"Is Your Face an Attraction? I Need to Buy a
Ticket to Look at It?"
The moment class ended, nearly everyone crowded around them.
"One, two, three—" Song Sirui pinched the thin air and shook his head
as if he was a music conductor, everyone drawled and hooted, "Treat us to a
meal! Treat us to a meal! Treat us to a meal!"
"You're even counting the freaking beats?" Sheng Wang nearly choked
to death as he drank water.
"Yeah, it's more imposing when it's in sync." Song Sirui was still
gesturing according to the beat, Gao Tianyang was nearly losing his mind
from laughing at the side.
"Were they always this dumb?" Sheng Wang turned to ask Jiang Tian,
"Were they like this when you got a prize too?"
Jiang Tian said, "Depends on the situation."
"What situation?" Sheng Wang asked.
Two boys at the side howled in laughter as they said, "Depends if Old
Gao is willing to die. If Old Gao is daring enough to yell to treat everyone,
we will yell along. If Old Gao is too scared, we will just yell 'Tian-ge'."
"???" Sheng Wang glared at them, "Then why are you guys so bold
today?"
"Aren't you here now?"
"Damn, you're preying on the weak?" Sheng Wang said.
Song Sirui started chanting without any other care in the world.
"Sheng-ge—"
It was as though other people planned this beforehand, they followed,
"Handsome!"
Song Sirui: "Tian-ge—"
Other people: "So suave!"
Song Sirui: "Sheng-ge—"
Other people: "OP!"
"Tian-ge—"
"Cheat mode!"
"..."
Shit, they're all insane!!!
The people in the corridor downstairs all came up to spectate already,
Sheng Wang hurriedly whisked a book out to block his face. "I'll treat I'LL
TREAT, don't yell anymore."
"Damn, you're really treating?" Gao Tianyang laughed till he perished
and came back to life again, "Didn't you notice how well practised they
were?! It's the usual flow of events for them already, you're the only one who
actually gave in after so many rounds of yelling!"
"I concede, I want my dignity." Sheng Wang laughed as he raised his
hand, "After this week's test, 'During Those Year' BBQ store at the school
entrance, my treat. Let's eat the boss out of stock!"
A huge group of people began to cheer, "Eat Lin-ge broke! Eat Xi-ge
broke! Eat the entire shop broke!"
"I hope you burst from all the food!" Little Chilli or maybe someone
else jokingly cursed along.
It was the first time Sheng Wang had ever encountered such crazy
classmates, but he really did like this class more and more. No, wait, most of
the people in this class. He said it before himself, that he was petty and held
on to grudges. He was in no way benevolent, so the people who sabotaged
him before were still dumbasses.
Laughter and jokes went on non-stop as everyone crowded around the
last row, Qi Jiahao alone sat beyond the crowd.
Initially, he said it before he had poor eyesight, and after badgering the
homeroom teacher for a while then he managed to get a seat on the first row.
Recently, the entire column shifted, he went to the fifth column, Sheng Wang
and the rest were at the first.
He was diagonally across from where the crowd was, the furthest
possible distance in the classroom.
He remembered the day he fought his way into Class A from Class 5:
the classroom was just as boisterous too, a giant group of classmates he only
half knew surrounded him, and teased to get him to treat everyone just like
that too.
Before that, he had only ever seen the people of Class A along the
corridors and at the sports ground. He barely knew them, let alone speaking
to them; he knew their names anyway, because every single one of them was
a target he intended to surpass.
Therefore, the first time he was met with this teasing, he was both
arrogant and timid, terrified and pleased with himself at the same time. By
the time he struggled through his conflicted feelings and was about to agree,
the crowd had already dispersed after they were through with joking around.
From that day onwards, Qi Jiahao became Old Qi of Class A.
He discovered that the people in this class were all a little naturally
friendly, as though as if they were pleased, all it took was a single line to
befriend someone.
He was somewhat envious, and a little jealous at the same time too. He
was jealous of their natural confidence; for what reason do they get to be like
that? He supposed that they were raised on flatter and praises.
Unlike him, who had a father that accomplished nothing and yet was
full of bombastic sentiments, and a mother who projected all high pressure
onto him stemming from her own failure in school. If he did well in exams,
his mom would deliver cut fruits all the way to his mouth. If he messed up,
any biting and cutting words would leave her mouth.
All his relatives said that he had to be smart because of the two whorls
on his head. But he knew, only one of them was real. The other one was from
getting caught for skipping tuition class in primary school, a scar left by the
clothing pole his mom used to hit him with out of sheer anger.
Sometimes, he felt like he was a worm who made his way into dragons
by a fluke; sometimes, he also felt like he was a sole dragon slayer, waiting
for his rewards from the heavens.
He started to mimic Class A students, mimic the way they were
sociable, calling everyone his friend here and there, as though he was
naturally a warm person. In actuality, he disliked a lot of people.
He disliked Jiang Tian, for he could score full marks as easy as
breathing, the way he firmly occupied the first place as casually as drinking
water. He also disliked Gao Tianyang: his grades were the worst in class, yet
he could get along well with anyone. There was also Xu Tianshu: if his dad
wasn't the administration dean in Fuzhong, just with his mediocre self, there
was no way he would be getting the grades he had today.
...
But who he disliked the most was Sheng Wang.
He was undoubtedly someone who came in halfway though, his grades
were undoubtedly thousands of miles away from everyone else, he didn't
even deliberately express any sort of cordiality either, and this class still
accepted him so easily. On what basis did he earn all these? On the basis that
he didn't need to work diligently, and already possess the same—or even
greater—self confidence as those in Class A?
Qi Jiahao personally felt that he was met with heavy competition no
matter what subject, other than English. Only in Yang Jing class, then did he
become a true Class A student. He had never worried about getting called on,
hell, he even wished that he would be called on. His script could nearly be
the answer key, other people fought to copy his notes, even Jiang Tian nearly
had to concede to him.
Yet there came a Sheng Wang out of the blue, and all his 'nearly'
became 'definitely'.
In Class A, for the subject, English, Sheng Wang was definitely the
answer key. Jiang Tian definitely had to bow down to him.
How would Qi Jiahao like a person like this.
He sat on his chair, his face lowered as he flattened the newly acquired
certificate, and carefully slipping it in between the A4 exercise book. He
placed it inside his bag, waiting to please his parents after night self-study.
Ever since he lost the Tri-Quality last time, his mom had been displeased.
Other students were still talking as they surrounded Sheng Wang and
Jiang Tian. If it wasn't for that incident, then he would still be part of that
treatment too.
He was slightly regretful, and the sour feeling of being wronged
creeped up on him too. He thought, the camaraderie of Class A is only like
this, huh.
Who hasn't made any mistakes? Just this once, and from now on, he
had nothing to do with the bustle, nothing to do with the cheers, nothing to do
with the glory. Did they really have to go this far?
He was still in Class A; simultaneously, it was as though he was
already disqualified.
...
*
Jiang Tian made a phone call to Zhao Xi on Friday morning. He was
genuinely concerned that the starving wolves that were his classmates would
really eat the BBQ shop out of stock. He wanted the boss to be mentally
prepared for that.
Sheng Wang sat backwards on the chair, half-listening to the
conversation with his chin resting against the back. The baby birds waiting to
be fed, or rather Gao Tianyang and co, were checking their answers against
his. However, the more he listened, the more something was off.
"It's not Xi-ge?" Sheng Wang asked the moment Jiang Tian hung up.
"No," Jiang Tian replied as he stuffed his phone back into his bag, "it
was Lin-ge who picked up. They had to go to Beijing for some issue, he was
holding onto Xi-ge's phone for the time being."
"Beijing? What for?" Sheng Wang was curious.
"Don't know, they just said an issue," Jiang Tian recalled: the other
end of the phone was quiet at all, Lin Beiting was at a public space with
plenty of chatter, as well as a digital voice reading off a number. "Probably
at the bank or the hospital."
Sheng Wang: "Hospital???"
Jiang Tian said, "Uncle Zhao underwent an operation before, he has to
go back for check ups once in a while. They probably brought him to Beijing,
he wasn't at Xi Le yesterday."
"What's the diagnosis?"
"Stomach cancer."
Sheng Wang paused.
He then recalled how he felt Boss Zhao was like a giant praying mantis
the first time he saw him; his eyes were slightly bulging, and he was indeed a
little too thin too. Perhaps it was due to how he experienced loved ones
dying before, Sheng Wang was slightly sensitive towards issues of life and
death.
Jiang Tian's voice paused for a bit, and then added, "It's been 7-8
years since the operation."
Sheng Wang still hasn't realised. "What about 7-8 years?"
"The doctor said that as long as he doesn't relapse for five years after
the operation, then everything is fine. He just needs to go for regular
checkups." Jiang Tian said.
Sheng Wang's mind was empty for a moment. He recalled once again
that other than his appearance, Boss Zhao in no way resembled an ill patient
at all. When he laughed and scolded, he was more energetic than anyone else.
He finally heaved a true sigh of relief. When he came back to himself, he met
Jiang Tian's eyes; maybe it was because his eyes were lowered, he appeared
a little gentle.
"What are you looking at me for?" Sheng Wang rubbed the back of his
neck, and straightened up.
Jiang Tian's brows swiftly furrowed before relaxing, his expression
reverting to his normal state. He took a sip of water from his bottle, and said,
"Is your face a tourist attraction? I need a ticket to look at it?"
Sheng Wang let out a cold laugh, and glanced at the bottom of the desk.
Jiang Tian's basketball shoes today were white. Hence, without a second
word, he made a mark.
Jiang Tian: "..."
They were all boys, they knew what would cause the most pain by
defiling.
Gao Tianyang immediately let the public know about Zhao Xi and Lin
Beiting's absence, causing a chorus of wails.
Class A's competition classes had begun for a while already, they were
both invited to teach. A few idiots who came to Class A to gatecrash were
shocked. "Aren't they the bosses from the BBQ shop outside of school?
Which nutjob got the skewers men to teach us physics?"
He Jin happened to be entering the class from the backdoor with a
booklet in order to observe. Her face was stony as she said, "I did."
The few students nearly went back where they came from out of sheer
terror.
When the physics rep projected the introduction slides onto the screen,
and Zhao Xi and Lin Beiting's substantial resumes were displayed right in
front of everyone, the group of idiots let out a "wtf" before their mouths were
shut by the gloriousness.
When Zhao Xi went up to the stage, he even cracked a joke. "When
teacher He Jin told me this, Lin-zi and I—no wait, teacher Lin—were both
overseas. We haven't detoured into the crooked path of roasting meat. Don't
look at the face she's putting up now, she's full of regrets on the inside."
He Jin laughed and cursed from the back, "Damn you."
"See, now she's getting emotional," Zhao Xi said.
He didn't speak at a particularly high pitch, but his eununciation was
good. The way his words were full of mirth was a little roguish, and
easygoing at the same time too. He said, "Relax, Lin-zi and I are just here to
be a guide, we're here to show what it's like if you keep going down the path
of physics. In its core, we're just chatting. We won't be polluting the
understanding of physics in your heads."
Lin Beiting was somewhat more solemn than him, but he also cracked a
tiny joke at the end of the class. He pointed at Zhao Xi, who was sitting in the
last row. "Let me get one point straight: learning these wouldn't cause you to
turn bald for sure, as long as you don't do it in the UK."
After that, the entire level knew that two hot guys came in to coach
Class A for the Olympiad, one of them was even an alumni of Fuzhong.
Rounded up, they could call him their senior.
The other classes were already like this, Class A even more so.
Everyone liked them incredibly much. When they said to go for skewers as a
treat, their real intention was to eat with Zhao Xi and Lin Beiting. Now that
the both of them weren't around, they couldn't enjoy the meal to their hearts'
content.
Lin Beiting said they would only be back after National Day, therefore
this meal that Sheng Wang was supposed to treat was delayed too.
It took only an instant for the weather to turn for the cooler. At the tail
end of September, Fuzhong's sports carnival came in first.
Gao Tianyang finally had the spirit of a class comm member; during
every single long break, he was all over the classroom, trying to recruit
athletes.
Class A students were lackadaisical when it came to the matter of the
sports carnival, mostly because the events were truly inhumane.
"What the heck is a 8 X 200?" Sheng Wang asked.
Gao Tianyang, the bastard, forcefully enrolled Sheng Wang and Jiang
Tian into quite a few events on the basis that he was on good terms with
them. One of which was this.
"Mixed gender, four guys and four girls, the order's up to us, and it's a
test of both our stamina as well as strategy." Gao Tianyang made it sound
profound.
Test? More like your dad.
Sheng Wang's face was full of despair.
There were only eight girls in total from here and there in Class A, out
of the eight girls, only Chilli could run. The others were just there, and all
puked after the 800m run; three of them even failed it, who are they trying to
kill here?
Sheng Wang looked at Jiang Tian as he said, "Is it still too late if I
jump down from the upper bunk and break my legs tonight?"
Jiang Tian said, "It's faster if I break it for you instead."
Sheng Wang: "..."