Chapter 3 Snails Without Shells

Main roles: Ling Jiefeng, born in 2013 (boy), Liao Yi'an, born in 2011 (boy)

When Ling Jiefeng was a child, his mother often told him, 'If you're older than his sister, then you have to let him go.' So he hated having this sister and wanted to have a brother. His father often works out of town and doesn't have much time to come back.

April 3, 2023

School has started, Ling Jiefeng is in fourth grade this year, so he is in the morning class. He went to his classroom and found that many of the classmates he knew had changed shifts, except for his good friend who hadn't changed yet. The two of them were sitting together like this.

As the teacher kept talking during class, the two of them angrily said,

'You two stand up with me!'

They were startled and then stood up. Then the teacher said,

"The teacher is teaching at the front, and you are speaking at the back. Is that okay?"

After scolding, the teacher helped them switch positions.

As soon as Jiefeng stepped into the house, his mother's cold voice came from the kitchen:

"Come here."

He froze in place, watching his mother pull out the yellowed vine from behind the cabinet.

Before he could defend himself, the first blow had already torn his shirt and left a burning pain on his spine. Jiefeng ran desperately, but his mother couldn't catch up and said,

"Run again!"

Jiefeng stopped and cried, saying, "Don't hit me."

His mother didn't care what he said and continued to hit him, saying,

"I made you disobedient at school."

After finishing, his mother said,

"I'm going to pick up my sister, you'd better do all the housework before I come back. Do you hear me!"

Jiefeng replied while crying, "Yes"

April 12, 2023

There are extracurricular activities today, and I didn't go home immediately after finishing school, "Jiefeng said to his mother.

Mom didn't respond to Jiefeng, and then Jiefeng got off the car.

School is over, but due to extracurricular activities today, Jiefeng didn't go home. Instead, he ate with his good friends in the cafeteria.

After finishing their meal, they were taken by the teacher to different places for extracurricular activities.

In the queue of the ping pong group, Jie Feng always felt a gaze stuck on his neck. He pretended to tidy up his mask and turned around, bumping into a pair of eyes hidden behind his broken hair - the senior boy quickly turned away, but couldn't hide his bright red ears.

Due to the ongoing virus, everyone is wearing masks. Jiefeng thinks this guy is very handsome.

The extracurricular activities have ended, and everyone is waiting for the bus. Jiefeng noticed that the boy was still peeking at him. Just as he was about to ask, the boy's car came and Jiefeng watched him get on the car.

April 19, 2023

Today is another day for extracurricular activities. Jiefeng didn't know why he was looking forward to seeing that boy.

When he arrived there, the boy became a table tennis coach because he was the only one who could play table tennis. That boy is teaching everyone how to catch ping pong.

When he arrived at Jiefeng's place, he made a mistake and the boy took the initiative to help him adjust. When the boy touched Jiefeng's hand, Jiefeng's heart suddenly beat very fast, and he didn't know why.

Then, Jiefeng is looking forward to the extracurricular activities from today onwards, hoping to see the handsome face of that boy.

May 17, 2023

Today's extracurricular activity, a teacher who can play table tennis came to compete with that boy.

During the game, Jiefeng sat beside him watching and noticed that the boy was even more handsome.

When he was about to pack up and go home after the game, Jiefeng chatted with the guy and said,

"The game was so intense just now."

The guy looked at him and smiled.

In the second week, there were extracurricular activities. Jiefeng found the boy after school and went to the cafeteria with him.

In the cafeteria, Jiefeng kept looking at him, and the boy asked,

"Why are you looking at me all the time?"

Jiefeng said, "When I didn't know you, you kept peeking at me."

The two of them smiled at each other. Then Jiefeng asked,

"What's your name?"

The boy replied, "My name is Liao Yi'an. What's your name?"

Jiefeng replied, "My name is Ling Jiefeng."

When it came to extracurricular activities, Jiefeng looked up to drink water and his mask slipped to his chin. Yi An suddenly leaned closer, so close that he could see the shadow cast by his eyelashes in the sunlight:

"Like the teeth of a little rabbit gnawing on a carrot," he said, reaching out and lightly tapping his front teeth.

Jiefeng awkwardly smiled.

August 23, 2023

On that day, while waiting for the teacher in the cafeteria, Yi An suddenly said to Jie Feng,

"You're so cute."

Jie Feng replied, "You're also very handsome."

Yi An then said, "You know, I really want to have a younger brother."

Upon hearing this, Jie Feng smiled happily beside him and said in his heart, "I can be your younger brother."

October 20, 2023

I thought I could keep going like this until today's arrival.

Today is a rehearsal for the school sports meet. While eating after the rehearsal, Jiefeng saw Yi An taking off her mask.

Discovering something different from what one had imagined. So, Jiefeng didn't have much to look for Yi'an until Yi'an graduated and went to high school.

During the holiday period, Jiefeng's father came back. His father took his family shopping at the mall.

As he walked, Jie Feng looked at the person walking towards him in the distance and realized it was Yi An.

Although he felt that Yi An didn't look handsome with a mask on, he still greeted him with some excitement.

October 23, 2025

Two years have passed peacefully, and Jiefeng is in sixth grade. At the end of the year, he met a boy his age who looked very handsome after taking off his mask.

So, Jiefeng became friends with him. But beneath that handsome appearance, there is this dirty heart.

Always speaking in front of Jiefeng and teaching him about sexual behavior. Jiefeng couldn't bear it anymore and sued the teacher.

That boy was also forced to transfer schools. This experience taught Jiefeng not to judge people based on their appearance.

January 2, 2026

School has started, and Jiefeng has gone to a new environment.

At the end of class, Jiefeng saw Yi'an, and Yi'an also saw him. Yi An didn't run up to greet Jie Feng because of this. Jiefeng felt that Yi'an had become much more mature.

Now they eat together after class and wait for each other after school. Their relationship is getting better and better, and Yi An seems to have truly become Jie Feng's brother. They occasionally go to each other's homes to sleep together, sharing the same bed.

One day, while they were sleeping, in the darkness, Yi An's fingertips tentatively brushed against the back of Jie Feng's hand, like a snail extending its tentacles. When Jiefeng didn't retract his hand, his entire palm suddenly covered, damp and hot.

"Jiefeng... "His voice was hoarse." If I said I liked you, would you hate me? "Jiefeng sat up in surprise. He looked at Yi An, his heart beating fast, and he didn't know how to answer Yi An's question.

He rushed into the bathroom and washed his face. After he recovered, he went out of the bathroom.

He found Yi An sitting there waiting for him, and Jie Feng sat over. The two of them stared at each other for three minutes. Later, Jiefeng found that he did have a slight liking for Yi'an.

He couldn't control himself and pressed against Yi An's chest. Yi An didn't refuse, but silently hugged Jie Feng. After Jie Feng got up, he looked at Yi An's mouth and then kissed him.

He thought their relationship would get better and better, but the next day he found that Yi An had started to distance himself.

He went to find Yi An, but Yi An didn't want to talk to him either. Jiefeng was at a loss when he encountered this situation for the first time.

At night, thinking about Yi An and his past, he couldn't help but cry. He didn't know what to do, Yi An was his closest relative.

November 19, 2026

That night, Jiefeng placed the ping pong racket given by Yi An beside his pillow and swallowed the pill. The echo of mother's curse, sister's crying, Yi An's last evasive look - all these voices finally quieted down.

When Yi An received this news, he was first shocked and then began to feel sad. He knew he was the one who killed Jiefeng, and he deeply regretted it.

At Jiefeng's funeral, Yi'an went to look at Jiefeng lying in the coffin and remembered the time when Jiefeng was lying in his arms. Tears slowly fell from the corners of his eyes and he said,

"I'm sorry... Jiefeng."

After that, he burst into tears.

April 4, 2040

Thirty year old Yi An knelt in front of the tomb, his fingertips caressing the faded photo.

" I later took the psychology exam, "he placed the sunflower in front of the monument." But if I can't save you, then why should I save others?"

Rainwater flowed down his wrinkles into his collar, unable to distinguish between rain and tears.

————————end————————