Don’t Pretend to be Poor with Me - Chapter 7

Nowadays the way all pretty and cool brothers express concern is this special?

When Xia Zhiye returned to the dorm, a full container of stir-fried pig liver was placed on his desk, still warm and steaming.

He lowered his head to look at the red-brown pig liver, then raised his head to look at the cold and pale Song Yan.

He felt that these two things shouldn’t appear at the same time.

After all, Song Yan looked like a fairy, even if he fasted it wouldn’t be strange. But how could he like this kind of food?

Also before, was this dish even on the table?

How come he couldn’t remember.

Xia Zhiye looked at Song Yan.

Song Yan sat in his seat working on worksheets, with his earbuds stuffed into his ears, and without even raising his head: “After you’re done eating, remember to clean up.”

The eldest young master was usually taciturn, but spoke quite easily when it came to ordering someone around.

Xia Zhiye lowered his head and laughed, then pulled aside his chair to sit.

He actually didn’t really like eating pig liver, but fortunately he was raised roughly, and wasn’t picky.

After he unhurriedly finished eating, he obediently followed Song Yan’s instructions and tidied up the takeout containers, then discovered a thick stack of A4 papers placed on his desk.

The printing was neatly done, the binding was delicate, and the cover even had three characters written on it – Xia Zhiye.

The strokes were sharp, and the structure was clear and distinct.

Compared with Song Yan, they were exactly alike in beauty.

Xia Zhiye’s fingertips tapped on it twice: “What’s this.”

Song Yan’s head remained lowered: “Basic foundational knowledge and error prone questions.”

Xia Zhiye couldn’t understand: “Why give it to me?”

Song Yan: “You don’t have to rush to read the book I gave before, first finish reading this book.”

Xia Zhiye: “?”

Sensing Xia Zhiye’s still confused look, Song Yan finally looked up, raised his eyes, and impatiently replied: “Didn’t Ruan Tian say to help tutor each other?”

She did say that, but……

Xia Zhiye considered it for a bit, then cautiously said: “When tutoring each other, isn’t it usually the outstanding student who helps out the student that can’t keep up?”

“Or else?”

“……”

After a short period of silence, Xia Zhiye seemed to have understood something, then lowered his head and laughed: “Fine, I’ll study it properly, rest assured.”

When he laughed his eyes squinted slightly, as if he found something that was both interesting and cute, and when he laughed Song Yan felt strange inside.

But this person’s brain already had some problems, and Song Yan was too lazy to care. He indifferently lowered his head and continued working on his worksheets.

The materials he gave Xia Zhiye, as long as Xia Zhiye completed about 50 to 60% of it in the next few days, then improving by a large margin shouldn’t be a problem.

If he obtained the most-improved award through dumb luck, for the time being, he wouldn’t have to accept the employment of ‘a rich couple seeking son,’ and this could be considered as him returning the favor.

Once he thought up to here, Song Yan removed his earbuds, then raised his head again, and turned to look at Xia Zhiye who was preparing to leave and throw out the trash: “Have you watched ‘Love for Life1’?”

Xia Zhiye carried the trash bag and turned around: “Seen it. What about it?”

“Do you remember how they got AIDS?”

“Selling blood. What about it?”

“Nothing, just as long as you remember.”

“?”

After he finished speaking, he put on his earbuds again, and continued to work on exam questions, wearing a cool expression saying ‘even if the sky falls down, don’t bother me.’

Xia Zhiye, still holding the garbage bag and who was ignored, stood at the entrance to the dorm, and watched this new roommate’s perfect profile, and couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows.

Nowadays the way all pretty and cool brothers express concern is this special?

Although he didn’t know if all pretty and cool brothers expressed concern in such a special way, but in any case, the way they attend school is pretty special.

Xia Zhiye took his cold medicine, and slept deeply at night. He didn’t walk into the wrong bed, and Song Yan also slept through the night with no issues.

When he woke in the morning, a faint shade of porcelain blue appeared on his lower eyelids, contrasting with his cold and pale skin, and his dispirited expression became even more obvious.

He had on a big, black face mask, and wore a deathly expression of ‘facing death’ while seated on that pink bicycle. Added to the fact that he was riding with No.3 Middle High’s little tyrant, riding along the short path from the dormitory’s entrance to the school gate attracted the attention of those walking by.

When he should’ve slowed down, Xia Zhiye didn’t slow down, and the bicycle jolted. Song Yan followed the force of inertia and had to lean forward to embrace Xia Zhiye’s waist, and the surrounding girls immediately sucked in a breath of cold air one by one. They subsequently began covering their mouths and whispered amongst themselves, and even carried a strange smile.

“Is there something wrong with the brains of the people at your school.”

Song Yan was supported by Xia Zhiye all the way to his seat, noticed the strange smiles all throughout, and couldn’t help asking.

Xia Zhiye also didn’t know what was wrong with those girls, and easily and narcissitically thought it was because his and Song Yan’s combined attractiveness was excessive and universally shocking, which had given rise to this effect: “Can’t help it, we’re too handsome.”

He handed over the breakfast that Shang Huai had helped bring, and conveniently corrected his previous sentence: “Also, you should remember, it’s ‘our’ school, not ‘my’ school. Trouble this student to have a sense of collective unity, okay?”

“That’s right, Yan ge, now you’ve already been entered into No.3 Middle High’s Male God preliminary competition on Tieba, can’t you have the awareness of a school’s class grass2?”

He didn’t know when the little fatty in the table in front turned around, but he was holding his cell phone in one hand, holding soy milk in his other hand, and was even still chewing on a meat bun in his mouth, and his words were indistinct.

Song Yan felt that Tieba’s Male God, Class Grass, School Tyrant, these nicknames were all the product of those boys and girls who watched too many idol dramas and were infected by middle school syndrome3.

He was too lazy to care, and lowered his head to send Tan Qing a message.

[YAN]: I forgot to bring my medicine, it should be in the second drawer of the bedside table on the right side.

[Aunt Tan]: Okay, after I’m done with my business trip, I’ll send it over.

[Aunt Tan]: But how have you been these two days? Can you sleep?

[YAN]: Not bad.

[Aunt Tan[: Then that’s good. Nan Wu is going to get colder soon, remember to stay warm.

Such a caring sentence, but Song Yan didn’t respond. He wasn’t too good at maintaining such a warm ambience, so he usually chose to abruptly end the conversation.

He put down his cell phone and raised his head, saw Xia Zhiye who was sitting beside him already drinking from a bag of soy milk, staring at the phone and discussing something with the little fatty in front: “Who took this picture? The technique’s not bad.”

Little Fatty: “Right? I also thought the picture was pretty good. You and Song Yan are pretty photogenic.”

Xia Zhiye looked at the photo, and lightly bit his straw: “He’s wearing such a big face mask and you can still say he’s photogenic?”

“Aiyah, it’s the vibe. If the vibe is right, then everything else isn’t a problem. If you don’t believe it, then show it to Yan ge, isn’t it photogenic?” The little fatty pushed the phone towards Song Yan while speaking.

Song Yan couldn’t avoid the screen of the phone, and saw the photo.

It should’ve been taken yesterday evening when school ended.

The afterglow from the sunset after the rain made it look especially lovely and ambiguous, the two youths rode on a bicycle, and the wind blew against their clothes, causing it to flap about, drawing out the delicate but tenacious energy that only 16 or 17 year olds could have.

The slim youth sitting in the back seat slightly looked up, looking angry while scolding the boy in front, who was a bit larger. His eyebrows were bent slightly, and his smile was recklessly flamboyant.

Everything was just right, as if it were the poster for some youthful film.

Song Yan only glanced at it for a bit, then coolly commanded: “Delete it.”

The little fatty looked pained: “But the photography club posted it on the art competition’s Tieba.”

“What does that have to do with him.” Xia Zhiye’s fingertips moved backwards, and turned little fatty’s phone towards him, “Contact the moderator, and tell the person to delete it. Don’t infringe on other people’s privacy.”

The little fatty aggrievedly hummed in response.

After he ‘hm’ed, he found Xia Zhiye used his phone to save the photo, and even sent it to himself using his profile.

The little fatty raised his eyebrows high.

The outer corner of Xia Zhiye’s eyes lifted up: “What’s up, I don’t deserve to save a picture of myself?”

You can save it, it’s just……

Little fatty: “Lord Xia, do you know what the photographer named the photo?”

“Hm?”

“Elopement.”

“……”

“Are they sick.” Xia Zhiye hadn’t reacted yet when Song Yan already raised his head, and his expression seemed to have completely said goodbye to ‘being nice.’

The little fatty was busily trying to explain: “Aiyah, the people in the photography club are just like that. They always pick a name that follows their stream of consciousness. Also our school is strict with catching puppy love, so even if the club wanted to take a photo with this theme, they can’t take a photo of a boy and girl. They could only just make do with you two. After all you’re both two guys, Liu Deqing definitely won’t be able to say anything.”

Xia Zhiye nodded: “So a photo with two guys, what does it matter what name they choose?”

Little fatty: “……”

Seems it really doesn’t matter.

Xia Zhiye: “Then is there a problem with me downloading proof of the camaraderie between me and my new roommate?”

Little fatty: “……”

Seems there’s also no problem with that.

“Isn’t that fine.”

Xia Zhiye’s face was righteous.

Song Yan was too lazy to care about him. If he wanted to save it then whatever, as long as he didn’t show it to other people.

He smoothly grabbed the bag of breakfast and prepared to eat something.

But once he opened the bag, he saw a steaming meat bun that was still oozing with oil. He subconsciously furrowed his brows, then tied up the bag into a ball, and put it back into its original spot. Then he took out a pack of English vocabulary words and began memorizing.

As if he’d rather starve than eat that.

Xia Zhiye stared from the side, and soundlessly laughed.

Where did he come from to be so picky.

After the first class ended, Xia Zhiye went out for a walk to who knows where. When he returned, he brought back a container of milk and bread and placed it in front of Song Yan: “Just make do with this for now.”

Song Yan was just about to ask where it came from.

The little fatty in front turned around and winked while gossiping: “Lord Xia, which class’s little miss gave this to you?”

Xia Zhiye lazily sat down, and easily replied: “The two little girls from Class 13.”

“Boring.”

The little fatty disappointedly turned back.

Seems to be very familiar with the two little girls that Xia Zhiye mentioned.

As if Xia Zhiye often attracted the birds and the bees, and everyone was already used to it.

Furthermore, he even provoked two girls at the same time, truly worthy of being called a playboy scumbag having forty girlfriends on Tieba.

Song Yan believed he couldn’t enjoy food that was obtained in this method, so he expressionlessly pushed away the milk and bread: “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Xia Zhiye asked: “You’re not hungry?”

“Even if I were hungry, I wouldn’t go so far as to eat this.” Song Yan continued writing and didn’t raise his head: “After all, I’m afraid of indigestion.”

A faint sarcasm and cold derision for unknown reasons could be heard in his tone of voice.

Xia Zhiye looked at the 2.8 yuan bottle of milk and the 5.8 yuan piece of bread on the table and furrowed his brows.

How could this elder young master be so precious?

He couldn’t eat this or that?

Meanwhile Song Yan merely wrote a single word on his notebook easily: Scumbag.

The scumbag was completely clueless to this, and was only concerned as to what to get this little young master for lunch.

Once the bell rang after the end of the last class in the afternoon, the two little “misses” from Class 13 prepared to appear at the door of Class 1 to walk with Xia Zhiye to the cafeteria.

Xia Chiye exited the classroom while fiddling with his cellphone, and lazily walked towards the school entrance: “Today let’s go out to eat.”

Shang Huai suspected he heard wrong: “You don’t even have money, and you still want to go out to eat?”

“The food in the cafeteria is too oily, and the taste isn’t good.”

Xia Zhiye played with his phone, and didn’t look up.

Shang Huai: “?”

The money on the lunch card was collected as part of the school fees at the beginning of the semester, and could generally cover food expenses for the whole semester.

So whenever Xia Zhiye’s grandpa froze his card, he’d freeze it decisively because he knew Xia Zhiye wouldn’t starve.

Xia Zhiye also didn’t have a young master’s temperament, and would usually treat them when he had money, and if he had no money he’d join them to eat in the cafeteria. He was very easy to please.

How come today he suddenly became picky?

He probably felt Shang Huai and Zhou Ziqiu’s suspicions, and Xia Zhiye disinterestedly added on: “Song Yan didn’t eat much of yesterday’s food.”

“Oh, I see.” Shang Huai felt a lightbulb flash in his mind.

This makes sense. Young Master Song was like that, and with one glance you could tell he was picky and being unused to the food in the cafeteria at No.3 Middle High was very normal.

“But lao Xia, you’ve only known Song Yan for a few days, how come you’re so attentive?”

“Well, after all he got hurt because of me. Also yesterday he rescued me, I should be more considerate.”

Xia Zhiye’s manner of speaking was mild, and there was no error in his logic.

Shang Huai nodded in acknowledgement: “So it’s for this reason. After all, Song Yan started a fight with Liu Yue for you, this kind of friendship is still…… Wait, isn’t that Liu Yue in front?”

Xia Zhiye just found the restaurant where Song Yan had ordered from last night, and upon hearing Shang Huai’s words, put down his phone, lifted his eyes and looked over.

It really was Liu Yue.

Seems as if he just finished playing ball after skipping class. His forehead was covered in sweat, and his arm muscles were still pumping. It looked as if his mood wasn’t that good, and the basketball in his hand ruthlessly bounced against the ground again and again, as if he were venting his feelings.

The usual lackeys beside him saw his mood, and tried to comfort him: “Yue ge, it’s not worth it to get angry at a person like Song Yan. He’s just a second generation who has no property, or else why would he be transferred from Beijing to No.3 Third Middle High?”

“That’s right. This kind of empty shell second generation, either his family doesn’t like him, or it’s because he made a big fuss and his grades were poor, and no school wants to take him. Anyways you don’t need to care about those kinds of people, he definitely can’t compare to you, there’s no need to be angry.”

“But you don’t need to keep talking, if it were me, I’d also be angry. Wasn’t it just accidentally buying a pair of fake shoes from a scammer? Was it necessary to put Yue ge on the spot in front of everyone?”

“That’s right, and then those girls keep talking about how he’s so handsome. Where the fuck is he handsome?”

“Nowadays girls all like this kind of little white face. With a body like Song Yan’s, I can beat down at least three, but now that you mention it…… Yue ge, why don’t we set something up, and teach him a lesson?”

“Teach him a lesson?”

The few boys were in the midst of their lively discussion, when a familiar and indolent voice came from behind.

They turned to look, and sure enough, saw Xia Zhiye lazily standing behind them.

Now when Liu Yue saw Xia Zhiye he grew annoyed: “What’s it have to do with you.”

“It may not have anything to do with me, but……”

Xia Zhiye smirked and laughed, “But it seems it has something to do with my desk mate?”

Liu Yue raised his eyebrows: “So?”

“So……”

Xia Zhiye walked forward a few steps, and stood in front of Liu Yue. While laughing idly, “You also know me. My temper’s good, character’s good. Other than defending people, I have no other problems. At most, when fighting, I don’t differentiate4 and can easily send people to the hospital. So……”

A brief pause.

“I hope my desk mate can always be without trouble. What do you think, classmate Liu Yue?”

Xia Zhiye had one hand in his pocket, and stood there lazily while the other hand smoothly patted Liu Yue’s shoulder. His eyebrows were slightly curved, and the outer corner of his eyes were raised. The afternoon light was reflected in his light colored pupils, and smiled with a good-natured and friendly look.

But the hand on Liu Yue’s shoulder was sharp and bony.

The long and white fingers hooked onto the wide and sturdy shoulder, the back of the hand showed the biting cold skeleton of the youth, and his height brought with it a sense of oppression that couldn’t be hidden.

And the sudden pain that arose at that spot of his shoulder allowed Liu Yue to suddenly recall the scene of Xia Zhiye putting someone into the hospital with his own eyes last year. He then realized the person in front of him didn’t just only have a good temper.

Liu Yue wasn’t afraid of the shameless, he was afraid of those unafraid of death.

And Xia Zhiye was the type that was unafraid of death.

Liu Yue could only bear the pain, and could only gaze into Xia Zhiye’s eyes, and coldly laugh: “Don’t worry, it isn’t worthwhile to fight with a soft and tender little master.”

You should be afraid of being unable to win against such a soft and tender little master.

Xia Zhiye didn’t say this, and only satisfactorily patted Liu Yue’s shoulder: “That’s right, the world is vast, love and peace prevails. Don’t always think about fighting and killing. You should be like me and be a quiet and good boy. Isn’t that good?”

Once he finished speaking, he flirtatiously raised his eyebrows.

Liu Yue who originally didn’t want to cause trouble: “……”

But suddenly he really wants to fight someone.

1. Love for Life, aka 最爱 (2011), is a romance movie based on true events that occurred in a village in Henan, China. In both the movie and real life, many poor villagers turned to selling their blood as a source of income. But due to unsanitary practices of the sale of blood, many people contracted HIV/AIDS.

2. Class grass = 小草, aka the most handsome boy in the school.

3. Middle school syndrome = chuunibyou; a loanword from Japanese usually used to describe teens who have ‘grandiose delusions, who desperately want to stand out, and who have convinced themselves that they have hidden knowledge or secret powers.’ – thanks wiki lol

4. Author writes, 没轻没重, lit. neither light nor heavy. Means reckless words or actions without measure.