Chapter 4

Xu Qing Nuo had known Lin Xiao Wen from his first year of junior high school. The two used to be classmates.

Xu Qing Nuo had excellent grades and had good calligraphy skills. As soon as school started, he got appointed as a publicity committee member. He was easy-going and well-mannered, was good looking, and was very popular in his class. Both boys and girls loved to spend time with him.

On the other hand, Lin Xiao Wen’s family background was poor. Due to malnutrition, he was thin; his face and body were always dirty, giving him the look of a beggar, and he never liked to talk. Neither his teachers nor his classmates liked him.

Xu Qing Nuo and Lin Xiao Wen sat in the front and back seats for a year without interacting with each other. One day, Xu Qing Nuo accidentally saw Lin Xiao Wen’s doodles in his art book and was amazed.

“Lin Xiao Wen, do you know how to paint?”

Lin Xiao Wen scratched his head shyly, “Well, I learned it in elementary school.”

“You paint really well.” Xu Qing Nuo picked up his art book, thought for a while and said, “Are you interested in publishing blackboard newspapers (1) with me?”

At that time, publishing blackboard newspapers was like helping teachers correct homework and test papers. Students considered it a major honor. Lin Xiao Wen was a little flattered, “Can I?’

“Your painting is so good, of course you can.”

Just like that, Lin Xiao Wen started to help Xu Qing Nuo. The two of them painted and wrote together. They had a tacit understanding and won many awards in various blackboard newspaper competitions. The school principal also praised their class during the weekly school assembly.

The class teacher was so happy that he was grinning from ear to ear. He not only liked Xu Qing Nuo even more but also started seeing Lin Xiao Wen in a different light.

With Xu Qing Nuo’s help, Lin Xiao Wen’s performance across several subjects drastically improved, and he also became more confident and cheerful. After entering high school, his height suddenly jumped from 1.65 m to 1.75 m. In addition, his father left to work at sea and made a lot of money, so as a result, his family’s financial situation has also gradually improved. Over time, his mental outlook has begun to change. The withdrawn child has become a charming and handsome boy.

Because of his art studies combined with him being ostracized as a child, Lin Xiao Wen had spent a lot of time alone. He used to be gloomy, mean, somewhat arrogant, and unwilling to deal with people he didn’t like. He didn’t even give face to the girls who were pursuing him.

That’s why Lin Xiao Wen had very few buddies. Most of his contacts were wine-and-meat friends (1) and Xu Qin Nuo was his only real friend. He felt gratitude and admiration for Xu Qing Nuo and was quite dependent on him. He never pretended in front of him; he would cry and vent when in a bad mood and whine and act coquettishly when in a good mood.

Xu Qing Nuo was an only child and had no cousins. In his eyes, Lin Xiao Wen was not only a friend but also a younger brother.

Many years have passed from the age of twelve until now, and their relationship has always been good. Occasionally, they would be a bit awkward around each other, but no one would really take it to heart. A quick call the next day would ease the atmosphere, and they would get together again to eat, drink, and have fun.

Xu Qing Nuo thought about the impermanence of life. Even if he broke up with Mai Yao, he never thought his friendship with Lin Xiao Wen would ever change. He thought they would be friends for life.

He never thought that Lin Xiao Wen would betray him with Mai Yao.

He learned the truth by accident.

The week after Xu Qing Nuo had suspected Mai Yao of cheating, he thought Mai Yao was away on a business trip again. He was upset and didn’t want to stay at home alone, so we went to Lin Xiao Wen’s house.

Lin Xiao Wen was taking a shower. Xu Qing Nuo was standing upside down leaning against the wall, thinking whether to share his doubts about Mai Yao with him. He glanced casually and saw something shiny under the bed.

He remembered that he had lost a platinum ring that Mai Yao had given him at Lin Xiao Wen’s house. He thought it was that ring, so he happily lay on the ground and reached out to grab it. But when he took it out, he was stunned.

It was not his ring, but a cufflink belonging to Mai Yao.

For Mai Yao’s birthday last year, he had especially asked someone to customize the suit to be given as a gift. He had personally designed the style of the cufflink with the initials of Mai Yao’s name engraved on the side.

He would never be wrong about this.

While Lin Xiao Wen was still in the bathroom, Xu Qing Nuo ran home and opened the closet to check Mai Yao’s suit.

Sure enough, a cufflink was missing.

Xu Qing Nuo semed to fall into an ice cave, and he felt chills all over his body.

(1) 黑板报 blackboard newspaper | popular propaganda tool using a blackboard and chalk to write or paint advertisements on it. Similar to a wall newspaper. Looks like this.

(2) 酒肉朋友 jiǔ ròu péng you | wine-and-meat friends (idiom) – superficial drinking buddy