Chapter 51: Chapter 51 “Blow and It Won’t Hurt.”…

Chapter 51

"A little blow and it'll feel better..."

Sitting in the living room of the Lu family's old residence, Lu Zhishi sipped a glass of lemon water while listening to the adults chatting nearby.

Qin Zhaowan held Huo Jingxing’s hand and asked eagerly, "Didn’t your grandparents come?"

"Grandma said since they just came back for the New Year, they won’t be coming this time," Huo Jingxing replied with a smile.

His cheerful, sunny personality—always speaking with a grin—made him especially popular among the elders.

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhaowan couldn’t help but roll her eyes and said irritably, "Just because they came for the New Year doesn’t mean they can’t come for summer. That’s ridiculous."

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She let go of her great-nephew’s hand and marched straight to the balcony to call her dear sister.

Lu Zhishi couldn’t make out what was being said, but judging by his grandmother’s expression, she seemed quite upset. He shifted his gaze back to Huo Jingxing.

Lu Zhishi had been having too much fun over the summer and had only recently returned from abroad, so he hadn’t paid much attention to Huo Jingxing’s college plans.

"Cousin, are you going to A University too? What’s your major?"

Huo Jingxing shook his head. "I’m not going to A University."

Lu Zhishi: "Huh?"

Huo Jingxing: "I’m going to A City Film Academy, majoring in Acting."

Lu Zhishi: "..."

Strange, Lu Zhishi thought as he took a big gulp of lemon water, feeling utterly confused. He recognized every word, but when put together, they didn’t make sense.

"You’re saying you’re going to film school to study acting?"

"Mm," Huo Jingxing nodded.

"You’re going to be in movies?"

Huo Jingxing nodded again, unable to hold back a smile as he pinched his cousin’s cheek. "Yeah, I’m going to be in movies."

Lu Zhishi thought of his uncle’s reaction. "Did Uncle hit you?"

The Huo family ran a large corporation. Wasn’t Huo Jingxing supposed to study business management instead of acting?

"He wouldn’t dare hit me. My dad is a film director. If he hit me, wouldn’t that mean he dislikes my dad making movies?"

That made sense. Lu Zhishi nodded in agreement.

"Don’t worry, my older brother’s got the company covered," Huo Jingxing said, patting his head as if reading his thoughts.

"Stop chatting and come eat," Lu Tingan called from the dining room.

Song Qinian went to pick up the elderly couple from the Song family, and they all had dinner together to welcome Huo Jingxing to A City for school.

Huo Jingxing stayed at the Lu family’s old residence, with all his luggage moved in. Qin Zhaowan was happy but worried he might feel bored staying with her and the old man.

"How could I? I plan to use Great-uncle’s fishing rod to go fishing."

Lu Yunqing laughed heartily and patted him on the shoulder. "Great, great! Now I have a fishing buddy."

Qin Zhaowan pinched her husband’s waist hard. "Be gentle! Don’t hurt the kid!"

"Ouch, ouch, easy there—" The cheerful old man suddenly grimaced in pain.

Huo Jingxing stifled a laugh. The scene felt familiar—his grandmother often did the same to his grandfather.

"Feel free to stay at your uncle’s place too. There’s a room for you there," Lu Tingan said, taking him upstairs to help him get settled and giving him some of his old notes.

"If you have any questions, just ask me. Come over for meals on weekends if it’s convenient. Your cousin is always home."

"Got it, Uncle. Don’t worry, I won’t be shy. I’ll come home on weekends and eat two bowls of rice!"

Lu Tingan chuckled. "You can eat three bowls if you want. There’s plenty."

With a few days left before school started, Lu Zhiyu had already left for S City for university, and Chi Chen had returned to A University for the new semester. The only ones left at home were the restless Lu Zhishi and the lively, fun-loving Huo Jingxing.

When these two cousins got together, the fish in the old villa district’s pond were almost fished out. Fishing wasn’t enough—they rode around on their scooter every day.

Fortunately, school started soon, otherwise Song Qinian would’ve been at his wit’s end with these two troublemakers.

Lu Zhishi started school earlier as a high school freshman and had to undergo military training.

The training at First High wasn’t too intense. The first two weeks were spent practicing marching drills, and the latter two were mostly games and related courses.

But under the scorching sun, the freshmen still suffered quite a bit after four weeks of training.

Lu Zhishi didn’t return home for a whole month and came back noticeably thinner, collapsing onto his bed and sleeping like the dead.

After training, they had two days off. Once the weekend passed, they returned to school and faced a placement test.

After two exhausting days of exams and two more days reviewing the tests, the National Day holiday arrived. Both Lu Zhishi and Zhao Xiaoxing breathed sighs of relief.

Finally, they could sleep to their heart’s content!

"Let’s go, let’s go! Let's hit the supermarket. We’re having cola chicken wings tonight."

Lu Zhishi quickly packed his things, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and dashed off with Zhao Xiaoxing.

"Has Lu Zhishi always been this lively?" a new transfer student asked her deskmate curiously.

Her deskmate, who had been in the honors program since middle school and directly advanced to the high school honors program, nodded. "Yeah."

She glanced at Lu Zhishi’s seat and then at her new deskmate’s expression.

Lowering her voice, she said, "Don’t even think about it. He’s out of your league."

The new deskmate flushed red and stammered, "No, I wasn’t thinking anything..."

Her deskmate smiled knowingly and whispered, "He and Zhao Xiaoxing are legends at First High. Since middle school, they’ve had countless people crushing on them—older students, younger students, classmates, boys and girls. None of them succeeded."

"Every gift was returned and left on the table outside the classroom. He never accepted any of them. For three years, everyone tried and failed."

"You might not know this, but his and Zhao Xiaoxing’s older brothers are also really popular. They’re a few grades ahead of us and never dated throughout all six years of middle and high school."

She then turned to Xi Yue behind her and asked, "Right?"

"Mm," Xi Yue nodded. "That’s right."

The new deskmate pressed her lips together, the blush on her face fading. She shouldered her backpack without another word and walked out with her deskmate. Once they were gone, Xi Yue leaned back in her chair, twirling a pen in her hand, and sighed. "Ah, people really shouldn’t meet someone that amazing when they’re young."

Lu Zhishi's a good guy, but precisely because he's too good, it kinda makes people sad.

The umbrella he hands over when it rains, a steadying hand when someone's pushed by the crowd on the stairs, the thick jacket and a cup of hot milk tea he offers when someone feels unwell, carrying a classmate with low blood sugar to the infirmary during PE class, or helping a boy who sprained his ankle during basketball and taking him to the hospital while giving him two bottles of medicated liniment…

Whether it's boys or girls, as long as they need help, he helps.

From the off-campus Stray Animal Rescue Center to anonymous donations and support within the school, Lu Zhishi has helped many people, leaving an impression on many people.

But he himself doesn't think anything of it; often, he doesn’t even remember who he's helped.

Lu Zhishi simply feels that he was caught in the rain in a past life, so in this life, within his capabilities, he wants to help others with an umbrella too.

Lan Lan, next to her, nodded.

With a sigh, Xi Yue set down her pen, slung an arm around her neck, and said cheerfully, “Let’s go get milk tea.”

Lan Lan stood up with her, saying softly, “I should really cut back on boba.”

“Next time, next time—I’ll definitely quit next time.”

Skipping along in the sunset, Xi Yue was in a pretty happy mood—after all, break was almost here.

Walking side by side with Lan Lan downstairs, they hadn’t gone far when they saw Lu Zhishi and Zhao Qixing not far away.

In front of them stood a student taller than them, who looked kinda familiar, smiling and saying something they couldn't make out.

“Isn’t that Lu Zhishi and Zhao Qixing?” Xi Yue stopped, pulling Lan Lan sneakily behind a nearby teaching building.

Only after moving closer did they realize there were two other people they knew there.

“You guys haven’t left yet?”

“We’ll leave soon, soon,” one of the girls replied awkwardly, busted eavesdropping. Her new deskmate also looked uncomfortable.

Oblivious to the stir they caused, Lu Zhishi looked at the boy in front of him, a bit curious.

“Senior, is there something you need?”

The senior smiled, his good-looking, polished face looking especially good under the sunlight, and shook the two cups of milk tea in his hand. “Junior, I came to give a token of thanks.”

Lu Zhishi: “?”

He leaned in, leaning close to Zhao Xiaoxing’s ear to murmur, “When did this happen?”

Zhao Xiaoxing also tilted his head, replying softly:

“On the day we returned to school, Senior Shen was carrying a stack of books, lost his hold, and dropped them all. You went over to help him pick them up and even carried them to his classroom.”

Lu Zhishi: “??” That’s it?

He remembered now, but… that was all? It was just a casual help—why give a thank-you gift?

Lu Zhishi waved his hands dismissively. “No need, no need, Senior. It was just a small thing, no need for gifts.”

Early on, when they put their heads together to whisper, the senior could tell what they were discussing. The way they tilted their heads to talk was actually quite cute.

Thinking this, the senior let out a soft laugh and said gently, “Even a small favor is still a favor. If you don’t accept it, I’d feel guilty.”

Lu Zhishi still refused. How would it look if he took it? It was such a trivial matter—how could he accept a thank-you gift?

He couldn’t accept it. Helping was voluntary, not something done for repayment.

“My brother is waiting for us at the gate, Senior. We have to go.” After saying this, Lu Zhishi grabbed Zhao Xiaoxing by the hand and ran off.

Their legs moving so fast they were practically sparking, Zhao Xiaoxing was out of breath but still managing to talk.

“Haven’t you noticed? This senior has ‘bumped into’ you several times already, and every time it’s some small thing he needs your help with.”

“Huh?” Lu Zhishi really couldn’t recall. His mind only remembers things he cares about; other small matters he doesn’t bother with.

When he saw that senior, he only thought he looked familiar—nothing more came to mind.

Lu Zhishi asked him, “That day when I helped him carry things, you helped too. Why did he only talk to me?”

“Duh, he's into you, of course he'd only talk to you,” Zhao Xiaoxing said between gasps.

“Me?” Lu Zhishi pointed at himself in disbelief.

He shook his head vigorously. “No way, I just want to focus on studying and bettering myself.”

Even though this trouble arose from his willingness to help, if he encountered a similar situation again, Lu Zhishi would still lend a hand.

Hurrying to the school gate, they saw Chi Chen waiting up ahead as soon as they stepped out, and the two brothers hurried over to him.

Chi Chen took their backpacks but kept his eyes fixed on the boy not far behind them, raising a brow coolly.

He placed a hand on Lu Zhishi’s shoulder, leaning down to speak close to his ear, but his eyes remained on the boy in the distance.

From a certain angle, their stance looked close and ambiguous. The tall man radiated possessiveness, as if guarding a treasure that no one could approach without risking attack.

Only after the boy turned and left did Chi Chen remove his hand from Lu Zhishi’s shoulder, just ruffled his hair.

Lu Zhishi asked curiously, “Brother Xiao Chen, what did you want to say earlier? I didn’t hear it.”

“Nothing, your hair was a bit messy. I was just checking for you.”

Lu Zhishi nodded; he always took Chi Chen at his word. “Okay, okay. Thank you, Brother Xiao Chen.”

Chi Chen returned to the driver’s seat, passing them two cups of Watermelon Boba from the passenger seat. As he started the car, he asked calmly, “Why were you in such a hurry earlier?”

Taking a big sip of the Watermelon Boba, Lu Zhishi and Zhao Xiaoxing looked satisfied. Nothing was more comforting than milk tea from their own brother.

Chewing the boba pearls, Lu Zhishi swallowed before speaking, giving a quick rundown of what went down.

After listening, though he'd suspected as much, Chi Chen’s hands tightened on the wheel reflexively, though his expression remained neutral.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw Lu Zhishi still sipping his boba without a care, not looking the least bit flustered. Chi Chen’s hands on the steering wheel relaxed slightly.

Keeping his eyes on the road ahead, he said calmly, “You’re still at the age where you should focus on studying. No early romance. If you encounter a situation like this again, just brush it off. If they continue to bother you, let a teacher or your parents know.”

His gaze swept over the rearview mirror, meeting the eyes of Lu Zhishi and Zhao Xiaoxing. The two youngsters got goosebumps, the pressure mounting instantly.

Lu Zhishi hurriedly nodded in assurance. “All I care about is studying. I love studying.”

Zhao Xiaoxing also quickly promised, “Me too, me too! I only love studying!”

Chi Chen nodded, withdrew his gaze, and said nothing more.

As usual, he dropped Zhao Xiaoxing off first. After waving goodbye, Lu Zhishi rode on with Chi Chen toward home.

There was still some distance on the road. Lu Zhishi held his milk tea and spoke gloomily, "Brother Xiao Chen, should I still help if I encounter someone who needs assistance next time?"

"Help." Chi Chen answered succinctly and to the point. "Helping others is rewarding—it's a good thing."

He glanced at Lu Zhishi through the rearview mirror, his gaze steady and gentle. Lu Zhishi’s restless thoughts gradually calmed down.

Chi Chen said, "We don’t go looking for trouble, but we don't back down from it either. We do what we do; what others think is their business."

Lu Zhishi broke into a grin, scratched his forehead, and shyly pursed his lips.

"I just feel that since we have the ability, we should help if we can." He looked out the car window. "If I were in a situation where I needed help, I’d definitely hope others would help me too."

Having been through hardships in his past life, he didn’t want to get wet again in this one, nor did he want to see others get soaked.

He now had an umbrella, so whenever he was able, he was willing to hold it up for those in need.

Even if it was just a small matter, he was willing to offer his umbrella—what if his help made all the difference?

But Lu Zhishi also knew his limits. He wouldn’t go out of his way to help others—that would make him too much of a do-gooder. He wasn’t some super saint.

He helped when he saw the need; if he didn’t see it, that was that. He’d lend a hand with small things, but he wouldn’t help with matters beyond his capabilities.

Also, he wouldn’t help those without shame.

Back in middle school, Lu Zhishi and Zhao Xiaoxing had been guilt-tripped. Some people would arrogantly and with a sense of entitlement demand their help, and if they refused, they’d be morally condemned, with criticism practically thrown in their faces.

Lu Zhishi and Zhao Xiaoxing simply called their dad and mom. They didn’t know what happened afterward, but no one tried to guilt-trip them after that.

What a joke—human nature is complex. Lu Zhishi had always understood the principle that small favors create gratitude, but larger ones breed resentment. A child who grew up in a den of foxes couldn’t possibly be truly naive and innocent.

Everyone has a dark side, but a gentleman is judged by his actions, not his intentions—if judged by intentions, no one would be perfect. He wasn’t exactly a good person, but he still did good deeds. Let heaven decide the judgment; he would just be himself.

"Mhm." Chi Chen looked ahead, his gaze gentle. "You’re doing very well."

With the weight off his chest, Lu Zhishi started thinking about other things, his little face brightening up again with happiness.

"National Day holiday—what should I do?"

Lu Zhishi excitedly counted on his fingers, planning his long holiday, his round, peach-blossom eyes sparkling.

Chi Chen chuckled. "Did you forget you have to go to work?"

"!!!" It felt like the sky was falling. Lu Zhishi widened his eyes, his expression shifting from excitement to utter despair. He closed his eyes, nearly fainting.

"I don’t want to go to work… I don’t want to go to work…"

After dinner that night, Lu Zhishi lay on the sofa, whining tearfully about not wanting to go to work.

Lu Zhiyu, who had flown back from S City, laughed and teased him, "If you don’t go to work, how will you take over the company in the future?"

"Give it to Brother. Let Brother handle the family business. I’ll be a wealthy man of leisure." Lu Zhishi sat up immediately.

Lu Zhiyu pouted. "I don’t want it either."

Song Qinian, who had been listening nearby, couldn’t hold back anymore. He knocked each of them on the head and said angrily, "What nonsense are you talking? Day after day, both of you are going to work!"

He snorted coldly. "This family business—you'll take it whether you want it or not!"

What a joke—Song Qinian had been forced to go to the company by his father back in the day. Hadn't he cried and protested too? But after his dad gave him a good beating, he obediently went to work.

"Do you want to go to work obediently, or do you want to be given a good thrashing and then go to work obediently?"

Lu Zhiyu rubbed his sore head and replied pitifully, "I choose option one."

Pitiful Lu Zhishi raised his hand, tears welling in his eyes, and said, "I choose option one too."

Song Qinian nodded with satisfaction. "Mhm."

After showering, Lu Zhishi went tearfully to the Chi family. He knocked on Chi Chen’s door and started complaining pitifully.

"Brother Xiao Chen, it hurts, it hurts."

The poor thing, eyes brimming with tears. Chi Chen beckoned him over and rubbed his head. "Where does it hurt?"

Lu Zhishi took his hand and placed it where he’d been knocked. "Here, it hurts a little."

Chi Chen rubbed it for him, leaned down, and gently blew on it, saying softly, "Blow on it, and it won’t hurt anymore."

Feeling dizzy, Lu Zhishi’s heart raced. So this was what the charm tactic felt like…

Lu Zhishi admitted—the charm tactic was very effective. Look at him, he was already dazed. "It doesn’t hurt anymore, it doesn’t hurt. Blow on it, and it won’t hurt…"

Chi Chen chuckled, blew on it again, and rubbed it gently.

Actually, he knew Lu Zhishi couldn’t possibly be in pain. Given how much Song Qinian doted on his children, even if he did hit them, he wouldn’t use much force.

But if the little one wanted to be pampered a little, Chi Chen was more than willing. He coaxed him gently until he was happy again, humming contentedly and munching on biscuits while sitting on the small sofa.

"Brother Xiao Chen, I still don’t want to go to work. I can't make sense of those documents."

Since it was the Lu family’s own decision and arrangement, Chi Chen couldn’t interfere. He could only comfort Lu Zhishi. "It won’t be difficult once you learn. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask Uncle Song and Uncle Lu."

He ruffled Lu Zhishi’s hair and said softly, "Our Fat Cheese is so clever—I’m sure you’ll do well."

Ah, since childhood, he’d always been a Fat Cheese who loved sweet talk. Now, pampered by his favorite Brother Xiao Chen, his heart was already bubbling with sweetness, and his desire to go to work grew stronger.

On the first day of the National Day holiday, Lu Zhishi stayed home and slept in excessively to recharge his energy. On the second day, he followed Song Qinian to the company.

He asked Song Qinian, "Since it’s a holiday today, will there still be many people at the company?"

Song Qinian, fastening his wristwatch, replied, "It’s completely up to the employees—they can either take leave or work overtime for triple pay."

Lu Zhishi counted on his fingers, calculated a number, nodded, and understood. If it were him, he’d be willing to work overtime too.

Lu Zhiyu was following Lu Tingan. He and Song Qinian went to the Song Group together, leaving at the same time but heading to different locations.

Lu Zhishi tugged at his white shirt and asked his dad from the passenger seat, "Dad, why did Brother get to wear a suit and dress pants back then, but I’m wearing a white shirt and black pants?"

Song Qinian: "Your brother was already 1.8 meters tall back then. How tall are you now?"

Lu Zhishi: "...1.7 meters."

Alright, with this height and appearance, even if he wore a suit, he’d look like a kid playing dress-up in adult clothes.

When they arrived at the company, Song Qinian handed the car keys to the dedicated parking attendant at the entrance, who drove the car to the underground garage.

Lu Zhishi followed Song Qinian into the company. Along the way, people greeted them in unison, calling out "Chairman," and even Lu Zhishi received greetings.

Song Qinian nodded, took his son into the private elevator directly to the top floor, and entered the office.

"You'll be working right next to me, ask me if you have any questions."

Lu Zhishi walked over to the small desk beside the large one and sat down, muttering, "Dad, isn't this just like sitting in front of the teacher during class?"

Song Qinian said, amused: "So, do you want your own office then?"

"No, I'd rather share the same office with you." Lu Zhishi quickly shook his head, firmly refusing.

Hearing this, Song Qinian's heart softened.

After all, this was his own son, the little rascal he had raised with his own hands since birth. Keeping him within sight was much more reassuring.

On his first day at work, Lu Zhishi was a bit uncomfortable.

There were many files on the desk, and Song Qinian had him look first to get familiar with the company's situation.

While reviewing documents, Song Qinian teased him on purpose: "A smart guy like Fat Cheese surely wouldn’t have trouble with these files, would he?"

The provocation worked perfectly. Lu Zhishi immediately rose to the challenge, straightening his back and declaring, "How could I not understand? I definitely can."

Song Qinian smiled: "Alright then, take your time reading. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask me."

Having made that claim, Lu Zhishi plunged in, slowly reading through the files.

If he was patient, Lu Zhishi could actually understand the content of the files, though he was still quite unfamiliar with them. But he figured he could learn gradually.

At one point, Lu Zhishi followed Song Qinian to a meeting, where he observed.

It had been a long time since he last visited the company, and Lu Zhishi had almost forgotten what his dad was really like.

A crafty old fox, he always wore a faint smile before speaking, waited until others finished talking, and then made his move.

His methods were calculated, criticizing without a single harsh word, his tone calm as still water, yet making the managers and executives blush with embarrassment.

But after delivering two slaps, Song Qinian would offer a carrot, smiling as he made everyone below behave, tucking his fox tail away.

Lu Zhishi was still relatively young and hadn’t mastered such subtle arts, but after seeing it so often, he had learned to keep a straight face and listen quietly, absorbing the lessons.

In reality, he was in awe—his dad was amazing!! If the meeting room hadn’t been so quiet, he would have stood up and applauded.

After the meeting, Lu Zhishi followed Song Qinian back to the office. Only after closing the door did he speak: "Dad, you’re incredible!"

Song Qinian was pleased by his son’s admiration, loosening his tie as he smiled and said, "When you grow up, you’ll gradually learn these skills too."

In fact, based on Lu Zhishi’s quiet, attentive behavior in the meeting, Song Qinian felt that his younger son was more like Lu Tingan.

Lu Tingan was just like that—quietly observing and listening, then striking with a single lethal move.

As the saying goes in their circles, the dog that bites doesn’t bark; the quieter the person, the more ruthless their actions.

But he also knew when to hold back, never taking things to the extreme and always leaving some room—a trait he inherited from his father, Lu Yunqing, and his mother, Qin Zhaowan. Lu Tingan combined his parents’ strengths while avoiding their weaknesses.

Song Qinian hoped his younger son could also learn from his younger father’s skills.

As for Lu Zhiyu, it was better for him to learn from Song Qinian, since the child resembled him so much, often smiling before even speaking.

Speaking of which, this was a skill passed down through the Song and Jiang families. Song Shuyu and Jiang Shangyao were both like this, and Song Qinian had learned it from his parents.

One a millennium-old smiling fox, the other gentle but sharp-tongued—the sons they raised turned out exactly the same.

At this thought, Song Qinian couldn't help but laugh.

It’s remarkable that the two of them managed to stay deeply in love for decades despite their contrasting personalities. If either ever had any hidden intentions, it’s hard to say who would outsmart the other—there’s no telling which parent would come out on top.

At noon, after work, Song Qinian drove Lu Zhishi to have lunch with his wife and children.

During the meal, Lu Zhishi’s eyes lit up with admiration as he heaped praise on Song Qinian, even bringing up the morning meeting.

He complimented Song Qinian so much that it made him blush. *Ahem, keep it down low*, he thought. *My wife is watching—it’s a little embarrassing*.

Meeting Lu Tingan’s smiling gaze, Song Qinian felt a warmth in his heart. If it weren’t for the two of them there, he would have leaned in to ask for a couple kisses.

After lunch, the family of four stayed in the two break rooms at Lu Tingan’s office for a nap. Lu Zhishi and Lu Zhiyu shared one room.

Lu Zhishi complained tearfully to his older brother about the mountain of documents on his desk.

Lu Zhiyu gently comforted him, pepping him up until he fell asleep with a smile.

After waking up, Lu Zhishi was fired up and worked more efficiently, picking up a lot throughout the afternoon.

But it was seriously tiring—more tiring than attending classes. There was so much to learn, all in entirely new fields.

In just one day, Lu Zhishi felt more beat than after a full week of classes, completely worn out.

Slumping in the bathtub, he relaxed and enjoyed a nice, hour-long scented bath.

Afterward, Lu Zhishi dried his hair and headed to the Chis’ place.

He needed to get a boost from Chi Chen.

Just like how his dad sought comfort from his other dad when tired, a little closeness would quickly restore his energy.

But he couldn’t outright tell Chi Chen he needed "recharging"—he had to come up with an excuse, like…