Unbridled 19

When Lin Wuyu returned to the dormitory, there was no one there. They were all probably in the cafeteria or classrooms by now.

He tore off the gauze on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. The wound had scabbed over, but it looked alright; not too scary.

His phone rang.

Ding Ji sent him a message.

[Ding Ji] You should go to the hospital or the medical room to have that wound checked. Don’t let water touch it when washing your face.

[Lin Wuyu] Then how am I supposed to wash it? Rub it with a dry towel?

[Ding Ji] With your intelligence, you call yourself a study god?

Lin Wuyu smiled and entered the bathroom. He needed to take a shower.

In order to live up to the title of a study god, however, he first turned on the faucet and rinsed his mouth, then dipped a towel in water, wiped around the wound, and half-washed, half-wiped his face clean.

After showering, he messaged Chen Mang, asking him to bring some breakfast to the classroom.

He was hungry. Very hungry.

However, he had to visit the medical room first.

Normally, Lin Wuyu wouldn’t be this cautious, but after all, the college entrance examination was approaching. If he got an infection or any other issues, it would be troublesome.

During his three years at Fuzhong, Lin Wuyu had only been to the school nurse’s office twice.

Once when Xu Tianbo sprained his ankle while playing basketball, and the other time was when Chen Mang accidentally poked himself in the eye while practising sweeping skills.

Today was the first time he was visiting the school nurse’s office because of his own injury.

Since getting to know Ding Ji, his experiences had started to take a magical turn.

Fortune-telling, picking up children, being carried on someone’s back and being called “dad,” getting scolded for a hundred meters straight, squatting by a flowerbed to eat barbecue, getting chased and beaten by hooligans, even sleeping in the registration hall of a hospital…

The doctor on duty today was Tao Rui¹; although she didn’t come often, he knew her.

“How did you get injured?” Tao Rui recognized him and seemed somewhat surprised.

“Just a scratch from the tip of a wooden stick,” Lin Wuyu said. “It happened last night.”

“Playing the hero?” Tao Rui examined his wound.

“No, it was an accident,” Lin Wuyu smiled.

“Are you trying to deceive me with lies?” Tao Rui smiled. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell your teacher, Mr Lin?”

“I was just pretending to be an innocent bystander while all the others were fighting.” Lin Wuyu quickly fabricated a lie on the spot.

Tao Rui laughed, “Your improvised lies are far worse than your written compositions.”

Lin Wuyu smiled and remained silent.

“There shouldn’t be any major issues. This should have been treated by a professional, right?” 

Tao Rui finished examining the wound and clapped her hands. “There’s no redness, swelling, or signs of infection.”

“Yes, I just wanted peace of mind,” Lin Wuyu said.

Mainly, he wanted Ding Ji to feel at ease. During their conversation at the cafe, Ding Ji’s gaze would shift to his wound approximately every 30 seconds.

“In that case, you can be at ease. Everything is fine,” Tao Rui reassured. “If it turns red, swells, or itches, come and find me.”

“Thank you,” Lin Wuyu replied.

When he left the school nurse’s office, he sent a message to Ding Ji.

---

“Wait a moment, I need to check a message,” Ding Ji leaned against the railing in the corridor, talking on the phone.

“Finish your call before checking,” Liu Jinping grumbled. “Who else would send you an important message while you’re talking to me on the phone?”

“Get lost, mind your own business,” Ding Ji brought his phone in front of his eyes.

[Lin Wuyu] Went to the school nurse’s office for a check-up, the wound is fine.

[Lin Wuyu] Don’t eat barbecue these days.

Ding Ji quickly replied.

[Ding Ji] Got it.

After reading Lin Wuyu’s reply, he brought the phone back to his ear. “It’s settled like this. Old Liu definitely sent his lackeys to find me.”

“I feel like this ain’t right,” Liu Jinping replied thoughtfully. “If we assume Old Liu wouldn’t dare lie and say he sent you to fight, you lied to his lackey and ran away for self-protection, even getting injured. Would he really have his people searching for you over such a trivial matter?”

“What else do you think could be going on?” Ding Ji asked.

Although Liu Jinping’s brain mostly stayed in its water bucket at home, he’d been hanging outside since middle school so he had quite a bit of experience in this area. Ding Ji usually listened to his thoughts and opinions on such matters.

“I can’t figure it out either, but all I can say is that the matter between Old Liu and the bald guy isn’t as simple as ‘I’ll beat you up and it’s over,'” Liu Jinping replied. “Don’t worry about it. Don’t come over for now, just focus on your studies. I’ve known you for so many years, but I’ve never seen you work this hard.”

“Don’t get into trouble,” Ding Ji warned him. “If something happens, there’s no one who can help you now. Those street performers, Da Dong and the others, they can’t be relied upon.”

“Don’t worry about it my ass,” Liu Jinping laughed and then lowered his voice. “Hey, could it be that a certain someone has some issues with the bald guy?”

“Who are you talking about?” Ding Ji asked.

“Your new friend!” Liu Jinping became somewhat irritated. “Do you even know anything about him? You hang out with him every day, eating, drinking, and even getting late-night snacks. You ungrateful thing.”

“What’s with your tone?” Ding Ji laughed. “You sound like my wife.”

“Forget it, with a wife like me, your grandmother would already be cursing us even before we get married.” Liu Jinping snorted.

“Let me tell you about Lin Wuyu’s background,” Ding Ji said.

“Go on.” Liu Jinping was very interested.

“He’s the school prodigy of Fuzhong,” Ding Ji said. “The top scorer in this year’s college entrance examination, a reserve for the provincial first place.”

“Holy shit,” Liu Jinping was momentarily stunned. “This is the first time I’ve heard of this kind of ‘background.’ I almost didn’t understand.”

“You scoundrel,” Ding Ji laughed for a while. “Alright, I won’t say more. Take care of yourself and call me if you need anything.”

“I won’t call, focus on your studies,” Liu Jinping said. “You’re preparing to become the top scorer, and at least go to college, right?”

“Yeah,” Ding Ji earnestly responded.

---

“Don’t just say ‘yeah’ and leave it at that,” Old Lin crossed his arms and looked Lin Wuyu up and down. “You’re being very suspicious.”

“It really was just an accident,” Lin Wuyu said. “I went to the school medical room today, and Dr Tao said there’s no problem.”

“I’m not talking about the injury,” Old Lin approached him and pointed at his chest. “You, kid. I went to the dormitory to find you yesterday. Xu Tianbo and Chen Mang covered for you, saying you were sleeping. If your face wasn’t injured, I wouldn’t have known you didn’t return to the dormitory all night.”

“Why were you looking for me?” Lin Wuyu asked. “You could have called me.”

“I didn’t want to affect your mood, and I knew you wouldn’t do anything bad. But what if you were out on a date? It would have spoiled the atmosphere if I called,” Old Lin answered.

“…So, what did you mean when you said you were contacting someone?” Lin Wuyu asked again.

“Your father contacted me yesterday about your college application.” 

“It’s still early, and it’s not really his concern, right?” Lin Wuyu said. “I won’t listen to his suggestions anyway.”

“Every school is competing for students, especially someone like you. It is natural that your family is being cautious,” Old Lin smiled. “But I told your father the same thing. I said with your personality, once you’ve made up your mind, you probably won’t listen to others.”

“Yeah,” Lin Wuyu nodded.

“But when it comes time to apply, you have to discuss it with me,” Old Lin looked at him.

“Rest assured,” Lin Wuyu smiled.

---

    

Ding Ji hadn’t slept well for three consecutive days. Whenever he tried to sleep, the shining results of Lin Wuyu would keep him wide awake.

It wasn’t just motivation.

Ding Ji felt as if he had returned to his childhood, where he would feel increased pressure due to the worry of not living up to the expectations set for him.

During such times, he would repeatedly recall Lin Wuyu’s words.

You don’t need to prove anything; neither affirm nor negate.

Compared to a few days before, Lin Wuyu noticed that Ding Ji had lost weight. Even Ding Ji’s grandmother, who saw him every day, noticed his increasing desolation.

His grandma had already completed her surgery, and the doctors said it went smoothly. In the past couple of days, she seemed to be recovering well.

Therefore, his grandma started insisting on being discharged.

“Are you worried that I won’t rest well?” Ding Ji held her hand. “The doctor said you should stay in the hospital for a while after the surgery. It’s not right to insist on going home right after the operation.”

“You’ve become so thin,” his grandma frowned. “I’ve never seen you this thin since childhood till now.”

“But didn’t you say I weighed 3.9kg  when I was born?” Ding Ji said sarcastically.

“Don’t talk back to me,” she said. “It’s just an exam. If you can pass, then great. If you can’t, then you can’t. Don’t exhaust yourself.”

“The key is that I can pass,” Ding Ji smiled. “Don’t worry, Grandma.”

After chatting with his grandma for a while and eating his meal, Ding Ji left the ward, carrying a book with him.

After thinking about whether to go to the rooftop or the lobby downstairs to study, he chose to go outside for a walk.

He wanted to give his mind a change of environment.

After leaving the main gate, he instinctively took out his phone, glanced at it for a few moments, and posted a moment on his social media.

[So many people are still here after mealtime.]

Then, hesitating for a moment, he put his phone back in his pocket.

He hadn’t contacted Lin Wuyu for the past few days.

Several times, he took out his phone, intending to send a message to Lin Wuyu, but he had absolutely nothing to say.

Normally, he wasn’t someone who could initiate a conversation with others, and now, during the final sprint phase, everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the exams to be over… No, exhaling a sigh of relief. Ding Ji felt guilty about bothering Lin Wuyu.

Actually, there wasn’t any particular reason that made it necessary for him to contact Lin Wuyu.

However, for some reason, Lin Wuyu was different from everyone else he knew. Whether they were just chatting or teasing each other, it was always interesting.

It was as if all the other people were just simple offline idle games, while Lin Wuyu was a massive RPG game with complex mechanics.

Not only that, it was the kind of game that you couldn’t log back into after having a great time playing it once.

It was a bit like the feeling of having a fun and lively time in the beginner’s village, but then everyone went their separate ways to level up and fight monsters, and you could never meet them again.

Actually, he didn’t really have anything to say to message Lin Wuyu, and Lin Wuyu probably wouldn’t ignore him either, but he wasn’t very willing to do it.

After all, every time they jokingly counted “Are you…to me,” he would be surprised to find out that Lin Wuyu had just as many points as he did.

It was too awkward.

Lin Wuyu was at least interested in men, but he was a straight guy.

A straight guy who could compete evenly with Lin Wuyu, it was just unbelievable.

Passing by a small supermarket, Ding Ji went in and bought a lollipop, milk-flavoured.

When he cried as a child, his grandma would put a lollipop in his mouth. He would enjoy it for the whole afternoon, not biting it, just suckling it in his mouth.

Grandpa even praised him back then, saying that this child had patience and could persist in things.

Whether it was true or not, he wasn’t sure. In his own understanding, it could be a kind of compulsion, like holding his thumb, or perhaps it was due to a lack of security.

Despite having the affection and support of his grandparents, aunt, and uncle, he always carried a lingering unease within him due to the absence of his parents. This profound void had been buried deep in his heart for more than ten years, and it remained insatiable, unable to be filled.

This was something he only gradually discovered as he grew up, and thus his feelings towards his parents were mixed.

His phone rang.

Ding Ji quickly took out his phone, happy for the distraction.

However, when he realized it was a WeChat voice call and saw that it was from Da Dong, he felt a bit disappointed.

“Hello,” he said, answering the call while holding the lollipop.

“Where are you?” Da Dong asked.

“I’m on my way to Beijing for the exam,” Ding Ji said. “What’s up?”

“Can we meet up? I’m at the small plaza. It’s been a long time since you’ve come here, right?”

“It’s not convenient for me right now,” Ding Ji immediately became wary. Even if Da Dong had some problem, Liu Jinpeng should have notified him first.

“Damn, you’re something.” Da Dong was a bit annoyed. “Is this what friends do?”

“Hold on, in a month, we’ll still be good brothers,” Ding Ji said. “If there’s really something, just tell me over the phone.”

“Fine, but don’t tell Jinpeng about this,” Da Dong said.

“I can’t guarantee that,” Ding Ji said. “If you mind, then don’t tell me.”

Da Dong hesitated for a moment but then spoke up, “Has he run into some trouble recently?”

“I don’t know, he hasn’t told me anything,” Ding Ji replied, worried.

“You two are so close, can you help me ask him? He’s not answering my calls,” Da Dong said. “He borrowed money from me, and said he’d repay it in three days, but he hasn’t returned it. What’s going on?”

Ding Ji was stunned.

Liu Jinpeng borrowed money from Da Dong?

That was a very strange thing.

Tt was common knowledge that Da Dong lacked funds. His main source of income was limited to weekend performances, with the earnings being divided among several individuals. Consequently, his purchasing ability during weekdays in the small square was even inferior to that of a humble roadside vendor selling cold noodles.

Liu Jinpeng borrowed money from Da Dong?

“How much did he borrow?” Ding Ji asked.

“Two thousand²,” Da Dong said. “Let me tell you, it’s more like he robbed me than borrowed. If it weren’t for knowing you guys for several years, I would’ve reported him to the police.”

“Let me figure out what’s going on first,” Ding Ji said. “If it’s true, I’ll repay you first.”

“I need the money urgently too. He said three days, and I didn’t even ask him for five days…” Da Dong sighed.

---

These days, Ding Ji was probably busy with his revisions. He hadn’t chatted with him for a while, and his frequency of posting on social media had decreased significantly.

He seemed to be up to something big.

However, Ding Ji’s messages now seemed overly polite, indicating that he had something to ask for.

Busy with revisions?

He smirked and waited for two minutes before replying.

Crazy busy.

There was no response from Ding Ji’s end.

Lin Wuyu finished half a cup of ice cream and was about to call to ask what was going on when Ding Ji called him.

He smiled and answered the phone.

“You don’t sound like you’re studying,” Ding Ji said from the other side.

For some reason, Lin Wuyu felt that his voice was a bit hoarse, perhaps because he was studying too hard.

“Well, you have to balance work and rest,” Lin Wuyu said. “I’m eating ice cream to relax.”

“Why do I feel like you’ve been relaxing all along?” Ding Ji sighed.

Lin Wuyu chuckled, “How about I record a study video for you one day so you can see if I’ve been relaxing all along.”

Ding Ji chuckled too and then paused for a moment before asking, “How’s your injury?”

“It’s almost healed,” Lin Wuyu touched his face. “The scars are starting to fade.”

“Are there any marks?” Ding Ji immediately followed up.

“A little white mark, but it’ll probably be gone in a month or two,” Lin Wuyu reassured him.

“That’s good,” Ding Ji said.

Then there was silence.

Lin Wuyu didn’t speak either, waiting for him to get to the point.

“So, um,” Ding Ji said, “did you mention before that you could help me find a job?”

Lin Wuyu remained silent for a moment before asking, “How much do you need?”

“How much?” Ding Ji asked.

“Money,” Lin Wuyu smiled. “Quit pretending.”

“I’m not pretending,” Ding Ji also chuckled.

“Go ahead,” Lin Wuyu reached out and covered the mouth of an old man who was about to steal his ice cream.

“How much can you lend me?” Ding Ji asked cautiously.

Lin Wuyu sighed, “I can lend you a hundred thousand³. Do you dare to take it?”