Chapter 21 "Behave yourself, Li Sheng..."
Li Jiacong returned home, and Chen Wen was sitting on the sofa waiting for him. She asked, "Where did you go?"
Li Jiacong: "Wandering around the neighborhood."
Chen Wen: "I saw you took a taxi back. Nearby?"
Li Jiacong frowned. He felt constantly surrounded by a pair of eyes, a feeling he hated. "Meeting a friend..."
Chen Wen: "What..." Li Jiacong glanced at her, and Chen Wen immediately shut up and smiled at him.
Li Jiacong returned to his room, changed his clothes, and lay down on the bed. For some reason, he couldn't forget the scene in his mind. When Li Sheng leaned close, the unique scent of grass lingered. He touched his lips and sighed.
…
The rules at No. 2 Middle School are very strict; students can't even go out during lunch break. The only way they can go out is to take out the trash. Today, he and Qian He were in the same group. He had grabbed his cigarettes and was about to go out for a smoke when they were stopped by an old lady who was collecting trash.
The incident stemmed from two separate trash cans, one occupied by two elderly women who collected garbage. One can had less trash, while the other had more. The woman who stopped them pleaded with them to dispose of their trash at her can.
Qian He thought it was too far and pulled Li Jiacong to leave. The old lady almost knelt down to them over this little bit of trash. Li Jiacong couldn't take it anymore: "Go to the supermarket and wait for me. I'll take it out."
Qian He: "Tsk, that's a long way off."
Li Jiacong didn't say anything, picked up the trash can and left with the old lady.
When he returned, Qian He was already smoking at the supermarket entrance. He gestured with his chin at Li Jiazong and said, "Young Master Li, are you overflowing with sympathy?"
Li Jiacong: "Stop talking nonsense."
He went into the supermarket, bought a bottle of soda, took a few sips, and stood next to Qian He, watching the people coming and going on the street. As long as he wasn't on campus, even the passersby seemed interesting.
Qian He exhaled smoke and looked at Li Jiacong, saying, "Do you know that if you fall down once, you'll be arrested again if she sees you next time? This matter has no end in sight."
Li Jiacong frowned: "It's not easy."
Qian He's eyes widened: "I can't believe you're saying this—Cong, I feel like you've changed since you came back from this vacation."
Li Jiacong: "What has changed?"
Qian He: "Hard to say. Before, he had this 'it's none of my business' look on his face, but now, there's a bit more... world-weariness between his brows? Now he's full of tenderness?"
Li Jiacong frowned.
Qian He: "What exactly did you go through?"
Li Jiacong took a deep breath and asked him what he had been through. Perhaps it was his difficult upbringing that made him realize how much harder life was for those who struggled in the world. Most importantly, he had an unspoken connection with that kind of boy, which gave him a little more compassion for the world.
He glanced at Qian He, who was talking nonsense and seemed to have no intellectual connection with him, and said, "What's it to you?"
"Hey! I've also noticed you're not interested in women. Before, you'd actively exchange those magazines and films, and you'd even ask me for them all the time. But now, after all this time, you haven't made a move at all. What's wrong? Gone limp?"
"Get lost." Li Jiacong immediately denied it and retorted, "I really didn't know you were paying so much attention to me. Do I need to tell you how many times I masturbate every day? Are you sick?"
Qian He chuckled: "No need for that, I'm not gay."
Li Jiacong paused for a moment: "I'm not fucking either." He pushed Qian He aside and walked into the school.
Qian He caught up with him tirelessly and continued chatting: "By the way, what does your little brother do?"
Li Jiacong tapped his phone: "Work. Waiter, I guess."
Qian He: "He's quite handsome. He's my girlfriend's friend. I want to get to know him. We went roller skating together last time."
Li Jiacong: "You're already girlfriend?"
Qian He chuckled smugly, "Of course. Don't be jealous of me, and don't be jealous of your little brother either. Does he have any contact information? Give me one. Or, you can ask him for it?"
Li Jiacong: "I won't be a matchmaker."
Qian He: "Hey! You're just jealous!"
Li Jiacong was too lazy to explain, but after a moment's reflection, he realized the strange relationship he had with Li Sheng. Many things he should have considered from the beginning were only being reminded of now, only now that someone was starting to point them out—
This relationship was even more clandestine than his previous girlfriends. It was a perfect facade, but it couldn't deceive his own heart—he introduced Li Sheng as a brother, yet they had been intimate in private!
When Qian He suggested that he introduce Li Sheng to a girlfriend, he felt an unprecedented sense of disgust. He shooed away Qian He, this big fly, with the words "Get out, get out, get out," and returned to his seat to calm himself down.
He slumped onto the table, closed his eyes, and began to let his mind wander aimlessly, with no clear direction. All he could think about were Qian He's words: "I'm not gay."
He thought he wasn't, and shouldn't be, a homosexual. He thought of his ex-girlfriend—her slender, white arms, her long hair fragrant with osmanthus; thinking of her still brought back fond memories.
He opened his eyes and tugged at Qian He's clothes: "Hey, what new stuff do you have? Share it with us."
"Back to normal?" Qian He smiled wickedly. "Here you are after school."
Li Jiacong returned home, finished his homework first, and then had a friendly chat with his parents about his studies that day, as well as listening to his mother's plans for his future. He went back to his room, it was almost ten o'clock. He turned on his computer and found a message. Opening it, he was surprised to find it was from Li Sheng, sent at noon, with a greeting in the chat box.
[Li Sheng] Hi!
[Li Sheng] What did you eat for lunch?
He replied:
[Li Jiacong] Too lazy to eat
Chatting without timeliness is boring. He closed the chat window, locked the door, and took out the tape Qian He had given him.
A few months ago, his father gave him a good beating for this. Unfortunately, old habits die hard, and Li Jiacong knew exactly who he was: shameless!
The film begins with a man and a woman, naked and entangled. He watched and waited, but after a long time, he wasn't particularly excited! Li Jiacong stared at himself in astonishment, muttering, "It's over. It's over."
Is it really wilted?
Even after the video ended, Li Jiacong was still not satisfied, and he found that he couldn't seem to get completely satisfied. Why! He lay back on the bed, closed his eyes, and what flashed before his eyes was... Li Sheng's eyes. The computer screen lit up; another message had arrived. Li Jiacong, still sweating profusely, went to check it, and Li Sheng had actually replied.
[Li Sheng] Aren't you hungry if you don't eat?
Li Jiacong's mind was in turmoil again, and he replied:
[Li Jiacong] Not hungry
[Li Sheng] Okay, I heard from a colleague that there's a really good mala tang place. Shall we go there on Sunday?
Li Jiacong stared at the computer screen for a long time.
[Li Jiacong] Mala Tang (a type of spicy hot pot) is not nutritious.
[Li Jiacong] I don't want to go out this Sunday either.
After sending the message, a long time passed before I received a simple "good" from Li Sheng.
Li Jiazong shut down his computer and rubbed his head. He lay back down on the bed, trying to rekindle his interest. But his mind was uncontrollable, filled with nonsensical thoughts. The only thing that could stir his emotions was Li Sheng, rolling around with him in the warm blankets, in the wild grass, the most real and supple touch of their skin…
“It’s ruined,” Li Jiacong said, looking at the ceiling and shielding his eyes with his arm. “Damn it, you’ve cursed me.”
…
Li Sheng sat in front of the computer in the internet cafe. The screen was blank, only his face was visible. He frowned, relaxed, and bit his lip. Finally, he got up and logged off.
Back at the dormitory entrance, Li Sheng could hear shouts from upstairs. He had come to the city to experience not only its vibrancy but also its clamor. In the countryside at this time of year, everything would be quiet.
Yunji had booked an entire floor, with men and women sharing one washroom. The rest of the rooms were also booked by other restaurants and small factories, and the men and women were all about his age. People came and went, and the place was filled with smoke and fumes.
There was a party tonight. The head chef started it, leading the waiters and a few people from the sales department to drink together. Li Sheng didn't want to join them, so he sat downstairs smoking.
Suddenly someone came down from upstairs, running and making a loud thumping sound on the iron staircase.
"Li Sheng! What are you doing!"
Li Sheng looked up and saw that the person calling him was Lü Xiaoshan, a waitress from their Yunji restaurant. She had a very outgoing personality, wore heavy makeup, and had her hair dyed red.
Why aren't you coming up?
Li Sheng laughed and said, "You guys have fun."
Just as Lü Xiaoshan was about to get down, Wang Dapeng grabbed him from behind: "Where are you going?"
He was being lewd, groping her all over. Lu Xiaoshan playfully protested, "Ugh! Stop touching my butt!"
Wang Dapeng chuckled, "I'll give you a little more pressure on your buttocks." He looked down and saw Li Sheng downstairs. "Hey! We're out of wine, go buy some!"
Li Sheng frowned but didn't move.
Wang Dapeng: "Did you hear that!"
Seeing that things were not going well, Lü Xiaoshan quickly said, "Didn't you tell me to go buy it? I'll go, I'll go!"
Wang Dapeng hugged her tighter and kissed her on the cheek: "You don't need to go, stay with me."
Lu Xiaoshan gently pushed him away: "You're so annoying!"
Li Sheng didn't say anything, his hands in his pockets, and turned to walk out of the building. Watching his departing figure, Wang Dapeng said, "That idiot acts all high and mighty, is that what you like?"
Lü Xiaoshan squinted her eyes: "Handsome, tall, and with long legs."
Wang Dapeng: "What good is he? He's a coward. He wouldn't dare utter a single fart in front of me."
Lu Xiaoshan glanced at him: "Alright! You're the best!"
Li Sheng left the building complex and instead of going to the supermarket, he walked to a phone booth, where a tall and beautiful girl was standing.
The girl, wearing a white shirt, with big, red eyes and red fingertips, and fair skin, held the telephone receiver and spoke softly: "Grandma, I'm off work. Don't stay at the convenience store anymore... I know."
The girl seemed to see him, assuming he was also making a call, smiled at him, said a few more words to the phone, and then hung up.
"Thank you." Li Sheng saw that she had made room for him.
Girl: You're welcome. Are you also calling your family?
Li Sheng: "Actually, I don't want to fight."
The girl paused for a moment, then laughed: "I thought you were going to make a phone call. I see you come here often."
Li Sheng: "You..."
The girl pointed to the dormitory building: "I live next door to you. I'm Huang Yin from Yunji's etiquette department."
Li Sheng didn't recognize his colleague, but he was always in the kitchen, so the people at the front desk didn't know him much. Li Sheng introduced himself: "Li Sheng."
“I know you,” Huang Yin said.
"Hmm?" Li Sheng asked, somewhat puzzled. Huang Yin pursed her lips and shook her head.
Li Sheng smiled politely and squatted down by the roadside. He had no destination in mind and could only squat there blankly. Huang Yin didn't leave either; she stood next to the phone booth.
Li Sheng asked, "Why don't you go back?"
Huang Yin: "They are drinking."
She squatted down beside her, her voice soft: "You don't like drinking either?"
"Hmm." Li Sheng wanted to take out a cigarette, but then hesitated, afraid of bothering her with the smoke, so he put it away. "Do they usually get together like this? How late do they stay out?"
"I've only been here for a month, it must have ended by midnight."
Li Sheng rubbed his red eyes: "Okay."
Huang Yin suddenly asked, "Do you make phone calls every day?"
Seeing that Li Sheng seemed very well-behaved, she became curious.
Li Sheng shook his head: "Occasionally."
Huang Yin: "My grandma makes me make phone calls every day, and the phone bills are very expensive. I was also wondering if the SIM card you got was cheap."
Li Sheng: "I just bought it randomly."
Huang Yin twitched her nose, looking adorable, which reminded Li Sheng of some furry little animal.
"You know the manager, right? She swore at someone again today..." Huang Yin started a conversation with him, talking about work, their boss, and their customers. Li Sheng listened silently, offering occasional responses.
And so, they chatted casually, catching up on each other's lives—Huang Yin was a year older than her, also from the countryside, and lived with only her grandmother. Their similar experiences made them get along very well. Enjoying the breeze on the street, they talked until the early hours of the morning before finally heading home.
At the dormitory entrance, Huang Yin waved goodbye to him and darted into the room like a fish. Li Sheng pushed open the door; the room was pitch black, but reeked of alcohol. Bottles littered the floor, and some people were lying or sitting on the beds.
Li Sheng reached under his bed, when suddenly the door behind him opened and a light shone through. The light was quickly blocked by a bulky figure.
"You still dare to come back to sleep?"
Li Sheng turned around and saw Wang Dapeng holding a wine bottle in his hand, smashing it at him: "I fucking told you to buy wine, where did you buy it!"
With a crack, the bottle shattered on his arm as he was blocking. Li Sheng swung his fist in retaliation, but two people jumped down from the bed and grabbed his arm.
Li Sheng struggled, causing the bed behind him to creak.
Wang Dapeng, a burly man grinning, walked over and grabbed him by the neck, saying:
"Be smart, Li Sheng."
A note from the author:
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