"Were you still half asleep when you made this thing?" Yan Hang looked at his dad, "Yan Jidao? How am I supposed to use this when I go out? Why didn't you just write Northern Song Dynasty for the birthday? Or you might as well print a couple more words on it."

"What words?" Dad asked with interest as he ate.

"Fake ID." Yan Hang said.

Dad laughed as he finished the last bite of noodles, then leaned back on the sofa and laughed for a good while: "Our crown prince, after all, is someone who has attended elementary school..."

"Let me see yours." Yan Hang reached out his hand.

"My what?" Dad asked.

"Your ID card, you always make two each time, you must have made yours too," Yan Hang put down his phone and walked up to him, "Take it out and let me see."

"Ah!" Dad sighed, took out his own card from his pocket.

Yan Hang saw the name on it at a glance.

Yan Shu*.

*T/N: An actual historical figure from the Song Dynasty.

He couldn't help but curse: "Shameless."

"What's wrong? Can't I use it?" Dad picked up the remote control, changed the channel, and put his legs on the coffee table.

"I want to swap with you, Yan Shu sounds better," Yan Hang said, "You'll be called Yan Jidao."

"No, we can't swap." Dad shook his head.

"Why not!" Yan Hang said.

"Yan Shu is Yan Jidao's father!" Dad glanced at him, "Illiterate!"

"...No, you're making a fake ID according to historical facts?" Yan Hang was speechless, stood for a while not knowing what to say, sat back in the chair, dazed for a moment and asked again, "Yan Shu is really Yan Jidao's father?"

"Yes, let me tell you more?" Dad said.

"Okay." Yan Hang nodded.

"Yan Jidao is Yan Shu's seventh son," Dad said with a serious face, "Seven children, you know?"

"Ah." Yan Hang looked at him.

"He had six other children, the eldest was called Yan Yidao, the second Yan Liangdao, the third Yan Sandao," Dad counted, "and so on, there were also Yan Si, Wu and Liudao..."

Yan Hang opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.

"Later, he became muddled, couldn't remember how many there were," Dad slapped his leg, "So he was called Yan Jidao, remember?"

Yan Hang nodded: "I almost believed it."

"Okay, class dismissed." Dad waved his hand.

Yan Hang stretched and stood up: "I'm going to lie down for a bit."

"Go ahead," Dad said, "If you can't sleep, get up and chat with me."

"No, you should go ahead and sleep." Yan Hang went into the bathroom.

Dad looked a bit tired, he probably hadn't slept for the past two days. For Yan Hang, sleep was a very precious thing.

He ran at night every day, one because he liked running, and two because he could sleep well when he was tired from running.

But today, due to choosing the wrong route, he came back after not running for long, so he wasn't sleepy at all lying in bed.

Dad had gone back to his room to sleep quite early. Yan Hang was quite envious of his dad in this regard - being able to sleep when he wanted to sleep and wake up when he wanted to wake up.

After lying until his back went numb, he turned over, picked up his phone and took a look, it was three o'clock.

Better take the medicine.

Yan Hang turned over again, reached for the small table by the head of the bed, groped a couple of times and withdrew his hand.

Forget it, let's try harder.

Dad had worried before: "You should control your intake of the medicine and not take it all the time, otherwise you'll have one less option for suicide in the future."

Yan Hang closed his eyes and laughed for a while.

Chu Yi rested his chin on his hand. Although the teacher kept tapping on the blackboard and lecturing, his gaze had not moved for more than half a class, falling on a tree outside the window.

The teacher wouldn't bother with him. He didn't sleep, didn't talk, didn't move, and didn't affect other students. He was just in a daze. The teacher might not even be able to see him.

Especially the English teacher standing on the podium now, who couldn't even call out his name.

Thinking of English, Chu Yi withdrew his gaze from the tree for a few seconds and glanced at the blackboard. The strings of English made him dizzy.

But they didn't seem as advanced as those in Yan Hang's WeChat Moments.

It was probably because there were more words he didn't know.

This was the last class, with a few minutes left before school was out.

Today he planned to stand at the door of the teachers' office for a while first, and go home after Li Zihao and the others had left.

Yan Hang was too awesome. They probably couldn't cause trouble for Yan Hang, so at times like this they usually caused trouble for him.

Chu Yi leaned back against the chair, wanting to tidy up the books in the drawer first. As soon as his back touched the chair, he felt a sharp pain. He was startled and abruptly straightened his back.

A few very low laughs came from behind him.

It was probably a thumbtack. He was quite experienced with this kind of thing. Chu Yi didn't look back, nor did he feel the chair or his own back. He just lay on the desk.

At this time, there must be no reaction. Any reaction that could attract their attention would make things continue.

It would be best if he could turn invisible.

He had told the tree hole about this little wish for many years, but had never gained this ability.

The school bell rang, and the people in the classroom quickly got up and surged towards the door. At this time, everyone was hungry and most people were in a hurry to go home or eat something at the door.

A few people patted his head in passing. Chu Yi ignored it, put the things on the desk into the drawer, and then stood up.

Only then did he glance at the back of the chair.

Sure enough, a thumbtack was taped there.

Chu Yi pried off the thumbtack, pressed it against the iron pipe of the chair, bending the nail, and then threw it into the drawer.

When he left the classroom and wanted to walk towards the teachers' office, the way was blocked.

"Where's your boss?" Li Zihao asked.

Chu Yi didn't make a sound, nor did he look at him. He turned around and wanted to walk back.

"Did your boss come to escort you?" Li Zihao's good buddy blocked his way back.

He sighed and stood still.

"Come on, let's go home together." Li Zihao pushed him towards the school gate.

Although Chu Yi was not very willing, he was still led by them all the way to the school gate.

He didn't really care about what would happen next, but today he had originally planned to go to the stationery store to take a look and buy a notebook.

It seemed there was no chance now.

"Weren't you quite arrogant?" Li Zihao pushed him as soon as they left the school gate.

Chu Yi wanted to say that he wasn't being arrogant, when had he ever been arrogant, wasn't it Yan Hang who was very arrogant... Li Zihao was indeed not cut out to be a boss, he couldn't even find the right target.

Li Zihao put his arm around his shoulder: "Didn't your boss say he would protect..."

Before he could finish this sentence, it was interrupted by a whistle from the front.

This clear whistle was very familiar, except for Yan Hang, Chu Yi had never heard anyone around him who could whistle so cleanly.

Li Zihao probably felt about the same, and stopped in his tracks as soon as he heard the whistle.

Chu Yi looked up and saw someone sitting on the railing of the sidewalk.

Sweatpants, mask, elbows resting on his legs, head tilted to the side looking this way, holding a phone pointed in this direction.

"Fuck." Li Zihao expressed his frustration in one word.

Chu Yi was a little hesitant, he didn't know if Yan Hang appeared here to "protect him", or just to take a video or livestream.

After all, he had almost no experience of being "rescued".

They were at a standstill until Yan Hang put his phone back in his pocket and gave him a slight nod.

He lowered his head and walked over quickly.

Yan Hang jumped down from the railing, said nothing, turned around and walked straight ahead.

Chu Yi followed behind him with his head down.

They walked all the way to the intersection, Yan Hang was thinking about whether to take Chu Yi to the noodle restaurant he had been to with his dad the other day to eat something, when Chu Yi spoke up behind him, "This, this way."

"Huh?" Yan Hang turned his head to look at him.

"I'm going, this way," Chu Yi pointed to the right side of the road, opposite to the direction of his home, "Thank you."

Those few little punks were still following far behind, so Yan Hang was a little confused by what Chu Yi said, he pointed to himself: "You go that way, what about me?"

"Go, home." Chu Yi said.

Yan Hang stared at him for a few seconds before saying, "Do you believe I'll smack you right now?"

Chu Yi looked at him without saying anything.

"...What are you going that way for?" Yan Hang asked.

"To buy pens, notebooks." Chu Yi replied.

"Pens and notebooks*?" Yan Hang was stunned, almost speechless, after a while he waved his hand, "Let's go, I'll go with you."

*T/N: The word for notebook is a combination of 'pen' and 'book'. With Chu Yi's stutter, it sounded like he wanted to buy both.

"Notebook." Chu Yi said again.

"Ah!" Yan Hang shouted, then sighed, "I know, it's a notebook, no pens."

"Mm." Chu Yi nodded.

Every time he arrived at a new place, Yan Hang would have a few days of being particularly bored, not knowing what to do to pass the time.

But he would go and mind Chu Yi's business, would specially come to wait for Chu Yi after school, would hold back his occasional irritation when facing Chu Yi, not entirely because he was bored.

Dad had always hoped that he could have more "contact" with people, he would always answer that he could meet a lot of people by working part-time, in fact he was very clear about why his dad would say that.

He had no friends.

But apart from personality reasons, he didn't seem to have the conditions to make friends either, his dad was also clear about this, so every time he would just mention it and not say much more.

Chu Yi was the most interesting of the few people he had come into contact with in the past two years, apart from his co-workers and landlords.

Chu Yi led him to the door of a small stationery store and stopped to look at him, "Just here."

"Mm," Yan Hang nodded, "I'll wait for you outside, you can treat me to a meal later."

"I don't, don't have money." Chu Yi said.

"Ten yuan is enough for a bowl of noodles." Yan Hang said.

"Oh." Chu Yi responded, turned around and went into the store.

Yan Hang looked into the store, there was a stool next to the checkout counter, he went over and carried the stool out, sitting at the door to enjoy the scenery.

The owner poked his head out from the store and looked at him, he glanced at the owner, "Hm?"

The owner didn't say anything and went back into the store.

A stationery store should be considered hell for people with decision-making difficulties, Yan Hang didn't know if Chu Yi had this condition, but he should also have to pick for a while.

Yan Hang took out his phone to check his messages, as soon as he lit up the screen, a figure stood next to him.

He looked up, it was actually Chu Yi, holding the notebook he had already bought.

"So fast?" Yan Hang was stunned, "You don't have any issues choosing, you're simply blind? You just went in and grabbed whatever you touched."

"Why don't you," Chu Yi looked at him, "sit, for a while longer."

"...Is the reason you're always bullied because you have a sharp tongue?" Yan Hang stood up, put the stool back in the store, thanked the owner, then came out and tilted his head at Chu Yi, "Let's go, get something to eat."

Chu Yi didn't say anything and continued to follow behind him.

Yan Hang said to let Chu Yi treat him, he was just casually teasing, he was going to find a place to eat, if Chu Yi was willing, they would eat together.

They walked back in silence all the way, when they reached the door of that beef noodle restaurant, Chu Yi suddenly stopped.

"Eating noodles?" Yan Hang asked.

Chu Yi rummaged in his pocket, took out a ten yuan bill folded in half and handed it over, "Here."

"What for?" Yan Hang was very shocked.

"You eat, noodles." Chu Yi said.

"You watch?" Yan Hang asked.

"Going home." Chu Yi said calmly.

Yan Hang looked at him for a while before asking, "Are you from Earth?"

"Mars, probably." Chu Yi smiled.

Yan Hang had no temper left, took the money from his hand, and looked at the price sign at the door of the store, "Ten yuan is not enough either."

"The vegetarian one is, ten, ten yuan." Chu Yi said without even looking.

"...I can't survive without eating meat." Yan Hang said.

Chu Yi thought for a moment and beckoned to him, "Come."

Yan Hang followed him and continued forward, out of this small street and into an alley, couldn't help but ask, "Where to?"

Chu Yi didn't say anything, walked a bit further, raised his hand and pointed to a small store next to him, "Look."

Yan Hang turned his head.

It was also a beef noodle shop, more dilapidated and much smaller than the previous one, the checkout counter was placed at the door, with beef noodles written on it for 10 yuan.

"...Fuck." Yan Hang was completely speechless.

"Surprised?" Chu Yi said.

"Shut up." Yan Hang said.

When Chu Yi was about to go buy beef noodles, Yan Hang reached out and grabbed his arm: "Classmate Chu Yi."

"Hm?" Chu Yi turned his head to look at him.

"I was just joking," Yan Hang said, "Just, joking."

"Ah?" Chu Yi's calm expression changed, and his tone was filled with sudden realization, "Oh..."

"You go back." Yan Hang leaned back against a tree, took out a cigarette pack from his pocket, and put one between his lips.

Looking up, he found Chu Yi still looking at him.

"What are you looking at," Yan Hang said, "I'm calming my nerves."

"Thank you." Chu Yi said.

"What are you thanking me for, there's nothing to thank me for, you've already thanked me twice." Yan Hang lit his cigarette.

"No, no need to, to go, again," Chu Yi said softly, "to school."

Yan Hang glanced at him.

"There's still one, one and a half years," Chu Yi said, "will you go, every, every day?"

Yan Hang suddenly didn't know what to say.

Chu Yi smiled, turned around and left.

Yan Hang leaned against the tree and finished his cigarette before patting his clothes and slowly sauntering back.

Chu Yi's words made him feel a bit uncomfortable.

When he got home, his dad was making dumplings.

"Come, how did you make those goldfish-style dumplings last time?" Dad said.

Yan Hang went to wash his hands, sat down at the coffee table, took a dumpling wrapper, made a goldfish-style dumpling, and placed it in front of his dad.

"What? Didn't you go out to be a righteous hero?" Dad looked at him, "Failed?"

"Ah," Yan Hang responded, smiling, "Yes."

Dad didn't say anything, took a dumpling wrapper and slowly made a goldfish-style dumpling, imitating him.

"Old Yan," Yan Hang leaned back in his chair and looked at him, feeling the ten yuan he forgot to give back to Chu Yi in his pocket, "have you ever seen someone who can very calmly accept their life, not affected at all?"

"You." Dad said.

"I'm not calm," Yan Hang clicked his tongue, "I just look like I don't care."

"How do you know others aren't like that," Dad smiled, "who really has no thoughts in their heart."

Yan Hang didn't say anything.

"Did you go look for a job this morning?" Dad asked.

"Yeah, using Yan Jidao's ID card." Yan Hang said.

"How was it?" Dad asked with a smile.

"I start work tomorrow," Yan Hang said, "very close, a coffee shop right next to 846."

"So smooth, what did you say?" Dad asked.

"I just said it like that, I asked if they were hiring, they asked what I could do, I said I could make everything you have to eat here." Yan Hang said.

"Very good, that's the kind of shameless bragging attitude needed," Dad nodded, "then what?"

"They had me make a cheese milk crisp cake, so I did," Yan Hang said, "then the boss asked if I wanted to work in the kitchen."

"You said no, you just wanted to be a waiter." Dad said.

"Yes." Yan Hang nodded.

After a brief silence, he and his dad laughed together, cackling for a good while.

"You're getting better and better at bullshitting." Dad said while laughing.

"I'm only 17," Yan Hang put his legs up on the coffee table, "just the right age for..."

Dad kicked his legs off the coffee table with one foot.

"Bullshitting." Yan Hang said.

When Chu Yi got home, his grandparents and mom were all sitting in the living room, and his mom's face was very gloomy.

In his memory, his mom had rarely smiled, most of the time she maintained a downturned expression at the corners of her mouth, and as she got older, after the these wrinkles connected with the corners of her mouth, she looked even more unhappy.

"There are dumplings in the fridge, go boil them." Seeing him come in, his mom said a sentence.

"Mm." Chu Yi put down his notebook, lined up the pile of shoes on the floor onto the shoe rack, then went into the kitchen.

"No hope at all for the water station?" Grandpa asked.

"They said they'd give news this month, now the storefront is gone," Mom said, "what hope can there be."

Chu Yi was boiling water to make dumplings in the kitchen while listening to the movement in the living room.

Mom had always worked at a water delivery station, last month the station said business was bad and gave a half-month vacation, so Mom was worried the station would go under, and now it seemed it really had.

"Didn't Er Ping say she'd introduce you to a job, did she?" Grandma asked.

"She wanted me to be a childcare worker at her kindergarten," Mom's tone was full of displeasure, "isn't this deliberately trying to anger me! Is this how you handle things!"

"She's a teacher, and she wants you to be a childcare worker?" Grandpa shouted, "What the hell!"

"Didn't she say before that her place was hiring kindergarten teachers! How come when it's family going it becomes childcare!" Grandma pulled at her throat, very dissatisfied, "This is clearly bullying people!"

Chu Yi very lightly closed the kitchen door, standing by the stove and staring into space at a pot of water.

The water boiled, he opened the fridge and found two bags of frozen dumplings.

If he remembered correctly, this was something he had bought at the small supermarket across the street, at least three months ago.

He searched through the fridge and found there were no other dumplings, the ones his mom mentioned were these two bags.

He had no choice but to open these two bags and take a look, the dumplings had already stuck together in a clump.

He hesitated, then pulled open the kitchen door and stuck his head out: "The dumplings are very, very old."

"How old can they be! They're not spoiled, as long as they're edible it's fine, are you some young master who's so picky, if you want to be picky go to your aunt's house." Mom frowned.

Chu Yi didn't make a sound, retreated back into the kitchen, and poured the dumplings into the pot.

While waiting for the water to boil, he took out his phone, communicated with it using his mind for a while, and posted an emoji in his Moments.

[Strong]