ATIBESLM 16

Gao Linhao smiled apologetically at Ye Lingwei, “Sorry, I forgot. Lan-ge is a bit of a clean freak; he never even shares the same water bottle with us.”

Ye Lingwei expressed his understanding.

Gao Linhao tightly secured the lid of the lunchbox, which looked as clean as if it had been licked by a dog¹This is a descriptive metaphor used to say a plate or bowl is perfectly clean because someone ate every last scrap of food.. Xiao Chengzi came over right after. She didn’t hold a grudge; she had just been lectured by Ye Lingwei this morning but now she was sidling up to him again.

She held a half-finished milk in her hand and extended it in front of Gao Linhao. “Are you still hungry? If you are, go ahead and drink the rest of mine, too.”

“…” Gao Linhao’s expression gradually turned to shock and disbelief. “Do I look that much like a dog?”

“I watched Ye Lingwei while he was eating. He doesn’t dig around in his food and he doesn’t get spit all over everything. Look at your straw, the saliva is literally stringing off of it! I don’t want it.” Gao Linhao shook his head and waved his hands frantically, terrified that Xiao Chengzi would shove the milk right into his mouth.

A few scattered bursts of laughter rang out around them. Xiao Chengzi’s face instantly flushed bright red. She suddenly became flustered and didn’t know what to do.

Ye Lingwei tapped his fingers on the top of the desk. He tilted his head up slightly to look at the girl. He smiled and said, “He’s just full. Don’t mind him.”

He gave her a way out to save face.

Xiao Chengzi looked at Ye Lingwei gratefully. She whispered a quiet thank you, looking as if she were on the verge of tears as she walked away.

Some people naturally value the concept of face, while others don’t. Obviously, Xiao Chengzi was the former. Plus, being the type of person who was pampered and the center of attention in class, she naturally couldn’t handle being taunted like that.

Seeing that she was gone, Gao Linhao let out a sneer. “Why did you help her? I was giving her a taste of the harsh beating of society²This is a very popular Chinese internet slang term. It refers to the rude awakening or painful lessons one learns when leaving the shelter of home/school and facing the real world.. That’s what she gets for speaking up for Lin Chudong.”

Ye Lingwei took a long, deep look at Gao Linhao. The latter wore a look of disdain, his eyes filled with sarcasm.

After a few seconds, Ye Lingwei fiddled with the fountain pen on the desk and slowly said, “She just has a skewed perception.”

It just needs to be corrected, that’s all.

Everyone has just developed a skewed perception. The one standing high in the clouds, the one surrounded by the stars like the moon³A classic idiom describing someone who is the center of attention, surrounded by admirers., the one being favored and protected—it should have been the original host. It should be him, Ye Lingwei.

Fei Lan was listening to their conversation. To be honest, he was actually quite surprised to hear Gao Linhao defending Ye Lingwei. It’s because although Gao Linhao’s mouth usually goes off like a cannon, he basically never speaks up for anyone. For him to help someone, it has to be someone he respects, at the very least. Moreover, the people he respects are few enough to count on one hand.

Some people are actually pretty formidable.

—

In the afternoon, there was P.E. class. Last year, No. 3 High School had cancelled P.E. in order to have students focus all their energy and attention on studying. That was until several incidents occurred in a row where students studied too hard and ended up fainting in the classroom.

It definitely didn’t have a direct correlation to whether they had P.E. or not, but the administration still reinstated P.E. for the third year. That way, if anyone fainted again, it wouldn’t be because the school disregarded the students’ physical education.

Ye Lingwei didn’t have to attend P.E. class.

Gao Linhao changed into a T-shirt. “I envy you so much. I don’t want to go to P.E. class at all.”

However, the excitement in his eyes betrayed him. Sometimes, even in class, he would suddenly mimic a shooting pose. Saying he doesn’t want to go to P.E. class? Yeah, right.

Ye Lingwei looked truly stunning when he focused his gaze on someone. Gao Linhao’s hands itched so he ruffled Ye Lingwei’s hair; it felt incredibly satisfying. He jumped up and ran out of the classroom. “Wait here, I’ll buy you yogurt after I finish playing basketball, okay?”

He was heavy-handed, and Ye Lingwei was pressed down so hard he almost flipped out of his chair. He grabbed the desk to steady himself just in time. He looked up and saw Fei Lan reaching out towards him.

Fei Lan wasn’t embarrassed at all. He naturally withdrew his hand and started unbuttoning his shirt. He then said, “Kid, let me remind you—don’t spoil him too much. He is the type to take a mile if you give him an inch⁴Literally “Get an inch, advance a foot.” It describes someone who is insatiable; if you grant them a small favor, they will immediately ask for a bigger one..”

The fact that Gao Linhao could have such a good relationship with Fei Lan now could be entirely attributed to his thick skin⁵Someone who is “thick-skinned” is shameless, not easily embarrassed, and persistent. and his habit of pushing his luck.

As long as you don’t say no, he takes it as a yes.

Ye Lingwei didn’t catch on right away. “Who?”

Fei Lan didn’t answer him. The question didn’t need an answer; Ye Lingwei would figure it out once he processed it.

The air conditioning and fans were both on in the classroom. Class was about to start and people had gradually trickled out. Aside from him and Fei Lan, there was no one left. The only sounds were the rustling of book pages on the desks being flipped by the breeze from the fans, and the noise of laughter and play drifting up from the sports field.

Ye Lingwei watched as Fei Lan finished undoing all the buttons on his uniform shirt and asked lazily, “You’re changing clothes in the classroom?”

Fei Lan turned his head and glanced at Ye Lingwei with a look that said, “What kind of stuff is going on in your brain?” He answered indifferently, “I’m wearing clothes underneath.”

“Oh.”

He was indeed wearing clothes—a loose black tank top that completely hid his waistline. Ye Lingwei’s gaze slowly drifted upward and settled on the back of Fei Lan’s neck.

Last time, he had only seen a few feathers.

What he saw this time was half a black wing extending out from the tank top. The black ink and the wheat-colored skin merged in an eerie way, creating a visual aesthetic that was both intensely stimulating and uncanny.

Ye Lingwei hurriedly averted his eyes.

However, he was still caught by Fei Lan.

Fei Lan pulled on his white track jacket, completely hiding the tattoo underneath. That sense of oppression vanished instantly. Ye Lingwei secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but when he looked up, he was startled by Fei Lan suddenly leaning in close—so close that his breath hitched for two seconds.

“Good looking, isn’t it?” Fei Lan asked with a light chuckle. “Careful with your eyes.”

By the end, his tone had turned somewhat dark and sinister.

Ye Lingwei was stunned for a moment. Then, instead of backing away, he directly closed the remaining distance between them. It was close enough that Ye Lingwei felt that if he blinked, his eyelashes would brush against Fei Lan’s face.

“Well since you are always watching me—” Ye Lingwei softly whispered, “Shouldn’t you be careful with your eyes too?”

Fei Lan’s expression remained unchanged, but as if something crossed his mind, he let out a soft chuckle. He pulled away from Ye Lingwei and draped his uniform over the back of the chair. He turned around and left the classroom.

His mood shifted as quickly as it came.

The more Ye Lingwei interacted with Fei Lan, the more interesting he found him. Although testing him like this was dangerous, it was still within the scope of Ye Lingwei’s predictions.

If the goal is to make everyone like him, wouldn’t taking on the challenge of Fei Lan bring a greater sense of achievement?

The camphor trees in Shencheng were growing with a lush and dense intensity this year, as if they had gone mad.

The P.E. teacher was new, a sports major from a prestigious university who had graduated just a year ago. He was full of youthful vigor. Looking at this group of even more boisterous flowers of the motherland, he solemnly vowed in his heart that he would definitely improve these kids’ physical fitness—to high, super high, invincibly high levels.

The class representative took roll calls. As was the custom, the representative explained to the P.E. teacher the reason why Ye Lingwei wasn’t attending class.

Everyone knew the reason why Ye Lingwei didn’t attend P.E., and no one would gossip or feel jealous because of it.

After the report, the class representative turned to return to the group but was stopped by Yi Nan. Yi Nan furrowed his brows. “Is the heart condition that serious? If he has a heart condition, shouldn’t he focus even more on physical exercise? What’s the point of just sitting in the classroom?”

The class representative froze. After a long moment, he said, “Teacher, Ye Lingwei really doesn’t have to take P.E.. The director said…”

“Is it me teaching P.E. or the director? If you have a problem with that, go run fifty laps around the track first!” The young man gruffly said, his hands on his hips, “It’s not like I’m asking him to do strenuous exercise. Jogging along with everyone else should be fine, right? Class representative, go up and call him down. He doesn’t need to change clothes; just get him down here, now.”

Gao Linhao had been whispering in Fei Lan’s ear, but when he heard what sounded like an argument up front, he shut his mouth. He craned his neck to look forward. He could see what was happening, but he couldn’t hear very clearly.

“What are they saying?” Gao Linhao patted the shoulder of the classmate in front of him and asked curiously.

“The teacher wants Chanzi to call Ye Lingwei down for P.E. class. Shovel refused, so he’s getting scolded right now.”

Chanzi⁶Literally Shovel. In soccer terms, a “sliding tackle” in Chinese is often referred to as a “sliding shovel” (滑铲). was the P.E. class representative. It’s because he loved playing soccer and always liked to slide-tackle people to steal the ball, so his nickname was Chanzi.

“Damn.” Gao Linhao cursed under his breath. “Is he crazy? Is Ye Lingwei in any condition to do P.E.? Even when he eats, I worry he might not be able to catch his breath!” It wasn’t actually that extreme, but Gao Linhao liked to use such hyperbole.

“Right, Lan-ge?” Gao Linhao nudged Fei Lan with his elbow.

Who knows what Fei Lan was thinking; he just gave a grunt of agreement. It sounded absent-minded, but it was enough to satisfy Gao Linhao.

Even though Chanzi stood his ground, Yi Nan’s attitude was even more unyielding. Besides, Yi Nan just wanted Ye Lingwei to come down. Even just walking along with the class would be fine so there shouldn’t be any major issues.

They had never seen Ye Lingwei have an episode and didn’t understand the strict restrictions associated with heart condition, so they all inevitably thought the same thing: It should be fine.

“Understood, I’ll go call him down.” Chanzi looked like a defeated rooster as he trudged sluggishly toward the teaching building.

“Run! Did you not eat lunch?!” Yi Nan roared from behind. Chanzi instantly took off running.

Yi Nan assumed the ‘Ye Lingwei’ the class representative spoke of must be a thin, frail, and short boy with pale, bluish lips—lifeless and radiating an aura of sickness. As a result, when Ye Lingwei came out of the teaching building first, Yi Nan didn’t realize who he was. It was not until he saw the class representative run out a few steps later, walking in front to lead him, did he put it together.

Chanzi originally thought Ye Lingwei would definitely refuse to come downstairs. It was hard for him to even ask, but Ye Lingwei agreed without a second thought. Since the other party was so easygoing, it actually made Chanzi feel incredibly guilty. He felt he should have withstood the pressure and refused the teacher, no matter what.

Yi Nan narrowed his eyes, watching the youth approaching him.

His first reaction was: beautiful. At the university he attended, there were many with good-looking faces and even more who had both looks and temperament. However, there was no one as good-looking as this boy.

His second reaction was: pale. Pale to the point of transparency, white like the first snow on the branches in the early morning, looking as if he would melt the moment the sun hit him.

“Teacher, did you call for me?” Ye Lingwei was very polite and showed no impatience. At first, when he heard the class representative say the teacher wanted him down for P.E. class, his reaction had been surprise. It was then indifference.

Since the other party didn’t understand the situation, he would just let him see it with his own eyes and understand.

Ye Lingwei didn’t like using words to persuade others; actions were often much more effective at stimulating the senses.

Yi Nan had been squatting on the flowerbed, but he suddenly jumped down and stood up. He didn’t dare look Ye Lingwei in the eye, staring off into the middle distance as he said, “I don’t require you to do anything else, just run a few laps with everyone—that’s all.”

He paused for a moment and then he added, “Run a bit slower.”

Ye Lingwei smiled. “Okay.”

Inexplicably, in this sweltering hot weather, Yi Nan began to feel a trace of a chill invading his body.

Ye Lingwei joined the run at the very back with the last two rows; Gao Linhao was right in front of him.

Gao Linhao ditched Fei Lan and fell back a few steps to run alongside Ye Lingwei. “Why the hell are you running? I’m going to report him. He tells you to run and you just do it? Are you a f*cking idiot?”

Ye Lingwei was running truly slowly. The original host’s heart condition wasn’t detected at birth; symptoms only began to slowly manifest when he developed to around one year old. After examination, the doctors didn’t recommend immediate surgery.

If conservative treatment was possible, they should stick to it. If he persisted with his medication, there was still a high probability of recovery.

Be that as it may, the original host’s mental state and mood were never very good, which directly affected the efficacy of the medication. In the end, surgical treatment was still necessary. However, because the recovery period for the surgery is very long and would require taking time off school, the original host wasn’t willing. It could only be postponed until after the college entrance exam.

For now, he was still relying on medication to maintain his health.

The weather was stiflingly hot, without a breath of wind. Gao Linhao saw that Ye Lingwei wasn’t even sweating, but his lips had turned dreadfully pale. He got genuinely anxious. “I’m done running. I’m going to the director’s office. What the f*ck is this supposed to be?”

Ye Lingwei didn’t call him back because he didn’t have any strength left to speak.

He was, of course, well aware of his own physical condition. Daily activities didn’t have much impact on his heart, but jogging was out of the question, especially under these weather conditions.

Once the load on his heart continued to increase and prevented oxygen from circulating through his body, compounded by the inherent defect in his heart, it was very easy for his entire bodily functions to shut down.

Oxygen deprivation⁷Also known as Hypoxia. was the most immediate sensation Ye Lingwei felt right now.

He slowed down until he was practically walking.

“Stop running. I’ll go talk to the teacher.” Lin Chudong dropped back from the front to Ye Lingwei’s side, saying this with a frown.

In reality, he had hesitated for a long time, debating whether or not to help Ye Lingwei this time. He was worried about whether the class would misunderstand. A jumbled mess of thoughts ran through his mind, but he decided to step forward anyway. At the very least, he was the class monitor.

Even though this reason sounded rather high-minded and official, for Lin Chudong, it was the excuse that could best convince himself.

At least when Ye Lingwei looked toward him, Lin Chudong didn’t regret this decision one bit.

The second person to speak up for Ye Lingwei was the monitor of Class 1.

Even Gao Linhao, who never meddles in other people’s business, had stepped up.

It was somewhat surprising. Who knew having bad health could get you such special treatment? The classmates, who were panting like oxen, were all filled with envy.

Although Ye Lingwei was clear about the original host’s physical condition, he didn’t actually know where the breaking point of this body’s heart lay. 

He dared to do this because he was confident of one thing. On this bustling playground, no one would turn a blind eye to him.

It felt as if a pair of hands were gripping his heart in a death grip. Pain swept from his chest through his entire body, but it was still bearable.

Ye Lingwei involuntarily stopped running and crouched down, enduring the dizziness, the ringing in his ears, and the sudden wave of nausea.

The pain was so intense that he was on the verge of tears.

Someone suddenly stopped in front of him. Ye Lingwei didn’t even look; he reached out to grab the person’s hand but he had no strength so he just feebly hooked his fingers onto the person’s pinky.

He couldn’t hold on.

Besides, this was just a subconscious reaction. Ye Lingwei tried to retract his hand. Grabbing someone was just a survival instinct, but it didn’t make him feel any better.

His hand was halfway retracted, hovering in mid-air, when it was pulled back again. A warm, soft palm enclosed his entire hand, and that person slowly crouched down.

Ye Lingwei’s vision was a complete blur. “Gege,” he called out subconsciously.

• 1
  This is a descriptive metaphor used to say a plate or bowl is perfectly clean because someone ate every last scrap of food.
• 2
  This is a very popular Chinese internet slang term. It refers to the rude awakening or painful lessons one learns when leaving the shelter of home/school and facing the real world.
• 3
  A classic idiom describing someone who is the center of attention, surrounded by admirers.
• 4
  Literally “Get an inch, advance a foot.” It describes someone who is insatiable; if you grant them a small favor, they will immediately ask for a bigger one.
• 5
  Someone who is “thick-skinned” is shameless, not easily embarrassed, and persistent.
• 6
  Literally Shovel. In soccer terms, a “sliding tackle” in Chinese is often referred to as a “sliding shovel” (滑铲).
• 7
  Also known as Hypoxia.