Qi Xu fiddled with the game console for quite a while but didn’t figure it out. He wasn’t really a gamer—single-player games were just a way to kill time.
He opened the finance app to check his investment returns and saw the steadily increasing daily profits, satisfied as he put down his phone.
Using his advantage from having been reborn was a bit of a loophole, a kind of lucky cheat. Qi Xu regretted not being interested in the lottery back then.
He lay flat on the couch, a soft blanket cushioning his lower back, planning to close his eyes and rest.
His phone rang beside him.
Qi Xu answered: “Hello?”
“Xiao Xu.”
Qi Xu opened his eyes. “What’s up?”
The voice on the other end remained gentle: “Mom misses you. When are you coming home?”
Qi Xu stared up at the chandelier above. “I’m not coming back. I’ll go straight to school when the semester starts.”
Zeng Yun was clearly stunned by the answer. After a long pause, he regained his composure and tried to ease the lingering awkwardness between them: “Fengkai ordered a car for you and Zeyu as a coming-of-age gift. What color do you want?”
Qi Xu wasn’t sleepy anymore. “Black, I guess.”
Zeng Yun said, “That’s perfect. The one ordered for Zeyu is black. He said there are too many cars in the garage and didn’t want Fengkai to spend too much. Xiao Xu, does that bother you?”
Qi Xu’s face was expressionless. “No, it doesn’t. Thanks, Mom.”
Then he corrected himself, “Thanks, Big Brother.”
After that, Zeng Yun was silent for a while. Qi Xu noticed he wanted to say something and asked, “Is there something else?”
Zeng Yun hesitated, “Xiao Xu, did you get into another fight? Did you have to trouble that kid Xie Huai to take you to the hospital again?”
Qi Xu found it amusing but didn’t laugh out loud. “You better not let Shen Zeyu go out lately. What happened to me might one day happen to him.”
Shen Zhuohai’s voice came from nearby: “What’s he trying to say? If Zeyu hadn’t told us, I’d have thought he’d turned over a new leaf. We even brought him back from the old estate…”
Qi Xu was too tired to listen any further and just hung up.
The Shen family couldn’t hold Shen Zeyu down, especially since he already knew Xie Huai was at the old estate. Even if the risk of exposure was high, he was like a moth to a flame.
In the afternoon, Shen Zeyu showed up at the old estate carrying bags of stuff, claiming he was visiting Grandfather Shen.
He had never come alone before and wasn’t close to Grandfather Shen. Since the Xie and Shen families were neighbors, if he didn’t enter his own home and went straight to the Xie family’s house, his intentions were too obvious.
Grandfather Shen responded indifferently.
Shen Zeyu handed the things to Uncle Li and waited for Grandfather Shen’s instructions.
As usual, the old man called him into the study to practice calligraphy. But Shen Zeyu had little patience—he casually finished writing one sheet and left on his own.
Uncle Li took Shen Zeyu’s messy handwriting into the tea room. “Young Master Zeyu finished writing happily and went over to the Xie family.”
Grandfather Shen glanced at the illegible characters but didn’t say more. “Let him be. This kid’s mind isn’t on calligraphy anyway.”
That night, Shen Zeyu didn’t even return to his own home. He stayed overnight at the Xie family’s house.
Because Shen Zeyu didn’t linger around Qi Xu or stay at the Shen estate, Qi Xu enjoyed two peaceful days, and his injuries healed faster.
Two nights later, Qi Xu received an email detailing the full story of the bullying incident. Just as he was about to contact Xu Yichen, his phone rang—but it wasn’t the person who sent the email; it was Xie Huai.
“Anything?” Qi Xu answered.
Xie Huai wasted no words: “Xu Yichen wants to know how you want to expose it. Posting it domestically will definitely get blocked. Do you need help from this side?”
Qi Xu was in the yard, doing rehab exercises on Grandpa Shen’s advice, sitting on a piece of equipment without moving. “No need. I’ve already found the right people.”
He heard Xie Huai ask, “Are you confident you’ll come out unscathed?”
Qi Xu chuckled lightly. “I never do anything without confidence.”
Xie Huai was silent for a moment. “Better be.”
Qi Xu asked, “What about Xu Yichen?”
Just then, laughter and noise came from the neighboring yard, and Qi Xu smelled the aroma of grilled meat drifting over.
He said, “You guys have quite the lively nightlife.”
“Jealous?” Xie Huai teased. “Didn’t Xu Yichen invite you?”
He was invited, but Qi Xu didn’t want to go.
He kicked the exercise equipment twice. “Not jealous. I’m done working out, about to sleep. Tell them to keep it down so they don’t wake me.”
Xie Huai mocked, “You’re more limber than the old man, huh? Two kicks and you call that exercise?”
Qi Xu turned his head at the remark, first looking toward the fence, thinking Xie Huai had climbed up to spy.
A voice came through the phone: “Not on the fence—third-floor balcony.”
Qi Xu looked up at the neighboring third-floor balcony. There was indeed a shadow by the railing, but no lights were on, so he couldn’t make out who it was.
“Your eyesight’s amazing. Seeing that clearly from so far away—you should fly a fighter jet someday.”
“If I can’t see someone that tall, then I’m blind.”
Qi Xu kicked the equipment twice again. Just as he was about to hang up, a voice said close by, probably standing right next to him:
“Huai, the barbecue’s ready. I brought up some skewers and drinks. Let’s eat and—”
Qi Xu hung up, got off the equipment, and slowly walked inside.
The call ended with a busy tone. Xie Huai said nothing, watching the neighboring yard, where someone swaggered in like a big shot, not even glancing their way.
“Go ahead and eat.”
The barbecue Shen Zeyu was holding was cooked just right—the skin crispy, the meat tender and juicy—showing the griller had put real effort into it.
“I grilled plenty. Jiang Zimu said it was really good. The beef just arrived, super fresh. It’s your favorite; you should try some.”
Xie Huai glanced at his phone. “I’ve got things to do. Go enjoy yourself with them downstairs.”
Shen Zeyu called after him, looking a bit hurt: “Did Qi Xu say something to you to make you think I’m some unforgivable villain? None of this was my choice. I’m suffering too. If he wants everything to go back to how it was, I can leave the Shen family.”
Xie Huai frowned slightly. “He didn’t tell me anything. Since Uncle Shen said you should stay, then don’t say things like that again.”
Shen Zeyu pressed his lips together. “Do you think if I stay, everything will be the same as before? You don’t know how much gossip I hear every day. Even you have distanced yourself from me because of all this…”
Xie Huai cut him off with a casual tone, but the words hit hard: “Don’t pin such a heavy label on me. We’re just classmates. I don’t have the time to care about things that don’t concern me.”
He put his phone back in his pocket, ignoring Shen Zeyu’s pale expression, and walked away.
The words “just classmates” weighed heavily in Shen Zeyu’s heart. His eyes reddened as he watched the retreating figure. Aren’t we even friends?
That night, Shen Zeyu returned to the old Shen estate without greeting anyone. The next morning, he didn’t go to the Xie family’s place either.
Near noon, Shen Zeyu was downstairs when a friend called.
“Zeyu, did you hear about Song Ruoming?”
Shen Zeyu, who had cried the night before, his voice hoarse, replied, “What happened?”
“Song Ruoming’s school bullying led to a student’s suicide. The news broke out just after midnight last night, and now it’s everywhere—headlines naming Song Ruoming, the second young master of the Song family. Reporters have surrounded the Song residence and even caught him being taken away for investigation.”
Shen Zeyu felt his heart tighten. Didn’t the Song family already handle this quietly? How could it have leaked out like this?
His friend called several times, but Shen Zeyu didn’t respond, so the call was ended.
Still unaware he’d been hung up on, Shen Zeyu held his phone, unable to calm himself.
Qi Xu arrived at the main courtyard’s dining room looking refreshed. This was also the first time he ran into Shen Zeyu at the old estate.
His lip injury was almost healed. Qi Xu smiled at Shen Zeyu. “Good morning, little brother.”
That smile made Shen Zeyu recall the silent smile Qi Xu gave him that night in the back alley of the bar.
Shen Zeyu stared at him intently. “Was it you?”
The abrupt question was confusing.
Qi Xu sat down and said slowly, “Can I really change anything?”
They didn’t manage to have breakfast together. Shen Fengkai personally came to the estate to pick up Shen Zeyu.
When Shen Fengkai arrived, Qi Xu was leisurely finishing breakfast.
“Where’s grandpa?”
Without looking up, Qi Xu replied, “Fishing with Old Xie.”
Shen Zeyu got into the car without even packing his things. Shen Fengkai had someone collect his luggage while he stepped up to Qi Xu, towering over him.
“You don’t have the ability to handle this. I know Xu Yichen is helping you, but you’re not Xu Yichen. He has the backing of the Xu family. The Song family won’t dare touch him. But you? Why didn’t you talk to me before taking these actions?”
Shen Fengkai noticed Qi Xu’s hand wrapped in gauze as he held his chopsticks and paused.
“To talk to you?” Qi Xu smiled carelessly. “The Song family works with yours. They want me to just endure it? Or maybe you want me to apologize to Song Ruoming and settle things?”
Shen Fengkai was displeased with Qi Xu’s attitude, trying to distance himself. “The Song family will eventually trace it back to you. Come home with me.”
Qi Xu waved him off: “Take care.”
A servant carried Shen Zeyu’s luggage downstairs. Shen Fengkai’s expression was dark, but he couldn’t reprimand Qi Xu at the old estate.
Before leaving, Shen Fengkai placed a car key in front of Qi Xu—whether as compensation or something else was unclear. Qi Xu, however, was quite pleased.
