CH 64

After getting released, Ji Ran ran away. It couldn’t be any better.

Mancheng High School wasn’t a private school, so it didn’t dare play tricks when it came to tuition and other fees. As a result, it could only turn to other aspects. With such a greedy principal who was good at dealing with those powerful parents, it was no wonder he hadn’t been brought down even after a decade.

Few parents were willing to fall out with the school over a small matter like money, finding it unnecessary. In the end, it was the students who suffered. Ji Ran fought with Lao Xing every day to get takeaway because he had eaten spoiled food before. His daily fights were also one of the perks of going to school.

There were some students standing outside the small auditorium. When the door opened, they unconsciously gave way to the side.

Ji Ran walked out of the small auditorium. He breathed the fresh air outside, took out his phone and sent a message to the group.

Daddy Ji: The school has exploded.

Yue Wen Wen didn’t understand, but he replied faster than anyone else.

Yue Wen Wen: Well done!

Ji Ran never wanted to take part in things related to school. He wasn’t a messenger of justice, so this school meant nothing to him.

He never expected Ji Guo Zheng to grant him such an opportunity, so he simply took it to tie things up, doing something he had wanted to do for many years.

A few seconds passed before Yue Wen Wen grasped his meaning.

Yue Wen Wen: F*ck. Wait, did you really blow the school up?

Yue Wen Wen: No way, don’t do anything reckless. How is this school worth going to jail for?

Yue Wen Wen: ?

Ji Ran laughed but didn’t reply.

There’d definitely be someone who came to settle accounts with him. Now that he was feeling great, he didn’t want to fight with Ji Guo Zheng. Everything could be left to a later time.

Standing outside the auditorium, he stared at the gloomy sky and let out a deep breath.

Outside the auditorium was the school field. Due to the school celebration today, the field was full of people, looking very lively at first glance.

Ji Ran didn’t intend to squeeze through the crowd of people, so he turned around and walked towards the school’s back gate.

In order to facilitate the entry and exit of students and parents, the back gate was open today. Ji Ran stuffed his hand into his pocket and was about to step out when he saw a black car stopping outside.

The car came to a stop, and the driver quickly got out of the car and opened the back door. A middle-aged man got off with a sullen face. There seemed to be anger in his expression as he held a phone in his hand.

Ji Ran thought to himself that he must have heard the broadcast.

Tsk, he actually forgot that many parents attended today’s celebration. How could Ji Guo Zheng not have received an invitation?

He still wanted some peace.

Ji Ran stood on the spot, thinking of how he should reply.

The moment Ji Guo Zheng looked up, Ji Ran’s hand was grabbed and the person pulled him to the side.

Without any preparation, Ji Ran was easily pulled into a corner, evading Ji Guo Zheng’s line of sight.

“Didn’t you promise to wait for me?” Qin Man held his hand and asked, “Why did you go back on your word?”

Ji Ran froze for a second, not realising how intimate their positions were. He asked with wide eyes, “Why are you here? Don’t you still have a speech to make?”

“You left such a big mess, there’s no way I could fix it, so I ran too.”

“…”

Ji Ran was about to reply when he heard a familiar voice.

“Did he really say that?!” Ji Guo Zheng tried his best to restrain himself, but his voice was full of anger, “The media is here today and the matter with him some time ago had caused such a huge mess. I wanted to take this opportunity to save some face…Is he still there? What? He left? Why didn’t you stop him! … Fine, I’m going over, wait for me. I’ll settle this. This time, I’m going to cut off his living expenses!”

Ji Ran let out a cold laugh. He wanted to continue eavesdropping but someone pressed the back of his head, forcing him to turn back.

“Shh.”

After Ji Guo Zheng left, Ji Ran finally reacted.

No, why did he hide? It’s not like he was scared of Ji Guo Zheng.

“What are you doing? I was just about to greet my father, why did you stop me?”

Qin Man laughed, “Just a greeting?”

Ji Ran rolled his eyes. “Enough, go back. I haven’t left yet, so it’s not considered going back on my word.”

“Where are you going?”

Ji Ran had planned to see the sea behind the school, but looking over, he realised the large tree had turned bald some time ago. As most of its branches were already lost, so was his interest.

“Just walking around.”

“I’ll accompany you. Even if I go back now, I’m just in for a scolding, so there’s no point,” Qin Man said

“A scolding? From what I can tell, those school leaders can’t wait to hold you up and kiss you.” Ji Ran sneered.

Qin Man was someone with good grades, won many awards, and graduated from a well-known school. If it weren’t for his family crisis, he would definitely be a powerful figure in the academic world. Both parents and teachers alike love such a student.

Which was why he could understand why the teacher’s expression had such a drastic change upon seeing him.

It was like an old mother worrying about her good daughter meeting a gangster outside.

Good daughter.

Ji Ran laughed.

“I don’t want to be hugged by them,” Qin Man raised an eyebrow. “What are you laughing at?”

Ji Ran ignored him and walked away while pulling out a pack of cigarettes.

The commotion caused by the broadcast just now had somewhat subsided and the field regained its original vitality.

Ji Ran casually picked an empty bench and sat down.

“There are students around.” Qin Man sat next to him and said, “It’s not good for them to breathe in second-hand smoke.”

Ji Ran paused and put the cigarette pack back, “None of your business.”

A game of basketball was being played on the court in front of him. There was a group of little girls standing around, shouting and cheering.

Suddenly, one of the players used too much force and the basketball hit the backboard before bouncing to the left. However, everyone standing here were all girls who subconsciously avoided the ball which flew straight towards Ji Ran.

Ji Ran subconsciously raised a hand to catch it, but someone stopped the ball a step ahead of him.

Qin Man got up to stop the ball, then supported it with one hand and bounced it twice.

Since the crowd parted, they could see the group of sweaty basketball players

“Throw it back!” Perhaps they were too tired, but the players forgot to be polite.

Qin Man turned back. “I remember your skills were pretty good. Want to have a round?”

Ji Ran’s skills were indeed good. The only activity he did to pass time during school was basketball, and was the second best in his grade.

Qin Man was first.

“No,” Ji Ran said. “I’m not interested in playing with a bunch of kids.”

Realising his mistake, the player repeated, “Bro, I’ll have to trouble you to throw the ball!”

Qin Man threw the ball and following his movement, he soared through the air in an arc and landed in the basketball player’s hands.

“I heard Yue Wen Wen say you frequently play with Cheng Peng?”

Ji Ran frowned. “Why is he telling you everything?”

“In the future, bring me along. I’ll be your cheerleader.” Qin Man glanced at the group of girls screaming and remarked.

“… I can’t afford you.”

Sitting on the stone bench, Ji Ran couldn’t help looking towards the building he liked to go to the most in the past.

Back when he was in school, the next block was not yet opened for use but the tables and chairs were very new. If he was tired, he would go over for a nap.

Now, the building was in use and there was a large and flamboyant poster hung up in celebration of the school’s anniversary.

He had planned to take a look since he was already here, but if it had already changed this much, there was no point in returning.

After sitting for a bit, he felt it was a bit pointless and decided to get up. “Let’s go…”

Before he could finish, he saw a bunch of people walking over. It was Ji Guo Zheng and a few school leaders, as well as two of his teachers from junior high. They each stood on one side with their fists clasped in front of them and a face full of chagrin.

Their expressions were terrible and solemn, as if discussing something important.

This time, Ji Ran wasn’t able to escape Ji Guo Zheng’s sight.

“Ji Ran!” Ji Guo Zheng roared with furrowed brows.

How should he put it?

Ji Ran naturally didn’t fear the other man but with a group of people glaring at him from afar, including the two teachers standing by the side…

It gave him the illusion that he had returned back to the time when he was still in school. After a fight or being caught smoking, he was caught and dragged back to be corrected.

Thus, Ji Ran’s instinct was to — run.

He took two steps before he seemed to have recalled something. He turned back and dragged Qin Man along.

Unexpectedly, the latter was even faster. The instant he reached out a hand, Qin Man had already grabbed it and ran forward.

Ji Ran’s form teacher had a much more violent temper. It was just that by the time he met Ji Ran, the other person had already become a hardened bone that could not be bent. Seeing Ji Ran run away, he habitually shouted, “Ji Ran – stop!!”

Then, he chased after them.

Ji Guo Zheng, “…”

Principal, “…”

Ji Ran hadn’t run so fast in a long time.

He hadn’t intended to do so, but Qin Man was too fast and he was dragged along. In the end, he could only pick up speed to keep up with the latter.

Today’s weather was heavy. It seemed as if it was about to rain; cool wind whipped their faces but it felt strangely good.

Halfway through, Ji Ran felt something was wrong. He struggled and pulled his hand back. “Huh… No, wait. Why am I running?”

“Practice.” Qin Man held onto him tightly and turned around with a smile.

“…”

And thus, they ran into the school’s grove.

No matter how the school changed, the grove remained in the same place even after so many years without change. At most, there were more plants.

For beauty, the school erected walls of creeping vines like a maze. Inside, the stone paths were extremely narrow, forcing them to walk sideways.

Qin Man only stopped when they reached the deepest part of the grove.

Hands on his knees, Ji Ran panted and tried to catch his breath.

“You… you f*cking ran so… fast…” he gasped as he cursed. “If you could run so well, why didn’t you, huff… join the national team?”

Qin Man saw that his face was completely red and covered in sweat. “You don’t usually exercise enough.”

“Bullshit, I exercised everyday before I was employed.”

It didn’t take long for Ji Ran to catch his breath. “This stupid school celebration is so boring. Let’s go.”

“You aren’t going to walk around?”

“What’s there to see? If you want to see plants, I’ll bring you to Yue Wen Wen’s house. His mother has hundreds of flower types. You can see as much as you want.”

At this time, they heard rustling, as if someone had entered.

The intruder stopped at the other end of the clearing on their right. Due to the dense and towering plants that blocked the two sides, they could not see each other but Ji Ran could hear their conversation word for word.

“What’s the matter?” The girl’s voice was soft and sweet.

“I… have you been here before?” The other party was a boy, sounding a little shy.

The girl laughed. “Are you dumb? Of course. I pass through here everyday after school to return to my dorm.”

“Then do you know that there’s a legend about this grove?” The boy coughed lightly. “They- They say that if you confess to the person you like, that person… will accept.”

As if.

Ji Ran thought to himself. He had personally witnessed someone being rejected in this grove.

He didn’t wish to eavesdrop on a confession scene and wanted to leave. However, Qin Man took a step to the right, cutting off his path.

Ji Ran’s steps paused and he looked up.

“Did you know about it?” Qin Man lowered his head to look at him.

He didn’t attempt to soften his voice, so the other two people heard and immediately went silent.

Ji Ran pushed against his shoulder weakly and lowered his voice. “… Move aside.”

“I like you.” Qin Man didn’t move but instead, took another step forward as he cut off his junior brother’s words.

Again.

The bumper cars in his heart were open for business today.

Ji Ran was forced to take a step back by him and he felt his back bump into a tree trunk. A pair of eyes glared fiercely, warning the other person to not come any closer.

He didn’t like this feeling, heart jumping as if he had finished a sprint. The plants surrounding him from all directions made him feel choked.

This stupid school didn’t allow for young romance, so why the hell did they construct such a sacred ground for confessions? Isn’t this just looking for trouble and also bringing problems to others.

“I’m confessing to you, ne.” Seeing him distracted, Qin Man dragged him back to reality. “Speak, is this legend true?”

“Hey, the brother next door.” The student on the other side panicked and shouted, “Can you wait for your turn?”

Qin Man laughed. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”

“… Do you have no self-awareness?” Ji Ran was awakened by the student’s voice. He said with a red face, “Move aside, go back.”

After speaking, he covered the lower half of his face and hurriedly squeezed through a gap as if trying to escape.

On the other side, both people heard his voice and exchanged a look of surprise.

Both… Both of them were men?

“Junior brother, that legend must be something you made up, right?” Qin Man laughed helplessly as he chased after Ji Ran. He only left behind a single line, “That’s why, lady, you don’t need to feel burdened. You can refuse him if you wish.”

The junior brother, “…”