It had been around three months since the new seating arrangement, and Gu Xiao's behaviour was appearing strange from the teachers' perspective. He was now sleeping five minutes less in class.
"Do you still have the second edition of the math textbook?" Gu Xiao asked, setting down the stack of boxes filled with textbooks.
Zhang Yongyin shoved an apple core into his mouth and slurred each word. "It should be at home. I accidentally bought three, so you can just have one."
"How do you accidentally buy three?"
"I just did. Wait, do we need to carry the third edition biology textbooks back or was it the first?"
"I don't know. Just take it all. That way, we won't need to make a second trip back if we pick the wrong one."
"That's true. What if other classes need them?" Zhang Yongyin asked.
"Then they can search."
As they left the back building carrying textbooks, the gruff voices from the corner of the building echoed in their ears.
Usually, he wouldn't care for what they were gossiping about, but this time, their words rang in his ears like the annoying mosquitoes in the summer.
"Who does Lan Yuning think he is?"
That was Wang Xing's voice. How could he not recognise that distinct voice that ridiculed Lan Yuning just a moment ago?
"Just because his parents offer and contribute the most money to this school, he thinks he can just act stuck up and ignore others. But being with him has some benefits, though, since he's filthy rich. Too bad he's stingy," his friend added.
"You know what? I once sat next to him before class started because I just wanted to talk to him, and he just glared at me and told me to leave. Does he think he's on some pedestal above everyone else just because he will inherit his father's company? How can he own a business with that attitude?"
Zhang Yongyin's eyes drew towards Gu Xiao, who was facing the two. He blinked, and by the time he even finished blinking, Gu Xiao had disappeared from his side.
"He probably talks crap about everyone in his head. How can Song Anwen even stay with him? He's just too nice that I feel so sorry for him. I provoked him a little bit because I just wanted to see if the rumours were true, but I didn't expect him to react in such a way," Wang Xing said.
"I heard that his father goes crazy if he loses more than one or two marks in an exam. Do you think he sucks the principal's thing?"
Wang Xing gagged. "That's so gross. He probably sucks the principal if he doesn't get full marks on an exam! I mean, his face isn't that bad. He has a rather nice appearance, so I wouldn't be surprised."
"Why? Would you let him suck your—"
Abruptly, a textbook plunged forward, and the corner of the laminated cover stabbed Wang Xing's face, forcing him to fall back and groan in pain. He whipped his head around before landing at his palm, only to see his skin swallowed in red and his cheek bleeding from an open wound.
"Who was that?!" Wang Xing's friend shrieked.
"Who the hell do you think you are to talk about him like that? Don't you always crowd around him yourselves?" Gu Xiao ridiculed.
"Gu Xiao? Why is it you again? Wait— My face!"
Just as his friend steadied him up, Wang Xing mumbled, "He always behaves like this. Let's go."
Sensing the change in attitude, as though Wang Xing was afraid of something, prompted Gu Xiao to let a scoff roll off his tongue.
Gu Xiao eyed them with an apparent distaste reeking of displeasure, knowing that if he listened to the rubbish that Wang Xing would spout any longer, it would surely not end well for his composure.
He suppressed his growing irritation and prepared to pick up the stack of textbooks, but to hear that sort of slander tormented him.
"I get that you don't like me, but do you always need to get so violent? This doesn't even concern you," Wang Xing said, coughing out his spit.
At once, a rush of memories that Gu Xiao hid beneath the most profound layer of his heart pervaded his mind.
He was so absorbed in his thoughts that those words coming out of Wang Xing's throat were like knives piercing his head.
"That's true. It doesn't," Gu Xiao said, slowly standing back up.
Standing before the two, the painful concentration to stare at Wang Xing and his friend silently only acted as a reminder of his past error.
A sort of hysterical element of insufferable rapture grasped his gloom and tiredness. Yet, he ensured the image of that fool remained pasted on the surface of his face, or else his inner vapidity might seep through the breaks of his disposition.
"Though I must say, it looks to me you're the one wagging your tail towards him, even though you clearly don't have to. So, why complain and talk nonsense if you're just doing this yourself?"
Wang Xing, who was still covering his bleeding cheek, clenched his jaw in utter annoyance.
"Why are you getting so heated? Last time too. Now you're even throwing a textbook at me," Wang Xing said before muttering under his breath to himself.
"Is this what happens when you come from that sort of background? I thought you people from Shanghai would at least have some class and knowledge, but I guess there really are a few who belong in the dumpsters."
Despite the slurred words and mumbling, Gu Xiao still heard those words with a clear distinction to every syllable, and the string that constricted his emotions unravelled itself.
"Hey, let's just go," his friend whispered to Wang Xing, trying to stop him from saying anything more.
Yet, Wang Xing pushed his friend away and continued, "Look, I can say what I want. It's not like Lan Yuning would care anyway if that's what you're worried about. And since when did you even care about what I say? You've ignored my words for a long time, so why care about it now? Wait... don't tell me that you and Lan Yuning are da—"
At once, Gu Xiao shoved Wang Xing onto the ground, yanking at his collar as they both skidded across the floor.
He punched him twice with his fists, three times, perhaps even four. His jabs met the other's nose and jaw each time, forcing blood to rush down his nose.
Wang Xing's friend was too astonished to move, but after comprehending the situation, he panicked and grabbed Gu Xiao's arms, attempting to hold him back.
But before he could swing his arms to lock Gu Xiao's head, he was immediately shoved back. Gu Xiao kicked him to his knees, knocking him down, which forced his body to fall onto the pavement.
Zhang Yongyin's face dropped, and he tried to absorb this abrupt scene. After buffering for a moment, he yelled, "Yeah! Yeah! Fight! Fight! Get the chin! Oh no, not the arm. Do the choke!"
The noise attracted all the students around, and they slowly crowded around.
Murmurs spread across, drowning the field with curiosity as some even squeezed their way through the disorderly crowd, bringing out their phones to record and take photos.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Wang Xing exclaimed.
"That's right," Gu Xiao smiled, though his eyes said otherwise.
The smile caught Wang Xing off guard, with Gu Xiao even letting out a soft laughter. It wasn't the smile of that usual fool; it utterly lacked substance.
An oxymoronic depth that could have been described as empty eyes but a radiant smile, and complete mockery with a touch of warm tenderness.
"It's because I have this sort of background. So why are you surprised?" he laughed.
Wang Xing yanked him and tried to knock the other's face. However, Gu Xiao dodged it.
The other jolted back up after being kicked down and attempted to knock Gu Xiao down onto the ground from behind.
The three staggered back, and their fists cluttered each other's faces, and their skins scraped amongst the brick walls and jagged rocks.
Instead of standing idly, Zhang Yongyin grabbed the textbooks in his hands and started throwing them at Wang Xing's friend. He covered his face with his arms, but the hard edges still scraped his skin.
"Hold on. Do I need to pay for school property damage?" Zhang Yongyin mumbled to himself.
Immediately, Zhang Yongyin dropped all the textbooks and ran to Wang Xing's friend. One leg took off from the floor, and before Wang Xing's friend could comprehend what was about to happen next, Zhang Yongyin kicked him straight in the nose, ultimately slamming him against the wall.
More and more people started crowding around and watching in fear and excitement.
Immediately, Mr. Shen dashed to the scene and watched these four students tear each other's collars and punch each other's faces with such brutality until their pale skin turned red and purple.
Mr. Shen's face sunk, and he darted his eyes towards the four while all colour escaped from his skin.
"Separate! Separate now! All of you!"