[Article]: Let’s gossip about this confidential secret I overheard today inside the restroom’s toilet cubicle... [TRENDING]
[Article]: Urgently getting in contact with the neighbouring building’s involved victim, let this student narrate his miserable experience — a certain senior student surnamed Xiao entangles others into doing ‘that kind of stuff.’ [TRENDING] [TRENDING] [TRENDING]
The C University forum surged up a big storm overnight.
Those two articles had appeared from out of nowhere, and they were currently trending on the forum’s homepage. The number of online forum viewers progressively continued to rise.
Lu Yan was still oblivious of this incident, he is currently plotting on how to rope this yellow t-shirt fellow into his band, it’s quite difficult to cross paths with a seedling with such potentiality, it was a pity if he missed this chance.
While he is having a deep discussion with Li Zhen, the number of reposts and replies within the C University forum escalated.
“That guy from C University, can you really manage to drag him in? What happens if he looks down on us for not being famous enough?” Li Zhen questioned hesitantly.
“Just give it a try,” Lu Yan said through the phone, “I’ve even been to his class and attended a lesson there just to associate with him, he studies in the computer science department, a freshman in year two, I’ve roughly figured out what the entire situation at hand is, and I also plan to invite him to dinner tomorrow.”
“The computer science department? That subject span of his is exceedingly wide ah .”
Lu Yan said: “And Daishu had also studied horticulture back when he attended college… have you also forgotten?”
Li Zhen: “Hahahahaha that’s true too.”
Lesson in the afternoon on the second day, marketing business management.
Lu Yan continued his stand-in class attendant duty of attending lessons as per usual. For the first time, his client had taken the initiative to send him the first message as he was in class.
[Xiao Heng]: Arrived?
Here. Lu Yan replied.
You can rest assured. I’ll be a stand-in for your lessons. Not being late, not leaving early, they’re all in my conduct.
The client replied with a single word.
[Xiao Heng]: Alright.
The old professor who was up on the podium was currently giving them a lecture on what providing manpower resources were. When Lu Yan sent his client this message, he may have never thought that this very client himself had personally appeared on campus and had brought along two bro, ready to threaten him to death. He didn’t get the real meaning behind this single word, “Alright.”
The exact meaning expressed by this “Alright” was actually:
Alright, you just wait.
Outside the large lecture hall.
In the staircase by a corner of the corridor, there sat a certain person.
Although this place was quite far away from the lecture hall, it was close to the wall that blocked the two places.
Xiao Heng was currently sitting on the staircase, lowering his head and undoing two buttons on his clothes. Casually folding up his cuffs, and ordering the people at the end of the staircase: “Wait until he comes out, you and Shaofeng drag him over here.”
“No problem, I’ve already seen the photo, I’m ready to beat him up until he’s nice and obedient.” Zhuangzhi said. “But, why does this photo seem a bit familiar? He’s quite handsome, big bro, why not give it a look?”
Like hell Xiao Heng would want to.
Last night, just as he finally got the time to sleep in, not even ten minutes later after lying down on his bed, a variety of notifications had woken him up.
All containing some capricious and bizarre content.
—All lives deserve equity and freedom.
—Don’t worry that we might look at you strangely, all love is equal, be confident and be yourself.
—Every person has the right to pursue contentment.
......
Xiao Heng slid one hand in his trousers’ pocket, his fingertips touching the ice-cold silver sliding cover of the lighter, he planned to exchange just a round with that person, and then he’ll let it be.
Threatening people.
It’s been a while since he last did this kind of stuff.
Di Zhuangzhi was also rather thrilled: “Why am I so excited? It feels like I’ve returned to those times in highschool, back then Heng-ge…..”
The word ‘highschool’ appeared out of the blue.
Di Zhuangzhi still wished to continue, until Qiu Shaofeng elbowed him once.
Di Zhuangzhi finally reacted, and immediately muted himself.
“Don’t just stand around and watch.” Xiao Heng didn’t appear as though he was experiencing any emotional fluctuations, so it seemed, and he said, “Remember to suppress him into a corner.”
The bell for dismissal rang, the silent lecture hall which was originally silent has now engulfed with cheers alongside the dismissal bell.
The lesson was already over. Lu Yan didn’t listen too much during class, but he did finish up writing half of his album. He tidied up his stuff, folded the sheet of paper, and slipped it into his trousers’ pocket.
It was really radiant outdoors, and it dazzled with sunshine.
It sure was a nice day.
Exceptionally suitable for a accepting a new recruitment.
Lu Yan looked at the sunshine outside through the window, deciding to go to the computer science department to search for his potential bassist band member out for dinner, but not even after taking a few steps outside the lecture hall exit, he was caught by an unknown force that caused him to be pulled out of the crowd as a result.
“Is it him?” Lu Yan heard someone ask.
“It’s him!” Another one answered.
When Lu Yan regained his consciousness, his left and right arms were already being pressed against the wall.
Lu Yan: “Both bros, what’s the matter?”
The attitude that this person had right now was too calm, Qiu Shaofeng had been startled into enragement: “Don’t you know what you yourself have done!”
Lu Yan repeated his sentence: “What did I do wrong?”
“…” Qiu Shaofeng had no way of conversing with him, so he turned his head to the side and shouted: “Big bro!”
At this moment, someone had walked down the flight of stairs, their pace is neither urgent nor heavy, appearing more like a passerby than a person who’s ready to give someone a beating, and as that guy walked in front of him, he caught sight of a familiar wristwatch that had appeared in his line of vision.
Followed by a smooth and slender wrist.
Going up, four gazes interlocked.
***
Young master, is the first phrase that emerged within Lu Yan’s ocean of thoughts.
The pop punk, Xiao Heng could only think of these three words.
The young master attire today was less proper compared to last time they encounter each other, extremely informal clothing, it’s even more informal compared to large percentage of the school population, he even slips on a pair of flip flops.
However, what’s actually amazing was that, even if he wore a pair of flip-flops, his personal appearance didn’t degrade at all. Even if he indeed had to attend class later, he will deliver a kind of impression to everyone that once he arrives at the lecture hall, he may just go find a corner to doze off.
The signs of exhaustion were visible on his brows, appearing quite disheveled.
Initially, Xiao Heng did feel rather exhausted, but once the three words ‘the pop punk’ popped up in his mind, his awareness pierced straight through the sky and in an instant he became sober.
“You,” Lu Yan connected the current situation with the incident from last time, “...here to take revenge?”
Last time, he chased him all the way to deliver an apology, and this person didn’t give any response at all, it's wasn't that his kindness wasn't repaid, it's just that the right moment has not yet arrived.
Lu Yan could now at least understand the situation at hand, he was just waiting for the opportunity to deal with him.
But then he glanced at the redhead who was holding him down on his right, and the unfamiliar face on his left. He couldn’t help but speak up: “First, let’s not mention how you even knew that I took classes here, the three of you guys versus only one of me, isn’t it clearly unfair?”
Lu Yan had only finished half of his sentence when this young master walked two steps forward, their bodies coming in very close distance, whispering six words that weren’t too icy or too warm into his ear: “I, Department of Economics, Xiao Heng.”
“…”
Xiao Heng stepped backwards once he was finished speaking, returning to the distance from before.
Just what exactly is he trying to convey?
However, this sentence is indeed quite familiar.
But Lu Yan really didn’t think that the world would actually be so small in size.
The one he was being a stand-in class attendant for was actually that young master.
Lu Yan exchanged looks with Xiao Heng for a while and finally felt as though he now understood the situation. Although both of his elbows were being pressed against the wall, he could still move around with his fingers. He gestured using his finger to indicate him to come closer, and he began to introduce himself using a similar method:
“I, jobless vagabond, Lu Yan.”
Xiao Heng: “….”
Di Zhuangzhi: “……”
Qiu Shaofeng: “……”
After class was dismissed, the crowd had more or less dispersed, and the corridor once again fell into silence.
“Alright,” Xiao Heng said, “Bring it up and show it to him.”
Xiao Heng exhaustingly squinted his eyes after finishing his sentence, reaching out to Di Zhuangzhi for support.
After many years of being brothers, Di Zhuangzhi immediately responded, pulling out his mobile phone to hand it over and opening up the populous C University’s forum.
This degree of tacit understanding and cooperation reminded Lu Yan of those overbearing school tyrants in the past who always harassed students in small gangs. Lu Yan was currently absorbed by all kinds of random and chaotic thoughts in his mind until two lines of words displayed on the phone screen entered his line of vision: Restroom secret gossip, a miserable experience as narrated by this student.
The restroom secret gossip was a leaked news article1, while the second article, in comparison, had much more creativity, making use of an interview style.
[1]: The material of the celebrity has sent out by fans or passers-by earlier than the official, mostly without permission
[Host]: For the sake of protecting the involved victim’s privacy, the following interview with the involved victim will remain anonymous. Chosen alias will be Xiao2 Hua. Xiao Hua, may I ask if you have ever been acquainted with a certain senior student surnamed Xiao?
[2]: 小Xiao meaning little or small in this term. Same in Pinyin, but different meaning and similar pronunciation as ‘Xiao’ in Xiao Heng.
Xiao Hua (anonymous): He is truly well-known. Heard of him before, but never actually met him in person, totally not acquaintances with him at all.
[Host]: When do you think he appeared to start taking a good liking to you?
Xiao Hua: He expressed his interest in my bass guitar performance, thinking that I looked exceptionally handsome, I’m guessing that what he was trying to express then wasn’t just ‘interest’.
Lu Yan repeatedly stared at the phrase “wasn’t just interest” a few times.
[Host]: Did he initiate any weird actions in the past?
Xiao Hua: He followed me out of the restroom to attend class, and as he listened to music while sitting beside me, he had also intended to share one of his earbuds with me, I was really nervous at that moment.
[Host]: Sharing an earbud?
Xiao Hua: That’s right, it was quite ambiguous, I didn’t accept it.
[Host]: So what are your thoughts on this? Do you have anything more you want to add?
Xiao Hua: I’m somewhat perplexed, I don’t know how I should face his passionate request.
Lu Yan had now completely understood it this time.
Yesterday, the yellow t-shirt fellow sprinted off too quickly. He had wanted to reintroduce himself at that moment when the yellow t-shirt fellow swing the mop at him, dodging and exiting out the door. His running speed is even comparable to his fast bass performance.
Lu Yan started to chase him, and he ended up playing a game of “you chase, I run” inside the lecture building.
But when the yellow t-shirt fellow sprinted through the entrance of the lecture hall, their professor was already standing on the podium preparing to start their lesson, so it wasn’t convenient for him to speak.
“Regarding that earbud incident, I just wanted to ask him to listen to our band’s album,” Lu Yan didn’t know where he should start his explanation, “He plays the bass really well, and two of our band’s members left a few days ago...”
His speech wasn’t very clear, and there was practically nothing logical or sequential about it, so as he finished his explanation, Lu Yan grasped at his hair and spit out some profanities: “Shit, this is fucked up.”
Di Zhuangzhi interrupted: “You’re in a band?”
Qiu Shaofeng: “What’s your position, guitarist?”
“…..tsk,” Xiao Heng who would never forget Lu Yan's guitar freakish offbeat giutar skills, snorted with ridicule, “Him? A guitarist?”
Lu Yan: “……”
Lu Yan added: “Anyway, this is truly a misunderstanding. This incident, I’ll clarify it properly.”
He was confused as to why so many misunderstandings would occur upon encounters this person. He had even caught the wrong person back in the building the last time.
Perhaps he had an inconsistency of the eight characters3 with this young master.
[3]: refers to the meaning of mutual restraint between the two parties' birth year, month, day, time and zodiac sign. The other term to refer as inconsistency of horoscope.
However, the one who was responsible for this incident was truly him. His brain short-circuited yesterday inside the restroom, and he even claimed that he was Xiao Heng himself.
Xiao Heng looked at him, as though to determining whether or not he spoke truthfully, then he raised his hand to the two on his side: “Retreat.”
Di Zhuangzhi: “We let him go just like that?”
Qiu Shaofeng: “Big bro, why not exchange fists first?”
Xiao Heng didn’t say anything, turning around and walking away with his flip-flops.
This group really wasn’t some kind of small-scale bullying gang in the past? Lu Yan thought to himself.
Lu Yan decided to return the borrowed phone back to the redhead, but his fingertips accidentally slid across the phone screen, swiping downwards from the current article in front of him, so he inadvertently saw a few more anonymous posts.
15L: A certain senior student surnamed Xiao, is it actually Xiao Heng? The wealthy second generation?
16L: Ahahahah it’s actually Xiao Heng ah, I recognize him! I’ve seen him once, he really has both a handsome appearances and a wealthy family, do all these handsome guys turn gay nowadays? QAQ
[4]: original: 搞基, which refers to homosexual according to Baidu, no matter how I translate those two phrases, it doesn’t make any sense, so I tried. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
17L: What’s so good about it ah, only able to deceive those moronic girls like the one upstairs… those kind of ignorant and incompetent good-for-nothing second-generations, just leave them be.
The words incompetent good-for-nothing flashed past his eyes.
Lu Yan lifts his head up, and only caught the back profile of Xiao Heng who is leisurely strolling away.
Translator: Piggybank 🐽
Editor(s): Rae and Muku