Chapter 121

Chapter 121

After descending the stairs and crossing the small playground, the three were about to part ways. Feng Chen, with Yan Bubu by his side, stopped and waited for Kong Siyin to leave before heading in a different direction.

"Who is he?" Yan Bubu turned to look at Kong Siyin's retreating figure.

Feng Chen said, "That's Kong Siyin."

Yan Bubu expressed surprise, "So that's what he looks like. I thought he would appear more imposing."

Black Lion and Binunu emerged from somewhere and followed them. Yan Bubu, hugging Black Lion's head, asked Feng Chen, "What were you talking about with him? Do you think he's suspicious?"

Feng Chen replied, "Just casual conversation. I mentioned Major General Lin's name, and he didn't seem to react unusually."

"Didn't seem to react unusually… Do you mean he's not involved?"

Feng Chen shook his head, "On the contrary, precisely because he showed no reaction, I suspect he's involved."

"Why?" Yan Bubu inquired.

Feng Chen, leading him onto a stone path, explained, "Lin Fen's disappearance, linked with the cipher box, is a significant matter. When I mentioned Lin Fen, he should have shown some reaction, but he didn’t at all."

Yan Bubu pondered, "You mean, appearing too normal is actually abnormal?"

"Right, even if Kong Siyin isn't directly involved, he must know something," Feng Chen said, lightly draping an arm around Yan Bubu's shoulder. "We need to stay in this academy for a while longer. When the opportunity arises, we'll go to the institute to retrieve that box. Kong Siyin, having heard me mention Lin Fen today, will likely become more wary of us. So, before we leave the academy, you need to be careful. Always have Binunu with you wherever you go."

Binunu, walking beside them, turned its head towards Feng Chen upon hearing its name.

Feng Chen pointedly instructed Binunu, "Don't just think about playing these days. Stay close to Yan Bubu, understand?"

Binunu, though keeping a straight face, seemed to take the instruction to heart.

Yan Bubu looked around and realized they weren't on the way back, "Where are we going?"

Feng Chen touched the back of his head, "To get a haircut."

"Okay, you get a haircut, and I'll wait for you," Yan Bubu cheerfully said, playfully touching Feng Chen's hair.

He was always the one Feng Chen insisted on cutting hair for, while Feng Chen kept his long. Seeing him about to get a haircut brought Yan Bubu a secret joy.

Feng Chen glanced at him with an almost smile, "So happy? You're getting a haircut too."

"I don't want to! My hair finally doesn't look so bad after growing out," Yan Bubu protested, hugging his head, "The instructor only told you to get a haircut, not me."

Feng Chen took off Yan Bubu's beret and toyed with his hair.

Although Yan Bubu's hair looked better than before, it was still unevenly cut and naturally curly, giving it a somewhat messy appearance.

"It's not me cutting it, but a professional hairstylist," Feng Chen explained, making scissor motions in the air, "Like those barbershops in movies, they can make it look even better."

"Like a movie barbershop, huh..." Yan Bubu was momentarily tempted but then shook his head, "No, every time you say it's like a movie barbershop, you're tricking me. I don't believe you."

Yan Bubu turned to run, but Feng Chen caught the collar of his shirt and pulled him towards the barbershop.

"I don't want to go, I don't want to..."

"Stay still! It's not me who's cutting, what are you afraid of?"

The barbershop, located behind some greenery on the east side of the academy, was a small two-story building. Inside, professional barbers exclusively catered to the academy's sentinel and guide students.

The barbershop had four chairs, two of which were occupied by male guide students, chatting softly under the gentle background music, with no barber in sight.

"Zhuang Hong, your bonding fever must be approaching," the round-faced guide in the rightmost chair commented.

The guide in the second chair, handsome with a cool expression, frowned slightly at the mention, appearing slightly agitated: "I don't know, but it should be soon."

"Out of those four sentinels the academy matched you with, do you like any?"

"I don't fancy any of them."

"I think the one we met yesterday wasn't too bad. You could try interacting with him."

Zhuang Hong sighed deeply, "I guess I'll just have to try and see. So far, none have sparked any interest."

"Don't just focus on looks. Some people might seem average at first but reveal their qualities once you get to know them—" The door was pushed open, and the round-faced guide stopped speaking. Both he and Zhuang Hong turned to see a tall, handsome stranger, a sentinel, at the door.

Feng Chen scanned the barbershop, noting the absence of the barber but seeing two empty chairs. Without turning, he reached back and caught Yan Bubu, who was trying to sneak away, and strode into the room.

"Brother, you're so annoying." Yan Bubu, noticing others in the room, stopped resisting and muttered as Feng Chen led him to the empty chair at the end.

Feng Chen walked behind him, removed his hat, and placed it on the table, then rested his hands on the armrests of Yan Bubu's chair, leaning in slightly, eyes fixed on the mirror's reflection.

"Look at yourself, do you think you look good?" Feng Chen asked softly.

Yan Bubu stared at his reflection in the mirror, "I think I look pretty good."

Feng Chen held Yan Bubu's head, turning it side to side, "Look at this, your left ear is covered, but your right ear is exposed, and your bangs are higher on the left than on the right. Is this what you call good-looking?"

"It's called asymmetrically good-looking," Yan Bubu retorted.

While they were talking, Zhuang Hong, seated across an empty chair, also lifted his eyelids and glanced at Feng Chen in the mirror.

"Sorry about that, the other three barbers are out for lunch and will be back soon. I was a bit busy in the back, sorry to keep you waiting," a barber emerged from the back room, his eyes lighting up upon seeing Feng Chen, and he eagerly requested, "Sir, could you help me fetch a box from the storage? I'm not tall enough to reach it."

"Stay put, if you try to sneak away, I'll deal with you," Feng Chen whispered a threat in Yan Bubu's ear before following the barber to the storage room.

Yan Bubu watched Feng Chen disappear through the door, then turned back to curiously inspect the array of scissors of different lengths on the table.

Ding.

A light sound came from the side, and instinctively looking in the mirror towards the source, Yan Bubu saw a very attractive guide, and couldn't help but take a longer look.

"Zhuang Hong, your matcher beeped. The system has found you another sentinel, check it out," the round-faced guide urged.

Zhuang Hong, the attractive guide, took out a small device from his pocket and checked the display screen.

The round-faced guide asked, "How is it? Did you get matched with a new sentinel?"

Zhuang Hong frowned and nodded, "Yes, matched with another one."

"That must be someone who just entered their information into the database. Check their name and which class they're in."

Zhuang Hong turned off the notifier, disinterestedly saying, "Some Feng Chen, in Sentinel Class Two."

……

Feng Chen, after helping the barber retrieve a box from the storage room, returned to find Yan Bubu slumped in his chair, eyelids drooping, his face stern.

Assuming Yan Bubu was still upset about getting a haircut, Feng Chen paid it no mind and walked to the empty chair next to him.

As Feng Chen passed behind Yan Bubu, he reached out to ruffle his hair as usual, but Yan Bubu dodged dramatically, moving his chair with a clang, half an inch to the side.

"Still angry?" Feng Chen chuckled, not bothering him further, and simply sat down.

Zhuang Hong quickly glanced at Feng Chen as he sat down beside him. Just as he was about to look away, he caught Yan Bubu's gaze in the mirror.

Yan Bubu was staring intently at him through the mirror, not blinking.

Used to being the center of attention, Zhuang Hong didn't mind the gaze from another attractive guide, feeling a subtle sense of pleasure.

He pretended not to notice Yan Bubu's behavior and calmly shifted his gaze away.

The door opened as three barbers returned from their meal. Each took their position behind the four customers, shaking out a white cape and draping it around their necks.

"Sir, would you like your hair cut short?" The barber behind Feng Chen had already untied his hair, spraying water onto it.

"Yes."

"How short?"

"You decide."

"Alrighty." The barber reached for the scissors, reassuringly saying, "Don’t worry, with your face, any hairstyle will suit you. There's no way to go wrong."

Feng Chen's damp, half-long hair hung by his cheeks, with a few water droplets clinging to the side of his face. Zhuang Hong, hearing the barber's comment, sneakily glanced again at Feng Chen in the mirror. Seeing his long hair let down, he found it hard to look away.

It was only when he noticed that Yan Bubu was still staring at him, resembling a protective puppy, even somewhat ferociously, that he snapped back to reality, turning his head away somewhat flustered.

"How about a buzz cut for you?" the barber asked Feng Chen, holding the scissors.

Before Feng Chen could respond, Yan Bubu suddenly spoke up, "Shave it all off, make him a bald egg, can he still pull that off?"

The barber replied, "With his features, face shape, and charisma, he would even look good bald."

Yan Bubu glanced at Feng Chen with a teasing tone, "What if you leave half, shave the other half? Or leave a ring around and just shave the top? Or keep a tuft at the front and shave the rest, would he still pull it off?"

The barber, about to respond with a laugh, was interrupted as the door opened and two sentinel students walked in.

"Ah, it's full. We'll come back later." One of the sentinel students peeked in and, upon spotting Feng Chen, greeted him, "Feng Chen."

Feng Chen, trained from a young age to quickly remember strangers' features and information, could recall the faces and names of his classmates despite not paying much attention to them. He replied, "Kong Xiangzhen."

It was normal for Kong Xiangzhen to remember Feng Chen, a new student, but Feng Chen's ability to remember and accurately call out names in such a short time pleased Kong Xiangzhen.

"I'll leave then and come back later," Kong Xiangzhen waved to him.

Feng Chen nodded, "Take care."

During this, Yan Bubu paid no attention to the people at the door, focusing only on Feng Chen and Zhuang Hong. He noticed that when Feng Chen was addressed, Zhuang Hong sat up straight and quickly turned his head toward Feng Chen, his eyes flashing with incredulous joy.

Zhuang Hong's reaction was so obvious that even Feng Chen glanced at him briefly before turning emotionlessly away.

Coming back to his senses, Zhuang Hong quickly sat properly, a hint of red tinging his ears.

Yan Bubu felt a fire burning inside him, the flames rising, scorching his chest and drying his throat, as if smoke was coming out of each hair. It was like being plunged into a bitter, astringent pond, filling his mouth and nose, making his lungs ache.

Feng Chen's information had been entered into the database, and he had joined the matching during his physical test. He wanted to match with another guide.

They could have gone home after the physical test, but Feng Chen insisted on coming to the barbershop, probably to see this Zhuang Hong.

Their eye contact lasted so long, probably five minutes, or at least three.

……

"Who cut your hair before? Luckily you have a handsome face; otherwise, it would be a disaster," the barber chuckled while holding a curl from Yan Bubu's hair.

Yan Bubu, his face grim, stared at the mirror with his chest heaving rapidly, suddenly shouted, "It was chewed by a dog!"

The people in the barbershop were startled by his outburst, then laughed. His barber said, "Chewed by a dog? Don't be angry. Whether it's dog-chewed or cat-bitten, I can fix it."

Feng Chen looked at him, slightly exasperated, "Talk properly."

"I won't talk properly," Yan Bubu shouted again.

Feng Chen slightly furrowed his brow but remained silent. The barber behind Yan Bubu then asked, "So, how would you like your hair cut?"

"Shave it all off!" Yan Bubu declared.

This statement caused everyone in the barbershop, including Zhuang Hong, who had been lost in thought, to turn and look.

"Shave it all off?" The barber was astonished, "Are you sure?"

"Don't listen to him," Feng Chen interjected.

Yan Bubu snorted through his nose, "Then leave half, shave the other half. Or leave a ring around and just shave the top. Or keep a tuft at the front and shave the rest."

Realizing Yan Bubu was deliberately being difficult, Feng Chen's face grew stern, "You better not—"

"Better not talk nonsense, right? Well, I want to talk nonsense," Yan Bubu, visibly angry but trying to maintain an air of indifference, retorted, "I know you're going to punish me, and I'm not afraid! Go ahead, punish me!"

"Fine, you're not afraid," Feng Chen, now amused by the situation, turned to Yan Bubu's barber, "Don’t pay attention to him. Just cut his hair the way you think is best, and don’t talk to him during the process."

The barber sneaked a glance at Yan Bubu and said, "Then I'll start improvising."

No one spoke again in the barbershop, just the sound of scissors snipping. Feng Chen kept his gaze downcast expressionlessly, while Zhuang Hong, who initially glanced at Feng Chen, stopped doing so after being continuously stared down by Yan Bubu, eventually just looking straight ahead.

Though Yan Bubu had called Feng Chen 'brother' when they entered, Zhuang Hong now wasn’t so sure about the nature of their relationship.

Seeing Zhuang Hong stop looking at Feng Chen, Yan Bubu began to glare resentfully at Feng Chen.

Sensing Yan Bubu's intense gaze, Feng Chen returned a warning look, signaling him to tone it down. But Yan Bubu only glared more fiercely, leaving Feng Chen to inwardly sigh and let him be.

Once the two stopped their silent exchange, Yan Bubu finally relaxed and turned away. However, he felt no satisfaction from thwarting the potential match-making, only a deeper sense of bitterness, his eyes swelling with unshed tears.

Ten minutes later, the barber put away the scissors, pleased, "All done, have a look. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

But Yan Bubu kept his head down, silent as if asleep.

Feng Chen, also finished, leaned down and whispered, "Let's go. You can sleep more once we're back, here—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Yan Bubu, with his eyes closed, had tears streaking down his face, one teardrop falling from his lashes, dampening the white cape on his chest.

"What happened?" Feng Chen's heart tightened instantly, fearing Yan Bubu was cut by the scissors, and quickly reached to check his head, only to have his hand slapped away sharply.

Fortunately, Yan Bubu's strong reaction indicated he wasn't seriously hurt.

Feng Chen then turned his gaze to the barber.

Startled by his intense look, the barber quickly explained, "No, no, the haircut looks good, it's not bad enough to cry over."

Yan Bubu didn't want to cry but couldn't help it. He knew everyone in the barbershop was watching, including Zhuang Hong, Feng Chen's supposed match.

"The cut is very good, looks great, thank you," he said to the barber with a tearful voice, then pulled off the cape, wiping his eyes with his sleeve as he quickly headed for the door, and ran towards the building once outside.

Confused, the barber asked Feng Chen, "Was he being sarcastic?"

"Probably not, the haircut looks great, thank you." Feng Chen hurried out of the barbershop and quickly followed.

Binunu and Black Lion were watching TV in the living room when the front door suddenly burst open. Yan Bubu, without a glance at them, hurriedly climbed the stairs.

Black Lion and Binunu watched his retreating figure, their gaze falling on his head.

His hair, which used to be long and curly, covering half his ear, was now shorter but for the first time in years, actually looked neat.

Feng Chen then entered the house, with Black Lion and Binunu shifting their attention to his hair as well.

Feng Chen's previously tied-up half-long hair was gone, cut shorter than Yan Bubu's, faintly revealing a hint of his scalp. Already handsome, the haircut added a touch of severity to his appearance. Coupled with his military uniform, he looked even more imposing.

He hung up two military caps by the door and followed upstairs.

After a few steps, he turned back, pointing at Black Lion and Binunu, "If either of you dares to mock his hair, I'll have you standing outside as punishment for a day."

The two quantum beasts, quietly watching TV, were suddenly reprimanded for no apparent reason. Black Lion remained silent, but Binunu grabbed a coaster from the table and threw it at Feng Chen's retreating back.