Chapter Seven, Fateful Entanglement

It turns out that Zhu Xiaocheng did not return home, as his nouveau riche family found it inconvenient to take the child along while they indulged in their lifestyle. They left the child with the grandparents in their hometown. Later, when the grandparents passed away one after another, the nouveau riche did not think to bring the child back, leaving him in the boarding high school in the hometown. Every year, they would send a gift to the teachers and provide a monthly allowance for the child, considering it as fulfilling their duty as a father

Xu Xilin and Dou Xun stared at each other in the entrance for a moment, their soaring emotions colliding briefly, resulting in a shared sentiment of "I can't believe it," which struck deep into their hearts, resonating with a clang.

He is quite adept at dealing with the malice of others, but he is not very skilled at handling "human emotions"

Li Bozhi took a few deep breaths, glared fiercely at Dou Xun, and then pushed and shoved his companions as they walked away

If they were to engage in a decisive battle on the spot, their numbers would overwhelm Xu Xilin, who would be alone—Dou Xun would certainly not be on his side either. The odds of victory are clearly apparent.

In Xu Xilin's anticipation, I wish for Zhu Xiaocheng to arrive fashionably late

Li Bozhi did not expect him to be so disrespectful, his expression changed instantly, and he almost turned his anger towards the door, but was stopped by the person next to him

Then the smile on his face suddenly felt as if it had been swept by liquid nitrogen at minus 195.8 degrees, freezing solid, with his heart soaring

"My nose isn't open, how can I breathe?" Xu Xilin lifted his eyelids and glanced at him, "Am I talking to you?"

However, after class, while Dou Xun was still hesitating to organize his thoughts, he saw Xu Xilin, who was on duty, putting on his coat and blocking Wu Tao at the door

"That conversation was a bit heavy," Xu Xilin patted Wu Tao on the back, "You didn't take it to heart, did you?"

Li Bozhi held his neck stiffly and said: "You ... ... "

Xu Xilin is certainly not some overlooked little wretch; when he speaks, a large number of boys from the class would follow him. Li Bozhi may not care, but Wu Tao still has to navigate his way in the class in the future

However, no one intended to take action, because while fighting might be momentarily satisfying, how would one resolve the aftermath?

A middle-aged beauty appeared at the entrance, warmly waving at him: "Little handsome guy, come here so that your godmother can take a look at you"

Dou Xun was taken aback to see them colluding so openly with just a few words. His expression immediately turned cold, and he cast aside the small talk he had prepared for the class, turning away with a sullen demeanor.

"Xiao Hui" and "Xiao Lin" each flew away as their grandmothers approached, scattering in a rush

When I call out "Grandma," she appears immediately. I hear the sound of small footsteps behind me, and Grandma Xu, with a slight Southern accent, softly says: "Oh dear, what are you two doing together? Don't you have anything better to do than to bully the little dog? Xiaohui, do you still have any semblance of a mother?"

Dou Xun saw himself at that moment, sometimes twirling a pen, sometimes scratching his head, sometimes blacking out all the circled letters in his English book, and at other times carving a radish into the eraser with a craft knife

Wu Tao silently nodded and said, "Next Monday, it will be our class's turn to guard the flag. Are you in?"

Dou Xun devoted half of his thoughts to the homework at hand, while the other half was occupied with the recent incident in the restroom—he did not understand why Xu Xilin suddenly kicked the door open to stop Wu Tao and the others, but based on the outcome alone, Dou Xun felt that he might owe Xu Xilin a favor

Wu Tao's face alternated between pale and flushed as he hesitated in place for a moment. Sure enough, he looked at the situation and turned back to wave at Li Bozhi and the others, saying: "Let's go"

Xu Xilin finished his duty playfully and intended to hang out at the McDonald's where Cai Jing was on duty. However, he received a phone call from his grandmother, informing him that Zhu Xiaocheng would be bringing the children over in the evening, and he needed to rush home to prepare for their arrival. Thus, he had no choice but to bid farewell to his group of friends and return home early

Xu Xilin said: "Hmm, alright"

Dou Xun pondered throughout the entire self-study period and decided to speak to Xu Xilin after class. There was no need to be overly friendly; it was sufficient to convey, "I remember what happened today, and I will return the favor next time."

It was only until this couple began to quarrel over divorce that they coincidentally remembered the forgotten child

Xu Xilin deliberately ran to the basement, making several funny faces at the tied-up Dou Dou while jumping around, which infuriated Dou Dou to the point of howling, wishing to grind its teeth and suck blood

"It's quite special," Xu Jin said, "Oh, look at this dog, it has such a strong temperament, and it's quite amusing. You should tease it a bit more."

"Am I just full and bored?" Dou Xunxin said, glancing down quickly at the new test paper from Qilixiang, only to find that all the questions were ones he had seen before. Thus, he folded the paper with little interest and tossed it aside, casting another glance at Xu Xilin, who had noticed the green peach heart that had been stuck on Xu Tuanzuo's thumb for quite some time.

The atmosphere in the restroom was somewhat tense, as several individuals who had been fighting exchanged glances. Wu Tao waved his hand to signal them to wait a moment, then stepped forward to place his arm around Xu Xilin's shoulder, speaking in a low and conciliatory tone: "Let's step outside to talk"

A group of people, drenched in sweat, returned to their seats in silence, each pretending to take out their books and feigning to practice their skills.

The heating in the classroom had not yet been turned off, and Xu Xilin took off his coat and hung it on the back of the chair, wearing only a short-sleeved polo shirt underneath. From Dou Xun's perspective, he could see a pair of protruding marks on Xu's back where his shoulder blades were.

The nouveau riche wants to use the child as a weapon to accuse Zhu Xiaocheng of failing to fulfill his responsibilities as a husband and a father for many years, while Zhu Xiaocheng also intends to use the child as a bargaining chip to extract another layer of profit from the nouveau riche

The two of them can consider it resolved and reconciled, even if they choose not to mention what happened during the physical education class

Dou Xun had already returned to the class, with bruises on his arm from being struck by a wooden stick, and it hurt even to move it

Based on Zhu Xiaocheng's tearful account over the phone, Xu Jin gained a brief understanding of the situation

From this perspective, this couple can be described as a match made in heaven, a unique pair.

Xu Xilin: "Then why did you agree?"

Hearing the doorbell ring, Xu Xilin threw the English listening notebook onto the bed and rushed out of the room, ready to greet: "Chengza!"

He spends his days in the company of middle-aged and elderly women, and every morning upon waking, he is greeted by the sound of his grandmother's singing. As he walks from the bedroom to the living room, the other ear is filled with Aunt Du's incessant chatter. This makes Xu Xilin particularly eager for a peer to visit his home, preferably a boy, but a girl would suffice as long as she is beautiful, even if it is just to accompany him in jumping rope.

"I didn't express any opinion at all!" Xu Jin complained in a lowered voice, "It's all your grandmother's fault for being so talkative. Zhu Chengzi cried out loud, and she agreed to everything. I don't even know whose mother she is."

Then, without saying a word, he walked away while dribbling the ball

Xu Xilin casually played English listening exercises as background music in the room, unable to comprehend Ms. Xu Jin's annoyance at the trouble it might cause

Xu Jin said: "Generally, it is usually with the mother, but with Zhu Xiaocheng's character... it is hard to say—however, I have heard that his father is not much better either"

Xu Jin was originally in the kitchen helping Aunt Du peel potatoes, but being clumsy, he made the potatoes roll all over the floor and was thus driven out. He mingled with her idle son and candidly replied: "Oh, that nouveau riche from their family has taken a liking to a vixen. The old house is on fire, burning fiercely, and he insists on giving the mistress a title, forcing her to step down and yield. Your godmother has been chanting scriptures for many years, achieving a state of emptiness, claiming to have long seen through the mundane world, and has no lingering feelings for that man. This time, she returned to the country specifically to engage in battle, aiming to make that man leave money and roll away."

Li Bozhi interjected from the back: "Buddy, this tone is directed at you; isn't it inappropriate for you to act this way?"

"The hobbies are somewhat peculiar," Dou Xun thought

"As we approach the third year of high school," Xu Xilin said, "it is better to have fewer matters than to have more. Do you understand?"

Xu Xilin: "She is so open-minded."

Xu Xilin hurried down the stairs in a combination of three quick steps and two longer strides, and inadvertently caught sight of the tall boy behind Zhu Xiaocheng.

Xu Jin does not particularly like children; she barely tolerates the ones she has given birth to herself, and now Zhu Xiaocheng wants to force another one upon her

Because the guests were coming for dinner, Aunt Du began to busy herself in the kitchen early, while Doudou the dog was locked in the basement in advance

Dou Xun thought that there must be a woman in Xu Xilin's family who cared for him deeply, possibly his mother, grandmother, or some other elder. Although his usual attire appeared casual, it stood out remarkably, exuding both fashion and elegance. As long as he did not roll around on the court covered in sweat and mud, or fidget in his seat like a monkey.

Due to this incident, basketball could not be played. Xu Xilin reached into his pocket and found the five hundred yuan his mother had just given him. With some pocket money in hand, Xu Xilin turned and went to the school's educational supermarket, bought a bag of chilled sports drinks, and brought it to the basketball court, distributing it to the classmates who were next to play. He kept a bottle for Cai Jing—Cai Jing had not come out to play with them during physical education class on Monday, as he had a shift to attend to in the evening and needed to finish his homework as soon as possible

Dou Xun lowered his head to check his watch and realized that he had actually observed classmate Xu Xilin's "prelude" to doing math homework the entire time, to the point where he could almost write an observation report.

More than an hour had passed, which was enough for Wu Tao to calm down from his fury and contemplate how to conclude the matter. Since Xu Xilin had extended an olive branch first, Wu Tao naturally accepted it: "No."

Wu Tao raised his voice: "Let's talk about it later! I'm leaving!"

In summary, Xu's soul was still at play, while his body was confined between the wooden desk and chair. He dared not make too much noise under the watchful eyes of Qi Lixiang, nor did he want to disturb Cai Jing, who was engrossed in his writing. Thus, he could only entertain himself. After floundering for more than ten minutes, he finally settled down and began to work on his math homework with the little self-study time that remained.

The two individuals, each with their own ulterior motives, hit it off immediately and brought back the only son who had been forgotten at his hometown

Only Dou Xun remained in the restroom, his expression fluctuating as he looked at Xu Xilin, who had just broken in. Xu Xilin bent down to pick up the basketball and glanced at him, thinking: "Deservedly asking for a beating, no wonder."

After the class bell rang, he saw Xu Xilin and his group enter with great momentum, directly colliding with the disgruntled Qilixiang, who was then reprimanded by the homeroom teacher without naming names: "With the senior year approaching, some people still do not know how to be self-disciplined and grounded, only knowing how to play! Is playing basketball useful? Can you become Jordan..."

Wu Tao was trying to use a big flag as a tiger's skin. Just as he had pulled it halfway, he discovered that a tiger was quietly crouching nearby, watching him. He was instantly embarrassed and found himself at a loss for words.

Xu Xilin said to Wu Tao: "Anyway, you can handle it as you see fit"

Xu Jin expressionlessly slapped Xu Xilin on the back: "Sigh, it's so annoying. One troublemaker at home is already enough, and now there's another one."

Xu Xilin clasped his hands in front of his chest and said, "No need, let's just talk here."

Mom, isn't Chengzi doing quite well studying in the United States? Why is he suddenly coming back to get a divorce?

The mother and child sat in the basement stairwell, playing with the dog, one in front of the other. Amidst the howls of Dou Dou, who was embarrassed and furious, Xu Xilin asked: "Then who will the child from their family live with in the future?"