Chapter 44

[Lu Heyun: It seems to have come back to life.]

Under his care, that once-shriveled, dried-up cactus had now recovered. Su Yu sent three exclamation marks to express his shock. Sure enough, he was a plant killer. As long as those things left him, they could live just fine.

[Su Yu: Just give it to you to raise. I'm not keeping it anymore—I'm afraid it'll wilt again in my hands.]

Speaking of plants, the potted plant he had carried around his room some time ago was nearly dead too. Su Yu had put it on the flower stand, but later it disappeared. He thought the auntie had cleared it away because it was dying.

As for the other plants on the flower stand, Gu Lin had bought them, so Su Yu had never touched them. He was afraid Gu Lin would come after him if he killed them.

[Lu Heyun: It's actually very easy to care for. It doesn't need frequent watering.]

[Su Yu: I know. I've never been able to keep flowers and plants alive since I was little. I have daffodils, spider plants, aloe, and things like that in my apartment too, but they're all gone. Only these two cacti are still alive.]

[Lu Heyun: I really couldn't tell. You seem to take very good care of yourself, after all.]

Someone who could cook and keep himself fed, yet couldn't keep a single plant alive.

[Su Yu: For a moment, I couldn't tell whether you were praising me or insulting me.]

[Lu Heyun: No one is perfect. Those four words make sense, so there's no need to care too much.]

Su Yu suddenly felt someone knocking on his car window. When he looked up, he saw Lu Chengfei. He checked the time on his phone. It was only four-thirty, clearly still half an hour before school got out.

Lu Chengfei was only carrying his school uniform jacket and didn't even have his backpack with him. Chewing mint gum, he asked, "Why are you here? Picking up Yun Shang?"

Seeing him about to blow a bubble, Su Yu reached out through the car window and smacked him on the head. "Go blow bubbles somewhere else. If it sticks to my car, you're dead."

He had deliberately not asked the driver to take him today. Instead, he had picked a car from Gu Lin's garage to drive out himself. If he returned it dirty, Gu Lin might blame him.

Although Lu Chengfei dodged, he still got hit. He straightened up and only dared speak after retreating at least three steps from Su Yu's car. "Why the hell do you always put your hands on people? You don't act like an Omega at all."

"None of your business."

Seeing a group of people behind him, Su Yu asked, "Did you get out early? Why isn't Yun Shang with you?"

"No. The last class was study hall, so I climbed over the wall."

He had wanted to bring Yun Shang along, but Yun Shang had ignored him completely. Left with no choice, he had come out by himself.

"Where's Yun Shang staying this weekend? Your place?"

Su Yu gave him an odd look. "What's it to you?"

He really had come to take Yun Shang to stay at Gu Lin's house, because Young Uncle and Young Aunt would be away again this weekend. There was also a parent-teacher meeting on Saturday. Gu Lin had originally been asked to attend, but he had a client to meet that day, so he dumped the task on Su Yu.

"Of course it's my business."

Lu Chengfei beckoned, and the person beside him carrying his backpack immediately handed it over. Su Yu watched him rummage through it before pulling out several crumpled... scraps of paper? Maybe. They were so wrinkled that some had even been balled up.

"Take these back for me. I'll come find Yun Shang on Saturday. Remember to send me your home location."

The papers he shoved in were test papers, almost entirely blank. In the name section, there were only a few crooked words, scribbled so messily that they were completely illegible.

Su Yu asked hesitantly, "You... want to do your homework?"

Lu Chengfei said, "No idea what got into the homeroom teacher. He formed a study group and put Yun Shang and me together. If I don't do my homework, he'll move both of us to the back."

"Mm, and then?"

"I figured sitting in the back alone wouldn't be a problem, but Yun Shang can't."

Su Yu had thought Lu Chengfei had finally grown a conscience and realized he shouldn't interfere with a good student like Yun Shang. Then, in the next second, Lu Chengfei said indignantly, "Yun Shang said if I affected him, he'd drag me to his family's martial arts school and beat me up."

Su Yu: "..." That was more like it. How could Lu Chengfei possibly have grown a conscience?

"Remember to take them back for me. I'm leaving first. See you tomorrow."

With that, he left with his little group of followers. Su Yu looked at the crumpled test papers and shook his head. That handwriting looked like a dog had crawled across the page. Yun Shang must have it tough studying with him as a partner.

Su Yu waited in the car until after five before Yun Shang came out. Seeing him, Yun Shang didn't seem surprised. His parents were often busy, after all. In the past, the person picking him up after school on Fridays might be the family driver, or Gu Lin's driver. Only rarely would both his parents come together.

After Yun Shang got in, Su Yu handed him Lu Chengfei's test papers. Yun Shang glanced at them, then stuffed them into his own backpack. His phone was ringing, but the sound coming from it was someone typing on a keyboard while playing games, occasionally accompanied by a few lines of conversation.

Su Yu looked at Yun Shang in confusion. After a while, the keyboard sounds stopped, and the person on the call seemed to finally have a moment to spare. "Hello, hello, hello? Why aren't you talking again? Have you arrived yet? Did you take my test papers?"

It was Lu Chengfei again.

Yun Shang said, "Got them."

"Good. I'll come find you on Saturday. You should be able to finish them tonight, right? If not, I can come find you on Sunday instead."

"Finished."

So he was coming over to copy homework. Su Yu had thought Lu Chengfei wanted Yun Shang to teach him how to do it.

Su Yu lowered his head and typed into his notes: Make him do it himself.

Lu Chengfei was somewhat surprised by how quickly he had finished his homework. "You finished so fast? If I'd known, I would've played games later. I could've copied it before leaving. I'll come find you at noon on Saturday, then."

"No. You can't. Do it yourself."

"What? Weren't you fine just now? Besides, if I knew how to do it, I'd have done it myself a long time ago. And if I don't finish my homework, you're the one who'll be affected."

[Su Yu: Make him learn. Don't let him copy.]

Following Su Yu's lead, Yun Shang said, "Learn. No copying."

Lu Chengfei was puzzled. "Who taught you to talk like that..." Halfway through, he suddenly remembered that Su Yu had picked Yun Shang up today and couldn't help saying, "Su Yu, don't think I don't know it was you just because you're keeping quiet. Stop giving him stupid advice."

Although Yun Shang spoke with a stutter, his tone was extremely firm. "No copying means... means no copying. You do it. Hanging up."

With that, Yun Shang hung up on Lu Chengfei, ignoring his incoherent yelling from the other end. Su Yu looked at Yun Shang in a new light.

[Su Yu: Right, that's how you need to stand your ground. He wouldn't dare hit you anyway, and he couldn't beat you even if he tried.]

Having received approval, Yun Shang nodded.

As usual, when Gu Lin came home for dinner, he saw the two of them curled up on the sofa, each holding a bag of chips and wearing 3D glasses while watching a movie. They looked utterly immersed and content. Even though a throw pillow had fallen to the floor, neither of them bothered picking it up.

Gu Lin glanced at the projection screen. A horror movie. Su Yu could even watch while eating, his mouth never stopping for a moment.

The Alpha pulled open the blackout curtains. Only when the projection became impossible to see did Su Yu sit up from the sofa and notice that he was back. At the same time, Yun Shang looked at him too.

The Alpha said flatly, "Dinner."

Su Yu put down his chips. Before going to eat, he didn't forget to pick up the remote and pause the movie, planning to continue watching after Gu Lin left.

Fortunately, Gu Lin had already begun turning a blind eye to his snacking. At first, Su Yu had thought Gu Lin didn't know, so he cleaned everything up before Gu Lin came home every time. Later, he couldn't even be bothered anymore, because Gu Lin seemed too lazy to care.

At the dinner table, Gu Lin suddenly said, "Have you decided when we're going back?"

Su Yu wished he could take Gu Lin back right now, but he remembered Su Tinghuai's instructions. So he gestured to Gu Lin: They weren't going back. Everyone was busy, and they couldn't gather for now.

Of course they couldn't gather. The two elders of the Su family had divorced long ago and barely went home anymore. Only the three Su brothers remained at home, while Mother Su occasionally returned to visit.

Gu Lin gave an oh and knowingly asked, "What are they all busy with? Why can't they gather?"

Not expecting him to ask that, the Omega couldn't come up with an excuse for the moment. After hesitating, he shook his head.

Gu Lin didn't question him further. Instead, he said, "Forward Su Tinghuai's WeChat to me. I'll ask him personally when would be suitable."

At the end, he raised his eyes to Su Yu and added, "Send it now."

There was no room for refusal in his voice. Without a doubt, he had already decided to visit the Su family soon.

When Su Yu didn't move, Gu Lin frowned and asked, "What? You don't want to?"

His gaze was immensely oppressive. When he looked at someone coldly with that composed face, it was enough to make anyone shudder.

The Omega didn't even dare look at him. Under his stare, he picked up his phone and forwarded Su Tinghuai's contact information. Finally, he lowered his eyes, a faint layer of worry settling over his delicate face.

What kind of expression is that? He scared me to death.

Gu Lin withdrew his gaze. He hadn't expected Su Yu to be scared too. That was truly rare.

If he hadn't put on that expression, this Omega might not have forwarded Su Tinghuai's contact information to him.

Clearly, Su Yu thought the same.

Still, it's a good thing he's being so firm about it.

After Gu Lin went to work, Su Yu received a message from Su Tinghuai. At the time, however, he had been watching a movie with Yun Shang and had muted his phone, so he hadn't noticed. By the time he saw it, it was already past eight at night.

[Su Tinghuai: Didn't I tell you not to bring him back?]

Su Yu thought, what could he do if Gu Lin insisted on going back?

While apologizing and admitting fault to Su Tinghuai, he secretly wished he could bring Gu Lin back.

[Su Tinghuai: Forget it. I'll contact you again when the time comes.]

After that, Su Tinghuai said nothing more. Soon, Su Yu noticed a friend verification request pop up in WeChat. It was Su Wang.

Su Yu had intended to reject it, but his hand moved on its own and tapped accept.

Su Wang immediately sent him six periods.

[Su Wang: Did you say something to our eldest brother? Why did he tell me to add you back?]

[Su Wang: Did you threaten eldest brother, saying that if he didn't do as you wanted, you'd bring Gu Lin back?]

Su Yu: "..."

Was something wrong with his brain?

[Su Wang: Why aren't you talking? Feeling guilty, aren't you?]

Su Yu replied: It's not what you think. I didn't threaten eldest brother.

But in Su Wang's eyes, those were nothing but feeble excuses, because he didn't believe Su Yu.

He really wanted to delete this annoying thing.

Su Yu decisively exited WeChat, turned on his computer, and prepared to play games.