.

Yu Fan went to pull him up with a look of disgust on his face.

Maybe it was his weak constitution, but even though Chen Jingshen had just finished a four-hundred-meter run, his hand was cold.

Zhuang Fangqin saw this from afar and was somewhat surprised.

When did these two get so close?

She walked over, glanced at the timer on her Mobile Phone, was somewhat satisfied, and then got even angrier.

"If last time you had any self-awareness and properly participated in Sports Day, would our class have ended up in last place?" Zhuang Fangqin said. "Especially you! Yu Fan!"

Yu Fan hauled the person off the ground and immediately let go. "Can't you make the rest of the class try harder?"

"Can't you have any sense of class honor?" Zhuang Fangqin smacked his head with her lesson plan, then turned to see the boy still catching his breath, and her attitude softened considerably. "Chen Jingshen, are you okay? Can you still run?"

Chen Jingshen nodded, his eyes lowered, looking like he hadn't recovered yet. "I can."

"Mm, if you really can't, then practice more. Don't just focus on studying all the time—your fitness needs to keep up too."

"Okay."

Zhuang Fangqin nodded, then asked the person beside her: "Wang Luan'an, why don't you take this chance to practice the three-thousand-meter run?"

"Fangqin, I'm not lying to you." Wang Luan'an said seriously. "The three-thousand-meter is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for me. If I run it today, I'll have to come to Sports Day in a wheelchair."

"..."

A few steps away, the girl was clutching her water bottle with both hands. Seeing Zhuang Fangqin standing there, she hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked away in disappointment.

Chen Jingshen's gaze swept over once, his lips pressed together, and he began to steady his breathing without anyone noticing.

Zhuang Fangqin gathered the students together, rattled off some running tips she probably made up, told them to practice whenever they had nothing to do, and then finally dismissed them.

Wang Luan'an got up from the ground. "Finally free to go, I'm beat."

Zhang Xianjing shot him a look. "Did you even move sitting on the ground? You're beat my ass."

"I'm beat on behalf of my bro," Wang Luan'an said. "Yu Fan, let's go, hit the Bubble Tea Shop for a bit?"

Yu Fan took his jacket from him. "Mm."

Wang Luan'an brushed the grass off his butt, caught sight of the person beside him in his peripheral vision, and blurted out, "Top student, wanna come?"

The life-or-death escape from the Internet Café before, plus the small talk just now—Wang Luan'an, who got friendly with people fast, figured he'd already gotten close to the top student.

But this was just a casual invitation.

Anyone with half a brain knew Chen Jingshen wouldn't go with guys like them to a place everyone else saw as a hangout for thugs—

"Sure," Chen Jingshen said.

Wang Luan'an: "?"

Yu Fan frowned, about to say don't follow us, but when he turned and met Chen Jingshen's eyes, he shut up.

Whatever, the guy's legs are his own, where he goes is none of his business.

The Bubble Tea Shop had a few tables for customers, and they were already half full.

They started a card game, and the others crowded around to watch.

Hearing the noise, Zuo Kuan asked around his cigarette, "What took you so long? Been waiting forever."

The shop wasn't busy at this hour, and since they were sitting in the back, a few guys smoked and played cards without a care, the place hazy with smoke.

Wang Luan'an said, "We got dragged off by Fangqin to run laps."

"You guys aren't actually gonna do Sports Day, are you?" someone asked.

"Yeah, actively responding to Fangqin's call." Wang Luan'an called to the person at the counter. "Boss lady, the usual, two taro milk teas, and pile the pearls in one of them—Top student, what are you having? My treat."

"Top student? Who's he talking to?" Zuo Kuan turned his head, puzzled. "Holy shit."

Even though he'd played games with this top student just the other day, seeing him show up with Yu Fan's crew still felt surreal.

And—maybe he'd heard Chen Jingshen's speeches at the flag ceremony too many times, but the moment Zuo Kuan saw him, he wanted to put out his cigarette.

"No need, I'll pay myself." Chen Jingshen took out his Mobile Phone and scanned to pay. "Same as them, thanks."

Wang Luan'an joked, "Top student, you got WeChat today?"

"Mm," Chen Jingshen answered seriously. "Made one."

"..."

Yu Fan tossed his jacket onto the sofa and sat down lazily.

It was a two-seater, but they all habitually left it for Yu Fan alone.

After ordering the milk tea, Wang Luan'an dragged a chair over. "Top student, here, sit—"

Something lightened beside Yu Fan's hand.

Chen Jingshen set his bag down beside him, then picked up Yu Fan's school uniform jacket, casually straightened it, and draped it over the bag.

Then he sat down next to Yu Fan as naturally as anything.

Yu Fan: "?"

The people around them all paused what they were doing, staring at the two of them in surprise.

Until someone burned their hand on a cigarette and yelped, "Ow, shit—"

Yu Fan came back to himself and nudged the person beside him with his knee. "Move over and sit somewhere else."

"It's fine," Chen Jingshen said. "I can sit here."

"?"

Yu Fan's brow furrowed. Zuo Kuan knew that was his pre-rage signal, so he exhaled his smoke, ready to watch the show.

He only heard Yu Fan click his tongue, then turn to look at him. "Try blowing smoke my way one more time, I dare you."

Zuo Kuan: "?"

"Wasn't on purpose," Zuo Kuan thought, you little shit, don't you smell this all the time, but his hands nimbly offered him a cigarette. "Want one?"

"Don't smoke," Yu Fan said. "Turn your head back."

"..."

Wang Luan'an brought the milk tea over. Yu Fan took his cup, took a sip, then pulled out his Mobile Phone and idly started his Snake Game career.

Chen Jingshen glanced at his fingers moving left and right. "You're not playing cards?"

"No."

Zuo Kuan and the others were playing Golden Flower, gambling. Yu Fan only ever played a round or two of Fight the Landlord when drawing doodles, and refused everything else. The others knew this about him, so they never invited him.

Chen Jingshen: "Then I'll do some homework."

Yu Fan: "..."

Everyone else: "??"

Yu Fan gripped his Mobile Phone tighter, just about to tell him to take his bag and scram, when a voice suddenly came from the shop door.

"A honey lemon—never mind..." Seeing who was sitting inside, the person turned to leave.

"Oh, isn't that Ding Xiao?" Seeing who it was, a playful smile crept across Zuo Kuan's face. He called out to him, "Why stand there? What are you scared of? Finish your order before you go."

Hearing the name, Wang Luan'an turned to look at the door. The smile vanished from his face instantly.

Only Yu Fan kept his head down, charging forward with his little snake.

Chen Jingshen glanced toward the shop door.

A tall, slightly chubby guy. Hearing Zuo Kuan's voice, his face went pale instantly.

A few seconds later, he stopped his retreat, clutched his bag, and forced out: "A honey lemon water."

"Come sit and wait," Zuo Kuan sneered.

"Forget it," Wang Luan'an said. "I'd lose my appetite looking at him, and then my taro milk tea would go to waste."

The guy called Ding Xiao's face went red, then white, looking completely miserable.

Until he caught sight of his parent's car in his peripheral vision.

He instantly seemed to find his courage. The moment the lemon water was ready, he snatched it up, then gritted his teeth and said word by word: "A bunch of losers."

Wang Luan'an stood up immediately and cursed: "Who are you calling? Come over here and say that again?"

Zuo Kuan threw down his cards and started to get up too.

But none of that was as scary as Yu Fan lifting his eyelids. Meeting Yu Fan's gaze, Ding Xiao's heart jumped, and he immediately turned and left, calling out as he walked: "Mom! Mom!"

What a dumbass.

Yu Fan lowered his head and continued.

"You retard! Nobody even touched you and you're calling for your mom, you mama's boy!"

Wang Luan'an shouted at the door, then turned around and met Chen Jingshen's eyes.

Wang Luan'an suddenly remembered there was a good student among them.

He pulled over a chair and sat down, his smile quickly returning. "Shit, top student, don't be scared, we're not usually like this."

Zuo Kuan glanced over at the sound, thinking, where do you see him scared? Isn't that still the same deadpan face?

Chen Jingshen asked: "Who is he?"

"Ding Xiao, Class 2—the class next door to yours before, you don't know him?" Wang Luan'an asked.

"Don't remember him."

"Then have you heard about Yu Fan smashing someone with a lunch tray in the cafeteria back in his first year?" Wang Luan'an said. "That's the guy he smashed."

Wang Luan'an still remembered that scene to this day.

That day, he'd slept all morning, woke up at noon starving, and insisted on dragging Yu Fan to the cafeteria with him. He'd even gotten his favorite sweet and sour pork ribs.

The tables in the School cafeteria were packed close together, and anyone passing by had to have the people on both sides make way.

So they could hear everything the people behind them were saying.

—"The girl at the desk in front of me, she confessed to that Yu Fan from Class 7 and got rejected, came back and cried the whole class, so annoying."

—"I can't stand girls like that. Bad grades, and she wears red underwear every day, her uniform's practically see-through, who does she think she's dressing up for? Oh... probably for Yu Fan, but sadly she's not big enough, Yu Fan wouldn't look at her, ha."

—"Every time she comes to me with questions, she pulls her collar down really low, she must like me too. But who am I? She couldn't even land Yu Fan, so she's dreaming if she thinks she can land me."

—"Hey, I got a photo, taken when she was tying her shoes, you wanna see? Her collar's open, you can see everything—"

That's when Yu Fan slammed the lunch tray onto his head.

Wang Luan'an hadn't even figured out what was happening before the food was sliding down Ding Xiao's hair and spilling all over the floor.

That was the first disciplinary action Yu Fan received since starting high school.

"Damn, you don't know how badass Yu Fan was back then. That move, that look, fierce as hell, everyone else in the cafeteria was so scared they didn't dare move." Wang Luan'an thought about it. "Only thing was, that sweet and sour pork was a shame—he hadn't even eaten two pieces before he gave it all to Ding Xiao."

Wang Luan'an told the story with great relish.

Midway through, Yu Fan originally wanted to interrupt him, but thought about it and held back.

"If I'd known you'd remember it till now," Yu Fan slid his snake, "I'd have picked those few pieces out of his hair and given them to you."

Wang Luan'an: "No need."

Zuo Kuan lit another cigarette: "Yu Fan, how do you even tolerate this asshole? If I were you, I'd have already—"

Yu Fan: "Drag him into the bathroom, close the door, bring a stick, bring a knife, knock out half his teeth, shave his head, cut off his fingers... you think I don't know all that? Who are you to teach me?"

Zuo Kuan: "?"

Wang Luan'an: "??"

Playing tough a bit too far there, bro. Haven't we always been straight with each other, bonding through fists? When did knives come into it?

"I can't be bothered with him, and—" Yu Fan said coldly, "compared to him, I'd rather beat up those clingy types."

Chen Jingshen grabbed his own bag.

Yu Fan: "And those who open their mouths about nothing but studying and homework."

Chen Jingshen opened his bag.

Yu Fan: "I'll beat up anyone like that every time I see them from now on."

Chen Jingshen took out his homework.

Yu Fan: "."

Yu Fan suppressed the urge to hit someone, gripped his Mobile Phone, and lay back down.

The others were a bit stunned seeing Chen Jingshen's setup.

Wang Luan'an leaned over: "Top student, you're doing homework here?"

"Just browsing."

"Badass, top student's still top student." Wang Luan'an smiled ingratiatingly. "So... top student, when you're done... can you send me a copy?"

Chen Jingshen glanced at him: "Sure."

"You're really a great guy!" Wang Luan'an immediately pulled out his Mobile Phone. "So top student, let's add WeChat first?"

After adding WeChat, Wang Luan'an happily filled in a note for Chen Jingshen and casually glanced at his profile picture.

"Damn, top student," he said, stunned, "your profile pic is fucking cool. Is that your dog?"

Chen Jingshen hummed in agreement.

Wang Luan'an: "That's so cool! Can you walk it normally? It won't just drag you along?"

Chen Jingshen said: "It won't."

"Tsk tsk." Wang Luan'an admired the bigger picture. "Why'd you think to raise a dog like this? Don't you think it's too fierce?"

"It won't." Chen Jingshen's eye corners swept lightly. "I like fierce ones."

Yu Fan: "..."