Chapter 9: “What did you say?” He Tiaosheng…

“What did you say?” He Tiaosheng’s face clouded with displeasure.

The burly fellow who had knocked over Zhou Zhuoyuan, Sun Yuqing, felt so guilty that his eyes reddened. He apologized over and over. “Sorry, sorry. Pei He was right—it’s all my fault that Zhou Zhuoyuan got hurt. It’s all my fault for spoiling everyone’s fun.”

Only Zhou Zhuoyuan knew that Pei He hadn’t been talking about Sun Yuqing ruining the mood. No, he’d been talking about him.

If his vision hadn’t suddenly gone dark for a moment, Zhou Zhuoyuan could have easily dodged the man. But he hadn’t dodged, and now Pei He probably thought he’d done it on purpose—maybe to draw attention to himself, or perhaps just that his weak constitution had dragged down the group’s spirits.

Coming to think of it, he really had spoiled the fun.

The mature Zhou Zhuoyuan decided not to hold a grudge against these high school kids. He gave Sun Yuqing a smile. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. It was mostly my low blood sugar acting up—I should have sat out earlier. Tell you what: tonight, dinner’s on me. My treat, as an apology.”

A few of the more carefree ones cheered immediately. “Yes! Zhuoyuan’s the best!”

He Tiaosheng joined in the hype. “Baby looks so handsome when he’s spending money!”

Their rowdy excitement swept away much of the gloom in Zhou Zhuoyuan’s heart. A genuine smile curved his eyes.

One girl clutched her chest dramatically. “Zhou Zhuoyuan, stop smiling like that, or I’m going to fall for you!”

He blinked in confusion. “Why would that make you fall out of love?”

“Because I’m going to change my heart and dump my boyfriend—isn’t that breaking up?”

It took Zhou Zhuoyuan a moment to catch on that she was complimenting his smile. His face flushed bright red.

He knew he was good-looking. Plenty of people at the factory had shown interest in him. But Zhou Zhuoyuan could barely support himself, so he didn’t want to hold anyone else back.

Never having dated at twenty-three, he was still like a shy kid, blushing at the slightest tease from a girl.

He cleared his throat twice, pretending to be cool as he fired back, “Thanks, but I don’t do homewrecking.”

Most of his classmates here didn’t know him well. Their impression of him was still that of a cold, unapproachable porcupine, curled up in his corner, pricking anyone who got too close.

But once they actually interacted with him, they realized he wasn’t so bad. He hadn’t gotten mad even after being knocked over and injured. He was generous enough to treat everyone to dinner and could even joke around. Plus, he was great at basketball.

And he was surprisingly innocent, too—blushing when a girl flirted with him.

Of course, no one dared say that to his face. He thought he’d hidden it well, oblivious to how obvious the flush was on his cheeks.

Guan Qi finished bandaging him and gently lowered his rolled-up pant leg.

Zhou Zhuoyuan insisted they keep playing. With one extra person now, He Tiaosheng was about to say she’d stay with him when Guan Qi spoke up. “You all go ahead. I’ll look after him here.”

That worked. He Tiaosheng was preparing to redivide the teams when a new issue arose the next second.

Sun Yuqing insisted on atoning for his mistake by waiting on Zhou Zhuoyuan hand and foot, or he’d never have peace of mind.

Fine, then. She and Sun Yuqing could both sit out.

But then Pei He objected. He said he was tired and didn’t want to play anymore.

He Tiaosheng stared. “…”

Big brother, who was it that just called things ruined?

There were four rest chairs in total. Luckily, no one else wanted to quit, or they wouldn’t have enough seats.

Zhou Zhuoyuan ended up in the second chair, with Guan Qi and Sun Yuqing taking the seats on either side of him.

His face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

How was he supposed to quietly review his vocabulary words like this?

After getting three in a row wrong, Zhou Zhuoyuan silently pocketed his phone.

“Not studying anymore?” Sun Yuqing, blissfully unaware, asked. “That’s probably for the best. You should rest properly.”

Zhou Zhuoyuan: “…”

“Your skills are amazing. Could you teach me?” Sun Yuqing scratched his head. “I’m so bad, no one wants to play with me.”

Zhou Zhuoyuan badly wanted to ask why he thought he’d be willing to play with him. After stewing for a while, he finally managed, “I might have free time Sunday afternoons.”

Sun Yuqing leaped to his feet. “Master! Allow this disciple to pay his respects!”

Zhou Zhuoyuan, too proud to back down now, reluctantly accepted the apprentice—who clearly had no natural talent.

This was just as Guan Qi had expected. Zhou Zhuoyuan probably didn’t even realize how overly accommodating he could be at times. But when he got stubborn, no one could sway him.

Night fell quickly. Aside from one girl who had plans and the boy who’d been caught badmouthing Zhou Zhuoyuan earlier, the rest clustered together, chattering as they headed toward the school gate.

Zhou Zhuoyuan popped a few candies into his mouth and downed a bottle of juice. He had already recovered his energy and was now leading his new disciple at the front of the group. The others kept calling him “Young Master Zhou” left and right, which made him desperately want to pretend he didn’t know them.

They had just stepped out of the school gates when a tall figure suddenly charged forward, thrusting out an arm covered in tattoos to block their path.

“Little Yuan, how can you be so heartless?” The man grabbed Zhou Zhuoyuan’s arm just as he was about to ignore him completely. Grinning shamelessly, he said, “Lend your big brother a little money, won’t you? You’re living large now—you can spare a bit, right?”

The easygoing expression on Zhou Zhuoyuan’s face vanished in an instant.

Seeing that he was upset, Sun Yuqing immediately stepped forward to shove the man away, but Zhou Zhuoyuan held him back.

His tone was complicated. “You still haven’t paid me back the money from last time.”

Lin Boxu immediately put on a fierce scowl. “Paid back what money? You’re the young master of some rich family now. What’s the big deal about giving your brother a handout?”

Sun Yuqing exploded on the spot. “Fuck, who the hell do you think you are? Robbing people in broad daylight?”

“Wow, you’ve actually made a friend? That’s unbelievable!” Lin Boxu eyed Sun Yuqing with utter rudeness, his tone dripping with exaggeration. “A selfish, vain freeloader like you—who’d ditch their own parents to cling to the rich—actually has friends?”

Zhou Zhuoyuan stared at Lin Boxu with a cold expression.

The guy was still the same as always—sloppy, idle, and utterly useless.

Spoiled rotten by everyone around him from a young age, praised for bullying others, always backed by his parents no matter what he fought over. It was no wonder he’d turned out like this.

By contrast, someone like Zhou Zhuoyi—treated like the apple of everyone’s eye—had somehow stayed pure and kind. That was the real rarity.

Zhou Zhuoyuan suddenly found it hard to breathe.

Sun Yuqing struggled against the hand holding him back, twisting his body to shield Zhou Zhuoyuan. “What the hell are you babbling about? Say one more word, and I’ll—”

“How much do you need?” Zhou Zhuoyuan suddenly cut in, interrupting Sun Yuqing’s building tirade.

Lin Boxu froze for a moment.

Zhou Zhuoyuan repeated himself. “How much do you need?”

“Eight thousand?” Lin Boxu replied uncertainly, hardly able to believe it had gone so smoothly.

Truth be told, ever since Zhou Zhuoyuan had returned to the Zhou Family two years ago, Lin Boxu hadn’t managed to squeeze a single cent out of him.

Zhou Zhuoyuan pulled out his wallet and extracted two cards, handing them over. “These two together should come to about 670,000. I’ll send you the PIN later.”

He had never been one to spend much. Though he hadn’t asked the Zhou Family for money, he had saved up a fair amount from his pocket money over the past couple of years.

Lin Boxu, who had been so cocky moments before, now stammered, “Th-this much? Why?”

Zhou Zhuoyuan’s voice was soft, almost like a sigh. “Just take it. I won’t call the cops on you.”

It was like a pie falling from the heavens. Lin Boxu excitedly snatched the cards, only to hear Zhou Zhuoyuan say listlessly, “Don’t come looking for me again.”

Still dazed by the windfall, Lin Boxu asked blankly, “What?”

“I said, don’t come looking for me again. And stop calling yourself my brother. I don’t have a brother who’s a beggar.”

His words cut deep. Lin Boxu gripped the cards tightly, his face twisting into an ugly mask.

Anyone with a shred of pride would have thrown the cards back and stormed off cursing. But Lin Boxu had no pride. He was lazy, unskilled, and couldn’t bear to part with that 670,000.

Zhou Zhuoyuan skirted around Lin Boxu and led his classmates away.

The two of them had never gotten along.

Lin Decai and Jiang Yueyi had spoiled Lin Boxu rotten, turning him into a holy terror. Zhou Zhuoyuan, meanwhile, had always been selfish by nature and refused to yield to him.

After Zhou Zhuoyuan started elementary school and began getting a bit of pocket money from his mother each day, Lin Boxu would occasionally sneak to the school gates to ambush him—just like today. He’d curse away Zhou Zhuoyuan’s friends and then use his bigger size to snatch the money.

Whenever Zhou Zhuoyuan ran home crying to the adults, they’d brush it off with a joke: “Next time Little Xu bullies you, just beat him up and show him who’s boss.”

So one time, when Zhou Zhuoyuan fought back, he raked his long nails across Lin Boxu’s arm, leaving a deep scratch.

The wound wasn’t that serious—a kid couldn’t tear off a chunk of flesh no matter how hard they tried. But the Lin Family was terrified by Lin Boxu’s pitiful wails and rushed him straight to the hospital.

It hadn’t been like that at all. The young Zhou Zhuoyuan had been left alone at home, and for the first time, he realized just how differently his parents treated them. Even when Lin Boxu had beaten him bloody-headed before, they hadn’t panicked like this.

A premonition of punishment suddenly gripped him—even though they’d never punished Lin Boxu before.

This premonition was quickly confirmed. That night, the family rushed back from the hospital and dragged the sleeping Zhou Zhuoyuan right off the bed. Lin Decai grabbed a branch he’d picked up along the road and viciously whipped the boy’s palms.

Little Zhuoyuan wailed in agony. Back then, he wasn’t so extreme yet. Sobbing through his tears, he accused his parents of favoritism. “I didn’t do anything wrong! You told me to beat him up! And he hit me first anyway! You’re the ones being unfair!”

Lin Decai only beat him harder, cursing all the while. “You little bastard, still got the nerve to talk back?”

Lin Boxu nestled safely in Jiang Yueyi’s arms, throwing his weight around. “Serves you right! Let’s see if you dare disobey again!”

Even then, Zhou Zhuoyuan’s stubborn temper was starting to show. Despite the beating, he craned his neck and yelled defiantly at Lin Boxu. “Who the hell are you to order me around, you little thief? I won’t… Ah!!!”

Lin Decai’s next strike split his palm open.

Zhou Zhuoyuan arched his back in excruciating pain, curling into a tight ball as he clutched his hands.

In that moment, he truly believed Lin Decai meant to beat him to death.