Volume One: High School Days Chapter Thirty-Two: The Early Romance Scandal

The second day of the new semester.

In the morning, when Liusheng walked into the classroom, he saw a group of classmates huddled around a cell phone. Curious, he joined them, only to find that they were watching the trailer for "Legend of the Ancients."

“What a masterpiece in the world of domestic animation,” someone exclaimed.

“Too bad it’s impossible to get tickets for the premiere!”

“Not just the premiere—even the very last screening before it leaves theaters will be impossible to snag!”

“I heard ‘Legend of the Ancients’ and ‘Discourse on the Mountains and Seas’ were both created by the same person, who shares a name with the PE student in our class—Liusheng.”

After taking his seat, Liu Meng leaned over and said, “I want to see ‘Legend of the Ancients.’ Could you take me again?”

Before Liusheng could reply, Tao Nan, who sat next to Liu Meng, interjected, “Do you want to see the film, or do you want to see it with Liusheng?”

“Oh, stop it. I want both!”

Tao Nan was taken aback to hear Liu Meng say “stop it.” Was this really the Liu Meng she knew?

Then Li Dong said, “Liusheng, Tao Nan and I want to go too.”

While pulling books from his bag, Liusheng replied, “No problem. Let’s all go together on the night of October 1st. Let’s invite Ren Xiadong and Ren Jing too.”

Tao Nan chimed in, “And Sister Xiaoya! I haven’t seen her in ages—I miss her...”

Liu Meng quickly stopped Tao Nan from saying any more. Noticing Liusheng’s silence, Tao Nan realized she’d said something wrong and wanted to apologize, but didn’t know how.

“At the end of the month, let’s have dinner together, and when the movie premieres at midnight on October 1st, we’ll go together,” Liusheng said, forcing a smile.

He then took his phone and left the classroom, heading for the rooftop of the teaching building. From his pocket, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

Ever since Xiaoya had left, Liusheng had become addicted to smoking, using cigarettes to fill the long, lonely nights of longing.

He took a deep drag and dialed Xiaoya’s number once again; as always, her phone was off. He opened WeChat and sent her a message: “I’m still waiting for you.”

Then he sent another message to Ren Xiadong: “Come to the rooftop.”

He could hear the students in their early morning class reciting their lessons. Suddenly, Liusheng stood up and strained his ears, hoping to hear something from far away, to catch Xiaoya’s voice. After a while, he sat down again, tears in his voice as he muttered, “No, I can’t hear anything outside the school!”

His hearing was extraordinary, but there were limits—even he couldn’t hear that far.

“What do you think you’re doing, smoking as a student!” came a shout.

Liusheng took another drag, recognizing Ren Xiadong’s voice.

Ren Xiadong walked over, took a cigarette from his own pocket, lit it, and started smoking. The night Xiaoya left, the two of them had smoked their first cigarette together. From then on, it had become a habit.

Looking at Liusheng’s tear-streaked face, Ren Xiadong said, “Thinking about Sister Xiaoya again, aren’t you? Brother, I shouldn’t say this, but as wonderful as Sister Xiaoya was, she’s gone now. Liu Meng is exceptional too—why not give her a chance?”

Liusheng said nothing, chain-smoking as Ren Xiadong sat beside him, keeping silent company.

When the bell signaled the end of early class, Liusheng wiped his eyes, pulled himself together, and said, “Let’s go to class.”

“You only dare show your weakness in front of me,” Ren Xiadong remarked, following him.

Before the first period began, the homeroom teacher entered and said, “Liusheng, Liu Meng, come with me to the office.”

In the office, they learned that what had happened at the school gate yesterday had been witnessed by many students. Now, rumors were flying that Liusheng and Liu Meng were in a relationship. Someone, careless with their words, had let it slip to the teacher.

“You are both top students in the class. Puppy love will affect your studies. Wait until you’re in university—then you can date as you please; no one will interfere. For now, focus on your studies!”

While the teacher lectured earnestly, Liusheng silently thought, “Nonsense! Do you know how many people remain single throughout university? Sure, no one stops you from dating there, but finding someone is a different story. You have to start young!”

“All right, you two wait outside the office for your parents to arrive,” the teacher finally said.

Outside, Liu Meng turned to Liusheng and whispered, “I’m sorry, I got you into trouble. Why didn’t you explain to the teacher?”

“She wouldn’t have listened anyway; teachers are always like this,” Liusheng replied, stretching.

Liu Meng caught the scent of smoke on his breath and asked, “Did you smoke?”

Liusheng didn’t answer. Liu Meng continued, “Sister Xiaoya loves you very much—I can feel it, because I have feelings for you too. So I know. Don’t worry, Sister Xiaoya just went away to clear her mind. When she feels better, she’ll come back to you.”

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. Liusheng saw everything but, after staring at her for a long time, he swallowed the words he wanted to say.

By the end of the second period, their parents had yet to arrive.

It was time for recess exercises, but the field was slippery from that morning’s rain, so they were canceled. This break, known as the “long recess,” lasted twenty minutes, instead of the usual ten.

Meanwhile, Ren Xiadong took advantage of the break to go to the rooftop for a smoke. He spotted several girls surrounding another girl; he couldn’t hear what they were saying, but saw one of them slap the girl in the middle. Justice flared within him.

“Shame on you! So many ganging up on one girl.”

As he approached, he realized the girl being slapped was the one Liusheng had brought to school yesterday.

The bullies, seeing he was an upperclassman, asked, “Who are you?”

The girl who’d been slapped bit her lip and declared, “He’s my brother! If you bully me again, he won’t let you off!”

Not only the bullies, but even Ren Xiadong was stunned. Since when did he have a little sister? He’d have to ask his parents!

Still, he put on a brave face and said, “Aren’t you leaving?”

The bullies, convinced by her claim, quickly scattered.

“Thank you. I had no choice but to say that,” the girl said once they’d gone.

“What’s your name? Why were they bullying you?”

“My name is Yang Fan.”

Ren Xiadong lit another cigarette and asked again, “Why did they bully you?”

“We went to the same middle school. I lied to you before—my money wasn’t lost, they stole it. I don’t have a father; my mother really is just a regular worker. Because I’m from a single-parent family, they always picked on me, stealing my lunch money. I thought things would be better in high school, but we ended up in the same class.”

At this, Yang Fan burst into loud sobs. Ren Xiadong, tough on the outside but softhearted, felt for her but didn’t know how to comfort her, so he simply waited nearby.

He took a closer look at her—she must be sixteen, around 160 centimeters tall, slender, with a standard student haircut, delicate features, and fair skin.

Not long after, Yang Fan calmed down. Ren Xiadong handed her two hundred yuan and said, “What Liusheng gave you before, and what I’m giving you now—you don’t need to pay us back. If they try to take your money again, tell me. From now on, wait for me by the cafeteria doors at lunchtime, and I’ll eat with you. I don’t believe they’ll dare bully you then. From now on, you have another family member—I’ll be your brother!”

Back in the office.

After the long recess, both sets of parents arrived at the school. Before the teacher could speak, Liusheng’s father looked at Liu Meng and said, “This young lady is wonderful—tall and lovely. I must say, my son is truly lucky.”

Liu Meng’s father, hearing this, replied, “You flatter her—she’s just an ordinary girl. Your son is really outstanding. Liusheng, right? My daughter tells me he’s always top of the year—a bright future ahead.”

The homeroom teacher was at a loss. This was supposed to be a disciplinary session, but it had turned into a matchmaking event.

Just as the teacher was about to speak, Liusheng’s father hurriedly said, “Teacher, let’s not bother you with this. It’s settled—neither of our families objects. School is a wonderful place: you get an education and find family. It’s great.”

Liu Meng’s father laughed heartily. “You’re right! Let’s have a drink tonight—feels like we should have met much earlier!”

“No need to wait for tonight—let’s go now! I own a hotpot restaurant. Let’s go taste my cooking!”

The teacher never got a word in—the parents had made their decision: the two must not be separated!

Helpless, the teacher could only see the parents out.

“Do your parents always talk like this at home?” the teacher asked once they’d gone.

Liu Meng kept quiet, but Liusheng said, “If you’d kept him any longer, he’d have started talking about having grandchildren!”

“That’s enough! I don’t care if you have children in the future, but your grades must not slip. If your grades drop because of this relationship, the school will make an announcement! If you don’t care about your reputation, I wonder if your parents will. I’ll let this go for now, but you must keep your grades up!”

With no other recourse, the teacher let them return to class. If both families approved, what could the school do?

At lunchtime, Liusheng went looking for Ren Xiadong to eat together but couldn’t find him. Just then, Liu Meng spotted Liusheng and asked, “Want to have lunch together?”

When the two of them entered the cafeteria, they saw Ren Xiadong eating with a girl. Liusheng and Liu Meng quickly got their food and joined them. Only then did they realize the girl was the one Liusheng had brought to school yesterday.

“So, Boss Ren, what’s going on? Yesterday was your first meeting, and today you’re eating together already? Your skill at moving on is impressive!”

Hearing Liusheng tease him, Ren Xiadong replied, “From now on, I’ll be eating lunch with her every day—she’s my sister!”

Seeing the others’ confusion, Ren Xiadong explained everything that had happened that day, including Yang Fan’s family situation.

After hearing it all, Liusheng thought, “Great—once again, I’ve changed Ren Xiadong’s life. He never had a little sister before.”

Still, he felt sorry for Yang Fan and gave her his drumstick. Liu Meng peeled her egg and placed it in Yang Fan’s bowl.

Yang Fan put down her chopsticks. No one had ever treated her so kindly. She couldn’t help but begin to cry, covering her face with her hands for fear of being misunderstood. Liu Meng hugged her and said, “From now on, you won’t just have Ren Xiadong as your brother—Liusheng and I will protect you, too.”

Just then, Ren Xiadong received a text from Ren Jing.

It read: “Let’s break up. I just feel like you and I are worlds apart. Yesterday, at the movies, I suddenly realized you’re becoming a stranger to me. Maybe it’s because we hardly see each other. In any case, I don’t like long-distance relationships.”