Chapter 112: Chapter 78: Completely Exposed, Jiangg Ning’s Fist Hardened

He left promptly, planning to go home, take a shower, and get a good night’s sleep.

Quan Yafeng and Liu Nan hadn’t drunk too much either, and besides, Wei Zhen was there to look after them.

Chen Yuan left without any worries.

“Alright, let’s head back to the school too. We can play some games as a trio later.”

“Totally okay with me! I’ll lead the charge!” Quan Yafeng was buzzing with excitement. With his hands in his pockets, he bounced and skipped ahead. “Let’s gooo~!”

“Are you a little kid?” Liu Nan loosened his waistband, watching with disdain as Quan Yafeng ran around like he’d been let off a leash. He and Wei Zhen followed at a leisurely pace behind him.

They were planning to walk back to the school.

Luckily, it wasn’t far, and a bit of cold wind was no big deal.

The guys in the dorm were all on the same page about certain things. For instance, if a distance was walkable, they would never take a car. The main reason was that they all got carsick.

It was fine if they were in the passenger seat, but if they lost the fight for it and had to sit in the back, they would all look sickly pale after just ten or so minutes, as if they were about to puke at any second.

Being in the prime of their youth, Liu Nan’s thoughts were also centered on youthful pursuits.

He was searching for something on a short-video app. A moment later, the sound from his phone’s speaker reached Wei Zhen’s ears: “Is it possible to become a guitar god in two weeks?” Liu Nan was actually watching it intently.

“Are you having a fit?”

“It’s for the New Year’s Gala, isn’t it? I was thinking of signing up for a solo act. What do you think about me singing and playing ’Chengdu’ on the guitar?”

“Embarrassing yourself in front of the entire school? I don’t think it’s a great idea.”

“But what if—just maybe—I have a unique talent for music and actually become a guitar god in two weeks? I’d get on stage, sitting alone on a little stool, a spotlight shining down on me… a sea of students watching from below. The host announces, ’Next up is a performance by our student, Liu Nan.’ I take a deep breath…”

“And walk with me~ on the streets of Chengdu~ ooh-ooh-ooh~”

The more Liu Nan spoke, the more excited he became. He belted out a soulful line, even adding a little vocal fry at the end, completely lost in his own fantasy.

“Dumbass.”

“?! You can’t even offer a word of encouragement?”

…

“I’m gonna go take a leak—you guys wait here for me!” Having run a good distance ahead, Quan Yafeng suddenly shouted back at the other two.

“Hurry back, it’s freezing out here.”

“Got it.”

The two of them stood still, watching Quan Yafeng run off into the hazy night toward the white stone railing by the small lake.

No one could have expected it.

They ended up waiting for a full twenty minutes.

Both of them were frozen stiff, but there was still no sign of Quan Yafeng. Liu Nan, shivering, paused for a moment and then suddenly asked Wei Zhen, “Something’s not right. Even if he was taking a dump, he should be back by now.”

“Did he fall in the lake?”

They looked at each other.

“Holy shit!”

“No, if he fell in the lake, we would’ve heard a splash. Maybe he got lost.”

“Dude, this is one long, straight road. How could he possibly get lost?”

The two of them talked as they ran, rushing breathlessly to the lakeside. White puffs of air escaped with each pant as they searched frantically.

“Where is he?!”

“Th-There! I see him!”

By the dark lakeside, near the white stone railing, a figure was squatting.

“Hey, what the hell are you doing here? Did you freeze your brain?” Liu Nan shouted before he even got close.

“Shhh—”

Quan Yafeng shot his head up, his eyes glinting. The expression on his face was dead serious. He pointed in a certain direction, and the other two looked where he was pointing.

Vaguely, they thought they could make out a human figure.

“There’s a kid over there, keeps standing up and sitting down. I think they’ve run away from home and don’t know where to go.”

“I see them. Why didn’t you just call the police? What’s the point of standing guard here for twenty minutes?”

“No, I definitely can’t call the police—sigh,” Quan Yafeng sighed and said quietly, “I never told you guys, but I grew up in the countryside with my grandparents. I didn’t move in with my parents until my second year of middle school, and I had to transfer schools. I had a really hard time adjusting to the new environment and got bullied a lot, but I was too scared to tell my parents. Sometimes, when I was in a bad mood, I’d be just like that kid, wandering around by the lake alone, not wanting to go home.”

The scene had stirred up old memories for Quan Yafeng, which was why he had stayed there for so long, not wanting to disturb the child’s solitude.

Wei Zhen never expected that the seemingly carefree Quan Yafeng had this side to him, and he couldn’t bring himself to blame him anymore.

“Are you planning to just keep watch here forever?” Liu Nan said. “Forget it, I’ll go talk to them. Let’s get them home.”

“That works. You go,” Wei Zhen nodded.

And so, Liu Nan hurried over, mentally rehearsing what tone to use as he got closer and closer.

But his steps began to slow…

When he finally reached it, Liu Nan stood frozen for at least ten seconds.

“FOR FUCK’S SAKE! QUAN YAFENG, YOU GODDAMN IDIOT, THIS IS A FUCKING PLASTIC BAG ON A STONE BOLLARD!”

…

「The peaceful and warm weekend passed in the blink of an eye.」

In the vast city, some were busy falling in love, while others were busy watching the sea.

Some worked themselves to the bone so their boss could buy a bigger mansion, while others secretly tried to win the favor of an older girl they admired.

It seemed everyone had a bright future.

「By Monday morning,」 Chen Yuan walked onto campus full of energy, feeling that the sunlight was particularly bright and the students were so endearing.

More importantly, he could once again carry on his secret romance with Teacher Jiangg Ning.

Dating Jiangg at school was a completely different feeling from being with her in private. For one, it was more thrilling, constantly afraid of being discovered, his heart feeling like a rabbit was about to leap out of his chest every day.

The other reason was Jiangg Ning’s contrasting persona.

It seemed that as soon as she was at school, she would suddenly become all serious and proper. At first, Chen Yuan couldn’t understand the appeal of such a changeable personality, but now, he was gradually beginning to appreciate it.

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