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[Chapter 040] Vehicle versus vehicle, Bian JinYuan’s win
Bian Jie saw that he was back and asked, “You’re back so early? Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
“That’s great, we still have some jiānbǐng leftovers, I’ll heat them up for you.”
“Okay.”
Bian JinYuan seemed to think of something suddenly and walked outside. He looked at the black bicycle which was parked against the wall of his house. Looking at it, he bent at the waist to pinch the seat of the bicycle that he hadn’t ridden in a long time.
Bian Jie came out to heat up the food and found him wiping down the bicycle, “Why are you cleaning it? You’re planning to ride it again?”
Bian JinYuan gave an “Mmm” in reply.
The beginning of September had been rainy for almost half the month. Bian Jie had noticed that the weather wasn’t good, plus it took around forty minutes to bike to school, and her heart ached for Bian JinYuan. And so she had gotten him to switch to taking public transport instead.
The student transport card benefits of X city are great, allowing for a thirty percent discount. As a result, Bian JinYuan had agreed to take public transport instead of biking. Only now, he had told Lu YunFei that he would pick him up from school. Firstly, he had no car. Secondly, he didn’t have money to hire a taxi. It wasn’t reasonable to ask Lu YunFei to take public transport while in a cast. After much consideration, he could only depend on the bicycle.
He looked at his bicycle and said, “I’ll bike to school starting tomorrow.”
“Wouldn’t that be tiring,” Bian Jie said as she heated up the food, “You still have your part-time job at night, the sky would be dark by the time you end work at 8pm. Taking public transport would save you time and energy, just take public transport.”
“It’s no problem,” Bian JinYuan stuck to his decision.
On his way home just now, he had requested for half a month’s leave from Liu Mo, scaring Liu Mo to ask, “Are you planning to quit?”
“No, I have some matters to tend to, so I’m unlikely to be able to work for this half a month.”
“What matters?”
“Personal matters.”
Liu Mo saw that he didn’t want to divulge and didn’t press the issue, approving his request by saying, “Alright then, remember to come back to work after it’s settled.”
Bian JinYuan naturally agreed.
He was actually very thankful to Liu Mo. Rather than a boss, Liu Mo felt more like an older sister who took care of the store’s employees, especially him, “Thank you,” he said to Liu Mo.
Liu Mo was amiable as usual, “You’re welcome.”
She was older than Bian JinYuan by ten years and saw him as her little brother who needed to be looked out for. They had met on a bus when Bian JinYuan helped her to catch a thief who stole her phone. When they met again, it was when Bian JinYuan had applied for a job at her cake shop. Liu Mo felt that this was probably fate, and so she retained Bian JinYuan at her shop, and even paid him more than other shops.
After Bian JinYuan arrived, the cake shop started raking in sales. There would always be girls sitting in the shop, stealing glances at his face while savouring cake, but that was after the fact.
Bian Jie saw how he had made his decision and didn’t try to persuade him. She only advised, “Then be careful on the road, ride slowly and look out for yourself.”
Bian JinYuan acknowledged her advice and smiled softly as he looked at the bicycle which was virtually brand new. He hoped that Lu YunFei would accept this form of transportation. He thought that perhaps he would be okay with it, as Lu YunFei didn’t seem to be someone who would be fussy. However, would a bicycle be overly plain and simple to someone like him…
Bian JinYuan was somewhat unsure about it. He also didn’t know if his deskmate was too used to dining on fish and meat, and would be alright with switching it up to try porridge with simple dishes, sigh.
When Lu YunShang came home to hear from the aunty that Lu YunFei had injured his leg and had come home in a cast, she was so frightened that she immediately headed to his room to ask, “What happened? Is it serious? Do you want me to request a leave of absence for you?”
Lu YunFei drank his drink while answering his sister’s string of questions, “I fell while playing basketball, it’s nothing, the doctor said it’s not serious and will heal in half a month, no need for absence.”
Lu YunShang looked at her didi (younger brother) in concern, “How could you be so careless.”
“It’s sports, who hasn’t gotten injured from it before, jie (elder sister) don’t worry.”
Lu YunShang finally relaxed after seeing how blasé he seemed and teased, “Your disposition seems pretty good.”
“It was never a big deal.”
“What about after school?” Lu YunShang asked, “I’ll pick you? Or you’ll get dad to send someone else to pick you up?”
“No need,” Lu YunFei thought of how Bian JinYuan said he would pick him, “You just send me to school as planned, someone will be sending me home.”
“Who?”
“My classmate.”
Lu YunShang assumed that it would be a classmate who would drop him off on the way home, and so she didn’t pursue the questioning and said, “Then remember to thank them.”
“I will,” Lu YunFei nodded. He just didn’t know how this classmate would send him home?
But no matter, Lu YunFei thought, he still had Li YuanQing in the worst case, if there were no other options then he’ll get Li YuanQing to send him home. Anyway, Li YuanQing would never refuse him.
He talked to Lu YunShang for a bit, and then Lu YunShang’s phone rang, so she stepped out to take it.
Lu YunFei opened up his WeChat and sent Bian JinYuan a 2,500 red packet.
Luschenovski ♪ : Both sides drawed, so the prize was halved, each person 2,500.
Bian JinYuan was confused over the 2,500.
Bian: The prize will be split during a draw?
Luschenovski: Yes.
Bian: So frivolous?
Luschenovski: It was never a serious match. The prize is just a bonus, don’t take it too seriously, just accept it.
Bian JinYuan was about to say something when he saw Lu YunFei type out: You’re picking me up tomorrow? How are you doing that?
He was brimming with anticipation at Bian JinYuan’s reply, and then he saw two words and a tilda.
Bian: You guess~
Lu YunFei: …
He was playing up the mystery card? Lu YunFei mused, how would Bian JinYuan send him? First of all, he didn’t have a car. Second of all, he didn’t have the money to hire a taxi. He couldn’t be thinking of getting him to take the bus or train with him? Tch, he’d have to hope that someone would let this “disabled” have a seat, Lu YunFei prayed.
That night, Lu YunFei turned in early. He wanted to see how Bian JinYuan would pick him, but too bad Bian JinYuan and Bian Jie didn’t talk about the bicycle, and so he had to continue guessing in vain.
The next day, Lu YunFei carried his bag and emerged at the school gates on his crutch. He had always been a popular guy in school. Now that he was in crutches, the sight of him was all the more eye-catching, almost as if he was a mobile human-shaped signboard saying “come look at me”.
As soon as he emerged, people from behind him had already started to take photos of him to post on the discussion board, 《Shocking!!! Lu YunFei is disabled!!!!!》
Original poster: [Picture] What is this, how did Lu YunFei become disabled over the weekend??!!
People love Shan Shan: You’re the disabled! He’s just become lame okay!
A frog leaps into the pond: You’re the lame! He’s just wearing a cast okay!
Trigonometric odd functions change but even functions remain unchanged: So why did Lu YunFei have to wear a cast?
You know who I am: According to a source, Lu YunFei and the rest played a basketball match with people from Six High # and got injured on the court.
Our maneuver in the autumn field: !!! What are Six High’s standards! To think they’d use this method if they can’t win!
Thus, a rumour was born.
As Lu YunFei walked from the school gate to the classroom, the reason for his injury turned from “injured during a basketball match with Six High” to “injured while teaching the school bully from Six High” to “chanced upon an injustice and got injured fighting delinquents near Six High to help the weak”.
When Lu YunFei entered the classroom, he saw Wen MingYi and Li YuanQing stand guard by the door on both sides as if they were guardian deities 囧 .
Wen MingYi looked at him and stared at his leg, “Chanced upon an injustice?”
Li YuanQing looked at his crutch in puzzlement, “Helping the weak?”
Lu YunFei was lost, “Huh?”
Wen MingYi sighed and kept him up to speed on the latest updates to the rumours. Lu YunFei couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing them, “To think that in our schoolmates’ minds, I’m such a great upholder of justice. Sigh, I’ve tried my best to hide my nature, but it’s been seen through by everyone.”
Li YuanQing was speechless while Wen MingYi made a vomiting expression.
Lu YunFei was wearing a cast, and standing for too long was tiring, so he headed into the classroom after exchanging a few words. Li YuanQing also entered the classroom, and Wen MingYi followed unassumingly.
“How are you going to get home tonight? Is your jie picking you up? How about you stay at my place for now,” He saw that Bian JinYuan hadn’t arrived and sat on his chair.
“Or I could send you,” Li YuanQing offered another option.
“No need,” Lu YunFei rejected, “Someone’s sending me.”
“Who?”
“My deskmate.”
Li YuanQing: ???
Wen MingYi: !!!
“How is he going to send you? No, how are you not ashamed to allow him to send you?” Li YuanQing asked.
Lu YunFei took his books and worksheets out and said calmly, “What’s there to be ashamed of, he wanted to send me, then so be it.”
Li YuanQing didn’t understand, “Then why didn’t you choose me?”
“First come first served,” Lu YunFei said logically, “You’re too late.”
Li YuanQing: …
“But how is he sending you?” Wen MingYi wondered, “He doesn’t have a car… unless, bicycle?”
“Does he have a bicycle?” Lu YunFei thought of this possibility, but, “I’ve never seen him ride one apart from the bicycle share ones, and those bicycles can’t fit a second person.”
“Unless you squeeze into the basket in front,” Li YuanQing interjected.
Lu YunFei: … Then the thing being transported won’t be him, but his other form—the Tmall Genie.
Bian JinYuan couldn’t possibly squeeze him into the basket, but the bicycle he had was the plain type with a seat at the back. This was how Lu YunFei was able to sit behind.
Lu YunFei looked at Bian JinYuan’s calm face as he pushed the bicycle in front of him, his entire being a tickle of emotions.
“I’ll send you,” Bian JinYuan said gently.
Lu YunFei shifted his glance from him to his bicycle, his tone sincere and regretful, “Why don’t we forget about this, my house is far from the school. Don’t you have to go to your part-time job, you won’t be able to make it in time.”
“I took leave,” Bian JinYuan said calmly.
Lu YunFei was shocked, “Took leave?! What leave did you take for!”
“Work leave.”
Was I asking you what type of leave you took? I was expressing my shock, my dear! Someone like you, who didn’t forget to go to his part-time job on his birthday, actually took leave? And for this reason!
Lu YunFei felt his breath stop. He restrained his tumultuous emotions and tried to speak gently and calmly: “Bian JinYuan, I think that it would be more convenient for Li YuanQing to send me. Why don’t I just get him to send me.”
Having said this, he turned his head back towards the school gates, and saw Li YuanQing standing by his family’s car, obviously waiting for him to change his mind.
Bian JinYuan followed his gaze and asked, “You want Li YuanQing to send you home?”
“He usually reads comics or plays games after he goes home anyway, so sending me is making good use of his time. You’re different, don’t you need to work part-time? I’d feel guilty if you lose your job because of me.”
Bian JinYuan nodded.
Lu YunFei assumed that he was in agreement, and was about to say his goodbyes when he heard Bian JinYuan say calmly and gently, “That’s true, other people have a BMW. How could a bicycle compare with a BMW. I hadn’t thought about this properly. Go on, have a good rest at home.”
Lu YunFei: …
Lu YunFei looked at the person in front of him and thought about how this person was too evil. Utilising the Thirty-six Strategems’ – disrupting the fighting spirit, how was he so good at spinning his words!
Bian JinYuan said his piece and didn’t move, he simply continued to look at him, his expression serene, “Go on, I’ll leave after I see you get in his car.”
Lu YunFei: …
Lu YunFei covered his eyes in resignation, and then raised his arm to wave at Li YuanQing, signaling for him to leave, and then he walked over to sit on Bian JinYuan’s bicycle, “Let’s go.”
“Aren’t you going in Li YuanQing’s car?”
Lu YunFei made a forced smile, “Nope, I’m such a carefree person, suited to be on a bicycle. A BMW is too tacky. Tacky!”
Quack Notes
We’re halfway through!!!
Fish and meat are expensive foods, while a poor person’s meals usually consist of porridge and a few dishes of vegetables. In case the analogy isn’t clear, Bian JinYuan wondered if Lu YunFei was used to private cars (fish and meat) and would not be used to bicycles (porridge).
Lu YunFei’s WeChat username, Luschenovski, was introduced in chapter 17!
The actual name of the school is 六中 (六, liù, which means the number six). I had previously translated Lu YunFei and Bian JinYuan’s school as Yi High, but the actual term used was 一中 (一, yī, meaning first or the number one). I’ll be translating the school as First High from now on instead of Yi High!