Come, Let Me Take You Home 15

No. 15 Drinking Away All Hesitation

“Where’s your driver?”

Under the dim pre-dawn sky, I stood with my black cat backpack, frowning at the man waving at me from inside the luxurious car.

“He overslept.” Long Fei gave me a sheepish smile and gestured towards the passenger seat. “We need to hurry, or you’ll be late for school.”

“You’re sixteen, right?”

“Yes, and?”

“Driving without a license at sixteen is a serious offense.”

“It’s my problem, not yours. Get in.”

He opened the car door. “Besides, there won’t be any traffic police this early in the morning.”

I hesitated for a moment, then got in.

“I handed the Black Dragon Society over to Dati.” He started the engine and turned the steering wheel. “Heh, it’s hard to believe it’s over. All those years we spent together, drinking, fighting, causing trouble…”

I remained silent, not wanting to give him the wrong idea.

The car left the residential complex and headed towards No. 3 Middle School.

“Yi Yao.”

“Hmm?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“…”

“You know, your voice is unique. It’s not soft and gentle like those delicate girls, nor is it rough and loud like a tomboy. It’s… soothing. Like… those girls who dance hip-hop. Cool and cute at the same time.”

His voice was a mixture of sadness and peace. “When I first met you, I thought, ‘This girl must have been dumped by her boyfriend because she’s too handsome.’ You were at an internet cafe, of all places. You almost outshone me.”

“I didn’t have a boyfriend back then.”

I added quietly.

And I still don’t.

“Just an example. Don’t take it personally.”

We fell silent.

This was our usual dynamic. We never argued, but we never truly connected either. We were like two strangers who happened to know each other, only showing a hint of intimacy during the Black Dragon Society gatherings.

Even without my intervention, I was sure Yi Yao would have initiated the breakup soon.

Ten minutes later, the car stopped on a street near the school.

“Get off here. I don’t want you to be subjected to those weird looks from your classmates again.”

He said with a faint smile.

“Did you have breakfast? Do you have enough money?”

“Yes, thank you. I ate already.”

I grabbed my backpack and opened the car door. I hesitated for a moment, then turned back to him and extended my left hand.

“What’s this?”

“You said I never let you hold my hand, right?” I smiled. “Consider this compensation. Stay in touch with everyone after you leave. Don’t disappear without a word. We’re brothers, after all. If we don’t hear from you, Hua She and the others will hunt you down.”

“Yi Yao…”

He stared at my outstretched hand for a long moment, then slowly removed his glove and shook my hand.

“I always thought you were a fragile girl who needed protection…”

“Enough with the sentimental talk. It’s just a different city. You’re the son of Long Teng, the CEO of “Heavenly Fire”. Take care of yourself. And stop smoking so much.”

I cut him off, retrieved my bike from the trunk, and hopped on.

“I’m leaving. The air pollution is bad in the Heavenly Capital City. Don’t die there.”

It was a simple farewell, like any other parting.

I had witnessed countless beginnings and endings in this world…

Love at first sight was just lust. Compatibility was just mutual benefit.

Language had a way of romanticizing the mundane.

I arrived at school just as the morning rush hour began.

I parked my bike, entered the classroom, and saw Tan Lijiang chatting with a few classmates. His face darkened when he saw me.

Did I go too far yesterday?

“Yi Yao, where’s your deskmate?”

Unlike the others, who were now too intimidated to speak to me, the two boys in front of me turned around cheerfully. “Did you inspire him to drop out and get a job?”

I suddenly remembered Lan Zhuoyue. I quickly checked my phone. A new message popped up on the screen:

“Deskmate, I’m in France. Remember to tell the teacher I’m sick. Try to prevent her from calling my parents. I’ll bring you back a gift, as promised. Wait for my good news! – Your bro, Lan Zhuoyue.”

He’s actually gone?

Lan Zhuoyue’s usually bright avatar was now grayed out, silently confirming that this wasn’t a prank.

I frantically dialed his number.

“Sorry, the subscriber you dialed is powered off…”

The emotionless voice of the automated message greeted me.

The morning reading bell rang.

“Alright, everyone, take out your books. We have an inspection today. Read loud and clear, okay? Huh? Where’s Lan Zhuoyue again? Never mind. It doesn’t matter if he’s here or not. Yi Yao, take out your book…”

…

The empty seat beside me was a constant reminder of Lan Zhuoyue’s absence.

He was Yi Yao’s closest friend in this class. Of course, there was a possibility that he harbored romantic feelings for her, but so far, he had always been there for her, helping her whenever she faced difficulties. For that alone, I couldn’t just ignore his disappearance.

Three hundred yuan and a one-way ticket to Paris? He didn’t even speak French, let alone English. How was he supposed to survive?

What worried me most was that I hadn’t received any further messages from him. Coincidentally, our homeroom teacher didn’t have any classes today. She probably didn’t even know he had skipped school.

Which meant that if something had happened to him, it would be at least a day before anyone noticed.

“See you tomorrow.”

“We’re going for dinner. You should head home early, Yi Yao. We have a lot of homework today.”

The two boys in front of me left the classroom, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun.

“Bye.”

I waved at them and packed my mountain of test papers.

“Your deskmate… didn’t come today?”

Tan Lijiang approached me as I was packing.

“No.”

“What happened to him?”

I looked up at him, confused.

Weren’t you the one who hated us?

“Don’t get me wrong.” He adjusted his glasses and avoided my gaze. “We saw him throwing up blood in the restroom yesterday. We asked if he was okay, and he said he was fine. But he didn’t come to school today. We’re a bit worried.”

“Throwing up blood?”

I recalled his words from yesterday: “If I don’t go now, it’ll be too late.” A chill ran down my spine.

I shoved the remaining papers into my bag, grabbed my chair, and rushed out of the classroom.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Home, obviously. I’m not staying for evening self-study.”

I practically flew down the stairs and arrived at the bike shed.

To my dismay, another lock had been added to my bike.

A delicate-looking lock with a small bow, but sturdy nonetheless.

“Clink!”

The sound of keys jingling came from behind me. I turned around and saw Xiaodie standing there, holding the key, her expression cold.

“What are you doing?” I tried to grab the key, but she dodged effortlessly. “I have something urgent to do. We can settle our differences later.”

“Really?”

She scoffed. “So, my matters aren’t urgent enough for you?”

“You…”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Three minutes. You have three minutes. Make it quick.”

She glanced around. “Not here.”

“My dear lady…” I was surrounded by students and cars. I gritted my teeth. “Fine. Where to?”

She didn’t answer, just gestured for me to follow her.

She led me out of the school gate and stopped under a small mango tree by the bustling street.

“What will it take for you to leave Qinghao alone? How much money do you want?”

I had expected a fight, but her words caught me off guard. “Leave him alone? Weren’t you the ones who sent people to harass my family?”

“What are you talking about?”

She looked genuinely confused, then sneered. “Right, you’re the type who needs to make up stories to feel better about yourself.”

Seeing that she was still in denial, I mirrored her sneer and said mockingly, “You have the audacity to deny it after what you did? And you came here alone?”

“So, you want to fight?”

“Heh, aren’t you the one who’s itching for a fight?”

Our confrontation drew the attention of the passersby, who instinctively gave us a wide berth.

“Bring it on. It’s not like it’s our first time. But I won’t hold back this time. You’ve successfully pissed me off.”

“Hmph, you think you’re so tough? Did you really think I was using my full strength before?”

Just as we were about to square off, my phone rang.

“Hold on.”

I kept my eyes on her as I answered the call. Ouyang Dati’s urgent voice filled my ears. “Yi Yao, do you remember those guys who caused trouble at your shop yesterday?”

“Yes, why?”

“They weren’t from the Jiang Nan Gang. I just found out that they were hired by someone from outside the city. The police couldn’t find any records of them.”

“What are you saying?”

“This is targeting both the Black Dragon Society and the Jiang Nan Gang. I know those guys. They used to operate in the Jing Triangle area. They have access to firearms. We just received intel that they’re planning to target Xiaodie today, the girl you fought at the food stall. Do you know where she is?”

“I…”

A black van pulled up beside us.

The door slid open, and I saw two gun barrels pointed at us.