The moment Pei Cangyu stepped out the door, Piggy, who was waiting downstairs, waved at him. Piggy quickly finished the cola in his hand, crushed the can, and tossed it into the trash bin with a perfect arc. He let out a triumphant whistle and slung an arm over Pei Cangyu’s shoulder as he approached. "School’s back in session, my friend. Today’s the day. Did you miss your brothers over the winter break?"
Pei Cangyu let out a long yawn. "Damn it, I see you every day. I saw you yesterday, and I’m seeing you today. Miss you my ass."
Piggy chuckled, let go of Pei Cangyu, and flicked his forehead. "What’s with you? Why so sleepy?"
Pei Cangyu rubbed his face. He hadn't slept well. Who would, when a father suddenly drops out of thin air?
Last night, he had awkwardly led his father into the house. His father didn't act like a stranger at all; he walked around the place, remarking that nothing had changed here or there, only that Pei Cangyu had grown taller. Pei Cangyu had stood by the door, unmoving, even doubting for a moment if he had the right person, but his intuition was too strong to ignore.
A moment later, his grandmother returned. she had been delayed briefly waiting for the milk delivery. As soon as she entered, she pulled Pei Cangyu over, solemnly telling him to take a good look at his father, her eyes even welling with tears. Compared to his emotional grandmother, his father was much calmer. Perhaps because that first impression of fierce, cold eyes had left such a heavy mark on him, Pei Cangyu felt, to be honest, a little afraid when he looked at the man.
And so, Pei Cangyu remained silent and looked away. His grandmother was distressed, constantly urging him to call him "Dad," but his father said nothing, merely watching him.
Eventually, Pei Cangyu managed to mutter the word "Dad," but it felt incredibly awkward—so awkward that his face flushed. His father nodded and said, "Let’s eat." His grandmother quickly set down her things, rolling up her sleeves as she headed for the kitchen. She told Pei Yueshan to go take a shower so they could eat immediately, and instructed Pei Cangyu to go draw the bath for him.
Pei Cangyu grumbled under his breath, "I thought he knew the place? Can't even draw his own bath..."
Despite his grumbling, he started toward the bathroom. But before he could take two steps, his father grabbed him, squeezed his shoulder, and looked down at him. Pei Cangyu froze, momentarily unsure if a fight was about to break out.
His father pushed him aside expressionlessly and went into the bathroom himself.
His father was truly strange. Pei Cangyu went to the kitchen to help his grandmother.
It turned out the paperwork had been processed quite quickly today, and he was released in the afternoon. They didn't need to stay overnight there, so they took a bus straight back.
As she washed the vegetables, his grandmother glanced toward the bathroom and whispered, "Yu-yu, your dad rushed back specifically for you. I suggested staying the night so he wouldn't be too tired, but he insisted on buying today's ticket just so he could see you sooner."
Pei Cangyu didn't know what to say, so he just nodded.
His grandmother added, "Don't blame him, alright? Are you angry?"
Pei Cangyu wasn't actually angry; there was nothing to be angry about. They were just strangers.
He shook his head, and his grandmother stopped trying to persuade him, letting out a heavy sigh. "Fine, you'll just have to get used to each other slowly."
The "getting used to each other" reached a peak of resistance that night at bedtime. Since the new bed hadn't arrived yet, father and son were forced to share one. Pei Cangyu couldn't exactly make his old man sleep on the floor.
So, he sat awkwardly on the bed, unsure whether to turn off the light or lie down, while his father was still outside watching television.
At ten o'clock, Pei Yueshan finally came in. Pei Cangyu put down his phone and stared at him nervously.
Pei Yueshan glanced at him and proceeded to strip off his clothes, leaving himself bare-chested in just a pair of long pajama pants. He lifted the covers and climbed in, then looked up at Pei Cangyu, who was standing in the corner, with a hint of impatience. "What is it?"
Pei Cangyu gave an awkward laugh, turned off the light, and felt his way to the other side of the bed, leaving a significant gap between them.
"You have school tomorrow?"
In the darkness, Pei Yueshan suddenly asked.
Pei Cangyu had been about to drift off the moment his head hit the pillow, but the voice startled him awake.
"...Huh? Yeah."
He rolled over and realized his father wasn't lying down; he was sitting up against the headboard, leaning over to reach for something on the nightstand.
It was only then that Pei Cangyu noticed how muscular his father was—a body of solid, corded muscle. He had changed so much from the upright, scholarly man in the old photographs. Back then, he looked fit, but now he had developed toward a kind of "ferocity." As his father leaned over, Pei Cangyu caught sight of a long scar across his abdomen.
Pei Yueshan found what he was looking for and sat back. A flame flickered to life with a *snap* in the dark; he had lit a cigarette.
Pei Cangyu looked at him in surprise. Noticing his gaze, Pei Yueshan gestured with the cigarette. "Never smoked?"
Pei Cangyu thought about it and shook his head.
Pei Yueshan held it out. "Want a drag?"
As ash was about to fall onto the duvet, Pei Cangyu jumped up, threw back the covers, caught the falling ash with his hand, and quickly dumped it onto the desk. He turned and snapped at his father, "Hey! Who told you that you could smoke in bed? What if Grandma finds out?"
Only after snapping did he realize what he'd done. He lowered his voice, muttering, "Don't smoke in bed next time..."
His father narrowed his eyes and tucked his arm behind his head. "You wear pajamas to sleep?"
Pei Cangyu looked down at himself. What was wrong with wearing pajamas?
His father let out a short laugh and flicked the ash onto his own abdomen. "Sissy."
Pei Cangyu felt a prickle of annoyance. Was there even a standard for what to wear to sleep?
But he said nothing, crawled back under the covers, closed his eyes, and turned his back to prepare for sleep.
His father, however, didn't seem ready for sleep.
He noticed a small wooden soldier on the nightstand and picked it up to examine it. As he looked, he began to chuckle and pinched Pei Cangyu’s cheek. "I made this for you."
Pei Cangyu was woken up again. He glanced back and nodded patiently. "Yeah. Go to sleep."
His father rubbed the wooden soldier against Pei Cangyu’s face as if he found it amusing. Annoyed, Pei Cangyu bolted upright, snatched the soldier away, slammed it back onto the desk, and yanked the covers up. "Go to sleep!"
"You've got a bad temper. Who'd you get that from?" Pei Yueshan continued to smoke.
Hearing this, Pei Cangyu felt a bit sheepish. After a moment of hesitation, he said in a muffled voice, "Sorry..."
"How old are you? Fourteen?" his father suddenly asked.
"Yeah."
Pei Cangyu looked up at his father, and his father looked down at him. The two of them didn't look much alike.
Suddenly, his father leaned down and blew a cloud of smoke directly into Pei Cangyu’s face.
Pei Cangyu choked and coughed, trying to push his father’s shoulder away, but the man didn't budge. Pei Yueshan continued smoking, watching as Pei Cangyu finished coughing—his face flushed red, his hair a mess. Pei Cangyu sat up to take a drink of water, leaving his lips moist and red. He paced the room irritably for two laps before finally lying back down.
Except for the occasional chuckle, Pei Yueshan’s usual expression carried a hint of menace. Even those few laughs lacked any sense of relaxation. Pei Yueshan was like the scars on his body—he carried a sense of tension, as if he were in a state of high mental alertness, ready to fight for his life at any moment.
Eventually, he stubbed out the cigarette on the desk, leaving a black burn mark, and finally lay down.
His heavy frame and the heat of his body made Pei Cangyu, who was used to sleeping alone, very uncomfortable. Pei Cangyu tried to shift away, but his father turned to look at him. "It's good to have a kid."
Pei Cangyu froze and stopped moving.
"A child belongs to his parents, after all," he said, then turned over to sleep, leaving most of the duvet to Pei Cangyu.
Looking at the extra folds of the duvet on his side, Pei Cangyu felt a wave of warmth. He couldn't help it; he had never had parents, and even a small gesture of kindness was enough to move him.
He looked at his father’s broad back and the faint scars visible upon it. He whispered, "Goodnight, Dad."
Then he quickly turned around and closed his eyes to sleep.
His father shifted on the other side, turned toward Pei Cangyu, reached out to pat his head, and let out a deep sigh. It was a sigh so heavy it carried emotions Pei Cangyu couldn't yet understand.
Of course, the other reason he hadn't slept well was that his father had nightmares. He would frown and curse at something—sometimes loudly, sometimes softly, sometimes in a string of incoherent mumbles, and sometimes even calling out names. It sounded terrifying. Pei Cangyu had been jolted awake at least four or five times.
Piggy asked again why he hadn't slept well, but Pei Cangyu remained silent and didn't answer.
This was because Pei Cangyu never talked about his family with his friends. Although everyone knew he didn't have parents and lived with his grandmother, the boys had never—not once—discussed the topic. On one hand, they were usually too busy fooling around to get into such subjects; on the other hand, Pei Cangyu unconsciously avoided it. The reason lay in his pride. He didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to explain his family situation to anyone. Just imagining his friends' expressions—that "Say no more, bro, I'll drink to that, it's all in the glass" look—made him want to keep quiet. His friends didn't ask, and they never treated him any differently, but if Pei Cangyu ever said he had to leave, or had no one to go with him to the hospital, they would always just follow along without asking questions.
That was enough.
But this time was different. Pei Cangyu pursed his lips, intending to tell Piggy, but the thought of having to explain the prison part felt like too much trouble. Pei Cangyu didn't particularly mind that his father had been in prison, but explaining it to others was a different matter entirely.
So, he still said nothing.
On the first day of school, although everyone complained about how annoying it was and how they didn't want to be there, the atmosphere in the classroom was actually quite high. Students who hadn't seen each other in a long time spoke loudly; those in the front row shouted to those in the back, too lazy to walk a few steps. Everyone was laughing, playing, shoving each other, making harmless jokes, and swearing mildly. Nothing had changed.
Piggy grabbed the listless Pei Cangyu and pushed him toward Airplane as soon as they entered. "Ten yuan, he's yours."
Airplane quickly caught Pei Cangyu. "Ten yuan for this much meat? I'll consider it for five."
Pei Cangyu dodged them both and walked to his seat. Monkey was at his desk watering a plant. He glanced at him. "Dissipation and debauchery, indulging in the pleasures of the flesh."
Pei Cangyu laughed. "Ooh, learned some new words, did we?"
Monkey huffed and switched the watering can to his other hand. "Hey, Pei Cangyu, did you know? We're getting a new homeroom teacher."
"Huh? Now?" Pei Cangyu paused while putting down his backpack. "We're almost at the Senior High Entrance Exams and they're changing the homeroom teacher?"
Monkey sat down. "Seriously. My mom's on the parent committee; she said it's changing. Our current teacher is getting married."
It took Pei Cangyu a long moment to remember that his grandmother had indeed mentioned the "sister" from upstairs was getting married and the family was moving out. At the time, Pei Cangyu had been busy gaming, and the information had gone in one ear and out the other; he had completely forgotten that the "sister" was also his "homeroom teacher."
Thinking of this, Pei Cangyu felt a bit melancholy. The "sister" who had made a pact with him to come to this middle school was now leaving first.
"Where is she going?"
"Seems like she's going to No. 1 Middle School." Monkey rubbed his chin. "I heard my mom say the groom thinks No. 1 is a better workplace, and it'll be more convenient for their future kids' schooling and all that..."
Pei Cangyu glanced at him. "Why are you such a gossip?"
Monkey threw up his hands. "Damn it, if I wasn't a gossip, what would you have to listen to? Talk about burning bridges..."
They were still bickering when they heard a commotion outside the classroom. A crowd was surging that way, accompanied by hushed discussions, as if something had captured the attention of the entire school.
Monkey stood up to look. "What is it? What's happening?"
Pei Cangyu lazily continued pulling out his books, not particularly interested.
But the focus of the discussion soon appeared at their classroom door.
Bai Shi.
Bai Shi looked like a completely different person.
The students were all whispering, their eyes following him. A bold girl from the class next door went up to say a few words to him; after they finished, she giggled and huddled with her friends, happily continuing their gossip. Bai Shi was like a prince, looking at the girl elegantly, turning his head elegantly, and walking over here elegantly.
The change left even Monkey stunned. He tapped Pei Cangyu, who was still looking down organizing his books.
Pei Cangyu didn't even lift his head. "What? I'm busy..."
Monkey tapped harder. Bai Shi was almost there.
Pei Cangyu finally looked up. "I said, you—"
Monkey pointed beside him. "Your deskmate is here."
"So he's here, what's it to—" Pei Cangyu turned and saw his deskmate.
...Bai Shi was so tall.
Although Pei Cangyu had seen him once a while ago, Bai Shi’s growth spurt was like a rocket. He had to be at least 1.8 meters now, and the guy was only fourteen or fifteen...
Pei Cangyu looked at the surrounding students; their reactions were clearly even more dramatic.
Bai Shi pulled out his chair and sat down. He turned to look at Pei Cangyu and smiled. "Did you finish your homework?"
With that smile, Pei Cangyu suddenly realized how different Bai Shi was.
Bai Shi’s hair was longer now, with a slight curl that brushed his shoulders. The jet-black hair contrasted with his pale skin, and his lips, now full of color from his growth, curved into a faint, lingering smile. This person had truly changed a lot.
It wasn't just his appearance, but his entire aura—this sense of calm and composure. It was as if he had suddenly matured, filled with confidence. There was no longer any trace of his former gloom and depression, nor that face forever clouded with shadows. The current Bai Shi exuded a posture of someone in a high position, a look Pei Cangyu had always felt would suit him.
Bai Shi tilted his head. "You didn't write it?"
Pei Cangyu snapped out of it and hurriedly returned the homework Bai Shi had lent him, defending himself indignantly. "Who says I didn't? I finished it ages ago, alright? And I knew how to do it all. Don't you think writing out the step-by-step solutions was a bit redundant, my friend?" Pei Cangyu intentionally put on a stern face. "Don't do that next time."
To his surprise, Bai Shi didn't argue. He took the workbook with a smile and answered gently, "Okay, I understand."
Pei Cangyu was stunned.
Seeing him still dazed, Bai Shi turned around, rested his chin on his hands, tilted his head back slightly, and used a finger to brush the hair away from Pei Cangyu’s forehead. "The gold is completely gone, Pei Cangyu."
Just as Pei Cangyu was about to answer, the finger on his forehead moved down, lightly tapping his cheek and flicking the flesh there before pulling back.
Bai Shi began to laugh. Pei Cangyu slammed his book down, grabbed Bai Shi’s wrist, and pinned him down onto the desk, glaring at him. "What are you laughing at? Looking for a beating?"
Bai Shi surrendered, saying he wouldn't dare. Only then did Pei Cangyu let him go, giving Bai Shi’s stool a kick for good measure. Bai Shi let out a low chuckle. "So fierce, Pei Cangyu."
***
