Chapter 22

I am the big gray wolf, you are the little sheep.

Two against one is always an easy win.

But Zhou Zhou was angry inside. When the boy got twisted near her, she kicked his calf. He felt pain and quickly fell down.

The fight turned around.

Chen Jing pressed down on the boy, hitting him with fists and feet.

Cheng Yanran blocked others who wanted to help. Zhou Zhou went to the classroom door to watch if any teacher was coming.

Later, the homeroom teacher found out about the fight. Luckily, Chen Jing knew how to control himself and didn’t hit the boy’s face, only hit the soft belly.

Even though the boy cried, the teacher didn’t see many injuries.

Chen Jing showed his own bruises and said he had been hit several times.

Zhou Zhou also cried a little, saying the boy insulted her and made her want to study less. She said the kick was not on purpose, just an accident.

Cheng Yanran was involved but didn’t have a good reason to defend himself. They just said the boy hit his desk and didn’t say sorry.

The homeroom teacher had been teaching for many years and knew the truth. So, she let it go with a warning. Both sides got punished equally.

All three had to stand at the classroom door as punishment.

Why no bigger punishment? Because none told their parents, so no adults got involved, and all four kids were at fault—insulting and fighting are both wrong.

The boy got hurt but Zhou Zhou, Cheng Yanran, and Chen Jing also had to stand all day.

Cheng Yanran remembered he asked Zhou Zhou if she felt sad. She was always a good student who never came late. Now, after the punishment, many students came to watch.

Zhou Zhou said, “Why be sad? It lets people know not to mess with me. Some students talk bad about me, but I don’t care. But if someone like this boy messes with me, I won’t just keep quiet.”

She was always clear and strong like that.

Chen Jing and Cheng Yanran were used to punishments. They had caused many troubles since childhood. Small ones like unplugging the fridge in summer to see how fast food melts, or splashing water on the TV, then trying to fix it but failing, causing a scolding at home.

The difference was Chen Jing’s family had both parents around, but Cheng Yanran’s father was busy with business, so he grew up mostly alone.

Zhou Zhou had a calm and steady childhood. Listening to the two boys talk about their mischief made her laugh out loud.

Chen Jing was naughty, easy to understand. Cheng Yanran looked calm and gentle but was also lively in secret. It was hard to imagine.

The three talked and laughed louder and louder, until the teacher scolded them again for talking and laughing during punishment.

This little incident gave them a shared “honor,” a special bond that others didn’t have.

Even when they were separated into different classes in Grade 11, they still talked when meeting on the way to or from school.

But in Grade 12, they got busier and bus schedules were different, so they met less and less. When they did, they only talked briefly about their grades and studies, rushing like going to battle.

No choice—they were ordinary kids fighting hard for their future through endless tests and study.

Even Cheng Yanran, from a rich family, still had to take the college entrance exam like most others. Very few wealthy kids just went abroad.

Also, Cheng Yanran had his own secret feelings.

Sadly, he couldn’t catch up with Zhou Zhou. After the exam, they went to different places in north and south, and stayed apart until now.

Fortunately, they still had chances to meet again.

The wild things done in youth are hard to forget. When you turn 30, you look back not at the trouble, but at the friends you shared it with.

After Zhou Zhou told the story, Cheng Yanran and Chen Jing laughed too.

They talked about old times for a long while.

Chen Jing said, “Cheng Yanran and you are the same, both look gentle but are really big wolves inside. Only me, I look like a big wolf but actually a little sheep. I wasn’t the only one fighting, but the teacher scolded me the worst.”

Cheng Yanran replied, “She says something, you always answer back. If she doesn’t scold you, who will?”

Zhou Zhou almost laughed to death.

Chen Jing was stubborn, always needing to win the argument, even during punishment. He asked why the boy didn’t have to stand too, when he got hit so badly.

“You’re just like that since childhood! Always causing trouble but you’re the sidekick,” Chen Jing complained.

Did he really look like a bad student?

He graduated from a good university, you know.

Cheng Yanran held his head laughing and poured Chen Jing a drink, “Okay, I’m the big gray wolf, you’re the little sheep. This drink is for you, I’ll drink first.”

Chen Jing was happy but then thought, wait, that’s not right. Cheng Yanran is the big wolf, why am I the sheep?

But Cheng Yanran already finished his drink. Chen Jing drank his and said, “If you’re the wolf and I’m the sheep, doesn’t that mean you’ll eat me alive?”

Zhou Zhou laughed so hard her stomach hurt.

She was going to die laughing at these two funny guys tonight. She hadn’t laughed so freely in a long time.

After laughing, the two men went to the bathroom. They had drunk a lot of beer and eaten hotpot, so they were quite full.

When they came back, they finished the last vegetables, and the meal was over.

Too full, Cheng Yanran suggested a walk to help digestion, if Zhou Zhou wasn’t in a hurry to go home.

“I’m not in a hurry. My mom took Yuanyuan to a movie tonight, it’s still playing now.” She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

Cheng Yanran looked at her shoes — she was still wearing flat shoes — and felt more sure about the plan.