Lin Xin’s smile vanished at his words, and her face turned cold.
Just before they left, she turned to Lu Mingand said, “You and your friends are excellent students. So, you dropped out just because you didn’t do well in the exams? What kind of nonsense is that?”
Her tone was scathing, and she stomped out of his bedroom without a backward glance.
Lu Ming tried calling out toLin Xin, to no avail. In the end, he could only slump back against his pillows and wallow in regret.
“She’s right, you know,” Qin Jingsaid. “You guys weren’t bad at all.”
With that, she followed Lin Xinoutside, leavingMeng Yangalone withLu Ming.
Meng Yang was smiling brightly, revealing his perfect row of white teeth.
It puzzled Lu Ming. “What about you, aren’t you mad at me?”
Meng Yang continued to smile as he walked to the bedside and patted the other boy’s shoulder. “Why would I be mad? We’re good friends, after all!”
Soon enough, Lu Ming’s shoulder became sore atMeng Yang’s overzealous gesture.
He grimaced in pain and sucked in his breath.
“W-wait… Brother Meng, it hurts. It hurts, please stop!”
Still, Meng Yang’s hand did not stop moving, nor did his smile disappear. “Oh, does it hurt? Do you really feel pain? I don’t think so. You even got beaten half to death! This should be nothing, right?”
“Please, Brother Meng, I won’t do it again. I really wouldn’t dare…”
“Are you sure about that?”
Lu Ming nodded frantically and pressed his palm against his heart, as though to make a solemn promise. “I will never do something so foolish again! Please let me go,Brother Meng. I know I’ve made a mistake, I swear.”
Meng Yang finally stopped, andLu Mingheaved a long sigh of relief.
He lay there, staring at the ceiling, struggling to catch his breath.
Meng Yang turned his back on the injured boy. When he spoke again, his tone had softened. He even sounded a little emotional.
“Lu Ming, I have no idea about your family matters, and I won’t even try to ask you about them. You don’t have to tell me everything that’s going on.
“But you should keep in mind that I treat you as my own brother.
“If you encounter any problems, you must not hesitate to share them with me. No matter how heavy the burden is, you should be able to rely on your brother. I promise to have your back at all times. I’ll always be there to help you.”
Lu Ming froze. He was so shocked that he could only watchMeng Yangdisappear through the door. He was moved, of course, but unlike his friends, it wasn’t easy for him to express his feelings.
‘Brother, huh?’
…
The group of friends left Lu Ming’s residence and all went back toYao Tang’s place to study.
Lin Xin sighed as her eyes darted back and forth betweenMeng YangandQin Jing. She was convinced that these two were competing with each other. For one thing, they seemed to be breezing through the test papers in a bid to see who finished first.
For the first time in her life, Lin Xinunderstood what it meant to be under peer pressure.
Not the bad kind, though, since this one came from a place of camaraderie and empowerment. As such, she did her best to keep up and finish along with her friends.
By the time she looked up from her papers, it was already a quarter past seven in the evening. Her stomach growled, right on cue.
Lin Xin looked at the stack of papers in front of her. She had three more test papers to answer, but she had managed to finish all her homework.
She was tired, but she felt content.
Just as she expected, being around her friends was the best kind of motivation there was. If she had been by herself, she would probably spiral into a panic and wouldn’t get anything done.
It was past eight o’clock when everyone finally finished their tasks.
Qin Jing jumped to her feet and fetched a small cake from her bag. She was quite happy with her performance at the practice tests, so she thought it was only right to celebrate.
Then something occurred to her, and she ran back to check Meng Yang’s test papers. ‘Huh. He’s improved a lot as well.’
Lin Xin was starving at this point. She turned toYao Tangwith wide, pleading eyes. “Sister Tang, we’ve worked very hard today. Why don’t we go out and eat something delicious? I know a place where they make the best snacks and desserts. We should go there!”
Ten minutes later, they were standing outside a brightly lit door. Although muffled, they could still hear the booming music coming from the other side.
They exchanged a look.
“Lin Xin, is this really the place you were referring to? The one where they serve the best snacks and desserts?” Qin Jingcrossed her arms over her chest and frowned at the neon sign above them.
They had come to a nightclub, and there seemed to be an endless stream of people coming and going through the establishment.
