Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The white T-shirt thrown on the velvet cover was completely innocent. Its style was very ordinary. Except for the small size, it was almost identical to the male version.

But it was indeed the female version, with narrower shoulders and an even thinner waist.

Qiao Shao stared at it for a while, and felt crushed. He … just hasn’t had his growth spurt yet, alright? How could he have been reduced to wearing women’s clothing!

That temp worker…

Qiao Shao narrowed his eyes. He had found the culprit. It was that tall boy who recommended him to buy it. He was a salesman, how could not tell women’s clothing from men’s clothing!

Fine. That temp worker had the impudence to play tricks on him.

Qiao Xiao Shao grabbed the white T-shirt and threw it into the trash can, as though he was flinging it at that lazy high school student’s face!

Qiao Shao, who was seated on the sofa, panted with rage, ‘East District’s First High School, huh? Just he wait. Even ten years isn’t too long for a gentleman to exact revenge!’

In the evening, Qiao Zongmin returned home.

Qiao Shao had just taken a shower, and with his hair still wet, he came out to see his dad. “Hong Kong’s such a big cosmopolitan city. Couldn’t you have just stayed the night?”

Qiao Zongmin had been in a plane for a whole six hours today. And once in the meeting, he rained down curses on his staff. He was tired enough, but he simply had to go home before he could sleep.

He said, “What does a kid like you know? The rule of a good stay-at-home man is that he must go home once it gets dark.”

Qiao Shao shook his head and said, “What kind of meeting was it? Why’d you have to have it at somewhere so far?”

Qiao Zongmin unfastened his tie and cuffs and pushed his son into the bathroom. “Your old man went to conduct an inspection. If I had called them over here instead, I wouldn’t have been able to inspect anything. How many times have I told you to fix this bad habit of yours? After washing your hair, you have to blow dry it. Do you think catching a cold is fun?”

Qiao Shao said, “How could I catch a cold that easily?”

Qiao Zongmin didn’t say anything. He found the hair dryer and started to dry his hair for him. This 1.85 meter tall man was very skilled at doing this. It seemed that he was so used to doing this that it had now become muscle memory.

Qiao Shao knitted his brows without his notice. Qiao Zongmin saw his expression through the mirror, “What? A headache?” There was some tension in his low voice.

“No,” Qiao Shao said. “I already told you, I’m not coming down with a cold.”

Qiao Zongmin’s hand stopped.

Not waiting for Qiao Zongmin to say anything, Qiao Shao said. “Um, Dad …”

“Hm?” Qiao Zongmin seemed absent-minded.

Qiao Shao looked at him through the mirror, “Are you sad?”

Qiao Zongmin did not understand what he meant.

Qiao Shao grinned, “Did you see my lush and thick hair and turned green with envy?”

At past 40 years of age, Qiao Zongmin, who was troubled by his thinning hair, was shot through the heart. He gave Qiao Shao a smack upside his head.

Qiao Shao covered his head. “A gentleman uses his mouth and not his fist. Balding’s not so bad. Qiao Zongmin, you shouldn’t be so nasty.”

“You whelp,” Qiao Zongmin pushed up his sleeves and made as if he were about to give him another smack, “I think you’re looking for a spanking!”

Qiao Shao slipped away fast, as though his soles were smeared with oil. He also closed the door on his way out. “Dad, you stink, hurry and take a bath!”

Qiao Zongmin was about to scold him again, but then he suddenly saw the prepared hot water in the bathtub and the change of clothes placed thoughtfully on the rack. He closed his mouth, feeling very upset.

************************

It was the day when school opened. Qiao Shao got up early in the morning. He was a boarder, so he had to get up a bit early to pack up his things.

Qiao Zongmin had just hung up the phone. Qiao Shao heard that he was putting off work. Qiao Shao quickly said, “You don’t need to send me off. I can go by myself!”

“How can that be okay? It’s the first day of you transferring schools. How can I not send you off?”

Qiao Shao pouted, “Just forget about it. I’m going there to study!”

“So what, which school won’t let a dad take his son to school?”

Qiao Shao stared at him.

“Rest assured, I’ve got a BMW to take you and I guarantee it is inconspicuous.”

Qiao Shao still stared at him.

Qiao Zongmin took off his watch, “There. That should do it, right?”

Qiao Shao was still staring at him.

Qiao Zongmin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Alright. You tell me what it is that I’m wearing that isn’t suitable and I’ll change it.”

Qiao Shao said, “The only way you wouldn’t be eye-catching, is if you had plastic surgery.”

Qiao Zongmin, “&#k2026;”

Qiao Shao reminded him, “Who asked you to keep shoving yourself in the spotlight? Your picture’s been on every newspaper and magazine! Don’t send me or I’ll call grandpa and tell him that you beat me!”

Qiao Zongmin couldn’t afford to provoke his father-in-law and so he had no choice but to let the boy go by himself.

Qiao Shao’s home was not far from the East District’s First High School. It took only 20 minutes by taxi.

He dragged along a suitcase and carried two bundles of quilts on his back, the very image of someone fleeing from a famine.

The other students who also lived on campus were similar to him. But they all had their parents with them, so they didn’t have to carry stuff by themselves.

Although Qiao Shao came to a new school by himself, he didn’t panic. When he arrived at the school gate and headed straight for the guard at the gate. He grinned at him and asked for directions to the dormitory.

The guard uncle heard that he was a transfer student and enthusiastically pointed him to the dormitory building. He also praised him, “You’re such a capable young man. You didn’t need your guardian to take you to school.”

Qiao Shao said modestly, “It’s nothing, I’m one year older than my classmates, so I should be more independent.”

He had already left but the guard uncle was still stunned. He’s one year older? Seeing that small body, he thought the kid was two years younger.

***********************

At the winding corridor leading to the boy’s dormitory from the school gates —

He Shen stared at that round ball for a long while. He didn’t know to which class that student belonged to but he was so skinny and pitifully small; he was almost completely engulfed by the beddings he carried on his back.

From where he was standing, He Shen couldn’t see the face of that ball but he felt that that back seemed a bit familiar.

— Like that middle schooler who picked up the bargains.

“What are you looking at?” the person beside him asked.

He Shen retracted his gaze. Thinking about that little man’s overly burdened but steadily moving form, he smiled, “I saw a little turtle.”

His companion was puzzled “Huh?”

He Shen shook his head, “Nothing.”

His companion wasn’t the questioning sort and he simply said, “Let’s go, it’s getting late.”

**********************

Little did Qiao Shao know that after he had been duped into buying women’s clothing, he was now turned into a little tortoise. Oh, that’s not right. It’s a little turtle. But there’s no difference!

At this point, Little Turtle, ah, its Qiao Xiao Shao, had already entered the dormitory building.

He was in Room 516, the southernmost room on the fifth floor.

Qiao Shao was just about ready to die trying to carry all these up the five flights of stairs. Fortunately, it was a Monday and everyone was just returning back from home. A lot of people were also heading up the stairs and they enthusiastically lent him a hand. Qiao Shao was no longer ‘independent’. He thanked them profusely and accepted his fellow schoolmates’ love.

When these helpful schoolmates learned that he was in room 516, their eyes shook.

Qiao Shao didn’t know why that was.

The students patted him on the shoulder and said, “Brother, refuel!”

Qiao Shao, “???”

The classmate put his luggage at the top of the stairs on the fifth floor and hightailed it out of there.

What was going on? Is room 516 haunted?

Qiao Shao rubbed his face and pulled himself together. He wasn’t afraid of any ghost! He was the biggest ghost around here!

Pushing the door into the room, the lively scene that greeted him surprised him a little.

Was this haunted…?

It was a quadruple room and unexpectedly spacious and bright. Near the windowsills were desks and bookshelves. Near the door was the two bunk beds. The aisle between them wasn’t narrow but it was currently crammed full of things.

Sitting at the desk on the left was a little man with short blue-gray hair. The little man had his feet up on the desk. He hadn’t even changed out of his shoes. He looked completely arrogant and despotic.

There were two grown-ups in the room, and from the look of things they were both from the little man’s household. An old woman was busy taking care of the clothes and bedding, while the man was unpacking the luggage. Tablet laptops, mobile phones, and various contrabands came out in an endless stream.

Seeing Qiao Shao come in, the blue-grey-haired boy raised his chin and asked, “A transfer student?”

Qiao Shao thought this boy needed a spanking.

The boy asked again, “What’s your name?”

Qiao Shao was silently chanting in his head, ‘study hard and every day you will improve’. He endured and said his name.

“Qiao Shao?” The young man laughed. “You have a good name, a born young master.”

Qiao Shao was too lazy to correct him.

The boy closed his legs and stood up from the chair. What Qiao Shao felt most stricken about was that this guy, who was obviously not tall, was still a good few inches taller than him!

The boy glanced at his baggage, and there was a slightly scornful look in his pretty eyes, “It’s a pity you’re obviously far from being one though.”

Qiao Shao, “…”

Seeing that he wasn’t going to say anything, the boy lost interest and went back to his chair. He put on a pair of headphones and listened to music.

Qiao Shao then realized that there was another boy at the desk on the right. He was in stark contrast to the arrogant boy on the left. He sat quietly and was completely focused on doing his practice sheets. The boy was wearing his school uniforms and had on an old pair of glasses. His desk was clean and tidy, completely devoid of anything unrelated to their studies.

But his sense of existence was too low so Qiao Shao didn’t notice him at first.

“Hello.” Qiao Shao greeted him.

The boy looked up and with a calm expression said, “Hello.” Then he lowered his head and went back to his questionnaire.

You’re not even going to introduce yourself?

Qiao Shao understood things a bit. Although room 516 wasn’t haunted, it had obviously gathered together a bunch of ‘evil monsters’.

Three students were already in the quadruple room. The fourth one was still missing.

Qiao Shao stared at the two empty beds and couldn’t tell which one was supposed to be his.

It doesn’t matter which one, he can’t put his bedding on the ground. He’ll just find a bed first and put it down.

Thinking so, he put the bedding on the left bed.

As soon as this action was done, he heard a loud exclamation, “Are you looking to die!”

Qiao Shao froze.

He saw the blue-grey-haired boy jump up, take off his headphones and come rushing over, “Don’t move this bed!”

With that said, he directly picked up Qiao Shao’s quilt, but instead of throwing it to the ground, he put it on the bed on the right side.

Qiao Shao, “…” What is this?

The boy said, “If you don’t do, you don’t die. This bed is a dormitory taboo. Don’t touch it if you don’t want to be beaten!”

Qiao Shao’s entire face was riddled with question marks. “Why?”

The boy stared at him fiercely, “Poor ghosts shouldn’t ask so many questions. Anyway, don’t mess with him if you want stay in school!”

Qiao Shao was dumbfounded … Poor ghost, huh… Never would he have thought that he’d be addressed as such in this lifetime.

The quiet boy who had remained motionless, put down the questionnaire, came over and said, “Your bed is here. I’ll help you make your bed.”

The blue-grey-haired boy snorted and sat back in his chair.

Qiao Shao was too lazy to pay him any mind. Compared with the abnormal little demon, the boy in front of him looked more like a normal student.

“Thank you,” Qiao Shao said, “I can do it myself.”

The boy said, “It’s okay. Are you a transfer student? Which class?”

Qiao Shao said, “Class One.”

The boy looked up at him.

Qiao Shao asked, “Aren’t we all in the same class?” Isn’t the dormitory assigned according to the class?

The boy said, “I belong to Class One. The other two, don’t. They’re in the international class.”

International class …

Qiao Shao understood. That’s where the rich children were. No wonder the blue-haired boy was so cocky.

The boy’s attitude became a lot warmer. He introduced himself and explained the situation of the dormitory to Qiao Shao.

Half of the students in East District First Middle School commuted to school. It was not mandatory to live on campus. Therefore, students who lived on campus accounted for around 50% to 60%. Generally, the rooms were allocated according to class. The dormitory for his class was full but there was an empty slot in room 516 so he was placed here.

Qiao Shao didn’t think it was coincidental. He suspected one of his family had a hand in it.

——The fifth floor was for the quadruple rooms. The conditions here were much better than in the six people rooms downstairs.

The male student’s name was Chen Su. What Qiao Shao was more curious about though was why he was arranged to room here when he wasn’t a transfer student. He could see that he and blue-haired kid’s relationship was pretty cold, they didn’t get along very well. Of course, this might offend the other so Qiao Shao didn’t ask.

After they finished making his bed, Chen Su said, “I’ll take you to the school office. You probably need some more stuff from there.”

Qiao Shao responded quickly, “Yes!”

When they left the dormitory, Chen Su explained to him, “Don’t touch the third bed, and don’t talk to the person in that bed.”

Qiao Shao was curious, “Why?”

Chen Su glanced at him. “Is there no such person in your previous school?”

What kind of person?

Qiao Shao’s previous school couldn’t actually be regarded as your standard school.

Chen Su considered it and explained, “Very fierce … Everyone’s afraid of him.”

Qiao Shao got it — the school tyrant. There was also one in his previous school — himself. Of course he didn’t rely on his fierceness, but on his blindingly flashy family background.

Chen Su told him, “Anyway, just stay away from him. Even the school management can’t handle him anymore.”

Qiao Shao nodded earnestly, he came to study hard. He definitely won’t approach the problem teenager.

Suddenly Chen Su grabbed his arm and pulled him behind the pillar.

Qiao Shao blinked, “What’s wrong?”

Chen Lu said, “Lou Xiao is bullying people again.”

Qiao Shao, “Lou Xiao?”

Chen Su explained, “It’s the person in bed three.”

Qiao Shao understood. He quietly looked over, trying to engrave in his mind the face of the school tyrant so that later on, he can make sure to give him a wide berth.

And then……

He saw a familiar figure.

The boy was very tall, his fair and clear hands were stuffed in his pockets. He stood sloppily, looking as if he still hadn’t had enough sleep.

It’s … it’s that…

How could Qiao Shao ever forget?

It was that temp worker who tricked him into buying a women’s T-shirt! It turns out that this guy was a delinquent who bullied people everywhere!

Lou Xiao, right.

Qiao Shao will remember that!

——————->>>>>>>>>>>

The author has something to say:

He Shen: I’m not! I didn’t! Wife, I’m innocent.

Lou Xiao: I’m the one who’s f-ing innocent!