Chapter 64: Apology Part 2

It made him recall his younger self.

Very naughty, with a wicked personality.

Not at all like his current cold and imposing demeanor.

Fu Si Heng’s expression softened a bit as he suggested: “Then how about I help you look for it?”

“Hm?” That surprised Tao Zhi.

He glanced at Fu Si Heng first.

Fu Si Heng was dressed in a suit, his face stern, his demeanor steady and refined.

Uh, searching for a cat with him?

Tao Zhi tactfully told him: “Stray cats usually hang out in flower beds, lawns, and under chairs.”

“Mm.” Fu Si Heng didn’t seem to mind: “Let’s go.”

Tao Zhi: “…”

Fine.

Tao Zhi led Fu Si Heng to search for the cat.

The big orange tabby was vigilant and hard to find, but it had a fixed haunt. It frequented less crowded green belts, specific cat spots on campus, and bike parking areas—easy places to hide.

Tao Zhi was really lucky that day; he actually found the fat orange tabby again. It was crouched under a bike licking its paws, barely visible if you didn’t look closely.

But when Tao Zhi pulled out his phone to take another photo, the fat orange tabby alertly looked up, saw people, and bolted without hesitation.

They searched a few more spots after that.

Fu Si Heng even crawled into flower beds for him, but they didn’t spot it again.

“Forget it; no need to look anymore.” Tao Zhi had just been excited on a whim that day. Now, after searching for nearly an hour, he was a bit tired.

He turned to look at Fu Si Heng. Fu Si Heng had just emerged from a flower bed; his expensive-looking suit had dust and leaves on the cuffs and hem.

Tao Zhi felt a little bad.

“Really not looking?” Fu Si Heng asked him.

“Yeah… no more.” Tao Zhi said: “The reward is just four cups of milk tea anyway.”

“Alright.” Fu Si Heng brushed off his sleeves.

It wasn’t early anymore—around five in the afternoon, mealtime. Fu Si Heng was about to ask if Tao Zhi wanted to grab dinner outside with him when Tao Zhi spoke first, as if he had something to say.

Fu Si Heng hummed, waiting for him.

Tao Zhi stayed quiet for half a minute.

“Sorry about… secretly retaliating against you before.” As he spoke, his voice suddenly grew much quieter, tinged with guilt.

“Oh.” Fu Si Heng’s tone was calm: “Didn’t I tell you? It’s fine. As long as it makes you happy, you can do whatever you want to me. I’ve bullied you before, so if you want revenge, go ahead.”

Tao Zhi pursed his lips.

Fu Si Heng had said that.

But Tao Zhi’s sense of morality was strong; he wouldn’t do anything rude to him as suggested.

Plus, he didn’t believe Fu Si Heng was that magnanimous; he was probably holding back some other mischief.

…

That was his thinking before.

Now, he believed it a little.

“Okay.” Tao Zhi acknowledged first, then asked Fu Si Heng: “Can I still go tutor the kid you introduced me to?”

This part-time gig was really great for Tao Zhi. Easy work, high pay, and the student was obedient and sensible. Half a day was all it took to review last week’s material with him.

Even though they’d fallen out (or so he thought), Tao Zhi hated to lose the job.

When he left Fu Si Heng’s place, he’d seriously worried if the tutoring family would let him continue.

After all, it was Fu Si Heng who had introduced it.

Fu Si Heng: “?”

“What on earth is in that head of yours all day?” Fu Si Heng was amused again: “Do you think I’m that petty?”

“No, no.” Fu Si Heng was generous; Tao Zhi knew that.

He quickly waved his hands, quietly defending himself: “I was just overthinking.”

Because he lacked security, he overthought everything.

Seeing him like this, embarrassed, Fu Si Heng really wanted to bite his cheek.

“If that’s the case, then if possible, I’d like you to apologize to me.” Fu Si Heng’s gaze was intense; Tao Zhi couldn’t handle it and changed the subject.

He had just said Tao Zhi could do anything he wanted to him, so Tao Zhi decided to test it now.

Fu Si Heng looked at him.

Tao Zhi inexplicably felt nervous.

“Because you really went too far.” Tao Zhi clenched his fingers, voicing his true feelings: “You figured out my real gender; you could have exposed me, but instead you pretended not to know and watched me do all sorts of embarrassing, shameful things to keep the secret… and you enjoyed it. That kind of behavior.”

He paused, then repeated: “It was really too much.”

“I’m sorry.” Fu Si Heng apologized to him sincerely: “I was wrong about that. I promise, it won’t happen again.”

“I won’t deliberately bully you anymore.”

Tao Zhi: “Really?”

Fu Si Heng: “Really.”

Tao Zhi believed him.

“Brother Fu, I should apologize too—I shouldn’t have retaliated against you.” The polite, morally upright college student apologized for his actions as well.

How was he so endearing?

So perfectly obedient.

Fu Si Heng looked at him, his heart softening completely—

“But.” Tao Zhi suddenly changed tack: “I didn’t lie to you about being a straight guy.”

Fu Si Heng: “?”

It started again.

Fu Si Heng’s expression stiffened once more.

The harmonious, friendly atmosphere from moments ago seemed nonexistent.

But this time, Tao Zhi wasn’t saying it out of revenge; he truly believed it.

To distinguish it from his previous retaliatory remarks, he even emphasized: “This isn’t revenge; I’m telling you seriously.”

“I won’t do that kind of thing anymore.” Tao Zhi even thought he was comforting him: “So this is real.”

Fu Si Heng: “…”

Fine.

Third strike.

He took a deep breath to calm himself.

He forced a nonchalant air: “Got it.”

Whatever.

Straight? He could bend him.

Besides, whether Tao Zhi was really straight was questionable.

When he whined that he couldn’t do it, he didn’t act like any straight guy—not a spot he hadn’t licked.

And he probably hadn’t noticed, but several times, Tao Zhi had poked right at his lower abdomen.

Tsk.

He started reminiscing again.

“Understood, little straight guy. So it means I’ll have to chase you for a long time.” Fu Si Heng suppressed his filthy thoughts: “I get it, no problem. In the meantime, let me take you to dinner first, yeah?”

After he spoke, Tao Zhi didn’t move. Instead, he looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze, which puzzled Fu Si Heng: “What’s wrong?”

Tao Zhi thought for a moment: “You called me little straight guy.”

Fu Si Heng: “?”

He didn’t get it.

What was wrong with the nickname?

“It’s like when you used to call me pure college girl before—it’s deliberate teasing… really wicked behavior.” Tao Zhi concluded.

Fu Si Heng: “…”

This… with his personality, Fu Si Heng really couldn’t change.

He was silent for a few seconds, then shamelessly countered: “Then you call me gay and tease me wickedly too.”

Tao Zhi: “?”

Wh-what…

Tao Zhi was dumbfounded, staring at him blankly.