On the first day of the autumn outing, the teachers in charge of organizing and professional tour guides led over a hundred elementary school students by bus to the famous nearby mountain scenic area.
Each bus was divided into a team, which was further split into small groups of four. Group members were expected to help each other and complete two days of outdoor living together. Different activities offered various bonus points for the small groups.
“Try to choose your close friends,” the teacher said kindly. “These two days of activities won’t be easy. You’ll need to overcome challenges together. We can’t have constant arguing or abandoning friends, or you won’t get the trophy at the end of the trip.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Qi Fang in the front row raised his hand high and shouted, “Teacher, my good friends are Shen Yu, Li Chongming, and Qin Xiaosa! We want to form a group!”
Shen Yu, who was quietly hugging his book in the back corner, was startled by Qi Fang’s loud voice. When did he become Qi Fang’s good friend?
Before he could protest, the other children on the bus heard Qi Fang’s words and began eagerly telling the teacher their friends’ names, afraid of being left out.
Shen Yu opened his mouth, then quickly closed it again.
After half an hour of commotion, the teacher finished recording the names of each group’s members and said, “Each group needs to elect a leader. The leader is responsible for the safety and discipline of their group members. You also need to come up with a catchy name for your group, which we’ll engrave on the trophy.”
“Alright, we’ve arrived at our destination. Everyone line up by group after getting off the bus, and tell the teacher your group name, okay?”
Shen Yu was squeezed between chattering classmates as he got off the bus.
As soon as he stepped off, he spotted Qi Fang standing nearby, repeatedly glancing in his direction. The chubby Qi Fang was tall and wore an eye-catching limited edition brand yellow duck hat. He had a water bottle as thick as both of Shen Yu’s arms strapped to his waist. Seeing Shen Yu get off, Qi Fang waved frantically:
“Shen Xiao Yu, your team leader is here! Come quick!”
Shen Yu paused, then slowly walked over. Under Qi Fang’s expectant gaze, he went straight to the teacher, looked up, and asked, “Teacher, I don’t want to be in Qi Fang’s group. Can I switch?”
Qi Fang, who was squeezing through the crowd, heard this and was shocked. “Why?! Shen Xiao Yu, what’s wrong with our Invincible Dragon Tyrant Squad?!”
Shen Yu: “…My name is Shen Yu.”
Qi Fang took off his duck hat and promptly placed it on Shen Yu’s head, carelessly correcting himself, “Mm-hmm, Classmate Shen Yu, join our Invincible Dragon Tyrant Squad. I’ll protect you and make sure you don’t suffer at all!”
Shen Yu’s face had been flushed from the sun, but suddenly having a hat placed on his head made him feel cooler. His attempt to remove the hat and return it to Qi Fang was a beat too slow.
The teacher looked around, somewhat troubled, and asked, “Shen Yu, do you really not want to be in Qi Fang’s group? The other groups are full. We’d need to find someone willing to switch with you.”
Shen Yu pressed his lips together and fell silent.
He had no friends and barely any classmates he could talk to. Moreover, which student would be foolish enough to volunteer switching into Qi Fang’s group?
Little Tyrant Qi’s reputation was notorious throughout the school.
After a long silence, Shen Yu shook his head, indicating he wouldn’t switch.
Qi Fang’s smile returned as he gently patted Shen Yu’s shoulder, making a promise. “Don’t worry. You’re so weak. You definitely need a strong team leader. I’ll protect you well and make sure you get the best of everything. I’ll keep my word.”
Shen Yu: “…”
He looked at the other two group members.
They both seemed to be Qi Fang’s friends. One called Li Chongming wore black-framed glasses despite his young age, looking rather dull.
The other, named Qin Xiaosa, was tall and handsome, the type girls typically fancied.
As Shen Yu hesitated whether to greet them, Qi Fang took the initiative to introduce. “These are my two good brothers, the not-so-bright Li Congming1Congming meant intelligent, clever, bright, and the Qin Xiaosa2Xiaosa meant confident and at ease / free and easy who is just a little bit cool.”
“This is Shen Yu, my favorite friend,” Qi Fang introduced in turn to his buddies.
Qin Xiaosa nodded, looked at Shen Yu, and smiled, revealing two pointed canines. “Hello, I often see you on the school’s honor roll.”
Shen Yu: “Thank you.”
Li Congming was too busy arguing with Qi Fang to talk to Shen Yu, his face red as he debated what it meant to be “not-so-bright Li Congming.” If he wasn’t bright, wouldn’t that make Qi Fang, who constantly scored zeros on tests, utterly stupid?
The Invincible Dragon Tyrant Squad members set off with the larger group amidst their squabbling.
Shen Yu initially didn’t trust or care about Qi Fang’s boastful words, but unexpectedly, as they began hiking, Qi Fang seriously fulfilled his promises.
Qi Fang forcibly took Shen Yu’s small backpack and carried it himself. During breaks, he prioritized giving Shen Yu sweet chocolates and candies. When Shen Yu grew tired halfway up, Qi Fang even crouched down and huffed and puffed as he piggybacked him up the stairs for over half an hour.
Upon reaching the next rest point, Little Fatty Qi’s legs were shaking.
“You need to… exercise more…” Qi Fang panted heavily, addressing Shen Yu, who sat nearby. “Otherwise… when I’m not around… who’ll carry you…”
Shen Yu fiddled with the chocolate in his hand, lifted his sweat-dampened long lashes, and quietly gazed at Qi Fang, whose face was as red as a monkey’s bottom, for a moment before softly responding with an “Mm.”
Li Congming munched on a biscuit and raised his hand to ask, “Captain, can you carry me for the next stretch? I’m exhausted, too.”
Hearing this, Qi Fang glared coldly at Li Congming, fiercely retorting, “Impossible! Are you worthy of being carried by the captain of the Invincible Dragon Tyrant Squad?”
Li Congming felt deeply wronged. “Am I not your good friend too?”
Qi Fang retorted without hesitation, “You’re all good friends, but you’re not the same as Shen Xiao Yu.”
Li Congming: “How are we different?”
“Well… um…” Qi Fang couldn’t come up with a reasonable answer and could only vaguely reply, “You’re just different. Shen Xiao Yu needs more care. You’re tough. You can survive with minimal attention. There’s no need to pay special attention to you.”
Li Congming: “.”
Joining this group was a mistake! What an annoying, biased team captain!
Qin Xiaosa wiped his sweat and sat next to Shen Yu, seeming interested in him. He struck up a conversation, “I haven’t seen you at previous school events.”
Shen Yu said, “I don’t participate in those boring activities.”
Qin Xiaosa asked curiously, “Why not? What do you like to do usually?”
Shen Yu thought for a moment and replied, “Read books, solve problems.”
Li Congming muttered, “The top student in our grade, so terrifying…”
Before Qin Xiaosa could ask more, Little Fatty Qi used his sturdy build to forcefully squeeze between Shen Yu and Qin Xiaosa, saying as he pushed through, “Make way, make way, your captain needs to rest.”
Shen Yu’s gaze towards Qin Xiaosa was interrupted, forcing him to look away.
Qin Xiaosa said to Qi Fang, “I wasn’t finished talking to Shen Yu.”
Little Fatty Qi crossed his arms and glanced at his friend, snorting, “You just met him. How much could you have to whisper about? If you want to talk, talk to me, and I’ll relay it to Shen Xiao Yu.”
Shen Yu and Qin Xiaosa, sitting on either side of Qi Fang: “…”
While Qi Fang could prevent his friends from chatting with Shen Yu, he couldn’t stop other unfamiliar classmates who weren’t afraid of him.
During the half-day journey from the foot of the mountain to the top, and as they began setting up camp in small groups, children kept coming to talk to Shen Yu.
It started with trivial chatter like “This mountain is so big” or “Are you Shen Yu from Class 1?” and “Is it true you got full marks in all subjects last time?” But soon, the students discovered a new topic.
They could ask Shen Yu about the plants and animals in the mountains.
What’s this grass called? What is the name of that flower? What are the tree overhead and that bird called? Whenever someone asked, Shen Yu would answer seriously, even if his expression remained blank.
He answered faster and more accurately than the teachers leading the group.
“Student Shen Yu is really impressive,” the teacher said happily, calling the children to learn from him. “Everyone should be like Shen Yu and read more extracurricular books to increase your knowledge. If you have any questions now, you can also chat with Shen Yu…”
The elementary school students got excited, swarming around Shen Yu, chattering away, and even pushing Qi Fang to the side.
The captain, Qi Fang, was very angry, and the consequences were serious.
When the fifth chubby kid, whose build was very similar to his, came over with a leaf to ask Shen Yu a question, Qi Fang finally exploded.
“No more questions!”
Qi Fang snatched the leaf from the chubby kid’s hand and shouted, “Shen Xiao Yu is already tired from climbing! You’re not allowed to crowd around him asking this and that! If you want to ask something, come ask the captain of the Invincible Dragon Tyrant Squad!”
The chubby kid, interrupted mid-question, was also angry and retorted, “Well, do you know the answer?”
Qi Fang replied righteously, “I don’t, so you can leave now! Go on! Don’t block our team from setting up the tent.”
After chasing away the gathered classmates, Qi Fang plopped down next to Shen Yu, sighing, “Shen Xiao Yu, you’re too popular. Look how much your captain has to worry about you.”
Shen Yu was tying down a corner of the tent and looked up puzzled upon hearing this.
Shen Yu never considered himself popular.
With the tents set up, the first few groups to finish received bonus points. However, the Invincible Dragon Tyrant Squad fell behind in construction due to the interruptions from classmates asking Shen Yu questions. Their current team score was far behind the leading groups.
Qi Fang, determined to win first place and give the grand prize to Shen Yu, grew anxious.
“Next is the cooking competition,” the lead teacher announced from the center of the clearing, directing team leaders to come forward for ingredients and utensils. She then explained:
“All four members of each group must work together to cook. Today’s lunch will be the meal you prepare yourselves. The first ten groups to finish will receive bonus points based on how delicious their lunch is.”
After hearing the rules, Qi Fang turned to his team members and declared, “This time, we’re going to take first place.”
Shen Yu: “…”
Li Congming cautiously asked, “Uh, does cooking instant noodles count as a dish?”
Qin Xiaosa shrugged and said, “At home, I just wait for meals to be served, but I brought my phone. We can look up videos and learn how to cook.”
Qi Fang clenched his chubby fists and vowed, “No, we’re not cooking instant noodles. That definitely won’t earn us points. We need to make something impressive. I’ll do it! I’ve watched TV dramas, so I’ll definitely cook better than the other groups.”
He solemnly announced his decision and simultaneously said to Shen Yu:
“When I’m done cooking, Shen Xiao Yu, you’ll be the first to taste it.”
TL Notes
- 1Congming meant intelligent, clever, bright
- 2Xiaosa meant confident and at ease / free and easy
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