“Stop saying nonsense in front of Su Pu!”
The staff member practically collapsed onto the lawn, pinning John’s mischievous mouth shut, then glanced back at Su Pu.
“Well… he’s just really curious and romantic, always reading too much into things…”
“I’ve known Li Jichuan since we were kids. I know how he is! I even thought he was cold and distant, but when he said he wanted to get married, I was happier than his grandfather!”
John, stubborn as always, shook his head hard, shrugging off the staff member’s hold.
“But I saw it with my own eyes! Lee said it was someone really important to him!”
The staff member circled John’s waist and lifted him onto his shoulders when he least expected it.
“Shut your mouth!”
Dizzy and disoriented, John suddenly widened his eyes. “Ah…Andersen, I feel like I’m going to throw up…”
“You’re so dramatic…” Andersen strode off with him toward the bathroom.
Under the darkened sky, a sudden burst of bright fireworks illuminated the area, then vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Bang—
On the other side of the lawn, more fireworks erupted one after another, drawing everyone’s attention to the fleeting display of beauty.
Even Li Jichuan, hiding to handle work, couldn’t help but glance at them.
Everyone… except Su Pu.
He stayed frozen in place, unmoving, until the metal skewer in his hand overheated, burning his fingers.
“What are you doing?”
A voice, familiar and soothing, reached his ears. But Su Pu had no strength even to turn his head.
“The meat’s burning…”
Li Jichuan stepped forward, grasping Su Pu’s wrist with gentle force, guiding him to release the skewer.
“What are you thinking about… so lost in thought?”
After letting go, he tossed the burnt skewer into the trash and tugged lightly at Su Pu’s sleeve.
“Let me see, does your hand hurt?”
Su Pu still couldn’t answer.
All his strength had drained in an instant; his body had become a hollow shell.
Another firework exploded—bang—
The roar filled his ears, darkness engulfed him, and he was dragged back into that nightmare.
Bang—boom—
Bang—bang bang—
Inside the school swimming pool.
A row of changing room doors were kicked open one by one.
“You little bastard! If you’re here, come out!”
“We found you! Today, you’re going down here!”
The stalls were damp, the steam from the showers curling into thin fog.
Oxygen, squeezed and stolen by two others, left Su Pu gasping for air.
Next, a hand clamped over his mouth.
Shh—
Li Jichuan silently gestured to him.
Su Pu’s cheeks flushed pink, a soft, warm presence in Li Jichuan’s palm.
“Where the hell did you disappear to, teasing me?”
Bang—
The adjacent stall door was slammed open, vibrations rattling the wood and buzzing in Su Pu’s ears.
He was pushed into the brink of despair.
Only one stall remained. Outside, a curious classmate crouched down, finally spotting a pair of feet.
But before he could identify them, the stall door swung open by itself.
Bang—
The door hit the nose of the leading student, pain shooting through him. He clutched his bleeding nose and bent over…
“W-what the hell!”
He wiped the blood, straightened, and glared at the person emerging from the stall.
“Have you gone crazy—”
He froze. Eyes wide in disbelief.
Li Jichuan had closed the door behind him, looking at the student coolly.
“I don’t speak, and yet you don’t stop, huh?”
The student’s confidence faltered as he realized he was facing Li Jichuan, not Su Pu.
“Uh… I… I’m looking for someone…”
Li Jichuan’s gaze swept over the few delinquent-looking teenagers behind him, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
“Looking for someone? Using all this drama?”
“Didn’t your teacher teach you to call the police if there’s trouble? Judging by the look of it, you’re not even from this school, are you?”
Li Jichuan nodded slowly.
“Or maybe I should call the police for you? This whole circus looks pretty serious.”
The threat drained the student’s bravado instantly. He stammered, “N-no, it’s fine…”
“We’re seniors, busy with studies, and I only have a little time to relax during lunch break. Don’t disturb me again.”
Li Jichuan said, stretching the towel around his neck.
“Oh… okay… sorry, senior.”
It dawned on them—the school swimming pool had been donated by the Li family.
Whenever Li Jichuan appeared there, other students automatically cleared out.
His use was limited to lunch break only, and entering outside those hours had become an unspoken rule.
No one wanted to anger Li Jichuan and bring trouble upon themselves.
Seeing this, the student began to believe Su Pu must have hidden somewhere.
Smart kid… he really can run…
“Alright, that’s enough sightseeing. My friend and I are leaving.” The student muttered, understanding.
Li Jichuan nodded, shook off the towel, and dried his wet hair.
Silence returned to the locker room.
Li Jichuan retrieved two books and a school uniform jacket from a locker, hugging them to his chest.
“You heard me. From now on, during lunch break, you can come here… but don’t enter the last stall anymore. I’m used to that one.”
“No need to change, and I won’t…”
Su Pu sat hugging his knees on a chair, remaining still for a long while, not hearing any sound of the other leaving.
“Did you hear what I said?”
Li Jichuan’s voice rang out suddenly, making Su Pu flinch.
Sure enough, he hadn’t left.
“If you heard me, knock on the door once.”
After a moment, a crisp knock came from inside.
Su Pu heard it.
Li Jichuan silently curled his lips into a faint smile, the warmth of Su Pu’s cheek still lingering in his palm.
Why doesn’t he speak?
Does he dislike his voice in this phase of change?
Li Jichuan recalled seeing the name on his ID in the chaos—Cong Shu.
The name is “Shu,” yet he barely speaks.
Interesting…
Su Pu stayed in the swimming pool hiding until the afternoon bell rang. He then dragged his heavy steps to the teaching building.
When he entered the classroom and called, “Reporting!” his head was suddenly covered in darkness.
Cong Shu flung his school uniform onto him, glaring fiercely.
“Just because I mixed up my uniform doesn’t mean you can wear mine, got it?”
“Take it off, it’s filthy, you’ll need to disinfect it at home tonight…”
Su Pu’s mind was hazy, his ears still ringing with the echo of slammed stall doors.
That sound, intertwined with his childhood, when his mother would barge into his room crying and scolding him while forcing him to take medicine…
Creating a new symphony of nightmares.
Su Pu hesitated only a second, and Cong Shu couldn’t wait any longer.
He yanked his uniform from Su Pu, sprayed disinfectant, and struck it with a ruler, ritually “cleansing” the evil.
Su Pu shivered in the cold, hugging himself.
The uniform was a stiff, washed summer one, revealing his scarred, thin arms.
In a class of 44, everyone saw those scars—and all pretended they didn’t exist.
Everyone pretended Su Pu didn’t exist…
…
“Su Pu, are you okay? What happened?”
Li Jichuan observed him, sensing something was wrong.
Touching his forehead, he realized—Su Pu had a fever!
Li Jichuan froze for a moment. How had he not noticed Su Pu’s unusual state?
He had dragged someone burning with fever to a party, made him barbecue all afternoon… no wonder he hadn’t reacted the whole time.
“Are you feeling bad?”
Li Jichuan circled his waist, pressing his body close to Su Pu’s in the wheelchair.
“Come sit with me. Let’s go to the hospital.”
The nightmare roared in Su Pu’s ears, and unfortunately, he couldn’t “wake up.”
Almost instinctively, he stretched out his hand, pushing away the large hand extended toward him.
Another twist of his body, shaking off the arm gripping his waist.
“Su Pu…” Li Jichuan called, his voice heavy with disappointment.
Amid the chaotic thoughts, Su Pu heard that voice—
The voice that made him feel safest in the world…
Dazed, he reached toward the figure, now a blurry, flickering beam of light.
Before the world plunged completely into darkness, he stretched out his hand toward that light,
Pouring all his strength and will into a hoarse, trembling whisper:
“Li… Jichuan…”