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Mars Synopsis / Episode guides

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | to be continued

Translated by laiou2002 of http://www.vicpower.net

In the Guidance Office

"What's on your mind? Have you put any effort into studying? You have gone from the top student in the entrance examination to performing so poorly that you have to cheat on exams." Teacher Shi scolded Ling, pointing a pencil at him and knocking angrily on the desk.

"You apparently could have done much better..." Teacher said as Ling picked up a piece of paper from Teacher Shi's desk. Teacher Shi stopped talking and grabbed the paper back from Ling.

"Why don't you get serious?" Teacher Shi said as he angrily patted his desk.

Meanwhile a female teacher came in. Ling looked over her dress as she walked past Ling to her desk.

"Hey! Little sweetie teacher, Today you dress differently, wearing a skirt, which suits your really well. This way, nobody will know you are an old maid." Ling said to the female teacher.

"Thank you. Delinquent youth." The female teacher said, looking up at Ling indignantly.

"You are welcome." Ling said, smiling at her. Teacher Shi rolled his eyes upward and patted his forehead.

"Chen Ling. I'm talking to you." Teacher Shi yelled at Ling. Ling immediately turned to face Teacher Shi.

"Where were you?" Ling asked. Teacher Shi signed and pick up a pencil.

"Do you know that, to allow you to continue schooling, how many times your father has come to school to plead for you and called school and how much money he has donated?" Teacher Shi said as he waved angrily with the pencil.

"How come he still doesn't understand his own son? Teacher, if I continue study for a few more years, it will be just wasting his money. Why don't you suggest him to donate the money instead? I mean it." Ling said.

Teacher Shi sighed and dropped his pencil.

"Do you have any dream for your future?" Teacher Shi asked.

"Yes. Of course I have." Ling answered.

"Fine. Tell me about it." Teacher Shi asked, pointing his finger at Ling.

"For example, there are many girls to date in my life. I'm free to do whatever I want everyday." Ling said.

"Moreover, the most important thing is we can both reach climax every time.” Ling said, leaning toward Teacher Shi.

Teacher Shi got so angry that he stood up.

"Chen Ling. To what extent, are you going to corrupt yourself?" Teacher Shi yelled at Ling.

Ling bumped into Qiluo when he was walking down the stairs

"You wear something red today. Very unusual” Ling said.

"All my clothes are at the cleaner. This belongs to my mother." Qiluo said.

"You didn't go to the department chairman's class. He seemed to be looking for you." Qiluo told Ling.

"Oh... I overslept this morning because I stayed late watching adult movies yesterday." Ling said.

"Why do you always have to talk in this way in front of girls?" Qiluo asked Ling.

"Sorry, I take it back." Ling said.

"I know you do it deliberately. You'd like to protect yourself in this way." Qiluo said.

"Is that right?" Ling said.

"You don't have to concern yourself about Daye and me. Nothing is going to happen between us. But that doesn't mean that I'll keep on bothering you. You don't have to treat me with that kind of terrible attitude. We're simply just friends, who get to meet each other because of paining." Qiluo said.

"I haven't got any good friend except for Daye. He's the only name I list under friends and relatives in my credit card information." Ling said.

"In that case, let's stop seeing each other after I finish the painting." Qiluo said.

Ling nodded his head to agree. Qiluo walked past him to climb up the stairs.

"Wei." Ling called to stop her. Qiluo turned sideway and looked downward at Ling.

"I heard we both are fools." Ling told Qiluo. Ling turned and walked downstairs.

In the cafeteria

Qiluo sat alone at a table. Daye came downstairs and saw Qiluo. He turned to leave. Ling was behind him.

"Wei, wei. What are you doing? It's time to eat." Ling stopped him.

"I'll skip it." Daye said. Ling looked ahead and saw Qiluo.

"Let's go. We'll eat together." Ling put his arm around Daye and forced Daye to go with him.

"Wei. How about we sit together?" Ling asked Qiluo, standing at the table where Qiluo sat. Ling pushed Daye to sit down and then sat down himself.

"I've got something else to do. I'm leaving. You guys eat." Daye said and then stood up.

"You sit. I've already eaten." Qiluo stood up too.

Ling stood up and sighed heavily.

"Fine. Let's eat together." Daye said.

Daye sat down. Qiluo followed.

"You guys eat." Ling said, still standing.

"I see some friends over there. I'm going there to chat with them." Ling said. Ling picked up his backpack and left..

Daye stood up, watching Ling walking over to another table.

"Ho ho, Dear, long time no see." Ling said loudly to his ex-girlfriend as he walked over to another table.

"Hello." His ex-girlfriend said.

"Do you guys want sit together?" Ling asked.

"But, there aren't enough seats." His ex-girlfriend said.

"No matter. You move over a little bit. We can sneeze in." Ling said.

His ex-girlfriend stood up. Ling sat in her seat.

"You can sit on my lap." Ling said as he pulled her to sit on his lap.

"I heard that you have been with that notoriously weird girl in your department after we broke up. Is that right?" Ling's ex-girlfriend asked him.

"What has got into you?" Another girl asked Ling.

Qiluo took her stuff with her and left.

"You were never interested in that kind of plain girls." Ling's ex-girlfriend said.

"I have enough of sexy girls. It's not a bad idea to change taste occasionally." Ling said.

Daye left too.

"Is that right? But I still don't understand. What have you seen in her? Could it be possible that she's better in bed than I? Ha Ha Ha” Ling’s ex-girlfriend said.

"We've never done it." Ling said.

"You haven't done it. How could that be possible?" Ling's ex-girlfriend said.

Ling saw both Qiluo and Daye had left.

"There was nothing else to do but that when we were together." Ling's ex-girlfriend continued.

"I couldn't help it. Because when we were together, if we didn't do that, even one second was a waste of my time." Ling told her.

"What are you talking about!" Ling's ex-girlfriend stood up and said angrily.

Qiluo and Daye walking on the campus ground

"She was just another of those girls chasing after him. Those girls and acts mean nothing to him." Daye said to Qiluo.

"Why are you explaining for him?" Qiluo asked.

"I was just afraid that you might be affected by that girl." Daye said.

"Of course not. I'm not his girl friend anyway." Qiluo said.

"Qiluo." Daye stopped strolling and called to stop Qiluo. Qiluo turned around.

"Tell me you like Ling." Daye said to Qiluo. Qiluo didn't say anything and continued walking.

"We have lots of kids in our family. I'm the oldest. I'm always the sucker who has to let other people have their ways. The only thing I'm certain of since my childhood that I wouldn't give up to others is you." Daye said as he followed Qiluo.

Qiluo stopped walking.

"Because I believe I can make you most happy. But I've found out that I'm wrong because happiness is already in your heart." Daye said.

"Qiluo, tell me bravely that you like Ling. okay?" Daye said.

Qiluo turned to look at Daye.

"Speaking out won't make any difference." Qiluo said and then continued walking ahead.

"Don't skip my question. Han Qiluo." Daye shouted.

"What do you want?" Qiluo stopped and turned to say to Daye.

"I want to tell you. I'll not give up if you aren't sure about Ling, . I'll keep trying, trying until I'm worn out. I'll chase you with my whole heart. I'll use all means at my disposal until you promise me to let me make you happy." Daye said as he slowing walked toward Qiluo.

"Fine. I like him." Qiluo said.

"Whom do you like?" Daye asked.

"I like him. I like him. I like Chen Ling. can't I? I like him because he's always so brave. I like him because he couldn't care less. I like him because he understands what I say." Qiluo said out loudly and started sobbing in the middle.

"I do like him. But for people like me, it's just like reaching out for the sun in the sky." Qiluo said, crying hard.

"Don't talk nonsense. This is probably the first time Ling has fallen in love." Daye said.

"Do you know why I decide to give you up. When Qingmei took you away, I saw how he rushed to rescue you, completely beside himself. I have never seen him doing anything like that for anybody since I knew him. It was because of you. I can see the change in him. Qiluo, you've changed him. Have confidence in yourself." Daye said to Qiluo.

"Thank you. Daye. Someone like me..." Qiluo said.

"Wei. You see. The first thing to be self-confident is don't say someone like me. What kind of person are you? You're smart, nice, and gentle. You are the Han Qiluo with a beautiful heart." Daye said.

Daye handed a packet of tissue to Qiluo.

"It's difficult to continue with that difficult guy. If you don't mind, I can help you, anytime you want as a friend. I'll teach you all the tricks you need in dealing with him." Daye said.

"Daye." Qiluo said.

"Go for it." Daye said and then left for the track.

On the track

"Daye, are you here to practice?" A runner talked to Daye.

Daye put down his book bag and started running on the track.

Daye's memory of him and Qiluo during the folk dance competition

"Han Qiluo, explain to me why you can't hold hands with the male classmates? Han Qiluo, answer your teacher's questions. Answer it." The dance teacher asked Qiluo.

Qiluo stood in front the teacher, not saying a word.

"Forget about it. I don't have time to waste on you. Go back to the classroom." The dance teacher said. Qiluo nodded her head.

"Now we're short of one person. What are we going to do?" A girl asked.

"That's right. What are we going to do?" A boy seconded it.

"How would I know what to do? She's such a weirdo." The dance teacher said.

"Teacher, I volunteer to drop out." Daye said, raising his hand. Qiluo turned to look at him.

Qiluo and Daye were alone in the classroom.

"Qiluo, goodbye." Daye said in his mind.

Ling was washing something in his apartment

Daye appeared at door, carrying lot of beer bottles.

"Aei." Daye called. Ling looked up.

"I happened to find a lot of beers on the street today. Do you want some?" Daye said to Ling.

Playing the theme song.

"One two three. These three bottles are yours." Daye said to Ling.

"Hey..." Ling protested.

"You've just finished. I've finished five bottles." Daye continued.

"Hold on. Why are these three bottles mine?" Ling said.

"I've finished one, two, three, four, fight, six, seven, eight." Daye said.

"You think you've finished them all. I opened these five bottles not long ago." Ling said.

"You still have three bottles to go." Daye said.

"I still have three to go?" Ling said.

"These three bottles apparently are yours." Daye said.

"When you went to buy beers for the second round. I finished up all theses bottles." Ling said, pointing to the five bottles in front of him.

"Look who's talking. Stop that. Okay, I'll help you out one bottle." Daye said as he reached across the table to get a bottle of beer.

"You have two more bottles." Daye.

"Two more for me? I tell you I don't argue, actually I agree easily when it comes to drinking beer. I've finished just as many as I say. I swear I have finished 5 bottles. You've definitely finished just 5 bottles." Ling said to Daye.

"That’s right. I've finished eight bottles, not five bottles. Eight bottles,” Daye said.

Both started laughing.

"Hold on." Ling said. Ling turned to rummage through his CDs.

"Hey, have you found out that you have actually fallen for somebody?" Daye said with one arm on the table supporting his head.

"Who?" Ling turned to ask Day, smiling.

"I have said it clearly to you when we were on the rooftop. Don't consider too much, otherwise, you'll be as stupid as I am. Given my personality, I can only look at the back view of Qiluo. But with your courage, you can own all of Qiluo. In the world of love, it takes more than love to make someone happy. Your courage can make her happy. What I've lost doesn’t necessarily have to be painful. Someday when you really understand yourself, you'll thank me." Daye said.

Daye picked up a bottle of beer.

"To happiness” Daye gave the bottle of beer to Ling.

"I'm drunk." Ling said as he pushed it away.

"Quick. I'm toasting for your happiness." Daye said as he handed over the bottle of beer to Ling again.

"You're crazy." Ling said.

"Quick. Let's drink to it." Daye said.

"No. No." Ling said.

"I'm losing my temper." Daye threatened.

"You're crazy for losing your temper over it." Ling said.

"Quick. Drink it." Daye said as he moved closer to Ling.

"No. I'm not drinking." Ling said.

"No. You have to." Daye said.

"I'll be a goner if I drink more." Ling said.

"No. You have to." Daye said.

"Really. Quick. I'm losing my temper." Daye said.

"Losing your temper? I'll turn you over first." Ling started ticking Daye.

"We're drinking beer. What are you doing?" Daye shouted.

In the file storage room of a psychiatric hospital

At night, Tongdao searched for Ling's record with a flashlight in the discharged-patient file cabinet. He found Ling's patient record among the discharged patients.

Next day, Tongdao watched the snake in the courtyard before he left the hospital.

Ling posed as a model for Qiluo in the art studio.

Ling was playing a game on his cell phone

"Ling, can you please raise your head occasionally?" Qiluo asked Ling.

"No. I die if I raise my head." Ling said, concentrating on his game.

Qiluo remembered what Daye had told her, "If you want him to be quiet and still, I'll teach you how. Just give him something like toys."

"Wei. When are you going to finish the painting you promised me?" Ling said, still playing at his game.

"Oh, about that. It probably will take some more time." Qiluo said.

"Never mind. Never mind. I'm just checking." Ling said, still playing at his game.

"Actually I lie to you. I haven't started it at all. It is not that I don't want to give you the painting. It's just that I'm afraid you probably will never show up in the studio once the painting is finished. We'll lose the only connection between us." Qiluo confessed.

"Ah. Oh. It dies. It was over 80-thousand points. I almost break the record." Ling shouted, looking miserable.

"You haven't heard what I've just said." Qiluo asked. Ling flipped closed his cell phone.

"The connection between you and me shouldn’t be just confined to this classroom." Ling said.

Ling put down the cell phone on a table and started stretching his body.

"Aiyao. My aching back." Ling said and bent his body backward.

"Can you please not move?" A guy's voice came out of nowhere.

"Excuse me, can you please return to your previous pose?" He stood up and asked Ling.

Ling started walking slowly to the guy. He tore the page out of the guy's sketch book and threw it away.

"Ling. I'm sorry. Upper classmate." Qiluo apologized to the guy.

"It's very impolite to tear an artist's artwork." Qiluo shouted at Ling.

"Get it straight to your head. Who is the one being impolite?" Ling said, staring at the guy.

"Qiluo, I was at fault." The guy said to Qiluo.

Ling walked away angrily.

"Ling." Qiluo called him.

"I just felt he look unusual, so I wanted to draw him. I didn't expect he would get so angry." The guy said.

"I hope you will ask for permission next time before you draw a person." Qiluo said and left.

"Lower classmate” The guy stopped Qiluo.

"May I ask you a favor?" The guy said.

Ling was walking on a campus road.

"Ling." Qiluo ran after him and called to stop him.

"You've caught up. I thought you didn't want to leave." Ling said as he slowed down.

"It's not like that. It was because Cang Ze asked me for a favor." Qiluo said.

"A favor." Ling said.

"Um... He asked me to ask if you can be his model." Qiluo said.

"As his model." Ling said.

"He has been searching for a subject for the upcoming art exhibition. He says you are the most inspiring subject he has seen so far." Qiluo said.

"This has nothing with me. Isn’t it?" Ling said.

"But it's very difficult for an artist to find an inspiring subject." Qiluo said.

"It's still the same answer from me. Sorry." Ling said.

"But he says he will pay you." Qiluo said. Ling stopped walking when he heard of it.

"I wonder if he has some strange preference." Ling said.

"Yes. I really need money, but not to the extent to sell my body." Ling said.

"Don't talk nonsense. Cang Ze is a genius in painting. Although his personality is little bit on the neurotic side, he has already won province-wide first prize several times. Have you seen the school even hangs his artwork in the lobby?"

In the school lobby

Ling and Qiluo looked at a painting of a girl sitting in a chair, with her hands folded in front of her.

"He painted it the year he graduated from high school. Excellent techniques” Qiluo told Ling.

"When did they hang it?" Ling asked.

"It was already here when we got into the school." Qiluo said.

"Is that right?" Ling said.

"It's very beautiful, isn't it?" Qiluo said. Ling squinted at it.

"Somehow I feel a little bit. He He. That's why I've never noticed it." Ling said, laughing in the middle of it.

"But it has won the first prize province-wide." Qiluo said.

"So what? It has nothing but the so-called excellent techniques." Ling said, turning to face Qiluo.

"The best we can say of it is that it's a lousy painting painted with excellent techniques." Ling said.

"My painting. Which parts of it do you consider bad?" Cang Ze spoke up behind them.

Ling turned around to face Cang Ze.

"Upper classmate Cang Ze." Qiluo said.

"You're very opinionated to my painting." Cang Ze said to Ling.

"No. He didn't mean it. He just doesn’t know about it." Qiluo came forward.

"He doesn't know I was behind you two." Cang Ze said. Ling nodded his head slightly.

"Every time you appear stealthily. It's kind of scary." Ling said to Cang Ze.

"Sorry." Cang Ze said.

"It doesn't matter. Just watch out next time." Ling said.

"Let's go." Ling took Qiluo's hand.

"But as the artist who painted it, I'd really like to hear different opinions of it." Cang Ze stopped Ling.

"I think it's unnecessary." Ling turned around to face Cang Ze.

"You painted it really well." Ling said, pointing to the painting.

"Further more, it has won some prize. Why do you care so much how other people think of it?" Ling said.

"Do you only know to criticize other people behind their backs?" Cang Ze said.

Ling walked closer to the painting.

"The painting indeed is very beautiful. But that's all it's got. Besides that, I can't feel anything." Ling said.

Cang Ze's hands started shaking.

"What should it be called professional-wide? It should be what people called empty contents." Ling said.

"Of course you can't see anything in it because you've got an empty head. It's full of useless trash. You've always considered yourself very good-looking and very special and very popular, haven't you? Let me tell you. Those are all useless, stupid women. To most people, you're nothing but some trash constantly making troubles. My painting is not painted for someone conceited like you." Cang Ze said.

"Upper classmate." Qiluo stopped him.

"I'm sorry." Cang Ze said.

"Never mind. What you say is very philosophical." Ling said and walked away.

"How about being my model." Cang Ze stopped him when Ling walked past him.

"Is it really necessary? Your critics will not identify with someone as stupid and empty-headed as I." Ling said.

Ling walked outside the school lobby

Qiluo pulled his hand to stop him.

"Are you okay?" Qiluo asked Ling.

"I'm fine. Sorry. If what I say has hurt your friend. I'll apologize to him next time." Ling said.

"Stupid. I don't care, as long as you're okay with it." Qiluo said, still holding Ling's hand.

Ling removed his hand.

"You're the one who's stupid. I've already said I'm fine. Besides, I feel what I say makes lots of sense." Ling said and left.

"Really." Qiluo followed him.

But Ling just walked ahead by himself. Qiluo didn't follow him, standing there watching him.

Cang Ze returned to the art studio.

Cang Ze walked to the front of Qiluo's easel, staring angrily at the painting of Ling.

"I don't care at all. You don't even understand painting." Cang Ze yelled and knocked off the easel.

His eyes gazed at something.

The bell was ringing.

"You're making great progress." Daye was talking to his friend.

"Daye." Qiluo called from the stairs.

"Why don't you go down first?" Daye said to his friends.

"Fine. Bye." Daye's friends said to him.

"Don't you any class in the afternoon?" Qiluo said to Daye.

"Um... There's a competition coming up, so I'm going to do some practice. What happened?" Daye said.

"Have you seen Ling?" Qiluo asked.

"What for? You've lost your boyfriend." Daye asked.

"No." Qiluo shook her head.

"Or are you having a quarrel?" Daye asked.

Qiluo shook her head.

"Okay. I'll stop kidding you. I've been wondering where he has been to for the past few days." Daye said.

Ling sitting at a table, studying hard

"What happened?" Ling said to Qiluo who was watching him.

"Is this where you've been for the past two days?" Qiluo asked.

"Yes. I'll fall asleep if I sit in classrooms listening to lectures. I might as well be hiding here, a place with 24-hour air conditioning and drinks" Ling said.

"Are you still bothering by what Cang Ze said?" Qiluo asked.

"No. Didn't I tell you I was fine? How would someone as conceited as I care about what other people say of me? It's all because Teacher Shi. He has warned me seriously that he would kick me out of school if I flunk again." Ling said.

Ling threw down his pen.

"It's useless. A fool is still a fool, no matter how hard he tries." Ling said.

"You're not stupid." Qiluo said loudly.

"You're not stupid at all. You deliberately act foolish. I don't know why you want to act like that. But I really think you're very smart. I don't care if you believe what I say or not; but I always think you're very brave and very smart. For example, last time when you drove Teacher Fang out of the art studio, I thought you were brilliant. You were so brilliant that you could control people's mind. You see. You scared him out of his wits with only a few words. He couldn't even fight back." Qiluo whispered.

"I wasn't bluffing. I really meant to kill him. I just never thought he was such a coward. He ran away even before I started. Satyrs are cowards." Ling said.

"I don't know why you have to talk like this. I believe you're a good person. There are so many frightening and evil things in this world. Too many of them. But not you." Qiluo said.

"You don't even know me." Ling said.

"You don't know yourself. You aren't some trash as Cang Ze said. You deliberately behave like that. It's all pretending. Ling, why are you so afraid of facing yourself?" Qiluo said.

"You think too much of it." Ling said.

"You don't even have to care what he said. Because those aren't important. What's important is yourself." Qiluo said.

"Actually I rather like it this way, as some trouble-making trash." Ling said.

"I'm going to get some drink. Do you want some?" Ling stood up and asked Qiluo. Qiluo shook her head.

"No." Ling said and walked to get his drink.

Qiluo's voice-over: "This world has judged you unfairly. You also judge this world in your own way. If there's really no one believing in you, I want to tell you I believe in you."

End of episode 3 - part 1

Translated by Laiou of http://vicpower.net. Please give the proper credits when posting elsewhere.

Mars episode 3 - part 2 of 2

Qiluo looked up and down for something in her room.

She unrolled all her drawings to check; took out all her books from the backpack and flipped through her sketch book, but she still couldn't find it.

"Strange! Where's the mother-child drawing?" Qiluo muttered. She continued searching for the drawing.

Several students were reading a newspaper.

"The painting by upper classmate Cangze is really great. You see." A student holding a newspaper said to the students around him.

"You see he has won the first prize in creativity in the eighth annual Modern Oil Painting Exhibition." The student continued.

Ling came into the classroom.

"Wei. What are you guys looking at?" Ling asked.

"We're looking at the painting by Upper classmate Cangze." The student answered.

"The guy with excellent techniques?" Ling said.

"Upper classmate Cangze has just won another prize. You see." The student standing next to Ling showed Ling the newspaper.

Ling looked at the painting in the newspaper. It was a painting of a mother holding a baby.
Images of Qiluo's drawing of mother and child flashed across Ling's mind.

Qiluo ran to the school.

Cangze arrived at school and went up the stairs.

Qiluo met Cangze on her way down the stairs.

"Upper classmate." Qiluo called to stop Cangze.

"That painting is mine." Qiluo said.

"You can suit me, but who will believe your words. I think the most they would say is that our subjects happen to be the same." Cangze said.

Cangze continued up the stairs.

Ling on his way to Cangze's classroom

Ling saw two girls coming down the stairs and stopped them.

"Classmates. Where is the classroom for Chinese Language 3A?" Ling asked them.

"Chinese Language 3A? It is at 60303¡± One of the girls told him.

In room 60303

"What are you here for?" Ling's ex-girlfriend stood up and asked Ling when she saw Ling came in.

"Now, You want to come back to me? I tell you, I won't do it." Ling's ex-girlfriend said.

Cangze was sitting alone.

"Lee Cangze." Ling yelled at him. Ling punched his face when Cangze turned to look at him.

Some students screamed.

A student was running hurriedly in the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Another student asked the running student.

"I'm looking for Abin. Ling came to our class to beat someone up." The running student said.

Daye was in the hallway. Daye started running.

Qiluo sat alone in a classroom.

Daye came into the classroom.

"Where is Ling?" Qiluo asked Daye.

"He was just in the Guidance Office. Now Teacher Shi took him to his office. I heard he has been suspended for a week." Daye said.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" Daye asked as he walked toward Qiluo.

"He wouldn't say anything at the Guidance Office. Qiluo, I know Ling isn't someone who goes crazy for no apparent reason. He said he just thought Cangze was an eyesore." Daye said.

"It was because he knew telling the truth wouldn't have helped. No one would believe him. Every one would choose to believe Cangze. Isn't that how the world functions?" Qiluo said.

Ling at Teacher's Shi's office

"Chen Ling, can you be more serious? Really. Do you know how worried your father was on the phone?" Teacher Shi said.

"You told on me to my father." Ling said.

"With something like this happened, I also have to answer to him." Teacher Shi said.

Teacher Shi walked over to Ling's side.

"Chen Ling, two years ago when your father handed you over to me, he told me everything. Even I wouldn't be able to handle that kind of things, not to mention you were still very young at that time." Teacher Shi said.

"But in any case, you life has just started. You have to gather yourself up." Teacher Shi said, gesturing his hands to emphasize.

Ling couldn't stand it any longer.

"Yes." Ling said as stood up. He embraced Teacher Shi abruptly.

"Gather myself up. Teacher Shi, Don't worry. I will do my best to live on until you die. okay? okay." Ling said, shaking and patting teacher Shi.

"I must have owed you this from my previous life." Teacher Shi said.

"Good. I'm on my way to vacation." Ling said and turned to leave Teacher Shi's office.

"Chen Ling." Teacher Shi called and Ling stopped at the door.

"I believe it wasn't just because you thought Cangze was an eyesore." Teacher Shi said to Ling after Ling turned around to look at him. Ling left without saying a word.

Ling walked down the stairs after coming out of Teacher Shi's office

A guy came up to talk to Ling.

'Lower classmate, sorry. I'm Cangze's classmate. He'd like to apologize to you. I'm wondering if I you can come with me." The guy said to Ling.

"Let's go." Ling said as he patted the guy. Someone from Ling's class saw them leaving together.

A dark room

"Why do you have to choose such a dark place?" Ling said as he entered the dark room.

Someone hit Ling to the ground from the back after Ling entered the room.

Abin walked out from the dark and towards Ling as other people were busily tying Ling's hands up. Ling raised himself up, knelling on the ground.

"Chen Ling. You've got guts to come to a junior class to beat people up." Abin said, standing in front of Ling.

"Where is Cangze?" Ling asked.

"Are you an idiot? This has nothing to do with Cangze. It was just an excuse to get you over here." Abin said as he leaned toward Ling.

"No wonder. I was just thinking why Cangze had such an ugly friend like you." Ling said.

Abin hit Ling.

"You dare come to my class to beat people up. You son of *****." Abin said and continued hitting Ling.

Ling was hit against the wall.

"Beat him up." Abin shouted as Ling was struggling to get up.

Ling's classmate, who saw Ling leaving with Abin's friend, running in the hallway, looking for Daye.

"Daye, Daye, Daye" He yelled in the hallway, running and searching for Daye.

"We're in class; can you lower your voice?" A girl came out of a classroom and shouted at him.

"Daye, Daye, where are you?" Ling's classmate ignored her and continued.

Daye and Qiluo were in an empty classroom by themselves.

The guy came into the classroom.

"Ling... Abin's people took him away."

"Where to?" Daye stood up and asked.

"I don't know. They walked in the direction of the swimming pool." The guy said.

"Why didn't you stop them?" Daye yelled at him and hurried out of the classroom. Qiluo picked up her stuff and followed him.

"He works for Abin." The guy said.

"Daye, what would happen to Ling?" Qiluo said as she ran after Daye in the hallway.

"What I'm worried is Abin and his people." Daye turned to shout at her.

Ling looked unconscious and lying on the ground.

Someone poked at him with a thick wooden stick. Another person kicked him. Ling stayed motionless. Abin came to sit on top of Ling and pulled his hair to raise Ling's face.

"Has he fallen into sleep?" Abin said. Abin released his hold of Ling's hair. Ling fell back on the ground.

"But I'm still not tired yet. Give me some water." Abin said and gestured to his people.

"Xiaowei." Abin used his fingers to signal Xiaowei to come over. Xiaowei crouched down in front of Abin.

"I heard he snatched your girlfriend from you." Abin said to Xiaowei. Xiao nodded his head. Abin took out a little knife.

"Carve something on his face as a memento." Abin said. Abin gave the knife to Xiaowei.

"Sure." Xiaowei said and took the knife.

"What should I carve?" Xiaowei said as he walked next to Ling.

"Carve a turtle." Xiaowei said.

"Carve I'm a heartthrob. I don't know if there's enough room for it." Another person suggested.

Xiaowei pulled Ling up to a sitting position. Ling gradually opened his eyes.

"You're awake. Good timing." Xiaowei said as he jabbed the knife at Ling.

Ling started to fight back.

"Untie my hand." Ling said as he fought with them. The string tied his hands were broken amidst fighting.

Ling fought with Abin. Eventually he roped in Abin with a loop around Abin's neck. Ling dragged Abin on his back.

Daye rushed in.

"Chen Ling. Chen Ling. Let go of him. Let go of your hands. He will die. Chen Ling, let go of him." Daye rushed to help Abin.
Abruptly Ling let go of Abin and pushed Daye away.

Qiluo was frightened. Ling saw Qiluo and sat on the ground.

Qiluo was waiting for Daye at the building entrance.

"Have you heard from Ling?" Qiluo asked Daye when Daye came up the stairs.

"No. His phone has been disconnected. And he doesn't have a cell phone." Daye said.

"It has been nine days. The suspension is already over." Qiluo said.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine." Daye said and continued walking. Qiluo followed him.

"I'll go visit him this weekend. Don't look so dejected." Daye said.

"Daye, can you tell me where Ling lives?" Qiluo asked.

"You want to go to his place to see him?" Daye was surprised.

"Um... Is it inconvenient?" Qiluo asked.

"It's not that. It's just that his place... Anyway, it's a little dangerous for you to go there by yourself. It's better that we go together this weekend. Maybe Ling is staying with his father." Daye said.

Cangze was alone in the hallway

"Upper classmate¡± Qiluo called him. Cangze turned to leave.

"Upper classmate, please hear me out." Qiluo called to stop him.

"I don't hate you at all. I don't care about that drawing either. Nor do I care about stealing. It's just that I've promised Ling that I would give him the painting after I finish it. He has been looking forward to the painting being finished. I like to give him the painting if I can because he has given me so many things. He gave me courage and happiness. He let me see my own future. I beg you. If you still have the draft, please return it to me. Because it is the most important beginning between Ling and me, I beg you to return it to me. I will never tell anyone else." Qiluo said, started sobbing in the middle of it.

Cangze left without saying a word.

"Upper classmate." Qiluo called after him.

Qiluo started crying hard.

Ling's ex-girlfriend and her friend happened to pass by.

"Wow. Look at that disgusting woman. Her boyfriend has just got suspended. She immediately cries and chases an upper classmate." The other girl said to Ling's ex-girlfriend as the two of them walked past Qiluo. Qiluo turned to look at them.

"What are you looking at? Have we said something wrong?" Ling's ex-girlfriend said to Qiluo.

"I heard Ling's fight with Abin was caused by her. It's so stupid of Ling to get suspended by school for such a bad-behaviored woman." Ling's ex-girlfriend said to her friend.

"Stop talking nonsense." Qiluo said angrily to Ling's ex-girlfriend.

"So, you don't agree with it. I saw it clearly. You were chasing another man, and crying." the other girl said.

Both of them pretended crying. "Upper classmate." The other girl mimicked Qiluo.

Qingmei appeared.

Qingmei pulled the other girl's shoulder from behind and slapped across her face.

"What you are doing? A couple of old women bully a little lower classmate simply because you can't snatch her boyfriend away. It is so ugly." Qingmei said to them.

"It's none of your business. What right have you got to hit people?" Ling's ex-girlfriend said to Qingmei.

"It's better than I punched your phony nose crooked." Qingmei said to Ling's ex-girlfriend.

Ling's ex-girlfriend pulled her friend and left together.

"Thank you." Qiluo said to Qingmei.

"You don't have to thank me. I just don't want Ling's being bad-mouthed." Qingmei said.

Qingmei pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and gave it to Qiluo.

"Ling's address." Qingmei said. Qiluo took the scrap of paper. Qingmei turned to leave.

"Thank you." Qiluo said.

"Don't mention it." Qingmei replied.

"You said before that I would lose my life sooner or later for loving Ling. What do you mean by that? Did something happen to Ling?" Qiluo asked Qingmei. Qingmei turned around to face Qiluo.

"A lot of things have happened to him. I remember he once told me that when he was in LA, he shot at a guy because he wasn't happy with the guy constantly bullying other people. Fortunately the gun wasn't loaded. Do you know how old he was at the time? He was 12-years-old." Qingmei told Qiluo.

Qiluo went to the art studio

She put down her stuff and saw the mother-and-child drawing placed on her easel.

Teacher Shi's class.

"Han Qiluo." Teacher Shi called but no one answered.

"Han Qiluo isn't here, is she?" Teacher Shi said and marked his attendance sheet.

Teacher Shi called another student's name.

"Lai Qingmei." Teacher Shi called and Qingmei raised her hand.

Qiluo got to the building where Ling lived.

Qiluo went up the stairs and opened the door of Ling's apartment. She saw Ling lying on the floor.

"Ling. Ling. What happened?" Qiluo hurried to Ling's side and shook him.

"Help! Help! Ling." Qiluo yelled and continued shaking Ling.

"Aaah!" Qiluo cried out loud when she ran out for help but bumped unexpected into a man at the door.

"Uncle, can you help me call for an ambulance? Please. Please." Qiluo said to the man. The man ignored her and came to Ling's side.

"Ling. Ling. Your girlfriend is here to see you." He called and shook Ling. Ling started moving.

"He is up. This is the way he sleeps whenever he comes home after working too late." The man said to Qiluo.

"Get up. Get up." The man said to Ling. Ling started to hoist himself up.

"Further, I'm not an uncle. I'm only 19-years-old." The man said to Qiluo.

Ling was taking a shower.

Qiluo stood and surveying Ling's room.

"Wei. Can you get me a towel from the drawer?" Ling asked Qiluo.

"Hum..." Qiluo hesitated.

"Or do you want me to get it myself? It's fine with me. I don't mind it." Ling said to Qiluo.

"Thank you." Ling said as Qiluo handed him the towel.

After the shower

"I only have beers. Do you want some?" Ling asked Qiluo.

"No. Sorry I stop by without telling you first." Qiluo said.

"Never mind." Ling said as he pulled a chair to sit down, with a bottle of beer in his hand.

"But I admire your coming here alone. Moreover, don't you have class today?" Ling said.

"I was just worried about your injuries from the fight. Are they healed? Moreover, Daye called but couldn't find you." Qiluo said.

"They are already healed. It's just that I've been working so much that I forgot going to school." Ling said.

"Working. What kind of job is it?" Qiluo asked.

"Building freeway overpass as a construction worker. It's hard work but the pay is good." Ling said.

"Wei. How long do you plan to stand like that? Just find a place to sit down." Ling asked Qiluo.

Qiluo looked around and couldn't find a chair.

"If there's no place to sit down, you can sit on the bed." Ling said. Qiluo walked over and sat on the bed.

"My old man stops paying my living expense after I was suspended by the school. So I have to work to earn my living expense." Ling said after he took a sip of his beer from the bottle.

"It's got serious!" Qiluo said.

"Um... I was almost beaten half dead by him." Ling said.

"I was kidding. My old man never raises his hand to me. He has never lost his temper with me since my childhood." Ling said.

"Your father is a good man." Qiluo said.

"You're wrong. He is afraid of me, so he dare not do anything to me." Ling said.

"How could that be? How can someone be afraid of his own son?" Qiluo said as Ling was drinking his beer.

"Aren't you afraid of me? Haven't you discovered that I'm not a normal person? I was once locked up in a psychiatric hospital. hospital by my father. Do you know about a straitjacket? It's something very humiliating. It only makes people who are already crazy even more devastated." Ling said.

"I'm just joking." Ling suddenly smiled and pointed the beer bottle at Qiluo.

"That's what I thought. No parents would send their kids to a place like that." Qiluo said smilingly.

Ling's smile started to fade and he became serious.

"What if it is true? Will you still come here to see me?" Ling asked.
"Yes. I will. For me, people like Teacher Fang, upper classmate Cangze and..." Qiluo stopped in the middle of it.

"And...." Ling prompted.

"And those who look very normal are the people I'm afraid of." Qiluo said.

Qiluo took out the mother-and-child drawing.

"Oh. This is for you." Qiluo said and handed the mother-and-child drawing to Ling.

"Ling, when did you mother pass away?" Qiluo asked Ling while Ling was looking at the drawing.

"When I was five-years-old." Ling said.

"Do you miss her very much?" Qiluo asked.

"The only memory I have of my mother is the smell of antiseptic. She was always in the hospital since I was old enough to know. As a matter of fact, I hardly have any memory of her." Ling said.

Image of Ling's mother flashed in his mind.

"I only remember she was very beautiful." Ling said as image of his mother continued flashing in his mind.

"She looked very pale. I'm terrified of her." Ling paused and then continued. "The other day I held your mother's hand at your place. I suddenly realized that's how a mother's hand felt like."

"Haven't you ever held your mother's hand?" Qiluo asked.

"Of course I had. But I don't like her hands at all. Whenever she wanted to touch me, I brushed her hands away. I though her hands were very disgusting. They were very thin and pale, like ghost's." Ling said.

"Maybe because I was little, I was scared of sick people. Now that I think it over, I'm regretful of it. I must have broken her heart." Ling continued.

Ling drank his beer again.

"The drawing is now yours. It belongs only to you, nobody else. You can do whatever you like to it." Qiluo said as she pointed to the drawing.

Ling took the drawing and the lighter and the ashtray he found with him and sat on the bed next to Qiluo.

He lighted the lighter and started burning the drawing. He put the burning drawing into the ashtray.

"Does this mean the promise you made that you would protect me also vanish?" Qiluo asked.

Ling leaned close to Qiluo, intending to kiss her.

"Let's go outside strolling." Qiluo said.

Ling and Qiluo sitting on a bench in an art museum

"Sorry to have brought you to such a boring place." Qiluo said to Ling.

"Actually it's not. On the other hand, I thought it's amusing." Ling said after he glanced around quickly.

"You think it's amusing?" Qiluo asked.

"Yes. What are amusing are not these artworks." Ling said. Ling stood up, looked around and faced Qiluo.

"What are amusing are God's creations." Ling told Qiluo.

"Look over there." Ling said. It was a man dozing in a chair.

"It's called happiness in the afternoon." Ling said.

"Come." Ling gestured Qiluo to come to his side and pointed to the other side. "Now, look over there."

There were three women chatting and gesturing fervently.

"That's called menopause mischief." Ling said.

Ling pointed to a man, talking on his cell phone, with a receding hairline.

"It's called illuminating the whole world." Ling said.

Qiluo laughing out loud.

"This is called a girl in love." Ling pointed at her.

Ling and Qiluo running hurriedly out of a building.

Qiluo was so out of her breath that she had to stop to take a breather.

"Stop laughing. You're almost out of your breath. It's kind of unusual today. Someone who normally hardly smiles laughs twice today." Ling told her.

"That's because you drive people crazy." Qiluo said as the two of them started walking.

"Do you want to continue being crazy?" Ling asked.

"How?" Qiluo asked.

"Let's go to a hotel room." Ling whispered to her. Qiluo looked annoyed.

"I'm just joking." Ling said and patted her shoulder.

"Usually when I date with girls, that¡¯s where we end up with." Ling said.

"I'm going to work." Ling said.

"I'll go shopping art supplies at bookstores." Qiluo said.

Ling walked away.

"You've got to go back to school." Qiluo shouted after him.

Ling nodded his head and continued walking. Qiluo looked at his retreating back. Ling stopped and turned around.

"I suddenly feel like reading the current issue of motorcycle magazine¡± Ling said.

Ling and Qiluo were walking on a sidewalk

A nun walked past them.

"Asheng." The nun called after Ling. Ling turned to look at her.

"Don't you remember me? I'm from Airuose. You used to come to the mass on Sundays. You forgot it." The nun asked Ling.

"You've mistaken me for someone else. I'm his older brother. I'm Asheng's older brother. My name is Chen Ling." Ling said.

"Ah. You're his older brother. You two look exactly the same. Sorry. Sorry. Asheng is a very nice and adorable kid. How is he doing now? He should be in college now¡± The nun said.

"He's doing very well." Ling said and smiled at the nun.

"Then tell him all of us at the convent miss him a lot. Hope he will come to the mass when he has time." The nun said.

"Fine. I'll tell him." Ling said.

"Thank you. Goodbye." The nun said.

"You have a younger brother! How come I've never heard you mention him before?" Qiluo was very surprised.

Ling continued walking.

"You must look very much alike. Otherwise, how can people mistake the two of you?" Qiluo caught up with him.

The two of them sat down at a roadside bench.

"We're twins." Ling said with a sigh.

"Aaah!" Qiluo.

***************************End of Episode 3 ***************************