Chapter 6

Qiao Shao was completely muddled. He has lived for 17 years, and what happened at this moment can definitely be included in his most shameful list — at least in the top three!

He was carried up! Like adults carried children; he was carried up from his underarms!

After being carried up three flights of stairs, Qiao Shao found finally his voice, “Let me down!”

His voice was so loud that it echoed through the dormitory. Thankfully, there was no one in the building at the moment, otherwise, he would have gathered a crowd of onlookers.

The creator of this humiliation’s ears twitched, “Doesn’t your ankle hurt?”

There was also a pain like this?

People could lose their heads but they could not lose face!

Qiao Shao turned his head, full of grief and indignation, “How can there be such a thing!”

If people really saw him like this, Qiao Shao won’t just be known as a shitty good student — he’ll be the laughing stock of East High!

He Shen watched with interest as his eyes opened even wider because of his anger, “Oh, you don’t like it this way …”

Qiao Shao trembled with anger. “Who …” Who the fuck would want to be carried like this!”

He Shen finished his words, “It turns out you prefer the princess carry.”

Qiao Shao: “………………………………”

Qiao Shao thought at this moment was that if Lou Xiao dared to princess carry him, he would drag him down with him and they could both take a tumble down the stairs. They could perish together!

He Shen let him down …

Qiao Shao couldn’t care less about the pain in his ankle, he threatened, “If you dare to do that, then you and I are going to have it out right here, right now!”

“It was only a joke,” He Shen was overcome by a wicked thought, “But I really want to try it now.”

Qiao Shao’s liver was in pain. “You!”

He Shen was afraid that he would take a tumble once again because he was unsteady on his feet. Anyway, he said seriously, “How are you going to get up the stairs?”

Qiao Shao firmly held the handrail of the stairs and said, “I’m going to hop my way up.”

He Shen kindly reminded him. “You’re going to hop up to the fifth floor?”

Qiao Shao hadn’t even jumped up a single step, but his leg was starting to go soft.

There was a smile in He Shen’s previously cold eyes, “Come on.”

Qiao Shao watched him vigilantly. He vowed he’d die rather than obey.

“What are you afraid of?” And then He Shen said something shocking, “We’re both men. Do you think I’m going to violate you?”

Young Master Qiao Shao had never come across such a shameless man, and his head suddenly short-circuited.

He Shen took his arm and easily carried him on his back.

Qiao Shao: “…”

He Shen leaned forward, stabilizing his hold. “Behave yourself now. I’m not going to be responsible if you fall down.”

Qiao Shao put his hands on his shoulders, and was a bit dumbfounded.

He Shen had begun to climb the stairs. Even while carrying someone on his back, his pace didn’t slow down one bit.

Qiao Shao calmed down.

Although this guy was a real soundrel, he was going to remember this kindness.

Back in the dormitory, He Shen put him down on the bed. After fixing the way he sat, Qiao Shao looked up at He Shen. He had climbed five flights of stairs in one breath but he wasn’t even slightly out of breath. He couldn’t help having some misgivings in his heart. What the hell kind of physique was this? As expected of a domineering school tyrant! It’s probably a result of all the fights he’s been in.

He Shen looked at his ankle and frowned. “It’s a little swollen.”

Qiao Shao also looked it over, but couldn’t find much of a difference between his two feet.

In fact, he wasn’t in so much pain now, especially since he was just sitting down and immobile. He didn’t feel much.

At this moment He Shen pressed on his instep, and Qiao Shao gave a grunt of pain.

He Shen raised his eyebrows and looked at him, “Does it hurt?”

Qiao Shao pretended to be strong, “It’s okay.”

He Shen looked back down and after a while, said, “Call your parents. They can take you to the hospital so you can have an x-ray taken.”

Qiao Shao’s heart gave a jump and he immediately said, “No!”

He refused so bluntly and so directly that He Shen was a little surprised.

How could Qiao Shao dare to call his dad? If his family knew about this, he could almost see what would happen! He’d be lucky if he was just made to rest at home. He was afraid that his dad would have the school change the whole sports field. Granddad would have two elevators installed in the dorm. Grandpa would have the medical office changed into a full-service hospital…

“No, no!” Qiao Shao was terrified just thinking about it. He didn’t care that Lou Xiao was the school tyrant, he was practically begging, “I can’t call them.”

He Shen could clearly see that Qiao Shao was completely unwilling. This actually made sense. If ordinary high school students were given such a good opportunity to go home and laze around, they would surely make very good use of it.

That was unless he had a home he didn’t want or, maybe, couldn’t go back to.

He Shen thought of that little boy who had availed himself of all the bargains in the supermarket. He also thought of that little turtle who reported to school all alone with a mountain of beddings on his back, and then he looked at his apparently malnourished thin arms and legs …

“Wait here.” He Shen stood up.

Qiao Shao wasn’t sure what he was going to do, so he only looked up at him.

He Shen said, “If you don’t want to go home, then you’ll have to get better quickly.”

Having said that, he pushed open the door and left the room.

Qiao Shao never could follow the school tyrant’s way of thinking. He also wanted to get better right away, but how?

But … Qiao Shao looked at his ankle. He didn’t think it was too serious. He would definitely be in much more pain if this was a fracture. Qiao Shao tried to set his foot down. A sharp sting of pain made a sudden sneak attack. He let out a quiet, little sigh and did not dare to move again.

Terrible.

He twisted his ankle on the second day of school. Looks like his road to attaining knowledge was incomparably bumby.

Qiao Shao fell on his bed, staring at the bed board in a daze. The dormitory building was very quiet. All the students living on campus were doing their morning exercises and the day students hadn’t yet come to school. There was probably only the dorm manager in the entire dormitory building.

The male dormitory was very close to the playground, but 516 is at the southernmost end. The two were in completely opposite directions. The window was closed because of they used the air conditioner, so nothing outside could make it through.

Qiao Shao, lying on the bed, was quickly submerged into this indescribable silence.

His heart gave a jump. He wanted to open the window, but unfortunately once his foot touched the ground, that stabbing pain made itself known, making him groan. Qiao Shao immediately took out his mobile phone from under the pillow and put on his headphones.

About two songs in, the room door opened. He Shen was back, carrying a plastic bag.

Hearing the movement, Qiao Shao took off his headphones and sat up. He Shen looked at his face and saw that he was a little paler than before. He said, “You don’t need to just bear with it, if it hurts. I can take you to the hospital.”

He didn’t say anything about calling his parents.

Qiao Shao immediately replied, “No need!”

He Shen said, “What if it’s fractured?”

Qiao Shao was absolutely certain, “It’s not!”

He Shen looked at him and said leisurely, “Tongxue

Schoolmate

, is your name CT scan?”

Qiao Shao: “…” He was rendered speechless.

He Shen didn’t force him though. He put the plastic bag on the bed and squatted in front of Qiao Shao. Qiao Shao saw the contents of the plastic bag — some medicines and ice packs.

The school doctor doesn’t go to work until eight o’clock. Did he go out and buy him medicine?

Although he was very disgusted with this rampant and unruly school bully, at this moment, Qiao Shao’s heart felt a burst of warmth. He’s not that bad. He still cares about his schoolmates.

He Shen sprayed on the medicine and also applied some ointment. Finally, he put on an ice pack.

This set of actions was done skillfully and nimbly. He didn’t even need to read the medication instruction to check the dosage.

Qiao Shao was surprised, and he turned this thought over and over in his mind and then reached a conclusion. This was probably the case for all bad teenagers. When you get into fights that often, you’d have to treat yourself when you get injured. That’s why he’s so familiar with these medicines for sprains, fractures and contusions.

Seen this way, it turns out, being a school bully was not easy. Qiao Shao’s prejudice against him dropped by a little fingernail of a fraction.

When everything was done, He Shen told him: “Don’t go to class in the morning. Rest for now and see how it feels later. If the swelling goes down, you won’t need to go to the hospital, otherwise you’ll need to get an x-ray taken.

Qiao Shao nodded, looking well-behaved. But it could be seen in his eyes, that he wasn’t taking it seriously.

He Shen didn’t harp on it. Instead, he asked, “So, which class do you actually belong to?”

Qiao Shao blinked and said, “Class Six!”

He Shen raised an eyebrow. “Shall I report your situation to the homeroom teacher for Class Six?”

It’s only been half a day but his lie about being in Class Six had already been seen through?

How could the school tyrant have so much time on his hands!

Qiao Shao paused, and felt that it was useless to keep hiding it. He said, “Class One.”

He Shen certainly didn’t have that much idle time to go to the Class Six just to see if Qiao Shao was there or not. It was just that he’d seen Tang Yu this morning, and he figured that the kid had lied to him yesterday. Tang Yu is the homeroom teacher for Class One. The fact that he was helping an injured student, meant that that was a student from his own class.

He had been very tired yesterday and had been completely out of it for the entire day. It seems that he did hear the transfer student’s greeting when he entered the classroom yesterday, but he didn’t pay much attention.

He Shen raised his eyebrows and looked at him. “You’re not lying this time?”

Qiao Shao said, “Why do you even need to know which class I’m in?”

Anyway, I’m not in the same class as you!

He Shen lifted up the plastic bag and said, “For easier reimbursement collection.”

Qiao Shao: “…”

He Shen looked at the time and said, “I still have something to do so I’m going on ahead. You rest up.”

Qiao Shao nodded, He Shen was about to leave, when he whispered, “Lou Xiao, thank you.”

Although his grudge against him was not small, but he did help him out. Qiao Shao was a person who knew good from evil.

He Shen was startled. He thought to himself—You should be thanking me. What did Lou Xiao do? Lou Xiao’s here? Impossible. That kid was still probably dreaming at this point.

However, it was obvious that Qiao Shao was addressing him, “How much was the medicine? I will pay you back.”

He Shen finally figured it out. It turned out that the kid thought he was Lou Xiao. It was possible. He slept in Lou Xiao’s bed yesterday, and it wasn’t surprising that he’d misunderstood.

He Shen smiled meaningfully and did not explain, “Let’s talk about it next time. There will be opportunities in the future.”

Ok?

Qiao Shao looked as the person left through the door. He had no way of catching up to him to pay him back.

But … There certainly will be opportunities in the future. After all, they’re rooming together.

Qiao Shao could not bear to delay his learning. After applying the ice pack, his ankle did not swell, and as long as he didn’t bump into anything, it didn’t hurt too much.

Chen Su brought him breakfast, and after confirming it several times, he helped him downstairs and they went to the classroom together.

********************

The first lesson was Old Tang’s math class.

As soon as Tang Yu saw Qiao Shao coming, he said hurriedly: “You should take a break and rest. The topics during the start of the term aren’t that difficult and your teachers can help you catch up with anything you missed.”

Qiao Shao said: “Teacher, I’m much better. It’s nothing serious and I’ll just be sitting in class, so it’s fine.”

Students were starting to come down from the dormitory, and Tang Yu didn’t say anything more. Inwardly, he truly praised Qiao Shao for his enthusiasm and love for learning.

Qiao Shao felt very happy. He felt that he had taken one step towards a good school life.

Tang Yu said: “But your situation is quite inconvenient. For now, Chen Su can …”

He hadn’t finished talking when a voice said, “Teacher, I can take care of him.”

At the sound of this voice, Qiao Shao was struck stupid. He turned his head, and as he feared, he saw a familiar figure.

The boy was standing by the door of the classroom. He was so tall it was as if he was about to reach the door frame. As he looked at Qiao Shao, he seemed to smile with a smile that was yet not a smile, and his left eye even winked.

Qiao Shao: “???”

What is the school tyrant from the international class doing in theirs’?

Soon, Old Tang dealt Qiao Shao another heavy blow, “Alright. It works out well since you’re also seatmates. It will be more convenient for you to look after him.”

Qiao Shao was horrified, thinking that he had heard wrong.

Seatmate?

He and Lou Xiao?