Chapter One: Life (03)

Two men broke into our dormitory... My roommate was still inside

Their cohort coincidentally experienced the demolition and construction of the old and new campus. During the half-month military training, all the male and female students were arranged to stay in the same dormitory building. Due to the terrain, the third floor of the dormitory building was the only exit. The girls lived on the first to third floors, which allowed for direct descent, while the boys resided on the fourth to sixth floors, requiring ascent, with an iron fence separating the two. A few days later, a group of migrant workers moved in next door for the construction.

In fact, Yu Hao rarely cries. That day was truly frightening; he trembled all over, shaking with fear, and his voice quivered like a sieve

The boy lay on the ground and said, "There is no need for a formal commendation; next time I make a mistake, just give me a penalty instead."

Shang Qing lowered her head, her fingertips tightly gripping the envelope, yet she remained silent

Lu Huaizheng did not have such sordid thoughts; rather, he genuinely believed that Yu Hao might have something to discuss with him. With both hands in his pockets, he leaned down and tilted his head to catch a glimpse of Yu Hao's face, only to hear a sobbing sound.

Lu Huaizheng suddenly lowered his voice and shouted loudly, then he rolled up his sleeves and began to pound on the door, kicking it several times with a thud.

Then the boys from Class 8 exploded with excitement

Shang Qing hesitated repeatedly, and in the end, she still placed the envelope on the corner of her desk, saying thank you before leaving

However, he is truly resolute, refusing to back down no matter what, and he has an attitude that suggests no one will be allowed to leave today.

On her second visit to find Lu Huaizheng, Yu Hao saw him leaning against the corridor, chatting with several boys. Yu Hao did not call out to him but stood straight by the window, waiting for him to finish his conversation.

He stared at her for a while, then slowly stood up and strolled to the classroom door. At that moment, his head was still adorned with colors, and a small square of white gauze was wrapped around his forehead, partially obscured by his tousled bangs. Leaning against the door frame, he looked down and grinned at her in a casual manner, saying: "Looking for me?"

Jingang was about to scold that little rascal for being so cunning, but Yuhao unexpectedly appeared out of nowhere, quick-witted and swift, to help the person up

Later on, it was unclear who started it, but someone remarked that Lu Huaizheng was good at basketball, had a nice personality, and was handsome, jokingly referring to him as the school hunk. He was not at all embarrassed and even joked back, showing quite a bit of insight

The two individuals, realizing there was no escape, resolved to fight to the death. He mustered all his strength to cling tightly, and although his reactions were quick, he was ultimately outnumbered. At that time, he was young and lacked the strength of those robust men, and in just a few moves, he was knocked to the ground. He clung to one man's leg, using the limited fighting techniques his father had taught him to firmly lock him in place. Restraining one was already a struggle, while the other took the opportunity to land heavy punches on his face.

Three boys were chatting and laughing as they went down the stairs, their hair still damp, as if they had just taken a shower

Shang Qing is shy and reserved, with parents who are farmers, and she has a younger brother who is ten years her junior. Her mother said that if she does not get into a good university after graduating from high school, she should not waste time and should go out to work and earn money to save some dowry for her brother. She has been self-conscious since childhood; not to mention Lu Huaizheng, she has hardly spoken to ordinary boys. Unlike Yu Hao, who is beautiful and gracious, comes from a wealthy family, and has an air of pride and aloofness that no one dares to offend.

She did not dare to, and since the matter had just concluded, she also did not dare to go directly to the classroom to find him, fearing to attract gossip

A few days later, Shang Qing came to find her again, looking anxious. "I saw him having lunch in the cafeteria with the boys from Class 8 today. Why is his forehead still wrapped in bandages? Do you think he might be disfigured?"

Since that time, King Kong seemed to have a special sentiment towards Lu Huaizheng, feeling that the fierce determination he exhibited was remarkably similar to his own in his youth. He dropped his stick, crouched down to examine Lu Huaizheng's injuries, and after confirming that there was nothing serious, he patted his shoulder and said, "Get up, you performed well today, and I will have the school commend you tomorrow"

The moment the icy touch met his arm, Lu Huaizheng was taken aback. He did not expect this girl to be quite perceptive. Supporting herself on the floor, she sat up, crossed her long legs, and with a face covered in blood, she moved her shoulder blades while looking at him, managing a slight smile at the corner of her mouth.

That evening was supposed to be the last night of military training. Jingang took all the students to the auditorium to watch a military documentary. A girl from Yuhao's dormitory named Shangqing had suffered from heatstroke during the day while standing in military posture and had vomited all afternoon. Jingang specially approved for her to return to rest that night and asked Yuhao to go to the infirmary to get some medicine for heat relief for Shangqing. When he was delivering it back, he stumbled upon a terrifying scene.

Lu Huaizheng reacted the fastest, saying to the boy on the left, "You go call Jingang," before turning around and pulling down the stairs with several strides.

After that incident, Lu Huaizheng and his group of male students proposed to the school leadership that the girls should move to the upper floors while the boys would occupy the first floor, ensuring that no one could intrude anymore. Jingang did not expect that these usually carefree boys would actually know how to protect the girls, which deeply moved him. As a result, he would occasionally mention to future students that you have a particularly good senior class, who are especially aware of how to protect your senior sisters. They were the most united group among all the students I have taught, unlike you all, who bully the girls all day long, how childish!

In order to soothe the students' emotions, the school leadership applied for the construction of a new campus. At that time, the director of education was named Jin Gang, who had previously served in the military. He was decisive in his actions and immediately implemented this matter.

There is no time to engage in this triviality with you; if you do not get up, then just lie there.

After a fierce kick, he said to another boy, "You go outside and block them, don't let them escape through the window."

Until Jingang burst in with his companions, he had previously served in the military and had practiced martial arts since childhood. He was particularly efficient and decisive in dealing with people. Despite his bulky physique, he was agile and acted with great speed, quickly tying up his opponents. Only then did Lu Huaizheng relax his stance, completely letting go as he fell back to the ground, breathing heavily. Lying on the ground, he looked at Jingang with a sideways smile and said, "You finally made it"

The young woman, dressed in camouflage attire and wearing a military cap, stood on the podium. The brim of the cap obscured half of her face, revealing a rounded chin, with red lips and white teeth. Her singing was crisp and melodious, particularly endearing to those present

Without even looking up at him, she shoved the letter into his hand haphazardly and turned to leave

Lu Huaizheng cursed inwardly, "Damn it, didn't your mother teach you not to hit the face when you hit someone!"

This is not as impressive as it is said to be; in fact, she is not as aloof as the legends suggest. She appears to be quite a cultured young lady, with gentle features and a clean demeanor.

It is strange that Yuhao said: "Why don't you give it to him yourself?"

Both were striking figures, and soon some gossip began to circulate. Since then, Shang Qing has not sent her anything again

She nodded and handed him the note in her hand

The sound of sobbing suddenly ceased, and Shang Qing let out a couple of whimpers, as if pleading for the person outside to save her

Thank you

One still has the intellect, does not blindly seek to be a hero, and knows to ask for help.

The boy then cursed, "Damn, I can indeed get up, but my back has been kicked to the point of breaking."

Not long after the military training ended, Shang Qing wrote a letter and entrusted it to Hao to deliver to Lu Huaizheng. Since that day, she had not seen Lu Huaizheng again, and even when they encountered each other on the road, she rarely took the initiative to greet him

The two friends beside him nudged Lu Huaizheng with their elbows, making ambiguous gestures and teasing him. Through the dim light, one of the boys surprisingly recognized her and exclaimed, "Isn't this Yu Hao, who sang on the stage on the first day of military training?"

As he kicked open the door, the two inside hurriedly put on their clothes, preparing to escape through the window, but were struck down from the windowsill by his heavy blow.

How would she know, she is not a doctor. Shangqing did not wait for her to respond and handed her a note: "This is my grandfather's ancestral secret recipe, it can remove scars. Please help me give it to him, such a beautiful face should not be marred."

She is perceived as aloof when she is distant with others, and people say she is putting on an act; when she is warm and enthusiastic, others claim she is trying to curry favor. She deeply experienced this during her middle school years

Lu Huaizheng lowered his head, and in front of him lay a pair of hands, with clear and clean palm lines. The fingers were slender and long like spring onions, and on the palm rested a note, gently fluttering in the wind

After speaking, he casually picked up the mop from the corner and pushed the door, only to find that it had been locked from the inside. He shook the lock vigorously, making a clattering noise, and it seemed to echo even louder from within. Lu Huaizheng suddenly kicked the door and shouted, "What are you doing in there! Open the door!"

Shang Qing took back the envelope and murmured softly, "Forget it then"

Shang Qing nodded vigorously like a pestle grinding garlic

You wait here, regardless of what happens inside, do not come in

The twilight outside is dim and hazy, and the lights in the corridor are faint; she cannot see his face clearly, nor does she have the inclination to do so

The good dormitory is located at the very end of the first floor. As the two walked down the corridor, they faintly heard intermittent sobbing. She was so frightened that her whole body went weak. Lu Huaizheng pulled her to the wall, and in the darkness, she heard the young man softly speaking to her.

After that day, she encountered Lu Huaizheng on the road. After washing away the blood from her face, his handsome features, with delicate brows and eyes, appeared particularly striking as he walked past her, laughing and joking with the boy beside him, exuding a dazzling presence

As soon as Shangqing returned to the classroom, she eagerly approached to ask, "Did he accept it?"

Only then did Shang Qing feel at ease to leave

It is said that the old campus of No. 18 Middle School was once a graveyard, causing students to be anxious and fearful. There are also claims that a madman, who was once a male teacher at No. 18 Middle School, is locked away in a small thatched cottage on the back mountain. Furthermore, it is rumored that a first-year female student dressed in red drowned in the green pond in front of the teaching building, having committed suicide after being raped by that teacher from the back mountain. In any case, there are various versions of the story.

The military training had concluded, and within a month, the basketball tournament on campus was about to take place. Lu Huaizheng single-handedly helped Class 8 score forty points, which caused the girls of Class 8 to erupt in excitement, eagerly rushing to offer him water and hand him towels. He grabbed the jersey on his chest and wiped his face haphazardly, accepting nothing but water. Then, he hunched over, his gaze returning to the court, watching intently, occasionally tilting his head back to take a few sips of water, while sweat flowed down the smooth line of his neck into his blue jersey.

Yu Hao, who is talented in many areas, was called upon by the school leaders on the first day of military training to lead his classmates in singing military songs

Yuhao gathered the homework and distributed it, nodding and saying: "Collected."

I command you to open the door

They were all girls around seventeen or eighteen, who had never seen such things before. She instinctively hid in the corner of the wall, stunned for a few seconds, before sprinting outside. When she reached the third floor, she found that the dormitory supervisor was not there. She thought about running to the auditorium to call for help, but realized it was too far. In her panic, like an ant on a hot pan, she saw Lu Huaizheng coming down from upstairs with two boys, hands in their pockets.

It seemed as if Yu Hao had suddenly grasped a lifeline, rushing over in a state of panic to firmly seize the arm of the person in the middle. Yet, he completely forgot that they were merely sixteen or seventeen-year-old boys, unable to withstand the strength of the two laborers who were in their prime and worked daily on the construction site

Lu Huaizheng was leaning back in his chair, chatting aimlessly with someone. Upon hearing a sound, he turned around with a puzzled expression and saw Yu standing there in good condition.

After the second period, Yu Hao went to the teacher's office to collect the homework and took the letter with her. When passing by the entrance of Class 8, she asked someone to help call Lu Huaizheng.

The classroom fell silent abruptly as the class bell rang its last note, and a wave of sweet osmanthus fragrance wafted in with the wind, accompanied by a few intermittent and suggestively ambiguous coughs.

Two burly men, originally intending to sneak into Yu Hao and her roommates' dormitory to steal, were taken aback when they saw Shang Qing dressed scantily. The young woman's alluring figure ignited their lustful desires. They quietly locked the door and approached Shang Qing with eager anticipation, coercing and enticing her to cooperate.

As soon as they finished their conversation, the class bell rang with a jingle, and the boys scattered like birds and beasts. Lu Huaizheng also got up from the railing and inadvertently caught sight of her, rubbing his nose as he approached, with a smile in his eyes, he asked: "Are you waiting for me?"

After finishing speaking, I was called back by Yu Hao, "Give it to me, I need to go to the teacher's office later, it's on the way."

Yu Hao agreed, took the note, looked at Shang Qing, and said: "This is the last time"

The three boys were all taken aback, staring at each other in astonishment, and understood in their hearts what had likely happened

Although the three of them were not particularly good students, the girl cried in front of them like a weeping pear blossom, and the sense of duty as a man suddenly surged within them

The first time Yu Hao met Lu Huaizheng was during military training, and it was not a pleasant memory

After changing from military uniform to school uniform, Yu Hao has lost some of his heroic spirit, his features have become softer and clearer, and he sports a high ponytail, exuding a refined elegance. When speaking to others, he slightly leans forward, and his voice flows like a gentle stream, neither flirtatious nor coy, resembling a pure and refreshing spring, which is very pleasant to hear. It is said that Yu Hao has a cool temperament, and he was already well-known in middle school for his outstanding academic performance, continuously participating in cultural performances and winning numerous awards. Both of his parents are professors at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, coming from an educated family. However, due to an underwhelming performance in the high school entrance examination, he was assigned to the Eighteenth Middle School. It is rumored that Yu Hao has a cool temperament, and he was already well-known in middle school for his outstanding academic performance, continuously participating in cultural performances and winning numerous awards. Both of his parents are professors at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, coming from an educated family. However, due to an underwhelming performance in the high school entrance examination, he was assigned to the Eighteenth Middle School. The boys who pursued him in middle school have already become mere chives, easily counted.