Volume One: High School Days Chapter Twelve: The Struggle Between Two Women

Six o’clock in the evening.

Yagyu woke up from Xiaoya’s lap. Xiaoya had been sitting there motionless, maintaining the same posture the whole time. Only when Yagyu opened his eyes did Xiaoya speak, “You must be hungry. Let’s go get something to eat.”

Yagyu sat up, glanced at Ren Xiadong who was sleeping on the other end of the sofa, and stretched out his leg to give Ren Xiadong a kick. Jolted awake, Ren Xiadong stared blankly for a while before reacting, then grumbled, “How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t disturb people when they’re sleeping.”

“Let’s go drink!” Yagyu said directly. Hearing this, Ren Xiadong stood up abruptly and declared, “Fine, just this once. Next time, be more considerate. Let’s go drink.”

Alcohol had been a delight for Ren Xiadong ever since his first taste. The mere mention of drinking filled him with excitement.

By October, the weather was already turning cold, but there were still barbecue stalls open. The three of them sat down at a roadside barbecue.

“Boss, bring us the menu, and put a crate of beer under each of our feet!” Yagyu then turned to Ren Xiadong and Xiaoya and continued, “Tonight, we drink standing on crates!”

Yagyu was in indescribable pain. For the second time, he had watched the person he liked end up with someone else—and, most painfully, with the same person.

When the food arrived, Yagyu grabbed a bottle of beer and downed it in one go. Seeing this, Xiaoya was so distressed she nearly shed tears. She followed suit and drank a bottle herself, then said, “Yagyu, drinking too much only brings pain. But if that’s how it is, I’ll keep you company in your pain.”

Ren Xiadong, seeing both of them drink, raised his own bottle and finished it off as well.

At that moment, Liu Meng, who had been searching for Yagyu, hurried over. She patted Yagyu on the shoulder, took out the gift she had retrieved, and held it out to him. “How could you just throw away something so expensive? I picked it up for you.”

Yagyu noticed the wounds on Liu Meng’s hand, knowing they must have been from searching for the discarded gift. He replied, “It’s yours now. Sit down and join us.”

Liu Meng, aware that Yagyu was feeling down, put the gift away and took a seat.

Xiaoya watched all this and, a little jealous, asked, “Who’s this?”

Before Yagyu could explain, Liu Meng said, “I’m his girlfriend!” This startled Yagyu, but before he could retort, Xiaoya declared, “Nonsense! I’m his girlfriend! We’ve even been to a hotel together, and after that, spent an entire afternoon in my room at my place!”

Liu Meng, unwilling to give in, took out the gift and argued, “Look, he gave me a present! I’m his real girlfriend!”

Xiaoya stood up, gripping her beer bottle. “Dare to drink?” Liu Meng rose too, bottle in hand. “Afraid of you?”

So the two began drinking bottle after bottle, while Yagyu and Ren Xiadong found themselves utterly sidelined.

“Brother, let’s drink. Let them fight it out,” Yagyu said. Ren Xiadong replied, “What’s so great about you? Two stunning women are fighting over you. And Liu Meng isn’t even trying to act tough in front of you! And Sister Xiaoya is so gentle with you! You really don’t know how lucky you are!”

Yagyu chuckled bitterly and said nothing, just clinking his glass with Ren Xiadong’s before downing it.

While the two women were at each other’s throats, Xiaoya’s phone rang. Upon seeing the caller, her expression grew uneasy. She stepped aside to answer. Yagyu and the others didn’t pay much attention, but this was Xiaoya’s secret—a secret she never wanted Yagyu to know.

When Xiaoya returned, Liu Meng called out, “Come on! Let’s keep drinking!”

Xiaoya, feeling possessive, thought Yagyu was hers, no one could take him away. If someone tried, she’d fight to the end.

Suddenly, Yagyu’s phone rang again—a call from the capital, which meant it was Morihai. He stepped aside to answer.

“Deputy Editor Yagyu, how have you been lately?” Yagyu recognized the voice—it was Editor-in-Chief Hao from Morihai. He replied, “Editor-in-Chief Hao, do you have any advice for me?”

Editor-in-Chief Hao chuckled, “Actually, yes. The company wants to produce an animated feature film and hopes you’ll join the project. With your talent, it’s no problem at all. There’s no salary, but you’ll get a share of the profits—ten percent after the film is released. How about it?”

Without hesitation, Yagyu replied, “I want twenty percent. I already have a complete animated feature ready. It just needs post-production dubbing and can go straight to release. I’m saving you a lot of manpower and resources. Asking for twenty percent isn’t excessive.”

Editor-in-Chief Hao was surprised. “How could one person possibly finish a full animated feature?” he thought. Aloud, he said, “Alright, send us your film first. If it’s as good as you say, twenty percent is fair.”

“I’ll send it tomorrow. I’m drinking tonight, and I’ll probably go straight to bed after. Send me the submission details.”

After hanging up, Editor-in-Chief Hao sent Yagyu an email address.

Back at the table, the two women were slurring their words. Yagyu asked Ren Xiadong, “What’s going on?”

Ren Xiadong shook his head, “They said, whoever loses the drinking contest has to give you up.”

He continued, “You’re such a fool. Either of these girls is better than Tao Nan. Why are you so hung up on her?”

“You don’t get it. What you can’t let go of is always your first love. It’s always perfect. But Xiaoya is right—being together in the end is what really matters,” Yagyu said, taking another drink.

By then, both women had fallen asleep on the table. Yagyu and Ren Xiadong kept drinking.

By midnight, both were feeling tipsy. Xiaoya woke up, glanced at her phone, and said, “Little boyfriend, I have to go. Don’t drink too much. Take care of yourself when I’m not around. Don’t make me worry.” She turned to Ren Xiadong, pointed at Liu Meng, and added, “Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her take advantage and claim Yagyu while I’m gone!”

With that, she planted a firm kiss on Yagyu’s cheek.

Yagyu asked, “It’s so late, what’s up?” Xiaoya looked flustered, “It’s… nothing.” She left without looking back.

“What about Liu Meng?” Ren Xiadong asked.

Yagyu looked at the limp Liu Meng and said, “Let’s take her to a hotel. We’ll get a room next door, just in case she needs anything.”

After settling the bill, the two half-carried Liu Meng to a nearby hotel—the same one he’d taken Xiaoya to before. Coincidentally, the front desk staff were the same.

After checking in, the three entered the elevator. The receptionists whispered among themselves, “What a player! Another drunk girl, and this time it’s three people! He really has a taste for variety!”

Once upstairs, Yagyu and Ren Xiadong made sure Liu Meng was settled, then went to their own room next door. Inside, Ren Xiadong said, “How can you not appreciate such an opportunity?”

Yagyu, feeling much better thanks to Xiaoya’s care and Liu Meng’s company, replied, “If you like her so much, go for it yourself.”

Ren Xiadong quickly retorted, “I don’t like men!”

Having both drunk too much, they soon fell asleep.

The next morning, the three of them returned to school together.

Their homeroom teacher had no idea they’d skipped class. After asking their classmates, the teacher learned that all the teachers had been in a meeting the day before, and after they left, the students had continued with self-study until school was dismissed.

Sitting next to Yagyu, Liu Meng wore the bracelet he had given her, glancing at him from time to time, making Yagyu feel a bit awkward.

He said, “I’m not a teacher, why do you keep looking at me?”

“You might be my future husband. Why can’t I look at you?” Liu Meng replied, then shyly lowered her head.

That day, Yagyu didn’t try to approach Tao Nan or Li Dong again, but seeing the two together so intimately still stung. Meanwhile, Ren Xiadong spent the day napping as usual.

After afternoon training, Yagyu hurried home, turned on his computer, and sent his animated feature film to Editor-in-Chief Hao.

Two and a half hours later, Editor-in-Chief Hao called, “We’ve watched your work. After discussing with the chairman, we’ve decided to give you twenty percent of the profits.”

Yagyu exchanged a few polite words before hanging up. He was well aware of his own abilities, and twenty percent was already in his grasp.

At that moment, Yagyu’s father entered his room, “All the furniture is ready. Tomorrow, we’re moving in. After school, come straight to the new house.”

Of all the family, Yagyu’s father had worked the hardest these days—either buying appliances and furniture or traveling to and from the stores.

The next afternoon, during training, Coach Han came over and said, “Today, just rest on the field. Tomorrow is the competition. You need to be in top shape. Don’t overexert yourself today—fatigue will affect your performance.”

Bored on the field, Yagyu suddenly received a message from Xiaoya: “What are you doing?”

He replied, “Resting. The competition is tomorrow.”

Soon, her response came: “What competition?”

Yagyu smiled at his phone and replied, “The Hedong District Games. I’m an athlete for Xinghai No. 7 High School, and quite an excellent one at that!”

A message notification pinged.

“Really? Where is it held? I want to come watch.”

After Yagyu told her the location, Xiaoya replied, “Great, I’ll come cheer you on tomorrow!”

The next day, Yagyu would be competing in the long jump, the 100-meter dash, the 4x100-meter relay, and the 4x200-meter relay. Thanks to his enhanced mental faculties, his physical abilities had improved tremendously. Tomorrow would surely be his personal showcase.

That evening, Yagyu returned to the new home. Standing in the spacious 200-square-meter house, he thought, “I always wanted my parents to live a good life, but could never make it happen. Now, it’s finally real.”

“Brother, come see the new computer Dad bought me! The screen is huge!” his younger brother called out excitedly.

Yagyu went over to the computer, fiddled with it for a while, and downloaded all his brother’s favorite games and shows.

His mother walked in and said, “You spoil him too much! He’s addicted to the internet at such a young age. How will he ever study?”

Yagyu turned to his mother and replied, “Even if he ends up just an ordinary guy, I’ll make sure he’s comfortable for the rest of his life!”

From the living room, his father called out, “The hotpot restaurant opens on Sunday. After your competition, bring your teammates and teachers for a hotpot feast!”