The Bathroom.
Jiang Yu was finally put down by Chen Zhiyan. Almost the second his feet touched the ground, he clutched his aching stomach, which was sore from being pressed against Chen’s shoulder, and bolted to the sink to vomit. Once finished, he launched into a relentless string of curses.
Chen Zhiyan unbuckled his watch strap and tucked it into his pocket. “Jiang Yu, I’ve had enough of you.”
He was full of foul language and utterly lawless.
“Let’s fight,” Chen Zhiyan said. “If you lose, stop targeting me from now on.”
Jiang Yu never admitted his mistakes, so naturally, he would not accept this accusation. “When did I ever target you? Don’t slander me, okay?”
His eyelashes were clumped together by tears triggered by the sharp pain in his abdomen. After his earlier struggle, the hair at his temples was damp with sweat, making him look quite pitiful. He tugged at the hem of his shirt with his fingertips, revealing fair skin rubbed red and irritated. “It’s all your fault.”
As he spoke, he took two steps forward to ensure Chen Zhiyan saw it clearly, looking as if he wanted to shove Chen’s face against his stomach. “It is all your fault. It hurts like hell.”
“Stop acting spoiled.”
“Who the hell is acting spoiled? Weren’t we going to compare sizes? Come on, you take yours out first.”
“I do not have a hobby of exposing my private parts in public.”
One minute later. The two were tangled in a messy brawl.
Ten minutes later. Both headed to class, each sporting a wound at the corner of their mouth.
Jiang Yu hissed in pain while clutching his waist. Li Heng leaned over and whispered a reminder, “Brother Jiang, you two should tone it down at school.”
“?”
“Your lips are kissed until they’re bleeding, and then there is your waist. We have PE tomorrow. Will you be able to rest up in time?”
“I told you we’re arch-enemies. Have you ever seen arch-enemies kiss? Besides, if I had to kiss a guy, I would vomit up last night’s dinner. Get lost! If I hear that kind of talk again, I will beat the crap out of you!”
A real man does not leave a grudge unavenged. Jiang Yu could not win in a physical fight, so he could only rely on Mu Chuxia tonight.
His waist hurt significantly. He cursed Chen Zhiyan in his mind.
After lunch, Jiang Yu returned to the dorm for a nap. As soon as he entered, he saw Chen Zhiyan sitting in a chair. He glanced at the other’s messy bed, let out a mocking snort, and climbed into his own bunk, wrapping himself in the quilt. Remembering something, he reached out to grab his “Rat Strip” plushie, but his hand hit empty air. He hurriedly threw off the covers and sat up. “Where is my doll?”
Chen Zhiyan held up the Rat Strip plushie. His own face was printed on it, and the word “DOG” was written in large letters across its belly. His voice carried a warning: “Jiang Yu.”
Even after being caught red-handed, Jiang Yu did not show a hint of remorse. His face was full of smug satisfaction. “Does it look good?”
“Even if it does, I am not giving it back. Return it to me.”
Li Heng saw the plushie and chimed in, “Brother Jiang, you love Brother Chen too much, do you not? You even have to hold him while you sleep!”
“Get lost! Do not force me to come down there and slap you.”
Chen Zhiyan did not give the plushie back to Jiang Yu. Instead, he tossed it into the trash can. Jiang Yu snapped, “Why did you not just throw it in the toilet? You think you are so capable, do you not? You are paying for that.”
6:05 PM.
Jiang Yu rode his motorcycle out of the school gates and stopped at a flower shop to buy two bouquets. On the road, he ran into Chen Zhiyan driving his car and pulled up alongside him. When the light turned red, he knocked on the car window with his knuckle and sneered, “Driving so slow, not even in a hurry to get home. I bet you could not even catch a fresh meal at a buffet.”
Chen Zhiyan nodded calmly. “Then you should go faster. There is a public restroom right ahead; help yourself.”
Jiang Yu’s face turned livid. He challenged Chen to a race to see who could get home first. Chen Zhiyan agreed. As soon as the light turned green, Jiang Yu took off like a rocket, but he was quickly pulled over by a traffic officer.
The speed limit on that road was 30 km/h. He was speeding. He watched helplessly as Chen Zhiyan’s car cruised past him. He was so angry he felt like he might cough up blood.
Because he had a good attitude, the officer only fined him fifty yuan. When he finally got home, before he could even start complaining, Jiang Yunting approached him wielding a feather duster. “Did you fight with Little Chen again today?”
“How is that possible? We usually love each other like brothers. We are so close we might as well share a pair of pants. Why would we fight?”
“Then why is the corner of his mouth split?”
“He was kissing a junior.”
“And you were kissing a junior too?” Jiang Yunting looked at the corner of Jiang Yu’s mouth, asking suspiciously.
“I was being a hero. Chen Zhiyan was forcing himself on a junior, so I went to pull him off, and he punched me.”
“Absolute nonsense! How did I end up with a son like you?”
“If you knew it was nonsense, why did you keep asking? You are so fussy every day. Besides, I came out of my mother’s stomach.”
Seeing that Jiang Yunting was about to get serious, Jiang Yu bolted. Spotting Chu Qizi, he shoved one of the bouquets into her hands. “Mom, I am sleeping at my godmother’s house tonight. I am not coming back.”
With that, he ran next door and threw himself into Mu Chuxia’s arms. “Godmother, I missed you! You look so beautiful today; your skin is literally glowing.”
Mu Chuxia was knocked back a couple of steps by the impact. Even though Jiang Yu got sweat on her shoulder, she did not mind and told him with a smile to go take a shower.
Jiang Yu had his own room at Chen Zhiyan’s house, right next to Chen’s. The wardrobe was filled with clothes Mu Chuxia had bought for him, and she never failed to bring him a gift whenever she returned from a trip. She truly loved Jiang Yu. He was not a bad kid, just far too mischievous.
A quiet person always needs someone lively and boisterous around to make things feel energetic. Every time Jiang Yu was around Chen Zhiyan, Mu Chuxia felt her son finally seemed a bit more human. She wondered how she gave birth to a child who took after his father so much, always wearing a stiff, expressionless face. If you did not know better, you would think everyone owed him money.
“Godmother, these flowers are for you. They were very fragrant, but I got delayed on the way, so they have wilted a bit.”
As he said the last part, Jiang Yu’s teeth itched with annoyance. He looked up toward the second floor. “Where is Chen Zhiyan?”
“In his room. I gave him a piece of my mind; he will not dare bully you again.” Mu Chuxia remarked that the flowers were lovely, then noticed the wound on Jiang Yu’s mouth and asked what happened.
Jiang Yu replied, “It is nothing, I just accidentally bumped into something.”
“Go wash up. After you are done, let Xiao Zhi apply some medicine for you.”
“No need for medicine, it will heal fast.” Just as Jiang Yu stepped onto the stairs, Mu Chuxia suddenly added, “Little Treasure, the water pipe in your room is leaking and it is a mess in there. Why don’t you take your clothes and shower in your brother’s room?”
Jiang Yu’s instinct was to refuse, but then a wicked idea struck him. He did not even argue against the word “brother.” He nodded in agreement and rushed to his room to grab his clothes, then stood outside Chen Zhiyan’s door and knocked.
“Brother! Bah, being one month older does not make you a brother, and we are not blood-related anyway. Chen Zhiyan! Chen Zhiyan! I am coming in to shower, open the door!”
The door swung open suddenly. Jiang Yu was still in a mid-knock pose, and his face slammed directly into Chen Zhiyan’s chest.
Chen Zhiyan frowned as he looked at the sweat on Jiang Yu’s forehead and stepped back. But Jiang Yu had not regained his balance yet; he stumbled forward several steps following Chen’s retreat and finally tripped over the carpet.
“You are so heartless! You did not even think to catch me.”
Chen Zhiyan exhaled a heavy, weary breath. “Dirty.”
“I am dirty? When you wash your hands after wiping your ass, do you not still use those hands to shower? Why do you not find yourself dirty then?”