Master-Disciple Relationship? (2)

As the two walked side by side silently, Ruan Qingmu quietly glanced at Qin Yuan, whose face gradually grew quiet, and cautiously asked, “Was everything okay yesterday?”

Qin Yuan’s eyes lowered. “My dad told me about an event from so many years ago.”

After a pause, his eyes eventually showed some redness. “My mom… is the same as your dad. She lost her life for us.”

Ruan Qingmu jerked his head to look at him and opened his mouth, failing to make even a sound.

Qin Yuan turned his head to look at his shocked and sad eyes before gently shaking his head. “It’s all right. It’s something from a dozen years ago. I’m okay, really.”

It was not a good idea to always leave the wound untreated. It would hurt less if the scar were uncovered, but it might heal sooner if it was bandaged again.

In the Beauty Blind Massage, the door to the massage parlor was hidden and the kitchen was buzzing with the sound of hot oil while the doors to the other rooms were closed.

Ruan Qingmu quickly glanced around, casually put down the hot soy milk and the things in his hands, stood on tiptoe, and gave Qin Yuan a quick peck on the side of his face like a chick stealing food, soft and light. “Don’t be sad. You can think of this place as your home. You can pretend to be miserable and my mom will immediately be good to you!”

Qin Yuan’s body trembled slightly. He failed to hold the things in his hands and they fell to the ground with a loud clatter. His eyes lit up slightly as he raised his hand and cupped Ruan Qingmu’s chin. “…”

The side door beside the two opened and Xiao-Yun groped her way out, asking in a soft voice at their side, “Mu Mu, are you there? Who are you talking to?”

Qin Yuan’s face turned bloody red, but Ruan Qingmu composed himself faster and immediately replied, “Yun-jie, my friend is here to pay us a New Years call!”

While saying this, he pointed his finger at Qin Yuan’s eyes and Qin Yuan instantly understood: She was blind and did not see anything.

He clenched his teeth as he suddenly came over and planted a hasty good morning kiss on Ruan Qingmu’s lips before raising his voice in response, “Yun-jie, Happy New Year.”

***

The winter was extremely short and spring quietly approached.

The second semester of sophomore year at Experimental No. 3 started with a few exaggerated mock exams.

At the end of the last term, Ruan Qingmu, who many people questioned about his midterm results, had already quelled their doubts about his good grades. As soon as this term came up, he raised his overall score by over a hundred points again, jumping straight from 290 or so to 185.

Apart from him, Class 1 sports representative Fu Songhua also had a similarly unexpected result.

After dropping badly to outside the top 30 at the end of the last semester, he suddenly started this semester like a godsend, getting the third best grade in the year for the first time and winning the second best in his class, directly throwing off the Honor Class 1 study representative by four or five points.

“Fuck! Fu Songhua, that beast!” In the classroom of Class 9 during the second period, Huang Ya looked at his mobile phone and shouted miserably, “Harming me to suffer a loss miserably!”

Ruan Qingmu was leaning on his desk, chewing on his pencil, and reading the chemistry paper on his desk. He raised his head when he heard this. “Suffer what loss?”

Bai Jing smilingly said, “I opened a small bet, betting every boss’ grades would decline or rise. Huang Ya betted Fu Songhua would continue to drop. Tch.”

Huang Ya’s pimple-scarred face scrunched up in pain. “Who would think he could soar so high this semester when he dropped lower than 30th place last semester? Crazy!”

Fang Li, sitting in front, looked at him, flushed, and whispered, “Serves you right.”

Huang Ya sharply turned his head and looked at the usually soft and timid Fang Li. “What did you just say?!”

Fang Li mustered up the courage. “… He always got 30th place before. You betted against him, so bad.”

Huang Ya flew over and strangled his neck, shaking and swinging with grief and resentment. “I’m bad? Student Xiao-Fang, don’t think you won’t be killed for saying nonsense because you’re delicate like a flower!”

Before he could sway a few times, he was kicked in the left buttock and Ruan Qingmu’s cold voice sounded, “Huang Ya, I can see you’ve learned how to bully people after a couple of weeks of winter break.”

Huang Ya cried out, “Ruan-ge, be reasonable. With Fang Li turning his elbow* toward another class’ boy, it’s not allowed by the class and family rules, and he needs to be punished!”

*T/N: Turning elbows out: In a derogatory sense, it means “selflessness” in the sense of being insensitive and unable to recognize right from wrong.

Fang Li blushed and hit him with his backhand. “Shut up…”

Huang Ya was shocked. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fang Li can hit people!”

As the fight continued, a figure rushed in from the back of the classroom, tall and athletic, moving like the wind, and kicked Huang Ya in the other half of his buttocks. “Yellow duck, if you’re asking for death, I’ll fulfill it for you.”

It was Fu Songhua, Class 1’s energetic and arrogant sports representative.

Huang Ya shrieked and turned his head to discover that it was him. He was so angry that he pounced on him and fought with him. “Fuck! What’s wrong with you?”

Fu Songhua was righteous. “Fang Li is my master. You’re bullying my master, so it naturally is my concern.”

Huang Ya was dumbfounded. “Why did he become your master?!”

Fu Songhua grinned. “He taught me how to dance.”

Fang Li’s face was crimson with shame and annoyance, and he didn’t know what to say.