FY - 8

The matter was more or less settled. The dean, the homeroom teacher, and the parent who had loudly declared her husband’s imminent arrival, all remained silent.

The police arrived leisurely, just in time for the conclusion.

Wei Lian saw Zhou Yan, raised an eyebrow, walked over, and tilted his head to confirm: “It’s you?”

Zhou Yan looked back at him openly: “Officer, good to see you.”

Wei Lian looked at the dean: “What happened?”

The dean immediately regretted it, thinking that if this matter spread, it would be bad for the school’s reputation. He tried to backtrack: “It’s nothing, nothing. Just some kids playing around, and parents came to fuss over their children, so they had a little argument.”

Wei Lian ignored his bowing and scraping, and asked Zhou Yan: “You tell me.”

Zhou Yan wasn’t flustered at all: “My child was hit, so I hit back.”

Wei Lian looked like he was listening to a joke: “What did you say?”

Zhou Yan didn’t repeat herself.

Wei Lian asked Sanzi behind him: “Did you hear what she said?”

Sanzi nodded: “She said she hit the student.”

Cold sweat dripped from the dean’s brow. When he called the police, he didn’t know that Zhou Siyuan was the one who had been beaten. Now, the only justifiable point was that this woman named Zhou had physically assaulted a student, but it seemed she knew this police officer...

He immediately became petty, explaining: “It’s already been resolved. This was just a misunderstanding.”

“Don’t you know? Schools are places where minor squabbles are constant. Today I push you, tomorrow I shove you—it’s all inevitable. Don’t look at how fiercely they’re making a scene now; tomorrow they’ll be holding hands and going to the convenience store.”

“It’s perfectly normal.”

Wei Lian raised an eyelid to look at him: “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”

The dean nodded profusely.

Wei Lian glanced at the two women in the corner who had long lost their composure, and the crying elementary school student with a swollen face. It seemed whatever had happened was over. He waved to Sanzi and the others: “Let’s go, let’s go.”

The dean followed them out to see them off: “Thank you, officer.”

Zhou Yan didn’t linger either, giving the homeroom teacher one last reminder: “I’ll be asking Siyuan about his academic progress at school every day.”

That one sentence was enough. Anything more would be pointless.

The homeroom teacher’s hand on the desk turned white. After Zhou Yan left, she finally couldn’t hold on and slumped into her chair.

Seeing this, the parent also tucked her tail and took her child away.

Neither the school nor the families of the three children Zhou Yan hit dared to mention compensation or explanation. No matter how rich, powerful, or high in status they were, they feared those who didn’t fear death.

They couldn’t win against someone who wasn’t even afraid to die. They all wanted to live.

________________________________________

Zhou Yan came out of the school and stood by the road, looking up at the sun. It was dazzling, and she truly disliked it.

She averted her eyes, subconsciously reaching for her pocket. Finding no cigarette, she instead touched the corner of her mouth.

“How many years have you been smoking?” a voice rose from behind her.

She turned around and saw Wei Lian, greeting him perfunctorily: “Officer.”

Wei Lian offered her a cigarette pack: “You can call me Captain Wei.”

Zhou Yan took out a cigarette, ignoring his offer, and asked: “Got a light?”

Wei Lian smiled and tossed her his lighter.

Zhou Yan lit her cigarette and handed it back to him. He didn’t take it: “You keep it.”

Zhou Yan was unsure whether to keep it or return it, momentarily at a loss for how to handle it.

At this moment, Wei Lian said: “Can you tell me about Jiang Xiaozhao’s case?”

Zhou Yan then threw the lighter in an arc into the trash can. “I’ve already said everything there is to say.”

Wei Lian told her: “Jiang Xiaozhao’s case has already been closed. I’m asking you now purely out of personal curiosity.”

Zhou Yan had already finished one cigarette and it was time to go: “Then you’re asking the wrong person.”

She took out her car keys and walked towards the only used Chevrolet Cruze on this street. Seeing a hundred-thousand-yuan car in Qizhou’s most expensive Southeast School District was quite a novelty.

________________________________________

Back home, she tossed her keys, kicked off her shoes, and collapsed onto the sofa, hugging her legs and resting with her eyes closed.

About ten minutes later, she felt rested enough. She got up to take a shower.

Thanks to Si Wen, when she was alone, she would take off her clothes as she walked towards the bathroom, completely undressed before even reaching the door.

She turned on the shower, facing the showerhead with her head tilted back. The water poured onto her face, almost as loud as a slap. Her mind replayed the first time Si Wen hit her—he slapped her across the mouth.

Because she cried in front of him. Cried from pain. He slapped her, and she saw white, unable to cry anymore.

Afterward, he looked at the shocking red mark on her face, cautiously reaching out to touch it. Before he could make contact, his fingers curled back, as if genuinely afraid of hurting her. It was as if he truly cared.

...

She shook her head, trying to shake Si Wen out of her mind.

He wasn’t a human being. Now that he was finally gone, why would she miss him like a masochist?

She cursed herself a couple of times, and indeed, she felt much clearer.

________________________________________

Days passed. After Zhou Yan’s commotion at the school, no one dared to bully Zhou Siyuan.

Everyone avoided him.

Zhou Siyuan was unaccustomed to it at first. Although no one had ever given him a smile before, they hadn’t actively avoided him like this. But slowly, over time, he learned to accept it.

After all, no one’s adolescence is perfectly complete and without regrets; he was just one of the majority.

Understanding this made even breathing feel much lighter.

________________________________________

On Friday evening, Sister Hong informed Zhou Yan to sit at a table that night. Zhou Yan arrived just in time, put on her stockings, and hastily applied makeup.

When she rushed to the private room, Sister Hong gave her a fierce glare, then turned back, smiling broadly at the customers, “Here are some of Candy’s best girls. Gentlemen, please take your pick?”

A slightly plump man sitting in the innermost seat pushed up his glasses and pointed at Zhou Yan, saying, “I’ll have this one.”

Sister Hong turned back, her worst fears realized.

She forced a smile, her voice drawn out and twisting, “This one only sits at the table; she doesn’t go out.”

The plump man scoffed, “Playing a whore while putting up a memorial arch?”

Sister Hong was very embarrassed. Experienced as she was, she couldn’t find a countermeasure for a moment.

This group of customers that night had some status and a bit of money. Sister Hong didn’t dare to neglect them, so she carefully selected twenty girls. But then one girl had a sudden stomachache and couldn’t endure it, so she had to call Zhou Yan as an emergency replacement.

Who knew that with twenty people to choose from, he would still choose Zhou Yan.

The situation was deadlocked, until the sister with the stomachache finally saved them.

Her complexion was much better when she entered, and she bowed to the customers: “Sorry, I’m late.”

Sister Hong clapped her hands, “Alright! These are Candy’s top twenty girls, all here.”

As she spoke, her hand went behind her back, gesturing to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan turned and walked out.

The plump man wouldn’t have it. He called out to her, “Hey, hey, hey, why are you leaving? Didn’t you hear me say I chose you?”

Sister Hong’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly motioned for the girls to go over: “Quick, quick, drink with the boss.”

Zhou Yan kept walking. Just as she was about to reach the door, the plump man stood up and smashed a beer bottle, “Are you all deaf, can’t you hear me? I called that woman! Get over here!”

Sister Hong closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then turned to Zhou Yan: “Come over.”

Zhou Yan didn’t care. In her four-year career, this situation was too common; she had experienced even more disgusting things.

She walked back, picking up the drink menu as she passed the coffee table. Finally, she sat beside the plump man, speaking as if reciting from a script: “Boss, what kind of drink would you like? Western liquor? Martell? Hennessy?”

The private room was already warming up. The remaining girls were chatting well with the boss, but Sister Hong didn’t dare to leave. She kept feeling that having Zhou Yan there was like having a ticking time bomb.

Even if Si Wen didn’t come back tonight, just looking at the plump man’s gaze towards Zhou Yan was already chilling.

Then someone from the back said: “The madam is still here? What, are you selling too?”

Sister Hong just smiled, exchanged a few polite words, and started to leave.

At the door, she glanced at Zhou Yan, who seemed quite calm.

In the past, when Zhou Yan was this calm, it usually meant she was about to cause trouble. Sister Hong felt even more uneasy.