MTLY | Chapter 7

◎Colliding with a patch of warm heat.◎

Song Tinghuan was startled by the realization. When she looked up at Jiang Yu again, she was staring at him like he was some scumbag.

Maybe her gaze was too scorching, because Jiang Yu turned his head.

Song Tinghuan didn’t dare speak directly. She always felt Jiang Yu was a little fierce, like he had a bad temper.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

“?”

“You’re about to turn into a hamster from holding it in.”

“???”

Song Tinghuan puffed out her cheeks. How could this guy be like that!

But the instant her cheeks puffed up a little, she froze too.

Jiang Yu had said she looked like a hamster…

A very light laugh slipped out, the boy’s thin chest vibrating with it.

Song Tinghuan looked into Jiang Yu’s eyes. His dark, polished pupils floated with scattered laughter, bright and unhidden.

Jiang Yu, so annoying.

Song Tinghuan pressed her soft red lips together and looked at the smile in Jiang Yu’s eyes. In that moment, he looked even more like a scumbag.

She suddenly remembered that back in Lingcheng, some well-off boys around her had been like this too. They changed girlfriends constantly, and sometimes even flirted with several girls at once.

That was probably a scumbag’s trait. They didn’t even feel ashamed of it, they took pride in it instead.

Anyway, Song Tinghuan really couldn’t understand it.

Jiang Yu didn’t bother explaining. The two of them walked one behind the other, always keeping some distance between them. Song Tinghuan had deliberately done that. She didn’t dare criticize a scumbag, but she could use real action to stay away from one.

Jiang Yu was different.

With his own backpack slung over one shoulder, a paper bag in one hand, and a canvas schoolbag with a little bear charm in the other, he drew countless stares all along the way.

Song Tinghuan realized that this guy was really something. He truly didn’t care about saving face at all, and didn’t mind the looks people gave him from the roadside.

“Whoa, Yu-ge, are you picking up a kid after school?”

A familiar male voice rang out. It was Li Yiliang.

Beside him stood another boy in a pair of thin black-rimmed glasses. Song Tinghuan recognized him too. He had also been at the Jiang family villa that night.

Li Yiliang was wearing a short-sleeved shirt now. The sleeve tattoo on his arm was gone, so clean-looking that it surprised Song Tinghuan.

Li Yiliang was also sizing Song Tinghuan up. He seemed especially curious about her, and asked the bespectacled boy beside him, “Do you think our Yu-ge is going to be a good dad in the future?”

Song Tinghuan: “…”

Jiang Yu looked up and casually tossed the backpack and paper bag in his hand into Li Yiliang’s arms. “Here, your dad’s stuff. Hold onto it.”

Li Yiliang: “…”

Song Tinghuan didn’t understand why boys always liked having other people call them dad.

Jiang Yu had already walked ahead, talking with Han Shuming. Song Tinghuan only caught bits and pieces of something about a “modeling competition.” She withdrew her gaze, then couldn’t help looking back at Li Yiliang’s arm.

Li Yiliang was creeped out by her fixed stare and rubbed his arm. His muscles were indeed pretty good-looking, but not so much that they should be this attractive, right?

“Is it really that… nice-looking?” Li Yiliang asked, unable to suppress his smugness.

Song Tinghuan nodded. Just as Li Yiliang’s eyes lit up, she curiously asked, “Why is it all gone? It was so flashy before.”

Li Yiliang: “…?”

Only after he realized that Song Tinghuan was just studying the old pattern on his arm did Li Yiliang feel a little disappointed. Then he couldn’t resist showing off. “Pretty cool, right? Got it done in the park. Eighty yuan for one design, buy two get one free.”

Song Tinghuan: “…”

Li Yiliang was tall and sturdy. Carrying Song Tinghuan’s schoolbag and uniform, he flashed a row of white teeth. “Classmate, your surname is Song?”

Song Tinghuan didn’t want to answer.

The rumor that she was Jiang Yu’s niece had spread from this very Li Yiliang, and had forced her to become Jiang Yu’s junior by a whole generation for no reason.

But he was still helping her carry her bag… Song Tinghuan pressed her lips together and answered in a soft, patient voice, “Song Tinghuan.”

Her voice was gentle and sweet.

Li Yiliang froze on the spot. So soft, like a cat meowing, adorable as hell.

Glancing at the schoolbag in his hand, Li Yiliang suddenly felt inspired. “Damn, did Yu-ge buy this schoolbag for you?”

Song Tinghuan didn’t answer, but the moist black of her eyes gave him the answer, as if to say, what’s the problem?

Li Yiliang said, “You must be Yu-ge’s real niece.”

Song Tinghuan: “?”

She wanted to curse.

Li Yiliang was thick-headed and didn’t notice the little girl’s indignation at all. “He bought you a schoolbag and even ignored the class beauty’s confession. The way he plays uncle, that’s really on point.”

“…” Song Tinghuan stopped and looked up at the towering Li Yiliang. “I’m not his niece, and he’s not my uncle. Please stop saying nonsense.”

“Also, doesn’t he already have a girlfriend? Refusing another girl’s confession is only normal, right?”

Her voice was soft, but her words were serious. She was practically one step away from asking whether they thought it was especially glorious to date several girls at the same time.

Li Yiliang stood there stunned. He hadn’t actually said anything harsh, so why did he somehow feel like he’d just been lectured?

But Li Yiliang had his own point of focus. “Yu-ge has a girlfriend? Who? Fuck! He actually has a girlfriend and didn’t tell me? This father-son relationship is over!”

Song Tinghuan: “…”

Whether it was because Li Yiliang’s voice was too loud or because Song Tinghuan had just said something too shocking, when Song Tinghuan turned her head, she saw that Jiang Yu and Han Shuming had already stopped and were looking over at them.

Han Shuming was smiling politely. Jiang Yu had both hands in his pants pockets, his tea-dark eyes showing no clear emotion, but the look he gave them was especially familiar.

This time, he wasn’t looking at one idiot.

He was looking at two.

Li Yiliang strode up in two steps. “You have a girlfriend? Who? Zhang Xinran? Chen Tong? Fang Yashi… shit, don’t tell me it’s that junior from ninth grade!”

Song Tinghuan: “…”

Jiang Yu didn’t bother with Li Yiliang’s meltdown. He only cast a faint glance at Song Tinghuan.

“What time does it start?” he asked Han Shuming.

“Eight-thirty.”

“Okay.”

Hearing the conversation between the two of them, Li Yiliang was a little dumbfounded. “Wait, are you two planning to ditch me and secretly go have a date for two?”

Jiang Yu said, “Yeah, if you want to make it three people, that’s not impossible.”

Li Yiliang: “…Get lost!”

For some reason, Li Yiliang suddenly thought of something and shuddered. Seeing that Song Tinghuan apparently hadn’t understood, he coughed lightly and said, “Junior, your uncle… your brother isn’t a good person. Stay away from him, or you’ll get led astray.”

Jiang Yu let out a soft sneer. This little girl was far more twisted in her little thoughts than he was.

Han Shuming and Li Yiliang lived in another direction. After parting with them, Jiang Yu answered a phone call, and Song Tinghuan followed behind him step by step.

When they reached a quiet side road, Song Tinghuan had kept her head lowered the whole time. Suddenly, the light in front of her went dark, and she almost walked straight into the person ahead of her.

The boy’s back was broad and straight, his shoulder line level. Song Tinghuan stepped back and put some distance between herself and Jiang Yu, then peeked out.

This look was enough to make her stiffen. Song Tinghuan instinctively tightened the school uniform she was holding in her arms and swallowed hard.

Standing opposite them were three punk-looking boys with different hair colors. One of them was even wearing an Eight Middle School uniform. The three stood in a row and formed a perfect traffic light.

Seeing Jiang Yu, the blond-haired one spoke first. “You’re Jiang Yu?”

Jiang Yu lazily put away his phone, the corner of his lips lifting slightly.

That barely noticeable little gesture of arrogance clearly irritated the other side. The blond crushed out his cigarette. “You’re the one who broke two of A-Sheng’s ribs?”

Song Tinghuan immediately sorted out the grudges here. A-Sheng, the boss of Eight Middle School whose ribs had been broken by Jiang Yu, and they’d fought because of Han Jingjing.

Seeing that Jiang Yu still didn’t answer, the green-haired one beside the blond got anxious. “Boss, it’s him. It was because Brother Sheng said a couple of things about his brother being trash.”

Then, resentful and furious, the green-haired boy shouted at Jiang Yu, “Don’t you remember Brother Sheng? Last month, you broke his ribs and he’s still lying in the hospital now.”

Song Tinghuan wanted to tug at Jiang Yu to remind him that the other side outnumbered them, but just as her fingertips touched the sleeve of his hoodie, she saw Jiang Yu tilt his head slightly, as if thinking, and then spit out four words with infuriating casualness: “No impression.”

Song Tinghuan: “…”

Ge, I know you’re good at fighting, but could you also please look at the situation!

Perhaps sensing the tension in the person beside him, Jiang Yu lowered his eyes and met Song Tinghuan’s panicked gaze. The little girl was still clutching his school uniform in her arms, and the fingers gripping his sleeve tightened unconsciously.

Jiang Yu suddenly gave a light laugh and raised a hand to ruffle the top of Song Tinghuan’s hair. “Go stand over there.”

Song Tinghuan was truly nervous. Even she herself hadn’t realized she was clutching the sleeve of Jiang Yu’s hoodie so tightly.

Jiang Yu said, “That scared?”

Song Tinghuan didn’t answer. Her eyes were soft and black, full of helplessness. Jiang Yu seemed to sigh softly. Then he reached out with his other hand, caught Song Tinghuan’s wrist, pulled her to the roadside, and set both their bags down with one motion.

“Stay here. If they make a move later, run. Don’t take anything with you.”

Song Tinghuan: “?”

“Also, keep this to yourself. I’ll buy you candy tonight.”

“…”

The blond-haired one across from them had clearly lost his patience. “Fuck, you’re dragging this out. What, soothing a kid?”

Jiang Yu slowly turned around, the smile at the corner of his lips not fading at all. “Yeah, soothing a kid.”

Song Tinghuan stood frozen in place. The blond cursed again and ordered the lackey beside him, “Take him down for me! Beat him to death if you have to!”

The red-haired one beside him rushed forward. Song Tinghuan subconsciously closed her eyes. The air froze for an instant, the sound of bones twisting and breaking was especially clear, followed by a scream.

It wasn’t Jiang Yu’s voice.

Song Tinghuan narrowed her eyes open and saw that the red-haired punk who had charged at them aggressively was already on the ground, rolling around while clutching his arm.

Song Tinghuan: “…”

The green-haired one across from them was obviously shocked into submission, fear and uncertainty flashing in his eyes. Jiang Yu tilted his head slightly.

“Continue?”

Green hair said, “B-boss, maybe we…”

“Bullshit!” The blond obviously didn’t want to lose face like this. He spat on the ground, then swung a fist straight at Jiang Yu’s face.

Jiang Yu dodged to the side, caught the blond’s wrist with one hand, hooked the other arm around his neck, and smashed the blond’s face into his raised knee.

He was holding back a savage streak. His movements were sharp and ruthless, completely unlike the boy who was always loose and lazy in everyday life. Song Tinghuan stood dumbly by the roadside, the police number on her phone still not dialed out.

This was completely one-sided. When all three punks were thrown to the ground, Jiang Yu frowned at the marks clawed into his sleeve cuff.

In the quiet alley, phoenix tree leaves rustled softly. The boy’s cold, detached voice rang out. “Next time before you start a fight, can you wash your hands first?”

Song Tinghuan: “…”

Suddenly she remembered Guan Linlin’s evaluation of Jiang Yu: handsome, yes, but also cocky and full of himself.

She hadn’t really understood what that meant before, but now… she seemed to get it a little.

In her dazed line of sight, a face with Jiang Yu’s smiling lips appeared and filled her vision.

Jiang Yu clicked his tongue softly. “You’ve got some guts.”

“You…” Song Tinghuan looked him up and down, as if checking whether he was hurt. But with the way he had fought just now, there probably wasn’t anyone who could hurt him.

Behind Jiang Yu, the blond who had been groaning on the ground for a long while seemed unwilling to give up. He trembled as he reached into his pants pocket. Song Tinghuan only caught sight of a thin white blade.

Almost purely by instinct, Song Tinghuan shoved Jiang Yu away and threw the school uniform in her hand toward the blond.

The suddenly tossed uniform blocked the blond’s line of sight, and the direction of the knife in his hand went off. In that instant, Jiang Yu turned sideways, clamped a hand over the back of Song Tinghuan’s head, pressed her into his arms, and raised his other hand to block it.

The blade cut a thin streak of blood across the back of his hand.

Jiang Yu kicked the blond in the lower abdomen and sent him flying three meters away.

Clang.

The knife slipped from his hand and hit the roadside.

Song Tinghuan was still shaken, gasping for breath. Just now she had watched that knife swing straight toward her with her own eyes. She didn’t feel the pain of being cut on the cheek, because she had crashed into a patch of warm heat. In her nose was the familiar scent, the clean, cool scent unique to Jiang Yu.

The blond was still wailing by the roadside. Song Tinghuan looked up and met Jiang Yu’s lowered gaze.

In the corner of her vision, blood marked the back of his pale hand.

Song Tinghuan’s tears came rushing up at once. “You… your hand.”

Jiang Yu looked down at her, his dark eyes burning. “Mm, it’s injured.”

Song Tinghuan instinctively pulled herself out of his arms and grabbed Jiang Yu’s hand. “What do we do?”

Something lightly brushed the corner of her eye, and the tears didn’t get a chance to fall. Song Tinghuan watched as Jiang Yu withdrew the hand that had touched the corner of her eye. The boy smiled lazily. “Song Tingting, you really are my accomplice now.”

Song Tinghuan didn’t understand, only her eyes were red at the corners.

“So you have to keep it a secret, understand?”