The Slip Into the Pool Chapter 3

"What are you looking at?"

During the physical education class, Owen Zhou raised his hand and waved in front of Max Ye's eyes. When it failed to call back his soul, he followed his line of sight and looked across.

There is only one big playground in No. 6 Middle School, and several classes often have physical education classes together. Owen Zhou spent a long time trying to identify them, and his face gradually became ferocious: "Fcuk, Class 1, no wonder Yi Ran was putting on makeup in the classroom just now. I thought she was getting ready to go out and play with me."

Max Ye was absent-minded and said slowly, "I'm not going out with you alone, why are you so excited?"

Owen Zhou was hit hard, and his face was downcast for a long time. He walked along the track and came back to feel better. He asked Max Ye heartlessly: "Are you coming tonight? Everyone is here."

Max Ye didn't look over there again. He stepped and crushed the grass with his toes, looking very worried. He took out the car keys from his pocket and threw them to Owen Zhou: "You guys go play."

During the afternoon break, Emily Sun, who ran to the back row to play, saw that Max Ye was not in good spirits, so she took a bottle of yogurt from her bag and gave it to him: "Are you really not going later? I heard that Ryan Liu got two bottles of good wine, waiting for you to open them yourself."

Max Ye was not motivated. He held his head with one hand and picked at the yogurt packaging with the other hand: "This is at school. Aren't you afraid of being caught by Old Sun?"

Emily Sun suddenly shuddered, turned her head and looked around, then turned back and patted Max Ye's shoulder in a reproachful manner: "You scared me to death."

They have been playing together since junior high school and have witnessed each other's growth from childish kids to rebellious teenagers. Their personalities are completely different and they have developed separately. They are not very compatible and quarrels and conflicts are common. It is a fate that they can play together until now.

As the only girl in the group, Emily Sun was well taken care of by everyone. Even though Max Ye didn't like close contact with people, he didn't show any dislike or impatience when facing her intimate actions. He stepped back calmly and leaned lazily on the back of the chair: "By the way, how is your academic boyfriend going?"

When Emily Sun was mentioned, she blushed, revealing a completely different attitude from when she was with them: "What boyfriend? I haven't even started dating yet."

"Call him out tonight so that everyone can get to know each other."

Max Ye regretted what he said. Why did he call Ethan Cheng over? Was he afraid that everyone would not know about the mess in their family?

Fortunately, Emily Sun didn't intend to agree, and said shyly: "He is very busy at night and has no time to attend these time-wasting parties."

Emily Sun is just like his father, a chemistry teacher, who speaks directly and is good at making sarcastic remarks. There was no evening self-study on Friday, so Owen Zhou sat in the driver's seat and prepared to show off his skills. Emily Sun beat and kicked him and pushed him out of the car: "How dare you sit here without a driver's license? Do you want to take us to death with you?"

The car was parked at the edge of the green belt at the corner of the school. Max Ye originally planned to hand the car over to them and leave, but Leo Liao happened to pass by on a bicycle and heard their argument. He immediately got off the car and stopped it. He advised across the fence of the sidewalk: "Student Zhou, you are not yet an adult, you cannot drive a motor vehicle."

Owen Zhou was annoyed when he saw him: "We are not in school now, so stay out of my business."

Leo Liao stopped talking and took out his cell phone to dial. Owen Zhou, holding a cigarette in his mouth, asked him nonchalantly if he wanted to report to the teacher again. Leo Liao pressed the dial button and said in a resounding voice: "Call the police."

Owen Zhou's ancestors had been in the army for three generations, so they were very strict with him. Therefore, Owen Zhou was the most rebellious among the group of people. However, he was a coward. Under the pressure of his family, he was timid even when he did something minor. If his family knew about his crimes, they would break his legs.

It was always bad luck to meet the squad leader. Owen Zhou was so angry that he almost climbed the fence to beat him up. In the end, he had no choice but to be their driver at Emily Sun's request. When he arrived at the door of Ryan Liu's club, he was dragged in by several friends and reluctantly joined the party.

He used to like playing with them. Just like Emily Sun said, it was a waste of time anyway, and it was better to have a good time than to be bored at home.

But today was different, or rather, it was different these days. He had something on his mind and was feeling restless. Owen Zhou and the others urged him to open the bottle of wine, but he was not in the mood. He just pressed the bottle opener down casually, and when he pulled it out, the wine splashed all over Ryan Liu who was standing next to him.

Ryan Liu didn't care at all and took off his clothes on the spot, wearing only a vest, and rolled up the dirty shirt and threw it into the trash can. Emily Sun asked him why he didn't take it home to wash it and continue wearing it. Ryan Liu said disdainfully: "This was bought by my stepmother. I wear it to give my father face. If it's dirty, why keep it?"

Ryan Liu's family was in the real estate business. Their family was prosperous and had many branches. They looked harmonious and peaceful on the outside, but the dirty things inside were only known to themselves. However, Ryan Liu never shied away from it, so they just listened to it.

The topic went off topic. Owen Zhou's family was full of loving father and filial son, and they were particularly curious about other people's family secrets. Together with Emily Sun, they pestered Ryan Liu with questions such as "Is your stepmother pretty?", "I heard you have a younger brother?", "Aren't you afraid that he will come and steal your property?", etc.

Normally Max Ye could listen to these as stories, but now he can't do that.

He thought of his mother, Laura Luo. As far as he could remember, his mother had never left home. She cooked, watered the flowers, and took care of everything at home. She smiled every day, waiting for him and his son to come back. The words "gentle, virtuous, and virtuous" seemed tailor-made for her.

If she was a canary kept at home, James Ye's behavior might be slightly justified in the eyes of others, but everyone knows that the famous Ye family used to be surnamed Luo. The old man of the Luo family made his fortune by selling Chinese herbal medicine. He had no children and treated his son-in-law as his own family, teaching him all his life experience. In the end, he did not live a peaceful life. He was diagnosed with cancer in his forties and passed away within two years, leaving his daughter behind. Before the body was cold, the son-in-law changed the company's name to Ye.

James Ye's achievements today are mostly attributed to his father-in-law. Max Ye sometimes feels ashamed and even feels unfair for his mother's meekness and obedience.

Perhaps only James Ye himself was so proud of himself that he had the nerve to ignore those rumors. Not only did he have the leisure to grow flowers and plants outside, he also had an illegitimate child who was older than Max Ye.

The half-empty beer bottle in his hand was crumpled into a ball. Owen Zhou turned around after hearing the noise, thinking that Max Ye was unhappy about being ignored, and brought him a glass of red wine with a smile: "Our Ah Qin's birthday is also next month, right? Do you want me to help you with it? Then ask Ryan Liu to contribute a few bottles of good wine..."

Max Ye didn't listen any further. His thoughts were like the tide, once they were dispersed, they could not be taken back. He was the oldest among the group, in fact, he was only 18 years old. The birthday on his ID card was moved forward by James Ye by one year in order to let him go to elementary school earlier, so that he would not be naughty and make trouble at home all day.

Max Ye did not understand this good intention before, but now he is forced to understand it even though he does not want to - what would it mean if the legitimate child is younger than the illegitimate child?

The bordeaux glass hit the table and the stem broke with a snap.

Max Ye had been spoiled since childhood. What kind of good things had he not seen? He did not understand wine, nor did he like to taste it. Facing Owen Zhou and Emily Sun's shouting, he did not feel distressed at all.

It was less than ten o'clock in the evening. Emily Sun, who had access control, was sent home first. Then Ryan Liu suggested going to Dylan Zhao's house to play games. Max Ye had just gone crazy, but his mood calmed down for the time being. He held the steering wheel, stared coldly ahead, and the car drove smoothly on the road.

Ryan Liu and Dylan Zhao were studying at an international high school. They both lived in the east of the city. When they passed by Yulin Road, they saw a 24-hour convenience store in the distance. Owen Zhou, who was sitting in the back seat, patted the back of the driver's seat and said, "Aqin, stop for a minute. Let's buy some food. We'll get hungry easily if we play games all night."

Max Ye parked the car on the side of the road as he was told. The three drunks made the car full of smoke, so he got out of the car and went into the convenience store with them, ready to buy some sweets to change his mood and breathe some fresh air.

All his frankness was simply for show. In fact, he had been hesitating secretly for a whole week, still hoping for the best. The capital was so big, and there was no reason for him to meet someone he couldn't even meet in a small No. 6 Middle School before he was fully prepared.

However, at 11 o'clock in the evening of that day, Max Ye unexpectedly but reasonably had a formal meeting with Ethan Cheng.

Owen Zhou was the first to recognize the person. He was holding a few bottles of beer and leaned over to ask for the direction of the cashier: "Excuse me, where is the shopping basket?"

Before the cashier could answer, he yelled "Fcuk!" and went back behind the shelf, lowering his voice and swearing fiercely: "It's a narrow road for enemies to cross."

Max Ye was looking at cakes and sweets on the shelf near the cash register. The convenience store had a small variety of food, and there were no foreign brands that he was used to. After picking and choosing for a long time, he only took a pack of jam candies that looked okay.

Owen Zhou was usually noisy, so he was too lazy to pay attention to him. It was not until Owen Zhou ran up to him and made him look back that he noticed who the cashier was.

"Just when I was about to deal with him, he walked right into my trap." Owen Zhou was a little impatient and a little excited. "This is God's arrangement. I can't blame you."

Among the few people, Dylan Zhao was the most active. When he was in junior high school, he led a group of middle school boys to test the edge of violating school rules and regulations. It was a miracle that he survived to this day. He heard that the man in front of him was Owen Zhou's rival in love. Not only did he make Emily Sun confused, but he also refused to admit that he was her boyfriend. So, based on brotherhood, he immediately rolled his eyes and came up with a plan.

Max Ye didn't listen carefully to their so-called "deployment". He said in his heart that he didn't care, but his eyes were involuntarily focused on the cash register across several shelves.

From a close distance, Ethan Cheng was taller than he had imagined. His head almost touched the top shelf, and he could easily reach the top without having to stand on tiptoe or raise his arms to get things. In addition to his figure, his appearance was not like many of his peers who had blurred features at this age. He had the shadow of an adult but also the childishness of a child. Ethan Cheng's facial contours were three-dimensional, and the shadows created by his brow bones and nose bridge were deep and smooth. With his thin lips with clear lines, he was indeed the type that would make Emily Sun's heart flutter.

There were few people in this area at night. His back was as straight as a pine tree, only his neck was slightly bent, and his eyes were looking straight down. He was concentrating on something and was not affected by the noise here at all. Max Ye saw his hand on the counter move and a page of paper turned over, and then he realized that there was a book behind the cash register.

Sleep during evening self-study and study while working. It turns out that the top student is the best at making use of time.

Max Ye finished his observation, and the three people over there just finished their discussion. Dylan Zhao took the lead, wandering to the side and back of the cashier counter, bending over to look at the cigarettes on the counter. Owen Zhou and Ryan Liu attacked from the front, one knocked on the counter, and the other asked: "Is there a Yellow Crane Tower here?"

Ethan Cheng turned his eyes away from the book and looked at the two people in front of him. He changed roles very quickly and said politely: "Sorry, no."

"What about Su cigarettes, platinum or agarwood?" Ryan Liu's father is a heavy smoker. He has been influenced by his father since he was a child and can easily name all the expensive cigarettes available on the market.

Ethan Cheng: "Neither do I."

His voice was calm and cool, and the texture was also cold, like the low-frequency vibration produced by striking some metal, and he spoke in a way that sounded as if it was natural. Max Ye stood behind the crowd and looked at him. In a trance, he had some strange thoughts, thinking that such a person should not be here at all.

Owen Zhou tapped the glass plate of the counter again, frowned and asked: "What do you have here?"

Others might not notice anything, but Max Ye grew up with them and spent 300 days out of the 365 days a year together. When Owen Zhou blinked, he knew that the guy was intimidated. He glanced at the counter and saw Dylan Zhao move a little. He raised his wrist, allowing something to slip quietly into Ethan Cheng's sweatpants pocket.

The latter didn't notice at all, and quickly glanced at the counter and replied, "We have soft Zhonghua cigarettes, 68 per pack."

It’s a small convenience store, but this is already the most expensive retail cigarette.

Dylan Zhao had finished his work. He patted his but.t and stood up straight. He walked out from the side of the counter, put his hands in his pockets, and looked impatient: "Just soft Zhonghua, two packs."

After checking out and collecting money, the group of four left the supermarket, but within five minutes, they returned in a large group.

After searching in vain, Owen Zhou ran to the person behind the cashier and asked, "Hey, have you seen my brother's watch?"