Chang Xuyu was nibbling on an apple, sitting in the living room reading comic books.
"Mom, that brother named Yi Zhuo is really nice. He said I could become a great painter."
She was genuinely happy.
But her mother came out, shaking the water off her hands, and frowned as she scolded, "Painter? Stop reading these trashy comic books. If you have time, you should be doing your arithmetic homework."
"Every day, I'm so busy..."
The woman untied the greasy apron, casually pounded her aching lower back, and went into the bedroom.
Chang Xuyu watched her back, silently swallowed the last bite of apple, and reluctantly pulled out her exercise book from her backpack.
...
School started. That morning, Chang Xuyu got off the school bus and suddenly saw a familiar figure.
She ran forward a couple of steps, looked closely, and then smiled. "Brother Yi Zhuo!"
Hearing the childish voice, Yi Zhuo turned around and saw a half-grown little girl with two braids standing there grinning.
He found it amusing, walked over with his hands in his pockets, looked at her oversized school uniform, and clicked his tongue. "Your mom lets a six- or seven-year-old kid like you go to school by herself?"
Chang Xuyu's backpack was very heavy. She tugged at the straps, thought for a moment, and replied, "Mom is very busy with work. I take the school bus, so it's fine!"
Yi Zhuo had never taken the school bus; he was always picked up by a private car.
He nodded. "Well, you're pretty brave."
Chang Xuyu was three years younger than him. He had started school a year late, so they were only two grades apart, and their classrooms were in the same building.
He looked at Chang Xuyu's soft hair and reached out to touch it. It was fluffy.
"From now on, come to school with me."
"Really?" Chang Xuyu was startled.
"Mm."
Yi Zhuo glanced at his watch and frowned. "Five minutes left. Let's get through the gate first."
After taking her to Class 3 of first grade, Yi Zhuo turned around and ran up to the fourth floor three steps at a time.
He leaned on the doorframe, panting as he crouched. After a moment, a pair of shiny black leather high heels appeared before him.
The homeroom teacher was furious. "Yi Zhuo! Last year, I warned you that if you were late again on the first day, I'd call your father."
Yi Zhuo gritted his molars, stood up straight, and looked her in the eye.
"My dad is too busy. I haven't seen him in months. How about you call him, Teacher?" he said calmly. "Give it a try."
"You!"
He tilted his head, his eyes full of disdain and contempt.
"Anyway, you're his girlfriend. If you call him, he'll come."
At this, the teacher's face turned pale. She glanced back at the students who were still doing morning reading in the classroom. Fortunately, Yi Zhuo had kept his voice low and hadn't alerted anyone else.
"Yi Zhuo! Where are your manners!" the teacher scolded in a low voice, putting on airs.
Yi Zhuo couldn't be bothered with her. His philandering father had money and power and had gotten involved with countless women.
The teacher and his father had hit it off at the parent-teacher meeting last semester, and the teacher was determined to marry into the family and become Yi Zhuo's stepmother.
But Yi Zhuo had long seen through it. A "fiancée" was different from a "girlfriend." A fiancée came from a family of equal standing and mutual support, while a "girlfriend" was just a fling for his father's amusement.
The reason they had moved was that his father didn't want his fiancée to find out he had such a big son.
Yi Zhuo walked around her and strode into the classroom.
Under the gaze of everyone, he wore a cold face as he returned to his seat. Feeling irritated, he simply lay down on the desk to sleep.
Whispers erupted.
The teacher, also with a sour face, walked in. Seeing Yi Zhuo, she fumed but couldn't discipline him.
"Why are you all looking at him? Recite your texts!"
...
After school, he slowly made his way downstairs and inadvertently caught sight of Chang Xuyu cleaning the classroom.
The little girl was short. She stood on a small stool just to reach the middle of the blackboard.
Chang Xuyu was wiping the board with full concentration when she suddenly noticed a figure through the glass window.
She turned around and met Yi Zhuo's eyes.
"Brother Yi Zhuo!" She smiled, revealing two small canine teeth.
Yi Zhuo curled his lips slightly and waved at her, then walked in.
"I'll help you."
With that, he picked up the mop.
"Ah, then, thank you, Brother Yi Zhuo."