"Classmate, how's the bandage? I noticed your shoelaces were tied like little bows—I figured you must like bows, so I wrapped your wound the same way."
The doctor spoke warmly, his admiration for Lin Fan evident. What a courageous student he was.
Lin Fan tilted his head slightly. "It looks nice."
The doctor smiled. Thankfully, his youthful days of romancing many girlfriends had left him with this peculiar skill.
A police officer stepped forward with a notepad in hand.
"Student, may I have your name? We need to register your heroic act. It's an act of bravery, and we'll be contacting your school to commend you properly."
Such deeds must be celebrated, he thought. How could they allow a young hero to feel unappreciated? The school had to know. Special attention from teachers, heavier assignments, and academic support—such a student deserved to attend the best universities.
"I'm going to be late for class," Lin Fan said.
"Don't worry, we'll escort you," the officer assured him. "You're injured. You should be resting. We'll arrange your leave of absence."
To the police and medical staff, this boy was nothing short of a model student. Even wounded, he still insisted on going to school. Any other child might've collapsed, seized the chance to skip class, and played at home for days.
They thought of their own children.
Silence fell between them. Perhaps, tonight, it was time for a fatherly heart-to-heart.
"Goodbye. I'm off to school." Lin Fan hoisted his backpack and jogged off.
"Hey! Wait, student—!"
"You haven't gotten your tetanus shot!"
But Lin Fan was already a blur, vanishing into the distance like wind-blown dust.
The policeman and doctor exchanged a glance. Both wore expressions of reverent awe.
"That young man is truly brave," the doctor said with a sigh. "If every youth were like him, our nation would never falter."
The officer nodded. "I caught a glimpse of his name tag—Chen Yang, from Chuangwei No. 3 High School. Once this is handled, I'll file a report. He deserves a commendation."
—
By the roadside, Zhang Hao sat slumped on the curb. His heart was still racing. He stared at the blood on his palm, and in his mind, the image of Chen Yang kept replaying—
"Hello, classmate. Let's get to know each other again."
That calm gaze.
That indifferent expression.
Scene after scene replayed in his mind.
This wasn't the Chen Yang he used to know.
—
At Chuangwei No. 3 High School—
Lin Fan wandered the campus, taking in the scent of ink and paper. He thought of Old Zhang—perhaps, here, he could've become an excellent acupuncture teacher.
Class 3, Grade 12.
Chen Yang had always been well-liked by the girls, mostly because they needed a delicate, "girly" boy for company.
His seatmate was Li Xue, a long-haired girl with perfect bangs and porcelain skin. Beautiful, but a bit strange. She had never been fond of Chen Yang.
A territorial boundary had been drawn on their shared desk.
The classroom buzzed with study. Lin Fan, however, simply stared at the blackboard.
"You tied some pretty bows today," Li Xue remarked, eyeing both his shoelaces and the bow-shaped bandage on his hand.
Normally, Chen Yang would've flushed red and whispered like a mosquito, "It's nothing…"
But today was different.
"Mm," Lin Fan replied.
"…Lame."
Li Xue pouted. This wasn't the reaction she had expected. Her eyes lit up as she noticed Lin Fan's arm crossing the desk's centerline. She pulled out a pen, removed the cap, and jabbed it toward him.
She was waiting for that familiar squeal—
"Ow! That hurts! How could you?!"
But—
Nothing.
Lin Fan barely reacted. He turned his head indifferently, glanced at her, then resumed gazing blankly at the board. She reminded him of the oddballs from the asylum who liked to play strange games.
"How could this be?" Li Xue's big eyes blinked with confusion.
Girls hate losing.
She stabbed harder. The pen pierced his skin.
Still no reaction. Not even a twitch.
"No way…"
She pulled the pen out, doubting whether it was working at all.
The moment she did—
Ssssshhht!
Blood sprayed from Lin Fan's arm, splattering all over her face.
Li Xue froze. Her cheeks felt cold and wet. Her hand touched her face—red.
Her pupils shrank.
"Ahhhhhh!"
She leapt from her seat, shrieking like a banshee, and bolted from the classroom.
"Help! Somebody help me!"
The entire class stared at her as though they'd seen a ghost.
Lin Fan shook his head.
These people had such fragile nerves. Blood flowed in our veins—our closest companion for life—and yet they feared it. Betrayal, truly, was born with us.
(Not his words. A grandpa in the asylum used to say that.)
Lin Fan's body was sturdy. The bleeding soon stopped on its own.
—
The morning reading session began.
Zhang Hao entered, visibly shaken. When he spotted Lin Fan, he immediately looked down, avoiding eye contact.
They were both troublemakers, hence assigned seats at the back.
Zhang Hao's desk mate was also one of Chen Yang's bullies. When Zhang arrived, he began tattling.
"Your precious Li Xue got picked on by Chen Yang. Let's drag him to the bathroom after class and teach him a lesson. What do you say?"
His name was Yang Zitian—buzz cut, ear studs, a cocky smirk. He had several girlfriends, all enamored by his delinquent charm.
"No—let's not," Zhang Hao mumbled, still haunted. "I think Chen Yang's… off. Like, really off."
"Off? What could be off? He's a sissy at best—just a glitch in human evolution."
Yang Zitian rolled his eyes. Then he noticed Zhang Hao's strange behavior. "What's wrong with you? You look like someone paid two hundred yuan to have you beat up by street thugs."
"Bullshit! No one dares touch me," Zhang snapped.
—
At that moment, Lin Fan was running through a list of those who had bullied Chen Yang.
The list was long.
He strolled from desk to desk, smiling, offering his hand.
"Hello, classmate. Let's get to know each other again."
The class was baffled. Something was… wrong with Chen Yang.
"Hello, classmate. Let's get to know each other again." Lin Fan extended his hand to Yang Zitian.
Yang gave him a side-eye. "Idiot."
Lin Fan turned to Zhang Hao, smiling. "Hello, classmate. We met once on the bus."
Clatter!
Zhang Hao shot up from his seat, chair creaking beneath him, eyes full of panic.
"H-hi… Hello."
(End of Chapter)