The Best Of You (English Ver.) - Chapter 1
“Don’t play with him, his mother is a thief, he’s also an illegitimate child. No need to care about him.”
“Hey! Shen Nianshen, don’t follow us! Go away!”
“Shen Nianshen, did you take your classmate’s money? Ei, I’m asking you! Why don’t you say anything? If you don’t return the money, the teacher will check your drawers immediately!”
“I didn’t take it.” An eight-year-old boy bit his lip, holding back his tears so it wouldn’t flow out.
“Teacher, I saw him putting the money in his pocket.”
“Shen Nianshen, get it out quickly! Such a young age but doesn’t learn from good examples!”
The boy blinked with his red eyes, “That is the money from my grandmother. It’s mine.”
“Teacher, don’t believe him. He took my money, and it’s definitely him! He is a little thief, a little thief!”
“Little thief, Shen Nianshen is a little thief, Shen Nianshen is a little thief, little thief, little thief, little thief!” The classmates beside him began to join in the cheer, and the voice was even louder. They made the boy in the middle cry loudly, “I’m not a thief, no, I’m not…”
Shen Nianshen woke up from his nightmare, his entire body covered with sweat. In the dark, his dark eyes stared at the ceiling of his room. He was unable to move on the bed, his body shivered.
It’s been 12 years, but the nightmare from his childhood continues to follow as if it had entered his heart and was unable to be released.
He closed his eyes, squeezed his hands to stop his trembling body. However, he was still unable to control it.
His body struggled for a while, and he finally let go of his fist. Let fear overcame himself.
Time passed long enough until his body finally stopped shaking. Cold sweat clung onto his back, left a cold feeling. He sat on his bed, walked out of the room in the dark.
His footsteps were very light, worried he would wake his grandmother in the next room. Walking out of the house, he slowly opened the door. After coming out of the door, he immediately closed the door. Grabbing a cellphone to check the time, it was almost 10 pm.
The night sky in October, in a narrow alley, cold wind accompanied by sound. Shen Nianshen leaned against the wall, put his hand in his pants pocket, looked up to the stars in the night sky. The wind that blew away all the feelings of depression and despair in his heart.
Shen Nianshen stared at the dark sky for a moment, looked down, and grabbed a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He pulled out one stick and slipped it between his lips. He took a lighter and held the wind with his left hand to lit the cigarette. White smoke spread before his eyes, Shen Nianshen narrowed his eyes as he thought of something.
The alley was very quiet, but the noise from the highway could be heard from there. There was the sound of a speeding car, people talking and laughing, the noise of the crowd, also the sound of people who are fighting like crows, so noisy that sometimes it makes people feel upset.
After finishing a cigarette, Shen Nianshen smashed it with his feet and prepared to return home. When he turned around, the corner of his eye swept over a figure who was running into the alley.
Without realizing it, he turned his head. Before he could see that person clearly, suddenly he heard the voice of a girl screaming, “Little thief, don’t run! Stop it right there!”
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Today is the last day of the Chinese National Day holiday, Sun Tiantian and her best friend decide to hangout. After they finished watching at the cinema, they came to Linjiang Road to eat skewers. They both ate skewers until they had to spend around 200 dollars.
Unfortunately, her best friend’s stomach was not that good. After finishing overeating, she immediately runs to the toilet. Sun Tiantian stood on the side of the road and waited for her friend. Out of nowhere suddenly came a thief, pulled her bag, and quickly ran away.
Sun Tiantian was angry, but because today she was wearing a skirt and high heels, she couldn’t run at all. Seeing the thief run into the alley, she chased a few steps, but the high heels made her difficult to move. She could only stand at the end of the alley and shout, “Goddamn it! If this Big Miss catches you up, I will surely beat you to death!”
She was angry while crouching slightly to take off her high heels, with one hand carrying the shoes, and she chased the thief with bare feet.
After taking off her shoes, she ran much faster. Sun Tiantian was so upset that until the smoke seemed to come out from her head, charging at the thief while shouting, “Hey! Stop it right there! Give back my bag!”
The more Sun Tiantian shouted, the faster the thief ran. Hugging the bag that he robbed into his arms while running, he occasionally looked back to see whether Sun Tiantian managed to catch up or not.
Sun Tiantian usually didn’t do sports, and her feet had been stepping on small pebbles, it was hurting. That also makes her speed much slower. After chased him for a long time, the thief had gotten even farther away.
The thief saw that Sun Tiantian didn’t catch up with him; he felt relieved and ran faster. However, just as he turned around, his footsteps suddenly stopped. The thief shouted ‘ah’ loudly, and then his entire body fell forward on the ground.
The thief fell with a ‘thump’ sound on the ground, didn’t have time to think about the pain, tried to get up to continue running.
Shen Nianshen stepped forward and took his arm, twisted it back, and pressed his body against the wall. The thief arm’s arm, his face forced to stick to the wall, he shouted, “I’m wrong, I’m wrong! Brother, I’m wrong, please let me go!”
Shen Nianshen’s energy was powerful, the thief tried to struggle, but he was unable to escape, so he could only admit his mistake.
Sun Tiantian, who was barefoot, quickly ran there, “Let you go?! No way!”
She was outraged and hit the thief’s head with her high heels, then looked at the person next to her, “Thank …”
The word ‘thank you’ hadn’t said out completely, but her whole body was stunned. Sun Tiantian stared straight at Shen Nianshen, her heart like being hit by something with a ‘peng’ sound as there were ripples of water inside.
There was only one thought in her head: Very… very handsome!
Shen Nianshen wore a short-sleeved white T-shirt with black trousers. Under the dim street lights, the pair of eyes were so dark and deep, his eyes so calm and boundless. His nose was sharp, and his lips were thin and drawn like a straight line. Overall, his facial lines were sturdy and masculine.
Sun Tiantian only stared straight at him, unable to prevent her gaze. Suddenly a voice that was already very familiar in her ears sounded uneasy, “Tiantian!”
Sun Tiantian regained her consciousness, looked sideways, and looked at the source of the voice, “Xinyu, I’m here.”
Lu Xinyu rushed to approach her and saw the situation, “What happened?”
Sun Tiantian pointed to the thief being held by Shen Nianshen, “He stole my bag, this classmate helped me to catch him.”
When she said this, her eyes stared at Shen Nianshen, and her eyes were sparkling.
Shen Nianshen looked at him indifferently, impatiently reminding her, “Call the Police?”
“Ah! Right! Call the police!” Sun Tiantian suddenly remembered, she bent down and took her bag that had been dropped by the thief, looked for a cellphone and called 110. The telephone was connected quickly, Sun Tiantian immediately said, “Police Uncle, I want to report a case! Someone is robbing on the road!”
After reporting, the police soon arrived at the location.
Shen Nianshen worked together to go to the police station and make a testimony. After he finished, he came out and prepared to back home. Sun Tiantian had also completed testifying inside. She rushed out to look around. However, she could not find the whereabouts of that boy. She immediately ran to ask the police officer in the hall, “Police Sister, did you see a young man who came with us?”
“You mean that tall and handsome boy?”
“Correct!”
“After he finished his testimony, he left immediately. Oh, he just left.”
“Thank you!” Sun Tiantian thanked her, turned to run out.
She found Shen Nianshen standing on the side of the road and waiting for a traffic light. Sun Tiantian’s eyes sparkled, hurrying to catch up, “Classmate!”
After reaching the side of Shen Nianshen, because she was too excited, she unconsciously held Shen Nianshen’s arms tightly, “Classmate, just now …”
She hadn’t finished the sentence, the boy suddenly pulled his arm roughly, his brows furrowed, and a glance at her with a disgust look. Sun Tiantian only could stare blankly at him.
Shen Nianshen put his hand in his pocket, his voice was cold, “Don’t touch me.”
Sun Tiantian felt awkward, opening his mouth, “Sorry.”
She squeezed his hand and smiled happily, “Thank you for helping me earlier. My name is Sun Tiantian, and I am a sophomore from the Department of Fine Arts at A University.”
Shen Nianshen did not look at her, and his eyes stared straight on the road.
Sun Tiantian saw the person ignoring her, thought for a moment then asked, “What is your name? Can I have your phone number? Today you have helped me, so I want to invite you to had some….”
Before the word ‘meal’ came out, the person beside her who didn’t even glance at her since the beginning, already walked straight ahead after the traffic light turned green.
Sun Tiantian’s mouth opened slightly, staring blankly at Shen Nianshen who was crossing the street. His body was very tall, and his posture was straight. With his hands in his pocket, even the shadow of his back was unusually handsome!
Sun Tiantian crossed her arms over her chest, tilted her head and her mouth bent with a smile. Her eyes were gazing in the direction Shen Nianshen was walking. He was too handsome, but … hmm, but looked like the person was very unfriendly.
When she was thinking, suddenly her shoulder was patted by someone, “Watch out, don’t be silly because of love.”
Sun Tiantian turned and looked at Lu Xinyu, her eyes shrunk, “That guy, isn’t he superb handsome?”
Lu Xinyi smiled at him, “Then, what do you want to do?”
Sun Tiantian hugged Lu Xinyu’s arm and walked forward, laughed, and said, “Guess what.”
Lu Xinyu clicked, “Ah, your feelings are overflowing.”
Sun Tiantian smiled until her eyes were crescent-shaped. After a while, she sighed regretfully, “It’s just that I don’t know which school he goes to.”