21

Lin Tiao thought this person was really too much.

He hadn't done anything special—just kept his eyes lowered and spoke casually. Yet, she felt her long-dormant teenage heart racing wildly.

Lin Tiao blinked, looked at the boy's soft hair, and after a three-second hesitation, slowly raised her hand to gently pat his head twice.

The sensation felt unreal to her. She didn't linger, quickly pulling back her hand and saying softly, "But no birthday, no birthday."

"There are still Children's Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, National Day, and Mother's Day…" Lin Tiao paused, laughing as she leaned on the desk, "Mother's Day doesn't seem very suitable for you."

The classroom was still noisy. Jiang Yan looked at the slightly embarrassed smile on the young girl's face, and the discomfort and unhappiness in his heart gradually eased.

He lowered his head, his eyes full of laughter, "Is this how you comfort people?"

Lin Tiao, leaning on the desk with one arm supporting her head, instinctively retorted, "No, I usually use this method to comfort dogs."

"…"

"I use this method every time the golden retriever next door refuses to eat," Lin Tiao said honestly. Every time she saw the golden retriever, she would first go over and pet its head.

"..."

Jiang Yan laughed, looking at the array of snacks on the desk. He muttered, "I really have no way to deal with you."

The school bell rang.

Monday ended, and students rushed out of the classroom, leaving it half-empty.

The student cleaners walked back and forth with brooms and mops.

Lin Tiao packed her things but noticed Jiang Yan still sitting at his desk. She held her nearly empty backpack and said, "Hu Hanghang and the others have left. Why haven't you left?"

During the evening study session, he had slept through a class, and his voice still sounded hoarse, "I'll leave in a bit. How are you getting home?"

"By bus," Lin Tiao replied. There was a bus outside the school that went directly to her neighborhood.

"Oh." Jiang Yan smiled, looking a bit dazed, "I remember now, you don't ride a bike."

"Go away." Lin Tiao, too lazy to respond, picked up her backpack and left.

Jiang Yan watched her leave with a smile in his eyes.

Soon, the classroom was empty.

The last student cleaner, Wu Wang, stood at the back of the classroom, waiting. After a while, seeing Jiang Yan still hadn't left, he nervously spoke, "T-t-t-that…"

Jiang Yan turned around to look at him and asked, "Who are you looking for? There's no one else in the classroom besides me."

Wu Wang "…"

The boy nervously clutched his backpack strap, "I'm from your class too."

Jiang Yan, clearly having no recollection, said, "What's the matter?"

Wu Wang swallowed, now steady, "The last person to leave the classroom has to turn off the lights and lock the door."

Jiang Yan remained silent.

Wu Wang's heart raced, "It's okay, I can wait until you leave. I'll turn off the lights and lock the door myself. Take your time; I'm not in a hurry."

In addition to the rumor that Jiang Yan once single-handedly took on a class from the neighboring school and came out unscathed, there was also gossip from his middle school days known only to a few boys.

Jiang Yan hadn't originally been a student at Xicheng Middle School; he transferred in during the second semester of his first year.

Shortly after transferring, he aced the monthly exams, becoming the top student and the most talked-about heartthrob at Xicheng Middle School.

However, less than a month after the exams, someone posted a shocking thread on Xicheng Middle School's forum.

Does anyone know that Jiang Yan, who ranked first in the first year, once injured someone with a knife?

The post claimed that Jiang Yan, in his previous city, had stabbed a classmate, leaving the classmate in a vegetative state. Due to Jiang Yan's wealthy and influential family, the incident was suppressed.

The news created a huge stir at his old school, leading Jiang Yan to transfer to Xicheng.

At first, people were skeptical. After all, Jiang Yan had always been kind and approachable at school, and he didn't act high-and-mighty. Whenever people had questions, he answered them patiently.

Many responses to the post were dismissive:

"Empty accusations. Show some evidence if you have it."

"Yeah, I think the poster is just jealous of his good grades and looks."

"People these days only know how to hide behind the internet to smear others. If you have guts, come out and say it."

And so on.

Soon, the original poster disappeared and posted two photos.

One photo showed Jiang Yan, wearing a motorcycle jacket, crouching with a knife stabbed into the abdomen of a classmate lying in school uniform. Jiang Yan was holding the knife.

The other photo showed Jiang Yan in detention clothes with a buzz cut.

The photos stirred up a storm.

The few people who had defended Jiang Yan quickly deleted their comments.

The post's popularity caught the school's attention. The forum administrators deleted the post and banned several users who had commented extensively. School officials pressured teachers not to let students spread the news.

The incident was quickly suppressed, but many students still observed it that night.

Even if they didn't dare to talk about it openly, the story still circulated in small circles. Opinions about Jiang Yan were mixed.

Some believed, some didn't, and some remained neutral.

After all, some people hadn't seen the post and only heard rumors.

Wu Wang was among the first batch of forum users who followed the incident. Initially, he defended Jiang Yan, but after the photos were posted, he deleted his comments and stayed neutral.

As the years passed and students graduated, the incident gradually faded.

When Wu Wang graduated from middle school, many students went to Xicheng High School, and the gossip resurfaced among the boys, though only a few knew about it.

As one of the few who knew, Wu Wang kept the secret when he found out he was in the same class as Jiang Yan in his second year.

He didn't dare to gossip.

What if he ended up as the next victim?

Wu Wang snapped back to reality and sat down in a nearby seat.

Jiang Yan watched him, his expression still calm, "You can go now."

Wu Wang was taken aback.

"Locking the door and turning off the lights, right?" Jiang Yan looked back at his phone, "Got it. You can go now."

"Then, goodbye."

Jiang Yan glanced at him, "Mm."

Wu Wang picked up his backpack and quickly left the classroom. Once outside, he looked back at Jiang Yan, who sat alone at the desk, his back hunched, radiating an air of solitude.

Wu Wang quickly dismissed his thoughts. Jiang Yan wasn't lonely; he was always happy with his desk mate and had a sweet life.

It was they who were lonely.

Jiang Yan sat in the classroom for a while, only standing up when his phone received a message. He suddenly remembered a large bag of snacks hidden in the desk drawer and decided to take it with him.

After stepping outside and walking a few steps, Jiang Yan looked back at the brightly lit classroom, then returned to turn off the lights and lock the door.

By the time he reached the school gate, it was already ten minutes later.

Under the poplar tree at the gate, a boy in a black baseball jacket stood with a mask hanging from one ear. He had sharp features and clean-cut looks and was currently looking at his phone.

As soon as Jiang Yan exited the school, he saw the boy talking to several girls, who seemed to be asking for contact information. Jiang Yan walked over.

As soon as the girls saw him, they ran off faster than rabbits.

"Damn, couldn't you come a little later?" Guan Che put away his phone, which still hadn't added any new friends. "Your reputation as a big shot is truly well-deserved."

"Thanks for the compliment," Jiang Yan replied calmly.

"You really have some thick skin," Guan Che said, glancing at him and then at Jiang Yan's hand. He bent closer, "What's that?"

Jiang Yan sidestepped and didn't say what it was, "Let's go."

"Typical."

The two walked side by side towards a nearby street, navigating through a bustling alley before entering a shop.

A sign at the shop's entrance read in large characters:

**"Self-Cultivation"**

Further to the side, two inconspicuous smaller characters said:

**"Internet Café"**

It was quite peculiar.

As Jiang Yan and Guan Che entered, a young man behind the counter put down his phone and smiled, "You two finally showed up. The night shift is yours now. I'm off work."

"Let's go, let's go," Guan Che said, removing his coat and stepping behind the counter.

The young man packed up his things and left with his bag.

Jiang Yan placed the bag he was carrying on his usual seat and went to wash his hands.

When he came out, he saw Guan Che at the computer, munching on a bag of chips with audible crunches.

Jiang Yan walked over and kicked Guan Che's chair, "Who said you could eat my stuff?"

Guan Che almost lost his balance and fell as he was kicked, "What's the big deal if I eat a little of your food? Can't I eat your stuff with the way we are?"

"Not allowed." Jiang Yan walked past him, sat in the empty seat next to him, and opened WeChat on his phone, presenting it to Guan Che. "Pay up."

"Damn it," Guan Che said, seeing the serious expression on Jiang Yan's face. He relented, "Fine, I'll pay you."

He pulled out his phone and scanned the QR code.

WeChat automatically processed the payment, showing a confirmation page.

"Damn Jiang Yan, are you even human? I just ate a bag of chips and you're charging me 200 bucks? Are you out of your mind?"

Jiang Yan smiled but ignored him, putting on headphones and starting some music.

Guan Che continued grumbling.

The glass door of the internet café opened from the outside, and the automatic recognition cat at the entrance meowed slowly, "Welcome."

Guan Che noticed two young women and, stopping his complaints, smiled, "Ladies, are you here for an overnight stay or just to use the internet?"

"Overnight stay," one of the girls replied, glancing around the café. She asked, "Do you have private rooms?"

Guan Che looked at the nearby main computer unit. "Yes, we do."

While speaking, he nudged Jiang Yan's chair, "Hurry up and take these ladies to the private rooms upstairs."

Jiang Yan removed his headphones, grabbed the key card from the table, and stood up. He saw the two girls standing by the counter.

"...."

Who the hell could tell him why these two looked so much like his desk mate and her best friend?