The final performance for the military training exhibition was determined to be a demonstration of military boxing. Instructor Chen had put in a lot of effort these past few days, training them in military style boxing. If there was even a slight mistake or lack of uniformity in their movements, he would punish them and continue training them repeatedly until he was satisfied.

Lin Shiyu no longer deliberately caused trouble. Firstly, the stern-faced instructor seemed to have toned down a bit. Secondly, Lin Shiyu no longer had the irritable look as if he was ready to resist orders even though he remained cold and distant and spoke even less.

During lunchtime, Lin Shiyu arrived a bit late and stood at the food counter to get his meal. Mao Silu called out to him, “Shiyu, come here to eat.”

Lin Shiyu carried his tray and walked to a far corner, seemingly not hearing him, and sat alone.

“Didn’t he hear me?” Mao Silu scratched his head in confusion. “I’ll go call him over.”

Ruan Zhikai pressed him down. “If he doesn’t want to acknowledge you, why bother calling?”

“Huh? Why doesn’t he want to acknowledge me?”

Gao Jie happily eating meat on the side, said, “I feel like he’s been unhappy these past few days.”

“When was he ever happy?”

“It’s different this time. He’s been particularly unhappy, the kind of unhappy where he can’t be bothered to get angry anymore.” Gao Jie explained seriously.

“What happened?” Mao Silu was very puzzled and turned to ask Zhong Qi. “Zhong Qi, do you know why he’s unhappy?”

Zhong Qi replied, “How would I know?”

“Oh, I thought since you had a slightly better relationship with him, he might have told you.”

Zhong Qi didn’t say anything. When he looked up, he saw Lin Shiyu just holding the chopsticks without moving, staring blankly at the food, lost in thought.

Could it be that he really didn’t hear someone calling him?

Then he saw Lin Shiyu stand up and walk towards a small window in the cafeteria specifically for selling beverages.

After thinking for a moment, Zhong Qi put down his chopsticks and said, “I’ll go buy some water. What do you guys want to drink?”

“No need.”

“Bring me a bottle of mineral water.”

“Coke!”

Zhong Qi stood up and walked towards the beverage window. As he approached, he heard Lin Shiyu say, “Iced red tea.”

“Iced? I’ll go check the freezer for you.”

Zhong Qi walked up to Lin Shiyu, who turned his head and saw him. After a momentary pause, Lin Shiyu’s expression returned to his usual calm.

“Why didn’t you come sit with us?”

“I didn’t see you.”

Zhong Qi looked at Lin Shiyu, who had a very distant aura as if he didn’t want to engage in conversation with anyone.

The aunt came out with a bottle of red tea. “You’re lucky; this is the last bottle of red tea. Here you go.”

Lin Shiyu took the red tea and reached into his pocket.

He checked the left pocket and then switched to the right pocket.

“…I left my meal card on the table.” Lin Shiyu showed a slightly embarrassed expression, making him look a bit more alive. “I will go get it.”

He placed the red tea on the counter and was about to turn around when Zhong Qi called him back.

“Or we could do this too,” Zhong Qi’s tone carried a hint of amusement. He took out his meal card and said, “Two bottles of mineral water, one bottle of Coke, one bottle of red tea.”

He swiped the card and handed the red tea to Lin Shiyu.

Lin Shiyu felt a bit awkward, probably not expecting that he would do something so foolish. After hesitating for a moment, he raised his hand to take the drink from Zhong Qi.

At that moment, a girl’s voice came over. “Hey, you guys are buying drinks too.”

Both of them turned to look and saw Tao Chen standing in front of them, with another girl’s arm linked with hers.

“Ah, there’s red tea.” Tao Chen saw the red tea in Zhong Qi’s hand and shouted to the window, “Auntie, I want a bottle of red tea too.”

“There’s none left, that was the last bottle.”

“No way.” Tao Chen sighed. “I’m so unlucky.”

Lin Shiyu hesitated and instinctively withdrew his hand, glancing at Zhong Qi. Zhong Qi noticed his gaze.

“I’ll go get my meal card.” Lin Shiyu said and turned to leave.

The girl next to Tao Chen jokingly said to Zhong Qi, “Zhong Qi, why don’t you give this bottle of red tea to Tao Chen? She seems really eager to drink it.”

Zhong Qi averted his gaze, placed the red tea in Tao Chen’s hand, and walked away with the mineral water and Coke amidst the girl’s surprise.

Once Zhong Qi returned to his seat, he was surrounded.

Gao Ye said, “Brother Qi, I’ve noticed that our class flower pays a lot of attention to you.”

“She’s already been crowned the class flower?”

“Why bother with a crown? Just look around, isn’t Tao Chen the prettiest?” 

Gao Ye gossiped, “Does she like you?”

“She doesn’t. Stop gossiping.”

Mao Silu said, “How did you guys figure it out?”

Ruan Zhikai: “You’re an idiot if you can’t see it.”

“So how did you figure it out??”

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand…”

They argued and bickered for a while, but Zhong Qi noticed that Lin Shiyu, who had said that he would go get his meal card, still hadn’t gotten up to buy water after sitting down.

After finishing the meal, Lin Shiyu went alone to the washstand outside the cafeteria to wash his hands.

He felt an itch on his neck and a slight stinging sensation. After washing his hands, he splashed cold water on the back of his neck. The coolness of the water made him feel somewhat relieved.

Lin Shiyu scratched his neck with the cold water and suddenly made a ‘hiss’ sound, hurting himself.

He cupped some water and patted it on the back of his neck, trying to relieve the pain. The water trickled down his back, wetting his military training uniform.

“Brother Lin, are you taking a bath?”

Lin Shiyu was startled and looked up to see Shen Ziyi standing in front of him, looking at him as if he was an idiot.

“Why is it you again?” He was scared for the second time in a very short time.

“I just finished eating and came to wash my hands.” Shen Ziyi walked over, turned on the tap, and rinsed her hands. She asked, “What’s wrong with your neck?”

“It’s a bit itchy.” Lin Shiyu replied.

Shen Ziyi, who was slightly taller than him, tiptoed to have a look at his neck. “You’ve got a sunburn. The back of your neck is all red.”

“Oh.”

Shen Ziyi reached into her pocket and took out a tube of ointment. “I have some sunburn cream. You can borrow it.”

Lin Shiyu was a little surprised. “You carry this kind of thing with you?”

Shen Ziyi rolled up her sleeve and showed him the reddened back of her hand. “Look, I got sunburned yesterday. It feels much better after applying the cream.”

She then took out a tissue from her pocket and handed a piece to Lin Shiyu. “First, wipe the water off your neck and then apply the cream.”

Lin Shiyu took the tissue and wiped off the water from his neck. He then squeezed a bit of ointment and applied it to the back of his neck. Shen Ziyi said, “Use more, such a small amount won’t be effective.”

Lin Shiyu felt a bit uncomfortable. He wasn’t very familiar with Shen Ziyi, and they hadn’t exchanged many words, but now he was using her sunburn cream and she was even behaving like an adult advising a child.

Lin Shiyu clumsily stuffed the ointment back into her hand. “No need, this will do.”

Shen Ziyi looked at the ointment and then at Lin Shiyu. Suddenly, she burst into laughter.

She was an ordinary-looking girl with long, dark hair tied in a thick ponytail. Her eyebrows were thick, and her skin was tanned. When she wore the military training uniform she looked like a tomboy, but when she smiled her eyes narrowed, making her look very pleasant.

“I’ve noticed that you’re not good at talking to people.” Shen Ziyi said. “You’re so clumsy.”

Lin Shiyu had been called stubborn, hot-tempered, ill-tempered, and immature, among other things, but he had never been called clumsy. He was momentarily stunned before repeating, “I’m clumsy?”

“Yeah,” Shen Ziyi looked at his expression and couldn’t help but laugh. “Just like now.”

At the entrance of the cafeteria, Zhong Qi stood under the stairs, watching the scene at the sink.

The other three came down the stairs. Ruan Zhikai followed Zhong Qi’s gaze and paused for a moment. “Hey, what did Lin Shiyu say to make Shen Ziyi so happy?”

“What? What? Lin Shiyu made someone happy?” Gao Jie exclaimed.

Zhong Qi shifted his gaze and casually threw a bottle of iced green tea to Gao Jie. “Here, have it.”

“Wow, for me? Thanks, Brother Qi!”

In the evening, Lin Shiyu went to take a shower alone and returned to the dormitory first. The daytime training was intense and strict, with the fierce instructor watching everyone’s movements. Lin Shiyu was focused on his training and didn’t have much mental energy to spare on other things.

Now, sitting alone on his bed after showering, Lin Shiyu’s inner turmoil resurfaced.

He couldn’t help but think about the scratch on Lin Hui’s neck and the necklace. His emotions had been restless all day, unable to calm down.

Why did that man take the necklace after hurting his mother? They had no relationship anymore. He had no right to take anything that belonged to them, let alone come back to harass them!

Lin Shiyu clenched his phone tightly, his anger preventing him from relaxing. His arm was tense just like a taut wire. Then his phone chimed. It was a message from his mother, asking about his progress in military training.

Mao Silu and the others returned after showering, making a noisy entrance into the dormitory. Gao Jie’s loud voice filled the room, causing Lin Shiyu to furrow his brow in irritation.

[Everything is fine.] Lin Shiyu replied.

Soon, Lin Hui sent a message: [Mom knows you’re not in a good mood. Don’t worry, this is all in the past.]

Lin Shiyu took a deep breath and replied: [Since you gave in this time, he’ll come back to bother you next time.]

[No, I promise he won’t.]

“Shiyu, want to play games with us?” Mao Silu picked up his phone and asked, “Let’s play PUBG together.”

Lin Shiyu stared at his phone screen and didn’t turn his head. “I’m not playing.”

Continuing to type, he wrote: [What’s the use of your promise? We all know what he is like.]

“Oh… actually, you can give it a try,” Mao Silu suggested. “Playing games together can be very relaxing.”

[No matter what, he’s still your father. At least he won’t bother you anymore…]

Lin Shiyu couldn’t stand reading the rest of the message. He angrily tossed his phone onto the bed and couldn’t control his tone. “I said I’m not playing!”

Mao Silu shut his mouth and turned away with hunched shoulders.

Zhong Qi’s voice suddenly broke the silence. “Talking to girls makes you happy, but talking to us makes you frown?”

Lin Shiyu was so taken aback he looked at Zhong Qi.

Zhong Qi looked cold and more distant and aloof than Lin Shiyu had ever seen. He even gave a hint of inexplicable boredom.

Standing a few steps away from Lin Shiyu, Zhong Qi spoke calmly, “So, is it just like this with all guys, or is it just with us?”

Ran Zhikai and Mao Silu stopped their game, and Gao Jie tousled his short hair with a puzzled look. “What’s going on again?”

Lin Shiyu clenched his fists trying to control his emotions as he spoke. “I’m like this with everyone.”

“Oh, really?” Zhong Qi replied calmly. “Then try making us happy like you did with Shen Ziyi.”

Lin Shiyu stood up, dragging the chair on the floor, making a harsh scraping sound. He and Zhong Qi faced each other, anger gradually building inside him. “I didn’t tease her.”

“You didn’t tease her, but she was giggling in front of you?”

“What’s it to you?” Lin Shiyu glared at Zhong Qi. “Who I talk to and how I talk to them is none of your business.”

“It’s not my business.” Zhong Qi replied indifferently, “but since we’re sharing a dormitory, don’t act all aggrieved in front of us while showing a different face behind our backs.”

Gao Jie tried to intervene. “Alright, alright, no need to argue. Let’s not fight.”

Mao Silu also chimed in. “Yeah, let’s not fight. If there’s something, let’s talk it out.”

Lin Shiyu with his hands by his side trembled slightly with anger. He exclaimed, “I’ve told you, this is just how I am. If you like it, stay, if you don’t, leave!”

“Why don’t you leave then?”

Lin Shiyu kicked the chair, sending it crashing into the bed railing with a loud ‘bang.’

“No, no, don’t be impulsive!” Mao Silu rushed to restrain Lin Shiyu, then turned to Zhong Qi. “Zhong Qi, why…? Hey, maybe you shouldn’t say anything right now.”

A knocking sound came from outside the door as the dormitory checker said, “What’s going on inside? I’m coming in.”

The teacher pushed open the door and saw two male students facing off, two others trying to stop them, and one student leaning against the wall, looking uninvolved. A chair was askew by the bedside, nearly tipping over.

“What’s happening here? Are you fighting?” The teacher placed the bed-checklist to the side and approached. “What’s going on?”

Gao Jie explained, “It’s nothing, we just got into a little argument.”

“You’re arguing and kicking chairs around?”

Lin Shiyu clenched his fists tightly, and Zhong Qi’s disdainful look was seared into his mind, making him furious and confused at the same time.

After a moment of catching his breath, Lin Shiyu suddenly felt exhausted.

He simply couldn’t do it. He couldn’t get along with people, couldn’t communicate, couldn’t express himself. He wasn’t cut out for communal living, let alone making friends. His mother’s expectations for him had ultimately come to nothing. The lessons Li Zhong had patiently tried to impart to him were forever unattainable.

He was simply someone with an uncontrollable temper, a natural hothead. What saddened him the most was that this temperament was inherited from the man he despised the most in his life, his biological father. Their tempers were like two peas in a pod, quick to anger, reclusive, sullen, and prone to violence.

Lin Shiyu was always afraid that one day he would become just like that man and whether he would lose control and extend his father’s type of violence to his mother and sister. Whenever he thought about this possibility, Lin Shiyu wished he could stab that man to death, then stab himself, so that his mother and sister would never have to worry again, and their lives would be peaceful and happy forever.

His heart felt like it had fallen from his chest and sunk into a pitch-black, lightless abyss.

“I kicked it.”

Amid the standoff, Lin Shiyu suddenly regained his composure and spoke up.

Zhong Qi raised an eyebrow.

He said, “I want to request to move to a single dorm, sir.”

Mao Silu got anxious. “What’s, what’s wrong? Shiyu, don’t be angry. Zhong Qi was just saying that in anger.”

Gao Jie also added, “Yeah, it’s just a little argument, why take it so seriously?”

The teacher looked at them and observed Lin Shiyu for a while before reluctantly agreeing. “Alright, alright, there’s no other way. You can come and stay with me for now. I live alone in the instructors’ dormitory over there.”

With his bag on his back, Lin Shiyu walked out of the dormitory on his own.

“As for the rest of you, be good, no more fighting, and if you damage anything, you’ll have to pay for it.” The teacher walked to the door and then turned to point at the remaining students. “Behave yourselves and get some rest. We have to get up early tomorrow.”

After he finished speaking, he closed the door, and his footsteps gradually faded away.

Mao Silu stared at Lin Shiyu’s empty bed in confusion. When he finally snapped out of it, he looked at Zhong Qi with a rare trace of anger. “Zhong Qi, you drove him away.”

Zhong Qi picked up the chair that had been kicked over, put it aside, and didn’t say a word.

“You… you just drove him away like that!” Mao Silu wore a very puzzled expression. “Why did you have a fight with him over such a trivial reason?”

Gao Jie sighed.

Ruan Zhikai had remained silent and uninvolved, now finally spoke. “He does show us a sour face all the time. Who likes to live with someone who’s always frowning? Besides, Mao, wasn’t he quite harsh with you? Why are you defending him like this?”

“He’s not harsh!” Mao Silu explained with difficulty. “He’s just… not good at expressing himself. When I rolled down the hill that time, he stayed with me the whole time, gave me his water, and even helped me massage my feet and talked to me. He just looks like he has a bad temper, but he’s actually a really good person.”

Mao Silu clumsily defended Lin Shiyu, but then he realized that Lin Shiyu had already left, and no matter what he said, it wouldn’t help. He closed his mouth and sat down gloomily, not playing games anymore.

Ruan Zhikai looked at Mao Silu, who appeared dejected, and didn’t say anything more. He got up and went back to his own bed.

Gao Jie sat on his bed. As he sat down, the bed creaked. He sighed again.

Zhong Qi turned around, grabbed the railing of the upper bunk, and glanced at Lin Shiyu’s spotlessly empty bed below. Then, withdrawing his gaze, he climbed onto his bed without covering himself with a blanket, and lay down to sleep.

 

Edited by: Jaisland

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