Looking at those words, Chen Chu's head was buzzing. He thought to himself, "Should Shao Xiaodong be joking with me? How could that be!"
Chen Chu pulled his phone back, tidied his bag, and strode outside.
The algebra teacher was seething with resentment. The school was about to close down, and all the teachers were scrambling to find connections, but he had no background and no money. The three or four hundred yuan a month that the teachers at the school earned was barely enough to make ends meet, and they were always behind on their paychecks. Now, even this student looked down on him…
"Stop right there! What kind of attitude is this!" The algebra teacher, who was 1.7 meters tall, roared from the podium, while Chen Chu quickly dialed a phone, completely ignoring the thin algebra teacher as if he were air.
The phone rang only once before he answered: "Oh dear! Brother Chu, why did it take you so long to answer! Something terrible has happened to Ji Yang, something really bad, you..."
At that moment, the algebra teacher rushed over and grabbed Chen Chu's phone: "Damn it, you student think you can turn the world upside down?! You think everyone thinks I can't count?! Huh?"
His hand had just reached out, before it even touched Chen Chu's hand, when Chen Chu turned around, grabbed his wrist, and with a sweeping kick, the algebra teacher's legs flew up and landed on the ground with a thud.
At that moment, Shao Xiaodong shouted into the phone, "Brother Chu, what's going on?"
"It's nothing..." Chen Chu said calmly, pointing at the algebra teacher who had fallen to the ground, "Don't touch me, or I'll kill you..."
"Damn it! You dare threaten me! I'm calling the police!" The algebra teacher saw Chen Chu walking towards the door and quickly closed it, leaning against the door and saying, "Damn it, apologize to me! Go back to your seat right now! Hurry up! Hand over the phone!" The algebra teacher seemed somewhat deranged.
Chen Chu's mind was in a daze at this moment. He only heard Shao Xiaodong say that Ji Yang had been stabbed and his fate was unknown.
Chen Chu's forehead veins bulged, and almost without thinking, he delivered a side kick to the old man blocking the door. He used all his strength in the kick, which struck the algebra teacher and the remaining force smashed the door open, causing the algebra teacher to fall down along with the door.
Chen Chu didn't even glance at it before stepping out.
It wasn't until he had walked quite a distance that the class started to make a ruckus. Chen Chu's head was buzzing. Just then, he saw Ma Xiaohe following him out, and in the distance, there was Ma Huaqiang, who looked sullen.
Chen Chu coldly beckoned to Ma Huaqiang, and the three men came over. Chen Chu simply said, "Gather the brothers and come with me..."
...
Night falls...
That was when Chen Chu and Sun Yuan were rolling around in the room.
Ji Yang, who couldn't sleep in the county town, had his phone ring again.
He thought it was Chen Chu calling, so he immediately put his phone on vibrate mode, but it was an unfamiliar number that kept calling.
Ji Yang looked at Ji Xiaotao, who was fast asleep on the sofa, and even called out Chen Chu's name in her sleep. Ji Yang was speechless and his head was about to explode with worry. He thought to himself, "What I was afraid of has really happened. I was afraid that something would happen between them, and damn it, something really did happen!"
Ji Yang couldn't help but think that the girl had such high standards, how could she be with Chen Chu... Of course, Chen Chu was not bad either, but after all, he was three years younger than the girl, so it was not suitable no matter what. Moreover, Chen Chu was too much of a womanizer. Although the two were brothers and had nothing to say to each other, it was a different story with his sister.
Brothers are brothers, and I'd go to great lengths for them, but a girl is someone's lifelong happiness.
Ji Yang gently covered Ji Xiaotao with his blanket, then looked at the continuous stream of calls from an unfamiliar number and couldn't help but shake his head.
Ji Yang put on his clothes, went outside, and answered the phone: "Hello!"
Before he could finish speaking, a woman's sobbing voice came through the microphone: "Ji Yang, it's me..."
Ji Yang sighed and wanted to hang up the phone because it was Liu He calling. He really didn't understand what Liu He was thinking. He was clearly a scoundrel, even though he had quit. What decent girl would want to marry a scoundrel?
Once a person gets stuck in this situation, it's hard to leave, or rather, they'll never be able to leave it for the rest of their lives; they can't escape this mark.
"Is there something you need? If not, I'm hanging up..."
"Ji Yang… you can hang up now. Anyway, I don't want to live anymore. Why don't you like me? Why? I just want to ask. Anyway, I'm planning to die today. I'm telling you, I'm right by the canal! If you… if you come in half an hour, I… I won't die. If you don't come, I will die…" Liu He finished speaking and hung up the phone while crying.
Ji Yang let out a long breath. If it were his old self, he would have said, "What the hell does it matter to me whether you live or die? Damn it!"
Back three years ago, when I was in the game, someone like you, you liked me, didn't you? I ruined you, got you pregnant, and then dumped you. Let the hell find someone else, nobody cares!
Huff... Ji Yang shook his head, his mind a little chaotic. Suddenly, he remembered that Chen Chu seemed to have a thing for Liu He... Liu He was quite good-looking too... Hmm? Ji Yang thought to himself, if my brother's woman really jumped into the river, I'd be in big trouble! I feel a little bad for Chen Chu. It was just a small favor to bring Liu He back and hand her over to Chen Chu. It's just a matter of coaxing and cajoling the girl.
When the time comes, I'll let them meet. I'll be ruthless, and Chen Chu will be more emotional. It would be good if the two of them could get together, and my sister could finally give up.
Besides, Liu He is a good girl. She's at least alive. How can I ignore the girl my brother likes?
I wanted to call Chen Chu, but when I looked at the time, it was almost 2 a.m. I thought to myself that Liu He must have thought a lot before making this decision.
With that in mind, Ji Yang didn't delay any longer. He hopped on Hei Zi's large boat motorcycle and headed straight for the canal.
The canal and the reservoir are connected, stretching for hundreds of miles. The canal runs through the suburbs of Hancheng and extends all the way to the county seat, where it has also become a reservoir. Many people swim here in the summer, but every summer some swimmers also drown.
Ji Yang rode his motorcycle and arrived in half an hour. It was evening and there were few cars. From afar, he could see Liu He sitting by the canal, his legs swinging back and forth, as if he was about to jump in.
He's been there, and he knows that boys and girls are most rebellious around fourteen or fifteen, often acting without considering the consequences, and might do something extreme, just like he used to...
"Liu He!" Ji Yang shouted as he got off his motorcycle.
"Ji Yang—!" Liu He cried with joy and rushed towards Ji Yang, stumbling twice along the way, and shouting Ji Yang's name loudly while crying.
In the dead of night, Liu He's shouts attracted the attention of many people. Perhaps in the past, everyone was asleep at this time, and only taxi drivers would occasionally pass by.
But just two days ago, Ji Yang stabbed Ma Houzi's nephew, and Ma Houzi's men are looking for him all over the world. They want people to be guarding the bus and train stations 24 hours a day. And Ma Houzi's men are all from nightclubs, and their nighttime activities are even more frequent.
Liu He cried and shouted as she threw herself into Ji Yang's arms, as gentle and submissive as a little bird, clinging to him and refusing to let go. Just then, a few thugs passed by. Although they were not Ma Houzi's men, everyone in the gang knew that something had happened in Hancheng. Besides, Ji Yang's past fame was so great that no one was unaware of him.
The thugs were stunned for a moment, then dialed the number of one of Ma Houzi's men...
Meanwhile, Ji Yang was still comforting Liu He, saying that she was young and beautiful, that she had a long road ahead of her, and that he was not a good person, a scoundrel, and unworthy of her...
No matter what Ji Yang said, Liu He held on tightly and wouldn't let go, as if letting go would mean losing everything.
Everyone probably falls in love once when they first experience romantic feelings, does something foolish once, and is devoted to someone once. Some people consider it a passionate and dramatic experience, but of course, it's their own passion and others' ordinary life.
At the age of teenage years, one is also at an age of stubbornness.
"Ji Yang, take me away!" Liu He nestled tightly in his arms, and even Ji Yang, whose heart was made of iron, couldn't help but soften a little.
"I..."
"You don't need to say anything more, I just want to be your wife, okay! If you don't agree, I'll jump into the river!" Liu He said, still holding Ji Yang tightly.
Ji Yang looked somewhat worried. He was also a man. It was said that for a man to pursue a woman was like climbing a mountain, while for a woman to pursue a man was just a thin veil... He couldn't help but wonder if the two of them were realistic.
"Okay! Let's give it a try. If it doesn't work out, we can break up." Ji Yang said calmly. After all, Liu He was beautiful. As soon as Ji Yang finished speaking, he regretted it. How could he face Chen Chu after doing this? And how could he face his girlfriend Ji Xiaotao? This was a big deal. His girlfriend hated him, and he didn't like her much either, having been tormented by Liu He.
Liu He hugged Ji Yang's arm with the joy of a little swallow, and said coquettishly, "Hmm... honey, I'm hungry, I haven't eaten all day..."
Ji Yang shook his head and smiled bitterly, thinking that he felt like he had found a daughter. Oh well, he wouldn't touch her. He would just find an excuse to dump her in a few days.
He pulled Liu He along, thinking of finding a small restaurant or something nearby. It was the middle of the night, and everything was pitch black. Just as he was about to get on his motorcycle, headlights started flashing all around, and more than twenty people got off their vehicles, carrying knives and sticks, and rushed over.
"Damn it!" Ji Yang's eyes widened, and as soon as he moved, headlights flashed from behind, to the left, and to the right, and seventy or eighty people, armed with weapons, quickly surrounded him.
Damn it... Ji Yang clenched his fist, then released it.
With so many people around, even if he were made of iron, he could only crush a few nails. He knew he wouldn't be able to get out today.
The circle of people around them grew smaller and smaller until they stopped, surrounding Ji Yang and Liu He like dumplings.
Liu He was stunned, too frightened to utter a sound, his hands gripping Ji Yang's arm tightly.
Immediately, the crowd parted to reveal a gap, revealing the bald-headed Monkey King and his top henchman, Dao Duo, followed by all of Monkey King's thugs, some familiar faces and some new ones.
Before Ma Houzi could speak, these people shouted, "Damn it, Ji Yang, you've finally met your match! We'll kill you today!"
Ma Houzi sneered, "Fuck your mother Ji Yang, I've suffered plenty at your hands! Fuck your mother, you even stabbed me once, I still have a scar on my thigh!"
Ji Yang said calmly, "You should thank me for holding back and not fucking killing you!"
"Fine! You fucking good! Ji Yang, I, Ma Houzi, admire you, really, I truly admire you as a thug! Tell me, how do you want to die? What are your last words? Don't worry, Ji Yang, I, Ma Houzi, am ruthless, but I won't harm your family. Don't worry, Ji Yang, all my brothers are here today. If I, Ma Houzi, kill you, and if I ever lay a finger on a hair on your family's head, I'll fucking die under a hail of knives! And all my brothers, listen up! Today we're settling things with Ji Yang. If anyone dares to touch Ji Yang's family in the future, I, Ma Houzi, don't care who they are, I'll enforce the family law! What is the family law? You all tell me!"
"Sever the tendons in your hands and feet!" The voices of seventy or eighty people thundered.
The monkey nodded in satisfaction, then stared intently at Ji Yang with eyes like a hawk, saying slowly and deliberately, "Ji Yang, did you hear that? Your family doesn't need to worry anymore. You can go on your journey with peace of mind..."