“Since you dislike him, won’t you be depressed if I were to spend time with him everyday?”

    Bian JinYuan’s smile deepened as he heard this. He moved closer to Lu YunFei, wanting to kiss him, but held himself back.

    “Then what if I dislike Li YuanQing?” Bian JinYuan asked on purpose.

    Lu YunFei’s eyes widened in shock, “You dislike Li YuanQing?”

    This was serious. After all, Li YuanQing was his childhood friend!

    “How about you tell me what about him you dislike and I’ll ask him to change?” Lu YunFei tried.

    Bian JinYuan scoffed, in that case he had too many things about him that he disliked. Not counting how they had grown up together, the both of them had even slept under the same tent. He hadn’t even slept with Lu YunFei under the same tent!

    Very obviously, today’s Li YuanQing was once again buried under Bian JinYuan’s heart.

    After school in the afternoon, Dai HanSen quickly packed his bag and walked over to Lu YunFei, “Want to have a meal together? I’ve got no one at home.”

    “Nevermind,” Lu YunFei rejected.

    Dai HanSen tried to persuade him, “You’re really not going? I discovered a barbecue place two days ago, it’s really delicious.”

    Lu YunFei was now tempted to have barbeque now that he had mentioned it, but he definitely could not eat with Dai HanSen.

    “Not going, I’ve got to go home.”

    Dai HanSen saw how he wouldn’t budge and could only bid goodbye as he left the classroom.

    Seeing him leave, Lu YunFei turned to Bian JinYuan, “Is teacher Bian working part-time today?”

    “No,” Bian JinYuan packed his bag and stood up, “Liu jie gave me a week’s break.”

    “Then let’s go have barbeque!” Lu YunFei said excitedly, “I haven’t had barbeque in so long. I’ve got a craving after he mentioned it.”

    “Then you didn’t go with him,” Bian JinYuan pointed out intentionally.

    Lu YunFei felt that he was being very childish now. But since Bian JinYuan rarely showed this side of him, it came across as cute, “What to do, I’m paying respects to my teacher and only wish to eat barbecue with my teacher.”

    “I see that the Physics teacher hasn’t left yet, you can invite him.”

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    “But compared to the Physics teacher, I like teacher Bian more.”

    Bian JinYuan smiled, “You like who?”

    This rendered Lu YunFei speechless. Seeing how he had finished packing up, he punched his arm, “I like you. Aren’t you childish.”

    Bian JinYuan didn’t think he was being childish. In fact he was quite happy. Even though Lu YunFei’s ‘like’ was not the same kind of ‘like’ that he possessed, it was still ‘like’. And so he very happily accompanied Lu YunFei for barbecue.

    At night, Dai HanSen wanted to chat with Lu YunFei and sent him a WeChat message, but Lu YunFei was set on drifting away from him, so he pretended not to see it. The next day, Dai HanSen stopped him in class, “Why didn’t you reply to my WeChat message?”

    “I didn’t look at my phone,” Lu YunFei said, “I was busy with assignments.”

    This was the truth. After all, these training classes were not for show, and the teachers assigned homework everyday.

    Dai HanSen heard this and didn’t press the issue, even if he believed it or not. He only said: “My younger sister’s birthday is in a few days. I don’t quite know what presents to buy for girls, why don’t you accompany me?”

    “But I don’t know either,” Lu YunFei replied.

    This was also the truth. Every time it came to Lu YunShang’s birthday, Lu YunFei would buy jewellery or simply give her a red envelope. It got to the point where Lu YunShang felt that her younger brother was overly fulfilling the stereotype of a straight man in this aspect.

    “It’s okay, the both of us together is better than me choosing alone. Perhaps it could even be considered two negatives making a positive.”

    Lu YunFei felt that he was quite persistent. To be honest, if Bian JinYuan didn’t dislike him, he would actually be okay with accompanying Dai HanSen to buy a birthday present. But Bian JinYuan simply didn’t like him, and he couldn’t associate with Dai HanSen while knowing that.

    “Besides,” Lu YunFei said casually, “Dai HanSen, I think that our priority right now is to study. I was more relaxed before when Bian JinYuan wasn’t here to monitor my studies. Now that he’s back, I’ve got to study hard, so I doubt that I’d have time to hang out with you in the future.”

    Lu YunFei’s words were said in a roundabout way, but the main point was quite clear. Dai HanSen wasn’t dumb and clearly understood the crux of his words.

    He looked at Lu YunFei and asked, “Bian JinYuan doesn’t want us to hang out together?”

    “Of course not,” Lu YunFei didn’t want to throw the pot to Bian JinYuan, and so he took it upon himself, “I want to concentrate on my studies. Aren’t we about to be year threes soon? And look, we’ve got a competition tied to these training classes.”

    “It’s just a trip to the shopping mall, it won’t take up too much of your time. Moreover, who is he to monitor you? You’re not a small child, and he isn’t your parent either. On what grounds is he to monitor your studies?”

    “He may not be my parent, but he’s my teacher,” Lu YunFei explained, “he’s the reason for my rapid improvement in English, so it’s natural for him to monitor my studies.”

    “I could also tutor you in English,” Dai HanSen promoted himself, “Furthermore, I won’t monitor you.”

    “There’s no need, I think it’s fine for him to teach.”

    The bell rang for class as the both of them talked, so Lu YunFei ended the conversation with, “So just go on your own, I’m going to be busy as I continue to study for English, so I won’t go with you.”

    Dai HanSen looked at him and didn’t reply, as he turned to head back to his seat.

    Lu YunFei felt that he was probably unhappy with him. Thinking about it, Dai HanSen would definitely be unhappy to be rejected for such a small request. But this couldn’t be helped. He and Dai HanSen could not be friends, so this was for the best. At least Dai HanSen wouldn’t look for him anymore.

    Lu YunFei thought to this point and breathed out as he returned to his seat.

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    Dai HanSen did not look for him anymore, because he picked a time to look for Bian JinYuan instead.

    “Don’t you think you’re too much?” Dai HanSen sat in Lu YunFei’s seat and got straight to the point, “Lu YunFei has his own preferences and friends. Since you’re his friend, you should respect him and not restrict him, wouldn’t you think so?”

    Bian JinYuan ignored him.

    Dai HanSen continued, “I know that you don’t have many friends, but just because you don’t doesn’t mean you should restrict him making friends to become like you!”

    Bian JinYuan calmly took out his book to place on his desk as he said blandly, “You’re envious?”

    Dai HanSen scoffed, “I just think you’re too much.”

    “Between us, who’s too much?” Bian JinYuan glanced at him and said coldly: “I think it’s you. Scram back to your seat, stop being an eyesore here.”

    “Do you think that I want to talk to you? I’m only here because you’re limiting Lu YunFei in making friends. Bian JinYuan, what right to you have to monitor him, do you even speak the same language? Do you know what comics his favourite artists draw? Do you know when and where his favourite singers hold their concerts, or how to buy their tickets? Do you know what brand of shoes he likes to wear often, and what series they’d come out with each season? You don’t know anything, so on what grounds are you monitoring him? The you right now are afraid of him knowing more interesting people and neglecting you, aren’t you?”

    Bian JinYuan chuckled under his breath, “Then do you know which university he wants to go to?”

    He raised his eyes to look at Dai HanSen and said frostily, “He wants to go to Tsinghua University.”

    “And you?” Bian JinYuan ridiculed, “Are you able to get into Tsinghua University? Could you help him get in? You can’t, but I can.”

    “Dai HanSen,” Bian JinYuan looked at him with disdain, “you think too highly of yourself. Only you know what comics his favourite artist likes? Only you could help him to get concert tickets? Only you could talk to him about the models of his favourite brands? No. Li YuanQing can, Wen MingYi as well. Most of those who know Lu YunFei can. But I’m the only one who can help him get into the school that he wants to go to.”

    “So,” Bian JinYuan smiled, “you’re the easiest for him to neglect and replace. However I’m not. I’m currently indispensable to him.”

    Dai HanSen hadn’t expected him to say all these, and was momentarily stunned.

    “What are you still sitting here for, are you waiting for Lu YunFei to tell you to get lost?”

    Dai HanSen clenched his hands, “You don’t really treat him as a friend. You’re only leveraging on your good grades so that he needs your help, in order to control and restrict him. You don’t treat him as an equal at all!”

    “Scram,” Bian JinYuan couldn’t be bothered to continue listening to his rubbish, “My relationship with him is not for you to spout nonsense on.”

    Dai HanSen stood up and angrily left Lu YunFei’s seat.

    Bian JinYuan then lay on his desk and closed his eyes to take a quick nap.

    Lu YunFei had climbed the spiral staircase and hadn’t entered the classroom when he was pulled aside by Dai HanSen at the door.

    “What are you doing?” Lu YunFei didn’t understand.

    “I have something for you to hear,” Dai HanSen took out his phone and plugged in his earphones, handing it to him.

    Lu YunFei didn’t know what was going on and put the earphones in his ears. As he did so, he heard the conversation between Dai HanSen and Bian JinYuan. He quietly listened to it as he looked at Dai HanSen.

    “I know that he had something to do with you drifting away from me, so I went to look for him to try to talk to him. But he didn’t have any intention to talk to me properly, nor did he want to listen to me. YunFei, he’s banking on his good grades for you to rely on his help, and so he doesn’t respect you, nor does he respect your freedom in making friends.”

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    Lu YunFei asked for his phone and deleted the recording.

    “You seem quite well-prepared,” he said casually, “even specially recording it.”

    “I just didn’t think that he was this sort of person, and adding to my worry that I wouldn’t be able to explain the situation, I recorded it.”

    “Really? But I think that you predicted that he would say this, so you intentionally recorded it,” Lu YunFei said.

    Dai HanSen got a bit anxious and feigned surprise, “YunFei how could you think that.”

    Lu YunFei smiled, “Is it now? If it wasn’t then forget it.”

    “Of course not, do I look like that sort of person to you?” Dai HanSen protested.

    “Then do you have anything else to say?”

    “None,” Dai HanSen shook his head.

    Lu YunFei nodded and prepared to leave.

    Dai HanSen reached out to grab his arm, “You don’t have anything else to say?”

    “Ah, I do,” Lu YunFei suddenly thought of it, “This conversation was based on a false assumption, because he has never restricted me. I was the one who wanted to concentrate on my studies, so I didn’t want to hang out too much with you. This is unrelated to him. If you have any opinions or thoughts on this, tell me directly. Don’t disturb him, he’s usually very busy. Truly very busy.”

    Dai HanSen: …

    “Also, there was something that Bian Bian said that was not exactly right,” Lu YunFei said, “I do have a lot of friends with whom I can talk about comics, cars, singers, and brands. He’s right about Li YuanQing, Wen MingYi and others. However, these are not crucial to my life. I’m alright even if nobody talks to me about these topics. Even though he doesn’t talk about this, we still have a lot of common topics between us.”

    Lu YunFei finished saying this and pulled away from Dai HanSen to enter the classroom.

    Dai HanSen clenched his fists even tighter as he looked at Lu YunFei’s back.

    Bian JinYuan was working on the vacation homework when Lu YunFei entered the classroom, his back straight in a good posture, while his face didn’t bare much expression.

    Lu YunFei sat beside him and asked, “Dai HanSen looked for you just now?”

    “You know about it?”

    “I not only know about it, I also know that he had secretly recorded your conversation.”

    Bian JinYuan froze. He hadn’t realised. He didn’t have the habit of doing so, and he didn’t often interact with others. It was normal for such short conversations to occur.

    “He let you listen to it.”

    This was a statement. After all, Dai HanSen wouldn’t have needed to resort to recording if not to let Lu YunFei listen to it.

    Lu YunFei nodded, “He let me listen to it right outside the classroom just now.”

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    Bian JinYuan creased his brows, “Ignore him.”

    “What?” Lu YunFei teased, “talking bad about me behind my back?”

    “What’s there for me to talk bad about you?”

    “Well then perhaps you didn’t say anything good about me.”

    Bian JinYuan smiled, “What good things do you want me to say?”

    “For example, I’m indispensable to you.”

    These words sounded all too familiar. Bian JinYuan suddenly recalled what he had told Dai HanSen and could only cough in embarrassment.

    Lu YunFei saw this and laughed, “Why haven’t I discovered how well you are with words, indispensable even. Teacher Bian is very confident in himself huh~”

    Bian JinYuan: …

    “However teacher Bian is right. Teacher Bian is currently indispensable,” Lu YunFei said gleefully.

    Bian JinYuan turned to look at him, “Have you completed your English vacation homework yet?”

    “I have, just waiting for my indispensable teacher Bian to go through it.”

    Bian JinYuan: …

    “Are you helping Li Hua write an essay again today?”

    Lu YunFei sighed heavily, “Of course, teacher Bian may be indispensable to me, but I’m not indispensable to teacher Bian. That’s why teacher Bian you can say such merciless words without any thought.”

    Bian JinYuan: …

    Bian JinYuan looked upwards speechlessly, “Must you say such things this morning?”

    “Can’t I?”

    “You can,” Bian JinYuan looked back down at him, and got closer to say, “Gege can say whatever he wants as long as it makes gege happy, right gege?”

    With this, he even smiled gently in Lu YunFei’s direction.

    Lu YunFei: …

    Bian JinYuan saw how he had lapsed into silence and gently teased, “Why isn’t gege saying anything?”

    Lu gege: …

    Bian JinYuan turned back in satisfaction and continued to work on his assignments.

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    Lu YunFei pouted silently as he saw how he was overturned, but couldn’t help but smile at this. He scooted over to lean on Bian JinYuan’s shoulder as he said softly, “Don’t take what Dai HanSen said seriously. What you said was all accurate, I have a lot of friends and don’t need people like Dai HanSen. However, there’s only one of you.”

    Bian JinYuan looked up, “You still want a few more?”

    “Tsk tsk tsk, Bian Bian are you getting jealous?” Lu YunFei smiled, “Don’t worry, one of you is enough. You’re so awesome that one is enough.”

    Bian JinYuan looked at him and slowly smiled.

    Lu YunFei leaned down to look at him, and couldn’t resist reaching out to touch the corner of his mouth.

    Bian JinYuan froze, his expression a look of surprise.

    Lu YunFei smiled and explained in slight embarrassment: “I couldn’t resist.”

    Bian JinYuan looked at him and said gently, “It’s okay.”

    Lu YunFei then got a bit more daring and poked a few more times.

    Bian JinYuan: …

    Bian JinYuan suspected that Lu YunFei probably wanted to poke a dimple out for him.

    The next day during Mathematics class, Lu YunFei told Wen MingYi what had happened. Wen MingYi exclaimed with a “Wow”, and stared at him for a long while, “I couldn’t tell that YunFei you’re so popular that people are willing to act Beyond the Realm of Conscience for you.”

    “Shut up you,” Lu YunFei replied.

    Wen MingYi snorted, “I’d said so, trying to get in your good books. This Dai HanSen definitely isn’t anyone good, even recording the conversation. Did he think he was Yàn QīngChí!”

    “Who’s Yan QingChi?” Lu YunFei was curious.

    “A character I read from a book, a walking voice recorder,” Wen MingYi said as he laughed.

    Lu YunFei nodded.

    “Anyway,” Wen MingYi patted his shoulder, “you should pay less attention to this hair dryer.”

    “Hair dryer?”

    “Dai HanSen is equals to Dyson is equals to a hair dryer✚. Don’t give him any mind. Tell me if he acts up again, I’ll help you scold him.”

    “No need, I can handle it myself.”

    “Then good luck.”

    “Don’t worry.”

    A mere hair dryer wasn’t anything to be afraid of.

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    After Dai HanSen got no results from his attempt, he could only cease for the time being despite being angry about it. Lu YunFei noticed that the frequency of him looking for him had reduced, and no longer put him on his mind.

    On the other hand, Bian JinYuan had found himself in a spot of trouble.

    He kept watch at the car that had followed him through his peripheral vision. This type of expensive car was not supposed to appear at this little alley, but it had already appeared a few times. At this thought, Bian JinYuan halted his steps. This was already the third sighting in a week since August.

    Bian JinYuan walked over and knocked on the window, wanting to clarify things.

    He waited for a while, yet the window didn’t roll down. However, the door opened and a man walked out. The summer sunlight was bright. He raised his hands to take off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of clear bright eyes.

    Those eyes were slightly turned up at the outer edge. They were double-lidded, with thick eyelashes that obscured the eyes as they lowered.

    Bian JinYuan looked at the person on the other side of the car. In that moment, every question was stuck in his throat. There was no longer any use asking. He already knew the answer.

    The man looked at him and remained silent for a while, before finally opening his mouth, “Bian JinYuan?”

    Bian JinYuan nodded.

    He said, “I’m Yuán Shuò.”

    Bian JinYuan replied calmly: “Never heard of you.”

    Yuan Shuo paused for a beat before continuing, “Bian Ting is your mother, correct?”

    “That’s right.”

    Yuan Shuo looked at him. Under the bright summer sky, the young man’s face held a touch of familiarity. He looked like Bian Ting and also himself. He had never expected to discover that he had a child just from signing a contract.

    If it wasn’t for Lu XiangMing bringing this up, and if the surname ‘Bian’ wasn’t so uncommon, Yuan Shuo felt that they would probably never have crossed paths. Just like how seventeen years ago, despite visiting this city, he never realised that Bian Ting was here, and he never knew that himself and Bian Ting had a child.

    Silent, he looked at Bian JinYuan who was quietly standing on the other side of the car. He had a similar type of eyes as him. It was just that those pair of eyes expressed neither surprise, sadness, nor elation. It was an expression that brooked no emotions, as if he were looking at a stranger. In that instance, Yuan Shuo couldn’t help but sigh.

    He thought of what he had heard from Lu YunFei’s father, “This child is very intelligent, always topping the exams. My son has gone through so many tutors for English in vain, but since teacher Xiao Bian started tutoring him, his grades have been improving.”

    “However this child has it hard. Even though Xiao Fei didn’t tell us the gist of what his family’s situation is like, but just think about it – a year two student who has to work more than one part-time job, means that his family’s situation isn’t too good. Every time we bring up giving him a raise, he refuses. We don’t want to bring it up too often for fear that he’ll hurt his ego, so we just give him a bigger red packet when New Year comes.”

    Yuan Shuo lowered his head and sighed. He pushed his emotions down and tried to smile as he said to the young man before him, “Could you have a chat with me in the car?”

    Bian JinYuan said quietly, “Sure.”

    His answer was too calm.

    No questions, no extra words, to the point that Yuan Shuo reacted to it, “You know who I am?”

    Bian JinYuan was his usual indifferent self, his words simple and concise, “I’m not blind.”

    He used to hear about how Bian Jie said how much he resembled his mother. He thought so too, but now that he had met Yuan Shuo, he realised that he not only looked like his mother, but his father too. So at the moment when Yuan Shuo had taken off his sunglasses, Bian JinYuan understood everything.

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    Why he had been following him in his car so often. The only thing that he didn’t understand was why now. However, Bian JinYuan thought that this didn’t involve him. After all, he hadn’t required a father in the past 17 years. The next 71 years did not require one as well.

Quack Notes

✚Dyson is a brand popular for its hair dryers and vacuum cleaners. Wen MingYi used the two characters from Dai HanSen’s name, ‘Dai’ and ‘Sen’ to make ‘daisen’, or ‘dyson’.