Childhood Chronicles - CH 4

Ye Cheng’s thoughts instantly became tangled, and he said nothing further.

Headache

Afterwards, Gu Yun had put all his efforts towards completely scrubbing his entire gang clean to transform his gang leader self into an industrialist. It was a process that required patience, and it wasn’t until Gu Shaofan was born that he had gotten everything on the right track. But Gu Shaofan was only an elementary school student, and his parents weren’t keen on telling their youngest about such things, so with regard to his family situation, Gu Shaofan was basically clueless.

He pulled the brakes and put one foot on the ground then curiously looked at the two people before him. Neither of them looked older than him, so Ye Cheng guessed they were about his own age. His mind turned and turned trying to confirm whether he knew those boys, as they were not wearing the uniform of his school either.

And to this, Gu Shaofan simply gave a light nod in return. Ye Cheng found himself hesitating for a moment, still wanting to say something more. But, in the end, he just tugged the straps of his backpack then bolted out of the room.

Then after a while had passed, Gu Shaofan then explained with a stammer, “They’re not now… not completely.”

The servant sighed. The little young master only listened to the Madame, after all.

The tasks of the ones on duty included sweeping the classroom and organising the supplies. As he swept, Gu Shaofan said nothing, seeming completely absorbed in his task. As for Ye Cheng, he went up to the podium and started cleaning the blackboard, then emptied out the chalk dust pooled in the slot beneath it before finally organising the chalk themselves. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Gu Shaofan had already swept the back of the classroom and was now straightening the desks and chairs. He did it all so quickly that Ye Cheng did not need to do anything after he was done. Saying nothing, he awkwardly stared at Gu Shaofan as he swept. Neither of the two had said so much as a word to the other. It was difficult for him to wait until Gu Shaofan was done emptying the trash bins, so after Gu Shaofan lifted up the garbage bags, Ye Cheng’s eyes lit up.

Gu Shaofan lowered his eyes, still not uttering a word, prompting Wang Juan to pinch her son’s cheeks. “Alright then. I’ll take a guess. Did something happen between you and your new friend?”

What does that mean?

After looking round, the other boy pulled Ye Cheng by the arm. “Then you can just get to know us know. My older brother is waiting for you over there.”

I can leave right now.

For some unknown reason, he felt that uncomfortable feeling once more, the one that made his heart feel strange. Ye Cheng felt more depressed as the day went on. But with him and Gu Shaofan no longer getting along, Tao Lu had begun talking to him again.

But Ye Cheng honestly did not feel that scared, Gu Shaofan was still his first friend at that school. What’s more, because of Gu Shaofan’s relationships, he was that boys only friend too. Gu Shaofan was the one who let him borrow his books, gave him the right answers, and also brought him yummy food—and none of these had anything to do with dangerous elements. But… in that child heart of his still, there still an uncomfortable sense of betrayal. He felt as though he was seen as a joke. That his entire class must have definitely been watching him and laughing.

Lifting her head to look at her son, Wang Juan’s eyebrows lifted.

Ye Cheng obviously could not understand, because even Gu Shaofan did not properly understand the situation. People who spoke of the underworld said that Gu Shaofan’s father, Gu Yun was a gangster in the past. In the man’s youth, it was said he used to dare chop people on the street with a watermelon and not give a damn, so much so, that even with half his head covered in blood, he would still squat on a curb while munching on piece of watermelon. He relied on his cruelty to get him to up the ranks, but it was not that Gu Yun was simply an aggressive hothead, more than anything, he was smart. He had the eye of a gang lord, allowing him to take the helm of his gang at a very young age. Under his leadership, his small gang was able to grow exponentially. So by the time he had met his future wife, the influence his organisation had developed was enough to touch everything under the sun, allowing them to get along with both those who work in the light and the dark in A-City.

…really sad.

Then after a while had passed, Gu Shaofan then explained with a stammer, “They’re not now… not completely.”

The two boys then approached him, with one of the boys grabbing hold of the handlebar of Ye Cheng’s bike, while his face split open in a grin. “Hey, buddy, we got something to talk to you about, so you mind staying back for a while?

He was under a lot of pressure when he made friends with Gu Shaofan, but in the end, the truth was actually what everyone had been saying. Gu Shaofan’s family were in fact made up of dangerous elements.

But the name Ye Cheng was one both she and her husband had no choice but to pay attention to, because for the first time in his life, their baby boy had brought up another kid his age, and asked them to help him take a sandwich to school for a boy named Ye Cheng.

Afterwards, Gu Yun had put all his efforts towards completely scrubbing his entire gang clean to transform his gang leader self into an industrialist. It was a process that required patience, and it wasn’t until Gu Shaofan was born that he had gotten everything on the right track. But Gu Shaofan was only an elementary school student, and his parents weren’t keen on telling their youngest about such things, so with regard to his family situation, Gu Shaofan was basically clueless.

iana: In case you’re wondering how the Gu’s have two sons. Before the 2016 repeal, the one child policy did have some “allowances.” Having a second child got you fined a year’s worth of your salary or something along those lines. Another was that a remarried couple could have a second child as long as one of them had never had any children of their own.

N/A

For some unknown reason, he felt that uncomfortable feeling once more, the one that made his heart feel strange. Ye Cheng felt more depressed as the day went on. But with him and Gu Shaofan no longer getting along, Tao Lu had begun talking to him again.

Wang Juan had found out about Ye Cheng from her son’s own mouth, and after she told that story to her husband, the two parents felt an incomparable amount of joy. Their son had finally found a friend. What’s more, their son who had never spoke much before had obviously levelled up his communication skills when speaking with this Ye Cheng. So Wang Juan now wondered if the trouble between them happened during the past couple of weeks.

…really sad.

Ye Cheng let out an “oh,” but said nothing else after that. Gu Shaofan thought he should say something, anything, but he was never good at speaking so he could only stare at Ye Cheng with him lips sealed shut. His staring made Ye Cheng feel awkward, whose hands moved to scratch his head nervously. So upon sensing the other boy’s mood, Gu Shaofan turned his gaze towards his desk.

Headache

Gu Shaofan was depressed. In his short existence, this was the first time he had ever found himself feeling such a level of sadness.

Ye Cheng’s head was all question marks, so he said in return, “I don’t know you guys.”

But the name Ye Cheng was one both she and her husband had no choice but to pay attention to, because for the first time in his life, their baby boy had brought up another kid his age, and asked them to help him take a sandwich to school for a boy named Ye Cheng.

Neither of them said another word to the other for the rest of that day.

Ye Cheng’s head was all question marks, so he said in return, “I don’t know you guys.”

So Ye Cheng felt depressed, quite depressed in fact.

Ye Cheng obviously could not understand, because even Gu Shaofan did not properly understand the situation. People who spoke of the underworld said that Gu Shaofan’s father, Gu Yun was a gangster in the past. In the man’s youth, it was said he used to dare chop people on the street with a watermelon and not give a damn, so much so, that even with half his head covered in blood, he would still squat on a curb while munching on piece of watermelon. He relied on his cruelty to get him to up the ranks, but it was not that Gu Yun was simply an aggressive hothead, more than anything, he was smart. He had the eye of a gang lord, allowing him to take the helm of his gang at a very young age. Under his leadership, his small gang was able to grow exponentially. So by the time he had met his future wife, the influence his organisation had developed was enough to touch everything under the sun, allowing them to get along with both those who work in the light and the dark in A-City.

Gu Shaofan, still expressing nothing, tried to shake himself free, and Wang Juan simply let him go before calling out to the servant downstairs. “Xiao Liu, go get dinner started, please.” Then turning back to her son she said, “Go put your backpack away then come down for diner. Your dad called ahead to tell us not to wait for him tonight.”

Tao Lu was quite happy Ye Cheng was no longer hanging around Gu Shaofan. The large boy was very popular amongst his classmates, so once he started dragging Ye Cheng around all over, the way the entire class changed their attitude towards Ye Cheng was a breakneck speed. After his classes were done, during the break period, Ye Cheng had also stopped sitting in his seat, always choosing to go sit by someone else to chatter away.

“Tsk. You were in a good mood recently, so did something happen today?” Wang Juan gently lifted her son’s face by the chin and looked him over.” You look like if somebody owes you a lot of money. Come on, love, tell mama what’s wrong.”

Gu Shaofan was depressed. In his short existence, this was the first time he had ever found himself feeling such a level of sadness.

And to this, Gu Shaofan simply gave a light nod in return. Ye Cheng found himself hesitating for a moment, still wanting to say something more. But, in the end, he just tugged the straps of his backpack then bolted out of the room.

Walking two blocks to where his family’s car was waiting to pick him up and take him home. Ye Cheng’s guess before as actually correct, though, his family did indeed live in a villa near the suburbs. Counting the attic, it had a total of four floors, and because it was on a slope, the main entrance was on the second floor. While walking up the stairs, Gu Shaofan glanced over the mahogany railing to the hall on the first floor, seeing that neither Gu Yun nor Gu Shaoqing were home. Only his mother was there, having made her way from the greenhouse with a servant hurriedly helping her in removing her gardening gloves.

Their strange situation continued like this for about half a month, until the day it was both he and Gu Shaofan’s turn to be on duty after classes were all over. The students on duty were assigned via seating chart, so it was always grouped together by the two deskmates. Before he left, Tao Lu sent a wink Ye Cheng’s way, gloating at his new friend’s misfortune.

Ye Cheng obviously could not understand, because even Gu Shaofan did not properly understand the situation. People who spoke of the underworld said that Gu Shaofan’s father, Gu Yun was a gangster in the past. In the man’s youth, it was said he used to dare chop people on the street with a watermelon and not give a damn, so much so, that even with half his head covered in blood, he would still squat on a curb while munching on piece of watermelon. He relied on his cruelty to get him to up the ranks, but it was not that Gu Yun was simply an aggressive hothead, more than anything, he was smart. He had the eye of a gang lord, allowing him to take the helm of his gang at a very young age. Under his leadership, his small gang was able to grow exponentially. So by the time he had met his future wife, the influence his organisation had developed was enough to touch everything under the sun, allowing them to get along with both those who work in the light and the dark in A-City.

What does that mean?

Ye Cheng was flung so hard that his hand slammed into the small stove outside the restaurant crossways and knocked over one of the large pots with a clank, causing all the soup within it to pour all over Ye Cheng.

Gu Shaofan, still expressing nothing, tried to shake himself free, and Wang Juan simply let him go before calling out to the servant downstairs. “Xiao Liu, go get dinner started, please.” Then turning back to her son she said, “Go put your backpack away then come down for diner. Your dad called ahead to tell us not to wait for him tonight.”

“Your older brother?” While Ye Cheng sat on his bike, with one pulling the bike and the other pulling him, he was dragged forward on the road by a short distance, then about taken down an alleyway. He flung his arms about impatiently as he was dragged, screaming, “I don’t know your brother! Let me go! I want to go home!”

Lifting her head to look at her son, Wang Juan’s eyebrows lifted.

And it wasn’t just Gu Shaofan, all the males in the Gu family, both the big and small, feared Wang Juan, Gu Yun included.

With this, there was no reason for the two boys to group together during class.

He was under a lot of pressure when he made friends with Gu Shaofan, but in the end, the truth was actually what everyone had been saying. Gu Shaofan’s family were in fact made up of dangerous elements.

Ye Cheng’s thoughts instantly became tangled, and he said nothing further.

“Your older brother?” While Ye Cheng sat on his bike, with one pulling the bike and the other pulling him, he was dragged forward on the road by a short distance, then about taken down an alleyway. He flung his arms about impatiently as he was dragged, screaming, “I don’t know your brother! Let me go! I want to go home!”

She was forty years old and had taken great care of her health, leaving her skin free of any noticeable wrinkles. Locking sights with that little boy of hers whose face was engraved with bitterness, she went up the stairs and called out, “Shaofan, hold it right there mister.”

Ye Cheng immediately realised he was in trouble, so grabbing the handlebars, he used all his might to pedal while yelling, “Get out the way!”

Gu Shaofan stiffened, his steps coming to a halt.

Then after a while had passed, Gu Shaofan then explained with a stammer, “They’re not now… not completely.”

At the entrance of the alley, there was a small eatery, which had a bunch of small portable stoves with aluminium pots stacked on top. A waiter had even just come out of the small establishment, and without so much as glancing at the fighting kids less than a step away, they opened up one of the large pots with the simmering food being cooked, scooped out a portion that dish, then went to deliver it to a customer.

Walking two blocks to where his family’s car was waiting to pick him up and take him home. Ye Cheng’s guess before as actually correct, though, his family did indeed live in a villa near the suburbs. Counting the attic, it had a total of four floors, and because it was on a slope, the main entrance was on the second floor. While walking up the stairs, Gu Shaofan glanced over the mahogany railing to the hall on the first floor, seeing that neither Gu Yun nor Gu Shaoqing were home. Only his mother was there, having made her way from the greenhouse with a servant hurriedly helping her in removing her gardening gloves.

She was forty years old and had taken great care of her health, leaving her skin free of any noticeable wrinkles. Locking sights with that little boy of hers whose face was engraved with bitterness, she went up the stairs and called out, “Shaofan, hold it right there mister.”

Gu Shaofan displayed no special reaction to all this, still doing things just as he had before, coming and going on his own. Sometimes Ye Cheng wondered how on earth things had become like this. And seeing Gu Shaofan’s lonely form made his heart ache. He was a child with a very strong ability of imagining himself in someone else’s shoes, so when thinking of himself being in such a position, he found it…

The servant sighed. The little young master only listened to the Madame, after all.

She was forty years old and had taken great care of her health, leaving her skin free of any noticeable wrinkles. Locking sights with that little boy of hers whose face was engraved with bitterness, she went up the stairs and called out, “Shaofan, hold it right there mister.”

After saying this, she gave him a smile and added, “Serious though, what’s wrong, honey? Can’t you give your mama just one smile?”

Ye Cheng: “?”

Ye Cheng obviously could not understand, because even Gu Shaofan did not properly understand the situation. People who spoke of the underworld said that Gu Shaofan’s father, Gu Yun was a gangster in the past. In the man’s youth, it was said he used to dare chop people on the street with a watermelon and not give a damn, so much so, that even with half his head covered in blood, he would still squat on a curb while munching on piece of watermelon. He relied on his cruelty to get him to up the ranks, but it was not that Gu Yun was simply an aggressive hothead, more than anything, he was smart. He had the eye of a gang lord, allowing him to take the helm of his gang at a very young age. Under his leadership, his small gang was able to grow exponentially. So by the time he had met his future wife, the influence his organisation had developed was enough to touch everything under the sun, allowing them to get along with both those who work in the light and the dark in A-City.

And it wasn’t just Gu Shaofan, all the males in the Gu family, both the big and small, feared Wang Juan, Gu Yun included.

As luck would have it, those never in stock textbook of his had coincidentally been bought that very night. Ye Chenghui still cared about his son’s education, and had gone to the book store every day to inquire about any new books. So when he went there earlier that day and saw that they were in stock, he had bought them all immediately.

Caught in the stream of students making their way down the four storeys, Ye Cheng thought about what he was going to do for lunch at noon. Am I not going to eat with Gu Shaofan again too? Okay, fine. I’ll just eat alone, on my own…

There was nothing they could really do to help their son since adults could not interfere in such matters amongst children. Besides, Wang Juan also held the proud belief that if friends didn’t gather around her son, then just let them keep their distance. After all, you never see male lions grouping up with other male lions, do you? Stuff like that was common amongst mice. Anyhow, she always made her kids train because the was one thing she would never allow, and that was for her children to be beaten up.

Their strange situation continued like this for about half a month, until the day it was both he and Gu Shaofan’s turn to be on duty after classes were all over. The students on duty were assigned via seating chart, so it was always grouped together by the two deskmates. Before he left, Tao Lu sent a wink Ye Cheng’s way, gloating at his new friend’s misfortune.

As luck would have it, those never in stock textbook of his had coincidentally been bought that very night. Ye Chenghui still cared about his son’s education, and had gone to the book store every day to inquire about any new books. So when he went there earlier that day and saw that they were in stock, he had bought them all immediately.

Gu Shaofan was depressed. In his short existence, this was the first time he had ever found himself feeling such a level of sadness.

Wang Juan made her way to the second floor with a smile. “What’s got you all moody?”

She then turned to walk the stairs, but from behind her, she heard Gu Shaofan whisper, “But mom, I feel a bit… sad.”

Gu Shaofan’s face grew even more expressionless than usual, but even if he did not show any emotion on his face, Wang Juan still possessed the ability to understand the little boy she gave birth to.

Ye Cheng: “?”

Wang Juan made her way to the second floor with a smile. “What’s got you all moody?”

She was well aware what was happening to her son at school, as was her husband, because their first son, Gu Shaoqing, had experienced the same thing. But Gu Shaoqing had a more agreeable personality than Gu Shaofan, and he people skills was quite good, so when he when he was being shunned by his classmates, it did not last for too long.

Ye Cheng let out an “oh,” but said nothing else after that. Gu Shaofan thought he should say something, anything, but he was never good at speaking so he could only stare at Ye Cheng with him lips sealed shut. His staring made Ye Cheng feel awkward, whose hands moved to scratch his head nervously. So upon sensing the other boy’s mood, Gu Shaofan turned his gaze towards his desk.

Gu Shaofan’s face grew even more expressionless than usual, but even if he did not show any emotion on his face, Wang Juan still possessed the ability to understand the little boy she gave birth to.

Gu Shaofan displayed no special reaction to all this, still doing things just as he had before, coming and going on his own. Sometimes Ye Cheng wondered how on earth things had become like this. And seeing Gu Shaofan’s lonely form made his heart ache. He was a child with a very strong ability of imagining himself in someone else’s shoes, so when thinking of himself being in such a position, he found it…

Ye Cheng’s thoughts instantly became tangled, and he said nothing further.

Gu Shaofan stiffened, his steps coming to a halt.

“Tsk. You were in a good mood recently, so did something happen today?” Wang Juan gently lifted her son’s face by the chin and looked him over.” You look like if somebody owes you a lot of money. Come on, love, tell mama what’s wrong.”

But the name Ye Cheng was one both she and her husband had no choice but to pay attention to, because for the first time in his life, their baby boy had brought up another kid his age, and asked them to help him take a sandwich to school for a boy named Ye Cheng.

He was under a lot of pressure when he made friends with Gu Shaofan, but in the end, the truth was actually what everyone had been saying. Gu Shaofan’s family were in fact made up of dangerous elements.

After looking round, the other boy pulled Ye Cheng by the arm. “Then you can just get to know us know. My older brother is waiting for you over there.”

Gu Shaofan, still expressing nothing, tried to shake himself free, and Wang Juan simply let him go before calling out to the servant downstairs. “Xiao Liu, go get dinner started, please.” Then turning back to her son she said, “Go put your backpack away then come down for diner. Your dad called ahead to tell us not to wait for him tonight.”

The two boys then approached him, with one of the boys grabbing hold of the handlebar of Ye Cheng’s bike, while his face split open in a grin. “Hey, buddy, we got something to talk to you about, so you mind staying back for a while?

After looking round, the other boy pulled Ye Cheng by the arm. “Then you can just get to know us know. My older brother is waiting for you over there.”

There was nothing they could really do to help their son since adults could not interfere in such matters amongst children. Besides, Wang Juan also held the proud belief that if friends didn’t gather around her son, then just let them keep their distance. After all, you never see male lions grouping up with other male lions, do you? Stuff like that was common amongst mice. Anyhow, she always made her kids train because the was one thing she would never allow, and that was for her children to be beaten up.

After saying this, she gave him a smile and added, “Serious though, what’s wrong, honey? Can’t you give your mama just one smile?”

“It’s really normal for friends to have disagreements, sweetheart. So just give it a few days and everything will work out.” Wang Juan tried to cheer him up, but Gu Shaofan remained silent for a while before suddenly saying, “I told him about our family.”

Gu Shaofan lowered his eyes, still not uttering a word, prompting Wang Juan to pinch her son’s cheeks. “Alright then. I’ll take a guess. Did something happen between you and your new friend?”

I can leave right now.

Wang Juan was stunned, obviously understanding what the main issue now was. This made thing’s difficult, because before when Gu Shaofan was ostracized by those kids, it was based on nothing but groundless speculation. But this time, Gu Shaofan had admitting it himself, making it so that those children weren’t just exaggerating.

But the name Ye Cheng was one both she and her husband had no choice but to pay attention to, because for the first time in his life, their baby boy had brought up another kid his age, and asked them to help him take a sandwich to school for a boy named Ye Cheng.

She was well aware what was happening to her son at school, as was her husband, because their first son, Gu Shaoqing, had experienced the same thing. But Gu Shaoqing had a more agreeable personality than Gu Shaofan, and he people skills was quite good, so when he when he was being shunned by his classmates, it did not last for too long.

For some unknown reason, he felt that uncomfortable feeling once more, the one that made his heart feel strange. Ye Cheng felt more depressed as the day went on. But with him and Gu Shaofan no longer getting along, Tao Lu had begun talking to him again.

She then turned to walk the stairs, but from behind her, she heard Gu Shaofan whisper, “But mom, I feel a bit… sad.”

Wang Juan was stunned, obviously understanding what the main issue now was. This made thing’s difficult, because before when Gu Shaofan was ostracized by those kids, it was based on nothing but groundless speculation. But this time, Gu Shaofan had admitting it himself, making it so that those children weren’t just exaggerating.

Wang Juan turned her head back in horror. Gu Shaofan’s face still had its trademark expressionlessness, but upon closer inspection, between those brows of him was a little crinkle expressing his woe. Before then, his classmates ignoring him had never been like this, because with nothing to compare it to, there was no feeling of loss.

There was nothing they could really do to help their son since adults could not interfere in such matters amongst children. Besides, Wang Juan also held the proud belief that if friends didn’t gather around her son, then just let them keep their distance. After all, you never see male lions grouping up with other male lions, do you? Stuff like that was common amongst mice. Anyhow, she always made her kids train because the was one thing she would never allow, and that was for her children to be beaten up.

He was under a lot of pressure when he made friends with Gu Shaofan, but in the end, the truth was actually what everyone had been saying. Gu Shaofan’s family were in fact made up of dangerous elements.

So Ye Cheng felt depressed, quite depressed in fact.

Caught in the stream of students making their way down the four storeys, Ye Cheng thought about what he was going to do for lunch at noon. Am I not going to eat with Gu Shaofan again too? Okay, fine. I’ll just eat alone, on my own…

What does that mean?

Walking two blocks to where his family’s car was waiting to pick him up and take him home. Ye Cheng’s guess before as actually correct, though, his family did indeed live in a villa near the suburbs. Counting the attic, it had a total of four floors, and because it was on a slope, the main entrance was on the second floor. While walking up the stairs, Gu Shaofan glanced over the mahogany railing to the hall on the first floor, seeing that neither Gu Yun nor Gu Shaoqing were home. Only his mother was there, having made her way from the greenhouse with a servant hurriedly helping her in removing her gardening gloves.

But the name Ye Cheng was one both she and her husband had no choice but to pay attention to, because for the first time in his life, their baby boy had brought up another kid his age, and asked them to help him take a sandwich to school for a boy named Ye Cheng.

Gu Shaofan lowered his eyes, still not uttering a word, prompting Wang Juan to pinch her son’s cheeks. “Alright then. I’ll take a guess. Did something happen between you and your new friend?”

Wang Juan made her way to the second floor with a smile. “What’s got you all moody?”

Tao Lu was quite happy Ye Cheng was no longer hanging around Gu Shaofan. The large boy was very popular amongst his classmates, so once he started dragging Ye Cheng around all over, the way the entire class changed their attitude towards Ye Cheng was a breakneck speed. After his classes were done, during the break period, Ye Cheng had also stopped sitting in his seat, always choosing to go sit by someone else to chatter away.

Wang Juan had found out about Ye Cheng from her son’s own mouth, and after she told that story to her husband, the two parents felt an incomparable amount of joy. Their son had finally found a friend. What’s more, their son who had never spoke much before had obviously levelled up his communication skills when speaking with this Ye Cheng. So Wang Juan now wondered if the trouble between them happened during the past couple of weeks.

The two boys then approached him, with one of the boys grabbing hold of the handlebar of Ye Cheng’s bike, while his face split open in a grin. “Hey, buddy, we got something to talk to you about, so you mind staying back for a while?

She was forty years old and had taken great care of her health, leaving her skin free of any noticeable wrinkles. Locking sights with that little boy of hers whose face was engraved with bitterness, she went up the stairs and called out, “Shaofan, hold it right there mister.”

But Ye Cheng honestly did not feel that scared, Gu Shaofan was still his first friend at that school. What’s more, because of Gu Shaofan’s relationships, he was that boys only friend too. Gu Shaofan was the one who let him borrow his books, gave him the right answers, and also brought him yummy food—and none of these had anything to do with dangerous elements. But… in that child heart of his still, there still an uncomfortable sense of betrayal. He felt as though he was seen as a joke. That his entire class must have definitely been watching him and laughing.

“It’s really normal for friends to have disagreements, sweetheart. So just give it a few days and everything will work out.” Wang Juan tried to cheer him up, but Gu Shaofan remained silent for a while before suddenly saying, “I told him about our family.”

Wang Juan was stunned, obviously understanding what the main issue now was. This made thing’s difficult, because before when Gu Shaofan was ostracized by those kids, it was based on nothing but groundless speculation. But this time, Gu Shaofan had admitting it himself, making it so that those children weren’t just exaggerating.

Tao Lu was quite happy Ye Cheng was no longer hanging around Gu Shaofan. The large boy was very popular amongst his classmates, so once he started dragging Ye Cheng around all over, the way the entire class changed their attitude towards Ye Cheng was a breakneck speed. After his classes were done, during the break period, Ye Cheng had also stopped sitting in his seat, always choosing to go sit by someone else to chatter away.

Brother Qiang didn’t mince words with the struggling Ye Cheng either, as he walked right up to the younger boy and kicked him in the shin. Ye Cheng was so taken aback by the blow, his reaction to the pain was secondary. It was the first time in his life he had found himself in such a situation that all he could feel was fear.

“That’s also fine.” Wang Juan waved her hands as she gave a final thoughts. “Your school is just full of cowards, then, and there no reason to keep associating with them.”

Gu Shaofan’s face grew even more expressionless than usual, but even if he did not show any emotion on his face, Wang Juan still possessed the ability to understand the little boy she gave birth to.

Ye Cheng obviously could not understand, because even Gu Shaofan did not properly understand the situation. People who spoke of the underworld said that Gu Shaofan’s father, Gu Yun was a gangster in the past. In the man’s youth, it was said he used to dare chop people on the street with a watermelon and not give a damn, so much so, that even with half his head covered in blood, he would still squat on a curb while munching on piece of watermelon. He relied on his cruelty to get him to up the ranks, but it was not that Gu Yun was simply an aggressive hothead, more than anything, he was smart. He had the eye of a gang lord, allowing him to take the helm of his gang at a very young age. Under his leadership, his small gang was able to grow exponentially. So by the time he had met his future wife, the influence his organisation had developed was enough to touch everything under the sun, allowing them to get along with both those who work in the light and the dark in A-City.

The fragrance of the food being cooked in the kitchen gradually began filling the air. Taking hold of the railing, Wang Juan took a look downstairs at the dining room table which was of course hidden from her current line of sight. She then instructed her son, “Go put your stuff down then come downstairs for dinner.”

After this incident, from that alleyway, two shrill screams rang out.

Gu Shaofan stiffened, his steps coming to a halt.

She then turned to walk the stairs, but from behind her, she heard Gu Shaofan whisper, “But mom, I feel a bit… sad.”

Gu Shaofan, still expressing nothing, tried to shake himself free, and Wang Juan simply let him go before calling out to the servant downstairs. “Xiao Liu, go get dinner started, please.” Then turning back to her son she said, “Go put your backpack away then come down for diner. Your dad called ahead to tell us not to wait for him tonight.”

Gu Shaofan had the keys, and he did always reach to school rather early, after all. So grabbing his bookbag that was long packed and laying on the desk, Ye Cheng swung it over his back as he said, “I’ll be leaving first, then. Bye!”

Walking two blocks to where his family’s car was waiting to pick him up and take him home. Ye Cheng’s guess before as actually correct, though, his family did indeed live in a villa near the suburbs. Counting the attic, it had a total of four floors, and because it was on a slope, the main entrance was on the second floor. While walking up the stairs, Gu Shaofan glanced over the mahogany railing to the hall on the first floor, seeing that neither Gu Yun nor Gu Shaoqing were home. Only his mother was there, having made her way from the greenhouse with a servant hurriedly helping her in removing her gardening gloves.

There was nothing they could really do to help their son since adults could not interfere in such matters amongst children. Besides, Wang Juan also held the proud belief that if friends didn’t gather around her son, then just let them keep their distance. After all, you never see male lions grouping up with other male lions, do you? Stuff like that was common amongst mice. Anyhow, she always made her kids train because the was one thing she would never allow, and that was for her children to be beaten up.

The servant sighed. The little young master only listened to the Madame, after all.

Wang Juan turned her head back in horror. Gu Shaofan’s face still had its trademark expressionlessness, but upon closer inspection, between those brows of him was a little crinkle expressing his woe. Before then, his classmates ignoring him had never been like this, because with nothing to compare it to, there was no feeling of loss.

Looking at her that son of hers from top to bottom, Wang Juan sighed, then poked that crinkled place belonging to her baby boy. “This is progress.”

Looking at her that son of hers from top to bottom, Wang Juan sighed, then poked that crinkled place belonging to her baby boy. “This is progress.”

Tao Lu was quite happy Ye Cheng was no longer hanging around Gu Shaofan. The large boy was very popular amongst his classmates, so once he started dragging Ye Cheng around all over, the way the entire class changed their attitude towards Ye Cheng was a breakneck speed. After his classes were done, during the break period, Ye Cheng had also stopped sitting in his seat, always choosing to go sit by someone else to chatter away.

Neither of them said another word to the other for the rest of that day.

On the other side, Ye Cheng was also quite sad himself.

He was under a lot of pressure when he made friends with Gu Shaofan, but in the end, the truth was actually what everyone had been saying. Gu Shaofan’s family were in fact made up of dangerous elements.

“Tsk. You were in a good mood recently, so did something happen today?” Wang Juan gently lifted her son’s face by the chin and looked him over.” You look like if somebody owes you a lot of money. Come on, love, tell mama what’s wrong.”

But Ye Cheng honestly did not feel that scared, Gu Shaofan was still his first friend at that school. What’s more, because of Gu Shaofan’s relationships, he was that boys only friend too. Gu Shaofan was the one who let him borrow his books, gave him the right answers, and also brought him yummy food—and none of these had anything to do with dangerous elements. But… in that child heart of his still, there still an uncomfortable sense of betrayal. He felt as though he was seen as a joke. That his entire class must have definitely been watching him and laughing.

Ye Cheng let out an “oh,” but said nothing else after that. Gu Shaofan thought he should say something, anything, but he was never good at speaking so he could only stare at Ye Cheng with him lips sealed shut. His staring made Ye Cheng feel awkward, whose hands moved to scratch his head nervously. So upon sensing the other boy’s mood, Gu Shaofan turned his gaze towards his desk.

So Ye Cheng felt depressed, quite depressed in fact.

Tao Lu was quite happy Ye Cheng was no longer hanging around Gu Shaofan. The large boy was very popular amongst his classmates, so once he started dragging Ye Cheng around all over, the way the entire class changed their attitude towards Ye Cheng was a breakneck speed. After his classes were done, during the break period, Ye Cheng had also stopped sitting in his seat, always choosing to go sit by someone else to chatter away.

There was nothing they could really do to help their son since adults could not interfere in such matters amongst children. Besides, Wang Juan also held the proud belief that if friends didn’t gather around her son, then just let them keep their distance. After all, you never see male lions grouping up with other male lions, do you? Stuff like that was common amongst mice. Anyhow, she always made her kids train because the was one thing she would never allow, and that was for her children to be beaten up.

As luck would have it, those never in stock textbook of his had coincidentally been bought that very night. Ye Chenghui still cared about his son’s education, and had gone to the book store every day to inquire about any new books. So when he went there earlier that day and saw that they were in stock, he had bought them all immediately.

With this, there was no reason for the two boys to group together during class.

Ye Cheng’s thoughts instantly became tangled, and he said nothing further.

Looking at her that son of hers from top to bottom, Wang Juan sighed, then poked that crinkled place belonging to her baby boy. “This is progress.”

iana: In case you’re wondering how the Gu’s have two sons. Before the 2016 repeal, the one child policy did have some “allowances.” Having a second child got you fined a year’s worth of your salary or something along those lines. Another was that a remarried couple could have a second child as long as one of them had never had any children of their own.

There was nothing they could really do to help their son since adults could not interfere in such matters amongst children. Besides, Wang Juan also held the proud belief that if friends didn’t gather around her son, then just let them keep their distance. After all, you never see male lions grouping up with other male lions, do you? Stuff like that was common amongst mice. Anyhow, she always made her kids train because the was one thing she would never allow, and that was for her children to be beaten up.

She was well aware what was happening to her son at school, as was her husband, because their first son, Gu Shaoqing, had experienced the same thing. But Gu Shaoqing had a more agreeable personality than Gu Shaofan, and he people skills was quite good, so when he when he was being shunned by his classmates, it did not last for too long.

Walking two blocks to where his family’s car was waiting to pick him up and take him home. Ye Cheng’s guess before as actually correct, though, his family did indeed live in a villa near the suburbs. Counting the attic, it had a total of four floors, and because it was on a slope, the main entrance was on the second floor. While walking up the stairs, Gu Shaofan glanced over the mahogany railing to the hall on the first floor, seeing that neither Gu Yun nor Gu Shaoqing were home. Only his mother was there, having made her way from the greenhouse with a servant hurriedly helping her in removing her gardening gloves.

Wearing his bookbag on his back, for the first time ever, Ye Cheng rode to school on that beautiful and ostentatious bike of his school. But because of that issue weighing down on his heart that made him always feel unhappy, he felt no excitement from riding that bike of his to school at all.

Gu Shaofan had the keys, and he did always reach to school rather early, after all. So grabbing his bookbag that was long packed and laying on the desk, Ye Cheng swung it over his back as he said, “I’ll be leaving first, then. Bye!”

Wang Juan was stunned, obviously understanding what the main issue now was. This made thing’s difficult, because before when Gu Shaofan was ostracized by those kids, it was based on nothing but groundless speculation. But this time, Gu Shaofan had admitting it himself, making it so that those children weren’t just exaggerating.

She then turned to walk the stairs, but from behind her, she heard Gu Shaofan whisper, “But mom, I feel a bit… sad.”

Once he arrived at class, as usual, he noticed Gu Shaofan had gotten there first. But Ye Cheng did not go greet him, instead he diligently sat in his seat then took out the textbook for the English class that was set for their first period before neatly organising the stuff on his desk.

The atmosphere between the two was extremely oppressive. It was so stark that Ye Cheng didn’t have he wherewithal to stand it, forcing him to flip open his textbook and begin taking notes. There was nothing for him to do, so he just found something. Things had gotten a little better during class then when the bell When the bell for second period rang, everyone went t the sports ground for morning exercises. Ye Cheng didn’t go there together with Gu Shaofan as usual either. Upon hearing the first ring of the bell, he stood up awkwardly then hurried out of the classroom.

Ye Cheng was flung so hard that his hand slammed into the small stove outside the restaurant crossways and knocked over one of the large pots with a clank, causing all the soup within it to pour all over Ye Cheng.

Once he arrived at class, as usual, he noticed Gu Shaofan had gotten there first. But Ye Cheng did not go greet him, instead he diligently sat in his seat then took out the textbook for the English class that was set for their first period before neatly organising the stuff on his desk.

Once he arrived at class, as usual, he noticed Gu Shaofan had gotten there first. But Ye Cheng did not go greet him, instead he diligently sat in his seat then took out the textbook for the English class that was set for their first period before neatly organising the stuff on his desk.

The atmosphere between the two was extremely oppressive. It was so stark that Ye Cheng didn’t have he wherewithal to stand it, forcing him to flip open his textbook and begin taking notes. There was nothing for him to do, so he just found something. Things had gotten a little better during class then when the bell When the bell for second period rang, everyone went t the sports ground for morning exercises. Ye Cheng didn’t go there together with Gu Shaofan as usual either. Upon hearing the first ring of the bell, he stood up awkwardly then hurried out of the classroom.

There was nothing they could really do to help their son since adults could not interfere in such matters amongst children. Besides, Wang Juan also held the proud belief that if friends didn’t gather around her son, then just let them keep their distance. After all, you never see male lions grouping up with other male lions, do you? Stuff like that was common amongst mice. Anyhow, she always made her kids train because the was one thing she would never allow, and that was for her children to be beaten up.

Gu Shaofan lowered his eyes, still not uttering a word, prompting Wang Juan to pinch her son’s cheeks. “Alright then. I’ll take a guess. Did something happen between you and your new friend?”

Caught in the stream of students making their way down the four storeys, Ye Cheng thought about what he was going to do for lunch at noon. Am I not going to eat with Gu Shaofan again too? Okay, fine. I’ll just eat alone, on my own…

Afterwards, Gu Yun had put all his efforts towards completely scrubbing his entire gang clean to transform his gang leader self into an industrialist. It was a process that required patience, and it wasn’t until Gu Shaofan was born that he had gotten everything on the right track. But Gu Shaofan was only an elementary school student, and his parents weren’t keen on telling their youngest about such things, so with regard to his family situation, Gu Shaofan was basically clueless.

The atmosphere between the two was extremely oppressive. It was so stark that Ye Cheng didn’t have he wherewithal to stand it, forcing him to flip open his textbook and begin taking notes. There was nothing for him to do, so he just found something. Things had gotten a little better during class then when the bell When the bell for second period rang, everyone went t the sports ground for morning exercises. Ye Cheng didn’t go there together with Gu Shaofan as usual either. Upon hearing the first ring of the bell, he stood up awkwardly then hurried out of the classroom.

Gu Shaofan’s face grew even more expressionless than usual, but even if he did not show any emotion on his face, Wang Juan still possessed the ability to understand the little boy she gave birth to.

For some unknown reason, he felt that uncomfortable feeling once more, the one that made his heart feel strange. Ye Cheng felt more depressed as the day went on. But with him and Gu Shaofan no longer getting along, Tao Lu had begun talking to him again.

For some unknown reason, he felt that uncomfortable feeling once more, the one that made his heart feel strange. Ye Cheng felt more depressed as the day went on. But with him and Gu Shaofan no longer getting along, Tao Lu had begun talking to him again.

Ye Cheng let out an “oh,” but said nothing else after that. Gu Shaofan thought he should say something, anything, but he was never good at speaking so he could only stare at Ye Cheng with him lips sealed shut. His staring made Ye Cheng feel awkward, whose hands moved to scratch his head nervously. So upon sensing the other boy’s mood, Gu Shaofan turned his gaze towards his desk.

The atmosphere between the two was extremely oppressive. It was so stark that Ye Cheng didn’t have he wherewithal to stand it, forcing him to flip open his textbook and begin taking notes. There was nothing for him to do, so he just found something. Things had gotten a little better during class then when the bell When the bell for second period rang, everyone went t the sports ground for morning exercises. Ye Cheng didn’t go there together with Gu Shaofan as usual either. Upon hearing the first ring of the bell, he stood up awkwardly then hurried out of the classroom.

Tao Lu was quite happy Ye Cheng was no longer hanging around Gu Shaofan. The large boy was very popular amongst his classmates, so once he started dragging Ye Cheng around all over, the way the entire class changed their attitude towards Ye Cheng was a breakneck speed. After his classes were done, during the break period, Ye Cheng had also stopped sitting in his seat, always choosing to go sit by someone else to chatter away.

“Your bike looks really sweet, bro. Can I borrow it for a couple days?” As he said this, he yanked Ye Cheng with all his strength, and because Ye Cheng was still paralysed with fear at the time, being pulled like made him fall to the ground head first.

Gu Shaofan displayed no special reaction to all this, still doing things just as he had before, coming and going on his own. Sometimes Ye Cheng wondered how on earth things had become like this. And seeing Gu Shaofan’s lonely form made his heart ache. He was a child with a very strong ability of imagining himself in someone else’s shoes, so when thinking of himself being in such a position, he found it…

At his reaction, the two boys stared at each other for a while, seeming to not know what they should do and had guilty expressions were written all over their faces. The one who was holding on to Ye Cheng’s wrist had let go at this point, but he then called out to his Brother Qiang who was waiting nearby. A figure with dishevelled hair covering their eyes and clothes that were just as unkempt, had sauntered out from within that alleyway. By the looks of him, compared to Ye Cheng, he seemed no more than a few years older. But with the slight hunch in his posture and his bad attitude, coupled with the malevolent grin spread across his face, the way he looked was unsettling.

Gu Shaofan was depressed. In his short existence, this was the first time he had ever found himself feeling such a level of sadness.

Headache

Gu Shaofan had the keys, and he did always reach to school rather early, after all. So grabbing his bookbag that was long packed and laying on the desk, Ye Cheng swung it over his back as he said, “I’ll be leaving first, then. Bye!”

…really sad.

With this, there was no reason for the two boys to group together during class.

Gu Shaofan lowered his eyes, still not uttering a word, prompting Wang Juan to pinch her son’s cheeks. “Alright then. I’ll take a guess. Did something happen between you and your new friend?”

What does that mean?

Wang Juan was stunned, obviously understanding what the main issue now was. This made thing’s difficult, because before when Gu Shaofan was ostracized by those kids, it was based on nothing but groundless speculation. But this time, Gu Shaofan had admitting it himself, making it so that those children weren’t just exaggerating.

Their strange situation continued like this for about half a month, until the day it was both he and Gu Shaofan’s turn to be on duty after classes were all over. The students on duty were assigned via seating chart, so it was always grouped together by the two deskmates. Before he left, Tao Lu sent a wink Ye Cheng’s way, gloating at his new friend’s misfortune.

Brother Qiang didn’t mince words with the struggling Ye Cheng either, as he walked right up to the younger boy and kicked him in the shin. Ye Cheng was so taken aback by the blow, his reaction to the pain was secondary. It was the first time in his life he had found himself in such a situation that all he could feel was fear.

Walking two blocks to where his family’s car was waiting to pick him up and take him home. Ye Cheng’s guess before as actually correct, though, his family did indeed live in a villa near the suburbs. Counting the attic, it had a total of four floors, and because it was on a slope, the main entrance was on the second floor. While walking up the stairs, Gu Shaofan glanced over the mahogany railing to the hall on the first floor, seeing that neither Gu Yun nor Gu Shaoqing were home. Only his mother was there, having made her way from the greenhouse with a servant hurriedly helping her in removing her gardening gloves.

At his reaction, the two boys stared at each other for a while, seeming to not know what they should do and had guilty expressions were written all over their faces. The one who was holding on to Ye Cheng’s wrist had let go at this point, but he then called out to his Brother Qiang who was waiting nearby. A figure with dishevelled hair covering their eyes and clothes that were just as unkempt, had sauntered out from within that alleyway. By the looks of him, compared to Ye Cheng, he seemed no more than a few years older. But with the slight hunch in his posture and his bad attitude, coupled with the malevolent grin spread across his face, the way he looked was unsettling.

Ye Cheng was flung so hard that his hand slammed into the small stove outside the restaurant crossways and knocked over one of the large pots with a clank, causing all the soup within it to pour all over Ye Cheng.

The tasks of the ones on duty included sweeping the classroom and organising the supplies. As he swept, Gu Shaofan said nothing, seeming completely absorbed in his task. As for Ye Cheng, he went up to the podium and started cleaning the blackboard, then emptied out the chalk dust pooled in the slot beneath it before finally organising the chalk themselves. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Gu Shaofan had already swept the back of the classroom and was now straightening the desks and chairs. He did it all so quickly that Ye Cheng did not need to do anything after he was done. Saying nothing, he awkwardly stared at Gu Shaofan as he swept. Neither of the two had said so much as a word to the other. It was difficult for him to wait until Gu Shaofan was done emptying the trash bins, so after Gu Shaofan lifted up the garbage bags, Ye Cheng’s eyes lit up.

At the entrance of the alley, there was a small eatery, which had a bunch of small portable stoves with aluminium pots stacked on top. A waiter had even just come out of the small establishment, and without so much as glancing at the fighting kids less than a step away, they opened up one of the large pots with the simmering food being cooked, scooped out a portion that dish, then went to deliver it to a customer.

Gu Shaofan was depressed. In his short existence, this was the first time he had ever found himself feeling such a level of sadness.

Their strange situation continued like this for about half a month, until the day it was both he and Gu Shaofan’s turn to be on duty after classes were all over. The students on duty were assigned via seating chart, so it was always grouped together by the two deskmates. Before he left, Tao Lu sent a wink Ye Cheng’s way, gloating at his new friend’s misfortune.

At the entrance of the alley, there was a small eatery, which had a bunch of small portable stoves with aluminium pots stacked on top. A waiter had even just come out of the small establishment, and without so much as glancing at the fighting kids less than a step away, they opened up one of the large pots with the simmering food being cooked, scooped out a portion that dish, then went to deliver it to a customer.

“Tsk. You were in a good mood recently, so did something happen today?” Wang Juan gently lifted her son’s face by the chin and looked him over.” You look like if somebody owes you a lot of money. Come on, love, tell mama what’s wrong.”

I can leave right now.

Ye Cheng was flung so hard that his hand slammed into the small stove outside the restaurant crossways and knocked over one of the large pots with a clank, causing all the soup within it to pour all over Ye Cheng.

Their strange situation continued like this for about half a month, until the day it was both he and Gu Shaofan’s turn to be on duty after classes were all over. The students on duty were assigned via seating chart, so it was always grouped together by the two deskmates. Before he left, Tao Lu sent a wink Ye Cheng’s way, gloating at his new friend’s misfortune.

Wearing his bookbag on his back, for the first time ever, Ye Cheng rode to school on that beautiful and ostentatious bike of his school. But because of that issue weighing down on his heart that made him always feel unhappy, he felt no excitement from riding that bike of his to school at all.

Tao Lu was quite happy Ye Cheng was no longer hanging around Gu Shaofan. The large boy was very popular amongst his classmates, so once he started dragging Ye Cheng around all over, the way the entire class changed their attitude towards Ye Cheng was a breakneck speed. After his classes were done, during the break period, Ye Cheng had also stopped sitting in his seat, always choosing to go sit by someone else to chatter away.

Ye Cheng immediately realised he was in trouble, so grabbing the handlebars, he used all his might to pedal while yelling, “Get out the way!”

iana: In case you’re wondering how the Gu’s have two sons. Before the 2016 repeal, the one child policy did have some “allowances.” Having a second child got you fined a year’s worth of your salary or something along those lines. Another was that a remarried couple could have a second child as long as one of them had never had any children of their own.

Gu Shaofan lowered his eyes, still not uttering a word, prompting Wang Juan to pinch her son’s cheeks. “Alright then. I’ll take a guess. Did something happen between you and your new friend?”

“Tsk. You were in a good mood recently, so did something happen today?” Wang Juan gently lifted her son’s face by the chin and looked him over.” You look like if somebody owes you a lot of money. Come on, love, tell mama what’s wrong.”

N/A

Wang Juan had found out about Ye Cheng from her son’s own mouth, and after she told that story to her husband, the two parents felt an incomparable amount of joy. Their son had finally found a friend. What’s more, their son who had never spoke much before had obviously levelled up his communication skills when speaking with this Ye Cheng. So Wang Juan now wondered if the trouble between them happened during the past couple of weeks.

Gu Shaofan had the keys, and he did always reach to school rather early, after all. So grabbing his bookbag that was long packed and laying on the desk, Ye Cheng swung it over his back as he said, “I’ll be leaving first, then. Bye!”

Gu Shaofan had the keys, and he did always reach to school rather early, after all. So grabbing his bookbag that was long packed and laying on the desk, Ye Cheng swung it over his back as he said, “I’ll be leaving first, then. Bye!”

Ye Cheng: “?”

And to this, Gu Shaofan simply gave a light nod in return. Ye Cheng found himself hesitating for a moment, still wanting to say something more. But, in the end, he just tugged the straps of his backpack then bolted out of the room.

There weren’t a lot of students who rode their bikes to school, so Ye Cheng’s bike was parked together with the teachers and staff’s. After opening the two locks and hanging then on the bars, he walked his bike to the school gates. It was an Indian summer, so the autumn air was not one bit cool, and at that hour there was already no sign of other students around the school. So as soon as Ye Cheng made it out the gates, he jumped on his bike and glided on his way. But before he had even made it a few metres, he saw two people waving over and over for him to stop while they blocked his way.

But the name Ye Cheng was one both she and her husband had no choice but to pay attention to, because for the first time in his life, their baby boy had brought up another kid his age, and asked them to help him take a sandwich to school for a boy named Ye Cheng.

Caught in the stream of students making their way down the four storeys, Ye Cheng thought about what he was going to do for lunch at noon. Am I not going to eat with Gu Shaofan again too? Okay, fine. I’ll just eat alone, on my own…

The servant sighed. The little young master only listened to the Madame, after all.

Wang Juan was stunned, obviously understanding what the main issue now was. This made thing’s difficult, because before when Gu Shaofan was ostracized by those kids, it was based on nothing but groundless speculation. But this time, Gu Shaofan had admitting it himself, making it so that those children weren’t just exaggerating.

There was nothing they could really do to help their son since adults could not interfere in such matters amongst children. Besides, Wang Juan also held the proud belief that if friends didn’t gather around her son, then just let them keep their distance. After all, you never see male lions grouping up with other male lions, do you? Stuff like that was common amongst mice. Anyhow, she always made her kids train because the was one thing she would never allow, and that was for her children to be beaten up.

She then turned to walk the stairs, but from behind her, she heard Gu Shaofan whisper, “But mom, I feel a bit… sad.”

There weren’t a lot of students who rode their bikes to school, so Ye Cheng’s bike was parked together with the teachers and staff’s. After opening the two locks and hanging then on the bars, he walked his bike to the school gates. It was an Indian summer, so the autumn air was not one bit cool, and at that hour there was already no sign of other students around the school. So as soon as Ye Cheng made it out the gates, he jumped on his bike and glided on his way. But before he had even made it a few metres, he saw two people waving over and over for him to stop while they blocked his way.

Brother Qiang didn’t mince words with the struggling Ye Cheng either, as he walked right up to the younger boy and kicked him in the shin. Ye Cheng was so taken aback by the blow, his reaction to the pain was secondary. It was the first time in his life he had found himself in such a situation that all he could feel was fear.

Wang Juan had found out about Ye Cheng from her son’s own mouth, and after she told that story to her husband, the two parents felt an incomparable amount of joy. Their son had finally found a friend. What’s more, their son who had never spoke much before had obviously levelled up his communication skills when speaking with this Ye Cheng. So Wang Juan now wondered if the trouble between them happened during the past couple of weeks.

There weren’t a lot of students who rode their bikes to school, so Ye Cheng’s bike was parked together with the teachers and staff’s. After opening the two locks and hanging then on the bars, he walked his bike to the school gates. It was an Indian summer, so the autumn air was not one bit cool, and at that hour there was already no sign of other students around the school. So as soon as Ye Cheng made it out the gates, he jumped on his bike and glided on his way. But before he had even made it a few metres, he saw two people waving over and over for him to stop while they blocked his way.

Afterwards, Gu Yun had put all his efforts towards completely scrubbing his entire gang clean to transform his gang leader self into an industrialist. It was a process that required patience, and it wasn’t until Gu Shaofan was born that he had gotten everything on the right track. But Gu Shaofan was only an elementary school student, and his parents weren’t keen on telling their youngest about such things, so with regard to his family situation, Gu Shaofan was basically clueless.

Once he arrived at class, as usual, he noticed Gu Shaofan had gotten there first. But Ye Cheng did not go greet him, instead he diligently sat in his seat then took out the textbook for the English class that was set for their first period before neatly organising the stuff on his desk.

Ye Cheng: “?”

Wang Juan had found out about Ye Cheng from her son’s own mouth, and after she told that story to her husband, the two parents felt an incomparable amount of joy. Their son had finally found a friend. What’s more, their son who had never spoke much before had obviously levelled up his communication skills when speaking with this Ye Cheng. So Wang Juan now wondered if the trouble between them happened during the past couple of weeks.

Neither of them said another word to the other for the rest of that day.

N/A

Wearing his bookbag on his back, for the first time ever, Ye Cheng rode to school on that beautiful and ostentatious bike of his school. But because of that issue weighing down on his heart that made him always feel unhappy, he felt no excitement from riding that bike of his to school at all.

What does that mean?

He pulled the brakes and put one foot on the ground then curiously looked at the two people before him. Neither of them looked older than him, so Ye Cheng guessed they were about his own age. His mind turned and turned trying to confirm whether he knew those boys, as they were not wearing the uniform of his school either.

The tasks of the ones on duty included sweeping the classroom and organising the supplies. As he swept, Gu Shaofan said nothing, seeming completely absorbed in his task. As for Ye Cheng, he went up to the podium and started cleaning the blackboard, then emptied out the chalk dust pooled in the slot beneath it before finally organising the chalk themselves. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Gu Shaofan had already swept the back of the classroom and was now straightening the desks and chairs. He did it all so quickly that Ye Cheng did not need to do anything after he was done. Saying nothing, he awkwardly stared at Gu Shaofan as he swept. Neither of the two had said so much as a word to the other. It was difficult for him to wait until Gu Shaofan was done emptying the trash bins, so after Gu Shaofan lifted up the garbage bags, Ye Cheng’s eyes lit up.

So Ye Cheng felt depressed, quite depressed in fact.

Gu Shaofan stiffened, his steps coming to a halt.

The two boys then approached him, with one of the boys grabbing hold of the handlebar of Ye Cheng’s bike, while his face split open in a grin. “Hey, buddy, we got something to talk to you about, so you mind staying back for a while?

There weren’t a lot of students who rode their bikes to school, so Ye Cheng’s bike was parked together with the teachers and staff’s. After opening the two locks and hanging then on the bars, he walked his bike to the school gates. It was an Indian summer, so the autumn air was not one bit cool, and at that hour there was already no sign of other students around the school. So as soon as Ye Cheng made it out the gates, he jumped on his bike and glided on his way. But before he had even made it a few metres, he saw two people waving over and over for him to stop while they blocked his way.

Gu Shaofan’s face grew even more expressionless than usual, but even if he did not show any emotion on his face, Wang Juan still possessed the ability to understand the little boy she gave birth to.

He pulled the brakes and put one foot on the ground then curiously looked at the two people before him. Neither of them looked older than him, so Ye Cheng guessed they were about his own age. His mind turned and turned trying to confirm whether he knew those boys, as they were not wearing the uniform of his school either.

Ye Cheng’s head was all question marks, so he said in return, “I don’t know you guys.”

The atmosphere between the two was extremely oppressive. It was so stark that Ye Cheng didn’t have he wherewithal to stand it, forcing him to flip open his textbook and begin taking notes. There was nothing for him to do, so he just found something. Things had gotten a little better during class then when the bell When the bell for second period rang, everyone went t the sports ground for morning exercises. Ye Cheng didn’t go there together with Gu Shaofan as usual either. Upon hearing the first ring of the bell, he stood up awkwardly then hurried out of the classroom.

Ye Cheng was flung so hard that his hand slammed into the small stove outside the restaurant crossways and knocked over one of the large pots with a clank, causing all the soup within it to pour all over Ye Cheng.

The atmosphere between the two was extremely oppressive. It was so stark that Ye Cheng didn’t have he wherewithal to stand it, forcing him to flip open his textbook and begin taking notes. There was nothing for him to do, so he just found something. Things had gotten a little better during class then when the bell When the bell for second period rang, everyone went t the sports ground for morning exercises. Ye Cheng didn’t go there together with Gu Shaofan as usual either. Upon hearing the first ring of the bell, he stood up awkwardly then hurried out of the classroom.

Ye Cheng was flung so hard that his hand slammed into the small stove outside the restaurant crossways and knocked over one of the large pots with a clank, causing all the soup within it to pour all over Ye Cheng.

After looking round, the other boy pulled Ye Cheng by the arm. “Then you can just get to know us know. My older brother is waiting for you over there.”

The fragrance of the food being cooked in the kitchen gradually began filling the air. Taking hold of the railing, Wang Juan took a look downstairs at the dining room table which was of course hidden from her current line of sight. She then instructed her son, “Go put your stuff down then come downstairs for dinner.”

The fragrance of the food being cooked in the kitchen gradually began filling the air. Taking hold of the railing, Wang Juan took a look downstairs at the dining room table which was of course hidden from her current line of sight. She then instructed her son, “Go put your stuff down then come downstairs for dinner.”

Their strange situation continued like this for about half a month, until the day it was both he and Gu Shaofan’s turn to be on duty after classes were all over. The students on duty were assigned via seating chart, so it was always grouped together by the two deskmates. Before he left, Tao Lu sent a wink Ye Cheng’s way, gloating at his new friend’s misfortune.

She was forty years old and had taken great care of her health, leaving her skin free of any noticeable wrinkles. Locking sights with that little boy of hers whose face was engraved with bitterness, she went up the stairs and called out, “Shaofan, hold it right there mister.”

“Your older brother?” While Ye Cheng sat on his bike, with one pulling the bike and the other pulling him, he was dragged forward on the road by a short distance, then about taken down an alleyway. He flung his arms about impatiently as he was dragged, screaming, “I don’t know your brother! Let me go! I want to go home!”

After saying this, she gave him a smile and added, “Serious though, what’s wrong, honey? Can’t you give your mama just one smile?”

There weren’t a lot of students who rode their bikes to school, so Ye Cheng’s bike was parked together with the teachers and staff’s. After opening the two locks and hanging then on the bars, he walked his bike to the school gates. It was an Indian summer, so the autumn air was not one bit cool, and at that hour there was already no sign of other students around the school. So as soon as Ye Cheng made it out the gates, he jumped on his bike and glided on his way. But before he had even made it a few metres, he saw two people waving over and over for him to stop while they blocked his way.

He was under a lot of pressure when he made friends with Gu Shaofan, but in the end, the truth was actually what everyone had been saying. Gu Shaofan’s family were in fact made up of dangerous elements.

At his reaction, the two boys stared at each other for a while, seeming to not know what they should do and had guilty expressions were written all over their faces. The one who was holding on to Ye Cheng’s wrist had let go at this point, but he then called out to his Brother Qiang who was waiting nearby. A figure with dishevelled hair covering their eyes and clothes that were just as unkempt, had sauntered out from within that alleyway. By the looks of him, compared to Ye Cheng, he seemed no more than a few years older. But with the slight hunch in his posture and his bad attitude, coupled with the malevolent grin spread across his face, the way he looked was unsettling.

Wearing his bookbag on his back, for the first time ever, Ye Cheng rode to school on that beautiful and ostentatious bike of his school. But because of that issue weighing down on his heart that made him always feel unhappy, he felt no excitement from riding that bike of his to school at all.

Wang Juan had found out about Ye Cheng from her son’s own mouth, and after she told that story to her husband, the two parents felt an incomparable amount of joy. Their son had finally found a friend. What’s more, their son who had never spoke much before had obviously levelled up his communication skills when speaking with this Ye Cheng. So Wang Juan now wondered if the trouble between them happened during the past couple of weeks.

On the other side, Ye Cheng was also quite sad himself.

He was under a lot of pressure when he made friends with Gu Shaofan, but in the end, the truth was actually what everyone had been saying. Gu Shaofan’s family were in fact made up of dangerous elements.

So Ye Cheng felt depressed, quite depressed in fact.

He pulled the brakes and put one foot on the ground then curiously looked at the two people before him. Neither of them looked older than him, so Ye Cheng guessed they were about his own age. His mind turned and turned trying to confirm whether he knew those boys, as they were not wearing the uniform of his school either.

At his reaction, the two boys stared at each other for a while, seeming to not know what they should do and had guilty expressions were written all over their faces. The one who was holding on to Ye Cheng’s wrist had let go at this point, but he then called out to his Brother Qiang who was waiting nearby. A figure with dishevelled hair covering their eyes and clothes that were just as unkempt, had sauntered out from within that alleyway. By the looks of him, compared to Ye Cheng, he seemed no more than a few years older. But with the slight hunch in his posture and his bad attitude, coupled with the malevolent grin spread across his face, the way he looked was unsettling.

Wearing his bookbag on his back, for the first time ever, Ye Cheng rode to school on that beautiful and ostentatious bike of his school. But because of that issue weighing down on his heart that made him always feel unhappy, he felt no excitement from riding that bike of his to school at all.

Wang Juan made her way to the second floor with a smile. “What’s got you all moody?”

Ye Cheng immediately realised he was in trouble, so grabbing the handlebars, he used all his might to pedal while yelling, “Get out the way!”

And it wasn’t just Gu Shaofan, all the males in the Gu family, both the big and small, feared Wang Juan, Gu Yun included.

Ye Cheng’s thoughts instantly became tangled, and he said nothing further.

But Ye Cheng honestly did not feel that scared, Gu Shaofan was still his first friend at that school. What’s more, because of Gu Shaofan’s relationships, he was that boys only friend too. Gu Shaofan was the one who let him borrow his books, gave him the right answers, and also brought him yummy food—and none of these had anything to do with dangerous elements. But… in that child heart of his still, there still an uncomfortable sense of betrayal. He felt as though he was seen as a joke. That his entire class must have definitely been watching him and laughing.

At the entrance of the alley, there was a small eatery, which had a bunch of small portable stoves with aluminium pots stacked on top. A waiter had even just come out of the small establishment, and without so much as glancing at the fighting kids less than a step away, they opened up one of the large pots with the simmering food being cooked, scooped out a portion that dish, then went to deliver it to a customer.

Lifting her head to look at her son, Wang Juan’s eyebrows lifted.

At the entrance of the alley, there was a small eatery, which had a bunch of small portable stoves with aluminium pots stacked on top. A waiter had even just come out of the small establishment, and without so much as glancing at the fighting kids less than a step away, they opened up one of the large pots with the simmering food being cooked, scooped out a portion that dish, then went to deliver it to a customer.

After looking round, the other boy pulled Ye Cheng by the arm. “Then you can just get to know us know. My older brother is waiting for you over there.”

Brother Qiang didn’t mince words with the struggling Ye Cheng either, as he walked right up to the younger boy and kicked him in the shin. Ye Cheng was so taken aback by the blow, his reaction to the pain was secondary. It was the first time in his life he had found himself in such a situation that all he could feel was fear.

She was well aware what was happening to her son at school, as was her husband, because their first son, Gu Shaoqing, had experienced the same thing. But Gu Shaoqing had a more agreeable personality than Gu Shaofan, and he people skills was quite good, so when he when he was being shunned by his classmates, it did not last for too long.

What does that mean?

Ye Cheng: “?”

Ye Cheng’s head was all question marks, so he said in return, “I don’t know you guys.”

“Your older brother?” While Ye Cheng sat on his bike, with one pulling the bike and the other pulling him, he was dragged forward on the road by a short distance, then about taken down an alleyway. He flung his arms about impatiently as he was dragged, screaming, “I don’t know your brother! Let me go! I want to go home!”

“Your bike looks really sweet, bro. Can I borrow it for a couple days?” As he said this, he yanked Ye Cheng with all his strength, and because Ye Cheng was still paralysed with fear at the time, being pulled like made him fall to the ground head first.

On the other side, Ye Cheng was also quite sad himself.

Ye Cheng was flung so hard that his hand slammed into the small stove outside the restaurant crossways and knocked over one of the large pots with a clank, causing all the soup within it to pour all over Ye Cheng.

Once he arrived at class, as usual, he noticed Gu Shaofan had gotten there first. But Ye Cheng did not go greet him, instead he diligently sat in his seat then took out the textbook for the English class that was set for their first period before neatly organising the stuff on his desk.

She then turned to walk the stairs, but from behind her, she heard Gu Shaofan whisper, “But mom, I feel a bit… sad.”

But the name Ye Cheng was one both she and her husband had no choice but to pay attention to, because for the first time in his life, their baby boy had brought up another kid his age, and asked them to help him take a sandwich to school for a boy named Ye Cheng.

So Ye Cheng felt depressed, quite depressed in fact.

After this incident, from that alleyway, two shrill screams rang out.

Gu Shaofan stiffened, his steps coming to a halt.

There was nothing they could really do to help their son since adults could not interfere in such matters amongst children. Besides, Wang Juan also held the proud belief that if friends didn’t gather around her son, then just let them keep their distance. After all, you never see male lions grouping up with other male lions, do you? Stuff like that was common amongst mice. Anyhow, she always made her kids train because the was one thing she would never allow, and that was for her children to be beaten up.

Walking two blocks to where his family’s car was waiting to pick him up and take him home. Ye Cheng’s guess before as actually correct, though, his family did indeed live in a villa near the suburbs. Counting the attic, it had a total of four floors, and because it was on a slope, the main entrance was on the second floor. While walking up the stairs, Gu Shaofan glanced over the mahogany railing to the hall on the first floor, seeing that neither Gu Yun nor Gu Shaoqing were home. Only his mother was there, having made her way from the greenhouse with a servant hurriedly helping her in removing her gardening gloves.

I can leave right now.

At his reaction, the two boys stared at each other for a while, seeming to not know what they should do and had guilty expressions were written all over their faces. The one who was holding on to Ye Cheng’s wrist had let go at this point, but he then called out to his Brother Qiang who was waiting nearby. A figure with dishevelled hair covering their eyes and clothes that were just as unkempt, had sauntered out from within that alleyway. By the looks of him, compared to Ye Cheng, he seemed no more than a few years older. But with the slight hunch in his posture and his bad attitude, coupled with the malevolent grin spread across his face, the way he looked was unsettling.

“Your older brother?” While Ye Cheng sat on his bike, with one pulling the bike and the other pulling him, he was dragged forward on the road by a short distance, then about taken down an alleyway. He flung his arms about impatiently as he was dragged, screaming, “I don’t know your brother! Let me go! I want to go home!”

The servant sighed. The little young master only listened to the Madame, after all.