Childhood Chronicles - CH 2

The fourth period soon arrived and the next class scheduled was Physical Education. Everyone else had long put away their things and slowly made their way to the playground. But Ye Cheng noticed Gu Shaofan was putting away his things in a manner that was neither slow, nor in a rush, and naturally urged the other, “Come on, let’s go.”

When Ye Cheng and company arrived, there was already a lot of people waiting at the entrance of the gymnasium. Ye Cheng’s eyes were sharp, so upon first glance, he had spotted the not short at all Tao Lu standing at the outermost side of the last row. At the same time, Tao Lu also saw Ye Cheng, but he looked hesitant to wave the other boy over.

The fourth period soon arrived and the next class scheduled was Physical Education. Everyone else had long put away their things and slowly made their way to the playground. But Ye Cheng noticed Gu Shaofan was putting away his things in a manner that was neither slow, nor in a rush, and naturally urged the other, “Come on, let’s go.”

This act of his made Ye Cheng suddenly feel embarrassed, so after scratching his chin, he walked right over to take the ball from Gu Shaofan’s hands, then walked right back to his original place. “I’ll pass it.” Ye Cheng then thought back to the main points of the movement given by the teacher, and felt himself a bit nervous for some reason.

Gu Shaofan grunted a yes in return, then, in rare moment, opened his mouth to explain, “In the gym.”

“How is that freezing out?” Tao Lu looked at Ye Cheng contemptuously. “Gangsters are bad guys, aren’t they?”

This resulted in Gu Shaofan looking at Ye Cheng, his expression clearly a bit confused.

Gu Shaofan nodded, but Ye Cheng was standing a little too far, and had not used enough strength. So when the ball was tossed it went straight for Gu Shaofan’s crotch, and when he bent in an attempt to catch it, he missed, allowing the ball to bounce merrily as it went to the place behind them.

“The next class is PE, right?” Ye Cheng also scrunched his face up in confusion, thinking he should’ve remembered the timetable correctly, and there were students leaving the classroom.

He lifted the ball so all the students could see his hands more clearly, then returned to ball to it’s original position over his chest. “When you pass the ball, take a step forward, rotate your fingers downwards a bit and push upwards, then as you throw, release your fingers as you push up and out.”

In response to him, Ye Cheng frowned, but Tao Lu didn’t pay attention to the look on his face to bounce the ball a couple times before saying, “Spread out and we’ll get started.”

The only thing Ye Cheng could feel in his chest was pain. That pass was strong, so strong, he couldn’t catch the ball with just his hands so he had to hug the ball to his chest. Ye Cheng smiled with a grimace, the little dimple on the left side of his cheek twitching. “Are you trying to pass the ball to me, or are you trying to use it to crush me?”

Looking at the watch on his wrist, Ye Cheng saw that there was only two minutes left before the next class began, and so he couldn’t help but urge Gu Shaofan once more, “We gotta go! The class is starting!”

This is so heartbreaking! Ye Cheng’s worst fear was that no one would talk to him.

The place where Gu Shaofan was standing was not far away, and Ye Cheng doing some warm up stretches with such big movements was enough to give the other boy no choice but to pay attention to him. Seeing Gu Shaofan looking his way, Ye Cheng spread his feet apart slightly and readied himself to catch the ball. “Throw it here.”

After having everyone run a couple laps around the gym to warm up, the PE teacher then chose Tao Lu to come over so he could demonstrate a pass.

Deskmate

“Then this is over.”

This time, Gu Shaofan stood up and walked to the door of the class, and behind him, Ye Cheng again began blabbering away. “Is the PE class going to be on the sports grounds next to greenway? Just as I thought, this school’s playing field and stuff are way, way, better than the ones at my old school. There’s a standard eight hundred metre track and the greens at the centre, from what I could see, looks like it’s probably real grass! It is real grass, right?”

But this feeling was not the same for Gu Shaofan, he was not someone fond of playing around with others. But Ye Cheng could no longer stand the sight of it. In his imagination he saw Gu Shao’s mind being currently filled with gloom and loneliness! He even imagined a voice over playing as he looked as Gu Shaofan saying: This lonely boy, blah blah blah, something, something…

Gu Shaofan grunted a yes in return, then, in rare moment, opened his mouth to explain, “In the gym.”

Gu Shaofan nodded, but Ye Cheng was standing a little too far, and had not used enough strength. So when the ball was tossed it went straight for Gu Shaofan’s crotch, and when he bent in an attempt to catch it, he missed, allowing the ball to bounce merrily as it went to the place behind them.

“How is that freezing out?” Tao Lu looked at Ye Cheng contemptuously. “Gangsters are bad guys, aren’t they?”

It was obviously only nothing but speculation, but in the young mind of a primary school-aged child, such rumours were enough of a reason for them to avoid to avoid another child. The way children thought was always direct, after all, and only capable of using the logic of simple substitution. So if the influence of adults is added to this, a situation like the one present is not at all impossible.

That sentence of his had no lead out or out but Ye Cheng was still able to immediately understand it. Sucking his teeth for a good while, Ye Cheng then said in awe, “Geez, no wonder my dad wanted to squeeze me into this place. It even has a gymnasium! What kind of five-star treatment is this?!”

“Hey, you can just come practise with us, alright?” Tao Lu then lifted his chin to pint as he spoke. “I’ll pass the ball to Liu Qin, he’ll pass it to you, and you’ll pass it back to me, OK?”

As a result, with his heart overflowing with a river of sympathy, Ye Cheng declared, “You know what, forget it! You two can team up on your own, so I’m going to join Gu Shaofan.”

Tao Lu shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard.”

Just as he was standing there in hesitation, Ye Cheng was grabbed by Tao Lu and pulled into his spot of the line before the other boy began scolding. “Why would you team up with him?!”

Ye Cheng didn’t spread out, his gaze instead focused on the person standing somewhat apart from the other groups in the distance, GU Shaofan. In that boy’s hand was a basketball, and there was obviously no one who wanted to team up with him. He stood there alone, his head pointed downwards, staring at the ball in his hands, only bouncing it a couple times every now and again. He was no more than a few metres away from the other group of kids, but to Ye Cheng, such a distance seemed incredibly far away, and even more so, it seemed lonely.

In an instant, a mocking smirk spread on Ye Cheng’s face as he stared at Tao Lu and replied, “Oh, I get it. You’ve been watching too much Young and Dangerous, haven’t you?”

The gymnasium was on the opposite side of the sports grounds, through the greenway. The reason the class was not held on the sports ground was because the students of the Fifth Year Class C have recently been scheduled to play basketball.

Gu Shaofan grunted a yes in return, then, in rare moment, opened his mouth to explain, “In the gym.”

Just as he was standing there in hesitation, Ye Cheng was grabbed by Tao Lu and pulled into his spot of the line before the other boy began scolding. “Why would you team up with him?!”

It was called basketball, but it was just lectures about dribbling. Dribbling while running and three-step layups were considered very high level skills. As after all, no one was expecting to train a bunch of kids green behind the ears lke elite athletes.

This is so heartbreaking! Ye Cheng’s worst fear was that no one would talk to him.

Oh my god, how impressive.

Tao Lu’s face twisted into an expression that seemed to ask “are you insane,” and Liu in said nothing. After walking away, Ye Cheng looked back to Tao Lu and gave his thanks. In any case, Tao Lu was a nice guy.

In an instant, a mocking smirk spread on Ye Cheng’s face as he stared at Tao Lu and replied, “Oh, I get it. You’ve been watching too much Young and Dangerous, haven’t you?”

It was obviously only nothing but speculation, but in the young mind of a primary school-aged child, such rumours were enough of a reason for them to avoid to avoid another child. The way children thought was always direct, after all, and only capable of using the logic of simple substitution. So if the influence of adults is added to this, a situation like the one present is not at all impossible.

When Ye Cheng and company arrived, there was already a lot of people waiting at the entrance of the gymnasium. Ye Cheng’s eyes were sharp, so upon first glance, he had spotted the not short at all Tao Lu standing at the outermost side of the last row. At the same time, Tao Lu also saw Ye Cheng, but he looked hesitant to wave the other boy over.

This time, Gu Shaofan stood up and walked to the door of the class, and behind him, Ye Cheng again began blabbering away. “Is the PE class going to be on the sports grounds next to greenway? Just as I thought, this school’s playing field and stuff are way, way, better than the ones at my old school. There’s a standard eight hundred metre track and the greens at the centre, from what I could see, looks like it’s probably real grass! It is real grass, right?”

This act of his made Ye Cheng suddenly feel embarrassed, so after scratching his chin, he walked right over to take the ball from Gu Shaofan’s hands, then walked right back to his original place. “I’ll pass it.” Ye Cheng then thought back to the main points of the movement given by the teacher, and felt himself a bit nervous for some reason.

After having everyone run a couple laps around the gym to warm up, the PE teacher then chose Tao Lu to come over so he could demonstrate a pass.

“Let’s go stand over there.” Ye Cheng said this to Gu Shaofan, but the other boy paid him no mind and made his way to the directly to the tail end of the group with an expressionless face where he stuck out on his his own.

After having everyone run a couple laps around the gym to warm up, the PE teacher then chose Tao Lu to come over so he could demonstrate a pass.

…why does he resemble a dog so much right now?

The only thing Ye Cheng could feel in his chest was pain. That pass was strong, so strong, he couldn’t catch the ball with just his hands so he had to hug the ball to his chest. Ye Cheng smiled with a grimace, the little dimple on the left side of his cheek twitching. “Are you trying to pass the ball to me, or are you trying to use it to crush me?”

Hearing this, Ye Cheng unexpectedly flashed a grin. It was exactly as he had thought, Gu Shaofan wasn’t hard to get along with. So as classmates and friends, there was potential for them to have a great relationship.

“Has he ever tried to blackmail anyone?”

“Are you okay?” This was also the first time he heard Gu Shaofan speak in such a voice. The comparison this one had to that was a far apart as night and day, even the sense of desolation within it felt a bit more weighted. “I’m sorry.”

It’s easy to follow the crowd and believe the rumours, but doing the opposite does require a lot of courage.

Gu Shaofan nodded, but Ye Cheng was standing a little too far, and had not used enough strength. So when the ball was tossed it went straight for Gu Shaofan’s crotch, and when he bent in an attempt to catch it, he missed, allowing the ball to bounce merrily as it went to the place behind them.

Just as he was standing there in hesitation, Ye Cheng was grabbed by Tao Lu and pulled into his spot of the line before the other boy began scolding. “Why would you team up with him?!”

In the gymnasium, the continuous sound of thudding balls could be heard. Gu Shaofan and Ye Cheng both practised quite seriously, the ball flying between them.

But Tao Lu only clicked his tongue in response before continuing, “You don’t believe me, but I’m pretty sure the entire school knows about it. I’m telling you, you will never, ever, see his dad come pick him up. It’s always some ‘underling’ dude wearing shades and a western-styled suit. You’re new here, so do you understand now? You seriously got dealt a bad hand, you know? Like, how can you end up sitting next to him of all things?” After saying this, Tao Lu hugged himself and shivered. “Just sitting in front of him alone makes my heart tremble. You poor guy.”

Ye Cheng then pondered for a bit before asking, “Has Gu Shaofan ever hit anyone?”

“Hey, didn’t I tell you? Gangsters are really, really scary. My mom and dad both warned me about them.”

In an instant, a mocking smirk spread on Ye Cheng’s face as he stared at Tao Lu and replied, “Oh, I get it. You’ve been watching too much Young and Dangerous, haven’t you?”

“Huh?” Ye Cheng was confused. What are you talking about? ‘Him’ who? And what’s wrong with teaming up?

Deskmate

“Then this is over.”

It was as though a message was being carried from one to the other, as that ball made its journey to and fro without end.

It’s easy to follow the crowd and believe the rumours, but doing the opposite does require a lot of courage.

Tao Lu scrunched up his lips and pointed. From the the angle where they stood, only the top of Gu Shaofan’s was visible, and it wasn’t very clear either, but it was still enough for Ye Cheng to understand who Tao Lu was referring to. “Gu Shaofan! That guy’s family are gangsters! So if you get close to him there might come a day where he’ll sell you! Freaking gangsters! Killers!”

So at the very least, Ye Cheng knew not to readily believe the false rumours circulating that harmed someone.

“The next class is PE, right?” Ye Cheng also scrunched his face up in confusion, thinking he should’ve remembered the timetable correctly, and there were students leaving the classroom.

“Are you okay?” This was also the first time he heard Gu Shaofan speak in such a voice. The comparison this one had to that was a far apart as night and day, even the sense of desolation within it felt a bit more weighted. “I’m sorry.”

In an instant, a mocking smirk spread on Ye Cheng’s face as he stared at Tao Lu and replied, “Oh, I get it. You’ve been watching too much Young and Dangerous[1], haven’t you?”

Just as he was standing there in hesitation, Ye Cheng was grabbed by Tao Lu and pulled into his spot of the line before the other boy began scolding. “Why would you team up with him?!”

He had only said that sentence ns a joke, so he never expected Gu Shaofan to stride over with his lips pursed, and his little kid forehead creased into prominent folds. At such a sight, Ye Cheng blinked his eyes, finding such a scene quite amusing.

“Has he ever tried to blackmail anyone?”

But Tao Lu only clicked his tongue in response before continuing, “You don’t believe me, but I’m pretty sure the entire school knows about it. I’m telling you, you will never, ever, see his dad come pick him up. It’s always some ‘underling’ dude wearing shades and a western-styled suit. You’re new here, so do you understand now? You seriously got dealt a bad hand, you know? Like, how can you end up sitting next to him of all things?” After saying this, Tao Lu hugged himself and shivered. “Just sitting in front of him alone makes my heart tremble. You poor guy.”

The gymnasium was on the opposite side of the sports grounds, through the greenway. The reason the class was not held on the sports ground was because the students of the Fifth Year Class C have recently been scheduled to play basketball.

With a sympathetic look, Ye Cheng replied simply, “Wasn’t there only one free seat in the entire class?” But after he did, he had a sudden realisation. “Did you guys freeze him out?”

Tao Lu said ‘OK’ so many times, it would make a person believe he was speaking English.

If a friendly kid like Tao Lu has such an averse attitude towards Gu Shaofan, then the others’ attitude must be considerable worse.

“Huh?” Ye Cheng was confused. What are you talking about? ‘Him’ who? And what’s wrong with teaming up?

But this feeling was not the same for Gu Shaofan, he was not someone fond of playing around with others. But Ye Cheng could no longer stand the sight of it. In his imagination he saw Gu Shao’s mind being currently filled with gloom and loneliness! He even imagined a voice over playing as he looked as Gu Shaofan saying: This lonely boy, blah blah blah, something, something…

“How is that freezing out?” Tao Lu looked at Ye Cheng contemptuously. “Gangsters are bad guys, aren’t they?”

“How is that freezing out?” Tao Lu looked at Ye Cheng contemptuously. “Gangsters are bad guys, aren’t they?”

“Has he ever tried to blackmail anyone?”

Gu Shaofan did not move, however, his expression still unchanged, except for his brows revealing a faint wrinkle. It was not that he was unhappy at being disturbed, but more of him honestly having no idea what was currently happening.

“Anybody found yapping away from now on will give me ten laps around the sports ground!” The loud bellow of the Physical Education teacher shocked the entire crowd into fright. So after this, both Ye Cheng and Tao Lu heroically sealed their lips.

In this aspect, it must be said that Ye Cheng was thought quite well by his parents. Most notably, Ye Cheng’s mother, who despite not having read a large number of books, had her own special understanding of life. She was intelligent and down to earth, clever and knew how to enjoy life. Despite her only having nine years with her son, the greater part of Ye Cheng’s character was influenced by her the most.

It was called basketball, but it was just lectures about dribbling. Dribbling while running and three-step layups were considered very high level skills. As after all, no one was expecting to train a bunch of kids green behind the ears lke elite athletes.

Ye Cheng then pondered for a bit before asking, “Has Gu Shaofan ever hit anyone?”

N/A

The only thing Ye Cheng could feel in his chest was pain. That pass was strong, so strong, he couldn’t catch the ball with just his hands so he had to hug the ball to his chest. Ye Cheng smiled with a grimace, the little dimple on the left side of his cheek twitching. “Are you trying to pass the ball to me, or are you trying to use it to crush me?”

The left hanging Ye Cheng scratched his nose and thought to himself how strange that guy’s character seemed to be. If he was hard to get close to, then why would lend me his his book without any complaints? And on top of that, why would he have helped me? But if he was easy to get close to, then why does he seem so passive?

The gymnasium was on the opposite side of the sports grounds, through the greenway. The reason the class was not held on the sports ground was because the students of the Fifth Year Class C have recently been scheduled to play basketball.

“Um… I don’t think so?”

This act of his made Ye Cheng suddenly feel embarrassed, so after scratching his chin, he walked right over to take the ball from Gu Shaofan’s hands, then walked right back to his original place. “I’ll pass it.” Ye Cheng then thought back to the main points of the movement given by the teacher, and felt himself a bit nervous for some reason.

It was as though a message was being carried from one to the other, as that ball made its journey to and fro without end.

In this aspect, it must be said that Ye Cheng was thought quite well by his parents. Most notably, Ye Cheng’s mother, who despite not having read a large number of books, had her own special understanding of life. She was intelligent and down to earth, clever and knew how to enjoy life. Despite her only having nine years with her son, the greater part of Ye Cheng’s character was influenced by her the most.

“Has he ever tried to blackmail anyone?”

Tao Lu shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard.”

He glanced at Gu Shaofan again, unable to help the feeling the other boy’s mind had wandered off a bit. “I’m seriously going to pass it, okay?”

…why does he resemble a dog so much right now?

Tao Lu shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard.”

This act of his made Ye Cheng suddenly feel embarrassed, so after scratching his chin, he walked right over to take the ball from Gu Shaofan’s hands, then walked right back to his original place. “I’ll pass it.” Ye Cheng then thought back to the main points of the movement given by the teacher, and felt himself a bit nervous for some reason.

“Hey, didn’t I tell you? Gangsters are really, really scary. My mom and dad both warned me about them.”

“Then this is over.”

“Anybody found yapping away from now on will give me ten laps around the sports ground!” The loud bellow of the Physical Education teacher shocked the entire crowd into fright. So after this, both Ye Cheng and Tao Lu heroically sealed their lips.

He lifted the ball so all the students could see his hands more clearly, then returned to ball to it’s original position over his chest. “When you pass the ball, take a step forward, rotate your fingers downwards a bit and push upwards, then as you throw, release your fingers as you push up and out.”

Tao Lu scrunched up his lips and pointed. From the the angle where they stood, only the top of Gu Shaofan’s was visible, and it wasn’t very clear either, but it was still enough for Ye Cheng to understand who Tao Lu was referring to. “Gu Shaofan! That guy’s family are gangsters! So if you get close to him there might come a day where he’ll sell you! Freaking gangsters! Killers!”

The fourth period soon arrived and the next class scheduled was Physical Education. Everyone else had long put away their things and slowly made their way to the playground. But Ye Cheng noticed Gu Shaofan was putting away his things in a manner that was neither slow, nor in a rush, and naturally urged the other, “Come on, let’s go.”

This resulted in Gu Shaofan looking at Ye Cheng, his expression clearly a bit confused.

The left hanging Ye Cheng scratched his nose and thought to himself how strange that guy’s character seemed to be. If he was hard to get close to, then why would lend me his his book without any complaints? And on top of that, why would he have helped me? But if he was easy to get close to, then why does he seem so passive?

After having everyone run a couple laps around the gym to warm up, the PE teacher then chose Tao Lu to come over so he could demonstrate a pass.

“The next class is PE, right?” Ye Cheng also scrunched his face up in confusion, thinking he should’ve remembered the timetable correctly, and there were students leaving the classroom.

“In basketball, there are two commonly used types of passes. This one is called the chest pass.” The teacher then held the ball with both hands to his chest, explaining the pass as he moved. “Stand with both your feet apart, lift your heads up, and spread all your fingers on the ball.”

It’s easy to follow the crowd and believe the rumours, but doing the opposite does require a lot of courage.

“Then this is over.”

“Good.” The PE teacher clapped, making everyone turn their attention back on him. “Now go find a partner to practice with, and if anyone has a part they didn’t understand, just come ask me.”

He lifted the ball so all the students could see his hands more clearly, then returned to ball to it’s original position over his chest. “When you pass the ball, take a step forward, rotate your fingers downwards a bit and push upwards, then as you throw, release your fingers as you push up and out.”

Thinking of this made embarrassed for so long, Gu Shaofan had already come back and stood facing him. Ye Cheng trained all his focus on the ball this time around, and Gu Shaofan’s movements was almost the same as the teachers. The ball was flew beautifully with an almost perfect curve and went straight for Ye Cheng’s chest.

Thinking of this made embarrassed for so long, Gu Shaofan had already come back and stood facing him. Ye Cheng trained all his focus on the ball this time around, and Gu Shaofan’s movements was almost the same as the teachers. The ball was flew beautifully with an almost perfect curve and went straight for Ye Cheng’s chest.

Sending a wink over to Tao Lu, he indicated he was about to pass the ball. “The receiver should also hold themselves in this position.” As his voice fell, the ball was thrown towards Tao Lu with a force in the blink of an eye before landing firmly in Tao Lu’s waiting hands.

Looking at the watch on his wrist, Ye Cheng saw that there was only two minutes left before the next class began, and so he couldn’t help but urge Gu Shaofan once more, “We gotta go! The class is starting!”

“Huh?” Ye Cheng was confused. What are you talking about? ‘Him’ who? And what’s wrong with teaming up?

The only thing Ye Cheng could feel in his chest was pain. That pass was strong, so strong, he couldn’t catch the ball with just his hands so he had to hug the ball to his chest. Ye Cheng smiled with a grimace, the little dimple on the left side of his cheek twitching. “Are you trying to pass the ball to me, or are you trying to use it to crush me?”

The only thing Ye Cheng could feel in his chest was pain. That pass was strong, so strong, he couldn’t catch the ball with just his hands so he had to hug the ball to his chest. Ye Cheng smiled with a grimace, the little dimple on the left side of his cheek twitching. “Are you trying to pass the ball to me, or are you trying to use it to crush me?”

“Good.” The PE teacher clapped, making everyone turn their attention back on him. “Now go find a partner to practice with, and if anyone has a part they didn’t understand, just come ask me.”

“In basketball, there are two commonly used types of passes. This one is called the chest pass.” The teacher then held the ball with both hands to his chest, explaining the pass as he moved. “Stand with both your feet apart, lift your heads up, and spread all your fingers on the ball.”

Tao Lu said ‘OK’ so many times, it would make a person believe he was speaking English.

It’s easy to follow the crowd and believe the rumours, but doing the opposite does require a lot of courage.

Just as he was standing there in hesitation, Ye Cheng was grabbed by Tao Lu and pulled into his spot of the line before the other boy began scolding. “Why would you team up with him?!”

Tao Lu scrunched up his lips and pointed. From the the angle where they stood, only the top of Gu Shaofan’s was visible, and it wasn’t very clear either, but it was still enough for Ye Cheng to understand who Tao Lu was referring to. “Gu Shaofan! That guy’s family are gangsters! So if you get close to him there might come a day where he’ll sell you! Freaking gangsters! Killers!”

At the teacher’s words, the students began moving about. Some went to go get a basketball from the basket, while others waited for someone to come team up with them. Most of the children found their friends, having a tacit understanding between one another. Then after a short while passed, pair after par had begin practising. Ye Cheng was about to walk over to Gu Shaofan, but Tao Lu pulled him back quietly.

The fourth period soon arrived and the next class scheduled was Physical Education. Everyone else had long put away their things and slowly made their way to the playground. But Ye Cheng noticed Gu Shaofan was putting away his things in a manner that was neither slow, nor in a rush, and naturally urged the other, “Come on, let’s go.”

“Then this is over.”

Ye Cheng then pondered for a bit before asking, “Has Gu Shaofan ever hit anyone?”

Just as he was standing there in hesitation, Ye Cheng was grabbed by Tao Lu and pulled into his spot of the line before the other boy began scolding. “Why would you team up with him?!”

“Hey, you can just come practise with us, alright?” Tao Lu then lifted his chin to pint as he spoke. “I’ll pass the ball to Liu Qin, he’ll pass it to you, and you’ll pass it back to me, OK?”

Sending a wink over to Tao Lu, he indicated he was about to pass the ball. “The receiver should also hold themselves in this position.” As his voice fell, the ball was thrown towards Tao Lu with a force in the blink of an eye before landing firmly in Tao Lu’s waiting hands.

Tao Lu said ‘OK’ so many times, it would make a person believe he was speaking English.

Ye Cheng then pondered for a bit before asking, “Has Gu Shaofan ever hit anyone?”

Gu Shaofan nodded, but Ye Cheng was standing a little too far, and had not used enough strength. So when the ball was tossed it went straight for Gu Shaofan’s crotch, and when he bent in an attempt to catch it, he missed, allowing the ball to bounce merrily as it went to the place behind them.

“In basketball, there are two commonly used types of passes. This one is called the chest pass.” The teacher then held the ball with both hands to his chest, explaining the pass as he moved. “Stand with both your feet apart, lift your heads up, and spread all your fingers on the ball.”

Looking at the watch on his wrist, Ye Cheng saw that there was only two minutes left before the next class began, and so he couldn’t help but urge Gu Shaofan once more, “We gotta go! The class is starting!”

In response to him, Ye Cheng frowned, but Tao Lu didn’t pay attention to the look on his face to bounce the ball a couple times before saying, “Spread out and we’ll get started.”

The only thing Ye Cheng could feel in his chest was pain. That pass was strong, so strong, he couldn’t catch the ball with just his hands so he had to hug the ball to his chest. Ye Cheng smiled with a grimace, the little dimple on the left side of his cheek twitching. “Are you trying to pass the ball to me, or are you trying to use it to crush me?”

Tao Lu scrunched up his lips and pointed. From the the angle where they stood, only the top of Gu Shaofan’s was visible, and it wasn’t very clear either, but it was still enough for Ye Cheng to understand who Tao Lu was referring to. “Gu Shaofan! That guy’s family are gangsters! So if you get close to him there might come a day where he’ll sell you! Freaking gangsters! Killers!”

Tao Lu shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard.”

With a sympathetic look, Ye Cheng replied simply, “Wasn’t there only one free seat in the entire class?” But after he did, he had a sudden realisation. “Did you guys freeze him out?”

Ye Cheng didn’t spread out, his gaze instead focused on the person standing somewhat apart from the other groups in the distance, GU Shaofan. In that boy’s hand was a basketball, and there was obviously no one who wanted to team up with him. He stood there alone, his head pointed downwards, staring at the ball in his hands, only bouncing it a couple times every now and again. He was no more than a few metres away from the other group of kids, but to Ye Cheng, such a distance seemed incredibly far away, and even more so, it seemed lonely.

As a result, with his heart overflowing with a river of sympathy, Ye Cheng declared, “You know what, forget it! You two can team up on your own, so I’m going to join Gu Shaofan.”

Hearing this, Ye Cheng unexpectedly flashed a grin. It was exactly as he had thought, Gu Shaofan wasn’t hard to get along with. So as classmates and friends, there was potential for them to have a great relationship.

So at the very least, Ye Cheng knew not to readily believe the false rumours circulating that harmed someone.

It was called basketball, but it was just lectures about dribbling. Dribbling while running and three-step layups were considered very high level skills. As after all, no one was expecting to train a bunch of kids green behind the ears lke elite athletes.

But this feeling was not the same for Gu Shaofan, he was not someone fond of playing around with others. But Ye Cheng could no longer stand the sight of it. In his imagination he saw Gu Shao’s mind being currently filled with gloom and loneliness! He even imagined a voice over playing as he looked as Gu Shaofan saying: This lonely boy, blah blah blah, something, something…

The left hanging Ye Cheng scratched his nose and thought to himself how strange that guy’s character seemed to be. If he was hard to get close to, then why would lend me his his book without any complaints? And on top of that, why would he have helped me? But if he was easy to get close to, then why does he seem so passive?

Tao Lu shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard.”

As a result, with his heart overflowing with a river of sympathy, Ye Cheng declared, “You know what, forget it! You two can team up on your own, so I’m going to join Gu Shaofan.”

“Let’s go stand over there.” Ye Cheng said this to Gu Shaofan, but the other boy paid him no mind and made his way to the directly to the tail end of the group with an expressionless face where he stuck out on his his own.

Hearing this, Ye Cheng unexpectedly flashed a grin. It was exactly as he had thought, Gu Shaofan wasn’t hard to get along with. So as classmates and friends, there was potential for them to have a great relationship.

“Good.” The PE teacher clapped, making everyone turn their attention back on him. “Now go find a partner to practice with, and if anyone has a part they didn’t understand, just come ask me.”

Ye Cheng then pondered for a bit before asking, “Has Gu Shaofan ever hit anyone?”

Ye Cheng was embarrassed right then, but Gu Shaofan jogged quickly to go retrieve the basketball.

This is so heartbreaking! Ye Cheng’s worst fear was that no one would talk to him.

At the teacher’s words, the students began moving about. Some went to go get a basketball from the basket, while others waited for someone to come team up with them. Most of the children found their friends, having a tacit understanding between one another. Then after a short while passed, pair after par had begin practising. Ye Cheng was about to walk over to Gu Shaofan, but Tao Lu pulled him back quietly.

It was called basketball, but it was just lectures about dribbling. Dribbling while running and three-step layups were considered very high level skills. As after all, no one was expecting to train a bunch of kids green behind the ears lke elite athletes.

But this feeling was not the same for Gu Shaofan, he was not someone fond of playing around with others. But Ye Cheng could no longer stand the sight of it. In his imagination he saw Gu Shao’s mind being currently filled with gloom and loneliness! He even imagined a voice over playing as he looked as Gu Shaofan saying: This lonely boy, blah blah blah, something, something…

If a friendly kid like Tao Lu has such an averse attitude towards Gu Shaofan, then the others’ attitude must be considerable worse.

This resulted in Gu Shaofan looking at Ye Cheng, his expression clearly a bit confused.

As a result, with his heart overflowing with a river of sympathy, Ye Cheng declared, “You know what, forget it! You two can team up on your own, so I’m going to join Gu Shaofan.”

He had only said that sentence ns a joke, so he never expected Gu Shaofan to stride over with his lips pursed, and his little kid forehead creased into prominent folds. At such a sight, Ye Cheng blinked his eyes, finding such a scene quite amusing.

It’s easy to follow the crowd and believe the rumours, but doing the opposite does require a lot of courage.

It was called basketball, but it was just lectures about dribbling. Dribbling while running and three-step layups were considered very high level skills. As after all, no one was expecting to train a bunch of kids green behind the ears lke elite athletes.

Tao Lu’s face twisted into an expression that seemed to ask “are you insane,” and Liu in said nothing. After walking away, Ye Cheng looked back to Tao Lu and gave his thanks. In any case, Tao Lu was a nice guy.

“Hey, didn’t I tell you? Gangsters are really, really scary. My mom and dad both warned me about them.”

Hearing this, Ye Cheng unexpectedly flashed a grin. It was exactly as he had thought, Gu Shaofan wasn’t hard to get along with. So as classmates and friends, there was potential for them to have a great relationship.

…why does he resemble a dog so much right now?

It was obviously only nothing but speculation, but in the young mind of a primary school-aged child, such rumours were enough of a reason for them to avoid to avoid another child. The way children thought was always direct, after all, and only capable of using the logic of simple substitution. So if the influence of adults is added to this, a situation like the one present is not at all impossible.

It’s easy to follow the crowd and believe the rumours, but doing the opposite does require a lot of courage.

Thinking of this made embarrassed for so long, Gu Shaofan had already come back and stood facing him. Ye Cheng trained all his focus on the ball this time around, and Gu Shaofan’s movements was almost the same as the teachers. The ball was flew beautifully with an almost perfect curve and went straight for Ye Cheng’s chest.

Tao Lu shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard.”

In this aspect, it must be said that Ye Cheng was thought quite well by his parents. Most notably, Ye Cheng’s mother, who despite not having read a large number of books, had her own special understanding of life. She was intelligent and down to earth, clever and knew how to enjoy life. Despite her only having nine years with her son, the greater part of Ye Cheng’s character was influenced by her the most.

Gu Shaofan only realised he had said those two words after saying them, it left him stunned for a moment, but he then quickly added, “I have a bit of a heavy hand.”

So at the very least, Ye Cheng knew not to readily believe the false rumours circulating that harmed someone.

It was as though a message was being carried from one to the other, as that ball made its journey to and fro without end.

He glanced at Gu Shaofan again, unable to help the feeling the other boy’s mind had wandered off a bit. “I’m seriously going to pass it, okay?”

The place where Gu Shaofan was standing was not far away, and Ye Cheng doing some warm up stretches with such big movements was enough to give the other boy no choice but to pay attention to him. Seeing Gu Shaofan looking his way, Ye Cheng spread his feet apart slightly and readied himself to catch the ball. “Throw it here.”

“Um… I don’t think so?”

Gu Shaofan did not move, however, his expression still unchanged, except for his brows revealing a faint wrinkle. It was not that he was unhappy at being disturbed, but more of him honestly having no idea what was currently happening.

Ye Cheng was embarrassed right then, but Gu Shaofan jogged quickly to go retrieve the basketball.

The place where Gu Shaofan was standing was not far away, and Ye Cheng doing some warm up stretches with such big movements was enough to give the other boy no choice but to pay attention to him. Seeing Gu Shaofan looking his way, Ye Cheng spread his feet apart slightly and readied himself to catch the ball. “Throw it here.”

When Ye Cheng and company arrived, there was already a lot of people waiting at the entrance of the gymnasium. Ye Cheng’s eyes were sharp, so upon first glance, he had spotted the not short at all Tao Lu standing at the outermost side of the last row. At the same time, Tao Lu also saw Ye Cheng, but he looked hesitant to wave the other boy over.

It was as though a message was being carried from one to the other, as that ball made its journey to and fro without end.

Gu Shaofan only realised he had said those two words after saying them, it left him stunned for a moment, but he then quickly added, “I have a bit of a heavy hand.”

This act of his made Ye Cheng suddenly feel embarrassed, so after scratching his chin, he walked right over to take the ball from Gu Shaofan’s hands, then walked right back to his original place. “I’ll pass it.” Ye Cheng then thought back to the main points of the movement given by the teacher, and felt himself a bit nervous for some reason.

古惑仔 is a [email protected] manhua series started in the 90s called 古惑仔Teddyboy” (over 2000 chapters long); turned 90s Hong Kong gangster movie series (Young and Dangerous).

He glanced at Gu Shaofan again, unable to help the feeling the other boy’s mind had wandered off a bit. “I’m seriously going to pass it, okay?”

It was obviously only nothing but speculation, but in the young mind of a primary school-aged child, such rumours were enough of a reason for them to avoid to avoid another child. The way children thought was always direct, after all, and only capable of using the logic of simple substitution. So if the influence of adults is added to this, a situation like the one present is not at all impossible.

At the teacher’s words, the students began moving about. Some went to go get a basketball from the basket, while others waited for someone to come team up with them. Most of the children found their friends, having a tacit understanding between one another. Then after a short while passed, pair after par had begin practising. Ye Cheng was about to walk over to Gu Shaofan, but Tao Lu pulled him back quietly.

Looking at the watch on his wrist, Ye Cheng saw that there was only two minutes left before the next class began, and so he couldn’t help but urge Gu Shaofan once more, “We gotta go! The class is starting!”

Gu Shaofan nodded, but Ye Cheng was standing a little too far, and had not used enough strength. So when the ball was tossed it went straight for Gu Shaofan’s crotch, and when he bent in an attempt to catch it, he missed, allowing the ball to bounce merrily as it went to the place behind them.

“Thud!”

“Anybody found yapping away from now on will give me ten laps around the sports ground!” The loud bellow of the Physical Education teacher shocked the entire crowd into fright. So after this, both Ye Cheng and Tao Lu heroically sealed their lips.

But Tao Lu only clicked his tongue in response before continuing, “You don’t believe me, but I’m pretty sure the entire school knows about it. I’m telling you, you will never, ever, see his dad come pick him up. It’s always some ‘underling’ dude wearing shades and a western-styled suit. You’re new here, so do you understand now? You seriously got dealt a bad hand, you know? Like, how can you end up sitting next to him of all things?” After saying this, Tao Lu hugged himself and shivered. “Just sitting in front of him alone makes my heart tremble. You poor guy.”

“In basketball, there are two commonly used types of passes. This one is called the chest pass.” The teacher then held the ball with both hands to his chest, explaining the pass as he moved. “Stand with both your feet apart, lift your heads up, and spread all your fingers on the ball.”

In response to him, Ye Cheng frowned, but Tao Lu didn’t pay attention to the look on his face to bounce the ball a couple times before saying, “Spread out and we’ll get started.”

After having everyone run a couple laps around the gym to warm up, the PE teacher then chose Tao Lu to come over so he could demonstrate a pass.

“Thud!”

…why does he resemble a dog so much right now?

This resulted in Gu Shaofan looking at Ye Cheng, his expression clearly a bit confused.

It was obviously only nothing but speculation, but in the young mind of a primary school-aged child, such rumours were enough of a reason for them to avoid to avoid another child. The way children thought was always direct, after all, and only capable of using the logic of simple substitution. So if the influence of adults is added to this, a situation like the one present is not at all impossible.

Ye Cheng was embarrassed right then, but Gu Shaofan jogged quickly to go retrieve the basketball.

Gu Shaofan nodded, but Ye Cheng was standing a little too far, and had not used enough strength. So when the ball was tossed it went straight for Gu Shaofan’s crotch, and when he bent in an attempt to catch it, he missed, allowing the ball to bounce merrily as it went to the place behind them.

“Let’s go stand over there.” Ye Cheng said this to Gu Shaofan, but the other boy paid him no mind and made his way to the directly to the tail end of the group with an expressionless face where he stuck out on his his own.

Tao Lu shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard.”

Gu Shaofan nodded, but Ye Cheng was standing a little too far, and had not used enough strength. So when the ball was tossed it went straight for Gu Shaofan’s crotch, and when he bent in an attempt to catch it, he missed, allowing the ball to bounce merrily as it went to the place behind them.

“Has he ever tried to blackmail anyone?”

“Thud!”

Thinking of this made embarrassed for so long, Gu Shaofan had already come back and stood facing him. Ye Cheng trained all his focus on the ball this time around, and Gu Shaofan’s movements was almost the same as the teachers. The ball was flew beautifully with an almost perfect curve and went straight for Ye Cheng’s chest.

With a sympathetic look, Ye Cheng replied simply, “Wasn’t there only one free seat in the entire class?” But after he did, he had a sudden realisation. “Did you guys freeze him out?”

The place where Gu Shaofan was standing was not far away, and Ye Cheng doing some warm up stretches with such big movements was enough to give the other boy no choice but to pay attention to him. Seeing Gu Shaofan looking his way, Ye Cheng spread his feet apart slightly and readied himself to catch the ball. “Throw it here.”

“Are you okay?” This was also the first time he heard Gu Shaofan speak in such a voice. The comparison this one had to that was a far apart as night and day, even the sense of desolation within it felt a bit more weighted. “I’m sorry.”

“Thud!”

That sentence of his had no lead out or out but Ye Cheng was still able to immediately understand it. Sucking his teeth for a good while, Ye Cheng then said in awe, “Geez, no wonder my dad wanted to squeeze me into this place. It even has a gymnasium! What kind of five-star treatment is this?!”

The only thing Ye Cheng could feel in his chest was pain. That pass was strong, so strong, he couldn’t catch the ball with just his hands so he had to hug the ball to his chest. Ye Cheng smiled with a grimace, the little dimple on the left side of his cheek twitching. “Are you trying to pass the ball to me, or are you trying to use it to crush me?”

After having everyone run a couple laps around the gym to warm up, the PE teacher then chose Tao Lu to come over so he could demonstrate a pass.

He had only said that sentence ns a joke, so he never expected Gu Shaofan to stride over with his lips pursed, and his little kid forehead creased into prominent folds. At such a sight, Ye Cheng blinked his eyes, finding such a scene quite amusing.

Ye Cheng didn’t spread out, his gaze instead focused on the person standing somewhat apart from the other groups in the distance, GU Shaofan. In that boy’s hand was a basketball, and there was obviously no one who wanted to team up with him. He stood there alone, his head pointed downwards, staring at the ball in his hands, only bouncing it a couple times every now and again. He was no more than a few metres away from the other group of kids, but to Ye Cheng, such a distance seemed incredibly far away, and even more so, it seemed lonely.

In this aspect, it must be said that Ye Cheng was thought quite well by his parents. Most notably, Ye Cheng’s mother, who despite not having read a large number of books, had her own special understanding of life. She was intelligent and down to earth, clever and knew how to enjoy life. Despite her only having nine years with her son, the greater part of Ye Cheng’s character was influenced by her the most.

He lifted the ball so all the students could see his hands more clearly, then returned to ball to it’s original position over his chest. “When you pass the ball, take a step forward, rotate your fingers downwards a bit and push upwards, then as you throw, release your fingers as you push up and out.”

Oh my god, how impressive.

But Tao Lu only clicked his tongue in response before continuing, “You don’t believe me, but I’m pretty sure the entire school knows about it. I’m telling you, you will never, ever, see his dad come pick him up. It’s always some ‘underling’ dude wearing shades and a western-styled suit. You’re new here, so do you understand now? You seriously got dealt a bad hand, you know? Like, how can you end up sitting next to him of all things?” After saying this, Tao Lu hugged himself and shivered. “Just sitting in front of him alone makes my heart tremble. You poor guy.”

“Then this is over.”

“Are you okay?” This was also the first time he heard Gu Shaofan speak in such a voice. The comparison this one had to that was a far apart as night and day, even the sense of desolation within it felt a bit more weighted. “I’m sorry.”

With a sympathetic look, Ye Cheng replied simply, “Wasn’t there only one free seat in the entire class?” But after he did, he had a sudden realisation. “Did you guys freeze him out?”

Gu Shaofan only realised he had said those two words after saying them, it left him stunned for a moment, but he then quickly added, “I have a bit of a heavy hand.”

Hearing this, Ye Cheng unexpectedly flashed a grin. It was exactly as he had thought, Gu Shaofan wasn’t hard to get along with. So as classmates and friends, there was potential for them to have a great relationship.

He glanced at Gu Shaofan again, unable to help the feeling the other boy’s mind had wandered off a bit. “I’m seriously going to pass it, okay?”

That sentence of his had no lead out or out but Ye Cheng was still able to immediately understand it. Sucking his teeth for a good while, Ye Cheng then said in awe, “Geez, no wonder my dad wanted to squeeze me into this place. It even has a gymnasium! What kind of five-star treatment is this?!”

At the teacher’s words, the students began moving about. Some went to go get a basketball from the basket, while others waited for someone to come team up with them. Most of the children found their friends, having a tacit understanding between one another. Then after a short while passed, pair after par had begin practising. Ye Cheng was about to walk over to Gu Shaofan, but Tao Lu pulled him back quietly.

“In basketball, there are two commonly used types of passes. This one is called the chest pass.” The teacher then held the ball with both hands to his chest, explaining the pass as he moved. “Stand with both your feet apart, lift your heads up, and spread all your fingers on the ball.”

The place where Gu Shaofan was standing was not far away, and Ye Cheng doing some warm up stretches with such big movements was enough to give the other boy no choice but to pay attention to him. Seeing Gu Shaofan looking his way, Ye Cheng spread his feet apart slightly and readied himself to catch the ball. “Throw it here.”

“Hey, are you trying to sow off how strong you are or something?” Holding the ball in one hand, Ye Cheng waved him back with the other. “Back it on up—back, back, back. Let’s carry on with the practise, yeah?”

“Hey, didn’t I tell you? Gangsters are really, really scary. My mom and dad both warned me about them.”

Sending a wink over to Tao Lu, he indicated he was about to pass the ball. “The receiver should also hold themselves in this position.” As his voice fell, the ball was thrown towards Tao Lu with a force in the blink of an eye before landing firmly in Tao Lu’s waiting hands.

“Are you okay?” This was also the first time he heard Gu Shaofan speak in such a voice. The comparison this one had to that was a far apart as night and day, even the sense of desolation within it felt a bit more weighted. “I’m sorry.”

In the gymnasium, the continuous sound of thudding balls could be heard. Gu Shaofan and Ye Cheng both practised quite seriously, the ball flying between them.

In the gymnasium, the continuous sound of thudding balls could be heard. Gu Shaofan and Ye Cheng both practised quite seriously, the ball flying between them.

It was as though a message was being carried from one to the other, as that ball made its journey to and fro without end.

He had only said that sentence ns a joke, so he never expected Gu Shaofan to stride over with his lips pursed, and his little kid forehead creased into prominent folds. At such a sight, Ye Cheng blinked his eyes, finding such a scene quite amusing.

He glanced at Gu Shaofan again, unable to help the feeling the other boy’s mind had wandered off a bit. “I’m seriously going to pass it, okay?”

Thinking of this made embarrassed for so long, Gu Shaofan had already come back and stood facing him. Ye Cheng trained all his focus on the ball this time around, and Gu Shaofan’s movements was almost the same as the teachers. The ball was flew beautifully with an almost perfect curve and went straight for Ye Cheng’s chest.