Chapter 23
That evening, the Jiang family predictably blew up.
Jiang Wenyu thought that with his mother protecting him, he could bite back at Jiang Yu. However, Jiang Father was furious at his unrepentant attitude. He threw an ashtray, smashing his head and incidentally also implicated Jiang Mother, saying she hadn’t managed Jiang Wenyu well, letting him talk nonsense outside. The two had a big fight.
Jiang Yu returned from evening self-study to find the war over. He heard about the evening’s events from the housekeeper, who often acted as his mother at parent-teacher meetings.
Jiang Yu wasn’t interested. He returned to his room, hadn’t even closed the door, when Jiang Wenshi walked in.
Jiang Wenshi was a year older than Jiang Wenyu, a high school senior. Jiang Yu sometimes idly wondered, with their ages so close, just how vigorous Jiang Father had been back then, and how strong Jiang Mother was.
Jiang Yu: “Something?”
When Jiang Father first brought Jiang Yu home, Jiang Father and Jiang Mother argued constantly. Jiang Wenyu would only cry, while Jiang Wenshi just felt annoyed, eventually directing his anger at Jiang Yu.
For many years, Jiang Father and Jiang Mother hadn’t argued because of Jiang Yu. Tonight’s outburst brought back childhood memories.
Jiang Wenshi: “You’re quite peaceful hiding at school.”
Seeing his expression, Jiang Yu guessed how intense things had been at home. “It’s alright, pretty noisy.” Chi Abei was very troublesome, indeed noisy.
Jiang Wenshi frowned: “Jiang Wenyu got his head busted by Dad, Mom took him to the hospital. Are you happy now?”
Honestly, Jiang Yu was quite happy. Happy enough that he felt years of pent-up resentment had lessened.
Seeing Jiang Yu unmoved, Jiang Wenshi became even angrier: “Do you know your surname? Our family has raised you for so many years. You’re siding with outsiders, not helping your own family!”
Jiang Yu didn’t know how Jiang Wenshi distinguished “family” from “outsiders.” Hearing this, Jiang Yu felt both ironic and amused.
He said: “First, Chi Abei is my classmate, and from a class honor perspective, I’m helping my own people. Secondly, this has nothing to do with my surname. I’m just stating facts. Finally…” Seeing Jiang Wenshi’s expression worsening, Jiang Yu said, “Whether you and Jiang Wenyu ever considered me family is clear to you. Using blood ties to blackmail me now makes you as boring as Jiang Wenyu.”
Without waiting for Jiang Wenshi to speak, Jiang Yu said: “Anything else? If not, I’m going to shower.”
Jiang Wenshi really had nothing to say to him. For years, he had treated Jiang Yu as air, and to him, Jiang Yu wasn’t even an outsider.
Watching Jiang Wenshi storm off, Jiang Yu closed the door and chuckled with satisfaction.
He took out his phone and texted Chi Abei: 【Thank you.】
Thank you for showing him that even this family could fall apart.
Jiang Yu thought Chi Abei would definitely ask why he was thanking him with such a strange message. Unexpectedly, the little fool didn’t play by the rules and replied: 【You’re welcome.】
Jiang Yu clicked his tongue at the nonchalant “You’re welcome.”
He really didn’t give anyone a chance to be nice to him.
Saturday morning, Chi Abei sat panting on the gym floor, sighing at the exercise equipment—
Less than half an hour in, and he felt like he was about to meet his great-grandmother!
Lin Xiu came down from a machine and took the towel covering Chi Abei’s head. “You got a gym membership just to play on your phone?”
Chi Abei looked up and saw a drop of sweat running from Lin Xiu’s forehead to his chin, wiped away with his towel. They had been on the equipment for the same amount of time, but Lin Xiu wasn’t as breathless as him.
Lin Xiu moved to another machine. “Let’s see if we can get a refund on your membership. Don’t come with me next time.”
Chi Abei scrambled up and ran to Lin Xiu. “No! There are so many perverts here, what if you get bullied?”
Lin Xiu glanced at him.
Chi Abei was wearing a tank top and shorts. Compared to Lin Xiu’s lean, youthful build, Chi Abei had a small frame, but his arms and legs were soft and chubby, like freshly risen dough. With his face that looked easily deceived, Lin Xiu had already noticed several people trying to chat him up.
Lin Xiu said: “The two of us together, do you think they’d target you or me?”
Chi Abei said without thinking: “Of course they’d target you!”
Lin Xiu didn’t know how he concluded he was easier to trick: “I look easy to trick?”
Chi Abei thought, no, it’s your persona that’s easy to trick!
Chi Abei: “I have to accompany you. You can’t come to such a dangerous place alone.”
Lin Xiu laughed wryly: “Dangerous? Didn’t you recommend this place?”
He did recommend it, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous.
Chi Abei didn’t argue with him; he wouldn’t let him come alone. He went to a treadmill behind Lin Xiu, set the speed to the slowest, and walked on it while playing on his phone.
It was almost eleven o’clock. Jiang Yu had just texted that he’d left home and should be arriving soon.
A man with blue hair walked up to Chi Abei, looking him up and down. “Little brother, want me to teach you?”
Chi Abei was texting Jiang Yu, and said without looking up: “No.”
Lin Xiu heard the commotion behind him, knowing the little fool was being chatted up again. He shook his head helplessly, wondering who was actually the more vulnerable one.
Chi Abei jumped off the treadmill and shouted to Lin Xiu: “Brother, I’m going to get drinks, I’ll be right back.”
Lin Xiu frowned: “Don’t wander off.”
Blue Hair glanced at the person sitting on the lat pulldown machine with their back to him, feeling a little regretful that he wasn’t alone.
Lin Xiu wanted to see who was chatting up Chi Abei, but by the time he looked back, Blue Hair was gone, leaving only a flash of blue hair and a nonchalant back.
…
Jiang Yu texted that he had arrived. Chi Abei went to meet him, passing a milk tea shop on the ground floor, and saw a couple harassing someone in a wheelchair.
The person in the wheelchair was a young man, looking gentle and refined. He was lining up to buy milk tea when his wheelchair accidentally bumped into the woman behind him.
The woman frowned in disgust. “Can you watch where you’re going? Are you blind as well as lame? You bumped into me!”
The young man in the wheelchair apologized repeatedly, trying to turn his chair, but the man kicked the wheel. “If you’re lame, stay home! What’s a cripple doing in a mall!”
The man in the wheelchair didn’t get angry at the insults, continuing to apologize, but the couple wouldn’t let up.
Chi Abei stepped in. “What are you doing, bullying a disabled person? He’s already apologized, what more do you want? It’s just a bump from a wheelchair, did you lose an arm or a leg?”
The man looked at the boy who appeared from nowhere. “What’s it to you? Who are you to him?”
Chi Abei: “I don’t know him, but I know what the Disability Protection Law is. Want me to call the police and get you both locked up for a couple of days?”
The man rolled up his sleeves. “You little brat, you dare call the police—”
Just as the man was about to attack, the wheelchair suddenly blocked his path. This time, the young man didn’t apologize but said, “If you hit me, you might be spending a few extra days in jail.”
Chi Abei pulled out his phone and dialed 110 (the emergency number in China): “Let’s see how long you want to stay.”
Seeing he was serious about calling the police, the woman quickly pulled the man away. “Let’s go, let’s go, my bad!”
Seeing them leave, Chi Abei chased after them a few steps, grumbling, “What? Don’t go! I’ve already called the police; wait here for them!”
A soft chuckle sounded behind him. Chi Abei turned to see the young man who had just been bullied smiling brightly.
Meng Huaqing: “Thank you, kid.”
Chi Abei quickly waved his hand. “You’re welcome. Helping others in need is what everyone should do.” Looking at his wheelchair, Chi Abei asked, “Were you alone, Brother? Didn’t your family come with you?”
Meng Huaqing: “I’m not alone. My sister went to park the car. She asked me to line up for milk tea first. Thank you for helping me. Let me buy you a milk tea.”
Chi Abei: “No, thank you, Brother.”
As Chi Abei ran out of the mall, he brushed past a girl who looked back, then walked in, puzzled. “Brother.”
Meng Huaqing: “Why are you so slow?”
“Parking was a little hard to find.” Meng Ying looked back outside. “I think I saw that little fool from our school just now.”
Meng Huaqing raised an eyebrow. “The one from the Chi family?”
Meng Ying thought about it and thought it was unlikely. “Maybe I was mistaken. That kid couldn’t possibly be here alone.”
Meng Ying turned her head and saw a smile playing on Meng Huaqing’s lips. She leaned closer, “What good thing happened? You’re so happy.”
Meng Huaqing’s smile didn’t fade. “Nothing much, just got helped by a kid.”
Meng Ying: “A kid?”
Meng Huaqing smiled, patting the armrest of his wheelchair. “Yeah, he mentioned the Disability Protection Law.”
Meng Ying looked at his wheelchair, her eyes twitching slightly. “…You’re so free.”
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