Chapter 6

They had started the fight, and they had been the ones to cause trouble first. After getting to the bottom of what had happened, the teacher told them to contact their parents. Fu Cheng called Fu Yuhe, while Shen Yi called his "parents" from memory, but neither of his calls went through.

Fu Yuhe didn't come himself. Instead, his assistant came to handle the matter. It was neither a major incident nor a minor one, and in the end, Shen Yi and Fu Cheng got off without any trouble, while Xu Fanchao and the others were made to write self-criticisms.

The incident made Shen Yi and Fu Cheng a little famous within their small circle. Since they were both good-looking, junior schoolgirls from other floors would occasionally pass by their classroom window.

Fu Cheng had delicate features and usually disliked drawing attention to himself. Not many people had noticed him before, but for several days after the incident, he could feel people in the class looking their way. At first, it made him uncomfortable, but he eventually got used to it.

Shen Yi, on the other hand, had paid little attention to other people's gazes from the start.

The monthly exam was approaching. On Wednesday, the weather outside was gloomy. The classroom windows were open, and the teacher was lecturing at the front. Shen Yi rested his cheek on one hand and looked out the window, twirling a pen with the other.

It was the last class of the day. Ten minutes before it ended, rain came pelting against the windows. A fierce gust of wind swept through, and the sky suddenly darkened.

The classroom windows were shut and the lights turned on. The rain still hadn't stopped by the time the dismissal bell rang.

"It's raining. Did you bring an umbrella?" Shen Yi and Fu Cheng walked along the corridor of the classroom building.

Fu Cheng said, "I did. Didn't you?"

"No," Shen Yi said.

"My brother's coming to pick me up in a bit. Come with me," Fu Cheng said. "The rain's too heavy. It'll be hard to squeeze onto a bus."

"Sure." Shen Yi agreed with a smile.

"Do you like cats?" Fu Cheng asked casually. "I had a classmate whose family had too many cats and wanted to give a few away."

"Keep a cat?" Shen Yi thought for a moment. "It wouldn't be very convenient for me, but I can ask around. Do you like cats?"

"I do, but my brother doesn't, and he won't let me keep them." Fu Cheng sighed.

Shen Yi said, "I thought your brother spoiled you. I didn't think he'd object to you having a cat."

Fu Cheng grumbled, "My brother is really strict with me, and he's overbearing too. Whatever he says goes."

"Doesn't that bother you?" Shen Yi asked.

Fu Cheng scratched his head. "It's... not so bad, I guess. Speaking of him, his birthday's next month, and I still haven't figured out what to get him."

There were only a few days left until next month.

"Want me to help?" Shen Yi said. "I'm really good at picking out gifts."

The two talked as they headed outside. Shen Yi hadn't brought an umbrella, so he sheltered under Fu Cheng's, and they walked together to the school gates.

The rain was accompanied by wind, and with the two of them sharing one umbrella, they inevitably got wet. Fu Cheng's phone rang in his pocket, and Shen Yi held the umbrella for him.

"Brother."

"Are you out?" A deep voice came from the other end.

"Yeah, I'm at the school gates."

A moment later, Shen Yi and Fu Cheng stood under the umbrella in front of an inconspicuous car. Shen Yi got into the front passenger seat, then turned to Fu Yuhe in the back and greeted him with a smile. "Brother Fu."

The man was wearing a black suit again today. He seemed to have just come from a social engagement; his jacket was unbuttoned, and his tie hung loosely around his neck, giving him a somewhat relaxed air.

He nodded in response, then told the driver to go.

The car was quiet. Fu Yuhe sat in the back, with Fu Cheng beside him like a little quail. Up front, Shen Yi rested his elbow against the window and covered his thin lips with his palm. He glanced at the rearview mirror and met Fu Yuhe's dark, unreadable eyes.

His deep eyes were filled with darkness, concealing any light within them.

Most people would probably have hurriedly looked away from a gaze like that. Shen Yi didn't. Not only did he not look away, he held it for more than half a minute.

Fu Yuhe's lips curved in an inscrutable smile, and he let out a soft chuckle.

Shen Yi looked out the window.

The protagonist didn't seem to like him very much. His feeling last time had been right after all.

Of the three of them, only Fu Cheng failed to notice the mutual hostility between his eldest brother and Shen Yi.

Shen Yi's home wasn't on the way to the Fu residence. When the car reached the Fu residence, Shen Yi gave the driver his address. Hearing how far away it was, Fu Cheng said, "You're soaked. Come inside and take a shower first."

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble?" Shen Yi asked hesitantly.

Fu Yuhe glanced at him. Shen Yi happened to turn toward him just then, a smile curving his lips, polite without being overly formal.

"Of course not," Fu Cheng said.

Then he turned to Fu Yuhe. "Brother, I'm going upstairs with Shen Yi to take a shower first."

Fu Yuhe looked away impassively. "Mm."

The sound of running water came from behind the bathroom's frosted door. Warm water poured from the showerhead as Shen Yi stood beneath it, his hair thoroughly soaked. Water streamed down his body and splashed onto the tiled floor.

The sky outside was gloomy, and lightning flashed on the horizon.

He tilted his head back and wiped the water from his face. Boys showered quickly. He used both shampoo and body wash, rinsed the suds off, and turned off the water. He covered his dripping hair with a clean towel and rubbed it, then hung the towel around his neck.

Clean clothes had been left on the bathroom shelf. Shen Yi searched through them but couldn't find a shirt. Fu Cheng's room was just outside the bathroom, so Shen Yi walked over to it, drying his hair with the towel as he went.

"Fu Cheng, do you have any clothes..." Shen Yi pushed open the door, and the words on his lips came to an abrupt halt.

The man's tall figure was leaning against the desk in the bedroom, a book in his hand. He had changed into loungewear. The aloofness he wore in a suit was gone, but he still seemed distant.