“Why did Zhai Bai call Little Seven?”
Ah Wu asked the child who had spoken to him.
The child shook his head, “I don’t know.”
After saying he didn’t know, the child seemed to think of something and added, “Zhai Bai has been coming to find Little Seven a lot these past two days, and Little Seven always goes with him.”
This statement sounded like an attempt to stir up trouble.
Ah Wu’s gaze lingered on the child’s face for a few seconds before he turned and left without saying anything.
But no sooner had he left than the child who had spoken was surrounded by others.
“Hey, Jiujiu, did you do that on purpose? Are you trying to cause trouble between Qin Wu and Little Seven?”
“What trouble did I cause?” Jiujiu, the child, denied it.
The other children surrounding him sharply said, “Everyone knows how close Little Seven and Qin Wu are, and that Qin Wu and Zhai Bai don’t get along. You said Little Seven has been going out with Zhai Bai a lot, aren’t you just trying to make Qin Wu mad at Little Seven?”
“You’re deliberately stirring things up to watch the drama.”
“Yeah, you’re always the one causing trouble!”
Seeing the group of children speaking up for Little Seven, Jiujiu’s face fell, and he unhappily said, “I was just telling the truth. What part of what I said to Qin Wu was a lie?”
“You’re all so protective of Little Seven, it’s ridiculous. Do you think Little Seven ever pays attention to you? He only plays with Qin Wu or Zhai Bai. He doesn’t care to play with us at all.”
“That’s nonsense.”
One child retorted coldly, “Yesterday, when Little Seven was eating candy and saw me, he shared a piece with me. How can you say he doesn’t pay attention to us?”
“I dropped my notebook, and Little Seven picked it up for me. Who says he doesn’t want to play with us?”
“When I met Little Seven outside, he smiled at me from a distance and greeted me. He doesn’t just hang out with Qin Wu and Zhai Bai.”
The things these kids were talking about—picking up a book, sharing candy, saying hello—were such small, everyday things that they couldn’t be any more trivial.
Even so, Little Seven’s polite and well-behaved manner when he spoke to them was something these kids considered one of his virtues.
Listening to this, Jiujiu was practically furious.
“Why are you all so cheap?!”
Jiujiu, now enraged, blurted out without thinking: “He’s only done a few small things, and you’re all going to defend him like this?”
Before he could finish, one of the kids threw his book to the ground.
Even though they were placed in this class, aside from the little one, the rest were essentially a bunch of little troublemakers.
With the little one not around, conflicts could easily escalate into fights.
The little one had no idea a fight was breaking out in the class.
At that moment, he was fishing with Zhai Bai.
Zhai Bai had found a river and brought him there to fish. “I saw it the other day; the fish in this river are huge.”
“I heard the chief examiner likes fish. Freshly caught fish would be the freshest gift you could give. If you bring these fresh fish, the chief examiner will definitely be in a good mood.”
Zhai Bai spoke slowly and convincingly.
The little one hadn’t found out what the chief examiner liked.
He moved a stone and sat on it, fishing with Zhai Bai.
“Fishing requires the utmost patience,” Zhai Bai said, holding the fishing rod but keeping his eyes more on the little one than on the rod.
“Little Seven, I’ve been gathering information and picking out gifts for you these past few days. Would you say I’ve been good to you?”
The little one: “…”
The little one sitting on the rock nodded obediently.
In the past few days, Little Bai had indeed been good to him.
Seeing him nod, Zhai Bai moved a little closer to him without making it obvious. “I’ve been so good to you; don’t you think you should show a little appreciation?”
Upon hearing this, the little one instinctively covered his face with his hands.
“No pinching!”
The little one said, “Ah Wu won’t allow it.”
The incident during the assessment when Zhai Bai and Ye Xiaoxiao pinched his cheeks had already reached Ah Wu’s ears.
Ah Wu had been unhappy upon finding out.
Although Ah Wu didn’t explicitly say it, he washed the little one’s face five times that day!
His little face was almost scrubbed raw.
To avoid a sixth washing, the little one had solemnly promised Ah Wu that he wouldn’t let anyone pinch his cheeks again.
“I promised.”
The little one seriously warned Zhai Bai about the consequences: “If I break my promise, I… I won’t grow taller.”
Zhai Bai raised an eyebrow. “It wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t grow taller.”
This small size was actually quite convenient for holding.
“You’re the one who won’t grow taller!”
The little one, who drank two glasses of milk a day just to grow taller, couldn’t stand hearing anyone say he wouldn’t grow.
Zhai Bai, seeing him puffing out his little cheeks in anger, smirked and pinched them anyway.
The little one was caught off guard.
“Don’t get upset. You promised not to let anyone pinch your cheeks, but this was a sneaky pinch.”
“So, you didn’t break your promise.”
Zhai Bai’s words successfully calmed down the little one who was about to explode.
Fishing took a long time.
Zhai Bai kept teasing the little one during this extended period.
The more he teased him, the more he found the little one adorable.
Like a little kitten—no, even more adorable than a kitten.
Zhai Bai had never seen such a cute little one. No wonder Qin Wu couldn’t bear to let go and kept this little one all to himself.
He had the patience for fishing, and he had the patience for winning over the little one.
Such a cute and fun little one—he was determined to compete with Qin Wu for him.
“Open your mouth.”
Zhai Bai pinched the little one’s cheeks again, and when he opened his mouth, he popped a cool little candy into it.
“This is also something I brought from home. My mother gave it to me, and there aren’t many left.”
Zhai Bai said, “Even I’ve been reluctant to eat them, but I’ve given them all to you.”
The little one was fed several of these cool little candies.
Zhai Bai wasn’t the kind of person who’d do a good deed or make a sacrifice without letting others know about it.
If he did something good for someone, he made sure they knew it.
Sure enough, once the little one learned that the candy was a gift from Zhai Bai’s mother, he stopped eating the one in his mouth.
From the look on his face, it seemed like he wanted to spit the candy out and return it.
But since the candy was already in his mouth, there was no way to return it. The little one looked so conflicted, not knowing what to do with the candy.
“Just eat it; don’t worry about spitting it out.”
Zhai Bai casually continued fishing. “Just remember how good I’ve been to you and play with me sometimes when you’re free.”
“No.”
The little one shook his head. “I’m very busy. I need to study hard and earn rewards.”
Zhai Bai knew he loved studying, but from the way the little one always needed extra tutoring, it was clear that studying didn’t love him back.
This little one’s passion for learning was one-sided.
A cool breeze blew by.
After a long while, Zhai Bai finally caught a fish that was only the size of the little one’s palm. But for the little one, it wasn’t that small.
He put the fish in the bucket and waited for Zhai Bai to continue fishing.
As only a few fish were caught in the bucket, Ah Wu, who had been looking for the little one, finally found them, his face darkened.
Ah Wu didn’t know about the little one’s plan to give a gift.
Knowing how proud the little one was, he would never apologize or humble himself. This kind of gift-giving was definitely something he wouldn’t want to do.
He had already made up his mind to secretly deliver the gift.
“Ah, Ah Wu is here.”
The little one whispered, and Zhai Bai got the hint, helping him keep it a secret.
As Ah Wu approached, The little one quickly jumped off the rock and ran to greet him.
“Ah Wu, why are you here?”
“Just passing by.”
Even with his eyes closed, The little one could tell from these two words that Ah Wu was not in a good mood.
He hugged Ah Wu’s arm, his small voice soft, “Don’t be upset, let’s go home.”
Although the room where Ah Wu lived was crowded with several people, the little one still called it home because Ah Wu was there. Just like the simple little nest they used to live in, any place where he and Ah Wu slept together was home to him.
The softness in The little one’s voice softened the stern look on Ah Wu’s face a bit.
Ah Wu didn’t blame the little one for being led away; he would only hold Zhai Bai accountable for that.
Still sitting by the river, Zhai Bai felt a bit regretful—he hadn’t expected Qin Wu to find them so quickly.
Tsk.
Now that Qin Wu had discovered them, it would be much harder to lure the little one out again.
“Qin Wu, I was just taking Little Seven out for some fresh air, no need to be so upset, right?”
Zhai Bai remained seated, his tone light, “If I were you, I wouldn’t stop Little Seven from playing with others.”
“Little Seven is still so young; it’s the perfect age to make friends.”
Although Zhai Bai’s words seemed fine on the surface, they felt a bit off.
Qin Wu took hold of the little one’s hand and coldly stared at Zhai Bai, who was still fishing.
Expressionless, he said, “I won’t stop Little Seven from making friends, but you cannot be his friend.”
Zhai Bai: “…”
Zhai Bai scoffed, “You’re really playing favorites, huh?”
What’s so wrong with being friends with him?
Qin Wu, uninterested in further conversation, grabbed the little one’s hand and turned to leave.
As they walked away, the little one kept glancing back.
Zhai Bai made a hand gesture to him, and the little one nodded before continuing on his way.
Instead of heading back to their room, they went to the street.
Although the academy provided meals, the little one often craved the food sold on the streets outside.
Now that the exam period was over, there were no more pickpockets in Guan Shan Residence.
Holding Ah Wu’s hand, the little one watched as Ah Wu bought him a bunch of his favorite snacks.
“Eat well.”
As the little one gnawed on a chicken leg, he would take a couple of bites and then offer it to Ah Wu.
Even though the chicken leg was badly bitten, if it were offered to Emperor Ling, he would eat it, but certainly not without a disdainful frown.
Ah Wu, however, ate it without so much as a wrinkle in his brow.
After wandering around the street and filling their bellies, the two of them finally headed back.
When they returned, Zhai Bai hadn’t come back yet, nor was Teng Liang there.
Only the two of them were in the room.
Standing in front of Ah Wu, the little one spoke up without needing to be asked, “I didn’t go looking for Little Bai.”
“I know.”
Qin Wu casually grabbed a tissue to wipe the little one’s mouth clean. His expression was calm as he asked, “What did Zhai Bai want with you?”
“He had something to discuss with me.”
The little one didn’t want to lie in front of Ah Wu.
But he also didn’t want to reveal the gift-giving plan just yet, fearing Ah Wu would stop him if he did.
He was determined to give that gift!
After admitting there was something to discuss, The little one reached out, wrapped his arms around Ah Wu’s neck, and wanted Ah Wu to hold him.
“I’ll tell you in a few days.”
Once the gift was delivered, he planned to confess everything.
The little one thought that by keeping quiet, Ah Wu wouldn’t find out.
But little did he know, it was impossible to hide anything from Ah Wu.
Later, when Ah Wu wasn’t around, the little one snuck off with the bucket Zhai Bai had left by the river and went to deliver his first gift to the Chief Examiner.
As soon as he left, Ah Wu quietly followed behind him.
When they arrived in front of the Chief Examiner’s house, The little one was drenched in sweat. He wiped the sweat from his little face and then knocked on the door.
It took a while before someone came to open it.
“Boss, I’m right here.”
The tiny little one, not even as tall as the Chief Examiner’s long legs, looked up and reminded the Examiner, who hadn’t noticed him.
“I… I came to give you a gift.”
If Guan Shan Residence Academy had a “Most Polite Kid” award, the little one would surely be the only one to win it.
He held up the bucket, his flushed little face looking up as he politely said, “I heard you like fish, and this fish is really fresh.”
“Eating more fish is good for your health. You have such good taste!”
The Chief Examiner looked at the fish, which wasn’t even as big as his palm, and said flatly, “I don’t like fish, so I guess I don’t have good taste.”
The little one: “…”
The little one was stunned, his eyes wide open.
But according to the information Zhai Bai had given him, the Chief Examiner did eat fish.
Without a word, the Chief Examiner placed his hand on the door, indicating he was about to close it.
“Is there anything else? If not, I’ll close the door.”
His words were perfunctory, and he didn’t wait for the little one to respond before moving to close the door.
Only when the door was shut did the little one snap back to reality.
“Boss, I haven’t apologized yet.”
“I… I still need to apologize.”
“Boss, could you open the door again for me?”
The little one apologized through the door, but since it wasn’t open, he wasn’t sure if the Chief Examiner could hear him.
Feeling dejected, he hung his head and slowly walked back, still holding the bucket.
Ah Wu saw this and understood.
The little cub had been busy these past few days because of the Chief Examiner.
His face darkened as he mentally added the Chief Examiner to his list of grudges.
Time slowly passed.
Ah Wu followed his little cub, watching him distribute the small fish from the bucket to the cats along the roadside, one by one.
After finishing with the fish, the little cub’s previously dejected face brightened up again.
“Mimi, have a little more. Next time, I’ll bring you some meat to eat.”
After feeding the cats, the little cub patted one of their heads and then carried the empty bucket back home.
In just a short while, he had regained his energy and spirit.
Ah Wu, following behind, looked at his own little cub and thought—
Raising such an optimistic and adorable cub, with so many people coveting him, at least shows they have good taste.
The little cub, who had regained his determination, no longer relied on Zhai Bai.
He spent half a day gathering information and then discovered a new lead—
The Chief Examiner liked raising birds, especially those that could talk.
After learning about this new clue, the little cub walked around with his head held high, looking for bird nests.
“Ah Wu, why isn’t anyone selling birds?”
The little cub had initially planned to buy a couple, but no one on the street was selling any.
Ah Wu knew what he wanted to do but pretended not to, replying, “What kind of bird do you want? I’ll catch one for you.”
“Um, a talking bird.”
Ah Wu nodded, indicating he understood.
Their conversation was overheard clearly by Zhai Bai, who was inside the room.
Zhai Bai had been thinking about how to get the little cub to pay attention to him, and now, an opportunity had arisen.
And this opportunity came one after another. In the morning, he learned that the little cub wanted a bird, and by the afternoon, someone mentioned a tree with a bird’s nest in it.
Zhai Bai’s mind stirred, and he asked for the tree’s location before heading over.
Half an hour later, Zhai Bai found no bird’s nest in the tree, only a beehive.
The moment he saw the beehive, Zhai Bai’s face turned as dark as Ah Wu’s when he found out that Zhai Bai had taken the little cub away.
“D*mn, I was careless.”
Zhai Bai loosened his grip and jumped down from the tree, followed by a swarm of bees chasing him.
While Zhai Bai was being chased by bees, Ah Wu had already caught a bird, making the little cub’s eyes curve into crescent moons with happiness.
