Chapter 29 In my lifetime, Fang Minzhou only…

In her lifetime, Fang Minzhou only had a minor cold war with her parents, which ended with her parents calling her for dinner and both sides making peace without saying a word.

Now there's another one, Wang Kan.

After a few days of silence, he started looking for trouble.

Fang Minzhou was called on by the teacher to answer a question. Before she could even open her mouth, Wang Kan let out a cold snort from below, the meaning of which was unclear.

Fang Minzhou closed her open mouth, and the teacher frowned: "Wang Kan, what are you doing?"

Wang Kan coughed twice forcefully: "Excuse me, teacher, my throat suddenly feels a little uncomfortable."

Some students in the class chuckled softly.

The teacher had no choice but to ask Fang Minzhou to continue answering the questions.

Or perhaps someone who usually disappears as soon as class is over now sits glued to their chair every day, like a guardian deity. When Fang Minzhou wants to leave, they casually move their chair forward, making way for him. In these situations, if Zheng Yanhang and Wu Cheng are present, they will very consciously pull their desks back and, with a smile, invite Fang Minzhou to leave.

Fang Minzhou wasn't embarrassed either; it was Wang Kan's mess, and they were his buddies after all.

At first, she wasn't unangry and really wanted to have a good fight with Wang Kan, but after one or two times, his tricks became boring and tedious, and Fang Minzhou began to feel that Wang Kan was pathetic.

She thought of some dogs that like to bark, not really biting people, but making a lot of noise.

Ignoring him is the best solution; engaging with him will only please him.

But even though he was always among the first to leave the classroom after evening self-study, Fang Minzhou would still see him in the bike shed in the end.

During the change of seasons, many people catch colds. Fang Minzhou's neighbors all seem to be healthy, but Wang Kan appears to have a mental illness. She had read in a magazine that spring is actually a season when mental illnesses are easily triggered.

Fang Minzhou didn't know what he meant. The more unpredictable he became, the colder she grew. They went several days without exchanging a single word, much like the recent rainy weather. However, they didn't really have anything in common to talk about anyway.

That noon, Fang Minzhou and Ouyang Qian went to the cafeteria together. It was crowded and the ground was slippery. Their line moved the slowest, and everyone in the line kept looking left and right.

Seeing this, a few people unethically cut in front of the other groups, which actually made the group move much faster. However, Fang Minzhou noticed that the person in front of her had become Wang Kan.

Her first thought was to switch places with Ouyang Qian, but Wang Kan also noticed her, so Fang Minzhou stopped.

They were about the physical distance of a fist, chest to back, almost like comparing heights, but the conflict between them was like a chasm in a canyon, so they moved forward silently with the group, one in front and one behind.

Zheng Yanhang and Wu Cheng only saw Fang Minzhou and Ouyang Qian after they finished getting their food. They were about to say what a coincidence and ask if they wanted to eat together when they saw the look in Ouyang Qian's eyes, whose lips were pursed straight. They suddenly realized what was going on and hurriedly went to find an empty seat.

Fang Minzhou stood diagonally behind Wang Kan, looking at today's dishes. They were alright, but there was only enough sweet and sour pork ribs for one person left... She subconsciously glanced at Wang Kan, only to meet his gaze. He was also looking at her, then pointed and said to the aunt, "Pork ribs."

Fang Minzhou: "..."

She stood back behind Wang Kan, resisting the urge to punch him in the back of the head.

Wang Kan was taken aback, and swiped the card again, but the money in the card did not magically appear.

"No money in your card? Borrow a classmate's meal card?" The auntie was unsurprised.

Fang Minzhou and Wang Kan's eyes met again. He seemed embarrassed, his expression a little awkward. Fang Minzhou, being magnanimous, stepped forward to swipe his card, but then heard Wang Kan say, "Excuse me, Auntie, I don't need it."

Aunt: "Huh?"

Wang Kan left the window directly.

"Give it to me, Auntie." Fang Minzhou swiped her card again.

She thought to herself, "The boy's self-esteem is pathetic."

Fang Minzhou took the plate and saw that besides the sweet and sour pork ribs she wanted, there was also minced pork with eggplant and scrambled eggs with chives. What a feast! She usually spends lavishly when using her card at the convenience store; no wonder she had no money on her card.

There were still more than a dozen people in line after Ouyang Qian. If he went back to the queue, he would probably only get leftovers. But that wasn't something she needed to worry about. He wouldn't go hungry; even if he missed a meal, he wouldn't starve.

Fang Minzhou went to find a seat first, and found Yuan Yue eating alone. "Why are you alone?"

"The water was cut off in the dorm again tonight. They went back to wash their hair first, and I'll wash mine this afternoon."

"Does the school's water pipe need to be repaired?"

Yuan Yue laughed: "It seems like they're just repairing..."

When Ouyang Qian brought over the food, she couldn't help but complain about the dormitory environment at No. 1 High School.

"It's alright." Yuan Yue was very optimistic.

Fang Minzhou placed the untouched ribs between the two of them, but Yuan Yue noticed something strange, "Why did you order eggplant today?"

"You don't like eggplant?" Ouyang Qian asked Fang Minzhou.

Fang Minzhou: "...I like to eat it."

January: "There are scallions."

Ouyang Qian: "Oh, right."

Fang Minzhou: "Just pick them out."

Seeing this, Ouyang Qian shook her head. Seeing that Yuan Yue was still a little confused, she simply recounted the little episode she had just witnessed, and concluded by commenting, "Wang Kan is too concerned about saving face."

Fang Minzhou didn't really think so; his skin was sometimes thick and sometimes thin, but he casually agreed, "Right?"

"My mom said I shouldn't date a man who's too concerned about saving face."

Fang Minzhou choked, "...Your auntie is telling you this?"

Fang Minzhou burst out laughing.

"You two...fought again?" Yuan Yue asked cautiously, "Really fought?"

Fang Minzhou's smile faded slightly. What was this supposed authentication of authenticity? She simply replied with those two words: "Is that right?"

"Why?"

Following up on Yuan Yue's question, Fang Minzhou calmly reviewed the events once again.

At first, it was because he was so proud of himself that he insisted on teaching her to sing. Later, they argued and had a cold war, and neither of them spoke to the other. Now, they've become sullen and resentful towards each other.

She remained silent for a long time, and Yuan Yue thought she had said something wrong, so she quickly said, "It's nothing, I was just asking casually."

Fang Minzhou shook her head. There were still two pieces of ribs left on the plate. Although they were both sweet and sour ribs, they were shaped completely differently. "I told you before, I never liked him."

Ouyang Qian raised an eyebrow slightly; she had no idea.

“But actually, no one can get along 100% with each other…” Yuan Yue said, then quickly waved her hand, “I didn’t mean to speak up for him!”

"I know," Fang Minzhou smiled.

Ouyang Qian sat down next to Fang Minzhou and nudged her, "Listen to me, let's not do it."

Perhaps half-jokingly and half-seriously, Fang Minzhou's ears burned, but her heart remained ice-cold.

Thinking about having to practice choral singing again during afternoon self-study class, Fang Minzhou wondered if her worry that Wang Kan would cause trouble was unfounded.

The trouble actually came sooner.

The second period in the afternoon was physical education class. It wasn't raining, so it was held outdoors.

During free time, Fang Minzhou usually plays badminton with Ouyang Qian. Today, because the basketball court was severely flooded, more boys came to play badminton, including Wang Kan and his friends. Someone, for some reason, started announcing mixed doubles, and several times Fang Minzhou and Wang Kan were opponents.

Fang Minzhou played table tennis for fun, but Wang Kan was full of killing intent, losing several sets in a row. Fang Minzhou was also provoked, and when she partnered with Lin Sinian, they finally won once. On the last point, she smashed the ball, and Wang Kan couldn't return it at all.

He walked to the sidelines, threw the racket to Wu Cheng, and said, "I'm not playing anymore."

Wu Cheng, who had been sitting and watching the whole thing, hurriedly caught the paddle, saying, "...I didn't want to hit it either."

Fang Minzhou thought to herself, "T really is proud and can't stand losing."

As the PE class was nearing its end, the sky darkened and the wind picked up, making it impossible to continue playing badminton. When it was almost time, the teacher blew a whistle to signal everyone to return their equipment and prepare to assemble.

The equipment room is located under the stairs of the bleachers on the playground. It's about the same size as a regular classroom, but a bit taller, with four small square windows at the highest point of the wall near the door. Half of the space is filled with equipment, some of which hasn't been used for years and has accumulated a thick layer of dust and musty smell. On rainy days, it's even more damp.

Fang Minzhou had just put the racket down when he suddenly heard a sound. He thought the wind was too strong and had blown the door shut, but when he turned around, he saw Wang Kan standing in the doorway.

The door was an iron door, and when it was closed, the room immediately fell into a claustrophobic and dim light, with a faint light shining through one of the windows onto the gray cement floor between her and Wang Kan.

There were only the two of them in the enclosed space, and for a moment, Fang Minzhou's heart was pounding like a drum.

After realizing what was happening, Fang Minzhou felt there was no need to be nervous. Could it be that Wang Kan really dared to do something?

Then he stepped to the right, blocking her.

Fang Minzhou immediately walked to the left. This time, Wang Kan reached out to stop her, but Fang Minzhou slapped his arm away. Wang Kan then leaned in and tried to grab her wrist.

Fang Minzhou was truly terrified. She stumbled back several steps with a clatter, her waist hitting the stainless steel ball storage basket behind her, as if she had been forced to the edge of a cliff. Holding her breath, she glared angrily at Wang Kan, her heart pounding in her throat. "Are you crazy?!"

Wang Kan was stunned, her breathing quickening.

He was consumed by a burning jealousy, like a quilt with a wad of cotton inside, but the slight tremor in Fang Minzhou's voice and the disgust in her eyes were like a hand that shook him off. He realized that Fang Minzhou was actually afraid of him.

The quilt had a big hole in it and was ridiculously left to dry in the afternoon when a storm was brewing, absorbing all the moisture from the air.

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but as soon as he moved his body slightly, Fang Minzhou defensively grabbed the basket, making a soft clattering sound, as if he was about to hit him with the ball.

The basketballs in the basket were of varying shades and levels of dirt, piled up one by one, blocking my swollen eyes.

Wang Kan gave a wry smile, his inherently reckless nature surging up at this moment, "...Are you that afraid of me? What can I do?"

Fang Minzhou was so angry that she couldn't speak.

A voice came from outside first, "Why is the door closed?"

Fang Minzhou gripped the stainless steel railing tightly. The paint wasn't applied evenly, and there was a bump in the middle that was digging into her palm.

"I don't know, should we ask the teacher?"

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Fang Minzhou's heart pounded wildly like a broken pendulum.

She hurriedly tried to leave, but Wang Kan still blocked her way, half-circling her. Only then did Fang Minzhou realize the height advantage Wang Kan had over her.

The boys were so enthusiastic during PE class that they were only wearing short sleeves. At such close range, Fang Minzhou could feel the warmth of Wang Kan's body and see his rising and falling chest and his Adam's apple. Meanwhile, she hadn't taken off her long-sleeved school uniform jacket for spring and autumn, and the thin sweat from playing badminton earlier had long since cooled down.

"Wang Kan," she took a deep breath, "don't be so disgusting."

"...I'm disgusting?" he scoffed.

"Don't you feel disgusting like this?"

"...I just want to talk to you."

"What should we talk about?"

Wang Kan looked at her, but remained silent.

Fang Minzhou sneered.

"Are you so afraid of people seeing the two of us together?" he asked maliciously.

"It's not that I'm afraid, it's that I don't want to."

"We didn't do anything."

"I want to go out."

"I……."

Fang Minzhou interrupted him, enunciating each word clearly and brooking no argument, "I'll say it again, I want to leave."

Wang Kan stepped aside.