Chapter 8: Laugh Your Ass Off! 1

Chapter 8: Laugh Your Ass Off! 1

The first day of school.

"Cute son, it's the first day of school today. Have you packed everything?" Cai Mingzhi had specially bought breakfast and rushed back from the fruit store. "Come quickly to have your breakfast."

Yun He was wearing a white T-shirt with school uniform pants. On the first day, the school required students to wear uniforms for the opening ceremony.

He sat down at the dining table, dipped a piece of fried dough stick into the soy milk bowl, letting it soak up the liquid before taking a bite. "There wasn't much to pack; it's just those usual things. Mom, it's just the start of school, no need to go through all this trouble to bring me breakfast early in the morning."

"I haven't had the chance to take care of you all summer. Mom wouldn't feel good if I let you leave on an empty stomach on the first day of school," Cai Mingzhi said as she sat down and sipped her soy milk.

"It's fine, I can just buy two steamed buns on the way and eat them while walking." Yun He nonchalantly picked at his fried dough stick.

"Only on the first day will I do this. In the future, Mom won't be able to take care of you in the mornings." Cai Mingzhi looked guiltily at her son. "By the way, Aunt Zhang's son also starts school today. Don't you want to walk to and from school together?"

Yun He shook his head without hesitation. "No, we're not little kids anymore. Besides, we've never met each other. How would I know if he suits my taste? If I don't like him, walking to school together would just ruin my appetite for breakfast."

Cai Mingzhi laughed and poked Yun He's head. "Oh, so it might ruin your appetite, huh? The boy must be quite something, that phrase is... uh, what was it again... ah, yes, 'pleasing to the eye, enough to whet one's appetite!' That's right! So pleasing to the eye that looking at him for a bit longer would make you want to eat two more bowls of rice!"

"Mom, please, stop judging people solely by their looks. You have no idea how much I find myself staring at attractive people now because of you..." Yun He took a large gulp of soy milk, a pair of smiling eyes with twinkling black irises suddenly appearing in his mind.

"Everyone loves beauty; it's natural to take a second glance," Cai Mingzhi said.

Yun He remained silent, focusing on his breakfast. After finishing, he grabbed his backpack from the couch and held his school uniform shirt in hand.

"Mom, I'm off to school. I might accompany Yongzi to his guitar lesson after class, so I'll make dinner later," Yun He said hesitantly. He wasn't keen on accompanying Lin Yong for practice anymore, but a part of him wanted to go. He wasn't sure why he was struggling with this decision.

"Alright, go ahead and have fun. Don't be like a babysitter all the time. Your parents are grown-ups, we don't need you cooking for us every day," Cai Mingzhi waved dismissively, her face expressing disdain for her son's concern.

Yun He nodded, then opened the door and stepped out. He glanced at the neighboring apartment, but didn't see anyone leaving. He wondered if their son had already left for school or hadn't even started his journey. As Yun He descended the stairs, his mind wandered, recalling his mother's morning mention of 'visual feast.' A thought occurred to him: Would this 'visual feast' be more attractive than Gu Jiabei?

Yun He boarded the crowded bus on the first day of school. Sweating from the early morning squeeze, he finally managed to disembark at the school stop.

Exiting the bus, he ran into Lin Yong, who had been dropped off by his father. Lin Yong spotted Yun He and jogged over, slinging an arm around Yun He's shoulder as they walked towards the campus together.

"I'm drenched in sweat from the bus ride, can you please not touch me?" Yun He grumbled, pulling down on Lin Yong's arm irritably.

"You're so temperamental; only I can handle you," Lin Yong said, his lips quirking. No sooner had he quieted down than he seized Yun He's arm again, shaking it excitedly. "Hey! Yun Ge, Yun Ge, look!"

Yun He suddenly made Lin Yong so dizzy that he almost vomited his breakfast. "Damn it, idiot, what are you looking at?!"

"I'm looking at my goddess! Ling Ling!" Lin Yong pointed to the side not far away with his plump paw.

Following Lin Yong's direction, Yun He indeed saw a girl who looked quite pleasant, like a delicate and gentle beauty reminiscent of Lin Daiyu. However, Yun He wasn't interested.

"Oh..." Yun He said.

"Oh?" Lin Yong stared wide-eyed at Yun He. "And then?"

"And then what?" Yun He also gazed back at Lin Yong with a puzzled expression.

"Isn't she beautiful?!" Lin Yong asked.

Yun He sighed deeply in his heart, and when he spoke again, his face was somewhat solemn. "Yongzi, do you think she's beautiful?"

"Yes, of course she is!" Lin Yong answered without hesitation.

"Then wouldn't many people like her?" Yun He asked further.

"Of course!" Lin Yong's tone brimmed with pride, as if his treasure was being admired by the world.

Yun He placed a hand on Lin Yong's shoulder and said earnestly, "Such a good-looking person, with so many admirers, must be quite difficult to pursue, right?"

"Out of a difficulty scale of ten stars, it'd probably be at least seven or eight," Lin Yong mused seriously.

"Well, if you can't complete this task with those seven or eight stars, then don't even—"

"Big Brother Yun!" Lin Yong, understanding Yun He's implication, interrupted him with a hint of resentment. "Can't you refrain from saying something hurtful early in the morning?"

"I didn't intend to hurt you. I just want you to, you know, not get too emotionally invested even if... you have no choice." Yun He shook his head. "You're still young, trying to mimic early love affairs."

"I don't know about you, but I'm all grown up!" Lin Yong protested. "Besides, what if she happens to like someone like me!"

Yun He smiled, thinking that Lin Yong had a point. What if they were simply a match made in heaven? "Yeah, you're right. Then I wish you success with minimal effort."

"That's more like it, my good brother." Lin Yong playfully clapped Yun He's shoulder again, and this time, Yun He didn't pull away.

The pair arrived at the entrance of Class 3-4, their new classroom. The classmates were still the same, no need for reorganization. Only the seating arrangement had changed. Lin Yong was no longer Yun He's desk mate but had moved to the seat in front of him. Neither of them felt much difference.

Yun He's new deskmate was a girl, known for her vivacity and love for gossip.

After a short while in the classroom, their homeroom teacher arrived, giving a brief opening speech for the new school year before instructing everyone to gather on the playground for the school assembly.

Yun He put on his school blazer over a white T-shirt and followed the crowd towards the field. As they walked, he noticed someone in the crowd who wasn't wearing a school uniform, standing out prominently among the sea of uniforms. This person was ahead of Yun He, and all he could see was the back of their head and their tall figure. The silhouette seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place who it was. Just as he was about to catch up for a closer look, Lin Yong tugged him in the opposite direction.

"Hey, our class is over here. Where are you going?" Lin Yong said, pulling Yun He along without noticing anything unusual. By the time Yun He turned back to search for that figure, they were already gone.

Yun He felt a strange irritability.

During the rest of the assembly, Yun He didn't pay much attention, glancing around instead. However, he never caught sight of that figure again until the meeting ended, and he drifted back to the classroom with his mind elsewhere.

Yun He's new seat was by the window, with the corridor just outside. The windowsill was low, allowing him to lean out easily. Through the window, he could glimpse the playground beyond the corridor.

As it was only the first day of school, no one was quite in study mode yet. The teachers didn't push for lessons, and the morning schedule was relatively light. Yun He soon forgot about the mysterious figure.

At noon, Lin Yong went home for lunch. Students like Yun He, who wouldn't have a meal waiting at home, would grab something quick from a nearby eatery before returning to the classroom to rest with their heads on their desks.

The classroom was quiet during lunchtime. A warm breeze blew through the window, and Yun He, resting on his desk, drifted into a doze. In his dream, he saw a pair of well-defined fingers strumming guitar strings, followed by Gu Jiabei's smiling eyes directed at him. Then, another hazy silhouette appeared.

Yun He startled awake, his eyes wide open. In the quiet and stuffy classroom, a few classmates still slumbered across their desks. Amidst this serene atmosphere, Yun He sensed a vague emotion stirring within his heart.

If he were to describe it, it was like a warm summer breeze that evoked a sense of leisurely warmth.

Without realizing there was a PE class in the afternoon, Yun He found himself dragged by Lin Yong onto the sports field.

"First day of school and already a PE class, impressive," Yun He yawned, shielding his eyes from the glaring sun, feeling even more lethargic.

"I knew you wouldn't bother checking the schedule. You just blindly attend classes like opening random surprise boxes," Lin Yong said nonchalantly.

After the PE teacher organized the students and led them through some exercises, they were dismissed to free activity.

Yun He, not fond of sports, wanted to find a shady spot to sit down. However, before he could touch the ground, Lin Yong pulled him up.

"Don't sit yet. Zhang Qiang from Grade 4 is also having PE now. He asked me to play basketball during the morning break. Let's go."

Yun He frowned at him. "He invited you to play basketball, why should I go? I'm not going."

"Come on, what are you going to do here alone? Aren't you bored?" Lin Yong urged.

"Not boring at all. You'd better leave now," Yun He said with an unwavering tone.

Lin Yong pondered for a moment before plopping down on the grass of the playground. "Well, maybe I shouldn't go either. I can't bear to leave you here alone."

"Hey, can we not pair up like we're attached at the hip? We're not young girls, you know. There's no need to hold hands even when going to the bathroom."

"Sigh, I've really never met a guy as unathletic as you. It's unbelievable that you've made it this far in life without knowing how to play basketball," Lin Yong commented, tugging at the innocent blades of grass.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Yun He didn't want to dwell on this topic and waved his hand to dismiss Lin Yong.

"Even if you don't play, you can at least watch! Be my cheerleader on the sidelines!" Lin Yong insisted.

Yun He was truly bothered by his persistence. On such a hot day, why was he so clingy?

"Sigh, fine, I'll watch! Now hurry up and win over your goddess. Then she can accompany you every day from now on." Yun He irritably ran his fingers through his hair before striding towards the basketball court.