Chapter 12

Chapter 12

He watched Jun Yun pull a scent-blocking spray from his school uniform pocket, press the nozzle to spray it into his mouth, then press it several more times to spray it on himself. The cool, misty spray clung to his body until not a trace of anyone else’s pheromone scent remained.

“Going home again?”

“Yeah.”

“Your parents,” Shi Yue paused, feeling the question might cross a line—given their relationship was purely “friends,” it might not be entirely appropriate to ask, but he said it anyway:

“Your parents are quite strict with you.”

Jun Yun lowered his lashes, concealing his emotions, and said flatly: “That’s just how they are. I’m used to it.”

“Really?”

Jun Yun didn’t answer. After a long moment, he said, “I’m leaving.”

Shi Yue didn’t stop him: “Alright, be careful on your way.”

*

With a “thud” as the car door closed, the driver glanced at Jun Yun in the rearview mirror. Confirming it was the young master, he started the car.

Sensing something was amiss, he looked again in the rearview mirror, then cautiously asked, “Young master, why is your hair so messy?”

Jun Yun was puzzled: “My hair is messy?”

He lifted his face slightly to check his reflection in the mirror—his face was as clean as usual, but his hair was tousled and unruly, a few stubborn strands sticking up. Paired with his dazed expression, he looked a bit foolish.

Jun Yun: “...”

No wonder Shi Yue had looked at him so strangely.

So that's how silly I looked.

“It’s nothing,” Jun Yun said weakly. “Wen Qiang messed it up.”

When he returned home, he was alone again.

After lunch, as he was about to take a nap, Jun Yun’s phone buzzed with a message.

Ever since starting high school, Jun Yun had trouble sleeping—more precisely, since getting engaged. Everything had been progressing systematically: arranging the wedding banquet, preparing to host guests, the families announcing the alliance between the Ye and Jun families. The Jun family’s stock soared, but he was the only one losing sleep.

He couldn’t sleep during the day and struggled to fall asleep at night.

Though he didn’t think there was anything particularly troubling him—after all, who he married didn't matter.

It wasn’t like he liked anyone, nor could he ever like anyone.

But the insomnia had started anyway.

Just as he was finally drifting off, his phone vibrated under the pillow. Annoyed, Jun Yun took off his black eye mask, fumbled around with one hand by the pillow, then squinted as he unlocked the screen.

The person messaging him better have something urgent.

Otherwise...

—sy1011: [A picture.jpg]

It was a message from Shi Yue.

Jun Yun tapped impatiently to open the image.

The photo seemed to have been taken in some corner of the school. Books were scattered on the ground, and a backpack lay alone. Part of the bushes by the flowerbed nearby was crushed, as if someone had fallen there.

What was this...?

Something happened?

The person at the center of the image had a bruise at the corner of his mouth. The hair on his forehead was damp, tossed back casually to reveal a smooth forehead with beads of sweat. His arm was stretched out, his clothes stained with dirt, and he held the phone lazily. If not for the obvious bruise, it could have been a handsome selfie.

Unfortunately, Shi Yue quickly followed up with a message: What do I do?

—sy1011: I got bullied!

Jun Yun lay on the bed, a strand of hair sticking up, propped on his elbows, unsure how to respond.

What???

Shi Yue got beaten up...

But he's 1.9 meters tall, afraid of cats, and couldn't defend himself—got beaten up?

Just then, Shi Yue sent another message:

—sy1011: Someone hit me!

—sy1011: Q口Q!

Jun Yun was completely speechless: “...”

He sighed inwardly—this Shi Yue...

Really is weak.

Students from poor families were easily bullied at Star Glory, especially those admitted through public enrollment, who were even more looked down upon. So Jun Yun had considered that Shi Yue might get bullied—he just hadn’t expected it to happen so soon, just days after school started.

He recalled their first meeting outside the hospital, in an old alley in the East District.

It was probably near Shi Yue’s home, chosen to meet his requirement for a remote, deserted spot.

The alley was narrow, with telephone poles crisscrossing overhead. Stains on the walls and thick moss in the corners spoke of the hardship of those living nearby.

His family must really be poor.

That was the first thought that crossed Jun Yun’s mind as he stepped into the alley.

For their first kiss, Jun Yun had mentally prepared for a long time—since he’d never kissed anyone before, and neither had his parents.

It was a brief, light kiss. After Jun Yun left, he sent a message saying he’d give Shi Yue some money.

But Shi Yue refused. At the time, his reply was:

—sy1011: No need for money. If I need anything in the future, I’ll message you.

When he received the message, Jun Yun looked up at the tangled wires overhead, like wisps of cloud cutting the sunny sky into dozens of fragments.

Just one more month...

......

And now the one-month deadline was almost up. That morning after school, he had told Shi Yue to ask for anything he needed as soon as possible.

So...

Jun Yun stared at the message from sy1011 on his phone. Was this what he was asking for?

After all, aside from student representative, Shi Yue had never asked him for anything else.

So, did he come to him for help specifically because he was being bullied?

Star Glory Middle School valued family background; most students came from wealthy or influential families. Growing up in a competitive social environment, they were adept at sucking up to others and wouldn’t dare bully those of higher status.

The Jun family held shares in the school and was the largest stockholder. Mingsheng Group was the biggest financial contributor to the school. As the only son of the Jun family, Jun Yun had become the student representative right after entering high school.

He knew very well that his classmates were both afraid and respectful of him.

So, protecting Shi Yue at school would be an easy task for him—just a small effort.

Okay. Jun Yun thought it over and decided it wasn’t a big deal.

He looked at Shi Yue’s photo for a moment, then went back to the chat window and typed:

—Yun: Wait for me on the rooftop before class this afternoon.

Well then...

Might as well lend him a hand.

sy1011 replied quickly: Okay.

*

After sending the message, Shi Yue tucked his phone into his pocket. He brushed off his clothes and turned around. Out of the phone’s view, three or four skinny teenagers in school uniforms lay on the ground.

Backpacks, notebooks, and pens were scattered everywhere, kicked far away during the fight. Seeing that Shi Yue had put his phone away and was walking toward them, one of the boys with dyed yellow hair drew his legs up and flinched backward in fear. "D-don’t come any closer..."

Shi Yue’s smile widened, menacing and bloodthirsty. He rolled his neck and cracked his wrists, the sound echoing like a demon from hell:

"It’s been... a long time since I last fought."

Shi Yue walked over, placed his foot on the boy’s chest, and looked down at him, his dark eyes narrowing as he whispered:

"Looking for death?"

*

Star Glory Middle School ended at noon, with a two-and-a-half-hour lunch break. Classes started again at 2:30 PM.

Jun Yun arrived at school at 2:00 PM. He had sent a message to the others, asking them to come to school.

Receiving Jun Yun’s message, they had left home early, reluctantly, nervous because of the Jun family’s power.

......

......

Jun Yun entered the school gate, passed through the clock tower entrance hall, and walked along a path to the senior high building. Their classroom was on the third floor, but Jun Yun didn’t stop there. He went straight up to the sixth floor—the top floor.

The rooftop door was locked, but no one pushed it open. Four people stood in a row at the door, waiting for Jun Yun to arrive.

They all had various injuries. One had swollen cheeks, as if he'd been slapped, and was grimacing while holding an ice pack to his face. The other three had scratches on their arms, faces, and other exposed areas, smeared with red and purple medicine.

Jun Yun paused on the stairs: "So, it’s you four?"

The four looked up in unison, confused:

"Us?"

"What’s going on?"

"You're the one who called us here, right?"

"Yeah, it’s us."

Jun Yun looked at their injuries: "So it's you... who bullied Shi Yue?"

The four were stunned. They only knew Jun Yun wanted to talk to them but didn’t expect it to be about Shi Yue.

How did Jun Yun know they had bullied Shi Yue?

Could it be... he was here to help them???

Their faces lit up with hope. After all, they’d heard Jun Yun and Shi Yue were on bad terms, which was why they felt bold enough to corner Shi Yue to beat him up.

But then, Jun Yun’s next words shattered their illusions:

"Who told you to hit him?"

Wait...

Something felt off. The four exchanged glances, their expressions instantly changing.

This felt like...

He came to confront them on Shi Yue’s behalf!???

Jun Yun: "Speak."

The Jun family had extensive business holdings, with subsidiaries involved in various products. Many brands wanted to work with or get close to the Juns. Offending Jun Yun meant offending the Jun family, which could affect their family businesses and ongoing projects.

So they didn’t dare ignore Jun Yun’s question. After exchanging nervous looks, one of them was pushed forward to speak. He stammered out a name, trembling, and the atmosphere around Jun Yun grew frosty.

Jun Yun nodded: "Fine..."

"When Shi Yue arrives, apologize to him." Jun Yun’s tone was frigid. "If Shi Yue forgives you, I’ll let this slide."

The expressions of the four instantly froze.

Is he joking?

Was Jun Yun really going to help Shi Yue???

They were the ones who got beaten up, and now they had to apologize?

The one holding the ice pack to his face cautiously chose his words: "Brother Jun... this isn’t really appropriate..."

Did Jun Yun even know who got beaten up here?!

And... asking him to beg a public enrollment student for forgiveness? How was that possible! How could he show his face after this? How could he keep his reputation at Star Glory?

Though his family was nothing compared to the Juns, they were still well-known in City A.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the stairs. Everyone turned to see Shi Yue, hands in his pockets, appearing before them. He looked much more relaxed, as if he’d just dropped by casually.

The moment Shi Yue appeared, the four visibly tensed, huddling closer together.

Jun Yun sized up Shi Yue—his clothes were clean, his exposed arms were unscathed, and except for some bruising at the corner of his mouth, there were no other visible injuries. Even the bruise on his lip was much smaller than those on the other four. It'd probably heal in a couple of days without any medication.

Jun Yun turned his head, sensing something was off.

Weren’t they the ones who beat Shi Yue?

How come those four had more injuries than Shi Yue?

Jun Yun asked the four across from him, "Did he do this to you?"

Shi Yue stood behind Jun Yun, tilting his head with a smile, casually raising one hand and making a slicing motion across his throat.

Innocent eyes, a kind smile, a threatening gesture—like a devil in angel's clothing. His expression smirked, yet it sent a chill down the spines of the four across from him, as if they’d been dropped into an ice bath.

The scene from an hour earlier flashed before their eyes...

If they dared admit who did it, they’d surely be in deep trouble.

Recalling the ferocity with which Shi Yue had held them down and beat them, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him a delinquent who'd infiltrated the school. Holding them down, beating them, and then warning them—he acted like he'd done this plenty of times before.

The one holding ice to his face suddenly felt even more pain.

The warning to keep quiet rang in their ears. The four shook their heads, gritting their teeth as they said:

"No, it wasn’t him..."

"He didn’t hit me. My face was itchy—I hit myself for fun."

"I fell on the way here."

"I did it to myself."

Though answering Jun Yun’s question, their legs trembled as they stole glances at Shi Yue’s expression, minds racing.

They had only intended to put Shi Yue in his place, to make him less arrogant at school, but instead, they ended up getting their asses kicked by him.

And to make matters worse, this person was wearing the Star Glory Middle School uniform, had top grades, and was the student representative...

Seeing the complex expressions on their faces, Jun Yun followed their gaze and turned around. There stood Shi Yue, all six-foot-three of him, hiding behind Jun Yun, head lowered, eyelashes trembling, mouth set in a firm line, his bangs falling neatly over his forehead.

He looked innocent and victimized.

He didn’t even defend himself with a single word.

Author’s Note:

----------------------

This guy's quite the actor.

——————

My trip to Guangxi is over. Returning tomorrow, will be sitting in the car all day. As someone who gets carsick, I won’t have much time to write, sob. Taking a break tomorrow. I’ll update earlier the day after. Mwah!