Hold My Hand

A school story. Happy ending.

Updates at 8:30 p.m.

1v1

Luo Ziyan's Introduction:

I'm Luo Ziyan, an ordinary transfer student. My grades are average, I look decent, and my family is nothing special. (Though I do have admirers at school, hehe.) Basically, I'm average in every way. But there's one thing I never expected: my deskmate, Bai Yu, is one of the most famous students at Lingshan High. And I never imagined that such a big shot would fall for a nobody like me (shocked). Don't ask why he likes me. The answer is that I'm just too excellent (conceited). Every Valentine's Day, I look at all the chocolate, love letters, and flowers stuffed in my deskmate's desk and feel so envious. But here's something I can be proud of: this aloof, arrogant top student is only warm to me!?

Bai Yu's Introduction:

I'm Bai Yu, a modern-day heartthrob whom everyone loves, whose mere presence makes flowers bloom and cars burst their tires. I'm also a well-known big shot at Lingshan High, and I've received so many love letters and commendations that my hands are sore. Every Valentine's Day, my desk is filled with flowers, love letters, and chocolates from girls. There are too many to count. But for some reason, I've fallen for my goofy deskmate. His grades aren't as good as mine, and he isn't as handsome as I am. But I can't help it. I've fallen for him, and even I can't change that.

Daily Life

1:

Luo Ziyan bent over a geography workbook, struggling to work through the questions. His black pen had nowhere to go, and his head felt ready to explode, but he still couldn't figure out the answer. He quietly turned his gaze to his top-student deskmate, Bai Yu.

Luo Ziyan: Bai Yu! Come help me with this question. It's a matter of life and death, buddy!

Bai Yu: You call that asking for help, Luo Ziyan? I'm not helping. Figure it out yourself.

Luo Ziyan was instantly furious. He realized his top-student deskmate was incredibly stingy, unwilling to help him with even a simple physics question. He clenched his right hand into a fist, imagining himself heroically knocking Bai Yu to the ground. The thought made Luo Ziyan excited, but then he remembered Bai Yu fighting the school bully for three hundred rounds. For some reason, he suddenly lost his nerve. He thought, Bai Yu dealt with the school bully without breaking a sweat. Beating me would be even easier, right? Forget it. Better not provoke him.

Luo Ziyan: My dear top-student deskmate, could you teach me how to do this geography question? Please, please!

Bai Yu (slowly looking over the question Luo Ziyan mentioned): Dude, the teacher just explained this not long ago. You forgot as soon as class ended? What country were you off daydreaming about during class?

Luo Ziyan: Come on, you're a top student and I'm not! How could I be like you? You understand everything the moment you hear it. Look at this little head of mine. How could it possibly hold enough information? Besides, our geography teacher explains things so complicatedly. How am I supposed to remember it all? If I were even half as smart as you, I'd wake up laughing in my sleep! (And on and on...)

Bai Yu: Stupid is as stupid does. Stop making excuses.

(I won't write out the explanation in detail, hahaha.)

2

There's an inconspicuous little alley near Lingshan High. Apart from the occasional passerby, no one pays it any attention. And because security there is lax, lots of little punks like to bully people in that alley.

That same lack of security made the alley Lin Qing's "battlefield."

Lin Qing: Bai Yu, meet me in the alley near the school at 5:30 this afternoon. If you don't show up, you'll regret it.

Bai Yu hesitated, then replied, "Okay."

After replying, Bai Yu couldn't stop wondering what Lin Qing was up to.

When class began, Bai Yu put it out of his mind and focused on the lesson.

In the blink of an eye, it was 5:30 p.m. Bai Yu packed his bag at a leisurely pace, then suddenly realized something was wrong. Luo Ziyan hadn't been seen since four o'clock. He rushed out of the school and sprinted toward the alley like a madman. He couldn't stop picturing Luo Ziyan with one swollen cheek and one bruised cheek after Lin Qing and his lackeys beat him. Bai Yu couldn't bear to think about it and ran frantically toward the alley.

When he arrived, Lin Qing and several of his lackeys stood before him. Luo Ziyan was lying at their feet.

Lin Qing gave him a cold smile. "You came?"

Luo Ziyan slowly lifted his head and saw Bai Yu, who looked flustered.

Luo Ziyan (shouting): Bai Yu, go! Lin Qing's after you this time. Hurry and run!

Lin Qing grew impatient at that and kicked Luo Ziyan hard. His kick was so strong that Luo Ziyan couldn't take it and coughed violently.

Bai Yu (roaring): You damn scumbag, Lin Qing! You and I can settle our differences later. What the hell are you dragging an innocent person into this for? Let him go, now!

Lin Qing sneered.

Lin Qing: Ha. So this person matters to you, huh? Bai Yu, look at my face. Remember it? You beat me until it was swollen, right? It still hasn't gone down. So tell me, are we calling it even, or what? If we're trading one for one, that pretty little face of his is going to be ruined.

After saying this, Lin Qing touched Luo Ziyan's face. It had been fair with a rosy glow, but now it was bruised and swollen from Lin Qing's beating. When Luo Ziyan saw Lin Qing's hand reaching toward him, he instinctively dodged it. "Tsk. Keep your filthy hands off me," Luo Ziyan said mockingly.

Lin Qing: Oh, little girl, you've got some nerve. Your face is about to be ruined, and you're still running your mouth.

He pulled his hand back, grabbed Luo Ziyan's face, then gestured for one of his lackeys to bring him a pocketknife.

Lin Qing licked the blade and waved it back and forth in front of Luo Ziyan's face.

Bai Yu: You bastard, stop! Get your filthy hands off him!

Lin Qing: Oh, you haven't even seen me do anything yet, and you're already worried? Fine. Since you don't want me dragging an innocent person into this, get down on your knees and apologize.

Bai Yu hesitated and looked at Luo Ziyan by Lin Qing's feet. Luo Ziyan kept shaking his head through his tears, signaling for him not to do it.

Bai Yu had no choice but to comply. Thud! His hard knees struck the ground with a sharp sound.

Lin Qing: What else? Bow your head and apologize!

Luo Ziyan looked at Bai Yu on his knees and shook his head, tears in his eyes.

Bai Yu hesitated.

Lin Qing: What are you hesitating for? Do you want to watch this little girl's face get ruined right in front of you? Keep hesitating, and he'll lose his face.

At that, Bai Yu banged his head against the ground again and again. "Lin Qing, I'm sorry. Please let him go."

Lin Qing saw this and gestured to his lackeys to gang up on Bai Yu. They nodded and walked over to him, kicking him down. Bai Yu fell to the ground and didn't fight back as they beat him. Luo Ziyan watched, crying, "Stop hitting him! Stop!" He kept shaking his head, murmuring, "Please don't hit him. I'm begging you."

Then one of Lin Qing's lackeys noticed that Bai Yu had stopped moving. He ran over to Lin Qing and whispered, "Boss, he's not moving. Why don't we leave? Let's stop beating him."

Lin Qing looked at Bai Yu. The lackey was right. He turned and said, "Let's go. We'll let them off this time. Move."

When Luo Ziyan saw Lin Qing and the others leave, he hurried over to Bai Yu, held him, and cried out in anguish, "You idiot, wake up! Why are you so stupid? You knew Lin Qing was after you. Why did you come?"

Bai Yu slowly opened his eyes and touched Luo Ziyan's face. "You idiot. I couldn't just watch someone else bully you..."

At that, Luo Ziyan burst into tears.

Bai Yu: All right, all right. Don't cry. I'm fine, aren't I?

Bai Yu wiped Luo Ziyan's tears away with his hand.

(P.S. This is a school story, though I might add a little bit of city life later.)

Author's Note:

Please support my novel! I'm begging you on my knees!

Premise: Hold hands, grow old together, and stay by each other's side for life...