QTEBS Chapter 9

On Monday morning, Zong Yuan entered the classroom just as the class bell rang. Before he could sit down, He Xiu’xiu came over with a cup of milk tea. “Zong Yuan, would you like some milk tea?”

“Class monitor, we want some too!”

“Make it one for me here as well.”

He Xiu’xiu held the milk tea with a shy smile. Zong Yuan tossed his bag onto the desk, but before he could say anything, Fu Xin quietly spoke for him, “He doesn’t drink milk tea.”

He Xiu’xiu’s expression stiffened for a moment. “Really?”

Zong Yuan shot a glance at Fu Xin before turning his head. “Yeah.”

He Xiu’xiu handed the milk tea to Yang Fan in front of her. “Yang Fan, this is for you.”

Yang Fan grinned. “Thanks, class monitor!”

He Xiu’xiu looked back at Zong Yuan. “Zong Yuan, this Saturday is my birthday. Can you come?”

She added, “Everyone in the class will come if they’re free.”

Zhang Zhi’liang’s gaze was fixed on them, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking. Zong Yuan smiled and replied, “I’ll be there. Fu Xin and I will arrive on time.”

He shot Zhang Zhi’liang a provocatively accurate expression.

He Xiu’xiu glanced at Fu Xin, her smile sweet but her words measured. “Fu Xin, you’re coming too, right? Are you sure? I thought you’d be busy on Saturday.”

She tapped her fingers on the back of her hand. “If you’re busy, you don’t have to come.”

“I’m not busy,” Fu Xin replied, looking at her. He had changed his hairstyle and outfit, making him seem like a different person. “I’ll be there.”

He Xiu’xiu’s eyes grew slightly cold as she returned to her seat. Zhang Zhi’liang asked her, “Will he come?”

He Xiu’xiu replied, “Of course, Zong Yuan will come. Fu Xin will be there too. Just don’t feel uncomfortable then; we’re all classmates. Pretend you don’t know he likes you.”

Zhang Zhi’liang smiled warmly. “I won’t care, of course.”

He turned to look at Fu Xin, who was strikingly handsome. From a distance, he could see Fu Xin’s gentle demeanor as he chatted with Zong Yuan. This Fu Xin was quite different from before; many people were slightly taken aback when they saw him that morning.

Zong Yuan must have said something to Fu Xin, as he broke into a smile—one that was light and joyful, something they had never seen before. This caused Zhang Zhi’liang’s expression to shift.

However, Zong Yuan, facing Fu Xin’s relaxed and joyful smile, felt a bit uneasy.

He looked at Fu Xin who was holding onto his school uniform jacket without letting go and sighed, “Let go.”

Fu Xin remained steadfast like a mountain. “Did you… last night?”

“I didn’t! I didn’t!” Zong Yuan refused to answer. “I don’t know anything.”

He tried to pull away the hem of his shirt but couldn’t.

Zong Yuan glanced at him and sighed again. “Can you hold on to something else?”

He was dressed in a school uniform with trousers that had a drawstring belt. His distinctly knuckled fingers slowly untied the rope, his movements ambiguous and very alluring.

Fu Xin watched his actions without blinking, his heartbeat gradually quickening.

Zong Yuan untied the rope and handed one end to him, curling his lips into a smile. “Here, grab this.”

The elastic rope wasn’t very long, and Fu Xin, driven by some impulse, took the rope from his hand. The distance between them was so short that his hand nearly reached his crotch.

Zong Yuan shook his school uniform jacket. “This is much more convenient.”

0046: “…”

What is wrong with these humans?

The teacher was lecturing at the podium while Zong Yuan slumped over his desk, sleeping. Fu Xin gripped the rope tightly, his palms sweating. He quietly lowered his hand and cautiously glanced at Zong Yuan, his hand resting completely on Zong Yuan’s thigh.

It was thrilling.

Fu Xin was captivated as he gazed at Zong Yuan.

From his messy hair to the glinting earrings on his ears, his eyes traveled from top to bottom, as if licking every single strand of hair.

Zong Yuan shivered, jolting awake from his dream. He sat up suddenly, then felt something sliding down his thigh.

He looked down. “…”

Fu Xin’s hand had slipped to that unspeakable place due to his sudden movement.

Fu Xin: “…”

His face turned red as if he had been burned. He instinctively pulled back, his fingers curling together.

Zong Yuan was silent for three seconds, pondering how to speak. 0046, confused, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Kids shouldn’t ask,” Zong Yuan replied dismissively, then cleverly changed the topic. “Where were we?”

Fu Xin hurriedly flipped back a few pages. “To here.”

0046 completely didn’t understand the strange atmosphere between them. Wasn’t it just a touch? Earlier, when Zong Yuan was sleeping, Fu Xin had touched him several times.

Why did the mood suddenly feel different?

Ten minutes before class ended, the principal suddenly appeared at the door of Class 1, Senior Three, smiling kindly. “Zong Yuan, come out for a moment.”

Zong Yuan stood up and calmly walked out under the gaze of the teacher and classmates. “Principal, is there something?”

The principal feigned anger and glanced at him. “Call me Uncle Yuan. How have you been living alone outside? I just came back from the capital and your dad is still mad.”

Zong Yuan twitched the corner of his eye and waved his hand dismissively. “Uncle, don’t mind that old man; he’s just being irritable.”

The principal chuckled. “Alright, I won’t mind.” His expression hesitated before he asked the question he really wanted to know. “I heard someone say that you’ve been getting quite close to a student with a not-so-good reputation lately.”

The students sitting by the window peeked outside, hearing nothing, only seeing Zong Yuan smiling and saying something, while the principal wore a troubled expression.

What were they talking about?

Why did the principal look so troubled?

What was their relationship?

Fu Xin couldn’t see anything. He pressed his lips together and looked toward the corridor as if he could pierce through it and fix his gaze on Zong Yuan.

A beam of light shone through during the numbness of life; this was both a happy and sad thing.

The happiness lay in seeing the light, yet this beam of light was not something he could completely grasp in his hands.

He was just too outstanding.

Zong Yuan said a few words and smiled. “Thanks, Uncle.”

The principal chuckled bitterly. “I shouldn’t have come to see you today; look, you’ve assigned me another task.”

Zong Yuan beamed a radiant smile. “Alright, Uncle, next time I’ll come to your house for a meal.”

The principal waved his hand. “Okay, go ahead.”

He watched Zong Yuan walk into the classroom. As he glanced back through the front door, he caught sight of the not-so-good classmate sitting next to Zong Yuan, who just happened to look over at him, his dark eyes slightly curving at the corners.

The principal furrowed his brows and walked out.

Since that day, Fu Dongqiang seemed to have genuinely woken up. Zong Yuan dropped Fu Xin off at a fixed spot every night, then peered like a voyeur at what his father was doing.

Fu Xin still didn’t understand what Zong Yuan had said to Fu Dongqiang that day.

When he got home, he saw a simple yet warm spread of food on the table. Fu Dongqiang had gotten a haircut and trimmed his beard; with just a bit of tidying up, he exuded the spirit of a middle-aged man.

Fu Xin silently washed his hands and went to the bathroom. He stayed in there for a few minutes, and when he came out, he was holding two bottles.

He placed them on the table, pushing them in front of Fu Dongqiang, lowering his eyes and saying tiredly, “All the money is for you; just leave.”

Fu Dongqiang had never cooked for him, nor had they coexisted peacefully in the same space for more than 24 hours.

Perhaps he was out of money again.

Fu Xin said, “This is all I have; I can’t give you any more.”

Fu Dongqiang’s throat rolled up and down. His alcohol cravings had hit him several times today, but whenever he couldn’t hold back, he would think of the piercing headache and the searing stomach pain, along with the young man’s sarcastic words. All day long, he had somehow managed to endure it.

Yet today, not having a drop to drink made his mind even clearer.

He forced a smile. “I don’t want the money.”

Fu Xin fell silent. He picked up the two bottles and placed them under the table, suddenly asking, “Where did you get the money to buy groceries and cook?”

Fu Dongqiang choked up, mumbling, “I borrowed it earlier.”

Fu Xin sneered. “Are you planning to sell everything in this house?”

Zong Yuan, hiding under the window, clicked his tongue in admiration. “I didn’t know Fu Xin had this side to him.”

0046 speculated, “Did you change him?”

Zong Yuan thought for a moment. “Maybe.”

Inside the house.

Fu Dongqiang said, “I will find a job.”

Fu Xin didn’t want to argue with him and wasn’t in the mood to eat. He walked directly to the bedroom. Fu Dongqiang repeated, talking to himself, “I can find a job.”

Zong Yuan ran a few steps ahead and 0046 asked curiously, “Zong Yuan, why did you have the principal arrange a job for him?”

Zong Yuan smiled faintly, his figure shimmering in the moonlight. “A man has to mature eventually.”

After forty wasted years, it was about time to rise up. They say enlightenment comes suddenly; in an instant or a lifetime, it takes only a few seconds to wake someone up. A wayward son returning home is worth more than gold.

0046 nodded and suddenly exclaimed.

“…” Zong Yuan felt a chill run down his spine from its shout, irritated. “What’s wrong with you?”

0046 trembled, “I-I forgot to open a file.”

“What file?”

0046 was almost in tears. “This is the original background of the world! Didn’t you say there was only one file? Where did this little attachment come from?”

Zong Yuan remained silent for a few seconds, his tone serious. “0046, tell me the truth: are you an artificial intelligence idiot?”

Ignoring him, 0046 cautiously opened the small attachment it had overlooked, staring at the contents with a sense of dizziness.

“Zong, Zong Yuan,” it stammered, “There are just… two paragraphs in here.”

Oh, two paragraphs.

Zong Yuan casually replied, “Mm.”

“Fu Xin jumped off a building the night before the college entrance exam. Three days later, all the students who bullied Fu Xin died. Four days later, He Xiu’xiu died. Five days later, Zhang Zhi’liang died. Six days later…” 0046 swallowed hard, “Fu Dongqiang died.”

“Fu Xin died and took revenge. The outcome was total annihilation. There are doubts about his character not being as indicated in the files; the task performer should treat this matter with caution.”

The manner of these deaths was related to what they had done to Fu Xin. For example, He Xiu’xiu had once splashed dirty mop water on Fu Xin’s face, so when she died, she was covered in filth, dirty and smelly.

The surrounding streetlights flickered in sync.

0046 was so scared it was almost smoking. “Zong, Zong Yuan, Fu Xin wouldn’t be pretending, right? That’s terrifying, sob sob sob.”

Zong Yuan rubbed his ears. “What did you say? Say it again.”

He spoke with absolute certainty. “That’s impossible.”

“With Fu Xin like that, if he died and took revenge, it’s because it’s too unfair, right? How could he take revenge after dying?”

0046 stopped trembling. “That’s true.”

Zong Yuan remained calm, his hands in his pockets as he walked through the empty alley, scoffing at anything that didn’t match Fu Xin’s character. “If he really could scheme like that, why would he need me to save him? Wouldn’t he just jump off the building?”

“Who wrote this summary? So irresponsible.”

0046 followed his logic, completely forgetting its earlier fear, filled with righteous indignation. “I almost misunderstood Fu Xin!”

Zong Yuan remained nonchalant. “Little brother, you’re not cut out for this.”

Fu Xin scheming? Did he think Zong Yuan was blind?

The next day, as soon as Fu Xin stepped out of his house, he saw Zong Yuan waiting for him at the intersection on a motorcycle.

Zong Yuan wore fitted black jeans, one long leg bent awkwardly while the other confidently rested on the ground. He casually played with his helmet, becoming a picturesque sight in the eyes of others.

Nearby students on their way to school seemed eager to approach him, their footsteps slowing down as they passed.

Fu Xin’s expression darkened for a few seconds but quickly returned to normal.

He approached and Zong Yuan saw him. “Good morning, Fu Xin.”

“Good morning.” A strand of hair on Fu Xin’s head was sticking up. Zong Yuan reached out to smooth it down, but the stubborn hair remained defiant. Zong Yuan chuckled softly, while Fu Xin looked confused, making him somewhat endearing. He raised his chin. “Get on the bike.”

Fu Xin obediently sat on the back seat. Without Zong Yuan needing to say anything, he instinctively wrapped his arms around Zong Yuan’s waist, pressing close against him.

Zong Yuan said, “Fool,” handing Fu Xin a helmet in a lazy tone. “Put it on.”

Fu Xin carefully put it on, his hand brushing against the stubborn strand of hair on his head. He bent his eyes into a smile, revealing his pure happiness.

He liked this.

It was worth all the time he spent that morning trying to learn from the neighbor’s kid.

Zong Yuan, unaware of his little thoughts, sped toward the school. Calmly pushing the motorcycle through the school gates under the watchful eyes of the guard, he was met with gasps from acquaintances along the way. “Whoa, Zong Yuan, you can ride a motorcycle?”

“Shouldn’t the focus be on how he has a motorcycle?”

“Shouldn’t the focus be on him riding with Fu Xin?”

Fu Xin’s lips curled into a slight smile. Zong Yuan casually glanced at him. “What’s up? In a good mood?”

Fu Xin nodded and the stubborn strand of hair bobbed with him. Zong Yuan ruffled it again. “Let’s go. It’s still early; I’ll take you out to eat.”

Fu Xin asked, “Why didn’t you refute me?”

“What should I refute about you?”

“I mean about you not drinking milk tea.”

Zong Yuan exaggeratedly looked at Fu Xin several times. “You brought that up this morning. Didn’t you say I don’t drink milk tea?”

With his hands in his pockets, he ambiguously replied, “Since you’ve said it, I guess I should give you face. Starting from when you said that yesterday, I won’t drink it anymore.”

He said it casually, but Fu Xin suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The intense shock made his hands tremble slightly and his excited brain felt itchy. “Y-you’re willing to do that for me?”

It was just not drinking milk tea; he didn’t drink it much anyway. It was a small matter.

He stretched out his arm and draped it around Fu Xin’s shoulders, dismissively saying, “Yeah, yeah, sure, willing.”

“What are we eating?”

Fu Xin’s cheeks flushed, spreading to his ears and neck. He shyly replied, “I’ll follow your lead.”

He was like a little wife.

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