Chapter 5, "Get on the bus".
When Tang Ci entered the classroom on Monday, she found that her desk and chair had been returned to their original positions, but were placed crookedly.
It wasn't time for morning self-study yet, and the students were chatting and eating breakfast. When she entered the classroom, the lively atmosphere paused for a few seconds.
Zheng Shuyao watched as Tang Ci put down her schoolbag, then frowned slightly and asked her, "Aren't you going to sit at the same table as Sheng Yu anymore?"
Tang Ci moved the corner of the table to align with the gap between the floor tiles and said frankly, "He told me to move it back."
Zheng Shuyao breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on her face.
Zou Qiang glanced at Tang Ci and said, "Then you should just sit here quietly."
After he finished speaking, he laughed with several classmates around him.
Zou Qiang had always been a candidate for the scholarship, but unfortunately, Tang Ci was the top student in the class, so he always missed out.
This time, he learned that Tang Ci not only wanted to receive the regular bonus, but also wanted to take the unorthodox approach of mutual aid in an attempt to obtain a second bonus.
He felt incredibly jealous, but seeing that Tang Ci remained unmoved by the sarcasm, he continued to tease in a high-pitched voice, "Who would have thought that someone like Tang, the academic genius, would be so eager to date a guy?"
All eyes were fixed on Tang Ci. Tang Ci opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she lowered her eyes and sat down in silence.
Jiang Chan entered the classroom with a milk straw in her mouth, just in time to hear Zou Qiang's words. She walked up to his desk aggressively and said, "What nonsense are you spouting so early in the morning? Didn't you hear last week that Tang Ci was going to tutor Sheng Yu?"
Zou Qiang was not intimidated by her imposing manner and shrugged lightly, "Too many people use this excuse to get close to Sheng Yu. Who knows what she's up to?"
Jiang Chan frowned, wanting to continue arguing with him. Tang Ci stood up and grabbed her arm: "Let's eat quickly, class is about to start."
Jiang Chan sat down behind Tang Ci and said indignantly, "He said that about you! Aren't you angry?"
“He can’t pass the test because he always focuses his attention on me,” Tang Ci said seriously, her voice very soft. “The more I ignore him, the angrier he gets.”
Jiang Chan was stunned by her theory for two seconds, then nodded in sudden realization, "...That seems to make sense."
The two girls laughed and took out their weekend physics homework to discuss.
Song Ke, carrying a bag, came over and stood by Tang Ci's desk, smiling as he asked, "Why are you smiling so happily at your homework?"
Physics was Song Ke's forte, and Jiang Chan called out to him, "Class monitor, take a look at your homework."
Tang Ci's classmate hadn't arrived yet, so Song Ke naturally sat down next to her.
He and Tang Ci attended the same junior high school and were deskmates for two years.
Tang Ci was already used to Song Ke sitting next to her, so when his arm touched hers for a few seconds as he took his homework out of his bag, she didn't feel uncomfortable.
Zhou Yiyang and Sheng Yu entered the classroom one after the other. As soon as Zhou Yiyang sat down, he turned to Sheng Yu and complained, "Young Master, I came to help you move desks and chairs early this morning, and you didn't even show any appreciation?"
Sheng Yu handed him a bag of snacks she had bought from the convenience store.
Zhou Yiyang smirked and teased, "Your aversion to girls is getting worse and worse. Now you can't even touch a table that a girl has sat on."
Sheng Yu raised an eyebrow. "I see you're quite happy with the move."
"I only helped her because she's pretty." Zhou Yiyang glanced at Tang Ci and suddenly nudged Sheng Yu with his elbow. "Look at her."
Sheng Yu glanced up and saw Tang Ci and Song Ke sitting side by side in the front row of the classroom, looking at the questions. "What's wrong?"
“I feel like Tang Ci is more interested in Song Ke than in you,” Zhou Yiyang said, frowning in thought. “She’s more afraid of you.”
Sheng Yu snorted coldly, "I couldn't be happier."
Zhou Yiyang looked up at the sky and sighed, "Cupid must be blind to keep shooting at you all day long."
/
After several heavy rainstorms, September arrived, but the weather still showed no signs of cooling down.
High school freshmen and sophomores have all returned to school, and the campus has returned to its usual bustling state. During the long breaks, long lines formed at the convenience store and cafeteria to buy water.
Tang Ci took her water cup with her when she went downstairs, and went straight to the water room to get some water after finishing her exercises.
The instant coffee she brewed in the morning had settled at the bottom of her plastic cup. She went to the sink outside the public restroom to wash the cup. As soon as she turned on the tap, a pungent smell of tobacco wafted into the air.
She wrinkled her nose, looked around, and then quickly lowered her eyes again.
A group of boys had just come out of the bathroom after smoking and were talking animatedly as they walked toward the sink across the street.
Jin Ming angrily kicked the step, "Lin Yao, that rat in the gutter, he definitely bumped into Brother Yu on purpose during the competition last weekend."
“Losing every time, he’s gotten desperate.” Zhou Yiyang sneered.
Jin Ming curled his lips in a mocking smile, "In the end, Yu-ge still took first place without a care, while he himself fell flat on his face."
Zhou Yiyang and Jin Ming laughed, but Sheng Yu, who was at the center of the conversation, seemed uninterested and went straight to the sink to wash her hands.
The sound of water splashing against the marble sink was heard. Several more classmates came over. Taking advantage of the chaos, Tang Ci lifted her eyelids slightly and quickly glanced at Sheng Yu, who was standing opposite her, across the counter.
He was very tall, with his upper body above the table. His black shirt accentuated his upright shoulders and lean waist, and his long, powerful arms protruding from his sleeves.
There was only a deep red abrasion mark from the elbow to the wrist bone, which stood out against the pale skin.
Tang Ci's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her movements as she washed the cup slowed down. Only after the boys opposite her left did she slowly turn on the tap, holding the wet plastic cup, and frowning as she watched Sheng Yu's back.
With five minutes left before class, Tang Ci stood solemnly at the corner of the stairs, holding her cup. After watching the fourth wave of students go upstairs, she finally made up her mind to go to the infirmary.
As Tang Ci passed by the door, she brushed past two girls from the next class and noticed that the girls were carrying paper bags containing medicine.
She didn't pay attention and knocked on the door to enter the medical room.
Dr. Yang was tidying up his medical kit when he asked without looking up, "What's wrong?"
"I'd like some medicine for scrapes," Tang Ci pursed her lips and lied softly, "I accidentally bumped my knee against the wall..."
Dr. Yang lifted her pants and glanced at them. "Is it serious? Lift them up so I can take a look."
Tang Ci squeezed the seam of her pants, feigning composure, and said, "It's not serious. Just prescribe some medicine for me, and I'll apply it myself when I get home."
Dr. Yang smiled and said "Oh," then quickly prepared the bandage and ointment, put them in a paper bag, and handed it over.
"Thank you, doctor." Tang Ci took the money. "How much is it in total?"
After Dr. Yang stated the price, Tang Ci took out her wallet from her pocket, counted the money, and was about to put it on the table when Dr. Yang spoke up again.
"Was it bought for Sheng Yu?"
Startled, a one-yuan coin slipped from her hand, spinning twice on the floor before stopping.
Tang Ci rubbed her burning ear tips, bent down to pick up the coin, and did not answer the doctor's question.
Seeing her awkward and shy appearance, Dr. Yang smiled gently and reminded her softly, "Six girls have already bought medicine for Sheng Yu before you, so you need to speed things up."
The heat from her earlobe spread to her cheek. Tang Ci clutched the paper bag tightly and nodded politely, "...Thank you, doctor."
When Tang Ci arrived at the classroom, most of her classmates were already seated. Suddenly, she felt that the paper bag with the hygiene label on it looked like a conspicuous bomb, so she hid the paper bag behind her back and quickly sat back down in her seat.
The moment she put the paper bag into her desk drawer, her deskmate caught a glimpse of it and casually asked, "Did you go to the infirmary? Are you feeling unwell?"
Tang Ci paused, then mumbled, "My stomach feels a little uncomfortable."
My deskmate asked me a few words of concern, then placed a mirror on the bookshelf and retied his loose ponytail.
Tang Ci glanced at the mirror and saw that the last row of individual tables and chairs were empty.
Sheng Yu hasn't arrived yet.
But his table was already covered with medicines and beautifully wrapped gift boxes.
She silently lowered her eyes and stuffed the paper bag further into the drawer.
/
With the billiards hall entering its peak season, Xi Jing adjusted the shift schedule, adding staff to each shift.
The front desk shift was changed from one person to two, with Tang Ci and Miao Miao, who was transferred to the night shift, working together.
As soon as Tang Ci arrived at the billiards hall, she encountered several waves of customers. She and Miao Miao divided the work, setting up tables, issuing cards, and handling cashier duties. They worked non-stop for half an hour before they could take a break.
Miao Miao opened a can of cola, drank half of it, and then took a leisurely breath. Looking at Tang Ci's small figure in her school uniform, she suddenly remembered something and raised her hand to pat her.
“I remember who the handsome guy at table number nine is!” Miao Miao’s voice rose high. “He’s the champion motorcyclist who often races in Beishan.”
Tang Ci repeated, a beat slow, "Motorcycle race?"
Miao Miao nodded, leaned closer to her and asked, "I remember hearing someone say he was from your No. 1 High School. He's so handsome, how come you don't remember him?"
She tilted her head and said in a trance, "Her name is Sheng Yu, but I don't know which 'Yu' it is."
“Yu, the 'Yu' in 'Zhong Ling Yu Xiu' (meaning 'a place of outstanding talents and beautiful scenery'),” Tang Ci said.
Miao Miao was taken aback for a moment, "You know him?"
Tang Ci: "He's in our class."
Miao Miao asked, puzzled, "Why didn't you guys talk that day?"
Tang Ci pinched the shoulder that Sheng Yu had pressed, "We're not close, and we didn't talk much at school."
Miao Miao nodded understandingly, "You look aloof, I bet they don't even remember you."
Tang Ci pressed her fingertip against the ballpoint pen without speaking. After flipping through a few pages of the book, she suddenly asked, "Are those motorcycle races dangerous?"
“That’s extremely dangerous.” Miao Miao put down her phone, propped her elbows on the edge of the table, and talked at length. “The competitors are all thugs from the community and nearby schools. Nobody cares about them. They run like they’re out of their minds, and there are countless dirty tricks they use.”
“But as long as Sheng Yu runs, he’ll be number one.” Miao Miao said excitedly, “Isn’t that awesome?”
Tang Ci didn't answer her question, but instead frowned slightly and asked, "Will anyone get hurt?"
Miao Miao leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Injuries are minor. There was someone who fell off the mountain before, and I heard that they stopped going to school afterwards."
Tang Ci swallowed hard. "Then how come anyone still dares to compete?"
“Little sister,” Miao Miao patted her shoulder, “you top students in your ivory tower wouldn’t understand. Motorcycle racing is all about the thrill. When your adrenaline is pumping, you don’t care about life or death.”
Tang Ci's face appeared pale under the incandescent light, and her bloodless lips were pressed into a straight line. After a while, she asked again, "Could you take me to see the next competition?"
Miao Miao asked in surprise, "Are you curious?"
Tang Ci nodded, "I've never seen you before."
"Okay." Miao Miao nodded readily. "But don't let Sister Jing know, okay? She specifically told me not to lead you astray."
Tang Ci smiled slightly. "Don't worry."
The opportunity came quickly. Before leaving get off work on Thursday evening, Miao Miao received news that Beishan was gathering racers from several nearby schools for a friendly race that night.
"Do you want to go see it after get off work?" Miao Miao asked.
Tang Ci paused for a moment, then asked, "Which schools are these people from?"
“There are a few boys from the University of Science and Technology, the vocational high school, and your school,” Miao Miao said hesitantly, “but the competition will probably be almost over by the time we arrive.”
Tang Ci quickly finished writing the last word, decisively closed the workbook, and said, "Go."
Miao Miao rode a small orange-pink motorcycle, twisting the handlebars all the way to the bottom and speeding along the motor vehicle lane at a speed that didn't match the motorcycle's appearance.
As they turned the corner, Miao Miao didn't forget to turn to Tang Ci and ask, "Isn't the speed too fast? I'll slow down if you're scared?"
Tang Ci gripped Miao Miao's clothes tightly with both hands, squinted her eyes which were being blown by the wind, and shook her head weakly, saying, "...It's alright...no need."
Miao Miao couldn't see her pale face. She stepped on the gas and turned into the old, tree-lined street at the foot of Beishan Mountain.
The old street is narrow, with streetlights hidden among the lush sycamore branches, and an electric scooter occasionally emerges from the iron gates of the dilapidated residential buildings on both sides.
Miao Miao had already slowed down, but she still ran into a fixed-gear bike coming out of a dark alley. The boy riding the fixed-gear bike saw that he was about to hit them, so he swung the handlebars hard to the right and collided head-on with Miao Miao, who was turning the handlebars to the left.
Bang--
The boy and Miao Miao were both jolted violently in their seats by the impact.
Tang Ci fell directly off her seat, her knee hitting the tile of the flower bed.
A sudden, sharp pain made her break out in a cold sweat. As she got up with Miao Miao's help, Tang Ci rolled up her trouser leg and saw her scraped knee. She thought to herself, "Yes, people really can't lie."
The boy, looking flustered, stepped forward and asked, "Are you badly hurt?"
Tang Ci pulled down her pants, moved around a bit, and felt that her knees were only a little sore but otherwise fine.
“It’s nothing,” she shook her head and said to Miaomiao, “Let’s go.”
Miaomiao was worried and wanted to take her to a nearby clinic, but she gave up after Tang Ci insisted that she was fine.
Seeing that Tang Ci was walking normally, the boy felt relieved and rode off on his bicycle.
The electric scooter was parked in the parking lot at the foot of Beishan Mountain, and the two walked up the mountain.
“The viewing point and the finish line are both halfway up the mountain,” Miao Miao turned to her one last time to confirm, “If your legs hurt, we won’t go up.”
The pain from the initial impact had subsided, and Tang Ci now only felt a tingling discomfort in her knee. She quickened her pace to catch up with Miao Miao, saying, "I can't feel anything anymore."
Miao Miao shook her head, "You good students are so stubborn, it's hard to persuade you. Why can't we watch the competition anytime?"
"Wait a minute!" She suddenly stopped, turned her head and squinted at Tang Ci, "You didn't come to watch the game, did you?"
Tang Ci looked away. "How much longer until we arrive?"
Miao Miao stuck a finger on her shoulder. "You came to see Sheng Yu, right? You like him?"
"No……"
As Tang Ci spoke, she rubbed her burning earlobe as if trying to cover up her misunderstanding.
Miao Miao smiled ambiguously and nuzzled her shoulder, "Why is my face red without you?"
Tang Ci grabbed her wrist and walked away silently, without saying a word.
Miao Miao put her arm around her shoulder and laughed heartily, "Let me give you a piece of advice: go after whoever you like while you're young, or you'll regret it when you're older."
Tang Ci listened to her heartbeat quickening due to exercise; it was youthful, surging, and seemed full of vitality.
But she knew it was all temporary and unsustainable.
Suddenly, a flock of birds flew out from the bushes beside me, flapping their wings and flying into the distant shrubs.
The low rumble of the engine started without warning, and even the flat asphalt road beneath her feet trembled. As Tang Ci turned around, a strong gust of wind made her squint, and in a daze, a dark shadow wrapped in silver light flashed past her eyes.
"So fast!!" Miao Miao exclaimed, "This should be first place tonight!!"
Tang Ci opened her eyes wide and recognized the black motorcycle that was about to disappear from sight, as well as the familiar figure on the motorcycle.
A few seconds later, cheers came from the lights halfway up the mountain, and the name "Sheng Yu" could be faintly heard.
Miao Miao raised an eyebrow at Tang Ci, "Shall we go up and congratulate him?"
Tang Ci gave a muffled "hmm" and quickened her pace as she stepped up the stairs.
The viewing platform halfway up the mountain is very large. In addition to people watching the game, there are also many vendors. The table with playing cards is the most crowded.
A young man with a small braid sat at the table, smiling as he said to the girls around him, "You all bet on Sheng Yu to win every time. There's no suspense at all. What's the point of the game?"
People who come to watch the game get to know each other after a while. They like to make bets now and then, but they don't gamble with money, and they feel indebted to others for winning or losing.
When Sheng Yu took off his helmet, the girls swarmed around him, offering him bottled water, but he refused to accept it and instead opened his own sports water bottle to drink.
The girl with long curly hair leaned closer and said, "Sheng Yu, you always leave right after you finish running. Can't you stay and play with us for a while?"
Sheng Yu brushed his sweat-dampened bangs back onto his head, his sharp Adam's apple bobbing as he uttered a few words, "What are you playing?"
"How about we make a bet or something?" The girls looked at him expectantly.
Sheng Yu raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Besides betting on me to win, what other options do you have?"
These words sound arrogant, but the way he said them makes perfect sense.
The second and third locomotives arrived at the station in succession, carrying Jin Ming and Lin Yao.
Jin Ming finally came in second place, and when he took off his helmet, he couldn't hide the pride on his face.
Lin Yao said dismissively in a low voice, "What's so exciting about a friendly match? Just wait and see about the official match this weekend."
Jin Ming stuck his tongue out at him, "Even if you wait any longer, you still won't get first place."
Lin Yao got out of the car with a gloomy face, cracking his knuckles as he tried to go up and cause trouble for Jin Ming, but was stopped in his tracks by a cold glare from Sheng Yu.
Despite the many sabotages he secretly undermined, Lin Yao never confronted him directly. He touched the scar Sheng Yu had left on his brow bone, gritted his teeth, and went to the railing to smoke.
At the railing outside the crowd, Miao Miao poked Tang Ci's soft cheek, "You really aren't going over?"
Tang Ci shook her head, shifting her gaze from Sheng Yu, who was surrounded by girls, to the gambling table beside her, and thoughtfully curled her fingertips.
After lingering at the viewing platform for a while, the two decided to head down the mountain.
There were many people on the mountain. Since they came up, Tang Ci hadn't even made eye contact with Sheng Yu, let alone interact with him. Sheng Yu probably didn't even know that she was here tonight.
But Tang Ci remained calm and showed no regrets on her return journey.
Miao Miao felt heartbroken, feeling it was a waste for Tang Ci to have gone through all that trouble late at night.
So when she saw Sheng Yu alone in the rearview mirror, she quickly made a decision, "Tang Ci, you get out of the car."
Tang Ci looked bewildered but obediently got out of the back seat. "What's wrong?"
"I just remembered I forgot my keys at the pool hall. I have to go back and get them. Figure out how to get home yourself."
Miao Miao spoke loudly, pushed Tang Cichao towards the zebra crossing behind her, then turned right and quickly disappeared into the night.
Tang Ci turned her head hesitantly and met Sheng Yu's gaze. She belatedly realized that Miao Miao was creating opportunities for her and Sheng Yu to spend time together.
While waiting at a red light, the boy straddled the motorcycle, his long legs casually touching the ground, his dry, tousled hair fluttering in the night wind, his gaze scrutinizing her with a slightly approving look.
Tang Ci rubbed her hands guiltily, "...What a coincidence."
Sheng Yu had seen through their clumsy tricks. He coldly scanned the empty streets around him.
That was an era before online taxi hailing existed; by late at night, buses had already stopped running.
Tang Ci received no response and lowered her head awkwardly, her soft facial features hidden under her hair.
She walked silently past his car, her steps light, as if afraid of disturbing him.
Sheng Yu could even see the cervical vertebrae on her slender neck protruding segment by segment under the orange-yellow light, and the night wind billowing her school uniform shirt, revealing her pitifully thin figure.
Tang Ci walked to the fork in the road, looked blankly at the streets on both sides, seemingly completely lost, hesitated for a few seconds, and then walked towards the zebra crossing facing south.
Hearing the hum of a motorcycle starting its engine behind her, Tang Ci breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time felt an uncontrollable tightness in her chest.
She could only console herself that Sheng Yu had no obligation to help her in the first place.
She pursed her lips and quickened her pace, but suddenly the back of her collar tightened.
Tang Ci turned around nervously.
Seeing Sheng Yu's sour face, she picked her up like a chick.
Feeling his hard, bony fingers pressing against the skin on the back of her neck, Tang Ci's breathing quickened instantly. She stammered, "Is...is something wrong?"
Sheng Yu released his grip, and the moment Tang Ci's feet touched the ground, he saw Sheng Yu take off the helmet from the handlebars and throw it at him.
Tang Ci instinctively took it with both hands and heard him say, "Get in the car."
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