Chapter Twenty-Five: Hey, Look Who It Is
Staring at this bald guy in front of me... ah no, I should call him baldy.
Brother Lei really doesn't have it easy.
He's already losing hair at such a young age.
Chen Nuo sighed and finally put down the wrench in his hand.
He opened the iron gate, mounted the motorcycle, and put on his helmet.
With one ignition, the engine roared to life.
This sound... so satisfying!
What's this called? This is: bicycle for a motorcycle, wrench for a bald head. Two steamers of pan-fried buns, Lord Nuo, the top dog!
All set!
「」
Sun Keke walked out of the school gate with an empty thermos, only to hear the ROARING sound of a motorcycle engine behind her.
Turning her head, she saw a motorcycle parked by the road, its engine ROARING as if showing off.
School belle Sun glared and lowered her head to continue walking home.
But that motorcycle followed slowly behind her. After about ten meters, School belle Sun turned her head and stopped.
"What are you doing? Let me tell you, this is the school dormitory area! I can call for people with just one shout!"
Chen Nuo took off his helmet and grinned, "Then shout."
School belle Sun's eyes widened. "Chen Nuo?"
She took a few steps forward and looked him up and down. "You, you? Where did you get this motorcycle?"
"Ah... generously sponsored by a kind-hearted individual experiencing hair loss." Chen Nuo stuffed the helmet into School belle Sun's hands and smiled, "Put it on, I'll take you for a spin."
School belle Sun shook her head, looking at Chen Nuo as if he were a fool. "It's so cold. What kind of spin are you talking about?"
Chen Nuo thought for a moment, picked up his backpack, opened it, and took out something wrapped tightly in layers of his school uniform. He handed it to School belle Sun. "Here."
"What is it?"
"Something tasty." Chen Nuo grinned and then, without waiting for School belle Sun to speak, started the bike and sped away.
Unwrapping the layers of uniform, she found a plastic bag containing a disposable lunch box. Inside, the pan-fried buns were still warm.
「」
In the following days, Chen Nuo quietly played the role of an obedient student at school.
He couldn't sleep in class anymore. Thanks to Old Sun's "attentive care," Chen Nuo was now on the radar of every subject teacher.
Fortunately, there was another formidable presence in the class: Luo Qing.
After finishing *The Chronicles of Searching for Qin*, Luo Qing tossed it over to Chen Nuo.
Luo Qing found himself liking his deskmate Chen Nuo, who sat behind him, more and more. He was practically a kindred spirit!
Especially when Chen Nuo, out of boredom, casually chatted with him about how "fortunes change with time," the seventeen-year-old Luo Qing's eyes lit up with excitement.
Later, Chen Nuo checked several rental bookstores near the school and actually found a pirated copy of *Tales of Grace*. He bought it and casually tossed it to Luo Qing.
After flipping through a few pages, Luo Qing treasured it like a precious gem, thus ending his "book drought."
So, during classes, the two of them, one in front and one behind, with one reading *Tales of Grace* and the other *The Chronicles of Searching for Qin*, complemented each other quite well.
Chen Nuo had inquired about Luo Qing's situation.
The guy was also a slacker, with absolutely no interest in studying. He hadn't planned on going to university after finishing high school.
His family was in business. It wasn't a huge enterprise, and Luo Qing didn't specify what they did, but it seemed to be of a decent size. In those days, he could be considered a minor second-generation rich kid. His family's plan was for him to muddle through high school and then go to work in their factory.
As for Luo Qing himself, he actually had some talent. Perhaps because he had read a bellyful of books since childhood, his Chinese grades were surprisingly good.
But his other subjects were a complete disaster.
As time went on, apart from School belle Sun, Luo Qing became the only classmate Chen Nuo could actually talk to at school.
That afternoon, during history class, he had just finished the copy of *The Chronicles of Searching for Qin* in his hands. He had reached the part where Xiang Shaolong and Ji Yanran had their first intimate encounter... and then the volume ended abruptly.
The next one was missing; he had to wait for Luo Qing to bring it from home tomorrow.
Today was Friday. After the two afternoon classes, Chen Nuo left school early to pick up Xiao Yezi and take her home.
This time he wasn't skipping class; Old Sun had officially requested leave for him.
He watched Xiao Yezi, lined up with a group of children, walk towards the kindergarten gate.
From a distance, Chen Xiaoye saw Chen Nuo leaning against the wall by the entrance, tilting his head and smiling at her.
The little girl's lips trembled. She broke into a run, threw herself into Chen Nuo's arms, and then let out a WAH! and burst into tears.
Chen Nuo hurriedly picked up his sister, frowning. "Did someone bully you in there?"
"No." Chen Xiaoye wiped her tears and said pitifully, "I was just scared, scared you wouldn't come to pick me up."
Chen Nuo laughed and pinched the little girl's cheek.
Picking up such a small child meant he couldn't ride the motorcycle. Chen Nuo pedaled the bicycle, placing the child on the front crossbar to sit, and wobbled back to the school.
He had promised to go to Old Sun's family place for dinner that night. Besides, he had to return the bicycle; he had borrowed it from Luo Qing.
Arriving at the school gate, he saw School belle Sun and Luo Qing standing there. School belle Sun was looking around and, spotting Chen Nuo from afar, waved repeatedly.
Chen Nuo parked the bike, only to see his little sister's face scrunched up in a frown.
"What's wrong? You don't like this older sister?"
Chen Xiaoye looked up. "It's not that... Brother, can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"Why do adults always like to pinch my face?" Chen Xiaoye asked, a bit troubled.
Chen Nuo laughed. "You don't like your face being pinched? But I like to pinch it too, usually."
Chen Xiaoye looked at her brother and shook her head seriously. "You're different."
Since he was taking his sister to Old Sun's family place for dinner, Chen Nuo bought some tea leaves on the way. However, when he met up with School belle Sun, he learned that Old Sun had to work overtime tonight, so dinner was off.
"I heard the district education bureau is coming for an inspection next Monday, something about the restructuring," School belle Sun mentioned casually. "So my dad has to work late tonight on paperwork and stuff... Oh, Xiao Yezi."
The girl swept the little one into a hug, not minding Xiao Yezi's slightly aggrieved expression, enjoying herself to the fullest. Then she popped a piece of maltose candy into Xiao Yezi's mouth, and the little girl's face finally lit up with a smile.
Luo Qing had grown closer to Chen Nuo these past few days, and naturally, he had also become friendlier with School belle Sun. He already knew Chen Nuo had a younger sister. Seeing Xiao Yezi now, he was also pleased. He fumbled in his pocket and surprisingly pulled out half a Dove chocolate bar he hadn't finished. After a moment's thought, he broke off the bitten part and popped it into his own mouth, then stuffed the remaining half into the little girl's hand. "Here, eat this chocolate, and call me 'older brother'."
Chen Xiaoye was very sharp. She looked at Luo Qing, then glanced at Chen Nuo, who nodded at her, and sweetly called out, "Older brother."
Luo Qing remarked, "Your sister is too cute. If I'd known, I would have asked my parents to give me a little sister too."
Chen Nuo smiled. "It's not too late for them to have one now. Your parents aren't that old."
Luo Qing's expression turned a little strange. "I'm afraid it's too late."
He paused, then said in a low voice, "My dad spent the first half of his life making money. He married late and had me late. He was forty when I was born, and now he's already fifty-seven."
Whoa?
Chen Nuo looked Luo Qing up and down. "Your old man really had a child late in life!"
Since Old Sun wasn't available, there was no need to go to School belle Sun's house. The youngsters discussed what to do. Luo Qing suggested, "Let's go to the arcade! A big new one just opened near Dongshan, and there's a KFC next to it. After we've had our fun, I'll treat you all to a Family Bucket tonight."
It wasn't a bad idea—food, drinks, and entertainment.
The three youngsters simply left their bikes at the school gate and hailed a taxi.
None of these three were short on cash. Chen Nuo was a case apart, and Luo Qing was a minor second-generation rich kid. Even School belle Sun, having just celebrated the Lunar New Year, had received several thousand in gift money—who could resist her beauty and endearing personality? She had always been the darling of all the elders in her family.
In this era, arcades were entering their final blaze of glory. They were much larger than before, with newer machines and a constant stream of simulation games... but it was indeed their last hurrah.
In a few more years, with the further popularization of home computers and the efforts of major game console giants, home gaming consoles would become widespread, and street arcades would gradually decline.
It was likely the weekend, so when the young people entered the arcade, it was quite crowded—mostly with middle school students who had just gotten out of school.
The New Year had just passed, so the kids' pockets were still lined with gift money. Plus, it was the weekend, so they had both money and leisure. The arcade owner was precisely counting on this period to reap a hefty profit.
Luo Qing rushed to the counter and returned with a small plastic basket filled to the brim with game tokens. He grabbed a handful and stuffed them into his pocket, leaving the rest for Chen Nuo and School belle Sun. Then he himself ran off to play "Need for Speed," winking at Chen Nuo before he left.
Chen Nuo wandered around with Xiao Yezi for a bit, eventually taking Ye Zi to play the basketball arcade game.
Xiao Yezi was young and not very strong, and her aim was even worse. Making two out of ten shots would be an extraordinary performance. But the child had never played this before and was clearly very interested. Although she was panting and sweating, she was having the time of her life.
Seeing his sister so happy, a rare sight, Chen Nuo let her run wild for a while.
School belle Sun played a few rounds with them, but her aim wasn't great either, so she ended up helping Xiao Yezi retrieve the balls.
Chen Nuo stood by watching for a while. He then spoke to School belle Sun, asking her to keep an eye on the child, and went to the restroom.
When he came out, he bought a few bottles of fruit juice at the counter. First, he found Luo Qing, who was vigorously wrestling with a steering wheel, and tossed him a bottle. Then he headed back towards the basketball arcade game.
From a distance, he saw that a group of young men had surrounded School belle Sun and Xiao Yezi!
School belle Sun had one arm around Xiao Yezi, glaring furiously at the young men in front of her, while Chen Xiaoye, half-hidden behind School belle Sun, spotted Chen Nuo approaching from afar and finally found her courage, crying out, "Brother! Brother!"
Chen Nuo drew closer, shoved aside a guy blocking his way from behind, squeezed into the circle, and turned to stand protectively in front of his sister and School belle Sun.
He took a look. Yo? A familiar face! Isn't this Chen Daozai... Bah! Xiao Dao, Brother Dao, of course.
Watching the young man before him deliberately adopt a swaggering, arrogant posture, Chen Nuo was amused.
"Yo, Brother Dao, discharged from the hospital?"
Brother Dao looked at the young man before him and instinctively shivered!
The scene from two months ago in the alley flashed through his mind like a movie: this young man pinning him to the ground, looking at him with an indifferent, calm expression, then picking up a brick and ruthlessly breaking his leg!
It wasn't just the fear of having his leg broken.
It was the young man's reaction at the time—it was too calm!
He had screamed himself hoarse, but this kid had remained expressionless the entire time. Before leaving, he had nonchalantly tossed the brick aside, patted Brother Dao's face, and said, "When your leg heals up, you can come find me again."
He spent over ten days in the hospital. His leg was in a cast for another month after that, and he spent the entire Spring Festival cooped up at home.
Only in the last couple of days, after the cast was finally removed, had Brother Dao dared to venture out.
It wasn't that he hadn't thought about revenge.
But for some reason, whenever he recalled that day's events—the young man breaking his leg with such an expressionless, relaxed demeanor—a chill would run down Brother Dao's spine.
He had wavered several times but just couldn't bring himself to be ruthless.
After all, he was just a street punk, not some truly cold-blooded character.
Today was a stroke of luck. He and a few of his cronies had gone out for a stroll and happened to run into School belle Sun at the arcade.
Brother Dao had been lusting after this girl for a long time. He usually didn't dare go to her school, as Old Sun had chased him away several times. Plus, knowing there was a little menace at No. 8 Middle School who could break his leg, he hadn't dared to loiter around there lately.
But today, here, he had run into School belle Sun alone. With several of his buddies around, Brother Dao had worked up the courage to harass her a bit.
He had also drunk a couple of glasses of alcohol in the afternoon, and the liquid courage fueled him. He made a few lewd remarks. Seeing School belle Sun's panicked look, he grew bolder and even considered getting handsy. He thought if he could just drag the young lady away...
And then, he saw that little menace squeeze through the crowd, smiling at him.
"Brother Dao, you're out of the hospital?"
"...HISS!!"