The Third Young Master Is Summoned to the Principal's Office

After a night of deep deliberation, Fu Yanzhi decided to temporarily wash his hands of the whole affair between the third young master and Liu Xu. The previous night, 127 had already told him that once Liu Xu entered high school he would run into the female protagonist, whereas the third young master was slated to be sent straight to a police academy, meaning their paths wouldn't cross in the later stages anyway, so there was nothing to worry about, Fu Yanzhi consoled himself.

In the days that followed, Fu Yanzhi no longer tried to block the interactions between Wen Shiming and Liu Xu, and time flew by in a flash, bringing them straight to the day of the third young master's final exams.

Before the mid-term exam bell even rang, Wen Shiming spread his English textbook across the desk, his finger tracing back and forth over the grammar notes—the tense markers that used to give him massive headaches had been clearly labeled by Liu Xu in different colors, with tiny smiley faces drawn next to the common pitfalls as reminders.

He looked up toward Liu Xu sitting diagonally in front of him, who was lowering his long hair to memorize vocabulary words. Sunlight poured in through the window, plating a layer of pale gold onto the tips of his hair like a dusting of crushed candy.

"Hey, Liu Xu," Wen Shiming poked him in the back, lowering his voice. "Do you think I can break 90 this time?" Liu Xu turned his head, his eyelashes fluttering while he still gripped a slip of paper covered in words. "Your last mock exam was already 88, you can definitely do it."

He remembered how, for the sake of memorizing vocabulary, Wen Shiming copied out phrases even during recess, sometimes jotting sentences he couldn't grasp onto sticky notes and taking them out to ask him about them during meals.

The surrounding classmates were all burying their heads in review, but Wen Shiming suddenly chuckled, fishing a strawberry lollipop out of his pocket—the exact same one Liu Xu had given him last time, the candy wrapper glistening brightly in the sunlight.

"Once I'm done testing, I'm still taking you out for barbecue." He passed the candy over. "My treat, just to thank you for helping me tutor my English."

Liu Xu took the candy, his fingertips brushing against Wen Shiming's hand, and the tips of his ears began to heat up again. He thought back over the past week, how every day after school Wen Shiming would follow him home, tutoring him in English beside the stone table down in the courtyard. Sometimes Wen Shiming would bring a bottle of warm milk, or lend him his own study notes. Those long hair strands that once felt so burdensome didn't seem quite so hateful anymore, not when Wen Shiming tucked them behind his ear and said, "It's easier to take notes this way."

"Jingle-ling—" The exam bell rang, and Wen Shiming took a deep breath, giving Liu Xu's compiled notes one final glance before shoving them into his schoolbag.

He looked up and flashed Liu Xu an encouraging "go for it" gesture, his eyes overflowing with confidence—not only was he going to score above 90, but he was going to make teacher Wang Chenchen honor her promise of an apology, and furthermore let everyone know that Liu Xu was not the "freak" they made him out to be, but rather his best friend and the little teacher who helped him conquer his English hurdle.

Liu Xu watched Wen Shiming's retreating back as he walked into the examination room, clutching the strawberry lollipop in his hand tightly. The texture of the wrapper pressed against his palm, yet it made him feel immensely grounded.

He thought of how Wen Shiming fought for him at the arcade, of the gentleness with which the other boy picked a leaf out of his hair in the library, of Wen Shiming's surprised, delighted expression when he wore new clothes.

Turns out that being treated as a "person" felt like such a warm sensation. He lowered his head and opened his English textbook, drawing a tiny green bird on the flyleaf—identical to the plushie Wen Shiming had won for him that day—and wrote a line of small text beside it: Hope Shiming can score a 90.

The mid-term exam bell had barely fallen silent when Wen Shiming clutched his pencil case and bolted out of the examination room, spotting Liu Xu standing under the camphor tree from afar. Morning light filtered through the gaps in the leaves and landed on the tips of his hair; when the breeze blew, his long locks swayed gently like newly sprouted willow branches in spring.

"Xuxu, let me tell you, I understood every single question in the cloze test this time!" Before Wen Shiming even ran close, his voice drifted over first, the corners of his eyes shining brightly like fallen stars. "Every single key sentence pattern you marked showed up, and even the essay topic was almost identical to the one you guessed!"

Liu Xu stepped forward with a smile, reaching out to gently cover Wen Shiming's mouth, his fingertips still carrying the faint scent of the eraser he had just taken from his bag. "I believe in you, Shiming." He paused, handing over the milk he held in his other hand. "Let's talk about this later, let's head to the cafeteria. I heard they're serving sweet and sour pork ribs today, which you love."

Wen Shiming's eyes grew even brighter. He took the milk and drank a gulp with a gulp sound, naturally draping an arm around Liu Xu's shoulder as they walked toward the cafeteria. The two walked side by side, their shadows stretched long on the ground, accompanied occasionally by a passing breeze and the crisp laughter of youths, making even the air taste sweet.

Yet they hadn't walked far before the sound of high heels striking the pavement rang out from ahead. Wang Chenchen walked over carrying a stack of lesson plans, her gaze behind her lenses sweeping over the two of them. Her brows immediately furrowed, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Some people certainly have a lot of free time. Instead of properly reflecting on themselves, they still have the leisure to help others 'clasp Buddha's feet'?" The thorns in her words pointed blatantly at Liu Xu.

Wen Shiming's footsteps halted. He sheltered Liu Xu behind him, and when he raised his eyes to look at Wang Chenchen, the timidity of the past was gone from his gaze. "Teacher, let's wait until the grades come out before we talk." His voice was very steady. "When the time comes and I score a 90, make sure you don't forget what you said earlier."

Wang Chenchen's expression stiffened. She let out a cold snort and walked away on her high heels, the hem of her skirt brushing against Wen Shiming's school uniform and kicking up a chill.

Liu Xu tugged at Wen Shiming's sleeve, whispering, "Don't fight with the teacher."

Instead, Wen Shiming turned around and gripped his hand, his palm warm. "What's there to be afraid of? I'll definitely pull it off this time. Besides, I can't let you keep getting wronged."

The two continued on toward the cafeteria. The aroma of sweet and sour pork ribs drifted over from the distance, and as Liu Xu looked at Wen Shiming's profile, he suddenly felt as though those days of mockery and the nights forced upon him by his father were all being slowly warmed away by this surge of warmth.

Sure enough, there were very few sweet and sour pork ribs left in the cafeteria. Wen Shiming rushed to scoop two portions, adding an extra spoonful of sauce and pushing it over to Liu Xu. "Eat more, you still have exams this afternoon."

Liu Xu looked at the mound of ribs piled high in his bowl, suddenly reminded of what it was like the first time he shared a meal with Wen Shiming—back then he was still too constrained to dare pick up any food, yet now he could naturally transfer the green peppers he disliked over to Wen Shiming's plate.

As the final exam of the afternoon ended, Wen Shiming had just packed up his schoolbag when a boy from his class grabbed him by the shoulder and hauled him outward. "Let's go, Shiming! We're playing a match against the junior highs during PE class, we've got to settle the score for the loss last time!"

He subconsciously glanced back at Liu Xu, seeing that Liu Xu was standing in place clutching his books, his gaze fixed toward the direction of the sports field, though he remained silent.

The boys also noticed Liu Xu, and someone hooted, "Bring your deskmate along too, let him cheer us on!"

Wen Shiming hesitated, his fingers scratching the back of his head. "Forget it, you guys go ahead and play, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Xu gently tugged at the corner of his clothing. "Go if you want to," he said, looking up at Wen Shiming with eyes reflecting the sunset outside the window. "I'll sit on the bleachers over there and watch you play."

Wen Shiming was stunned, then burst into a smile, revealing two little canine teeth. "Then wait for me, I'm definitely going to win!" He shoved his schoolbag into Liu Xu's arms, ran toward the basketball court with the boys, and didn't forget to shout back, "Don't go away!"

Liu Xu cradled both schoolbags and sat on the front row of the bleachers. The wind on the sports field carried the scent of grass, fluttering his long hair. He subconsciously tucked his hair behind his ear, his gaze closely tracking Wen Shiming's figure.

He watched as Wen Shiming caught a ball passed by a teammate, bent low to evade an opponent's block, his footwork as brisk as a young deer's before he suddenly pivoted and hoisted the ball up into the hoop.

"Nice shot!" someone shouted from the stands, and Liu Xu couldn't help smiling along, his palms sweating from clenching them. Sunlight fell upon Wen Shiming, dragging his shadow out long. The boy looked toward the bleachers, and upon seeing Liu Xu smile, immediately flashed a "victory" sign before turning right back into the next round of defense.

Liu Xu's heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat. He hastily lowered his head, pretending to unscrew a bottle of mineral water while unable to stop himself from stealing a glance upward.

Just then, a basketball rolled over to Liu Xu's feet. He bent down to pick it up, and just as he wanted to toss it back onto the court, he saw Wen Shiming running toward him, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the grass of the sports field.

"How was it? Did I play okay?" Wen Shiming took the basketball back and casually ruffled Liu Xu's hair. "Once this is over, I'll treat you to ice cream."

Liu Xu looked at his shining eyes and nodded with a smile, still clutching the tissue he had wanted to give Wen Shiming earlier, which still retained a faint mint fragrance.

After playing half a class period, Wen Shiming's forehead was covered in sweat. Seeing him tilt his head back to drink water, Liu Xu remembered the lemon-flavored gummy candies he liked and quietly got up to head to the school convenience store.

There was only one pack of gummy candies left in the store. He paid for them, tucked the candies away, and holding a pack of strawberry cookies and a soda, headed toward the basketball court. Just as he rounded the corner of the teaching building's wall, he was blocked by several figures.

Fu Li was chewing on a lollipop with his hands shoved deep into his trouser pockets, his expression full of malice. "Isn't this the little rat who was hanging out with Wen Shiming in the cafeteria last time?" The two boys behind him laughed along. "Oh wait, I mean the freak, right?"

He reached out wanting to grab Liu Xu's hair, but Liu Xu scrambled backward in a panic, causing the soda in his hand to crash to the ground with a snap and splatter the cuffs of his trousers.

"Don't touch my hair!" Liu Xu tried to dodge, but was grabbed by the wrist by another boy, his hair being yanked viciously and sending a piercing pain straight to his roots.

He struggled, tears spilling uncontrollably—he had long since loathed this head of long hair; it was something his father forced him to keep, a reason for others to mock him, and now it had once again become a handle for bullies to torment him.

"Crying?" Fu Li watched his tears and smiled even more viciously. "Dead freak, crying doesn't help! Wen Shiming isn't around right now, let's see who can help you!"

With a loud crack, he raised his hand and struck Liu Xu fiercely across the face. His cheek went numb instantly, followed by a burning, fiery pain. Liu Xu's tears fell even faster, yet he bit down hard on his lip, refusing to make another sound.

"Today I'll let you know the consequences of meddling in other people's business." With his cheek burning with pain, Liu Xu looked at Fu Li's ferocious face, his heart full of grievance and despair—what on earth had he done wrong? He just wanted to get along well with his friend, he just wanted to live quietly, so why did everyone have to bully him and curse at him? His tears smashed onto the ground, blooming small patches of wet stains.

Just as Fu Li was about to strike again, an angry voice rang out: "Stop right there!"

It turned out that Wen Shiming had finished playing ball and returned to look for Liu Xu, only to find him missing from the stands and thus coming to search for him, never expecting to run straight into this scene. He dropped his basketball, rushed forward to shove Fu Li aside, and shielded Liu Xu behind him.

"Damn it, Fu Li, how dare you touch Liu Xu? Have you got a death wish?" Wen Shiming glared with wide eyes, his fists clenched tight.

Fu Li chuckled dismissively. "Yo, Wen Shiming, you're still protecting this freak."

Wen Shiming was so angry his face turned red, and he lunged forward to pick a fight with Fu Li. Liu Xu hastily pulled him back. "Wen Shiming, don't be impulsive."

Wen Shiming looked at the handprint on Liu Xu's face with a heartache that made his eye sockets turn red. "I'm sorry, I came late."

Liu Xu shook his head, his eyes brimming with emotion. "It doesn't matter. As long as you're by my side, it's fine."

Fu Li said with utter disgust, "Wen Shiming, let's see if you can walk out of here alive today."

"Then you can find out." Saying this, Wen Shiming lunged forward and smashed a fist into Fu Li's face.

Seeing this, Fu Li's two lacklings swarmed forward as well, but Wen Shiming fought recklessly, his mind possessed solely by the thought of protecting Liu Xu—the sight of Liu Xu being kicked down at the arcade was still fresh in his mind, and this time he absolutely would not let Liu Xu suffer even the slightest injury.

Wen Shiming fought viciously, targeting Fu Li's face specifically so he wouldn't have a chance to grab Liu Xu again. A boy launched a sneak attack from behind, trying to kick Wen Shiming in the lower back, but Liu Xu suddenly lunged forward to wrap his arms around the boy's leg; although he was quickly shaken off, it bought Wen Shiming the opening he needed.

Wen Shiming spun around and dropped that boy with a single punch, then turned back to pin Fu Li against the wall, his voice cold as ice. "If you ever lay a hand on him again, I swear I'll kill you."

Fu Li had been beaten black and blue. Looking at the fierce ruthlessness in Wen Shiming's eyes, he laughed out loud. "You dare? I'm a young master of the Fu Family, once I get back I'll find people to wipe you out."

Hearing those words, Wen Shiming landed several more punches on him. Right as the two sides were locked in a fierce, untricable brawl, the head of discipline arrived upon hearing the commotion and roared sternly, "Stop! All of you, stop right now!" He pulled apart the two grappling figures, and upon looking at the injuries on their faces, his expression turned as dark as water. "Come with me to the office! And you two as well, come along!"

On the way to the office, Wen Shiming kept holding Liu Xu's hand, the warmth of his palm allowing Liu Xu to settle down somewhat. "Don't be afraid,"

Wen Shiming said in a low voice, "With me here, I won't let them bully you ever again."

Liu Xu nodded, tears still silently falling, though he felt far less terrified because he knew that this time, someone was standing on his side.

Upon reaching the office, the head of discipline sat down in his chair, glanced at the injuries on both sides, then looked at Fu Li and his underlings, speaking in a heavy voice: "Call all your parents over here! This matter has to be dealt with properly!"

Wen Shiming took out his phone and made a call home first, then glanced back at Liu Xu, saying softly, "I've already told my big brother, he'll come help us."

Liu Xu clutched his hand and gave a soft "mn", feeling as though the grievance in his heart had lessened quite a bit. So this was what it felt like to be protected by someone.

Over on Fu Yanzhi's end, he was currently holding a meeting at the Black Dragon Way when he saw that it was a call from the third young master, instantly knowing it had to do with Liu Xu. After taking the call, it turned out precisely as expected, leaving Fu Yanzhi with no choice but to pause the meeting and have Zheng Long drive him to the school.