Love Notebook of a Reclusive Beautiful Boy - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Du Yu obediently returned to the classroom.

Countless eyes in the class were watching him, unable to fathom how someone could be so bold and so inexplicable.

Liao Wenqian had also just taken over this class. Before entering the school, the director had sent her the students’ ID photos via email. She had an impression that this person was named Du Yu. He was the son of the Jingang real estate tycoon, Du Yanyu.

Seeing Du Yu enter, she thought he would at least offer an apology—it was basic etiquette. Instead, from the moment he entered the classroom until he returned to his seat, he didn’t spare her a single glance.

The students in the class were all distracted by him. Liao Wenqian told herself she wasn’t an overly petty teacher; since he had come back in, she let it go.

“Alright, let’s not be disturbed by this interlude. Let us continue the lesson.”

…

Jiang Sheng only felt relieved after watching Du Yu enter the classroom.

He sat on the steps; above his head was intense sunlight. He felt a bit hot and unbuttoned the first button of his shirt with one hand. He had to wait here quietly for Du Yu’s class to finish.

It is said that waiting is what most wears down a person’s temperament. Perhaps because Jiang Sheng had been a police sergeant for several years, his character had been tempered by Xu Shaokang; he wasn’t as impetuous as when he first joined the force years ago. So at this moment, he waited with great peace of mind.

There weren’t many bodyguards outside. Jiang Sheng scanned the area: four. Two were chatting by the flower bed, and two looked somewhat professional, standing sternly and silently in a corner.

Actually, the reason for the small number of people was simple: the school was relatively safe. Unless an employer specifically requested to follow the student everywhere, these fellow bodyguards basically went back to continue protecting the wealthy patriarchs after dropping the young masters and ladies at school.

But Jiang Sheng was different. Du Yu had not yet fully integrated into this place. He had to protect him; he couldn’t let anything happen to him. Today was his first day on the job. He had never been a bodyguard, but having been a policeman for years, his skills were excellent and his marksmanship even better. In the several shooting competitions organized by the department, he had taken first place every time.

But because he had been accidentally injured while arresting the major criminal Liu Zichen, he probably wouldn’t be here otherwise. He figured that after his injury healed, he would have just found a simple job.

Class was still in session. Jiang Sheng glanced inside; Du Yu’s gaze was now fixed on the blackboard. Jiang Sheng curled the corner of his mouth and thought: This kid, rarely so serious.

He checked his watch; only five minutes left until class ended. St. Paul’s was different from ordinary schools; class sessions lasted an hour, while the breaks were only five minutes—purely to ensure students didn’t wet their pants and cause a scandal.

Liao Wenqian emphasized interaction between teacher and students, as well as students’ independent thinking and self-study during class. She spoke little and preferred to have students answer questions.

She flipped a page in the book and said, “‘If I were a boy, I would roll out of bed in the morning.’ I would like to ask, can we remove this ‘if’ here? I’ll find a student to answer.”

Her gaze searched the class. Every pair of eyes was looking at her, and she quickly scanned over to Du Yu by the window. Actually, Liao Wenqian had been noticing him for a while. In her three years of teaching, she had never encountered a student like him.

The Du family had a massive estate; she hadn’t expected Du Yanyu’s son to be like this. Du Yu was clutching a photo frame, and although he was looking at the blackboard, judging by his eyes, he seemed to be spacing out.

She smiled. “Du Yu, you answer.” Her gaze fixed on him. Soon, the gaze of everyone in the class also fixed on him.

Ten seconds later, Du Yu had no reaction. Half a minute later, his gaze shifted toward the window. He didn’t stand up, and he didn’t say a word.

Liao Wenqian felt a bit awkward. Whispers came from the class, accompanied by the laughter of people watching a good show. “Damn, is this brat sick in the head?” “Haha, look at Melody’s face, it’s so sour.” …

Liao Wenqian gave an awkward smile to ease the tension. “Du Yu, did you hear me speaking? I am calling your name.”

Du Yu had no reaction. He sat there alone clutching his photo frame, his posture elegant. Even with his withdrawal, he possessed an innate, high-class air of a privileged child. Holding the photo frame, his expressionless face looked out the window. When he didn’t speak, he appeared somewhat cold.

The discussion below grew loud, and inevitably a few sentences reached Liao Wenqian’s ears. No matter how good her temper was, she was still a teacher. As a teacher, the most important thing in a classroom is to establish authority. Otherwise, if everyone were like Du Yu, wouldn’t the classroom fall into chaos?

Her tone became colder than before. “Class is in session right now. Student Du Yu, I hope you respect me.”

Still no reaction.

At this point, Liang Sinian suddenly stood up. “Teacher Liao, don’t be angry. Actually, Du Yu is very pitiable; he is deaf and mute.”

Liao Wenqian frowned. “Deaf and mute? The school never sent a notice about such a thing. Where did you find that out?”

Liang Sinian: “I guessed! I talked to him and he didn’t acknowledge me. I asked if he was a mute and he didn’t speak. If he’s not deaf and mute, what is he?”

Liao Wenqian had also just taken over this class and wasn’t well-versed in these circumstances. She looked at Du Yu; seeing his persistently unresponsive face, she also developed doubts about Liang Sinian’s words.

Just then, the bell for the end of class suddenly rang. Liao Wenqian packed her books and said, “I’ve noted this matter. That’s all for this lesson. Class dismissed.”

…

Although class was dismissed, many people in the class clearly hadn’t recovered from the farce. They were at the top of the pyramid; they had never tasted the hardships of the human world, so where would they ever encounter a deaf-mute? Furthermore, they didn’t believe a deaf-mute could enter St. Paul’s.

They were all curious, and combined with the fact that some were naturally inclined to mischief, many people gathered around at once.

Du Yu was surrounded by a crowd. Two or three Chinese students, and four or five White and Black students. “I heard you ride in a Rolls-Royce. Wow, is your family really rich?” “You’re so cool, can I be your friend in the future?” “You acted so well just now, Melody was totally fooled by you.” “I think your acting is pretty good; I’ll give you a chance to be my friend.” …

They chirped a lot of things, but Du Yu didn’t even lift an eyelid. Then, people began to doubt. “Are you really a mute?” “Hey, can you hear us? Are you faking it?” “He really seems to be deaf and mute; he truly can’t hear us talking.” “Hey!”

Now, in their eyes, Du Yu was an anomaly. And there are usually only two outcomes for an anomaly: either blend into the mainstream, or remain unconventional. The former is an outcome generally accepted by everyone, while the latter, because it goes against the grain, requires accepting the strange and mocking looks of the majority, or even malicious injury.

Zhao Youqi, who was closest to Du Yu, was a bit unhappy. He was an only child and had always been arrogant and conceited—especially after he had given Du Yu so much “face” only to be directly ignored. He was very displeased.

He shoved Du Yu, his tone not at all kind: “Hey!”

Du Yu turned his head and looked at him.

Zhao Youqi: “Are you faking it? Acting like this really makes me lose face.”

Someone nearby, watching for a joke, shouted, “Zhao Youqi, you’re losing face to a mute!”

At this mockery, Zhao Youqi instantly bristled. Someone nearby who didn’t want trouble tried to persuade him, “Maybe he really is a deaf person, don’t make a scene.”

There were many onlookers. Zhao Youqi tilted his chin up and saw the photo frame in his arms. Seeing Du Yu clutching it so tightly, he felt like causing trouble.

Someone said, “Who brings a photo to school? Is he an idiot?” “Let me see.”

Zhao Youqi always acted overbearingly; he directly reached out to snatch the photo frame.

This was the thing Du Yu cared about most. Now that someone was trying to snatch the thing he cared about most from his hands, Du Yu became very agitated. He held it tightly, his voice filled with the panic of a sudden stimulus as he shouted, “Won’t give! Won’t give!”

Regarding the matter of his brother, he couldn’t handle the slightest stimulation. This was his shadow, his darkness—the stain of terror attached to his young heart ten years ago that he could never forget.

The moment Du Li’s head was shot through, the instant blood burst from his forehead—as long as he was stimulated, this scene would play back in his mind and before his eyes like a dark film, spinning over and over countless times.

“Ah, he’s not a mute!” “I told you he was doing it on purpose to play us!” “Zhao Youqi, throw his thing over here to play with.”

Consequently, several more hands reached out at once, some prying at his arms, others picking at his fingers. Even though they used great force, Du Yu didn’t make a sound. His hands clutched the photo frame tightly.

“Won’t give! Won’t give!”

Du Yu tucked his head down, trying to bury the photo frame deep into his body. But he was outnumbered; with several people pinching and prying, the photo frame was almost snatched away by them.

Seeing that the photo frame was about to be taken, Du Yu shouted in panic, “Brother… Brother… don’t… don’t…”

With a “snap” sound.

The photo frame shattered.

That frame was the one Du Li had picked out the day they finished their photo session at the studio. The only one. Although he carried it with him, he had protected it very well over these ten years.

Unfortunately, some things simply cannot be kept for a lifetime.