Warm Water Spirits

Then, there was no sign of activity from LK side.

Jiang Yunqi started to play a solo game.

The news of Pei Zhe breakup made him so happy that he was distracted for a while. And in his inattention, he entered an open field and got shot twice by the sniper at the hillside.

Since it was Friday, there was quite a traffic on the road on the way back. So, Pei Zhe gave aunt Song a call and let her know that they would be late.

“Mr. Pei, did Yunqi’s school finished late today? I called at 5:30 but he didn’t pick up. So, I thought it must have been delayed until 6 o’clock again.”

Aunt Song continued to nag. “Ask Yunqi if he is hungry. If he’s hungry you guys eat outside and I’ll make late night snacks when you guys come back.”

“Hungry?” Pei Zhe turned his head and asked.

Jiang Yunqi looked up while on the screen was a fully armed small person, squatting in the corner alone and taking painkillers (health potion). “No.”

Pei Zhe looked at the time. Then the car broke away from the crowded traffic flow and turned around and drove to the nearby shopping mall. “We’re going to eat out. You’re still growing, can’t have irregular eating patterns.”

“Oh, okay.”

Pei Zhe found the parking lot, waited for the car in front to pull out and shifted towards Jiang Yunqi’s side to see the little figure on the mobile secreen with his head raised, gulping down. He slightly smiled, “He eats more than you.”

Jiang Yunqi clicked the map in the upper right corner, marked the position and then turned on the speed running mode. He looked up, saying seriously, “That’s why I let him exercise.”

Pei Zhe: “…”

When they got of the car, the suit coat was finally back on Pei Zhe’s body.

There were fold marks on the cuffs. The collar was also pillowed by Jiang Yunqi for a while, so it was also not very neat and orderly.

They had dinner at the seafood congee restaurant.

Jiang Yunqi ate slowly. The little figure who was doing ‘after meal exercise’ got shot a few times on the way. Seeing this, Jiang Yunqi was a little angry. This was the little figure/person ‘Player Pei Zhi[1]’ seen earlier by Pei Zhe. Jiang Yunqi aggressively operated the little figure single-handedly, shooting head-on.

Just as he shot the person’s head, his phone was confiscated.

“Eat.” Pei Zhe glanced at him, warning, “Don’t think I was lying to you when I said about disconnecting internet.”

Jiang Yunqi remained silent, still in a good mood. He stuffed a tablespoon of congee in his mouth but it was too hot that he eyes teared up.

Pei Zhe was taken aback. The body reacted first; he quickly took the paper towel and let Jiang Yunqi directly spit out and handed the cold water with other hand, “Be careful.”

Eyes gleaming with tears, Jiang yunqi did as instructed. He took a few mouthfuls of water, looked at the frowning Pei Zhe and said in a low voice, “It’s hot.”

Pei Zhe hummed. “That’s why, you should be careful.”

So, after this, eating was also done with established standard.

Eyelashes droopy, nose red, Jiang Yunqi seemed so serious as if waiting for the chick to hatch out of the spoon as he ate carefully and prudently.

Finished eating, Pei Zhe leaned back in his chair, waiting for Jiang Yunqi.

He’d occasionally check his cell phone for messages and emails or would pick up a glass of water to drink.

Later on, he just watched Jiang Yunqi who had immersed himself in eating. Pei Zhe’s eyes were as usual, face also expressionless. If one looked closely, it looked like as if he was observing.

“Jiang Yunqi?” The next table was occupied by the new customers.

Two pretty girls with ponytails, carrying several shopping bags, looked towards Pei Zhe’s table.

Jiang Yunqi looked up, eyes stopping at them for moment before he lowered his head again and continued to hatch chicks.

Pei Zhe frowned. “Yunqi, your friends? Or classmates?”

The two girls seemed to be accustomed to Jiang Yunqi’s this kind of indifferent greeting and all of their attention fell on the eye-catching, handsome Pei Zhe.

Pei Zhe looked back politely.

The young girls were embarrassed. They quickly averted their curious gazes and lowered their heads, looking at the menu together.

“Not friends, but classmates. I don’t have any friends.”

Jiang Yunqi finished the last two spoonful and leaned back in his seat, waiting for Pei Zhe to lead him away.

Pei Zhe approached Jiang Yunqi and said calmly, “Classmates can also become friends. You didn’t make any friends at school?”

Jiang Yunqi didn’t say anything.

They had talked about this issue twice before, and each time ended with Jiang Yunqi’s silence.

Pei Zhe seemed very keen on letting him make friends. Jiang Yunqi really didn’t quite understand Pei Zhe’s mindset—he didn’t want Pei ge to make friends, whether male or female.

The workplace had colleagues. And the school had classmates. Being in contact with them couldn’t be helped, Jiang Yunqi understood this.

Jiang Yunqi sighed and looked at Pei Zhe helplessly, pleading, “We should go.”

Pei Zhe gave him a complicated look but didn’t say anything anymore.

About his own standing, Pei Zhe have always been very clear. But whether he put himself in the position of an elder brother or guardian, many times, he couldn’t precisely understand this 19-year-old Jiang Yunqi.

Even though he tried his best to make Jiang Yunqi live like he should at his age.

Pei Yue warned him countless times that Jiang Yunqi was a little monster. “The environment he grew up in was not normal at all! Have you ever seen any child, one to twelve years old, grow up in that kind of environment?”

Whenever Jiang Yunqi made Pei Yue angry, Pei Yue would always remind Pei Zhe, “Have you forgotten what he did to you seven years ago? Even if he doesn’t remember anything now, that still doesn’t change the fact.”

“There will be a day he will remember, at that time, what do you think he’ll be like then?”

Pei Yue had a stereotypical image of Jiang Yunqi. No matter how many times he explained, Pei Yue disdained him, feeling that Pei Zhe was too biased towards the child he had saved with his own hands.

On the contrary, aunt Song felt that there was nothing wrong with Jiang Yunqi. “He is better than my grandson. He’s not a picky eater and eats everything I make, but he does eat slowly!”

However, there were times when aunt Song and Pei Zhe expressed that Jiang Yunqi was a bit withdrawn and lonesome. He was too quiet and not like how an 18 or 19-years old teenager should be.

“You should talk to him more, Mr. Pei. I see that he’s quite dependent on you. But you also don’t talk much; don’t let him copy this from you.”

So, on the way back, Pei Zhe talked quite a lot.

From the necessity of having friends to how to distinguish good friend from bad ones and how friends make life better—Pei Zhe swore he’d never talk to someone like this in his life.

If Yu Chengan heard this, he’d think Mr. Pei, who cherished his words like gold, has broken his brain/lost his mind.

Jiang Yunqi actually listened quite seriously. Mobile phone wasn’t touched even once.

“…when you grow up, you’d have to leave me, your aunt and also your sister Pei Yue—”

“No!” Jiang Yunqi expressionlessly corrected, “I won’t leave you.”

“You will. After the college entrance examination, you have to go to the college. At that time, when you’d be outside, you’d understand the importance of friends.” Pei Zhe’s tone was earnest.

“Then I won’t go to the college.” Jiang Yunqi didn’t care.

“Jiang Yunqi.”

Honestly speaking, when the full name spoken like this, it’s a warning sign.

Jiang Yunqi shut up.

Over the past few years, the anger index between ‘Yunqi’ and ‘Jiang Yunqi’ have already been figured out by Jiang Yunqi.

‘Yunqi’ meant there was still bargaining room.

But ‘Jiang Yunqi’ meant there was no leeway and matter was serious.

However, Jiang Yunqi rarely experienced the transition from ‘Yunqi’ to ‘Jiang Yunqi’ in a day, and now…

Jiang Yunqi got a little flustered.

Pei Zhe’s serious face was quite intimidating. Stern eyes stared at Jiang Yunqi who had spoken carelessly.

Two seconds later, Jiang Yunqi apologized. “I was wrong. I will go to college, just won’t go too far.”

Pei Zhe looked at him, face still as cold as before.

“Ge.”

“Pei ge…”

“Go up.” Pei Zhe opened the door and got out of the car.

Head down, Jiang Yunqi followed behind him. He felt that this matter must have completely angered Pei Zhe.

But Jiang Yunqi had no desire to change his intentions.

1 Actual name of Pei Zhe: Pei Zhe (裴辙) The characters Yunqi used to name his player in the game: Pei Zhi (裴之).  Difference in Zhé and Zhī.