Do you need me to show you the way?"
"No need. Thanks for letting me stay. I'm leaving." Su Lian grabbed his backpack from the sofa and quickly retreated.
Chi Wang didn't try to keep him, just wrapped himself in the blanket, turned over, and went back to sleep.
Staying up late to entertain guests was too tiring.
Especially when the guest was restless in bed.
Su Lian tiptoed to the door, his gaze sweeping over the cigarette pack that had fallen to the ground.
He pretended to accidentally kick it, sending the box under the bed.
After leaving the internet cafe, he circled back to Eighth High School, sneaking into the classroom just in time.
Forced back into campus life, the math teacher, stimulated by Su Lian's bizarre performance yesterday, skeptically called on him again.
This time, with a hint of challenge, he chose the last big question from a previous year's college entrance exam.
In his previous life, when Su Lian entered the middle of his second year of high school, the bad student had an epiphany and reformed, improving his grades through the most straightforward method - solving countless practice problems.
With his good memory, he could recall almost every problem he had done before. Upon seeing the question stem, he instinctively wrote out the steps and the answer.
While the teacher was still in shock, Su Lian had already hidden his skills and fame, returning to his seat amidst the murmurs of his classmates.
He was genuinely quite distracted.
Recalling the past ten or so hours since his travel back in time, he realized he truly didn't get along with this life's Chi Wang. Every encounter had been a series of social deaths and majorly awkward situations.
The details were simply too embarrassing to face.
Su Lian pinched the bridge of his nose with his left hand, while his other hand in his pocket felt a hard lighter. He lowered his eyes and pulled it out - it was the one Chi Wang had used to light up last night, somehow ending up in his pocket.
The flickering flame before his eyes refused to dissipate, and he recalled his subconscious wish, causing his heart to waver once more.
If he let Chi Wang continue down this path, the outcome would likely be the same as last time.
Although that person seemed a bit stupid now, his nature was indeed not bad - to put it nicely, he was quite kind and sincere.
According to his experience from the previous life, they had been distant parallel lines with no intersection before the age of twenty.
If he wanted to correct those messy bad habits, perhaps he needed to get closer.
For instance, by transferring schools.
Having not experienced campus life for so long, Su Lian felt mentally and physically exhausted after the last class, feeling more tired than if he had performed two consecutive surgeries.
He followed the crowd out of Eighth High School, and just as bus 807 arrived at the stop, he habitually leaped onto it. As the doors closed, he realized it was the route home.
"Beep - Bus card"
The screen displayed the balance: 1.32 yuan, quite meager.
Su Lian pressed his lips together, tossed the bus card into his backpack, and found a window seat.
Since going to the Imperial Capital for school, he had never returned to this old district of Fog City. Returning home after so long, he felt a strange mix of emotions.
The scenery flashed by outside the window, stopping and starting, and an hour later, the bus halted at the edge of a dilapidated street.
Bus 807 came to a screeching stop, and a group of people noisily disembarked.
Su Lian slung his backpack over his shoulder, jumped off the bus, and followed the winding stairs upward.
In the nearby courtyard, several tables and chairs were pushed together, with a group of old men sitting around playing chess, arguing over the outcome. A bunch of kids ran around wildly, and a girl with pigtails slipped on the moss and started wailing loudly.
It was noisy, but full of life.
Su Lian expressionlessly picked up the pigtailed girl from the ground, casually patted her head a couple of times as a form of comfort. He then turned and entered the adjacent alley, walking straight to the last house.
The walls were mottled, covered with colorful flyers. He reached up and tore down a small advertisement featuring a provocative woman, crumpled it into a ball, and pushed open the door.
"You little dog, you're back." A voice came from the inner room, interspersed with uncontrollable coughing.
Su Lian swallowed hard, his eyes dry: "Dad, long time no see."
That title struggled to come out of his throat, and he realized how unfamiliar it had become.
He stood beneath the cracked doorframe, his 1.83-meter frame making the small space seem even more cramped.
His eyes swept over Su Huasheng, who was wearing a worn-out tank top. After not seeing him for several years, his emotions became somewhat uncontrollable.
Su Huasheng gave him a puzzled look, "It's only been a week, is that long?"
"... Didn't go out today?" Su Lian exhaled, changing the subject.
"Ran deliveries until 3 AM yesterday, just got up."
Su Huasheng stood up, took out a small cake from the nearby refrigerator and placed it on the coffee table: "Besides, isn't it your birthday today? I thought you'd be back late at night, so I didn't cook."
Su Lian let out a dry "Oh," his fingers clenching tightly, turning white at the tips.
The cheap packaging on the cake was torn open, and Su Huasheng began inserting candles, glancing over: "Why are you just standing there?"
"You rest, I'll cook." Su Lian threw his backpack on the low cabinet, rolled up his school uniform sleeves, and bent down to enter the kitchen.
Su Huasheng eyed him suspiciously, thinking that today must be some kind of anomaly.
He felt that his son was quite different from usual, but couldn't pinpoint exactly what had changed.
Half an hour later, two dishes and a soup were served, looking quite presentable.
Su Huasheng stared at the table, once again lost in thought, wondering if his son had hit his head and suddenly become enlightened.
He mustered the courage to take a bite, mumbling: "Is there anything you want for your birthday gift? I'll say upfront, I can't afford anything expensive."
Su Lian paused for a few seconds before slowly speaking: "I want to transfer schools, to Class 6 at Third High School."
He had heard from Chi Wang's friends before that they were the "Three Musketeers" of Class 6. The name was silly, but memorable.
"You..." Su Huasheng furrowed his brow, years of running around had etched deep wrinkles between his eyebrows.
"It took so much effort to get you into Eighth High School, and now you want to do what?"
Given his past misdeeds, Su Lian silently cursed, feeling somewhat guilty: "Just consider it a birthday gift."
Su Huasheng snorted: "You think transferring to Third High School will improve your terrible grades?"
"Trust me one last time... this really is the last time."
Su Lian hadn't been a bad student for so long, his skills were rusty. He almost stumbled over his triple assertion of "last time": "This time I'll really study hard."
Su Huasheng stared at him deeply, lit the candles with a lighter, and said nothing more.
The next two days were the weekend, and Su Huasheng resumed his early departures and late returns, but the topic of transferring schools was never brought up again.
Su Lian knew that this request was indeed difficult, and he figured he'd have to wait until after the placement test results came out. Then he could use his grades as leverage to negotiate with the school himself.
After lunch on Sunday, Su Huasheng pulled him up from the sofa: "Come on, I'll take you to school."
"No need, it's still early, I can go by myself." Su Lian reached for his school uniform on the sofa, lowering his head to put it on.
"Don't bother, let's go." Su Huasheng impatiently pushed him towards the door, not bothering to explain further.
The old motorcycle outside had lost its paint. Su Lian helped push it towards the small path: "Really, no need to send me. I won't skip classes anymore."
Su Huasheng let out a light snort, tossed him the helmet, and swung onto the motorcycle: "Stop talking nonsense."
The cool, concise style was something Su Lian had inherited from him.
The motorcycle roared through the wind, with a massive whooshing sound rushing past. They sped through streets and alleys, onto the bridge, becoming a blurred shadow racing through the chaos of Fog City.
Su Lian sat on the back seat, feeling his knuckles stinging from the wind, yet sensing the warmth radiating from Su Huasheng's back.
He sniffled and awkwardly scooted forward another inch.
By the time his face felt numb from the wind, the motorcycle screeched to a halt in front of Eighth high school.
Su Huasheng swung his leg off, clicking his tongue: "What are you spacing out for? Go pack your stuff and head to Third high school."
"Transferred?" Su Lian snapped back to reality, taking off his helmet and placing it on the back seat.
"Yeah, this is really the last time I'm trusting you. If you don't study hard, you'll see how I'll beat you. Oh, and report to Class 6 for evening self-study first."
Su Huasheng gave his shoulder a push and transferred 500 yuan to his WeChat: "That's all I've got, use it wisely. I've paid your boarding fees for one semester. Usually just eat at the cafeteria, don't go out too much."
Su Lian licked his lower lip and nodded coolly: "Got it."
"Off you go, you little rascal," Su Huasheng scolded with a smile, then added, "Your cooking wasn't bad. You'll cook again next weekend."
Su Lian couldn't hold back a smile as he agreed.
He entered the Eighth high school dormitory with familiarity. His roommates hadn't returned yet, leaving the room empty. He methodically packed all his belongings, which only filled a small suitcase.
Perhaps due to his naturally cold personality, his relationship with his roommates was lukewarm at best, mere nodding acquaintances.
Now that he was packing to leave, it didn't seem necessary to say goodbye.
Su Lian paused for a few seconds at the door, gripping his suitcase handle, then left nonchalantly.
He strolled along the road towards Third high school, stopping by a nearby supermarket to buy some daily necessities and a bunch of health products.
Angelica, notoginseng, fern root powder... After checking out a mishmash of items, only half of the 500 yuan remained.
Poverty made one's cells separate from the cell wall. Su Lian hadn't experienced the taste of being strapped for cash in a long time.
Now, staring at the numbers, he felt his brain ache, wishing the remaining 250 yuan in his pocket could undergo mitosis.
Circling back to Third high school, he followed the signs, almost getting lost after several turns, before finally finding the boys' dormitory building.
The dorm manager was a woman in her fifties who spoke a mix of dialect and standard Mandarin: "Wait a sec, which room are you in?"
"I don't know, I just transferred here. Could you help me check?" Su Lian held his suitcase handle, feigning innocence.
When a handsome guy acts cute, even aunties melt.
The curly-haired auntie immediately beamed: "Oh, you're new. I know then. Su Lian from Class 6, right? Room 403."
She noisily pulled open a nearby drawer, rummaged around haphazardly, and pulled out a large bunch of keys. After flipping through them for a while, she finally picked one out and handed it over.
"Thank you," Su Lian took it, holding it in his hand.
The auntie, now chatty, couldn't help but ramble on: "You have two troublesome roommates, don't learn from them. The main gate closes at midnight, lights out at 12:30. If you're late, you'll have to sleep on the street. Even if a handsome guy acts cute, I won't open up. That's how strict I am."
Su Lian: "...Alright."
Twirling the keychain with his fingers, he slowly climbed the stairs to the fourth floor and found room 403.
Opening the door, he saw a four-person room layout, with beds on top and desks below, all clearly visible.
The two upper bunks on the left had messy bedding, while the one on the right near the door was exceptionally tidy. With no choice left, his bed could only be the one by the window.
After quickly tidying up, he glanced at the time and realized evening self-study was about to start.
Su Lian expressionlessly plugged in the expensive blender he'd bought and threw in all the health ingredients - angelica, notoginseng, fern root powder...
He added some water and let it simmer for a while, making do as dinner.
Afterwards, he made another portion and poured it into a thermos.
It wasn't just smoking that was the last straw that broke the camel's back. With Chi Wang's current lifestyle, he was bound to develop health issues sooner or later.
As a caring person, there were too many problems to address, so he had to start with a healthy diet.
After finishing everything, he picked up his schoolbag and left. After many twists and turns, he finally found Class 6's classroom.
Standing at the back door, he was hesitating whether to enter when he saw the three brothers sitting in the last two rows, chatting idly, quite punctual.
Gu Anjiu, face flushed, was eagerly sharing the latest gossip: "I heard that the gangster from Eighth high school transferred here. His origin story is pretty badass - he fought five guys at once, beat them black and blue, all ended up injured. Even the teachers didn't dare ask too much about it, and it was eventually swept under the rug."
"That's weird, why did he have to transfer to our class?" Lin Yan rested his chin on his hand, joining the discussion.
Chi Wang, looking like he'd pulled an all-nighter, yawned without even raising his eyelids: "Why should I care?"
Su Lian: "....."
Well, how to put it? When he first entered junior high, being from a single-parent family and eye-catching, he was cornered in the bathroom by a group of little hooligans on the first day of school. They said they wanted to teach him a lesson, make him less conspicuous, tone it down a bit.
Su Lian found it amusing. He hadn't done anything, why should he tone it down?
The other side threw the first punch, and being bullied naturally called for retaliation. Su Lian, pushed against the wall, fought back fiercely.
That one-against-five fight became his origin story, and it was highly effective. From then on, no one dared to mess with him again.
Although his grades weren't great at the time, he wasn't really a typical gangster. He just had hard fists and fought viciously.
As the story spread, details were exaggerated by middlemen, and his glorious image became increasingly bizarre and exaggerated.
Gu Anjiu pondered for a moment before boldly speculating: "Wang, he suddenly transferred to our class after school's been in session for days. Is he trying to challenge your status in the school hierarchy?"
Lin Yan tapped on the desk, analyzing rationally: "Maybe he has a grudge against Wang and wants to confront him up close."
Su Lian was once again speechless, thinking these guys must all have persecution complexes.
Just as he pushed the back door open a crack, a hand suddenly clapped his shoulder: "What are you looking at?"
Su Lian turned around and explained to the half-bald man: "Hello, teacher. I just transferred to Class 6."
"Oh, I heard about that." The homeroom teacher, Li Guoqing, rubbed his few remaining hairs, his tone cold, clearly unhappy about the arrival of this rumored gangster.
He forcefully pushed open the back door with a bang, causing many in the classroom to turn their heads.
Li Guoqing swept his gaze around the room, then fixed on the back two rows with a click of his tongue: "What are you looking at? Have you three finished writing your self-criticism for sneaking out of the dorm the other day? Hand them to me before evening self-study ends."
"Mr. Li, we were wrong," Gu Anjiu immediately sat up straight, looking innocent. "Is 500 words okay?"
Li Guoqing kept a stern face, his tone even: "No negotiation. Not one word less, and if you say another word, I'll add a thousand for each of you. Oh, Su Lian, just find an empty seat for now."
Su Lian nodded, carrying his schoolbag into the classroom under everyone's scrutiny. He pulled out the chair next to Chi Wang, ignoring the inquiring gazes, and sat down calmly.
"What are you all looking at? Do your exercises," Li Guoqing was particularly irritable today, glaring at the students watching the spectacle.
Everyone retracted their curious gazes, pretending to focus.
Li Guoqing walked away, hands clasped behind his back.
Having just heard the name, Gu Anjiu hadn't reacted yet. His back went numb as he gaped: "Handsome guy, are you Su... Su... Su..."
"Ni-nine bro, why are you st-stuttering like m-me?" A skinny boy next to him struggled to speak.
"Little Monkey, don't interrupt." Gu Anjiu blinked, shocked. "It can't be such a coincidence, right?"
"Yes, I'm Su Lian."
It took Gu Anjiu a while to recover: "Damn, he's that school tyrant from Eighth high school."
Chi Wang turned his head to observe his new deskmate for a few seconds, thinking that with that temperament of biting people even while asleep, it wasn't too surprising.
Terrified by Su Lian's reputation, Gu Anjiu grabbed Lin Yan for comfort: "Bro, what was I thinking that day? How could I ask a big shot to work part-time? Am I about to meet my maker? For the sake of our brotherhood, could you prepare some paper money for me?"
Lin Yan patted his shoulder sympathetically: "It's okay, I'm in this too. I even offered him 250 yuan per hour. Why don't we find a place with good feng shui and be buried together?"
Chi Wang couldn't help but laugh: "You're hopeless."
"Wang, he suddenly appeared at the internet cafe a few days ago, and now he's chosen to sit next to you. He must have a purpose. Be careful, he might really be here to cause trouble for you," Gu Anjiu was quite cowardly, whispering in his ear.
"I'm not deaf, I can hear you." Su Lian placed his thermos on the desk with a crisp clang.
His intimidating presence made the two students in front turn around abruptly, clumsily holding their Chinese textbooks upside down, pretending to read.
Su Lian emotionlessly pushed the thermos to the adjacent desk and said in a low voice, "Thanks for letting me stay over that night. Here's some dinner for you."
"I'm actually a bit hungry. How thoughtful, thanks," Chi Wang replied.
Leaning back in his chair tiredly, Chi Wang thought to himself that this feared "social brother" was quite considerate after all.
He unscrewed the cap with one hand, completely unsuspecting, and took a big gulp.
A sticky sensation rolled down his throat, and a strange flavor exploded in his mouth.
Before he could savor it properly, an indescribable bitterness shot straight to the top of his head, followed by a lingering sour aftertaste that seemed to echo for days.
Even the legendary Shennong would have been impressed by this concoction.
Chi Wang nearly died on the spot from that single sip.
"You call this dinner?" he exclaimed, placing the thermos back on the desk with an expression of utter disbelief. "Nemesis, are you trying to poison me?"