Hospital.

When Xu Ningqing and Shi Niannian came out of the doctor’s office, they heard the doctor asking Jiang Wang from behind: “Your knee had a previous injury, right?”

Jiang Wang nodded with a sound of agreement.

Xu Ningqing closed the office door, cutting off the sound from inside.

Xu Ningqing hadn’t expected the basketball game to become this serious. Later, when he saw Jiang Wang’s expression as he pressed his knee, he knew something was wrong, so he quickly took him to the hospital.

Orthopedics was on the third floor. The two of them sat in the corridor outside. The hospital had a hollow center, allowing them to see patients coming and going on the first floor, many of whom were parents with children.

Type A flu was on the rise again, and with the changing seasons, many people had colds and fevers. The school had just distributed flyers yesterday, notifying everyone to pay attention to their health conditions recently. Anyone feeling unwell should immediately inform their teachers.

Some students showing symptoms of fever were immediately sent to the hospital or taken home.

It caused widespread anxiety.

Xu Ningqing went to the service desk nearby and got a mask for Shi Niannian.

She put it on, tucking her hair behind her ears.

She looked back at the tightly closed door, recalling the day she met Jiang Wang at the hospital. At that time, she hadn’t considered whether he was at the hospital because of some illness.

She looked up and asked Xu Ningqing: “His knee, was it… Injured before?”

Xu Ningqing sat down beside her, pressing his temples with his thumb and middle finger, not hiding anything from her.

“Jiang Wang used to be a professional athlete, swimming.”

Shi Niannian was stunned. Among all the true or false rumors about him at school, she had never heard this one. Even Jiang Ling, who chirped in her ear all day, had never mentioned it.

“Never heard of it, right?” Xu Ningqing smiled. “Few people know about this. He’s quite independent and hasn’t mentioned it to anyone. He mixes around, and when he doesn’t come to school, everyone just assumes he’s skipping, but most of the time, he was training.”

Shi Niannian nodded a couple of times: “…Even now, he often comes late.”

“Now he’s genuinely skipping classes.” Xu Ningqing pressed his lips together, tilting his head back to rest against the wall. “His ear developed issues, which you probably know about, so he couldn’t continue. Plus, the training intensity was high before, and he has many old injuries.”

Shi Niannian didn’t know what to say.

She suddenly thought of the indifference and fierceness that never seemed to leave the young man’s demeanor.

When she first saw him, his eyes were so faint they showed no emotion at all, dark and unfathomable.

Xu Ningqing told her quite a bit about Jiang Wang. He started learning to swim quite late. At that time, swimming was part of the high school entrance exam, so he began in eighth grade and was discovered by a swimming coach.

Jiang Wang indeed had a lot of talent and progressed smoothly. By his second year of high school, he had entered the provincial team, and later, national team coaches came to select talent.

That time, Jiang Wang also performed very well. He was truly arrogant and unruly at his core, not at all intimidated by selection competitions.

The national team coach was very satisfied with him and had the idea of bringing him into the national team to train together.

After that, his ear developed problems.

The national team coach re-evaluated him, and he couldn’t meet the standards. Previous verbal assurances no longer counted.

At first, his hearing loss was more severe than now; at least it has recovered a bit now.

After listening, Shi Niannian noticed something was off—everyone thought Jiang Wang’s ear was injured in that incident, but according to Xu Ningqing, the problems had already started before that.

“How did his ear… get injured?”

Before Xu Ningqing could answer, the door behind them opened, and Jiang Wang walked out.

“How is it?” Xu Ningqing stood up and asked.

Jiang Wang had rolled up his school pants to his knee. His calf was lean but strong, wrapped in a layer of gauze, giving off a faint smell of medicinal alcohol.

“It’s nothing, the pain has passed.” He walked over, his steps quite steady. “Let’s go.”

Shi Niannian had always had good grades from a young age. Because of her stutter, she didn’t talk much, was introverted, and didn’t have friends like Jiang Ling before. With nothing else to do alone, she could only study diligently.

She also had a goal—she wanted to get into University B, but only because University B was the best university.

As for what major to study or what job to do in the future, she didn’t know.

She seemed to have no dreams, no certainty about what she truly wanted to do.

Shi Niannian lay on her bed, with Xu Ningqing’s words still ringing in her ears.

She couldn’t imagine what it was like for Jiang Wang at that time, probably only 16 or 17 years old, with a bright future in the national team right before his eyes, only to have it all shattered in an instant.

Such a spirited young man who had received cheers and shouts from the entire audience at sports meets.

She felt heartbroken.

Shi Niannian pulled her hand out of the cup, rubbed her eyes, and got up to turn off the night light by her bedside.

She couldn’t think about it anymore; she had class tomorrow.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, her phone, placed under her pillow, suddenly vibrated.

Shi Niannian was blinded by the bright light and couldn’t open her eyes. She groggily pressed the answer button, put it to her ear, and mumbled a vague “Hello.”

A hoarse laugh came from the other end: “Were you asleep?”

Shi Niannian’s drowsiness cleared, and she looked at the unknown number on her phone screen: “Jiang Wang?”

“Ah.”

She sat up and calmly asked: “So late, why are you… calling me?”

“I miss you.”

“…”

She didn’t answer, and Jiang Wang continued, “It’s only ten o’clock, and you’re already asleep?”

She made a sound of agreement. Perhaps because she was sleepy, her voice was particularly soft and gentle, making one’s heart itch, light as a feather.

Jiang Wang had just finished showering and was standing by his bedroom window, overlooking the city’s night view. He asked softly: “Did I play well in the game today?”

“Your leg is, is already like that.”

“I’m asking you,” he insisted. “Was it good or not?”

“Jiang Wang.” She called his name.

“Hmm?”

“I think… you,” she began with a gentle and slow tone, then suddenly felt embarrassed. She bit her lower lip and said, “You’re amazing.”

Jiang Wang didn’t speak. He felt as if a secret part of his chest had been gripped.

His Adam’s apple moved smoothly up and down. After a while, he laughed nonchalantly.

Leaning by the window, he laughed and said: “Little one, you’ve discovered that, huh?”

—

The next morning, one could feel the temperature drop, and the sky was gloomy.

Shi Niannian took out a fleece-lined hoodie from her wardrobe and wore it under her school uniform. After putting on her shoes, she still felt cold on her feet, so she changed to a pair of thicker socks.

“Niannian, your school cup isn’t a thermos, is it?” her aunt asked.

“No.”

“Wait a moment. Someone gave me a set yesterday. Now that it’s getting cold, a thermos would be more convenient.” After saying this, her aunt wiped her wet hands and went into the storage room to find a box of cups for her.

Shi Niannian smiled as she accepted it, thanked her, said goodbye, shouldered her backpack, and pushed the door open to leave.

When she reached the classroom, everyone had already changed into thicker clothes.

Autumn temperature drops quickly. A few days ago, it still felt like summer, but suddenly it changed to feel like winter.

Shi Niannian placed the pan-fried buns and soy milk she bought from the breakfast stand at the school entrance on the table, then poked Jiang Ling with her index finger: “I’m going to get water, do you… want some?”

Jiang Ling was busy copying yesterday’s unfinished homework, writing furiously, very focused. Without looking up, she felt for her cup and handed it over: “Thanks!”

She first scalded the thermos with hot water, then filled two cups with warm water and returned to the classroom.

Jiang Ling had finally finished copying that physics test paper. Her front desk mate was the physics class representative. Jiang Ling slapped the test paper on the back of the person in front, then turned around to talk to Shi Niannian.

“Was Jiang Wang’s leg alright yesterday? It looked pretty serious at the time.”

“Yes, it was… quite serious. He applied medi-medicine.”

“Applied medi-medicine.” Jiang Ling laughed, mimicking her. “I think your stutter is sometimes so cute when you talk. So will he not be coming to school for a while?”

Shi Niannian shook her head: “I don’t… know either.”

Jiang Ling looked around and leaned closer to ask softly: “Niannian, will you be with Jiang Wang?”

“Huh?” She was startled, having never thought about this question. “We’re… still in school.”

“What does that matter?” Jiang Ling pouted, resting her chin on the back of her hand, lowering her voice. “Didn’t Xu Fei confess to Chen Shushu at his birthday party? Yesterday, after school, I saw them walking hand in hand. They must be together now.”

Shi Niannian looked to the side. Xu Fei was standing by Chen Shushu’s desk, chatting.

“Come, come, everyone!” Cai Yucai walked into the classroom. “Before morning self-study begins, I have something to say!”

Shi Niannian opened the soy milk cap, took a few sips, then tightened it again and placed it on the edge of the desk.

“The flu has been quite serious recently. Everyone should pay attention to keeping warm. I’ve already arranged with your P.E. teacher to have you all run during the extended break for physical fitness!”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the classroom began to complain.

Cai Yucai knocked on the blackboard: “What are you complaining about! What are you complaining about? Class 2 of the third year already has more than a dozen cases of fever. The school just notified that they all need to take time off and go home!”

“Wow!”

“I want a break too!”

“Teacher, I suddenly feel like I might have a fever. I need to go home!”

“…”

Cai Yucai knocked on the blackboard forcefully again, but the classroom remained noisy, not at all intimidated. Instead, they attracted the attention of the academic director, Wang Jianping.

The chubby academic director stood at the doorway with a stern face, angrily pounding the door.

“What’s all the noise!” he shouted. “The entire building! Your class is the noisiest! No wonder your grades are the worst!”

Someone muttered quietly: “The top two students are from our class.”

Wang Jianping’s eyebrows shot up: “The top two students are from your class, yet your overall average is at the bottom. Doesn’t that further prove that your class’s grades are poor?!”

Class 3’s average score was indeed low, but it had little to do with most people. It was mainly because of Cheng Qi, Lu Ming, and that group, who almost had zero-score papers, naturally bringing down the average.

Cai Yucai opened his mouth: “Teacher Wang, this…”

The student’s comment had reminded him. Wang Jianping scanned the classroom: “Where’s Jiang Wang? Why isn’t he in class again?!”

“Jiang Wang injured his leg in yesterday’s basketball game,” Cai Yucai explained. “So…”

Before he could finish, a lazy voice sounded at the door: “—Reporting in.”

He was tall, standing behind Wang Jianping, blocking the sunlight that had been falling on his back, dimming the light.

Wang Jianping tilted his head back, and Jiang Wang looked down at him.

The posture was peculiar, and many in the classroom couldn’t hold back their laughter.

Wang Jianping stepped aside to let him enter the classroom, his original momentum weakened. He patted Jiang Wang’s shoulder twice: “Don’t be late anymore! You’re now a key talent being cultivated by the school!”

Jiang Wang made a “tsk” sound, ignoring him as he entered the classroom sideways.

His steps were quite steady, showing no sign of yesterday’s leg problem. He wasn’t wearing the school uniform pants under his school jacket, but a pair of black sweatpants, making his legs look long and straight.

He was also carrying a bag of breakfast.

Shi Niannian glanced at him, then lowered her eyes to look at the pan-fried buns and soy milk in her hand.

The same.

Jiang Wang walked to his seat and also noticed the breakfast in her hand, silently pulling up the corner of his mouth.

“Jiang Wang! Is your leg alright?” Cai Yucai asked.

Jiang Wang sat down and made a sound of agreement.

After scolding them a bit more, Wang Jianping left. Cai Yucai breathed a sigh of relief and said, “If anyone feels unwell, come find me immediately. Don’t try to tough it out. And after lunch, everyone will clean together!”

Cai Yucai went to close the front door of the classroom and continued, “I bought several packets of vinegar to pour on the floor for disinfection at noon!”

—

After lunch, before everyone even entered the classroom, they could smell a strange odor that almost made them vomit up yesterday’s meal as well.

People entered the classroom with frowning brows and pinched noses, only to see hot, steaming smoke rising from the teacher’s desk.

“…”

“…”

“…What’s going on?”

“Hey, you’re back!” Cai Yucai’s voice.

Before everyone could react, a head popped up from beside the teacher’s desk. Cai Yucai was sweating profusely and holding a large palm leaf fan that elderly people use for cooling in the shade during summer.

“Teacher Cai, what are you doing?” Huang Hao asked.

“Boiling vinegar,” Cai Yucai said happily.

“No wonder it smells,” others said, pinching their noses as they entered the classroom.

“It’s for disinfection!” Cai Yucai squatted beside the teacher’s desk, watching over a stainless steel kettle that continuously emitted a boiling vinegar smell.

Soon, the lights went out—it was done.

The classroom was already filled with a strong vinegar smell.

The boiled vinegar smelled different from regular vinegar—stronger, with an indescribable, strange odor.

Before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, Cai Yucai had already lifted the kettle and poured it along the aisle between the desks, making the smell even stronger.

Jiang Ling closed her eyes in despair: “Teacher Cai! What are you doing?!”

“This way, the disinfection is more thorough!” Cai Yucai waved his hand and called on the cleaning duty monitor. “Organize everyone to mop the floor and distribute the vinegar evenly!”

This made students from other classes passing by Class 3’s door wonder if they were conducting some mysterious activity.

Cheng Qi’s group returned to the classroom at noon, but as soon as they smelled the odor, they cursed and left again.

—

The vinegar-soaked floor was too damaging; several people mopped until the mops broke.

The place to get brooms, mops, and other cleaning tools was in a building in front of the teaching building. Shi Niannian was assigned the task of getting a new mop by herself.

Li Lu from Class 9 squatted by a flower bed, a clear purple bruise on his nose, a blade of grass between his lips, swinging back and forth: “What is your class doing? People might think you’re boiling shit.”

Cheng Qi snickered carelessly: “Disinfection, vinegar smell.”

The girl beside her nudged Cheng Qi with her elbow and raised her chin in another direction: “Sister Qi, look.”

Cheng Qi slowly raised her eyebrows, licked her red lips, and turned her head to look at Li Lu: “Was that injury on your nose from Jiang Wang?”

“Fuck, what is it?” Li Lu frowned, feeling uncomfortable.

“Do you know who that is?” Cheng Qi pointed at the girl across from them.

Li Lu hadn’t seen the stuff on the school forum: “Who? She’s pretty.”

“The girl Jiang Wang likes,” Cheng Qi said.

Li Lu was stunned, then asked with a laugh: “Sister Qi, don’t you like Jiang Wang?”

“Yes.” She laughed lightly, squeezing her fingertips, turning her head. “So you help me teach her a lesson.”

Li Lu didn’t react immediately.

Cheng Qi narrowed her fox-like eyes: “What, don’t dare?”

Shi Niannian registered her class, took a new mop, and walked out of the office. She hadn’t gone far when the mop handle was grabbed from behind with great force.

She turned around and saw Li Lu’s face.

And behind him stood Cheng Qi, Lu Ming, and others.

She silently clenched her fist: “What… do you want?”

“Just getting to know you, cutie,” Li Lu smirked.

“…”

Cheng Qi approached step by step. She was tall and bent down to get close to her face, gripping her jawbone tightly, with enough force to make the bone hurt.

“You’ve been quite high-profile recently,” she said.

—

After eating outside, Jiang Wang went to the infirmary to change his bandage. By the time he returned to the classroom, half of the noon self-study period was already over. At the corridor’s turning point, he was bumped into by Xu Fei.

“Oh, sorry, sorry…” Xu Fei hadn’t seen who it was and apologized repeatedly.

“It’s fine.”

“Brother Wang?” Xu Fei grabbed his arm, gasping for breath. “Just now, just now, I was at the window upstairs and saw Shi Niannian being dragged away by Cheng Qi and Li Lu’s group!”

Jiang Wang was stunned and rushed downstairs, ignoring his knee injury.

The young girl was pushed into the school pond amidst laughter. The water reached her thighs, and her wide school pants clung to her legs. Decayed lotus flowers stuck to her hair, making her look extremely disheveled.

The wind was cold now, chilling to the bone with just one blow.

She shivered all over, her lips turning pale.

Her shoes were completely soaked. She struggled to walk to the edge of the pond, trying to climb out, but Li Lu stood blocking the edge. Wherever she tried to go, he would block her.

He just wouldn’t let her come up.

When Jiang Wang ran down, he saw Shi Niannian standing in the pond, surrounded by piercing, grating laughter.

Each sound made him unable to contain his anger.

The mop handle was already broken and thrown aside. Jiang Wang went over to pick it up, weighing it in his hand. His indifferent expression couldn’t hide his fierce anger.

The stick made a sharp, grating sound as it scraped against the ground. Without a word, he swung it directly at the person.

Everyone present froze.

Li Lu covered his forehead, feeling warm liquid flowing out.

From his temple to his scalp, a sharp cut had been made.

Jiang Wang acted as if he hadn’t seen anything, looking down at him, raising the stick in his hand again.

“Jiang Wang—!” Shi Niannian shouted.

Like a button that opened some secret switch in his body, the wind blew, scattering the impulsive anger that had made him lose his rationality.

He turned his head to see Shi Niannian standing in the pond.

He inhaled slowly, closed his eyes briefly, threw away the blood-stained stick, and bent down to pull her out of the water.

His expression remained somber. He took off his jacket and tied the two sleeves around Shi Niannian’s waist.

Li Lu pressed his clothes tightly against the wound on his head, pointing at Jiang Wang with his blood-stained finger: “Come on, if you have the guts, hit me again.”

“What’s the rush?” Jiang Wang pulled Shi Niannian behind him, wearing just a white hoodie, and said softly, “If you dare touch her, I dare to kill you.”

His voice was cold to the extreme.

From childhood, watching Jiang Chen beat his mother, to later when Jiang Chen beat him, Jiang Wang had never purely taken a beating since he was very young.

He would fight back.

And once he fought back, he gave people no chance to resist.

He turned his gaze to Cheng Qi, his eye corners sharpening.

He bent down, picked up the stick again, pushed Shi Niannian forward, and said flatly: “How they treated you just now, you can bully them back the same way.”

Cheng Qi widened her eyes in disbelief: “Jiang Wang!”

He didn’t react, just frowned impatiently.

Xu Fei had also run over, only to witness Jiang Wang completely lose his rationality and bash the person until they bled, reminding him once again that the previous rumors were not false.

He stood frozen, not daring to move.

Shi Niannian didn’t move either.

She stood there, wet, disheveled, and trembling.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t fight back.

She had resisted, but she was outnumbered, and they still pushed her into the pond.

But she didn’t want to rely on Jiang Wang standing behind her to take Cheng Qi and the others’ position and bully them back, just like they had done.

She didn’t want to be like that.

She didn’t step forward but turned to look at Jiang Wang.

The young girl’s eyes were red as she looked up at him, her neck slender and vulnerable.

She shivered slightly, silently biting her lower lip. Water dripped from the ends of her hair, soaking a large area of her fair neck and collarbone.

Jiang Wang’s breath caught.

What the fuck was he doing?

He turned his head to look at Xu Fei: “Give me your school uniform.”

“Ah, oh.” Xu Fei hurriedly took off his school uniform.

Jiang Wang draped Xu Fei’s uniform over Shi Niannian’s shoulders, bent down slightly, passed through her knees, and lifted her directly.

The ferocity hadn’t left his body, pressing down on her.

Yet he said gently: “Don’t be afraid.”