Bai Shi turned to look at Pei Cangyu. Despite his reputation as a shiftless delinquent, Pei Cangyu was remarkably popular. Bai Shi should have known this by now; after all, if a child as universally disliked as himself found Pei Cangyu tolerable, it stood to reason that others would feel the same, if not more so.
Bai Shi looked up at the tree. The massive canopy sheltered him in the shade, creating a sharp line of demarcation between him and the crowd gathered in the sun-drenched clearing. On this side, it was dark; on that side, it was bright.
Pei Cangyu was currently helping Qi Shuo fix her camera. Several heads were huddled together. Qi Shuo’s face flushed whenever she was close enough to feel Pei Cangyu’s breath, but a clueless blockhead like him would never notice. Moreover, there was no way Pei Cangyu actually knew how to fix a camera, yet when he said, "Let me see," they handed it over with complete confidence. Watching them, Bai Shi realized that Pei Cangyu held an unexpected level of prestige in this class; people looked up to him. By that logic, it seemed Pei Cangyu didn't really need him.
It was then that Bai Shi noticed another boy who hadn't squeezed into the circle, standing on the periphery and watching the group: Fei Zuohua.
There were a few other boys next to Fei Zuohua, urging him to go for a swim. They tugged at him, but Fei Zuohua wouldn't budge. He simply told them to wait, stubbornly lingering near Pei Cangyu’s circle.
Bai Shi smiled. *Interesting.* Suddenly, he felt a powerful surge of thirst.
Two or three girls approached Bai Shi, asking tedious questions about who he was teaming up with or if he wanted to hang out that evening. Bai Shi didn't answer. He simply stared at them until the silence became so awkward they didn't know what to do with themselves.
Bai Shi finally spoke: "Pei Cangyu."
Pei Cangyu looked up from the center of the crowd. "Huh?"
"Come here."
Pei Cangyu didn't move. "For what?"
"Just come."
Pei Cangyu sighed and handed the camera back to Qi Shuo. "I couldn't fix it. Maybe try charging it first?"
With that, he squeezed out of the crowd and walked over to Bai Shi. He leaned down, hands on his knees. "What is it now?"
Bai Shi turned his gaze toward the girls who had tried to talk to him. He stared at them in silence, his cold look making them so uncomfortable that they finally gave up and left the two of them alone.
Bai Shi patted the ground, signaling for Pei Cangyu to sit.
Pei Cangyu glanced back at the crowd, decided it wasn't a big deal, and sat down. "What's up?"
Bai Shi stared out at the lake and suddenly said, "I think my parents hate each other."
Pei Cangyu: "..."
Pei Cangyu: "???"
The surroundings were still noisy. Some people were even holding hands and tentatively wading into the lake. In the middle of such a bright, sunny day, amidst a boisterous crowd, Bai Shi had calmly dropped a sentence that was completely at odds with the temperature and the atmosphere. Pei Cangyu didn't know how to react; he was stunned for several seconds.
Then he held out his hands. "Ah?? What did you just say..."
Before he could finish, excited voices called out from the crowd: "Pei Cangyu! Come here! It’s working! We have pictures!!"
Pei Cangyu braced his hand on the ground to stand up, but stopped halfway to look at Bai Shi.
Bai Shi was still staring at the water, legs crossed, back hunched. He was expressionless, possessed of a stillness that seemed entirely isolated from the surrounding clamor.
Pei Cangyu froze. He wanted to go, but Bai Shi hadn't finished what he was saying, had he? Was there more?
The group called out again: "Pei Cangyu! Get over here! Fei Zuohua fixed it!"
Pei Cangyu looked at Bai Shi again. Bai Shi had his head lowered, idly picking at the grass on the ground.
Pei Cangyu looked left, then right, then turned and waved at the crowd. "You guys go ahead and take pictures. I'm busy."
A few disappointed groans drifted over, but Pei Cangyu had already settled back down.
He sat with Bai Shi under the shade of the tree.
Some were playing in the water, some were taking photos, some were chasing butterflies, and some were digging for shells.
Pei Cangyu’s eyes followed them for a moment, but in the end, he didn't move.
Bai Shi didn't speak again. He didn't finish his sentence, and Pei Cangyu felt too awkward to ask. In the brilliant sunlight, they alone remained silent, sitting where the sun couldn't reach.
Bai Shi lowered his head, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile. His ears were filled with the noise of the others, but what did it matter? He had successfully tethered Pei Cangyu to his side. He was definitely going to win—win much more than that pathetic Fei Zuohua, who was so desperate for a friend.
He glanced at Pei Cangyu. The other boy was leaning back on his hands, swinging his legs and staring at the sky. He was busy dodging the spots of sunlight filtering through the leaves as if they were enemy missiles in a video game, clearly enjoying himself.
Bai Shi cleared his throat. "Where was I?"
Pei Cangyu didn't even turn his head. "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. I'm sitting right here. I'm not going anywhere."
Bai Shi stiffened, feeling as though a mask had been ripped away. He felt like a criminal caught in the act. He swallowed nervously. He had tried to use the confession of a secret to trade for special attention. Pei Cangyu wasn't particularly bright and missed many things, but for someone as calculating as Bai Shi, Pei Cangyu possessed a sharp intuition that defied logic. Once again, Bai Shi was stunned by this perceptiveness.
Bai Shi mused that this might be a product of evolution: granting those with simple minds a pure instinct to protect themselves.
His little scheme had been seen through. Bai Shi turned his head away and looked down, falling silent.
Pei Cangyu sat with him for a while longer, then patted his shoulder. "Hey, want to go catch some fish?"
Bai Shi looked up at him. When Pei Cangyu looked at someone, his eyes held only that person, focused with his usual intensity—though, of course, he looked at everyone that way.
"Okay."
***
From the moment Bai Shi agreed, it was as if Pei Cangyu had been "returned" to the group. By the time they were ready to head back, the crowd around Pei Cangyu was so thick no one else could squeeze in.
In the end, they didn't catch any fish, but Pei Cangyu managed to scoop up a turtle for Qi Shuo.
As they neared the gathering point, Pei Cangyu broke away from the front and circled back to Bai Shi’s side. On the way, he passed Fei Zuohua. Fei Zuohua happily tried to show him a pebble he had found. Pei Cangyu took a look, chatted for a few seconds, and then bypassed him to continue toward the back. Fei Zuohua watched his retreating back and turned away, looking disappointed. Bai Shi watched as Pei Cangyu reached him.
Pei Cangyu pulled a small turtle out of his net. "This is for you."
Bai Shi took it. "This again?"
Pei Cangyu scratched his head. "What can I do? There are just a lot of them. As they say, 'The water is shallow, but the turtles are many.'"
Bai Shi tapped the shell and squinted inside. "Do you want it fried or stewed?"
Pei Cangyu rolled his eyes. "Lay down your butcher's knife, oh seeker, and become a Buddha on the spot."
Bai Shi laughed. "No can do. My mind is made up."
Pei Cangyu snatched it back. "Then give it back to me."
Bai Shi reached for it. "Give it here!"
Pei Cangyu took off running, and Bai Shi chased after him. As he ran, Pei Cangyu turned his head to mock him: "Look at him! It’s the short-legged champion, Little Bai Shi! Charging with the momentum of a six-footer despite being only five feet tall..."
Bai Shi gritted his teeth, chasing Pei Cangyu from the front of the group to the back, then back to the front, circling everyone.
When they reached their destination, Pi Gou saw the two of them racing around. He tossed his backpack aside and jumped in. "Who are we catching? Who are we getting?"
Pingguo, who was busy eating grilled corn, spared them a glance. "Playing duck, duck, goose?"
Pi Gou lunged forward and tackled Pei Cangyu to the ground. Pei Cangyu yelled, "Get lost, get lost!"
Feiji also put down his corn and stood up, rolling up his sleeves as he walked over. "Such fine weather, such a sturdy tree... it would be a waste not to 'Aruba' someone."
Pei Cangyu held up the turtle. "I have a turtle! I'll give it to you!"
Pi Gou took it. "The turtle is a fine gift, but we still need a lucky winner for an Aruba."
And so, eight eyes—belonging to Pei Cangyu, Pi Gou, Feiji, and Bai Shi—began scanning the class. A momentary silence fell over the boys, followed by a sudden explosion of movement as they scattered in all directions. Pingguo, being the slowest, raised his hands in surrender. "I'm on your side!"
The class monitor, who had worked so hard to gather everyone, saw them scatter again. She turned on her megaphone. "Wait before you Aruba! Students, wait before you Aruba! Can we eat first? Please?" She switched off the megaphone and muttered to herself, "Men are so annoying. So damn annoying..."
The girls rolled their eyes at the boys running amok and sat down at the table with the most meat.
"Qi Shuo, bring that turtle over so we can eat it... I mean, look at it."
Qi Shuo jumped, shaking her head in a panic.
By the time the boys finished their chaos, only leftovers remained. The girls sat on rocks, basking in the sun and picking their teeth. "Serves you right."
At five in the afternoon, they began pitching tents. Everyone was quite busy. Bai Shi wasn't much for heavy lifting, so he could only help with minor tasks. Although he and Pei Cangyu had finished their tent early, Pei Cangyu went off to help others and didn't return until dinner. After eating, everyone was exhausted and crawled into their tents.
Bai Shi tossed his backpack aside and pulled out Pei Cangyu’s "edgy" little notebook. He hadn't finished reading it on the bus and wanted to continue his study.
The moment Pei Cangyu entered, he saw Bai Shi flipping through his notebook. He lunged forward, snatched it away, and flopped onto his back on the ground. "You want to read it? Not a chance."
Bai Shi curled his lip. "What's so great about that kind of stuff anyway?"
"Tsk, have you ever kept a diary? It’s full of sentimental value, you understand?" Pei Cangyu waved the notebook in the air.
"No," Bai Shi answered honestly.
"Oh, right." Pei Cangyu sat up abruptly and rummaged through his backpack. After a while, he pulled out two gray hoodies. He compared their sizes and tossed the smaller one to Bai Shi.
"What's this?"
Pei Cangyu replied while pulling off his shirt, "Just look at it and you'll see."
Pei Cangyu had already stripped. His bare torso flickered in the dim light of the tent. Bai Shi was startled, and his teeth began to ache again—this time, a sharp, intense throb. He covered his mouth.
Pei Cangyu pulled the hoodie on. It was a garment printed with a QR code. Only after he finished changing did he notice Bai Shi clutching his face. He hurried over. "What's wrong?"
Bai Shi gritted his teeth, enduring the stabbing pain.
"Nothing." He looked up at the hoodie Pei Cangyu had put on. "What is this?"
"Scan it and find out."
Skeptical, Bai Shi scanned the code.
—"Transfer Payment to Me."
He silently closed his phone. Pei Cangyu doubled over with laughter, handing the smaller hoodie to him. "Quick, this one's yours."
Bai Shi took off his shirt and changed into it. "Do the others have these too?"
"Yeah."
"How much was it?"
Pei Cangyu patted his chest. "My treat. Let's go."
"Where?"
Pei Cangyu leaned in and whispered mysteriously, "To visit the temple."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 阿鲁巴 | Aruba | A prank/game common among male students in East Asia where a person is carried and their crotch is slammed against a pole or tree. |
| 水浅王八多 | The water is shallow, but the turtles are many | A proverb/slang. Literally refers to turtles in shallow water, but metaphorically means a small place full of "bastards" or troublesome people. |
| 中二 | Edgy / Chunibyo | Derived from "Chuunibyou" (Middle School Second Year Syndrome), referring to cringey, grandiose, or overly dramatic behavior typical of young teens. |
| 向我付款 | Transfer Payment to Me / Pay Me | The text that appears when scanning a personal payment QR code (like on WeChat or Alipay). |
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