“What?! Ranran was bullied!”
Yuyu’s voice pierced through the phone, striking every little friend equally.
“Keep it down.” Lu Zhishen grumbled, dissatisfied. “It’s already been resolved. That bad guy was expelled.”
He regretted not hitting harder at the time. If he had known he could only hit him once, he would have done it with more force.
Yuyu pouted, “Hmph, that’s not enough. Just expelling someone who bullied Ranran? I didn’t even get to hit him.”
Hearing this, Lu Zhishen gloated, “I hit him.”
Yuyu in the video looked even more displeased.
How infuriating! Such a good thing was only done by Lu Zhishen.
Yuyu belatedly realized that only Jiajia and Yuyu attended the same kindergarten and knew each other. He asked sternly, “Wait, why were you at Ranran’s kindergarten?”
Lu Zhishen tilted his head and blinked. “Didn’t I mention it? I transferred to Ranran’s kindergarten.”
He was quite cunning, glancing to the side and moving closer to Yu Qianran to appear more intimate.
“What?!”
Yuyu’s voice was so loud it seemed about to shatter the phone watch.
His face on the screen was filled with shock and sorrow, as if someone had wronged him.
In fact, it wasn’t just him who was shocked, Jiajia and Yangyang were too.
Jiajia voiced the thoughts of all three: “That’s too much. You transferred schools secretly without telling us.”
Lu Zhishen innocently spread his hands. “You didn’t ask.”
The three: “…”
Yuyu glared angrily at Lu Zhishen, then turned to look at Yu Qianran and shouted, “Ranran, say something, ”
Yu Qianran: “…”
What should Ranran say?
“Th-that’s because this kindergarten is closer.” Yu Qianran averted his eyes guiltily, making up an excuse. “Shenshen and Ranran are neighbors. You all live too far away.”
Yuyu threw a tantrum: “I don’t care! I want to transfer schools too, wherever you are!”
Jiajia: “Ranran, you’re lying. You don’t even dare to look at us.”
Yangyang raised his deer-like eyes timidly: “Ranran…”
Yu Qianran: “…”
Oh no, Ranran seems to have messed things up. What should he do?
But what Ranran said was actually true, it really was far from their homes. Visiting would require a one- to two-hour car ride.
They’d have to wake up very early every day to avoid being late, which would be so pitiful. And they wouldn’t be able to go home early in the evening to be with their parents.
Yu Qianran shook his head, pushing these thoughts away. He pursed his lips and remained silent for a moment before saying, “It really is too far. When we grow up, we can all go to school together.”
Yuyu looked innocent and earnest as he said seriously, “Then we can move near your house, and it won’t be far anymore.”
If Shenshen could do it, so could he.
“No, no need.” Yu Qianran shook his head repeatedly. “No one bullies Ranran anymore. There’s no need to move here.”
He wouldn’t be bullied again, even though he hadn’t really felt bullied in the first place. He didn’t want to trouble his friends too much. As long as they could play together on weekends and holidays, he would be happy.
“What if there are bad guys again?” Jiajia propped her chin, staring intently.
Yangyang chimed in softly, “Yeah, yeah.”
Yu Qianran curved his eyes into a soft, adorable smile. “That won’t happen. There aren’t that many bad guys in the world.”
Lu Zhishen nodded in agreement. “Right, and I’ll protect Ranran.”
He wasn’t too keen on letting others take away Ranran’s attention. He only wanted Ranran to play with him.
“Alright then.” Jiajia sighed, giving up on the idea of transferring schools. “If anything happens, you have to tell us, okay?”
If they couldn’t go to school together now, they could always be together in elementary school or higher grades later on.
“No way!” Yuyu protested.
“Protest denied.” Lu Zhishen pressed down on the restless Yuyu.
Yuyu, who had been kicked aside, was left with a face full of confusion.
He shamelessly inserted himself back into the conversation, angrily accusing Lu Zhishen of being domineering, only to be shut down by Lu Zhishen’s “That’s just how I am.”
He swore he would never speak to Shenshen again!
Yu Qianran’s eyes flickered as he softly persuaded, “Yuyu, you really don’t need to transfer over. It’s too much trouble.”
Yuyu patted his chest, brimming with confidence. “No difficulty can defeat King Yuyu.”
Yu Qianran felt powerless and simply smiled faintly.
…
Yuyu was a doer. The night he ended the video call, he threw a tantrum about transferring schools, which earned him a scolding from both his parents. However, he also managed to get them to say they would “consider it.”
Yuyu knew it was settled. Whenever his parents said that, it meant “yes.” So he waited happily every day for the transfer, looking forward to going to school with Ranran. To prevent Lu Zhishen from sabotaging his plans, he didn’t tell anyone.
Thus, when Yu Qianran suddenly realized that Shenshen hadn’t come to find him today, just a week before the National Day holiday, he felt deeply puzzled.
Yu Qianran turned his head and stared toward the doorway for a while, but still didn’t see Lu Zhishen’s figure.
He stood up for the first time and walked toward the door, quickening his pace with the thought that Shenshen might be on his way.
When he poked his head out and scanned the area without spotting Lu Zhishen, Yu Qianran felt an indescribable sense of loss.
Was Shenshen busy today and unable to come? he wondered.
Yu Qianran had never been to the senior class before, but he knew its general location. Without a word, he walked forward with small steps.
The distance between the senior and middle classes was just around a corner. Yu Qianran quickly found Lu Zhishen’s classroom. After hesitating for a moment, he peeked his head inside.
“Little brother, who are you looking for?”
Yu Qianran’s beautiful eyes swept quickly across the room, immediately spotting Lu Zhishen talking to another child.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at the child who had spoken, pointing behind him. “Him.”
After answering, Yu Qianran stepped into the unfamiliar classroom without hesitation, walking step by step toward Lu Zhishen.
Perhaps because a little brother had suddenly barged into the classroom, most of the children’s attention was instantly drawn to him. The noisy classroom fell silent, leaving only curious stares.
Yu Qianran stared intently at Lu Zhishen. Finally sensing something, Lu Zhishen looked up, and their eyes met.
Lu Zhishen was both delighted and curious. He quickly moved past the child in front of him and approached. “Ranran, why did you come here?”
Yu Qianran let Lu Zhishen take his hand. “You didn’t come.”
“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Lu Zhishen lowered his head sincerely. “I’ll always come find you from now on. Even if I don’t, I’ll let you know.”
“Mm.” Yu Qianran nodded. Before he could ask Shenshen who he had been talking to, the other child excitedly shouted out first,
“Ranran, it’s me, Yuyu!”
Yu Qianran jerked his head toward the voice, blinking as if he couldn’t quite believe it.
“Yuyu?” he whispered.
Yuyu nodded vigorously. “Hehe, it’s me.”
He had just asked Lu Zhishen where Ranran was because he wanted to find him, but Lu Zhishen stubbornly refused to tell him, forcing Yuyu to block Lu Zhishen’s path so he couldn’t leave either.
Yu Qianran was stunned, his voice soft. “Why are you here?”
He remembered saying there was no need to transfer.
“Because I realized it’s not too far from my home, about the same distance as my old kindergarten,” Yuyu said, rubbing the back of his head.
He announced happily, “We can play together during school hours from now on.”
Yu Qianran smiled and nodded.
Lu Zhishen watched from the side, quite displeased that Yuyu had come to steal his time with Ranran. But Ranran was happy.
He could tell Ranran was genuinely delighted, even if he didn’t say it out loud.
Since Ranran was happy, he reluctantly allowed Yuyu to play with Ranran for a little while, just a little while. He firmly resolved in his heart.
Unaware of Lu Zhishen’s little schemes, Yu Qianran didn’t forget Shenshen while talking to Yuyu, giving his hand a slight squeeze.
Lu Zhishen’s lips curved into a smile, generously allowing Yuyu to proceed without interference.
Yuyu’s eyes darted around, and with a mischievous glint, he asked Lu Zhishen, who was inexplicably smiling, “Ranran, which class are you in? I’ll come find you later.”
Yu Qianran replied, “Class 1.”
Lu Zhishen felt gloomy.
Yu Qianran smiled brightly. “Shenshen, I’m a little hungry.”
“I’ll get you some cookies,” Lu Zhishen said, letting go of his hand and striding over to his seat. He picked up his backpack, reached inside, and pulled out a small box of cookies and a carton of milk.
“Here,” Lu Zhishen said, placing them in Yu Qianran’s hands, afraid that even a second’s delay might make Ranran faint from hunger.
“Thank you, Shenshen,” Yu Qianran said with a bright smile, slowly opening the cookie box.
Under Lu Zhishen’s watchful gaze, he picked up a cookie and held it to the other’s lips. “Shenshen, have some.”
Lu Zhishen shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”
These were all prepared for Ranran, he couldn’t eat them.
Yu Qianran pretended to be upset, his beautiful eyes fixed on him. “Eat it, or I won’t eat either.”
Lu Zhishen gave in.
After watching Shenshen finish the cookie, Yu Qianran smiled contentedly, his eyes curving like crescent moons. “Are you still upset now?”
Lu Zhishen’s breath hitched, so Ranran had been trying to cheer him up. The thought made the smile on his face impossible to suppress.
“I’m not upset.”
He liked Ranran the most, they would be best friends forever.
Yuyu watched eagerly, voicing his request. “I want some too.”
Yu Qianran glanced down at the number of cookies left in the box and hesitated. There were only five cookies each day, and he had already given one to Shenshen.
Reluctantly, he handed one over. “Here.”
Yuyu was a friend too, and since he had transferred schools for him, he should be a little more generous.
Yuyu accepted it joyfully. “Thank you, Ranran.”
…
On the last day before the National Day holiday, Yu Qianran from the middle class to the senior class to find Lu Zhishen. Outside the door, he overheard other children saying that a new classmate had arrived again.
Yu Qianran didn’t pay much attention to it. Jiajia and Yangyang wouldn’t transfer over, and no matter how many new children came, it had nothing to do with him.
As he walked into the classroom, he called out, “Shenshen, huh?”
He blinked, seeing Lu Zhishen talking to an unfamiliar child. The two seemed even closer than he and Shenshen were.
Lu Zhishen stood up from his seat and walked over to take Yu Qianran’s hand, introducing him enthusiastically. “Ranran, let me tell you, this is my friend, Chen Xiaonan.”
“Hello, hello! I know you, Ranran. He left me behind to come here because of you,” Chen Xiaonan said cheerfully, giving Lu Zhishen’s back a hearty slap that made a loud “thwack.” “I transferred here for him. I even helped him when he transferred over.”
Chen Xiaonan didn’t hold back at all, spilling every detail about how she had taught Lu Zhishen.
Yu Qianran fell silent.
He remembered now, Lu Zhishen had been hit by his aunt and had spoken viciously about his deskmate.
Looking at Chen Xiaonan in front of him, he couldn’t connect her with the deskmate Lu Zhishen had described.
Chen Xiaonan chattered away, “Oh, I was just telling Shenshen that we should go out and play together tomorrow since we have a day off. Do you want to come along?”
“We’re going to play basketball. Ranran, do you know how? It’s okay if you don’t, I can teach you. It’s really easy.”
Yu Qianran opened his mouth but said nothing.
His heart felt as if something had struck it, leaving him a little sad. He couldn’t play basketball.
Yu Qianran muttered gloomily, “I won’t play. You two go ahead.”
“Huh? Why not?” Chen Xiaonan pressed. “We could play soccer instead, or volleyball. I just told Zhishen, and he was really happy about it.”
Hearing this, Yu Qianran’s heart sank heavily, his emotions like a tangled set of strings on a musical instrument.
Shenshen used to love playing these games so much. Was it only to take care of him that he had been willing to play with puzzles and building blocks, toys that didn’t involve running around?