"June 2009, China, a city in the southern region."
In a spacious, luxurious room filled with a fantastical style, two boys are intently focused on a flat-screen LCD television that is almost as large as the wall. They each hold a stylish PS3 wireless controller. One boy, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, has a snarling expression, while the other, with a high nose and blue eyes, appears relaxed and at ease. Without even looking at the screen, an observer could easily tell who the winner of this fighting game is.
Half a minute later, the boy with thick eyebrows and big eyes let out a loud "Oh!" as if the last kick his character received in the game had landed on him instead. With a loud "KO" from the TV, he pouted, exhaled in frustration, and put down the controller. At the same time, a pretty girl with shoulder-length hair, who had been waiting by his side, snatched the controller from his hands, her excitement evident as she said, "It's my turn!"
"Useless, Lancy. You can't beat Sean, he's too good," the boy with thick eyebrows and big eyes said, a bit irritated. "He's played way more than any of us, he's already mastered it."
"Shut up, Cotton," the girl named Lancy said. "If you had seen my performance as Mary in 'King of Fighters,' you'd know about my talent for fighting games. Even if it's a brand new fighting game, I'll prove to my opponent the power of a female fighter with my skills!"
"I don't need to watch Mary in King of Fighters—Mary is sitting right next to me in real life," Cotton teased with a grin.
Lancy ignored Cotton's teasing because the match had already begun. The character she controlled was indeed much more agile and skilled than Cotton's. However, after three rounds, she couldn't avoid defeat under Sean's relentless and powerful attacks.
"Such a pity, female fighter. Looks like you have to hand over the controller," Cotton said, shaking his head as he reached out to take it.
"Hey, wait a second," Lancy said, reaching the controller to the other side. "I've figured it out. Give me one more chance, I promise I can beat him."
"Don't be a sore loser, Lancy! Face reality—no matter how many chances you get, you won't be able to beat him!"
On the other side, Sean, who was comfortably sitting on the throne, looked at Cotton and Lancy arguing over the controller, and let out a triumphant "Hehehe" laugh.
"I really can't watch this anymore," said a well-mannered boy standing a few meters away by the bookshelf. He pushed his glasses up with his index finger, frowning as he spoke. "Can you guys act a little more mature? Fighting over a game console is something elementary school kids do. Can't you do something a high school student should be doing?"
It was clear that the glasses-wearing boy's words carried some weight. The two of them stopped arguing and turned to look at him. Cotton asked, "Like what, Lu Hua? What do you think high school students should be doing?"
The well-mannered boy cleared his throat twice and said seriously, "I believe we should not waste our youth during these prime years. We should seek wisdom and truth in the sea of books, and in the process, reflect on life and…"
"Oh, no!" Before Lu Hua could finish, Cotton clasped his hands behind his head and said with an exaggerated expression, "Are you going to suggest we grow orchids and find the meaning of life through daily observation and record-keeping?"
To everyone's surprise, Lu Hua actually thought about the question seriously for a moment before replying, "Well, not really. The best season for growing orchids is spring, and it's midsummer now, so they'd probably wither easily. But this suggestion isn't bad—I'll consider adding it to our extracurricular activities next winter break."
Cotton took a sharp breath, staring at Lu Hua. "Class monitor, please kill me before you make this decision."
Sean, with eyes as blue as the lake, said, "Lu Hua, these suggestions of yours aren't really things high school students should be doing—they're more suited for retired old men and women, don't you think?"
"Lu Hua frowned slightly and said, 'I thought foreigners were all interested in growing orchids.'""Lu Hua frowned slightly and said, 'I thought foreigners were all interested in growing orchids.'"
"Is that so?" Sean said. "Thank God I'm a mixed-blood."
Lu Hua sighed helplessly, put the book back in the bookshelf, and walked over to the three of them. "Honestly, we have nearly two months of summer vacation. Are you really not planning to do something meaningful? Just staying in the air-conditioned room playing games every day?"
Lancy shrugged, pointing at the scorching sun outside the window. "Look at the sunlight outside, monitor, and then estimate the temperature outdoors. — Do you believe it? If I stay out in this sunlight for two hours, I'd probably be eligible for African citizenship the next day."
"I never said we had to do outdoor activities."
Lancy waved her hand and said, "No matter what you say, I still don't think there's a better place in the world than this vacation spot."
"Hold on," Cotton asked. "What did you call this place?"
Lancy turned her head and looked at Sean. "Please forgive me, I was being a bit too straightforward. But—" She then turned back to look at Cotton and Lu Hua. "Isn't that the truth? The central air conditioning in Sean's mansion makes the climate feel like spring all year round. Every time we come here, their Filipino maid immediately brings us juice and snacks so we can enjoy the high-end entertainment facilities even more comfortably. What's even more precious is that Sean's big boss father and his beautiful American consulate mother are so warm and hospitable, it's as if they're eager for us to stay here forever—oh, this place is even more perfect than Hawaii, it's simply heaven."
Sean smiled gently and said, "Lancy, I'm glad you like my home so much."
Cotton seemed indifferent to Lancy's words. He curled his lips and said, "Do you really need to envy it this much? As if, by comparison, your own home is like hell."
"Sorry, you're right, that's exactly how it is," Lancy said in a tired tone. "My mom always finds ways to make it even more unbearable for me to stay at home, or rather, to make sure I can't stay there. And speaking of which—" She suddenly looked up at the sky and sighed deeply, then gave a wry smile. "All of this is thanks to you three."
"What?" Lu Hua said, feeling quite surprised. "You're saying you can't stay at your own home because of us—what does that have to do with me?"
"It has everything to do with you," Lancy said, looking directly at Lu Hua. "Since we're being honest, I might as well tell you. My mom can repeat things like this more than thirty times a day—'Look at your good friend Lu Hua, how diligent and studious he is, ranking first in the whole grade every semester. You spend so much time with him, why don't you learn from him?'"
Lancy exaggeratedly mimicked her mother's sharp tone, causing the other three to burst out laughing. Cotton said, "From my perspective, hearing my mom nag thirty times a day is still bearable. It's not like what you said, that you can't stand being at home."
"Haha," Lancy chuckled bitterly, "You haven't heard the rest of it. The other sixty times of nagging come from you and Sean."
Sean asked with some interest, "What is there about me that you think is worth learning?"
Lancy's tone and manner instantly changed to mimic her mother's: "Look at Sean's home, how well-off they are. Don't you feel a little motivated when you visit his house…"
"Wait a minute." Sean raised his hand to interrupt Lancy. "Isn't your mom implying something about me? It's not like I created the good conditions at my house. It's all thanks to my parents."
Lancy looked at Sean helplessly and said, "The unfortunate part is, what she wants me to learn is your parents."
"Oh, that's really a bit much to bear," Sean frowned.
Cotton blinked and asked, "Then I really don't understand—my grades aren't good, and my family isn't anything special—what could your mom possibly find in me to teach you?"
Lancy sighed and said, "I guess the unfortunate part is—we were both high school classmates and elementary school classmates. That made my mom hear of your great reputation back when you were in fourth grade. Who didn't know about it in school? During that IQ test that the whole school took, you got an astonishing score, the highest in the entire school. The score was so high that the teacher in charge of the test forgot the rule about not revealing test scores. She jumped up holding your test paper and exclaimed the score aloud—this became a huge topic throughout the school. Don't you remember, Cotton?"
Lancy's words left Sean and Lu Hua stunned, their mouths hanging open in surprise. They both stared at Cotton, wide-eyed. "That happened? Why have you never mentioned it before?"
"Nothing to talk about, I just got lucky, happened to guess everything right," Cotton scratched his head and said casually.
"What! You got everything right?" Lu Hua, who had clearly also done that test, wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, despite the 20-degree air conditioning in the room. "So, does that mean your IQ score is…"
"I told you, it was just luck, I guessed everything right."
"But I don't think you could have 'guessed' the non-multiple-choice questions correctly," Lu Hua stared at Cotton.
"Hey, let's not talk about this anymore!" Cotton said to Lancy. "Come on, why bring up these old stories?"
"Ah, this… yeah…" Lancy opened her mouth, suddenly feeling an ominous premonition.
"I won't allow such a thing to happen," Lu Hua said with a stern face. "I can't be a part of your deception."
"So, what are you going to do?" Lancy's anxiety deepened.
Lu Hua thought for a moment, then said, as if seizing a favorable weapon, "You have two choices. First, come with me to the library to read and study. Second, I'll tell your mom the truth—that you come to this 'vacation spot' every day to 'study.'"
"Please, Lu Hua! You can't be serious, right?" Lancy exclaimed loudly. "Think of all the years we've been friends…"
"I'm exactly considering our years of friendship that I've decided to be responsible for you," Lu Hua said seriously.
Lancy pleaded, "If you really want what's best for me, let me have a fun summer vacation!"
Lu Hua said, "The price of this temporary happiness is a lifetime of unhappiness. Just think about it—considering how tough the job market is these days…"
"Alright." Lancy stretched out her hand in front of her. "I choose the first option."
"Good," Lu Hua said with a smile. "Let's go to the library now."
"What? Now!" The three of them almost exclaimed in unison. Cotton said, "No way, Lu Hua? You're not even giving Lancy a little time to prepare?"
Lu Hua glanced at him sideways. "What's there to prepare for going to the library to study? You're not planning to leisurely finish your afternoon tea, then stroll to the library in the fading sunset, say goodbye to the librarian, and head straight home, are you?"
Cotton stuck out his tongue at Lancy, signaling that his last bit of effort on her behalf was all in vain.
Lu Hua stood up from the sofa and asked Cotton and Sean, "So, what about you two? Are you coming along?"
Cotton turned to Sean, seeking his opinion with a look. Sean said, "Let's go together. I might as well take this opportunity to review some materials and finish those history assignments."
Cotton shrugged, signaling that he would go along with the majority.
Lu Hua said with satisfaction, "I'm really glad you found something meaningful to do."
Lancy said dejectedly, "I really feel sorry for having friends like you—sometimes I really don't understand why I get along so much better with you three guys than with girls my own age."
"One explanation is, you've got a thing for one of us three," Cotton winked at her. "Make your choice, Lancy—scholar, mixed-blood rich kid, or ordinary guy, who will it be?"
"I choose the ordinary guy," Lancy responded with a sweet smile, then swung her right fist at Cotton's face. "How do you like this confession, Cotton?"