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First Period
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Recently, the temperature in Pingjiang City has been dropping more and more. The weather forecast says that the temperature this year will be the coldest since that super strong air current twenty years ago.
The heavy snow fluttered about outside. The cold air caused there to be practically no pedestrian in sight by the roadside.
However, the area outside the gates of First High and the Discipline Office were particularly lively.
The principal held his forehead, feeling rather troubled, “What is it this time?”
The disciplinary director hesitantly spoke, “Class One’s Zhou Yanli got into a fight and had the other party………beaten into the hospital. Now, the parents are making a fuss outside.”
This rich young master just transferred in this year. Previously, he’d been raised in the capital the whole time. Heard that it was because his maternal grandfather’s body wasn’t well, frequently missing this grandson, his father therefore had him directly sent over from the capital, planning on letting him properly perform his filial duties before his maternal grandfather in his final days.
What entered the school together with his academic records was a donation of two classroom buildings and an eight-figure annual scholarship.
However, before the buildings were even finished, the disciplinary actions on this prickly-head young master were already about to rival the principal’s entire term in office.
The principal had a terrible headache. He let the disciplinary director first go pacify the parents outside.
At present, they can’t invite the parents or guardians either.
Young Master Zhou’s maternal grandfather was already very old, his body in poor health, not having much time left to begin with.
Not to mention that business tycoon father of his……
The school’s future still needed to rely on that one. The principal had difficulties inside that he couldn’t voice.
All say that the second generation elites of the capital were all wastrels, yet he didn’t believe. Now, he was thoroughly convinced.
Zhou Yanli sat there with his legs crossed, completely laid-back without a proper form.
He has waited around for half a day, yet still didn’t see them say anything useful.
He thoroughly lost his patience, standing up and saying, “If there’s nothing else, then I’ll be going first. I still have a basketball match later.”
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
The principal hurriedly stopped him, “You had someone beaten into the hospital today. No matter what, you need to give the other party an explanation.”
Zhou Yanli slung his backpack over his shoulder, his school uniform left unzipped, just hanging wide open like that, revealing the NO1 print inside.
He had quite the cocky attitude of a young master from the capital, his speech also full of the ‘er’ inflection[1].
“Explain what? Are you upset that I didn’t have the person beaten to death and want to let me go to the hospital to deliver a few more kicks?”
His words were even more arrogant than his temperament.
The principal was truly helpless, his head aching even more. He took out a quick-relief heart pill and ingested it. This is really going to kill him!
Right when he was struggling with what to do, his savior finally came.
The door of the Discipline Office got pushed open from the outside. The man was in a perfectly fitted black suit, his figure tall and slender. Even if already middle-aged, he didn’t show the slightest bit of weariness.
The mature and steady aura carried immense pressure. Because of his arrival, the room temperature seemingly all dropped by a few degrees.
The principal immediately went over to welcome with a smile, “President Zhou, for someone as busy as yourself, what wind brought you here?”
The man glanced at the young boy standing to the side, then calmly reached out to return the principal’s handshake.
“Heard that my son, Yanli, gave you trouble again.”
The principal smiled and said, “This matter……really shouldn’t have disturbed you, but it’s truly……”
He sighed again and again, carefully taking a hundred turns with his words, just fearing that one wrong word might offend the person before him: “We truly can’t find a way to resolve this. They were hospitalized after all. The other party’s parents insists on getting an explanation.”
Zhou Jinwei glanced at Zhou Yanli and calmly said, “This matter, you don’t need to worry over anymore. I’ll take care of it.”
When the principal heard these words, he immediately relaxed a breath.
Zhou Jinwei didn’t stay at the school for too long. He still had his own business to attend to.
After leaving the office, he lit a cigarette, his slender eyes staring at Zhou Yanli without carrying a trace of emotion.
In this moment, the difference between a young boy and a mature grown man distinctly showed.
Even if among his peers, he was already considered tall and imposing, in front of his father, he was still a head shorter, regardless whether it was in terms of build or height, or even presence.
In Zhou Yanli’s memories, his father has always stood high above others, someone whom others would submissively fawn over.
No matter how unruly he was outside normally, when facing his dad, he would still become timid.
Including this moment.
Zhou Jinwei stared at Zhou Yanli as he smoked the cigarette. Even if not saying a word, there was still an intimidating pressure that made him unable to breathe.
After just two puffs of smoke, the man lifted his hand and put out the cigarette in the ashtray over the trashcan.
He most likely had walked out in the middle of some meeting, still dressed in a suit with a black overcoat on the outside.
He didn’t say anything else, directly getting to the point, “Go apologize.”
Zhou Yanli’s attitude was unyielding, “I’m not going. He deserved to be beaten.”
The man slightly frowned, warning him in a deep voice, “Zhou Yanli, I’m not discussing with you. I’m informing you.”
Zhou Yanli no longer spoke. The momentum he had just now got reduced by more than half by his father’s words.
He hung his head, his two hands tightly clenched.
His dad was always like this, never asking the cause and effect, never caring why he got into a fight.
Zhou Yanli was raised by the nanny. He hardly ever saw his father. He heard that his mom back then, for the sake of advancing, went through great lengths to climb onto his dad’s bed, and after becoming pregnant with him, she finally was officially recognized.
Just, no one in the Zhou family liked her. Her background was too ordinary, ordinary to the point that she could only rely on giving birth to tie Zhou Jinwei down.
Zhou Yanli’s hands that naturally hung by his side clenched and relaxed. He endured and endured, but with the new grudges getting added to the old grudges, he finally couldn’t take it anymore, roaring towards the man’s back, “If you hate my mom, then why did you marry her, why give birth to me?”
The man momentarily paused in his steps because of his words. Unknown as to whether or not it was Zhou Yanli’s imagination, he clearly sensed him stiffen in that moment.
This kind of change just lasted for a few seconds. He didn’t give him an answer.
–
Zhou Yanli naturally didn’t go apologize.
Only those who were in the wrong need to apologize. He didn’t do anything wrong.
No, he still made a mistake.
He went too easy on him and didn’t directly beat to death.
Not going to apologize according to his dad’s instructions, Zhou Yanli didn’t dare to imagine what will become of him.
His dad won’t hit him, and further won’t commit domestic violence, but his dad had plenty of ways to make his life difficult.
Grounding him was just one of them.
Zhou Yanli made up his mind. With the high skies and vast oceans, even if he doesn’t stay here, there’s still plenty of places for him out there.
Those friends of his envied him for being a second generation rich. Any random pair of shoes of his was enough to purchase a house in the city, and when going out, he always rode in a stretched Lincoln.
At home, he had seven to eight servants attending to him, not even counting the personal nutritionist, private doctor, and private tutors.
But Zhou Yanli felt that this damn second generation rich, whoever wants to be this, can just go be it.
He doesn’t want to anymore!
For the sake of a more convenient getaway, he didn’t take anything with him, traveling light.
The only thing he took was that photo of him with his mother, as well as that bank card with a balance of who knows how many zeros.
He didn’t take a single credit card with him. That thing was unreliable, the amount entirely controlled by his father.
Perhaps, as soon as his dad discovers that he has ran off, he will just immediately freeze his account.
For as long as Zhou Yanli could remember, his dad’s image has always been blurry in his mind.
Exactly how high his dad’s social status was, he wasn’t clear. He just knows that everyone will all make exceptions for him because of his dad.
But, aside from this, he felt that he simply wasn’t worthy of being a father.
Without letting anyone know, he secretly snuck off to Pucao Island on his own to seek refuge with his maternal aunt who’d married a fisherman.
His little aunt was just seven years older than him, having just gotten married the year before last.
She had lived in the capital all the way until collage and was considered one of the few companions Zhou Yanli had in his childhood.
Afterwards, she went overseas to study, falling in love and getting married, marrying far away to Pucao. Zhou Yanli’s contact with her was maintained by a cellphone.
After taking a plane, then transferring to a ferry, going through ten hours of bumpy travel, he finally arrived at his destination.
His little aunt, who was pregnant with a big belly, came to the port to pick him up with her husband.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier, I would’ve let your uncle take the boat to go pick you up.”
Zhou Yanli didn’t bring much with him this time, just a card and a few change of clothes, as well as a very small suitcase.
His uncle-in-law had it put into the trunk.
When Zhou Yanli heard, he had an amazed look, “Uncle, you even bought a boat?”
His uncle-in-law and his little aunt were classmates, a simple and honest good man. After closing the lid of the trunk, he smilingly scratched his head, “For convenience’s sake, and it’s also easier when going out to sea like this, no need to always rent other people’s boat.”
After getting in the car, his little aunt said that they just happened to have gone out to sea today, catching a bunch of sea crabs. Later, she’ll make some marinated crabs for him.
Looking at Zhou Yanli’s appearance, she asked, “Ran away from home?”
Getting seen through, he didn’t try to keep up the lie, instead revealing an astonished look, “How did you know?”
His little aunt laughed, “Would I not know you? What is it because of this time, got into a fight with your dad again?”
He coldly snorted, “As if I’m capable of getting into a fight with him.”
Hearing this tone of his, his little aunt wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, she still didn’t say anything, just sighing, “You’re definitely going to be unhappy hearing me say this, but your dad, he…..he doesn’t have it easy either. You should try to understand him.”
Zhou Yanli was indeed unhappy, even somewhat pissed, “He doesn’t have it easy? Where does he not have it easy? Whenever he goes out, no matter who, all will nod and bow to him, just short of directly kneeling to him. Whether the other party lives or dies, it’s just a matter of a nod from him. How hard can it be for him?”
Deeply aware that continuing with this would just make Zhou Yanli even more irritated, his little aunt sighed and didn’t say more.
Don’t know who he inherited this temper from. His parents both didn’t have this temper.
Only he alone was unruly and defiant, just knowing to cause trouble and get into fights at school.
Pucao Island has a lot of mosquitoes at night, even if it’s already winter.
It was Zhou Yanli’s first time here. He got annoyed by the mosquito bites in the middle of the night, so decided to go out for a stroll, just happening to run into his little aunt and uncle-in-law gathering the fishing net.
The one gathering the fishing net was his uncle-in-law. His little aunt just watched from the side.
When Zhou Yanli saw, he ran over to help.
He was seventeen, but his body was as built as a grown adult. When exerting strength, the muscles in his arm were also firm.
With his help, the fishing net very quickly got hauled in.
His uncle-in-law complimented his strength. He lifted his arm and patted his own muscle, smugly showing off, “Nonsense, didn’t train for nothing.”
His little aunt laughed at him from the side, “I’ve always wondered who you’re like. Your dad’s not like this. Your mom is also not like this.”
Hearing his aunt’s words, Zhou Yanli slowly put down his arm, the smug grin on his face also gradually fading. He lowered his head and gathered up the fishing net, not saying a word.
His board back appeared somewhat lonely, and quite pitiful.
Probably realizing that she’d misspoken, his little aunt dryly coughed, “If you get hungry at night, there’s food in the fridge. Just heat it up yourself. You do know how to turn on the stove, right?”
Zhou Yanli just squat there, tidying the fishing net with his uncle-in-law.
He shook his head.
Little aunt said, “Then call for your uncle, your uncle knows everything.”
Zhou Yanli replied with a short ‘en’.
And then went quiet again.
His little aunt knew what he was upset about. The little rascal was normally without a care in the world. Only when mentioning his mom would he become gloomy and melancholic.
When he was one and a half years old, his mother died of illness.
Growing up, his father mostly adopted a hands-off approach in raising him, so it was normal for him to lack love.
Hazily waking up in the middle of the night, his little aunt noticed that the lights outside were still on and just knew that Zhou Yanli was still awake.
She quietly climbed out of bed and went out holding her stomach.
Pucao Island was very beautiful at night. The development here was lagging behind, so still untouched by pollution.
The sky was very clean. When the weather was good, you can see the sky filled with stars.
It just so happens that today’s weather was very good.
That’s why, the sky was full of stars.
Zhou Yanli stood by the shore skipping stones across the water, the stone able to skip very far on the ocean’s surface.
His little aunt walked over clapping her hands, “Handsome!”
Hearing the voice, Zhou Yanli held back the stone he was about to throw out, “Why are you still up? Did I disturb you?”
His little aunt shook her head, “Earlier, saw that you were in a bad mood, worried about you, so came out for a look.”
Zhou Yanli remained gloomy, stubbornly saying, “I’m not in a bad mood.”
His little aunt helplessly smiled, “Your mom also liked to skip stones a lot, but she was rather clumsy. The stones she threw would just directly sink to the bottom.”
The stone in his hand was nearly about to get crushed by his grip.
A very very long time later, he finally had that question that has been stuck in his heart this whole time asked out loud.
“My mom, what kind of a person was she? Why did my dad marry her? Was there love between them? Or was it….just because of having me, they had no choice but to marry?”
Zhou Yanli grew up in the capital. Over there, he’d heard quite a few rumors and gossips about his mom.
They all say that his mom was a gold digger who dreamed of flying onto a high branch and becoming a phoenix, going to great lengths to sleep with his dad and get pregnant with him.
Afterwards, she successfully rose to a high position.
Although the ones that had said these things in the end all got dealt with by his dad, this move of killing the chicken to warn the monkey also successfully silenced everyone.
But, Zhou Yanli would always recall these words.
He naturally believed that his own mother wasn’t like what those people said she was like.
Just, he wondered, did his dad really have feelings for his mom?
Someone like him.
Someone as cold-blooded as him.
Would really have feelings?
His little aunt stroked his head, saying in a heartfelt tone, “Yanli, people’s feelings are very complicated. Others are forever unclear. If you really want to know, then just personally go see for yourself.”
“Personally go see?” He mockingly laughed, “How?”
His little aunt pointed at the sky, “Pucao Island has a legend. Wishing under the moon of the fifteenth, the wish might come true, do you want to try?”
Zhou Yanli never believed in this kind of childish nonsense.
However, his little aunt kept urging him to quickly make a wish. Thus, he half-heartedly muttered: ‘Then just let me meet my mom.’
Zhou Yanli didn’t know how he’d fallen asleep, just feeling sore all over from this sleep.
When he woke up, he was already lying here, on the curb across from the alleyway.
Fortunately, this down jacket on him that was worth several thousands of dollars was very cold resistant.
Otherwise, he really will freeze to death in the streets.
Holding the back of his neck, he swiveled his somewhat sore neck right and left.
Before he could recall how he ended up here from the seaside, the quarreling sounds nearby fully attracted his attention.
He lifted his eyes and looked ahead. The sound came from the alleyway across the street.
There were a few gaudily dressed girls standing there, their hair colorful like a rainbow, dyed like a flamboyant peacock, feeling very old-fashioned.
Zhou Yanli reached for his phone, digging through all his pockets, yet still didn’t find it.
Yesterday, when he went out, he seemingly left his phone in his room?
F*ck.
He cursed.
The girls surrounding Jiang Huihui were the female delinquents from outside the school. Whenever they were short on money, they would just rummage through her backpack.
They’d already searched her once the day before yesterday, taking away all the money she had on her.
Jiang Huihui tightly held onto her backpack, saying that she really didn’t have anymore.
Her voice was soft, her head lowered, “What….what you all took last time was my allowance for the whole week.”
Her backpack got snatched, the books getting thrown out one by one. Halfway through, the other party grew impatient, actually directly using her notebook to smack her face, “Don’t you know to ask your family for more? Country bumpkin?”
Jiang Huihui kept quiet, her fair little face got smacked red, yet she still didn’t know to resist.
She was petite in size, her personality timid. That’s why, she would become their target of extortion.
“Excuse me.” A deep and lazy male voice interrupted them, his words fairly polite.
The young man had an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth, lazy and sluggish, like as if not fully awake, “Where’s the bus stop?”
The bullies and the one getting bullied, at this time, all looked up at him simultaneously.
The young man was near 190cm in height, with wide shoulders and long legs, wearing a dark blue down jacket.
In Pingjiang, where the average height of men was less than 175cm, his existence was practically like a skyscraper.
The party froze in place, completely starstruck. They very rarely would see someone this handsome and this well-built.
But, that laid-back cocky air on him even made delinquent girls like them all want to keep their distance.
The one in the lead went forward and pointed, “Just turn left up ahead.”
The young man thanked her with the cigarette in his mouth, “You all continue.”
He didn’t have the habit of poking in other people’s affairs, nor kind enough to uphold justice whenever he would see something.
Seeing that their attention weren’t on her, Jiang Huihui picked up her backpack off the ground and prepared to run.
However, she got discovered by the person closest to her. The other party lifted her foot and just stepped on her hand that was reaching for the backpack, “Did we let you move?”
Jiang Huihui felt the pain, her tears uncontrollably rolling out, her voice also taking on a sobbing tone, “You’ve already looked through my backpack. I really…..don’t have money. I…I’m going to be late.”
Even if hearing someone cry, Zhou Yanli still paid no mind, fishing out his lighter and lighting the cigarette.
This lousy place was poor and remote, don’t know where the hell he was……
Just as he stepped out of the alley, he randomly swept a glance over with the corner of his eye. His height advantage allowed him to easily look over the top of their heads and see the young girl who cornered against the wall.
——-She was wearing a pink and white school uniform, her high ponytail already tugged loose.
Her fair face was swollen red. She currently had her head lowered, her eyes brimming with tears.
Zhou Yanli suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, his pupils shrinking.
All his memories regarding his mom came from pictures, from when she was one to twenty-three years old.
That’s why, through the pictures, Zhou Yanli remembered what she looked like at every stage of her life.
The foot pressed on top of the back of her hand ruthlessly grinded a few times. Jiang Huihui was unable to pull her hand out, her entire body trembling from the pain.
Right when she was at a loss for what to do, the force pressing down on the back of her hand suddenly lightened. Jiang Huihui saw with her own eyes that girl get picked up by the collar and tossed.
Toss…ed?
Everyone was startled, including Jiang Huihui who’d gotten stepped on.
Before she could retract her tears, she came face-to-face with the young man crouching before her.
He held her hand with a concerned look, placing it in his palm and gently rubbing it.
“Does it hurt?”
Jiang Huihui returned to her senses and pulled back her hand, warily backing away.
The young man saw the fear in her eyes, falling silent for a moment, before picking up her backpack.
He stood up and randomly threw it to the nearest girl, his eyes full of hostility, “Pick it up.”
The other party was unwilling, “Why should I?”
He coldly sneered, “I’m precisely a delinquent, so I don’t have any qualms about hitting a girl. Don’t make me say it a second time. The last guy I beat up is still lying in the hospital.”
The composure that the other party had been maintaining gradually crumbled. Judging by how he looks………he doesn’t seem to be a good person. Perhaps, he really will hit women.
Thus, the ones who were still bullying someone a moment ago all obediently crouched down to pick up the books scattered on the ground.
Once those people were gone, Jiang Huihui thanked him, “Thank you.”
Zhou Yanli asked her, “You just let them bully you like this and don’t even know to fight back?”
“Unable to resist.” Her voice was very light and soft, also a little nasally from having just cried, “There’s a lot of them.”
He shared his experiences with her, “Then, just grab one of them and violently go at them. Best if you can have them beaten into the hospital. This way, they won’t dare to give you trouble in the future.”
Jiang Huihui stared at him.
Zhou Yanli felt a bit awkward getting stared at by this pair of crystal clear almond eyes, reaching out and rubbing the back of his neck, “You….why are you staring at me like that?”
She put on her backpack and thanked him again, “Thank you.”
After saying this thanks, she went around him and walked out of the alley.
Her long hair was still loose, appearing somewhat messy. Just looking at her from behind, she was an extremely slender young girl, her height also not that tall, moving at a sluggish pace.
She actually matched his image of her from her pictures.
Zhou Yanli followed after her, “Is your bag heavy, want me to help you carry it?”
She shook her head and dodged to the side, “Thank you, no need.”
He reached out and weighed it, “Quite heavy, it’s better for me to help you.”
Jiang Huihui tucked her neck out of fright and froze in place.
Seeing how she was like a quail, Zhou Yanli laughed, “What are you scared of me for? I’m your biological son.”
She suddenly lifted her head and looked at him with an incredibly complicated look.
Zhou Yanli felt that this look was very familiar. Whenever his nanny saw a crazy person by the roadside, she would also have this look.
He explained, “I’m really your son, even though I don’t know how I ended up here. You were even the one who gave me my name. Yanli, Zhou Yanli.”
Her body shook even more, “I really……I really don’t have anymore money. If you’re in a hurry, I can go back…….go back to get some, I…….”
Seeing her about to cry, Zhou Yanli sighed. How come her guts were this small?
Looks like his guts were completely inherited from that powerful and influential father of his.
“Fine, I was joking just now.” For the sake of not scaring her, he changed his words, “I’m the new transfer student that just transferred over.”
Jiang Huihui perfunctorily nodded, her pace getting quicker and quicker, seemingly wanting to run away from him.
But, those two short legs of hers, even if moving at full speed, they still couldn’t match with a single step of his.
“I’m Zhou Yanli, what are you called?”
She softly replied, “Zhang Li.”
Great, the surname and name didn’t match in the slightest.
Seeing her just wearing this bit of clothes, “Are you cold? The wind is quite strong today. Why don’t you wear mine?”
He was quick to act, already starting to take off his coat.
Jiang Huihui hurriedly shook her head, “Not cold, I have a lot of clothes on inside.”
“Then, have you eaten?”
“Ate at home.”
“Then you……” He seemingly still had other questions to ask.
Jiang Huihui stopped, “Can you…..not follow me anymore?”
Zhou Yanli rubbed his stomach, having an awkward look, “I’m hungry.”
At the noodle shop near their school, Jiang Huihui sat face-to-face with him at a table.
The owner lady came over with the menu, “Little Hui made a new friend?”
Jiang Huihui clenched the tablecloth, wanting to refute, but seeing the tall and muscular young man sitting across from her, she silently lowered her head.
This shop was owned by her neighbor, so even if she doesn’t have money, she can still keep a tab.
Zhou Yanli ordered a large bowl of beef noodles. He asked Jiang Huihui, “You’re not going to eat?”
She shook her head, “I’m not hungry.”
Zhou Yanli saw that she didn’t even dare to look at him.
Was she that scared of him? He didn’t look that mean, right? For better or worse, he’d been the most handsome guy in school.
Solely in terms of appearance, he resembled his dad a bit more.
Thinking to here, he was suddenly pissed, “Where’s Zhou Jinwei, he doesn’t care that you’re getting bullied?”
When Jiang Huihui heard these words, her complexion changed, making a ‘shh’ gesture.
“Don’t say nonsense.” She lowered her voice, scared that someone might hear.
He moved aside her hand, “What nonsense did I say? Even if there are no feelings, you two, for better or worse, were once a couple. He wouldn’t go as far as to be cold-blooded to this degree?”
Jiang Huihui seemingly was already used to him saying nonsense, just warning him out of kindness, “Don’t say things like this anymore in the future. If you anger him, your days will be very difficult.”
Seeing this careful look of hers, the two of them probably weren’t acquainted at this time.
Zhou Yanli nodded his head and continued eating his noodles.
Anger him?
He didn’t anger him any less.
He ate his food, lived in his house, used his stuff, and even left behind quite a few mess for him to clean up after him.
[1] The ‘er’ inflection is a typical trademark of the beijing accent.
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