IF Storyline • High School (Second Part) – I Like You
Shang Lu breathed a sigh of relief, and her gaze still habitually followed Jiang Yi’s figure.
“Hey.” Chi Yan placed one hand on Shang Lu’s shoulder, also staring at Jiang Yi’s figure, puzzled. “I’m asking you, what do you like about him?”
And where did he lose to Jiang Yi?
Shang Lu replied, “You wouldn’t understand.”
Chi Yan raised his eyebrows high, “How do you know I wouldn’t understand if you don’t tell me?”
Seeing that Chi Yan seemed really curious, Shang Lu thought for a moment and decided it wasn’t something he couldn’t say, so he said, “Alright, I’ll tell you.”
Shang Lu picked up a cup of hot tea, sipped it slowly, and then began recounting the past.
She talked about the time when she was confined, about the milk and cookies Jiang Yi brought her, the notes they wrote to each other, and how she had to hug the doll he gave to fall asleep every night.
In the end, Shang Lu said, “It was from that time that I wanted to be closer to him, even closer. But now that I’ve grown up, I understand. Gratitude doesn’t necessarily mean love, so it ends here.”
For a long time, Shang Lu didn’t get Chi Yan’s response. She looked up in confusion.
The young man had no expression, or perhaps he was desperately suppressing some emotion.
He spoke with a somewhat hoarse voice, “Are you sure that little boy was him?”
Shang Lu answered without hesitation, “During that time, only he came to my house, and I asked him. He didn’t deny it.”
That day, guests discussed two strange incidents after Shang An’s funeral.
The Young Masters of the Chi and Jiang families, the two sons of heavens, had a fierce fight in the yard.
This was also thanks to Father Chi, as he noticed his son was absolutely winning in the fight, so he stopped others from intervening, saying sternly, “The Jiang family is not here. It’s not right for us elders to get involved in the younger generation’s affairs and bully a junior.”
In the end, Jiang Yi had a swollen face, almost unrecognizable. However, Chi Yan only had his knuckle scratched by a stone when he missed a punch when punching Jiang Yi. Apart from that, nothing else happened.
As all the guests thought the ‘commotion’ was over, suddenly cries of agony echoed from upstairs.
Immediately, two men in their twenties ran down, covering their faces, shouting as they ran, “Shang Mu! Shang Mu has gone mad!”
After two minutes, Shang Mu came down with another young man, who also had visible injuries on his face and limped. Of course, Shang Mu himself looked quite disheveled.
At the entrance, injured Jiang Yi and expressionless Chi Yan stood, and inside the house, there were others who also seemed to have been beaten. The scene suddenly became eerie, and the guests didn’t know whether to leave or stay.
Ruan Yin walked over, holding Shang Lu’s hand, and told her, “Don’t be afraid, trust your Brother.”
Some people also noticed that the three victims of this brawl inside the house seemed to be distant relatives of the Shang family.
The youngest one among them, standing by Shang Mu’s side, staggered towards his father, seeking help, “Dad! He hit me! He even hit my brothers!”
Shang Mu seemed like a madman, showing no restraint when he started using his hands. The three of them were scared and didn’t dare to fight back, only trying to evade as much as possible.
The one being sought for help was Shang Mu’s uncle, who frowned and asked, “Xiao Mu, what’s going on? They are your cousins; what do you want to do?”
Other guests ignored the commotion between Jiang Yi and Chi Yan in the yard, after all, that was a 1v1, but inside, it seemed to be a 1v3, and it looked like Shang Mu was winning?
Even Chi Yan didn’t pay attention to Jiang Yi; he just peered in through the window to watch the excitement.
Shang Mu took out a shattered pocket watch from his pocket and said, “I originally just kindly invited my three cousins upstairs for a cup of tea. I didn’t expect that in two minutes, they would destroy my father’s most important heirloom. But none of them is willing to admit it, so…”
He didn’t need to finish his sentence; the guests could fill in the blanks themselves.
“Destroying a heirloom at someone else’s father’s funeral, that’s too much.”
“Don’t blame this kid; I would have done the same in his place.”
“These siblings are pitiful; whose family raises such troublemakers? This is too much.”
The three beaten young men naturally felt wronged, each clamoring to explain, shouting, “He’s lying! We didn’t even touch that watch; he’s doing this on purpose! He’s retaliating against us!”
“Is that so?” Shang Mu looked at them and asked, “I’m retaliating against you, did you do something wrong to my sister?”
Under Shang Mu’s scrutinizing gaze, the three instantly seemed at a loss for words.
What could they say?
Before Shang Mu struck them, he only said, “You bullied my sister.” They had already taken a beating, and digging deeper into this matter wouldn’t favor them. It was better to end it here.
The eldest among them sighed and said, “Perhaps none of us noticed; it wasn’t intentional.”
All three were forced by their parents to apologize to Shang Mu, and then they left in embarrassment.
Shang Lu’s gaze lingered on the watch in Shang Mu’s hand as she pursed her lips.
Their father didn’t have that watch; it belonged to Shang Mu himself.
Shang Mu did this intentionally.
At that moment, Ruan Yin looked at Shang Mu and asked, “Don’t you have anything to say to your sister?”
Shang Mu walked over, lowered his head to look at Shang Lu, and said, “That night when you had a fever, you told me everything. I’m sorry, I haven’t been a good brother, and you suffered because of me.”
As Shang Mu spoke, Shang Lu’s initial suspicions were confirmed.
Indeed, Shang Mu was teaching those cousins a lesson.
A warm feeling surged in Shang Lu’s heart.
Shang Lu raised her hand and gently touched the red swelling on Shang Mu’s forehead, asking, “Does it hurt?”
Shang Mu shook his head.
Ruan Yin’s gentle voice sounded as she grabbed Shang Lu and Shang Mu’s hands and held them together, saying, “Alright, let’s tidy up and go home. I’m tired today and want to rest early. Can I rely on Lulu to bandage Brother’s wounds?”
Shang Lu nodded obediently.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard.
Chi Yan leaned on the windowsill, looked down at the bloodstains on his fist, and chuckled.
The next moment, Chi Yan’s collar was grabbed.
Father Chi’s voice sounded amusedly, “Haha! I just called your Mom to complain. She’ll be back tonight, so get ready to get a beating for fighting with others!”
Chi Yan : “…Can’t you stop tattling?”
Shang Lu raised his hand and gently touched the red swelling on Shang Mu’s forehead, asking, “Does it hurt?”
Fixed, thanks!
His father didn’t have that watch; it belonged to Shang Mu himself.
Fixed, thanks!