The Whole Family Are Villains, I’m the Group Pet 160

Chapter 160

Xing Nuo, nestled in Shen Baizhou’s arms, looked at the desolate, ruined landscape.

The once serene and quaint school was now a wasteland.

“Big Brother, we still at school?” he asked, his voice filled with confusion.

Shen Baizhou quickly carried him to the school gate and covered his eyes.

A few minutes later, when Xing Nuo’s vision cleared, they were back at the gate, surrounded by university students.

Xing Nuo blinked, the wasteland a distant memory.

Shen Baizhou found his scooter, put Xing Nuo’s helmet on, and helped him onto the small seat.

“Alright, let’s go home.”

Xing Nuo nodded, wanting to ask questions, but his mind was blank, his memories of what had just happened fading.

Having experienced so many strange memory lapses, he didn’t bother searching for answers. He just clutched his brother’s shirt, feeling the warm summer breeze on his face.

The evening sky was painted in shades of orange and purple.

The university was close to their complex, and within minutes, Shen Baizhou parked the scooter.

He took off Xing Nuo’s helmet and said, his voice filled with concern:

“I’m staying at the dorm tonight. Shen Yan asked Chef Xu to make dinner. Don’t let Father cook. Eat and go to bed. If I don’t have class tomorrow, I’ll take you to school.”

Xing Nuo nodded eagerly, his eyes sparkling.

“Okay! Big Brother, I want visit your school again! So big!”

He remembered the tree-lined paths and the huge cafeteria.

Shen Baizhou ruffled his hair, smiling.

“Okay. Xing Nuo, take the elevator. Big Brother will watch you go inside.”

Xing Nuo waved and went inside.

Shen Wen was watering the plants on the balcony. Xing Nuo ran over, excitedly describing his brother’s university.

“When I gwow up…I want go to university too!”

The students at the university seemed so smart and capable!

Shen Wen placed a purple rose he had just cut in a vase on Xing Nuo’s nightstand.

“Okay. Xing Nuo, study hard.”

Xing Nuo, feeling a surge of motivation, nodded and, after dinner, even practiced writing characters at his little desk.

He had almost finished his character workbook.

Shen Wen came to tell him it was bedtime, and Xing Nuo, taking out his diary, quickly wrote:

[Went to Big Brother’s school today. Vewy pwetty! I forgot some things again. But it’s okay. Memories like little stars…come back in dweams.]

He closed his diary, changed into his pajamas, and went to bed.

In the university dorm.

At six o’clock sharp, Shen Baizhou’s roommates nervously lay in their beds, not daring to break the rules.

Although it was still light outside, the dorm window was pitch black.

The air thick with tension, a roommate whispered:

“What’s going on? Did we time travel? Or are we in a game?”

“Xu Keming, Shen Baizhou isn’t back yet. Is he okay?”

Xu Keming, remembering the terrifying monsters, his hands clenched, his body trembling, said:

“I don’t know. Those monsters are terrifying. I was hiding, and I saw many people attack the monster, but they all died.”

He had been lucky to survive, hidden and unnoticed. The players and monsters had fought fiercely, both sides suffering heavy losses.

Dozens of players had died before finally defeating the monster.

And then, he had somehow returned to the food stall.

Years later, he had almost convinced himself it was just a dream.

But now, on his first day in the dorm, it was happening again!

His composure crumbling, he thought, Why me?

“This cursed school! We’ve been gone so long, hasn’t anyone noticed?!”

The dorm fell silent.

A rustling sound came from outside, followed by the dragging of something heavy, the sounds amplified in the darkness.

The roommates held their breath, cold sweat dripping down their faces despite the summer heat.

A guttural growl, and the door creaked open.

They could hear their own breathing, their hearts pounding, and although they couldn’t see anything, they could sense the monster’s presence.

It seemed to be hovering over their beds, watching them.

Just as they were about to scream, a sound came from the window.

Shen Baizhou climbed in, nimble and silent.

“You guys not going out tonight, right? I’m closing the window.”

The roommates’ blood ran cold, thinking, Dude, are you crazy?! The monster is right here!

Shen Baizhou, ignoring the monster, took a couple of steps forward and, hearing its sinister chuckle, smiled coldly.

“You’re quite ugly, aren’t you?”

And in the monster’s stunned silence, he snapped its neck.

In less than three seconds, the monster, turning into black smoke, dissipated.

The roommates, watching, their eyes wide with disbelief, suddenly felt drowsy and their eyes closed.

The next day.

A team from the SIA, including Qi Yao, came to question them.

Qi Yao, seeing Shen Baizhou, nodded.

“Did you notice anything unusual last night?”

The roommates exchanged glances and shook their heads.

“No, we were tired and went to bed early.”

Shen Baizhou also shook his head, his expression lazy, his eyelids drooping.

Qi Yao and his team, getting no useful information, frowned and left.

“That’s strange. We detected a dungeon’s energy signature last night.”

“A B-rank dungeon! We were expecting a fight. But it’s good that nothing happened.”

His former teammate, the chubby one, had died during a dungeon mission.

Although glad nothing had happened, Qi Yao still felt uneasy.

He remembered the energy fluctuation at the high school during the college entrance exam.

Had Shen Baizhou been there too?

Lost in thought, he returned to his apartment to sleep, then, seeing Xing Nuo leaving for school,

“Qi Uncle,” Xing Nuo greeted him, stopping, his eyes crinkling into a smile.

Qi Yao hummed, looking at Xing Nuo, who had grown so much, a strange feeling in his chest.

The little one, once a wobbly toddler, now a second-grader, carrying his own backpack to school.

He bought Xing Nuo a chocolate bar and slipped it into his pocket.

“Hurry along to school now.”

Xing Nuo, used to receiving treats from Uncle Qi, thanked him and ran off to meet An Zimuo.

An Zimuo emerged from his building, crying, his eyes red and puffy, his dark face streaked with tears, his shoulders shaking.

Xing Nuo, knowing exactly what had happened, asked:

“Zimuo, how late you do homework?”

An Zimuo, taking a deep breath, suppressing his sadness, walked to school with Xing Nuo.

“Until…until four o’clock…”

Xing Nuo’s eyes widened in surprise, and he giggled.

“Not bad! I thought you’d be up all night!”

An Zimuo wiped his tears and sighed.

“But I didn’t finish!”

Xing Nuo’s smile faltered, and he tilted his head, puzzled.

“So, you betting…Teacher no check?”

An Zimuo nodded firmly, clenching his fist.

“Yes! Fifty-fifty chance…she won’t check!”

Xing Nuo, his lips pursed, sighed softly and patted An Zimuo’s shoulder.

“I help you…at school.”

An Zimuo cheered, circling Xing Nuo excitedly.

“Thank you, Xing Nuo! I buy you burger after school!”

Burgers were a special treat for children.

Xing Nuo waved his hand dismissively, his face filled with gentle exasperation, and pulled An Zimuo along.

“No need. Let’s go!”

At school, Xing Nuo carefully copied An Zimuo’s unfinished homework.

An Zimuo, anxious, whispered:

“Xing Nuo, write messy! My handwwiting ugly. Teacher will know!”

Xing Nuo, not knowing how to write messily, tried his best, but the result was just…strange.

Before they could finish, the teacher entered and said to the class monitor:

“Xiao Han, collect the homework.”

Xiao Han, a girl with two pigtails, efficient and assertive, always wearing her class monitor armband, her demeanor no-nonsense, was someone most of the boys were afraid of.

She nodded and started collecting the homework.

An Zimuo, unable to finish, desperately tore out a few blank pages.

Xing Nuo, watching him, his eyes wide with disbelief,

then saw a few other students, also without their homework, quickly imitating An Zimuo.

Xiao Han, her brow furrowed, walked over to An Zimuo and held out her hand.

“An Zimuo, you didn’t do your homework again, did you?”

An Zimuo, handing her his incomplete homework, said defensively: “I did!”

Xing Nuo, giggling, finding his friend’s antics amusing, covered his mouth.

Xiao Han snorted, then, turning to Xing Nuo, her expression softening, said:

“I know Xing Nuo finished his! What did you do for your internship, Xing Nuo? Can I see?”

Xing Nuo nodded and proudly handed her his essay.