Chapter 5

You’re a jerk

“All right, all right, keep quiet, we’re about to begin the class.”

Lao Tan whirled around after knocking the podium and began writing on the blackboard with a piece of chalk. The boy across from Bian Shengjian took advantage of the chance to tilt his head and took numerous quick glances at his face. “Sorry buddy.”

Bian Shengjian was not used to being stared at from such close range, so he leaned back unconsciously. “Is there something wrong?”

“My name is Zhou Li,” the youngster said, smiling. “Did you actually transfer from some other school?”

“Yeah,” Bian Shengjian responded, astonished, “at the beginning of the semester.”

“Why?” Zhou Li asked, his voice hushed but definitely excited. “To be honest, I’ve been studying here for about a year now, and practically every time, someone would abruptly drop out. This is the first time I’ve seen someone transfer in! It’s fucking incredible.”

“Dropped out?” Bian Shengjian scowled, looking at the empty seats next to him, “All these students transferred?”

“Yes,” Zhou Li affirmed, “those of us who are capable have gone now.”

“Why?” Bian Shengjian paused before asking, “Bad Feng Shui?”

“Feng Shui?” Zhou Li couldn’t stop laughing, but his grin was sarcastic. “You mean the crematorium at the school’s gate, right? That’s nothing. When people are burned after death, the building emits smoke…”

(t/n feng shui-the location of a house or tomb, supposed to have an influence on the fortune of a family;   geomantic omen)

Bian Shengjian interrupted him by raising his hand. “I see but you should turn back around now.”

“Oh, that isn’t what I want to talk about,” Zhou Li coughed and drew his chair towards him, his tone solemn, “Didn’t you hear the rumour that No. 4 Middle School was haunted before you came here?”

Haunted….

Bian Shengjian shifted his gaze to Lu Shen, who was likewise staring at him, his chin propped up with his palm. Shenjian hastily withdrew his glance when his gaze collided with his.

“Don’t exaggerate. Don’t carelessly utter what you want to say,” Bian Shengjian warns.

“Alas, haunting has become a common knowledge here at No.4 Middle School. It’s a pity you are from out of town and are unaware of it.” Zhou Li frowned and was ready to give a long speech to Bian Shengtong when he was surprised by a piece of chalk thrown at his head.

“You honestly think I won’t spot you now that there are so few people in the class?” Lao Tan exclaimed from the podium. “If you really want to chat, come and I’ll make room for you!”

“I was wrong, Mr. Cai,” Zhou Li said, patting his head and turning back with a straight posture. “I’m interacting with my classmate in order to promote feelings.”

“Stop your nonsense and pay attention to the lesson,” Lao Tan said, picking up the Chinese book and reading again, “Okay, let’s move on to the writing in the text…”

Every time Bian Shengjian readied himself to patiently listen to some rumors about this mystical school, he would always be interrupted. His two folded legs raised up uncomfortably and accidently kicked Zhou Li’s chair, startling him so much that his dry throat yelped, “Damn it!”

“Zhou Li! Just what is the matter again?” Lao Tan dropped his book, his face darkened. “If you have any comments about my class, please come to my office after lecture and we can have an in-depth discussion.”

“Teacher, I don’t have one,” Zhou Li complained, turning his head and glaring at Bian Shengjian. “What the hell, you have long legs?”

“Yeah,” Bian Shengjian said, looking down and nodding. “I’m sorry, it’s congenital.”

Zhou Li was annoyed at what he said and turned away. “Let’s meet after class. If you don’t want a broken leg, stop kicking.”

“Come,” Bian Shengjian said, already irritated. Since his arrival at this school. A series of shocking, incomprehensible, and unexplainable events occurred to him. He’s more or less at his breaking point, and any provocative remarks tossed into his ear have turned into a ticking time bomb.

One that can explode. “Try, if you have the guts.”

Zhou Li did not turn around, but his knuckles snapped.

When Bian Shengjian wanted to be angry, no one joined him. Hence he simply did not listen in class. He deliberately pushed his hand into the compartment below the table before pulling out his phone and opening the WeChat chat interface. At first glance, he noticed his band mates chatting heatedly . It was nothing more than an appointment to go outside to drink and eat after school today, after he had read through their conversations.  Shengjian would never take it seriously in the past. In any case, it was common for their group to jump over the wall and head out to rehearse for 2 to 3 days, but he is now in a foreign class in a weird school, listening to a strange person teach. Bian Shengjian was a little envious.

He was not only envious, but also disturbed.

-Shut up, I’m in class. 

-Is the third brother still in class?!

-Why don’t you skip class and go out to play?

-Sigh.

A stone immediately aroused thousands of waves in the group chat.  Li Fei and Tan Ming belonged to the category of people that always talked nonsense.  They even increased Xiao Liping’s level of idiocy. Bian Shengjian and them have been acquainted for a few years. Xiao Liping was the only person he felt sorry for. He wouldn’t have been cajoled into trouble by the other two if he hadn’t taken the initiative to join the Hot Wind since he also liked playing music.

Bian Shengjian couldn’t help but smile and then became emotional.

If he hadn’t taken action at that time…the Hot Wind may not have dissipated.

“Bian Zi!” Bian Shengjian suddenly heard someone whispered.

(t/n Zi-young)

Before Bian Shengjian could react to the call, he was startled by a face on the window next to him peering at him. The whole person almost bounced off his seat. “Fuck..”

The face affixed to the window was almost squeezed out of shape, but it can still be recognized that it’s an elderly man wearing black-rimmed glasses and was mouthing something at him. Bian Shengjian fixed his gaze on him. It took him a while to figure out what the man was trying to say.

-Don’t play with your phone in class, take it back.

It wasn’t till Bian Shengjian put the cellphone back under the table with a thud that the old man who was plastered to the window became satisfied and slowly moved his face away. He slowly walked towards the front with his hands behind his back after carefully examining the entire class. Bian Shengjian stared at his back until he vanished into the corner of the classroom, then leaned back in his chair, unable to speak for a while.

He shifted his gaze and noticed a small piece of paper which was apparently thrown on his desk. He took it out feebly and unfolded it, revealing the words written on it.

-That was the teaching director of our grade. He likes to observe  what people are doing from the window.

“…Great,” Bian Shengjian threw the note back, rubbed his face, and forced himself to stare at the blackboard, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone strolling on to the left of the classroom, It was still the old man just now, but this time he walked more slowly than before, with a sharp look of examination. Bian Shengjian hurriedly returned his gaze to the blackboard.

Shengjian suddenly felt that he was in a prison and that he was being monitored 24 hours a day by prison guards carrying batons. He became fidgety.

He couldn’t take his eyes off the old man who had stopped at the window again. He was almost restless and another note landed on the table at this point. He threw it back, staring at the floor, and giving Lu Shen a warning glance along the way.

-Don’t be a bother.

Lu Shen gave him a smile before covering his face with a book.

“Can’t there be a normal person in this school?” Bian Shengjian sighed, closing his eyes in despair.

Bian Shengjian didn’t notice anything when the class was finally dismissed and even felt stuffy in his chest. He instantly rose up, intending to go to the restroom to wash his face with water to wipe away his depression. Zhou Li, who had been waiting for him for a long time, leaped up , pointed to him, and yelled,

“Wait a minute! Don’t leave just yet! “

Bian Shengjian gave him a blank stare.

“I knew you were an interesting guy the second you introduced yourself, but why do you act like that the minute you come here?”

Zhou Li remarked, his gaze fixed on him.

“First and foremost,” Bian Shengjian exhaled, “I had no intention of harming you, but don’t mess with me either.”  “Secondly,” Bian Shengjian looked at him, “If you don’t agree and still want to fight, then come.” These two simple and arrogant words successfully stunned Zhou Li. His mouth was half open, “You fucking…” Bian Shengtong patted his shoulder and walked out of the classroom from the side.

“Damn it!” Zhou Li roared after him, but he didn’t catch up. Instead, he remained where he was and stated sternly, “You wait for me after school!”

Bian Shengjian kept silent and only flashed him his middle finger.

“Forget it, everyone will be classmates from now on,” someone said, lightly patting Zhou Li’s arm, “Xiao Zhou, don’t argue with him.”

“Fuck, class monitor. Didn’t you hear him talking like that?” Zhou Li raged, slamming his shoe on a leg of the desk next to him, “This is only the first day! And he’s already pushing the nose on the face!”

(t/n Push the nose on the face-The basic meaning of dēng bízi shàng liǎn: one party gives face to the other party and does not care about the other party’s outrageous behavior, but the other party not only does not appreciate it, but becomes more arrogant.)

“I’ll be leaving next month,” the class monitor sighed, “and if you still have such a temper, you’ll definitely clash with him in the future, and I won’t be there to prevent it.”

“…you’re leaving? but it’s the beginning of the semester?” Zhou Li was taken aback.

“Well,” the monitor said quietly, “if I don’t go… My mother would always be worried that anything might happen to me at school. Also, her heart isn’t in very good condition right now.”

“All right,” Zhou Li sat back in his seat, his tone softening, “leave if you have to, anyways,  it’s estimated that this school won’t last after two more years.”

Bian Shengjian had just emerged from the restroom after washing his face when he noticed Lao Tan waiting at the door. Before walking up, he hurriedly wiped away the water. “Are you looking for me, Mr. Cai?” “Shengjian,” Lao Tan looked at him helplessly. “I heard you and Zhou Li had a disagreement?”

“Yeah,” Bian Shengjian replied nonchalantly.

“You… Forget it, I didn’t come to you primarily to chat about this, but you are classmates after all, and you have to get along for another two years. If you have anything, try to talk about it so that you wouldn’t make someone unhappy and also affect your study…” Lao Tan babbled, and Bian Shengjian couldn’t help but interrupt halfway through listening to him, “I know that Mr. Cai, what do you really want to say to me?”

“Your father just found me on WeChat and said that he was anxious that you wouldn’t be able to adapt to the new setting of your dormitory, and wanted to ask me to assist you get a cleaner to clean up the dorm,” Lao Tan smiled. “This is the first time I have received such a request from a parent. Your father really cares about you.”

-If he genuinely cared about me, he would not have sent me to such a crappy place.

Bian Shengjian gritted his teeth and swallowed the sentence back. He smiled and said, “Oh, yes.”

“OK, since it’s your father’s request, I, as the class adviser, will absolutely fulfill it,” Lao Tan remarked, adjusting his glasses. “I’ve already contacted the auntie at the dormitory to help you clean up, and you can rest assured when you return at lunchtime.”

-Really?

It was only now that Bian Shengjian finally heard the good news, and nodded with a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Mr. Cai. “

“OK, try to get along with your classmates when you return,” Lao Tan said softly. “Shengjian, I know you are a good kid, but sometimes remember to put your temper away.”

“…All right,” Bian Shengjian said, looking at him.

He had typically considered himself soft-hearted when other people approach to him in such a pleading tone. He can’t bear it. When he saw that Lao Tan was still not done,  he immediately interrupted him and said, “Class would be in a minute. I’ll have go back first.”

“All right, go ahead. Feel free to approach me if you have any inquiries,” Lao Tan said, adding, “but mind not to play with your cellphone in class.”

Bian Shengjian heard another headache and swiftly responded twice before running to the classroom, almost colliding with someone who had just walked out the door in front of him. “Hey!”

Lu Shen was surprised for a second before taking a few paces back. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s all good,” Bian Shengjian remarked. He was about to go around him when he recalled something and grabbed Lu Shen’s coat with his backhand. “What did you refer to me back then?”

“Bian Zi,” Lu Shen said it again, showing his two tiger canines and a simple smile, “I think this nickname is quite adorable and it fits you very well.”

“…Shut up.” Bian Shengjian sighed deeply remembering that he had promised Lao Tan that he would keep his temper under control. So he narrowed his eyes and extended out his fingers to lightly flick the tip of Lu Shen’s chin.

“Remember, from now on, call me third brother.”

The author has something to say: Miyoshi (VS)

Continue tomorrow.

Miyoshi-the “three goods” It refers to the moral education, intellectual education and physical education of students