Chapter 30 – Brother Attends Parent-Teacher Meeting

Jian Mei was stunned beyond words when he saw the bear magically appear on the bed.

He quickly grabbed the bear and inspected it from all angles, confirming that it was indeed his own bear. What was even more astonishing was that the bear looked completely rejuvenated, as if it had been enchanted and restored to its pristine condition.

“Clatter!”

The nearby armored warrior fell off the bed, jolting Jian Mei out of his daze.

As he bent down to pick up the armored warrior, Jian Mei suddenly remembered Xiao Peng’s words: “This toy has been with me for a long time, but its internal mechanism is broken and can’t be fixed.” It seemed that one morning, after waking up, the armored warrior inexplicably became fine.

Jian Mei picked up his phone again and sent a message to Lu Xingwang: “Did you fix this?”

Lu Xingwang didn’t intend to hide it from him: [Yes.]

Upon seeing this response, Jian Mei started to question the world. He was both curious and intrigued. After contemplating for a while, he couldn’t resist calling Lu Xingwang. The connecting music played for a long time before finally being answered. A calm and somewhat deep male voice came from the other end of the line, “Hello.”

Jian Mei’s heart tightened as he voiced his question, “How did you do it?”

Lu Xingwang replied, “Just with my hands .”

…

I don’t even know how to respond to that.

It’s strange. Even though it was a miraculous event that seemed like the sky was falling to him, Lu Xingwang’s calm tone made it seem like it was nothing remarkable, as if Jian Mei was making a fuss over nothing. It was actually quite normal. For someone who was accustomed to the high-tech world, it was just an ordinary thing. But for the naive Jian Mei, it exceeded his understanding.

Jian Mei struggled for a while and finally blurted out, “Is this transmission, the latest function that came out?”

Lu Xingwang pondered for a moment and said, “Perhaps.”

“But I’ve never heard of it,” Jian Mei cautiously guessed, “Because my mother’s phone is the latest and most expensive model on the market, and she doesn’t have this function.”

Lu Xingwang replied, “Is that so?”

Now that the conversation had reached this point, Jian Mei could already guess the answer.

The planet where Jian Mei was from should be on a different level from his own, both in terms of technology and environment. They probably didn’t possess any divine power, and their technology should be considered underdeveloped. So, except for the device in Jian Mei’s hand, other mobile devices probably didn’t have the transmission system activated. This raised a question: How did Jian Mei obtain the device in his hand?

“Can you be certain that no one else has this function?” Lu Xingwang wanted to confirm some things. “How did you get it then?”

Jian Mei truthfully replied, “My grandfather found the phone on the mountain.”

Lu Xingwang frowned, “Found it?”

Jian Mei nodded, “Yes, and we never found the owner. This phone is strange. The only pre-installed software is WeChat, and our WeChat accounts cannot be deleted from it. It’s really strange, and there are many features in this software that require points, a lot of which I’ve never heard of.”

Lu Xingwang pondered for a moment, “Does your family know about it?”

Jian Mei pursed his lips and shook his head obediently, “No, I didn’t tell them.”

Lu Xingwang’s heart sank slightly. He knew that while the innocent may be free of guilt, they could bear the consequences for possessing something they shouldn’t. No matter how it ended up in Jian Mei’s hands, if someone with ill intentions were to exploit it, it would bring endless trouble. After careful consideration, he spoke to Jian Mei, “Don’t tell anyone about your phone.”

Jian Mei tightened his grip on the phone.

Lu Xingwang continued, “Understand? That means anyone, including your family.”

Jian Mei grew nervous, “Is this phone dangerous?”

Lu Xingwang replied, “At the moment, it shouldn’t be.”

During his conversation with Jian Mei, Lu Xingwang didn’t waste any time. As soon as he realized the situation, he remotely scanned the phone and found that its internal functions were normal. There was only one WeChat account that he couldn’t infiltrate. But according to Jian Mei’s description, apart from having its own friends, the WeChat account didn’t pose any other dangers.

However…

When someone possesses something beyond their capabilities, desires begin to grow.

And sometimes, those desires are the most dangerous, capable of changing a person. What Lu Xingwang was most worried about now was that these things could ruin Jian Mei.

Lu Xingwang tapped his fingers on the desk, contemplating. Then he spoke, “Jian Mei.”

“Yes?”

Lu Xingwang said, “The bear you have, I did indeed fix it.”

It was just borrowing the maid’s divine power, using a small amount of healing power. It wasn’t a complex mechanical component, but even so, it was a powerful force for underdeveloped planets.

Jian Mei paused and replied, “Really?”

Lu Xingwang affirmed, “Yes.”

“Not only that.” This was the first time he revealed his edge without much modesty in front of someone, just to test their ambitions. “My abilities are not only effective on bears.”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the phone, and this inexplicable moment of silence made Lu Xingwang’s expression turn serious. His mood visibly worsened.

However…

Jian Mei was somewhat delighted and said, “It’s effective on the armor warriors too, right?”

“…”

Jian Mei looked cunning and said, “I knew it! You’re the one who fixed Xiao Peng’s armor warrior for me, right?”

Caught off guard, Lu Xingwang didn’t know what was happening and could only vaguely respond, “Yes.”

“Just as I thought.” There was a gentle smile on Jian Mei’s face. He spoke softly, as if sighing with a mixture of tenderness and sincerity, “I knew it. Who else would be so good to me?”

Something lightly grazed Lu Xingwang’s heart, leaving a slight impact. He averted his gaze, his voice sounding less confident, “Just a casual thing.”

Jian Mei reminded him, “Casual, but you’ve helped me twice.”

Lu Xingwang felt like he was being held in check. The young man pursed his lips, unwilling to admit it easily, “Those things aren’t a big deal to me.”

Jian Mei nodded, “I know, but you’re really kind. Even though they may seem like small things, you’re willing to help me a lot.”

A crisp and pleasant voice echoed nearby. The prince, who originally wanted to scheme against others, seemed to have been completely outplayed. Jian Mei’s open-hearted kindness was like warm sunlight, gradually eroding the dark calculations and shadows. Although it appeared that he had come out on the losing end, the slight crease in Lu Xingwang’s brow slowly smoothed out. At this moment, he faintly sensed that this child, Jian Mei, was different from others. Even when faced with a pitch-black darkness, he had a pair of eyes that could find hope and beauty. So, even though he hadn’t actually done much, Jian Mei was always grateful to him.

It’s not like that, Lu Xingwang thought.

Perhaps…

He himself was the one who borrowed a little light from Jian Mei, who had helped him a lot.

…

The next day

The National Day holiday was coming to an end, and Jian Mei returned home from his hometown.

Jian Changjia also traveled back home with him, but he never liked staying at home. He usually tried to return to school early, avoiding meeting other people. Jian Mei’s first priority after returning home was to catch up on his homework. His attention was focused on completing the remaining few test papers, so he didn’t pay much attention to his brother, who always looked like he had something to say but hesitated.

Until the afternoon, Jian Mei’s room door was knocked.

Jian Mei walked to the door and opened it, somewhat surprised to see the person standing at the door. He spoke softly, “Brother?”

There was a momentary hint of awkwardness on Jian Changjia’s face, but quickly, he lifted his chin arrogantly, seemingly with a hint of smugness. “Yes, I have something to tell you.”

Hidden behind his back was a new bear.

That day at the dining table, for some reason, he couldn’t forget the look in his younger brother’s eyes. The bear that he had long forgotten was cherished by another person. It was a strange feeling, and now that the bear was lost, he inexplicably felt a bit unhappy. So, as soon as he returned to the city in the early morning, he hurriedly went to buy a new one.

Coincidentally, Jian Mei was also happy. “I have something to tell you too.”

Jian Changjia pondered for a moment. “Shall we say it together?”

Jian Mei happily nodded, and the two of them silently recited three times before saying together:

“I found my bear!”

“I bought you a new bear!”

…

There was a momentary silence in the air.

The bear that Jian Changjia took out from behind suddenly seemed awkward in the air. His smile froze, and he glared at Jian Mei with an unpleasant expression. “You found it?”

Jian Mei weakly nodded, “Yes.”

On the nearby table was indeed the orange bear, but for some reason, Jian Changjia felt that something was off about it. It seemed… too new? Wasn’t that the old bear?

Jian Changjia’s tone was harsh, “Why didn’t you say you found it earlier!”

Jian Mei didn’t expect his brother to be angry. “I’m sorry, I thought you wouldn’t mind.”

Jian Changjia was about to refute out of instinct. “How could I not mind? You…”

As the words reached his mouth, he choked up. Some things were still said with uncertainty, like now. He truly didn’t care about the bear, so he didn’t even remember it, even though he was the one who gave it to Jian Mei.

“Forget it!” Suddenly, a surge of anger flared up in Jian Changjia’s heart. He turned around and walked out. “You have already found it.”

Just as he was about to leave, he felt a gentle grip on his clothes from behind. Even though the strength was not strong, it made his steps to leave come to a halt.

Jian Mei raised his fair little face, his round eyes filled with a smile. He shifted his gaze to the little bear and asked softly, “Did big brother buy this especially for me?”

For some reason, the word “especially” made Jian Changjia’s heart tighten.

Could it be…

Jian Mei actually knew that the bear was given by someone else, and he casually gave it to him?

Jian Changjia’s heart suddenly became chaotic. He was used to being dominant, and even though he cared a little deep down, he still maintained his dominance on the surface. He stubbornly said, “I bought it on a whim.”

…

The air fell into a brief silence.

Strangely, it was Jian Changjia who became nervous when there was no response.

Then, Jian Mei, who was half a head shorter, chuckled softly. “Hey, it’s so strange.”

Jian Changjia looked down at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Why do you all like doing things on a whim?” Jian Mei’s voice was so soft that it was a bit unclear, but his eyes looking at Jian Changjia were so bright. It was as if, no matter how tough Jian Changjia acted, he could still see through everything. Jian Mei reached out to him and took the bear. “Thank you for the bear, big brother. I really like it.”

In the blink of an eye, Jian Mei took the bear away while Jian Changjia was distracted.

He felt a mixture of happiness and anger. “Who said I was giving it to you?”

Jian Mei pretended not to understand. He looked at the bear in his hand and said, “Then why did big brother bring it to my room? Did you want me to see your taste in choosing things? Hmm… it seems not that great.”

Jian Changjia couldn’t believe that the bear he had painstakingly chosen could be rejected. He became frustrated and said, “Then give it back to me.”

Jian Mei quickly dodged and mischievously looked back at him with a smile. “Nope.”

“Are you going to give it or not?”

“I won’t!”

The two of them chased and played around. Jian Mei ran to the bed, but Jian Changjia pounced on him like a hungry tiger, swiftly subduing him. The older brother was skilled at handling his younger brother. He held him down and tickled him, making Jian Mei laugh uncontrollably and beg for mercy, “I’m sorry, big brother.”

Jian Changjia was resentful. “Dare you mock my taste?”

Jian Mei was almost in tears from laughter but quickly said, “I won’t dare anymore. I won’t dare.”

Their eyes met, and because they were facing each other, this time Jian Mei saw the scars on Jian Changjia’s neck more clearly. They were horrifying, eye-catching, and heart-wrenching.

Jian Changjia also noticed where Jian Mei was looking. His expression changed, and he was about to flare up, but Jian Mei picked up the newly bought teddy bear next to him, rubbed against it, and even gave it a kiss on the face. Then he turned his head, smiling at Jian Changjia, and said, “Thank you, big brother. I really love this bear.”

Jian Changjia had a stern face. “And yet you said I have bad taste.”

Jian Mei explained, “I was just teasing you. I didn’t mean it.”

In the same bedroom, by the bedside, it had been many years since Jian Changjia had stepped inside, and they had never had such a peaceful conversation before.

“Sometimes I speak without thinking, but I don’t mean it. Actually, I really love it,” Jian Mei said, holding the bear and looking at Jian Changjia. His eyes were fixed on him, his voice sincere but filled with deep apologies. “I’m sorry, big brother.”

…

The room remained silent for a long time.

After a while, Jian Changjia turned his face away and let out a slight scoff. “I’m not that petty.”

A smile blossomed on Jian Mei’s face. He sat up on the bed and chased after him, saying, “Brother, so you’re not angry anymore, right?”

Ah, why was this child so stubborn?

Jian Changjia’s earlobes reddened slightly, and he raised his head proudly. “I can’t be bothered to argue with a little brat like you.”

Jian Mei was very happy. “That’s great! There’s a parents’ meeting in a few days. Can you come?”

Jian Changjia turned around in disbelief and said angrily, “Are you out of your mind? Why would I, someone like me, attend your parents’ meeting? I’m not going!”

Jian Mei stood still, pursing his lips with a hint of grievance. He knew, of course, that it didn’t make sense to ask his buddy to go. He could only lower his head and answer softly, “Because Mom and Dad have been busy with work after the National Day holiday and don’t have time to attend.”

It had been the same in many previous instances.

Shen Meina and her husband often couldn’t attend parents’ meetings due to work.

Jian Mei gripped his clothes tightly. “The teacher also asked us to write a letter to our family and prepare some small gifts or props. It’s an assigned task. If no one goes, then I…”

Jian Changjia was heartless. “Then just don’t do it. I have to go to school too. Who has time to attend? If it doesn’t work, let one of our buddies go and pretend.”

Jian Mei’s eyelashes trembled, and he took a gentle breath, as if swallowing some suppressed grievances. Finally, he nodded obediently, “I understand.”

Jian Changjia achieved his goal, but seeing his buddy in such a pitiful state, he inexplicably felt a sense of frustration and discomfort.

So annoying.

The seemingly heartless and cold person left the room. Jian Changjia stayed in the room for a while, unable to resist any longer, and took out his phone to call his buddy. He heard a cheerful voice on the other end, “Chang Ge, what’s up? Are we going somewhere fun?”

“Forget about going somewhere fun.” Jian Changjia sat in a chair, legs crossed, his voice carrying a hint of authority. “Come out and accompany me to buy clothes.”

?

His buddy was puzzled. “Are you running out of clothes to wear?”

Jian Changjia muttered, “I want to buy something with a different style! Can’t I?”

“Alright, alright.” His buddy didn’t dare to refuse, but he was curious. “What style? Is it the popular casual style or workwear style? Hey, have you fallen for someone? Oh, I knew there must be someone who could make Chang Ge go shopping specifically for clothes. I want to see what kind of fairy she is.”

“Get lost.” Jian Changjia lazily sat back. “Neither of those. I want to buy something slightly more formal.”

…

His buddy weakly asked, “But that’s not my area of expertise, and you never asked me to go shopping with you before, Chang Ge.”

“It’s all because of Jian… Some idiot said my taste is bad.” Jian Changjia’s expression also turned sour. “Just tell me if you’re coming or not.”

His buddy couldn’t let go of such a great opportunity. “I’m coming, I’m coming, I’ll be there right away!”

After hanging up the phone, the buddy, who was getting ready to go out, suddenly realized a somewhat serious question: What exactly does Chang Ge need to buy clothes for?