Break up a fight?
Why was it breaking up a fight?
Under the streetlight on a secluded path late at night, two students were embracing and acting intimate. One of them even had the other by the collar. And in Old Wu’s eyes, that was a fight?
Teacher Song remembered. There were currently two students at No. 1 High School who were on the school’s watch list. Their pheromone compatibility was practically zero, and they would get into full-blown fights at the slightest disagreement. The school administrators and teachers took the matter very seriously.
DirectorWuDirector Wu: I was wondering why they seemed to be getting along better lately.
DirectorWuDirector Wu: Turns out they’ve moved their fights to the woods.
TeacherSong–OnDutyTeacher Song – On Duty: Understood. Got it. OK.jpg
Shoving each other around and grabbing collars, too. Right, this was definitely a fight.
“Teacher.” Luo Zhiyu had been waiting for ages without hearing what punishment they would receive, and his patience was wearing thin. He politely prompted the teacher, “So, what’s the verdict? A formal disciplinary notice or a written self-criticism? Calling our parents might be a bit difficult. Our families don’t get along very well. I suggest you don’t call them, or you’ll get to witness a blame-shifting shouting match.”
“Shut up.” Xiao Yan couldn’t listen to any more of this and gave Luo Zhiyu a gentle shove.
However, with the impression already established in his mind—
That gentle movement looked like a forceful shove to Teacher Song, who was on duty that night.
Teacher Song hurriedly stepped between the two students and pulled them apart. “No fighting! Xiao Yan, don’t bully Luo Zhiyu. Luo Zhiyu, don’t go looking for trouble either. Behave yourselves. You’re classmates. What kind of conflict could possibly be irreconcilable?”
Xiao Yan: “?”
Luo Zhiyu: “?”
“It’s getting late. You two should go back to your dorms.” Teacher Song decided to get the two students away from the “crime scene” first. “Each of you will hand in a self-criticism essay on Monday. Reflect on why you arranged to fight after school. Submit them to Director Wu.”
“Since I caught you in time and you haven’t actually started fighting, I’ll let you off without a formal disciplinary notice or a call to your parents. But if there’s a next time…” Teacher Song looked at them both. “Next time, you’ll lose points toward your conduct evaluation. You may not care about anything else, but you do care about those points, don’t you?”
Xiao Yan: “…”
Luo Zhiyu: “…”
“Off you go.” The teacher on duty waved them away. “Your dorms are in different directions, right? Don’t walk together. Alpha, what are you following him for? The omega dormitory area is up ahead. Are you still trying to pick a fight?”
OrangeOrange: I’m clearly the victim here. I even have a bite mark on my neck. Smile upside down.jpg
OrangeOrange: Was I really that fierce when I pushed you just now?
ZhiliaˇoZhiliǎo: No. The teacher just has prejudices.
ZhiliaˇoZhiliǎo: Waiting online for a formal disciplinary notice.
OrangeOrange: What exactly gave them the impression that we fight every time we meet?
OrangeOrange: I think it’s you.
ZhiliaˇoZhiliǎo: What a coincidence. I think it’s my fault too. This is embarrassing. Awkward.jpg
ZhiliaˇoZhiliǎo: Speaking of which, does anyone actually believe we could be dating in secret?
When Luo Zhiyu returned to the dorm, he happened to see a new announcement from their homeroom teacher in the class group chat. Everyone was required to return directly to their dorms after evening self-study, without lingering elsewhere on campus—especially not going to the woods to arrange fights.
School Forum —
Thisisridiculous.Dideveryoneseethegroupannouncement?Whowenttooursacredplaceofromancetoarrangeafight?This is ridiculous. Did everyone see the group announcement? Who went to our sacred place of romance to arrange a fight?
1L: Which two absolute legends pulled this off? I’m speechless.
2L: The moment I saw the announcement, I felt like I already knew who it was.
3L: No wonder Luo Zhiyu keeps waiting outside our classroom every day. Turns out he’s been arranging fights with Xiao Yan!
4L: Besides their terrible compatibility, do those two have some other grudge against each other? I’ve vaguely overheard things before. Both of them seem unfathomably complicated.
5L (Not Zhiliǎo): Why? You people go to the woods and it’s romance, but when I go to the woods, it’s a fight? Who are you looking down on?
6L (Gunpowder Everywhere): Forget it, forget it.
“Classmate Mingming.” Fresh out of the shower, Luo Zhiyu draped a towel over himself and burrowed straight into his bed.
“Why are you being so affectionate all of a sudden?” Jing Ximing turned off the dorm lights and settled under his blanket. “What do you want?”
“Do you think I’d get into a secret relationship while I’m still in school?” Luo Zhiyu kicked Jing Ximing’s bed.
Jing Ximing kicked back. “Yeah. With who?”
“Xiao Yan.” In the darkness, Luo Zhiyu waited for Jing Ximing’s reaction.
After five minutes of complete silence, he heard the steady breathing of Jing Ximing, who had fallen asleep.
Luo Zhiyu: “…” That was too much.
Come to think of it, not getting caught dating was probably something many students dreamed of. But for Luo Zhiyu, it had turned into a sweet little dilemma. Because of their pheromones, it seemed that only the two of them knew how it felt to like someone.
“Your self-criticism essay is completely insincere.” Director Wu returned Luo Zhiyu’s essay. “There’s no sign of remorse at all. Take it back and rewrite it. Writing a self-criticism is already the easiest punishment. At least show a more serious attitude.”
Luo Zhiyu: “…” How was he supposed to show remorse? He hadn’t done any of this in the first place. He couldn’t even make something up.
“Look at Xiao Yan’s. See how well he wrote his? It could practically serve as a model essay for self-criticism. You can tell he put his heart into it.” Director Wu handed Xiao Yan’s essay to Luo Zhiyu as a reference. “Learn from Xiao Yan’s good qualities. Both of you are excellent students.”
There were model essays for self-criticism now? Luo Zhiyu accepted Xiao Yan’s “masterpiece,” curious to see what kind of nonsense the guy had made up for Director Wu.
Xiao Yan’s self-criticism essay—
“…I have seriously reflected on my past mistakes. Luo Zhiyu is an excellent person, and I should have realized that sooner. Whether it’s his academic performance or his personality, he deserves to be cherished…”
“…I may not be able to guarantee that I’ll never bully Luo Zhiyu again. I may not be able to promise that I’ll never fight back when he hits me or talk back when he scolds me. But I will treat him well. I won’t do anything to hurt him. I’ll be patient with him, care for him, and protect him to the best of my ability. I’ll recognize his strengths and let him see mine, too.”
Fine. Luo Zhiyu admitted that this essay really did come from the heart.
The words Xiao Yan had hidden between the lines were understood by the very person he wanted to convey them to.
Luo Zhiyu had no choice. During dinner before evening self-study, he took his draft paper upstairs to find Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan read out one sentence, and Luo Zhiyu wrote it down. Together, they put together a self-criticism essay with the same effect and submitted it alongside Xiao Yan’s, finally bringing the incident in the woods to a close.
After the college entrance exams in June, the graduating seniors gradually moved out of school. With an entire grade leaving the campus where they had spent three years, No. 1 High School suddenly felt much more spacious. Meanwhile, the students in their first and second years were preparing to get new uniforms for the coming school year.
“Blue doesn’t really suit my vibe.” One weekend, in the classroom of Class 3, Grade 11, Luo Zhiyu wore Xiao Yan’s blue-and-white school uniform jacket and examined himself in the tiny mirror on Tang Yuan’s pencil case. “I’m not used to it.”
“It looks good.” Xiao Yan had been studying in the classroom when Luo Zhiyu suddenly rushed in and stripped him of his jacket to try on the uniform, claiming he wanted to get a head start on trying next year’s clothes. “I like it a lot.”
“You like seeing me wear your uniform, don’t you?” Luo Zhiyu hooked an arm around Xiao Yan’s shoulder and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear. “Isn’t that right, big brother?”
“Blue’s not bad,” Fan Yue said. “We’re switching to green. We’ll look like rows of fresh, dewy cabbages.”
“The Grade 12 uniforms at No. 1 High School are the ugliest in the entire city. Apparently, they deliberately make everyone look ugly so we’ll focus on studying for the college entrance exams.” Tang Yuan wrapped a measuring tape around himself to check his measurements for the uniform order. “It’s the color of forgiveness. All I can say is, good-looking people look good in anything, while ugly people become even uglier.”
ZhiliaˇoZhiliǎo: Even if you wear a green uniform, I’ll still like you.
OrangeOrange: Fairy frowning.jpg
ZhiliaˇoZhiliǎo: I’ve accepted the blue-and-white uniform.
ZhiliaˇoZhiliǎo: It feels a little strange. As strange as a temporary mark.
OrangeOrange: Come to think of it, I haven’t bitten you in a while.
ZhiliaˇoZhiliǎo: It’s like I’m walking the path you’ve already taken, stepping into the footprints you left behind. I’m following in your footsteps, and you’re just a little way ahead of me. All I have to do is look up, and I can see you.
ZhiliaˇoZhiliǎo: If you turn around, you’ll be able to see me. Remember to look back, okay?
Xiao Yan also took the measuring tape and helped Luo Zhiyu check the measurements for his new uniform. It was different from a year ago. Back when Xiao Yan had measured Luo Zhiyu, he had been so careful not to cross any boundaries. This time, he kept sneaking in all sorts of little touches.
The measuring tape brushing against the back of Luo Zhiyu’s neck tickled and irritated him. He couldn’t even dodge it properly, so he turned around and bit Xiao Yan’s wrist. Xiao Yan promptly pinched his chin and forced him to let go.
“Luo Zhiyu, are you guys moving into our classroom next year?” Someone asked. At No. 1 High School, the classroom numbers stayed the same, but students moved to a different classroom every academic year. According to that rule, Luo Zhiyu’s class would move into the classroom of Class 3, Grade 11, next semester.
“Change classrooms?” Luo Zhiyu hadn’t known No. 1 High School had this rule. “Then I’ll sit in Yan-ge’s seat. At least I won’t suffer from culture shock.”
The little hooligan’s suggestion put Xiao Yan in an excellent mood.
Luo Zhiyu’s long-distance relationship continued. In the new semester, his class became Class 3, Grade 11, while Xiao Yan moved up to Grade 12.
ZhiliaˇoZhiliǎo: This is awful. A long-distance relationship.
OrangeOrange: Pfft. There’s only one floor between us, and you’re calling this a long-distance relationship?
Xiao Yan thought that as long as they liked each other, a long-distance relationship wouldn’t be a problem. However, five days later, the new Grade 10 students arrived, and Xiao Yan lost it.
The previous year, a student from No. 19 High School had visited No. 1 High School and been inspired to work hard. He’d even brought along a bunch of his alpha classmates, and they had all managed to get into No. 1 High School. Several of Luo Zhiyu’s old troublemaking buddies from No. 19 were now among this year’s new Grade 10 students.
Luo Zhiyu suddenly had several more friends. During breaks, he was constantly surrounded by the younger students. Even one day, when he was standing in the hallway talking to Xiao Yan, someone appeared behind them and called himself “Luo Zhiyu’s underling.”
“We’re having a reunion meal on the street outside No. 19 this weekend. More than twenty people from our two graduating classes will be there, including several handsome, tough alphas. Brother Luo, you coming?”
“Keep your pheromones in check. You’re a little too aggressive. Orange is about to smack you over the head.” Luo Zhiyu might have a competition that weekend, and Class 3, Grade 12, had also asked him to help make the countdown-to-exams blackboard display, so he turned down his friends’ invitation to hang out. He and Xiao Yan headed downstairs together. “Why are you taking off your uniform? Are you hot?”
Xiao Yan draped the newly issued green Grade 12 uniform over his shoulder. The orange-scented pheromones around him grew even more aggressive—
“It’s bad luck.”
Luo Zhiyu: “?”