Chapter 10

Shen Yi and Fu Cheng had grown close far too quickly, giving Fu Yuhe a distinct sense that something was off. The young man's bold behavior when Fu Yuhe had "talked" with him last time had also made Fu Yuhe even more wary.

Frivolous, with impure intentions.

Fu Yuhe didn't want to interfere too much in Fu Cheng's life, so he wouldn't intervene unless Shen Yi did something else that crossed the line. For now, he would only warn him.

Shen Yi's thoughts hadn't taken so many twists and turns.

When they had run into Fu Yuhe's assistant at the store, Fu Cheng had immediately ducked behind Shen Yi on instinct and said the man was his brother's assistant.

Later, when the assistant secretly took pictures of them, Fu Cheng had been telling Shen Yi how his brother had asked where he was going as he left home. Shen Yi had put the two things together and mistakenly assumed Fu Yuhe had sent the assistant to follow them. A mischievous thought had occurred to him: since Fu Yuhe had sent his assistant along, why not give him something he wanted to see?

And that was how the scene in the photo had come about.

The holiday passed quickly. On Friday, the monthly exam results were released, and Shen Yi leaped to first place in the class, drawing everyone's attention. Even Fu Cheng was a little surprised.

Fu Cheng came third in the class, his results also showing a slight improvement this time.

When the papers were handed back, he put Shen Yi's paper next to his own and looked back and forth between them. Then he turned around in his seat and looked at Shen Yi, his little face solemn.

Shen Yi was in the middle of a yawn, his mouth halfway open and his eyes heavy with sleep. When he met Fu Cheng's gaze, he couldn't even finish yawning.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Did you lie to me?" Fu Cheng pointed at the papers. "You clearly knew how to do all of it..."

Fu Cheng wasn't petty enough to hold a grudge because Shen Yi had scored better than him. But when he recalled Shen Yi asking him for help before, something didn't add up.

"No." Shen Yi rested both hands on the desk and propped his chin on their backs, looking up at Fu Cheng with an innocent expression. "I wasn't used to things after transferring. There really was a lot I couldn't understand in class for a while. It's all thanks to your help."

His tone was earnest and unhurried, the ends of his sentences soft. As if afraid Fu Cheng wouldn't believe him, Shen Yi added, "Really."

There was suspicion in Fu Cheng's eyes, but he was clearly wavering.

"Besides, what would I gain from lying to you?" Shen Yi played his trump card.

Fu Cheng thought that made sense. His solemn little face relaxed, and he immediately believed Shen Yi's explanation.

On Sunday, the senior year held its parent-teacher meeting.

The weather had cooled over the past two days. Senior Class One had held a thorough cleaning the day before, and its desks and chairs were neatly arranged. A glance down the senior-year floor revealed quite a few students' parents.

In the office, Shen Yi was explaining to the homeroom teacher why his parents couldn't come. The teacher called each of them to confirm, and whatever he imagined, he looked at Shen Yi much more kindly afterward.

The students had nothing to do at the parent-teacher meeting, so the seniors ran out in high spirits like birds freed from a cage, leaving only a few lingering in the corridor.

Shen Yi left the office and leaned over the balcony railing in the corridor, watching people come and go below.

Sunlight fell on him as he narrowed his eyes, his tall, slender figure a striking sight in the corridor. They didn't have to wear uniforms today, and Shen Yi wore a blue-and-white baseball jacket. The wind lifted the loose strands of hair at his temples, and the sunny young man was full of youthful vigor.

He held out his hand, and sunlight poured between his fingers.

Shen Yi ruffled his hair, turned around, and headed for the stairs. After only a few steps, he suddenly stopped, his eyes flickering as he watched the man approaching from the opposite direction.

"Shen Yi!"

Fu Cheng, standing beside Fu Yuhe, waved.

Shen Yi smiled and raised a hand in return, then walked over to them. "Hello, Brother Fu."

Fu Yuhe glanced at him, then turned to Fu Cheng. "Let's go."

Shen Yi's smile didn't change.

Ah... I'm being ignored.

"Brother, I sit in the second-to-last row, all the way on the inside." Fu Cheng was particularly slow to notice that something was off about the atmosphere.

Fu Yuhe looked toward the classroom, catching sight of Shen Yi moving closer to them out of the corner of his eye. He turned back.

Shen Yi put an arm around Fu Cheng's shoulders, his hand resting there loosely. "Want to go to the convenience store?"

Noticing Fu Yuhe's gaze, he turned and smiled at him.

Fu Yuhe's lips tightened, and he suddenly gave a cold laugh.

It was definitely a provocation.

Chapter 5: You're the Target

Fu Cheng didn't know why, but he felt a little nervous.

His back went rigid. Shen Yi was beside him, and his eldest brother was watching him from the front. The danger radar of a little herbivore warned him that the atmosphere was definitely unusual.

He was like a little white rabbit surrounded by jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards, caught between attacks from front and back. The little rabbit didn't dare move. He swallowed. "Maybe... I won't go?"

Fu Yuhe stared at Shen Yi's smiling face.

"Let's go in." He said this to Fu Cheng.

Shen Yi let go and said regretfully, "All right, I'll get going, then. Goodbye, Brother Fu."

Fu Yuhe gave another cold laugh, making Fu Cheng tremble with fear.

Shen Yi walked away with an easy swagger. Instead of going to the school convenience store, he went to play on the basketball court. Before long, Fu Cheng came looking for him.

"Has the meeting started?" Shen Yi dribbled the basketball, then tossed it up and scored a three-pointer.

"Mm," Fu Cheng said. His brother had made time to come this time, and he had only just learned that no one from Shen Yi's family was attending the meeting. He didn't bring up their absence, instead playing basketball with him.

Shen Yi could tell that the little sheep was afraid he would feel sad and upset. He found it funny, but at the same time, he could also feel some of the warmth in people's interactions.

This was what it felt like to be cared about and cherished, a subtle and precious experience.

The systems had awakened self-awareness, and they had acquired personalities of their own. For Shen Yi, who was human, every emotional stir and feeling was precious-this was human emotion.