Chapter 16: So… So Cute
Shi Huaibai stared unblinkingly at Song Chi, his pupils pitch-black like splashed ink, so deep they seemed capable of sucking a person in. He looked dazed, yet exuded dignity without anger.
This seemingly frail and well-behaved body actually gave off a sense of oppression: “Song Chi, you must accept your loss.”
No matter what, a loss was a loss.
Lost?
The word “lost” was distant and unfamiliar to Song Chi.
From the moment he had memories, as long as he showed the slightest interest in something, top-tier coaches and the most expensive equipment would immediately swarm to him.
Countless people praised his exceptional talent, and he was conceited to the core.
Even if there were occasional setbacks, sycophants would scramble to whitewash the situation:
“Young Master Song’s form was just a bit off today, right?”
“The opponent just got lucky, that’s all!”
“Next time, next time you’ll definitely crush them easily!”
…
No one had ever taken his failures seriously.
Shi Huaibai glanced at him sideways, shrugged, and spread his hands: “You lost. If you lose, you stand at attention and take your beating. Whether you want revenge or whatever else, I’ll be waiting in a week. If I can beat you once, I can beat you a second time.”
Song Chi ground his back molars, but reached out to pick up the spoon and stirred. The spoon he extended to Shi Huaibai’s mouth was still steaming with heat: “Open your mouth.”
He wasn’t a sore loser.
He would take this humiliation, along with the interest, and claim it back from Shi Huaibai fair and square next time.
Shi Huaibai’s beautiful eyes drooped lazily, his gaze drifting lightly over the spoon full of hot soup in Song Chi’s hand.
His red, ripe lips pursed slightly, the tip of a pink, tender tongue peeking out just a bit, as he mumbled a single word indistinctly yet righteously: “Hot.”
After speaking, Shi Huaibai glared fiercely again, silently urging him, as if it were a matter of course for Song Chi to blow on the soup to cool it down for him.
Outside the crack in the door, Chen Xin’s heart leaped into his throat.
If this wasn’t courting death, what was?!
Chen Xin already foresaw that in the next second, Song Chi would fly into a rage and flip the table, splashing soup everywhere, leaving no blade of grass growing!
However.
The thunderous rage Chen Xin anticipated did not happen.
Song Chi… he froze.
It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck him without warning. A numbing electric current surged wildly through his body, rushing straight to the top of his skull.
He felt the temperature of his earlobes rise sharply. Firecrackers seemed to be popping in his ears; he felt scorching hot everywhere, his heart beating like a war drum.
So… So cute!!!
Under Chen Xin’s incredulous gaze, Song Chi, whose ten fingers had never touched spring water (never done household chores), carefully retracted the spoon.
He lowered his head slightly. The Eldest Young Master Song, who had never served anyone in his life, clumsily and gently blew on that spoonful of soup.
Only after confirming that the white steam hovering over the soup had dissipated did he tremblingly bring the spoon back to Shi Huaibai’s lips. With iron-man tenderness, he clumsily said: “You… drink it slowly.”
Chen Xin: “…”
Jiang Xinian: “…”
Qu You: “…”
Was it their hallucination? Since when was Song Chi’s temper this good?
Shi Huaibai was also someone who didn’t know how to appreciate a favor. The spoon was right at his lips, but instead of drinking, he patted the dust off his clothes and looked at Song Chi provocatively: “Good boy. I’m not drinking it anymore. Keep it for yourself.”
Song Chi immediately slammed the spoon heavily back into the thermos bucket: “Playing me again!”
Shi Huaibai looked very innocent: “I didn’t. Not wanting to drink means not wanting to drink. A servant should look like a servant.”
He turned around elegantly, stepped lightly over the threshold, and flashed a peace sign at the three dumbfounded people at the door: “Done. He now knows who the master is.”
“…” Jiang Xinian: “Then what about a week later? What if he wants revenge in a week?”
Shi Huaibai repeated his mantra: “If I can win against him once, I can win against him twice.”
Jiang Xinian: “…”
He looked at his wrist watch helplessly: “Let’s go home first.”
I’ll deal with you when we get home!
Before they even reached the house, Jiang Xinian couldn’t resist dealing with Shi Huaibai.
Shi Huaibai had one foot in the car when Jiang Xinian immediately pulled his entire body in.
The facade of decency completely shattered. He grabbed Shi Huaibai’s ear ruthlessly and twisted hard, dragging Shi Huaibai’s head in front of his own: “You didn’t apologize to Song Chi, so apologize to me instead?”
A heavy breath snorted from his nose. Jiang Xinian finally couldn’t suppress his anger: “Sit further away.”
Shi Huaibai obediently moved his butt, lowering his head, his ears drooping.
Only after there was a gap of about one and a half meters from Jiang Xinian did Jiang Xinian feel he had enough room to move.
Smack!
Jiang Xinian’s leg suddenly lifted, kicking Shi Huaibai in the chest—not too heavily, but accurately.
Shi Huaibai reacted quickly, grabbing Jiang Xinian’s ankle like a conditioned reflex.
The suit pants felt cold to the touch, and the bright red sole of the leather shoe hovering in the center of Shi Huaibai’s vision looked like a scarlet, bewitching tongue of fire.
Click.
The crisp sound of a lighter rang out, breaking the tense physical standoff.
Jiang Xinian lit a cigar in a leisurely manner, finally recovering his composure. He took a deep, intoxicated drag of the cigar and slowly blew a drifting smoke ring into Shi Huaibai’s face.
Under the elegant posture lay undisguised annoyance.
Shi Huaibai was still acting dumb: “What, are you angry?”
“No.” Jiang Xinian’s kick had vented some anger. Puff, puff, the cigar burned halfway down. No one knew what he was thinking.
Clearly, he was the one who hired Shi Huaibai, but why did it feel like he had become Shi Huaibai’s “servant”?
Why was Shi Huaibai not obedient at all?
If this continued, would he become a fool like Song Chi?
The driver parked the car, and the sliding door opened automatically. The cold, stern wind howled outside.
So cold.
Jiang Xinian thought: It’s just like when I was little.
From childhood, what he experienced was elite education: not being educated like an elite, but required to be the elite among his peers.
He had to be first, he had to be a leader, he had to be polite, and he had to make everyone like him.
He revered all of this as a golden rule.
In elementary school, the one and only time he got second place in the whole school, he shut himself in the courtyard for an entire night.
The wind back then seemed just as piercingly cold as this.
Jiang Xinian stubbed out the cigar. Even now, he hadn’t thought of a way to handle Shi Huaibai, so he could only glance at Shi Huaibai indifferently and make a fuss about something else: “Deducting wages. Next time, I’ll deduct it all.”
In this world line, Shi Huaibai broke down for the first time: “You’re so excessive.”
“There’s an equestrian class at the academy tomorrow morning, don’t forget,” Jiang Xinian said, lifting his leg regardless. His mind was filled with a plea to Shi Huaibai: I beg you, just stay by my side honestly, dimly, and without light.
Shi Huaibai finally snapped back to reality: “Equestrian class?”
The System, covering its precarious face (reputation), whispered an explanation: [LB Noble Academy cares very much about the comprehensive development of students’ morality, intelligence, physicality, and aesthetics.]
Shi Huaibai was blunt: [Why is there no labor?]
System: [Rich people don’t do manual labor.]
[…] Shi Huaibai’s expression toward the System was very haggard: His wages had just been deducted, and mentioning money now was like poking his lungs.
The System was so understanding: [Do you know how much the LB Noble Academy scholarship is?]
Shi Huaibai was curious: [How much?]
System: [First prize is 100,000!]
Shi Huaibai: [What about second and third prize?]
System: [You don’t need to know that!]
Shi Huaibai: [Why?]
System: [Because Host, you getting first prize isn’t because you are a first prize, but because the highest is only first prize.]
[You’re right.] Shi Huaibai was coaxed by the System again.
The System pressed on: [The original host’s academic score was first in the grade, but he didn’t get the scholarship. Do you know why?]
Shi Huaibai: [Why?]
System: [Because the scholarship isn’t calculated solely on academic scores; it adds the scores of two cultural/entertainment subjects proportionally. The original host never had contact with subjects like equestrianism, sculpture, or floral arrangement, nor the money to sign up for classes, so he couldn’t get the scholarship.]
Having stimulated Shi Huaibai’s fighting spirit, the System successfully launched the next mission.
[Beep beep…]
[Mission Reward: 100 Mission Points.]
[Mission Content: Master equestrian skills and get an ‘A’ grade in this subject.]
[Hint: F1 and F2 have galloped on the racecourses of the Maldives since childhood. Riding horses over the Gobi Desert is a piece of cake for them. They definitely have their own attainments in equestrianism.]
Mission published. The System was already feeling smug: Its linguistic art had evolved again. There would absolutely be no problem this time.
The System already envisioned the Host being circled into the arms of F1 or F2, two people riding one horse. Amidst the bumps, the Host tightly hugging the other’s waist, the man holding him feeling his blood boil… Was there anything more romantic, more conducive to emotional progress than this?
The real mission of the world line relied on it after all: Nicholas the System!
For the glory of the Noble Academy!!!
The System’s voice became increasingly passionate: [F1 and F2 are both A+ in equestrianism. Although the original body has no equestrian foundation, Host, you are so smart, you will definitely learn it quickly. Do you know what to do?]
Ask them to teach you, Shi Huaibai!
Shi Huaibai stood up, chest out, head high, gazing at the landscape, high-spirited: “Of course I know what to do!”
The System’s eyes were full of hope.
Shi Huaibai’s background loomed large and profound: “Since they are both A+, then as long as I surpass them, it proves I am also A+.”
The System was dumbfounded again, its brain wrinkles smoothing out once more: [Bro… wait!!]
Its two short legs struggled to stride, finally catching up with Shi Huaibai’s pace, only to hear Shi Huaibai say righteously: “I’ll go challenge them tomorrow! I’ll defeat them with the equestrianism they are so proud of.”
The System’s eyes widened, seeing only darkness ahead for the mission’s future: [No…]
Don’t!!!
It’s not supposed to be like this!
Author’s Note:
Once the Beagle Keeper realizes his feelings, and the Insult-Chase Bro stops pretending, the first round of bending the straight man can begin, hahahahaha [Yellow Heart]
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