Chapter 34 P - Fighting
As November officially begins, cold air moves south, causing a sudden drop in temperature. The winds are damp, and the water becomes icy cold.
The nightmare for all art students has arrived—washing the palette.
There are three ways to clean a palette: one is to walk to the sink and carefully clean it with a paintbrush; another is to spray some water and wipe it clean with a cloth; and the third is simpler and more brutal—just use a scraper and it's done, it's not like it's unusable.
Chu Beiling was both casual and meticulous when it came to painting. In order to mix the colors he wanted, he would wash the palette thoroughly with running water no matter what. Since there was hot water at home and in his studio, washing the palette was not torture.
There isn't one in the art building.
As soon as Chu Beiling put his hand under the faucet, the biting cold instantly spread from his fingertips throughout his body. He instinctively pulled his hand back, trying to minimize the contact of the icy water with his skin.
Shivering from the cold, Young Master Chu let out a long howl: "Why am I washing my palette here in this freezing weather? Can someone invent a palette-washing machine to help me wash it?!"
Xing Yu, who was washing the palette next to him, stopped and reached out to take the palette from his hand.
Chu Beiling followed Xing Yu's movement and prepared to snatch it back: "What are you doing!"
Xing Yu lifted his eyelids: "Want me to wash you?"
Young Master Chu's eyes lit up, and his expression changed in an instant, quickly revealing a fawning and obedient smile, "Of course, please."
Xing Yu was washing the palette with his head down, while Chu Beiling leaned against the pool to supervise him with great self-righteousness.
Then Young Master Chu, taking advantage of the situation, said, "Brother, could you wash all the colors of this winter's palette for me?"
Xing Yu glanced at him and said, "You have the nerve to bring that up."
"Why are you embarrassed to mention it?" Chu Beiling raised her chin: "If you don't like it, I'll just cry, make a scene, and threaten to hang myself."
"If you cry now, I'll agree." Xing Yu's lips curled into a sly smile, revealing a roguish and unruly air about him.
"..." Chu Beiling, speechless, reached out and made a zipping motion, forcibly silencing him.
Xing Yu glanced at him helplessly, then lowered his head to start washing the palette, rubbing away the stubborn, colorful paint clinging to it bit by bit. His hands turned slightly red from touching the ice water.
Young Master Chu scratched his nose somewhat embarrassedly, "I'll do it myself!" With that, he reached for his palette.
Xing Yu did not respond, nor did he give them a chance to get it back.
Chu Beiling asked again with great patience, "Aren't your hands cold?"
There was still no response, but this time, Xing Yu finally deigned to raise his head.
He freed one hand and touched his lips.
"Damn..." Chu Beiling quickly swallowed the last word under Xing Yu's cold gaze and changed her tone, saying, "I really give up on you, Xing Yu, you are my hell. Seriously, I'm doomed after falling into your hands."
Chu Beiling unzipped Xing Yu's mouth: "You can speak now."
Xing Yu: "It's alright, not cold."
"Yes, it's nothing compared to how cold you are, old man." Chu Beiling pouted.
Xing Yu's lips curled into a smile, his tone casual: "I respect your opinion."
Chu Beiling rolled her eyes: "Thank you."
Xing Yu smiled slightly: "You're welcome, it's my pleasure."
"..." Chu Beiling kept pressing his chest, repeatedly telling himself not to get angry, because if he got sick from anger, no one could take his place.
Xing Yu returned the palette to him, and the young master Chu examined it carefully, turning it over and over like a quality control inspector: "It's quite clean."
Even the blue stains from years of dirt on it were washed away.
Chu Beiling blinked, deliberately provoking him: "So, you can wash my palette for me from now on."
Xing Yu glanced at him, then turned and left.
Chu Beiling rushed up to him and stood beside him, asking, "Is it okay or not?"
Xing Yu: "It might happen during the day, or maybe at night."
"No~" Chu Beiling said, "I don't want to make it happen in my dreams. I want Brother Ayu to help me wash right here, wash, wash, wash."
Xing Yu said irritably, "Shut up."
Chu Beiling wouldn't listen, and kept nagging in his ear, which annoyed Xing Yu to no end. Then, seeing his disgruntled expression, he secretly laughed to himself.
In the end, Xing Yu still took on the job of washing Chu Beiling's palette, whenever Chu Beiling stubbornly handed it to him.
On Thursday afternoon, just before class, Chu Beiling sat down in her seat and deliberately peeked in from the sports representative of Class 2 in the art building, asking, "Is Chu Beiling here?"
Chu Beiling looked up from her workbook.
The sports representative from Class Two waved to him: "Come out for a moment."
Chu Beiling looked suspicious, got up, walked to the door, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"That's how it is," said the sports representative of Class 2. "After class this afternoon, we arranged a basketball game with Class 4. I plan to crush those bastards and beat them until they submit. But we only have a few good basketball players in our class, so I thought I'd borrow you temporarily to play a match against them."
Class Two and their class share the same physical education teacher. Chu Beiling has a good relationship with the sports representative of Class Two, and they often play ball together during PE class when they have nothing to do, plus it's just a recreational game.
Chu Beiling thought for a moment and finally agreed: "Okay, that court."
"In front of the science building." The sports representative of Class 2 said, "It's still early. Come to our class to discuss tactics. We'll definitely finish before afternoon classes."
Chu Beiling nodded. "Wait a moment."
He turned around and walked up to Xing Yu, explaining to him why the sports committee member from Class Two had come to see him, and then followed him away.
Their art department usually operates in Danqing Yayuan. Their art park is only accessible by going to the No. 1 canteen for meals, and only then will they pass by the main building of Xigao, the Science and Technology Building.
Otherwise, they'd be scattered in different places, completely unrelated.
This is Chu Beiling's first time here since enrolling in school.
After discussing tactics and strategies in Class Two for nearly half an hour, Chu Beiling prepared to rush back to the art building ten minutes before class started.
The science and technology building truly lives up to its name, exuding a high-tech feel. The two buildings are connected by a corridor bridge, with a complex structure and a strong sense of design. From the top, you can even see the tea garden on the hill behind the school.
It's far superior to their art building.
Seeing the exquisite design aesthetics, Chu Beiling momentarily forgot about rushing back to the art building. He walked along the direction of the tea garden, observing as he went, until he reached a corner of the science and technology building, where he finally came to his senses.
He glanced at his watch; there were still five minutes left before class started.
Just as Chu Beiling was about to sprint, a sound came from the bathroom.
"Xing Yu from Class 13 always has a blank face and acts all high and mighty. He's just a lousy art student who only knows how to take shortcuts. He had an easier time in the college entrance exam than us. What's so great about him?"
Even though she knew she shouldn't eavesdrop, Chu Beiling couldn't help but turn back when she heard Xing Yu's name.
"You're upset because Liao Zihan likes him and always mentions that people who study art have a certain charm, right? But Xing Yu rejected them all, saying he doesn't plan to date in high school. Art students will probably go to second-rate art academies, so they won't run into us. He's not as good as you, so don't worry."
"Pah—" another boy spat, "He also thinks about whether he's good enough for her. What's the use of being good-looking? What right does he have to reject others and make Zihan so sad?"
"Even if they agree, you're still unhappy, aren't you?"
"What did you say?"
"Only you deserve it, you deserve it."
"I just can't stand his arrogant attitude. It's just drawing. All you need is a pen. Only idle street urchins become art students. He's not as good as us in school, but he acts like he's something special. Haha—what's with the attitude? I heard his parents don't want him. They deserve it. What kind of parents would want a kid who's always giving them the cold shoulder?"
"Let's go home this weekend, find some people to drag him into an alley and beat him up. Isn't he a painter? I heard he can also play the violin. Let's just break his arms so he can never paint or play the cello again."
"I think it's appropriate; he should be taught a lesson."
Chu Beiling couldn't listen anymore. He kicked the door hard, his face expressionless, and said to the two people inside, "Go to hell, get the hell out of here."
The person inside was startled by the sudden noise and turned around abruptly.
There were two campus heartthrobs in their year: Chu Beiling and Xing Yu. Chu Beiling was more flamboyant and more popular than Xing Yu; everyone knew him.
Caught off guard by seeing someone from the art class here, who was even Xing Yu's classmate, he squinted and was taken aback: "Chu Beiling?"
"It's me." Young Master Chu smiled at him, then pulled down a cold mask, grabbed the squinty-eyed man's wrist, and threw him to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw: "You want to teach Xing Yu a lesson, huh? I'll teach you how to be a decent human being first."
Seeing this, another curly-haired man cursed and grabbed a mop from the side, throwing it at Chu Beiling. He reacted quickly, kicking the mop away and sending Chu Beiling flying.
Curly-haired guy lost his balance and landed on the ground with a fart.
Chu Beiling picked up a mop and glanced at the name tags on the two men's chests. Pointing at them, she coldly warned, "Yu Mingming and Qian Bao, right? In the next month, no, in the next three years, if Xing Yu loses even a single hair, I guarantee I'll beat you to a pulp. Don't believe me? Just try me."
Although Chu Beiling was in the lead, the other two still wouldn't let him go. The other two had several bruises on their bodies, and he wasn't in much better shape. His school uniform was covered in dirty water from the toilet, and his face was also scraped.
The school bell rang, and everyone paused.
The teenage boy, having been bullied and not even gained much advantage, coldly tossed out a sentence before leaving: "You wait."
Then he ran away.
They turned a corner and stepped into the classroom just before the teacher did.
Chu Beiling was unlucky; she ran as fast as she could towards the art building, but she was still ten minutes late.
Especially this afternoon, the first class was taught by Wang Caiyan.
"Report." When Chu Beiling entered the classroom, Wang Caiyan was writing on the blackboard. Hearing the noise, she asked with a stern face, "You're late for class. What were you doing? And what's with the marks on your body?"
Xing Yu scanned Chu Beiling inch by inch, his brows furrowing with worry.
Wang Caiyan glanced at the person standing at the door and said impatiently, "Chu Beiling asked you a question, why don't you answer? Are you mute? All forty-one students in the class are waiting for you."
Chu Beiling took a deep breath and then exhaled with a heavy sigh.
As expected, people who are similar to Ms. Li will not like him.
But he couldn't very well say that he got into a fight in the science building's restroom, which was why he was late.
Chu Beiling could only say, "I tripped and fell on the way from the science building, and I rested for a while before running back."
"If you're going to lie, at least write a draft first." Wang Caiyan slammed her textbook heavily on the podium: "It's sunny outside, and you fell like this. Tell me, how did you fall and make yourself late?"
Chu Beiling clicked his tongue in annoyance and then said, "Is it meaningful for the teacher to worry about this? Just say whether you want me to go in or not. All forty-one students in the class are waiting for you to start the lesson."
Wang Caiyan was already unhappy because she heard Chu Beiling making a fuss about changing the homeroom teacher at the sports meet. Now, Chu Beiling was not answering questions properly and just causing trouble. She was even more unhappy because Chu Beiling contradicted her in front of the whole class.
"Go stand at the back of the classroom for these two periods," Wang Caiyan said. "Isn't that impressive? Standing on one leg like a golden rooster."
Chu Beiling sighed and went to stand at the back of the classroom.
However, it did not go as Wang Caiyan had suggested.
Wang Caiyan gave him a disapproving look and was about to speak when Chu Beiling interrupted him, saying, "Teacher, I'm rather fragile. If I can't stand up and fall, you'll be the one with the headache."
Chu Beiling could see the burning anger in Wang Caiyan's eyes, but in the end, she said nothing.
Taking advantage of Wang Caiyan's enthusiastic lecture on the podium, which caught them off guard, Xing Yu slowly moved to Chu Beiling's side and asked, "What happened?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
