Taking a Beating

"Yeah, with more customers, the teacher couldn't handle it alone."

From the entryway came a clear, oriole-like voice: "Happy New Year, Teacher Ma."

Chen Wanwan! The two of them were startled.

"Teacher Ma, my daughter has had you to thank for taking care of her this past year. It's just a small token of appreciation. I hope you won't dislike it."

"Oh, not at all, not at all. Mr. Chen, you're far too kind..."

Ma En somewhat flusteredly welcomed the Chen father and daughter inside, the gifts in his hands feeling unbearably hot. What had he done to deserve this gentleman paying him a New Year's visit...

When the father and daughter entered, they saw three other guests. Mr. Chen immediately said, "Teacher Ma has other guests as well. We've truly disturbed you today."

Chen Wanwan stiffened slightly, then smiled. "Happy New Year, fellow students. Did you come to visit the teacher too? If we'd known, it would have been nice to arrange to come together."

"Exactly. It would've been livelier if we'd come together. We've just finished eating and were about to leave. Teacher Ma, Madam Ma, thank you for your hospitality. We need to get back to watch the shop."

Teacher Ma had no time to persuade them to stay just then, so he nodded and let them leave.

Once they were far enough away, Lin Qiang could not help saying, "Damn, Moutai! Tieguanyin! Does this count as bribery?"

Su Yan smiled. "That little bit wouldn't even be worth giving to the principal. Someone gives it to him, then he uses it to curry favor with a few teachers for his daughter. No thought or effort required."

"Having power is great." Lin Qiang sighed.

"Isn't it? But no matter how much power someone has, they can't cover the sky with one hand."

Su Yan smiled and looked back, lightly running a finger across the Chen family's car and leaving behind an utterly inconspicuous mark.

Taking a Beating

Even high school students had shorter vacations than everyone else—they had to return to school on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year! Whether or not they were still immersed in the New Year atmosphere and unwilling to wake up, they had to go back to school.

Lin Qiang had not had his fill of making money yet, but he and Chen Yan had no choice but to quit their jobs a day early and go home to prepare for the new term.

Su Yan was worried too. Once school started, he would not have time to watch the shop, and Aunt Xu could not be in two places at once. Su Yan had no choice but to hire someone to mind the store.

They arrived at school at noon on the eighth day, when not everyone had shown up yet. Su Yan made an appearance and left again. When he returned at six that evening, everyone except Liang Kui had arrived in the classroom.

The gradually warming spring would bring a shocking upheaval.

After the New Year break, the students all wore smiling faces, and the classroom was a noisy mess. The teacher did not arrive until seven.

Teacher Ma was the first to speak. "An epidemic is spreading across the country, even around the world. Everyone needs to take care of your health and hygiene. Don't run around for no reason. I have a meeting at eight, so study on your own. I'll come notify you after the meeting."

The moment the teacher left, who wanted to study? Everyone chatted and laughed about amusing things from the New Year. It was only the first day of registration, and only the homeroom teachers had shown up for each class. At the moment, all the homeroom teachers were in a meeting, so every classroom was noisy. Quite a few students had gone out into the hallway to play, and some bolder ones had already slipped away.

Humming a tune and shaking his legs, Su Yan happily scribbled away, a contented smile hanging on his handsome face.

Someone outside shouted, "Is Su Yan here?" A strange girl poked her head in through the classroom door and asked, "Could Su Yan come out for a moment? Someone's looking for you outside."

Su Yan was puzzled, not knowing who would be looking for him. He got up and walked out. The girl shyly said, "Come with me. They're by the stairwell landing."

Su Yan sighed, thinking, Could another girl be confessing to me? That was what Su Yan thought, and many people in the class thought the same. Lin Qiang was even joking with his deskmate. "It must be a girl from another class who has her eye on him!" He really wanted to follow and watch the show, but even though the teacher was absent, he still had to restrain himself. If even he ran out, then the others would be impossible to keep in line.

Lin Qiang and his deskmate chatted excitedly, talking about how he, Su Yan, and Chen Yan had sold fruit during winter break. He also said that Su Yan was easy to get along with once one got to know him, and was especially generous to friends. He said Chen Yan had changed a lot too, and that they were good friends now.

He rambled on happily, not even finishing what he had to say before a dull crash suddenly came from the hallway. The corridor railings were metal, and if someone kicked them, they would buzz endlessly. But that sound had been far more than a single kick—it was so heavy that it sounded as though the railing were about to break. The classroom had been bustling, but the noise outside made those near the door stop talking and look out. The classroom suddenly seemed to fall silent, and with the silence inside, the sounds outside came through clearly.

"I'll beat you to death!" someone cursed furiously.

"Ah! Stop! Don't fight!" That was the voice of the girl from earlier.

A boy nearest the door tilted his head to look, then cried out in alarm, "This is bad! Su Yan's fighting with someone!"

"What?" Lin Qiang shot to his feet and ran outside. All the bolder boys followed, then Chen Wanwan, Wan Fang, and Chen Yan!

At the dim stairwell corner stood more than twenty people at a glance. Only that girl was hiding in the back, nearly in tears. All those boys looked familiar—they were senior students from the second year, all tall and muscular sports students!

"Su Yan?" Lin Qiang rushed over pale-faced and helped Su Yan up.

Su Yan climbed up from beside the railing, clutching his bleeding forehead. When he saw Lin Qiang, he said nothing. His eyes were like cold glass as he stared straight at the leader of that group.