Chapter 24

Shen Yi, who had lent out his test paper, wasn't studying. He took his phone out of his pocket and looked down at it. There were no new messages.

He opened Fu Yuhe's private number, which he had saved last time, and typed a few words. Before he could send them, Fu Cheng leaned over and poked his arm with an elbow. Shen Yi turned to look at him. Sitting beside him, Fu Cheng was absorbed in memorizing vocabulary.

He lowered his head and continued typing.

[Brother Fu, I didn't get to say goodbye this morning. Sorry for the trouble of staying at your place last night.]

Courteous and polite.

A little circle spun on the message he had sent. Satisfied, Shen Yi switched off his phone, and his elbow was poked again.

"What..." Shen Yi asked as he looked up, stopping before he could finish.

A figure was standing not far to Fu Cheng's left. Their homeroom teacher held a teacup, and there was no telling how long he had been standing there. He lowered his head to take a sip of the steaming tea, his gaze fixed on Shen Yi.

Shen Yi: "..."

Because he had been on his phone that morning, Shen Yi had it confiscated. The homeroom teacher told him to pick it up after school.

The morning fog didn't lift until nine. At noon, as Shen Yi and Fu Cheng headed to the cafeteria, Fu Cheng saw Shen Yi habitually reach into his pocket for his phone and casually brought it up.

"I warned you, but you didn't listen," Fu Cheng said.

Shen Yi said, "It's fine."

He tucked his hand into his pocket and gripped the meal card inside, its edges and corners leaving red marks on his palm.

Fu Cheng said, "I'll go with you to get it after school."

"Don't make that face." Shen Yi laughed and teased, "Anyone who didn't know better would think I'd been bullying you."

They walked on side by side, unaware that several people were striding aggressively toward them from behind. By the time they noticed, Shen Yi turned sideways to look back and was bumped on the shoulder. A tall figure walked past him, stirring up a gust of wind.

The man had shaved his head, and from behind he looked like a convict fresh out of prison. He turned back, his face full of hostility, and tried to look down at the two of them, but since they were about the same height, he only ended up lifting his chin and looking down his nose at them.

Xu Fanchao had come to school. It didn't take a close look to see that he didn't look well; apparently, he hadn't rested properly. His three lackeys were still following him, all giving off the same "I run with a rough crowd" air.

Shen Yi stopped walking.

The two sides stood facing off in the corridor for a few seconds. They had left the classroom after the cafeteria rush, so only a few students were passing by.

"Didn't think you'd see me again, did you?" Xu Fanchao sneered.

Shen Yi turned to ask Fu Cheng, "What's he talking about?"

Fu Cheng shook his head to say he didn't know.

Ignored after making his threat, Xu Fanchao turned livid and swore. "Fuck. You've got some nerve, Shen Yi."

"What did I do to you?" Shen Yi lowered his eyelids impatiently. "Don't make it sound like I bullied you."

The words were much like his earlier tease, but spoken in a completely different tone, they had a completely different effect, dripping with mockery.

Xu Fanchao looked at him for a long moment. "Fine. You've made up your mind to go your separate way from me so you can latch onto this pretty boy's big brother, huh?"

If that was how he wanted to put it, he wasn't wrong.

Shen Yi didn't argue and gave him a casual look. Xu Fanchao made a few threats and gave him a sinister glance. He had already put "dealing with Shen Yi" ahead of "dealing with Fu Cheng."

"We can settle things once and for all. I'll wait for you at the usual place today. You show up, and we'll settle this properly." Without giving Shen Yi a chance to refuse, Xu Fanchao turned and left.

Once they were far away, Fu Cheng asked worriedly, "What should we do?"

Shen Yi said indifferently, "Do just that, I guess."

Fu Cheng said, "Are you really going?"

"I'm not an idiot-" Shen Yi paused for two seconds, then changed his tone, his earlier arrogance vanishing. "I think I've gotten into trouble, Fu Cheng."

Hearing his tone, Fu Cheng immediately panicked. "Don't be scared. I... I'll think of something."

Shen Yi said, "Take them out?"

Fu Cheng: "..."

"M-maybe we shouldn't do that." Fu Cheng's voice trembled at the end. "It's against the law."

Shen Yi sighed. "I'm a little scared. If he corners me when I'm alone..."

Fu Cheng said, "Come with me. I'll have the driver take you home... No, living alone isn't safe for you either. How about you stay at my place for a while?"

His gaze gradually grew resolute.

Shen Yi looked at him affectionately.

What a good little brother.

He chuckled. "It's fine. There's no need to go that far. They won't catch me."

I shouldn't take advantage of such an innocent little brother... I feel really guilty.

After school that afternoon, Shen Yi got his phone back. Fu Yuhe had replied to the message he had sent that morning, with only three words-[You're welcome.]

He was even more distant and polite than Shen Yi, like a scumbag who pulled on his pants and pretended not to know you.

He didn't go to the "usual place" Xu Fanchao had mentioned and went straight home instead. The next day, he ran into Xu Fanchao in the hallway during a break. Xu Fanchao gave him a cold look but said nothing more.

Even if he wanted to cause trouble, he couldn't find the chance. Shen Yi's routine was monotonous: every day, he took the bus straight home. Xu Fanchao's people followed Shen Yi onto the bus twice, but each time he got off at his stop, they either couldn't squeeze their way off the bus or lost sight of him after he turned a few corners.

The weather grew colder. With the end of the month approaching, Shen Yi needed to move and asked Fu Cheng whether there were any suitable places near him. Fu Cheng said he would keep an eye out.

The Fu family villa was in a wealthy neighborhood. There were apartment buildings there too, and none were cheap. On Friday evening, Shen Yi and Fu Cheng went to Fu Cheng's home, where Shen Yi helped him catch up in the areas where he was weak at school.