Thirteen Wonders (ShíSānYāo) : Chapter 34 - One Wan Nine Wan
Chapter 34: One Wan Nine Wan
After making a promise with Zhou Yao, Gu Yujun did not appear until the seventh day. The observant Ying Nian noticed that Zhou Yao seemed to be waiting for someone. When she asked, Zhou Yao only shook her head and said, “It’s nothing.”
But as she was leaving, her gaze couldn’t help but drift in another direction. However, Ying Nian could tell that she wasn’t particularly upset—if anything, there was more certainty in her eyes.
As for what she was certain about, no one knew.
Gu Yujun did not break his word.
He reappeared on the tenth day after their agreement, looking completely different from before—almost like a different person. Instead of his usual dirty, disheveled designer knockoffs, he was now dressed in a full set of the No. 8 High School’s uniform, layered with a new cotton jacket. His clothes were clean and simple, his hair had been cut even shorter, and his features now looked much brighter.
“I worked at the bakery for eight days, but I broke a plate, and the boss docked me half a day’s wages!”
He spoke to Zhou Yao in private, his voice carrying a hint of indignation. But in the next second, a smile appeared on his face. “But I paid back the money for the manhole cover. I snuck it into their suggestion box when it got dark,” he whispered. “I wrapped up tightly and wore a hat—no way they caught me on camera!”
Even when doing something good, he managed to make it sound like he was committing a crime. Zhou Yao was amused and shook her head with a helpless smile.
Her eyes fell on his uniform. “Your clothes…”
Jiang Jiashu and the others crowded around. “You didn’t steal them from someone, did you?” Boys spoke casually, and Jiang Jiashu wasn’t afraid of fighting him, so he didn’t hold back.
Gu Yujun shot him a glare and made a mock punch, which Jiang Jiashu met with a defiant chin lift.
“I went back to No. 8 High School to study.” Gu Yujun said, “I was originally a student there. I just took a leave of absence before and never went back.”
Hearing that, Zhou Yao was genuinely surprised for a moment.
Seeing the look flash across her eyes, Gu Yujun grinned. “Didn’t expect that, huh?” He pulled out a student ID badge with a blue lanyard. “Look, this is our No.8 High School’s student card. It has my photo and name—it’s not stolen!”
Age, birthdate, class, name—everything was clearly written on the card. Jiang Jiashu and the others took turns looking at it before scoffing, “What’s so special about it? It’s not like we don’t have one too!” They tossed it back at him.
Gu Yujun chuckled, glancing at Zhou Yao, his chin slightly raised in a way that only she and Chen Xuze would understand. For some reason, when Zhou Yao looked at the photo on his ID, she felt like he looked much sunnier, much brighter.
Clearing his throat, Gu Yujun said, “I’m here for my red bean bun.”
“What red bean bun?” Ying Nian asked.
Zhou Yao didn’t explain. She simply went to the small shop, bought two steaming hot red bean buns, wrapped them in a paper bag, and handed them to him.
He took them and took a huge bite.
Jiang Jiashu muttered, “Hey, it’s still piping hot, your skin must be tough.”
No one asked why Zhou Yao was giving him red bean buns. They weren’t stupid—they could tell there was some kind of unspoken issue between Gu Yujun and Chen Xuze. But since neither Zhou Yao nor Chen Xuze ever brought it up, no one pried.
As Gu Yujun ate, Zhou Yao asked, “Now that you’re back in school, where are you living?”
He lowered his head slightly, peeled the paper from the bun, and for a moment, a shadow flickered through his eyes. But soon, the sunlight falling on him seemed to dispel that heaviness.
“I’m staying with my uncle and aunt. My boarding fees, living expenses, and pocket money will be transferred to them every month.” Gu Yujun’s parents had long exhausted all methods to get him to come home, but he refused to acknowledge them.
For them, the fact that he was willing to stay at his relatives' house and return to school was already the best news they could hope for.
“It’s a quick bus ride from No. 8 High School to here,” he added. Since he had to get back to class, he said before leaving, “I’ll come hang out with you guys when I have free time!”
Jiang Jiashu shooed him away mercilessly. “Ugh, no thanks! You’re annoying—every time you come, I’ll chase you away!”
Gu Yujun raised a fist threateningly, and the two of them pretended to size each other up, but neither actually threw a punch.
After he left, the group headed back to school. Zhou Yao and Chen Xuze naturally fell behind the others, walking side by side.
“This is good, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he replied indifferently.
Zhou Yao turned to look at him. “You’re clearly happy.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m not.”
“You are!” She glared at him.
“…Fine,” Chen Xuze paused for two seconds. “I am.”
Only then did she feel satisfied, and the topic was dropped. They moved on to chatting about other things.
As they walked, the smile on Zhou Yao’s face faded slightly. Suddenly, she said, “Shisan, I think you’re really amazing.” If it had been her, she might have ended up like Gu Yujun.
“I’m not,” Chen Xuze remained expressionless. “He just has weak mental resilience.”
“That’s enough, don’t insult him now,” Zhou Yao clicked her tongue.
Chen Xuze didn’t argue.
Zhou Yao sighed. “Why can’t adults think about their kids sometimes? They create life, bringing a completely new and clueless being into the world… but for what?”
Chen Xuze knew she wasn’t just upset about this situation—she was also thinking about her own family.
For once, he said a little more than usual.
“No matter the reason, our lives belong to us. They’re connected to the people who created us, but in the end, they’re separate.”
Zhou Yao was momentarily stunned. Then she smiled. “You’re right.”
Connected, but ultimately, separate.
……
A few days later, after their evening classes ended, Zhou Yao suddenly pulled Chen Xuze to a nearby cake shop to buy a small cake. Chen Xuze assumed she wanted to eat cake. “Are you hungry?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Then why are we here?”
“It's for Gu Yujun.”
“......”
As Zhou Yao walked ahead, she suddenly realized that she couldn't move Chen Xuze's arm. Turning around, she saw that he was staring at her.
She explained, “Today is his birthday. It's a rare occasion, so I figured I'd treat him to a cake.”
Chen Xuze's face darkened. “How do you know his birthday?”
“It's on his student ID.” Zhou Yao looked at him in surprise and twirled her index finger near her temple. “Xuze, you—?”
Chen Xuze: “……” When it came to things related to her, his brain would occasionally stop working. It was normal.
Besides, who would bother remembering Gu Yujun's birthday? Even if his student ID were floating in the sky like a hot air balloon, he wouldn't bother looking at it.
After picking out a cake, Zhou Yao said, “Gu Yujun mentioned this afternoon that he'd be coming by after evening classes.”
“Why?”
“……To see us.” Zhou Yao was at a loss for words.
Chen Xuze said, “No need. If he wants a photo, I can take one for him on the spot. It's getting late—tell him to go home.”
Zhou Yao couldn't help but laugh and tugged at his sleeve. “Be serious!”
Chen Xuze really did want to be serious, but suddenly, he felt that the sympathy he once had for Gu Yujun—born out of shared struggles—was completely unnecessary.
—That Gu Yujun only knew how to act pitiful. So annoying!
Soon, the ‘annoying’ Gu Yujun arrived by bus from No. 8 High School. They met in front of the convenience store next to No. 7 High School. As soon as he saw them, he waved a test paper proudly. “Look, look! Check this out! I ranked eighth in my class on this exam! Eighth place! Even after taking a break from school for so long, I'm still this amazing! Isn't that awesome? Huh? Jealous?”
He raised his eyebrows at Chen Xuze, looking absolutely smug, but the latter had no reaction at all.
Zhou Yao decided to play along, keeping a neutral expression as she calmly said, “The top student in our grade is my friend, Ying Nian. You've met her before.”
“Oh, then she's impressive. But that's her business—just means you should learn from her!” Gu Yujun still looked smug.
Zhou Yao continued, “The second place in our grade is me.” Then she pointed at Chen Xuze. “And third place is him.”
Gu Yujun: “……”
Gu Yujun: “……??” Wait… something was off here.
Under Chen Xuze’s gaze—one that clearly said ‘you idiot’—Gu Yujun snapped out of his daze and crumpled his test paper into his pocket. “Aiya! We're grown-ups now—who even cares about grades? So boring! Hey, are you guys heading home? Perfect, it's getting late, so I won’t keep you. I should head back before the buses stop running. Bye, bye!”
Zhou Yao stopped him just as he was about to escape in embarrassment and handed him the cake. “This is for you.”
“Huh? What's this?”
“A cake.”
Gu Yujun was stunned. “You…”
“It's your birthday, right?” Zhou Yao glanced at her phone screen. “Good, it's not midnight yet. Eat it and head home early. We're leaving now. Bye.”
With that, she and Chen Xuze turned to go. Gu Yu Jun called out to her, “How did you know my birthday?”
“Your student ID has it written in giant letters. Anyone with eyes could see it.” Chen Xuze sounded impatient, shattering all of Gu Yujun’s unnecessary illusions.
“This flavor is really good. I like it a lot, really.” Zhou Yao smiled. “Oh, and happy birthday.”
Waving at him, Zhou Yao and Chen Xuze walked off toward home.
Gu Yujun stood by the roadside, holding the small cake box in a daze. He watched them until they disappeared, then stepped back, climbed onto a step, leaned against the closed store beside the convenience store, and slowly crouched down.
He just stayed there, head bowed for a long time, before unwrapping the cake and using a fork to take big bites. Cream smeared the corners of his mouth, but he didn’t care. He just kept eating, one bite after another.
It might have started raining from the sky.
His throat felt clogged with cake, and something wet dripped onto the hand holding his fork. His voice turned muffled and damp.
“What's so good about this… It's obviously… so damn bad…”
“Stupid Zhou Yao… always saying… such nonsense…”
As he ate, something slid down the tip of his nose—something sour and bitter. But for the first time, mixed in with that damp, suffocating feeling, there was a faint sweetness. A sweetness that made him feel like life could be beautiful.
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