Chapter 144

Chapter 144

◎Actually Calling Me Fat!◎

Although Ren Suiyi, after recovering from his illness, still refrained from actively approaching Meng Qi out of consideration for his feelings, his eyes were like electronic radar, locked onto Meng Qi, tracking his every move. Wherever Meng Qi went that second, his eyes would turn the next, even when he went to the bathroom, he didn't let up, watching his every move.

Being trapped without actual chains is no picnic—anyone who's been through it knows!

Having Ren Suiyi's eagle eyes on him 24/7, Meng Qi couldn't stand it. He felt like his whole body was an anthill—white ants, black ants, red ants, yellow ants... crawling in and out of his pores, making him itchy and irritable. He wished he could run to town and buy ant poison to take a bath in... No, to cut off the head of the snake, he'd buy ant poison and feed it to Ren Suiyi!

"Young Master Meng, Young Master Meng, don't move, I've got this."

Meng Qi wanted to haul the rice Liang Wenkai had bought from town off the three-wheeler and take it to the kitchen.

Now Liang Wenkai had officially become the purchasing director of Sunflower Elementary School. Everything the school needed to buy was his job. He'd take the three-wheeler to town every few days, always coming back with a full load of loot.

This time was no exception—rice, flour, oil, grains—you name it, plus snacks, smokes, and booze that Qu Liang and the others had asked him to grab.

It was a lot, so Meng Qi wanted to help unload.

But the second his hand touched the rice bag, before he could even lift it, Liang Wenkai got so spooked he dropped the two jugs of peanut oil he was carrying, then sprinted back to Meng Qi in three strides, yelling his head off. When he got there, he snatched the rice bag out of Meng Qi's hands and threw it over his shoulder.

And even then, he still told Meng Qi, "Don't touch anything on the cart. This is all my responsibility. I'm the only one who knows where everything goes. If you're really bored, then... uh..."

Liang Wenkai scanned the whole yard of Sunflower Elementary, and he was shocked to see only three people breathing in the whole school—everyone else had gone for a walk with Elder Dong.

It was finally the weekend, so nobody had to deal with the little troublemakers. Everyone wanted to get out, enjoy nature, and unwind. Meng Qi, the "Honorary Principal" who worked the hardest, wanted to go even more, but he couldn't for specific reasons. Elder Dong had been telling him to take it easy for a few days, with the rule: if you can lie down, don't sit; if you can sit, don't walk around. He'd only just gotten out of bed and wanted to find something to do to stretch his legs.

As for Ren Suiyi, he probably just didn't like the crowd. Or maybe because Meng Qi wasn't going, so he didn't either.

Right now, the young master was taking it easy. He'd dragged a chair under the eaves to soak up the sun, his head tilted back, neck resting on the chair's back, his hands folded over his stomach like he was covering his belly button with a pretend blanket. His right foot stuck out half a meter, making a perfect right triangle with the chair leg and the ground. His left leg was lazily crossed over his right, his left toe tapping the air, lounging with his legs crossed.

He looked like his eyes were closed, but he was actually squinting, keeping a close eye on Meng Qi.

Feeling a sudden wave of pressure, Liang Wenkai cautiously hopped back a step, silently putting more space between him and Meng Qi, and finished his earlier suggestion: "Why don't you go feed Ren Baizhi? When it's cold, she doesn't like to move, gets grumpy, and is picky about who feeds her. She won't eat from anyone else, but she'll grudgingly take a few bites from you."

Right then, Ren Baizhi was also sunbathing, lying on a rock by the well, her back paws crossed, front paws draped over the rock, squinting with her head tilted... almost exactly like her owner Ren Suiyi.

But the well was too close to Ren Suiyi, and Meng Qi didn't want to go near it. If he crouched by the well, Ren Suiyi's stare would burn two holes in his back.

Meng Qi insisted on staying to help Liang Wenkai unload. If he couldn't carry heavy stuff, he'd grab light things—plates, casserole dishes, shelves—stuff that weighed nothing. That should be fine, right?

Liang Wenkai couldn't talk him out of it, so he let him give it a shot.

By the third trip, Meng Qi's back started hurting, so he stopped, stood in front of the three-wheeler, and arched backward, letting out a satisfying shiver.

"Look at the ring of fat on your stomach—it's almost like a swim ring. How did you get so fat?" Ren Suiyi suddenly sat up straight, frowning at Meng Qi.

Probably seeing that Meng Qi had indeed gained too much weight and worried it might affect his health, Ren Suiyi's voice was filled with displeasure. After all, overweight people are more prone to sub-health than thinner ones, and a young man in his twenties should care about his appearance. Even if he didn't bother to dress up, he shouldn't let himself gain weight so uncontrollably.

Such a thing seemed abnormal to Ren Suiyi. He couldn't understand it, and clearly, he couldn't accept it.

Meng Qi's stretching motion froze halfway, making him look as comical and odd as a robot that had suddenly run out of power.

But fortunately, having experienced similar situations many times, his mental resilience had improved. He quickly recovered, then naturally turned back to the three-wheeler to continue picking out items he could carry.

However, Ren Suiyi's sudden remark startled him, and his thoughts lagged. So he blurted out an angry retort without thinking, "None of your business! I like it!"

This wasn't the first time Meng Qi had snapped at Ren Suiyi. Habit had made it natural. Although still uneasy, Meng Qi didn't intend to make amends. He thought, "This is my territory; I'm going to be tough this time, come what may."

Ren Suiyi, on the other hand, didn't care about Meng Qi's attitude. He was only concerned about Meng Qi's health. He first said calmly to Meng Qi, "Other things I can let you fool around with, but when it comes to your health, I won't allow you to mess around. You have to listen to me."

At this point, he no longer worried about whether getting too close to Meng Qi would upset him. His mind was now filled with something more important than making Meng Qi happy—making Meng Qi healthier! He strode over to Meng Qi and said in a tone that brooked no argument, "Starting tomorrow, you'll exercise with me. Get up early and run five kilometers plus a hundred push-ups. Before bed, do five hundred frog jumps and a hundred squats."

Meng Qi: ...

Are you kidding me?! Did you forget Elder Dong's advice about resting?!

Ren Suiyi's exercise plan was too extreme. Liang Wenkai, who was almost back to the three-wheeler, was so startled that he stopped abruptly, then quickly changed direction and fled back into the kitchen.

Meng Qi rolled his eyes one after another, so angry he wanted to directly agree to Ren Suiyi's bizarre "weight loss" request and let Ren Suiyi bear the consequences.

But before he could roll his eyes a third time, Ren Suiyi's big hand landed on his head, forcing him to meet Ren Suiyi's gaze.

Ren Suiyi was amused by Meng Qi's frantic expression and wanted to laugh, but he knew it wasn't the time, so he held it in. Staring into Meng Qi's eyes, he repeated his plan, "Starting tomorrow, get up early and exercise, got it? I'll wake you up at six tomorrow morning. Also, to avoid disturbing others, I suggest you move in with me starting tonight."

Meng Qi: ...

The fox's tail is showing! That's the real point!

Of course, Meng Qi wouldn't give in to Ren Suiyi's wish. He shook his head wildly, almost turning it into a windmill spinning against the wind. "I'm not living with you, and I won't get up early to exercise. Elder Dong said I need to rest. Do you know what 'rest' means? I can't sleep when I'm with you, so I can't rest at all."

Ren Suiyi's big hand slid down from Meng Qi's head to his chubby cheek. His other hand followed, cupping Meng Qi's face and squeezing it inward. He suddenly laughed, "You'll get used to it. It takes three days to form a habit. You only need to adapt for three days, and your face will return to its former pointed shape."

Meng Qi was led astray by Ren Suiyi's focus and blurted out angrily, "It takes seven days to form a habit, not three! Three days aren't enough to form a habit!"

Ren Suiyi smiled again, "Then adapt for seven days."

Meng Qi: ...

Just as Meng Qi was wondering what excuse to use to refuse Ren Suiyi, Elder Dong returned with the strolling group.

Before they entered, they must have overheard part of the conversation between Ren Suiyi and Meng Qi, so Elder Dong quickly spoke up for Meng Qi, explaining why he couldn't join the morning exercise: "What he needs more than exercise is rest. For him, lying in bed and sleeping is more effective and meaningful than running five kilometers."

Ren Suiyi respected Elder Dong a lot, but this time he objected, "You haven't seen his previous physique. He's too fat now, above the standard body fat percentage. I'm thinking of him..."

"But you have to see if your decision benefits him. My current suggestion is not to let him engage in high-intensity exercise. I have my reasons. If you truly care about him, put aside your insistence for now," Elder Dong said solemnly.

Ren Suiyi's breathing became heavier. He frowned at Elder Dong with displeasure.

Ren Suiwu, walking beside Elder Dong, stepped in to mediate, "Brother, if you want to exercise in the morning, starting tomorrow, I'll accompany you. If five kilometers isn't enough, we can increase the intensity, do a weighted five kilometers. Listen to Elder Dong first; he's more experienced than you and won't harm Meng Qi."

"Would I harm Meng Qi?" Ren Suiyi pointed a finger backward, precisely at Meng Qi's stomach, and said irritably to Ren Suiwu, "Look at how fat he's gotten without anyone to control him!"

Ren Suiwu seriously looked at Meng Qi's stomach and nodded thoughtfully, "How did he gain so much weight?"

Except for the two Ren brothers, everyone else exchanged glances, unsure how to break the deadlock.

Meng Qi was already overwhelmed by Ren Suiyi, and now with Ren Suiwu adding to the chaos, his blood rushed to his head. He suddenly slapped away Ren Suiyi's finger pointing at his stomach and shouted angrily at Ren Suiyi, "If you dislike me so much, why don't you leave? Didn't you say you'd leave once you were better? Go now! Go away so you won't have to see me, a fat ball! Hurry up! Call your helicopter back and leave today! You think I'm fat, but I think you're annoying! I never want to see you again!"

Kuang Hui: ...

Dong Jiaming: ...

Qu Liang: ...

Zhao Zheyuan: ...

Elder Gu: ...

Wang Boyuan: ...

"I'm not bothered by you, I'm..." Misunderstood, Ren Suiyi rubbed his forehead weakly, almost speechless, "I'm worr—"

Meng Qi cut him off, not letting him get a word in, "You're bothered by me, I can tell!"

Ren Suiyi: ...

"Fine, let's just do what Elder Dong said first. About the diet..." Ren Suiyi decided to back down for now.

Meng Qi didn't even give him room to back down, "You still claim you're not bothered by my weight? You keep saying 'diet'—if that's not being bothered, what is? So what if I'm fat! If you don't like the look, then leave!"

Kuang Hui: ...

Dong Jiaming: ...

Qu Liang: ...

Zhao Zheyuan: ...

Elder Gu: ...

Wang Boyuan: ...

Ren Suiwu: ..........

Ren Suiyi: .............................