Chapter 7
The late spring evening breeze was gentle and warm, softly caressing their faces.
Xing Nuo started to get sleepy on the way home, his head nodding, his eyelids almost glued shut.
As soon as they arrived home and he touched the pillow, he was out like a light.
“Xing Nuo is exhausted today. Let him sleep peacefully.” Shen Wen glanced at Shen Baizhou.
Shen Baizhou, who was looking at his little brother, his hand outstretched to ruffle his hair, was forced to withdraw it. He mumbled “Oh” and left the bedroom.
The door closed softly, and Shen Wen’s emotionless, indifferent voice sounded:
“Shen Baizhou, you’ll be living here from now on. I’ll find a school for you and handle the enrollment procedures.”
Shen Baizhou understood what “school” meant, and the laziness in his eyes vanished.
“I’m going to school?” He opened his eyes slightly, incredulous.
Shen Wen glanced at him, the curve of his lips cold.
“What? Is there a problem?”
His tone turned mocking.
“Learn something useful at school. Your lack of intelligence is too obvious.”
Shen Baizhou didn’t dare disobey Shen Wen’s orders. He opened his mouth, trying to defend himself.
“I’m quite smart.”
Shen Wen’s expression remained unchanged. “Oh.”
Shen Baizhou felt belittled but didn’t dare argue, so he changed the subject.
“Where will I sleep at night?”
Shen Wen pointed to a large container.
“I bought you a fish tank. Move it to your bedroom. Don’t scare anyone in the living room.”
Shen Baizhou perked up a bit, hummed in agreement, and went to pick up the fish tank, which was about the size of a bathtub, carefully carrying it to the bedroom.
After filling the fish tank with cold, clear water, Shen Baizhou plunged in, transforming into a small, almost transparent, white octopus.
The morning air was cool, and sunlight streamed through the clouds, bathing the room in a golden glow.
Xing Nuo stood on his little stool, toothbrush in hand, his mouth full of foam, learning how to brush his teeth.
“Cold.”
The mint-flavored toothpaste was cold and tingly, and Xing Nuo kept pulling his head back, clearly not used to the taste.
Shen Wen gently held Zaizai’s hand, helping him brush his neat little baby teeth.
“We’ll get a different flavor next time. How about strawberry? It’s a bit sweeter.”
Xing Nuo hummed and swallowed the foam.
“Okay~” he said, tilting his face up.
Shen Wen froze, then quickly pinched Zaizai’s mouth open.
“Why did you swallow it?”
He couldn’t help but laugh and tapped Xing Nuo’s forehead.
“Don’t do that next time. You can’t eat toothpaste. Now we’re going to learn how to rinse.”
After rinsing, Xing Nuo swallowed most of the water, only spitting out a small amount.
Finally, the toothbrushing ordeal was over, and the little yellow toothbrush was placed back on the shelf.
After wiping his face, Xing Nuo was picked up by his dad and placed in his high chair, happily eating his sweet breakfast.
Shen Baizhou sat beside him, swallowing a small steamed bun in one gulp, his eyelids drooping, looking listless.
The thought of going to school today made him uncomfortable.
“Can I…”
Shen Wen knew what he was going to say and coldly refused. “No.”
Pointing to the items on the sofa, Shen Wen said flatly:
“Take your bag and go. Private high school starts at eight. Don’t be late.”
The school Shen Wen had chosen for Shen Baizhou wasn’t far. It was a relaxed high school, without even morning or evening self-study sessions.
Shen Baizhou knew he couldn’t escape. After eating a basket of steamed buns and two bowls of porridge, he finally picked up his bag and left.
He walked out of the apartment, looking back repeatedly, his face stiff, his lips pressed tightly together, slowly and reluctantly making his way to school.
Rongcheng Private High School.
Although the school’s academic record wasn’t stellar, the discipline was decent. Just before class started, the students hurried to their seats.
The teacher led Shen Baizhou in, coughed, and introduced him in a raised voice:
“This is our new student, Shen Baizhou. He’ll be your classmate for the next three years. Let’s give him a warm welcome.”
Shen Baizhou, wearing the blue and white school uniform, stood with his hands casually in his pockets, exuding an aura of “don’t mess with me.”
He glanced at everyone, then, as instructed by the teacher, sat down in the last row.
The students whispered among themselves, some turning around to sneak glances at Shen Baizhou.
“He’s so cool!”
“I live in the same complex as him. You wouldn’t believe it, yesterday he was even more edgy, with white hair!”
“Whoa, do you have a picture?! He must have looked amazing with white hair!”
“Can you stop being so boy-crazy? Look at me, I’m handsome too!”
Shen Baizhou’s hearing was excellent, and all the whispers reached his ears.
He glanced at them but didn’t bother saying anything.
Opening his textbook, Shen Baizhou began to read attentively.
He would prove his intelligence.
High school? How difficult could it be for a boss-level monster like him?
Xing Nuo leaned against the window, his small hand supporting him, watching his brother’s figure, a small black dot, disappear at the entrance of the complex.
He widened his eyes, turned to his dad, pointed outside, and said anxiously:
“Big brother…gone!”
Xing Nuo spread his small hands, expressing his confusion and surprise.
Shen Wen hummed, ruffled Zaizai’s head, and explained:
“Your brother went to school. Zaizai will also go to school soon.”
Xing Nuo repeated after him, his pronunciation unclear: “S’ool.”
After saying it a few times, Xing Nuo tilted his head, his curly hair falling against his cheek, tickling him. He reached up to brush it away.
“S’ool…Zaizai go?”
Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing Shen Wen in a golden glow, his voice warm.
“Yes, Zaizai will go too. Every human cub needs to go to school to learn many useful things.”
Zaizai still didn’t quite understand what “school” meant.
He turned his head, looking at the entrance of the complex where his brother had disappeared, and asked:
“With Big Brother…together?”
Shen Wen shook his head. “Of course not. Your brother is in high school.”
He paused, tapping his chin.
“Perhaps…he’ll go to kindergarten with you?”
Shen Baizhou’s level of knowledge, in Shen Wen’s opinion, was quite worrying.
And this worry soon became reality.
At noon, Xing Nuo eagerly waited by the window, anticipating his brother’s return from school.
Seeing his brother’s figure appear at the entrance of the complex, Xing Nuo let out a “Wow!” and pressed his face against the glass, his eyes wide.
Shen Baizhou, just entering the complex, sensed something and paused, then looked up.
Even from this distance, Shen Baizhou could pinpoint his little brother’s location.
The little one’s cheeks were squished against the glass, his round eyes bright and watery, looking expectantly in his direction.
Shen Baizhou couldn’t help but smile.
His classmate, walking home with him, looked at him with a puzzled frown.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
Shen Baizhou’s expression was unconsciously smug.
“My little brother is watching me from the window. He’s waiting for me to come home from school.”
He then added, “He’s so good!”
His classmate looked at the distant, high-rise building and fell silent.
“Are you sure you’re not imagining things?”
From that distance, he couldn’t see a thing!
Shen Baizhou didn’t want to bother with this foolish human. He lifted his chin and snorted.
“You’re just jealous.”
Someone without a little brother couldn’t possibly understand how good his little brother was!
His classmate: “…”
After a brief silence, the classmate cursed inwardly.
Damn, what a brother complex!
Shen Baizhou, in a cheerful mood, had just reached the elevator when a small, milk-scented bundle launched itself into his arms.
“Big brother!”
Xing Nuo buried his head in his brother’s chest, nuzzling him, and reached out to be held.
Shen Baizhou expertly picked up Zaizai and pinched his chubby cheeks.
The little one’s face was so soft and smooth. Shen Baizhou pinched and pinched, finally satisfied.
“Why are you standing by the elevator? Wait for Big Brother at home next time. It’s dangerous outside.”
A couple of nights ago, a small monster that specialized in scaring people had appeared in the stairwell.
Shen Baizhou had simply caught it, rolled it into a ball, and swallowed it.
Otherwise, the little one would have been terrified.
Xing Nuo’s fair cheeks were flushed from being pinched. He turned his head, slightly displeased.
“No pinch.”
Shen Baizhou withdrew his hand and didn’t respond.
In the dining room, Shen Wen served the lunch he had meticulously prepared.
“Back from school? Come and eat.”
Shen Baizhou’s expression became more obedient in front of his father. He hummed in agreement and sat down to eat with Xiao Xing Nuo in his arms.
Looking down at the plate of dark, unidentifiable food, Shen Baizhou paused with his chopsticks.
“Are we out of money?”
Why not order takeout?
After just a few days in the human world, Shen Baizhou had already learned how to order takeout.
Such addictively convenient things were easy to learn.
Shen Baizhou then offered thoughtfully:
“Father, I still have quite a bit of money.”
It was all loot from the dungeon worlds, glittering gold and silver, filling his underwater lair.
Shen Baizhou’s true form was enormous, like a dark mountain, his tentacles extending for dozens of meters from the seabed.
The fact that it filled his lair showed just how much treasure he had accumulated.
Shen Wen’s expression remained unchanged. He walked over with a dish, sneered, and smacked Shen Baizhou.
“Just eat. This is the lunch I carefully prepared.”
Xing Nuo, the good little cub, looked up and praised his dad in his sweet voice:
“Yummy~”
Xing Nuo had already sniffed it. It was bitter, unlike anything he had eaten before!
“Daddy, amazing!”
Shen Wen was pleased by Zaizai’s praise, his light-colored eyes curving into a smile. He felt a renewed sense of pride in his culinary skills.
“It just doesn’t look very appealing. The taste is excellent.”
Since he said so, Shen Baizhou believed him.
After a morning of high school, Shen Baizhou was starving. He lowered his head and quickly shovelled half a bowl of rice into his mouth.
Just as he swallowed, Shen Baizhou stiffened, his neck rigid, and toppled sideways without a sound.
Xing Nuo, who was just about to start eating with his little spoon, was startled by the thud. His spoon clattered against the table.
His mouth agape, Xing Nuo blinked a few times, still processing what had happened.
That afternoon, Shen Baizhou was absent from school.
Xing Nuo, nestled in his dad’s arms, was also in an ambulance, its siren wailing, on their way to the hospital.
Sitting in the ambulance, Shen Wen looked up at the doctor and asked with feigned concern:
“Doctor, is he going to be alright?”
The doctor checked Shen Baizhou’s eyes and looked at the monitor readings, then paused.
“Preliminary diagnosis, food poisoning.”
lol im about to die from laughter! 😂