At 2:03 PM, Pei Cangyu dragged Bai Shi along as they sprinted, hoping to burst into the classroom before the bell rang. Just as they entered the teaching building, they collided with the Dean. The Dean grabbed the reckless Pei Cangyu, ordered him to stand straight, and, with hands tucked behind his back, launched into a long-winded lecture on the topic of "no chasing or roughhousing in the school building."
It hadn't been so obvious while he was running, but now that Pei Cangyu was standing still, he began to hiccup one after another. The Dean asked, "Tell me yourself, was that right?" and Pei Cangyu replied with a "Hic," his shoulders jerking upward. The Dean continued, "Do you realize that running in the halls is a violation of school regulations?" to which Pei Cangyu offered another "Hic." The Dean’s face flushed between red and white. Bai Shi stood beside them, suppressing a laugh, head bowed in silence. The Dean cleared his throat, not yet giving up: "Give me your stance on this." Pei Cangyu replied miserably, "I think... *hic*... it’s mostly a stitch in my side... *hic*... that’s why..."
The Dean’s eyes widened. "I’m talking about your behavior, not your hic—forget it, forget it. Go to class. Just go." The Dean gave up, adjusted his glasses, and walked away with his hands behind his back. Pei Cangyu turned to blame Bai Shi: "What was that... *hic*... stuff you took me to eat at noon? Look at how it’s choked me up."
Bai Shi was a bit displeased. "That’s your own problem. I’m fine." He felt a little slighted; he had swiped Bai Jiang’s card specifically to take Pei Cangyu to that restaurant.
Pei Cangyu didn't argue further. He checked his watch, looked in the direction the Dean had gone, and started running again.
They were still late.
Bai Shi and Pei Cangyu ducked low and slipped in through the back door. Pei Cangyu bent his waist particularly low, clearly a veteran of the move, observing the podium’s reaction even as he slunk in. Bai Shi was far less practiced; because he was staring at Pei Cangyu instead of the path ahead, he kicked over a trash can, drawing everyone’s eyes toward them.
Pei Cangyu turned around, looking at the clumsy fool with a face full of grief and indignation.
The homeroom teacher at the front clearly didn't have time to deal with him. After a brief glance, she continued her announcement: "Next, let us welcome Ms. Shang."
Just as Pei Cangyu and Bai Shi sat down, they saw a beautiful woman walk up to the podium. She wore a short red dress, with wavy curls cascading over her shoulders. Her lush, red lips curved slightly, revealing teeth like white shells. As she turned, a wave of fragrance wafted out, drifting to every corner of the classroom. She picked up a piece of chalk, wrote the character "Shang," and turned to smile at the class.
"My surname is Shang. But I am not a teacher."
She commanded the attention of the entire class.
It wasn't just that she was pretty; she exuded maturity in every detail—her dress, her high heels, the color of her lips, the shape of her eyes, the faint smirk at the corners of her mouth, and her dark, deep-set eyes. She was tall and strong, with the visible lines of muscle on her arms. She was so tall she nearly reached the top of the blackboard. She was intensely aggressive.
The boys looked at her like zebras by a riverbank watching a lioness on the savanna. In their lives thus far, they had never seen a woman like this; she opened a new dimension of understanding regarding womanhood for them.
She continued to smile. "I am the district-level psychological counselor for primary and secondary schools, and I will be responsible for No. 3 Middle School. My office is on the second floor of the library. Students are welcome to come and see me."
The boys were exceptionally quiet. One girl raised her hand. "Hello, Ms. Shang. May I ask what kind of problems we can come to you with?"
"You can just call me Counselor Shang." She tapped her chin with a finger. "Academic troubles, life's worries—you can come to me for any of it."
"If you feel you have impulses you don't understand, or if you feel out of step with ordinary people, then you must come find me." She suddenly looked toward Bai Shi. "I know what illness you have."
Bai Shi froze. He was certain the woman was speaking to him, but the others didn't seem to notice.
***
During the long break, Pei Cangyu finished his eye exercises and immediately stood up to look downstairs. Since they hadn't been doing the group calisthenics lately, he really wanted to wander outside. The sun happened to be out, so he tied his shoelaces. Seeing Bai Shi slumped over sleeping, he didn't wake him, but skirted around him and waved to the others, inviting them to go soak up the sun.
The group flew out like birds released from a cage.
The winter sun was exceptionally warm, making one want to squint. Pei Cangyu leaned against the railing like a cat, face tilted up, stretching comfortably. In front of the classrooms downstairs was a plaza. It was originally intended for student bicycles, but later a dedicated parking area was painted further ahead, leaving this plaza vacant. Occasionally, people would play badminton there without a net.
Pi Gou looked downstairs. "Hey, do you think it’s more comfortable to sunbathe down there?"
Feiji also looked down. "Definitely. Get a hammock, hang it on a bike, and just lay there comfortably for a while."
Pei Cangyu whistled. "Hanging it on a bike is too low."
"How about this," Apple said, slinging an arm around his shoulder. "We brothers will hold it up for you while you sleep for a bit?"
Pei Cangyu laughed. "How could I impose like that?"
Houzi checked his watch. "Twenty minutes left. What should we do?"
Pei Cangyu looked at the plaza. "Let's go down."
So the five of them carried their respective stools downstairs. In the plaza in front of the lower-level classrooms, they set them up in a row, then formed a circle and started playing Dou Dizhu.
Students passing by on the upper and lower floors, and those moving in and out of classrooms, watched the group of five gambling shamelessly in the middle of the vast plaza, slamming their cards down with loud shouts.
A few wandering boys approached with their arms around each other's shoulders. "What are you guys doing?"
"Can't you see? Sunbathing." Feiji counted the cards in his hand. "Clubs are one yuan, hearts are ten."
Apple immediately protested, "Damn, ten is too expensive. Make it less."
"Poor people shouldn't gamble. Get out of the game." Feiji gave Apple a shove. On command, Pi Gou hauled Apple up and tossed him out of the circle. One of the spectating boys immediately sat down. "I'll take his place."
Pei Cangyu tucked a card behind his ear. "How much?"
The boy pulled out two glass marbles. "Will these work?"
Feiji waved his hand. "Pi Gou, throw him out."
The boy hurriedly raised his hands. "Wait, look at these marbles. There's white inside, white within the black. I traded a damn manga for these..."
Pei Cangyu’s eyes lit up. He took them to have a look. "Oh, damn, these are good. You can stay."
Apple crawled back from outside the circle and stood behind the boy. "I advise you all: the sea of gambling is boundless; turn back to reach the shore."
And so, because they maintained an excellent "poor people get out" mechanism, the circle attracted more and more people. Onlookers ate snacks while shouting, and a few others started arm-wrestling in the back. A girl came over wanting to play, and the boys on the field made way for her. In this round, Pei Cangyu finally lost all his glass marbles, instant noodles, Bai Shi’s pen, and Apple’s yogurt. He was kicked out of the game.
The founder grumbled indignantly, "In thirty years, I'll still be a—"
He saw someone walking from the playground carrying several iron rods of unknown origin. He shouted at them, "Hey, where'd you find those?"
A few boys walked over. "Aren't they building a gym on the playground? There's a pile of stuff over there."
Hearing this, Pei Cangyu clapped his hands and called his friends to go on an adventure.
It must be said that a construction site is a paradise for those who love to play. They jumped from one sand pile to another pile of rebar, looking for magnets among the iron scraps, having the time of their lives. Pei Cangyu even discovered something fun.
He asked Houzi, "What time is it?"
Houzi checked his watch. "About five minutes left."
"Enough." Pei Cangyu ran toward the classroom. "I'll be right back!"
Back in the classroom, Bai Shi woke up to find Pei Cangyu gone. He looked around the room, checked Pei Cangyu’s desk, and even went to the restroom, but found no one. Just as he was heading back, he saw Pei Cangyu panting, leaping up the stairs two at a time. Without a word, Pei Cangyu grabbed him. "Go, go, go."
Bai Shi didn't ask questions; he just followed him down and ran all the way to the playground.
Pei Cangyu stopped to catch his breath, pointing at a large cylinder in the distance. "Do you know... what that is?"
Bai Shi shook his head.
"Come here." Pei Cangyu beckoned, and Bai Shi followed.
The cylinder was open at both ends and mounted on a stand. It looked a bit shaky, but it was large enough to hold at least three people. Pei Cangyu ducked and crawled inside, though he could actually stand upright. He waved Bai Shi in, and Bai Shi followed.
"What are we doing?" Bai Shi’s voice echoed loudly inside the cylinder. It was bright outside, but a bit dim in here.
Pei Cangyu gave a mischievous grin. "Are you ready?"
"Ready for what?"
Without another word, Pei Cangyu started to run.
As he ran, the cylinder began to rotate!
For a moment, images of hamsters running in cages flashed through Bai Shi’s mind.
He was about to turn and jump out when Pei Cangyu grabbed him back. To avoid falling, Bai Shi had no choice but to run along. Pei Cangyu laughed as he ran, incredibly happy. Pi Gou and the others watched from the sides, rolling on the ground with laughter. Bai Shi huffed and puffed along, having been dragged in for no reason.
"Pei Cangyu," Bai Shi said through gritted teeth. "You are so dead."
As he spoke, Bai Shi began to pick up the pace, running for his life, even faster than Pei Cangyu. Now it was Pei Cangyu’s turn to be startled. "Hey, hey... wait... too fast... Bai Shi..."
Bai Shi kept his head down and just ran, showing off his speed and style.
Pei Cangyu began to beg for mercy. "I was wrong... I was really wrong... can we slow down, brother... ah..."
The people outside laughed even harder. Pi Gou shouted, "Pei Cangyu, keep running like that! Run your way into the national top three!"
Houzi peered inside. "Have you seen *Forrest Gump*? It’s okay if you haven't. While you run, I'll tell you the story..."
Pei Cangyu reached out to grab Bai Shi. "Stop!"
Bai Shi lost his footing and fell backward, taking Pei Cangyu down with him. Bai Shi hurriedly gave a pull, dragging them both out. He caught Pei Cangyu around the waist and then slammed into the ground himself. Pei Cangyu landed on top of him, the impact making Bai Shi’s vision go dark.
Pei Cangyu jumped up and kicked the ground. Sand and dust drifted onto Bai Shi’s face, and he raised a hand to block it.
Pei Cangyu leaned against a railing, panting. "You’re... pretty damn good..."
Bai Shi slowly climbed up, coughing for a bit, then looked up at Pei Cangyu. "I just..."
Before they could catch their breath, the security guard responsible for the materials arrived, shouting and running from a distance: "Hey! Which class are you from? Stand still! Don't move!"
The group took off immediately. Bai Shi grabbed the panting Pei Cangyu, and they fled like the wind. Passing through the first-floor plaza, they each quickly grabbed their stools and made it back to their seats just as the bell rang.
They were all gasping for air.
Pi Gou’s heavy breathing could be heard from the first row to the last. Feiji wasn't panting much; he turned to look at Pi Gou. "Mr. Pi, 'mating-style' asthma is the number one health killer of modern youth..."
Today’s Chinese class involved a "one-on-one" tutoring session.
Without even looking up, Pei Cangyu turned to Bai Shi. "Then you help me."
Bai Shi shook his head. "According to the teacher’s assignment, I’m supposed to explain the test paper to the person in last place."
Pei Cangyu sounded almost disappointed. "Am I not in last place?"
Bai Shi shared in his disappointment for a moment. "It’s okay. Definitely next time."
Pei Cangyu kicked him.
Half the students in the class had to stand up and switch seats. The person Pei Cangyu had to move to was Liu Yaosheng. When he heard the name, he froze. A look of misery appeared on his face. He scratched his hair, sighed, and went over. Bai Shi turned to look at Liu Yaosheng; she, however, showed no reaction.
In truth, these two periods were over as soon as the explanation was finished. The progress depended entirely on the student’s level and the tutor’s conscience.
Liu Yaosheng was a person with a very strong conscience. She didn't just focus on a single question; she even cared about the logic behind it. She made Pei Cangyu do several problems of the same type. If it weren't for her condescending tone that made Pei Cangyu seem increasingly timid, who could say she wasn't a good teacher?
Liu Yaosheng’s seatmate, Tang Qi, had already finished her explanation and sat back. Now, facing both of them, Pei Cangyu became even more nervous.
The boy Bai Shi was teaching was a bit slow. They were sitting to the side of Liu Yaosheng and the others, so Bai Shi wasn't in a hurry. This way, he could still watch Pei Cangyu getting lectured.
Apple came to find Pei Cangyu for dinner, but after a glance from Liu Yaosheng, Pei Cangyu shook his head with a bitter face. By the time class ended, only Bai Shi was still teaching, Liu Yaosheng was still teaching, and Tang Qi was waiting for Liu Yaosheng.
Pei Cangyu was biting his pen, trying to write a poem from memory, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember the next line.
Liu Yaosheng looked at him. "Don't bite your pen."
Pei Cangyu immediately took the pen out of his mouth.
Tang Qi leaned over to look at the line where Pei Cangyu was stuck and shook her head. "Wasn't this required for memorization back when we first learned it? We’re already in the review phase now."
Pei Cangyu’s face reddened.
Liu Yaosheng stared at Pei Cangyu’s face and suddenly sighed. "Pei Cangyu, can't you put in a little effort?"
Pei Cangyu looked up with a frown. "I am putting in effort."
Liu Yaosheng arched an eyebrow. "Where did you go during the long break? The whole grade knows you were playing cards."
Pei Cangyu had nothing to say. He muttered softly, "Some people just can't learn it..."
"I don't think it’s a matter of whether you can learn it or not. I think it’s a matter of you not putting your heart into it at all." Liu Yaosheng’s tone became very serious. "To be honest, if I were you, I would never be this indulgent. You have no ambition at all."
Pei Cangyu was practically at a loss. He wanted to stand up and leave, but Liu Yaosheng spoke again: "Don't be angry. I’m saying this entirely to give you some advice. There’s probably no one around you who can give you advice, right? Your grandmother is old, and you don't have parents."
Pei Cangyu’s face stiffened. He pursed his lips. Bai Shi turned his head slightly and saw the tight lines of Pei Cangyu’s face.
"So I think someone like you should be even more driven." Liu Yaosheng pulled a book from her desk. "I want to lend this to you."
Pei Cangyu glanced at the book.
"This was written by my favorite author. The protagonist is an orphan. Not only is he an orphan, but he also raised his younger brother and sister. On top of that, he was a great student, got into university through a recommendation, and supported his whole family. I think he is a true hero of life. I’ve even shown this book to my mom. I’m sure it will help you." Liu Yaosheng continued, "This is how people should live. All suffering is a trial to become a talent. A person’s spirit is what matters most."
Pei Cangyu didn't move.
Liu Yaosheng shoved it at him. "You should be able to empathize with it. The protagonist became an orphan when he was young too, around middle school. He even worked illegal jobs, traveling south and north, supporting a whole family by himself."
Tang Qi added, "Take a look. Hopefully, it helps. After all, the things you think are hard are actually just things that temper you. They all have a reward. Once it’s over, you’ll definitely be grateful for the hardship."
They stood up and left after finishing their piece, leaving the book for Pei Cangyu. Pei Cangyu remained motionless.
Bai Shi also stared motionless in their direction, his gaze heavy and unreadable.
Pei Cangyu moved slightly, and the book fell to the floor.
The cover featured large characters: "A profound reflection of reality, a high-scoring masterpiece of popular web fiction." The wind blew open the first few pages. In a very inconspicuous spot in the author's interview, a sentence was written: "The protagonist has a golden finger; please do not apply this to reality."
Bai Shi narrowed his eyes.
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
商老师 / 商咨询 | Ms. Shang / Counselor Shang | The new psychological counselor at the school.
刘瑶笙 | Liu Yaosheng | A female classmate who tutors Pei Cangyu.
唐淇 | Tang Qi | Liu Yaosheng's friend and seatmate.
金手指 | Golden Finger | A common web novel term referring to a protagonist's special advantage, "cheat," or superpower.
