The teenagers' playful banter and laughter drew frequent side-glances from passersby. Some looks were probing, others merely curious; it was likely considered bizarre to see seven or eight rough-looking students bidding such a friendly farewell to a student like Fei Cheng, who appeared so well-behaved.
Lai Xinhui and his crew rode fast. Before long, they had pulled a significant distance ahead of Fei Cheng before splitting off at various intersections to head to their respective homes.
The winter night was rushing to take its shift. After cycling leisurely for a while, Fei Cheng felt the light dim by several degrees. He glanced at the horizon, where the dusk was being swallowed whole, and put his back into it, speeding toward home.
The later it got, the colder it became. The whistling wind was pervasive, rendering sweaters and jackets useless; the damp cold seeped into the very marrow of his bones, impossible to shake off.
The concrete road leading to his house was somewhat narrow, barely wide enough for a single small car to pass. One side of the road hugged the mountainside. A few years back, there had been talk of development, and a section of the mountain had been excavated into a clearing. The yellow earth had been hauled away to fill the river, but the excavation had eventually been abandoned.
Many students liked to arrange fights in these clearings; they were incredibly convenient for both brawls and ambushes.
Fei Cheng used to be very wary of these spots when he was being targeted, but gradually, after the midterm exams, the ambushes had stopped. In the eyes of those delinquents, someone who could stand on stage and receive an award from the principal had already transcended their world. In this small town, the line between "scholars" and "delinquents" was drawn very clearly.
He exhaled a cloud of white vapor. As he passed the clearing, he habitually glanced over. Sure enough, people were fighting. To them, next week’s final exams were likely no different from any ordinary Wednesday or Thursday.
Seven or eight people had their backs to the road, forming a tight circle that completely obscured the person being beaten in the center.
Fei Cheng didn't slow down. He took a couple of glances and looked away, thinking that if only he had a cell phone, he could at least help by calling the police. Without the strength to intervene, he couldn't afford to meddle.
He had just passed the clearing and hadn't gone far when he suddenly heard an extremely familiar voice.
"Fuck your mother! If you have a problem, come at me! Don't touch my brothers! Go to hell!"
Fei Cheng slammed on the brakes. He looked back, but could see nothing behind him.
After a moment's thought, he put his feet on the ground and slowly backed his bicycle up to the edge of the clearing.
Three or four people were fighting back against seven or eight. It really was Liu Yucong...
What goes around comes around. It wasn't surprising that Liu Yucong, who had spent his days hitting others, would eventually have a day where he was the one being hit. What was surprising, however, were Lai Xinhui, Li Rongbao, and Li Senwei.
Those three had been estranged from Liu Yucong for over a week. Despite being in the same class and dormitory at school, they hadn't communicated at all. When they had passed Fei Cheng earlier, they had been laughing and joking quite leisurely, showing no sign that they were heading for a fight. Had they, like him, just happened to see Liu Yucong being beaten while passing by and jumped in to help?
Well...
Since they were classmates...
Fei Cheng felt a bit conflicted as he pulled off his scarf and hung it over the handlebars. He turned up his collar and zipped his jacket to the top. He didn't want to fight, really!
It was just that the person being beaten was an acquaintance, and Cheng Yifei had taught him quite a few combat techniques last time. It was a rare opportunity; he might as well go and test them out.
Keeping his backpack on, he rolled his wrists and walked toward them, his pace neither hurried nor slow.
The attackers all had their backs to him, locked in a scuffle. He grabbed the shoulder of the nearest person, yanked him around, and threw a quick punch at the man's jaw. He followed up by driving his knee into the man's abdomen. Ignoring the way the guy doubled over like a shrimp in pain, Fei Cheng kicked him away.
The string of movements was fluid and seamless. Speed was the key; he couldn't give the opponent time to react.
Cheng Yifei had told him that since he lacked raw strength, he had a better chance of protecting himself by using leverage and targeting human weak points.
The attackers didn't know who Fei Cheng was. Initially, they were a bit dazed from the hit, but once they realized what was happening, they took him for Liu Yucong's accomplice. Three of them grouped up and lunged at him. Fei Cheng dodged, ducking behind Lai Xinhui and the others.
He was joking—he didn't even have the skill to take on two people at once, let alone three.
Lai Xinhui and the other two were stunned to see Fei Cheng. Subconsciously, they actually moved to shield him, asking as they fought back, "What are you doing here?!"
Liu Yucong, his face bruised and swollen, barked out viciously, "Mind your own business!"
Fei Cheng didn't speak. He hadn't expended much energy yet, but Liu Yucong and the opposing group all looked exhausted, though they refused to stop.
Liu Yucong kicked one person away but took a punch from another. He staggered two steps to steady himself and lost his temper at Fei Cheng, who was hiding in the back. "Why the fuck haven't you left yet?" He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. "Looking for a beating? You idiot, Fei-dog, get lost! Fuck!"
Fei Cheng was observing the situation. He clearly hadn't done much, yet he had drawn all the aggro. It was as if he had pulled "OT"; the attackers were all trying to bypass Lai Xinhui's group just to rush over and pummel him.
He thought about it. He really hadn't wanted to meddle, but since they wanted to hit him, he had to strike first!
Fei Cheng took off his backpack, utilizing the footwork he'd developed playing basketball. Whomever Lai Xinhui and the others were fighting, he would jump in to deliver the finishing blow. With the weight of the backpack combined with his own momentum, knocking someone over wasn't difficult.
Between punches, kicks, and a fair share of "fuck your mothers," the fight ended ten minutes later. Despite being outnumbered, the five of them had managed to beat the eight opponents into the ground.
They fought until the other side couldn't get up, but they were in rough shape themselves—covered in dust, gasping for air, standing there without even the strength to move a finger.
Actually, they could barely even stand.
Fei Cheng's backpack had been tossed aside. He bent over, hands on his knees, drenched in sweat despite the dead of winter.
During the scuffle, he had accidentally been pulled in and taken a few punches and kicks, even rolling around on the ground a bit. However, Liu Yucong and the others had come to his rescue every time.
"I... I... Fuck, *hiss*, Fei Cheng, you okay?" Lai Xinhui flopped onto the ground, his face contorting in pain as he agitated some injury.
Once he sat down, Li Rongbao and Li Senwei followed suit. They had won, after all. They were sitting while the other side was lying down; there was no harm in taking a seat now.
Li Rongbao and Li Senwei looked at Fei Cheng and wiped their faces. "Yeah, Fei Cheng, you doing alright? I... I need a break. We'll walk you home in a bit."
Fei Cheng shook his head. Once his breathing leveled out, he straightened up, walked over to his backpack, and used it as a cushion to sit on. He reached back to rub his aching spine. "No need for an escort. I'm in much better shape than you guys."
Without a word, Liu Yucong scrambled up and started to walk away.
Li Senwei summoned his strength to ask, "Yucong, where the fuck are you going?"
Liu Yucong didn't look back, merely waving a hand at them.
Fei Cheng watched his retreating figure; his right leg was a bit limp. Out of everyone, Liu Yucong had likely taken the worst beating.
Lai Xinhui sat for a moment before simply lying flat on the ground. Staring up at the darkening sky, he said to no one in particular, "Don't worry, he won't just leave on his own."
Li Senwei and Li Rongbao also lay down one after another, ignoring the yellow dirt on the ground. They were so exhausted they felt half-dead.
"Maybe he went to buy us drinks," Li Rongbao suggested.
Li Senwei nodded, licking his dry lower lip. He said weakly, "I'm dying of thirst."
Fei Cheng was thirsty too, but he was more worried about the cold. He was covered in sweat; once he stopped moving and the wind hit him, he would definitely catch a cold by the time he got home. Forget that nonsense about "strong young bodies"—this body was anything but strong.
Using his willpower, he stood up. "I'm heading out first."
Lai Xinhui sat up abruptly. "What's the rush? Wait a bit, rest some more. Aren't you tired?"
Fei Cheng picked up his backpack, which felt incredibly heavy. His voice was a bit raspy as he said, "I'm tired. If I rest any longer, I won't be able to pedal the bike. You guys should head back early once you're done resting."
Li Rongbao said lazily, "We already said we'd take you back. If you can't pedal, we'll carry you. We haven't even thanked you yet."
Li Senwei chimed in, "Yeah, we didn't expect you to come help. Wait for Liu Yucong to get back before you go."
Fei Cheng shook his head. He had only taken two steps when his backpack was suddenly snatched away. Lai Xinhui clutched the bag and flopped back onto the ground, wailing, "Crap! Dabao, take this thing away, it's killing me! It's so heavy!!!"
Li Rongbao, who was beside him, reached out to pull it but couldn't budge it. He had to scramble up and give it a hard yank before the backpack finally rolled off Lai Xinhui and onto the ground.
Fei Cheng wanted to laugh, but he was more pained by how dirty his bag had become.
Lai Xinhui rubbed his chest as he sat up, asking what kind of lethal weapon he had packed in there. "Don't leave yet. It's almost dark anyway. Whether you go home now or later, it'll be dark by the time you get there."
"What kind of twisted logic is that?"
Fei Cheng went to grab his bag, but Lai Xinhui and Li Rongbao both threw themselves onto it, determined not to let him take it.
Fei Cheng sighed and sat down, asking them, "Weren't you guys done with Liu Yucong? When did you make up? I couldn't tell at school."
Lai Xinhui said, "We haven't made up."
Fei Cheng smiled. "You haven't made up, yet you're working together in a gang fight?"
Li Senwei said, "If Yucong apologizes to us, we'll make up with him. But the bastard won't apologize. As for the fight, if Dabao hadn't rushed in, I wouldn't have bothered."
Li Rongbao shifted the blame. "Pah! I only followed because I saw Dahui ditch his bike and charge over."
Lai Xinhui: "...Damn it, you guys said everything. What am I supposed to say??"
Fei Cheng laughed. "Why are you being so stubborn?"
Lai Xinhui gave a soft huff, seemingly dissatisfied. After a moment, he said, "I've known him since we were in diapers. And then he goes and calls me his 'little follower.' Who the fuck is his follower? I gave him some well-meaning advice and he lost his temper with me? Age-wise, I'm three days older than him. Do you know that? Three days! By seniority, I'm practically his uncle! Pah!"
"Hahahaha, yeah! Make Yucong call you Uncle!" Li Rongbao laughed so hard he nearly lost his breath.
Fei Cheng noticed the group lying on the ground starting to scramble up, but he didn't pay them much mind. Looking up at the last traces of dusk, he said, "Since your bond is so strong, just make up already. Otherwise, he'll keep hanging out with kids from other classes—playing together but not fighting together."
Lai Xinhui muttered something that was drowned out by the wind.
Fei Cheng watched the group that was preparing to leave. Bracing his hands on the ground behind him, he asked quite casually, "Hey, why were you guys hitting Liu Yucong?"
Of the eight, some could get up and some couldn't. Those who could were helping those who couldn't. A tall guy nearby answered Fei Cheng irritably, "Because we didn't like the look of him, alright? He bumped into me while eating and his attitude was so arrogant—if that's not asking for a beating, what is? Damn it, if we'd known he had backup... we thought he was alone. Fuck, you guys are sneaky."
Li Rongbao said defiantly, "Sneaky? We beat you fair and square. There were eight of you and five of us. What, you want another round?"
"Damn it, no! Fine, you guys are tough, okay!"
They left the clearing with their arms around each other's shoulders, running right into the returning Liu Yucong. Both sides paused for a moment before brushing past each other, their grievances settled.
Li Rongbao was thrilled to see Liu Yucong. "I told you he went to buy drinks."
Lai Xinhui and Li Senwei also burst out laughing.
Without a word, Liu Yucong tossed a drink to each person. When it was Fei Cheng's turn, he hesitated for a moment. Seeing Fei Cheng's hands were free, he tossed a soda over, followed by an extra bottle of mineral water.
Fei Cheng was a bit surprised to receive two bottles. He looked up at Liu Yucong.
Liu Yucong opened a soda for himself and began chugging it. After half the bottle, he let out a comfortable sigh. Noticing Fei Cheng's gaze, he glared. "What the hell are you looking at?"
Fei Cheng set the soda down, twisted open the mineral water, and took three or four gulps before nodding. "Yeah, I'm looking at a 'hell' of a sight."
"You motherf—" Liu Yucong flared up again, but before Lai Xinhui and the others could intervene, he swallowed the rest of his words. *Fuck, this feeling of being stifled is so annoying.*
Fei Cheng knew Liu Yucong was easily triggered. He smiled and apologized, "I'm just joking. Thanks." He raised the water bottle in acknowledgment.
Liu Yucong's expression softened slightly. He sat down cross-legged, crushed his empty soda can, and tossed it into a corner. "Hmph. Who asked you to mind your own business?"
Li Senwei was the first to take the initiative to talk to Liu Yucong. "If Fei Cheng hadn't 'minded his own business,' I don't know if we would have won."
Li Rongbao glanced at Liu Yucong, the words hovering on the tip of his tongue before he finally made up his mind. "Exactly."
Liu Yucong: "..."
He looked at Li Senwei and Li Rongbao, his face tense, but a trace of loneliness flickered in his eyes. "Ever since the basketball game, you guys haven't been on my side. Every other word out of your mouths is Fei Cheng! Fei Cheng!! Fei Cheng!!!"
Li Senwei and Li Rongbao looked at each other and shouted in unison, "Bullshit! When did we ever??"
Lai Xinhui didn't say a word, silently sipping his soda.
Liu Yucong reached out and gave him a weak kick. "Dahui, why are you still angry?" Without waiting for a response, he pointed at Fei Cheng and continued, "Last time, I was just blinded by anger. You know how they say on TV that when blood rushes to your brain, you lose your mind? All that stuff I said was just total bullshit. Just pretend I ate too many sweet potatoes and was talking out of my ass, okay?"
Fei Cheng was drinking water and suddenly choked, sputtering.
Liu Yucong, embarrassed and annoyed, raised his voice and roared, "Can't you even drink water properly?! What the hell are you laughing at! This is all your fault anyway, so annoying!"
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 湿冷 | damp cold | A specific type of cold common in Southern China that feels like it penetrates the bones. |
| 约架 | arrange a fight | Slang for setting a time and place for a brawl. |
| 补刀 | finishing blow / last hit | A gaming term (kill-stealing or finishing an enemy) used here for joining a fight to finish off an opponent. |
| OT | OT / drawing aggro | A gaming term (Over-Threat/Off-Tank) used here to mean attracting the enemies' attention. |
| 穿开裆裤 | wearing open-crotch pants | A Chinese idiom meaning friends since early childhood/toddlerhood. |
| 吃了红薯乱放屁 | ate sweet potatoes and farted | A crude metaphor meaning talking nonsense or speaking without thinking. |
| 气匀了 | breathing leveled out | To catch one's breath after exertion. |
| 灰头土脸 | covered in dust and dirt | A common idiom for looking disheveled or defeated, though here it's literal from the fight. |
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