San San suddenly raised her clear eyes, looked at her meaningfully, and said, "You like it too, right?"
"Huh? I..." Yan Xia only remembered that last time in Qinghe Town, San San hadn't said a word at all, but now he was being so proactive for some reason. Caught off guard by his question, she blushed involuntarily, and after a long pause, she hesitantly whispered, "I...like him too...my brother and sister-in-law...like him too..."
“I like him too,” San San smiled and didn’t look at her again. Instead, she turned to the stove and fiddled with the firewood in the stove. She continued, “Unfortunately, I’m just a country kid who doesn’t know anything. My feelings are probably not as strong as others’. I can’t give him what others can give him, but I really, really like him. I like him more than anyone else.”
"Others...?" Yan Xia suddenly had a strange feeling; she felt that the "others" San San was referring to seemed to be her. Confused, she looked at San San and, facing his earnest gaze, couldn't help but ask, "You and him...?"
“I like him, I love him.” San San interrupted her before she could finish. “I can tell you like him. Like you said, who wouldn’t like someone as outstanding as him? You’re more suitable for him than I am. After all, you two are the only couple that people can accept. But…” San San lowered her eyes, suddenly losing her confidence, and said, “I’ve also been trying very hard to be with him, but I’m a boy too. I can’t openly admire and pursue him like you do. I really… envy you.”
Silence fell again in the room, broken only by the crackling of the burning firewood. Even the naive Yan Xia understood the situation at this moment. This handsome, fair-skinned boy loved Chen Yunqi just as much as she did, perhaps even more bravely. He openly admitted his love and boldly defended his humble feelings. Yan Xia was stunned and speechless for a moment. She sat there, lips pursed, until Chen Yunqi returned. Only then did she come to her senses, stand up, and walk towards the door, saying, "Um... my brother and the others should be cooking soon, I'll go back and help..."
Seeing her flustered appearance, Chen Yunqi hadn't even had a chance to ask a question before she hurriedly ran out the door. Confused, he turned to San San and asked, "What's wrong with her?"
"I'm heartbroken." San San said without looking up, "Jealousy, heartbreak, you know?" He stood up, leaned forward, and looked up at Chen Yunqi, as if admitting a mistake, and whispered, "I told her, I told her I like you. I don't want her to still have any feelings for you. Will you blame me? I don't know if she'll tell anyone else... I just... I think she's pretty and cute, I acted impulsively... I..."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yunqi paused for only a few seconds before raising his hand to gently pat San San's head and said softly, "You're jealous, you're possessive, you want me to belong only to you, and no one else can even look at me or think about me, right? My San San is so obedient. You spoke up for me and did such a difficult thing for me. How can I ever thank you enough?"
San San looked at him with a mixture of surprise and happiness and said, "You...you really don't blame me? Was I...being too petty...I'm a boy...am I being too narrow-minded...?"
“I don’t blame you,” Chen Yunqi kissed his trembling eyelashes. “I don’t blame you because I’m just as petty as you. I get jealous and possessive just like you. I want you to belong only to me, and no one else is allowed to see or even think about you.” He gently pinched San San’s nose and said affectionately, “I won’t blame you no matter what you do, as long as you’re happy. Remember that? I guess Yan Xia is a kind girl. She won’t say anything carelessly. Even if she does, I’m not afraid. I’m going to take you away. We’ll have to face this sooner or later. Leave all of this to me. You’re not allowed to overthink things.”
San San was so moved by his words that she didn't know what to say. She buried her face in his chest and mumbled, "What do you have to be jealous of... no girl likes me anyway..."
“You’re much prettier than girls, it’s perfectly normal that they don’t like you,” Chen Yunqi laughed, but he quickly straightened his face and continued, “However, Amu seems to really like you. I don’t know what kind of liking it is, but I’m quite jealous.”
Upon hearing this, San San gently pushed him away and said urgently, "Don't talk nonsense. Brother Amu has taken good care of me since I was little. Li Jun and the others don't like to play with me. Only Amu will play with me. He teaches me a lot of things. He treats me like a younger brother."
Chen Yunqi frowned and stared straight at him, saying, "I used to treat you like a younger brother too. Yu Xiaosong and I grew up together. I didn't mean anything by it. Just like you can tell that Yan Xia likes me, I can also feel that Amu cares about you. But maybe I'm overthinking it. I really am a petty man."
"You stingy guy," San San chuckled, raising her hand to gently tap his chin, saying, "You're overthinking it. Amu is handsome and sings beautifully; many girls want to marry him. He's so picky, how could he possibly like me?" He lowered his head shyly as he said this, "I'm probably a monster in other people's eyes, and only you would like me."
"Alright, stop talking about yourself like that. I don't like it when you do that," Chen Yunqi said, pinching his cheek and pretending to be angry. "I like everything about you. You're a monster, so let's be monsters together. I'll take the water back to them first and come see you later, okay?"
Chen Yunqi had to carry four or five thermos flasks by himself, and his injured arm was still struggling. San San couldn't bear to see him like that, so she helped carry the water back. A large group of noisy people greeted him warmly and invited him to stay and eat. San San was a little uncomfortable with so many people, so she politely declined them all and went home without staying long.
Portable, windproof stoves were set up on the school playground. Everyone gathered their food together, and a few girls were in charge of grilling and cooking. Yan Xia squatted on the ground, staring blankly at a small pot of noodles. Xiao Jie patted her on the shoulder and asked curiously, "What are you daydreaming about? The water's almost gone, add some more."
Yan Xia then realized what was happening, hurriedly picked up the kettle to add water to the pot, stirred the pot a few times with chopsticks, and suddenly asked, "Sister-in-law, do you have any homosexuals around you?"
Xiao Jie looked at her with a puzzled expression and said, "Homosexuals? No, I haven't noticed. Even if they exist, I don't want to associate with them. Why are you asking this?"
Yan Xia lowered her head thoughtfully upon hearing this. Seeing her hesitant expression, Xiao Jie pressed on, "What do you want to say? You're not... coming out to me, are you?! Don't scare me like that. You've given up such a good teacher like Teacher Chen. Which girl have you fallen for?"
"Oh no, it wasn't me! No!" Yan Xia replied somewhat angrily, "It wasn't me, it was...it was..."
"What is it? What do you want to say? Tell me quickly! You're driving me crazy!" Xiaojie turned off the stove and complained as she scooped out the noodles.
"It's him..." Yan Xia took the bowl of noodles handed to her, looked at the steaming noodles, and said dejectedly, "It's Chen Yunqi..."
Chapter Fifty-Six: Discord
As night falls, a damp atmosphere permeates the distant mountains and nearby fields, and tender buds sprout overnight from the withered branches, covered with the cold dew of early spring.
Tianyun Elementary School has never been so lively. In high spirits, a bonfire was lit in the center of the playground, and people sat around it under the starry sky, drinking and chatting, reveling in life. The busy and stressful pace of city life allowed them to relax in nature, and after a few rounds of drinks, half of them were drunk.
At everyone's enthusiastic invitation, Chen Yunqi, Tang Yutao, and Li Hui joined in. Tang Yutao quickly won over all the women with his silver tongue, while Li Hui chatted with several like-minded IT professionals about the industry's prospects. Chen Yunqi sat in a corner, smoking and occasionally brushing off those who reached out to clink glasses, staring blankly at the flickering flame in front of him.
Yan Xia had sat down next to him at some point. She had probably come to terms with and accepted everything San San had said; now, facing Chen Yunqi, she no longer felt the awkwardness and tension she had shown before, but rather a sense of ease and composure. Taking advantage of the fact that no one around was paying attention, she wanted to chat with Chen Yunqi, but unsure where to begin, she lowered her head, opened a packet of preserved plums, ate one herself, and then offered another to Chen Yunqi, saying, "Teacher Chen, would you like some?"
Chen Yunqi snapped out of his daze, extinguished his cigarette, and reached for the preserved plum, putting it in his mouth. He was very sensitive to sour flavors and rarely ate these kinds of snacks; he immediately frowned at the sourness, but still politely said softly, "Thank you."
"Is it sour? It should be alright. It's sweet and sour, which is quite appetizing." Yan Xia was amused by his strange expression as he tried to suppress the sourness. She took another one out of the bag and put it in her mouth, saying, "It's a bit like the feeling of being in love."
Chen Yunqi chuckled upon hearing this, turned to look at her and said, "Yes, your analogy is very apt. I only came to understand it at this age."
Yan Xia remained silent. Chen Yunqi had never properly looked at her since he met her. Now, his smile vanished, and he unusually focused intently on the girl's profile, saying, "Xia, what San San told you is true. It might sound presumptuous, but I understand your feelings. It's just that I can't accept it. My heart already belongs to San San. I'm gay, and I don't deserve your affection."
Yan Xia sighed softly, a hint of disappointment still showing on her serene face—after all, hearing him say it himself felt quite different from hearing it from San San. She still had a plum pit in her mouth, and while she wanted to speak, she felt it would be impolite, so she took out a tissue to wrap the pit she had spat out before saying, "Okay, I understand."
"Actually... I was just too stupid. I didn't see it at all and was still delusional. My ex-boyfriend always said I was stupid, clueless, and had low emotional intelligence," she laughed self-deprecatingly. "Now I think his assessment of me was actually quite accurate."
Aside from dealing with San San, Chen Yunqi wasn't very good at talking most of the time. He didn't know how to comfort Yan Xia, nor did he have any right to do so, so he could only say, "Don't say that. You're a good girl, and you have your own strengths."
"Really? Am I... okay...?" Yan Xia suddenly lowered her head. "But... I accidentally let slip about you and San San just now, and now... I'm a little regretful. I was really stupid, I'm sorry."
“To be honest, I’m quite jealous,” she said, resting her chin on her knees as she looked down. “It’s not that I’m jealous that you like him, but the two of you seem to be really good together, so good that it makes me jealous… and also makes me envious.”
Chen Yunqi lowered his thin eyelids and said softly, "It's okay."
Having said that, he tilted his head back and finished the rest of his drink, then stood up and said to Yan Xia, "I'm going back to rest. It's chilly here, take care of yourself."
A one-sided love ended without a trace for a reason that even she couldn't accept. Yan Xia watched Chen Yunqi's retreating figure and secretly rubbed her slightly reddened eyes.
Tang Yutao was still excitedly telling the girls ghost stories, and Li Hui was also enjoying his drink; no one noticed that Chen Yunqi had left. He returned to his room, quickly washed up, and lay down on the bed. His right arm still felt slightly uncomfortable, probably a lingering ailment, and the pain became more pronounced in the deeper, dewy night.
Listening to the unrestrained noise outside, Chen Yunqi was wide awake. He tossed and turned, thinking about San San and the future he had never dared to think about before.
A quick calculation revealed that nearly half a year had passed since he arrived at the mountain. During this time, he had rarely used his phone or been exposed to outside information. He realized that he hadn't recalled his past life for a very long time. The past twenty-odd years had suddenly been compressed into a thin sheet, pressed to the bottom of the box of memories. Now, when he looked at it again, it felt neither three-dimensional nor tangible. He felt somewhat unfamiliar with his former self, truly experiencing a feeling of "a day in the mountains is like a thousand years in the world."
Thinking back to the things he vowed to accomplish when he first went up the mountain, he has now achieved most of them—San San's schooling has been secured, his information has been registered on the public welfare platform that Tang Yutao serves, the scholarship program has been launched, and he can report to school in September. Not only San San, but more than half of the children at Tianyun Primary School have also found one-on-one sponsorship thanks to his efforts. Except for those who are too young to go out and live at school independently, the rest of the children will be able to attend public schools in Haiyuan County in the new school year.
Huang Yelin's painting skills have improved rapidly. He can now basically complete a simple sketch, and his still life drawings are also quite good. Most importantly, his personality has changed a lot, and he has never had any conflicts with classmates or teachers again. When Chen Yunqi visited his home again, the messy stickers on the bedroom walls had been replaced by his paintings.
Huang Xiaoya has grown taller. Although she's still thin, she no longer looks like a severely malnourished little radish. The mentally challenged woman's condition is still fluctuating, but thankfully Huang Youzheng has been found. Although he's left with a disability, at least he's survived and should be back in a few days. Chen Yunqi only hopes that this ordeal will allow him to repent and take on the responsibilities of being a father.
Li Jun paid off his gambling debts, and he gave all the necessary gifts to Director Zhang for his favors. The mute man, once his wife gave birth, should be able to go out and work to support the family. He was incredibly strong, a skilled butcher, but unfortunately mute. Chen Yunqi asked Officer Zheng to find him a job where he could do odd jobs and learn to cook. The income wasn't high, but it saved him from being bullied by his coworkers on the construction site, without even the ability to defend himself.
He did many things like this; though his small acts of help couldn't change anything, he had done his best and had a clear conscience. There were regrets, though. Li Laoqi's stomach ailment remained untreated; he didn't know where to buy a new birdcage for Xiao Yezi. And then there was poor Aji—his distant, empty eyes and frail body remained etched in Chen Yunqi's mind. He contacted Captain Li to inquire about Aji, only to be told that Aji had refused assistance and chosen to remain in Age Yizi Village. The aid organization left quickly, and no one saw Aji again after that.
Chen Yunqi gradually closed his eyes amidst his chaotic thoughts. As drowsiness finally overcame him, he could faintly hear the cheerful laughter of young people on the playground outside. He lost the ability to distinguish the sounds and, as he listened, drifted into a deep sleep.
The next morning, he woke up to the same noise outside. By the time Chen Yunqi was dressed and went outside, Yan Dong and his group were already ready to set off on their hike to the summit.
Chen Yunqi, holding a cup and toothbrush, was about to wave goodbye to Yan Dong and his group and give them some instructions on what to do when they were out, but he saw Yan Dong with a stern face. He only glanced at Chen Yunqi before hurriedly leading his team away. Yan Xia, who was standing to the side, looked at him meaningfully. Before he could figure out the meaning in her eyes, Xiao Jie pulled him away to catch up with Yan Dong.
It was obvious without much guessing that Yan Dong had heard about his relationship with San San and harbored resentment towards him. He had been so eager to push his sister towards Chen Yunqi, but he never expected that his prospective brother-in-law would be a homosexual. No one could accept that, but Chen Yunqi understood and didn't think much of it. After washing up, he went to San San's house for dinner as usual.
The hiking group didn't return to school until dark, chatting and laughing. They had traversed all the mountain peaks, reaching the highest point, and on their way back, they were invited to have dinner at several villagers' homes, where they tasted oil tea and rice wine. Yan Dong had drunk a bit too much, and as soon as he entered the school gate, he started shouting for Chen Yunqi to come out and meet him.
Hearing the noise, Chen Yunqi opened the door and came out. He saw Yan Dong sitting against the ping-pong table, his face flushed and reeking of alcohol. Upon seeing him, Yan Dong frowned and said with some displeasure, "Teacher Chen, we're organizing this outdoor activity because my sister kindly wanted to donate some things to the children. We have no other purpose!" He coughed a few times as he spoke, taking in several gusts of cold air, before continuing, "Move your things out so we can check and hand them over in person, and take some photos! That way we can write an activity summary at the club and promote it to the outside world!"
Tang Yutao and Li Hui came out of the house when they heard the commotion. They saw that Yan Dong had changed his previous warm and polite attitude and was leading a group of people to shout at Chen Yunqi. They were confused and looked at him blankly.
Chen Yunqi knew what he meant. Yan Dong was a straightforward man. He was sincere towards the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the ditch. After going to great lengths, Yan Xia was still heartbroken and wronged. He felt sorry for his sister and could only vent his anger on Chen Yunqi.
Chen Yunqi didn't feel wronged. After hearing his explanation, he nodded frankly and said, "Okay, I'll go get it now."
The three men carried the boxes out of the house one by one and stacked them on the open ground. Yan Dong and his men, using flashlights, emptied the boxes onto a ping-pong table to count them, while Xiao Jie, who was nearby, had her camera ready. However, as they counted, Yan Dong's expression grew increasingly grim. Finally, he threw the flashlight onto the table, turned to Chen Yunqi, and hissed, "Something's missing! What happened?!"
Chen Yunqi was only stunned for a moment before he quickly said in a friendly tone, "The things have been in my room and haven't been touched. I locked the door when I went out during the day. Brother Yan, could you count them again? Maybe you miscounted them?"
“There’s no mistake,” Xiao Jie said before Yan Dong could speak. She turned off the camera, picked up a flashlight and shone it on Chen Yunqi. “There are only this many things. I counted them myself. There’s no mistake. If something is missing, it’s missing!”
Chen Yunqi remained silent, watching Yan Dong's angry face without saying a word. Li Hui stepped forward and tentatively asked, "Um... shall we count it again? Or... could it be that this was the original number, and you've misremembered?"
"How could that be!" A young man who was arm in arm with Li Hui last night, calling him brother, stepped forward and said, "Yan Xia and I went to purchase the supplies together! We confirmed the quantity! Who donates things with odd amounts? There are exactly forty pairs, no more, no less!"
Yan Xia stood behind Yan Dong, her lips pursed. She didn't dare to look directly at Chen Yunqi, but would occasionally steal glances at him. She knew that her brother and sister-in-law were standing up for her and deliberately making things difficult for Chen Yunqi, but she didn't dare to say anything and embarrass her brother. Her hands, which were tucked into her pockets, were curled up in a ball, and her fingertips dug fiercely into her palms.
"I never expected that volunteer teachers would secretly hide things, things that are for children. What do you want them for?"
"Tsk tsk, probably giving it to a child they like so they can mooch a few meals at that child's house. Who knows what other ideas they might have?"
"It's fucking disgusting! I had such a great image of volunteer teachers! They're just stuck in the city, unable to find good jobs, so they come here to become mountain bandits!"
Several of the people speaking were drunk. Li Hui, furious, was about to confront them when Chen Yunqi stopped him, sighed, and said, "We didn't hoard any donated items, but I really have no way to prove it. The items were missing from my room, and it has nothing to do with the other two teachers. If you're angry, come at me. Teacher Tang and Teacher Li are both regular volunteer teachers who have made many contributions to this place. I hope you won't hurt their feelings with these words."
After all, they were all cultured and well-mannered city dwellers. Hearing what he said, although they still looked unconvinced, they stopped uttering any more harsh words.
Tang Yutao, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly said, "Was it Teacher Sheng who brought you here yesterday?"
Before Yan Dong could answer, Li Hui slapped his thigh and yelled, "Damn it! How could I forget about this guy! He's the real culprit! The one who plunders every passing goose!"
Xiao Jie frowned in confusion and said, "Teacher Sheng? That can't be! Several girls couldn't walk yesterday, and it was thanks to him that they were able to carry their luggage on horses. Stop slandering this local teacher! Are you taking advantage of the fact that he's not as educated as you and is just an honest, simple guy?!"
"A group only does two things—add flowers to brocade or kick someone when they're down." The scene before them fully validated the truth of this statement. Chen Yunqi didn't want to argue anymore. He held onto the furious Li Hui tightly and said to Yan Dong with a calm expression, "Brother Yan, I understand that you question my character and have a problem with me. As friends, I'll listen to how you want to handle this matter. I'll accept compensation or an apology."
Yan Dong sneered upon hearing this, "What a rich kid you are, with such a big mouth. Who wants you to pay me back? I have plenty of money, but I only have one sister! I must have been blind to believe you could look so respectable and lie to me, saying that was your brother! Is this how you behave? I, Yan Dong, am not one of you! I don't associate with this kind of person!"
Before Chen Yunqi could speak, Li Hui flew into a rage, pointing his finger at Yan Dong and yelling, "You fucking explain yourself! Who fucking did something inhuman? Don't think we're afraid of you just because you're older than us!"
"Explain yourself?!" Yan Dong was also enraged by Li Hui's arrogant attitude. He clenched his fists, took a step forward, stared straight at Li Hui, and said through gritted teeth, "What do you want to hear? I, Yan Dong, always speak my mind! I don't associate with homosexuals! I find them disgusting! Do you understand?!"
He yelled the last sentence at Chen Yunqi, and as soon as he finished speaking, everyone's expression changed. Yan Xia, looking like she was about to cry, stepped forward and grabbed Yan Dong's arm, whispering, "Brother, stop it! Stop it!"
Chen Yunqi acted as if he hadn't seen Yan Xia, and abandoned his previous submissive attitude. He straightened his back and looked at Yan Dong with a cold expression, saying, "Brother Yan, it seems we really aren't meant to be friends. You two should get some rest; I won't keep you company any longer." With that, he pulled Li Hui and Tang Yutao and turned to go back into the house.
"Pah!" Yan Dong flung Yan Xia's hand away, spat on the ground, and angrily shouted at Chen Yunqi's retreating figure, "You don't know what's good for you!"
He turned to Yan Xia, still seething with resentment, and comforted her, saying, "Xiaxia, don't be sad. It's all my fault this time. I was blind and fooled by his face. Don't worry, there are plenty of good men out there. I'll definitely keep a close eye on things for you from now on!"
Seeing his self-righteous and unyielding attitude, Yan Xia was both angry and anxious, and didn't know what to say. She stomped her foot, threw down the words "Just leave me alone!" and turned to leave quickly, diving into her tent.
Yan Dong felt vindicated for his sister and was delighted. His teammates joined in the commotion, sighing and groaning. Amidst the noise, no one noticed a chilling figure hiding in the darkness outside the gate. After listening to the argument, the figure quietly left under the moonlight.
Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Incident
Li Hui looked at Chen Yunqi, who was sitting at the table with his head down and silent. He rummaged in his backpack for a while, pulled out the last can of Coca-Cola, and awkwardly walked over to him, handing it to him and saying, "...a sweet drink will make you feel better."
Chen Yunqi took the Coke, looked up, and thanked him softly. Li Hui rubbed his nose a little embarrassedly, then secretly glanced at Tang Yutao beside him. Seeing that Tang Yutao was looking down at his phone and not paying attention to him, Li Hui whispered, "Those guys are all drunk. Don't take it to heart."
"It's okay, there will probably be many more situations like this in the future. I'm mentally prepared and won't let it get to me," Chen Yunqi smiled and reached for the pull tab on the can. Li Hui suddenly remembered to remind him to be careful, but before he could say anything, the soda sprayed out with a "pop," splashing Chen Yunqi and Tang Yutao next to him.
Li Hui quickly handed over a tissue, chuckling awkwardly, "Oh dear... I guess it was from the jostling when I carried you on my back... I forgot to remind you."
Tang Yutao stroked his beard in frustration, turned to Chen Yunqi and said, "What kind of day is this? Why am I so unlucky? Your chauvinistic older brother is really something else. Not only did my sister have unrequited love, but he also blindly interfered without understanding the situation. In the end, when it didn't work out, he blamed you. He's so unreasonable. I even respected his generosity and righteousness."
“He was a bit overreacting because he had been drinking, it’s nothing. You can’t expect everyone to be tolerant and accepting. It’s already good enough that he wasn’t tied up and sent to the gallows. Breaking off friendships doesn’t matter, true friends will always remain,” Chen Yunqi smiled and glanced at Li Hui. “Don’t you think so, Teacher Li?”
Li Hui was about to light a cigarette when he heard this and was taken aback, exclaiming "Huh?" unexpectedly. Chen Yunqi caught the cigarette that had fallen and put it back in Li Hui's mouth with quick reflexes. He then took out a lighter and lit it for him, watching Li Hui take a puff before saying, "Thanks, buddy."
"Thank...thank you for what?" Li Hui said hesitantly, puffing on his cigarette.
"Thank you for standing up for me earlier," Chen Yunqi said, lighting a cigarette for himself. "Thank you for staying in Jiaoyuan instead of leaving."
“Hey,” Li Hui said, dropping the pretense, taking a few deep drags on his cigarette and saying in one breath, “I used to find it a bit hard to accept, mainly because… I’d never been in that situation before… I admit, I didn’t really like you at first, but now… I really don’t feel that way anymore. That time at Jiaoyuan… I should thank you. From the moment you pushed us all out and stayed behind, I realized that whether you like men or women, it has nothing to do with me… Teacher Tang said he’s definitely going to be friends with you, and… well… I… I think so too…”
"You and San San... it's... pretty good... um... it would be great if it could stay that way..." He couldn't find the right words to express himself, and after glancing at Tang Yutao who was giving him a sidelong glance, he slapped his thigh and said, "Anyway, what Brother Tao taught me is that even if you don't like someone, you have to respect them!" He stared at Tang Yutao as if seeking confirmation or emphasizing himself, repeating, "Right? Respect!"
Li Hui wasn't used to saying such blunt things, especially recalling how his attitude towards Chen Yunqi and San San had been even worse than Yan Dong's. Tonight, Yan Dong reminded him of his past self, revealing how utterly repulsive his self-righteous, hypocritical face had become. He felt both guilty and angry, which was why he stood up for Chen Yunqi. He rattled off a string of words, then, without waiting for Chen Yunqi's response, abruptly got up and walked out, saying as he went, "You guys talk... I'm going to take a break."