Chapter 25: Third Brother Shen, the Cub Thief!
A-Wei thought the Third Young Master had been driven so mad by the Little Master that he had started talking nonsense.
Others might not know the Third Young Master’s temperament, but as his head maid, A-Wei understood him perfectly. On the surface, the Third Young Master appeared indifferent, but in reality, he cared deeply about the Little Master. He had even gone through the trouble of making a teething stick when the cub was suffering from teething pains.
The fact that the Little Master’s bloodline was considered “trash” was common knowledge. The Third Young Master’s classmates often used this to provoke him, which resulted in him coming home covered in injuries every time. He alone had emptied the family healers’ entire stock of external trauma medicine.
That wasn’t all. Previously, the monthly pocket money given by the Eldest Brother and Second Sister would have a surplus by the end of the month, allowing him to save quite a bit. But ever since he bought that Angel Ball for the Little Master, it was as if a floodgate had opened. Not only did he squander all his previous savings, but he also spent all his monthly pocket money on toys the cub liked.
Occasionally, A-Wei would hear the Third Young Master muttering to himself: “I’m his brother, I can’t let those flashy harlots outside outshine me…”
A-Wei: “…”
The next day, a pink ball appeared in the toy room.
Shen Lin was riding a broom-shaped flying device, zipping around the room with a joyful milk-voice. The cub timed his visits perfectly—he would arrive at a certain hour and leave before Shen Zejue returned home, ensuring their schedules never crossed.
The first thing Shen Zejue did upon returning from school was check the toy room. Sensing the lingering scent in the air, a smug smile curved his lips.
“Hmph, little guy, as if I couldn’t handle you.”
He hummed a tune in a good mood as he went to take a shower.
Having maintained a good mood for two days in a row, even Tali’er—who fought with Shen Zejue every day after school—noticed the change. After being knocked down yet again, Tali’er propped himself up with his hands and asked suspiciously, “Did you strike it rich or something?”
Shen Zejue dusted off his clothes and grabbed his school uniform from his follower’s hands, preparing to leave. To Tali’er’s surprise, he didn’t hear the usual trash talk. Instead, Shen Zejue asked a nonsensical question.
Turning around with a face full of disdain, Shen Zejue said:
“If your brain is sick, go get it treated. Don’t infect me.”
Tali’er: “…”
He shouldn’t have asked!
A blue-and-white message box popped up from the star-computer on Shen Zejue’s wrist.
A youth wearing a school uniform appeared, and a voice message played automatically. The youth’s listless voice drifted out.
“Boss, when are you getting here? This morning is Scholar Aode’s class. He loves docking credits from students who are late. Students who lose ten credits are forcibly required by the academy to call their parents…”
“Is the number of times my parents have been called small?”
The other side went silent for a moment before suddenly wailing: “Fuck, I forgot you’re a professional at breaking the rules, Boss.”
Shen Zejue moved swiftly through the sky corridor, climbing a several-meter-high wall in a few strides and flipping over easily. By the time he reached the classroom, the bell had just rung.
“Class is now in session. Students, please take your seats.”
Scholar Aode, styled like a traditional scholar with a snow-white beard, adjusted his glasses. The glasses chain glinted under the lights. Shen Zejue walked unhurriedly toward his seat.
“Boss, as expected of you, coming in right on Scholar Aode’s heels. You didn’t see it, but Scholar Aode’s face is so sour it almost matches the black mud on Planet Swamp.”
After Scholar Aode’s lecture ended, a circle of students immediately surrounded Shen Zejue. One of the followers who seemed very close to Shen Zejue spoke while instinctively reaching out to pat his shoulder.
Without pausing, Shen Zejue dodged directly onto the desk. The follower’s hand hit empty air, nearly making him have a close encounter with the floor. The follower was stunned.
“Boss, I wanted to ask earlier. Usually, you just toss your bag aside, but today you’re guarding it like it’s your own eyeball. Could it be you’ve hidden some good stuff in there?”
Another follower noticed the anomaly and craned his neck curiously. It was as if doing so would allow him to see what was hidden inside the bag.
Shen Zejue stammered for a moment, avoiding a direct answer, and drove the followers away. After carefully placing the bag into the drawer, he leaned on the desk to sleep.
The conversation between Shen Zejue and his followers piqued Tali’er’s curiosity. Consequently, during the following classes, Tali’er would glance over intentionally or otherwise.
The fact that he and Shen Zejue didn’t get along was known to the entire school. They bickered whenever they met, like a needle against a whetstone. Their relationship had reached a point of incompatibility, and their parents had been called multiple times due to their fights. Wherever Shen Zejue was, Tali’er’s figure would appear. The name “Shen Zejue” was almost embedded into Tali’er’s genes. As long as he heard the other’s voice, he would automatically lock onto him like a radar scanner.
Just as Tali’er swept his gaze over again, he suddenly saw a pink, fluffy, fat little paw stretch out from the drawer. The target of the fat paw was precise: the snack Shen Zejue was halfway through eating.
This class was for self-study. Shen Zejue had never been a “good student” who studied properly. Since it was about time and he was hungry, he pulled a snack from his storage space to eat.
A certain cub, who had been forcibly brought to school by Shen Zejue, smelled an overbearing fragrance and was “forcibly rebooted.” Tali’er stared unblinkingly as that fat little paw fumbled back and forth near the snack. Several times, the paw almost touched the snack bag.
Shen Zejue also noticed that the cub had woken up. Seeing a fat paw reaching for the snack bag and almost touching it, Shen Zejue let out a mischievous smile. With a hook of his finger, he moved the snack bag back a little.
The fluffy, chubby paw paused for a moment, fumbling around the surroundings in disbelief.
Even now, Shen Zejue could imagine the little cub’s expression of self-doubt. Refusing to believe his luck, the fat paw moved forward again, and a fluffy pink head poked halfway out. The cub wiggled with effort, but just as he was about to touch the snack bag, the mean-hearted Shen Zejue moved it away just a tiny bit more.
Watching from the side, Tali’er felt anxious, wishing he could just stuff the snack into that fat paw. The cub retracted his paw; the cub was angry.
Realizing he had provoked the little fat cub, Shen Zejue opened a new container of beast milk for cubs. He inserted a straw and handed it to the cub, who had poked out his fluffy head.
The cub hadn’t eaten anything in the morning and was starving. Without taking the time to observe his surroundings, he hugged the beast milk and sucked vigorously. The slurping sound attracted the rows of students in front and behind.
The “Four-Eyes” sitting next to Shen Zejue tilted his head and saw the little fat cub sitting in the drawer drinking milk.
“B-Boss, you… mgh mgh…”
“If you dare make a sound, I’ll beat the crap out of you later.”
Shen Zejue covered Four-Eyes’ mouth and threatened him in a low voice. Four-Eyes nodded repeatedly. Shen Zejue released him, immersing himself once again in the joy of feeding the cub.
Shen Lin rolled his big, dark eyes, full of curiosity about the scene outside. The anomaly on Shen Zejue’s side eventually attracted his followers. One by one, heads crowded around to view the pink ball in the drawer.
“Boss, is this your younger brother, the legendary ‘Little Waste’?”
Bang!
“If you can’t speak properly, get lost!”
Shen Zejue directly punched the follower. The latter shrank his neck and stopped talking, but he didn’t leave. He just felt inexplicably guilty meeting the cub’s dark, round eyes.
“Freir isn’t wrong. Your brother is a waste. And you dare bring him to the academy? Are you afraid he won’t die fast enough?”
At some point, Tali’er had walked over.
“Tali’er, are you a cucumber? You’re just asking to be slapped!”
Shen Zejue’s face dropped instantly. He stood up, a full head taller than Tali’er. He was flamboyant and defiant.
Tali’er had a buzz cut with a short patch of red hair on top. His right ear bore a silver stud inlaid with a blue gemstone that matched his eyes. He showed no fear of Shen Zejue’s bloodline pressure and took a step forward. Their gazes collided, sparks flying. Both sides were evenly matched.
“Am I wrong? Have you considered that the academy is full of beastmen? If anyone’s emotions become unstable and their bloodline power erupts, will this waste brother of yours just drop dead right here?”
Tali’er glanced into the drawer. The cub also tilted his head, looking at Tali’er. Tali’er’s gaze only touched him briefly before he retracted it.
He continued to mock: “What if he has S-grade Fierce Beast bloodline? He’s still a fool who doesn’t use his brain!”
This time, Shen Zejue didn’t explode into violence; he was actually pondering Tali’er’s words. Tali’er gave Shen Zejue a cold snort and left like a victorious, noble white swan.
It was rare to see the lawless Old Three Shen being silenced by someone’s retort. The cub, who was watching the show, was laughing internally. Suddenly, his head was patted.
“Ying?”
Shen Lin looked up alertly. Following the hand, he found it was the red-haired youth who had argued with Old Three Shen. Sensing the goodwill from the red-haired youth, the killing intent in his heart lessened slightly as he re-evaluated the youth before him.
Seeing the youth’s red buzz cut, he instinctively thought of Little Chicken Brother. However, Little Chicken Brother’s red hair was long and felt like silk.
A soft, milky voice drifted into Tali’er’s ears. He pursed his lips and rubbed his fingers; the soft texture of the cub’s fur seemed to linger on them. Tali’er’s attention remained on his hand, missing the ferocity on the cub’s face. He could never have imagined that this seemingly harmless cub had actually entertained thoughts of killing him.
After the self-study period, Shen Zejue’s homeroom teacher and his Second Sister entered the classroom together. Ultimately, the cub didn’t finish the class with his Third Brother; he was taken away by Shen Zexi. Before leaving, Shen Zexi didn’t forget to glare at Shen Zejue.
“Shen Zejue, you’re really something.”
Shen Zexi left this cold, mocking remark and departed. Every hair on Shen Zejue’s body stood up. An unpleasant thought rose from his heart.
Had he… caused trouble?
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