Following the exams came a three-month vacation.
A week had passed since that night, and the child’s apology had come quite unexpectedly.
They had walked the whole way in silence. After the child dropped him home, he didn’t stay long, saying he missed his female father a bit and wanted to go home.
It was late, and Li Xi wanted to stop him, but looking at the quiet cub, he simply nodded.
The next morning, the child reappeared before him, fully revitalized and chattering incessantly.
Rumble—
The weather was gloomy, the sun hidden behind thick layers of clouds, allowing only a faint beam of light to filter through.
Li Xi was nestled in the corner of the sofa with nothing to do, playing a small map-running game. Such a simple, boring game was enough to keep him occupied for an entire day.
Absorbed in the game, a sudden flash of lightning flickered across his eyes. The finger tapping the screen instinctively paused, and immediately, a cold, mechanical voice rang out.
“Game Over.”
A sentence appeared on the screen: Player L ranked 113,567.
Li Xi looked at the fallen character, feeling a slight surge of frustration. He stood up to draw the curtains, intending to play another round.
Just then, a few small droplets landed on the glass, followed by a light drizzle.
He remembered the child leaning over the bed that morning, saying he had to go back to the Sia family for training and wouldn’t return until evening.
Watching the rain grow heavier, Li Xi frowned, wondering if he would actually make it back today.
When Yun entered the house, it was dim—darker even than outside. He stood for a moment before walking toward the source of light. He pulled back the heavy curtains to let the light in, then turned and spoke seriously to the curled-up cub:
“Your eyes will be ruined.”
Then, remembering something, he added, “You haven’t been playing since morning, have you?”
Before he’d left for home, the cub had been holding the optical computer playing games. He was still playing now, having not moved an inch from his spot. Even the nutrient solution on the table was only one-third gone.
It was a miracle he was still alive.
The room brightened, and Li Xi blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected the child to return through the rain, let alone appear so silently. His posture remained unchanged, but he caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall with the corner of his eye.
—16:46.
He was back early.
Seeing this, Yun understood perfectly and gave a mental “tsk.” He still remembered his mission to look after the cub.
He reached out his hand, his tone leaving no room for negotiation: “Give me the optical computer.”
The game wasn’t over yet, and Li Xi didn’t really want to hand it over. He shrank back, his intention to refuse quite obvious.
Yun narrowed his eyes. He took off his soaked jacket, slowly moved away from the floor-to-ceiling window, and said drawled: “My dear little male baby, surely you don’t think you can win a tug-of-war against me with your strength?”
He was saying the most shameless things in the most innocent, gentle tone.
Li Xi: “…”
The sofa beside him sank as the child jumped onto it, squatting down and tilting his head to look at him.
“Should I snatch it, or will you give it to me voluntarily?”
Yun wasn’t afraid of the cub getting angry at all. He spoke with utter confidence, “The result is the same either way; it’s just that the process for the former isn’t quite as pleasant.”
The child smiled innocently.
Li Xi: “…”
“Give it to me,” Yun urged again. “Aren’t your eyes tired?”
Li Xi blinked. They were indeed sore, and with a child staring at him like a hawk, he lost the mood to play. He unceremoniously tossed the optical computer aside.
“Get. Off,” Li Xi said coldly.
The rainwater on the child had soaked a large patch of the sofa. It was raining outside, but not hard enough to soak clothes through and through, let alone make one’s hair dripping wet.
Li Xi looked at him with a puzzled gaze, feeling a sudden spark of curiosity.
Receiving the signal in that gaze, Yun rubbed his head and explained sheepishly before Li Xi could even ask:
“I fell into the river.”
Fell into the river?
Li Xi: “…?”
Yun said, “I dropped my stuff over there.”
Thunder roared, and the rain intensified.
In the end, the child was hauled into the bathroom. The cub usually seemed indifferent to everything, but when he turned firm, Yun didn’t dare resist too much. Following the other’s lead, he obediently took a shower.
“Aah—!”
“Why is there only hot water?!”
“…”
A tragic cry suddenly erupted from the direction of the bathroom.
On the bed, Li Xi was swinging his legs, holding the optical computer and adjusting something. Hearing the sound, a tiny curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, signaling his good mood.
After a while, the bathroom door was slammed open. Yun appeared with his clothes in disarray.
“You, you, you…”
He stared with wide eyes, his entire body trembling slightly with anger.
Li Xi propped up his head and let out a slow, rising: “Hmm?”
He looked perfectly innocent, as if saying, “What’s wrong?”
“You!” Yun took several deep breaths.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t suppress it! He couldn’t suppress it at all!
“You’re getting back at me on purpose, aren’t you?” Yun pointed at Li Xi, his tone certain. “You intentionally turned the water temperature up!”
Li Xi’s posture didn’t change, showing no sign of guilt. He said righteously: “Cold. Is bad.”
Yun wouldn’t believe that nonsense for a second: “I’ve washed like that before and never heard you say anything.”
Li Xi toyed with the optical computer: “Now. Take care.”
Yun glared at him for a long time. Just as Li Xi thought the child might do something unusual, the other spat out a sentence: “You are a total, stingy, brat!”
Then he turned and walked away.
Li Xi knew the child’s habits well; he never used hot water for showers. Li Xi had timed it perfectly, setting the temperature slightly higher. As expected, the child’s complaints rang out quickly, and because he was covered in soap, he’d had no choice but to endure it until he was rinsed clean.
Stingy brat?
Li Xi thought about those two words, childishly accepting the title. Who told the kid to threaten him?
On this day, Li Xi was perched on a tree branch, lost in thought as he looked at several lines of text that had popped up on his game screen.
After a moment, he rummaged through his dusty backpack, laid out his three exam papers one by one, and fell back into contemplation.
“What are you looking at those for?”
The voice startled the dazed Li Xi. He said, “Words.”
“Words?” Yun repeated.
On the papers before him, every single one had a bright red, eye-catching “0” where the pen tip had nearly torn the paper. Yun could imagine the teacher’s fury, venting to colleagues about the student’s lack of potential while grading.
The scene in his mind was vivid and real. Yun couldn’t help but shiver, as if he could hear Teacher Mo’s low-voiced snarl as he cursed him for being muddled.
Li Xi flipped through the papers, his face flat and expressionless.
Yun shook his head and forced himself onto the branch beside him, saying with a grin: “I can teach you.”
The space on the branch was narrow, and they sat very close. A faint floral scent of body wash wafted through the air.
Li Xi paused.
Yun’s smile grew even more cunning, like a little fox up to no good in the sunlight: “But I can’t teach you for nothing. I have requirements.”
Li Xi knew it: “Speak.”
“Don’t be so cold~” Yun drawled.
Li Xi: “…”
“It’s not hard.” He held up one finger. “First, don’t ignore me.”
Sometimes he felt like a fool talking to himself; if this continued, he was going to go crazy.
Li Xi thought for a moment. It wasn’t hard, so he nodded in agreement: “Fine.”
Yun had more or less figured out the cub’s personality; agreement was within his expectations. He continued: “Second, speak properly. Read a whole sentence together; no pauses in the middle.”
He had realized the cub wasn’t incapable of speaking in complete sentences; it was just a habit of breaking them up. He didn’t mind it himself, but what if someone with ill intentions used it to mock him?
Just as Yun thought, Li Xi’s phrasing was a result of habit. Changing a habit formed over many years would be difficult, but not enough to trouble him. So, he nodded again in agreement.
“The third condition… wait, I just said the first requirement.”
Li Xi paused and spoke: “Fine.”
Yun’s eyes danced with laughter as he held up a third finger: “Third…”
He paused for a second, sensing the cub wouldn’t agree, but he said it anyway though his speaking speed seemed to be set at 2x: “At night I want to sleep while holding you.”
Having said that, he blinked and watched the cub expectantly.
“…” Li Xi was dazed for a moment, seemingly processing the sentence.
These words weren’t something he had to learn. He gathered the exam papers neatly and said, “Not learning.”
“…” Yun was devastated.
Li Xi started putting the papers back into his bag.
“Hey… wait, wait, wait…” Yun pounced over to stop him, hurriedly trying to fix things while pressing down on the cub: “I was joking!”
Li Xi remained unmoved.
“No requirements! No requirements!” Yun’s tone was rarely so agreeable.
Due to the excitement, they both ignored their usual safe distance. They were very close now, and a slight coolness from skin contact spread silently onto Li Xi. The light floral scent grew more intense, and the golden tips of the other’s hair swept against his exposed neck with every movement, feeling a bit itchy.
He tilted his head uncomfortably and suddenly met a pair of purple eyes. They were very bright, catching the distant light and reflecting his own image…
As Li Xi watched, he unconsciously lost himself. They seemed too close whether it was their current posture or their daily lives…
By the time he snapped back to reality, that little golden head was resting on his shoulder, stealthily twiddling a strand of his hair while muttering: “Is all male hair this soft?”
Warm breath fanned against him. They were even closer.
Li Xi: “…”
Being taken advantage of by this kid again!
He still wasn’t used to such close contact. His reflex was to pull back, but he forgot he was on a tree branch several meters above the ground. Unsurprisingly, he fell backward without any defense.
The cub’s body lacked the agility and strength of his former self. Li Xi watched the space between him and the child grow, waiting for impact with a sense of resignation.
I might have to see Karai again, Li Xi thought.
Thud—!
Leaves showered down, and a cloud of dust rose into the air.
The white clouds were scattered by the wind. Li Xi lay on the ground dazed for a long time, not scrambling up until a sharp intake of breath came from beneath him.
“Hiss.”
“It hurts.”
The child was curled up, clutching his chest and whimpering in pain.
Li Xi quickly scanned the child, unable to judge for a moment if the injury was serious. He searched for the optical computer he’d dropped, his voice carrying a rare, nearly imperceptible trace of tension: “I—I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Yun had been having fun, not expecting the other to suddenly move and then fall straight down before his eyes. He had followed him down without thinking, his mind empty of everything except one thought:
I have to catch Li He; he’s so fragile.
He had succeeded at the very last second before impact.
When the doctor saw that Li Xi was a male cub, they arranged for them to take the green channel. The doctor felt around the child a few times and immediately declared he was fine.
Li Xi felt it was too perfunctory and insisted on a full check-up to be safe.
“Do you have money?” Yun was lying on the examination bed. Touching the optical computer on his wrist as if remembering something, he turned his head to stare straight at the silent cub and asked seriously.
Li Xi: “…”
“Do you have money?” To emphasize the importance, he asked again, word by word.
Li Xi didn’t say a word until the child was about to be pushed in for a full-body scan.
Just as they passed each other, he opened his mouth: “No. So, I will leave you here as collateral to pay the debt.”
His voice was youthful, but he emphasized the word “collateral” heavily, as if reminding the other of something.
“!” Yun tried to jump off the bed upon hearing this, only to be held down firmly by the medical worm.
“Don’t move around, kid!”
Yun glared helplessly at the cub.
Too much!
Bringing him to the hospital again when they have no money!