Chapter 9

At the sudden change in topic, Tong Yan wasconfused, “Huh?”

His eyelashes were still wet, his prettyeyes covered by a light layer of tears, a bit silly and undeniably cute. Zhuo XiangMing helped him wipe away his tears: “If your pheromones aren’t firmlycovered up, with your current lack of control, something dangerous might happen.”

TongYan stuttered: “I-it came out?”

ZhuoXiang Ming nodded, and leaned a little closer, after sniffing again, he said,“It smells a little like cape jasmine.”

Aftersaying this, he immediately glanced at Tong Yan’s expression.

In fact, this sentence wasn’t very polite. Evaluating other people’spheromone scent unprovoked, whether it was to compliment it or belittle it, wasgenerally considered rude and offensive.

Originally, Zhuo Xiang Ming wasn’t the type of person to make such alow-level social faux pas, but holding a crying child in his arms, and smellingthat sweet scent, this sentence naturally slipped out.

Fortunately, Tong Yan’s attention was elsewhere:“I didn’t know … cape jasmine?”

After his sex gland recovered to the point where it could secrete pheromonesnormally, he himself had smelled it many times, but he could only describe itas some kind of aroma, he didn’t know the specific words.

“Cape jasmine isn’t very common in Jiangdu.” Zhuo Xiang Mingsaid, “The cities a little south have a lot.”

“Oh–hic!”

He’d hiccupped as soon as he spoke, thistime, Tong Yan really felt ashamed, his ears and neck reddening. He got downfrom on top of Zhuo Xiang Ming, too embarrassed to look him in the face. He couldonly bow his head and look for his slippers while saying: “I’m going to takea bath.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming also got up: “Remember to call my Mom after youbathe.”

TongYan turned around, a little puzzled, so Zhuo Xiang Ming picked up his cellphone that was flung off the bed and showed him the screen: “While you werecrying just now, she called you.”

“Yousaw it? Why didn’t you tell me?” Tong Yan said unreasonably as he took the cellphone and looked at the two missed calls.

Zhuo Xiang Ming had barely finished coaxing him, and he’d already developed an unconscious sense of boldness. But the scapegoat, for Tong Yan, was always insincere. He thought he was being very fierce, but in Zhuo Xiang Ming’s eyes, he was no different from a kitten waving its claws. Even more, he was a kitten that had just had its nails trimmed.

Zhuo Xiang Ming’s solemn expression remained: “I was worried my motherwould think I was bullying you if you picked up with red eyes.”

Whydoes he keep mentioning that he’d just cried? Tong Yan shoved the phone backinto Zhuo Xiang Ming’s hands and indignantly stomped into the bathroom.

Whenhe came out, Zhuo Xiang Ming had already left, but before he left, he’d closedthe windows, pulled the curtains, turned on the lights and the heating for him.He once again thought, Brother Zhuo Xiang Ming was really nice.

After crying for a little while, his emotions had quickly disappeared.Whether it was the sadness over leaving home or the embarrassment of losingcontrol in front of Zhuo Xiang Ming, they were all evaporated along with thehot water, leaving only some drowsiness.

TongYan blow dried his hair and walked towards the bed, looking at the empty schoolbagon the nightstand, his eyes were still a little blurry, he finally decided tocall Lin Yue Hua before tidying up.

The phone was almost out of power, so he usedhis tablet. Lin Yue Hua picked up very quickly: “Tong Tong?”

“Sorry, Auntie, my phone was muted, I didn’t hear it ring.”

He felt that he wasn’t lying, he was just hiding some facts.

LinYue Hua laughed: “It’s okay, Auntie also just took a break. I remembered youtelling Brother Xiang Ming that you wanted to go to school tomorrow, so I just calledto ask. Is everything packed? Is there anything missing?”

TongYan: “I’ll receive all my books when I go to school tomorrow. As long as Ibring some documents, I can return just fine.”

“That’s good. Are you fairly used to livingthere? When you have the time, come have dinner with us. Auntie will make anythingyou like.”

TongYan: “OK, Auntie.”

LinYue Hua paused, then said, “What’s that on your nightstand?”

TongYan tilted the camera a little, so she could clearly see the nightstand: “My schoolbag.”

“Oh …” Lin Yue Hua said, “Howmany schoolbags did Zhuo Xiang Ming end up buying? This is not one of the oneshe asked me about before … even the brand is different.”

“?” Tong Yan asked doubtfully, “Did Brother Xiang Ming buy aschoolbag for me?”

Lin Yue Hua also stared blankly: “He didn’t?”

LinYue Hua recalled: “Last week … what day was it? Anyway, he sent me a photo andasked me about it. At first, I didn’t know why he needed to buy a schoolbag, sohe finally told me that you’ll start school next Monday.”

“That’s just what he asked me, but this is what I learned from the ownerof the store when I went there recently.” She laughed again, seemingly recallingsomething funny, “He’d never bought anything like this himself, so he asked asubordinate to buy a schoolbag for a child, and the owner personally brought afew diagrams and samples to his office. He said that he didn’t know that therewere so many styles of schoolbags, and he asked for almost everything. But the ownerconvinced him that he didn’t need so many, then recommended a few models, andhe finally sent me that question.”

” Oh …” Tong Yan found it difficult to speak, “I’ll ask brotherlater.”

“He’s home?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why aren’t you in the same room?” LinYue Hua asked, “Is he usually that inattentive towards you?”

TongYan hurriedly explained: “No, no, he just came to see me in my room. I went totake a bath, so brother left.”

“Good.Your Brother Xiang Ming is a little stuffy, but he’s not fierce, and he cares aboutyou very much.” Lin Yue Hua looked at him kindly through the screen. “At thestart, he promised to take good care of you and asked you to move in, so he’ll definitelybe responsible. If you have any worries, but you’re too embarrassed to tellhim, and your brother Tong Yang and your dad are also busy, you can always speakto Auntie, OK?”

TongYan realized that Lin Yue Hua probably guessed that he had been crying, but shecouldn’t confirm. He nodded again, saying, “I will.”

“Brother isn’t bullying you?”

“Never, Auntie. Brother is very good to me.”

Lin Yue Hua really liked his obedient look, and she smiled even brighter.

After chatting for a little longer, Lin Yue Hua said, “Okay, you shouldrest early, Auntie won’t bother you.”

Aftersaying good night to each other, Tong Yan put down the tablet and started packinghis schoolbag.

The documents were all in place, and the warning card was hung on hisschoolbag. Only the paper that needed to be signed by Zhuo Xiang Ming was leftoutside.

After marriage, his guardian became Zhuo Xiang Ming. Now, the contact personin the school’s system had automatically changed. In the future, the schoolreports would be sent directly to Zhuo Xiang Ming.

Justas Tong Yan was about to go find him, Zhuo Xiang Ming knocked on the door. Thistime, he was joined by Xuan Gui, who placed a tray of hot coconut milk andmashed potatoes on the bedside table.

Zhuo Xiang Ming walked to the bedside and looked over Tong Yan before asking,“You didn’t cry again?”

TongYan hurriedly said, “I don’t cry that much … I usually don’t cry at all.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming declined to comment, sitting down on his bed: “Yourschool sent an email two days ago. Since you’re back today, we should go overit now.”

TongYan knew what it was, the school usually sends it before school starts. An openletter sent to the parents, asking them to cooperate with the school. But TongYang and Tong Li Qin only informed him verbally, they had never really managed himbefore.

“I …”

“Cell phone.” Zhuo Xiang Ming said.

TongYan still wanted to struggle: “Brother … I will comply with the schoolrules.”

“Cell phone.” Zhuo Xiang Ming said, “I need to limit thescreen time for school days and website browsing permissions.”

TongYan reluctantly handed over his cell phone.

He wasn’t very willing, Zhuo Xiang Ming certainly saw that, but Zhuo XiangMing himself was also anxious. He was following the school’s instructions, “Don’tpay attention to any of their guarantees and excuses, firmly repeat yourrequest”, but this way of doing things was strange for both him and Tong Yan.Zhuo Xiang Ming did it, but he didn’t feel very comfortable.

After setting things up, he returned thephone to Tong Yan. Tong Yan was still reluctant, but he didn’t show moreintense emotions. After taking it, he even said, “Thank you, brother.”

“Areyou angry?” Zhuo Xiang Ming couldn’t endure for long, asking.

“I’m not.” Tong Yan was fiddling with his cell phone, wantingto see what was different. Hearing this, he looked up, “I shouldn’t be angryabout this kind of thing, you’re just doing what you have to do.”

Hewas so sensible, but it made Zhuo Xiang Ming feel that he’d let Tong Yan down evenmore.

Zhuo Xiang Ming unknowingly asked a little pushily: “You shouldn’t beangry, or you’re not angry?”

TongYan: “I’m not angry.”

However, Tong Yan paused, then said, “I just thought you’d trust mea little more.” He explained: “I thought you’d believe in me. If I say that I’llcomply with the school’s rules, you’ll trust that I definitely won’t deliberatelyviolate them.”

Speakingof trust, Zhuo Xiang Ming suddenly realized that he couldn’t always deal with TongYan’s problems according to the Q & A on the webpage.

TongYan was indeed a teenager going through puberty, but his upbringing was verygood, he understood self-control more than most children.

Every teenager had problems, but Tong Yan’s problem was obviously not internetaddiction or pathological lying, so he also shouldn’t follow the standardmethods to discipline Tong Yan.

TongYan was about to start school, but Zhuo Xiang Ming also felt like he was a studentabout to take an exam, somewhat flustered. It was merely a defeat in the first battle,and because Tong Yan didn’t mind it, it didn’t seem so bad.

Inthe end, he was an adult, not letting Tong Yan see his frustration, the twofinished going over the rest of the school rules.

Finally, Zhuo Xiang Ming was signing the absence excuse letter for TongYan’s Phys ed classes, when Tong Yan suddenly asked, “Brother, did you buyme a schoolbag?”

“Why do you ask?” Zhuo Xiang Ming’s pen paused for a moment.He finished signing it, then sat up straight, not denying, he simply said,“I see that you already have one.”

“Auntie told me.” Tong Yan smiled brightly, “Thank you,brother.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming thought, when he smiled, his eyes always curved, very cute.

“Can you give it to me?” Tong Yan asked, “I’ll use itinstead.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming apparently hadn’t expected this to happen, he stared blanklyfor a moment, then said, “Of course, it’s yours.”

They walked to the garage, and Zhuo Xiang Ming opened the trunk of thecar he’d used to drop Tong Yan off on Friday. For some unknown reason, he lookeda little keyed up: “I was planning to take you out for dinner on Friday,to celebrate you starting school.”

There wasn’t only a school bag in the trunk, there were three schoolbags with a big storage box underneath, which took up most of the space. TongYan opened it, it was full of stationery, such as notebooks, pens, etc.

Justhow much homework does Zhuo Xiang Ming plan to make him write?

Oh no, the last time Tong Yan sent homeworkin on paper was probably the third or fourth grade, furthermore, notebooks andsuch things, maybe only business offices still used them.

Seeing that he wasn’t speaking, Zhuo XiangMing asked: “Did I buy the wrong thing?”

TongYan said with difficulty: “N-No.”

Butjust as the heart attack caused by the large box of stationery faded away, he inadvertentlyglanced at the schoolbag’s logo. Thinking of the price of one, and recalling LinYue Hua’s “He asked for almost everything”, Tong Yan once again felt likehe was going to faint.

He wasn’t so scared by the money, but Zhuo Xiang Ming had perplexed him.

Most of the time, he looked like a very mature adult–not looked like,he was, but sometimes, he seemed very clumsy, different from the adults in TongYan’s perception. Whether it was Tong Li Qin or Tong Yang, even the teachers hehas met over the years, Zhuo Xiang Ming was different from all of them.

TongYan felt that he was clumsy, and then he felt that he was adorably clumsy.

“Do you like it?” Zhuo Xiang Ming asked.

“I like it.” Tong Yan said.

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T/N:

Boldness – inthe right and self-confident (idiom); bold and confident with justice on one’sside