Chapter 127

Chapter 127

◎Taking a Life Comes with a Price◎

In the small green park downstairs, Ji Nanxing sat on a swing eating ice cream. As he swayed leisurely, the aroma of fried food wafted over. Before he could turn around, Xiao Ye's voice came from behind.

"Naonao, want some fried chicken bones? I grabbed two portions."

Before the words even finished, a portion of fried chicken bones, packaged in a cheap roadside stall bag, was handed to him.

Ji Nanxing reached in and took one. The greasy oil, loads of cumin and chili powder, and even the frozen chicken bones came together to make something irresistible.

Xiao Ye sat on the swing next to him, munching on a chicken bone. "My sister-in-law just dropped off two boxes of cherries. I’ve already had them sent upstairs. They’re from her friend’s orchard, handpicked for being big and sweet—guaranteed delicious."

Ji Nanxing alternated between bites of ice cream and fried chicken bone. "Wasn’t your sister-in-law here to have dinner with you?"

Xiao Ye sneered. "They’d rather have some alone time. They can’t stand me; why would they want to have dinner with me? When they were dating, I was only in sixth grade. Even though I was tall, I still had to go to the pediatrician. They’d exchange some game tokens, dump me in the arcade, and go watch a movie. After the movie and their candlelit dinner, they were almost home before remembering I was still at the mall."

Ji Nanxing laughed. "Why didn’t you just go home by yourself?"

Xiao Ye crunched on the crispy bones. "I hardly ever got to play games without being watched—why would I go home? Besides, I was so young. Whatever my brother planned, I just followed along. When they forgot me at the mall, Grandpa scolded my brother, not me for staying to play."

Ji Nanxing glanced at him. "No wonder your brother’s always been fed up with you."

After finishing a piece, Ji Nanxing looked around for a trash can with the gnawed bone in his hand. Xiao Ye reached out beside him. "Put it in my hand, I’ll throw it away later."

Ji Nanxing hesitated. It felt wrong to put something he’d been gnawing on in someone else’s hand. Xiao Ye clicked his tongue. "Hurry up, my arm’s getting sore."

Ji Nanxing took a pack of tissues from his pocket, pulled one out, and placed it on Xiao Ye’s hand before putting the gnawed bone on top.

Xiao Ye laughed. "You’re wasting a tissue. We all gotta do our part to save the planet."

Ji Nanxing gave him a sidelong glance. "Then don’t buy bone-in stuff next time."

Xiao Ye: "How can I not? You’re the one who loves bone-in food. Meat with too little bone won’t cut it; it’s gotta be mostly bone with just a bit of meat. You’re so fussy."

Ji Nanxing looked surprised. "I’m fussy? No one’s ever called me fussy before."

He wasn’t picky—he could enjoy fancy Michelin meals or cheap street food, private chefs or takeout. If he was fussy, then what kind of person wasn’t?

Xiao Ye gave him a look that said, "What am I going to do with you?" "It’s fine, your big brother can handle it. Fussy is fussy."

Ji Nanxing: "Eight bucks for a portion of fried chicken bones—what a splurge."

Xiao Ye held up two fingers. "Two portions. Call me ‘bro,’ and I’ll get you chicken offal noodles tonight, double the offal. How’s that? Pretty generous, huh?"

Ji Nanxing aimed a kick at his leg. Xiao Ye dodged with a laugh, then handed the fried chicken bones back to him. "Alright, alright, let’s cut it out. If we keep this up, it’ll get cold and lose its flavor."

Ji Nanxing snorted and took another piece to gnaw on.

Xiao Ye held the food bag in one hand and the tissue-covered bones in the other, his feet on the ground as he swung the swing back and forth. He watched Ji Nanxing closely as he ate, picking at the meat on the bones, his mouth moving like a little hamster’s, and couldn’t help but smile at how cute he was.

They swung on the swings, munching on fried chicken bones, and only after finishing the bag did they clap their hands and get ready to head home.

As Xiao Ye went to toss the trash, Ji Nanxing heard kids arguing in the distance. He turned to see one kid grabbing another, who was screaming, and the grabbed kid was shoving the screamer away.

Ji Nanxing walked over. The screaming mushroom-haired child was being pushed away, and he reached out to block, preventing the child from falling.

Ji Nanxing kicked a sharp rock out of the way.

The boy with the mushroom haircut, not yet steady on his feet, lunged again at the taller boy: "No! You can't kill it! You can't!"

He wasn't as strong as the other boy and couldn't budge him. In desperation, he let out another piercing scream.

The child's voice was already high-pitched, and with all his might, the scream was ear-piercing. Soon, both guardians came running, each pulling their own child: "What’s going on here? What are you two up to now?"

The mushroom-headed boy grabbed his grandmother's hand and pointed at the boy with the stick, who looked indifferent: "He’s burying a bird—he’s trying to kill the sparrow!"

The taller boy, half a head taller, was calm, swinging the stick in his hand and rolling his eyes: "Mind your own business! Stop sticking your nose in."

The mushroom-headed boy rushed over to dig out the bird, but the other boy clearly wouldn't allow it. He stepped over and stomped on the freshly dug soil, even grinding it with his foot.

A few feathers were still poking out of the hole, but the bird was clearly dead, motionless in the dirt.

The mushroom-headed boy reached out to push him, but before he could touch the other boy, the boy's grandmother shoved him away: "Whose kid are you? How dare you lay a hand on someone! Were you raised in a barn?"

The mushroom-headed boy's grandmother couldn't stand hearing someone talk about her grandson like that. She immediately shielded her grandson: "Why are you pushing my grandson! You don't discipline your own grandson, he’s already so cruel at such a young age, who knows what harm he'll cause when he grows up!"

No grandmother could stand to hear such words, and she immediately started arguing with the mushroom-headed boy's grandmother, claiming her grandson was burying a dead bird, doing a good deed.

Xiao Ye, hearing the commotion, rushed over, pulling Ji Nanxing behind him to avoid getting involved: "What's going on?"

Ji Nanxing looked at the two arguing grandmothers and spoke up: "There's surveillance here, we can get the police involved. Whether it's burying or killing, the surveillance will show. Sparrows are second-class protected animals in China. Even if your grandson is young, as a guardian, you have a responsibility to supervise properly."

Hearing Ji Nanxing's words, Xu Ruirui's grandmother immediately straightened her back, patting her grandson's mushroom head: "My grandson never lies. If he says your grandson was killing a bird, it must be true. Let’s just call the police and have them check the footage!"

The other boy, Lin Kaiyuan's grandmother, reached out as if to poke Ji Nanxing in the face: "Butt out, it’s none of your concern! You're such a big person standing here watching, and you didn't even try to stop the two kids. If they got hurt, could you take responsibility?"

Ji Nanxing laughed: "What am I responsible for? It's your grandson who's been killing goldfish and birds. If you don't restrain him, there will be big trouble. Let me give you some advice: killing brings bad karma, and it will come back to you sooner or later."

This statement struck a nerve with Lin's grandmother. She instantly flew into a rage, grabbing Ji Nanxing and unleashing a torrent of abuse.

Xiao Ye blocked the old woman's hand: "Don’t pull the age card. Should we call the police and check the surveillance to see how your grandson killed a national second-class protected animal? Then your grandson will be famous in the whole neighborhood, maybe even his school. I wonder who will want to play with him then!"

Hearing this, Lin's grandmother felt a bit uneasy. She knew her grandson liked to dissect things—tadpoles, goldfish, and birds. The family even said he would surely become a doctor.

So whether the bird was killed or buried alive today, they definitely couldn't let the surveillance be checked.

Xiao Ye also knew it was pointless to argue with such people. Seeing her speechless, he simply pulled Ji Nanxing away.

Seeing them leave, Lin's grandmother became arrogant again, hurling all sorts of insults, as vile as they could be.

Xiao Ye had already walked far away, but hearing her curses, he turned back: "Looks like we'll have to call the police today!"

He took out his phone, pretending to call the police. Lin's grandmother didn't dare to let it go that far, so she grabbed her grandson and left, cursing all the way, saying things like "It's just a sparrow, what second-class protected animal? Sparrows are everywhere, they're practically a plague, why protect them?"

Seeing her leave, Xiao Ye put his phone away: "Keep your distance from such unreasonable folks, they're nothing but trouble."

After Lin Kaiyuan's family left, Xu Ruirui immediately ran over and started digging with his hands. The sparrow wasn’t buried too deep, and after a few scoops, it was uncovered. But the sparrow was too small, already dead.

Xu Ruirui turned to his grandmother, crying.

Xu Ruirui's grandmother sighed: "Let’s dig a hole under the tree and give it a proper burial. Stay away from that boy in the future. He’s already so cruel at such a young age, who knows what bad things he'll do when he grows up."

Seeing Ji Nanxing watching them bury the bird, Xiao Ye asked: "What's wrong? Is it the dead bird’s restless spirit?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head and turned to walk home: "No, it's that boy. He has a red aura, a sign of impending bloodshed. I wanted to warn him to be kind and avoid trouble recently, but obviously, his family wouldn't listen. Forget it, everyone has their own fate. With their family's behavior, some disasters are inevitable."

Xiao Ye slung an arm over Ji Nanxing's shoulder: "The soft-hearted saint wants to save the world again."

Ji Nanxing: "It's a shame some people insist on heading down a dead-end path."

The two got home, and the moment they walked in, they saw Xie Pan'er spinning around in her skirt. Seeing them return, she didn't stop but continued to twirl, saying, "The Young Celestial Master is back! How do I look spinning?"

Ji Nanxing watched her for three seconds and then complimented, "Perfectly round."

Xiao Ye, who was carrying two boxes of cherries at the door, closed the door and asked, "What's perfectly round?"

Xie Pan'er frowned at Ji Nanxing, "Never mind, I won't bother explaining this to an outsider. I just found out that there's a basement in the neighborhood behind us where some girls practice dancing. I go to watch them every day."

Ji Nanxing: "Basements are dark and can attract bad energy. Watch if you must, but keep your distance and avoid deep contact with them."

Xie Pan'er nodded repeatedly, "Got it, I’ll be careful."

After saying that, she ran off to twirl again. When she was alive, spinning too much would make her dizzy and tired, but now that she’s dead, she can spin forever without a care, though sometimes she loses control and starts to float.

Ji Nanxing went into the kitchen to wash cherries with Xiao Ye, "Xie Pan'er saw some girls dancing and started twirling with them. Why did you get so many cherries? We’ll never finish them all."

Xiao Ye replied, "It’s not too much. We’ll give half to your bodyguards next door, take some to school tomorrow, and keep a few pounds for here. It’s perfect."

Ji Nanxing: "I’ll be going home this week. My sister’s coming home for dinner. She hardly ever leaves the lab."

Xiao Ye nodded, "Then I’ll head home too, though my grandpa gets a headache just from seeing me."

Ji Nanxing glanced at him, "Your grandpa just grumbles. He’s really happy when you visit."

Xiao Ye sighed and shook his head, "Last week, I accidentally crushed the walnuts my grandpa had been working on for two years."

Ji Nanxing paused while washing the cherries, "The only reason your grandpa didn’t kill you is because you’re family."

After a hard day's work, people squeezed into the subway during the evening rush hour to get home. Xu’s mom took off her coat and changed her shoes, but didn’t see her little one, who usually comes running to greet her. She peeked around curiously, "Ruirui, mom's home."

The little boy with a mushroom haircut pouted, his lips quivering, and ran out to hug her, "Mom."

Xu’s mom patted her son's head, "What's wrong? You look really upset."

Xu’s grandma, who was folding clothes, recounted the afternoon's events. Meanwhile, Xu’s grandpa was teasing the bird in the cage, "Stay away from that boy from now on. He’s already cruel at his age, and his family doesn’t discipline him. It’s going to cause problems."

Xu’s mom ruffled her son's hair, "You did great today. Even though you couldn’t stop him from hurting the sparrow, it’s not your fault. You’re still little. When you eat more and grow bigger, you’ll be able to protect what you care about."

Xu Ruirui nodded seriously and ran towards his dad, who was cooking in the kitchen, "I’m hungry! Dad, I’m hungry!"

Xu’s mom glanced at the birdcages on the balcony. Because she loved her son, she also cared for the birds he loved.

Putting down her bag, she helped her mother-in-law fold clothes and asked, "Is that Lin Kaiyuan in the same class as Ruirui?"

Xu’s grandma nodded, "Yes, in the same big class. He's quite a bit taller than Ruirui. You didn’t see it, but today he buried that sparrow alive without a care in the world. I really don't know how his family is raising him."

Xu’s mom frowned, and Xu’s grandma said, "From now on, I’ll pick up Ruirui and head straight home, no more playing downstairs."

Xu’s mom said, "I’ll get Ruirui a membership card for the mall. After kindergarten, you can take him to the playground at the mall. It’s only a few months until he graduates from kindergarten. When he starts elementary school, I’ll talk to the school to make sure Ruirui isn’t in the same class as that boy."

Since kindergarten was only a few months away from ending, Xu Ruirui’s family didn’t think much of the incident. However, Lin Kaiyuan harbored a grudge.

If Xu Ruirui hadn’t made a scene that day, no one would’ve known what he was up to. With his grandma backing him up, his family wouldn’t scold him, but he was almost six years old and had a sense of right and wrong. He knew what he did was wrong and that being seen would lead to scolding.

So it was all that nosy Xu Ruirui’s fault. If he hadn’t drawn attention, who would’ve cared what he was doing?

After lunch at the kindergarten, the teachers led the children to their nap time.

Xu Ruirui climbed into his small bed, pulled up the blanket, and closed his eyes to sleep. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he felt an itch on his body. He reached out to scratch the itchy spot and felt something soft.

He lifted the blanket and saw a green caterpillar with fuzz.

Xu Ruirui let out a terrified scream, startling the other kids who were still awake. They opened their eyes and saw several caterpillars crawling on his bed.

Terrified, Xu Ruirui scrambled out of bed, lost his balance, and fell to the ground.

The quiet nap time quickly turned into chaos. Kids love to join in the chaos, and some who didn’t even know what was happening started screaming along with the others.

Lin Kaiyuan sat on his own small bed, smirking with malice. This time it was the bed, next time he could try putting worms in his lunchbox. If he likes animals so much, let him enjoy them as much as he wants.

Xu Ruirui was taken to the hospital. The fall wasn’t serious, but the areas where the caterpillars had crawled were covered in burn-like marks, which made the Xu family extremely distressed.

Parents would naturally demand an explanation from the kindergarten for something like this. How could there be caterpillars on the bed, and not just one? It was clearly intentional.

The kindergarten had surveillance cameras inside and out, but unfortunately, before nap time, a group of kids had been running around and playing on the beds. Almost every child had come into contact with Xu Ruirui’s bed, so it was impossible to tell which child had played the prank.

But the Xu family was certain that the prankster was Lin Kaiyuan, undoubtedly because of the incident with the buried bird that day.

The Lin family’s grandmother was also unreasonable. Even with evidence, she could stubbornly deny it, saying it was just a child being childish and that a caterpillar was no big deal. She could easily brush it off.

If they pressed the matter, they might even be seen as villains making a fuss over something so trivial with a child.

Even though they couldn’t swallow their anger, the Xu family had no choice but to accept it. The kindergarten covered all the medical expenses, as it was their fault for not supervising properly.

When Xu Ruirui recovered and returned to the kindergarten, Lin Kaiyuan cornered him in the restroom, pulled open his clothes, and threw dead insects inside.

As Xu Ruirui screamed in fear, Lin Kaiyuan clamped a hand over his mouth: "If you scream again, next time these insects will be in your bowl. Let’s see if you’ll still dare to stick your nose in other people’s business!"

Xu Ruirui was terrified but didn’t dare to tell the teacher because of the threat. He decided to tell his parents as soon as he got home and that he never wanted to go back to kindergarten.

But before school ended, during free play on the small playground, Xu Ruirui was dragged into a corner by a few boys who were friends with Lin Kaiyuan.

Lin Kaiyuan held a gray parrot in his hand and waved it in front of Xu Ruirui’s face: "Look, it’s a parrot."

Xu Ruirui saw him gripping the parrot’s neck tightly and watched as the parrot struggled painfully in his hands. He burst into tears: "Please don’t do this, let it go. I’ll buy it from you with my pocket money."

Lin Kaiyuan looked at him disdainfully: "Who wants your pocket money?"

As he spoke, he felt the parrot’s beak peck at the base of his thumb, and a wave of violent anger surged through him. He grabbed the parrot’s head and with a forceful twist, separated its body from its head.

Blood instantly spurted out, splattering onto Lin Kaiyuan’s clothes. Xu Ruirui was so shocked that he screamed and cried uncontrollably, no matter how much Lin Kaiyuan threatened him.

Knowing the teacher would arrive soon, Lin Kaiyuan tossed the dead bird aside, turned his jacket inside out, and ran off with the two boys who had held Xu Ruirui back.

The incident once again alarmed many people. When Lin Kaiyuan was brought to the office and saw the room full of adults, he felt a bit panicked. However, he still clung to the hope of making excuses, only to find that the office computer was playing the surveillance footage of him killing the bird.

Even their class teacher hadn’t expected such a young child to be so cruel and to already be bullying classmates at such a young age.

Both the Lin and Xu families were called in, along with the parents of the two boys who had helped Lin Kaiyuan.

The angrier the Xu family got, the calmer they became. Holding their son, who couldn’t stop crying, they comforted him and said, "We’re taking our child to the hospital to thoroughly check if he’s been traumatized or suffered any psychological damage. We’ll provide all the receipts later. Whether it’s you or the other parents who compensate, that’s up to the kindergarten. We won’t let our child see them again."

After saying this, Xu Ruirui’s mother and father left with their child. As for Lin Kaiyuan, he cried and apologized, saying he just wanted to scare his classmate and that he didn’t mean to do it.

The Lin family’s grandmother was still as unreasonable as ever, thinking that at worst, he’d just be expelled from kindergarten, as attending kindergarten wasn’t that important anyway.

It wasn’t until the teacher mentioned that this incident could affect his chances of getting into elementary school, and that if the story spread, he would be labeled as a problem child, that the Lin family finally offered profuse apologies, promising to compensate the Xu family for all subsequent expenses. This temporarily resolved the matter.

After Xu Ruirui returned home, he developed a high fever that very night, simply out of fear. After he recovered, his mother decided against sending him back to kindergarten and instead took him to her parents' home.

"Anyway, he'll be starting elementary school in a few months. Let him stay with my mom for a few months—think of it as his last bit of carefree time."

As she spoke, she helped her son get dressed: "You must listen to your grandparents and not run around, understand? I'll come to pick you up when it's almost time for school."

Xu Ruirui hadn't yet shaken off the trauma from that day—a bird had its head ripped off right in front of him. It wasn't something he could get over quickly. He nodded listlessly, determined never to go back to kindergarten.

After sending Xu Ruirui to her parents' home, Xu's mother and her husband began looking into school districts again. They were dead set on not letting their son attend the same school as Lin Kaiyuan. They were even prepared to sell their house and move to a different district if necessary. If it couldn't be done this year, they would wait until next year.

However, before they could take such drastic steps, something happened to Lin Kaiyuan.

Dai Yuanjiang, who had just finished handling a funeral, returned from his hometown to his illegally constructed room on the top floor, only to discover that his gray parrot had vanished.