I’m evolving; I’m about to bloom.
Unsurprisingly, Ji XingLing attempted to run away. Right at that moment though, Nui WeiDong, who just came in from the east gate, came to intercept him, “The shooting will begin shortly. Why are you still running around? Are you busy ma?”
Ji XingLing didn’t so much as blink, “Busy, Teacher Sun is waiting for me in the sports field.”
“Okay.” Niu WeiDong patted his arm, “You are busy, and so you will be the first one to take a picture, Xiao Zhou ah, quickly find someone to put makeup on him!”
His voice was booming and clear. Wei Xue and Luo LinSi both bit their lower lip, as they turned their head to the side tacitly. There were also several freshmen female students around, who were on the verge of bursting out with laughter but didn’t dare, with shaking shoulders.
Young Master Ji’s chest is stuffy, and he felt with deep understanding that he’d taken the not-so-nice part of the deal with Wang HongYu. Another girl with short bob hair, who glanced at him with a blush, had taken initiative to speak out to help, “Teacher Niu, I think Ji XingLing is already very photogenic, so let’s just take the photo ba.”
“No, last year, because there was no makeup on, in the end, the result of the photo that came out was rather bad, especially Li MoYuan’s.” Niu WeiDong personally moved a chair to sit, then instructed, “Make them all slightly pale this year, but don’t be too pale either. Make it pale with a touch of pink-tinged complexion.”
Ji XingLing was livid when he heard “rosy-white complexion” so much so that he almost blurted out uncivilized words again.
Lin Jing stood by and waited patiently for a long time. Seeing that the makeup artist had already begun to blend the foundation, yet, Ji XingLing still had not convinced Niu WeiDong, let alone demolished the basketball hall on the spot to stop the photoshoot from happening; it was his noble political consciousness that urged him to sacrifice himself to save the moment, so Lin Jing could only take personal charge of the matter by using some underhanded advantage for the sake of everyone, while also reaping some benefits for himself in passing.
“Teacher.” He raised his hand and suggested, “Since some of my classmates have put on their makeup, it’s better to try to take a few shots to see if it is white enough now.”
Niu WeiDong pondered a while, then agreed. So he called the students who had finished their makeup to go to the side of the basketball goal posts and asked the photographer to take a few snapshots.
“Ji XingLing, Ji XingLing!” Lin Jing seized an opportunity to turn around while he was pretending to look at the photos, “Do you want to take one snapshot too? Let the teachers make some reference between no makeup and makeup.”
The tone was sincere, coherent, and not forceful, also full of emotions. Lin Jing had taken into full consideration to uphold the dean’s position in all respects, as he was fully demonstrating what a well-behaved and sensible student was, and his acting skills were perfect.
Your Brother Xing: …conceded and smart.
Lin Jing picked up a ball from the ground and tossed it to Ji XingLing, smoothly getting the opponent out of the clutches of the makeup artist. All the schoolgirls had gathered around the basketball court, waiting to watch the handsome guy shoot the basketball. The photographer also held up the camera to get ready — it was said.. photographers, in fact, were like makeup artists, they were enthusiastic parents who came to help for free of charge. There must be at least some skills. But it was also far from professional standards, especially when taking a people portrait in a single scene; the quality of footage shots basically depended on the quality of the model.
Fortunately, Ji XingLing was a high-quality model, as he was not only tall and handsome, but also white. When he jumped into the air and flicked the ball onto the backboard and into the hoop, his thin almond-shaped eyes were slightly squinted. Every single of the sunlight that had penetrated from the top of the glass was gathered together within his hands, and a dazzling golden strand shone out from the space between his finger joints.
The teenager was wearing a blue-white school uniform, as full of vigor and vitality as the entire summer.
“Obviously, it’s better not to wear makeup ah.” After taking a photograph, a group of schoolgirls huddled around the camera, “Teacher, let’s not wear makeup ba, it’s such a waste of time.”
“That’s right, if the color tone of the picture is too dark, just edit it with Photoshop a bit, and it can be fixed la.”
“Photoshop can also adjust and enhance facial features.”
“I don’t want to use a set of makeup tools with boys.”
“I also don’t want to. I’ll get acne.”
Niu WeiDong was utterly dizzy because of the noises that sounded like a chirping sparrow, coupled with Ji XingLing’s photo was captured perfectly, so he reluctantly took a step back, “Hmm, let’s take this shot first, and I’ll check it out again.”
The hapless students who had put on makeup before, cheered collectively, took out wet tissues, and roughly wiped the makeup off. Ji XingLing tossed the basketball to Lin Jing and whistled a little scornfully, “It’s your turn.”
Lin Jing had relaxedly fired off a shot that arced through the hoop, “No thanks.”
“Hey, if I put on makeup, you can’t get away with it either.” Ji XingLing had stressed on, “So at best, this is called mutual benefit.”
“But I can also wait until you’ve been painted into a Mandrill, before I go to the teacher.” Lin Jing caught the ball, “So, you’re welcome.”
Ji XingLing had waited until he was walking far away, and then took out his mobile phone to check on what was Mandrill.
A giant monkey with a colorfully painted face had appeared suddenly on the screen.
…
Kao22.
22Kao (我靠 Wǒ kào) – means I depend on, but it’s used as a swear word as well. Initially, it was from the word “尻kāo” that has similarities in pronunciation, which means buttocks or the ass. Just say 我靠 as a mild swear word, that can mean Bosh!, Crap!, Damn!, Holy crap!, Fuck!
Since there was no makeup required, the shooting progress had been speeded up a lot, and the work had ended perfectly in 30 minutes. Ji XingLing had picked up his school uniforms on the ground and bent his arms around each other’s shoulder with the boys in class 3, as they all went to buy water. Lin Jing was helping the staff pack up the shooting props and wanted to go to the restroom to wash his hands. When he pushed open the door, he saw Ge Hao, who was standing in front of the mirror, had yanked his sleeves to smell it solemnly, with a serious-looking face.
Evidently, this kind of place was not one that can produce a wonderful, pleasant, and amazing smell. So keep smelling it seriously… Lin Jing inevitably had formed a negative mental association; whether Ge Hao just fell into the urinal or peed on the school uniform, Lin Jing quickly stepped back a few paces.
However, Ge Hao took the initiative to issue an invitation, “Brother Lin, just in time, you help me to smell it and see if it smells like anything.”
Lin Jing’s expression froze, as he didn’t want to help.
“A few girls were spraying perfume just now, and they sprayed some on me.” Ge Hao waved his sleeves again, “but it doesn’t seem to have any smell.”
“Mhm, it doesn’t smell.” Lin Jing stood by the wall and squeezed liquid hand soap. When he was just moving the basketball hoop, he accidentally touched a handful of slimy motor oil, which made him currently feel a bit psychologically shadowy.
Ge Hao stood waiting for him, and was having words with him in passing. After finishing the exam next week, it seemed that the whole grade would have to change classrooms. Some time ago, due to the outdated electric circuit in the Fifth High School, it almost caused a major accident, so ShanHai had to conduct both water and electricity overhauls.
“Move to where?” Lin Jing asked.
“DongShan building, the former junior section of ShanHai High School, I heard that it was being cleaned up these past two days ne.”
Lin Jing, who had just been here for two days, clearly didn’t know where DongShan building was, so he merely made an “uh-huh” sound. Ji XingLing had also just come in to wash his face; he was directed by the photographer to shoot the ball dozens of times in the basketball hall, and was sweating all over his body.
Ge Hao was baffled, “Brother Xing, you only take a promotional photo, but how come that you look even more tired than when I ran a 1,500-metre race?”
“Mr. Niu is practically an old society supervisor.” Ji XingLing lifted his undershirt to wipe dry his face twice. While he was turning around, he saw Lin Jing squeeze a lot of liquid hand soap — no, when I just came in, didn’t you already just foam your hands with a handful of liquid hand soap?
Ge Hao was also very surprised, “Brother Lin, have you touched something that you need to wash your hands three times.”
Ji XingLing tilted his head to give a quick glance, a slip of the tongue as he said, “He fell into the toilet bowl?”
Lin Jing’s hand paused, while he was calmly locking eyes with him, “Nah, I suddenly remembered that I seemed to have touched your basketball, so I need to disinfect my hand twice more.”
“…”
The scene of “stared at each other in disdain” was triggered again. Ge Hao, who had sensed the weird atmosphere in time, forced a chuckled “hehe” to mediate the dispute, “This kind of joke is indeed a bit cold.. Let’s go, we’re going to be late.”
He pushed and pulled the two forcibly out of the restroom. The pre-class bell had already been sounded. Wang HongYu happened to be passing class 2-1, so he stood at the back door of the classroom and took a look inside. Ji XingLing carried an empty drink bottle to throw into a trash can in the back row, and walked back with ease and natural poise with one hand in his pocket, handsomely dashing. When he reached the sixth row, he was incomparably natural as he raised his hand and rubbed Lin Jing’s head.
It seemed that the relationship between the two of them was really good.
Mr. Wang felt particularly pleased, and then returned to the office while he was holding his favorite thermos cup.
Young Master Ji had accomplished the achievement of “provocation of mysophobia towards Lin Jing.” He then dragged his chair, then sat in erwuba wan23 pose, as he was puffed up with pride and was greatly pleased, with a sense of achievement filled him.
23Erwuba wan (二五八万Èrwǔbā wàn) – lit. Two-five-eight million, are referring to the mahjong tiles 二萬, 五萬, 八萬, which obviously play significant roles in winning the game. The metaphor is used to describe someone who thinks that he/she is very important (as the mahjong tiles in the game) and acts cocky, arrogant, and annoying, a pompous ass, in short. “二五八万Èrwǔbā wàn” has the same meaning as “嚣张的xiāozhāng de”. It’s slang word of “嚣张的xiāozhāng de”, which means arrogance, aggressive.
Lin Jing, who was expressionless, closed the pencil case with a “bam”.
You’re.. looking for abuse, eh?
The following session was politics class. The teacher’s name was Ma Lie (Marxist Lenin), as his name was also very political, his lectures were full of wit and humor. He also had an elegant and intelligent aristocratic bearing in appearance. He was universally recognized as the number one handsome guy in ShanHai with schoolgirls.
“Oh, today, our Brother Xing looks in a good mood.” Ma Lie said, while he was standing on the podium, “It’s better to briefly analyze why the more thoughtless people are, the more they tend to be grandiloquent and initiate provocations. What’s a point of view that this reflects?”
Young Master Ji, who was mocked by a political question, “…”
“I know you must not have looked at the worldview and methodology.” Ma Lie called another student again, “The new student, I’d like to get to know you; I heard that you are the father of the Third Junior High School?”
“Teacher.” Lin Jing did not know whether to laugh or cry as he stood up, “I will have an exam next week, you say it like this, I will feel under a lot of pressure.”
“It’s good to know that there’s a little bit of pressure on politics, unlike president Li, who only knows to soak himself in mathematics all day long.” Ma Lie jokes, “Alright, sit down ba.”
Ji XingLing, who was still entangled, took advantage of this to turn around to ask one of his hupeng-gouyou24, while the teacher was inserting the USB flash drive, “What viewpoint is reflected in proactive provocation?”
24Hupeng-gouyou (狐朋狗友húpéng-gǒuyǒu) – lit. Fox friend dog companion, it’s an idiom of a pack of rogues or a gang of scoundrels, which means evil associates, depraved company, disreputable friend.
Yu YiZhou blathered in an offhand way, “It reflects that you really aren’t very thoughtful… Wocao, What are you kicking me for?”
I had just kicked you, because you were tama thoughtless.
When Young Master Ji turned back around again, he gave a furtive look to the side.
And his sight happened to bump right into Lin Jing’s eyes, which were profoundly reflecting over. Lin Jing was reflecting on himself, about for a fleeting moment before class; he actually with passion regarded this person as an opponent. This truly demonstrated that he must have eaten the wrong medicine to perceive Ji XingLing as a worthy opponent. Anyhow, it is better to stay far away, because although IQ was not contagious, but in this case of someone as dumb as Ji XingLing, one can never be truly sure.
Ji XingLing was being stared at inexplicably. How’d a spoiled nobleman like you look through the eyes of a saint with mercy and graciousness?
Lin Jing silently averted his gaze away, and then with exceptional dedication promoted the “keep away from Ji XingLing” as the number one criterion after transferring.
“Ge Hao.” Ma Lie knocked on the blackboard again, “For five minutes in class, you have already smelled your school uniform five to six times. May I know what the matter is?
“I… well, teacher, I have had rhinitis in the past two days,” Ge Hao replied. “Always want to sneeze.”
Ma Lie nodded, “Then you can sit in the last row ba, because it is close to the window, it should be a little more comfortable.”
“Thank you, teacher.” Ge Hao held the book and changed his seat positions; Lin Jing also looked back to look at him.
As soon as Ge Hao raised his arms, he was very stiff as he was getting caught in the act abruptly.
Lin Jing, “…”
Excuse me; you can continue.
After the class, Ge Hao came over in a dawdling manner. He first leaned against Yu YiZhou’s desk to chat a few words, then asked Ji XingLing about the game matter, and finally stood next to Lin Jing, “Brother Lin, don’t you think that there’s quite a lot of pollen in the past two days?.”
There was a lot of pollen in autumn. This excuse is indeed in line with the average IQ of Ji XingLing’s gang. Lin Jing consoled in confidence, “Although you have a crush, dont worry- I don’t even know who she is.”
Ge Hao: ?
But Xueba felt that it was pretty well-knit logic — he got sprayed with some perfume by a girl, then was so enchanted by it that he had kept on smelling it from the restroom to the classroom, and also has such a guilty conscience. If it wasn’t a secret crush, then what was it?
Ge Hao, “…Nevermind, pretend I never said anything.”
Before school was over, as expected, Wang HongYu came to inform everyone that in October, there would be a matter of changing the classrooms. Luo LinSi raised her hand, “Teacher, DongShan building is a small classroom, right?”
“It’s slightly smaller, but certainly not to split classes,” Wang HongYu said, “We will overcome it, and will soon be able to move back to here.”
Between the noise, someone asked, “Then if we are going to join the desks, can we choose our desks by ourselves ma?”
“The teacher will arrange the seating arrangement, so don’t bother with it.” Wang HongYu smiled and slapped the podium, “Alright, class dismissed, everyone, please pay attention to safety on the road.”
NingCheng Third Grade High School had always had seating arrangements between multiple people, so Lin Jing didn’t know why the matter of “joint desks” event was worth the excitement of the whole class, therefore he was as lack of interest in discussion as Ji XingLing. As soon as the bell rang, Ji XingLing went with Yu YiZhou to the basketball hall and didn’t leave until after 7 pm.
“Is Uncle Wang not going to come to pick you up?” Yu YiZhou asked.
“Something is going on with his family today.” Ji XingLing threw the ball back into the plastic basket, “Let your driver drop me to Wan He on the way, and I just need to get something there.”
“Wan He?” Yu YiZhou frowned, “That place has a foul atmosphere. Why do you think of going there?”
“My (maternal) grandfather had ordered a gift there for his birthday next month, and it has just arrived in these past two days.” Ji XingLing looked at the time, “It’s still early, so it’s okay.”
“Wan He” was a residential-commercial hybrid building. It was a mixed-use building that includes both commercial and residential space that exceeds 30-storey, which was mixed with migrant workers, private underground restaurants, beauty salons, tattoo parlors, illegal small inns, and pornographic cinemas. The personnel composition was inherently complicated. Recently, it had been attracting attention due to a viral online building. Every day a large number of cyberpunk fans came to take photos; also, the environment became more chaotic and more uproarious. Before eight o’clock in the evening, there were already several groups of drunken unemployed youths fighting on the street.
The laneway was a bit dark. Ge Hao lowered his head and hurriedly quickened up his paces. The Wan He Building, which was not far away, had been lit up with neon lights, and it appeared to be floating quietly in the deep twilight.
“You wait, the one carrying the schoolbag in front.”
A group of youth ruffians gathered around, their eyes glowing green — green, quite literally.
“Kao.” Ge Hao cursed a swear word and ran away.
“Stop!” The youth ruffians threw away the bottles, and the shadows suddenly stretched into a hideous beastly shape under the streetlights.
The red fog and haze became entangled into something identical to a snake’s tongue. It climbed onto his wrist wetly. Ge Hao stepped on the air in a panic. He was about to be swallowed by the miasma at any moment, but another black shadow billowed in from a distance, while wrapped in the thunder and lightning of the Qilin clan; it was fierce and doughty.
“BOOM!”
This was a loud noise that humans could not hear.
The red mist dissipated in an instant.
Ji XingLing patted his face, “Are you okay?”
Ge Hao hadn’t yet recovered from the fright and was still badly shaken, “Xing, Brother Xing.”
Ji XingLing said, “Those bastards have already run away.”
“Okay, okay…” Ge Hao stammered; his chest was rising and falling violently. Then, he vaguely felt that this matter seemed to have another critical point.
Three seconds later.
“Wocao!”
“Brother Xing!”
“Brother Xing!”
“Brother Xing… you just… you too…”
Ji XingLing pulled him to his feet, “Why is that ferocious beast trying to capture you?”
Ge Hao was still immersed in the shock of discovering “Brother Xing isn’t a human, after all” for quite a while, before he confessed, “Maybe they want to use me for winemaking.”
Ji XingLing was taken aback, “Are you a snake?”
“No, no, no.” Ge Hao hastily waved his hand disapprovingly, “I am a plant.”
There was a herbaceous grass on the hill of Niu Shou, which was called Gui (Ghost) Grass. Its leaves were ovate shapes that were similar to sunflower leaves and had reddish-purple stems. It looks like grain seeding puts forth ears and flowers, not needing to be concerned about its acclimation.
“I’ve smelled it for a whole day today.” Ge Hao swallowed his saliva hard, “Brother Xing, I think I’m growing, and I’m about to bloom.”