A knock sounded at the door. Wu Qian got up to answer it and found a smiling young woman standing outside with a bag of fruit in her hand. “Auntie, it’s been a long time.” Wu Qian looked her over but could not immediately place her. The girl handed her the fruit. “Auntie, you don’t recognize me anymore? I’m Chu Chu from upstairs. I went away for high school and haven’t been back in years.”
“Chu Chu?!” Wu Qian broke into a smile and took her by the hand. “I can’t believe it. In the blink of an eye, you’ve grown so much. Come in and sit down.”
“Okay. Uncle is here too?”
“Chu Chu, it’s been a long time. You’ve grown prettier.”
“Is Ke Bu not here?”
“He is. Wait a moment, I’ll call him. Ke Bu, come out. Chu Chu is here.” Ke Qin called out the extremely reluctant Ke Bu, ruining his plan to cling to Zhi Li until they practically became inseparable. He wanted to stick himself tightly to Zhi Li and fill the entire room with his presence. His love was surging impatiently outward, impossible to contain, threatening to spill over everything.
“Who’s Chu Chu?” Ke Bu asked as he came out.
“Honestly, where are your manners? Chu Chu lives upstairs. The two of you even played together in kindergarten. Come to think of it, you were childhood friends.” The instant Wu Qian finished speaking, Ke Bu instinctively felt an icy gaze pierce straight through his spine from behind.
He turned to look at Chu Chu, searching his memory.
“Try looking at her one more time.” Zhi Li’s beautiful voice drifted into Ke Bu’s ear. Ke Bu immediately shifted his gaze toward the window and continued trying to remember who Chu Chu was. Suddenly, he struck one fist into his palm. “I remember now. Chu Chu—the random passerby who’s always lived upstairs.”
Chu Chu was not offended. “Your mouth is still as nasty as ever.” She reached out to pinch Ke Bu’s lips, but before her fingers could touch him, another hand blocked hers. Zhi Li’s handsome brows drew together. “What are you doing?”
“Huh? Ke Bu, that’s so unfair. Where have you been hiding such a ridiculously handsome friend? I never even knew about him.” Chu Chu stared at Zhi Li with wide, curious eyes and reached for him again. She had always been very free with her hands, but Zhi Li promptly slapped hers away. Chu Chu rubbed the spot that hurt. “Why did you hit me?”
“Do I need to explain myself to you?” Zhi Li was clearly in a bad mood.
Ke Bu stepped forward, intending to say something, but before he could open his mouth, Zhi Li said coldly, “Get over here.”
Ke Bu obediently retreated behind Zhi Li. Chu Chu became even more curious. The Ke Bu she remembered had always been impossible for anyone to order around.
“Ke Bu, since when have you been this obedient?”
“None of your business.”
“What? Can’t keep your mouth shut because your childhood friend is here and you’re dying to talk to her?” Zhi Li turned his head slightly.
“Slander. Absolute slander. She’s just the girl who lives upstairs,” Ke Bu hurriedly explained.
“Ke Bu, what are you two whispering about? Let me hear too. We haven’t seen each other in years, but you don’t have to treat me like a stranger. When we played house as kids, weren’t you always my husband?” Chu Chu walked over without the slightest embarrassment. Ke Bu nearly kicked her straight back to where she had been standing. Was she deliberately trying to get him killed?
Within seconds, Ke Bu felt that familiar dark aura spread through the room. His survival instincts screamed at him to run for the door, but the oppressive presence seemed like hands reaching up from underground and pinning him in place. He swallowed with difficulty and slowly turned toward Zhi Li. Zhi Li’s face was completely expressionless. “What are you looking at, bastard?”
Lord Zhi Li’s dark transformation was complete!
“This woman is fair game.” Zhi Li had barely begun to raise his hand when Ke Bu threw himself around him and held on for dear life. “Your jealousy is way too violent!”
“Do you want to be buried with her?”
“I do not!! We’re in my house right now. If you hit a girl in front of my parents and word gets around, think how terrible an impression that’ll make.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“Then do it for my sake.”
“Who do you think you are?”
“That was unnecessarily hurtful.”
The door was suddenly kicked open. To everyone’s astonishment, Su You Yan walked in. “Don’t mind me.”
What kind of opening line was that?
Su You Yan came up behind Chu Chu, hooked an arm around her, and effortlessly dragged her outside. Ke Bu was thoroughly confused by Su You Yan’s sudden appearance, but he was also extremely grateful for it. Unfortunately, that gratitude did not last long. Ke Bu very clearly saw Su You Yan and Zhi Li exchange a look. As for what Su You Yan eventually did to Chu Chu, Ke Bu never found out. All he knew was that after that day, Chu Chu never came to visit again.
Zhi Li glanced down at Ke Bu’s arms, which were still wrapped around him. Ke Bu wisely let go and even smoothed the wrinkles from Zhi Li’s sleeves. “Haha, I panicked for a second. Hahaha~~~”
“You think standing there going ‘hahaha’ a few times is going to make everything fine, bastard?”
Zhi Li smacked the back of Ke Bu’s head while he was still laughing.
“Ow! Why did you hit me?”
“Don’t think the mistakes you made as a child don’t count.”
“We were just playing house!!”
“What? I’m not allowed to hit you?” Zhi Li asked coldly.
“You are. Of course you are.”
“Then stop talking nonsense.” With that, he smacked the back of Ke Bu’s head again.
Ke Qin and Wu Qian, who had watched the entire exchange from the side, had completely lost track of what was happening. The Zhi Li before them seemed like an entirely different person, and everything he had solemnly promised downstairs a short while ago was clearly at odds with reality. Zhi Li merely swept them a glance. “Then I’ll be taking Ke Bu with me.” He started toward the door, then looked back. “Why are you still standing there like an idiot, bastard?”
“Mom, Dad, he’s only acting like this because he was nervous about meeting you for the first time. He’s usually extremely polite. We’ll be going now.” Ke Bu lied through his teeth without even blinking.
Ke Bu did not dare walk too close to him. When Zhi Li was in the middle of a dark transformation, absolutely everything irritated him, so Ke Bu simply followed one step behind. Zhi Li suddenly stopped, and Ke Bu’s nose bumped straight into his back. The setting sun cast the entire city in warm gold, while different colors blended together along the horizon. Zhi Li’s shadow overlapped Ke Bu’s on the pavement. They stood one in front of the other, only a single step apart, Zhi Li with both hands in his trouser pockets and Ke Bu rubbing his nose as passersby moved around them and disappeared into the distance.
“Hey, Ke Bu. Let’s get married after we graduate.”
The words came without any warning and crashed straight into Ke Bu’s world. His heartbeat stumbled wildly, speeding up and slowing down until everything inside him felt unsteady. He pressed his forehead hard against Zhi Li’s back, and the two shadows beneath them merged into a different shape. “I didn’t hear what you said.”
“I didn’t say anything.” Zhi Li took one step forward, but Ke Bu immediately caught the hem of his shirt, as though terrified he might take the words back.
“I agree.”
“Did I ask for your opinion?” Zhi Li scoffed. “You didn’t actually think that after I told you we were getting married, you still had the option of refusing, did you?”
Ke Bu smiled so brightly that he could no longer hide it. “What am I supposed to do? I’m so happy right now that I don’t even have the energy to argue with you.”
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