Chapter 13: Wang Ye Offered Him Up Like an Ancestor Since Childhood
The street at the gate of Nanbukai University had only recently been developed.
Originally, students had to walk ten minutes to find food. It was unclear on which day some small vendors sensed the business opportunity and came in a rush.
However, because they had to battle wits and courage with the urban management officers (Chengguan), they usually only revealed their true forms at night.
Later, high-rise buildings were built directly at the entrance. The street sold everything, and shopkeepers eagerly welcomed students running out for their three daily meals.
At noon, the temperature was a bit scorching.
Whether due to carsickness or the dark circles mentioned by Feng Baobao, Chi Wu was listless.
Zhang Chulan raised his left eyebrow, put his hand on Chi Wu’s shoulder, and gently rubbed it a few times.
“Is Wubao feeling very unwell?”
“Mn?” The aftereffects of Chi Wu’s sleepless night belatedly surfaced. His voice was a bit hoarse and difficult.
“Eat a little bit. Once you’re full, go back and sleep.” Zhang Chulan’s hand probed upward, kneading Chi Wu’s neck, his tone uncontrollably soft.
He felt that Chi Wu like this was actually a bit cute.
“Okay.” Chi Wu’s tone was slow.
“You guys are dawdling too much,” Feng Baobao rubbed her belly. “Aren’t you hungry?”
Zhang Chulan narrowed his eyes at her: “Grandma, you sure make yourself at home.”
“Why be polite? Aren’t you treating me to dinner?”
Zhang Chulan choked, his mouth twisting. He thought to himself, Why do I always meet these people who don’t play by the rules?
How much sin did I commit in my past life?
Chi Wu, who was being vaguely pushed along by Zhang Chulan, suddenly stopped when his peripheral vision swept over a certain spot.
Zhang Chulan almost stumbled. Before he could hum a complaint, he saw a strange expression appear on Chi Wu’s face.
Following Chi Wu’s line of sight, he found a young man wearing Daoist robes.
His face was handsome, and he looked tall, but he appeared listless, looking like he had just crawled out of bed and hadn’t woken up yet.
Chi Wu twitched the corner of his mouth: “Senior Brother?”
“Ei, hello there, Junior Brother. How have these twelve years been?”
“Passable.” Chi Wu was slightly bewildered, asking with a hint of hesitation, “Why did you come here?”
Wang Ye’s gaze swept over Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao, carrying a hint of a smile. He put his hand on his forehead, looking quite headache-prone.
“The Sect Leader sent me to pick you up. Said there’s something to discuss with you.”
Chi Wu didn’t know what the Sect Leader wanted to discuss with him, but since he didn’t call and sent Wang Ye directly to pick him up—since he said “pick up”—then he had to go.
“Leaving now?”
“How could we?” Wang Ye knew he misunderstood. He yawned and spoke lazily.
“I know you’re tired from the journey, plus we have to leave time for you to ask for leave, right?” Wang Ye said.
Chi Wu nodded upon hearing this: “Okay, then sorry for making you wait.”
“Not at all. Wasn’t it like this when we were kids?” Wang Ye waved his hand, his eyes landing on the young man standing very close to Chi Wu.
A distance that clearly exceeded social norms.
Zhang Chulan frowned upon hearing this. Where did this Senior Brother pop out from?
And how did he know they just got off the bus? Was he watching from the side just now?
Thinking again, they did indeed smell like they’d been on a bus, but was the other guy’s nose that sensitive?
Feng Baobao’s stomach went gurgle. She looked at Zhang Chulan, her big eyes incredibly clear, seemingly indifferent to whether she was agreed with or refused.
“Are you still treating for this meal? If not, I’m going to eat by myself.”
“Of course I am.” Zhang Chulan snapped back to reality, pointing to himself, then to Feng Baobao.
“I am Zhang Chulan. This is Feng Baobao. May I ask the Daoist master’s honorable name?”
Wang Ye cupped his fist and bowed: “Wudang, Wang Ye. Greetings to you two.”
Zhang Chulan had liked Daoism since childhood and knew a thing or two about it.
Wang Ye’s posture was casual yet flawless. In fact, performing this action was very pleasing to the eye—proper and good-looking.
“Wudang is good.” Zhang Chulan sighed with emotion, then bent his index finger to poke Chi Wu’s waist, whispering in his ear.
“When did Wubao get involved with Wudang?”
Feng Baobao was unwilling to wait any longer and headed straight across the street, aiming for a streetlamp.
Wang Ye’s ears twitched. His expression looked a bit odd as he muttered, “Wubao?”
Chi Wu swayed from the poke, a hint of annoyance in his brow and eyes. He pressed his glabella, dodging the hand Zhang Chulan wanted to use on him again.
Wang Ye had already approached the two. Seeing Chi Wu dodging Zhang Chulan, his lip line suddenly flattened as he answered for Chi Wu.
“I took care of Junior Brother from when he was three until he was nine.”
Zhang Chulan was unhappy as soon as he heard this.
Six years? This was the real “grew up wearing split-crotch pants together,” right?
But thinking again, Chi Wu had been with him for twelve years now—double the time those two had spent together. Thinking of it this way, his mood inexplicably improved a lot. He then revealed an unconscious pride.
“Then we really must treat the Daoist to a good meal, to thank you for taking such care of Wubao back then.”
“Ei.” Wang Ye’s eyebrow raised strangely as he looked at the silent Chi Wu.
“Just a casual bite is fine. After all, Junior Brother entered the sect later than me; taking care of him was only right.”
Zhang Chulan felt uncomfortable in his heart, as if suddenly discovering that the treasure belonging only to him had once belonged to someone else.
Thinking about the care between a three-year-old and a nine-year-old… maybe he even handled the peeing, pooping, bathing, and cleaning up everything.
The more he thought about it, the more an inexplicable fire rose in Zhang Chulan’s heart. He reached out to poke Chi Wu again.
Unexpectedly, Chi Wu seemed to sense it and dodged quickly. This movement, like dodging the plague, made Zhang Chulan furious.
“Let’s go.” Chi Wu pointed to Feng Baobao who had already crossed the traffic light.
“Aren’t you treating us to dinner?”
“Why does she run so fast?” Zhang Chulan muttered. He went over to grab Chi Wu’s wrist again, turning to greet Wang Ye.
“Daoist, let’s go.”
“Easy to say. After you.”
Hearing him say this, Zhang Chulan didn’t seem to plan on being polite anymore. He dragged Chi Wu forward. Feng Baobao, seeing them finally moving, stood still and waited.
The newly opened snack street targeted students as customers. For kids, a so-called “big meal” was just barbecue, seafood, hot pot, and the like. Treating just Feng Baobao would have been fine.
But…
With Wang Ye, a complete stranger, present, those dishes seemed a bit off. In the end, they went to a chain home-style restaurant.
The decoration looked quite classy at a glance.
Although Zhang Chulan wasn’t familiar with either Feng Baobao or Wang Ye, under Feng Baobao’s “silly sweet” appearance, she seemed more approachable. So, Zhang Chulan gave the menu to Wang Ye first.
“Daoist, you order first.”
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” Wang Ye didn’t feign politeness, which deepened the crisis in Zhang Chulan’s heart.
At this time, he was still very shocked by his own possessiveness toward Chi Wu.
In the past, no one gathered around Chi Wu, and even if they did, they didn’t threaten his status. But now…
Wang Ye ticked two dishes, then handed the menu to Zhang Chulan for him to distribute, looking very polite.
When Zhang Chulan handed the menu to Feng Baobao, he saw Wang Ye rinsing cups and tableware with boiling water. Moreover, he pushed the rinsed ones directly in front of Chi Wu, then took the tableware in front of Chi Wu to rinse.
It was as if he had done this action a thousand or eight hundred times, and now was just picking up an old trade again.
Zhang Chulan’s heart felt incredibly complicated. His tone involuntarily carried a sourness he wasn’t even aware of.
” The Daoist sure knows how to疼人 (teng ren – pamper/care for) people…”
Wang Ye looked very good-tempered, revealing a headache expression typical of someone raising a child.
“Just this one Junior Brother. Had to offer him up like an ancestor since childhood. Eating and sleeping all required coaxing.”
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