Tang Zihe apologized with the utmost sincerity, "Oops, my hand slipped."
Jiang Wei: "..."
He was completely unable to crawl out now. If he wanted his character to stay alive, his only hope rested on the person in front of him.
*Maybe I should just die...*
Tang Zihe tossed the painkillers in his hand. "It’s fine. Just say it once. It’s not like you’ll lose a limb..."
Jiang Wei actually smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
Tang Zihe nodded, completely off-guard.
Jiang Wei cleared his throat, adjusted his posture, and let out a sudden, piercing wail.
"Aaaaah—my dear father! How... how did you die such a tragic death?! *Sob, sob, sob...*"
The expressions on Shen Yannan and Tang Wanbai’s faces twisted for a moment.
The painkillers in Tang Zihe’s hand dropped straight to the floor, startled by the outcry. "...?!"
Jiang Wei, however, was fully committed to his performance, wailing and sobbing as he reached forward. He managed to snag the medicine and immediately started chugging it down.
The color of his health bar shifted, reaching sixty percent.
"The circle is shrinking! Move, move!" Tang Wanbai’s voice rang out from outside. "Hurry up, or Jiang Wei’s health boost will be for nothing."
Tang Zihe seemed to finally snap out of it. The two of them ditched the empty bottles and sprinted out of the building.
Tang Wanbai lived up to her reputation as a veteran player; her driving skills were impeccable, not even clipping a single twig along the way.
A roll of bandages appeared before Jiang Wei’s eyes.
"Giving them up so easily now? Not going to make me call you 'Dad' again?" He teased playfully while his hands didn't stop, unwrapping the bandages and winding them around his character's arm.
"...If you ever find yourself without a meal ticket in the future, I suggest you look for a job as a professional mourner at a funeral home," Tang Zihe said expressionlessly, leaning against the window.
*Pfft.* Everyone burst out laughing.
Jiang Wei leaned closer to Tang Zihe and whispered with a grin, "I told you, you should have just settled for 'Big Brother.' You just had to be greedy."
Tang Zihe didn't take the bait.
The group fought their way into the final circle.
"I bet we’re the only full squad left."
They hopped out of the car and ducked into a house.
"Two people left. If they can survive the run to the circle, we’ll definitely catch them while camping in this house," Tang Wanbai said, taking up a position at one of the windows.
"No need to wait." Shen Yannan waved the others over. "I already see them outside."
"I’ve got this." Tang Zihe, having just switched to an AKM, was eager to try it out.
*[HeLiJiQun defeated LaoSuanCaiYuLe with AKM]*
After the gunshot, they waited for about half a minute before the person hiding behind the tree finally poked their head out.
*[HeLiJiQun defeated Deeee with AKM]*
Someone sighed in admiration, "That guy’s patience is actually pretty good."
The game moved to the results screen.
Shen Yannan had three kills, Tang Zihe and Jiang Wei had eight each, and Tang Wanbai had thirteen.
"Sweet~" Tang Wanbai leaned back in her chair and finished the rest of her Sprite.
Jiang Wei exited the party. "This game is too hard on the eyes. I’m taking a break."
"The dorms will have hot water soon. Shall we head back together?" Shen Yannan said, scrolling through his phone.
The others nodded in agreement.
Half an hour later.
"Leaving already?" The owner tapped a few buttons on the machine. "Your sleeping habits are actually better than they used to be, little girl."
"It’s senior year. Who dares to be that wild anymore?" Tang Wanbai replied with a grin.
Shen Yannan paid the bill and smiled at the owner. "We’re off."
Standing beneath the school’s back wall, the group belatedly realized a rather serious problem.
Tang Wanbai had been able to climb out easily because there were bricks piled at the corner to step on. Now, the outside was bare—not even a blade of grass to be found. Things had become much more difficult.
For a moment, they were all at a loss.
"How did you guys get back in before?" Jiang Wei was the first to ask.
"Um... there used to be a lot of bricks left out here. They must have been cleared away." Shen Yannan rubbed his chin, half-joking, "Next time we sneak out, we have to remember to bring our own bricks."
"If someone can give me a boost, I should be able to flip over," Tang Wanbai said, tucking her hair back and clenching her fist. "My PE grades aren't great, but I’ve climbed this wall plenty of times."
The others nodded.
Jiang Wei had an injury on his hand, and Shen Yannan was an Omega, so those two climbed over first. The heavy lifting of boosting someone naturally fell to Tang Zihe.
Tang Wanbai successfully flipped inside.
Jiang Wei gave her a hand down, and the four of them walked toward the nearby sports field.
Evening self-study had already ended, and the field was now filled with students walking in pairs or small groups.
The four of them successfully blended in.
Shen Yannan said he had to go back to chat with his boyfriend and headed straight across the field. The remaining three had nothing urgent to do and unanimously decided to walk a couple of laps to relax.
Jiang Wei and Tang Wanbai chatted and laughed about the game, while Tang Zihe wore headphones, listening to music beside them.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out on the field.
The beam of a flashlight swung back and forth.
"Look," Tang Wanbai pointed toward a direction, not particularly concerned. "That’s Director Li catching 'puppy love' couples."
Director Li was the famous Dean of Students at No. 4 High. He had been cursed countless times by students as a "professional romance-buster." He loved wandering around the school with nothing to do, especially at night. Given his years of experience, catching student couples was as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
"This is quite a lively scene," Jiang Wei chuckled, intrigued.
A few seconds later.
Jiang Wei blinked. "Wait... is he coming toward us?"
"It seems so." Tang Wanbai was about to say, "We’re not dating anyway, what’s there to fear?" when the flashlight beam hit Jiang Wei right in the face.
Blinded by the light, Jiang Wei squeezed his eyes shut. He only heard the voice of a middle-aged man who sounded somewhat familiar.
"Other couples run the moment they see me, but you three are just standing here waiting to be caught, aren't you?" If he wasn't mistaken, this was Director Li. "Young people, you’ve got quite the nerve."
"We aren't dating." Tang Wanbai was surprisingly bold. She pointed at Tang Zihe, who had taken off his headphones at some point. "Teacher, have you ever seen three people in a 'puppy love' relationship together?"
Tang Zihe: "?"
Director Li huffed, clearly skeptical. "Who knows? Maybe you’re just here to broaden my horizons."
Jiang Wei frowned and glanced at Director Li.
*Wait, isn't this the same administrative teacher who made me write that self-reflection letter?*
"We are comforting a classmate," Tang Zihe spoke up suddenly. The other three were all stunned.
Jiang Wei, whose eyes were already watering from the harsh flashlight, was the first to grasp Tang Zihe’s intention. He squeezed his eyes shut, and tears instantly came streaming down.
Director Li clearly hadn't expected the situation to develop this way. Before he could recover, he couldn't help but ask, "What’s going on?"
"Classmate Jiang Wei was injured recently. The doctor said it would heal very slowly. He’s worried about his hand scarring and is very upset. He felt embarrassed about crying in class, so he asked the two of us," Tang Zihe pointed at Tang Wanbai with a deadpan expression, "to come out and walk with him to help ease his anxiety."
Tang Wanbai: "...?"
Jiang Wei: *...This bastard can lie through his teeth without even blinking.*
"You students..." Director Li wouldn't have believed Tang Zihe’s nonsense under normal circumstances—even if this boy was the school’s famous model student. The idea of an Alpha weeping and needing another Alpha and an Omega to comfort him was indeed a bit far-fetched. In all his years of work, he had never heard such an excuse. However, Jiang Wei’s hand was indeed wrapped in bandages, and those tears were falling so freely and sincerely. Even though the "fact" was hard to swallow, he reluctantly believed a part of it.
"Fine, forget it." Director Li turned away, sighed, and let them go.
All three of them let out a sigh of relief.
Tang Wanbai skipped ahead but couldn't help turning back after a while. "Did you two plan that beforehand?"
"Huh? Who could predict something like that?" Jiang Wei shook his head with a smile. "That was just your Brother Jiang’s improvisation. Pretty impressive, right?"
Tang Wanbai praised him quite bluntly, "It was amazing! I think you have the potential to be a star. The way you just started crying really scared me."
Jiang Wei wiped his face, clearly satisfied with the praise.
"Yo, you guys are back pretty early."
Xia Shan was wandering the corridor with a water cup in one hand and a toothbrush in his mouth.
"It’s not early. We just made it back in time for showers," Jiang Wei yawned. "Goodnight to everyone in advance."
A smile played on Tang Zihe’s lips. "Yeah, goodnight."
***
Before they knew it, the end of the month arrived. Golden ginkgo leaves drifted from the window onto the desks. Accompanied by the faint, lingering hum of cicadas, people were startled to realize the weather had turned cool when they touched their arms.
"Class, it’s the end of the month. It’s time to announce a matter of some importance." Teacher Shi stood on the podium, smiling as usual, holding several sheets of paper printed with tables.
The students of Class 1 had already guessed what he was going to say and let out a collective wail.
"Teacher, if it’s the monthly exams, don't say it. My heart is already broken," Xia Shan raised his hand and shouted.
Laughter mingled with the groans.
"No, it still needs to be said." Teacher Shi shook his head with a smile. "Same as before, exams are this Thursday and Friday. This is the seating chart for the exam rooms. I’ll post it behind the door later; remember to check it."
To ensure fairness, No. 4 High always randomized the seating, and signal jammers would be placed in the exam rooms to dash the hopes of those planning to use electronic devices to cheat.
"Examine with integrity; cheating is shameful. Although the students sitting around you might not have grades as good as yours, 'helping classmates' indiscriminately during the exam will result in the same punishment." Teacher Shi had likely said these words many times; only a few students below were nodding.
"We get a half-day off after the exams." Xia Shan turned around, propping one hand on Jiang Wei’s desk. "Want to go get some skewers then? I know a pretty good place."
"Sure, I’m staying at the dorms over the weekend anyway. No one’s watching me," Jiang Wei agreed readily, then nudged Tang Zihe with his elbow. "Are you going?"
"Yeah, I’ll go." Tang Zihe tapped Jiang Wei’s misbehaving arm with his pen cap, telling him to behave.
"Let’s go over the key points and difficulties of this assignment. Students who need to listen, please do so. Those who don't can work on their homework. Don't let me catch you doing anything unrelated to your studies," Teacher Shi snapped a piece of chalk as usual. "Otherwise, you can go stand outside the classroom."
Xia Shan scurried to pull his homework out of his desk.
Jiang Wei sat quietly for a few minutes before he couldn't resist chatting with Tang Zihe again. "Don't you think Teacher Shi is a bit grumpy today?"
Tang Zihe shook his head.
"Did he have a fight with his wife this morning?" Jiang Wei blinked, guessing randomly.
Even though he had been in this class for less than a month, he already knew Teacher Shi had a three-year-old son and that the first thing he did after work every day was rush home to see his wife and child. He was definitely an excellent, family-oriented man.
Tang Zihe coughed.
"Say something," Jiang Wei continued to blink, persistent. "How did you become a mute just because it's Physics class?"
Tang Zihe coughed again.
"Classmate Jiang Wei, repeat what I just said."
Jiang Wei stood up with an innocent face. He hesitated for two seconds before whispering, "Sorry, Teacher, I didn't hear you."
"You didn't hear because you were too busy talking to your deskmate, right?" Teacher Shi’s glasses reflected the sunlight from the window, making his expression unreadable. "Tang Zihe, you answer too."
Jiang Wei pursed his lips and stole a sideways glance at Tang Zihe.
Tang Zihe stood up, his lips moving, but he only managed to say, "Sorry, Teacher, I didn't hear either."
?
"At least you’re honest. As a reward, go stand outside," Teacher Shi said without a hint of mercy, waving them away. "Anyway, with your levels, you don't really need to listen. Go outside so you don't disturb the students who actually want to learn."
Under the gaze and suppressed laughter of the entire class, the two of them walked out of the room.
Standing outside, Jiang Wei was still muttering, "I told you Teacher Shi was in a bad mood today."
"You’re the one who insisted on walking right into the line of fire," Tang Zihe sighed helplessly, leaning his back against the wall. "And you dragged me out with you."
"Oh, come on, be more open-minded," Jiang Wei stuck out his tongue. "Didn't you say it yourself? Good brothers share the wealth and the woe."
"This is just giving you a chance to practice sharing the woe."
Tang Zihe: "..."
Jiang Wei: "What’s with that look?"
"Please, if you’re sick, get treated. Don't hide your illness from the doctor." Tang Zihe brushed off Jiang Wei’s hand from his shoulder and rolled his eyes.
"Is this what men are like? Truly creatures who can only share the wealth but not the woe." Jiang Wei sighed as well, reaching into his pocket. "I still have my phone. How about I buy you a drink later to salvage our brotherhood?"
Fortunately, Tang Zihe knew when to quit while he was ahead. "A soda, then."
"Deal." Jiang Wei was tugged by the person beside him. "Hey, where are you going?"
"I’m thirsty. Going to buy water," Tang Zihe said righteously. "You have to come too. You’re paying."
Jiang Wei: "..."
"I know," if the person in front of him weren't Tang Zihe, he probably would have thrown a punch by now. "I mean, shouldn't we wait until class is over?"
"Since when were you so obedient in class?" Tang Zihe chuckled and shook his head. "Don't worry, Teacher Shi won't actually come to check on us. Kicking us out of the classroom was literal."
"He’s just afraid you’ll keep chirping and disturb the people who actually need to listen—besides me."
Jiang Wei fell silent again: "..."
Now he really wanted to hit him, even if it was Tang Zihe.
"Fine, I’ll trust you one more time. Let’s go."
He and Tang Zihe avoided the classroom windows and walked to the other end of the corridor, then headed downstairs.
"What are you drinking?"
"Same as you. Orange soda is fine."
Jiang Wei bought two bottles and tossed one to Tang Zihe.
"I feel like we’re cutting class right now," Jiang Wei couldn't help but say as they sat by the flowerbed.
"Don't try to rewrite your memories. Our situation is much more pathetic than cutting class," Tang Zihe teased with a raised eyebrow. "Besides, a good student would never do something like skip class."
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Jiang Wei twisted the cap open and asked seriously. "You’re usually so snarky; have you really never been beaten up at this school?"
Tang Zihe frowned slightly. "...I also really want to ask what goes on in your head all day."
Jiang Wei wagged his index finger. "No, no, no. I’m being very sincere right now."
"I’m being sincere too." Tang Zihe stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and used the ringing of the bell to dodge the topic. "Class is over. Let’s head back."
***
