Chapter 14 An Unremarkable Special Admit

Chapter 14 An Unremarkable Special Admit

Li You flicked the cigarette in his hand onto the ground. The butt landed in a puddle with a sizzle and went out, sending up a thin wisp of smoke. He was clearly surprised to see Ning Song and Pu Yu together, his gaze constantly scanning them. Seeing the young master's usual haughty demeanor, the smile faded from his lips.

Pu Yu wasn't as repulsive as Qin Yi and his gang, but he was also not someone people liked due to his solitary nature. Li You could feel Pu Yu's coldness towards him... just coldness, nothing more.

The young master looked down on everyone; his dislike and his favor were equally sparing.

"Are we still going?" Pu Yu asked Ning Song.

Ning Song nodded hastily.

Qiao Qiao quickly said, "You go back first. I'll come to your dorm later."

Ning Song nodded and smiled at Li You and the others. "I'm off then."

With that, he and Pu Yu walked towards the school.

This was when the rain was at its heaviest, and the wind had picked up, making it very cold. The fine water droplets dampened the tattoo on Li You's hand.

Zheng Xiaobo said, "Young Master Pu is still so aloof."

He turned to look at Li You and found him still staring at the school gate.

His hair was shorter than before, probably freshly cut over the weekend, revealing his scalp behind his ears. This made him look sharper, less like a thug, and more youthful. The pale scalp gave him an overall fresh appearance.

Zheng Xiaobo followed his gaze and saw two figures, one tall and one short, their shoulders brushing against each other as they walked.

He recognized Pu Yu, of course.

The shorter one was unfamiliar, his face unmemorable, but what stood out was his build. His body seemed barely able to fill out the Upper East School uniform. The wind blew the pant legs tight against his calves, as if without Pu Yu shielding him from the wind, he would be swallowed by the storm.

"Your classmate?" he asked Qiao Qiao.

Before Qiao Qiao could answer, someone nearby said, "That's the bean sprout from Lower Harbor!"

Zheng Xiaobo was taken aback and immediately turned to look at Li You, then towards the school gate.

"He's from Lower Harbor?" he hurriedly asked Li You.

Li You curled his lip and instead asked Qiao Qiao, "Is he close with Young Master Pu?"

Qiao Qiao wouldn't betray Ning Song.

His relationship with Li You was average; he was only standing there because Zheng Xiaobo was present.

"We're in the same class, of course we're close," he said.

He knew the school forum was buzzing with speculation about Pu Yu and Ning Song's relationship.

Apart from discovering that Mrs. Pu wrote the recommendation letter for Ning Song, no further information was available.

"I'm off. I need to talk to Aning," Qiao Qiao said, quickly opening his umbrella and hurrying after them.

The puddles on the ground were filled with white petals, the white ash flowers ravaged by the rain. The spring thunder rumbled dully in the distance.

Qiao Qiao noticed many people watching Ning Song and Pu Yu along the way.

There was no helping it; wherever Pu Yu went, he was the center of attention. Even in this dark and stormy night, his figure was easily recognizable.

Tall and slender, he was unique throughout Upper East School.

Because of Pu Yu, Ning Song was now even more famous than when he first arrived. Discussions on the forum had been ongoing since the afternoon, and now that everyone was back at school, the speculation had reached a fever pitch.

Rainy days were perfect for gossiping in the dorms.

Just now, he saw someone sneakily taking pictures of Pu Yu and Ning Song getting out of the car.

He followed behind, pulling out his phone to check the latest updates on the forum.

Sure enough, new photos had already been posted, faster than any live report.

"Stop arguing! Look at this. It's not just about picking him up; they came back together too!"

"They've been together all afternoon!"

"I said it before, how can a poor kid from the slums get into our school? Turns out he has connections."

"But how did this kid connect with the Pu family? There's not a single poor relative in their entire lineage."

"This is the first time I've seen Young Master Pu sharing an umbrella with someone at school."

"Look at how the umbrella tilts towards the poor kid. My boyfriend isn't even this considerate!"

"You use the word 'considerate' for Pu Daxi? That's really shocking!"

"Ning Song is doomed. How many people secretly in love with Pu Daxi will tear him apart?!"

Bro, that statement is what's really shocking!

Qiao Qiao quickly put away his phone and quickened his pace.

Ning Song also noticed the gazes of others.

When he had no connection to Pu Yu, the sense of security Pu Yu provided was immense. Now that they were connected, the danger Pu Yu brought was equally significant.

He wasn't a naive little boy; he knew the benefits of associating with Pu Yu. But could he become friends with Pu Yu?

He couldn't imagine such a scenario.

Leaving aside the difference in their social status, Ning Song and Pu Yu also had vastly different personalities.

He could tease "mackerel" types with ease, but he wouldn't dare do that with Pu Yu.

The two walked silently toward the dormitory building. Ning Song felt the umbrella in his tote bag and was pondering how to find an excuse to use it when he heard Pu Yu ask, "Are you close with Li You?"

"Huh?" Ning Song was taken aback and replied, "Not really."

Ning Song countered, "Are you close with him?"

Pu Yu said, "We've never spoken."

Just as Ning Song thought their conversation was about to end, Pu Yu suddenly added, "Stay away from him."

Ning Song was surprised by this statement and responded, "We don't have much interaction anyway."

Footsteps approached from behind. Qiao Qiao splashed through puddles to catch up, shouting, "Aning!"

Both Ning Song and Pu Yu turned around and waited for Qiao Qiao to reach them.

It was the first time Ning Song had seen Qiao Qiao so reserved. He waved at Pu Yu, saying, "Hi."

Pu Yu didn't react much.

Seeing Qiao Qiao, Ning Song seemed to come alive, his voice warm and intimate, "Did you go home?"

"I found staying alone at school boring, so I went over when Deng Xun invited Zheng Xiaobo and others for dinner," Qiao Qiao said, walking ahead. "I'm heading to your dorm."

"Sure, and I brought some snacks my mom made for you," Ning Song said.

Qiao Qiao smiled, "That's funny; I brought milk cookies for you too!"

With that, he stepped forward, "Let me carry one for you."

Surprisingly, Ning Song didn't refuse and handed him the paper bag filled with nutritional supplements.

"This much food?"

"And some nutritional supplements."

Ning Song realized the young master hadn't spoken and tactfully included him, "It's from Brother Yu."

Qiao Qiao smiled at Pu Yu, but Pu Yu remained expressionless, leaving Qiao Qiao feeling a bit awkward.

Pu Yu added, "My mother gave them to you."

Pu Yu himself could sense Ning Song and Qiao Qiao's discomfort. These two usually chatted a lot and always gathered together during breaks in class.

Their current awkwardness was clearly due to his presence.

So, as they approached the skyway, he told Ning Song, "I won't see you to the dormitory."

"No need, no need." Ning Song immediately reached for his umbrella, seemingly eager to be on his own.

Pu Yu pursed his lips, watching as Ning Song took a step to the side and fully opened his umbrella. The umbrella bloomed in the heavy rain, pushing back splashing water.

As Pu Yu walked toward the skyway, Ning Song noticed that his other hand, which wasn't holding the umbrella, was wet, and the sleeve was noticeably darker.

The rain was too heavy, and Pu Yu must have been tilting the umbrella more toward Ning Song.

Once Pu Yu was far enough away, Qiao Qiao let out a deep breath.

Ning Song glanced at him, and both of them shared a knowing laugh.

"Were you at the Pu residence all afternoon?" Qiao Qiao asked. "You're going to be famous again. I've been lurking on the forum all day, and everyone is digging into you."

Ning Song said, "Haven't they finished digging yet?"

He thought they had already uncovered everything about him.

"They're now digging into your connection with the Pu family," Qiao Qiao said.

Ning Song didn't care.

Let them dig.

He was already at the bottom of Upper East School, and things couldn't get much worse.

As expected, those people dug and dug, only to find out that his parents might work for the Pu family. But he was from the slums, and his background had already been ridiculed. Having a connection to the Pu family was actually better than what they imagined!

"I said it before, he's from Lower Harbor, there's no way he's related to the Pu family. The Pu family doesn't have any poor relatives!"

"Some even speculated about his relationship with Pu Yu, hinting they might be involved romantically. How ridiculous!"

"Hahaha, the most impossible thing is for them to be involved. They just want to mock the bean sprout."

"I worried for nothing, thinking Mr. Darcy was into skeletons! Turns out it's the young master and his little servant!"

Ning Song yawned as he read these comments.

He was completely immune to such remarks.

If they criticized his gaming skills, he might have reacted, but these were things he didn't care about.

He closed the curtains and the bed canopy, turned off the light, and lay down heavily.

His physical condition was poor, and the cold rain today made him feel like he was catching a cold. He was cautious and immediately drank a cold remedy when he felt unwell.

The medicine tasted slightly sweet and bitter. Listening to the rain and thunder outside, he closed his eyes. Just as drowsiness began to take hold, his phone vibrated. He forced his eyes open to check, seeing a text message.

It was an unfamiliar number. The text message read: "Eat less fruit tonight; it's bad for your spleen and stomach."

Soon after, another message arrived: "Also eat less dairy."

Ning Song, feeling dazed, replied: "Who are you?"

The other person took a while to respond: "Pu Yu."

Ning Song's heart stirred.

He remembered. In the afternoon, he had gone to the swimming pool, and Pu Yu had called him then.

"Sorry, I forgot to save your number." He replied, fighting off his drowsiness.

Pu Daxi responded: "No problem."

"Get some rest early."

He was surprised that Pu Yu, who was usually so quiet, would send such caring messages late at night. Thinking back to the forum posts he had just read, which said he and Pu Yu were worlds apart, made him feel even more peculiar. It was as if his body had become lighter, floating on clouds.

But his head felt heavier, even sleepier.

For a moment, he saw a hallucination of "Mackerel."

When they first met, "Mackerel" was quite aloof. Back then, "Mackerel" was brief and to the point.

Now, although still concise, "Mackerel" was much gentler. Last time, "Mackerel" even told him to take care of his health. Sometimes, amidst all the hostility around him, the kindness of strangers online felt warmer.

Feeling dazed and confused, he replied to Pu Yu in the same tone he used with "Mackerel": "Thanks for your concern, Little Fish."

He hit send and promptly fell asleep.

"Author's Note"

Pu Yu: You fell asleep like that.