So the guy with the snake tattoo on his neck threw down his chopsticks, stood up with his crew, and seven or eight yellow-haired heads made for quite an impressive show.

Sean Parker looked at the number of people on his own side and almost wanted to say to Henry Howard: Forget it, I only have ten yuan in my wallet.

These few punks, Henry Howard didn’t even take them seriously, but he still had to put on a show of force. He shouted to Ethan Young, “Old Young, come here!”

The atmosphere was tense, a fierce fight about to break out at any moment.

Sean Parker was all bark and no bite. People saw him hanging out with Henry Howard all day and thought he was tough too, but actually, he wasn’t much of a fighter, and Henry Howard didn’t expect anything from him.

But the much-watched Ethan Young was still picking fish bones. He held his chopsticks, carefully picking out each bone: “You guys go ahead and fight, I’ll join after I finish eating.”

Sean Parker: “”

Henry Howard: “”

Ethan Young was in a good mood today and didn’t want to get violent, but there’s always some idiot who insists on coming over to get beaten up.

“What, you looking down on us?” The yellow-haired guy walked up to their table, directly flipped over the plate of fish, then kicked the table. When it didn’t tip over, he stomped on the fish on the floor. “Eat, I told you to eat, get on your knees and lick it up.”

Ethan Young: “”

“At least leave one for me.”

After leaving the Jinbang Restaurant, Henry Howard was still complaining about how bad it was fighting alongside Ethan Young: “Who snatches kills like you? I was doing fine and you just dragged the guy away to beat him yourself.”

Ethan Young said, “You’re too slow. You call that fighting?”

The three of them squatted by the roadside. Sean Parker fished out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one to calm down.

The scene of that slaughter just now was really too shocking.

In his mind, he updated his list of people he absolutely must not mess with, deciding to put Ethan Young ahead of the mad dog.

When Henry Howard fought, he went for humiliation, torturing his opponent slowly, and would even verbally taunt them, making them wish for a quick end: “Just hit me, I beg you, hit me hard.” Ethan Young was different—he didn’t say a word, every move was a knockout, dropping people like cabbages.

After saying that, Henry Howard turned to Sean Parker: “Check your wallet, did you lose any money?”

Sean Parker took his wallet out of his pocket, opened it to show them: “It’s all here, nothing missing.”

A ten-yuan bill.

Brand new.

“”

“Just this much money?” Henry Howard felt all his effort was wasted. “If it’s just this much, you should’ve said so. If they stole it, so be it.”

Ethan Young also said, “Just ten damn yuan?”

Sean Parker: “I wanted to say it too, but there was no chance!”

They chatted for a while longer. Sean Parker checked the time—he had to catch the bus home. He said goodbye and headed for the bus stop: “Thanks to you two for stepping in and saving my ten yuan. See you tomorrow. If I don’t get home soon, my mom’s going to beat my butt raw.”

It was already dark, and the streetlights were coming on one by one.

It was evening self-study time, the school gate was locked, and if they wanted to get back in, they’d probably have to climb the wall.

Henry Howard patted his clothes and stood up: “Let’s go.”

After walking a while, someone suddenly let out a laugh, and then the two of them burst out laughing together, unable to stop. Henry Howard hooked his arm around Ethan Young’s neck and said in a low voice, “Damn, ten yuan.”

------------

22. Chapter Twenty-Two

The classroom of Class 3, Grade 11, was pitch black from the outside. If you didn’t know better, you’d think evening self-study was already over.

“What are they up to now?” Henry Howard walked behind, feeling a vague sense of foreboding.

Ethan Young leaned against the door, squinting to barely make out the scene inside the classroom.

Wanda heard footsteps, turned around, and called out in surprise, “What a coincidence, we’re just about to start. Join us?”

Henry Howard took two steps back, but Ethan Young pulled him back in.

“No stories tonight,” Wanda said, “We’re playing Pen Fairy. The mad dog just left, so it’s safe.”

“Bro Henry, sit here, we saved you a spot.” Henry Howard was usually pretty active, and Wanda never forgot to include him in any activity. “It’s really exciting.”

Henry Howard thought to himself, Exciting my ass, can’t you people just study for once instead of messing around?

After saying that, Wanda thought it wasn’t right to leave Ethan Young standing alone, so he asked, “Yu-ge, want to join?”

“Yeah,” since there was no escaping, might as well drag someone else in too. Henry Howard answered for Ethan Young, “He’s in.”

There were four people playing.

The others stood by and watched.

Quinn Shaw, the tough girl, slapped her thigh and said she wanted to be the “main questioner”: “I’ll ask the questions!”

After saying that, she grabbed the pencil.

Wanda put his hand over Quinn Shaw’s, no objections: “Okay, you ask.”

Henry Howard didn’t really want to join in, but Wanda kept staring at him, clearly too scared to touch Ethan Young’s hand, so Henry Howard quickly put his hand on top.

Ethan Young was just too distant.

It wasn’t that he did anything in particular—even if he was just quietly napping, he made people keep their distance. In the whole class, only Henry Howard dared to joke around with him, and he’d managed to survive so far.

Ethan Young was the last one.

He raised his hand and placed it over Henry Howard’s. Even though it was the middle of summer, Henry Howard felt a chill at Ethan Young’s fingertips.

But that chill seemed to burn on the back of his hand.

He couldn’t really describe the feeling. His mind drifted, and instead of worrying about this stupid game, suddenly his head was empty.

“Close your eyes, close your eyes, everyone close your eyes first,” Wanda said. “Don’t open them, or your soul will get taken when it comes.”

“How are we supposed to see what it circles if our eyes are closed?”

“That’s what the guide says—better safe than sorry.”

“Fine, fine, we’ll close them and open when it comes.”

Ethan Young didn’t really believe in this stuff. One hand held Henry Howard’s, the other propped on the desk, head resting, turned to look at him.

This guy kept saying he wasn’t scared, but his eyes were shut tighter than anyone’s.

After a while, Henry Howard couldn’t help but ask, “Is it done yet?”

Quinn Shaw was still chanting the incantation: “Past life, past life, I am your present life, if you want to continue our fate, don’t interrupt me, it doesn’t come that fast.”

This guy’s eyelashes were really long.

Ethan Young stared for a bit.

The classroom was dark, but Wanda had turned on a flashlight, making the paper on the desk glow, and the surroundings a bit brighter.

Half of Henry Howard’s face was hidden in the night, the other half outlined by the white light.

High nose bridge, sharp features, strong youthful vibe—when he wasn’t talking or smiling, he had an inexplicable intensity. Henry Howard had several piercings in his right ear. Ethan Young suddenly remembered that the first time they met during summer break, he’d been wearing two hoops—looked outrageously flashy.

Henry Howard waited with his eyes closed for a while, but couldn’t keep them shut any longer. Wanda even played some weird, ethereal background music, and Quinn Shaw couldn’t recite the incantation properly, insisting on making it sound like she was possessed.

He felt that if he kept his eyes closed any longer, all the ghosts and monsters could throw a party around him.

Then he slowly opened his eyes, and unexpectedly met Ethan Young’s gaze.

The two of them locked eyes: “”

Quinn Shaw finally finished the incantation. Before asking her question, she reminded them again: “Don’t open your eyes, or your soul will get taken.”

Ethan Young saw Henry Howard staring at him in a daze, thought he was pretending to be calm but actually scared, so he gave a faint smile and mouthed to Henry Howard: Fake.

Quinn Shaw was usually bold, but when it came to asking questions, her girly side showed. She hesitated for ages, even tried to get everyone to cover their ears, and finally asked, “Does he like me?”

“Who?” Wanda was the first to jump in. “Say the name, who is it? How come I don’t know? Which pile of cow dung has caught the eye of our class flower?”

Quinn Shaw: “You’re so annoying, mind your own business.”

Wanda: “Impossible, nothing in this grade escapes my eyes.”

Quinn Shaw: “Give it a rest.”

In the end, the pencil landed on “No”.

Henry Howard felt uneasy: “Does this thing really move?”

“Shh, don’t say that, it’s disrespectful to the Pen Fairy,” said Wanda.

Henry Howard: “What happens if you’re disrespectful?”

Wanda hadn’t figured out how to answer, when Ethan Young said simply, “It’ll come find you tonight.”

“”

Henry Howard didn’t have anything to ask, but Wanda said it was disrespectful to invite the Pen Fairy and not ask a question. Henry Howard thought for a long time, and finally asked, “Is there anyone in the world more handsome than me?”