A Certain Someone ( The On1y One ) Chapter 039 – Brothers

What Did He Say They Are Again?

“Where’s your phone? Confiscated?” Gao Tianyang looked at his empty hands.
“Mn.”
“Big Mouth is truly public enemy #1!” Gao Tianyang lamented on his behalf, and clutched his own pocket with lingering fear in his heart. “Oh yeah, who were you chatting with just now?”
Sheng Wang was slightly lost. He didn’t reply; instead, he asked, “Why?”
“Did Big Mouth see the chat? If you’re chatting with someone outside of school it’s no big deal. If it’s someone in our school, like Tian-ge or whoever, then Big Mouth is probably in his way to confiscate another phone.” Gao Tianyang said.
Sheng Wang: “……”

He cursed out loud, and headed straight for the classroom.
The students walking along Road #3 were doing so at a leisurely pace, girls had their arms hooked around each other’s as they happily chatted away. Sheng Wang nearly bumped into people, he weaved around them as he said “Excuse me”, yet his footsteps were unrelenting.
He turned into the flower patches in order to take a shortcut, the edges of his school jacket were lifted up by the wind, and in a blink of an eye he disappeared at the end of the path.

Gao Tianyang was too late and didn’t manage to stop him. He vigorously waved at the sports ground and yelled, “Old Song! We’re leaving!”
And then he chased after him.

Gao Tianyang was well known in the entire level for his role as a sports rep. He participated in the sports carnival in year one, and all the events he participated in, he came in first in all of them. He brought up the overall points for Class A with his own sheer power.
Even with this, he spent a a hell lot of energy just trying to catch up with Sheng Wang, to the point that he only caught the corner of Sheng Wang’s jacket as he headed to the second floor while he only reached the first floor of Mingli Block.

“Big Mouth really caught it?” Gao Tianyang climbed the stairs three steps at a time, closely following Sheng Wang. “Who?”
“Jiang Tian.” Sheng Wang replied.
“Seriously?! No way—” After a run like this over such a long stretch, even Gao Tianyang was panting, “My Tian-ge, earned his own allowance, there’s no way, we’re gonna, let his phone, get confiscated!”

*
In the classroom, Jiang Tian checked WeChat again. The conversation stopped at “Black people performing goose steps”, and after that Sheng Wang was quiet ever since; maybe he was too absorbed in the performance or something else.
He switched off the screen, and tossed the phone as well as the envelope into his bag. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a figure dashing into the classroom.

He was startled by it enough to look up, and saw Sheng Wang charging straight towards him, only braking when his palm landed on his table. The gust of wind followed by his actions was warm from his body temperature and the remnants of summer heat lingering outdoors.

“Did Big Mouth come by?” Sheng Wang panted with both hands propped against his table, beads of sweat appearing at the corner of his forehead.
“No.” Jiang Tian did not understand what was going on. “Why were you in a hurry?”

Just after he spoke, Gao Tianyang came charging in closely behind, saying, “Tian-ge, Big Mouth already confiscated your phone?”
“No.” Jiang Tian instantly understood and turned his eyes to Sheng Wang, “Yours got confiscated?”

Sheng Wang nodded, but his expression was one of relief.
“That was so freaking tiring, even more tiring than 3000m.” He looked as if a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders; he slumped over as he tried to catch his breath. The lines of his neck shifted as he breathed, his lips however were pale to the point of turning white.

Jiang Tian took out a bottle of water from his table, uncapped it and passed it to him. “You ran all the way from the sports ground?”
“Yeah.” Sheng Wang didn’t bother with formalities and was about to drink the moment he received it.

He already took Jiang Tian’s water plenty of times on a usual basis, there was nothing much to fuss over between boys. If they were aware, they would pour it into their mouths instead, if they didn’t then it wasn’t an uncommon sight for them to just directly drink from the bottle.

“I was in the midst of typing, and Big Mouth randomly popped out just like that.” As Sheng Wang said his chin was already lifted up, his lips already touching the mouth of the bottle. He suddenly paused.

His gaze travelled from the end of his eyes, swept across Jiang Tian’s face and went back again. He had a moment of hesitation, wondering if he should lift the bottle up a bit.
“You ok?” Jiang Tian asked.
Sheng Wang snapped out of it. He shook his head, “Nothing.”
His finger twitched, but he didn’t change anything in the end. He frankly took a few giant gulps of water.

Ultimately, Big Mouth Xu was merely mentioning it in order to scare students, he was just casually listening to it, that’s all. No need to think any further into it. It’s the same as that gust of wind by the sports ground, it’s over and that means it’s over.
At the very most……maybe it would occasionally rear its head like a flicker of light, in those extremely rare occasions.

Gao Tianyang collapsed into his seat, and mumbled, “He seriously let Tian-ge go? Did Big Mouth have a change in personality?”
As he spoke, the bell to start preparing for class rang, the students in the corridor all streamed into the classroom. Sheng Wang also returned to his seat. Just as he was prepared to dig out his physics paper, Song Sirui rushed in at the exact timing of the school bell. The moment he entered he yelled, “Alert, alert! Big Mouth Xu is on his way up here to confiscate phones with two teachers in tow!”

“I saw him too!” Another classmate who came in right behind him yelled, “He’s now at the third floor and he’s already collected an entire bunch, all in plastic bags.”

“The fuck?” The entire class collectively swore.
Everyone’s first reaction was to bury their phones into the deepest recess of their bags, the second reaction was to chuckle.

“He’s really using a plastic bag? Then how much did he even collect, that’s so sad?”
“It’s the first time I’m so glad that we’re on the top floor.”
“The top floor’s great, we get heads ups.”
“Many thanks to the allies downstairs. I think other than Old Gao, not many people really got their phones confiscated, right?”

“Don’t say it, Sheng Wang just sacrificed his.” Song Sirui said, “Why else did we sprint back for? Everyone, stuff your phones inwards as much as possible, don’t make any moves if the enemy isn’t doing anything, as long as we don’t act guilty, we—”

Before he finished his sentence, a student zoomed into the classroom from the direction of the staircase. “HOLY DOGFUCKING SHIT! BIG MOUTH BROUGHT A METAL DETECTOR!!!”
Everyone: “???”

There were plenty of teachers who confiscated phones, but it’s the first freaking time they see one with a metal detector!
Sheng Wang was astounded: “Is Fuzhong’s administration office seriously this dramatic?”
Class A, who was pretty collected earlier on, instantly broke out into cold sweat. They could do nothing but fret and scratch their heads in their seats.

“How now?”
“Sneak out of here with your phone!”
“To where? The bell for class already rang.”
“The toilet, just say you’re urgent!”
“The entire class in the toilet together? You think the teachers are idiots?”

“Hurry! Big Mouth is at Class B already!” The student who sat near the back door slipped out to check and came back in again.
“Hurry? But where can we hurry?!”

Sheng Wang was born with a face of a well-behaved student; he was also good at coming out with good ideas on the spot in emergencies like this. He grabbed his bag from the inside of his desk, unzipped his bag wide open and said to Jiang Tian: “Toss in your phone.”
Jiang Tian had no idea what he was doing. “Why?”
Sheng Wang used his mouth to gesture at the window.
Before other people realised what was going on, Jiang Tian understood. He lifted his hand and said, “Wait.”

He took off his school jacket in two clean moves, rolled it up and stuffed it into Sheng Wang’s bag, pressing it into the very bottom, and then threw in his phone.
Sheng Wang held up his bag: “Who else has their phone, toss it all in, hurry!”

Even though he didn’t figure out what was happening, Gao Tianyang enthusiastically responded to his call and handed his phone over without a second word. Next, 12-13 other people all zoomed over and messily stuffed the “booty” into Sheng Wang’s bag.

“Faster! He’s here, he’s climbing the stairs!” The student at the back door called out again.
There were still a portion of students still unsure, but Sheng Wang didn’t have the time to wait anymore. He rushed to the window at the side of the classroom, pulled it open and tossed the bag out.
Everyone was stupefied.

The students by the window all gathered closer to look outside. At this side of Mingli Block, there was a giant patch of greenery, they used soft mud all over the place. Even if someone jumped from the fourth floor, the landing on the soft mud would at least make sure they stay alive.
At this point, Sheng Wang’s bag was already chilling within the shrubs on the soft mud, blocked by the broad leaves.

Everyone understood his method then, and immediately used another bag, the remaining students threw in their phones too.
Immediately after as they pulled open the window and sent the bag downstairs, they heard a cough from Big Mouth Xu. He brought the metal detector as he entered from the back of the classroom. The entire class was sitting upright and was completely still, not a single peep was heard from them.

“I’m telling you, Class A is a major disaster zone.” Big Mouth said.
Two other teachers followed behind him, a plastic bag each in their hands. There were at least 30-40 spoils of war in them.

Big Mouth dug out yet another plastic bag from his pocket, as he unraveled it he made eye contact with Jiang Tian, and said: “Some students in our class think that just because of good grades they can get away with everything. Today, I especially saved a plastic bag and didn’t use it just for all of you! I reckon your class alone can fill up the bag. Here, let me check—”

As he spoke, he started walking around the classroom with the detector.
The entire Class A was silent, acting so convincingly obedient as their eyes followed him walking through the first group, the second group, the third……his face turned greener and greener.

Big Mouth Xu completed all five groups and came back with not a single grain of harvest.
He examined the detector in extreme seriousness, suspecting if this thingy was malfunctioning.

He also went around Jiang Tian three times in all earnesty, and the detector did not make a single sound.
Big Mouth finally realised that he had been tricked by these brats.

His finger quivered in anger as he pointed across Class A, in the end landing between Jiang Tian and Sheng Wang, bobbing up and down, “So a ghost was the one who sent a message if you didn’t bring your phone, right? You two stinkin’ brats just you wait, if I catch you next time I’ll—”

“What are You doing?” He Jin arrived late into class with a stack of physics paper in her arms, the moment she entered she sized up Big Mouth’s get up. “How grand, Dean Xu.”
These top class teachers were infamous for being unafraid of the school leadership. Big Mouth said with irritation, “I’m having heart pain!”
He Jin side-stepped, making way for the back door. “Then you should probably go back and rest.”

The dean’s face turned even greener.
He kept the plastic bag, and left the classroom, livid.

The moment he left, He Jin shut the back door, scanned across the entire class and asked, “Tired from holding it in yet?”
The entire class “pffted” upon her words, and collectively burst into laughter at last.

“How were the phones hidden?” He Jin asked again.
“That’s for us to know.” Song Sirui led by grumbling, “We’re counting on this to survive.”
He Jin rolled her eyes and said, “Sure, either way everyone did something bad as a collective, right? Everyone stand up, if I can’t sit down for this lesson you aren’t either.”
Li Yu cleared her throat, and cutely said, “Class, stand up.”
The entire class stood up straight. “Thank you teacher!”

He Jin said, unamused, “Out of control and shameless, these words fit you guys. Do reflect on this.”
The entire class snickered, and after their snickers they felt that the sound was overly ridiculous, and everyone doubled over in laughter again.

Sheng Wang lifted his chin amidst the laughter at Jiang Tian. “Am I clever or what?”
“Incredibly so.” Jiang Tian replied without thinking.
Sheng Wang clicked his tongue, and turned back.

A moment later, his hand went behind his back, his palm facing Jiang Tian.
“What?” Jiang Tian slightly leaned forward.
Sheng Wang leaned backwards a little, with his eyes on the teacher’s desk, he said through a narrow opening of his lips: “I saved your phone at the very least, where’s the thank you gift? Some self-awareness please.”

That paw of his behind his back was really getting into it, it beckoned like a fan, intending for teasing only.
Unexpectedly, only after a few beckons his fingers were squeezed by someone.

Jiang Tian’s seat happened to be directly in front of the air condition, it could be said to be the spot with the lowest temperature out of the entire class. Along with how he never left the classroom at all, the temperature of his digits was a little low.
His squeeze was feather-light, the feeling of skin against skin was especially distinct.

Sheng Wang’s eyelids were briefly lifted before they lowered a little again, a movement so minor it was as though his eyelid trembled.

He felt something metallic stuffed onto his palm. Next, Jiang Tian backed away with his fingers still being squeezed.
“No thank you gift, only a key to the dorm.” Jiang Tian said.
“Ok.” Sheng Wang kept his hand and stuffed his key into his pants’ pocket. “Sure.”

He Jin went through the question non-stop at the front; only when he heard the part where he needed to take down notes, he then removed his hand from his pocket, grabbed a pen and started writing.

When the physics lesson ended, two students flew downstairs to retrieve the bags they tossed. Everyone passed the phones around, in the end nobody suffered any damage, other than Sheng Wang.
He didn’t particularly take the matter of his phone being taken to heart, Jiang Tian and Gao Tianyang were more concerned than he was.

The moment class ended Gao Tianyang pestered Small Mouth Xu. Jiang Tian was even more iconic, with the self-assurance that he wouldn’t get beaten up because of his top grades, he went straight to the office to ask Old He “How to claim the phone back from confiscation”.
Old He was blunt too. “Either write a report until Dean Xu is satisfied, or get the parents to claim it from the administration office.”

Sheng Wang internally thought: he’s basically screwed, he pissed off Big Mouth Xu quite a few times recently, writing a report to his satisfaction is probably kinda impossible. As for getting the parents……that was even more impossible.
Where would Sheng Mingyang have the extra time? Compared to spending a few hours on talking to him and educating him, he would likely prefer to just transfer a sum of money into Sheng Wang’s phone and let his son buy a new one.

Sheng Wang ran through the prices in his head, and planned to drag Jiang Tian to the west gate during dinner time to shop around. There was a commerce street near the subway station, Beyond Parasol Trees; retail stores of various mobile phone brands were located there.
He could buy one to tide over first.

In a twist of events, the moment they just exited the school they received a call from Uncle Xiao-Chen, saying that his car was already outside the school gate. He initially thought that Xiao-Chen would be the only one delivering their luggage to move into the dorms, but when the car doors opened, the first to exit was seriously Sheng Mingyang who “did not have the extra time”, followed closely behind by Jiang Ou.

When was the last time Sheng Mingyang came to school to look for him? Sheng Wang nearly couldn’t recall.
He was stunned for quite a while before he walked over, asking, “Didn’t you have a flight to Shenzhen at noon?”

Jiang Ou gently said: “Your dad spent an entire morning on the phone to push everything to tomorrow morning, we changed our flight to 11.30 tonight.”
Sheng Mingyang used to have to attend a lot of social dinners, he always drank and there was a period of time his body wasn’t doing well, so he rarely burned the midnight oil, and usually wouldn’t buy a flight at this timing either.

Sheng Wang found it a little hard to adjust to, he didn’t manage to speak a single word after a long while later.
Sheng Mingyang pulled his luggage along, when he walked past him he patted his head. “I’ve spoken to your Auntie Jiang for a few times now, the two of us have been doing some self-reflection. Can the leader now inspect the outcome?”

Sheng Wang didn’t speak. After a while, he finally went into the school with Jiang Tian, following the two parents from a distance that was neither too near nor too far.
As he stared at Sheng Mingyang’s silhouette, he grumbled at Jiang Tian: “How old is he already, still reflecting?”

Jiang Tian called He Jin to request for a leave from tonight’s self-study. The family dragged their luggage towards the boy’s dormitories, Block 2, and attracted second looks from various passerbys along the way at a high rate.

It was common knowledge that Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian were on good terms, it wasn’t an uncommon sight to see them walking together. But now with two adults in front of them, this sight dealt much visual impact.

Friends? Relatives? Or long time friends of the family?
As long as the person who walked past was human, their eyes would be full of the desire to learn the gossip.

It’s been a long time since Sheng Mingyang last entered a school, this was the first time he ever received so much unabashed attention that came from young people. He entered the dormitory’s yard, and when registering at the counter he couldn’t help but ask: “I’ve spotted quite a few people registering to move in today too, and there weren’t just a couple of people dragging their luggage along. Why are there so many kids staring at us?”

Sheng Wang: “I’m hot, that’s why.”
Sheng Mingyang: “……”
If the person wasn’t his son, he would have asked if the other person was truly this shameless; he also felt at the same time that it was quite interesting.

With this change in topic, they didn’t take a close look when registering at the counter, and were under the illusion that there would only be Jiang Tian and Sheng Wang staying in Block 2 room 601. By the time they realised, the family had already carried the luggage up six flights of stairs. Room 601’s door was wide open, people were already unpacking inside.

“Wrong room?” Sheng Wang murmured. Just as he was about to back out, he heard Jiang Tian knock the door, saying, “Not wrong. There’s a name list here.”
Sheng Wang looked up. There was indeed a table pasted on the door, with their name and class printed on it.

The dorm could hold up to six students, there were three double decker beds. 601 wasn’t fully occupied, there were only four people’s names on the table.
The other two consisted of someone named Shi Yu from Class B, and a Qiu Wenbin from Class 11.

The two of them were early, and already occupied two lower decker beds. Sheng Mingyang politely greeted them, and then stood in front of the only empty bed, sizing it up. He turned around and said, “Xiao-Tian is a little taller, it’s probably better for him to stay in the lower bunk. Wang-zai, you stay upstairs, how about that?”
“I’m fine with anything.” Jiang Tian said.
Sheng Wang said an “oh”, and grumbled, “I’m still growing, what if I’m the taller one later?”
Jiang Tian shot him a look and said, “Forget about it, it’s faster to saw off my legs instead.”
“Fuck.”
Sheng Wang wanted to help him saw it off on the spot.

Jiang Ou took two wet tissues and was laughing as she wiped the cabinet. After she was done laughing, she asked, “Where are you putting your luggage?”
Sheng Wang subconsciously looked at Jiang Tian, and replied, “We can handle it ourselves, you two should hurry back. Don’t you have a flight to catch?”

Jiang Ou was a little hesitant, Sheng Mingyang went to the balcony to receive a call. After a few quiet words exchanged with her, he said to Sheng Wang: “I just spoke to your Dean Xu, he said your phone is with him? Let’s go to the office later.”

“Just go already,” Sheng Wang waved, “remember to ask for my phone back, that’s all.”

Boys at this age would always get embarrassed about having their parents stay for too long, as though whoever has their parents help out more, whoever lost. So most parents came in a hurry, and left in a hurry.
Sheng Mingyang and Jiang Ou were no different than the rest, it was only what they said before they left that caused the two other residential students to have their jaws drop wide open.

Sheng Mingyang said: “Then you brothers should take care of each other.”
He said it without any intention.

The boy named Shi Yu was settling a bunch of books on his top bunk, as he heard that he nearly fell off the stairs.
He made eye contact with Qiu Wenbin, both their eyes nearly popping out from their sockets.

Qiu Wenbin mouthed exaggeratedly: “What did he say they are again???”
Brothers?

TO BE CONTINUED.