Chapter 22.2 – Speech

translator: xiin
editor: butter

Song Yu walked forward towards the wall.

Zhu Zhixing stiffened as soon as he approached. He even stopped breathing.

Song Yu was taller than him, and he stood up straight.

He lifted his head, looking up at the graffiti beneath the love tree. His voice was distant, “Why did you target Xie Sui like that in junior high.”

Zhu Zhixing’s fingers trembled, his small eyes staring in front of him.

Messy lines of text, childish patterns.

Why had he targeted Xie Sui… probably, it was all due to jealousy. He was good looking, had good grades, and the people he tried his best to please only paid attention to Xie Sui. In the narrow building corridors, amidst endless cursing and swearing that took place every day, there were also the hateful discussions about Xie Sui’s mother. Malice was born, and false information was spread. He’d gotten used to it after a long time.

But it was now too late to say all of that.

Zhu Zhixing’s brain was blank. He’d been frightened by Song Yu in the billiards hall, and now the fear still lingered in his mind.

He was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to survive today.

Tears came down again and he cried in a hoarse voice.

“I was wrong, big brother, I was wrong, I won’t talk nonsense again in the future, really.”

Song Yu: “Tell him why.”

Zhu Zhixing’s nose was red, his eyes tearful as he looked at him, not understanding what he wanted.

Song Yu continued, “Junior high class group. Maybe he really doesn’t care, but this is a long overdue apology that you guys owe him.”

For Zhu Zhixing, this night was really a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from.

His spirit was tense, his limbs stiff.

What people feared most was always the threat of the unknown.

Fear and regret flooded his mind, tearing through his thoughts.

He was scared out of his wits, standing alone by the wall as he scraped off the words bit by bit, his fingertips hurt and bleeding, but he didn’t dare stop.

“Let’s go, it’s almost seven.”

Song Yu turned away.

Ma Xiaoding was still indignant, “Brother Yu! Are we just going to let him go like that?”

Song Yu glanced at him, “You beating him up won’t be as effective as this in teaching him a lesson.”

Ma Xiaoding choked and thought of Zhu Zhixing’s scared silly expression as he stood in front of the wall. He had to shut up.

It seemed like there was some truth there, and Zhu Zhixing, this fool, had better not think about going home tonight. Just let him stay there.

Song Yu and Xie Sui walked ahead.

The September night wind was dry and hot. The earth was an orange red, and the sky was gradually darkening while the high buildings cast shadows over the world. There were many camphor trees planted on both sides of the road, and the leaves on the ground danced with the wind.

Song Yu quietly turned his head over to look at Xie Sui.

Although he’d issued a challenge and beat people up today, and his movements had been like floating clouds and flowing water, in retrospect, he felt a little uncertain.

Now that he’d done this––would Xie Sui really be happy?

In fact, there were some things that weren’t suited to being recalled and brought up again and again.

Song Yu frowned briefly.

Xie Sui walked on in silence, his thin lips pursed, his side profile beautiful and cold. He didn’t speak, and it gave people the feeling that he was very difficult to approach.

Xie Sui was thinking about things.

He wasn’t Song Yu, who would get over things after beating others up. If he really made a move, even if he didn’t have the identity of Young Master Xie from City A, he would still be able to make Zhu Zhixing’s family fall into darkness forever.

“Are you angry?”

After hesitating for a long time, Song Yu still chose to tilt his head and ask what he’d been thinking.

Xie Sui’s thoughts were interrupted. He was a little surprised, then drew his brows together and asked lightly, “Why would you ask that.”

When Song Yu wasn’t beating people up, he really didn’t look like a school bully at all.

His eyelashes curled up, his pupils were clear, and he looked incredibly well-behaved and delicate.

Song Yu thought about it, and his reply was very honest.

“I brought you to this place on my own initiative, but maybe you hadn’t wanted to come back. I’m sorry.”

Xie Sui’s steps paused. He tilted his head to look at him, his dark eyes holding some amusement and gentleness that even he wasn’t aware of, but his voice retained its tranquility.

“You’re actually apologizing to me for that?”

Song Yu hesitated, “I think that there are some things from the past that you might not want to have others know about.”

Not everyone liked to tell others about their misery.

The smile on Xie Sui’s lips deepened.

Really cute.

However, Song Yu’s words were correct.

There were many past events that he didn’t want to recall or share.

The place they went to today.

If anyone other than Song Yu had been the one to bring him here.

The results would be very different.

A trace of deep meaning flashed through Xie Sui’s eyes.

He thought of his last life.

His childhood wasn’t a secret in A City’s upper class society. Many people, particularly women, looked for clues on his life everywhere in order to piece together a silhouette of his miserable childhood life, using it to get in front of him and express their care, tenderness, and love, attempting to get closer with an attitude of ‘I understand you’.

In reality.

It was like digging their own grave.

Xie Sui smiled faintly, “I’m not angry.”

Because it’s you.

Song Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Even after reading the original story, he still didn’t feel that he knew Xie Sui.

“It’s good that you’re not angry.”

So then, it was like saying a complete goodbye to the past.

He’d tossed his things to Ma Xiaoding to hold, leaving only a packet of mints on Song Yu’s body.

He opened up the package and took out a transparent blue candy. He placed it into his mouth, then took out another one and passed it to Xie Sui, asking, “Do you want one?”

He’d just been sharing it subconsciously and soon remembered that Xie Sui had rejected him last time.

“Oh, right, you don’t eat––” The word ‘candy’ arrived at his throat but didn’t come out.

Song Yu’s eyes opened wide and he watched in a daze as Xie Sui took the mint from his hand.

???

He was stunned for a while, and he also asked very directly, “Don’t you not eat candy?”

Xie Sui smiled, “I want to try it. I feel that it should taste very sweet.”

Song Yu sucked on the candy in his mouth and muttered, “Mints aren’t sweet.”

*

When they arrived back at No.1 High, it was just two minutes before 7PM.

It was just that when they went back to Class One, there was nobody there.

Ma Xiaoding called Xi Bowen. After understanding the situation, he hung up the phone and was brimming with anger as he said, “Damn it! Brother Yu, I feel like our class teacher is targeting you! We aren’t even late! But she went ahead and left early, even purposely leaving a snide remark and saying that you’re not here to study but to stir up shit, leading students astray on the first day! Damnit! What’s her problem!”

Song Yu curved his lips briefly and wasn’t bothered by it, “If she doesn’t take us there, we’ll go over by ourselves.”

The rebellion in Ma Xiaoding’s bones started to move sluggishly, “Brother Yu, you’re still going?! She’s already given up on us. Why don’t we go to the internet cafe instead? Let me tell you, the boss was talking to me and pushing a new online game called Extreme Owl Mania. It sounds really interesting.”

Song Yu didn’t care about the ‘school bully’ or ‘street bully’ titles that sounded really poser-like, but he was very dedicated to the title of ‘study god’.

They all picked up their handbooks and headed to the auditorium. After he heard Ma Xiaoding’s words, Song Yu turned around and smacked him on the head with it.

“She gave up on you, so you’ll just go ahead and give up on yourself? What kind of logic is that. Get your ass to the auditorium. Xie Sui’s giving a speech as the freshman representative.”

Ma Xiaoding got beaten then slapped himself on the forehead as he suddenly saw the light and realized, “Oh, right! Xie Sui is going up on stage. Brother Yu, you and Xie Sui should go first. I’ll go and find my younger brothers and buy some glow sticks first! We have to do a good job! The momentum is going to be enough to take down 100 enemies with a single person!”

Song Yu: “???”

But he had no chance to stop him. Ma Xiaoding had already run outside.

“……” Song Yu turned to Xie Sui and said, “In fact, he calls me Brother Yu, but I don’t acknowledge it.”

No.1 High School’s auditorium was quite close to the teaching building.

It was very large and could hold thousands of people inside, but Song Yu had run straight to the back stage.

After all, Xie Sui still needed some time to prepare.

On the way over.

Song Yu tried to find something to talk about and chanted like a mantra, “Don’t be nervous don’t be nervous don’t be nervous don’t be nervous don’t be nervous.”

Xie Sui deliberately wanted to tease him. His dark eyes drooped to half mast and he lowered his gaze, smiling, “What should I do if I get stage fright?”

Song Yu was put on the spot.

He stopped, took out his cell phone, and went to look it up on baidu, “Wait a minute.”

Xie Sui really waited.

Song Yu read off baidu, “The causes of stage fright are related to the adequacy of preparation, familiarity with the audience, and the size of the audience. I see.”

Inspiration hit. Song Yu turned off the screen and said to Xie Sui, “This time, I’ll definitely sit in the most prominent position. You’ll be able to see me as soon as you look up, and you just have to treat everyone else like air and make your speech to me. It should be easier when you’re facing someone you know.”

He managed to amuse Xie Sui. His lips curved, and he said meaningfully, “Alright, I’ll treat them like air. My eyes only have you.”

“……”

Song Yu always felt that something wasn’t right.

—

Butter’s Thoughts:
XS: My eyes only have you
Butter: The confession was so early!
XS: *silently kills Butter* those words were not for you to hear
Butter: [slaughtered.jpg]

xiin: it’s so cute that XS is teasing SY and SY is so serious about it all~