Chapter 103: Paying for the Phone

The days of being Wukong’s junior disciple—no interruptions.

After bringing Lao Liu’s daughter to the guidance office, Liu Yunfei returned to the teaching building. He hadn’t been there for two months, and it actually felt quite familiar. It was an old three-story building: first-year students occupied the first floor, second-year students the second, and third-year students the third. The school had already constructed a new teaching building, but this class was simply unlucky—they had stayed in the old building from the first year through to the third. It made one fear an earthquake might strike.

Now that they were in their third year, the final sprint had arrived. Under the current college entrance exam system, the results at the end of the third year would often determine the fate of most students’ lives. Many diligent students started self-studying third-year materials during the holidays. Even during breaks at school, they wouldn’t waste any time; every extra practice problem could be useful—perhaps that very question would appear on the exam.

But not all students were so conscientious. Most still lacked such awareness. For example, in the innermost corner of the classroom by the window, a group of students were gathered, chatting about something. Liu Yunfei didn’t join the commotion; he preferred to walk straight to his seat. Yet he overheard Yu Xiaowei saying amidst the crowd, “You clearly left your phone right by the edge of the desk; how can you blame someone for accidentally touching it?”

A sharp female voice cut through: “No matter what, I placed it on the desk properly; it broke because she touched it. My dad just bought it from Hong Kong for over 3,000 Hong Kong dollars. It was barely used and now it’s broken—you owe me.”

Liu Yunfei immediately recognized it as the voice of the class monitor, Gao Min. Her father was probably a local business owner, and the family was quite well-off. She looked down on others with a sidelong glance—something Liu Yunfei despised. Moreover, Gao Min wasn’t even the top student in the class. Her position as monitor was clearly to save face for her father. If there was any other reason, it was that she liked to report on others behind their backs.

Liu Yunfei approached, and Yu Xiaowei, holding the phone, looked up as if welcoming an ally. “Liu Yunfei, you came just in time. Help me figure this out. Gao Min placed the phone right at the edge like this,” Yu Xiaowei demonstrated by holding the phone suspended halfway off the desk, “and then Zhang Xiaoli just walked by and accidentally… this happened.”

“Who?” Liu Yunfei asked, surprised that Yu Xiaowei was defending Zhang Xiaoli. His eyes scanned the room and landed on Zhang Xiaoli, who sat helplessly at her seat, wiping away tears. It turned out to be his girlfriend’s affair, and naturally, he felt obliged to step in. He smiled and nodded reassuringly at Zhang Xiaoli, silently telling her, “I’m here now, don’t worry.” Hopefully, she understood.

Yu Xiaowei continued his slow-motion reenactment, “Just a light touch, and it fell to the ground. Who wouldn’t drop it if touched like that? Isn’t this just trying to extort?”

“You’re lying! You placed it so ridiculously at the edge. It was like this,” Gao Min snapped, grabbing the phone and demonstrating again.

“Stop arguing. Let me see,” Liu Yunfei interrupted, annoyed, snatching the phone off the desk. It was the latest model, with a large screen and a high-pixel camera—definitely a genuine Hong Kong version worth over 3,000. Liu Yunfei couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Such different lives for people in the same class: Gao Min flaunted an expensive phone, while Zhang Xiaoli didn’t even have one. Gao Min, with her Hong Kong brand, looked like a princess; Zhang Xiaoli’s school uniform was ill-fitting, making her an easy target for others’ disdainful gazes.

Liu Yunfei pressed the power button, but there was no response; the phone was clearly broken. Foreign brands truly couldn’t withstand a fall. Without looking up, he asked, “Nice phone. How much?”

“3,500 Hong Kong dollars,” Gao Min replied proudly, chin raised. She emphasized “Hong Kong dollars” as if it elevated her status, making her seem superior and untouchable.

“Oh,” Liu Yunfei grunted and set the phone down. Gao Min immediately sneered, “Hah! Wearing all those knock-offs and coming here pretending to be rich.”

Liu Yunfei thought: This Versace outfit you probably don’t even recognize. He lifted his eyes and gave her a sharp glare.

Gao Min, startled by his glare, became nervous. Was this really Liu Yunfei? He had always been cheerful and a bit meek before, but today his gaze was so fierce.

Liu Yunfei placed his white canvas shoulder bag on the desk, reached inside, and pulled out a handful of red bills. He counted out 35 notes and handed them to Gao Min.

She hadn’t expected such generosity and was stunned to see he carried so much cash. She hesitated, unsure whether to accept it. The watching classmates were also taken aback; even Yu Xiaowei forgot to stop him.

“Take it,” Liu Yunfei said, tossing the money onto the desk as he grabbed the phone and strode over to Zhang Xiaoli. Suddenly, he remembered something and turned back to Gao Min. He removed the battery and SIM card, placed them gently on the desk, then gave the phone a strange smile. Holding both ends, he applied slight force, and with a “snap,” the phone broke cleanly into two pieces, completely ruined. He then tossed it casually into the trash bin by the teacher’s podium.

The stunned classmates gasped again. A few quick-witted ones thought: If only I’d asked Liu Yunfei for it first! You don’t want it? I’d have paid 100 or 200 to get it repaired. If not, selling it to a repair shop would still get some money back. But now, 3,500 is gone just like that. Yu Xiaowei had wanted to stop Liu Yunfei, feeling the compensation was too generous and Gao Min bore some responsibility. At most, she should pay for repairs. But Liu Yunfei had just sent the phone straight to the trash. No one could argue now.

Zhang Xiaoli had stopped crying, staring at Liu Yunfei with a strange expression. Earlier, his nod had reassured her, and she had thought it was mere comfort. She hadn’t expected him to pay without hesitation. Her feelings were complicated. She had liked this boy since middle school, but he had always ignored her. Many other boys had feelings for her, but she had waited for him, never even having a first love.

Why was he suddenly so good to her now? Could it be that her years of waiting were finally bearing fruit? A warm feeling blossomed in her heart, only to be quickly replaced by doubts: Where did he get so much money? Last time, at Zhang Juan’s birthday, he seemed different. Did his family come into a fortune? Did he win the lottery? If he really got rich, would he look down on her even more? Even if he had changed his mind and liked her now, what about the guy his family had forced him to date?

Liu Yunfei sat opposite Zhang Xiaoli, looking at her tear-streaked, delicate face, feeling a surge of guilt for making her wait so long. He sighed softly, wanting to find a tissue, but his pockets held only Chinese yuan. So instead, he reached out, using his thumb to gently wipe her tears, carefully lifting strands of hair stuck to her cheek. Tenderly, he said, “Silly girl, it’s just 3,500. Is it worth crying like this? Even if it were ten times that, I have the money to pay. Don’t cry like a little kitten. You can’t be like this if you’re my girlfriend.”

His words sparked an uproar in the classroom. Boys and girls alike cast glances filled with jealousy, envy, and resentment. Among them was a particularly malicious look—if eyes could kill, Liu Yunfei wouldn’t know how many times he’d died by now. Everyone knew Zhang Xiaoli secretly liked Liu Yunfei, but he had never reciprocated.

With Liu Yunfei’s dazzling entrance, countless girls had secretly admired him and were ready to unleash all their charms to win his heart. He had never considered Zhang Xiaoli a threat. But now, his words made the girls feel cast aside, a chill running through their hearts.

As Zhang Xiaoli listened to Liu Yunfei’s gentle and caring words, she felt he was finally moved by her. Yet she couldn’t accept becoming his girlfriend now. “Why didn’t heaven let him change his mind sooner?” she thought, overwhelmed by a surge of sorrow, tears streaming anew.

Liu Yunfei had intended to publicly declare their relationship to end the hopes of other boys and put an end to the bullying from girls. But the more she cried, the more tears she shed.

At that moment, Gao Min snapped back to reality and shouted, “I said it was 3,500 Hong Kong dollars!”

Yu Xiaowei seized the chance to mock, “Our class monitor, Hong Kong dollars aren’t worth as much as renminbi—you actually profited! Nowadays, Hong Kong people want to be paid in renminbi!”

The bell rang for class. Liu Yunfei patted Zhang Xiaoli’s shoulder, offering a reassuring smile, then returned to his seat to begin the first English lesson of their senior year. Taking out his English book, he quietly said to Yu Xiaowei, “Thanks.”

Liu Yunfei knew that if it weren’t for him, Yu Xiaowei wouldn’t have gotten involved. That’s what friends were for—always there to help when you least expect it.