Chapter 41: Chapter 41 “Dad, Eating Makes One Short-Tongued.”…

Chapter 41

"Dad, a fed mouth has no say,"...

"Don't shave my head bald!"

Seeing Song Qinian enter, Lu Zhishi began to wail in his hoarse, weak voice.

"..." Song Qinian couldn't bear to look.

He brought up old grievances: "Think carefully—wasn’t your last cold because you didn't dry your hair? And the low fever before that, wasn’t it also because you were lazy and only dried your hair halfway? And even further back, when you had a runny nose for half a month and didn’t say anything—only after checking did we find out you’d slept with wet hair."

Song Qinian stated flatly, "Your hair absolutely must be shaved."

The thought of having to go to school with a round, bald head in the future made Lu Zhishi miserable. Frowning, he fell asleep.

Lu Zhiyu waited until Song Qinian had finished scolding before entering, a pillow tucked under his arm.

"Dad, don’t be angry. Once he’s better, I’ll definitely sort him out," Lu Zhiyu comforted.

Song Qinian snorted coldly, "You sort him out? You’re the one who spoils him the most, you little rascal."

Lu Zhiyu: "..."

He rubbed his nose, feeling both guilty and a bit indignant.

He thought: Why was he being scolded too? Clearly, it was just taking it out on him.

After Song Qinian left, Lu Tingan arrived.

He didn’t scold Lu Zhishi.

After checking his temperature, wiping his younger son’s face with a warm towel, and staying with him for a while, Lu Tingan returned to his room to rest, leaving only Lu Zhiyu behind.

The bed was large enough to comfortably fit five people.

Skillfully easing Lu Zhishi over, Lu Zhiyu arranged his pillow and climbed into bed, leaning back to look at his phone.

People with fevers run hot, making the bed warm and cozy.

Lu Zhiyu was keeping watch tonight, worried that his troublesome little brother might get a fever again in the middle of the night or be unable to get up if he needed water.

Such a pain in the neck, such a little troublemaker—Lu Zhiyu shook his head.

"If you weren’t sick, I’d want to give you a good beating, you lazybones."

"Such a handful—I’ve never seen one so much trouble."

"Hurry up and get better, or your hair really will be shaved bald."

Lu Zhiyu grumbled at him while scrolling on his phone, his voice neither too loud nor too soft.

Lu Zhishi, who had been half-asleep, opened his eyes slightly: "..."

Quit nagging, quit nagging—I know I was wrong.

His eyelids felt heavy, and he closed them again, falling back asleep.

He didn’t stir, so Lu Zhiyu didn’t even realize he had been awake.

When Chi Chen came in, he did a double-take but quickly regained his composure.

"You’re on night watch?"

"Yeah, my dad and the others have work tomorrow. Anyway, I don’t have anything else to do."

His academic workload was heavy but not overwhelming—since he was on the early admission path, he didn’t have the same huge pressure.

Chi Chen nodded, stood there looking at Lu Zhishi for a moment, said nothing, and turned to leave.

...With his real brother here, there often wasn’t much need for him—Chi Chen understood that well himself.

After running a fever off and on for a day and a half, by the third day of his illness, Lu Zhishi was much more energetic, his complexion less pale and with some color back.

It was just that he had lost some weight in his face, not as full as before—whether from the illness or just growing was unclear.

When Zhao Xiaoxing came to see him on Saturday, he brought Lu Zhishi’s textbooks, with all the notes he'd made.

Earlier, when Lu Zhishi was out sick, Zhao Xiaoxing had come by for his books to fill in the notes for him.

Looking at the notes in his textbooks, Lu Zhishi was really touched.

In the past, it was always Zhao Xiaoxing who slacked off while Lu Zhishi took notes for him—now it was the other way around.

"Did you change your hairstyle? I’m not really used to it."

Zhao Xiaoxing found a spot on the bed, slipped under the covers to warm up, leaned against the headboard, and sipped his hot bubble tea.

"Got it thinned. My dad said he hated how my hair looked." Zhao Xiaoxing slurped his drink noisily beside him, and Lu Zhishi listened, his mouth watering.

He craved milk tea.

His diet had been so bland lately—Lu Zhishi couldn't taste anything, and this annoying Xingxing was taunting him with milk tea.

"Your dad's something else—isn’t your hair just like his?" Zhao Xiaoxing cracked up.

Lu Zhishi agreed, "Exactly. He can’t stand the sight of his own hairstyle on me."

Zhao Xiaoxing tried to comfort him: "It’s fine, if he doesn’t like it, he doesn’t like it. At least he didn’t actually shave it bald."

That was no joke—Song Qinian had even called a barber to the house to shave his head.

Lu Zhishi had thrown a fit to refuse. Fortunately, that day his four grandparents came to see him and protected him from the shave.

It had been raining, the weather was cold, and the roads were slippery, so Song Qinian and Lu Tingan hadn’t told the elders the child was sick.

It wasn’t until the weather cleared that evening that Lu’s mother called to say she was coming home for dinner, and Lu Tingan finally told her the child was sick and it wouldn’t be convenient to return.

The grandparents came together the next day and happened to catch Song Qinian trying to shave his grandson’s head bald, so they quickly intervened.

"The weather is so cold—wouldn’t shaving his head make him more likely to catch a chill?"

"Zhi Shi, how could you be so lazy as not to dry your hair? Look how much weight you’ve lost."

Seeing their little grandson so sickly, the elders were both heartbroken and upset.

They weren’t doctors and couldn’t do much to help, so they could only bring loads of nourishing gifts to help build the boys back up.

The love from grandparents is just this simple and straightforward.

Song Qinian said sourly: "They only have eyes for their grandsons, even though their two sons are right in front of them."

Lu Tingan calmly pinched his waist, making Song Qinian yell out in pain, but he was too embarrassed to make much noise.

Running his hand through his hair, Lu Zhishi felt that after the haircut, his head felt a little lighter.

He hadn't gotten used to his new hairstyle either, but at least it wasn’t shaved bald.

After this incident, Lu Zhishi promised to always blow-dry his hair properly from now on, afraid that Song Qinian might threaten to shave it all off again.

Song Qinian didn’t buy a word of it—if he were really that well-behaved, he wouldn’t be his son.

That brat is quick to enjoy rewards but forget punishments; he makes promises now, but without anyone watching, he’ll slip back into his old habits.

Song Qinian couldn’t understand it—both he and Lu Tingan are quite meticulous about themselves, so how did their two children turn out so laid-back?

Lu Zhiyu was alright, the type who doesn't fuss over his looks even in wind and rain, but at least he still remembered to do some skincare and dress nicely.

As for Lu Zhishi, he didn't even know where to begin—sometimes lazy, sometimes diligent.

He's vain but lazy; when it’s hot, he can't be bothered with skincare because of the heat; when it’s cold, he can't be bothered because of the cold.

Only when he gets the urge does he bother to do face masks for a whole week.

Such an oddball—wonder who he gets it from? He was quite well-behaved as a child, but after growing up and realizing how much his family dotes on him, he just started slacking off completely.

Lu Tingan shot him a look: "Who else could he take after?"

Song Qinian was also quite a handful as a child, a dramatic crybaby.

The father and two sons are chips off the old block—it’s just that Song Qinian, now a father, has grown up and matured, hiding that rowdy side deep down.

Zhao Xiaoxing changed his sitting position and said, "Your drawer was full, so I helped you take everything out. The love letters and everything have all been returned."

"Thanks." Lu Zhishi nodded.

Love letters needed to be rejected, but they also deserved gratitude.

Thanks for the affection, but sorry.

Song Qinian and Lu Tingan were strict—he and his brother could mess around a bit, but they couldn’t be rude or ill-mannered.

Just as he thought of his brother, Lu Zhiyu arrived.

"Young masters, come down for dinner." Lu Zhiyu stood at the door without entering, knocking.

Lu Zhishi kicked off the blankets and got up: "Coming."

"Brother Xiao Yu." Zhao Xiaoxing slowly climbed down and greeted Lu Zhiyu, still holding his unfinished milk tea.

"Yeah." Lu Zhiyu responded, noticing the milk tea in his hand, and said, "Don’t drink too much milk tea. Save some room for real food."

Zhao Xiaoxing pressed his lips together, looking a little embarrassed: "Okay."

Needing to call Chi Chen, Lu Zhiyu went downstairs first.

Lu Zhishi came out of the bathroom and saw Zhao Xiaoxing still drinking: "Stop drinking that, or you won’t eat again later."

"Oh, right, I zoned out." Zhao Xiaoxing came back to his senses, put down the milk tea, and walked out with Lu Zhishi.

He walked slowly and asked Lu Zhishi, "Does your brother not like milk tea?"

"He’s okay with it. He’ll have some if it’s around."

Lu Zhiyu was not big on milk tea and sweets—he doesn't care either way.

Song Qinian said it was because he’d reached that age—grown-ups don't really like such things; only kids do.

Lu Zhishi disagreed but felt there was some truth to what his dad said.

"I see." Zhao Xiaoxing tugged at his shirt hem and fell silent.

Downstairs, Lu Zhiyu was still on the phone, but this time with their two dads.

"...It’s far, so don’t come back at noon. I’ll look after him."

"...Yeah, I know. You too—eat on time and rest well."

"...He’s fine, bouncing off the walls, just still coughing a bit."

Lu Zhishi leaned in, making funny faces at Lu Zhiyu.

Lu Zhiyu turned slightly, his face nudging against Lu Zhishi’s, and gently pushed him away while continuing to talk to their dads on the phone.

"...Okay, see you in the afternoon."

After hanging up, Lu Zhiyu reached out to feel Lu Zhishi’s forehead.

Lu Zhishi didn’t resist: "Brother, what did the dads say?"

"What else? Told you to eat properly and take your medicine."

Lu Zhiyu patted his shoulder and ushered Zhao Xiaoxing to the dining room for lunch.

Chi Chen arrived a bit later, letting in a chill with him. Since the room was warm, he took off his coat before sitting down at the table.

The food Lu Zhiyu had ordered and had delivered—he didn’t cook. For four people, he’d ordered four dishes with soup.

But since there was a patient, Lu Zhishi’s lunch was separate from the others.

Lu Zhishi looked at the few bland dishes in front of him, scooped a spoonful of plain congee, bit the spoon, and silently stared at the other four fragrant and richly flavored dishes.

Seeing his longing expression, Lu Zhiyu felt bad serving himself and instead picked up a piece of steamed spare rib for him.

"Eat, stop staring."

Lu Zhishi: "..." This was also one of his bland dishes.

"Don’t get any ideas—you’re still coughing." Lu Zhiyu wouldn’t let him eat it; if he did, he’d start coughing again.

Chi Chen didn’t say anything but put some vegetables on his plate.

The message was clear: don’t be picky; don’t just eat meat and skip vegetables.

Zhao Xiaoxing shot his buddy a sympathetic glance, then, under Lu Zhishi’s gaze, picked up a piece of fragrant stir-fried beef.

It wasn’t spicy, just aromatic.

Lu Zhishi looked miserable: "..."

After finishing the meal, he had to take his medicine. Lu Zhishi was tough—he dumped a handful of pills into his mouth, chased it with a big gulp of water, and swallowed them all at once.

After taking the medicine, Lu Zhishi’s face twisted dramatically. He had no idea what kind of pills they were, but they tasted strange and made him nauseous.

Lu Zhiyu patted his back sympathetically. "There, there. It’s over now—no more after this."

Lu Zhishi was still sticking out his tongue when a milk candy was popped in his mouth. It was very sweet, instantly overpowering the bitterness.

He didn’t need to look to know it was Chi Chen. Lu Zhiyu and Zhao Xiaoxing weren’t that considerate—they were usually more rough than refined.

Chi Chen said, "Go upstairs and rest."

Nodding, Lu Zhishi dragged himself after Zhao Xiaoxing upstairs. He lay down on the bed and cozied up under the covers.

When it gets cold, people love to curl up under warm blankets.

It was Monday, and the temperature had gotten colder again. City A had already entered winter.

After taking a week off to recover, Lu Zhishi returned to school all bundled up, wearing a mask as he entered the classroom.

His classmates were very welcoming. Seeing that he had been absent for a week to recuperate, they came by his desk after class to check on him.

Lu Zhishi was touched and quickly replied:

"Don’t worry, just a fever. I rested at home for a few days."

"Thank you for the warm milk. I’ll get you milk tea later."

"Xiao Xing helped me catch up on the notes. Thanks a lot!"

His classmates were fine, but students from other classes also came to see him. When they showed up at the classroom door, Lu Zhishi couldn’t ignore them, so he went out to make polite but distant small talk.

They didn’t talk for long. Zhao Xiaoxing, knowing Lu Zhishi disliked interacting with unfamiliar people, came to get him when it was time.

Lu Zhishi let out a sigh of relief and patted Zhao Xiaoxing’s shoulder. "Good buddy, you really get me."

"Of course," Zhao Xiaoxing puffed out his chest.

A classmate near the corridor suddenly called out, "Zhao Qixing, someone’s asking for you!"

Zhao Xiaoxing’s face fell. He patted his friend’s shoulder and said, "Come rescue me in three minutes."

Lu Zhishi was puzzled and watched as Zhao Xiaoxing went out to talk to a cute girl.

"What's his deal?" Lu Zhishi turned to ask Xi Yue.

Xi Yue chuckled. "A girl from upper grades has a crush on him. She’s been coming by a lot lately."

"From the middle school?"

"Definitely. The high schoolers think we’re too young—they say it’s like a cradle robber."

Lu Zhishi laughed but started coughing twice afterward. His cold wasn't completely better, and he was glad he was wearing a mask—otherwise, it would’ve been awkward.

Lan Lan rummaged through her desk and handed him a small bottle of cough drops.

"Thanks, I’ll buy you milk tea this afternoon."

"What about me?" Xi Yue asked.

Lu Zhishi smiled. "I'll get everyone some."

He glanced back at the corridor and caught Zhao Xiaoxing’s eye, giving a meaningful look.

Too busy chatting, he had almost forgotten about Zhao Xiaoxing. Lu Zhishi hurried out to get him.

In the afternoon, he bought the whole class hot milk tea to warm them up and thank them for their help and concern.

Since Lu Zhishi was still coughing, he couldn’t drink any. He held a cup of hot water and sipped it slowly.

Feeling sorry for him, a classmate who went to the store bought him some snacks that were okay to eat with a cough.

Lu Zhishi had a pile of homework and tests to make up, but since he had just recovered, his teachers didn’t say much.

After all, his grades were proof enough—he consistently ranked first in the grade, and his teachers were fond of him.

For some reason, later that day, a few boys also started coming to see Zhao Xiaoxing.

But both the boys and girls were pretty shy, mostly coming to ask about notes.

Zhao Xiaoxing was also clueless—he had no idea what was going on.

Annoyed and embarrassed, he stopped going out when unfamiliar people came looking for him. Lu Zhishi did the same.

Romantic entanglements would only distract them from their studies. Rather than wasting break time chatting, they preferred to get some extra rest.

Over time, fewer and fewer people came looking for Lu Zhishi and Zhao Xiaoxing.

Xi Yue and Lan Lan followed their example, refusing to go out when strange people came looking for them—sticking close to the studious ones.

As final exams approached, everyone studied harder.

Before the finals, there was the New Year break.

On the afternoon before the holiday, it was snowing lightly in City A while Lu Zhishi was still in class.

Snowflakes drifted down, soon covering the school in a layer of white. The class grew restless—everyone wanted to see the snow.

Their English teacher was gentle and stopped teaching for half the period, letting them watch by the windows but not allowing them to leave the classroom.

Lu Zhishi’s seat was by the window, so he could easily see the snowflakes dancing outside.

Time flew—it was already snow season again.

After the New Year, Lu Zhiyu and Chi Chen would graduate. Their universities were far away, and it was uncertain when they’d see each other again.

"What are you thinking about? Drink your water," Zhao Xiaoxing said, pouring a cup of hot water from his thermos for Lu Zhishi.

Lu Zhishi kept coughing intermittently but never drank water on time. Zhao Xiaoxing shook his head, suddenly understanding Lu Zhiyu’s frustration.

Lu Zhishi took the cup, warming his hands with it. It was a bit hot, so he took small sips. "Chubby Xing, I’m so glad I met you."

Zhao Xiaoxing didn’t say anything. Instead, he reached out to feel Lu Zhishi’s forehead, then his own.

"What’s wrong?"

"No fever. Why are you being so sentimental?" Zhao Xiaoxing looked utterly baffled.

Lu Zhishi laughed in exasperation, "Stinky star."

"Hey, that's more like it." Zhao Xiaoxing nodded, "That's the right feel."

Lu Zhishi was completely speechless, shooting him a glance—such a goofball.

The last period was self-study, but since it was snowing and going home would be hard, the school let students leave early.

Lu Zhishi packed his things, bundled up in his down jacket and scarf, and leisurely followed the crowd toward the school gate with Zhao Xiaoxing.

After waiting at the gate for a while and not seeing Lu Zhiyu or Chi Chen, Lu Zhishi slowly dug out his phone from his backpack.

Lu Zhiyu had sent a message telling them to go home first. Seniors had to attend class and couldn’t leave early.

"Brother and the others have class, so we’ll head back first."

Lu Zhishi replied to the message, put away his phone, and got into the Lu family car with Zhao Xiaoxing.

Afraid the snow would get worse, Zhao Xiaoxing didn’t go inside and went straight home.

Lu Zhishi brushed the snow off at the doorstep before entering. The first thing he did after getting home was turn on the heating and the indoor temperature control system.

Since school let out early today, both his fathers were still at work, and Lu Zhiyu was in class. The large villa was empty, just Lu Zhishi.

He went to the kitchen to start the ginger soup, then opened the fridge to look for ingredients. There weren’t many, but enough to make dinner.

He didn’t need to do the actual cooking—he just washed and cut up the vegetables and started the rice.

Chef Song’s cooking was the best; Lu Tingan especially loved his food.

To win someone’s heart, you must first win their stomach.

Lu Zhishi reasonably suspected that his big dad’s excellent cooking skills had played a big role in winning his little dad over back in the day.

After setting the ingredients out on plates and putting them aside, Lu Zhishi washed his hands and sat and waited for the ginger soup to finish.

After a while, he turned on the TV, found a variety show to play, and just listened for background noise without really watching.

Otherwise, the huge villa would be too quiet and spacious—Lu Zhishi wasn’t used to it and didn’t like it.

He preferred a lively, warm family, like the one he had now—full of love, with occasional bickering among family members.

As he thought, Lu Zhishi couldn’t resist running to the floor-to-ceiling window, pressing his face against the glass to look outside.

No black Maybach was parked at the gate.

Alright, Lu Zhishi sighed and patted his cheeks, "Lu Zhishi, you really are too clingy, you little clingy..."

Once the ginger soup was ready, he turned off the heat, put it on warm, poured himself a bowl, and blew on it to cool it down.

Drinking it made him feel warm.

He poured a few more bowls and placed them in the warmer.

Hearing a car in the distance, Lu Zhishi hurried to the window and saw a familiar black car parked in the yard—Song Qinian and Lu Tingan were back.

He ran to open the door, standing in the doorway with bright eyes, calling out, "Dad... cough..."

As soon as he spoke, cold wind rushed into his throat. Caught off guard, Lu Zhishi bent over coughing.

Song Qinian quickly got out of the car. With the snow flurries falling, his expression wasn’t clear from a distance, but he pointed toward the house and shouted, "Get inside! Close the door!"

"Cough..." Lu Zhishi’s body reacted faster than his mind. He retreated inside and shut the door, coughing uncontrollably.

Soon, Song Qinian and Lu Tingan came in. Lu Zhishi stood to the side waiting, his cheeks slightly red from coughing earlier.

"We’re cold. Stay back."

Song Qinian waved him to the living room, not letting him get close, as he and Lu Tingan took off their chilly coats.

After warming up in the living room, Song Qinian spoke, "Dressed so lightly and standing in the doorway in the cold wind—are you asking for a spanking?"

Song Qinian was mad. Seeing him bent over coughing, his face red from the effort, his anger quickly turned to worry.

Rubbing his temples unconsciously, Song Qinian was about to blow up but held back to avoid scaring the child.

"I didn’t mean to. I was just too happy," Lu Zhishi hung his head apologetically but still explained.

"No more of that. It’s cold outside," Lu Tingan held his hand—it was warm.

"Catching a cold would worry us."

"Okay, I understand, Dad." Lu Zhishi took a couple steps closer to him, squeezed his little dad’s hand, then went to the kitchen.

Seeing him leave, Lu Tingan quietly reassured the annoyed dad, "He didn’t mean it. Don’t be angry."

Song Qinian stayed silent, sulking with a grim look.

When Lu Zhishi brought out the ginger soup, Song Qinian couldn’t help but smile slightly before suppressing it again.

"I just made it. There’s more if you want." Lu Zhishi placed a bowl in front of each of them and sat beside Lu Tingan, watching them drink.

Song Qinian grumbled, "Little clingy."

He was referring to earlier when Lu Zhishi said he was too happy seeing them return.

Lu Zhishi: "Dad, a fed mouth has no say."

Song Qinian: "..."

After drinking, they felt much warmer. Song Qinian glanced at the clock and decided to make dinner so it would be ready when Lu Zhiyu got back.

Entering the kitchen, he saw the prepped ingredients and cooked rice.

The kid had everything prepped to make things easier for them after work. If his cooking were better, he’d probably have made the whole meal.

"Little rascal..."

Song Qinian grumbled, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

School ended at 5. With the snow, they had to drive slow, so Lu Zhiyu didn’t get back until 5:30.

"Is Xiao Chen not coming?" Lu Tingan dusted the snow off his shoulders and hair, leading him to the living room to warm up.

"He said Uncle Chi is back, so he’s having dinner with him."

Lu Zhiyu shook his head, shaking off the light snow from his hair.

"Mm." Lu Tingan responded, "Go wash your hands. Dinner’s about ready."

At the dinner table, Song Qinian and Lu Tingan were discussing company matters, while Lu Zhiyu listened, occasionally asking questions about things he didn't understand.

Lu Zhishi, holding his bowl, was just focused on eating. He was still young and not yet of working age.

The food was fragrant, and although he could only eat plain dishes, Lu Zhishi had a great appetite and enjoyed every bite. He ate two full bowls of rice for his dinner.

"...Lu Zhishi?"

"Huh?" Lu Zhishi looked up from his bowl, his eyes dazed.

Song Qinian looked at him. "We're asking you—what’re your thoughts?"

Lu Zhishi blinked, totally clueless. Thoughts? What thoughts?

What were they even talking about?