With Zhai Yao and Shen Heng at the helm, the group brought by Ma Jiabao finally stopped being cryptic with their empty words. They amicably stood in a row within the confines of the private room as they started their discussion on how to resolve the unfolding situation.
Zhai Yao rhythmically tapped the table, directing his question at Ma Jiabao, “What’s your take on this?”
Regardless, it could be said that Ma Jiabao, having been in the position of a leader for only a few days, undoubtedly still wanted to keep some face. He replied with a stern expression, “It’s whatever for me; you do as you see fit.”
“Alright.” Zhai Yao nodded. “Zhang Bailin nearly took a plunge into the river just now. Why don’t you go jump too?”
Everyone present was frightened. Ma Jiabao’s little follower hurriedly intervened to smooth things out. “L-Let’s not, Yao-ge! Let’s keep this civilized!” He continued shamelessly while looking at Zhang Bailin, “Look, how about we compensate with money first, then sign an agreement with you. We won’t cause you trouble again in the future!”
Having changed back into an ordinary T-shirt and trousers, Zhang Bailin sat in silence, tightly clutching his trousers with his hands.
Zhai Yao noticed that his fingernails had been maliciously applied with bright red nail polish by someone.
He quietened for two seconds, then said, “Ma Jiabao, you’d better go jump into the river.”
“That… Isn’t that a bit too extreme, Yao-ge!” The follower interjected, “We can jump into the river; that’s fine. The crux of the matter is that Bailin’s parents still have to do business in this area. Wouldn’t it be bad luck for them, yeah?”
Zhai Yao raised his eyes. “Quite the talkative one, aren’t you?”
The follower quickly covered his mouth, vigorously shaking his head.
“Ma Jiabao,” Zhang Bailin finally spoke. Despite his lingering, unbearable anger and inability to forgive these individuals’ deeds, he understood that his family would indeed still have to continue their business in the area. With no immediate alternatives in sight, he could only resign himself to swallowing his pride, albeit reluctantly. Following that, he hoarsely said, “I don’t want your money, but you must guarantee that you won’t visit my shop again from now on!”
“We guarantee! All of us guarantee!” The little follower responded hastily in agreement, nudging Ma Jiabao’s arm to signal him to express his stance.
Ma Jiabao swayed his body and coolly grunted, “Mm.”
Although Zhai Yao still wanted Ma Jiabao to take the river plunge, seeing that Zhang Bailin had already relented, he didn’t say anything more. He snapped his fingers at Shen Heng, who had returned to sit in the corner, flipping through the song list. “What about you? Anything else?”
Shen Heng pursed his lips.
“Yes.”
The atmosphere immediately tensed up again with his words.
Shen Heng silently glanced at the tangled clothes on the floor, then shifted his gaze to Ma Jiabao.
Zhai Yao stared blankly for a split second, then suddenly comprehended Shen Heng’s intentions.
He let out a contemptuous scoff. “What a vile bastard.”
Ten minutes later, the room was filled with a cacophony of thunderous beats that could almost deafen the ears. In the middle of the room, Ma Jiabao, donned in a form-fitting tube skirt and black stockings, delivered a captivating and sensual dance performance.
The song was chosen by Shen Heng in advance while Zhai Yao was talking to Ma Jiabao. The lyrics and melody were exceptionally explosive.
The onlookers were all blinded with shock by the provocative performance, turning their heads and covering their faces, unable to bear the sight. Even Zhai Yao didn’t expect one person’s movements could be so uncoordinated.
Only Shen Heng watch Ma Jiabao complete the entire dance with an expressionless face. In the end, he even expressively clapped a few times.
“Well done; I’ve recorded it.” Shen Heng raised his phone towards Ma Jiabao, showing it off. “If you dare to play jokes on others again as you please, I’ll post this on your school forum, and everyone can have a good laugh.”
Ma Jiabao’s body slumped, collapsing like a spread-out pile of mud, completely giving in.
“Shen Heng… Zhai Yao…” Zhang Bailin lowered his head, vigorously wiping away tears with his hand. With a trembling voice, he expressed, “Thank you!”
…
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
*
After driving away the group led by Ma Jiabao, Zhang Bailin escorted Shen Heng and Zhai Yao out of the KTV.
Passing by the reception desk, Zhai Yao caught sight of a hunched man. There was no need for guessing; he had to be Zhang Bailin’s father.
Zhai Yao knew full well of the man’s gaze, evoking a sense of familiarity akin to individuals from the old city district who had faced a lifetime of grievances. They lived through their days by embodying the spirit of Ah Q, and only dared to assert themselves as a man within the boundaries of their own families. It was no wonder he could delude himself into thinking his son’s plight was merely the result of friends’ “pranks” when faced with bullying.
At the entrance of the KTV, Zhai Yao called out to Zhang Bailin once more and unprecedentedly nagged a few more words, “Don’t always expect others to save you. If you can’t help yourself, sooner or later, you’ll end up in a shitty state again.” With that, he turned away without glancing back, heading towards the riverbank from the direction where he initially came from…
In the dead of night, the stifling heat finally gave way to a hint of coolness. Zhai Yao arrived at the spot where he had parked his bicycle, and as he reached for his keys, his movements froze with a single thought in his mind: The f*ck, where’s my bicycle?
Zhai Yao scoured another round in the nearby area, but there was still no trace of his bicycle.
He squatted by the river and lit a cigarette…
The more he smoked, the more he thought about it.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he fricking became.
That worn-out bicycle had been with him for almost five years. The profits one would make by taking it to a scrapyard to sell its parts wouldn’t even be worth the effort spent disassembling it. So, it wasn’t about the money he was concerned about; it was mainly the emotional attachment he had formed with the bicycle. It was perfectly fine when he left; he only went to carry out a small act of heroism, yet upon returning, it was nowhere to be found!
Suddenly, a frog leapt into the river with a “plop” out of nowhere, creating ripples on the water’s surface.
Following that, a pair of white sneakers mirrored in the water, accompanied by two long, perfectly straight legs.
Zhai Yao flicked the cigarette ash and, without turning his head, stated, “Don’t talk; I’m annoyed.”
The person behind him fell into a momentary silence.
“Your bicycle lock isn’t good enough; a pair of bolt cutters and it’s open.”
“I said shut…”
“Go to the police station tomorrow and file a report, but there’s a high chance you won’t get it back.”
“……” Zhai Yao puffed out the smoke and closed his eyes. “You think I won’t dare to throw you into the river right here, right now?”
Shen Heng fixed a silent downward gaze at him. Given their current positions, no matter how one looked at it, it should be him who had the upper hand in pushing Zhai Yao into the river first.
“Why haven’t you gone back? Is it fine leaving Gramps alone at home?” Zhai Yao asked as he took one final drag, extinguishing the cigarette by twisting its butt.
Shen Heng: “Mm. The senior caregiver is there.”
Zhai Yao nodded, his gaze directing towards Dragonfly Alley, and sighed inwardly.
If he were to return on foot, he’d be darned to walk for eternity.
He forced himself to stay spirited and planned to take a walk first to give it a try. If he found an empty taxi along the way, he’d take it. If not, he’d find a random internet café and spend the night there.
Shen Heng noticed Zhai Yao rising to his feet, and in a quiet voice, he asked, “How are you planning to get to school tomorrow?” He remembered that Zhai Yao’s home was quite far from 9th High School.
“Will think about it when tomorrow comes.” Zhai Yao didn’t really consider it a problem; he could just skip school if worse came to worst.
Physical energy seems to deplete rapidly in moments of frustration. Coupled with the earlier incident, Zhai Yao’s stomach let out a loud growl right at that juncture.
“There’s a dumpling restaurant up ahead, open until 2:00 AM. Want to go?” Shen Heng pointed ahead. “I’m hungry too.”
Zhai Yao thought that since he couldn’t return without his bicycle anyway, he might as well accept the offer. He let Shen Heng lead the way, ambling together towards the dumpling restaurant.
The shopfront of the dumpling restaurant wasn’t considered huge, nestling between a barbershop and a massage parlour. If not for the dimly lit sign at night, it would be easy to miss.
Shen Heng and Zhai Yao ordered four plates of dumplings and two bottles of beer, silently enjoying their meal without much conversation.
It must be said that this restaurant’s dumplings were indeed excellent—thin-skinned with generous fillings that burst with flavourful broth with each bite. Zhai Yao grew hungrier as he ate, prompting him to order two more plates after finishing the initial four plates of dumplings.
Just as he was starting to forget about his lost bicycle, his phone in his pocket rang.
Caller: Zhai Bing.
“Liangzai, where are you at?”
Zhai Yao swallowed the dumpling in his mouth, checked the wall clock, and replied, “At a classmate’s place, heading back soon.”
“At a classmate’s place? That’s great then!” Zhai Bing on the other end of the phone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, quickly suggesting, “Stay at your classmate’s place tonight, don’t come back yet!”
Upon hearing this, Zhai Yao’s eyes turned cold. “Liang Hao is back.” The initial questioning tone turned into a firm assertion once it left his mouth.
On the other end, Zhai Bing unsurprisingly started to respond vaguely, beating around the bush for a long time before finally saying in a soft tone, “He probably truly realized his mistake this time.”
“Zhai Bing.” Zhai Yao took a deep breath, lowered his voice, and said, “You’re forsaking your humanity, aren’t you? Who was the one that said ‘If I don’t get a divorce, then I’m lower than animals.’ that day? …Are you treating all that as just loads of bullsh*t?”
“Zhai Yao, you can’t talk to me like this!” Zhai Bing, whether out of guilt or anger, raised her tone. “I’m the one who’s gonna live through life with him. I’m willing to take responsibility for my choice, and I believe he’ll definitely repent and change over a ne…“
“As if I believe in that son of a b*tch.”
“What are you being so fierce for!”
Beep—
Zhai Yao directly hung up the phone.
He and his sister just couldn’t communicate at all.
“Boss, bring a bottle of Niu’er.” After finishing the beer on the table, Zhai Yao beckoned to the boss again. Since he was now completely homeless, he might as well spend the night in the internet café later.
“Not the clear liquor. Still want the beer.” Not even batting an eyelid, Shen Heng called out beside him.
The boss was in a dilemma, wondering what were these two young brothers causing a fuss about. Clearly, they arrived together, yet they didn’t speak a word throughout, and now they insisted on arguing at the same table.
“You see, whose order should I follow?” The boss asked with a wry smile.
“Mine.” Zhai Yao repeated, “Niu’er.”
“Want the beer.”
“Why are you so damn annoying? I’m not even asking you to drink!” Zhai Yao was irritated to the point where he wanted to punch someone.
And of all people, the one next to him, that idiot Shen Heng, was exceptionally skilled at fuelling the fire. “Mixed drinking makes you throw up faster.” Shen Heng glanced at him and said impassively, “Don’t cause trouble for others.”
Zhai Yao mused that indeed, this person wasn’t that kind-hearted after all and chuckled coldly. “Don’t worry, I don’t need your care even if I die on the street.”
He took the bottle of Niulanshan Er’guotou from the boss, poured it into a cup, and gulped it down in one go.
…
After that, Shen Heng no longer stopped him, but he didn’t leave either.
He ordered another bottle of beer for himself and sat in silent.
The wall clock pointed to midnight. After finishing tidying up in the kitchen, the boss slumped behind the counter, bored. He picked up the remote control, flipping through the channels until a replay of an old music program.
“Ah, Zhen Ni, haven’t seen her in a long time now,” the boss mumbled to himself.
On the television, Zhen Ni, who was a singer based in Taiwan and Hong Kong, dressed in a black formal dress, stood among a group of children. With the familiar prelude, she began singing that timeless melody—
♫ The stars in the sky don’t talk; the baby on the ground thinks of mother.
The eyes in the sky are blinking and blinking; mother’s heart is like a dull-ice flower.
The tea garden of hometown is blooming with flowers; mother’s darling is on the other end of the world.
Every night when I think of mother’s words; my eyes will sparkle with tears when I think of dull-ice flower… ♫
“Have you ever seen the dull-ice flower?” Zhai Yao suddenly asked.
The bottle of alcohol was already empty; he rested one hand on the table, supporting his forehead. His voice was somewhat raspy from the alcoholic influence.
“When I was a child, I was always curious whenever I listened to this song, wondering what a dull-ice flower really looks like. Then one day, I ran a very long way to the library to check… Well, it’s actually quite ugly, with very garish and vibrant colours.”
Following that revelation, an extended period of quiet enveloped the atmosphere.
When the song concluded, Zhai Yao stood up, settled the bill with the boss at the counter, and swung the door open, leaving the dumpling restaurant.
The nocturnal breeze caressed his face, and only then did he belatedly feel a sensation of dizziness and lightness in his feet. In the passing, he reached out to support himself on a nearby lamppost, pulling out a cigarette and placing it between his lips.
But for some unknown reason, the lighter kept failing to ignite even after several attempts.
While he struggled with the uncooperative lighter, a lit cigarette was offered to him.
Zhai Yao stood there in a daze, whispered a thank you, and then tilted his head to bring the cigarette in his mouth closer to light it.
The wisps of white smoke danced as Shen Heng withdrew his hand, bringing the other half of the cigarette to his own lips.
“Where are you headed?” Shen Heng asked.
Receiving no response, he paused and asked again, “Your home?”
Zhai Yao maintained his silence.
Shen Heng extinguished his cigarette, preparing to hail a taxi for him. “Dragonfly Alley, right?”
“I don’t have a home.”
After Zhai Yao’s words fell, he waved his hand without looking back at Shen Heng, and slowly walked into the embracing night alone.
The author has something to say:
Qtfc kglalcu j rabgs, P jikjsr afcv ab ulnf la j yjmxugbecv atfwf~ “班长能有什么坏心思呢” lr lcrqlgfv ys “Ktf Vbecvr bo Vlifcmf,” jcv “田园犬有什么坏心思呢” lr “Lfs Aevf.” Cr obg atlr bcf, la’r jii jybea “Geii-Pmf Mibkfg”~
🥺🥺Poor baby…it reminds me of SaYe and Chang ge
QAQ… Come on Heng2… offer him to spend the night in your place….permanently *cough*