Chapter Sixteen: The Scholarly Monster with a Tale to Tell

As soon as Cheng Xiaoyu entered the classroom, he looked to see if Chen Haoran had arrived. Anyone who paid attention to his gaze would notice that when he looked at Chen Haoran sitting at his desk, his eyes were utterly unguarded.

Chen Haoran had a slightly round, doll-like face, with a fringe cut shallowly across his forehead. He looked clean but carried a hint of gloom, sitting at his desk, twirling a pen in one hand while studying political reference materials.

Taking advantage of the fact that class hadn’t started yet, Cheng Xiaoyu walked over. He was no longer the introverted homebody, and social interaction was no longer something he dreaded or avoided. Cheng Xiaoyu approached Chen Haoran’s desk, thinking about how to start the conversation. Without so much as lifting his head, Chen Haoran, expressionless, spoke first, dismissing him outright. “If you have a question, go out the door and turn left to the grade office. If you want to chat, I don’t have time.”

Cheng Xiaoyu thought to himself, “Top students really are odd creatures,” but this level of brusqueness didn’t faze him anymore. He went straight to the point, “I heard you play the jazz drums.” (Jazz drums are basically a drum kit; the word ‘kit’ is just a transliteration.)

Chen Haoran, still without expression, replied, “Whether I do or not has nothing to do with you.” His eyes never left the reference materials, though the pen he was twirling slipped from his fingers.

Cheng Xiaoyu had anticipated some difficulty, but hadn’t expected this top student to be so utterly devoid of warmth. Still, he was the one asking for help, so he had to lower his stance. “Alright, you keep reading. I’ll talk to you during the afternoon break,” he said, refusing to give up easily. Chen Haoran ignored him, picking up the fallen pen and resuming his twirling, as if nothing had disturbed him.

Cheng Xiaoyu returned to his seat, the infamous underachiever’s spot, where Wang Ou was busily copying math homework. Cheng Xiaoyu pulled out his politics textbook for the first period, then turned to Wang Ou, “Hey, Big O, do you know Chen Haoran?”

Wang Ou, multitasking as he scribbled furiously, replied, “Oh, him? Why are you looking for him?”

“He plays jazz drums, right? I want his help.”

Wang Ou finished copying, returned Guo Hai’s homework to the front desk, and frowned, “He’s a tough nut. No one in the class is close to him. He’s got a strange personality, only cares about studying and ignores everyone else. Oh, a bit like you used to be—the only difference is he’s first and you’re last.”

Cheng Xiaoyu cursed, “Well, what can I do? Difficult or not, I have to deal with it, otherwise your points are in jeopardy.”

Wang Ou’s hair bristled at the mention of points. “Damn, I must have lost my mind getting on your sinking ship. If only I’d taken up basketball back then.”

Cheng Xiaoyu couldn’t follow his leap of logic. “What’s that got to do with basketball?”

Wang Ou sighed gloomily, “If I’d gone into basketball, with my talent, I’d be on the school team. With my solid character, I’d be the class rep’s best friend. With my loyal personality, I’d give my points to him, and if I did, he’d be touched, and then he’d introduce…”

Cheng Xiaoyu cut him off quickly, “Alright, I surrender. If I lose, I’ll cover your lunch from now on!”

Wang Ou snorted twice, “Is that what you think of me? Someone who’d sell points for a few meals?” Cheng Xiaoyu pulled out the trump card, “Two meat, two veg, and a bottle of Coke every day.”

Wang Ou straightened his uniform, “Deal.” Then, with great inner conflict, he said, “Should I pray for you to win or lose? I feel a bit torn…”

Cheng Xiaoyu immediately threw his mechanical pencil at him. Wang Ou grinned foolishly, “Alright, after class I’ll go dig around. Chen Haoran was originally in Class Five, only joined ours after the reshuffle. One of our sports guys was in his old class—I’ll ask him.”

Cheng Xiaoyu nodded, “Brother, I’m counting on you. As the saying goes, know yourself and your enemy, and you’ll never lose. With you as my strategist, I’ll be twice as effective.”

Wang Ou’s inner drama kicked in and he sang, “I am but a carefree soul from Wolong Hill, who can stir the heavens and earth with a flick of my hand…” Just then, the politics teacher, Ma Guoli, entered the classroom and barked, “Wang Ou, if you’re not here to learn, get out. Don’t distract others.” Wang Ou wilted instantly, like an eggplant hit by frost.

When the bell rang for the next break, Wang Ou perked up and went off to Class Five to dig for information. Xia Sha Mo, cheeks flushed, walked over to Cheng Xiaoyu, “I’ve looked over the song carefully. It’s excellent. Who wrote it?”

Cheng Xiaoyu smiled, “Who wrote it isn’t important. Can you sing it?”

Xia Sha Mo hesitated, “It’s difficult, but I want to try. I really like it. But I don’t understand the lyrics, so I can’t grasp the emotion well.”

Cheng Xiaoyu replied, “That’s a small matter. I’ll write them out for you later. Once you can perform it fully, I’ll tell you what to pay attention to and what kind of feeling I want you to convey.”

Xia Sha Mo nodded and went back to her seat. When the bell rang for class, Wang Ou returned, panting, and whispered to Cheng Xiaoyu, “That top student has quite a story. We’ll talk in the restroom after class.”

After class, it was time for calisthenics. That week, the leader on stage was Ji Yunyun from the neighboring class. Cheng Xiaoyu noticed her features bore a faint resemblance to Ji Xin, guessing they might be related. Ji Yunyun was the student council’s arts officer, trained in traditional dance. To this day, Wang Ou’s phone still held a treasured video of her performing at the school’s anniversary celebration.

Ji Yunyun’s figure was more mature than her age, but her face was like a painting, pure and beautiful—a classic angelic face with a devilish body. If Su Yuxi was like a celestial fairy, unattainable, then Ji Yunyun was an elf fallen to earth, easy to evoke a man’s protective instincts.

After the exercises, Wang Ou dragged Cheng Xiaoyu to the restroom, chatting about what he’d learned. “When Chen Haoran first transferred, his grades were average. Then, in the second half of junior year, he suddenly shot up. Apparently, he used to play in a band outside school. Over the summer, he got into a fight outside and ended up in the police station. If it hadn’t been during the holidays, he’d have been expelled.”

“Do you know why he fought?” asked Cheng Xiaoyu.

“My friend isn’t sure, but I’ve asked him to look into it. Chen’s old class didn’t get along with him much either—he’s a bit of a loner,” added Wang Ou.

Leaving the restroom, they went to the school shop and each bought a Coke. Ji Yunyun walked out at the same time, carrying bread and mineral water. The two followed her, commenting quietly on her graceful demeanor.

Cheng Xiaoyu asked, “Do you think Ji Yunyun is related to Teacher Ji?”

Wang Ou rolled his eyes, “Isn’t that obvious? Everyone knows Teacher Ji is her aunt.”

Cheng Xiaoyu realized belatedly, “No wonder they look alike!”

When Ji Yunyun entered her classroom, she overheard whispers about her. She was used to being talked about behind her back and didn’t look around. As she entered, she happened to see a chubby boy and a tall one passing by the door—she recognized the chubby one as the internet-famous guy her aunt had mentioned. Ji Yunyun thought her aunt was wonderful but too kind and easily deceived; this fat guy didn’t look like a good student.

Soon, it was time for the lunch break, Wang Ou’s favorite part of the day. Cheng Xiaoyu remained attentive in class, not letting performance preparations distract him. Chen Haoran, sitting in front, quickly left the classroom, ignoring Cheng Xiaoyu’s invitation to talk during lunch.

Cheng Xiaoyu told Wang Ou to follow Chen Haoran, and then walked over to Xia Sha Mo’s desk, where her timid dandelion lunchbox still sat. Without much ceremony, he bent down and took Xia Sha Mo’s hand, saying, “Come on, big brother will take you to lunch.” The pride he couldn’t find in front of Su Yuxi was on full display before Xia Sha Mo.

Xia Sha Mo was caught off guard; holding hands was like being struck by lightning. She remembered the last time she’d held hands with a boy was in kindergarten. Still in shock, she was led out of the classroom by Cheng Xiaoyu. Suddenly realizing what was happening, she pulled her hand back, face flushed, and whispered, “I brought lunch.”

Cheng Xiaoyu pretended not to mind. “No worries. Before the New Year’s performance, stop bringing lunch. We’ll eat together. Our time is limited—we need to discuss the show more.” With such a proper-sounding excuse, Xia Sha Mo didn’t know how to refuse. She wasn’t good at saying no and simply kept silent.

Cheng Xiaoyu scratched his head, looking a little apologetic. “I’m the one forcing you to help, so wasting your time—buying you lunch is nothing. If you don’t accept, I won’t have the face to ask for your help again. Besides, it’s just a meal; for a wastrel like me, what does it matter?” He put on his “rich kid, who’s afraid” expression. Xia Sha Mo thought of the song that had shocked her and hesitated, then nodded lightly and followed him to the cafeteria.

In the cafeteria, Cheng Xiaoyu led the silent Xia Sha Mo to Wang Ou, who was queuing behind Chen Haoran. Cheng Xiaoyu asked Xia Sha Mo what she wanted to eat; she whispered, “Anything.” Cheng Xiaoyu looked at her tall, slender figure and ordered two identical meals: braised pork, stir-fried beef, kung pao chicken, and vermicelli with cabbage. Three meat dishes and one vegetable. Usually, Cheng Xiaoyu avoided meat to lose weight, but today, for Xia Sha Mo’s sake, he set aside his diet.

After getting their food, Cheng Xiaoyu and Xia Sha Mo looked for Wang Ou in the cafeteria, unsure where he and Chen Haoran had sat. At 172 centimeters, Xia Sha Mo’s height made her stand out. Despite her thick glasses and messy, curly hair, her fair skin and delicate features were striking. Next to the chubby Cheng Xiaoyu, she was the flower on the cow dung. Cheng Xiaoyu ignored the cafeteria’s disdainful looks and led Xia Sha Mo toward Wang Ou, who was waving.

Wang Ou, carrying his tray, had followed Chen Haoran and helped save seats for Cheng Xiaoyu and Xia Sha Mo. He was actually very curious how Cheng Xiaoyu had managed to invite Xia Sha Mo. He’d been in the same class as her since freshman year; though not many had pursued her, no one had ever managed to take her to lunch. Xia Sha Mo wasn’t very noticeable at school, but after two years as her classmate, and with his sharp eye for beauty, Wang Ou knew that sooner or later, someone would discover the breathtaking loveliness hidden in her.

He still remembered clearly, during a gym class in sophomore year, when Xia Sha Mo took off her glasses and tied back her messy bangs and unruly hair—her beauty was stunning. Unfortunately, boys and girls had gym separately, and he only caught a glimpse while moving equipment. He never saw that side of Xia Sha Mo again.