SWTHTC - 17

Chapter 17: “I’m Luo Siyu”

[“Sigh, I suspect Monkey is heartbroken.”]

Wednesday was Yan Lin’s day of suffering because it was the day for PE class—and, coincidentally, Class One and Class 43 shared the same PE period. This meant he would inevitably run into Mi Lan.

Just seeing her during class would have been tolerable enough, but the problem was that Mi Lan’s excitement on Wednesdays could last all day, sometimes even spilling over into Tuesday night. For instance, earlier that evening, while Yan Lin was working on his physics homework, his phone began vibrating incessantly. He glanced up and, unsurprisingly, saw a barrage of over a dozen messages from Mi Lan on QQ, causing his desk to shake with each buzz.

His head began to throb.

Yan Lin didn’t want to reply. He decided to test Mi Lan’s endurance—would she give up first, or would he cave in and respond? After ten minutes of this silent standoff, Yan Lin conceded defeat. He suspected that if he continued ignoring her, she’d keep bombarding him with messages until dawn.

Fine. I lose.

Resigned, Yan Lin reached for his phone just as a commotion erupted at the entrance to their courtyard. Amidst laughter and farewells, he realized his parents were home.

It was already 10:30 PM.

His parents weren’t usually late-night returners, but recently, things had been different. They often dined and drank with neighbors to discuss compensation matters related to the impending demolition of their area.

Their neighborhood was part of an urban village—like every other such area worldwide, it was old, dilapidated, and riddled with countless illegal structures squeezed together for who knows how many years. Six months ago, a demolition notice arrived, and the land had been sold to a major real estate developer. The capitalists’ plans were ambitious: they aimed to transform the area into something valuable.

Demolition always brought complications. Some families here were cooperative, accepting compensation and moving out early, leaving behind empty lots where houses once stood. Others, however, stubbornly remained—like Yan Lin’s father, Yan Hai, and his mother, Zhang Chunyan.

They weren’t opposed to moving; they simply weren’t satisfied with the compensation offered by the developer. Hoping for more, they banded together with similarly-minded neighbors, resisting relocation and becoming notorious holdouts.

Tonight, they must have gathered at some mahjong parlor or barbecue joint to strategize again. When they returned, reeking of alcohol and cigarette smoke, Zhang Chunyan helped her drunken husband inside and urgently told Yan Lin, “Yan Lin, quick, get your dad a glass of water!”

Yan Lin didn’t understand why someone who had consumed several jin of alcohol still needed water upon returning home, but he didn’t argue. Silently, he fetched a glass and handed it over.

His father, Yan Hai, grabbed the cup clumsily, his face flushed red from drinking and his spirits high. Slapping Yan Lin’s arm, he slurred happily, “Son, our family’s about to strike it rich, do you know that? Our lives are about to change for the better!”

Then came a burst of loud laughter.

Yan Lin frowned, waiting for his father to finish the water before taking the glass away. He then retreated to his room, bringing his homework and phone with him.

Rich? Maybe.

Change fate? He doubted it.

But these matters weren’t his concern. His sole responsibility was his own patch of land—to focus on his studies and attend the best university.

Through hard work, he hoped to change his destiny.

He sat down in his cramped, damp, moldy, and decrepit room. Outside the window, there were ruins everywhere—the remnants of demolished buildings now reduced to half-finished construction sites. Only a few stubborn houses remained standing, like withered trees jutting out from an otherwise flat prairie.

He turned away and resumed his unfinished physics homework. Just as he wrote a couple of characters, his phone vibrated again. Sighing, he unlocked it to find more messages from Mi Lan.

Yan Lin’s 90th Girlfriend Account: What are you doing?

Yan Lin’s 90th Girlfriend Account: Hey Yan Lin, did you block me??

Yan Lin’s 90th Girlfriend Account: If you don’t reply, I’ll kiss you during PE class tomorrow!

Yan Lin: “….”

He quickly went online.

Qingbei Robber: Doing homework.

As soon as he typed those four characters, a flood of messages poured in from the other side, as if she had been waiting impatiently.

Yan Lin’s 90th Girlfriend Account: Oh my god, you finally replied! If you hadn’t, I was going to call the police.

Yan Lin’s 90th Girlfriend Account: Next time, reply faster. You’re scaring Mom to death.

Qingbei Robber: …

Mi Lan’s messages were always like this—nothing particularly important to say, just asking where he was or what he was doing. His responses were typically a string of ellipses or periods, which she didn’t mind. She seemed perfectly content entertaining herself.

For instance, right now, she enthusiastically informed him that Class 43 had welcomed a transfer student who had attended the same middle school as him and Hou Zihao.

Yan Lin’s 90th Girlfriend Account: Her name’s Luo Siyu. Do you know her?

Since elementary school, Yan Lin’s brain had only been focused on studying. He certainly didn’t remember any inconsequential female classmates from middle school.

Qingbei Robber: No.

Mi Lan quickly replied.

Yan Lin’s 90th Girlfriend Account: Nice. Don’t bother remembering unimportant girls. Keep it up.

Yan Lin’s 90th Girlfriend Account: (o^^o)

Speechless, Yan Lin turned off his phone.

Mi Lan sent a few more messages, but Yan Lin didn’t respond. She knew when to stop, realizing she had exhausted his patience quota for the day. Smart and slippery, she left it at that, leaving him no way to counteract her persistence.

The next morning, Yan Lin found only his mother awake, preparing breakfast, while his father was still asleep in the house.

After washing up, he sat down at the table to drink some millet porridge. Between bites, he asked his mother, “Does Dad not have to go to work today?”

Yan Hai worked at a nearby machinery factory and was usually up by now.

“He took half a month off,” Zhang Chunyan replied. “We’re afraid they might come to forcibly demolish the house. Someone needs to stay home. If anyone comes to negotiate, your dad can handle it.”

His mother looked both pleased and worried.

She added wistfully, “You just focus on your studies. Leave everything else to us. Your dad won’t let our family lose out. We’ll try to get two new apartments from the developer—one for you to use later.”

Yan Lin: “….”

He fell silent for a moment, sipping more porridge. After careful consideration, he said, “Mom, maybe you should also talk to Dad. Don’t be too greedy—it might cause trouble.”

Her response was lukewarm, barely acknowledging his words. “Don’t worry, your dad and I know what we’re doing. Eat your breakfast.”

Yan Lin felt a strange heaviness in his chest, an inexplicable unease, and an inexplicable desire to leave the house. He quickly finished eating and headed to school.

Because of the ongoing demolition issues, Yan Lin had been feeling somewhat irritable lately. He had planned to play basketball during PE class to unwind, but to his surprise, his friend Hou Zihao was in an even worse mood.

And not just slightly worse—absolutely terrible.

From morning reading onward, he had worn a sour expression, ignoring everyone during roll call. Those around him tiptoed cautiously, afraid to provoke him. Even during breaks, no one dared speak.

Ge Ao fared even worse. Though completely innocent, he now sat next to Zhou Leqi, and during class, he tensed up unconsciously, sitting ramrod straight to listen attentively. By break time, his back muscles ached, rendering him half-useless.

Yan Lin was speechless. On the way to the playground for PE class, he couldn’t help but ask Hou Zihao, “What’s wrong with you? Why did you insist on switching seats yesterday?”

Ge Ao was equally curious, chiming in, “Yeah, tell us. At least let my back pain be worth it.”

But Hou Zihao had no interest in responding.

His attention remained entirely on Zhou Leqi.

Though seated far from her, he couldn’t help but obsess over every detail concerning her.

That morning, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes, knowing she must have suffered another sleepless night. During biology class, she rested her head on the desk, leading him to suspect she hadn’t eaten breakfast again. Now, watching her walk alone ahead of him, without a single friend by her side, he worried she might feel lonely.

…He fretted endlessly, despite knowing full well she didn’t care.

This was exhausting.

Yan Lin and Ge Ao had known Hou Zihao for years, especially Yan Lin, who had been his classmate since middle school. Never had they seen him in such a poor state, leaving them astonished and somewhat sympathetic.

Ge Ao whispered to Yan Lin, gossiping, “Sigh, I suspect Monkey is heartbroken.”

Yan Lin: ?

Shocked, he asked, “Who did he fall in love with?”

Ge Ao: “Duh, Zhou Leqi. Can’t you tell he likes her?”

Yan Lin: ???

Could this be true?

He hadn’t noticed.

Ge Ao sighed exasperatedly. “You’re hopeless—you wouldn’t notice anything. Anyway, he likes her. I think either they got reported for early romance, or he confessed and got rejected.”

Yan Lin nodded, glancing at Hou Zihao, who seemed utterly detached. Calmly analyzing, he said, “Perhaps both.”

Ge Ao: “Huh?”

Yan Lin: “Maybe he failed at early romance and got reported at the same time.”

Ge Ao wiped away a tear of sympathy. “Damn, that’s rough!”

Yan Lin felt a pang of pity too.

But his sympathy was short-lived. Suddenly, Mi Lan appeared out of nowhere. Today, she wore her hair in pigtails, her bangs soft and fluffy. Bouncing happily, she ran toward Yan Lin, waving and calling his name loudly, drawing stares from across the playground.

Yan Lin wanted to flee immediately.

At the same time, another girl approached Yan Lin and Hou Zihao. When she drew near, she awkwardly greeted them.

Mi Lan, ever territorial, immediately positioned herself between Yan Lin and the newcomer, preventing any interaction. Yan Lin, having no interest in talking to strangers, ignored her. As for Hou Zihao, he was still covertly observing Zhou Leqi and paid no attention to the girl in front of him.

However… he noticed Zhou Leqi staring in their direction, her face pale and her expression troubled. Upon closer inspection, he realized she was looking at the girl before him.

Curious, he asked the girl, “Excuse me, who are you?”

The girl seemed surprised he didn’t recognize her. Her expression turned awkward and despondent, like a fragile white flower.

She replied, “…I’m Luo Siyu.”