Chapter 23 — It's Raining in the Bathroom

"Sure — I was wanting to use the bathroom anyway." Zhong Yongliang's words happened to suit Wei Zhao perfectly. Though he had caught the Dean of Academic Affairs by the short hairs that morning, Wei Zhao still couldn't be sure whether the Dean would come through for him if things went sideways. Now these three wanted to find a place where nobody was around — that was just what he needed. When he saw Wei Zhao agree readily, Zhong Yongliang didn't quite know what to do with himself. He, Zhang Naipao, and Gao Xiaofu exchanged helpless glances. In the past, whenever they set out to teach someone a lesson, the other person would look terrified and usually beg for mercy the moment they heard the bathroom was the destination. But Wei Zhao — he actually said he'd been wanting to use the toilet.

"Then let's go." Zhong Yongliang felt thoroughly disgruntled. Talking to Wei Zhao brought him none of the sadistic thrill he usually savored.

"Sister Yaoyao, look — Arrow Bro is pretty badass." Shen Yushu waved her little fists with excitement. "There's going to be a good show soon."

"I think his brain has short-circuited. One guy facing three, and still putting on airs." Gu Mengyao curled her lip.

Wei Zhao and the other three filed out of the classroom, only to find Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu standing right at the door. Wei Zhao thought nothing of it — he had long known this girl Shen Yushu would show up for the spectacle. But Zhong Yongliang quickly plastered on a fawning grin. "Yaoyao, what are you doing here?"

"Why shouldn't I be here? I can go wherever I please — is that any of your business?" Gu Mengyao rolled her eyes at Zhong Yongliang. "What exactly are you three up to?"

"Oh, this country bumpkin doesn't know how to behave. I'm teaching him how to conduct himself." Zhong Yongliang still didn't know that Wei Zhao and Gu Mengyao were acquainted; he assumed they had nothing to do with each other. In his view, women generally preferred dominant men — the more domineering he was, the more it made them feel secure. So he had always put on a show of arrogance and overbearingness in front of Gu Mengyao, never realizing that it only deepened her disgust for him.

"Oh, then you really should teach him a good lesson." As she spoke, Gu Mengyao shot Wei Zhao a cool look, thinking to herself: You took advantage of me yesterday, and today you're getting your comeuppance, aren't you?

"Right, right!" Zhong Yongliang brightened immediately at Gu Mengyao's approval. So it turned out she liked watching him bully others! Apparently Gu Mengyao was into that kind of thug-like student after all. If he had known she had a taste for this, wouldn't he have already won her over long ago?

"Go Wei Zhao, go Wei Zhao!" Shen Yushu broke in at the worst possible moment, cheering him on.

Black lines instantly clouded Zhong Yongliang's face. Are these two sisters not even on the same side? So Shen Yushu actually likes this kind of country bumpkin? But despite his displeasure, Zhong Yongliang could only pretend he hadn't heard — after all, he couldn't afford to provoke this little miss. Her brother could punch him into outer space with a single blow.

"Xiaoshu, why are you cheering for him?" Gu Mengyao frowned.

"You were cheering for Zhong Yongliang, so I'm cheering for Wei Zhao. That's only fair." Shen Yushu declared with conviction.

Wei Zhao didn't linger. He turned and walked into the men's bathroom.

"Hey, can't you just stay out here instead of going inside?" Shen Yushu didn't want them going into the bathroom — otherwise she wouldn't be able to watch the show between them.

Zhong Yongliang pointed in the direction of the bathroom, indicating that Wei Zhao had already gone in and there was nothing he could do. Originally, he had wanted to settle matters right there in the school corridor. Although that might attract the Dean of Academic Affairs, if it pleased his beauty, he was willing to accept the risk.

In truth, a student like Zhong Yongliang still feared his homeroom teacher and the Dean of Academic Affairs on the surface. After all, his identity was still that of a student — not yet like the thugs out in society who feared nothing. If the Dean really notified his father of his misdeeds at school, he would not have an easy time of it at home.

But in most cases, both the homeroom teacher and the Dean of Academic Affairs turned a blind eye to spendthrift young masters like him. Knowing they would never excel academically anyway, as long as no major trouble erupted, they simply let them be.

"How about... you come in and watch too?" Zhong Yongliang hesitated, then offered.

"But that's the men's bathroom!" Shen Yushu pointed at the large character for "Male" above the restroom door. "Little Liangzi, you're not going to make us break the rules, are you?"

Being called "Little Liangzi" infuriated Zhong Yongliang, but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. He forced an ingratiating smile. "It's fine — everyone's out at recess exercises, who would be using the bathroom right now? We're going in first."

Afraid that Wei Zhao might slip into the bathroom and lock himself inside a stall and refuse to come out, Zhong Yongliang hurriedly dashed inside with Zhang Naipao and Gao Xiaofu.

"Sister Yaoyao, how about we go in too?" Shen Yushu had no intention of missing this performance. She was eager to see Wei Zhao beat the living daylights out of Zhong Yongliang.

"I don't think so..." Gu Mengyao wavered. After all, she had never once set foot in a men's bathroom in her entire life.

"Oh come on, what's the big deal? Didn't Zhong Yongliang just say nobody uses the bathroom at this hour?" Without waiting for a reply, Shen Yushu seized Gu Mengyao's hand and pulled her toward the men's bathroom.

"Ah," Gu Mengyao sighed, a vague unease stirring in her chest, some premonition of ill she could not quite name.

Wei Zhao genuinely needed the toilet. He had drunk a great bowl of noodle soup that morning, and the first two periods had kept him busy simply familiarizing himself with the classroom; he had never found a moment to slip away.

This lavatory was surprisingly upscale — urinals of its very own, nothing like the latrine pits back in the village. In the mountain hamlet where Wei Zhao had once lived, answering the call of nature had simply meant finding whatever spot would do.

Wei Zhao was relieving himself with easy gusto when he heard footsteps behind him; in the glass to his side he caught the reflections of Zhong Yongliang, Zhang Naipao and Gao Xiaofu.

"Holy shit — the kid's actually in here taking a piss?" Gao Xiaofu's eyes went wide, half in awe of Wei Zhao's colossal cluelessness. How was it the fellow seemed afraid of nothing whatsoever?

"Leave him to me." Zhong Yongliang let out a cackling laugh and broke into a run toward Wei Zhao. Yesterday Wei Zhao had planted a flying kick on his backside; today he meant to pay it back. What is more, a man at his urinal dreaded outside disturbance more than anything — interrupted, he might in the mildest case be startled into cutting off midstream, in the worst case actually be frightened into some lasting affliction. So one had to admit that Zhong Yongliang was a thoroughly mean-spirited piece of work.

To kick Wei Zhao at this particular moment might not only send him sprawling into the urinal but also frighten him half out of his wits. Zhong Yongliang's mouth was already crooked with glee as he crept toward Wei Zhao on tiptoe.

Wei Zhao had long since spotted Zhong Yongliang's maneuver in the reflection of the glass beside him, and found it faintly comical. The instant the man drew up behind him, Wei Zhao whirled about, set his teeth, and sent a jet of urine arcing toward Zhong Yongliang.

"Ah—" Zhong Yongliang's fright was instantaneous; his plan had been undone in the blink of an eye, and he lurched backward fast — but how could any man outpace a stream of piss driven with the force of a water pistol?