Chapter 12 An Unremarkable Special Admit

Chapter 12 An Unremarkable Special Admit

Pu Yu thought "Non-fish-eating Cat" must be quite young, or perhaps hadn't received systematic professional training.

His gameplay had an incomplete brilliance, like Venus de Milo with her missing arms.

He probably knew this because Venus was the pseudonym "Non-fish-eating Cat" had chosen for himself.

Today, he uncovered a new hidden storyline. Among countless roses, there was one black rose slightly larger than the others, hiding beside the path in the rose garden. It wasn't very conspicuous, and only someone who understood the other person would have the patience to find it. He clicked on the rose petals, and a giant black rose bloomed, revealing a boy inside wearing a white rose crown but without legs.

A dialogue box popped up, saying, "I want to find my parents, but I can't walk. Kind person, could you help me find them?"

This side quest involved taking the legless boy to find his parents.

It was a very plain storyline. Along the way, the boy talked to himself, and they never found his parents. Instead, they arrived at a magical land where people without legs could fly.

Like a surreal beautiful dream.

Pu Yu felt this hidden side quest was the most inexplicable part of the game, yet strangely tender, unlike the chatty cat he remembered.

After playing with Pu Ying for nearly an hour, both Pu Ying and Ning Song were tired. Preparing to return to the nanny's room for a nap, Ning Song saw several people in uniforms holding elaborate dresses standing in the small living room downstairs. Mrs. Pu sat on the sofa, with four models lined up in front of her, showing her how the clothes looked on them.

...

So this is how the rich send clothes—by bringing models to your home.

He didn't know that luxury brand salespeople could bring models to deliver clothes personally.

He returned to the nanny's room and slept. When he woke up, it was almost six o'clock. The nanny's room was in the southwest corner of the first floor, and through the window, he could see the entrance gate. More people were in the courtyard, indicating the banquet was about to start.

Just after waking up, he was still a bit dazed. After a moment, he suddenly heard someone shout, "Mr. Pu has returned."

Passing through the flower trellis, he saw four black cars slowly pulling into the courtyard, each with a white pine needle flag on the hood.

Several people, men and women, got out of the cars, forming a grand procession behind a middle-aged man.

A bigger version of Pu Yu.

They really did look remarkably similar. Seeing Mr. Pu, one could easily imagine what Pu Yu would look like when grown up. Tall, steady, and embodying the demeanor of a powerful scion. He bent down to pick up the rushing Pu Ying, a hint of a smile softening his stern face, exuding a paternal warmth.

He seemed more relaxed than Pu Yu, a result of power and age giving him composure.

Mrs. Pu came out to greet him, smiling and chatting. Soon, he saw Pu Yu.

Broad-shouldered and slim-waisted, he looked every inch the heir to a wealthy family.

Tall men truly were handsome, like models. Previously, he thought 1.9 meters was too tall, but now, it was truly pleasing to the eye.

The eldest son was only seventeen; he could still grow taller, right?

He sipped his milk through a straw.

Could he still grow taller too?

Men in this novel world were seriously competitive in height.

His gaze fell on Pu Yu's long legs.

Long and straight.

No matter how strong he tried to be, his deepest regret was still his own legs, so he always looked at others' legs from a young age.

A severe leg fetishist.

He didn't like overly thin legs or the thick muscular legs of fitness enthusiasts. He preferred well-proportioned legs with masculine strength. They couldn't be hairless, nor excessively hairy; mainly, he had little body hair himself and felt it made him less manly. Perhaps due to being bullied as a child, he yearned for healthy, powerful masculinity.

He wasn't looking with sexual intent; he wished he had such legs himself.

He glanced down at his own legs, which looked empty in the pants due to their thinness, with slender ankles wrapped in sports socks.

The road ahead was long, and he wondered if he could ever achieve his dream legs in this lifetime.

In the study, Pu Guanting was asking Pu Yu about his recent situation at school.

He had been busy, and they hadn't seen each other for almost a month.

Pu Guanting asked, "Are you still working on that game company?"

Pu Yu responded with a "Hmm."

"Don't let it affect your studies."

"Hmm," Pu Yu said.

Pu Guanting paused, glancing at his son. "...Do as you see fit. I think it's something you'll eventually discard, just a waste of time."

There was a knock on the door, followed by it opening. Secretary Sun whispered, "Chairman Rong has arrived."

Pu Guanting nodded, extinguished his cigarette, and said to Pu Yu, "Your Uncle Rong mentioned you the other day. Come with me."

Pu Yu responded with a "Hmm."

Secretary Sun then smiled at Pu Yu, "I heard from your mother that you brought a classmate home to play?"

Hearing this, Pu Guanting turned around and raised an eyebrow.

Pu Yu replied indifferently, "Uncle Ning's son."

Pu Guanting asked, "Which Uncle Ning?"

But Secretary Liu reacted quickly: "It's Ning Wei, the new driver we hired for our fleet."

Pu Guanting responded with an "Oh," surprised that he could still remember this person.

They left the study and headed to the reception room on the first floor. Pu Yu saw through the glass that Ning Wei and a few other drivers were gathered around Ning Song, talking.

Standing next to grown men, he looked even more slender.

Ning Wei was particularly proud that his son had entered Upper East School. He boasted about it to the other drivers, then went back to meet Liu Fen, and the family of three only had a few minutes together before Ning Wei was called away again.

Their fleet had been very busy recently, as many guests had come to the Pu residence, some of whom required dedicated transportation.

Liu Fen also went off to work because the banquet was about to start.

The maid's quarters were next to the banquet hall, which was noisy, so Ning Song slipped out the back door.

Outside was much quieter. The houses here were mostly surrounded by high walls, the streets wide and tranquil. Even the white willow trees seemed older, giving off a twisted and lonely feeling. Not far away stood the Twin Towers, already lit up despite the sky not being dark yet, displaying government advertisements welcoming business groups to Upper East.

The weather wasn't good today; the forecast predicted a strong thunderstorm later in the evening. He didn't venture far, just strolled along the quiet streets of the affluent area. The houses here were uniquely designed, with red tiles and white walls. Some early blooming white willow flowers had started to fall, landing on parked cars. He enjoyed wandering around such places, as they often sparked his creativity.

People who reviewed his games often praised his imagination and creativity but criticized the visuals.

After all, he was self-taught and lacked formal training.

As he walked and took photos with his phone, a private message from the forum popped up.

"Autumn Mackerel" sent him a link.

He clicked on it and found it was a deep interview with game industry mogul Xie Qingting.

He had just seen Xie Qingting in a magazine at the school library and knew that he was an artist in the gaming world, renowned for his visually stunning and artistically profound games, winning numerous awards.

[Autumn Mackerel]: "You should check it out."

He knew exactly what "Autumn Mackerel" meant.

When they first met, "Autumn Mackerel" pointed out his shortcomings in visual effects.

But he was stubborn and couldn't admit it.

[No Fishy Cat]: "What do you mean? Explain clearly!"

[Autumn Mackerel]: "This interview is really interesting."

[No Fishy Cat]: "I'll take a look when I have time."

[Autumn Mackerel]: "Not resting today?"

[No Fishy Cat]: "Half-resting."

He thought for a moment and said, "Visiting a colleague's house, someone I don't know well."

[Autumn Mackerel]: "Is he really mute or pretending?"

Ning Song pursed his lips: "Just a metaphor. He's even more arrogant than you!"

The other person probably got teased again and replied after a while: "Maybe he's just shy."

[No Fishy Cat]: "Oh, so you're saying you're shy?"

[Autumn Mackerel] replied after a pause: "No."

[No Fishy Cat]: "Little fish, you seem to be talking more lately."

[Autumn Mackerel]: "Playing your game."

[No Fishy Cat]: "Do you think my game's visuals aren't good enough?"

[Autumn Mackerel]: "There's a lot of room for improvement."

Just as Ning Song was about to type, he felt a few raindrops hit his screen.

He looked up, and the rain started pouring down.

The wind blew, making the tree shadows sway, and the sound of rain filled the air.

He ran to the entrance of a nearby convenience store to shelter from the rain and saw another teenager under the eaves, wearing a hoodie and holding a dog on a leash.

What a huge dog!

He was startled, remembering being knocked down by a large dog when he was young, which made him feel weak-kneed even now. He instinctively moved away.

To his surprise, the dog wagged its tail and tried to approach him.

Oh no.

He tiptoed, hearing the owner tug the leash and scold, "Nunu!"

He was taken aback and turned to see a strand of white hair peeking out from under the hood.

Sheng Yan recognized him and smiled, "What a coincidence, meeting you again."

He had a good impression of Sheng Yan, whose smiling face could make anyone feel better.

"So this is Nunu?"

Damn, calling such an ugly dog Nunu, no wonder readers find it ironic.

Sheng Yan pushed his hood back: "You know quite a bit, even recognizing Nunu."

Ning Song reacted: "I heard it from a classmate."

As he spoke, seeing Niumiu trying to get closer to him again, he gave a dry laugh and moved back to stand against the wall.

"Scared of dogs?"

Ning Song nodded: "It's too big."

Sheng Yan laughed: "It looks intimidating, but it's actually a coward, a delicate little princess."

Still, Sheng Yan tugged on the leash, pulling Niumiu closer to him, then reached out to pat its head. Niumiu pressed against his leg in a pleasing manner.

Leg-conscious Ning Song noticed that Sheng Yan's legs were also very long.

On such a cold day, he was wearing only shorts, possibly having just finished exercising. His calves looked particularly attractive, slender and graceful.

His hand holding the leash was pale and slender, with a red string bracelet hanging down to his wrist bone.

Sheng Yan's mixed-race appearance wasn't very obvious, although his features were deep-set. His nose was higher than most Asians when viewed in profile, but his jawline was soft, giving him a youthful look. He wore an earring, and the wind carried a damp, sweaty scent, a subtle fragrance like a boy's pheromones. Every part of his face seemed blessed by nature.

Because of him, even the rain felt like fireworks set off by a deity.

Ning Song looked up at the rain under the streetlight; it really did resemble fireworks, exploding everywhere.

"So much coincidence, let's exchange contact information," Sheng Yan suddenly said.

Ning Song turned and saw Sheng Yan beckoning for his phone: "Give me your phone."

Ning Song handed over his phone, which was quite old and still warm from his body, slightly damp. Sheng Yan took it, opened FB, entered his account, and sent a friend request.

"I don't have my phone with me, I'll accept it when I get home." As soon as he finished speaking, the phone vibrated, showing a message at the top of the screen.

【Mackerel】: "Are you angry?"

He handed the phone back to Ning Song: "Someone sent you a message."

Ning Song glanced at it, his lips curling into a smile, and replied: "Not angry, it's raining outside. I'm out, talk later."

【Mackerel】 immediately replied: "Your game is great."

Then another message: "Really great."

Ning Song chuckled and responded: "I'm not angry!"

He put away his phone and turned to see Sheng Yan looking at him with amusement: "You're smiling so happily even when you're angry."

"…Sorry, I accidentally saw one of the messages."

Ning Song said: "Just chatting with a friend."

After saying this, he opened FB to check Sheng Yan's account.

Sheng Yan's ID profile picture was Niumiu, the large dog, very cool.

Unlike Ning Song, who had few followers, Sheng Yan had hundreds of thousands. However, he followed only a few dozen people.

Unlike Pu Yu's introverted personality, Sheng Yan was very talkative and loved to laugh, appearing relaxed. A distinct scent of rose and cedarwood lingered around him.

The rain quickly subsided, gradually stopping.

"Do you live here?" he asked.

Sheng Yan pointed to a nearby house.

"Wanna come over to my place?" Sheng Yan said, "I live alone."

Ning Song looked up at the darkening sky: "No, I need to go back. I came here as a guest today."

Liu Fen called him, telling him to hurry back now that it had stopped raining.

He bid farewell to Sheng Yan and rushed back. Looking back from a distance, he saw Sheng Yan, with his white hair, standing at the convenience store entrance, waving casually.

Even from afar, he could feel the brightness of his smile.

He returned to the large house, entering through the back door, which was rarely used. The courtyard was narrow and dim. Inside, he saw Pu Yu standing under a newly budding rose trellis. Dressed in a neatly pressed school uniform, he had a small head, broad shoulders, a slim waist, and long legs, all very appealing. One hand held a clean, transparent ashtray, while the other held a cigarette.

His fingers were long, and he was tall, making him stand out wherever he stood.

Unlike Li You, who smoked skillfully and effortlessly, Pu Yu smoked quietly, even the small ashtray exuding elegance.

Pu Yu had learned to smoke since junior high, but he did so infrequently—once a month or every two to three months, each time just one cigarette. It was more of a personal ritual or release, like after winning a prize he liked or after their game finally launched.

Today's incident might have been triggered by the teasing he received from "Non-Bloody Cat."

After satisfying a month-long need, he came out for a post-coital smoke.

Seeing Ning Song, he extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray, not because he was afraid Ning Song would see, but probably because he thought Ning Song was too well-behaved and young for him to smoke in front of him.

Ning Song didn't say anything, but Pu Yu spoke, his voice gentle and clear: "Had dinner, getting ready to go back to school."

"Okay."

He returned to the caretaker's room, where Liu Fen brought him some food. She sat next to him with Ning Wei, watching him eat.

He felt a bit uncomfortable,

Back when he was learning programming, Teacher Liu often praised him. At that time, he still had a faint longing for a family, wondering if having a skill that stood out might make potential adopters take a second look.

After all, Ms. Liu sometimes recommended him, saying he was a little genius.

Although they all knew that he was too old and the chances of being adopted were slim.

Now he had parents, alive and real, loving and warm, like a beautiful dream he had.

After finishing their meal, he and Pu Yu planned to head back to school.

Mrs. Pu packed a bunch of nutritional supplements for Liu Fen to bring to Ning Song.

Liu Fen saw that these were things Mrs. Pu and her family would eat themselves, all very expensive, and was shocked: "These are too valuable. He's just a child..."

Mrs. Pu smiled and said, "I just consulted a nutritionist. These are suitable for him. The boy is too thin; it breaks my heart to see him. It's all for the child's good, so don't be polite."

Mrs. Pu added, "This is enough for a week. When he finishes them, have him come back with Pu Yu next week."

She then looked at Pu Yu: "Remember?"

Pu Yu responded with a "Mm."

After his "Mm," he saw Ning Song coming out with his backpack. He took the supplements from Liu Fen, got into the car first, and watched Mrs. Pu and the others talk to Ning Song from inside the car.

Ning Song seemed to have two faces: obedient and gentle in front of elders, but mischievous and talkative in front of Pu Ying. Perhaps sensing his gaze, Ning Song suddenly turned his head, his eyes curved, and his smile lines deep, standing in the misty courtyard.

Ning Song needed to go home first to get some clothes.

The car stopped near where the school bus had picked him up before.

It was a very long staircase leading up, which didn't require a long detour and had no dirty puddles along the way.

"Don't get out of the car. Wait here for me."

Pu Yu nodded slightly.

But after just a few steps, he slipped and fell down.

Fortunately, he only fell, his foot caught between the stair and the wall, cushioning his fall. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened.

The stairs were filthy, and he ended up covered in black mud.

He got up from the stairs, hurriedly reaching for his umbrella, and saw the driver and Pu Yu getting out of the car.

"I'm fine, just slipped," Ning Song shouted. "Go back to the car and wait."

But he looked terribly disheveled, with scraped hands bleeding mixed with rainwater.

Pu Yu told the driver, "Uncle Zhang, go back to the car."

Then he opened his umbrella, walked up, and grabbed Ning Song's arm.

Ning Song said, "It's very slippery."

Pu Yu responded with a "Mm," closed his own umbrella, handed it to Ning Song, and took Ning Song's umbrella, walking forward.

"I'll be careful. You should go back to the car," Ning Song said.

Pu Yu didn't say anything, looking calm but directly stepping upward.

He was the type who listened but didn't change.

So Ning Song had no choice but to follow him up.

But after just a few steps, Pu Yu slipped and fell.

Fortunately, he reacted faster, stumbling and falling against the wall beside him.

But his pants were soaked.

In the end, both of them were quite disheveled when they arrived home, smelling unpleasant.

The rainy Lower Harbor had a sewer-like smell, even the rain was cold and foul.

Ning Song turned on the living room lights.

Pu Yu was somewhat stunned, probably not expecting their house to be so small.

Ning Song thought it was okay.

In Shangdong Province, every inch of land was precious; it was already good not to live in a coffin-sized room.

Though the Ning family's place was only about thirty square meters, it had two rooms, an independent bathroom, and a small kitchen—basically everything they needed.

But Pu Yu's height made it too cramped inside. He had to lower his head to avoid hitting the door frame.

They were both soaked through. Ning Song took off his clothes and lifted his arm to look. His elbow was scraped, and blood had stained his white shirt. Every time he bent his arm, it pulled at the wound, making him frown.

Pu Yu gently held his arm to take a closer look.

Ning Song put his arm down: "It's nothing." He asked Pu Yu, "Do you want to take a shower and change your clothes? We have a dryer; it will be done soon."

The young master clearly disliked the dirt and smell on himself and nodded.

Worried that Pu Yu might get cold while waiting, Ning Song went to find some clothes for him.

But the difference in their sizes was significant. His clothes wouldn't fit Pu Yu, so he poked his head out and asked, "Can you wear my dad's clothes? They're clean."

When he poked his head out, he saw Pu Yu standing in front of the sofa wearing only black boxers.

He was also very thin, with prominent bones, but unlike Ning Song's underdeveloped thinness, he looked like a sharp blade gleaming cold white light, narrow hips, and a low body fat percentage, as if he could pierce someone with his strength.

Author's Note

Mrs. Pu: The great contributor to her transformation.