Chapter 7

Yang Lei had become a bystander instead.

When that gang went out, there were even some bold guests in the hall who started applauding. Momentarily, there was clapping from all directions, and the sound of cheering mixed in!

Those in the gangdom were also people, and they also loved their hometown. Who could feel comfortable hearing an outsider curse their own hometown? Facing outsiders’ insults together, the gangsters and good citizens were unprecedentedly united. All the Jianghai people in the room felt like they had vented their anger.

Yang Lei also felt that Fang Yu was manly in this matter. He didn’t say it with his mouth, but when he sat down, he ordered several large cases of beer to be delivered to the next two tables.

Later, when Yan Ziyi knew about this, he said three words to Yang Lei: “Stronger than you!”

This time, Yang Lei didn’t refute.

Yan Ziyi had reminded Yang Lei that the people from the provincial capital wouldn’t just leave things like this. It was very likely they would turn around and retaliate. He told him to be careful.

But Yang Lei had been bold all along and was used to it. He certainly wasn’t scared. At night, he still carried the guitar to the lab high school.

Yang Lei really regretted that before the other person left last time, they hadn’t set a fixed time to come again. He felt that this mysterious guitar friend was too mysterious, so that even if they were to occasionally meet, he would be quite excited. This kind of feeling was quite delicate, just like in Jin Yong’s The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, where he’d read about Linghu Chong learning to play qin from “Grandmother” who sat behind a curtain, but “Grandmother” behind the curtain was actually a pretty young lady. Who was the person on the other side of this “curtain?”

Today, Yang Lei was again playing guitar alone in the empty field. He had already practiced and mastered “Childhood.” When the other brother arrived, he wanted to ask him to teach him “Love Song 1990.”

When it was past eleven o’clock, Yang Lei knew there was no hope today. He had even become used to disappointment. He carried the guitar back.

As soon as he walked out of the lab high school gates, he stood still.

His keen intuition made him immediately aware of danger.

In the next second, more than ten people rushed out of the darkness charging straight at Yang Lei, holding steel pipes and forked pipes.

Yang Lei turned around and ran. He didn’t have any weapons in his hands. He knew if these people were to block him at the school entrance, he would certainly die there today!

But people had already rushed up behind him. There was only a guitar in Yang Lei’s hands. He violently swept the guitar around, heavily hitting the waist of the person charging at the very front, knocking him over. He deflected two forked pipes stabbing at him from the side as a steel pipe hit him in the shoulder. Yang Lei bore the pain and raised his guitar, heavily hitting the top of that person’s head. That person fell down, and then more people charged up from behind, surrounding Yang Lei completely. No matter how well Yang Lei fought, he was still outnumbered. The thick and heavy guitar was completely ineffective at such close range. A pipe fork pierced Yang Lei’s arm, and more than ten people pressed Yang Lei down to the ground…

At that time, Yang Lei really thought he would die there.

Just at that moment, a motorcycle suddenly charged out, immediately breaking through the crowd. The motorcycle braked hard and reversed. The person on the bike jumped off and did a flying kick. After kicking over several people, he seized someone’s steel pipe. He smashed it against the back of the neck of the person surrounding Yang Lei. While he screamed, before they could react, Fang Yu reached out a hand and pulled Yang Lei up.

“Jump on!”

Yang Lei ran and jumped onto the back seat of the motorcycle. Fang Yu abruptly accelerated, roaring away before everyone’s eyes!

They drove far away. Yang Lei didn’t look back until he confirmed that no one was chasing after them.

He hugged Fang Yu’s waist tightly. There was blood all over his arms and hands, dyeing Fang Yu’s white dress shirt red.

“Where to?”

Yang Lei asked loudly into the wind.

“Don’t talk!”

Fang Yu accelerated again. Yang Lei’s hair flew wildly in the wind.

When Fang Yu stopped, Yang Lei recognized that Fang Yu had brought him to his house.

Many years later, Yang Lei would still remember Fang Yu’s house very clearly. Each of the corners and each of the decorative accessories, all seemed to vividly appear before his eyes.

That night was Yang Lei’s first time walking in.

Fang Yu’s house was above a farmer’s market. On the first floor, there was the market and shopping street, on the second floor was an incomparably roomy and large terrace, and above the second floor were the residences. Fang Yu’s house was on the seventh floor. If the bottom floor were included, it would actually be on the eighth floor. In Jianghai during the early nineties, this would be considered a high-rise building.

Many years later, this house, this large second-floor terrace, and Fang Yu’s wide and empty balcony overlooking half the city, all appeared in Yang Lei’s dreams countless times.

Fang Yu went inside, tossing the bandages, alcohol, and whatnot at Yang Lei. Yang Lei dressed the wound with practiced ease.

“Why were you there?” Yang Lei’s first question.

“I happened to pass by.”

The second question,“Why help me?”

Fang Yu took off the white dress shirt that had been dyed red, and threw it into the basin to soak in water.

“I wanted to help, so I helped. Where did all these whys come from? One Hundred Thousand Whys?”

One Hundred Thousand Whys were popular science books for children of that generation. Almost every house had a copy, and every child had read it. It was as popular as today’s Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf.

“…” Yang Lei couldn’t respond.

“You saved me once, so last time’s matter is settled now.”

Yang Lei said.

“Then thanks!” Fang Yu joked.

Fang Yu wore an undershirt under his dress shirt. Unlike now, where dress shirts are worn directly against the skin, in those days, an undershirt was worn under the dress shirt. Fang Yu wore a form-fitting white undershirt. He seemed tall and thin when he wore a dress shirt, but when he took it off, Yang Lei found that Fang Yu was also very muscular. His shoulders and arms were sturdy and powerful. He had beautiful, well-defined muscles, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. His figure wasn’t at all worse than Yang Lei’s.

It seemed like all men who knew how to fight had a good body. Yang Lei didn’t know whether it was because fighting was good exercise for the body.

Seeing that Yang Lei still hadn’t finished treating his wound, Fang Yu walked over and took a bandage roll from his hand.

“Give it to me.”

Fang Yu squatted down. One hand pressed down on the wound on Yang Lei’s arm. The other hand deftly shook out the bandage, placed it under his arm, and wrapped it around.

His movements were very fast, and his touch was light. Yang Lei saw that he was like a nurse in the hospital who professionally bandaged wounds, both hands moving very skillfully. Before he could react, his arm was already wrapped in neat strips of bandage.

Yang Lei lowered his head in shock, looking at Fang Yu who was concentrating on bandaging him. This was his first time looking at Fang Yu so closely.

Looking at Fang Yu at such close range, even Yang Lei couldn’t help but admit that he was truly good-looking. This was something a handsome guy like Yang Lei would very rarely admit.

Of course, men didn’t rely on their looks. They had to rely on strong fists. But those who were good-looking and had strong fists made one envious. Yang Lei was the type who would often be envied. Now he knew Fang Yu was also like this.

Fang Yu became aware of Yang Lei staring at him. He raised his eyes and glanced at Yang Lei.

“What are you looking at?”

“…Your movements are quite professional.” Yang Lei couldn’t say that he was staring at a big man’s face in a daze.

“If you were to lie in the hospital a few months, you’d know too.” Fang Yu pulled on both sides, tying a beautiful and neat knot.

“There’s someone who can put you into the hospital?” Yang Lei blurted out, not at all realizing that these words were equivalent to admitting he actually felt that Fang Yu was quite invincible.

“I’m not a Transformer. Won’t I be beaten up if I run into many people?” Fang Yu smiled.

At that time, the Transformers cartoons were very popular.

As soon as Fang Yu smiled, even the small room became warm.

Yang Lei couldn’t help but smile as well.

With this smile, it seemed like something had melted, causing the two people to become a little closer.

“You… actually aren’t bad.”

Yang Lei coughed once, uttering the sentence.

Actually, Yang Lei knew in his heart, his hostility towards Fang Yu had long gone. Men naturally felt accepting and close to the powerful who had gained their approval.

“But I wasn’t joking about the matter of the challenge. Let’s exchange a few blows later.”

Yang Lei’s eyes were very serious.

“Let’s talk about it after your wound is healed.” Fang Yu stood up. “Those people today are Ma Tu’s people. Looks like they still haven’t given up.”

“Fighting dirty from behind. So fucking not cool.” Yang Lei was full of hatred.

“You’re also too brave. Going out at night alone and not bringing a weapon. If they don’t attack you, who will they attack?” Fang Yu didn’t hold back at all.

“…” Yang Lei knew that he was wrong.

“Don’t keep going to the lab high school. Where can’t you practice the guitar?”

Yang Lei thought, But other places don’t have that brother on the other side!

He suddenly froze, looking at Fang Yu suspiciously.

“How did you know that I keep going to the lab high school?”

“Didn’t we meet last time?”

“Oh…”

Yang Lei raised his head and looked around the room. This was a house of about sixty square meters. Looking at it now, it was an old-fashioned residence. The living room was pretty small, and the room was slightly more spacious, yet it was still a good place to live back then. Yang Lei sat on the steel wire bed in Fang Yu’s bedroom. The bed sheet was spread very neatly, with a chest of drawers and other furniture on the side. The place Fang Yu lived in was the same as him, neat and clean.

Yang Lei then looked towards the top of the cupboard and saw a guitar.