Chapter 2: CH 2

Lin Jiaojiao was Lin Yuyan’s nickname. Growing up to be a healthy young man,  this was the first nickname that he got from another person.

His originally pale, white face became red in an instant. He clenched his fist tightly as he said through gritted teeth. “My name is not Lin Jiaojiao.”

Gu Yaoyang lit a cigarette in front of him and asked lightly, “Really? Then what’s your name?”

“My name is-”

“Crybaby Lin?” Gu Yaoyang raised his eyebrows as he cut him off, not letting Lin Yuyan finish his sentence.

Lin Yuyan didn’t want to argue with him anymore, so he opened up his school bag, fished out a handwritten letter from the homeroom teacher, and handed it to Gu Yaoyang. He then reluctantly said to him, “Teacher Li hopes that you could go back to class. You’ll be in your third year of high school soon. She hopes that you won’t waste your studies.”

Gu Yaoyang glanced at the envelope but didn’t accept it.

Lin Yuyan continued, “Everything Teacher Li wants to say to you is inside. You can read it for yourself. I’m going home.”

Gu Yaoyang ignored him and walked to the bar street with a cigarette in hand.

“Please, accept it.” Lin Yuyan frowned. He caught up to him and handed him the letter again.

Gu Yaoyang asked him, “Why should I accept it?”

Lin Yuyan said, “This is a letter the teacher gave to you.”

Gu Yaoyang said, “So what? She gave it to me, so I must accept it?”

“Then, why won’t you accept it?” Teacher Li has tried to call you many times, but she can’t get through at all. She’s also pregnant and has no way to come to you in person, so she entrusted me to deliver it to you…”

Gu Yaoyang asked, seemingly puzzled, “Why would she entrust it to you?” Lowering his head, he faced Lin Yuyan while he breathed in the smoke emitted from his cigarette, “What is your relationship with me?”

Lin Yuyan choked on his breath and took a step back.

Although Gu Yaoyang had a terrible personality, he was very handsome. With a pair of black, slender eyes that shone like the brightest star in the night sky, a sharp nose, and a pair of painted eyebrows, he possessed a kind, harmless yet dazzling appearance

That’s what Lin Yuyan thought about him on their first day of high school.

At that time, he wanted to befriend Gu Yaoyang. After all, everyone liked good-looking people, and Lin Yuyan was no exception. Thus, he paid close attention to Gu Yaoyang and found an excuse to chat with him.

There wasn’t any chance to talk at all during the day. All-day, Gu Yaoyang slept, regardless of whether the class was over or not, He didn’t wake up until after school was over, then walked out of the school gate.

The two happened to walk on the same road. Lin Yuyan followed him, thinking about some opening remarks to start a conversation, but he didn’t expect that when they were crossing an overpass, they met a group of gangsters holding rods, gathering to smoke.

He heard that the gangsters were arrogant, often fighting and robbing people. Although Lin Yuyan had not personally experienced it, he would avoid them once he saw them.

Gu Yaoyang didn’t seem to see them though. he continued to walk towards them calmly and was about to walk to their side. Lin Yuyan also forgot what he thought about at that time. Probably because he was afraid that Gu Yaoyang was going to get bullied, he rushed over to stand in front of him, completely forgetting the fact that Gu Yaoyang was a head taller than himself and looked much stronger than himself.

Thinking carefully, that yellow hair guy was also a part of those gangsters. He had grabbed Lin Yuyan by the collar and asked him what he meant by doing that. Lin Yuyan didn’t understand. After breaking free, he grabbed Gu Yaoyang’s hand and ran to a safe place. When he thought about it now, he still felt ashamed. While running, he told Gu Yaoyang not to be afraid. As a result, when Huang Mao and his group of gangsters caught up after him, they called Gu Yaoyang “Ge.” (Older brother)

This kind of mistake, if it was explained clearly, then it was fine; although Lin Yuyan never thought that Gu Yaoyang would be in the same group as those gangsters.

At first, he thought that there were good and bad people. Even if Gu Yaoyang and the gangsters were in the same company, there should be some differences, thus, he had no prejudice against him.

But it didn’t occur to him then that he was blind.

After that, Gu Yaoyang’s few days at school became his nightmare.

For example, on a cloudy and rainy day, Gu Yaoyang tricked him to go to the rooftop. He wasn’t allowed to go back to class. Knowing that he was afraid of the dark and ghosts, he’d tell him ghost stories. With the wind and rain on the roof, the lightning and thunder flashing occasionally, coupled with his cold and gloomy voice, it made the story even scarier for Lin Yuyan. After that, Gu Yaoyang called him a crybaby, mocking him for easily crying like a little girl.

Lin Yuyan was aggrieved. He didn’t even shed any tears that day. Later, there were more nicknames: Miss, Young Master, and Squeamish Bag. He counted on his fingers and calculated that for two semesters, Gu Yaoyang went to school for less than ten times. But as soon as he appeared, Lin Yuyan would suffer.

So he came to really, really hate Gu Yaoyang and wanted to avoid him at all cost.

However, in the eyes of the homeroom teacher, he had a good relationship with Gu Yaoyang, saying that he was the only person in the class who could talk to him. Thus, she entrusted the letter to him, and persuade Gu Yaoyang to go back to school.

Forget persuading him to go back to school, he couldn’t even deliver the letter!

“I have nothing to do with you.” Lin Yuyan slapped the letter onto Gu Yaoyang’s chest. He angrily said to him, “If you want to read it, just read it. If you don’t want to read it, then you can just forget it.”

Gu Yaoyang stayed silent. He stood up, letting the envelope fall to the ground.

Lin Yuyan didn’t care. Turning away he was about to leave when he heard Gu Yaoyang ask him, “You just said that Teacher Li is pregnant?”

Lin Yuyan subconsciously responded with an “en”.

“It’s been a few months?”

Lin Yuyan said, “She’s about to give birth.”

“Oh? How dedicated.” Gu Yaoyang said, “Sitting at the desk while being pregnant with a child, writing and worrying about her students. She sure has my respect.”

Lin Yuyan clutched the strap of his schoolbag and replied to him, “It’s good that you know.”

So why don’t you quickly pick up the letter?

“However, it’s a pity.”

Lin Yuyan didn’t stop walking. He didn’t want to entangle with Gu Yaoyang on this issue. The letter had been sent and the task given to him by the teacher was considered complete.

“A good letter fell into the puddle and the ink is melting away, what a waste of Teacher Li’s hard work, tsk…”

What puddle? Lin Yuyan turned around abruptly and saw that Gu Yaoyang had an extra bottle of mineral water in his hand. He was twisting the bottle cap, about to pour the water inside onto the envelope.

He had to run back to pick up the letter and angrily asked him, “What are you doing?”

Gu Yaoyang said, “Didn’t you throw the letter away? Why do you care what I do with it?”

“You…” Lin Yuyan said, “I didn’t throw it away! You’re the one who didn’t catch it and then it fell to the ground.”

Gu Yaoyang said bluntly, “I didn’t want to catch it in the first place.” He lifted the corners of his mouth slightly and said, “You better take the letter back. After all, if it rains tomorrow, even if it falls on the ground now, it will be washed away by the rain tomorrow. Maybe it will be washed into the sewer, maybe even into a garbage heap.”

He turned Lin Yuyan’s shoulders and had him face the noisy bars across the street. He whispered to his ear, “There are many people on the street and there are quite a few drunk people. If a person’s feet steps on the envelope, at most, it’ll be filthy, but what if someone spat at it? The teacher wrote it word by word, pouring all her love and energy into it, isn’t it too precious to be destroyed this way?”

Had Gu Yaoyang not said anything, Lin Yuyan could still pretend that he didn’t know the fate that will befall upon the letter. Whether he read it or not, and whether it was thrown away or not, it had nothing to do with him.

But now, he made it clear that he wouldn’t accept this letter. If it was forcibly given to him, then he would experience the consequences on his own. He would also waste the kindness of the homeroom teacher and hurt her feelings.

“What do you want?” Lin Yuyan looked back at him.

Gu Yaoyang seemed to have had enough fun. The cigarette in his hand was nearly finished. He glanced at Lin Yuyan and asked him, “You just want me to accept this letter?”

Lin Yuyan said, “It was entrusted to me by Teacher Li.”

“It doesn’t matter who entrusted it to you.” He said, “But I don’t want to read it today.”

Lin Yuyan said, “Fine, then I’ll read it to you.” As he was about to open the envelope, Gu Yaoyang suddenly covered both of his ears, with an exaggerating tone he said, “I don’t want to hear it either.”

“You…” Lin Yuyan had never seen such a scoundrel. Feeling anxious and aggrieved, his face flushed with anger. This expression pleased Gu Yaoyang. He smiled softly, raised his hand, and flicked Lin Yuyan’s forehead.

Neither light nor heavy, but strong enough to leave a little red mark on his forehead.

“I don’t want to hear it today. If you really want to read it to me, then come over tomorrow.”