Chapter 34: Friendship Hard to Maintain

Chapter 34: Friendships Hard to Keep

After the graduation ceremony.

Tao Tao pulled Li Su to retake the photo they had lost at sea, and Lin Qiushuang forced his way into joining them again.

"You're so annoying!"

Lin Qiushuang and Tao Tao started arguing once more.

Li Su slipped off to find Mama Li, who was crying her eyes out.

"Thank goodness, Gu Zi is finally back, that sunny Gu Zi has returned."

Seeing Li Su smiling and taking photos with others, surrounded by friends, Mama Li had no regrets about her decision.

Holding him back was worse than letting go; Gu Zi needed sunlight to mature.

Mama Li hugged Li Su and they talked for ages, only parting reluctantly as the graduation ceremony was about to end.

Finally, Li Su had the chance to ask Mama Li about Li Shuo's recent situation.

Although her expression was uneasy, Mama Li told the truth.

She hadn't hit Li Shuo anymore and had been taking good care of him.

Li Su felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders.

Mama Li told Li Su not to be homesick, to behave well in the Song family, study hard, and not to upset Song Wuyi.

Li Su pouted and said, "I never made Big Brother upset."

Song Wuyi happened to walk over and greeted Mama Li.

"Auntie, we should be getting back. The Song family has a curfew; it wouldn't be good to return late."

Every single thing Song Wuyi did showed how strict his family was, and Mama Li instinctively trusted him.

"Alright then, I'll stop rambling. Gu Zi, go with your Brother Wuyi now."

Mama Li deliberately used an affectionate term for Song Wuyi and nudged Li Su toward him.

Li Su still didn't want to let go and wanted to hug Mama Li again.

Song Wuyi urged unhurriedly, "Weren't you gonna watch that idol drama tonight? If we get stuck in traffic at the gate, we'll miss it when we get home, and there's no rerun."

Only then did Li Su remember that tonight was the finale of the TV drama, and since a public news broadcast would occupy the channel tomorrow, the rerun won't be on till next week!

"Mom, I'll go now. I'll come back to see you during the holidays."

Song Wuyi walked ahead, and Li Su waved goodbye to Mama Li several times before catching up.

"Hurry, there's only forty minutes left until it starts, and the trip home takes half an hour. If there's traffic, we're doomed!"

Li Su's worried voice came from beside him, as if returning to the Song family was a natural thing.

But going back to the Li family was for one thing—to see his mom.

Song Wuyi was happy with how Li Su saw both families, and he was in a good mood.

The next day.

Li Su showed up at school with bags under his eyes.

Tao Tao too.

Lin Qiushuang couldn't understand—did these two sneak off to do something without me last night? Great, they were isolating him again!

Before Lin Qiushuang could call them out, Li Su and Tao Tao hugged each other and cried.

"How could this happen!"

"Wah wah wah, how could they end up separated by death? Wah wah wah, the couple I was shipping ended up breaking up!"

Tao Tao sobbed and shouted, yelling about how terrible the ending was.

Li Su was devastated and nodded hard in agreement.

"Exactly, exactly. If I had known it would end like this, I would've watched the make-out scenes a few more times!"

Lin Qiushuang didn't watch idol dramas and couldn't understand all that dramatic love and hate Tao Tao was going on about. He just felt that Tao Tao's tears and snot were getting all over Li Su.

"Alright, Li Su. You're a dude, you can't be into these cheesy idol dramas. Come watch racing with me. Look, the model I'm giving you today is a Lamborghini, dude."

Li Su couldn't care less about racing, but Lin Qiushuang was obsessed with giving him models.

To get Li Su's attention, Lin Qiushuang even bragged that he would give him a real car when he turned 18.

Li Su kept saying he wasn't into it, but Lin Qiushuang insisted Tao Tao had brainwashed him.

Tao Tao cursed Lin Qiushuang as a toxic straight dude.

Lin Qiushuang pulled Li Su to his side: "Us straight guys shouldn't hang with girls. Let's go play basketball. If you don't like racing, you gotta like basketball, right?"

Li Su did like playing ball.

But later, he couldn't get enough guys together, so he just stopped.

However, Lin Qiushuang was very active in sports clubs and had many friends, easily setting up a basketball game.

Li Su wiped his tears and waved goodbye to Tao Tao.

Tao Tao watched Li Su being dragged away and muttered, "What's so fun about playing hoops? All sweaty and stinky. Next week in baking class, I'll take Li Su and make him smell all nice and fresh."

When it was time for the baking class, Lin Qiushuang dragged Li Su to ditch class and play games in the computer room.

Tao Tao was furious and skipped class too.

She kicked open the computer room door that someone was using without permission.

Scaring the crap out of Li Su.

Lin Qiushuang was practically wrapped around Li Su, holding Li Su's hand to move the mouse, controlling the game character on the computer.

Tao Tao pressed her

Li Su was also punished with a three-thousand-word written reflection. Although Song Wuyi ended up writing it for him, Song Wuyi warned him not to pick up bad habits from Lin Qiushuang.

Li Su didn't think he was being led astray; in fact, he was somewhat enjoying the freedom of not studying, but he didn't dare to say it.

"Let's just go."

Li Su timidly wanted to leave, but Lin Qiushuang pinned him down on the computer desk.

Lin Qiushuang glared at Tao Tao: "Li Su isn't your private property. Why is it okay for you to ask him to hang out with you, but not me?"

Tao Tao pressed the alarm bell without hesitation.

"It's not okay. Li Su is mine. He has to stay with me forever!"

The piercing alarm sounded. Lin Qiushuang cursed, "You're so bossy and unreasonable. Li Su, if you don't break up with someone like her, your future will be ruined by her!"

Li Su was about to say "Forget it, forget it" when he saw the security guard with a baton behind Tao Tao.

Li Su and Lin Qiushuang were once again sent to the student council.

Song Xianting, as the president, handled the matter.

Lin Qiushuang told the truth and took full responsibility: "It was me who made Li Su skip class, and I broke into the computer room to take him to play games. Just punish me."

Li Su admired Lin Qiushuang's sense of brotherhood. He quietly told Lin Qiushuang that if the written reflection was three thousand words, he would take half of it; if it was five thousand, he would write two thousand.

Lin Qiushuang straightened his back even more, showing the courage of a man who takes responsibility.

Li Su stayed silent, hoping Song Xianting wouldn't bring this matter up at home.

Song Shuzheng's concern for Li Su exceeded Li Su's expectations. Instead of treating him with the casual treatment of a guest, he would ask in a polite but serious tone about Li Su's situation every now and then.

Li Su felt the oppressive weight of Song Shuzheng's concern as if he were his biological father, but even more distant. He didn't dare act spoiled or complain around Song Shuzheng.

"Is he a mindless puppet? You had his tacit approval for everything you did, so he bears part of the responsibility."

Song Xianting judged fairly, punishing both Lin Qiushuang and Li Su to write three-thousand-word written reflections and to clean the gym after school for a week.

Li Su felt a bit wronged, suspecting that Song Xianting was deliberately making things difficult, but he had no evidence.

During the placement exams, Li Su only got ten points on his essay, so he was completely incapable of writing a three-thousand-word written reflection.

He knocked on the door of Song Wuyi's study. Without waiting for a response, he slipped inside awkwardly.

.

"Bro, I need a favor."

Song Wuyi: "No."

Li Su froze, thinking about whether he could write a three-thousand-word written reflection. He soon realized it was impossible, so he collapsed onto the desk.

"Bro, please, this is the last time, okay?"

Song Xianting was the student council president, and Song Wuyi was the head of the disciplinary department. Song Wuyi knew almost everything that happened at school.

So Li Su didn't need to explain the reason to Song Wuyi; he just pleaded.

"Never again."

"Yeah, yeah."

Song Wuyi wrote quickly, finishing before 9 PM.

Li Su took the written reflection to find Song Xianting.

Song Xianting didn't have a study; he usually stayed in the room full of puppets.

Li Su was a bit intimidated by this room, so he stood at the door, waiting for Song Xianting to come to him.

Song Xianting held a carving knife with wood shavings on it.

Li Su handed the written reflection to Song Xianting.

Song Xianting only glanced at the first page and returned it to Li Su.

"The first time you had someone else write it for you, I turned a blind eye. If it happens a second time, Li Su, do you think our relationship has reached a level where I can cover for you?"

Li Su thought, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"What covering? You're clearly making things hard for me."

Song Xianting spun the carving knife in his hand, shaking off the wood shavings.

"I'm making things hard for you?"

"Yes, exactly. To be honest, no one writes their own written reflection. Others get away with it, but for me, you say you have no obligation to cover for me. Isn't that making things hard?"

Li Su ventured, "Or maybe it's because this was written by Song Wuyi, and that's why you're so unhappy with it."

Song Xianting sneered and said in a nasty tone: "Yeah, that's right. Any advantages or privileges from Song Wuyi won't fly with me. I'll give you three days to write it yourself, or I'll make you stand at the school gate with a sign listing your offenses."

Li Su had just managed to return to a normal life and was terrified of being gossiped about maliciously. Song Xianting's threat hit his weak spot perfectly.

"Fine, I'll write it myself."

"..."

"Can I copy it?"

Li Su blinked with a hint of hope in his eyes.

Song Xianting uttered two words and closed the door.

"Up to you."