Chapter 3: Friend—Do You Think Your Bro Is the Type to Just Look at Faces?
Pei Wang’s friend arrived very quickly.
A head of blonde hair peeked into the house, and he got straight to the point as soon as he entered. “Where’s that little beggar you mentioned?”
Pei Wang stepped aside and tilted his chin toward the dining table. “There.”
The dining table was revealed, and the person sitting there was exposed to their view. The blonde-haired boy hooked a finger over his sunglasses, squinting his eyes to look over with a critical gaze.
the “little beggar” was about their age. He sat there properly, his head slightly lowered, allowing himself to be scrutinized.
He was entirely capable of withstanding anyone’s gaze. His fair skin, under the morning light streaming into the room, looked like a drift of snow that might melt, while his hair and eyes were a pure black. The two colors painted a beautiful ink-wash portrait.
The eyes sketched by this brush held a lingering scholarly air. He looked up slightly, a hint of hard-to-detect timidness in his eyes, like a shy rabbit.
This… was a bit different from what he’d imagined.
Actually, it wasn’t just different—it was entirely different.
The blonde boy, who had intended to back up his bro and give the newcomer a “disarming” first impression, stood there with his jaw hanging open. He only came back to his senses after being poked hard in the stomach.
Pei Wang gave him a look: What are you dazed for?!
The blonde boy used his hand to cover his mouth and whispered, “You didn’t say the little beggar in your house looked like this?”
“Like what?” Pei Wang frowned, glancing back. “Isn’t it just that his eyes are a bit big, his skin a bit white, and his nose a bit upturned? Don’t be fooled by his pure and innocent appearance. He might be full of dark schemes. Besides, the prettier they are, the more they can charm people, and the darker their hearts are.”
“Oh, oh.” The blonde boy indicated he understood and patted Pei Wang’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, man. I’ll be on high alert. That kind of person won’t bewitch me. I’ll make sure he knows when to quit and goes back to wherever he came from.”
Pei Wang nodded. “Don’t go too far. Watch your boundaries.”
“Leave it to me.”
…
The two of them whispered to each other, and Yu Xi saw it all.
Thinking back to what he’d heard in the kitchen and the looks they kept throwing his way, they were likely talking about him.
Looking at the friend’s outfit—a floral shirt unbuttoned to his chest, ripped jeans with jingling chains, and that incredibly flashy blonde hair… Yu Xi didn’t want to judge by appearances, but he was still a bit afraid.
He looked very difficult to deal with.
Seeing the other approach, Yu Xi couldn’t help but purse his lips, gripping his hands tightly under the table. He comforted himself that this was still the Pei house, and the other person wouldn’t go too far.
The next second, the blonde boy sat down heavily next to him, an arm draped over the back of Yu Xi’s chair, instantly crossing into personal space.
This sudden proximity made Yu Xi’s shoulders tremble; he almost bolted.
However, unexpectedly, a phone was pushed toward him under the table.
“Brother, let’s add each other as friends.”
It was a lowered, hurried voice. While peeking at Pei Wang, who wasn’t looking, the blonde boy nudged the phone against Yu Xi’s hand. “Quick, don’t let Pei Wang find out.”
Yu Xi was stunned. By the time he reacted, he had already finished entering the ID. When Pei Wang turned around after getting a drink from the fridge, he only saw his friend acting like a bully, leaning in close and demanding, “Are you a mute? Don’t you know how to greet people when you see them?”
Tsk, this idiot.
Pei Wang began to regret calling this fool over. He kicked the blonde boy’s chair leg as he passed, using his eyes to remind him to stay in line.
The blonde boy pulled back. Having caught his breath, Yu Xi spoke softly. “H-hello. My name is Yu Xi. Yu as in huaijin woyu, and Xi as in xishui.”
The blonde boy’s eyes were clear but confused as he scratched his hair. “Huai what wo what… Which yu?”
Yu Xi: “The one with the jade radical.”
The blonde boy still couldn’t find the corresponding character in his mental dictionary. “Huh?”
“The Yu in Yoga!” Pei Wang couldn’t stand it any longer. He slammed his glass onto the table. “I told you to study, but you didn’t. You can’t even understand a simple surname.”
Then he rolled his eyes at Yu Xi. “You’re also a bit much. Do you need to explain it so refinedly? Don’t you find it exhausting? Don’t you know this guy is our famous last-place student?”
“Cough, cough, cough!!” The blonde boy quickly pretended to clear his throat to drown out the second half of Pei Wang’s sentence. “N-no, there’s no need to say that out loud, right? It’s embarrassing… Yu is a rare surname; it’s normal that I didn’t react immediately.”
As he spoke, he stole a glance at Yu Xi’s reaction.
Pei Wang sneered. “If you know it’s embarrassing, remember to do your summer homework this time.”
“Who would write that stuff? Let’s stop talking about this.” The blonde boy dropped the topic and buried his face in his porridge to hide his embarrassment.
Yu Xi suppressed the urge to smile. Seeing Auntie Wan coming out of the kitchen with food, he immediately stood up to help.
“Alright, alright, that’s everything. Sit down and eat!” Auntie Wan greeted them, standing to the side with a beaming smile as she watched the three boys eat breakfast together.
How harmonious.
As expected, there are no conflicts between children. They’ll get along once they spend some time together.
After breakfast, Auntie Wan heard Pei Wang say he was taking Yu Xi out to play. She was happy as she saw them out the door, but she couldn’t help being a bit worried. Taking advantage of Yu Xi being at the back, she whispered a few more instructions to him.
“If you’re not having fun, just call home. I’ll have the driver pick you up immediately. Also, take this money…”
Yu Xi pushed the money back into Auntie Wan’s hand. Amidst Pei Wang’s somewhat impatient urging, he said goodbye to Auntie Wan and jogged into the back seat of the sports car.
The car’s door handle was different from ordinary cars. He only found it after a hint from the blonde boy.
“First time in a sports car like this?” the blonde boy asked, sitting beside him in the back.
In the front passenger seat, Pei Wang let out an indiscernible laugh. “Then you can have a good ‘enjoyment’ later.”
Yu Xi didn’t understand. Under the blonde boy’s reminder, he silently buckled his seatbelt.
The sports car was a convertible, allowing an unobstructed view of the scenery. Yu Xi once again observed the surroundings of the villa district.
Much had changed from over ten years ago. The roads were repaved, the plants in the green belts were replaced, and the most advanced facilities were in use… The only thing that hadn’t changed was likely the positions of the villas.
The faded memories gradually became vivid.
Yu Xi found that he still remembered the locations of all his childhood friends’ houses. The closest one was—
As the sports car moved at a moderate pace, Yu Xi’s spine suddenly straightened. He fixed his gaze on the house they were passing.
“What are you looking at?” Seeing him constantly turning his head back, the blonde boy adjusted his sunglasses and looked too. “There’s no one there.”
Yu Xi turned back and said, “I was looking at that house just now.”
The blonde boy readjusted his sunglasses and said, “What’s there to see? No one’s lived there for years. The gates are always closed.”
Yu Xi was slightly stunned. “No one’s lived there for years?”
“Mhm.” The blonde boy nodded, then leaned forward to ask the front. “Right, Pei Wang? Didn’t the Gu family never come back after they moved away?”
Pei Wang was busy playing a game on his phone and responded absentmindedly.
The blonde boy turned back to ask Yu Xi, “Why are you so curious? Do you know them?”
Before Yu Xi could speak, Pei Wang sneered from the front. “How could a little beggar like him know anyone from the Gu family?”
The blonde boy shrugged. “True. Even for us, we’re not on the same level as them.”
Yu Xi was lost in thought.
Moved away several years ago…
Then, was the figure he saw standing on the second-floor balcony just an illusion?
But even if it wasn’t an illusion, there was nothing he could do.
Yu Xi’s stray thoughts were completely blown away once the car drove out of Huzé Jūntíng. The engine roared, and the sudden acceleration took him by surprise. The G-force threw his back against the seat.
The fiery red sports car was so fast it was just a blur to pedestrians, speeding recklessly.
Yu Xi quickly grabbed the seat tightly, finally understanding what Pei Wang meant by “good enjoyment.”
…
Thirty minutes later, the fiery red sports car stopped in front of a private club.
When Yu Xi got out of the car, his small face was so pale there wasn’t a hint of color left. His calves were still trembling slightly, and he pressed his hand against his unsettled stomach.
He already suffered from motion sickness. Under Pei Wang’s deliberate instructions, the driver had driven fast and wild, almost shaking his soul out of his body.
He had gritted his teeth and endured for ten minutes before he couldn’t take it anymore. He had grabbed the sleeve of the person in the front seat, his eyes red as he pleaded softly, “Pei Wang…”
Only then did Pei Wang tell the driver to slow down.
“Are you okay?” The blonde boy couldn’t watch anymore and gave Yu Xi a hand, gesturing for the staff to bring water.
After drinking some water to suppress the rising nausea, Yu Xi thanked the blonde boy in a soft voice.
The blonde boy glanced at the moisture on Yu Xi’s lips and unconsciously swallowed. “No big deal. Let’s go inside first. Sit for a bit and rest properly.”
Because he wasn’t feeling well, Yu Xi didn’t have the energy to look at the environment; he just followed behind Pei Wang and the blonde boy. They entered a private room where seven or eight people simultaneously turned their attention to them. They greeted each other in a chorus of voices.
They were well-acquainted, and after a round of joking and teasing, the conversation turned to Yu Xi, the only unfamiliar face.
“Is this the new one at your house?”
“He looks pretty young, surely not a minor… Let me state first, your big brother has no interest in helping you bully kids.”
“How does he look like this… Is he really from the countryside?”
“He’s so pretty I’d believe it if you said he was your sister.”
They crowded around, asking questions and staring at Yu Xi without any restraint.
Yu Xi, who hadn’t yet recovered from his motion sickness, turned a shade paler. He instinctively hid behind the blonde boy, who felt the most approachable.
“He’s not feeling well; I’m taking him to rest first.” The blonde boy led him out of the circle to a seat in the corner. After making him sit, he brought over some refreshing fruit. “Eat some; you’ll feel better. Is the AC too cold? There are blankets here.”
His voice was gentle, and his care was meticulous.
The group of friends was stunned.
Pei Wang’s forehead veins throbbed. He called out sternly, “Da Jin!”
The blonde boy didn’t even look up. “Ah, wait a second. I need to find some essential oil to help Xiao Xi with his motion sickness.”
Pei Wang cursed under his breath.
“I say, didn’t Da Jin also just meet the little beggar from your house today? He was saying in the group chat last night he’d help you fix him, so why has he turned into a little lapdog?”
“I’ve never seen him be this attentive to anyone before. He must be possessed.”
“But seriously… the little beggar at Pei Wang’s house is really cute. Is his name Xiao Xi? What’s his full name? How old is he? Why is he living at your house?”
“Hey, I have an idea! If you really don’t like him, Pei Wang, why don’t you let him come to my house? My family is willing to raise one more!”
“He looks quite well-behaved, not like the manipulative type you described.”
Pei Wang looked at his group of friends who had defected one by one. The veins on his forehead throbbed even harder as he gritted his teeth. “Whose side are you guys even on?!”
Translator’s Note:
And so the “Group Pet” (團寵) energy begins! Da Jin (大金) is the blonde friend—his name literally means “Big Gold,” which fits his hair perfectly. Poor Pei Wang is losing his “allies” faster than he can drive! Also, the Gu family mention is definitely a plot hook. In Chinese culture, naming your pet rock Yu Xiaohe (瑜小河) is peak “cute and quirky” behavior. I hope you’re enjoying the story so far!
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