The two returned to the classroom with their arms around each other's shoulders.
Seeing them return, Yu Qing shouted in dissatisfaction, "Did you two fall into the toilet? You didn't even call me to go with you!"
Cheng Yifei was in an excellent mood—so good, in fact, that he gave Yu Qing a warm, genial smile and said, "I'll call you next time."
Yu Qing: "..." *What a disgusting smile!*
Qiu Minmin and Jun Ting were both watching them. Jun Ting breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It looks like they’ve made up. When they were under the tree, I really thought they were going to start swinging."
Qiu Minmin hummed in agreement, rubbing her chin. It felt even stranger now; something was definitely off.
The class teacher arrived with the class's grade reports, looking even more nervous than the students. He stood on the podium, scanned the room, and said, "Everyone is here, right? I’m going to start handing out the grade reports and the high school preference forms. Keep them safe and don't lose them, understood?"
"Understood, Teacher!"
"Before I hand out the grades, I want to congratulate two students. One is Cheng Yifei, and the other is Fei Cheng. Yifei was already admitted to City No. 1 High before the entrance exams, but he still took them and achieved the highest score in the entire province. And then there’s Fei Cheng—Fei Cheng performed exceptionally well and scored high enough for the honors class at City No. 1 High! This is the first time our class, and even our school, has had students get into City No. 1 High, and we have two at once. It’s truly worth celebrating, hahahaha!"
Just as he finished speaking, someone at the door started clapping.
Everyone looked over.
Fei Cheng: (⊙o⊙)
Yu Qing stood up happily and waved. "Teacher Xiu, come sit, come sit!"
Li Xiuxiu gave his colleague on the podium a smug look and walked toward Fei Cheng’s side, not forgetting to say, "Teacher Liu, please continue, continue. I just came by to take a look, hehe."
Teacher Liu pushed up his glasses. *That fat bastard.*
"I’ll call the names; come up and get your reports."
"Cheng Yifei."
"Fei Cheng."
"Yu Qing."
"Liu Yiting."
"..."
Li Xiuxiu sat next to Yu Qing, looking at the three students' grade reports. He felt quite emotional; after teaching for so many years, he finally felt a true sense of accomplishment.
"Not bad, not bad. You two can look out for each other at City No. 1 High. As for you, Yu Qing... if only you’d put in the effort to study like your life depended on it, you wouldn't be separated from them now. The 'Three Musketeers' are going to become a duo. But don't lose heart; your grades are good enough for the honors class at County No. 1 High, you weren't off by much. Even if you aren't in the same high school, there’s always university." Li Xiuxiu looked at the three beautiful grade reports, his eyes crinkling into slits from smiling. Being in a good mood made him quite talkative.
Yu Qing shot back, "Teacher, you should smile more. See? When you do that, your eyes don't look so big anymore."
Li Xiuxiu made a move as if to hit him.
Yu Qing quickly raised his hands in defense.
Fei Cheng was amused by the two of them. In a relaxed mood, he compared his report with Cheng Yifei's. Cheng Yifei had scored eleven points higher than him. An eleven-point gap was actually quite significant in the provincial rankings.
He said admiringly, "Brother Cheng, you’re a god. You said I could get into City No. 1 High, and I actually did."
Cheng Yifei accepted the praise. "So, have you changed your mind?"
Fei Cheng: "...No, I’m still choosing County No. 1 High." As he spoke, he filled out his preference form directly.
Poor 'Big Eyes' hadn't even reacted before he saw the words 'County No. 1 High' written in black and white on Fei Cheng’s form.
"Fei Cheng!!!" Li Xiuxiu raised his voice. "You... you really are...!!!"
Yu Qing was also stunned. He grabbed Fei Cheng’s form and looked it over. "Fei Cheng, you... you wrote it wrong. It’s okay, I haven't filled mine out yet, I’ll swap with you."
"Swap my ass! Are the serial numbers the same? Swap, swap, swap!" Li Xiuxiu was heartbroken.
Fei Cheng toyed with his pen cap and said, "I didn't fill it out wrong. My family has already agreed. Teacher, please calm down."
Cheng Yifei took the pen from his hand and, in one smooth motion, filled in 'County No. 1 High' for all three of his preferences.
Fei Cheng: "..."
Yu Qing: "..."
Li Xiuxiu: "..."
Cheng Yifei put down the pen and smiled. "The Three Musketeers again."
Don't ask how Li Xiuxiu clutched his heart as he left the classroom... and don't ask about the expression on Old Man Liu’s face when he received the forms...
Yu Qing was moved beyond words. During the class lunch, he ate like a man possessed, hiccuping as he said, "Good brothers, good brothers! I’ll definitely study hard from now on and won't hold you back. Good brothers! I didn't realize you couldn't bear to leave me. Come! Bottoms up!"
He picked up a can of Sprite and chugged it with the intensity of someone drinking hard liquor.
Cheng Yifei and Fei Cheng couldn't bear to look.
Jun Ting was delighted, resting her chin in her hands. "Then we’ll all be at the same school again! Although Lijuan and I aren't in the honors class, we still got in. We’re just waiting for the admission notices to arrive."
Qiu Minmin had thought Fei Cheng chose the county school solely because of her, but it turned out she wasn't the only reason. This made her feel a bit better.
Someone as outstanding as Fei Cheng should, like Cheng Yifei, fly to higher places.
Of course, she would work hard too!
"Minmin, Minmin, come on. Accompany me to the restroom first." Jun Ting stood up and pulled Qiu Minmin away.
Next to Qiu Minmin, Fei Cheng was trying some spicy beef tendon strips. One bite in... and he was stunned by the heat.
"Wow, why is this so spicy! Water, water, water!"
He stuck out his tongue, eyes watering as he searched for a drink. Cheng Yifei immediately handed over his own Sprite.
Fei Cheng took it and tilted his head back, taking several large gulps.
Cheng Yifei watched Fei Cheng intently. That bottle of Sprite was one he had already drunk from—from the exact same spot.
*Nice!*
Fei Cheng pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth. "This beef tendon is too spicy. Brother Cheng, definitely don't eat it!"
Cheng Yifei nodded. "Mm. Drink more Sprite."
Fei Cheng covered his mouth and hissed, "It’s no use. Drinking Sprite makes it feel even spicier!"
"Really?" Cheng Yifei took it back and took a sip himself. Sprite with a hint of spicy beef tendon—not bad.
Fei Cheng didn't notice, nodding as he looked for other things to eat.
Yu Qing reached for the Sprite in Cheng Yifei’s hand. "Give me a sip too, I’m dying of thirst."
Cheng Yifei dodged his hand and grabbed a random, half-finished bottle from the table. "Drink this."
Yu Qing: "..." *Are you a dog?!*
Fei Cheng chuckled beside Cheng Yifei.
In his previous life, he hadn't made it into the top class in the third year of middle school, nor had he gotten into County No. 1 High. Now that Qiu Minmin had gotten in, the change in his life's trajectory meant he knew nothing about her future.
The future really was a blur, both his and hers.
However, it was better not to overthink these things. He would just walk the path beneath his feet, figure things out slowly, and do his best to take care of Minmin. Nothing should go wrong; no matter what, life wouldn't be worse than his last one!
Fei Cheng nodded to himself at the thought.
Yu Qing was saying something to Cheng Yifei. Seeing Fei Cheng nod, he happily said to Cheng Yifei, "See, Chengcheng agrees! Let’s go to the internet cafe for a bit, and then we’ll meet up with Haoran and the others for barbecue this evening!"
Fei Cheng looked confused. What had he agreed to?
"Fish-head, what are you talking about?"
Yu Qing was truly happy today; he couldn't even muster a hint of graduation sadness. He explained patiently, "I said Li Haoran just came to find me. He asked if we wanted to go to Liang’s Food Stall at six for barbecue. I thought it sounded great, so I accepted on your behalf."
"Oh." Fei Cheng nodded. He indeed had no objection to that.
After entering the third year of middle school, the classes had been reshuffled. He, Cheng Yifei, and the others were lucky enough to be in the same class again, but they weren't as lucky with other classmates. Li Haoran had been moved to the class next door, but they saw each other often and were on good terms.
Yu Qing was grinning like an idiot. "Then to the internet cafe first! Chengcheng, you’ve definitely never played CF. I’ve never seen you touch a computer. Come on, I’ll show you the world."
Fei Cheng thought to himself: *Sure, once I get used to a couple of rounds and find my old rhythm, I’ll play so well you’ll be calling me 'Daddy'.*
Cheng Yifei let them arrange everything. He asked Yu Qing, "Are you really drunk on Sprite? Your mouth hasn't closed once since you got your results."
"I’m happy!" Yu Qing giggled again. Being able to stay at the same school was truly something to be happy about! They could be together for another three years of high school.
Although he never said it, he had been tossing and turning for days after the exams. Thinking that his brothers might both be at City No. 1 High while he struggled alone at County No. 1 High had made him depressed. He had been frustrated with himself for not working harder, hiding many thoughts in his heart.
In short, these entrance exams had been quite a blow to him. In the next three years, he was determined to work hard and catch up to them. He wouldn't fall behind again—for his parents, for his brothers, and for himself!
Yu Qing’s self-improvement drive lasted less than three seconds before his nose itched and he sneezed.
He rubbed his nose, puzzled. "Who’s thinking about me now?"
Cheng Yifei gave him a lazy glance. "Someone is cursing you."
Yu Qing turned to study Cheng Yifei. This guy was a bit strange today.
Look at him—lazily draping an arm over Fei Cheng’s shoulder, looking completely relaxed. How long had it been since he’d seen him like this? Usually, he kept a stiff face as if everyone owed him eight million yuan.
He was also unusually talkative; he’d said more today than he usually did in an entire week! Was he really this happy just because he got the top score in the province?
Unlikely...
It probably had something to do with Fei Cheng.
*Hmph, it’s decided. I’ll find a chance to get him drunk tonight. And once he’s wasted, hehe...*
***
At six in the evening, the sunset still hung halfway in the sky, refusing to end the day. The orange-red, fire-like light shone on the boys' faces, as if adding a natural filter.
The sign for Liang’s Food Stall was also gilded with a layer of radiance.
Li Haoran faced the sunset, holding a can of beer as he clinked glasses with every brother at the table, reciting their names as he went: "Cheng Yifei, Chengcheng, Yu Qing, Donghai, Yucong, Xinhui, Rongbao, Senwei... I really didn't think you guys would come. I was already imagining a desolate scene of me and Dahai drinking to our graduation alone."
Yu Qing took a sip of beer, smacking his lips to suppress the bitterness. "You thought only Dahai would show up?"
Li Haoran nodded. "Exactly! This was a spur-of-the-moment thing. After I got my grades, I rushed around looking for several classmates, but they all said they either didn't have time or weren't in the mood..."
Yu Qing clinked glasses with him in consolation. "It’s fine. Didn't we still get seven or eight people together? Look, even our Brother Cong came!"
Liu Yucong glanced sideways at Yu Qing, then looked at Cheng Yifei and Fei Cheng. "What’s so strange about me coming? I was bored to death anyway."
Lai Xinhui drank his beer and joked, "True, it’s strange that you’d look for us. After all: scholar, thug, scholar, thug." He pointed at Cheng Yifei and then at Liu Yucong.
Liu Yucong kicked him. "Fuck, why don't you use yourself as the comparison?"
Lai Xinhui couldn't stop laughing. "Did you forget what Big Eyes said? That your 'image' is very vivid?"
Liu Yucong looked at him and laughed, unable to help himself. "Get lost."
Fei Cheng was gnawing on a corn cob, watching them bicker. His eyes were curved into crescents, and his tiger teeth were on full display. "Ah-Hui, why don't you roll back and forth for him to see?"
Fei Cheng had been eating and barely speaking, but now that he spoke, everyone looked over.
Lai Xinhui finally found a chance to chat with him. He picked up a beer and clinked it against Fei Cheng's. "Not rolling. Not even if I roll back and forth. I heard you and Cheng Yifei both got into City No. 1 High. Badass!"
Fei Cheng took a few sips of beer. "My hair almost all fell out trying to get in."
Liu Yucong stared at his head. "Then that wig you bought is pretty realistic."
Fei Cheng froze for a second, then burst out laughing when he realized the joke. "When it comes to deadpan humor, I really have to hand it to you, Liu Yucong. Come, let’s have a drink. Thanks for helping me settle so many troubles behind the scenes. I’m truly grateful."
Lai Xinhui and Liu Yucong exchanged a look, surprised. "How did you know?"
Fei Cheng had finished a bottle of beer, and the color was rising to his face. He leaned against Cheng Yifei’s shoulder and reminisced, "I accidentally overheard those people talking. Even though I feel like I’m already very handsome, there are always a few people who don't like the look of me and want to cause trouble."
Li Rongbao laughed loudly. "What do you mean they 'don't like the look of you'? It’s because you keep stealing people's girlfriends."
Yu Qing was shocked. "What girlfriends? How come I didn't know?"
Fei Cheng shook his head and sighed. "They just confessed to me and I didn't even say yes. Does that count as stealing?"
Li Senwei said with a look of regret, "Why didn't you say yes? If it were me, I’d pick the prettiest one and agree. The people I like never like me back. Dammit!" He gulped down his beer.
Fei Cheng nodded dizzily and clinked glasses with him. "If you give up on this one tree, you’ll find a vast grassland ahead of you. Don't cry."
Cheng Yifei: "..."
Yu Qing and Li Haoran pondered—was there something wrong with that saying?
Li Senwei shouted, "Right! A vast grassland! Not a single tree left! Drinking isn't a sin! Fei Cheng, today we drink until we drop!"
"Until we drop." Fei Cheng drank with him, looking quite capable as the empty beer cans piled up on the table.
Cheng Yifei didn't stop him, calmly sitting beside him and eating, occasionally steadying the person who was now drinking with Liu Yucong and the others until his eyes were glazed.
"Graduation... I f-found out that graduation isn't good at all," Liu Yucong said to Fei Cheng, his tongue tripping over his words. "My dad... my parents are hell-bent on making me go to high school. I hate studying, you know? Ah-Hui and the others are... they’re going to vocational school in another city. Everyone’s leaving. Fucking hell, I’m the only one going to some bullshit high school. I want to go to vocational school too."
Fei Cheng’s brain wasn't quite functioning. "If you want to go, then go. Go on a hunger strike at home for them to see."
Cheng Yifei & Yu Qing & Li Haoran & Li Donghai: "..."
Liu Yucong looked dazed. "Hunger strike?"
Fei Cheng nodded emphatically. "Otherwise, hold a knife to your throat and threaten them to show your resolve!"
Liu Yucong made a throat-slitting gesture and asked, "Like this?"
"Yes!" Fei Cheng answered firmly. "You could also hang yourself. I heard that if you cry and make a scene before you hang yourself, it’s more effective."
"Hang myself? Can you leave my neck alone?" Liu Yucong frowned and touched his neck, as if making sure his head was still there.
Fei Cheng had a look of sudden realization. "Then drink some Dichlorv—"
Before he could finish, his mouth was covered by Cheng Yifei.
Only after Cheng Yifei was sure he wouldn't say anything else crazy did he let go. "Fei Cheng, you’re drunk."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
市一中 | City No. 1 High School | A prestigious high school in the city.
县一中 | County No. 1 High School | The local high school in the county.
重点班 | Honors Class / Key Class | A class for high-achieving students.
三剑客 | Three Musketeers | Refers to the trio of Fei Cheng, Cheng Yifei, and Yu Qing.
二刀流 | Duo / Two-sword style | Literally "dual-wielding"; used here to mean the trio becoming a pair.
牛板筋 | Spicy Beef Tendon | A popular chewy, spicy Chinese snack.
大排档 | Food Stall / Open-air Eatery | Casual street-side dining.
CF | CrossFire | A popular tactical first-person shooter online game.
敌敌畏 | Dichlorvos (DDVP) | A highly toxic pesticide, often mentioned in dark humor or dramatic tropes regarding suicide.
