Thirteen Wonders (ShíSānYāo) : Chapter 31 - Show
Chapter 31: Show
Zhou Yao and Zhou Ma returned home. True to his word, Zhou Ma didn’t go back on his promise. Even though it was late and dinnertime had already passed, he rolled up his sleeves and started rummaging through cabinets, looking for glutinous rice flour and a basin to mix the dough.
Mother Zhou scolded, “It's so late, and you're still starting a fire? All that clattering—aren't you going to sleep?”
Zhou Ma opened the cabinet high, took out a small bag containing what he needed, and replied, “If you want to sleep, go sleep yourself.” Without any extra emotion, he headed into the kitchen and started working on the countertop.
Zhou Yao walked in slowly without saying a word, stood beside him to help, her head slightly lowered, gentle and composed as always.
Mother Zhou stood alone in the living room for a long time. She neither left nor went in, as if there was no place for her there. Suddenly, the old clock in the house let out a deep ‘dong,’ startling her. She looked over and caught sight of something all too familiar—the bronze censer where she burned incense in memory of her son.
The Zhou family's night was so silent, it felt like it was gripping one's throat, making it hard to breathe. There was no sound, yet a faint, low hum seemed to echo in her ears.
Though there was movement in the kitchen, Mother Zhou felt as if she were stranded alone on a deserted island, empty and uninhabited. Whether her heart was calm or screaming, no one would know.
She lifted her right hand and clutched the collar of her clothes tightly. It felt just like back then, when she had been pointed at and scolded—”Just a daughter, so what? Sons get hit, so what? It’s not like he was really hurt! Only you people, with no sons to carry on the family line, treat a daughter like some kind of treasure—”
Her mother-in-law’s contemptuous and disappointed gaze, along with those piercing words, had stabbed through her repeatedly.
She had thought things would get better. That once the elders were gone, once she was the head of the household, once the nosy neighbors moved away—everything would be fine.
But why—
Mother Zhou gripped her clothes even tighter, her clenched fist thudding heavily, soundlessly, against her chest.
Her murky tears carried years of bitterness and pain, mixed with the fleeting hope that she might one day hold her head high. One by one, they fell, tracing the fine lines on her cheeks.
Why—was everything only growing more distant?
……
After returning home, Zhou Yao and Mother Zhou barely spoke. They had never been very talkative to begin with. Zhou Yao simply did her share of the household tasks—like keeping the bronze censer, where she burned incense for her brother, spotless. With nothing to criticize, Mother Zhou said nothing.
Zhou Yao’s academics, her daily routine, even the way she ate, sat, and carried herself—there was nothing to pick apart.
She didn’t take the initiative to talk to Mother Zhou, and as time passed, they spoke even less.
Instead, she interacted more with Zhou Ma. One time, he picked a small yellow wildflower by the roadside. When he walked in and saw Zhou Yao wiping the table, he grinned, raised his hand, and tucked the flower into her hair, singing an old opera tune he had completely butchered:
“…My girl has a flower to wear, while no one buys for others out there~”
Zhou Yao kept working, glanced at him, and complained, “Flowers from the roadside? Be careful there aren’t any bugs!”
“There won’t be any bugs! This area is the cleanest—I checked.”
“And if there are bugs…?”
“Then let them sting me!” Zhou Ma thumped his chest heroically and went to drink some water.
Mother Zhou sat in the living room, watching and listening to the entire exchange. When Zhou Yao said she didn’t want to wear the flower because of bugs, Mother Zhou truly thought—just for a moment, she had a strange hope—that Zhou Yao would take it off.
But she didn’t.
Zhou Ma’s little flower remained in her hair. She never touched it, only taking it off carefully when she left for school, placing it neatly on her dressing table.
As Mother Zhou sorted vegetables, she suddenly drifted into thought—
How many days had it been since they last had a proper conversation?
……
That afternoon after school, Zhou Yao and the others gathered as usual to split a meal outside. But before they even reached the restaurant, they were stopped at the entrance of an alley.
“Which one of you is Chen Xuze?”
The person blocking their way had a buzzcut and an extremely tall build. Although he looked about their age, his nearly 189 cm height made that hard to believe.
His skin was a little on the darker side, though not too dark. His eyes were sharp, his features strikingly defined—almost unnaturally so. His presence was overwhelming. Those who found him attractive would think he was handsome, but those who didn’t would probably just find his looks unremarkable.
“Who are you?” Jiang Jiashu stepped forward. “What do you want with Chen Xuze?”
“You’re Chen Xuze?” The guy’s eyes swept Jiang Jiashu up and down, his height giving him an oppressive edge. Being looked down on like that was aggravating.
Jiang Jiashu’s temper flared. “Who the hell are you? What do you want with Chen Xuze? If you’ve got something to say, say it. If not, get lost!”
“I don’t have time to waste on you.”
During the brief exchange, Zhou Yao was the only one who noticed that, despite the boy’s expensive brand-name clothes, they weren’t new. In fact, they had dust on both sides, as if he had been flipping them inside out to wear them longer.
His sneakers, which must have cost thousands, were so worn-out they were barely presentable.
“Tell Chen Xuze to come out,” the boy said. “If he doesn’t, I, Gu Yujun, am not leaving today.”
Gu Yujun.
He stated his name, but not a single person in their group recognized him. They exchanged hushed whispers.
“Did we have any conflicts before?”
“No way. I’ve never even heard of someone with that surname…”
Only Chen Xuze’s expression flickered—just for an instant. But Zhou Yao caught it. She hesitated, and a vague memory stirred in her mind.
The next moment, Chen Xuze stepped forward.
“I’m Chen Xuze. What do you want?”
“You’re Chen Xuze?” Gu Yujun looked him up and down. “You look pretty decent. I wonder if you take after your dad or your mom…”
Before he could finish, his expression suddenly changed, and his eyes darkened with a deep haze. Chen Xuze’s expression wasn’t natural either, but he remained far more composed.
“What do you want with me?”
The others had no idea what was going on and didn’t dare to interrupt, quietly listening to their conversation.
Gu Yujun let out a crooked smile, a hint of mischief in his gaze. “What do I want with you—” He tilted his head slightly, then suddenly lunged forward, throwing a kick at Chen Xuze.
Everyone was caught off guard. The attack happened too fast for them to react, but luckily, Chen Xuze quickly shifted to the side just in time to dodge.
Gu Yujun didn’t say a word—he just started fighting. Missing his first strike, he immediately switched tactics, and the two of them went at each other, exchanging blows.
Jiang Jiashu and the others were stunned at first, then snapped back to their senses. “What the fuck—”
Someone dared to lay a hand on his friend right in front of him? Was this guy asking to die?
But before they could intervene, Chen Xuze barked, “Stay out of this!”
Jiang Jiashu halted mid-step.
Both fighters were ruthless, as if they were out for blood. Gu Yujun, in particular, seemed to have a deep-seated hatred for Chen Xuze, with every punch and kick aimed at dealing serious damage.
They were evenly matched, but at one point, Chen Xuze accidentally stepped on some loose gravel and lost his footing. Seizing the moment, Gu Yujun launched a high kick straight at his face. Without thinking, Zhou Yao instinctively rushed forward, shielding him with her back.
Chen Xuze’s eyes widened in alarm. He swiftly grabbed her waist and spun them both away from the attack, then countered with a powerful kick of his own, striking Gu Yujun square in the stomach. Gu Yujun crashed against a wall, his arm scraping against its rough surface, leaving a long gash that immediately began to bleed profusely.
Jiang Jiashu wanted to go over and land a few extra kicks, but knowing that Chen Xuze wouldn’t approve, he held back. Instead, he stood in front of Gu Yujun, seething.
“You’re fucking nuts, man! Coming out of nowhere and throwing punches before saying a damn word? We don’t even know you! Who the hell are you?!”
Zhou Yao suddenly spoke up. “You guys, wait for me up ahead. I need to talk to him.”
Jiang Jiashu didn’t want to leave, but Zhou Yao was firm, giving him a serious nod. Reluctantly, he led the others away, keeping some distance to avoid interfering.
Gu Yujun sat on the ground, blood trickling down his arm, completely unfazed. He sneered, lifting his gaze to Chen Xuze with narrowed eyes. “Did your parents ever tell you about a certain uncle with the surname Gu? And his wife?”
Gu Yujun continued, “—They’re my parents.”
That afternoon, years ago, when Zhou Yao and Chen Xuze had seen that unfamiliar couple inside the cabinet—it turned out they were Gu Yujun’s parents.
“You sure know how to keep your cool.” Gu Yujun sneered. “Studying hard, attending class every day, acting like nothing ever happened. Hanging out with your friends, living it up. Chen Xuze, you’ve got some nerve. Mind teaching me how to be so indifferent? Doesn't it disgust you?”
He paused, then speculated, “Or maybe... you don’t know just how ‘close’ our parents were?” He deliberately emphasized the word ‘close.’ “Want me to spell it out for you?”
“Classmate Gu,” Zhou Yao cut in immediately. “There’s a time and place for certain conversations. Not everywhere is appropriate. If you really need to talk, I suggest you find a proper time to sit down with Chen Xuze and have a real conversation.”
Gu Yujun examined her, noticing her stern expression and the warning in her gaze. A quick deduction told him—she knew.
“You want to talk?” His voice rose, nearly a roar. “What’s there to talk about?! I’m not like Chen Xuze—I can’t stomach filth! I’ve spent the past year surviving on my own, doing just fine. But him? Living with that disgust every day, it must be torture, right?”
Zhou Yao looked at him and guessed, “You dropped out?”
“What’s the point of school? What’s the point of studying? I don’t even want to step foot in that filthy house again!” Gu Yujun scoffed and turned to Chen Xuze. “You’re really something else. I thought you’d at least have some backbone, like me. I have to say, I’m impressed.”
“You don’t need to talk like that to provoke him,” Zhou Yao said. “We knew the truth long before you did. Your suffering might not even compare to ours.”
Gu Yujun bristled at her words, about to lash out, but when he met Zhou Yao’s unwavering, dark gaze, he found himself unable to speak.
“If you want to talk, pick a better time. Now isn’t it.”
With that, Zhou Yao called Jiang Jiashu and the others back. She instructed them to hold Gu Yujun down and bandage his wound. Naturally, he resisted. Zhou Yao simply stated, “I don’t care what happens to you, but—”
She didn’t even finish her sentence. Instead, she signaled Jiang Jiashu and the others to use force to restrain him, preventing any further struggle.
The injury had been caused by Chen Xuze. If Gu Yujun lost too much blood or something serious happened, the blame would fall on him. Zhou Yao wasn’t going to let a careless oversight bring unnecessary trouble to Chen Xuze.
One of the guys tore a piece off an old school uniform, and Zhou Yao used it as a makeshift bandage. Then, like a group of guards escorting a prisoner, they marched him to a nearby clinic to get his wound properly treated.
Once the wound was cleaned, medicated, and wrapped, they prepared to leave. Just as they were about to part ways, Zhou Yao suddenly stopped in her tracks. They were heading in opposite directions. She turned back, looking at Gu Yujun’s sullen face, and spoke calmly.
“What you’re chasing, what you hate—it has nothing to do with Chen Xuze. Your anger is completely misplaced.” Her gaze seemed to level the height difference between them.
She said, “To be honest, I find you pathetic.”
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