Chapter 43: The Evolution of a Class Flower

Chapter 43: The Evolution of a Class Flower

However, Ning Song didn't get to go shopping. Liu Fen told him they had to go home.

His grandmother from his hometown, along with his uncle's family, had come to Shangdong Province for a medical checkup.

The family of three cleaned the house thoroughly. There were four visitors—his grandmother, his uncle, aunt, and a cousin—who would stay in Shangdong Province for two days. Luckily, Ning Song was boarding at school, and Ning Wei had work, so it was manageable. They prepared Ning Song's room for the guests.

Ning Song packed everything he could take with him. He wouldn't be sleeping at this house much over the next couple of years.

By eleven in the morning, his grandmother and the others arrived.

He had met his uncle and aunt once before but had never seen his cousin Liu Xiangge. Ning Wei wanted to have a drink with his uncle and asked Ning Song to buy some alcohol. Ning Song took his cousin along.

Since there was still time before dinner, Ning Song took his cousin for a walk around.

"There's not much to see here; it's worse than our small county," Liu Xiangge said. "Isn't there a famous pedestrian street nearby? Let's go there."

Ning Song took his cousin to Ocean Square. This time, they took a shortcut, passing by Sister Hong's Mahjong Hall, which reminded him of Li You.

It had been a while since he last saw Li You.

This week, Li You seemed to have vanished from school.

When Liu Xiangge saw Ning Song heading into the mahjong hall, he asked, "Cousin, do you play this?"

"Looking for someone. To see if he's here." Ning Song walked in.

Inside, five or six tables were full of people, the sounds of tiles clacking and people cursing filled the air, and smoke hung thickly. He saw Sister Hong standing behind a burly man, waving a fan and saying, "If you listened to me, you'd have won long ago."

She looked up towards the door, seeing Ning Song and Liu Xiangge, and said, "No minors allowed here."

Liu Xiangge tugged on Ning Song's arm. Ning Song asked, "Is Li You here?"

Sister Hong paused, straightening up. "Who are you?"

"I'm his classmate."

Sister Hong approached, sizing him up. "He has a classmate like you?"

Ning Song smiled politely. "Is he here?"

"He went out to buy something for Nunu. Wait here for a bit." Sister Hong asked, "Are you from Upper East School?"

Ning Song nodded.

Sister Hong laughed. "Why haven't I seen you before? But I often see Lin Li."

Ning Song said, "We just met recently."

Sister Hong glanced outside the curtain. "They're back."

She lifted the curtain and yelled, "You bought her candy again! Her teeth are already rotten!"

Zheng Xiaobo said, "She was crying."

"Crying doesn't mean you give her candy."

"It's heartbreaking when she cries." Zheng Xiaobo said, "Besides, Li You bought it."

Li You carried the little girl, saying, "Just two pieces."

His smile faded as he saw Ning Song coming out of the mahjong hall, calling out, "Brother You!"

He looked too innocent, the mahjong hall was old, and the translucent curtains were dirty from frequent use, making Ning Song appear even more pale and refined.

He no longer had any trace of the poverty and hardship from his upbringing in the slums. He was a bit paler now, and his posture was more relaxed.

Sister Hong took Nunu from Li You. "Your classmate is looking for you."

Li You looked at him, noticing Liu Xiangge also coming out from under the curtain.

"What are you doing here?"

"My house is nearby," Ning Song said. "I happened to pass by and thought I'd check if you were here. What a coincidence!"

He introduced Liu Xiangge to Li You. "My cousin."

Li You said, "Let's talk inside."

Ning Song followed him through the hall to a small room at the back.

The room had a bed and a computer playing an unknown movie. Li You turned off the computer, opened the window, and swept the ash into an ashtray.

"Sit?" Li You said, "Forget it, don't sit. It's too dirty."

"Let's go out," Zheng Xiaobo suggested. "It's smoky in here. We can find a restaurant to eat."

"We came to buy things; we have relatives visiting and need to go back soon," Ning Song said.

"Then let's grab a drink. Li You just won some money yesterday."

"Did you go boxing again?" Ning Song asked.

"No, I won a motorcycle race against a bunch of rich kids," Zheng Xiaobo said.

Li You grabbed his jacket. "Let's go."

Leaving the room, he called out to Sister Hong, "We're leaving."

Sister Hong, holding a child, said, "Stay for dinner?"

"No."

They came out of the Mahjong Hall and headed towards Ocean Square, where they found a milk tea shop to sit in for a while.

Li You bought them milk tea but didn't order anything for himself.

"I don't like this stuff. I'd rather have a can of beer."

"Have you been practicing lately? Why haven't we seen you?"

"A poetry recital doesn't need much practice," Li You said. "Don't worry, it's under control."

Ning Song noticed his cousin seemed uneasy, probably because Li You's strong presence made him look like a street thug, which was intimidating. After chatting for a bit, he took Liu Xiangge out.

Liu Xiangge asked, "What does Brother You do? Is he really your classmate?"

"Yes."

"There are students like him at Upper East School?" his cousin marveled.

"He just looks scary, but he's actually really nice," Ning Song said.

His cousin kept glancing back at Li You even as they walked away, clearly not believing his words.

He bought a bottle of alcohol and went to pick out a birthday gift for Sheng Yan, but couldn't find anything suitable. He wanted something music-related, but a musical calendar seemed too common and wouldn't convey his sincerity well enough.

Instead, he found something he thought would be perfect for Pu Yu.

A popular café had released a collaboration item—a mug—teamed up with a high-end luxury brand. This brand was mostly unaffordable for most people in Lower Harbor, so there was a long queue, especially among local college students.

Most importantly, the thin, dark red pattern on the mug looked very much like a fish.

And Pu Yu loved coffee!

His luck held; despite the long queue, he managed to get one.

His cousin, who was right behind him, didn't make it.

The server packed the mug in a paper bag for him, and he happily led his cousin back.

On their way back, they passed by a restaurant and saw Li You and Zheng Xiaobo, who were already drinking. Li You turned to look, and Ning Song waved at him.

As they took the shortcut, which was usually deserted at noon when everyone was having lunch, the smell of sewage mixed with food from the residential buildings, creating a warm, humid atmosphere.

It was in a deep alley between industrial factories that they were intercepted.

The alley was deep, flanked by seven-story industrial buildings with large glass windows facing the street, only showing the big fans spinning inside.

At first, Ning Song didn't pay much attention to the strangers until they reached out to stop him.

"Someone wants to invite you to dinner. Come with us?" they said with a smile.

Liu Xiangge, feeling brave, pushed Ning Song behind him: "Who are you guys?"

Ning Song asked, "Who wants to invite me to dinner?"

"You'll see when you go."

Ning Song pulled Liu Xiangge and ran backward, but two more men appeared at the other end of the alley, laughing at their attempt to escape.

Just as they laughed, one was kicked away.

Then Li You appeared at the alley entrance. The other man tried to attack but was swiftly kicked down by Zheng Xiaobo.

Li You beckoned, and Ning Song immediately pulled Liu Xiangge back.

Li You continued walking towards the men who had blocked their path.

The thugs charged forward fearlessly.

Liu Xiangge glanced and joined the fight.

Damn.

Ning Song put down his things against the wall and rushed in, but before he could hit anyone, Li You pulled him back, grabbed the attacker's head, pressed it down, lifted his knee, and let go, sending the man crashing into the wall, bloodied.

Seeing Li You fight for the first time, swift and efficient, left him stunned.

Liu Xiangge clenched his fists, ready to jump in, but Li You and Zheng Xiaobo had already taken care of everyone.

The attackers tried to run, but Li You stepped on the leader's neck.

When the man didn't answer, Li You pressed harder, making Ning Song fear he might crush his head.

The man's face contorted, and Li You lifted his foot. The man got up, and Li You followed him.

Ning Song stopped him: "Brother You, don't chase."

"Xiaobo, take him home."

Zheng Xiaobo nodded at Liu Xiangge: "Let's go."

Liu Xiangge quickly picked up the alcohol and mug from the ground.

Ning Song called out: "Brother You."

"He wants to talk to Qin Yi, it's fine." Zheng Xiaobo said.

Ning Song followed directly.

Li You turned back: "I told you to go home."

Ning Song said, "I'm going with you."

At this point, he wasn't mainly concerned about taking responsibility; he was afraid Li You might be too rough.

He had seen Li You's skills.

Even ten more wouldn't necessarily stand a chance against him.

But Li You stopped and looked at him.

Ning Song rolled up his sleeves to his forearms, revealing arms that were pale and slender. Was he really going to fight like this?

Li You said, "Forget it, I won't go either. Come on, let's send you home."

The four of them walked together towards Ning Song's house.

Ning Song asked, "You weren't just passing by, were you?"

"Of course not. We saw someone following you two," Zheng Xiaobo said. "I didn't think much of it at first, but Li You is observant."

Ning Song was still a bit worried, fearing someone might follow him home or that Qin Yi already knew where they lived.

He never expected Qin Yi to actually follow them here.

It seemed Qin Yi had been keeping an eye on things, waiting for today when Ning Song returned to this area before making a move.

When they reached the road below Ning Song's house, Li You stopped and looked up: "Which apartment is yours?"

Ning Song pointed to the one with the white-painted wall.

Li You nodded: "Go back."

Ning Song understood his intentions and said, "Since we're here, and you probably haven't eaten yet, come have dinner at my place."

Li You: "Isn't your family expecting relatives?"

"There are no outsiders!" Liu Xiangge, impressed by Li You's skills earlier, looked at him with glowing eyes. "Let's eat together!"

"Are you planning to go back to find Qin Yi?" Ning Song asked.

Li You said, "No."

"Then come have dinner. You've helped us a lot." He then took Li You's hand.

His hand was pale and light, not small, but very slender. Li You's hand, in contrast, was covered in thin calluses and new scars over old ones, and it was dark. Li You didn't know whether to return the grip, but he let himself be led up.

Liu Xiangge enthusiastically pulled Zheng Xiaobo along.

Li You raised the collar of his jacket to cover the tattoo on his neck.

But it didn't hide it well.

Ning Song noticed this gesture and smiled, recalling the first time he visited a friend's house.

He truly understood Li You, feeling a sense of familiarity whenever he saw him, as if Li You was a different version of himself. He wanted to become like Teacher Liu, a friend, or anyone who had shown him kindness, to comfort his past self through this way.

And he found it amusing that Li You might think the same way when looking at him, which was why he was so caring.

They followed them inside, and Ning Song introduced everyone.

When Liu Fen and the others saw Li You, who looked like a thug, they remained silent.

But once they heard he was a student from Shangdong, their impression of the tattooed Li You changed significantly.

The reputation of the Four Great Schools was like a golden ticket to ordinary people in this world.

Their house was small, and nine people filled the entire living room. Li You, being the tallest, could barely stretch his legs.

Ning Song thought Li You must be uncomfortable, not knowing where to put his hands and sitting too formally. He guessed Li You regretted coming in on a whim.

After dinner, they found an excuse to leave.

Ning Song went out to see them off and reminded Li You, "Don't go looking for Qin Yi."

Li You said, "Don't worry, I promised I wouldn't, so I won't."

Then Li You added, "Study hard and stay close to Pu Dashao. You shouldn't have been involved in these matters."

"It has nothing to do with involvement; he's simply crazy."

Li You laughed: "Yes, he's crazy."

After leaving Ning Song's house, Li You checked his phone.

Qin Yi's text messages seemed to carry a smile: "Didn't you know where I am? I'm waiting for you. Where are you now?"

Li You turned to look at Zheng Xiaobo.

Zheng Xiaobo said, "What are you looking at me for? Of course, I'm going with you."

Ning Song was worried Li You wouldn't listen to him, but he couldn't keep an eye on him all the time. Feeling restless, he occasionally sent Li You messages, cursing Qin Yi under his breath a hundred times.

He also worried about involving Liu Fen and the others, which made his anger rise again, wishing he could beat Qin Yi up.

After lunch, Liu Fen and the others took Grandma to the hospital. Ning Song had a GDC meeting to attend and waited for Pu Yu to pick him up.

He was afraid of being blocked by Qin Yi again, so he specifically waited for Pu Yu before leaving.

When Pu Yu saw him running down with a backpack, he said, "Don't rush."

Ning Song got into the car: "Let's go."

Pu Yu noticed that he was holding a paper bag in his hand, which Ning Song seemed reluctant to let him see, moving it to the other side and blocking it with his body.

He guessed what it was.

"Gift?"

Ning Song hummed an affirmative response, smiling sweetly: "Gift."

Pu Yu didn't look at it again or ask any more questions.

There were more activities on Sunday, and there were several professors giving lectures at their school that evening, all arranged by Pu Yu. So they returned to the school early.

Ning Song went back to the dormitory, while Pu Yu went off to work.

Ning Song sent a message to Li You.

Li You replied quickly, saying, "Cut the chatter."

Ning Song: "… Just chatting."

The school was relatively safe, regardless of whether anything would come out of it, Ning Song felt he should talk to Qin Yi. So he sent a message to Qin Yi.

But Qin Yi didn't reply.

Sheng Yan came to find him for dinner, so he tidied up and went out to eat.

It was unusual not to see Pu Yu, and Sheng Yan was a bit surprised: "Where's Pu Yu?"

"There's a lecture at the library tonight; he invited the speakers and is busy," Ning Song said.

"Is that the one you're going to see tonight?" Qiao Qiao asked.

Ning Song asked, "Do you want to come along? They're all big shots."

"I don't find these lectures interesting; I won't go."

Sheng Yan asked, "What topic is it about?"

"Games," he said to Sheng Yan.

Only Sheng Yan and Pu Yu knew he was working on games.

Sheng Yan nodded and said, "I have nothing else to do; I'll go check it out."

The lecture started at 7:30 PM, and it was getting dark by 7 PM. Pu Yu called him, asking, "Are you here yet?"

"On my way. It's crowded, and I'm with Yan Ge. Can you save us seats if it's packed?"

Pu Yu stood on the steps of the library and saw Ning Song and Sheng Yan from afar through the branches of white willow trees. His expression softened, and he turned back, saying, "Not many people."

Ning Song hung up and walked to the library with Sheng Yan. As they passed the teaching building, they saw Qin Yi standing outside their classroom.

The real deal finally showed up.

Ning Song paused and walked over to him.

Sheng Yan followed, watching Qin Yi looking at them from a distance and waved.

Ning Song approached and said, "Brother Qin, can we talk?"

"Finally willing to talk to me properly?" Qin Yi looked at Ning Song's slender figure under the light, finding a certain sharp beauty in his serious face, feeling even more pleased, he said, "See, I tried to be nice and invite you, but you wouldn't come. Only now are you showing some patience."

Ning Song said, "Let's go over there."

Qin Yi followed him, hands in his pockets, saying, "If you had been like this earlier, Li You wouldn't have suffered so much."

Ning Song turned around and asked, "Did he come to you?"

Qin Yi said, "With his love for taking charge, how could he not come to me?"

"What did he suffer?"

Qin Yi laughed, "You don't know?"

He took out his phone and showed him.

Ning Song saw Li You's bloody face on the screen.

Ning Song kicked him right away.

Qin Yi didn't expect someone as frail as Ning Song to attack him, and was caught off guard, stumbling back a few steps. Ning Song kicked him again, causing him to fall to the ground, dropping his phone. Ning Song, completely transformed, his brows twitching, shouted, "Fuck your mother, fuck your mother."

He kicked repeatedly, and Qin Yi grabbed his leg, pulling him down. He flipped Ning Song over and pinned him down, raising his fist. Seeing Ning Song's pale face, he hesitated for a moment, but Ning Song headbutted him. Qin Yi didn't expect such ferocity, and after a few hits, his mind went blank, only seeing blood on Ning Song's forehead and nose, unsure whose it was. Ning Song took the chance to flip him over, grabbing his neck and punching him in the face.

The sound of fists hitting flesh was dull, and Ning Song's soul trembled, remembering the first time he fought and won. It felt so good, so cathartic. What was he thinking then? If he died, so be it; dying together would be just as satisfying!

He was pulled up by Sheng Yan, panting heavily, seeing Qin Yi's face covered in blood.

He kicked Qin Yi's face hard one last time.

Sheng Yan picked him up, saying, "Ning Song, it's enough."

Qin Yi lay on the ground, unable to open his eyes, cursing continuously: "Damn it, damn it..."

After saying this, he was kicked by Sheng Yan and fell silent.

Sheng Yan then looked at Ning Song. Ning Song's hands were covered in blood—it was unclear whether it was his own or Qin Yi's. His body was shaking uncontrollably. Sheng Yan held him and called out, "Ning Song."

Who is Ning Song?

Oh, Ning Song is him.

Ning Song looked at Sheng Yan, then at Qin Yi, as if regaining some of his senses. Some boys gathered around, and he broke free from Sheng Yan's arms, shouting at Qin Yi: "Without your lackeys, you're nothing. You can't even beat me. If you have any guts, come find me yourself next time. I'll call you dad if you scare me!"

The crowd watching was stunned. The fresh blood painted Ning Song, who had never looked more strikingly beautiful yet terrifyingly alluring.