Chapter 32 — Two Fading Figures
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Hey, Liangzi, did someone beat you up? Who did it? Tell me and I'll fix him for you." Seeing the sorry state of the three, Zou Ruoming could hardly fail to guess they had lost a fight. He spoke with great bluster.
Zhong Yongliang knew Zou Ruoming's skill well enough. He was the best fighter among the school's four great hoodlums, and he had dealings with people from the underworld too—a genuine knife-and-gun tough.
But what had happened today was simply too humiliating, and Zhong Yongliang did not want too many people to know. So he waved his hand. "It's nothing. The few of us were sparring among ourselves and got a little carried away..."
Since Zhong Yongliang insisted on saying nothing, Zou Ruoming could hardly press further. Watching the backs of the three as they walked away, Zou Ruoming shook his head. "Ah, your own people fighting your own people? And beating each other half to death? Why don't I believe it?"
"Boss, where do you live? Let's walk home together after school." Kang Xiaofeng was still riding the high of the moment, filled with heartfelt admiration for this newly appointed boss of his.
Wei Zhao's heart lurched. The business of walking home with Gu Mengyao tonight absolutely could not be allowed to leak out. He himself did not much care, but Gu Mengyao would certainly object.
With that thought, Wei Zhao said, "My home's really far. You go on ahead. I'll leave a bit later."
"Then I'll wait for you. At least we can walk out to the school gate together." Kang Xiaofeng was reluctant to part, wanting to talk with Wei Zhao a while longer. He had never imagined there would come a day when Zhong Yongliang was beaten so badly he could not even get up.
"All right then..." Wei Zhao knew that if he kept making excuses, it would rouse Kang Xiaofeng's suspicions. Walking together to the school gate was harmless enough; once they got there, he would simply wait until Kang Xiaofeng was far off before climbing into Uncle Qing's car.
Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu had long since gathered their things and left the classroom. Wei Zhao had deliberately staggered his timing from theirs, dawdling a while before he slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out of the classroom with Kang Xiaofeng.
"Boss, let me tell you a secret..." As they stepped out of the classroom, Kang Xiaofeng suddenly lowered his voice and spoke in a whisper.
"What secret?" Wei Zhao looked at Kang Xiaofeng, puzzled. What was with this kid, acting all mysterious?
"I live really close to Tang Zhi, the The Blossom Guardian of the common folk..." Kang Xiaofeng gave a lewd grin, then said, "Actually, I often see her riding her bicycle home."
"Damn." Wei Zhao smacked the back of Kang Xiaofeng's head. "What's going on in that head of yours, kid? How is that even a secret? So you live near her. What does that have to do with me?"
"You really aren't interested in her?" Kang Xiaofeng asked, somewhat unconvinced.
"It's not that I'm not interested. It's that I've never even seen what she looks like. Asking me to be interested in someone who doesn't exist to me, that's impossible." Wei Zhao said with some amusement. "All right, hurry on back. I need to get going too."
"Okay, Boss. See you tomorrow then." Kang Xiaofeng waved at Wei Zhao and vanished into the after-school throng...