Volume One: High School Days Chapter Twenty-Five: Liu Meng’s Crisis

May arrived swiftly, bringing with it warmer days. People shed their heavy coats, and on the first Friday of the month, just past four in the morning, Liusheng’s phone rang abruptly, rousing him from sleep.

Half-asleep, Liusheng answered, his voice thick with drowsiness.
“Hello?”
“My little boyfriend, I drank too much. Come pick me up,” came Xiaoya’s voice from the other end.

Hearing her, Liusheng sat up at once. After confirming her location, he dressed quickly and hurried out. The address Xiaoya gave was Nightlight KTV. When he arrived, he found her slumped at the entrance, barely keeping herself awake. He struggled to help her to her feet, intending to take her home, but just then a staff member rushed out, grabbing Liusheng’s arm.

“Who are you? Where are you taking her?”

Xiaoya forced her eyes open and replied, “He’s my boyfriend. He’s come especially to pick me up.”

With that reassurance, the staff member hailed a taxi for them. Once inside, Xiaoya leaned against Liusheng and drifted off to sleep. When they arrived at her place, Liusheng had no choice but to carry the sleeping Xiaoya upstairs. No matter how hard he knocked, no one answered, so he rummaged through her bag for the keys, opened the door, and stepped into darkness.

Switching on the lights, he saw that every door in the apartment stood wide open, but no one else was home.

“Looks like she’s alone again tonight,” he thought, carrying her to her room.

Seeing that Xiaoya had vomited all over her clothes, Liusheng hesitated, then helped her out of them, covered her with a blanket, and took her clothes to the bathroom to wash. As he scrubbed, he couldn’t help but think, “This dress is so revealing! Her whole back was exposed. Where did she find the courage to wear something like that?”

By the time he finished, dawn was breaking. He hung the clothes to dry, then went to the kitchen, fried two eggs, poured a glass of milk from the fridge, and brought the meal to Xiaoya’s room. Watching her sleep, he placed the breakfast nearby, then quietly ate his own.

Afterward, he poured another glass of water and set it on her bedside table. Just then, Xiaoya sat up suddenly, leaned over, and began to retch again. Liusheng hurried to her side, patting her back until she finished, then offered her the water to rinse her mouth.

Once she quieted down, he helped her lie back and was tucking her in when she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck. The more he tried to pull away, the tighter she clung.

“I know it’s you, Liusheng,” Xiaoya murmured softly, eyes still closed.

Hearing this, Liusheng stopped struggling.

He drifted off beside her, the kind who could sleep through anything unless shaken awake. It was five in the afternoon when Xiaoya gently nudged him.

When Liusheng opened his eyes, she said, “I want some water.”

He scrambled out of bed and fetched her a glass. As Xiaoya drank, Liusheng took the opportunity to grab cleaning supplies from the living room and tidied up the mess she’d made earlier.

“Are you hungry? Should I get you something to eat?” he asked, taking her empty glass.

Leaning against the headboard, Xiaoya replied softly, “I feel awful after drinking so much. I can’t eat anything. Just bring me another glass of water.”

He fetched her more water, and as he did, finally voiced his question.

“Why did you drink so much?”

Xiaoya explained that she’d been at a company gathering. It went late, and several male colleagues insisted she drink with them. Realizing she was nearing her limit and fearing for her safety, she called Liusheng.

At last, she said, “You’re the one I trust the most. Because I like you, when I was about to lose consciousness, you were the first person I thought of.”

Liusheng still had his doubts but kept them to himself. Then he went out to buy Xiaoya dinner.

When he returned, she was dressed casually, waiting on the sofa. He quickly served her the porridge he’d bought, and while Xiaoya ate, he went to the kitchen to wash some fresh fruit.

Watching Liusheng bustle about, Xiaoya said, “Come eat with me. You worked hard this morning.”

Liusheng, busy at the sink, suddenly blushed and was at a loss for words.

Xiaoya continued, “I was drunk, but I remember everything from this morning. It was my choice. I just needed someone to lean on. I’m tired.”

Liusheng brought out the fruit and hurried to say, “I can—I can take good care of you!”

Xiaoya patted the sofa, motioning for him to sit beside her. Once he did, she lay her head in his lap, just as he had once rested in hers.

“You really do take good care of me. If only you had been the first person I met—how wonderful that would have been,” she said with her eyes closed.

Liusheng sensed there were things she wished to keep from him, things from her past, so he asked tentatively, “Would you tell me about it? Your past?”

She shook her head, then added, “If you ever meet a girl who makes your heart flutter, you should give it a try. Just tell me, and I’ll leave you. I won’t burden you. I’m four years older than you. Though I like you, I don’t want to hold you back. You’re still a student with a bright future, while I have nothing to offer you except trouble. So I’ll give you your freedom.”

Liusheng’s heart ached for her. “She must have gone through a lot to think this way,” he thought.

So he said, “No matter what pain you’ve suffered, or what harm others have caused you, I’ll make it up to you. I’ll share all your burdens and all my happiness with you.”

Xiaoya smiled with her eyes still closed. “Thank you, my little boyfriend,” she whispered, and soon fell asleep in his lap.

Because Xiaoya’s family was away and she hadn’t gone to work for two days, Liusheng stayed with her until Monday morning, when he finally left for school.

Soon after, word spread among Ren Xiadong and the others that Liusheng and Xiaoya were together. After that, Liu Meng rarely spoke to Liusheng or joined their gatherings.

Time passed, and by the end of the second semester, July had brought scorching heat. Fortunately, every classroom was air-conditioned, allowing the students some comfort as they studied.

One noon in late June, with midterm exams approaching, the classroom was filled with classmates memorizing their texts. This test was crucial—it would determine placement into fast or slow tracks after the break, and also whether students would pursue science, arts, or drop out entirely.

Of course, Liusheng had no need for textbooks. He often visited the library, and his mind was now like a computer—endless knowledge, never forgotten.

At that moment, he and Ren Xiadong sat in the back row watching gaming videos on their phones. Suddenly, a classmate burst in, shouting, “Our class’s ‘real man’ Liu Meng has a boyfriend! I just saw her walking to school, hand in hand with a sophomore!”

The classroom exploded with chatter—no one could quite believe that Liu Meng, with her personality, had found a boyfriend.

Ren Xiadong glanced at Liusheng but said nothing. Liusheng noticed and asked, “Why are you looking at me?”

Ren Xiadong sighed, “I hope Liu Meng’s sincere, and not just doing this out of spite. Otherwise, she’ll be the one who ends up hurt.”

Liusheng didn’t reply, but thought to himself, “I hope she’s not doing it out of spite.”

Just before class, Ren Xiadong asked Liu Meng, “I heard you have a boyfriend now?”

Liu Meng replied proudly, “Yes, a sophomore. He chased me for two months. He’s the only son of the CEO of Wanshi Animation, handsome and rich.”

She watched Liusheng closely for any change in his expression, but he simply smiled and said, “Congratulations. With such an excellent person to look after you, we’re happy for you.”

Seeing his indifference, Liu Meng felt a pang of disappointment. She hadn’t said it to show off, but to see if she meant anything to him.

Meanwhile, Liusheng was thinking, “Wanshi Animation has never produced anything good. They’re struggling financially, desperate for Morisea to buy them out, but Morisea isn’t interested. Wanshi is all show with nothing behind it.”

That afternoon, during the fourth period, Liusheng was training on the field. Coincidentally, Class One and Liu Meng’s boyfriend’s class were having PE at the same time.

Ren Xiadong sat beside Liusheng, sipping a cold drink, purposely showing it off. Not just Liusheng, but the other team members kept swallowing hard—the heat was intense, and the training was tough. Even with water around, everyone craved something icy.

Finally, Liusheng couldn’t resist any longer. “Go buy three cases of what you’re drinking and bring them for the PE team,” he ordered.

Though reluctant, Ren Xiadong obeyed under pressure and went to the school shop. When everyone finally had a cold drink, Liusheng noticed Liu Meng in a corner of the field, a boy talking to her.

“That must be Wanshi’s heir,” Liusheng thought, discreetly using his enhanced hearing to listen in.

“Liu Meng, want to hang out tonight? And don’t go home. I have plenty of apartments in Xinghai City—most of them empty.”

“Going out is fine, but I have to go home tonight,” Liu Meng replied, then left to join her classmates in a game of badminton.

“Young people know how to enjoy themselves,” Liusheng muttered.

Ren Xiadong, not catching his words, asked, “What young people?”

“Nothing,” Liusheng replied, but then noticed a group of boys gathering around Wanshi’s heir and eavesdropped again out of curiosity.

“Didn’t you say any girl you fancy can’t wait to jump into your bed? What’s with this one? Haha!”

“Acting all pure and high-and-mighty with me. If she wasn’t so hot, I wouldn’t be interested. She really thinks I want to date her?”

“Yeah, Wanshi’s young master—new bride every night! When are you going to dump her?”

“After tonight! By the way, she agreed to go out. Did you bring what I asked for?”

“Don’t worry, it’s all ready. She won’t remember a thing tomorrow!”

“Such a waste to let her go, but I don’t like dead fish either. This is the best I can do.”

Hearing this, Liusheng leapt to his feet and ran straight toward Liu Meng! A bewildered Ren Xiadong hurried after him.