What the hell.
Fu Zheng inexplicably got mad at himself for thinking that, his face twisting into a big scowl.
He deliberately spoke to Tao Zhi with a blank expression: “We’re eating out today.”
“Oh.”
Got it.
Tao Zhi nodded. “Okay.”
–
So Tao Zhi followed Fu Zheng to a breakfast spot off-campus.
Tao Zhi had already eaten; before Fu Zheng woke, he’d grabbed soy milk and youtiao at the cafeteria and was stuffed.
But at the shop, Fu Zheng ordered a ton of food and called him over to eat together.
Tao Zhi hesitated.
He wasn’t hungry at all, but seeing Fu Zheng’s face, he didn’t dare refuse and sat across from him.
Tao Zhi ordered a small bowl of porridge and ate it in tiny spoonfuls.
Quiet as a hamster, cheeks puffing slightly.
Fu Zheng stared for a good while. For some reason, he suddenly recalled the day they moved into the dorm—Tao Zhi sitting at his desk, doing homework while gnawing on a mantou.
It irked him.
He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, didn’t light it, just bit it between his teeth, and kept watching Tao Zhi eat.
“Eat more. Look at those skinny arms and legs.” He paused, then awkwardly looked out the window. “So scrawny—how’re you gonna seduce Fu Si Heng?”
“Hm?” Tao Zhi’s voice was too soft; he didn’t catch it and looked up.
Fu Zheng: “Nothing. Eat.”
Tao Zhi: “Oh.”
Tao Zhi went back to his porridge. Thinking of Fu Si Heng naturally brought Fu Zheng to yesterday’s WeChat add, so he said offhandedly: “Give me your phone. Let me see.”
“Hm? Okay.” Tao Zhi obeyed Fu Zheng without question, seeing nothing wrong with it—especially since he had no secrets anyway—
His hand was halfway out when he suddenly remembered his morning chat with his sister: all that electronic pet rich kid nonsense. If Fu Zheng saw that…
Tao Zhi panicked and instinctively pulled back.
But he failed.
Fu Zheng snatched the phone. Tao Zhi immediately grew fidgety.
Luckily, Fu Zheng didn’t check other messages. He went straight for the chat with Fu Si Heng.
They’d added each other, but this dummy Tao Zhi hadn’t even said hi—the chat was a blank void.
Tao Zhi watched him tensely.
So scared Fu Zheng would see his sister chat—
“Why haven’t you messaged Fu Si Heng?”
“And you added him with your main account? I’m done with you.”
Fortunately, Tao Zhi’s profile pic and name were pretty neutral, no selfies in his Moments—just campus scenery—so he’d probably passed without Fu Si Heng clocking him as a guy.
But Fu Zheng still wanted to chew him out.
He looked up, right into Tao Zhi staring at him like he was facing a mortal enemy…
Fu Zheng stopped short.
Had he been too harsh on Tao Zhi?
Fu Zheng rarely reflected like this.
The little dummy was good in every way except being a bit dim.
At least he was obedient, never mouthed off, worked hard—did whatever you told him.
As a lackey, he was top-notch.
Maybe treat him nicer?
At least don’t make him scared of me.
Fu Zheng suddenly felt a bit down.
What was there to be scared of about him anyway?
“I didn’t think too much at the time, and I don’t have an alt account. Couldn’t just make one right in front of him.” Tao Zhi defended himself softly.
“And I didn’t know what to say to him.” Fu Zheng probably hadn’t seen the sister chat, or his face wouldn’t be so calm.
Tao Zhi breathed a little easier.
—Just say whatever, dummy. Gotta spell that out?
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Fu Zheng swallowed them and gruffly rephrased: “Send whatever.”
“You know how to chat, right?”
Ah…
Even so, Tao Zhi was clueless.
He blinked, eyes clear and lost as he looked at Fu Zheng. “Should I send him ‘good morning’ now?”
Fu Zheng: “…”
Shouldn’t have expected more from Tao Zhi.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seduced anyone.” Tao Zhi scratched his ear, embarrassed. “I really don’t know how.”
“Teach me?” Tao Zhi earnestly asked Fu Zheng for guidance.
Fu Zheng: “…”
Fu Zheng didn’t know either.
“Dummy.” He couldn’t hold it back.
“Sorry.” Good-tempered Tao Zhi didn’t get mad at all.
He’d built up quite the immunity to scoldings—no more of that initial panic and fear.
He smoothly apologized to Fu Zheng: “I’ll try to be smarter. Don’t be mad, okay?”
Fu Zheng: “…”
A total coquettish little demon, yet he had the nerve to say he couldn’t seduce people.
Fu Zheng was speechless, keeping a straight face on purpose: “Wait. I’ll ask someone.”
“Oh.” Tao Zhi sat obediently, awaiting orders.
…Kinda cute.
–
When Tao Zhi’s message came in, Fu Si Heng was looking at his ID photo.
Figuring out Tao Zhi’s identity had been easy.
Fu Zheng used to get into fights all the time, dragging in his hangers-on. Fu Si Heng got fed up and forbade anyone from joining his nonsense, purging all his fox friends and dog pals.
After that, the old crew steered clear of Fu Zheng.
Fu Zheng’s former social circle was thoroughly dismantled by Fu Si Heng, so that guy had to be someone new.
Probably not a classmate.
Fu Zheng skipped classes constantly; he wouldn’t know everyone. The assistant first showed Fu Si Heng pics of Fu Zheng’s dormmates.
Four-person dorm—almost at first glance, he pegged last night’s person as Tao Zhi.
On the computer screen, a sunny, cute boy smiled at the camera, dimples pitting his cheeks.
Tao Zhi.
That was the name.
…Pretty cute.
Fu Si Heng’s gaze lingered slightly.
Then his phone buzzed with a message.
First, a nonsensical emoji, then a photo.
It showed a slender, snow-white calf.
Shot from above downward, the right leg slightly bent, exposing a black mole on the inner side. A striped short skirt, delicate fingers lightly tugging the hem downward, shadows teasing beneath the skirt’s edge.
The angle was incredibly tantalizing.
Fu Si Heng’s eyes darkened.
He’d just zoomed in when the photo vanished.
Withdrawn by the sender.
?Little Cute Bunny?: [Fu-ge, sorry, I sent the wrong one ><]
Even the display name had changed.
