WHI – Chapter 12

Chapter 12

An irritating tone, followed by the sound of footsteps, suddenly echoed behind him. Lin Ting couldn’t be bothered to turn around.

“You’re done here, scram. Useless!” This wasn’t said to Lin Ting. Although he didn’t turn his head, he saw Ye Shanwen, clutching his bag, bolt towards the elevator bank in his peripheral vision, frantically pressing the down button.

Lin Ting’s heart eased slightly.

The group behind him swaggered over and took seats around them. Lin Ting then noticed that Gu Yi was holding up his phone, filming back and forth between him and Han Ziqiu.

“Oh, finally evolved to using a phone? But how is your brain still in its primitive state?” Lin Ting slammed his teacup down on the table and rolled his eyes at Gu Yi.

Gu Yi seemed unfazed. He reached out, wrapped an arm around Yan Yutong’s waist, and roughly pulled her towards him.

“Who do you think is prettier, her or him?” Gu Yi tightened his grip on Yan Yutong’s waist, then gestured with his chin towards Han Ziqiu, who had been trembling ever since the group had crowded over.

“You called me here today just to confirm if I like men?” Lin Ting asked directly. “No need to be so complicated. Involving so many innocent people. If you want to ask, just ask directly.”

Yan Yutong lowered her head at this moment, not resisting, but also showing no expression, like an old rag doll.

“What are you talking about? Whether you like men or women has nothing to do with me,” Gu Yi said, glancing around at everyone at the table, his smile growing more pronounced. “I asked you out to hang out with my friends, don’t be so malicious!”

“So it was to test me? No, to humiliate me?” Lin Ting flicked his gaze to the side, the corner of his mouth involuntarily twitching upwards again. After speaking, he stood up, stretched his wrists and ankles, pushed his armchair back, and walked behind Gu Yi.

“What are you doing?” Gu Yi sounded flustered. “This isn’t the stinking mud pit you grew up in. If you want to mess around, you’d better think carefully.”

Lin Ting stood behind him, unhurriedly. His chair was pushed back, and Lin Ting placed his hands on Gu Yi’s shoulders.

“What do you want!” Gu Yi’s body stiffened noticeably, and his voice rose. The furtive glances from around them, sensing trouble, retreated. The young couple at the table pretended to buy drinks and moved to a distant corner. A few chasing children also hid in their parents’ arms and were taken to the elevator behind them.

The air suddenly became much quieter. The light music playing in the establishment was now exceptionally clear. Lin Ting’s palms exerted a strong grip on his shoulders, making them crack. “Tell them to leave. I don’t want to involve others.” As he said this, Lin Ting glared fiercely at the group.

These people were not innocent, but Lin Ting didn’t have the inclination to deal with them.

As soon as he said this, Zhou Jing, pulling Tian Xuewei, took off running. Zhou Jing’s large, bulky body knocked over the armchair, nearly tripping them both, but neither of them looked back.

Yan Yutong was being held tightly by Gu Yi’s waist. She twisted her body, trying to get away, but whether it was due to a lack of strength or hesitation, her slight resistance had no effect.

Lin Ting tightened his grip without letting go, his tone exceedingly solicitous. “Do you want to be beaten up in front of an audience?”

Unlike Gu Yi, Lin Ting had been a good child in primary school. However, ever since middle school, and ever since Lin Fang’s accident, he had fought his way out of that stinking mud pit, step by step. The force of his grip was thus considerable.

If he didn’t fight back, he would just wait to be beaten. If he didn’t fight back—Lin Ting glanced at Han Ziqiu, who had cowered into a ball.

Then he would be like that.

Gu Yi was only distracted for a moment before Yan Yutong, seizing the opportunity, grabbed his phone from the table and ran out.

“Let’s go, let’s find another place,” Lin Ting said, looking around. “That bowling alley should still have time left on its booking, right? There shouldn’t be any surveillance cameras there.”

“What do you want to do?” Gu Yi turned and glared at Lin Ting.

Lin Ting suddenly released him and smiled. “Don’t worry, I promise I’ll only beat you. I’m not interested in you.”

“The son of a murderer has to be a murderer too,” Gu Yi replied, his face cold.

This sentence was like the fuse of a bomb. Lin Ting’s smile vanished instantly, his blood boiling as if heated. The scene before him was instantly overlaid with a red, damp mist of blood, making it impossible to distinguish if it was rain, tears, or blood. Cries, shock, disbelief… all the complex emotions in the world were churned in his heart and then surged before his eyes with violent tremors. By the time Lin Ting reacted, his arm was already around Gu Yi’s neck.

Lin Ting yanked him hard. The heavy armchair was dragged several meters away, emitting a piercing, sharp friction sound. The lobby had long since cleared out, leaving only a peeking waiter and Han Ziqiu, still hiding in his shell.

Gu Yi’s curses and shouts continuously echoed from the 52nd floor to the 52nd floor.

The moment the stone door of the sea pavilion closed, Lin Ting’s suppressed fist slammed heavily into Gu Yi’s face.

Splash!

This time, the sound of falling into water was even louder than Han Ziqiu’s second fall.

The hot spring pool was not deep. Gu Yi quickly climbed out. Although he didn’t fight, his life had never required him to fight, the anger from being punched ignited his adrenaline. He was now completely red, like a foolish, enraged beast, lunging forward with clumsy, uncoordinated body blows and kicks.

Lin Ting watched the opponent’s clumsy rage, which seemed to move in slow motion. With a slight shift of his body, he dodged. Gu Yi lost his balance, his foot slipped, and he fell straight towards the ground.

Thud!

The rocky floor was not as forgiving as the water’s surface. This impact left Gu Yi stunned for a long time.

Lin Ting squatted down with interest, grabbed Gu Yi’s hair, and forced him to look at him. “Did you have fun today?”

Gu Yi had taken Lin Ting’s punch directly to the face and had fallen straight down. His nose was bleeding profusely. Lin Ting took half a step back to avoid the blood.

“You wait, you’re finished,” Gu Yi said defiantly, adding, “What kind of land produces what kind of seed.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ting’s fist cut through the air, aiming to smash into Gu Yi’s right eye.

“Hiss!”

The fist met a solid palm, not Gu Yi’s eye socket.

He followed the obstructing palm upwards. The face he had seen countless times, with its sharp features and an always annoyingly smug expression, appeared before him.

“Wen Lan, what are you doing here?” Lin Ting released Gu Yi’s hair and stood up.

Wen Lan, shaking his palm, also straightened up. “Did he bully you?”

He paused, then added, “Even if he bullied you, don’t beat him up here. Otherwise, all this blood will be so scary. How will the shop owner do business? How about I find you a secluded place to beat him?”

Lin Ting’s anger dissipated with Wen Lan’s barrage of words. He washed his hands in the pool and turned to leave.

Wen Lan followed him down the stairs. “If you want to wash your hands, go to the restroom. This whole pool of water will have to be changed and cleaned, it’s such a hassle.”

“Are you being verbose?” Lin Ting stopped and turned to look at Wen Lan. “What are you doing here?”

Wen Lan, who had been following closely behind Lin Ting, suddenly stopped. Wen Lan almost bumped into his face.

“This is my family’s establishment,” Wen Lan said, his voice a little quiet.

“…” Lin Ting, who had been angry moments before, felt all his rage and annoyance vanish instantly.

“Damn it, Wen Lan, now I understand why you’re so…”

“So what? What?”

“You’ve been soaking in the mountain hot springs for too long, going back to your roots.” Lin Ting turned and continued towards the changing rooms downstairs.

“Hey! I’m saying, aren’t you going to thank me? If I hadn’t stopped the manager, the police would be here by now. I haven’t even asked you for cleaning fees and compensation for emotional distress!”

Wen Lan wasn’t angry. He followed Lin Ting out and leaned against the changing room door, chatting with him. “Who was that guy? What did he do to you? By the way, you didn’t come out to play with us just to beat him up? We’re singing downstairs. Want to join us after you change?”

“No,” Lin Ting replied, changing and pushing the door open.

Wen Lan saw him come out and put an arm around Lin Ting’s shoulder. “Is he from the Gu family?”

Lin Ting remained silent and walked towards where Han Ziqiu was sitting.

Han Ziqiu was still in the same posture, but he was no longer trembling.

“You can go,” Lin Ting said from above his head.

It took a while for Han Ziqiu to raise his head again. “What about him?”

“I beat him up,” Lin Ting said, then turned to leave.

Wen Lan, however, seemed captivated by curiosity. He tightened his grip on Lin Ting’s shoulder, pulling him to a halt. “You’re acting as a hero! I didn’t realize, little brother, you’re quite righteous!”

“Tsk, did I say I was beating him up for someone else?” Lin Ting turned to Wen Lan, pulled his arm off his shoulder, then turned back to Han Ziqiu. “I beat him up for myself. I don’t know if he’ll beat you up next time, but the possibility is quite high. Prepare yourself.”

“Prepare? Prepare…” Han Ziqiu’s face was full of disbelief.

Wen Lan again put his arm around Lin Ting’s shoulder. “Why are you rushing off? Come down and play later.” He then asked Han Ziqiu, “What’s your name? Tell me, I’ll look out for you.”

“Han Ziqiu, Han from Korea, Zi from autumn.”

“…” Wen Lan’s mouth opened, and after a moment, he closed it. “Hmm… that’s quite poetic. Do you always introduce yourself like this?”

Lin Ting saw Han Ziqiu’s expression becoming increasingly complex. At this moment, he was more agitated than when he was beating up Gu Yi. He grabbed Wen Lan and walked away. “Let’s go, Han Ziqiu, you should go too. Be careful Gu Yi doesn’t come back to life and beat you.”

“Live? Ah… what?”

Lin Ting pulled Wen Lan towards the elevator, not caring if Han Ziqiu was quickly changing and leaving. Only now did he realize belatedly that he had stirred up the most troublesome of problems and no longer had the mental capacity to care about others.

How would Gu Yi explain this to Gu Jiang and his mother? Would he be kicked out?

Anything was possible.

“Got any cigarettes?” Lin Ting leaned against the glass of the elevator, the twilight already descending behind him. The elevator car had no obvious lights, and his surroundings were dark, as if he were in space, empty and vast, ready to fall into darkness at any moment.

Wen Lan took out his cigarette case and offered him one, but withheld the lighter. “What, are you going to stuff it in my mouth again?”

Lin Ting hummed an affirmative. “You’re looking out for him, why not look out for me too?”