A Worried Fu Yanzhi

Early the next morning, Wen Shiming got out of bed and spent a long time choosing clothes in his room. Finally, he put on what he considered his most handsome outfit: a light gray hoodie with understated white lettering embroidered at the hem. Its sleeves were pushed up to his forearms, revealing a black fitness band on his wrist.

On the bottom, he wore deep black joggers with a silver reflective strip down the side of each leg, glimmering faintly as he walked.

On his feet were retro sneakers in white and black, their laces tied in neat bows. He slung a simple black backpack over his shoulders, then left home full of excitement and headed for the library.

Fu Yanzhi woke up after Third Brother had left. He tossed and turned in bed, unable to go back to sleep, wondering whether Third Brother might be in danger going out alone. In the end, he decided to follow him.

Fu Yanzhi left Second Brother a message on his phone, telling him to take Xingxing and Yueyue to their extracurricular classes when he got up. He himself was going to protect Third Brother. Then, after getting ready, Fu Yanzhi left home.

The library was quiet on Sunday. Liu Xu stood at the entrance, clutching the hem of his dress. His father had forced him to wear the white dress yesterday, saying, "Girls should wear dresses." He was hesitating over whether to go in when he saw Wen Shiming running toward him with two bottles of orange soda in his hands.

Wen Shiming froze for a moment when he saw the dress, then smiled. "You look really good in that."

Liu Xu's face flushed at once. Twisting the hem between his fingers, he spoke in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Do you... think I'm a freak too? My dad made me wear it, I..."

Wen Shiming stopped, looked him seriously in the eye, and shook his head. "No. The length of your hair and the clothes you wear don't define a person. You're you, Liu Xu, and that's enough. If you're having any trouble, you can tell me. Aren't we good brothers?"

Liu Xu froze, then gave a faint smile. It was the most relaxed smile he had shown since coming to his new school.

The two walked into the library side by side and found seats by a window. Liu Xu pulled the materials he had organized from his schoolbag and opened them page by page. Wen Shiming leaned in and listened intently.

Meanwhile, Fu Yanzhi sat wearing a mask in a spot where he could see Third Brother and his deskmate. He deliberately propped up a book to make it easier to peek at them.

Just then, a burst of static sounded in Fu Yanzhi's mind.

[Little Zhizhi, did you miss me? I, the great System 127, am back.]

Fu Yanzhi was speechless. "When did you leave? I didn't even know you were gone."

[Uh, uh, uh, Little Zhizhi, I'm so sad. You didn't even know I was gone. Honestly, there's no love between us anymore.]

Fu Yanzhi laughed. "When was there ever any love between us? By the way, what have you been doing all this time?"

[Teaching Number 1 a lesson, of course. He got in the way of my mission, so I reported him to the boss. The boss punished him by making him face the wall and reflect on his mistakes for five hundred years.]

Fu Yanzhi nodded. "Oh. Now that you're free, don't disturb me while I eat melons. I still have to keep an eye on my Third Brother."

[What melon? What melon? Come on, Little Zhizhi, share it with me. You're the best. (´ε｀ )]

Fu Yanzhi looked disgusted. "Third Brother has a new deskmate named Liu Xu or something. He's a little boy with long hair, and I don't know why he keeps it long. Then Third Brother's English teacher said a few things to his deskmate, so Third Brother made a bet: if he scores ninety on the English test, the teacher has to apologize to his deskmate."

[Ohhh, so that's what happened... Wait, no. What did you say Third Brother's deskmate was called?]

Fu Yanzhi said disdainfully, "When did you go deaf? I said his name is Liu Xu."

[You're the deaf one. I'm a top-of-the-line system, okay? Liu Xu—isn't he the protagonist of this book?]

Fu Yanzhi asked in shock, "Are you sure he's the protagonist? He doesn't look like one at all, okay? Can someone too weak to truss a chicken be a good protagonist?"

[What do you know? That's called playing the pig to eat the tiger. He can't do much now, but he'll be a hidden bigshot in the future. It's not time for him to show his strength yet.]

Fu Yanzhi frowned, a little worried. "Then could Third Brother be in danger? Isn't he the villain of this book? He's so innocent. What if Liu Xu takes advantage of him? Better keep them apart."

[In the book's original storyline, Third Brother is picking through garbage to survive right now. He never even gets the chance to go to school, let alone meet the protagonist.]

Fu Yanzhi said in confusion, "You mean my appearance changed the original framework of the story, right?"

[Yes, Little Zhizhi. I thought the plot might change, but I didn't expect Third Brother and the protagonist to get together. What's the female lead supposed to do?]

Fu Yanzhi scoffed. "Even that weakling has a partner?"

[Of course. The female lead hasn't appeared yet. In the book, Liu Xu meets her when he's at his lowest, and then they fall in love. Afterward, they take on the villain together.]

Fu Yanzhi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "In that case, I need to find a way to keep Third Brother out of their romance and their fight."

[Don't worry, Little Zhizhi. Once the female lead appears, Liu Xu will run off with her and stop paying attention to Third Brother. So relax.]

Hearing 127's words, Fu Yanzhi could only nod. "All right. If they dare hurt my little brother, I don't mind giving this book a new protagonist."

Meanwhile, Liu Xu was explaining the material to Third Brother in earnest when Wen Shiming suddenly stopped him and pointed at his hair. "Liu Xu, there's something in your hair. Don't move."

Liu Xu froze, feeling Wen Shiming's fingers brush gently through his hair. The touch was so light, like a feather landing on his skin. He could smell the faint scent of oranges on Wen Shiming, and his heart suddenly beat so fast it felt ready to leap out of his chest. His cheeks burned.

"There, it was a little leaf." Holding the leaf between his fingers, Wen Shiming looked up and saw Liu Xu's bright red face. He asked in confusion, "Why is your face so red? Is it too hot in here?"

Liu Xu quickly lowered his head and flipped through the materials in his hands. "No, no. Maybe it's a little hot," he mumbled.

Only he knew that his cheeks were burning because, when Wen Shiming had come close just now, he had almost forgotten to breathe. Outside the window, the sunlight was just right, falling on his hair and on the tenderness quietly sprouting between them.

Watching their intimate movements, Fu Yanzhi clenched his fists and kept reassuring himself: Third Brother wasn't gay, wasn't gay. They had only touched for a moment.

[Hahaha, Little Zhizhi, look how intimately your Third Brother is interacting with him. Looks like their feelings are heating up fast.] System 127 teased Fu Yanzhi in his mind.

"Shut up! Third Brother is just making friends with him," Fu Yanzhi said through gritted teeth, though his eyes remained fixed on them.

Wen Shiming glanced at his watch and stood up with a smile. "It's already noon! I'll take you somewhere good to eat! The barbecue at the Great Xia Shopping Mall smells amazing. What do you think?"

Liu Xu looked up at him, a blush still lingering around his eyes, and nodded gently. "Whatever you say."

In the barbecue restaurant, the aroma of sizzling meat was wrapped in the warmth of cooking smoke. Wen Shiming cut the grilled beef into small pieces, dipped them in sauce, and put them on Liu Xu's plate. "This is tender. Have some more."

Worried that Liu Xu might burn himself, Wen Shiming even blew on it before handing it over. Liu Xu took a small bite, and the aroma of beef spread through his mouth.

Watching Wen Shiming bustle around, he suddenly felt that perhaps days like this weren't so bad: having someone who didn't mind his hair, didn't think he was strange, and even saved the tastiest things for him.

Wen Shiming grilled another chicken wing and held it out to him. "What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and eat, or I'll finish it all myself."

Liu Xu smiled and took the chicken wing, biting off a big mouthful. Sweet and spicy sauce smeared the corner of his mouth, and Wen Shiming took out a tissue and gently wiped it away for him.

Fu Yanzhi, who had followed them all the way, was falling apart by now. He hadn't even enjoyed this kind of care from Third Brother himself.

[Who's jealous? So hard to guess, hahaha,] the system said cheekily.

Fu Yanzhi rolled his eyes at 127. "If you can't speak properly, I don't mind helping you cut out your tongue."

After their meal, Wen Shiming suddenly took Liu Xu by the hand and headed for a clothing store on the mall's second floor.

"What are you doing, Shiming?" Liu Xu panicked a little and tried to pull free.

"Buying you clothes." Wen Shiming looked back at him, his tone serious. "You don't like wearing dresses, so change into something you like. There are lots of casual clothes for boys here. Pick a few things to try on."

Liu Xu glanced down at a price tag, and the number on it startled him. A single jacket cost over a thousand.

He hurriedly pulled Wen Shiwu toward the door. "It's too expensive. Let's go. I don't need new clothes."

Wen Shiming stood his ground and pulled him back. "It's not expensive. I have enough money to buy you a few things. If you're embarrassed to choose, I'll pick them for you."

Before Liu Xu could object, Wen Shiming picked up a light gray hoodie, a pair of blue sweatpants, and a blue jacket and stuffed them into his hands. "This size will definitely fit. Go change in the fitting room."

Seeing Wen Shiming's determined gaze, Liu Xu had no choice but to take the clothes into the fitting room. He took off the dress and changed into the hoodie and sweatpants. In the mirror, he looked fresh and neat, no longer as awkward as before. He took a deep breath and pushed open the fitting room door.

Wen Shiming and the sales assistant were both stunned. The light gray hoodie set off Liu Xu's fair skin, while the blue sweatpants made his legs look long and slender. His shoulder-length black hair hung loosely, bringing out his large, bright eyes.

"Wow, you look so good in this!" Wen Shiming came over and patted his shoulder with a smile. "Even better than in a dress! We're getting this!"

The sales assistant smiled too. "This outfit really suits you. It brings out your presence."

Liu Xu's face turned red again. He lowered his head, but the corners of his mouth still lifted. So being himself felt this good.

Watching the scene from a short distance away, Fu Yanzhi gritted his teeth in anger.

[Little Zhizhi, calm down. He's only buying a classmate some clothes. Theirs is a pure friendship,] System 127 urged in his mind.

Fu Yanzhi snorted. "That kid isn't really falling for him, is he? But I have to say, he really is the protagonist. There's no denying those looks."

[Of course. What protagonist isn't good-looking? All right, Little Zhizhi, go buy an ice cream and cool off.]

Fu Yanzhi felt that Third Brother probably wouldn't run into trouble, so he went to buy ice cream.

After buying Liu Xu clothes, Wen Shiming pulled him toward the arcade. Liu Xu was a little puzzled. "Aren't we going back to the library to review?"

Wen Shiming shook the game tokens in his hand and said with a smile, "We can't study all the time, even if we're reviewing. Today we're going to play like crazy all day. Everything's on me!"

With that, he bought five hundred game tokens and pressed half of them into Liu Xu's hands. "Come on, I'll show you the motorcycle game. It's super fun!"

Liu Xu sat at the motorcycle game, gripping the steering wheel so nervously that his palms were sweating. Wen Shiming stood beside him and patiently taught him. "This is the accelerator, this is the brake, and you need to steer early when you turn..."

Following his instructions, Liu Xu slowly began to play. At first he kept crashing into walls, but he grew more and more skilled. In the end, he actually beat Wen Shiming in a race.

He took off his headphones and looked at the word "Victory" on the screen, unable to hold back a laugh. It was as clear as a wind chime, especially striking in the noisy arcade.

Seeing his smile, Wen Shiming smiled too, thinking, So he looks this good when he smiles. I have to make him smile more from now on.

Once they were tired from playing, Wen Shiming pulled Liu Xu over to a claw machine. "Pick one you like, and I'll win it for you!"

Liu Xu stared at the toys in the glass case, his gaze settling on a little green bird plush. Its wings were spread as though it might take flight at any moment. He wanted to be like that little bird, able to fly freely and be his true self.

"I want that little green bird," Liu Xu said, pointing at the plush.

Wen Shiming nodded, picked up some tokens, and put them in. He tried again and again, but the claw always loosened halfway.

Liu Xu looked at the sweat on his forehead and wanted to say, "Forget it,"

but Wen Shiming smiled and said, "It's okay. I'll definitely get it!"

Finally, on the twelfth try, the claw gripped the bird plush firmly, lifted it slowly, and dropped it into the prize chute.

Wen Shiming immediately took the bird out and handed it to Liu Xu. "Look! I got it!"

Liu Xu took the bird and hugged it tightly to his chest, his eyes sparkling and his smile too wide to close his mouth. He looked up at Wen Shiming, and a thought suddenly occurred to him—he wanted to win one for Wen Shiming too.

So he pulled Wen Shiming over to another claw machine and asked earnestly, "Shiming, which one do you like? I'll win it for you!"

He was staring at the toys in the machine, trying to choose one he liked, when a familiar voice rang out. "Damn, boss, look! The freak actually came to the arcade!"

Liu Xu's smile froze instantly, and his body began to tremble—it was those boys from his old school! The boy in the lead walked over and looked him up and down, a mocking smile curling his lips. "Well, if it isn't Liu Xu. New place, same neither-man-nor-woman."

Another boy came over, looked at Wen Shiwu, and said in a mocking tone, "Who would've thought this freak could actually seduce a man?"

Wen Shiming's face darkened at once. He clenched his fists and shouted at the boy, "Say that again if you dare!"

"I said he's a freak. What about it?" The boy sneered. "Am I wrong?"

Wen Shiming could no longer hold back and punched the boy in the face. Seeing their companion get hit, the other two boys charged over at once. Wen Shiming knew he was at a disadvantage fighting three against one, so he grabbed one boy and pinned him to the ground, beating him.

Seeing this, the other two boys began hitting Wen Shiming's back and arms.

Watching Wen Shiming get beaten, Liu Xu was frantic. He tried to rush in and help, but one of the boys kicked him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground.

He curled up in pain, tears falling at once. The little green bird plush rolled to one side, and a corner of its wing was trampled flat.

"Liu Xu!" Wen Shiming saw him fall, and his eyes turned red in an instant. Ignoring the fists pounding his back, he broke free of the person pinning him down and lunged like a madman at the one who had kicked Liu Xu. His fists smashed into him again and again, and he didn't even notice the blood running from the corner of his own mouth.

Liu Xu lay on the ground, looking at Wen Shiming's back, and tears suddenly welled up—there really was someone who would disregard his own safety for him.

Just as the scene grew more chaotic, Fu Yanzhi returned with his ice cream. His eyes widened in fury when he saw what was happening. "Fuck, I was only gone long enough to buy an ice cream, and you dared bully my little brother."

He threw down the ice cream and charged over like a fierce tiger, beating the boys until they scattered in just a few moves. "You dare bully my little brother? Are you tired of living?" Fu Yanzhi said viciously.

The boys fled with bruised and swollen faces, their tails between their legs.

Fu Yanzhi hurried to Wen Shiming's side and checked his injuries. "Third Brother, are you okay?" he asked, his heart aching.

Wen Shiming shook his head and looked at Liu Xu, who was lying on the ground. "How is he?" he asked anxiously.

Touched by Wen Shiming's concern, Liu Xu forced himself to sit up despite the pain and managed a faint smile. "I'm okay."

Wen Shiming picked up the trampled bird plush and handed it to Liu Xu. "Don't be sad. Next time I see them, I'll beat him up again."

Liu Xu took the plush, tears blurring his eyes once more.

Fu Yanzhi looked at them and sighed helplessly, thinking, Third Brother is definitely going to be love-brained in the future. And I was force-fed a whole helping of dog food. They might as well have kept fighting a little longer.

Only then did Wen Shiming suddenly realize something. "Big Brother, why are you here?"

Fu Yanzhi scratched his head awkwardly. "I wanted an ice cream, so I came to buy one. I'd just bought it when I saw you getting beaten."

Meanwhile, Liu Xu was looking at Wen Shiming with a face full of concern, paying no attention to Fu Yanzhi beside them.

Seeing that Liu Xu was hurt, Wen Shiming insisted on taking him to the hospital for a checkup. Fu Yanzhi had no choice but to come along. At the hospital, a doctor examined Liu Xu and Wen Shiming's injuries. Fortunately, they were only superficial wounds, and neither was seriously hurt.

Wen Shiming stayed by Liu Xu's hospital bed, holding his hand, his face full of guilt. "It's all my fault. I didn't protect you."

Liu Xu shook his head and said softly, "It's not your fault. You did enough. It's all my fault."

Fu Yanzhi watched them from the side, a jumble of feelings in his heart.

[Little Zhizhi, it looks like Third Brother and the protagonist's feelings are growing deeper and deeper. What are you going to do?]

Fu Yanzhi glared, thinking he couldn't let Third Brother fall too deeply, but he didn't know how to stop it. He sighed and decided to watch for a while first.

Seeing how tired Wen Shiming looked, Liu Xu said with concern, "You're tired too. Get some rest."

Wen Shiming shook his head. "I'm not sleepy. I want to watch over you."

Outside the window, the evening sun gradually sank, its fading light falling on their tightly clasped hands, while Fu Yanzhi worried silently at the side.