Chapter 36

Chapter 36

"Life is unpredictable, which Yuan Ting aptly terms as karma."

"After being discharged from the hospital, Aunt Zhu, with her house burned down and temporarily uninhabitable, had to buy a new one. Consequently, Mo Kai temporarily stayed at Cheng's house."

"First, for saving Mo Kai's life, and then for taking care of him, Aunt Zhu was extremely grateful to the Cheng family. She brought a multitude of gifts, practically covering Yuan Ting and Cheng Nanyi's clothing for all seasons. Besides, she also bought an exclusive limited-edition bag for Shu Zhilan alone."

"As for Cheng Shaolin and the old man, Aunt Zhu didn’t buy individual gifts. Anything too cheap wouldn't be appropriate, and anything too expensive they certainly wouldn’t accept. Therefore, she only brought this gift for the lady of the house."

"Yuan Ting was quite speechless about this and jokingly wrote 'filial son' on a label and stuck it on his forehead."

"He really was a little money-making expert."

"After all these experiences, Aunt Zhu remained as calm and composed as before. Aunt Zhu's sister was still her usual irritable self, disliking everyone she saw. The only one who changed was Mo Kai, who became silent and seldom smiled, a complete contrast to his previous self."

"Watching from a distance as Mo Kai sat in the toy house in the backyard, lost in thought, Yuan Ting whispered, 'Brother, do you think Mo Kai might be too traumatized, perhaps suffering some psychological issues?'"

"Regarding the incident of Mo Zhaohua falling down the stairs, Xiao Zhang claimed he saw nothing. Whether he spoke the truth or not, he insisted on having seen nothing."

"Yuan Ting and Cheng Nanyi also tacitly never asked Mo Kai about it, and Mo Kai himself never mentioned it. As for the truth, only Mo Kai knew."

"Yuan Ting hopped over and sat beside Mo Kai. 'Bro, let's chat for a bit?' It's important to pay attention to a teenager's psychological issues."

"Don’t want to talk," Mo Kai replied.

"Then let's play video games, I'll join you."

"I don't feel like playing either," Mo Kai shook his head.

"Then what do you want to do?" Yuan Ting said, feeling exasperated.

"I want to be alone," Mo Kai gazed up into the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, his expression distant. "You're somewhat annoying."

Yuan Ting: "......"

Yuan Ting then hopped away again.

Just feeling so irritated.

When Yuan Ting hopped back, he saw Cheng Nanyi sitting motionless on the sofa. Yuan Ting couldn't help but ask, "Aren’t you worried about Brother Kai?"

"I am worried," Cheng Nanyi replied.

"Then why don’t you go and try to talk to him?" asked Yuan Ting.

Cheng Nanyi calmly said, "It’s obvious he doesn't want to talk. Going there would just be bothering him."

Yuan Ting: "......" Who's bothering whom?

Cheng Nanyi, your insults are becoming more sophisticated.

Yuan Ting was still very concerned about Mo Kai's mental state. After all, in his previous life, even someone as emotionally stable as Cheng Nanyi had become twisted after a series of tragedies. He feared Mo Kai might follow the same path.

Initially, Cheng Nanyi's first symptom was silence.

The next day was Monday again, the start of a new week. Yuan Ting lay half on the sofa, feet up, full of regret: "Ah, I do want to go to school. I miss the teachers, my classmates, my little brothers, and the 365 days at school, but..."

Yuan Ting sighed: "Unfortunately, my foot can't walk, so I can't go to school." Saying these words, his delight seemed to double.

Yuan Ting moved his foot, now less swollen but still bruised: "When can I return to the school I miss so dearly, alas—"

After delivering his speech, Yuan Ting waved to Mo Kai and Cheng Nanyi, who were carrying their school bags: “Farewell, my brothers, I stay behind with envious tears.”

Cheng Nanyi, expressionless, had grown accustomed to Yuan Ting's antics. He could tell which of the little guy's words were true or false. At this moment, he saw no tears, just drool marks from a good night's sleep.

Mo Kai, slightly frowning, hesitated, then suddenly tossed his backpack into Cheng Nanyi's arms. Stepping forward, he picked up Yuan Ting and placed him in the wheelchair: “Yuan Ting, you were injured because of our family. I'll take responsibility and help you get to and from school. Don’t worry.”

Huh???

What did he just hear? Yuan Ting stared at Mo Kai in shock. What are you talking about?

“Uncle Liu, please grab Yuan Ting’s school bag,” Mo Kai requested the butler.

“Wait, hold on,” Yuan Ting hastily gestured to stop them, his face filled with panic, “Brother Kai, you, you, you might have misunderstood something…”

“Misunderstood?” Mo Kai looked at Yuan Ting earnestly. “Didn’t you just say you wanted to go to school?”

“！！！”

My goodness, has he gone completely delusional?

“I know, all of this happened because of our family,” Mo Kai said guiltily. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you.”

“！！！”

Yuan Ting instinctively looked at Cheng Nanyi. Cheng Nanyi shrugged helplessly and then turned... and left…

Yuan Ting swallowed hard, noticing a sort of “I’m sincere to you, don’t you dare deceive me, or I’ll go berserk” kind of madness in Mo Kai’s face…

He wasn’t like this before. In the past, if Yuan Ting had said this, Mo Kai would have laughed loudly and launched a mocking barrage.

Finally, Yuan Ting managed to squeeze out a sentence: “Thank you, Brother Kai. Then, I’ll trouble you.”

Yuan Ting was forcibly taken to school by Mo Kai. Upon reaching the classroom building, Cheng Nanyi carried Yuan Ting, Mo Kai held the wheelchair, and a group of classmates followed them in a grand entrance into the classroom.

As a notable figure in the school, Yuan Ting maintained a calm demeanor, indifferent and nonchalant, as if he didn’t care at all.

When Duan Wenzhe saw Yuan Ting, he was stunned: "Boss, what happened to your hair? How did you become bald in just a few days?"

Bald?

Bald!!!

Yuan Ting glared resentfully at Duan Wenzhe, thinking, ‘You wait, I’ll make you pay for those words.’

“Yuan Ting, what happened to your hair?” Gu Yuzi tugged at his clothes and whispered.

“…” Turning to Gu Yuzi, Yuan Ting mumbled and then bluffed, “My mom consulted a master who said if I shave my head, I’d rank first in the final exams this year.”

“Really? You’re that superstitious?” Duan Wenzhe was skeptical.

“Me, superstitious?” Yuan Ting scoffed, “Doesn’t your family worship the God of Wealth, Bodhisattva, and Guanyin?”

Most of their classmates’ parents were businesspeople, who tended to believe in such things.

As expected, Duan Wenzhe fell silent upon hearing this; his family indeed had such a practice, and his father was quite devout.

Kang Xiaoyu, from the front row, turned around with sarcasm in his eyes: “Didn’t the master foresee your sprained ankle?”

“I visited the master after I sprained my ankle. He said it was fate. You wouldn’t understand. Look at Ikkyu, how smart he is being bald. Monks shave their heads because hair growth takes away nutrients needed by brain cells, making them dull and poor in studies.”

“I see…” Duan Wenzhe, touching his hair, started to believe it a bit.

“Stop spouting nonsense. Gu Yuzi ties her hair in braids and still tops the grade,” retorted Kang Xiaoyu, sharp-witted as always.

“That’s because her brain has enough nutrients to spare; it’s not affected by hair growth. You guys are naturally slow and still have hair. If you don’t rank at the bottom, who will?”

Duan Wenzhe, who ranks last: “……”

Kang Xiaoyu, second to last: “……”

“You don’t believe it, do you?” Yuan Ting snorted with a laugh. “Come on, test me. Ask me something we haven’t learned yet. You’ll see if I know it.”

After a few seconds of hesitation, Gu Yuzi flipped to an unlearned chapter in the textbook and asked, “What is five plus eight times six?”

Yuan Ting sneered and promptly answered, “Fifty-three.”

“That’s correct.” Gu Yuzi, surprised, saw the answer in her book. “Yuan Ting, you're really amazing, so quick at calculating.” She could solve these problems, but not as quickly as Yuan Ting.

“Just average.” Yuan Ting patted his bald head and shrugged. “Don’t be disheartened. After all, I don’t have hair, so being a bit smarter than you is normal.”

Duan Wenzhe: “……” Our bald leader is so impressive.

Kang Xiaoyu: “……” Hmph...

With that, those kids who wanted to mock Yuan Ting’s baldness were thoroughly silenced.

Yuan Ting hummed to himself, thinking, ‘Mock my baldness? Better wait for your next life.’

“I am the coolest bald kid in the second grade, class three.”

Knowledge can overcome everything! Indeed, it's the truth.

During the break, Mo Kai and Cheng Nanyi appeared in the second-grade third class; they were there to help Yuan Ting go to the bathroom.

One person held him, while another person carried his wheelchair, taking turns to escort him to the restroom.

Yuanting couldn't understand why he had to stand on one leg in the restroom to urinate. He should have been comfortably lying at home.

With a resentful gaze, he looked at Mo Yikai, who still had that lifeless look, as if his soul had been sucked away.

After returning home at noon, Yuanting found an opportunity to sneak away from Mo Yikai and whispered in Cheng Nanyi's ear, "Big brother, Onekai is really not normal."

"I've noticed," Cheng Nanyi nodded. "Keep observing. If it doesn't get better, tell Aunt Zhu and have her take him to see a psychologist."

"Okay," Yuanting sighed, feeling exhausted. He hadn't finished sighing when he saw Mo Yikai approaching. Mo Yikai had a calm expression as he looked at the two of them and said, "Yuanting, Cheng Nanyi, let's become sworn brothers."

"Sworn brothers?" Cheng Nanyi furrowed his brow in disbelief.

"Yes, I've thought about it for several days. That night was so dangerous, thanks to both of you. Otherwise, my mom, my aunt, and I might already be dead. You two are my lifesavers, so let's become sworn brothers."

Could they refuse?

Looking at Mo Yikai's sincere and determined gaze, Yuanting, who had been imprisoned for four years, told you that they couldn't.

However...

"Where does the fourth person come from?" Yuanting asked cautiously. He was pretty sure Mo Yikai wasn't normal anymore, considering he couldn't even count properly. There were only three of them here, at best.

Could it be... he developed a split personality?

Yuanting, as a devoted fan of Hong Kong dramas, already had another image of Mo Yikai in his mind – one that was strong and hot-tempered. This personality emerged to protect the vulnerable Mo Yikai, and perhaps the one in the stairwell that day was the other Mo Yikai...

Oh my god...

"One," Mo Yikai pointed to Yuanting, then to Cheng Nanyi, "Two," and finally pointed to himself, "Three."

Yuanting swallowed hard.

Finally, Mo Yikai stretched out his hand again, pointing towards the figure lying at Yuan Ting's feet, eyes closed, resting... Big Silly!

Yuan Ting: "..."

Uh...

Like, speechlessness opening the door for more speechlessness, speechlessness has arrived home!

"I don't." Before Yuan Ting could complete his speechless response, Cheng Nanyi decisively rejected the idea, finding it too absurd.

"You're rejecting me?" Mo Yikai looked at Cheng Nanyi, unable to believe what he had heard.

Cheng Nanyi, without any hesitation and about to admit it, was suddenly silenced by a small hand covering his mouth.

Cheng Nanyi turned to look at Yuan Ting, who was frantically signaling him with his eyes, urging him not to provoke him, not to provoke him, as the incubation period maniac should not be agitated.

If Cheng Nanyi angered Mo Yikai, the stimulated Mo Yikai might even end up imprisoning Cheng Nanyi in the future...

This thought was too thrilling to entertain; the mere idea was exhilarating!

After enjoying the thrill, Yuan Ting returned to reality and cautiously looked at Mo Yikai: "Is becoming sworn brothers the only option?"

"Yes," Mo Yikai stubbornly said, "You three are my best friends, how can you refuse me?"

Yuan Ting wasn't too resistant to the idea of becoming sworn brothers with a dog, but Cheng Nanyi would definitely not accept it.

Yuan Ting looked again at Cheng Nanyi and, as expected, saw the same uncompromising expression.

Sigh, dealing with either an incubator maniac or a reservist maniac is difficult.

Yuan Ting had a sudden inspiration: "How about we ask the dog if it agrees?"

Author's Note:

A big thank you to all the little angels who supported me with their Overlord Votes and Nutrient Solutions from August 6, 2023, 23:00:50 to August 7, 2023, 20:44:11~

Special thanks to the little angels for their Nutrient Solutions: ran (51 bottles); Heihei (8 bottles); Fanfeng (4 bottles); Kan Kan, Shu Chen, and The Helpless Salty Fish (1 bottle each);

I'm deeply grateful for everyone's support and will continue to work hard!