Chapter 24

Shen Kuo and Zhong Kai took turns manning the stall under the overpass. During class time, Zhong Kai watched the booth, and after school, it was Shen Kuo’s turn.

During that period, business was booming, with daily earnings reaching hundreds of yuan. This income was several times more than what Shen Kuo had earned from past part-time jobs.

So Zhong Kai wasn’t wrong—these days, doing business was the way to go. Although it was a small-scale operation now, looking ahead to the next 20 years, it could very well be people like them, running small businesses, who would become rich.

However, Shen Kuo gradually started noticing something strange. Recently, most of the people coming to buy discs seemed to be men.

What’s more, when they bought the discs, they acted suspiciously—looking around, sneaking glances—as if they were doing something shameful, more cautious than if they were entering a shady salon.

On several occasions, Shen Kuo saw them tearing open the discs, picking and choosing, often buying ten or more at a time.

One day, he couldn’t help but ask a man who had bought about twenty discs, “Didn’t you just buy some yesterday? Why are you buying so many now? Are you really going to watch all of them?”

The man hurriedly replied, “Of course, of course! I can watch ten movies in one night!”

Shen Kuo’s eyes twitched. These guys must treat watching discs like eating!

At first, Shen Kuo couldn’t figure it out, until one day, when Lu Zhen suddenly showed up to fight with him, he rushed to the overpass to find Zhong Kai and saw a thin, middle-aged man arguing with Zhong Kai.

“Can’t you just give me the discs I asked for directly?” the man complained.

Zhong Kai grinned slyly and patted his chest. “Of course not. There are rules to how I sell discs. Good or bad, you pick them yourself, all based on luck. And no returns.”

“You’re really scamming me! No business is honest!”

“The only thing I can guarantee is that if you buy ten discs, at least two of them will have the content you want. I run my business with principles.”

The thin man seemed to relent. “Alright, give me ten discs. If there’s nothing I want, I’ll come back and settle this with you!”

“If there’s nothing you want, come back and I’ll give you one for free!” Zhong Kai replied.

Just as the man was about to pay, Shen Kuo walked over, grabbed Zhong Kai by the collar, and coldly asked, “What exactly are you selling here?”

Zhong Kai was startled and quickly explained, “Hey, Brother Shen, I’m not… I’m not selling anything bad. I sell legitimate movie discs.”

Shen Kuo had already guessed what was going on behind his back. He grabbed the ten discs the thin man was holding, flipped through them, and quickly spotted something odd. Three of the discs had been opened, repackaged poorly, clearly not original.

What a clever trick of switching the goods!

Shen Kuo didn’t even have time to question Zhong Kai when a group of law enforcement officers from the industrial and commercial departments, along with uniformed police officers, walked toward them.

“Damn it!”

Zhong Kai frantically began packing up the stall, but when he realized it was too late, he simply abandoned the stall and started running.

However, it was already too late. As soon as he ran, the police immediately chased after him. “Stop!”

A police car also drove up from the other end of the street, blocking his escape.

The street vendors, thinking it was just the urban management officers again, hurriedly packed up their goods and fled, causing chaos at the scene.

“Why are you arresting me? What have I done?” Zhong Kai yelled loudly. “Let go of me!”

“There’s a public report saying that you’re selling illegal YHSQ discs! Come with us for investigation!”

“I’m not selling YHSQ discs! Don’t slander me!”

—

Throughout all of this, Shen Kuo didn’t move a step, to the point where the enforcement officers almost mistook him for a customer. “Industrial and commercial enforcement! Clear the way for us!”

Shen Kuo calmly replied, “I’m not a bystander. This stall is mine…”

The officers, perhaps not used to a lawbreaker so openly admitting to their actions, were momentarily stunned and immediately took Shen Kuo into custody.

Zhong Kai knew Shen Kuo’s character—there was no way he would let Zhong Kai take all the responsibility alone.

Struggling fiercely, Zhong Kai shouted excitedly, “This has nothing to do with him! Don’t arrest him! He didn’t know anything!”

“Whether it’s related or not, we’ll find out once we get back to the station.”

They searched the disc stall, took photos for evidence, and then took Shen Kuo and Zhong Kai away in the police car.

Lu Yan, riding her bicycle leisurely, happened to come by at the moment when Shen Kuo was being pushed into the car. The ice cream cone in her hand fell.

Just before Shen Kuo got into the car, he looked up and saw her. A dark shadow clouded his gaze.

Shen Kuo was locked up for the night but was released the next morning since the matter had nothing to do with him.

However, he had a 50% stake in the stall, so this raid meant he lost all his investment.

Moreover, the media had followed the arrest, and the next day, the story made headlines. Back then, there was no such thing as pixelating faces, so Shen Kuo’s stern face appeared in the newspaper, alongside the words “YHSQ”.

This incident caused a stir in school, like a drop of water in hot oil.

All the girls avoided Shen Kuo, and even the boys would often look at him with a meaningful expression.

Shen Kuo remained unaffected, continuing his daily routine—going to school, leaving school, finding work, and making money—completely indifferent to how others viewed him.

But the rumors at school grew worse:

“Oh my god, Shen Kuo is actually selling those kinds of discs! Unbelievable!”

“What’s so unbelievable? For money, he’ll do anything. Don’t you remember the fire at Lu Zhen’s karaoke last time? It’s said he was involved.”

“From now on, we should avoid him whenever we see him!”

“Thinking about it really makes me sick. Feifei, you used to stand up for him, and now you see what kind of person he really is.”

Shu Mengfei’s heart was clear as day, she knew this matter had nothing to do with Shen Kuo.

However, she certainly wouldn’t defend him. The term “YHSQ” back then was like a deadly virus, anyone associated with it couldn’t wash themselves clean, no matter what.

She echoed, “I never thought so either. He seemed like such an upright gentleman.”

“Fortunately, you stopped dealing with him. Really, Lu Zhen is much better. Although he’s mischievous and unruly, at least he’s still an upright person.”

Shu Mengfei smiled without speaking.

“I heard this time it was Lu Zhen who reported him to the industrial and commercial department.”

“That makes sense. Lu Zhen must still have lingering feelings for Feifei. Now he’s exposing Shen Kuo’s true nature, hoping Feifei will reconsider.”

“Feifei, why don’t you make up with Lu Zhen?”

“Yeah, he’s done so much for you.”

Just then, a faint, cold laugh came from behind.

“Some people are really good at flattering themselves. Are you setting up a harem? All the boys in the school treat you like a treasure, huh?”

The girls turned around to see Lu Yan standing by the wutong tree-lined path, pushing her bicycle, though they couldn’t tell how much she had overheard.

Shu Mengfei’s face turned pale.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know you shouldn’t just say anything,” Lu Yan replied, getting on her bike. She raised her voice, “As for the discs, Shen Kuo didn’t know anything about it. You’re just spreading rumors, which is defamation.”

“Who’s spreading rumors? The news was in the papers.”

“Exactly.”

Sometimes, people only see the “truth” they want to see. Lu Yan rolled her eyes, not wanting to waste any more breath on them.

As she rode past Shu Mengfei, something suddenly happened—Shu Mengfei stumbled and fell to the ground.

“Ow!”

Her elbow scraped against the ground, and she looked up at Lu Yan with a pitiful expression, her face showing a hint of grievance.

The girls around quickly helped Shu Mengfei up and asked Lu Yan, “What… what are you doing?”

Lu Zhen’s foot tapped the ground, steadying his bicycle, and he turned back to look at her. “Hey, don’t pretend to be hurt. I didn’t touch you.”

It was just a war of words. He wouldn’t resort to physical confrontation with girls.

“I’m fine.” Shu Mengfei quickly said, “Don’t blame her. I’m sure Lu Yan didn’t mean it, it was just an accident.”

The more she said this, the more the surrounding girls felt Lu Yan had bullied her.

“Feifei, you’re too kind. You see her like this, she must have done it on purpose!”

“Exactly. The more you back down, the more she’ll bully you!”

“Don’t say that.” Shu Mengfei looked at Lu Yan. “I believe Lu Yan will apologize to me, right, Lu Yan?”

“Lu Yan, quickly apologize, or we’ll go report you to the academic affairs office for bullying a classmate!”

“Apologize properly.” Lu Yan clicked her tongue and sneered, “It’s been so many years since I’ve seen such a ^[1]“blooming lotus flower” often carries symbolic significance in various cultures, especially in Eastern philosophies like Buddhism and Hinduism. It symbolizes purity, enlightenment, and … Continue readingblooming lotus flower.”

No wonder Lu Zhen had said his girlfriend was the purest in the world, a girl like Shu Mengfei would truly appear “pure” in the eyes of straight men.

“What… do you mean by that?”

Lu Yan tilted her chin and looked at Shu Mengfei. “Do you know what a lotus flower is? I’m saying you’re a flower!”

Shu Mengfei realized that Lu Yan wasn’t praising her, she was indirectly insulting her!

“Lu Yan, I know you’ve never liked me because of your brother… but I broke up with him peacefully… I… I really don’t know what I did wrong to make you hate me like this.”

The girls around, seeing that Shu Mengfei was being bullied by Lu Yan and was crying, angrily said, “Lu Yan, you’re going too far!”

“Today we have to stand up for Feifei and make her understand that we’re not easy to bully!”

The girls rushed forward, grabbing at Lu Yan’s clothes, trying to pull her off the bicycle.

“Let go! Don’t touch me!”

“Are you scared? If you’re scared, apologize to Feifei quickly!”

“Apologize for what…”

Taking advantage of their numbers, they pulled Lu Yan off the bike, yanking at her hair and scratching her face.

Shu Mengfei pretended to be weak, waving her hands repeatedly. “Don’t do this, don’t hit her, let’s talk this out!”

Although she said this, she showed no intention of stopping them, and in fact, there was a hint of satisfaction in her eyes as she let the girls push and shove Lu Yan, even pulling her ponytail apart.

At this moment, the girl who was tugging at Lu Yan’s hair suddenly screamed.

Everyone stopped and looked at the girl.

She was being held by the neck by a tall young man, her face as pale as a sheet, her eyes full of fear.

It was… Shen Kuo.

All the girls gasped.

Shen Kuo held her with one hand and lifted her off the ground, her feet dangling in the air.

His gaze was fierce, and his entire demeanor exuded hostility.

Finally, just before the girl was about to pass out from lack of air, Shen Kuo released her. She fell hard to the ground, coughing violently, tears streaming from her eyes.

Shen Kuo walked over, propped up the pink bicycle on the roadside, and looked at Lu Yan.

After the commotion, the young girl’s face was flushed with an unnatural redness, her carefully arranged ponytail was now a mess, and her fair hands had a few red marks, looking utterly disheveled.

She had never fought with anyone before, standing at the side, sniffling, feeling a little wronged.

Shen Kuo’s gaze darkened, and after a long while, he forced out three words with his dry throat: “Are you hurt?”

“No.” Lu Yan muttered unwillingly, “They won’t hurt me.”

Shen Kuo turned his gaze to the group of girls, including Shu Mengfei, his previously gentle expression quickly replaced by a chilling coldness.

“You… if you want to die, just say it.”

He glanced at the girl who had almost lost consciousness, a sinister smile curving at the corner of his mouth. “I don’t understand the concept of pitying delicate flowers.”

The girls, who had just been sharp-tongued, now trembled like quails, too frightened to say a word.

They were terrified of Shen Kuo—truly terrified to the core.

Shu Mengfei wiped her tears, then spoke to Shen Kuo, “It’s… it’s all a misunderstanding, Shen Kuo, please don’t be angry. It’s my fault, I didn’t stop them, that’s why Lu Yan almost got hurt…”

Shen Kuo’s narrow, dark eyes swept over her, and her heart jolted. The sobs that had been in her throat were instantly choked.

It was as if everything hidden in her heart couldn’t escape his gaze. Beneath her disguise, all her flaws were exposed.

Shu Mengfei felt a deep sense of frustration. Why, why could he look at Lu Yan so gently, yet be so cold when facing her?

She and he… were clearly the same kind of people, yet Lu Yan was nothing—just a naïve rich girl. Why did he treat her so well?

Shu Mengfei wanted to say more, but Shen Kuo didn’t give her the chance. His lips parted slightly as he murmured one word—

“Leave.”

There was no room for negotiation.

—

Once everyone had left, the phoenix tree-lined path was quiet again, only the rustling of leaves in the wind breaking the silence.

“You showed up just in time! That move was so cool! Let’s see if they dare treat me like that again…”

Before her chattering could finish, the young man suddenly reached up and loosened the elastic band holding her hair.

Her jet-black hair cascaded like a waterfall over her pale shoulders, the strands lightly grazing her collarbone.

Lu Yan looked up in confusion, only to see him lowering his gaze, biting the hair tie and pulling it off before retying her hair.

His rough fingers ran through the ends of her hair, lightly scraping her scalp as strands slipped through his fingers.

“Shen Kuo, what are you doing…”

“Stay still.”

Feeling his meticulous actions, Lu Yan’s mind went blank, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

Apart from her father, Lu Zhen, Shen Kuo was the second man to ever tie her hair.

He did it tightly, his movements awkward, which made her scalp feel tense, but…

His touch was so gentle.

The next morning, Lu Yan asked her homeroom teacher for leave and went to the industrial and commercial department.

The lobby of the department was filled with merchants coming to handle their paperwork. Lu Yan wandered around the hall, feeling a bit lost.

At this moment, a staff member in uniform approached and asked her, “Little girl, who are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for the leader.”

The staff member had a calm expression and smiled, “I’ve never seen anyone come in and immediately ask for the leader. Which leader are you looking for?”

Lu Yan didn’t know how to answer, “It’s about the incident with the discs you seized a few days ago. I want to find the leader in charge of the matter.”

The man raised an eyebrow, “What a coincidence, I’m the one in charge of that case. Did you also buy one of those discs?”

“No, no!” Lu Yan quickly shook her head and explained her reason for coming.

—

Two days later, several personnel from the industrial and commercial department came to the school and explained the situation to the principal and teachers in the principal’s office.

“The incident with the discs indeed has nothing to do with student Shen Kuo. That same evening, his accomplices admitted to handling everything themselves, and Shen Kuo was unaware of it. However, the newspapers have already reported on the matter, causing significant damage to Shen Kuo’s reputation. We’ve come here to hope the school can clear his name.”

When the principal saw that Director Liu from the industrial and commercial department had personally come, he realized the seriousness of the matter and immediately called in the student responsible for the broadcast station to issue a public announcement to clarify Shen Kuo’s situation.

Coincidentally, as they were leaving, they ran into Shen Kuo by the basketball court. He was holding a basketball and looking at Director Liu from a distance.

Director Liu walked over to him and, like a senior, patted his shoulder.

Shen Kuo stubbornly avoided the touch.

What did a clarification matter to him? He didn’t care for it.

Director Liu had a deep impression of this stubborn and headstrong young man.

“Don’t expect me to thank you,” Shen Kuo said as he turned to leave.

Director Liu stopped him, “You shouldn’t thank us. A few days ago, a girl came to the industrial and commercial department. She swore that Shen Kuo is an upright person who would never do anything illegal, and asked us to clarify things with the school and restore your reputation.”

Shen Kuo suddenly froze.

Upright…

Why was she so certain? And why did she vouch for him?

“What’s done is done, and no one’s guarantee changes that. On the other hand, if nothing happens, we won’t let anyone suffer unjustly,” Director Liu said as he walked over and patted Shen Kuo’s shoulder. “You’re the same age as my son, but you’ve already done more with your life. At a young age, you’ve taken on the burdens of life.”

Shen Kuo’s eyes glinted with a hint of mockery.

He didn’t need their sympathy or pity.

Director Liu knew the young man seemed silent, but he was rebellious, like a stubborn, jagged rock on the edge of a cliff.

“Even if behind you is a cliff’s abyss, life always moves forward. Don’t give up on yourself.”

Director Liu looked at him and said in a deep voice, “Because in this world, there will always be someone who understands you and will believe in you without hesitation.”

After they left, the campus broadcast station once again aired the brief news that clarified Shen Kuo’s name.

A gust of wind blew through, rustling the treetops overhead. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, casting dappled light and shadow on the ground.

Shen Kuo turned around and shot the basketball into the hoop.

Even if behind him was a cliff’s abyss, life always moves forward.

Perhaps, he should believe in himself too.