Chapter 8, The Cold War

In fact, I still care a bit about this child. I feel that in this school, within my personal world, he seems to be the only one. I find joy in my own company, yet he seems to realize this. As the object of everyone's admiration, he feels both proud and somewhat sympathetic. Thus, he eagerly attempts to draw me into his world, but my performance leaves him confused and disappointed.

Anyway, I haven't seen anyone for half a month... Oh no, I did see a shadow once. One night, when I went to the bathroom, I heard a noise outside the door and thought there was a thief. I crouched down quietly and peered through the crack of the door, and I saw Luo Yihong's exclusive slippers lingering outside for a while, and then it left silently.

Why have you suddenly become so domineering... I hesitated, not wanting to discourage him: "Originally, I wanted to invite you to have ice cream."

With this embrace, half of my soul has departed.

He shook his head: "Xiao Cha, the things you like, I also like."

I feel as though I have too much in common with my former self. Although Luo Yihong has not expressed anything to this day, it is ultimately not good. However, I find it difficult to suppress my habits and preferences. Potato, Jack, he seems like a puppet master manipulating me to reveal my true self. But even if I do reveal my true self, will this man, who grew up under the red flag, believe me?

I simply decided to ignore him

I do not know whether to seek revenge, but I am certain that I must not be swayed by him

... I cannot think of a more detailed plan at the moment, so I can only go with the flow

Until now, I have not felt anything real myself

So, why engage in such self-torture! It's like putting a warm face against my cold backside; I simply cannot stand his pretentious demeanor, acting like a saint while clearly being a wastrel. How can a murderer live so freely? It just irritates me!

Seeing me excitedly pound the table, Luo Yihong smiled and said, "I knew you would like it."

After a while, the meal arrived. I joyfully exclaimed, embracing the food on both sides, taking a bite of mashed potatoes and a bite of beef rice. However, he was there with a spoon, meticulously counting each grain of rice with every bite. By the time I had eaten more than half of my meal, he was still counting the rice grains.

He glanced around aimlessly: "Their deskmate will definitely play with them... But you, you never pay attention to me."

Then we can play something else

I always feel like I've heard this somewhere before, and without thinking, I replied: "It's flavorful!"

On the road, Luo Yihong always suddenly points to a piece of clothing and asks me if I like it. Please, I am already a high school student; how could I possibly like outfits that are comparable to COSPLAY costumes!

While feeling fortunate, I also felt a bit annoyed. Just as I was gearing up to give it my all, you suddenly lost interest in me. Anyone in my position would feel upset. However, my friend Shen Lang was quite happy, grabbing my hand and smiling: "Xiao Cha! Come play with me today! That annoying guy is finally not coming!"

Thus, she watched me go from being eagerly excited to expressionless, and finally, with a cold face, finish my meal. I then stood up and said: "Are you done eating? Once you're done, we can go back."

Despite shaking his head all the way, he noticed that Luo Yihong became increasingly silent, eventually even appearing somewhat troubled.

Nonsense! When has my little tea ever not counted? You must not report me; let's sneak out and have ice cream, how about McDonald's?

***

How could this child be like this? I really want to give him a good slap, but thinking of his thoughts, which are as intricate and convoluted as Lin Daiyu's, I find myself unable to utter any words of refusal. I can only resign myself to the situation and say, "Alright! Let's sneak out after school!"

He smiled with narrowed eyes, rubbing his hands in anticipation

He grabbed my arm and furrowed his adorable brows, saying: "Speak!"

He thought for a moment and said, "Then can you watch me play?"

I can no longer recall whether a child's heart is fragile or not, but this child's nature is indeed strong, making it easy to break. I wonder what kind of setback he experienced during those ten minutes of recess just now

But he suddenly seemed to have an interest and turned to ask, "What are we going to do?"

Even when filled with excitement, I still cannot do as the friends around me do, jumping and screaming in response to a thrilling moment, nor will I cheer for a little boy who is about to catch his opponent.

I was speechless for a moment, ultimately unable to bear it. I turned to look at Shen Xiaopan, whose face was puffed up like a bun, and said softly, "I really don't like the game you play, and I can't keep up with it."

He was silent for a moment. I looked at him and noticed that he seemed very excited, yet was suppressing it.

Really!? He trembled with excitement

Now the days are peaceful, no longer do I feel a headache and darkness before my eyes at the sight of him, living joyfully like an immortal

This is the shadow of a person

I am not happy: "Hey! If you don't like it, don't waste it! Who eats like this? Hurry up, I want to go back."

Of course, there are also worries.

I poked him again and asked, "What’s wrong with you?"

He had long lost his smile, and at that moment, he quietly stared at me for a while. When I met his gaze defiantly, he withdrew his eyes, slowly stood up, and softly said: "Then let's go back"

I feel that I can no longer be so unconventional; otherwise, this energetic and well-versed little boy in the meaning of relentless pursuit could bring my life to an early end.

Lying comfortably on the table, I thought about whether I should take a look at the college entrance examination papers I had just bought from a few years ago. However, upon reflection, I realized that there weren't many illustrations on them, making it difficult to feign interest. I decided it would be better to wait until later when no one was around to sneak a glance.

He hastily ate two spoonfuls, suddenly remembered, took out that bag and handed it to me: "Take a look, do you like it?"

No way! The legendary shota is being cute in front of me? But I don't want to push him down!

Having made up my mind, I went to school the next day, intending to use the originally planned self-destructive method to deal with the situation. To my surprise, she suddenly did not show up.

He seems to be deliberately avoiding me, but according to Wu Ma, he has always been very busy. After work, he would pick me up and then work until midnight. Now that he no longer picks me up and doesn't come home for dinner, he has the right to come back and go straight to sleep.

No, you, you can consider that I never said it I wiped the cold sweat, attempting to cover it up

This person's genius seems to be entirely one-sided, with only mathematics being a source of pride for him. One day, when he saw me reading a chemistry book for the second year of high school, he broke down, chasing after me with a sorrowful face, begging to be my disciple. I ignored him, but he persisted...

Go!

I scratched my head anxiously until the end of class, and I was quite unsettled to find that he showed no inclination to go out and play after class. What is this about? Is he being passive?

Shall we go eat together? His eyes lit up like light bulbs

However, everything is possible. What if one day he suddenly comes to believe in the existence of rebirth? Wouldn't that spell disaster for me? Therefore, with my backpack in hand, under his indulgent yet somewhat flattering smile, I secretly resolved to keep my distance from him—farther and farther away.

It is clearly ineffective to use old techniques on him

As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to punch myself. Don't mention that he has a driver to pick him up; I also have Uncle Zhong to pick me up! It was clearly a statement in Martian.

I lazily yawned and rested my head on the table: "I won't go, you can go play."

It seems that he is sad

Grabbing and pulling is nothing more than this. I played it when I was young, but I wasn't very interested. It was through this game that I met Luo Yihong, which led me to think about the future of my past life and the present of this life. I leaned against the door frame, observing with a cold indifference

Alas, I know someone from your family is answering, and I have someone too. Never mind, we can talk about it later

Playing tag with you? I have just been reborn and have not yet returned to my ancestors, thank you

Fu Jinghan seems to have made up his mind about me

What does it mean? Is it not as I thought? I have let go of many things in my heart, and I am amused: "What is there to be excited about? Shen Lang also likes chicken gravy mashed potatoes, and he doesn't seem to get this excited just because he knows there are others with the same interest."

He stared at me blankly for a while, not as happy as I had expected. After a moment, he nodded somewhat dazedly and managed to force a smile, saying, "Oh, that's great."

Alas, have I once again broken the heart of a young boy? Maria, forgive me, though the boy is beautiful, he is not what I desire!

Aren't you going out to play

He turned his head and said, "Don't mind me"

"Not the same," he shook his head and smiled, "Come on, Dad will take you to KFC. After buying mashed potatoes, we will go eat beef brisket rice, and then have some lobster soup. Next time, Dad will take you for Western cuisine. How does that sound?"

What?! I even spoke English fluently, why?!

I then sadly discovered that he was completely out of sorts in his next class as well, with excitement turning into hyperactivity

I took out a red pen and helped him underline all the key points mentioned by the teacher in his math notebook. I also marked several mistakes in his preview questions, indicating the reasons for the errors and the methods for correction. Seeing this child, who usually does not allow himself to make any mistakes, remain expressionless even in the face of a notebook filled with red marks, I suddenly realized the seriousness of the issue

I really don't want to deal with this anymore... ? ... But I'm not heartless, can I remain unfazed in the face of a little boy's low spirits? I can only purse my lips and say: "Class is over, do you have time?"

I took the bag with a spoon in my mouth, opened it, and discovered a black backpack. Taking it out, I saw Jack Skellington, the main character from "The Nightmare Before Christmas," dancing on it. Wow! This is exactly to my taste! This cartoon character was my favorite before I died

He remained silent for a long time, then turned and strode out of the classroom, followed by a little assistant whose presence he had not noticed until now

I dared not move at all, thinking that even if I were exposed, I would hold on until the end. I grunted, "Hey, what are you doing?"

I lament: "Why must you play? I prefer to sit still, Shen Lang, as long as you are having fun!"

As I vigorously stirred the mashed potatoes, I raised my head in confusion

But I heard everything! He said confidently, "I don't care, Xiao Cha! I'll go with you after school!"

What is unattainable is indeed the best; the Three Character Classic speaks truly: at the beginning of humanity, nature is inherently lowly

Tell me, why do you make the mashed potatoes so mushy? They look a complete mess, don't you find it quite disgusting

He remains still

How can a book be defeated by a little brat

I twitched slightly all over and looked around, only to find that many little girls and boys were paying attention to this side. It turns out that even in the first grade, the concept of a "class heartthrob" already exists in the children's worldview... I am really out of touch, truly out of touch. I solemnly confess to the deity of rebirth.

He went to KFC alone to buy chicken gravy mashed potatoes, and then led me to a restaurant that looked quite upscale. We went in and ordered two servings of beef brisket with potatoes, while he watched me eat the mashed potatoes and waited for the dishes to be served

Many people are watching you, what more do you want

Sighing, standing up, and looking up with a smile: "Then let me cheer you on! How about that?"

He lowered his head: "Other class leaders have many people watching..."

After a while, I heard soft footsteps beside me, and someone poked me: "Xiao Cha, I am angry, I won't talk to you!"

Hello! I nudged him, "What's wrong? Are you listening to the class?"

So he does have a temper, I looked up at him and said: "Not interested"

In fact, I should not have entertained the thought of comforting the young boy; I should just let him fend for himself. After all, he is just a child, and being angry is only a temporary matter. What was I thinking!

Moreover, my aesthetic is rooted in seven years ago... Unless retro becomes fashionable again in some year, I might just barely catch that so-called fashion train.

Well, I also made a small mistake. How should I make amends? I have never tried to comfort a young boy; even when I was a child, I dealt with Luo Yihong with a good beating.

"Don't be like that, let's play together!" He tugged and pulled, trying to drag me down, but I steadfastly held my ground without wavering. Finally, he became furious and slammed the table, saying: "Xiao Cha, get up and play with us!"

Thus, during the class, I sadly discovered that Shen Lang's expression had become even more somber. He was unusually lying on the desk, remaining still for a long time.

Indeed, it is quite contemptible; once they have obtained what they want, they no longer show any goodwill. I harbored resentment in my heart as I followed him out of the classroom

He looked at me and pouted

After a while, he suddenly laughed: "Xiao Cha, you really are quite adorable when you eat"