“Teacher, sit here!”
Yun raised his hand and stood up with a “swish,” his chair legs scraping against the floor with a sharp, piercing screech.
Attracted by the sudden interruption, Li Xi instinctively stopped his outward steps. He saw the child, who had previously only shown him the back of his head, staring fixedly at him with a face full of pleasant surprise.
Li Xi heard the voice and said, “I can let—wait a second.”
Before turning around, Yun had been quite excited because he had confirmed through the voice that the new male worm was Li He. However, the moment he saw the other person clearly, his heat cooled, and logic returned.
The cub he knew had no spiritual power, but the voice and face were incredibly familiar.
So???
They stared at each other for a while. Yun’s finger pointed back and forth between them as if trying to figure out how to speak. His voice was slightly hesitant: “Um… should we know each other?”
Li Xi: “…?”
Teacher Mo looked bewildered, not knowing what stunt Yun was pulling now.
“Holy crap, what are you doing?!” Under the table, Si kicked him. “Are you losing your mind?”
Yun’s entire attention was on Li Xi, so he didn’t dodge. A prominent dusty footprint appeared on his pant leg. He didn’t have time to care, staring unblinkingly at Li Xi.
Li Xi also hesitated: “We do know each other, I guess.”
They hadn’t seen each other for one morning, and now they were hovering on the edge of knowing and not knowing each other?
Their friendship was truly precarious.
“Li He…?”
Under the child’s shocked gaze, Li Xi nodded.
After asking this, Yun was stunned. Once he confirmed this worm was indeed the cub he knew, a seemingly silly question blurted out the next second: “Why do you have spiritual power?”
Classmates: “!!!”
Teacher: “!!!”
Why wouldn’t a male cub have spiritual power? Has this guy lost his mind?
The classmates all thought Yun had been scolded into insanity by the combat teacher; otherwise, how could he ask such a stupid question?
Meanwhile, Li Xi was seriously considering how to explain the sudden appearance of spiritual power.
The indifferent aura Li Xi unconsciously emitted frightened the surrounding female worms into swallowing hard. Even Teacher Mo felt his heart tighten for a moment.
Li Xi seemed to possess a natural, cold “keep away” aura; even just standing there quietly, he could make others feel intimidated.
Teacher Mo suddenly felt a massive headache coming on. The Dean had repeatedly reminded him before “reluctantly” handing this cub over. On the very first day, he had made the male cub unhappy. It seemed the time for him to go to the Dean’s office for a “chat” wasn’t far off. Teacher Mo was deeply grieved.
“Alright! Li He, just sit where Yun is.” Teacher Mo wiped imaginary cold sweat from his forehead and quickly arranged the next steps. “Yun, go to the warehouse management to bring a new set of desk and chair.”
Yun wanted to ask more, but seeing the warning glint in the teacher’s eyes, he dropped the idea. “Okay.”
From beginning to end, Li Xi’s expression changed very subtly or rather, it remained a single cold expression.
The enrollment rate for male worms was low, but it wasn’t that Teacher Mo hadn’t handled male cubs before; usually, their thoughts were obvious just by looking at their faces.
Only with this male cub was Teacher Mo unable to see through him.
Or was it that his teaching experience was too low and his worldly wisdom insufficient?
Teacher Mo shook his head without thinking further. Seeing that most of the period had passed, he had no mood to teach. “Fine, this period is for self-study.”
“Great!”
He glanced at Li Xi, who had his head down, and said pointedly, “All of you be quiet.”
“Okay!”
That excited voice didn’t sound like they were going to be quiet at all. Teacher Mo shook his head and left.
He hoped this male cub was just curious about the school and wouldn’t show up tomorrow.
Male cubs of this age had just passed their childhood awakening period; their psychological and physical states were at their most fragile. The school wouldn’t have excessive requirements for them whether they learned or not depended entirely on their mood.
If they were in a good mood, they’d swing by school and sign in; if they were in a bad mood, it was common for them not to show up for the whole semester, only coming back for the final exam to pass the term peacefully.
Sitting in Yun’s spot, Li Xi boredly flipped through the books spread out on the desk. The books were filled with dense fonts he couldn’t understand, along with lines drawn in black ink and neat, concise notes.
It was the complete polar opposite of the kid’s flighty personality.
Unignorable gazes locked onto him one after another. Li Xi’s fingers stopped flipping the pages.
Uncomfortable, uneasy, wanting to leave, irritable… such thoughts surfaced again.
But as soon as he looked up, those curious gazes shrank back in fear, and everyone lowered their heads, pretending to write things seriously.
“…”
Was he some kind of rare species?
The classroom was quiet. Students were bowing their heads, fiddling with their screens.
“I found out; he just finished enrollment today.”
“From which family?”
“How do you know he’s from a noble family?”
“Based on the level, he doesn’t look like a noble.”
“Stupid!”
“+1” “+1”
“???!”
“Look at the clothes on him; only three pieces were released this year.”
“…”
“Uh, I’ve seen Yun wearing those clothes…”
“!?”
As soon as Yun entered the classroom carrying a desk, all eyes glared at him.
“…”
He froze at the door, filled with confusion. “What?”
“Shh—”
“He’s sleeping.” A classmate nearest to him pointed behind and explained in a whisper.
Following the finger, Yun saw the cub slumped on the hard desk, eyes slightly closed, revealing half of his pale cheek.
The breeze outside the window blew through his deep blue hair, and the beige clothing covered his thin body.
Yun placed the desk in the last row. He pointed to Si, who was carrying a chair, then at the new desk, and then sat down in Si’s original spot.
Si looked at this series of movements blankly, only realizing later—his seat had been snatched by this guy!
The prime spot right behind the little male worm was gone!
He indignantly opened the light-brain on his wrist.
The light-brain vibrated like a bombardment. Yun glanced down and chose silent mode.
He leaned crookedly against the back of the chair, staring at Li Xi’s back.
The clothes were bought when he apologized. At that time, he didn’t know Li He’s specific size and bought a few pieces blindly based on feeling. Unsurprisingly, they were too big.
However, Li Xi had grown quite a bit after his awakening period, so the clothes in his closet had become small, and the clothes Yun bought were just right.
The loose clothing made Li Xi’s shoulder blades look thin. The skin exposed outside was as white as porcelain jade. On closer inspection, it was that kind of unhealthy, sickly pale.
Li Xi’s slightly curled eyelashes fluttered. With his eyes still closed, he pulled out a hand, reached into his backpack, grabbed a random book, and thwack—covered the back of his head with it, blocking those prying eyes.
Seeing this, Yun didn’t interfere. His eyelids drooped as he absentmindedly flipped through his friend’s book.
Three seconds later, he silently closed it. What on earth was written in here?
Li He… was truly a strange cub.
He didn’t have the pampered treatment of a male cub, nor the petty temper. And now, he inexplicably had spiritual power…
The more Yun thought, the more confused he became; his brain was going to explode.
Si, who was constantly watching them, widened his eyes in disbelief.
Yun’s care for his books bordered on the pathological, and he usually ignored male worms. Yet that male cub not only made Yun willingly give up his seat but even put a book over his head.
And that guy didn’t say anything?!
Since when did Yun become so indulgent toward a male worm?
Time passed quietly. The bell rang, and the classroom that should have been noisy remained eerily silent. The female worms packed their desks lightly and left the room without a sound.
Only once they were far away did they raise their voices to discuss the new male cub.
When Li Xi woke up, a flash of confusion crossed his eyes before he remembered that his irresponsible father had dumped him at school.
Sensing the faint scent of books, he remained lying on the desk without moving, listening with interest to the discussion behind him.
“Do you know the little male worm?”
“I do.”
“What’s the relationship between you two?! I’ve never seen you get close to a male.”
“Um… my younger brother.”
“!!! Since when did you have—”
“No, not brother.”
A sudden, crisp voice interrupted Si’s shock.
Li Xi took the book off his head and turned around to look at Yun, who was talking nonsense again.
Si looked up and instinctively finished the second half of his sentence: “…brother.”
The word “was” mysteriously vanished from his mouth, as if he had blurted out “brother” as a title.
Li Xi: “…”
Yun kicked him: “Who are you calling brother?”
What was this guy shouting for?!
“Holy crap, why did you kick me?!” Si dodged nimbly. “Can’t a guy have a slip of the tongue?!”
Yun crossed his arms and huffed, “Who told you to kick me during class?”
“I was reminding you, okay!”
Si turned to the quiet Li Xi, showing a row of straight white teeth in a grin, and introduced himself: “Hello, Little Excellency. My name is Si, his friend.”
Li Xi nodded: “Hello. Li He.”
Listening to the stiff phrasing, Si seemed to remember something: “Huh? The way you talk—”
Bang—
“Why did you hit me?!” Si had his back to Yun and was caught off guard. Covering the back of his head with one hand and pointing at the culprit with the other, he said angrily, “Do you want to fight? We haven’t even settled the matter of you stealing my seat yet!”
Yun stared dangerously at his loose-lipped idiot friend and said calmly, “Old rules. If you win, the seat is mine.”
Li Xi looked at the brand-new seat in the last row and suggested, “I can sit in the back.”
“No.” Yun frowned. “I gave my seat to you, so it’s yours.”
He continued to explain: “Seats are chosen at random anyway.”
Si glared at Yun and added through gritted teeth, “Yes, as long as you can beat the other person.”
“…Oh,” Li Xi pointed at himself, then curled his finger toward Yun. “Then I fight you?”
In terms of strength… he probably couldn’t win, right?
“Hiss…” Si gasped.
Yun: “…”
Li Xi was confused: “?”
But Yun suddenly bent over laughing. After a moment, he rubbed his aching cheeks. “Li He, you’re a bit silly. Male cubs have privileges; you don’t need to fight. You can have whatever you want.”
Recalling their first meeting and Yun’s talk about “expressing love,” Li Xi’s eyes held unmasked, intense suspicion.
Seeing that he didn’t believe it, Si leaned in and said, “Really, didn’t your family tell you?”
“You’re a male worm, different from us. You don’t even have to go to sch—”
The word “school” got stuck in his throat.
“Hiss—” Si screamed.
“Don’t teach him such nonsense.” Yun hooked his arm around his friend’s neck and warned in a low voice.
Go to what?
Li Xi was lost.
Yun lowered his head and whispered in Si’s ear: “Don’t talk nonsense!”
Only after Si nodded did Yun release his hand.
He packed his backpack and pulled Li Xi along to leave. Who knew what else Si would say if they stayed longer? “Let’s go, time to go home.”
“Oh…”
At the door, Yun paused and turned around: “I’m busy today. Let’s fight another day.”
Hearing this, Si grabbed something nearby and threw it. Only after it left his hand did he realize the little male worm was blocking that guy. If this hit…
Seeing this, Yun pulled Li Xi just in time to dodge the object. He let go and walked toward Si, who clearly realized what he had done. “Let’s fight now!”
He took one step, but before he could take the second, his sleeve was tugged by the worm behind him.
Si was eager and looked forward to the impending intense conflict, but who would have thought that guy would be easily pulled away by the little male worm?!
Li Xi followed Yun out of the school, took public transport, and walked for nearly an hour before reaching the gate of the Jonah family.
Yun could have made the walk in twenty minutes alone, but considering Li Xi’s physical condition, he deliberately slowed down, stopping frequently. It was dark by the time they arrived.
Yun had played with the Grade-A exotic beast core containing spiritual power the whole way, finding it more and more curious. He only returned it to Li Xi when they reached the Jonah family estate.
Now, standing before the solemn gates, they encountered an unprecedented problem. They couldn’t get in!
“Sorry, this male cub is not allowed entry.” The guard looked serious, radiating a “keep away” aura, and blocked them.
“You mean I can enter, but he can’t?” Yun found it preposterous.
The guard looked straight ahead: “Yes.”
Yun didn’t speak for a long while, seemingly choked by this irrational statement.
He asked again: “Then why can I enter?”
The guard explained: “You are a guest worm and have visitor permissions.”
“Li He is the master here!”
“Apologies, no permissions found.” The guard was like a cold answering machine.
Yun: “…”
From start to finish, Li Xi said nothing, acting like a shadow. He held Yun’s backpack, sat on a stone pillar in the green belt, and leisurely munched on a purple fruit he bought halfway, watching the drama as if it didn’t concern him.
Yun argued with the guard for a while. Seeing that the honest female worm was as stubborn as a mule, he ruffled his hair irritably, turned toward the green belt, and sat down in a row with Li Xi.
“What do we do?” Yun rested his chin in his hands, staring at the closed iron gate. He had never heard of such a bizarre situation where the master couldn’t enter his own house.
It was certainly an eye-opener.
Li Xi continued eating his fruit very seriously.
Looking at the tightly shut iron gate, a familiar scene flashed through Yun’s mind. He smiled inexplicably and calculated how to speak. A moment later, he shifted his position to squat in front of Li Xi and blinked: “Do you want to come to my house?”
Li Xi paused: “Hmm?”
Yun felt there was a chance and moved a little closer: “My bed is also very big and soft.”
“My female father is also very nice. We won’t be blocked, and there’s a flying vehicle for transport.”
Li Xi remained unmoved.
Yun continued to tempt him: “Most importantly, the chef uncles at my house are all very skilled; they can make delicacies from every star system! They can make whatever you want to eat!”
Li Xi: “…”
It wasn’t quite worth it just for food.
An hour later, two small figures appeared at the entrance of the Sia family estate.
Fearing the worm would run away, Yun pulled Li Xi and jogged across the lawn. As they reached the manor door, he couldn’t wait and shouted: “Female father, we’re back!”
The brightly lit hall was devoid of servants and unusually quiet. Just as Yun pushed the door open a crack, he saw his female father with hands crossed over his chest, looking expressionlessly at the butler uncle.
The butler uncle had his head slightly lowered, blocking the female father’s path.
The atmosphere was a bit eerie.
Yun regretted coming back.
“Maybe we should go back?” Yun whispered to Li Xi. He planned to close the door and run before being discovered.
The kid was blocking the doorway, so Li Xi couldn’t see the situation inside. They hadn’t even entered, and now he was saying to go back? Li Xi expressed that after a long day of being tossed around, he was very tired and just wanted to sleep.
“Come in.”
A cold voice shattered Yun’s movement.
Yun swallowed hard; his female father had spoken. There was no escaping.
Wen pushed aside the female worm blocking his path and snorted. He saw Li Xi following in, narrowed his eyes, and suddenly said: “Why did you kidnap a little male worm home again?”
Li Xi paused upon hearing this. Again?
Yun’s brain went blank, and he almost tripped: “?”