Chapter 31: After Class, Come Into My Arms (29)

Lu Zhouyuan leaned lazily against the wall, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
“That face of his—it’s the spitting image of that whore.”
With that biting remark, he turned and walked away.

“What did Lu Zhouyuan mean by that?”
“Lu Zhouyuan… Lu Yu... Ah! They share the same surname!”
“So Lu Zhouyuan is saying that Lu Yu’s mother was a homewrecker? But wasn’t it Lu Zhouyuan’s mother who got cheated on? No wonder—Lu Yu’s always been untouchable at No. 1 High, but the moment Lu Zhouyuan showed up he went straight for him. And the crazy thing is, Lu Yu didn’t fight back—he just let Zhouyuan beat him up! Does that mean… Lu Yu actually knows he’s the son of a mistress?”
“My god, his mother was the other woman. Isn’t that disgusting?”
“And didn’t Lu Yu nearly kill someone before… Tsk, tsk, tsk, mother’s a mistress and he’s a murderer.”

The group walked off together, voices fading as their gossip trailed behind them.
Even if they despised Lu Yu in their hearts, not a single one of them would dare say a word to his face.

As Lu Yu arrived upstairs, he saw A Si waiting at the doorway.
She had her backpack on, her gaze wandering somewhere distant, lost in thought.

“A Si, have you been waiting long?”
She looked up and, seeing it was Lu Yu, gave him a small smile.
She opened her palm to reveal a single lychee-flavored lollipop lying in her hand.

“I already finished all the strawberry ones—this is the only flavor left.”
The girl tilted her head up, her dark eyes sparkling with light.
She hadn’t even tasted it yet, and already it seemed unbearably sweet.

A warm, broad hand brushed against the girl’s palm.
He touched her hand lightly, as if by accident, picked up the lollipop, and held it out to her.
“Could you unwrap it for me?”

She drew her hand back, feeling a tickle in her palm. Had he just scratched her a moment ago?
“You don’t know how?”
A Si looked up at him, eyes earnestly questioning.
Lu Yu shook his head with grave seriousness. “I really don’t.”

A Si took the candy, unwrapping it as she explained,
“Xiao Bai, this is called a lollipop. It’s very sweet, but it’s a bit tricky to eat—you have to take the wrapper off first. And this little stick, you can’t eat it!”
She said it so sincerely, even shaking her head at the end.
She handed the unwrapped lollipop back to him. Only after seeing Lu Yu put it in his mouth did she finally allow herself a small smile.

Then A Si took out another lollipop from her backpack, but before she could hold onto it, Lu Yu had already snatched it away.
She watched as he unwrapped the candy with practiced ease, and the smile that had just begun to bloom on her lips vanished in an instant, her whole face turning a shade paler.

“Xiao Bai, you already have one—this one’s mine.”
Lu Yu was tall to begin with. A Si stood on tiptoe, reaching up with both small hands, trying to take it back from him.
Xiao Bai had become far less adorable lately, always wanting to take her things.
Lu Yu dodged nimbly, turning his body and evading her attempt.
When he saw the little girl standing frozen in place, on the verge of tears, he gave a helpless smile.

“Be good. Open your mouth.”
He held out the lollipop. A Si instinctively reached for it with her hand.
He pulled it back. “Mouth, not hand.”
Her eyes brightened, and she obediently opened her mouth, gaze full of eager anticipation.

Her eyes narrowed in delight, all memory of her annoyance with Lu Yu dissipating.
All she remembered was how he had unwrapped the candy and fed it to her himself.
“Xiao Bai, you’re so good to me.”
Her Xiao Bai was the best in the world.