Chapter 4
Proofreader: Akimi
Shi Bufan got a few stitches on his head but even this couldn’t conceal his fierce imposing manner.
He laid his head on the headboard of the bed and carelessly occupied Zhen Yuanbai’s bed. He sprawled his body, occupying the entirety of the bed and Zhen Yuanbai, the owner of the bed, had no choice but to sit humbly on his lounge chair.
When he was about to place his order, Zhen Yuanbai decided to abandon the spicy hot pot after considering Shi Bufan’s injury. Instead, he ordered some light food. When a delivery man arrived with his takeout, Zhen Yuanbai shoved his feet into the slippers and rushed out of the room. He was treated like a servant.
Once he picked up the takeout, he knocked on the door and called for his brother. “Youxiu?”
Zhen Youxiu was sitting by his PS4 and playing a video game. He turned towards Zhen Yuanbai, his headphones still on. Zhen Yuanbai gave him milk tea and said, “For you.”
“Place it here.” Then he turned to face the screen again. Zhen Yuanbai placed it on the side for him and continued to say, “I put less ice in yours. It’s too chilly for a cold drink.”
Zhen Youxiu’s eyes hadn’t left the screen. But he said well-behaved, “Thank you, brother.”
Zhen Yuanbai was satisfied with his response. He patted his brother’s head and went back to his room. He placed the porridge by the bedside table for Shi Bufan and then carried his milk tea with him to do a practice exam. After a while, he realized that Shi Bufan hadn’t moved from his spot. He called out, “Shi Bufan?”
Shi Bufan was in deep sleep and Zhen Yuanbai wanted to push him, but he was scared of him getting angry at him for waking him up. He continued to call, “Shi Bufan? Shi Bufan?”
Shi Bufan was finally woken up. He knitted his eyebrows and looked irritably at the source of the sound. He saw a thin and slender finger, “Um, I brought food back. It’s going to get cold in a while so it’s best if you eat now.”
Shi Bufan rolled over and got out of bed. He opened the plastic takeout box and then stared at him suddenly, “Do you call me that usually?”
Zhen Yuanbai was confused.
“If we’re best friends, why are you calling me by my full name?” Shi Bufan ate a mouthful of rice porridge and his lazy glance contained a tint of suspicion. Zhen Yuanbai was stunned momentarily. He hadn’t thought of how to answer yet when Shi Bufan suddenly licked his lips. The plastic spoon accidentally cut the corner of his lips and his expression looked worse than before. He said, “Give me another one.”
“Can’t you speak properly?” Zhen Yuanbai scolded him, “If you’re asking someone for a favor, at least act like you’re asking them.”
Shi Bufan stared at him. Zhen Yuanbai paused for a moment before he stood up to grab a spoon for him.
He delivered the spoon to him with a rigid expression. Shi Bufan took it from him as he heard him humph. “Who knows if someone in my family has a contagious illness.”
Shi Bufan licked the wound on his lip but didn’t say anything.
He wolfed down the food and after he was done, he pushed the box to the side. He grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth. Then he rolled over and laid back on Zhen Yuanbai’s bed. He couldn’t hear anything from him after.
Zhen Yuanbai sat on his chair and looked over at him. “If you’re uncomfortable, then you have to go to the hospital. You can’t keep sleeping.”
“Shut up.” Shi Bufan yelled at him. Zhen Yuanbai took a sip of his milk tea and silently went back to doing his practice exam.
In the room, for a moment, there was only the sound of the tip of the pen brushing against the paper. This was very obvious in the quiet room and it created an ASMR effect. Shi Bufan gradually relaxed and completely fell into slumber.
Every time Zhen Yuanbai finished a question, he would glance at him. After seeing that Shi Bufan laid there silently and remained unmoving, he started to become restless.
Everyone knew about Shi Bufan’s bad reputation. He had fought with people from the neighboring school and even made it on the local news at that time. Not only did teachers and students knew about his reputation, even parents knew too. This included Zhen Pingjin and Qin Ying.
Zhen Yuanbai lost the will to continue with his exam.
He started to become nervous.
If his parents found out that he was with a delinquent like Shi Bufan, who knew how they would view him. If they asked… then how should he explain this? Zhen Youxiu kept to himself so he wasn’t scared of him complaining to the parents. But if his parents personally witnessed the scene… Zhen Yuanbai’s scalp felt numb at the thought of it.
His mother worked in the general clinic. Her work time was from eight in the morning to six in the evening. His father was the project manager in a gaming company and frequently worked overtime. He didn’t have a set time of when he would return home. It was already 4:30 pm now. Shi Bufan was still in deep sleep and hadn’t reacted.
He can’t allow this. He must make him leave before six.
“Shi Bufan?” Zhen Yuanbai called. Because he had prior experience to his yelling, he mumbled the name lightly as if he was a mosquito. Of course, there was no way that Shi Bufan would’ve heard him.
He didn’t know if Shi Bufan was the type to get grumpy if someone woke him up. But seeing that he was quite aggressive, it was possible. Zhen Yuanbai didn’t dare to call his name loudly either. He looked left and right and then casually played a song on his phone. While observing Shi Bufan, he turned the volume up.
Shi Bufan remained unmoved. Zhen Yuanbai then turned on his speaker and connected it to his Bluetooth. The previous song was just finished playing and it coincidentally jumped to the next one.
The loud and sharp sound of the drumbeat rang and the speaker perfectly expressed Zhen Yuanbai’s request. Shi Bufan woke up shocked. He opened his eyes and the sky blue blankets placed him in a daze momentarily. In the next second, the sorrowful lyrics rang in his ears:
However, you choose to live is your choice. No matter what, how could you live to be 100 years old?
(Live like it’s the last day you’ve got. Live happily and cheerfully. Live like it’s the last day you’ve got. Live happily and cheerfully)
…
Shi Bufan slowly propped himself against the headboard as the music from the speaker rang. Zhen Yuanbai immediately lowered the volume and said insincerely, “Sorry, I accidentally turned the volume on too high and woke you up.”
…
Shi Bufan looked expressionlessly at him.
The music in the speaker continued:
Men have the courage to fight with swords. Daughters have swords with hearts of tenderness. Seven swords meet together and we know each other…
Shi Bufan felt his head was about to explode. The veins on his forehead were about to burst. “Turn it off.”
Zhen Yuanbai immediately turned the speaker off. However, music came out of his phone still: For our beautiful home, we will guard over it. Guard over it until forever…
Zhen Yuanbai unwillingly turned his phone off under Shi Bufan’s murderous gaze.
In the room, the two silently stared at each other. Shi Bufan’s eyelashes were drooping and he seemed to be falling back asleep. Zhen Yuanbai had woke up him with difficulty so there was no way he would’ve allowed him to continue to sleep. He ran over and tugged Shi Bufan, “You. Stop sleeping. It seems like something is wrong with you. Let me take you to the hospital. Nothing better happen to you.”
“Let me sleep for a bit.”
Sleep?! His mother was about to be home. Zhen Yuanbai tugged on him hard and said, “Stop sleeping, Shi Bufan. I’ll take you home. I heard that you have a king-size bed at home and your room is huge. The air there is fresher as well. It’s not worth sleeping over at my place. Sleeping here will just shorten your lifespan.”
Shi Bufan’s eyes were sore and he said, “I’m not going home.”
“How about I call your parents so they can come and pick you up? They must be worried sick.”
“They’re not my parents.”
“Of course you don’t remember them. You lost your memory. Once you recover, you’ll remember. Shi Bufan…”
“If you keep annoying me, I’ll beat you up.”
Shi Bufan brushed his hands away and laid back on the bed. Zhen Yuanbai wanted to cry at the scene. He looked at the time and paced nervously back and forth in his room.
When did Shi Bufan become shameless? He even occupied his bed, refusing to leave. What should he do if he won’t leave? His mother would be back anytime soon.
At this time, Shi Bufan’s phone suddenly rang. His phone was under his arms and Zhen Yuanbai didn’t dare to look at the caller. He silently prayed that it was his parents.
In the end, however, Shi Bufan never picked up the call and allowed it to ring.
Zhen Yuanbai relaxed but then got worried again. He looked gloomily at him. In the next second, Shi Bufan’s phone rang once more. Zhen Yuanbai’s heart was in his throat and he suggested, “Why, why don’t you pick up the call?”
Shi Bufan finally moved after hearing Zhen Yuanbai’s advice. His hands searched for his phone and then he looked at the caller. He answered the phone and placed it on the speaker. He said in a hoarse voice, laying on the bed still. “Speak.”
“Brother Shi, I heard that you’re the one that was carried away by ambulance. How are you now?”
Shi Bufan clicked his tongue and glanced at Zhen Yuanbai. “Who are you?”
“I am Qiu Jing! You wouldn’t happen to lose your memory, right?”
“You’re right.” From the conversation, Shi Bufan felt as if he was familiar with the caller. He sat up and glanced at Zhen Yuanbai who was pretending to be composed. “I lost my memory and I’m at my good friend’s place right now.”
“Wait what? You really lost your memory?” From the voices, it wasn’t just one person. The other voice said, “Brother, I am Ming Mai. Do you remember me?”
“I don’t remember you.”
“Wait, what other friends do you have? Don’t you just have me, Qiu Jing, and Ye Lian?”
“Damn! Which bastard dares to pretend to be one of us while Brother Shi lost his memory? I’ll beat him up!”
Zhen Yuanbai swallowed his saliva and subconsciously picked up his pen, facing his practice exam. However, his eyes flickered.
Qiu Jing, Ming Mai, and Ye Lian. They would always accompany Shi Bufan whenever he was up to no good. They all had bad grades but they followed Shi Bufan to the elite class. They were the type of people who dared to even beat up teachers. Plus, they were all tall and built. Zhen Yuanbai took a mouthful of milk tea and his hands trembled as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
He realized just how foolish the strategy he had urgently thought of was. As long as those guys blabbered the truth to him, it was over for him.
Shi Bufan glanced at Zhen Yuanbai whose legs were shaking constantly. A thought formed in his mind. He faintly said, “I’ll send you my location. Come and pick me up.”
Send them his location?!
Zhen Yuanbai’s heart was about to jump out of his chest. The moment he sends his location, the four “Unoffendables” would all know where he lived. How did Shi Bufan remember this when he lost his memory?
Shi Bufan hung up and started to fiddle with his phone. He just opened his WeChat when Zhen Yuanbai suddenly said, “You, you can’t send them your location.”
“Why?”
“Because…because I don’t want them to know where my house is.” Before he could say anything, Zhen Yuanbai said everything in one breath. “I’m your best friend but not theirs. I’m not familiar with them. I’m, I’m only close to you.”
Shi Bufan stared at him for a while and thought about it. He said, “Then I should introduce you to them.”
“I don’t want to!” Zhen Yuanbai rejected and explained, “We, we have our own social groups…I probably won’t be able to get along with them.”
Shi Bufan cupped his cheeks and said, “I’m here. What are you scared of?”
“I’m not scared.” Zhen Yuanbai retorted calmly, “They don’t know that I have a good relationship with you. Plus, I have good grades while they don’t. If they found out…they will feel bad about themselves.”
They would actually beat him to death.
Shi Bufan acted confused and said, “Then am I closer to you or them?”
“Look. You’re so handsome and amiable. You are good with anyone. Therefore, you’re close to both them and me. But they just don’t know you have a great relationship with me.”
Shi Bufan liked listening to the truth. He touched his chin and pondered over this. “So you’re saying that I’m hiding our relationship from them?”
“Hm.” Zhen Yuanbai’s fingers dug against his pants. “When…we confirmed our relationship, you said that. Only heaven and earth could know and neither of us could expose this secret.”
Shi Bufan suddenly thought of something. His eyelids jumped and he asked, “When we…confirm our relationship?”
He looked at Zhen Yuanbai’s smooth face repeatedly and a bold idea suddenly flashed through his mind.
Maybe what Zhen Yuanbai meant by “good friends” was just a cover for a certain embarrassing phrase.
T/N: Merry Christmas y’all~ I’mma be updating 2x a week (Wed/Sun)
Be on the lookout for more ZYB and SBF moments :))