Small Matter

Qin Zhen came running over, drenched in sweat and carrying two huge bags. Before he even arrived, he began complaining, "You finally made it. You were the smart ones. The people who came early had to run their legs off. I'm basically your pack mule."

"Weren't you lining up pretty early?" Zhang Heng took one of the bags from him.

"Don't even mention it. Some bastard tried to cut in line. A girl behind him said a few words to him, and he actually snapped at her. Another auntie and I couldn't stand it, so we called him out. Then he tried to start something with me."

"Who won?" Chi Jia asked curiously.

"Is that even a question?" Qin Zhen said smugly. Though he was still a high school student, years of playing basketball had made him nearly six feet tall, with muscles to boot. He had gotten into plenty of fights with the other kids in his neighborhood when he was younger, so he had never been afraid of this sort of thing.

When he saw the two girls, his eyes lit up as well. He nudged Zhang Heng with his elbow. "Aren't you going to introduce us?" Then he lowered his voice. "Which one's your girlfriend?"

"Don't listen to his nonsense," Zhang Heng told Bai Qing and Chi Jia. "Qin Zhen and I have been friends since childhood. He goes to No. 3 High School and is in the same year as us. He likes bragging, but he's actually a pretty good guy."

Then he said to Qin Zhen, "These are Bai Qing and Chi Jia, my classmates."

"What do you mean, I like bragging?" Qin Zhen said unhappily. "I've always been reliable, okay?" As he spoke, he held out his hand with a grin. "Nice to meet