Chapter 19

In the profound stillness of the moment, the volume from the receiver was actually quite audible.

Zeng Mingxi heard it clearly. Rubbing his chin, he didn't look at Wei Shu’s expression, but a sense of doubt stirred within him. In his memory, Qiu Baozhu had a mild temperament, like a dandelion—seemingly a big, fluffy bloom that would shrink to a tiny speck the moment one pinched it. Just a moment ago, Qiu Baozhu had readily agreed, but as soon as he heard it was Wei Shu, he had refused without the slightest hesitation.

Although Wei Shu and Qiu Baozhu were classmates, the two cliques at Jicai were so clearly divided that it was entirely possible they were complete strangers. Why, then, did Qiu Baozhu act as if he disliked Wei Shu so much? And if he disliked him so intensely, what was the meaning behind Qiu Baozhu calling the police on him a while back?

Zeng Mingxi couldn't quite figure it out.

The phone, now disconnected, was returned to Zeng Mingxi’s hand. He looked at Wei Shu with a gaze of feigned sympathy. "It seems you won't be able to come with me today." The schadenfreude in his tone was more of an encouragement for Wei Shu to explain: Why was Qiu Baozhu acting this way?

Wei Shu’s expression remained unchanged. He raised his arm and handed the cake box, tied with a green lace ribbon, to Zeng Mingxi. "You take it to him. I’m heading back."

"...Alright then." Zeng Mingxi took the cake. "I have to get going now, lest I be late."

Zeng Mingxi quickly hurried out of the café, the cake in hand.

Wei Shu remained in his seat. In front of him sat a raspberry latte; ice cubes floated and melted at the rim of the glass. Once the ice had almost entirely dissolved, Wei Shu expressionlessly downed the latte in one gulp. The concentrated raspberry syrup and milk were cloyingly sweet. In truth, Wei Shu detested sweets of all kinds, including sugary drinks.

In a beautifully decorated corner of the garden, Qiu Baozhu sat on a swing, swaying back and forth. With no guests arrived yet, he felt free to be impolite and uncomposed. He shouldn't have invited Zeng Mingxi. Who knew Wei Shu would be so shameless?

The boy was now almost certain that Wei Shu had fallen for him again. Qiu Baozhu sighed. He knew he was likable; it would be strange if someone didn't like him. Wei Shu was no exception.

*Well,* he thought, *I’ll just pretend I don't know.* As long as Wei Shu didn't say anything and he didn't enter into a relationship with him, none of the things that happened later in his past life would have a chance to occur.

"Baozhu, Grandma is here!" Auntie Wan called out the boy's name from inside the house.

Qiu Baozhu looked up toward the fence, just barely catching a glimpse of the corner of the gate. Wan Yinci was wearing clothes that were clearly brand new; she preferred to tend to her crops at home and felt that wearing anything too nice was a waste. She was carrying several large bags filled with fruits and vegetables. Auntie Wan, a distant relative of hers, greeted the elderly woman with particular enthusiasm.

Qiu Baozhu hopped off the swing and brushed the grass clippings off his pants. "Grandma!"

Wan Yinci walked into the house. "Where are your parents?"

"Mom is working overtime upstairs, and Dad went to the office," Qiu Baozhu replied.

"It’s your and Qiu Fei’s birthday today, and they’re still working?" The smile that had been on Wan Yinci’s face dimmed.

"It’s not a coming-of-age ceremony, anyway," Qiu Baozhu said dismissively.

Wan Yinci was the first to arrive, followed by several classmates who had come together. Zeng Mingxi arrived right on time, walking into the garden with the cake, a beaming smile on his face. "Am I late?"

"If we told you you were late, would you pay us?" a girl asked slowly, holding a cherry in her hand.

"No."

"Well, there you go."

"Eh?" Zou Ni’s eyes were sharp; she was the first to notice the cake Zeng Mingxi set on the table. "Why did you bring a cake? Qiu Baozhu’s family already has one made."

Zeng Mingxi pulled out a chair and sat down, his expression natural. "I passed by a bakery, saw a cake that looked quite pretty, and just bought it. It was just a casual purchase."

"A 'casual' purchase—" Zou Ni dragged out the last syllable. She leaned in to inspect the gold-traced patterns on the packaging box. "A 'Monster' cake can be a casual purchase? Don't they only take pre-ordered custom orders?"

Caught in the lie and under the scrutiny of everyone’s gazes, Zeng Mingxi remained unruffled. He undid his cufflinks. "Spare me, will you? I just didn't know what gift to bring, so I had to follow the trend and buy a cake."

"Where’s Qiu Baozhu?" Zeng Mingxi feigned searching for him. "Qiu Fei, where’s your brother?"

Qiu Fei, sitting at the far end of the long table, looked up when his name was called and glanced toward the house. "Probably still busy dealing with the adults inside."

"Why aren't you in there? It’s your birthday too, you know," Pan Shengan asked, full of curiosity.

No one spoke at the table, and Qiu Fei, who had been asked, remained silent as well.

The adults did not mingle with the children. The garden was a vibrant playground for youth, while inside was the world of adults—fragrant with flowers and red wine, skirts and shoes gilded with gold. The smiles on every face were like masks baked in a kiln beforehand: elegant and decorous, yet utterly monotonous.

"Baozhu has grown taller again."

The boy was pulled around for a turn. The adults were all seated, and he stood in their midst, his features traced by heaven like white jade porcelain. The many eyes admiring him seemed to be appraising a piece of fine china.

"You’ve grown so well, becoming more handsome by the day."

"Happy birthday, Baozhu. You’re almost an adult."

"This is a gift I bought for you specially from abroad..."

Qiu Baozhu felt annoyed. He used to enjoy such occasions, where everyone doted on him and praised him. But later, he realized this was merely a social currency among adults; the child was the currency, and his value depended on the value of the Qiu family.

"He really has grown taller, much taller than the last time I saw him."

Qiu Baozhu’s ears were buzzing, and countless polite yet indifferent faces replaced the warm and affectionate expressions before him.

"But I haven't grown a single centimeter from last year to this year," Qiu Baozhu said, his gaze lowered, his tone sounding innocently frustrated.

"..."

Qiu Baozhu’s sudden remark left the speaker somewhat embarrassed. He Yingjie, who had been chatting with someone nearby, saw her expression shift slightly and set down her coffee.

"Baozhu! Why are you still here?"

Wan Yinci approached with a platter of fruit and pulled Qiu Baozhu out of the circle. "Your classmates are all waiting outside. How can you let Qiu Fei entertain them all by himself? That pool—the water was just changed, go have some fun in the water. Go on, go on."

Wan Yinci set down the fruit and nudged Qiu Baozhu out of the sight of the adults. Qiu Baozhu gave Wan Yinci a firm hug. "Thanks, Grandma!" He turned and ran off the moment he let go.

The atmosphere in the garden was much more relaxed and cheerful. As Qiu Baozhu ran toward them, Xiao You popped the cap off a bottle of champagne, the golden liquid spraying into the air like gold dust.

"Want to eat? I’ll have the kitchen send some food over." Qiu Baozhu dodged the champagne flying toward him and hid behind Qiu Fei.

"No!" everyone said in unison.

"We’re already full from all the snacks and fruit!"

"Can we go to the pool? I brought my swimsuit!"

Xiao You made a high-pitched "eh" sound and slammed the bottle down with a "thud," ice cubes bouncing all over the table. "Let’s play! I’m in!"

Zeng Mingxi raised a hand. "I won't go. I have hydrophobia."

"No, Zeng Mingxi, what’s that supposed to mean? It’s Qiu Baozhu and Qiu Fei’s birthday, and you’re already here..." The boy who jumped up to shout was Zhang Xiaomin. He and Xiao You were clearly close; they flanked Zeng Mingxi and prepared to toss him into the pool.

Qiu Baozhu, who had been drinking cola and watching the fun, saw the look of desperation in Zeng Mingxi’s eyes, and his smile froze. He remembered now—Zeng Mingxi truly did have a fear of water; he had heard Wei Shu mention it in his previous life. When Zeng Mingxi was a child, he had gone fishing in a wild pond in the countryside with his father. His father had become so engrossed in fishing that he didn't notice when Zeng Mingxi fell into the water. Zeng Mingxi feared the water, but he also feared the scenario of falling in and having his loved ones stand by, indifferent.

"Xiao You!" Qiu Baozhu chased after them in a few strides, pulling Xiao You aside to make him let go of Zeng Mingxi. "Zeng Mingxi really is afraid of water; he can't go in!"

Zeng Mingxi’s face had turned pale. He straightened his clothes and said a quiet "Thanks" to Qiu Baozhu.

Zhang Xiaomin didn't care; he quickly changed into his suit and jumped into the water, splashing about. Xiao You, however, kept glancing back and forth between Qiu Baozhu and Zeng Mingxi, unable to resist asking, "How did you know Zeng Mingxi was afraid of water?"

Qiu Baozhu didn't even miss a beat, answering calmly, "He just said so."

"..."

Qiu Baozhu was right, but Xiao You felt something was off, though he couldn't put his finger on it. "You’re something else," Xiao You pointed at him, but could only leave it at that. However, he found Zeng Mingxi even more of an eyesore than before.

The sun blazed brightly as a group of teenagers jumped into the shimmering pool. Qiu Baozhu sat at the edge of the pool in his T-shirt and shorts, the water just covering his ankles. He splashed the water with his instep, unable to stop himself from thinking that in his past life, by the end of this summer, his family had started to run into trouble.

A splash of water suddenly hit Qiu Baozhu full in the face while he was lost in thought. "Happy birthday, Qiu Baozhu!!!"

Zou Ni surfaced from underwater. Her chin-length hair was plastered to her head, making her look like a handsome, delicate boy.

"Here’s a birthday gift." Zou Ni handed over a box. "It’s a multi-colored black pearl necklace. I don't have much pocket money; if I were richer, I feel like jade would suit you better."

"I gave Qiu Fei a model airplane. I don't know much about them, so I just took a few from my brother’s display case, but I think Qiu Fei likes them well enough."

"Thank you." Qiu Baozhu took the wet box and placed it carefully to the side. "I hope you have a good time at my place today."

"I’m already having a great time. Usually, people don't invite me to play," Zou Ni said, tapping her temple. "Probably because my whole family are teachers at Jicai, and my mom is the principal. Everyone is afraid I’ll snitch on them."

"Qiu Baozhu."

Qiu Baozhu, who had been chatting with Zou Ni, was suddenly called from behind.

"Hm?" Before the boy could even turn around, a shadow loomed over him. He was suddenly scooped up from behind, and the two of them tumbled into the pool with a great splash.

Qiu Baozhu knew how to swim; without hesitation, he kicked the other person away. He surfaced, spat out a mouthful of water, and pushed his dripping bangs back.

"Xiao You!" Qiu Baozhu’s eyes were red from the pool water.

Xiao You laughed and splashed him back. "Happy birthday~"

Qiu Baozhu held his breath, managing only to say, "Thanks."

Xiao You looked at the dripping-wet Qiu Baozhu, who looked like a pearl just pulled from the water—fair, luminous, and delicate. His heart began to race inexplicably.

By now, everyone except Qiu Fei and Zeng Mingxi was in the pool. The dozen or so people, who hadn't been particularly close before, quickly grew familiar with one another.

Auntie Wan watched from the house for a while, then hurried over with several bottles of sunscreen, telling them to apply it so they wouldn't get burned.

"Baozhu, Baozhu, come up here, let me put some sunscreen on you. The summer sun is quite vicious..." Auntie Wan handed the sunscreen to the other kids, kept one bottle, and waved at the boy diving in and out of the water.

Suddenly, the spot where Qiu Baozhu had been went quiet, and the water surface smoothed out.

"Baozhu?" Auntie Wan’s expression changed.

"Auntie Wan!" He emerged from underwater, his face washed clean, looking exceptionally fair and bright, making it impossible to scold him.

"You, you really are... come up, come up. Look, your neck is already turning red."

"Okay."

Qiu Baozhu pressed his hands against the pool edge and hopped out gracefully. His straight, slender legs were exposed to the sunlight, and his T-shirt clung to his body, revealing a waist that was both slender and supple.

He took off his top and dried himself. Just as Auntie Wan was about to apply the sunscreen, Xiao You surfaced. "Auntie, let me help Qiu Baozhu. You go ahead and get busy."

Xiao You took the sunscreen from Auntie Wan. Qiu Baozhu sat cross-legged on the non-slip tiles by the shore, like a little white fish.

"Call Qiu Fei over," Qiu Baozhu said, reaching for the sunscreen in Xiao You’s hand.

Xiao You dodged and squatted down. "Let me help you."

Though he was grinning, his eyes didn't know where to look; staring anywhere at Qiu Baozhu made his face burn with heat.

Qiu Baozhu frowned in annoyance, braced his hands on the ground, and turned around. "Then just help me with my back; I can do the rest myself."

Zeng Mingxi, lounging on a deck chair nearby, watched the two of them with a smile. Qiu Baozhu slumped his head, unwilling, but as someone accustomed to being cared for, he remained naturally at ease.

It was the usually arrogant Xiao You who seemed awkward; in a place where Qiu Baozhu couldn't see, his entire face and neck had turned bright red.

Zeng Mingxi found it amusing. He picked up his phone from the coffee table and made a direct video call to Wei Shu. After two rings, the request was rejected.

As expected.

Zeng Mingxi typed calmly: *Let me show you what we're doing.*

After the message was sent, he called again. This time, it was answered quickly. Wei Shu was likely in his room at his desk; the lighting was dim, and he only revealed half his face, glancing coldly at the screen before looking down again. "Is this face of yours what you wanted me to see?"

"Wait for me to switch the camera," Zeng Mingxi said, switching to the rear lens.

Soon, on Wei Shu’s phone screen, the Qiu family’s lush, romantic garden appeared: the dining table, the shimmering pool, the classmates playing and laughing...

And the sight of Qiu Baozhu, shirtless, while Xiao You’s hands rubbed sunscreen over his back, leaving not a single spot untouched.