Chapter Thirty-Nine Crisis

  Zhao Heng returned to the dormitory in the afternoon but didn't see the two of them. He was cooking instant noodles while sending messages to the two, just as he was about to take a bite, they suddenly appeared. Qiao Baozi was holding two lunchboxes and shouted loudly: "Heng Ge, don't eat instant noodles, that stuff is bad for your body! Come."

  "Eat pigeon, good pigeon, I also packed a box of white rice for you."

  "Harmful?"

  Qiao Pangzi threw a newspaper in front of Zhao Heng, pointing to one of the news and said: "I saw this news this morning. That damned Nanhuan country, in order to make instant noodles taste better and crisper, they added a carcinogenic toxin inside. Damn it! I ate three packs of instant noodles last night."

  In the midst of Qiao Baozi's furious scolding of Nan Yan, Zhao Heng saw that the instant noodles in his hand had been confiscated by Hua Guo. He hastily threw them aside and Qiao Baozi composed himself, opening two lunchboxes and pushing them over. A golden-brown roasted pigeon and a box of white rice soon appeared before Zhao Heng.

  The pigeon, emitting a tempting fragrance, Qiao Baozi patted his own full belly and chuckled: "I've already eaten with Song Qingguan, so all this food is yours. You can enjoy it slowly, I'll go to bed and rest first! Ah, today has really exhausted me."

  Song Qingguan glared at him with an unpleasant expression.

  Qiao Pangzi climbed onto the bed with his legs apart, lay down on the quilt and still lifted his second leg, humming a small tune from Jiangnan. He looked very spirited. Zhao Heng still hadn't reacted, picked up a pigeon leg and asked: "Qiao Pangzi, why are you in such a good mood today? Did you pick up some money on the road?"

  Then he frowned slightly, thinking of the most critical point: "How did you run out again? And took Song Qingguan with you? Song Shijie was furious that night and left, and he won't let it go easily. If deception doesn't work, he and Zhang Ningyan might play dirty, aren't you afraid of dragging Qingguan into it?"

  "Big brother, calm down!"

  Zhao Heng's concern for their safety made him feel a bit heavy-hearted, and after thinking for a moment, Qiao Bao decided to confess to Zhao Heng. As Song Qing shrugged his shoulders, Qiao Bao chuckled: "Actually, we didn't go out to buy clothes, we just had dinner at the school's faculty and student restaurant. Nothing will happen on school grounds."

  Zhao Heng took a bite of his pigeon: "Eating at a wine shop? So enjoyable? Did I really pick up some money?"

  "Picked up a beauty."

  Qiao Pangzi whistled and responded with a light laugh: "That beautiful woman found me to play chess again this morning, saying that if I won her three games, she would treat me to dinner. I didn't say a word and beat her until she was searching for teeth all over the floor. I won at Chinese chess, Go, and Five-in-a-Row, still winning with ease. She admired me so much that she came to school to meet me."

  He turned his head to look at Zhao Heng, a satisfied smile on his face: "She ordered eight dishes and one soup to treat me, all of which were high-end delicacies. Of course, as a man, I couldn't let a woman pay for my meal, so I settled the bill halfway through. It was over 800 yuan. This girl is quite generous, she must be a rich second generation."

  "Generous? I'm the generous one!"

  Song Qingguan, who had been silent all along, could no longer hold back and pointed at Qiao Baozi, bursting out the truth: "This kid said he was taking me to meet a beauty, but instead had me eating fast food at a small table next door. He even asked me for money to pay the bill halfway through! The only redeeming quality is that he shamelessly got the milk pigeon and white rice back."

  Zhao Heng's hand hesitated, looking at the pigeon: "Is this what you guys left over?"

  "Boss, it's absolutely not leftovers!"

  Qiao Pangzi sat up with a start, the whole bed frame shaking twice, and he waved his hand to explain to Zhao Heng: "We didn't even touch this pigeon, the beauty doesn't like to eat meat, she eats things like bok choy and celery, and I'm too full to eat anymore, there's too much good food on the table."

  A whole roast chicken, a bowl of Dongpo pork, a plate of waist flowers...

  Qiao Pangzi looked like he was lamenting the unfairness of life, but Song Qingguan picked up a pillow and threw it at him, shouting: "Bastard, you eat so well but don't even send over a few dishes, making me eat fish-flavored eggplant rice on my own, without even a bit of meat to be seen. In the end, I still have to pay the bill. Be careful or I'll expose your tricks to the beauty."

  "Exposed?"

  Zhao Heng narrowed his eyes: "What tricks is Fatso using to deceive people?"

  "Little Song..."

  Song Qingguan was about to respond, but Qiao Baozi's pleading gaze stopped him. His heart softened, and he pointed at Qiao Baozi and said: "Heng Ge, you ask Da Baozi directly." Then Song Qingguan hummed a few more times: "Baozi, I advise you to be honest, once the other party exposes you, you'll become a liar."

  Zhao Heng looked at Qiao Baozi and asked: "What kind of trick are you playing?"

  "It's nothing, it's nothing."

  Qiao Pangzi scratched his big head, revealing a hint of an embarrassed smile and replied: "Xiao Song said I'm too sweet-tongued, deceiving beauties into submission. Don't worry, I promise next time I won't be so flowery with my words. Heng Ge, hurry up and eat, or the food will get cold and won't taste good. Quick, start with the roasted pigeon."

  "It's no good if it gets cold!"

  Zhao Heng knew he was dodging the question, but since he didn't want to confess, he didn't ask again. Instead, he sat down at the table to eat this unappetizing dinner. During the meal, he glanced over at Qiao Pangzi, who was playing chess on his tablet computer, and his mouth corners were unknowingly raised, clearly showing that Qiao Pangzi's mood was very pleasant.

  He shook his head, lowered his head to eat plain rice, and then looked up at Song Qingyuan:

  "Green official, don't follow Fatso and cause trouble from now on!"

  Song Qingguan smiled and nodded: "Don't worry, boss, I'll keep an eye on him."

  Qiao Pangzi's face was filled with distress: "Is flirting also a crime? Boss, that chick is really something."

  "Really? Let me take a look another day."

  Zhao Heng stuffed a pigeon leg into his mouth, and after a series of gulps, he swallowed it whole. Qiao Yuncai didn't see any bones come out, and after a moment's pause, he replied: "Boss, it's not that I don't want to introduce you, but you're just too talented in both literary and martial arts. If she falls in love with you at first sight, what then?"

  "I'm Xiao Qiao, aren't I going to get beaten up again? So before it's in hand, you mustn't let them meet!"

  "Plop!"

  Song Qingguan, who was drinking tea, spat out water on the spot, and this reason is simply too damn straightforward!

  The next afternoon, Zhao Heng's dormitory was notified to go to the school logistics department to pick up school uniforms. Since Qiao Pàngzi accompanied Song Qingguan to pay tuition fees at the school, Zhao Heng went alone to the teaching affairs office and lined up for two hours to carry back the spring and summer replacement school uniforms. After returning to the dormitory, he had just divided them into three portions when the phone rang before he could even catch his breath.

  "Heng Ge, Bao Zi's in trouble!"

  Zhao Heng heard Song Qingguan's shout: "No, it's a loss of face."

  Song Qingguan's voice was laced with anxiety and helplessness, but Zhao Heng could tell that he wasn't in a state of emergency or danger. Otherwise, he would have thought that Qiao Yuncai had been chopped into ten pieces by the Qing Bang. So, he calmed his mind and asked, "Qingguan, don't be anxious, what's going on? What happened to Fatso?"

  "Fatso... never mind, Big Brother, you're here now, let's talk at Hua Hai Bar."

  Song Qingguan wanted to say something but swallowed it back, and instead said where they were, Zhao Heng could feel Song Qingguan's anxiety, so he didn't waste any more words, picked up a coat and left the dormitory. He didn't know what had happened to Qiao Yuncun and the others, but as a member of the same dormitory, he had an obligation to help.

  Besides, the three of them get along well.

  Zhao Heng quickly ran out of the dormitory building, walking quickly towards the entrance of Huada University. At the same time, he took out his mobile phone and sent a text message to Jiang Changlong. No matter what, it's always necessary to leave a hand. Before long, Jiang Changlong's text message came back, Zhao Heng glanced at it and couldn't help but laugh at Qiao Yuncai:

  This bastard, flirting with girls and got into trouble.

  Just as Zhao Heng hastily walked out of the school gate, a person flashed out from a shop opposite and took out his mobile phone to make a call.

  "Brother Feihu, that kid has left the school gate."