Chapter 09 – After Time

After a week, the three guys got sort of used to not having Zhan Zheng Xi around them at school. That day in special, a Saturday, there were at the rooftop, eating their lunches. He Tian and Guan Shan were sitting side by side, while Jian Yi was leaning his arms on the guardrail, his back facing the other two. The blond took a deep breath, extremely confused with something happening on the courtyard.

"Sometimes I feel like a third wheel, without Zhan Xixi here."

"You're not." Guan Shan said flustered.

"I just said it feels like it, Redhead, I didn't want to imply anything." He heard a huff. "There is a little thing bothering me."

"Which is?" He Tian was curious.

"Xiao bitch. It has been over a week she doesn't bother us."

"Her crush is Zhan Zheng Xi, it is normal she's quiet. Isn't it?"

"It should. But she visited the hospital only once, and it was last week, which means she's not bothering Zhan Xixi either." He exhaled lightly. "But that's not the point."

"What is it, then?"

"I don't know if you guys noticed, but I took a liking to observing the yard."

"We did." Both answered in unison.

"It started on Monday. Xiao bitch was being followed closely by a shaved headed guy. Tuesday it was a brunet with short hair. Wednesday it was a blond, also short hair. Thursday the shaved headed guy again. Yesterday the brunet with short hair again. Did you guys realize anything they have in common?"

"Besides being a quite common appearance on this school?" He Tian asked. "Nah."

"Are they the guys that were with me the day I tried to beat you up?" Redhead muttered.

"Yep." Jian Yi sighed.

"Are you sure it is not a coincidence?"

"I thought it was." Jian Yi made a short pause. "Until today." He pointed to the courtyard with his index finger.

"Let me see it." Redhead stood up and walked to the guardrail, looking at the place the blond was pointing at. "She Li?"

"First she was hanging out with the underlings, now she's with She Hi himself."

"They could be dating." He Tian shrugged. "He probably sent the underlings to protect her. The girlfriend of a gang leader is something valuable."

"I hope that's the case."

"I think I might agree with He Tian, Jian Yi. Especially after the things I've said to her."

"What did you say, Redhead?" Jian Yi's golden gaze met Guan Shan's auburn eyes.

"She came to me all pissed one day. It was before Zhan Zheng Xi's kidnapping. She was bitching about things like I should keep my boyfriend's tongue inside my mouth, so he wouldn't say useless stuff.

"Xiao was referring to me. It was last week's Monday." He Tian said, smirking when he saw Redhead's cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"I said to her she should be the one keeping her tongue inside someone else's mouth. Maybe she took my advice, I don't know."

"Let's hope that's it. We three know how much the two of them despise us. Well, she despises me. But I'm sure She Li hates you guys' guts."

"You think they could be planning something together?" Guan Shan asked.

"Not really. I just thought it was strange for them to be so friendly with each other. And to be honest, if I were her and if I were planning something with She Li, I wouldn't want to be seen with him. The same goes the other way."

"So I am indeed right." He Tian stood up. "We should stop nosing on other people's lives now."

"Sure, sure." Jian Yi shrugged. "I will go back to class now." He walked to the door and left, being followed by a redhead.

"Wait for me, I'm going too." Guan Shan tried, but before he could reach the door, He Tian's arm got in his way.

"Where do you think you are going, Mo Guan Shan?"

"C-class?" Redhead stuttered. It was about the fifth* time He Tian called him like that, and it sent shivers directly down his spine.

"But we still need to decide what we are having for dinner, right?"

"We can discuss it after class, He Tian. Come on, we are going to be late."

"You never cared for this before, why are you caring now?"

"You won't believe if I say my mom asked me to be a good student, will you?"

"Nope."

"Ok, fine, you win. Happy now?" Redhead shrugged and sat on the floor, same spot he was before.

"Very much, thanks." He Tian smiled and sat beside Guan Shan.

"What do you want for dinner, then?"

"Not so fast, Redhead, we have the entire seventh period to think about it."

"What do you want, geez? Can't you be more direct?" Redhead was almost face palming.

"Do you trust me?"

"W-what?" He stuttered. "I'm trying my best to."

"I can take it as a yes?"

"Probably."

"Ok, cool. But you know what, Mo Guan Shan?" Sixth. "You ask me all sorts of things and I answer them truthfully, right?"

"Yes."

"Can I ask you to ask me one question in special?"

"That was confusing, but, I don't know, go ahead, whatever."

"Ask me what I know about you."

"I don't get it, He Tian." Redhead was very confused at that moment.

"Just do it."

"What do you know about me?"

"You are smaller than me. You have bad grades. You like fighting but are not really good at it. Even though I offered to help you, you refused. You know how to cook marvelously well. You live with you mom. Your parents, plural, used to have a restaurant."

"I don't see your point."

"What do you know about me?"

"A lot of things."

"Exactly, Mo Guan Shan." Seventh. "I dare to say that you know everything you need to know about me. And yet I don't know half as much about you."

"You never asked."

"Oh, I did. A thousand times. You always get your way out of the questions. Very slippery, you know."

"What do you want to know, He Tian?" Guan Shan sighed, defeated.

"What happened to the restaurant?"

"Bankrupted."

"Why?"

"My father wasn't a good manager. Even though the food was good, we didn't have many clients. The place was doomed to go into ruin." Guan Shan threaded his fingers through his hair. "So he had the amazing idea of getting a loan. But then bank never lent him the money, so he went to a loan shark."

"…" He Tian was speechless.

"The debt's interest only grew, so he started stealing. A golden necklace over here, a ruby ring over there. He was good at it, so a gang put his eyes on him. With the promise of fifty-fifty, they tried to rob a bank. Guess I don't need to tell you what happened."

"He got arrested. And what about the loan sharks?"

"They are the reason why I need money. They already beat my mom up several times and I'm not letting this happen ever again." He was on the verge of tears. Tears of anger.

"Do you know who they are, the loan sharks?"

"I wish I did. They always come with their faces covered. The only thing I've ever noticed was that all of them had the same mark on their hands."

"Mark?"

"I've never seen it long enough to know what is it, but is something on their hands. It's never on the same place, though. The size is different too. Sometimes they wear gloves too, which makes seeing it impossible."

"When they usually appear?"

"Every Thursday after lunchtime. That's why I ask you to pay me on Wednesdays."

"Can I go to your place next Thursday?"

"What are you planning?"

"Pin one down. See the mark. Let him go."

"Not happening."

"Why not?"

"I've tried. Obviously I didn't succeed. They waited for me to leave home for school and then…"

"Your mom?" He Tian asked, Guan Shan only nodded.

"I told him to not get money from those people. I told him…" Redhead was hugging his legs, head buried on his knees. "He said I knew nothing. The first thing they took from us was the restaurant."

"So it still exists?"

"The place does, it is not a restaurant anymore, though."

"What is it, then?"

"A brothel."

"Can you take me there?"

"I'm sorry, He Tian, but I don't want to get you involved with it. Ask me anything but that, seriously."

"Tch." He Tian huffed.

Both of them stayed quiet for a long time, looking straight through the guardrail. The wind was cold and the sky blue, with a few clouds. After thinking about what to say to Redhead, He Tian chose to go back to the real reason why they were still on the rooftop.

"Do you know how to cook foreign food?"

"I've never tried before. I wanted to, but I've never had the money to afford such luxuries." Guan Shan answered sincerely, relieved that He Tian decided to change the subject.

"Want to try it today?"

"I can't assure you it will be tasty, but I guess it will be a good experience."

"Pick a country, then. I'll pick the dish."

"A country?" Redhead leaned his chin on his palm, thinking. "Japan?"

"Seriously, Mo Guan Shan?" Eighth. "Japan is too close."

"You were the one asking me to choose."

"Ok, you got me on that one. What do you think about rice and curry?"

"Curry is not Japanese, you know that, right?"

"Ah, really?"

"Even though they eat that a lot over there, curry is actually an Indian dish."

"What would you pick, then?"

"If you were willing to invite more people, a nabe party would be nice, since the weather has gotten colder. But for just the two of us, something like katsudon would do. You also need to remember that nabe is a kind of stew, and you just had that a few days ago."

"You said you didn't know how to cook foreign food." He Tian was astonished.

"Not knowing how to cook doesn't mean I don't know the dish." Guan Shan shrugged. "Come on, I gave you options."

"Jian Yi said something about Zhan Zheng Xi leaving the hospital today, we could do that 'nabe party' or something on his house. I don't care if I've eaten that recently, stew is always welcome."

"Why on his house?"

"I doubt his parents, or even Jian Yi, will let him go out just after leaving the hospital."

"True."

"Soooooo. I'm going to send Jian Yi an e-mail, telling him to talk to Zhan Zheng Xi's family. If it's ok, nabe party it is, if it's not, katsudon!"

"Either way we'll need to go shopping for groceries, so just remember to tell me after classes."


"Hello there, Zhan Xixi!" Jian Yi entered the hospital bedroom excited. "How do you feel knowing that you're leaving this place in an hour or two?"

"I'm feeling good." He smiled. "The nurses also said I can eat whatever I want now."

"That's amazing!"

"You look overly happy today, Jian Yi. What happened?"

"Why can you read me so well, damn it?" The blond made a fake sad face. "It is supposed to be a surprise, Zhan Xixi."

"You know I'm not really fond of surprises."

"He Tian is going to throw a nabe party at your house."

"Why a nabe party? We are Chinese."

"Redhead mumbled something about needing to learn how to cook foreign food. I bet it was He Tian who asked him that."

"I will never understand those guys' relationship."

"Well, I can explain it to you. It's nothing really hard to get, to be honest."

"I don't have anything to do, neither do you, so go ahead."

"Long story short, He Tian asked Redhead to work for him after the incident with your head. They had a fight, Redhead got in trouble, and we saved his ass. Redhead didn't forgive He Tian, though. But it seems that after my dad got you they started to get along again. They had a talk, or something, I guess."

"Why did they fight, in the first place?"

"He Tian kissed Redhead."

"Are you for real? I thought He Tian had a thing for you, always clinging."

"He told me himself. That he kissed Redhead. He also said Redhead got reeeeeally mad at him." Jian Yi smirked. "Are you jealous, Zhan Xixi?"

"Of course I am." He rolled his eyes. "Not. It was just an impression I had."

"You don't need to be jealous, Zhan Xixi." The blond said, ignoring everything Zhan Zheng Xi was saying. "He Tian is head over heels for Redhead."

"And Guan Shan?"

"Just like you were two weeks ago."

"So you think he likes He Tian?"

"I don't have a single clue; Redhead is a hard person to figure out."

"I see." Zhan Zheng Xi sighed. "I'm going to start physiotherapy at Monday."

"Really?"

"Yes, it seems they can take off the cast already. But they said that if it hurts too much, I'll need to put a splint, and stay with my hands immobilized for at least another week."

"You think you are ok?"

"I can hardly move with the cast, but the times I tried to do it, how can I explain. It's been almost two weeks since I've last moved a bone of my hands of feet. I'm sure it won't be pleasant."

"If only I could've taken the blow."

"Don't you ever repeat that, Jian Yi." Zhan Zheng Xi was dead serious. "I didn't like being tortured, but it was thanks to it that I could figure myself out."

"I know that, but it doesn't mean I like seeing you hurt, you know?"

"Just like I wouldn't like seeing YOU hurt."

"Yeah, yeah. This is going to be a hell of a long argument if we keep on saying this, though." Jian Yi chuckled. "It would be better if nobody got hurt, right?"

"Now I can agree with you."

Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi kept talking, while the hospital finished all the bureaucratic part. In a couple of hours the brunet was already sitting on a wheelchair, being pushed by Jian Yi. The blond called a cab and they entered it, heading to Zhan Zheng Xi's home. It took them only thirty minutes to get there. Jian Yi opened the front door happy, shouting.

"Aunt, uncle, little sister, He Tian, Redhead, we are here!"


A/N: I actually counted how many times I made He Tian say Redhead's name like that. Up to this chapter he'd called him four times, but it will get way more frequent from now on. You guys could notice it already, ne? It happened four times in eight chapters, and now in only one, four more.

See you next chapter~

Pop's out!