Chapter 65 – Childhood Friend

The dog’s owner was a little girl with a pair of pigtails. She ran over quickly, pressing down the exuberant golden retriever and putting the dog leash back around its neck. She scolded it angrily, “Why are you so disobedient? I can’t even call you back. You’re not getting dinner tonight.”

“Aroo.”

The golden retriever howled twice in grievance, but its wet eyes looked at Song Yu without blinking.

The little girl hugged the golden retriever and stood up, her expression apologetic, “I’m sorry, it ran away while I wasn’t paying attention. I’ll pay more attention next time. I’m sorry I scared you guys.”

Song Yu certainly wasn’t going to admit that he’d been scared by a dog. It was too shameful. He stood there, tense and quiet, and pushed Xie Sui out slightly. Quickly help him sort it out!

Xie Sui came back to his senses and tucked his thoughts away in an instant.

That strange glimpse of memory was blanked out again and he hid the coldness and contemplations in his heart.

He glanced at Song Yu, sorted out his thoughts, then turned his head towards the little girl. He casually said, “It’s okay. In any case, the one who was frightened wasn’t—”

His throat moved, and the words ‘wasn’t me’ hadn’t yet come out when—

Song Yu pinched his arm.

He pinched him across the thin school uniform and twisted hard, his actions fierce.

Xie Sui’s lips rose and he quietly changed his words, “Oh, no one was scared. Hurry and take it away; I remember that the school doesn’t allow pets to be brought into the playground.”

The little girl looked at Song Yu, who was hiding behind him, in confusion, “That little brother…”

Xie Sui smiled slightly, “Don’t misunderstand. He’s not afraid of dogs, he just likes to stay behind me.”

Song Yu: “……”

The little girl didn’t really understand, but she walked away with the golden retriever anyway.

Song Yu finally relaxed his breath and then only now realized that he’d lost face in front of Xie Sui. He clutched at his hair, depressed.

And Xie Sui tilted his head to ask, “You’re scared of dogs?”

Song Yu had already thought it through—being scared of dogs wasn’t anything to be embarrassed about; a real man never backed down from facing his weaknesses.

He nodded, his gaze unfocusing like he was trying to recall something, but he couldn’t remember no matter how he tried. He only had a vague impression of the event, “Yeah. When I was a child, I remember seeing a mad dog biting people and it always stuck with me.”

Xie Sui’s dark eyes grew thoughtful. He’d once again heard Song Yu mention his ‘childhood’.

Last time, when Song Yu had wanted to chat with him at night, they’d spoken about the past, but it had remained vague.

“Come walk around with me.” Xie Sui suddenly said.

Song Yu was stunned for a moment, not knowing why he would randomly ask such a thing of him, “I haven’t run yet.”

Xie Sui: “Then I’ll wait for you to finish running.”

“Forget it, it’s all the same anyway. I might as well spend the rest of the time chatting with you.”

Typically, ‘walk with me’ meant that someone wanted to speak some words from their heart. It was rare for Xie Sui to make such a request, so it was more important for him to be a good brother than to prepare for the sports event.

Xie Sui nodded, “Okay.”

There was no one left at the playground. The sunset dimmed as the sun sank into the horizon.

Xie Sui looked ahead and was silent for a while before asking out of the blue, “Song Yu, in your eyes, what kind of person am I?”

“Ah?” Song Yu was confused. He’d been ready to listen to Xie Sui talk about a bunch of his young man’s thoughts, but it turned out that he’d started with a question that flew straight at him?

His eyes opened a little wider, his light, tea-colored irises full of confusion, “In what sense? Aloof, cold and abstinent? High and cold kaolin flower? A genius with a high IQ?”

“That’s too exaggerated.”

Xie Sui laughed, “In all aspects. What do you think? What do you see?”

This question he was asking was a little serious.

Song Yu set aside his playfulness and met his eyes. He couldn’t keep his thoughts from drifting—why would Xie Sui ask him this question? Generally when people asked others about what they thought of them, it was because they weren’t confident in themselves? Hah, had Xie Sui’s ego been hit?

… Who could give him such a blow?

Song Yu frowned and hesitated for a while before he began organizing his words, “What do I think? ––Very good character, gentle and considerate, and patient and kind-hearted.”

Xie Sui laughed lightly and evaluated, “This is the me in your dreams, right?”

Song Yu: “……” He was trying to praise him.

Xie Sui didn’t know how Song Yu’s impression of him could remain so stuck on ‘kind-hearted’. He acknowledged that he wasn’t as ‘cruel’ and ‘unscrupulous’ as he’d been in the rumors in A City in his last life, but he couldn’t be matched up with the words ‘kind-hearted’ at all.

Song Yu was unwilling to let it go and used an example to try and convince him, “But when I first met you, you were saving people. That first time in Linshui, weren’t you trying to save that girl? By drinking alcohol for her? And the second time, when you got involved with those gangsters, wasn’t it for Xiao Xi?”

Xie Sui was stunned for a moment, finding it a bit funny.

Saving Xiao Xi had happened before he’d been reborn; as for Linshui, he’d had other goals.

“What if I’m not like what you think?”

Xie Sui’s tone was careless when he asked this question. It was as though he was joking and wasn’t taking it seriously at all.

Song Yu replied very quickly, “Then you’re not.”

He liked the real Xie Sui, not an illusionary or imaginary and false person.

Xie Sui paused for a few seconds, then quietly chuckled several times. He only restrained himself after he met Song Yu’s confused gaze.

His peach blossom eyes curved, and though they appeared indifferent and cold, the light inside them was deep and gentle.

Xie Sui: “Maybe I can flesh out my self-introduction from last time a bit more.”

Song Yu looked at him.

Xie Sui slowly said, “Not aloof and cold, not abstinent, not a genius, and not kind-hearted. Maybe I’m quite bad.”

Song Yu was stunned for a second and then burst out laughing, “Oh, you. Who personally labels themself bad?”

Xie Sui replied with a question, “Who said that I said so?”

Song Yu: “Ah?”

Xie Sui looked deep into his eyes and smiled, “A child said it.”

Song Yu was surprised, “What did you do to him?”

Xie Sui: “Secret.”

Song Yu began to mess around, “It can’t be that you beat them up, right? I couldn’t tell that you have a habit of bullying the weak. That’s really bad. Your morals are no good, Student Xie. Would you like me to give you some guidance?”

Xie Sui suppressed a smile, “No thanks.”

Song Yu went back to the apartment after running. He washed up and ate, then took out his textbooks and exam papers and began to go through the questions he’d gotten wrong.

After all, the sports event was just something to participate in, whereas the mid-term exams were his home court.

The phone rang halfway through; it was his father.

Song Yu had enough confidence from his good achievements. In the past, he felt like the cell phone burned his hand when he picked up President Song’s call, but now he was calm and collected.

“Hi, dad.”

President Song spoke from the other end, “I’ve sent the watch you wanted to Jing City.”

His hand, which was flipping his pen, paused. Joy charged up to his head.

Song Yu, “Okay, thanks dad. You’re always so fast, reliable, and efficient when you do things. Really worthy of being you!” At this time, he wasn’t the slightest bit stingy with his rainbow farts.

President Song felt refreshed and his heart held an unspeakable happiness and pride, but his words were intent on maintaining his dignity, “Do you think that I’ll be happy if you say so much? Is your praise only limited to these few sentences? You need to study more.”

Song Yu was in an exceptionally good mood and didn’t talk back to him. He cheerfully said, “I’ll be gifting it away.”

President Song: “You’re really giving it to a classmate?”

Song Yu: “Yeah, as his birthday present.”

President Song, who’d never received a gift from his younger son, was instantly unhappy. His tone was sour, “A birthday gift worth millions—you’re really generous.”

Song Yu laughed happily, “Sigh, friendship is priceless.”

President Song had a busy schedule and soon had to leave for a meeting, so they didn’t talk for long.

Song Yu’s heart was filled with blooming flowers by the time he hung up the phone. He couldn’t control the corners of his lips from curving up.

He looked at the chemistry question on how to make oxygen from potassium permanganate; he hadn’t the slightest clue about how to answer.

His brain was filled with what Xie Sui’s expression would be like when he received the gift.

He would definitely be flattered, then smile and say, “Thank you, Brother Yu.”

Tsk.

At this moment, even the small arrow indicating the rising of oxygen seemed extremely lovely.

In fact, he wasn’t a person who paid attention to such details. The reason why he wanted to give Xie Sui a watch was also related to his dreams—that man in a black suit who’d stepped out from the car had been tall and upright, with an elegant and expensive watch on his wrist. The diamonds on it flashed slightly in the drizzling rain, almost perfectly integrating with his overall temperament.

He felt that Xie Sui should like this birthday present.

Song Yu certainly wouldn’t spend time being happy on his own. He was unable to restrain himself and set aside his homework to poke Xie Sui.

He immediately came back to his senses after typing out a line of text and deleted everything in silence.

Didn’t the fun of a birthday present lie in its mystery and surprise? It wouldn’t be interesting if he told him in advance.

It was just that, since he’d already opened up the chat page, he didn’t want to exit out of it without saying anything.

He hesitated for a while, and then decided to start warming up the atmosphere first.

[ When’s your birthday ]

[ I’ll give you a very badass gift on your birthday. ]

[ You can start looking forward to it now ]

He hadn’t yet given his gift but was asking him to start looking forward to it. This was really his kind of style.

Xie Sui had been in the midst of going through information on the Song Family when he received these messages. His eyes were as deep and cold as a pool of water.

He bowed his head. Much of the coldness and violence dispersed the moment he saw the three sentences Song Yu had sent over and he smiled slightly.

[ Okay ]

[ I’m looking forward to it ]

Song Yu couldn’t resist and grinned at his cell phone. He said to himself: this million dollar gift is worth it for your two sentences.

It was unknown if it was because he’d talked with Xie Sui before sleeping, or because he’d been scared by the dog during the day, but when he went to bed after drinking milk, those dreams of the original master’s memories from the book began to appear again despite having disappeared for a good many days.

There was a pure white light, and then his mother’s voice as she spoke to him.

“Your Auntie Xu will be coming here later with her son. He’s one year older than you. Behave a bit and sweeten your words. Be nice, and remember to call him ‘big brother’.”

The child sucked on a candy and was very dissatisfied, “What? Why do I have to call him ‘big brother’ just because he’s one year older than me!”

“Just call him that. What are you coming up with so much nonsense for?”

“No way. At school, we all fight to see who calls who ‘big brother’. ‘Big brother’ can’t be called out at random. It’s a face problem! Unless you let me fight with him first.”

His mother was so angry that she laughed, “Say, aren’t you a bit too young to be having your rebellious period? There’s no need for him to fight with you, I’ll beat you up first.”

“… In fact, it’s not impossible to call him ‘big brother’.”

Song Yu had been especially spoiled when he was a child. His hair was soft and long, his skin milky white, and his eyes clear and transparent, much like glass beads. It was just that his expressions were extremely lofty.

It was summer at the manor. He wore a white t-shirt and loose, gray shorts that showed his pale, straight legs. He was holding onto his water gun and was being unwillingly dragged along by his mother.

“Yuyu, say hi to big brother.”

There was a young boy who looked as beautiful as a fairy standing next to Auntie Xu. His features were equally delicate.

He was only one year older, but he was a full head taller than him. He wore a shirt and trousers and had black hair. He was polite when facing his mother, and it was clear he’d had a good upbringing. It was just that it all changed when he faced him.

Those dark eyes held impatience and indifference that was impossible to hide.

With this damned attitude at first sight? How could Song Yu put up with it? To hell with calling him ‘big brother’.

The expression on the child’s face was cold.

His mother saw that he hadn’t replied after a long time and looked down at him. She whispered, “If you don’t greet him, you’ll lose all the toys in your room.”

Song Yu: “……”

He had nowhere to vent his anger; he really wanted to shoot the water gun in his hands at that person’s face. He scrunched up his face and gritted his teeth, “Big brother.”

Xie Sui hadn’t yet encountered those bad things as a child and his character wasn’t so silent. Both of them had been forced to meet and neither one of them was satisfied. Song Yu’s ‘big brother’ was very unwilling, and his gaze was threatening and fierce, seeming to say ‘you’re dead if you dare respond’.

Xie Sui wouldn’t let him threaten him, and his bad taste even flared up a little. He smiled slightly, “Mm, little sister.”

Song Yu: “!” He was so angry that he couldn’t speak.

Aunt Xu was stunned for a moment, then said to Xie Sui, “You’ve gotten it wrong, it’s ‘little brother’.”

Xie Sui pretended that he’d only just realized this, even though his eyes said something entirely different. There was no sincerity in his words, “Ah, I’m sorry. I thought he was a girl.”

Song Yu: “……”

Dammit, they were definitely going to fight.