Chapter 15: 15

There were few people on the street at this hour; those who would be eating were busy eating, and those who were done eating would be watching TV at home. Even people who wanted to go for walks wouldn’t be out yet.

The moment he walked out, Yan Hang glanced at both sides of the road. Towards the main street, the lights were bright, and everything looked quiet. Looking towards Chu Yi’s house, not all of the street lamps were lit. He couldn’t see if anything was going on in the darker corners.

“Let’s go towards his house,” Dad said. “Call again.”

“‘Kay.” Yan Hang pulled out his phone and continued to call Chu Yi.

This time, it didn’t just disconnect without an answer—the call didn’t even manage to connect.

“What the hell?” Yan Hang frowned.

“Come on,” said Dad. “We’ll head that way. There are lots of little corners here, he might’ve been forced into one of them.”

Yan Hang followed Dad, walking towards Chu Yi’s housing area.

When it came to looking for corners people might be forced into, he only had to follow Dad. It was as if Dad had a radar for this sort of thing; in the past, when Dad backed him up, he’d always manage to find him on his first try.

That was why he’d always had the feeling that Dad used to be a gangster.

“That pitiful little kid probably hasn’t gone out with anyone before. He must’ve been excited.” Dad lit a cigarette as he walked. “He was in a hurry, so he didn’t detour… that way, then.”

Dad pointed at a small lane forking out to the right up ahead. “He couldn’t have gone far.”

That was the way to the riverside, not too long a walk from the river. There were few people, too.

Chu Yi kept avoiding the crab, meaning he didn’t want any confrontation with him; moreover, the crab’s way of “having fun” was sure to be different from Li Zihao’s. In such a scenario, Chu Yi would fight back; if he was fighting back, he wouldn’t have gone too far.

Yan Hang followed Dad, hastening his steps.

Passing the fork, just when they caught sight of the willow by the river, Yan Hang heard the sound of laughter specific to riffraff, as if all the riffraff in the world followed a uniform standard, all able to make the same laughing, whooping noises.

“Four of them,” Dad said. “So easy [1].”

[1] The “so easy” here was originally written in English.

Turning the corner, Yan Hang saw four people standing under the half-lit, half-dimmed street lamp. In the middle was a silhouette, sitting on the ground.

Honestly, even if Chu Yi’s school uniform were burnt to ashes and scattered in the wind, he would still recognise it.

They were about twenty or thirty metres away. Those people hadn’t noticed anyone approaching from this direction; they were busy laughing. First, one of them kicked Chu Yi in the back; next, the crab stomped on Chu Yi’s hand, and another person went over, bent down, and grabbed the waist of Chu Yi’s trousers.

“Bloody gits,” Dad said.

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Yi suddenly wrenched his hand violently from under the crab’s foot and aimed his head at the nose of the person pulling his trousers.

That person’s cry rang out quite loudly between his laughs.

The crab lifted his foot and gave Chu Yi’s head a boot.

“Fuck,” Yan Hang swore in a low voice, then rushed over.

The crab was the first to notice someone coming, but at Yan Hang’s speed, even if he did notice, he had no way of reacting in time.

When Yan Hang sprinted before him, he only had time to lift his arm, preparing to block the potential attack.

This reaction from the crab was quick, but Yan Hang didn’t aim his greeting at his head.

Dad once said that inertia was a good thing.

He leapt up and borrowed the inertia to direct his kneecap at the crab’s right rib. The crab didn’t even manage to cry out, flying backwards immediately, his butt falling to the ground.

Two of the crab’s little friends surrounded him from behind. Yan Hang didn’t bother to look back. Dad was behind him.

His second blow was with his fist, hitting the head; this fist swung into the face of the person who kicked Chu Yi’s back earlier.

When he turned, Dad had already sent one flying with a punt, grabbing the other by the collar and hurling him at the tree trunk next to them.

This hurl wasn’t too forceful; the person staggered, trying to steady himself, but ended up hitting the tree anyway.

When Yan Hang pulled Chu Yi from the ground, this person charged back over, something in his hand glinting.

“Knife,” said Yan Hang.

Dad went to meet him, striking the person’s wrist. The knife fell to the ground.

Next, before Yan Hang had time to react, Dad had already picked this person up, walked over to the railing and, as the guy struggled and kicked, chucked him off the river edge with a swing of his arm.

Splash.

The guy fell into the black mud of the river bank.

Yan Hang turned and looked at the crab that had just risen from the ground.

Chu Yi said that the crab had just returned. He was probably rebuilding his reputation. If he ran now, it would be too humiliating for him.

So he charged over again.

Perhaps his fighting spirit had been roused, or perhaps it was him putting all his energy into it—he charged at a rather shocking speed.

Yan Hang had just pulled Chu Yi to one side when his fist appeared before his eyes; Yan Hang only had time to angle his head.

He dodged the crab’s ring, but not some other random thing on his finger. His face was scratched.

It was probably a very shallow cut. Yan Hang didn’t really feel it.

He raised his elbow and bashed it against the crab’s skull. The crab swayed, his eyes momentarily losing focus.

When the crab raised his hand again, Chu Yi suddenly leapt over from the side.

He leapt with the energy of one ready to knock him over, his pounce fierce and vicious, slamming into the crab’s back with his whole body. From behind, he yanked the crab’s arm and pulled him into a hug.

In this leaping crash, Chu Yi used a shocking amount of force; Yan Hang even heard a banging noise.

It seemed possible that this body slam gave the crab an internal injury.

Next, he watched as the crab lost his balance and failed to brace himself against the ground thanks to Chu Yi pulling his arm; he finally made an effort to lift his face as his body fell to the ground.

Chu Yi had no experience fighting. He had a lot of experience being hit, but it was useless in this case.

Up to this point in his life, this was the first time he’d physically attacked someone.

He could put up with a lot — could calmly let a lot of things slide, but he simply couldn’t put up with Liang Bing’s behaviour tonight.

When he watched Liang Bing’s ring scratch across Yan Hang’s face, he felt as if his blood was about to shoot out of his eyes.

Liang Bing fell onto the ground, knocking his chin. After a few seconds, he struggled, trying to get up.

Chu Yi didn’t know what to do. He could only continue lying on Liang Bing’s back, binding him tightly in his grasp.

The other two who were with him tried to come over, but Yan Hang and Uncle Yan stood on either side of him, so they moved and then stopped.

“Fuck your mom, let go of me!” Liang Bing howled.

Chu Yi didn’t make a sound or move.

“Chu Yi.” Yan Hang held his shoulder. “Get up.”

At last, Chu Yi hesitantly let go, getting up from Liang Bing’s body.

Liang Bing swiftly rose, swearing, his hand swinging towards his face.

Yan Hang caught his wrist and pulled it behind his back. Liang Bing was pressed to the ground again.

“You fucking…” Liang Bing raised his head, about to continue cursing, but Yan Hang smacked the back of his head—Liang Bing’s face was pushed to the ground. When he raised his head again, he no longer made any sound.

“Bro.” Yan Hang spoke in his ear. “Even if you’re riffraff, there are rules. He didn’t provoke you. There are limits to fooling around.”

Liang Bing gritted his teeth soundlessly.

“If you want to be a boss, you need to have some order,” said Yan Hang. “Or you’ll be staying in these same three streets even when you’re in your twenties, and wouldn’t that be dull?”

Yan Hang let go after he spoke. This time, Liang Bing didn’t jump up to launch another sneak attack. He stood and stared at Yan Hang; after staring for a moment, he spoke. “I lost today. What’s your name?”

“Yan Jidao,” said Yan Hang.

Liang Bing was taken aback; Chu Yi wasn’t sure whether it was because he knew who Yan Jidao was, or because he had seen the surname Yan earlier, and coming across it again only a few minutes later surprised him.

Liang Bing turned to look at Uncle Yan.

“Yan Shu,” Uncle Yan said as he lit his cigarette. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Fuck!” Liang Bing hissed out between clenched teeth. Only after a moment did he turn to Yan Hang. “Yan Hang, is it? I’ll remember that.”

Yan Hang smiled.

“Let’s go.” Liang Bing turned and walked away.

His two companions pulled up their mud-covered friend as he emerged from near the railing, following Liang Bing after giving them a glare.

Everything was suddenly silent.

Chu Yi blanked for a minute before coming to his senses. He lifted a hand and pointed at Yan Hang’s face. “Is it s-serious?”

“It’s nothing.” Yan Hang pulled out a piece of tissue and dabbed at his face. “It’s already scabbing over… Are you hurt anywhere?”

Chu Yi shook his head. In a low voice, he said, “Sorry.”

“Sor–” Yan Hang frowned. Chu Yi sensed he was probably thinking of saying sorry for what, the way he said thanks for what, but Yan Hang didn’t continue, merely patting his head. “Let’s go.”

“Thanks,” Chu Yi said, then looked at Uncle Yan. “Thanks, U-Uncle.”

“How about a bow, too,” said Uncle Yan, his face serious.

Chu Yi bowed.

“Alright, I’ve received your thanks.” Uncle Yan patted his shoulder, then his arm. “You’re stronger than you look.”

“I h-hide it well.” Chu Yi laughed, then picked his phone off the ground and looked at it.

The phone was intact, not broken from the fall—shitty knockoffs were shockproof, after all—but the signal seemed to be gone. He rebooted it; the signal bars were full again.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

The three of them marched along the road all the way to Yan Hang’s house. Only then did Chu Yi slowly struggle free from the mess of his emotions.

Panic, fear, anger, anxiety…

After these emotions gradually faded away, he suddenly felt somewhat at a loss.

From the first time he understood what it meant to be embarrassed, from the first time he understood what it meant to be picked on, from the first time he understood what it meant to feel helpless, he’d never imagined that he would explode in this way.

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He always believed that he would be able to carefully keep calm, until he left this place.

Just then, when he violently pounced on Liang Bing, his mind was full of flaming anger; he’d never realised that he was capable of storing so much rage.

But after his feelings slowly calmed down once more, he felt somewhat blank.

Even his steps seemed a little unsteady.

“You haven’t eaten, have you?” Yan Hang looked at Chu Yi.

Chu Yi hadn’t spoken the whole time they were walking. Yan Hang was slightly worried that his brain was damaged from the fight.

“No.” Chu Yi rubbed his belly. “I just went h-home for, a little while, and then I c-came back out.”

Yan Hang sighed. “I made a lot of food today. You should eat more of it.”

“‘Kay.” Chu Yi smiled.

When they reached home, Yan Hang didn’t start cooking immediately. He saw that Chu Yi’s trousers were covered in dirt, and there was a triangular hole at his bum—his underwear was visible, and it was red.

“It’s not your zodiac year [2], is it? Are you twelve?” asked Yan Hang.

[2] It’s lucky to wear red on your zodiac year, and your zodiac year comes every twelve years.

“Fourteen.” Chu Yi paused after he answered, then reached behind him and felt about. When he felt the tear, he immediately covered it.

“Your school uniform’s ruined.” Yan Hang went into his own room and rifled through his closet. “What are you going to do?”

“We’ll be c-changing into s-summer u-ni-forms soon,” said Chu Yi.

Yan Hang didn’t speak. He handed a set of his own clothes over. “Change into mine for now. This is a bit too small for me.”

Chu Yi hesitated.

“Or do you want to show off your red underwear when we go to the music fest?” asked Yan Hang.

Chu Yi took the clothes and went into the toilet.

By the time Yan Hang was done making dinner and began to serve it, Dad had already disinfected a number of Chu Yi’s scrapes. “Bring an ice pack over.”

Yan Hang looked at Chu Yi.

His own clothes were slightly oversized for the boy, but it was a normal, fashionable tracksuit for teens. Putting it on, Chu Yi’s figure was actually visible for the first time.

Yan Hang felt as if it was only today that he was really able to tell what Chu Yi looked like.

His face wasn’t too different from his normal appearance—”handsome guy”, those girls called him—but with the change of clothes, his whole air was different; he seemed a little cool.

But too short.

Tsk tsk.

“Ice pack,” Dad repeated.

“Right, where do I put it?” Yan Hang opened the freezer and took out an ice pack.

“There’s a lump on his head.” Dad pointed at Chu Yi’s head.

Yan Hang felt Chu Yi’s head and found the lump, then placed the ice pack over it. “What’s that guy called?”

“Liang Bing.” Chu Yi held the ice pack.

“Don’t make a detour tomorrow, just walk this way,” said Yan Hang. “If you make a detour and he comes over to bother you, I wouldn’t be able to help you even if I wanted to.”

“Mhm,” Chu Yi responded.

Yan Hang was considering whether he needed to walk Chu Yi to school, but Chu Yi was sure to disagree, so he didn’t mention it.

Earlier, he hadn’t been too brutal to Liang Bing. In the past though, if anyone had made him see blood, even if it was a little scratch that scabbed over in the wind like today, he wouldn’t let them walk away too easily.

He didn’t care whether he was forming enmities with people or stirring up trouble since he was bored every day anyway and didn’t stay long in any place.

But Chu Yi wasn’t the same.

He was fighting for Chu Yi, so he had to leave Chu Yi an escape route.

“Chu Yi,” Dad said, “you should come over and hang out whenever you’re free. I’ll teach you a few self-defence tactics.”
Chu Yi looked at Dad, a little bewildered.

“I can see that you’re not in bad shape. Your reactions are quick and you have enough strength,” Dad said. “I’ll teach you a few simple moves, so if you can’t run away, you can still defend yourself and handle it for a bit before you find the chance to escape.”

“Mm.” Chu Yi smiled, somewhat embarrassed.

“Running away is nothing to be ashamed of.” Dad smiled too. “If you can’t win, of course you need to run.”

“T-Tomorrow.” Chu Yi shot a swift glance at Yan Hang. “Tomorrow…”

“Tomorrow’s fine,” Dad said.

“Eat.” Yan Hang sat. “No alcohol tonight. Shall we have other drinks?”

“Lemonade,” Dad said instantly.

Yan Hang rose and opened the fridge, pulling out three bottles of iced red tea and putting them on the table.

“I’ll drink lemonade,” Dad said.

“We only bought this,” said Yan Hang.

“This guy, he likes to drink this, so he only bought this.” Dad took a bottle and opened it. “Good thing I’m a nice person.”

Whether it be from having been beaten or having attacked someone, Chu Yi had worked up an appetite; today, he ate significantly more than he did previously.

When Chu Yi made that pounce today, Yan Hang was quite shocked.

He did think that Chu Yi would fight back when met with someone like Liang Bing, but seeing it for himself still surprised him. After all, from the first time he’d seen Chu Yi, the boy had always endured it in calm silence.

“Is the venue far away?” Yan Hang pulled out his phone. “I’ll hail a ride over in a bit.”

“N-n-no…” Chu Yi waved a little anxiously.

“Not far?” asked Yan Hang.

“No need for a ride,” said Chu Yi. “The bus, goes d-directly there.”

Yan Hang looked at Dad; the two of them spoke in unison: “Let’s hail a ride.”

Chu Yi didn’t speak. He sighed.

He was very envious of Yan Hang.

He liked Uncle Yan and their home very much.

Chu Yi ate the final fried shrimp ball. He had never experienced this sort of warmth and relaxed atmosphere in his own home before.

Today, when Yan Hang and Uncle Yan appeared by the river, he didn’t quite believe his own eyes; for a moment, he thought he’d been beaten silly and had started hallucinating.

When Uncle Yan threw someone in the river and Yan Hang picked him up from the ground, his mind was full of the refrain: divine army descending from heaven divine army descending from heaven divine army descending from heaven divine army descending from heaven…

He was extremely envious. It was a shame he didn’t have such a father.

Sometimes, Dad wasn’t even as reliable as Nana. At least Nana was bold and brassy under most circumstances.

And he wasn’t like Yan Hang.

“Are you full?” Yan Hang asked.

“Mhm.” Chu Yi nodded hurriedly. “Bloated.”

“Let’s go.” Yan Hang looked at his phone as he stood. “The car’s almost here.”

Chu Yi looked at the dishes on the table out of habit. Yan Hang grabbed his wrist. “Control your workaholic spirit.”

“Okay.” Chu Yi nodded solemnly.

The ride hadn’t arrived yet. They stood waiting by the road.

Yan Hang’s clothes had a nice smell. He didn’t know whether it was his detergent, or perfume, or Yan Hang’s own scent. He lowered his head and sniffed the sleeve, then leaned close to Yan Hang and surreptitiously sniffed him.

It wasn’t quite the same, so he pulled the collar up and sniffed. Just as he was standing on tiptoe and leaning over to sniff his shoulder and neck area, he swept a glance at Yan Hang’s face, then stiffened.

Yan Hang was looking at him with narrowed eyes.

“Is your nickname ‘doggy’?” said Yan Hang.

Chu Yi gave him a thumbs-up. “Yan the W-wizard.”

“It’s been washed,” said Yan Hang.

“N-not that,” Chu Yi said hurriedly. “I was… the clothes s-smell nice.”

“Because I sprayed perfume in the wardrobe, you little rube dog,” said Yan Hang.

Chu Yi laughed, slightly embarrassed.

Their ride soon arrived. Uncle Yan sat in front while he and Yan Hang sat behind.

After getting in, Yan Hang and Uncle Yan both looked at him, waiting for him to give the driver the address.

“Music fest,” he said.

“Alright.” The driver nodded and began to drive.

Uncle Yan was stunned. “So it doesn’t matter that we don’t know where it is?”

“Yeah.” Yan Hang nodded.

After a pause, the two of them laughed; Chu Yi laughed along too, for quite some time.

When the car went over the bridge, Chu Yi looked out the window. This place that he normally only associated with his tree hollow now became complex in his heart.

He put his hand in his pocket and felt that black rock in it.

It was very smooth, and felt especially pleasant to touch.

He took the rock out and pressed it lightly into Yan Hang’s hand. “Here.”

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