Chapter 34
The warm afternoon sunlight fell across the two of them.
With reddened eyes, Yu Chen kept sneaking glances at He Zhen, worried that he would laugh at him. After all, he was already a middle school student now. Crying like this was not handsome at all.
Compared to when they were little, the difference in build between He Zhen and Yu Chen had become slightly more obvious. Yu Chen was sitting on He Zhen’s right leg, and both his feet could not even touch the floor. That made him feel even more self-conscious. In anger, he slammed his little fist against He Zhen’s arm to vent his dissatisfaction.
“Yu Chencheng, all you know how to do is bully me.” He Zhen deliberately moved his leg a little, and Yu Chen immediately wobbled, clutching tightly at He Zhen’s shoulder.
The previously aggressive Yu Chen instantly lost his nerve. A trace of sobbing still lingered in his voice. “Boss, when do you think I’ll grow taller?”
“Probably another year or two.” He Zhen looked at him and gently tucked the loose strands of hair on his forehead behind his ear. That clear, cool, low voice of his only brought up Yu Chen’s sadness all over again.
Yu Chen was unbelievably envious of He Zhen’s voice.
Warm and mellow, low and deep—just hearing it made him sound like a grown-up.
“If you’re still worried, I can take you to the orthopedic department at the hospital this weekend. As long as the growth plates in your long bones haven’t closed, you can keep getting taller.”
“Alright.” Yu Chen felt slightly comforted. Lowering his head, his fingers idly toyed with the zipper on He Zhen’s school uniform. “Boss, did you forget that you promised to take me to Disney?”
Since he had already cried once, he had to get something out of it.
His heart condition had finally gotten better, and now he could go on some thrilling rides. He had pestered He Zhen for ages before He Zhen finally nodded.
“Even the doctor said it’s fine.”
Yu Chen’s voice was heavy with a nasal tone, and his thick, expressive brows and eyes were full of expectation, almost like he was acting spoiled.
He Zhen deliberately teased him. “You’re crying this hard and still want to go to Disney?”
“I already made plans with Xiao Yu. After we watch the fireworks tonight, we can stay at the hotel for one night and keep playing the next day.” Yu Chen wiggled his brows at He Zhen in a flattering way. “Boss, you didn’t forget, right?”
“I didn’t.” He Zhen leisurely swung his leg, causing Yu Chen to hurriedly wrap his arms around his neck. His voice was lazy and casual. “But since someone seems so worried about getting taller, maybe we should postpone the Disney trip.”
“No, we have to go to Disney first.” Yu Chen frowned with those delicate brows and eyes of his and kept tugging at He Zhen’s shirt hem in pleading. “We can go to the hospital any day, but I want to go to Disney today.”
The height issue had already broken Yu Chen’s heart enough. If he could not even go to the Disney trip he had been dreaming about, life would feel even more hopeless.
Seeing how anxious he was getting, to the point that even his face had turned red, He Zhen laughed softly and relented. “Alright. We’ll go.”
Yu Chen immediately raised a little victory sign, showing off his tiny tiger teeth. As he checked travel guides, he swayed lazily from side to side.
“Boss, let’s have dinner in the little town. I heard their pizza smells unbelievably amazing!” Staring at the food recommendations in the guide, Yu Chen was practically drooling.
“And then we’ll go—”
Before he could finish, someone knocked on the bedroom door.
Li Huan had been waiting anxiously outside for a long time. When He Zhen still had not come out, he thought Yu Chen must be crying terribly and came in carrying mung bean soup to check on him.
Ever since Yu Chen had started school, he had never been this upset before. There had only been one other time, and that was when he had first gone to Yingzhuo Kindergarten.
But when Li Huan saw the harmonious and affectionate scene of the two “brothers” on the sofa, the heart that had been hanging in his throat finally settled. “Xiao Zhen, Chencheng, come drink some chilled mung bean soup with mochi.”
Yu Chen was still exactly the same as when he was little. The moment he heard there was something good to eat, he was more enthusiastic than anyone. The matter of not growing taller instantly became a passing cloud and was thrown straight to the back of his mind. Like a little greedy cat, he hurried over and eagerly ladled himself a bowl.
“Boss, I already served yours. Hurry and come drink.”
Even though Yu Chen was greedy when it came to food, no matter what delicious thing it was, the first bite was always given to He Zhen.
“Coming.” He Zhen sat down beside Yu Chen and took a small sip with his spoon. “Uncle, did you add coconut milk?”
“Yes, I had the kitchen put it in. Last time I remember you said mung bean soup tastes better with coconut milk added.” Li Huan pulled out a tissue and wiped the sweat from Yu Chen’s forehead as he bent over and gulped down his soup in huge mouthfuls. “Oh, Chencheng, slow down.”
He Zhen took another sip. “Yu Chen doesn’t really like this flavor. Next time, it’s better to make the rock sugar osmanthus version.”
Li Huan smiled. “You really do spoil him. From what I can see, he’s eating every bit as much as you are.”
Yu Chen could not exactly say that he liked mung bean shaved ice with coconut milk, but at least the sweet bean soup was cold and refreshing. Holding his bowl, he enthusiastically slurped from his spoon, which made He Zhen frown again and again.
“Yu Chencheng, slow down. It’s bad for your stomach.”
“Okay.” He Zhen’s words were even more effective than Li Huan’s. Yu Chen put down the bowl and at once switched to a refined, gentlemanly manner, taking tiny spoonfuls one by one. Both Li Huan and He Zhen found it a little hard to get used to.
Li Huan affectionately rubbed Yu Chen’s head. “Chencheng, what exactly upset you so much today?”
Chewing the soft, sticky mochi, Yu Chen told Li Huan everything that had happened.
Li Huan hesitated. “It can’t be that bad, can it? Our Chencheng may not be tall, but surely you’re not shorter than every girl in your class, ranking dead last?”
Yu Chen was humiliated to the extreme. “Dad! When I said dead last, I wasn’t counting the girls!”
Li Huan asked again, “Then if you do count the girls, what place would you rank?”
Yu Chen instantly deflated like a punctured little ball. Counting silently in his heart, he answered, “I don’t know. Maybe seventh from the bottom.”
Li Huan smiled optimistically. “Isn’t that still pretty good?”
The usually quiet He Zhen suddenly burst out laughing.
Yu Chen collapsed onto the table helplessly, so embarrassed he did not want to face anyone.
“Uncle.” The corners of He Zhen’s lips lifted slightly. “Chencheng and I are going to Disney on Saturday, and we’ll stay one night at the hotel there.”
Li Huan nodded. “Alright. I’ll pack your things for you.”
“No need. We’ll do it ourselves.” He Zhen set down his spoon and leaned back lazily in his chair. His long, nimble fingers reached up to help Yu Chen smooth out his messy hair. “He’s vain. He can spend half a day picking out one outfit, so let him pack it himself.”
Li Huan said, “Fine. Then I’ll prepare your toiletries.”
He Zhen replied, “Mm.”
Yu Chen took the chance to tilt his head, his pretty black eyes slyly fixed on He Zhen as if accusing him of talking badly about him.
Ever since they started middle school, Xiao Yu had often teased Yu Chen. Other people only had one dad, but he had two.
His big dad was Li Huan, and his little dad was He Zhen.
Whenever something involved Yu Chen, Li Huan often skipped over asking him and went straight to discuss it with He Zhen. If He Zhen nodded and agreed, then the matter was considered settled.
But Yu Chen absolutely refused to call He Zhen “little dad.”
He should be called Lord Yama Boss.
His dad was the judge of the underworld, and his boss was the king of hell.
Every time Yu Chen occasionally courted death, he could never escape Lord Yama’s all-seeing eye and would be judged at the drop of a hat.
After graduating sixth grade, he became obsessed with street food. Taking advantage of the generous allowance Li Huan gave him, he often slipped out to buy snacks from roadside stalls whenever He Zhen was at fencing class. After eating like that for a full month, he gloriously came down with gastroenteritis and spent half the night vomiting and having diarrhea, frightening He Zhen so badly his face turned white.
From that day onward, all of Yu Chen’s pocket money was confiscated, including his New Year gift money.
Naturally, Li Huan could not bear to do it, but He Zhen was extremely firm. He joined forces with Li Huan to implement a standardized management system for Yu Chen’s allowance. If Yu Chen needed to buy anything, He Zhen would buy it for him.
Yu Chen now had not a single cent in his pocket and was poor enough for the wind to whistle through him. He had been craving those starchy sausages from the roadside stalls for ages now, but had no money to buy one.
Yu Chen thought, as a middle school student, could he not even have some privacy and hobbies of his own?
Like topping up money for a game skin.
Or buying a super cool robot Ultraman.
Or treating a pretty girl in class to an ice cream cone. Of course, he had not yet met any girl he was willing to buy an ice cream cone for. But what if he did someday? He needed to plan ahead. He could not very well go up to He Zhen and say shamelessly, Boss, I want to treat a girl to ice cream, give me ten yuan, okay?
If things kept going like this, he would have absolutely no freedom at all.
After finishing his mung bean soup, Yu Chen began quietly scheming in his heart. While He Zhen was helping him organize the new textbooks, he ran after Li Huan out into the hallway.
“My dearest dad.” With his hands behind his back, Yu Chen looked pitifully at Li Huan with eyes as pure as a little deer’s. “Disney is kind of expensive. Can I maybe have a little…”
He rubbed his fingers together toward Li Huan, a sly little hope shining in his eyes.
Li Huan instantly understood. “I’ll transfer you some money. Then if your brother likes anything, remember to buy it for him.”
“Thank you, Dad!” Yu Chen immediately grabbed Li Huan’s hand and kept glancing meaningfully at Li Huan’s pocket. “Dad, transfer it now.”
Li Huan indulgently rubbed his hair. “Alright.”
Even though the two boys got along very well, they were not biological brothers after all. Li Huan felt embarrassed always having He Zhen buy things for Yu Chen. He very much wanted Yu Chen and He Zhen to exchange kindness back and forth.
Just as Li Huan was about to transfer the money, Yu Chen beside him was suddenly lifted up by a powerful force and slowly moved farther away.
Li Huan froze and turned his head, only to see He Zhen carrying Yu Chen away over one shoulder.
Yu Chen weakly defended himself, “Boss, I didn’t do anything…”
Turning back to Li Huan, He Zhen said, “Uncle, you don’t need to worry about Disney, and don’t give him any money.”
Li Huan hesitated. “But—”
“Uncle, just leave him to me.”
In the end, Li Huan gave Yu Chen a helpless look that plainly said Even Dad can’t do anything about this, put his phone back in his pocket, and went off to do his own business.
Yu Chen stared blankly for two seconds.
What was this? He had just been abandoned by his old father?
At seven in the morning, He Zhen sat on the sofa with his eyes closed, waiting for the endlessly dawdling Yu Chen to finish getting dressed.
At this age, Yu Chen was especially vain. Every morning, he needed to spend a good chunk of time studying clothing coordination.
He Zhen found it very puzzling. They wore school uniforms every day anyway, so what was there to coordinate? At most, you changed the color of the shirt under the uniform or swapped out one pair of sneakers for another.
Still, he chose to respect and understand it.
As long as Yu Chen was happy, then let him be.
Inside the dressing room, while He Zhen was not there, Yu Chen secretly stuffed two five-centimeter height-increasing insoles into his sneakers.
He had to admit, the effect after putting them on really was different. Yu Chen even measured himself. From a distance, he figured he could now easily rival a boy who was 170 centimeters tall.
Hearing footsteps, He Zhen slowly opened his eyes.
“Yu Chencheng, ready?”
His clear, mellow, low voice carried a trace of sleepiness. He had stayed up very late last night organizing important problem sets. By the time Yu Chen had already fought monsters in his dreams for three hundred rounds, He Zhen had only then gone to bed.
“I’m ready.” Yu Chen’s soft, delicate voice carried a hint of excitement that was hard to notice, yet He Zhen still caught it. Lifting his head to look him over, He Zhen narrowed his bright, deep eyes slightly. “Yu Chencheng, what did you stuff into your shoes?”
Yu Chen played dumb. “Nothing.”
“Boss, we’re going to be late, let’s hurry.”
Lifting his homemade height-increasing shoes, Yu Chen quickly ran downstairs. On the steps, he could feel his heels slipping around loosely inside the shoes, and walking in them was not especially comfortable.
But for the sake of his overall appearance, Yu Chen endured it.
At seven-thirty, all kinds of cars were gradually pulling up outside the school gates. Although Hongwen Middle School was not a traditional aristocratic middle school in the strictest sense, because its student source came from Hongwen No. 1 Primary School, there were many students from wealthy families. At the same time, there were also plenty of children from ordinary backgrounds in the classes—students whose grades were so outstanding that their middle-school entrance results ranked among the best in the whole city.
Ever since He Zhen began tutoring Yu Chen from fifth grade onward, Yu Chen’s academic results had shot up rapidly. In the end, he entered the key class with an excellent grade-wide rank of twenty-fifth. Meanwhile, Fang Jingrao, Xiao Yu, and He Zhi’an from their little gang had also managed to get into the key class by the skin of their teeth through their own hard work and He Zhen’s help.
Xiao Yu was a loyal person and had always remembered the favor of He Zhen tutoring him. He had long wanted to find a chance to treat He Zhen to a meal, but never had the opportunity. During the summer after sixth grade, He Zhen had signed up for countless extracurricular classes. Fencing, golf, ice hockey, and foreign languages almost completely filled his vacation. The only few days he had rested were because Yu Chen had gastroenteritis and had to go to the hospital for IV drips.
“He Zhen!” Xiao Yu happened to run into He Zhen in the corridor. “Where’s Chubby Chencheng? Why isn’t he glued to you?”
He Zhen answered, “He went to the bathroom.”
Xiao Yu nodded. “By the way, thanks for tutoring us. Aren’t we going to Disney this weekend? Chubby Chencheng and I will cover all the expenses for you and Chubby Chencheng too, just to show our gratitude.”
“No need.” He Zhen’s tone was sharp. “If you stop mocking Yu Chen so much, that already counts as gratitude toward me.”
“What are you talking about!” Xiao Yu objected unhappily. “I don’t always mock Yu Chen, okay? We get along great.”
“For example, saying that his scheming mind is pressing down on his height.” He Zhen strolled into the classroom and tossed down his schoolbag. “Don’t say that anymore in the future. He really cares about his height.”
“Oh.” After He Zhen broke it down like that, Xiao Yu also felt that what he had said was a bit too much. Rubbing his nose, he said, “I won’t say that next time.”
“It’s fine.” As He Zhen was organizing the desk, a love letter fell out. Xiao Yu had long since gotten used to it. Starting from sixth grade, the number of love letters He Zhen received had risen sharply, and his popularity with girls was fast approaching Li Ye’s.
He honestly could not understand it. How did someone like He Zhen, a cold-faced king of hell, actually have this many admirers?
Could it be that the harder the challenge, the greater the sense of accomplishment?
“He Zhen, do you know why your cousin’s been late so often lately?” After He Zhi’an had called him “Brother Zhen” for so long, everyone had already forgotten that He Zhen was actually the younger cousin.
“I don’t.” He Zhen took out the banana milk Yu Chen liked to drink and neatly placed it in front of Yu Chen’s books.
Then he checked Yu Chen’s pencil case. Only after finishing all that did he look toward Xiao Yu.
“He’s dating.” Xiao Yu raised his brows, his whole expression brimming with gossip. “The girl is the class beauty from the class next door. She’s especially pretty.”
He Zhen just gave an “Mm,” planning to go to the bathroom to see why Yu Chen still had not come out. Seeing that he was leaving, Xiao Yu, who had not finished sharing all his gossip yet, called after him impatiently, “Where are you going?”
He Zhen said flatly, “Yu Chen fell into a pit. I’m going to fish him out.”
Xiao Yu twitched his mouth.
Did the two of them feel uncomfortable if they were separated for more than ten minutes?
At the entrance to the bathroom, Yu Chen was bracing himself against the wall while pulling at his shoe.
The insoles were really uncomfortable. They kept rubbing painfully against the back of his heel.
The moment he caught sight of a tall figure, he immediately straightened up and greeted him as if nothing were wrong. “Boss, you came to the bathroom too?”
He Zhen’s eyes were bright. “Mm. I came to rescue someone. My little brother fell into a pit.”
“Tch.” Very naturally, Yu Chen looped his arm through He Zhen’s while muttering at his side, “Boss, there aren’t any good dishes in the cafeteria today. I want McDonald’s.”
“McDonald’s can only be eaten once a week.” He Zhen usually did not like to smile, but whenever Yu Chen stuck close to him, his whole mood would undergo a subtle change.
In Xiao Yu’s words, he would suddenly become gentler.
Yu Chen’s eyes lit up. “Then what about KFC?”
He Zhen lowered his gaze, which landed exactly on Yu Chen’s profile. On his fair, slender neck, faint blue veins showed through subtly. As he spoke, fine beads of sweat slid from the tip of his small, straight nose and fell onto his plump lower lip, glimmering softly.
Yu Chen really was getting prettier and prettier, like some beautiful young boy who had stepped straight out of a manga.
“Boss? Can we?” Yu Chen tilted his head with a grin, his whole body brimming with the bright energy and liveliness unique to a teenage boy.
“Yu Chencheng.” He Zhen lowered his head slightly and smiled at him. “Taking advantage of loopholes counts as a foul. I’ll deduct one burger privilege from you as punishment.”
Yu Chen gave an unhappy little huff, let go of He Zhen, and walked ahead with his head down.
Today, the only dish on the menu that he liked was sesame crispy chicken. But he definitely would not be able to? it from the upper-grade students. Every mealtime, everyone ran toward the cafeteria like starving wolves pouncing on food. And if the teacher dragged class overtime, he would be even less likely to get the dishes he wanted.
Back at his seat, Yu Chen bit down on his milk straw and furiously copied the lesson text, venting all his little frustrations into his studies.
Watching Yu Chen’s tense back, He Zhen said leisurely, “I’ll go buy sesame crispy chicken for you after class. You can just walk slowly behind me.”
The moment he heard He Zhen’s promise, Yu Chen immediately threw down his pen and hugged He Zhen’s arm. “My handsome boss, you are seriously too cool.”
He Zhen laughed at him. “Look at you.”
Yu Chen smiled with crescent eyes and kept clinging to He Zhen. “My boss is the most—”
He Zhen already knew what the second half of the sentence would be, and with a soft laugh he covered Yu Chen’s lips. “Yu Chencheng, stop feeding me sugar-coated nonsense.”
Yu Chen grinned like a little kitten that had successfully stolen dried fish, rubbing the side of his nose against He Zhen’s fingertips. Only when the math teacher walked in with the textbook did the two of them stop fooling around.
He Zhi’an, sitting behind them, was currently immersed in the sweetness of puppy love, smiling in a dazed and lovestruck way.
Xiao Yu truly felt that every single person around him was more nauseatingly mushy than the last, to the point that his skin was crawling.
At noon, Yu Chen got to eat the sesame crispy chicken that had satisfied him to the core, making Fang Jingrao and He Zhi’an drool enviously. This dish was practically hard currency at Hongwen Middle School. Out of the entire school population of three thousand students, only about a hundred people got to eat it.
Yu Chen had wanted to share a few pieces with Fang Jingrao, but he was worried He Zhen would get angry. After all, this had been his boss’s thoughtful gesture, something meant solely for him alone.
With his stomach full, Yu Chen napped for a while with his head on the desk, then went to PE in the afternoon full of energy.
While they were running laps, Xiao Yu kept shooting Yu Chen meaningful looks. Then, when Yu Chen tried to cut the corner, Xiao Yu caught him red-handed on the spot.
“Yu Chen, is there something shady going on with your shoes?”
Like some investigator interrogating a suspect, Xiao Yu crouched down and carefully examined Yu Chen’s white canvas shoes. “Oh! Chubby Chencheng! Your heel is practically slipping out of the shoe opening! Are you wearing height-increasing insoles?”
“I’m not!” Yu Chen’s face turned red as he quickly denied it. “You need evidence when you talk, otherwise I’ll sue you for slander.”
“Tch.” Xiao Yu dragged the nearby, gossip-watching Fang Jingrao over. “Take a look. Isn’t Yu Chen wearing height-increasing insoles?”
Fang Jingrao hemmed and hawed. “Xiao Yu, Chencheng is short, so if he wears them, he wears them. Don’t get so worked up.”
“Shut up!”
Xiao Yu remained fixated on the edge of Yu Chen’s shoe.
How could he not be worked up?
If Yu Chen wore height-increasing insoles, then at 175 centimeters, Xiao Yu would become the shortest boy in class!
Yu Chen proudly curled his lips and twisted his body in smug triumph at the furious, puffed-up Xiao Yu. But just as he turned to keep running, he crashed head-on into a sturdy shoulder. His heel twisted, and in the next second he fell flat to the ground, face-first like a dog eating dirt.
The tall, broad-shouldered boy immediately stopped and bent over to ask, “Yu Chen, are you alright?”
Yu Chen had been knocked so hard that stars danced before his eyes, and only then did he realize the person he had crashed into was the PE committee member.
Seeing the dazed look in his eyes, the committee member panicked and hurriedly shouted for the teacher. “Yu Chen fainted! Teacher!”
In a dizzy voice, Yu Chen mumbled weakly.
Mm… actually, he was kind of still okay.
The teacher had not come yet, but He Zhen arrived first.
Looking at Yu Chen’s pale face twisted in pain, he wrapped one arm around Yu Chen’s waist. In the next moment, his other arm scooped beneath Yu Chen’s legs, lifting him straight into a bridal carry as he rushed toward the infirmary.
The PE committee member was stunned silly, but without thinking much, he immediately chased after them.
Yu Chen’s ankle hurt and throbbed terribly. Seeing that sweat was already covering He Zhen’s forehead from how fast he was running, he murmured, “Boss, I’m fine, don’t panic.”
He Zhen pressed his lips together tightly and held Yu Chen closer against his chest. “We’ll go to the infirmary first. If it’s fractured, then we’ll go straight to the hospital.”
Yu Chen glanced at the PE committee member, whose face was completely fallen. He was chasing after them, sweating profusely, staring at Yu Chen with guilt and worry.
“Committee member, it’s not your fault. It was me not paying attention while walking.” Yu Chen had completely wilted now. He knew very well that the true culprit this time was the height-increasing insoles, but he did not dare say it out loud. “Go back. I’m really fine.”
The PE committee member was an honest kid. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he shook his head. “No need. I’ll take responsibility all the way through.”
Yu Chen guiltily hid his face and frantically tried to think of a way to send him away, so as to avoid the social death that would come when the shoes were taken off.
It was as if He Zhen’s mind was connected with his. His steady pace slowed slightly, and he said to the committee member, “You still need to organize the rest of the class during PE. Yu Chen’s not seriously hurt. Once the infirmary teacher gives feedback, I’ll tell you.”
The committee member gave an “oh” and scratched his head anxiously. “Alright. Yu Chen, I’m really sorry.”
Yu Chen waved a hand. “I was the one who ran into you. I should be the one apologizing.”
The PE committee member had been specially recruited into Hongwen Middle School through athletics. Before coming, he had heard that the students here all came from either rich or powerful families, especially the legendary young master of the He family, who was practically a star surrounded by admirers. He had never expected that classmate Yu Chen, who was as close as real brothers with the young master of the He family, would be so understanding.
Most good-looking people were prideful, but Yu Chen was not like that. When those pretty eyes of his smiled, he seemed incredibly approachable.
In the infirmary, a pair of canvas shoes lay scattered on the floor. Beside them were two five-centimeter height-increasing insoles.
Yu Chen was curling his toes, too ashamed to even lift his head. The infirmary teacher understood immediately the moment he saw the insoles. Teenage boys all cared deeply about face. Yu Chen was far from the first case of twisting his ankle because of height-increasing insoles.
“Teacher, how is my little brother’s foot? Is it fractured?”
The facilities at Hongwen Middle School’s infirmary were extremely complete. To ensure that injured children received proper examinations, there were X-ray, CT, and MRI machines all fully equipped.
The teacher looked over the films and said, “No fracture. Just a ligament sprain. After icing it, make sure he avoids strenuous exercise.”
He Zhen nodded in thanks and bent down to help Yu Chen put on his shoes.
The teacher knew He Zhen, and seeing how close the two “brothers” were, he patted Yu Chen on the head. “Little one, don’t wear height-boosting insoles and make your brother worry like this again. Just look at him—his whole back is drenched in sweat.”
Yu Chen had now fully realized his mistake. Guiltily, he kept his head down, simply waiting for He Zhen to discipline him once they got home.
After thanking the teacher again, He Zhen grabbed Yu Chen’s arm. Then, in the next instant, he pulled Yu Chen against his chest and circled one arm beneath his legs, lifting him back into his arms.
Out in the corridor, He Zhen walked very slowly.
Yu Chen could feel just how tightly he was being enclosed in He Zhen’s embrace. He could even hear He Zhen’s quickened heartbeat.
“Boss.” He muttered softly like a little kitten. “You worked hard. When we get home, I’ll massage your shoulders and pound your back for you.”
“So you know you were wrong now?” He Zhen lowered his head, the gentle upward lilt of his voice making the ending sound soft and warm. “Will you still wear height-increasing insoles?”
Having learned his lesson, Yu Chen shook his head like a little rattle drum. “No more.”
A faint smile curved on He Zhen’s lips. “If you wear them again next time, I’ll beat you.”
“I wouldn’t dare!” Just like when he was little, Yu Chen buried his face into the hollow of He Zhen’s neck and mumbled a stream of complaints against the influencers who promoted height-increasing insoles. “I never should’ve believed them.”
He Zhen raised a brow lightly. As they passed a full-length mirror near the administration building, Yu Chen secretly glanced at it twice.
Then he asked a soul-searching question. “Boss, when you carry me like this, don’t I look like you’re holding a bowl?”
If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed the size difference between him and He Zhen had become this obvious. He Zhen was only in his first year of middle school, yet the lines of his shoulders were already evenly shaped and clearly carried strength.
As for himself, being held in a princess carry by He Zhen, he looked like some weak little chick. Curled up in He Zhen’s arms, people behind them could not even see him at all.
And so, Yu Chen voiced his worry. “Boss, if I never grow taller, will you stop playing with me? By then you’ll definitely rather hang out with a boy who’s 190.”
A shallow smile hooked at He Zhen’s lips, and the look in his eyes seemed meaningful. “Yu Chencheng, are you really that worried?”
Yu Chen nodded seriously. “Yeah. I’m kind of insecure.”
He Zhen had originally wanted to tease him a little, but the moment he heard the word insecure, he changed his mind.
“Yu Chencheng.”
“Mm?”
“If you grow to two meters tall, then I really won’t play with you.”
“Two meters?” Yu Chen repeated blankly, suddenly remembering the grand promise he had once made. Back then, he had sworn that once he grew to two meters, he would take responsibility for washing He Zhen’s socks.
“What’s wrong with growing to two meters?” Crossing his arms, Yu Chen said very seriously, “Then I’d be able to serve you.”
He Zhen did not answer, only smiled faintly.
If possible, he hoped Yu Chen would never grow to two meters.
After four days of careful care, Yu Chen’s foot slowly recovered, and the Disney trip did not end up being delayed.
The room Yu Chen and He Zhen checked into was a lakeside double room. Although it was a bit small, it was more than enough for two boys.
The moment they put down their luggage, Yu Chen impatiently dragged his little friends off to start with Soaring Over the Horizon.
He was timid and cowardly, yet wanted to play every thrilling ride possible. On the Pirates of the Caribbean boat, he almost threw up all over He Zhen.
The parade float performance started around three-thirty in the afternoon. At that time, all the Disney mascots would greet visitors from the floats. Because Yu Chen and the others had been delayed for a while at the Tron Lightcycle ride, by the time they reached the parade route, the place was already packed with a sea of people. Only the very last row had any space left.
Fang Jingrao scratched his head dejectedly. From their position, they could not see very clearly. Only He Zhen, who was slightly taller, had any real advantage.
Xiao Yu’s gaze fell on Yu Chen’s shoes. The embarrassing incident with the height-increasing insoles had already become known to everyone. On the very day Yu Chen sprained his ankle, the infirmary had issued a friendly reminder to all students, warning them not to wear height-increasing insoles, especially during strenuous PE classes.
The notice did not name names, but everyone knew perfectly well who it was about.
“I can’t see anything.” Yu Chen muttered gloomily, his voice growing quieter and quieter. He strained up on tiptoe and craned his neck as far as he could, but still saw nothing except a dense sea of heads.
Xiao Yu took the chance to tease him. “Chubby Chencheng, didn’t you bring your height-increasing insoles today?”
Without them, Yu Chen was clearly a whole section shorter than Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu smugly raised his brows and grinned mischievously.
The moment he heard that, Yu Chen’s expression turned visibly flustered. Embarrassed, he scratched at his reddened ear, wanting nothing more than to dig a crack in the ground and crawl into it.
Fang Jingrao thoughtfully spoke up for him. “The infirmary already said wearing height-increasing insoles is risky, so it’s better if people don’t wear them.”
“Pfft.” He Zhi’an snickered. When it came to accidentally stabbing someone right in the sore spot, Fang Jingrao was absolutely number one.
Yu Chen was overwhelmed with humiliation, to the point that he did not even know where to put his hands.
Xiao Yu kept teasing. “It’s okay, Chencheng. There’s still another parade tomorrow. We can stand in the front row then.”
Face burning, Yu Chen secretly shot Xiao Yu a glaring look.
“Hey, Yu Chen—”
Before Xiao Yu could even finish his sentence, Yu Chen, who had been standing right next to him, suddenly became a full head taller than him and turned into the tallest person there.
“Damn, Brother Zhen is insane!”
At some point, He Zhen had actually lifted Yu Chen onto his shoulders, holding onto his hands and raising him steadily.
Faced with the suddenly wide-open view, a soft flush spread over Yu Chen’s fair cheeks. All around them, people were curiously looking at him. His ears and neck were burning hot, filled with surprise and emotion.
Xiao Yu was dumbfounded. Tilting his head up to look at Yu Chen’s brilliantly radiant smile, he suddenly felt exactly like one of those NPCs in novels whose only role was to envy and be astonished.
He Zhen supported Yu Chen very steadily and asked softly, “Can you see?”
Yu Chen’s clear black-and-white eyes were full of satisfaction. He nodded happily. “I can!”
He Zhen asked again, “Are you scared?”
Yu Chen’s tone was light and cheerful. “With Boss here, of course I’m not scared!”
