Richie's eyes darted in panic. "You... what do you want?"
"I only bumped into you by accident. You... you didn't have to follow me all the way to my classroom!" Richie stammered, his voice growing quieter and quieter.
Sian Evan raised his brows slightly, finding Richie's trembling rather amusing. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he said, "Idiot!"
Richie was bewildered. All he saw was the blond, blue-eyed boy releasing his shoulder, slowly sitting down beside him, and elegantly setting down his books.
Richie was on edge. Once Si Ang's hand left his shoulder, he prepared to bolt like a cheetah.
He still needed to go to Becky's seat up front to comfort Anya.
Just as Richie quietly gathered his books and prepared to make a dash for it.
Beside him, Si Ang said nothing, watching Richie's little movements out of the corner of his eye.
The instant Richie finished gathering his books and was ready to leave, a powerful hand clamped around his slender wrist.
Richie instinctively tried to pull free.
Unfortunately, his little body was far too frail. Even using both hands against one, he couldn't overpower the hand gripping his wrist.
Richie was mortified. He was a big boy of eight, yet a six-year-old brat had him pinned down. How could he ever live it down if word got out?
What Richie didn't know was that, in the other boy's eyes, he was only four or five.
Richie's short stature was the result of prolonged malnutrition, and he wasn't particularly strong, either.
The two waged a battle of wits and strength beneath the desk. Afraid someone would notice his embarrassing predicament, Richie didn't dare make too much of a fuss.
"Are you sick in the head? All I did was bump into you! What do you want from me? Can't I just pay you?"
Richie's little face flushed red, and he practically spoke through gritted teeth.
Si Ang didn't even look at Richie, merely replying in a resigned tone, "Do you think I'm short of money?"
Si Ang felt stupider himself just for having said those words.
He was the son of the president of the People's Parliament. The idea that he would be short of money was laughable.
Richie muttered, "Then what exactly do you want?"
Richie was getting a little scared. No, it wasn't fear. A wise man knew when to back down.
Unwilling to give up, he once again tugged against the hand gripping his wrist. That hand was barely bigger than his own, yet it was strong and steady, refusing to budge.
Silence stretched between them as they struggled, neither willing to yield.
Richie kept waiting for the other boy to let go, but he stubbornly refused.
Seeing Becky comforting Anya and the gloom over Anya's head disappearing, Richie breathed a sigh of relief. He was no longer in such a hurry to get to her.
Just as Richie relaxed, he suddenly realized that Si Ang was staring intently at him, making his skin crawl.
"Is the girl sitting up front your little sister?" Sian Evan asked casually, glancing toward Anya.
Richie instantly sensed danger and blurted out, "What are you planning?"
A faint smile curled Sian Evan's lips as he regarded Richie with an ambiguous expression.
Richie's brows drew together, his uneasy premonition growing stronger. He extended his psychic power into Si Ang's body. Why not threaten him with his little sister? If he won't be my little lackey, I'll bully her!
Reading Si Ang's thoughts gave Richie a fright, and he blurted out again, "Don't you dare bully my sister! Or I'll..."
Si Ang raised a brow slightly, his words brimming with mischievous delight. "Did I say I was going to bully your sister? I only wanted you to reconsider being my little lackey.
"But since you brought it up, and you're so worried about her, why don't we do what you suggested? If you won't be my little lackey, I'll bully your sister!"
Richie wanted to explode on the spot. Teetering on the edge of mortified fury, he forgot to keep his voice down and shouted across the classroom, "Don't you dare bully my sister!!"
Everyone in the class turned to look, whispering among themselves.
The students had already been discussing this, and now that Richie had shouted, they all assumed he was warning everyone else in the class.
After glancing at Richie, the students huddled in twos and threes to whisper.
Richie lowered his head, his face red, and demanded in a hushed voice, "What exactly do you want?"
"For you to be my little lackey!" Si Ang spread one hand on the desk in an utterly innocent gesture.
Si Ang's expression seemed to say, What bad intentions could I possibly have?
Just then, the teacher entered the classroom. "Hey, everyone, sit down properly."
Becky and Anya were chatting. Some distance away, the second son stared at Anya with a haughty little expression, his arms folded without saying a word.
Richie's wrist was still tightly gripped, and he was on the verge of losing his temper. "Even if I... I still won't be anyone's lackey!"
How could anyone let such a little thing hold them hostage? Richie thought bitterly.
Si Ang sat on the somewhat tall stool, swinging his legs as he said offhandedly, "Anya, Anya. Life's going to get rough for you!"
Richie glared at Si Ang. "What's so impressive about bullying a little girl? A boy like you..."
"I'm not a good person. What are you going to do about it?" Si Ang's gaze drifted toward Anya.
Richie clenched his other fist. As Si Ang repeated "Anya" over and over, he gritted his back teeth and said:
"I. Agree. To. It!"
Before you continue