Mistaken Canary Chapter 81
Chapter 81
A new week began, and Ying Tongchen finally got a hair cut.
Not because Zhuo Shu forced him, but because his teacher’s partner had just returned from a business trip. Seeing his hair was too long, he took him to a barber.
He had only recently found out that teacher’s roommate was actually his lover.
His parents had divorced not long ago. After some trouble at his previous school, he had planned to drop out, but his English teacher stepped in, helping him transfer to a new school and even planning to support him through college.
So whenever he went home and faced teacher and his lover, he behaved well.
But when teacher’s lover suddenly asked when the next parent-teacher meeting was, it startled him.
His parents had never attended such meetings before, and he hadn’t thought much about it. Now that someone would actually attend on his behalf...
Zhuo Shu’s record book was definitely a serious problem.
He needed to figure out a plan.
The moment he stepped into the classroom, several girls kept glancing back at him with dreamy, starstruck looks.
Zhuo Shu glanced at him with approval. “Not bad, the lad’s teachable.”
Ying Tongchen didn’t bother giving him any look in return.
…
During break, seeing Zhuo Shu head to the restroom, Ying Tongchen quickly rummaged through the other’s desk, searching for the discipline book. Suddenly, the hallway window was flung open—Zhuo Shu stood outside, holding up the notebook with a smile. “Is this what you’re looking for?”
Ying Tongchen quickly acted and shook his head. His hand accidentally knocked a book off the desk, and he hurriedly picked it up, casually bluffing, “I was looking for this.”
Zhuo Shu was startled, disbelief flashing in his eyes as he pointed at the book. His hands began to tremble, then suddenly he dashed inside and grasped Ying Tongchen’s arm. With heartfelt satisfaction, he patted it and exclaimed, “That’s great! You’re actually trying to steal my workbook? You want to study?”
“I don’t. Not at all.”
“Don’t deny it. If you didn’t, why sneak around stealing it while I’m gone?” Zhuo Shu was touched by his genuine, childlike nature. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you improve together, and we’ll shoulder the great responsibility of revitalizing our nation.”
“That burden’s too heavy. You carry it yourself, I can’t bear it,” Ying Tongchen pushed his hands away.
…
After settling into the new school life, Ying Tongchen found that no one had caused him any trouble yet, so he didn’t bother engaging with others and focused on his own affairs.
About half a month later, during a break, a swaggering boy walked to the window with his gang—it was the school bully, notorious for stirring up trouble, especially targeting Zhuo Shu.
As usual, the bully pushed open the window and snarled, “Will you agree or not?”
Zhuo Shu didn’t even look up. “No.”
The bully left disappointed.
Everyone in the class was already used to this and even pitied the bully.
After waking up, Zhen Mingxin yawned and passed a note to Ying Tongchen, explaining, ‘I suspect the bully likes Zhuo Shu.’
Ying Tongchen wasn’t interested in gossip; he crumpled the note and tossed it toward the trash bin across the room but missed.
Consequently, Zhuo Shu recorded him for littering.
Furious, Ying Tongchen grabbed a book from his desk and swung it at Zhuo Shu’s head. “I’ve put up with you for so long. You just want to pick a fight, huh?”
As Zhuo Shu took the hit, he stubbornly continued writing down Ying Tongchen’s misdeeds.
Ying Tongchen then grabbed his ear.
“Ow!” Zhuo Shu yelped, caught off guard.
Ying Tongchen paused, then laughed, “What, you’re not afraid of being hit, but scared of a little ear tug? Erase those notes right now, or I’ll pull your ear off.”
“Then go pick up the trash,” Zhuo Shu said.
After some hesitation, Ying Tongchen swallowed his pride and picked up the crumpled note, solemnly tossing it into the trash bin.
In the following days, the bully appeared from time to time, always asking the same question, leaving Ying Tongchen baffled.
When Ying Tongchen asked Zhuo Shu, he simply replied, “He wants to copy my homework. I won’t agree to that.”
“Is it really that simple?”
That day, the bully showed up again. Just as he pushed open the window, his fierce expression ready to intimidate, he was immediately met with an even fiercer glare.
Ying Tongchen snapped, “Get lost. He’s not going to agree. If you bother his studies again, I'll scoop your balls out with a spoon.”
The classmates gasped: Whoa! What’s this? The domineering transfer student fighting the school bully for love?!
The bully took Ying Tongchen outside but lost the fight, so he could only leave dejected.
The crowd cheered, Ying Tongchen had won the battle and could now whisk Zhuo Shu away.
Zhuo Shu glanced back at him, eyes gleaming with excitement. “So you want to copy my homework too?”
Ying Tongchen: “?”
Zhuo Shu sighed, “There are many ways to copy homework; no need for a physical fight.”
Ying Tongchen gave up completely, sinking into silence.
…
After school, Ying Tongchen walked out the school gate along the roadside.
A car sped past him, then slowed down and kept pace, always beside him.
Ying Tongchen: “?”
Suddenly, he started running to throw off his stalker. The car accelerated as well. When he stopped, the car stopped too.
He walked up and knocked on the darkened car window. “Who is this?”
The rear window rolled down slowly, revealing Zhuo Shu’s annoying face.
Ying Tongchen: “What do you want now?”
“Which way is your home?” Zhuo Shu asked.
“None of your business,” Ying Tongchen replied.
As they exchanged words, they unknowingly covered quite a distance, until suddenly they heard Zhen Mingxin’s desperate calls for help.
Both turned their heads toward a nearby alley. Just as Ying Tongchen glanced over, the person inside the car dashed out, followed by the driver.
When Zhuo Shu passed by him, he didn’t forget to grab Ying Tongchen’s hand and pull him along.
Ying Tongchen: “.”
When the three arrived, they saw Zhen Mingxin surrounded by the school bully and a few others, apparently being questioned harshly. Zhen Mingxin kept shaking his head, looking completely terrified.
“What are you doing?” Zhuo Shu’s expression hardened.
The bully, noticing Zhuo Shu’s arrival, took a couple of steps back, then saw him holding Ying Tongchen’s hand and shouted furiously, “What’s your relationship? Is he the reason you won’t agree with me?”
Zhuo Shu glanced at Zhen Mingxin and subtly gave him a signal. Zhen Mingxin quickly slipped out from behind the corner and hid behind them.
Zhuo Shu held Ying Tongchen’s hand firmly and slowly stepped back. “This doesn’t concern you.”
The school bully snatched a knife from one of his companions.
Zhuo Shu was truly scared, gripping Ying Tongchen’s hand tightly. He had heard the transfer student was fierce in fights, but he couldn’t be sure he could dodge a knife. They couldn’t fight head-on, only outsmart.
Just as the bully stepped forward, Zhuo Shu suddenly stretched out his hand. “Wait a moment. Are you sure you want to use a knife against us?”
Bully: “What? You think we can settle this with a math battle?”
Zhuo Shu: Frustrated. The plan failed before it was implemented.
“Then how about English?”
Bully: “No way!”
“Fine, then use your way.” Zhuo Shu sighed and pulled out his phone. “Do what you want.”
Everyone thought he was about to call the police. The bully’s friends exchanged glances, preparing to attack him when suddenly the bully’s phone rang.
The school bully, confused, unlocked his phone and saw the shared link. Immediately, the knife slipped from his hand in fright.
Zhuo Shu said calmly, “Come on, cut the price of my Temu item first*.”
(TLN: Zhuo Shu is making a pun. The school bully has a knife for cutting. Temu (online shopping website) has the core philosophy - ‘Team Up, Price Down’ - teaming up with other consumers to bring down the price of the products you buy. Basically, you share a link to the item you wanna get, and others will click into it and help cut the price a little. The more clicks into that link, the less you have to pay.)
The bully suffered a crushing defeat.
Ying Tongchen: “.”
Not just erupting in silence, but also dying in silence.
Suddenly, Ying Tongchen broke free from Zhuo Shu’s hand, walked behind the bully, and said, “Go ahead, make a move.”
The bully turned around, stunned, and asked, “You don’t like him?”
Ying Tongchen: “.”
You really are the most imaginative bully I’ve ever seen. The bully at my previous school isn’t anything like you!
The scene became chaotic for a moment, but finally, the driver and an unfamiliar tall, dominating student stepped in and drove the group away.
Everyone looked at the muscular newcomer. Ying Tongchen asked, “Who are you?”
“My name is Meng Gong, a physical education student from the neighboring school. I was just out running and saw what happened. Is anyone hurt?” Meng Gong asked.
“I am!” Zhen Mingxin suddenly raised his hand, then weakly leaned on him. “Xiao gege, thank you for saving me.”
Meng Gong blushed and waved his hand. “I was just passing by.”
“But those guys thought you were on our side. They surrendered to your muscles, that means you’re pretty impressive,” Zhen Mingxin said, poking his biceps with an admiring look.
Zhuo Shu asked, “Why were they blocking you?”
Zhen Mingxin scratched his head. “I don’t know either. They kept asking me what you like. I said you like studying, and then they hit me. Boohoohoo!”
“These people are so unreasonable,” Zhuo Shu said indignantly. “You didn’t lie, so why did they hit you?”
Ying Tongchen was speechless. “Don’t you realize what kind of feelings the school bully has for you?”
Zhuo Shu asked, “What feelings?”
“Nevermind. If you don’t know, then you don’t know.”
The group parted, but Zhen Mingxin insisted that Meng Gong escort him home.
Ying Tongchen walked ahead, when suddenly Zhuo Shu caught up and said, “Let me take you home.”
“No need.”
“What if they come back again?” Zhuo Shu urged him to get in the car, but Ying Tongchen refused, so Zhuo Shu had no choice but to walk beside him, with the car following nearby.
After a while, as dusk fell, they passed through a food street, filled with all kinds of flavorful snacks.
Ying Tongchen noticed Zhuo Shu’s pace slowed down and kept glancing toward the food vendors. Without much of a thought, he changed direction and headed into the food street.
Zhuo Shu brightened up, “You want to eat here? What’s good here?”
“You’ve never been?”
“No.” Zhuo Shu looked around, appreciating everything he saw. “What do you think tastes the best?”
“I just moved here, so I don’t know either. We can only try and see.”
The two of them ate their way down the street. Zhuo Shu rubbed his satisfied belly, then took a bite of the put chai ko he was holding and smiled, “Sweet!”
(TLN: Put chai ko (缽仔糕) is a popular snack in Hong Kong. It is a rice cake made from white sugar, long-grain rice flour with a little wheat starch or cornstarch. The modern version has fruits added to it; its texture is something between a swedish fish and jello. The flavor is rather light, but refreshing.)
“You just ate too many sweets at once.”
“The food here is really good. Let’s come back tomorrow.”
“We’ll see.” Ying Tongchen glanced at the time. “I have to head back.”
“Wait.” Zhuo Shu suddenly ran back into the food street and shortly returned carrying a small box, handing it to him. “You seem to really like this.”
Ying Tongchen opened the box to find fried crabs inside. Since they were expensive and he didn’t have much money, he had only bought one. Could Zhuo Shu really tell he liked it?
“Thanks.”
Standing under the streetlight, Ying Tongchen lifted his head, the corners of his eyes curving slightly. Tonight, the stars twinkled in the night sky and shimmered in his gaze.
Zhuo Shu was momentarily stunned, musing how the new hairstyle had really elevated Ying Tongchen’s appearance.
At that moment, Ying Tongchen suddenly reached out and gently brushed the hair at Zhuo Shu’s temple.
Zhuo Shu’s body stiffened slightly, catching the faint scent of the ocean on him; the same fragrance he had left on the windowsill, which had subtly clung to both of them.
After a moment, Ying Tongchen gave him a small, quiet smile.
Zhuo Shu was stunned and speechless, awkwardly asking, “What are you doing?”
Ying Tongchen withdrew his hand and held it up, using his thumb and forefinger to gesture a length in the air. “Your hair’s gotten long. Go get it cut already.”
Zhuo Shu: “...”
Zhuo Shu: “I–I was planning to get it cut anyway.”
The next day, Zhuo Shu indeed cut his hair short.
In class, every time Ying Tongchen looked up, the first thing he saw was the short stubble of his hair, and he couldn’t help but reach out to touch it; it was prickly and made his palm itch a little.
Seeing Zhuo Shu glancing back at him, Ying Tongchen provocatively lifted his chin and mouthed, “Gonna note my name down again?”
Zhuo Shu rolled his eyes and turned away, opening the discipline book. He pretended to write a few strokes, then closed the book.
…
After Zhuo Shu left for the restroom during break, the school bully showed up again. He threw a letter through the window, then glared at Ying Tongchen and warned before leaving, “Give this to Zhuo Shu, or I’ll beat you up.”
Unfortunately, his aim was off. The letter landed under Ying Tongchen’s desk. Worried about being blamed for littering, Ying Tongchen kindly picked it up just as Zhuo Shu returned.
“Here, this is for you.”
Zhuo Shu looked at the pink envelope nervously, quickly shielding it from the other students’ eyes, then snatched it up and whispered, “What’s this?”
“You’ll know once you read it,” Ying Tongchen said, hearing Zhen Mingxin calling him secretly at the door. He got up and left.
Left alone in the corner, Zhuo Shu stared at the envelope, flipping it over and over.
This definitely isn’t a challenge letter, else why would it be in a pink envelope?
It’s obviously a love letter, but…
There must be a trick hidden inside!
Well-read as he was, Zhuo Shu could only think of one cunning scheme — the honey trap!
Ying Tongchen must be trying to seduce him to avoid further disciplinary records.
Thinking this, Zhuo Shu felt the letter was a hot potato he dared not open, so he tore it up and tossed it into the trash. Out of sight, out of mind.
During class, someone behind him reached out to touch his hair again.
Zhuo Shu: “...”
Could it be Ying Tongchen really likes me? What would he possibly like about me?
He only happened to be ridiculously handsome, top of the class, with a flawless personality? Naturally, he was adored by all; charming to people and flowers alike, both talented and wealthy. Girls had dubbed him the ‘most stunning man in four millennia, the heir to Pan An’s beauty, the most distinctive man in all of jjwxc.’
(TLN: Pan An was a prominent Chinese fu poet in the Western Jin dynasty and was well known for his good looks from a young age. "Pan An" has become the Chinese byword for handsome men.)
Yes, with all these qualities, it makes perfect sense Ying Tongchen would like me.