HCILH Ch. 1

Chapter 1: First Encounter

Sui Houyu never expected that while waiting for someone, he would get to witness a farcical scene.

It was quite amusing.

*

By mid-August, most of the summer vacation had passed.

The heat was so hot that it was unbearable.

Though there had been a brief drizzle earlier in the morning, by now, all signs of the rain had vanished.

The dry ground showed no trace of moisture, not even in the shadows. Everything exposed to the sunlight seemed to be steaming, with the air filled with the faint smell of melting asphalt.

The cicadas were buzzing tirelessly as if trying to prove to the world that they hadn’t been roasted yet, their resilience still intact.

Sui Houyu leaned against the railing, feeling its warmth through his clothes.

He looked down at the drink in his hand, lazily holding it with one hand, idly fiddling with the pull tab before taking a sip, casting a bored gaze around the area.

Had it not been for the map navigation, he wouldn’t have known such a place even existed in the city.

This place, Xiangjia Alley, required a drive on the highway towards a neighboring city, exiting halfway and then driving for another half hour to reach it.

It was practically nestled between two cities, with Xiangjia Alley in the middle.

And yet, this isolated place still counted as part of the city’s six districts, like an outlier cut off from the rest of the city.

He glanced around. There were no tall buildings here—at most, the structures reached six or seven stories. Disabled person vehicles trundled along the roads. The restaurants were mostly small eateries with signs advertising xx rustic, home-style dishes.

Tourism was starting to develop in the area, and the environment was serene, with mountains and rivers nearby, making for a leisurely life.

Overall, it wasn’t too bad. He wondered if he might be able to see the stars at night.

He had just finished a phone call with the owner of the guesthouse, who said they were playing mahjong and would come to pick him up after finishing the game. They told him to wait a little while longer.

It was the quintessential slow-paced small-town life.

After hanging up, he noticed a notification at the top of his phone screen that someone had mentioned him in a class group chat. He opened the chat and saw that his classmates were furiously ranting, seemingly on the verge of organizing a fight.

Scrolling through the chat history, he saw that someone had shared a screenshot from a chat where people from Fenghua Private High School were openly dissing Sui Houyu.

He opened the screenshot, which contained insults about how he was disliked by both cats and dogs, had a repulsive face, and had poor manners.

Then, they went on to boast about how handsome and incredible their school bully was, excelling in both academics and sports, almost like a child of destiny. A Godsend. Some girls were even worried that Sui Houyu might cause trouble for their school bully once the school year started.

Sui Houyu glanced at it briefly before closing the chat.

His high school had merged with another one to raise its status, and starting from the new semester, students from both schools would attend classes together.

Both sides were buzzing with gossip, and some had even infiltrated the other school’s group chat to act as undercover spies.

Clearly, this summer vacation had left them with too much free time.

Sui Houyu typed into the group chat: “In a way, their assessment of me is quite objective.”

Ran Shu replied: “Repulsive face? They clearly don’t know what true beauty is.”

Former class monitor: “Warning: dangerous adjectives ahead.”

Ran Shu: “Oh… I don’t mean to grovel; my knees just got a bit weak.”

Sui Houyu chuckled and ignored the conversation, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

While he continued to wait, he happened to witness two boys putting on a poorly acted show.

Not far from Sui Houyu, a girl stood, having just come out of a convenience store.

She was tall, her hair tied in a ponytail, dressed simply in a t-shirt and denim shorts. Her skin was a healthy shade of tan, giving off a fierce, confident vibe. She was quite attractive.

First, a young thug approached her, trying to flirt, saying, “Hey, little girl, give me your WeChat so we can chat.”

The girl’s response was blunt: “Scram.”

Then, the thug got rough, reaching out to grab her arm as if to drag her away.

Just as they started to argue, another boy suddenly rushed out to play the hero, shouting, “Stop!”

The way he shouted those words was so dramatic that it made Sui Houyu laugh.

The thug glared at Sui Houyu, clearly warning him not to interfere.

Sui Houyu cooperated and obligingly pulled his luggage aside, making space for them to perform their little drama without interruption.

Because the suitcase made noise as it moved, the girl glanced over at Sui Houyu.

Just one look.

But once she looked, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

Suí Houyu could be described as a “manga heartthrob,” as if he had stepped right out of a comic book.

Well… probably a shoujo manga, since no one would dare draw a guy like that otherwise.

His eyes and eyebrows were striking, almost a little too delicate, with a height of 183 cm paired with a devastatingly handsome face that could bring disaster to the country and its people.

His hair was thick and black, with a natural curl, making his already small face appear even smaller. 

His thick eyebrows framed a pair of expressive, clear eyes with long, dense lashes to match his abundant hair. His nose was high but not overly so, with a small, sharp tip, and his lips had a soft pink hue, the corners slightly lifted in a playful smirk.

The girl kept staring at Sui Houyu, so much so that she missed the entire brawl between the two boys.

The show was full of action, but it had lost its audience.

By the time the boy who had tried to save her came over to chat her up, the girl finally snapped out of it and looked at him.

“Are you okay?” the boy asked, standing in front of her.

After looking at Sui Houyu and then at this boy, she couldn’t help but feel that there was a psychological gap.

The boy, well… his features were unusual, to say the least.

How to describe his appearance?

If you had to force a comparison, terms like “eccentric” and “disjointed” might apply.

One of his eyes was slightly larger than the other, with one single eyelid and the other double. Oddly enough, the double eyelid was on the larger eye. His eyes were spaced a bit wide apart, though his nose was decent, and his mouth was normal. However, together, his features just didn’t work.

It was as if each feature had its own agenda, none agreeing with the others.

The girl casually replied: “I’m fine.”

The boy pressed on: “I’m worried that thug might bother you again. Where are you headed? I can walk you home.”

The girl clearly wasn’t interested, and after thinking it over, shook her head and declined. Then she walked over to Sui Houyu: “Hey handsome^[1], can you walk me home? That guy was creeping on me, and I’m a little scared.”

What does it mean to “graft flowers onto a tree”?

This is what it means to graft naturally and seamlessly^[2].

Sui Houyu crushed the empty drink can in his hand and tossed it into a nearby trash bin, hitting the mark perfectly. He responded casually, “Tsk, who are you calling ‘handsome’?”

He really disliked the term “handsome”; it always felt odd and sarcastic to him. Couldn’t people just talk normally?

“My bad, should I call you little brother then?” the girl joked.

Sui Houyu ignored her, taking out some gum from his pocket and popping two pieces into his mouth.

The girl’s gaze lingered on his profile, and she unconsciously swallowed a bit of saliva. Reluctantly, she continued to ask: “Are you waiting for someone?”

Sui Houyu’s side profile was simply flawless, his nose and jawline forming a beautiful curve. When he lowered his head, his fluffy hair fell forward, perfectly framing his forehead with its soft curls.

Such beauty wasn’t something you often saw in real life. After all, technology hadn’t advanced enough to put a beauty filter over the human eye.

Sui Houyu mumbled an affirmative, noticing that the guesthouse owner had sent him a live location on WeChat. Opening it, he saw the owner walking towards him.

He stood up, and only then did the girl notice the black cat in his backpack. The cat had piercing green eyes and looked both cold and cool.

The girl followed him and asked, “This cat is gorgeous. What’s its name?”

“Da Ge.” Sui Houyu replied softly.

“Huh?” The girl didn’t catch it.

“The cat’s name is Da Ge^[3].”

The girl burst into laughter. “That’s a fitting name—it matches its aura.”

The would-be savior looked on in bewilderment as the girl walked off with someone else. He couldn’t help but be completely speechless at how the situation had turned out, just watching the two people in a dull manner.

After they had left, the thug reappeared, grumbling: “Did we just get outplayed?”

“Tsk, what a day. Do girls really prefer those pretty-boy types now? I mean, that guy…” The boy choked for a moment, then reluctantly admitted, “Well, I guess he was pretty good-looking. But still, I’m not bad either!”

The thug didn’t bother responding. Even for his friend, he couldn’t bring himself to lie against his conscience..

The rogue boy sighed: “All for nothing, and I got hit by you several times for no reason.”

The two boys still weren’t convinced and continued to squat side by side on the curb, looking dejected.

*

The person who came to pick up Sui Houyu had a slight limp.

Sui Houyu noticed this and took the initiative to drag his suitcase toward him.

The landlord looked to be in his thirties, slightly chubby, and glanced at the girl walking away before asking, “Do you need to wait for her?”

“I don’t know her.”

“Not your girlfriend?”

“Nope.”

The landlord offered to help Sui Houyu with the suitcase, but Sui Houyu refused.

The landlord chuckled, “I thought you were renting the place to stay with your girlfriend. Turns out you’re not?”

“I’m living alone.”

“So, why’d you decide to stay here?”

“Seems like there’s been strict control lately. I’m underage, and no one’s renting to me.”

The landlord nodded understandingly. “Yeah, no one really checks here. It’s pretty free. But if you’re renting a place, what about your family?”

Sui Houyu followed the landlord into the apartment building, carrying his suitcase up the stairs. He replied, “I didn’t tell either family.”

“Either family?”

“Yeah, they’re divorced and each has their own family now, so it’s two families, isn’t it?”

Sui Houyu didn’t mention that since he had moved out, neither family had noticed. They both thought he was living at the other household.

The landlord didn’t ask any more questions after that, only explaining some rules for living there and pointing out nearby stores. Finally, he said, “The cleaning lady usually comes around ten every day. If you don’t want to be disturbed, just set the lock outside the door to ‘Do Not Disturb,’ and you’re good to go. Just press this button inside, and the cleaner won’t come in.”

“Got it.”

Sui Houyu sat in the living room, listening as the landlord’s whistling faded away. He quietly took out his phone and ordered earplugs.

Even with the door closed, the whistling in the hallway was still heard so clearly. The soundproofing left much to be desired.

His sleep quality was awful, and he was especially particular about noise.

*

After organizing his belongings, Sui Houyu looked around the place. Before he knew it, it was already evening. He decided to head downstairs for a walk and get some dinner.

Not long after he left, he spotted the guy who had rescued the girl and the thug walking shoulder to shoulder.

Sui Houyu’s mood had been brightened by these two all day, and when he saw them again, he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

The two of them clearly saw him as well, and it was a case of enemies meeting, eyes blazing with hatred.

Especially since Sui Houyu’s mocking laughter hit a nerve, provoking them as they started walking toward him.

As they approached, their movements were aggressive, their arms swinging as they swaggered over. They tried to throw an arm around Sui Houyu’s shoulder, but he dodged with ease.

The guy who had rescued the girl earlier jerked his chin toward an alleyway and sneered: “Hey man, wanna take a stroll through the alley?”

It sounded like some sort of code, implying they wanted to settle things in a fight and regain their dignity.

Sui Houyu, feeling he had nothing better to do, actually agreed and followed them into the alley.

Before entering the alley, the two boys planned to teach Sui Houyu a lesson. Within five minutes had passed, the alley echoed with their miserable wails, even more dramatic than the tortured screams of villains in TV shows.

The alley’s atmosphere was bizarre. No one outside paid attention to the racket. Passersby didn’t even quicken their pace, going about their business as if nothing unusual was happening.

Soon, another boy slowly strolled into the alley, glancing around curiously, as if trying to figure out who was fighting whom.

The two guys spotted the boy and seemed to have found their savior, excitedly shouting: “Senior Brother^[4]!”

“Mm.” The boy they addressed as Senior Brother lazily responded. He propped himself with his arms, sat on an oil drum, and asked, “What’s going on?”

Only on closer inspection could one see there was a wooden plank on top of the oil drum for sitting. Clearly, this was a spot these boys frequented.

Seeing a new arrival, Sui Houyu obligingly stopped his assault. The other two, though outnumbered now, didn’t seem to fear him. They just waited while the new guy took his seat.

Bored, Sui Houyu fished a pack of gum out of his pocket and popped two pieces into his mouth.

As the Senior Brother listened to his friends’ scattered explanations, he glanced briefly at Sui Houyu before quickly looking away.

After hearing the story, Senior Brother calmly remarked, “So you tried to provoke him, failed, and got beat up instead. Well, serves you right. Go ahead, little bro, keep at it.”

With that, he made a “do as you please” gesture, inviting Sui Houyu to continue, and genuinely didn’t interfere.

Sui Houyu raised his eyebrows, surprised by his attitude. This guy just sat there, casually watching the fight unfold.

With a shrug, Sui Houyu glanced at the two boys, who were already a mess, raised his fists and resumed the beating.

Senior Brother, watching from up close, could tell that Sui Houyu knew how to fight.

Sui Houyu’s moves were clean and practical, unlike flashy martial arts for show. Even though the two boys were athletic, they couldn’t match him. It was no wonder they were getting thrashed.

His friends, like punching bags, kept trying to fight back but couldn’t land a hit.

Their moves were full of frustration and futility, their screams filled with bitterness, causing Senior Brother to click his tongue in sympathy: “Ouch. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

At the sound, Sui Houyu paused, momentarily suspicious that Senior Brother was planning something sneaky.

He suddenly turned his head, and Senior Brother blinked at him, puzzled: “What? You not satisfied with the fight anymore?”

With that, he pulled out his phone, switched on the flashlight, and offered: “Want me to light it up for you?”

Sui Houyu figured this guy was probably a weirdo.

But he decided not to dwell on it.

“Oh, nothing,” Sui Houyu said and resumed the fight.

After a while, the two boys started calling for their Senior Brother again: “Senior Brother! Senior Brother!”

He promptly refused: “Not helping.”

“But, Senior Brother, at least break it up!”

“Oh, right.” He finally moved.

It was easy to break up the fight, mostly because Sui Houyu stopped on his own.

The two beaten boys looked at each other and, without a word, scurried behind Senior Brother for protection.

This fight had ended with zero dignity.

Important notes from the author:

Hou Mo doesn’t like to be called Brother Hou and is instead nicknamed Senior Brother.

Omake:

This is a group of immature kids navigating their silly youth, each with different personalities and maybe some flaws. There’s growth, healing, and a lot of passion.

Sui Houyu: This is too literary.

Hou Mo: This is a story where I pick up my racket to love you and put it down to crush you.

Sui Houyu: You might want to rethink your choice of words.

Hou Mo: I can’t hug you with a racket, but I’ll beat you without one.