MM | Chapter 15

Tattletale

As soon as Gao Tianyang was about to speak, Sheng Wang hooked his arm around his neck, covering his mouth and dragging him outside the classroom. “Don’t shout, or you’re done for.”

Gao Tianyang seemed to digest this for what felt like a century, then nodded.

“I’m letting go now,” Sheng Wang whispered, then looked back into the classroom with a smile. The others, clueless, just thought they were messing around.

Gao Tianyang nodded again.

Only then did Sheng Wang release him and stand up straight.

Gao Tianyang, startled and muffled for a while, looked like he needed oxygen. He leaned weakly against the corridor railing, fanning himself with his collar, and after a moment, managed to ask, “What’s going on with you guys?”

Sheng Wang wasn’t secretive about his family situation. If asked, he’d say he was from a single-parent family. But that didn’t mean he wanted to share everything with others, and he wasn’t sure if Jiang Tian would want to either.

At this age, people are often proud and sensitive. Sheng Wang considered himself a half-typical case, and as for Jiang Tian, he thought he might be double.

So after thinking for a moment, he said to Gao Tianyang, “It’s a bit complicated to explain. Just think of us as co-living. If you want details, ask Jiang Tian.”

Since they were childhood friends, Gao Tianyang should have some understanding of Jiang Tian’s family situation, so he wouldn’t accidentally step on a landmine.

Gao Tianyang seemed half-understanding, muttering an “oh,” not delving into the meaning of “co-living,” and instead asked, “Then why did you say you’re not familiar with Tian-ge?”

Recalling for a moment, he felt deceived. “Wow, so you two live in the same house at night and pretend not to know each other during the day? What is this, a secret celebrity romance?”

“Rubbish,” Sheng Wang said. “He stays in his room, I stay in mine. Are you close with your neighbors?”

“Yes,” Gao Tianyang replied, “I live across from my grandparents.”

“…”

Sheng Wang wanted to throw this nonsense-talking guy downstairs.

“Look, you two even have WeChat,” Gao Tianyang continued, sounding more aggrieved. “I’ve known Tian-ge for over ten years, and I only added him on WeChat a few years ago. You guys just met.”

Sheng Wang let out an “oh.”

Two seconds later, the young master suddenly realized something was off and slapped Gao Tianyang on the back. “How long has WeChat even been around?!”

Gao Tianyang laughed against the railing, rubbing the spot where he was hit. “Oh, I can’t take it. I’m going to tell Tian-ge how gullible you are.”

As he spoke, he really took out his phone. Sheng Wang rolled his eyes and walked away.

The people in the classroom came out chattering, playfully heading towards the stairs, coincidentally meeting two people coming out of the restroom.

Qi Jiahao had just washed his hands, and when he saw Sheng Wang, his action of flicking water paused.

His momentary awkwardness was quite obvious, but the corridor was dimly lit, and everyone was busy joking and shoving, so no one noticed.

The next second, he composed himself and flicked water at Gao Tianyang’s face, saying, “Not bad, snagging a top student!”

Actually, Sheng Wang had only excelled in today’s English test. In previous weekly exams, he hadn’t passed math, physics, or chemistry, so calling him a top student was an exaggeration. This young master was very self-aware, accepting normal compliments, but such exaggerated praise was a bit hard to digest.

The compliment gave him goosebumps, and he discreetly shook them off. Then he heard Qi Jiahao ask Gao Tianyang, “Is that the only one you got? Who else did you invite? Where’s my Tian-ge?”

The goosebumps Sheng Wang had just shaken off sprouted again like bamboo shoots after rain.

“My Tian-ge,” he thought. Even Gao Tianyang didn’t talk like that. He silently criticized Qi Jiahao’s oily way of speaking.

Gao Tianyang said, “Stop with the ‘my Tian-ge.’ Tian-ge never joins in on these wild activities.”

“Really not coming? Can you ask again?” Qi Jiahao said.

“We’ll see,” Gao Tianyang replied.

Sheng Wang felt his insight was strong. In just a few words, he figured out the closeness of their relationships. For example, Gao Tianyang and Jiang Tian were genuinely close, while Qi Jiahao seemed to be trying to get close to Jiang Tian.

Once the school buses left, the teaching area was half empty, though a few lecture halls were still brightly lit.

Following them towards the north gate, Sheng Wang glanced back a few times and asked, “Isn’t evening self-study until 8? Why are there still classes over there, is it for the seniors?”

“Mainly for the seniors, but also some second and first years, fewer though,” Song Sirui pointed around. “Those three lecture halls are for the seniors, this one for the second years, and the smallest one for the first years. They’re all boarders, so they have an extra evening self-study session compared to us.”

“During this supplementary period, we finish at 8, they finish at 9. Once the official term starts, we finish at 9:30, they finish at 10:30.”

The Affiliated High School, located in the city, hadn’t implemented closed-off teaching yet, so there were fewer boarders compared to other schools. Anyway, the school buses made commuting convenient.

“Treasure it, it’s the last year. When you reach senior year, teachers will have heart-to-heart talks suggesting you live at the school. Most will choose to board, and some will live over there.”

Gao Tianyang nodded towards the residential area outside the school gate. “Look, that’s practically become an off-campus dormitory, full of parents accompanying their kids and tutors.”

“Why are evening self-studies held in lecture halls?” Sheng Wang asked.

“Because the number of boarders varies by class, some have more, some less. Like our class, we currently have no boarders, and Class B downstairs only has four. How can they hold evening self-study? So the Political and Educational Office mandated that boarders have their evening self-study in the lecture halls, with teachers rotating to answer questions.”

Sheng Wang nodded thoughtfully.

Gao Tianyang said, “No, Sheng-ge, why do I feel like I see a spark of interest on your face? Don’t tell me you want to board?”

Actually, he kind of did.

He had boarded in both junior and first year. Originally, he thought living at the old ancestral home would mean Sheng Mingyang would be around more, so he chose to commute. Unexpectedly, Sheng Mingyang traveled even more, leaving him, Jiang Ou, and Jiang Tian to awkwardly face each other at home.

If he boarded, all the awkwardness, difficulties, and dilemmas would disappear, making things much easier.

“When can you apply to board?” Sheng Wang asked.

“Before the official term starts, there’ll be a notice. You can just ask Xiao Yu.” Gao Tianyang pointed to the girl with the ponytail beside him. “She’s the class monitor, she knows these things first.”

The class monitor was Li Yu, a name that sounded like a boy’s but was actually a genuinely cute girl. Though her exam scores couldn’t compete with Jiang Tian and those other geniuses, she was obedient and serious, not annoying the teachers.

Finding a truly obedient student in Class A was tough, so she became the class monitor.

“Sure, I’ll remind you when I get the notice,” Li Yu couldn’t help but say. “We’re all quite afraid of boarding, it’s definitely not as convenient as home. Do you really want to board?”

Sheng Wang casually made up a reason. “It’s lively. Staring at a test paper alone is boring. If there are a hundred or so people around you more worried than you, doesn’t it feel a bit better?”

Gao Tianyang made a “hiss” sound. “That kind of makes sense.”

The others immediately laughed and cursed at him for being easily swayed. Only Qi Jiahao said, “It’s not necessarily lively, our class has a privilege.”

Sheng Wang looked at him. “What privilege?”

“Big Mouth Xu said Class A doesn’t have to go to the lecture halls, we can stay in our class for self-study,” Qi Jiahao said. “Maybe they trust our self-discipline more.”

His tone was calm, as if casually mentioning it, yet there was an unmistakable hint of pride.

Li Yu, being an honest girl, said worriedly, “Does our class have self-discipline? Think about the phones and PSPs hidden in your desks. It’s just that Director Xu doesn’t check often, otherwise you’d be caught every time.”

Everyone present, including Sheng Wang, discreetly tucked their phones into their pockets.

Qi Jiahao added, “They don’t check often because it’s Class A.”

The barbecue place Gao Tianyang mentioned was nearby, just in the residential area by the north gate. The owner had bought two adjacent street-level units, opened them up to make a hall, and set up outdoor tables and chairs, festively decorated.

“All of you are Xiao Qi’s classmates, right?” The owner was a young man with decent features, who could be considered handsome if he tidied up. But dressed in a white work vest and beige shorts, with flip-flops and a cigarette, he seemed too casual, losing half of his charm.

Squinting through the smoke, he waved his hand. “Anyone here to support us is a friend. Xiao Qi calls me brother, so you’re all my brothers.”

The three girls made a face.

He added, “And sisters. If I called you sisters right away, I’d seem like a creep, so let’s go with ‘little girls.'”

“Hey—got you the best spot. Drinks are on me today, have as much as you want. The menu is on the table, just scan the code.” The owner nodded, gesturing for them to sit. He might have wanted to appear gentlemanly, but the vest and shorts didn’t help. “Hey, Xiao Hei, bring some drinks and cold dishes for my brothers and little girls.”

With a cigarette in his mouth, he spoke while puffing smoke, like a human incense burner. Sheng Wang, already sick, turned away to cough quietly.

“Sorry about that,” the owner said, taking the cigarette out. “I’ve been busy with the opening for two days without sleep, using it to stay awake, not trying to smoke you out.”

As he spoke, he looked Sheng Wang up and down, muttering, “Have I seen you somewhere before? You look familiar.”

“Huh?” Sheng Wang looked at his face seriously and said sincerely, “Sorry, I’m face-blind.”

The owner laughed heartily, waving it off. “No, just saying. Go ahead and order. It’s busy here, might not be able to keep up. Xiao Qi, take care of them.”

Qi Jiahao raised his hand. “Got it, no problem, brother!”

He turned to his classmates. “Come on, let’s sit. Let me tell you, my brother is amazing. His name is Zhao Xi. Have you heard of Zhao Xi?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Ah, you guys don’t look at the honor wall in the Political and Educational Office building? The one with all the previous graduates.” Qi Jiahao said, “He’s in there, graduated in ’06, won a lot of awards, and was the top scorer in the college entrance exam.”

Everyone looked puzzled, listening to Qi Jiahao brag as if he had been the top scorer himself.

“Wow, top scorer?” Gao Tianyang wasn’t being dismissive, just genuinely surprised.

“Hey, don’t just look at that,” Qi Jiahao said. “He was abroad before, just recently returned, probably already has a job lined up. Must be impressive. Recently, he’s on vacation, helping a friend with this barbecue place, just for fun.”

“Oh, so he’s not the real owner?” Gao Tianyang asked.

They sat down at the table, with air conditioning ducts and fans nearby. Though it was outdoors, it wasn’t stuffy, and there were no mosquitoes. The lively night atmosphere was perfect.

Qi Jiahao wasn’t actually that close to Zhao Xi, so he couldn’t say much more. The others didn’t ask further, just kept marveling at how impressive Zhao Xi was.

At this age, jealousy and admiration come easily. The former for good grades, the latter for exceptional ones.

Soon, a waiter named Xiao Hei brought peanuts, edamame, and a plate of cold chicken skewers, along with a table of cold beer, saying, “Compliments of Xi-ge.”

Qi Jiahao, acting like the host, distributed the cold beer to everyone. Sheng Wang said, “Hey, I won’t drink this. Do you have water?”

“How can you do this, top student? Even the three girls didn’t ask for water, and you did first. That’s not right, is it?” Qi Jiahao kept calling him a top student, making Sheng Wang uncomfortable.

But he couldn’t stand being told he was “not right.”

Gao Tianyang, straightforward as ever, retorted to Qi Jiahao, “He’s sick, don’t mess with him.”

He reached to take Sheng Wang’s glass away, but Sheng Wang stopped him with a hand.

“Don’t move, I’m not changing it,” Sheng Wang said.

As always, a man’s pride is paramount, and the young master could handle anything. He silently calculated the amount of cold beer, feeling he could manage two glasses.

While Qi Jiahao and the others huddled to order food, Sheng Wang had nothing to do, holding the beer mug handle and waiting for the food.

Then Zhao Xi, the fake owner, returned with three cans of coconut juice, handing them to Li Yu and the girls. “Here, got you some drinks.”

Li Yu shyly accepted them and shared with the other two girls.

Meanwhile, Qi Jiahao urged Gao Tianyang again, “Let’s order some dishes first. Can you ask Tian-ge again? See if he’s coming?”

Gao Tianyang muttered something, taking out his phone to find Jiang Tian on WeChat.

Sheng Wang, holding his glass, glanced over, then looked away. But he noticed the three girls across from him were all staring at Gao Tianyang’s hand, two of them blushing visibly.

Sheng Wang: “…”

Quite popular.

He clicked his tongue inwardly.

Gao Tianyang spoke into his phone, “Tian-ge, are you busy tonight? We’re at the north gate having barbecue, you coming?”

The next second, his phone chimed with a new message.

Sheng Wang glanced over and saw five words: “Busy, not coming.”

Gao Tianyang showed the message around. “See?”

The three girls visibly looked a bit disappointed.

“Why is Jiang Tian always so cold?” one of the girls couldn’t help but say.

The fake owner Zhao Xi, about to leave, paused and said, “Oh, you’re in the same class as Jiang Tian?”

Gao Tianyang was surprised. “You know him?”

“Yes, we’re pretty close,” Zhao Xi said, suddenly turning his gaze to Sheng Wang. He pointed at Sheng Wang and said, “Oh—I remember now.”

Sheng Wang: “Huh?”

“You’re the guy who dined and dashed, and Jiang Tian bailed you out, right?” Zhao Xi said.

After he said that, the atmosphere at the table became tense, hard to tell if it was from shock or fright.

Sheng Wang was even more frozen. Did he really have no shame for such an embarrassing thing to be brought up?

Seeing his expression, Zhao Xi laughed for a while and said, “I saw you two heading towards the teaching area when I went to the store. That store is my dad’s.”

As Zhao Xi spoke, he turned and dialed a number.

Sheng Wang didn’t immediately understand what he was doing, but within seconds, he got it—

Zhao Xi was on the phone, saying, “Jiang Tian, your friends are all here. You’re really not coming?”

“Which friend? The one you brought to my dad’s store last time.”

“Yeah, he’s here, sitting next to me drinking.”

Sheng Wang glanced at the glass in front of him and silently let go.

He found it hard to believe that Zhao Xi, a grown man, would tattle like this???