Chapter 55 - The Fool’s Entrance
The third week of September arrived with a whisper of decay. A single yellow leaf, the first of its kind that season, drifted lazily from the branch of a tree guarding the school gates. It landed squarely atop Pei Cangyu’s head, anchoring itself in his messy, sun-gold hair as if it had found its final resting place. The owner of the head paid it no mind. Squatting by the entrance of Third High School, he exhaled a plume of cigarette smoke, his expression a practiced mask of adolescent ferocity. Beside him stood his loyal band of brothers, a collection of misfits who shared his penchant for trouble.
Pei Cangyu was a portrait of burgeoning youth—long-limbed and vibrant, possessing the suppressed, kinetic energy of a willow branch ready to snap. At fourteen minutes past two in the afternoon, Yang Feiji checked his watch for the tenth time. He nudged Pei Cangyu’s backside with the toe of his shoe, nearly sending the squatting boy face-first into the dirt.
Pei Cangyu whipped his head around, eyes narrowing. "Feiji, you looking for a death wish?"
Feiji squatted down beside him, waving away the lingering haze of smoke with a sigh of resignation. "Brother Pei, shouldn't we head in? It’s almost half-past."
"What’s the rush?" Pei Cangyu arched a defiant eyebrow, his tone shifting into that of a seasoned strategist. "We enter at exactly half-past. We walk in just as the bell stops ringing. That way, everyone sees us."
Feiji ran a hand through his own hair, which was a startling, vibrant shade of emerald. "I can handle the stares, but why did mine have to be green?"
Pei Cangyu clapped him on the shoulder with mock solemnity. "The color isn't the point. The point is that we said we’d dye our hair, and a man’s word is his bond. We need to show that old witch of a teacher that we’re serious. We need to show those cowards in class what real guts look like."
Hou Qi’an, nicknamed Monkey, chimed in from behind. "The idiom is 'once a word is spoken, a team of four horses cannot retract it.'"
The group fell silent. Pei Cangyu and Feiji looked up from their squats, while Kong Ping—known as Apple—and Pi Dongzheng, or Pigou, turned their heads in unison to stare at Monkey.
Monkey raised his hands in surrender, stepping back. "Fine, fine. Forget I said anything."
Feiji checked his watch again. Two-twenty-five. "Let’s move. If we start walking now, we’ll hit the classroom door right at two-thirty. If we’re lucky, the bell will provide the background music. It’ll be legendary." He stood up, stomping his feet to regain circulation. "Damn, I really need to pee."
Pei Cangyu crushed his cigarette into the pavement with the authority of a general commanding legions. "Move out!"
A sanitation worker nearby, an older woman with a sharp eye, immediately bristled. "Hey! Pick up that butt! Don't you dare litter!"
Startled, the 'Big Brother of Peace Road' scrambled to obey, accidentally burning his finger on the still-smoldering filter. The five of them stood in sheepish silence until the woman had swept her way out of sight.
"Alright, now we go!" Pei Cangyu declared, waving his arm to signal the advance.
Just then, a sleek sedan glided toward the nearly deserted school gate. The five boys froze. They had never seen a car so profoundly black—a pure, abyssal shade that screamed of wealth. The paint was so polished it acted as a dark mirror, reflecting their colorful heads in its pristine surface.
They watched, mesmerized, as the car came to a smooth halt. The rear door opened, and a leg emerged: a small foot in a polished black leather shoe, a white knee-high sock, and the hem of dark shorts.
The boys stayed rooted to the spot, staring.
The figure that stepped out was a small child, dressed in a crisp white shirt adorned with a red bowtie. A silver chain for a pocket watch was clipped to the collar, disappearing into a pocket. He wore black suspender shorts and carried a checkered satchel.
Pei Cangyu was stunned. His gaze was fixed on the newcomer's face. It was as smooth and pale as a peeled, hard-boiled egg—a translucent, hydrated white that seemed to glow. Using a term he had once overheard in a literature class, Pei Cangyu thought this was what 'synesthesia' felt like; he could almost feel the coolness of that skin just by looking at it.
The car pulled away as soon as the child stepped onto the pavement.
In the desolate silence of the school entrance, the five boys remained huddled together, their eyes following the newcomer. As the student walked past them, their heads turned in perfect synchronization. The child, however, did not look back. He walked with a singular, cold focus. Suddenly, a stray bit of dust caught in Pei Cangyu’s throat, causing him to let out a sharp, involuntary cough.
The child paused and turned his head. From beneath long, sweeping bangs, a pair of dark, emotionless eyes met Pei Cangyu’s.
Pei Cangyu’s heart skipped a beat. Those eyes were impossibly black, like the rare, pure-black glass marbles he had coveted as a child. He remembered how difficult they were to find... but he was getting distracted. By the time he regained his composure, the student had already vanished into the school building.
"Who was that girl?" Pei Cangyu muttered.
His friends turned to him, expressions of utter disbelief on their faces. "Are you blind? That was clearly a boy."
"Bullshit," Pei Cangyu snapped. "That was definitely a girl."
Monkey’s eyes lit up with the prospect of profit. "Want to bet? A hundred bucks says it’s a boy." He dug into his pockets. "Actually, fifty. You in?"
Apple immediately pulled out some crumpled bills. "I’m in for the boy, too. Pay up, Pei Cangyu. You’re the only one dumb enough to take the girl."
"You think I’m scared?" Pei Cangyu reached into his pockets, only to find them empty. "I’m short right now. Put it on my tab."
And so, the lines were drawn: Feiji, Monkey, Apple, and Pigou against Pei Cangyu. Two hundred against two hundred.
When they finally swaggered into the classroom, the teacher was nowhere to be found. Their classmates, however, were very much present, and the sight of five heads of neon hair elicited a wave of gasps and laughter. Pigou, ever the showman, hopped onto the teacher’s platform and began bowing in every direction. "Thank you, thank you! We’re here all week!"
Pei Cangyu, hands shoved deep into his pockets, walked with a deliberate, arrogant slouch. He kicked Pigou off the platform as he passed, and the group fanned out toward their respective seats, radiating an aura of manufactured rebellion.
In the aisle, a group of students stood chatting, blocking Pei Cangyu’s path. He narrowed his eyes. "Move."
They scattered, but one boy remained—Fei Zuohua. He looked at Pei Cangyu with a tolerant, almost pitying smile. As Pei brushed past, Fei Zuohua leaned in and whispered into his ear, "You missed a spot at the roots. It’s still black."
Pei Cangyu instinctively reached up to touch his hair. "Crap, really?"
Fei Zuohua patted his shoulder and let him go. Frowning and scratching at his scalp, Pei Cangyu made his way to his desk.
Claiming two desks was Pei Cangyu’s prerogative—one for sleeping, one for his junk. He sat on one stool and propped his leg up on the other, occupying as much space as possible in the cramped room. This was Rule Number One in Pei Cangyu’s handbook of 'Cool': occupy space, and do it with confidence.
Finally, the teacher arrived. The five colorful rebels snapped into upright positions, looking like a few stray dragon fruits that had sprouted in a field of green bamboo.
The teacher’s eye twitched at the sight of the neon quintet. She forced a thin, joyless smile, suppressing her lecture for the moment. She had more pressing business.
"Class, we have a transfer student joining us today." She stepped aside to reveal the child from the gate. Leaning down, she spoke softly. "Student Bai, would you like to introduce yourself?"
The five 'dragon fruits' were stunned. It was the same kid. Pei Cangyu stared intently, while the others were already mentally counting their winnings.
"My name is Bai Shi."
The boy’s voice was clear and concise. He said nothing more.
An awkward silence descended. Hearing the voice, Pei Cangyu felt a pang of financial dread, though he desperately hoped it was just a deep voice for a girl.
The teacher hesitated. "How old are you, Student Bai? Do you have any hobbies you’d like to share with the class?"
By now, students from neighboring classes were crowding the doorway, peering in to see the newcomer.
Bai Shi remained silent. The teacher laughed nervously. "It seems Student Bai is a bit shy and isn't quite ready to speak in front of everyone—"
"I am not shy," Bai Shi interrupted. He turned his head to look up at the teacher, his expression flat. "I simply find speaking to be a chore. Please do not make assumptions about me when you do not know me."
His voice wasn't loud, but in the sudden hush of the classroom, it rang out like a bell. The teacher froze, her face turning a bright shade of crimson. Bai Shi simply turned back to face the class, his eyes devoid of any warmth or interest. It was as if being there meant absolutely nothing to him.
Pei Cangyu was suffering. Was he really about to lose two hundred yuan? He scrutinized Bai Shi, searching for any feminine trait, but the boy’s stoicism was impenetrable. Unable to bear the uncertainty, Pei Cangyu blurted out, "Hey! Are you a boy or a girl?"
The room went dead silent. All eyes shifted from Pei Cangyu to Bai Shi.
The teacher looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole.
Bai Shi lazily flicked his gaze toward Pei Cangyu, then looked away without a word, leaving Pei Cangyu standing half-out of his seat like an idiot.
Being ignored in public was a new kind of sting for Pei Cangyu. He realized then that such an arrogant, annoying person had to be a boy. A girl would have at least been polite. He was definitely going to lose that bet.
The teacher gave up. She forced another smile and pointed to the empty desk next to Pei Cangyu. "Student Bai, your seat will be next to Pei Cangyu for now. When we rearrange the seating next time—"
Before she could finish, Bai Shi gave a polite, shallow bow and walked straight toward Pei Cangyu.
The teacher stood blinking. She couldn't decide if the boy was being respectful or incredibly rude. Before she could dwell on it, another teacher called her from the hallway to collect some exam papers. She hurried out, but not before barking a final order: "The five of you! My office after class!"
Pei Cangyu watched her leave, his arrogance returning in full force. He propped both legs up on the neighboring stool, determined to give his new seatmate a proper 'welcome.'
With the teacher gone, the classroom erupted. Pigou spun around on his desk, shouting across the room, "I told you it was a boy! Pay up, Pei Cangyu!"
Other boys started asking what the bet was about.
Pigou pointed at Apple. "Apple’s the smart one. Let him tell it."
Apple rolled his eyes. "Boring." He stacked his books into a makeshift pillow and went to sleep.
Feiji, who had just returned from his bathroom break, fanned himself with his textbook. "It’s a boy, Pei. Pay the man."
Pei Cangyu’s face soured. He looked at the indifferent Bai Shi sitting down beside him and felt a surge of irritation. He pointedly shook his legs, refusing to move them from Bai Shi’s chair.
The girls in the class started whispering, and Feiji began a dramatic retelling. "Pei Cangyu saw him at the gate and insisted he was a girl. Said he’d fallen in love at first sight. We had to bet him just to bring him back to reality."
A chorus of "Oohs" and suggestive giggles swept through the room.
Pei Cangyu nearly jumped out of his skin. "That’s a lie! Who the hell—"
Monkey sighed theatrically. "Technically, it was love at first sight. There wasn't enough time for a 'crush' to develop."
"Shut up! All of you!"
Pei Cangyu’s face was beet red. He was usually the one leading the teasing, not the target of it. This was humiliating. He stole a glance at the other subject of the 'scandal.' Bai Shi remained expressionless, but he was staring directly at Pei Cangyu. Those eyes made Pei Cangyu nervous. He looked away but kept his legs firmly planted on the chair.
Clearing his throat, Pei Cangyu raised his voice. "This seat is for girls only. Go tell the teacher to move you!"
He thought this would save his pride. It was a perfect plan.
Feiji whistled, watching with malicious glee. The whole class waited for the inevitable explosion.
Bai Shi stared at him. Then, he began to move. He walked past the boundaries of normal social distance, past the safety zone, until he was standing directly in front of Pei Cangyu, looking down at him.
Pei Cangyu was paralyzed by the proximity.
Bai Shi’s voice was low, clear, and cold. "Are you an orphan?"
It took Pei Cangyu three seconds to decide if this was an insult or a genuine question. "Nonsense," he blurted out. "I still have my grandmother."
Bai Shi leaned down, his face inches from Pei Cangyu’s. "If you don't want to embarrass yourself further, put your legs down and shut your mouth, you fool."
Pei Cangyu’s ears burned with fury. Without thinking, he lashed out and shoved the boy. The small, pale Bai Shi went flying like a white dumpling, crashing into a desk behind him. A mechanical pencil slid off the desk, its sharp tip grazing Bai Shi’s cheek. A thin, bright red line of blood bloomed instantly against his snowy skin.
Pei Cangyu had seen plenty of injuries, but this one made him flinch. He hadn't expected the kid to be so fragile.
The classroom erupted into a frenzy. Students in the back stood on their stools to get a better look, whispering and pointing.
Bai Shi slowly stood up. A girl nearby offered him a tissue. "Student, you’re bleeding."
Bai Shi took it, thanked her, and returned his emotionless, piercing gaze to Pei Cangyu.
The entire class was watching.
In that moment, Pei Cangyu understood what Bai Shi meant by 'embarrassing yourself.' Bai Shi didn't cry, didn't scream, and didn't try to fight back. He just stood there, looking at Pei Cangyu with a terrifying, hollow calm. It was a look that made Pei Cangyu feel small—as if he weren't even worth the effort of an emotional response.
To the rest of the class, the scene looked even worse. Pei Cangyu was a known delinquent, but he usually didn't bully the weak. Seeing him strike a frail newcomer was a shock.
Pei Cangyu licked his lips, feeling his reputation as the 'Big Brother of Peace Road' crumbling. His four colorful 'brothers' were currently sharing a bag of melon seeds, watching the drama unfold like it was a movie.
Bai Shi walked back to his desk and sat down quietly, as if nothing had happened.
The class waited. Was that it? One student, clearly disgusted, ran out to find the teacher. When it became clear there would be no more action, the rest of the students slowly returned to their own business.
Pei Cangyu stared at the side of Bai Shi’s head, listening to the murmurs around him. He felt like a complete idiot. If the kid had challenged him, he could have pinned him down. If the kid had cried, he could have acted magnanimous. But this... this silent indifference made Pei Cangyu look like a clumsy, golden-haired brute.
He slumped into his seat, fuming.
Bai Shi kept his eyes fixed on the door where the teacher would soon reappear. Without turning his head, he spoke. "Don't look at me, you fool. You’re annoying."
Pei Cangyu ground his teeth.
Bai Shi was telling the truth. From the moment he had seen a yellow-haired boy with a leaf stuck in his hair at the gate, he knew the person was a simpleton. A group of colorful heads had followed his every move, but while the others looked at his bag or his shoes, the one with the leaf had stared at his face with wide, unblinking eyes.
