The very next day after that, Su Huanliu transferred to Fa Muzhi’s school.

And he even became his desk partner, Fa Muzhi had just transferred in, and the class had an even number of students, which meant there was one extra seat for him. The teacher had been thinking about having the whole class take turns sitting alone at a desk, but now it worked out perfectly—Su Huanliu just happened to sit over.

“I’m worried they might come after you later,” Su Huanliu whispered as he sat down.

At the time, Fa Muzhi was deeply touched. But years later, when he reflected on that explanation, he wanted to shake his naive younger self awake—

Su Huanliu always had a driver and bodyguards with him, for crying out loud! The same must have been true under that cherry-chestnut tree that day. Even if he’d had his bodyguard park the car farther away and walked over slowly to admire the blossoms, the guard would still have been nearby—rushing over would have taken mere minutes. Plus, he had ranged weapons for protection. The only reason he didn’t intervene was probably that Fa Muzhi had foolishly stepped forward himself.

And given Su Huanliu’s family background, that excuse held even less water. Those petty thugs were swiftly apprehended, their past misdeeds exposed in full. Not only were they dealt with severely at the police station, but their families and themselves were thoroughly punished. That punishment was far harsher than the steel plate Fa Muzhi wielded. Not just those small-time thugs—even bigger gangsters had likely been dealt with. The proof? Chunhua Road has remained exceptionally peaceful ever since. Not a single thug dares show their face!

In short… yet… at the time, Fa Muzhi was genuinely moved.

He even got another steel plate and gave it to Su Huanliu. Then, seeing how Su Huanliu gasped for breath just lifting the plate, he later reduced the weight, custom-made a lighter one for him, and shared his experience:

“You have to add weight gradually, and don’t always use the same side. If you carry your bag with your left hand today, use your right hand all day tomorrow.”

“And then?” Su Huanliu asked, looking up at him with admiration.

“Then your strength will grow,” Fa Muzhi said earnestly.

Well, that was just the simple-minded idea of an ordinary middle school boy wanting to build strength.

He hadn’t thought about self-defense at all; he just wanted to get stronger and build some muscle.

It was only after meeting Su Huanliu and spending every waking moment together that, following this attack by the thugs, the two of them actually began seriously learning self-defense techniques.

They started in the school martial arts club, then later trained under Su Huanliu’s bodyguard. Su Huanliu even begged his family to hire an exceptional master for them, setting up private lessons.

Well, actually, it was just one person getting special lessons.

He later realized: Su Huanliu really wasn’t in good health. He was physically weak from birth, constantly falling ill, and often ran out of energy. Even though he was the one who hired the master, Su Huanliu could barely last half a lesson, usually ending up sitting on the sidelines watching. In the end, it looked more like the master was hired specifically for Fa Muzhi.

But that wasn’t all. Throughout their time as classmates, Fa Muzhi truly benefited from Su Huanliu’s connections. Besides the martial arts master, Su Huanliu’s family hired all sorts of tutors for him—top-tier instructors in every field. Whenever Su Huanliu had a lesson, he’d drag Fa Muzhi along to listen. But after a while, Su Huanliu would inevitably “run out of energy” and pass out. Later on, he started taking frequent sick leave. Yet his classes never stopped. Su Huanliu simply asked Fa Muzhi to attend in his place, promising to share the notes afterward.

At first, Fa Muzhi genuinely helped out of kindness. But as time passed and he encountered more and more courses he loved yet couldn’t afford, he came to appreciate Su Huanliu’s thoughtfulness.

Alright, Su Huanliu knew he was interested in these subjects and was helping him out.

By then, the two had become very close friends. Fa Muzhi thought that what adults called “best friends” must be like them. Since that was the case, he didn’t want to disappoint Su Huanliu’s kindness. He studied diligently in every class, even those Su Huanliu was interested in, but he wasn’t particularly keen on. When Su Huanliu was on sick leave, he still attended classes attentively and took meticulous notes for himself.

Because of this, Fa Muzhi, who had only seemed like a good student, truly became one.

Mulin claimed he’d never cared for what school taught back then, and truthfully, Fa Muzhi hadn’t been particularly interested either. They’d attended an ordinary school in an ordinary city, where teachers delivered mediocre lessons, and their learning was just as mediocre… It wasn’t until he transferred here that he realized: it wasn’t even mediocre—it was bottom-of-the-barrel.

But right after arriving, he met Su Huanliu. Thanks to Su Huanliu, he encountered the best teachers. Under their guidance, learning became incredibly fascinating. He developed a love for reading and all kinds of knowledge, and his academic performance improved without him even noticing. By the end of his first semester, he had shot straight into the top ten!

His mom was so moved she cried, repeatedly sighing that buying that school district property was absolutely the right decision. Her boy was indeed smart—he just needed the right teachers and peers in a good district. Now that he was in the right place, Fa Muzhi took off like a rocket.

Fa Muzhi: …

Whatever the reason, Fa Muzhi’s studies truly clicked. He transformed from “looking like a good student” into a genuinely excellent one. His backpack now held books alongside steel plates, and he even kept up his reading habit after graduation, becoming a regular at bookstores and libraries.

He accepted Su Huanliu’s kindness and, in return, showed his own kindness to Su Huanliu in his own way.

Take the eggs from his home, for instance.

“Eating eggs is good for your health”—Fa Muzhi had heard his parents repeat this since childhood. Without extra money for expensive supplements for their three kids, his parents made sure each child got two eggs daily. Having eaten them consistently since birth, all three siblings were indeed in excellent health.

Just look at his sister—would an average build get picked for soccer by teachers in the interstellar era? Well… it was mecha soccer, but still.

Anyway, Fa Muzhi was convinced by his parents’ logic. Once their chicken farm business stabilized, every time they brought home a fresh supply of eggs, he’d give Su Huanliu the eggs his parents had set aside for his own month’s consumption the very next day.

And he kept doing this for twelve years.

“Here are the next batch of eggs.” Seeing Su Huanliu now grown into an adult, Fa Muzhi picked up the basket of eggs he’d just placed on the seat and set it on the table.

Su Huanliu, who had been elegantly nibbling on pastries, took the eggs with genuine delight—truly genuine delight. He genuinely seemed to love these eggs.

At first, Fa Muzhi had thought he was just being polite—no wonder, since he was a young master. Though he didn’t know what the family did for a living, just looking at their palace-like home made it clear they were incredibly wealthy and well-connected. What could such a family possibly lack? Why would they covet eggs? But he truly had nothing else to offer. He genuinely believed his eggs were delicious, and knowing eggs were good for health, coupled with the sight of his friend’s frail condition, he gave the basket of eggs as a gift out of pure concern.

Seeing his friend happily accept them brought him both joy and unease. Later, when the other asked shyly where he’d bought the eggs and expressed wanting more… that’s when Fa Muzhi truly felt delighted. Then, as soon as his parents returned, he delivered next month’s supply to his friend.

But by then, Su Huanliu already knew where these eggs came from. Realizing he was eating Fa Muzhi’s share, he decided to just place an order with him directly.

“Don’t worry about it. I genuinely love these eggs, and I’m not the only one eating them. I plan to switch all the eggs my family consumes to yours. That way, it wouldn’t be fair for you to keep giving me eggs for free, and you can’t exactly stop eating the eggs your parents send just because of me, right?”

Su Huanliu had put it this way: “Let’s just place an order with Uncle and Auntie—a long-term one. From now on, they’ll supply all the eggs for my family. It’ll be a bit of a hassle for you, but you can bring them over each time.”

Fa Muzhi tried to refuse, but Su Huanliu cut him off: “No, I actually want you to bring me more eggs. I feel bad eating them when you keep giving them away for free.” 

”My grandfather isn’t short on cash.” Su Huanliu shot him a look.

Fa Muzhi: This kid’s digging a hole for his grandpa.

Anyway, that’s how the deal was sealed, and it’s lasted all this time.

Though Su Huanliu still looked sickly and had constant minor ailments, he claimed he was much better than when he was a child.

All thanks to “your family’s eggs”—Su Huanliu’s exact words.

Though they’d seen each other nearly every day since childhood, Fa Muzhi had witnessed him suffer several episodes.

That frail, barely-alive state on the hospital bed—the tension of wondering if the monitor beside him might suddenly flatten into a straight line…

Watching the young man before him, picking up eggs one by one as if handling antique treasures, Fa Muzhi suddenly reached out and touched his forehead—

Sure enough, it felt slightly warmer than usual—spending so much time with him, Fa Muzhi had developed the skill to gauge body temperature by touch alone.

His brow furrowed. After a two-second hesitation, he finally said, “Maybe… you shouldn’t go to work.”

He knew Su Huanliu’s grandfather had told him this many times before, and each time Su Huanliu had refused. Though the old man always smiled politely, Fa Muzhi knew he wasn’t happy inside.

Lately, though, he’d found himself wanting to say it himself.

Before, the words would stop at his lips, but this time he couldn’t hold back.

Then, the young man in front of him lifted his eyes.

Their clear, contrasting eyes met. The smile on his face didn’t falter—it even widened slightly. Fa Muzhi heard Su Huanliu say to him:

“If I don’t work… Zhizhi, would you support me?”

Fa Muzhi: …

“Your grandfather would support you,” he replied curtly.

Then he watched Su Huanliu shake his head: “I’m this old already. What kind of state would I be in if I still let Grandpa support me? Not right, not right.”

Fa Muzhi: …Then would it be alright if I supported you?

Fully aware of what his friend left unsaid, Su Huanliu merely smiled again. He extended his slender fingers to touch the warmth radiating from the outside of Fa Muzhi’s coffee… or rather, milk cup. He said, “Even though many people prefer cold drinks these days, I still think hot is best. Zhizhi, drink it while it’s warm.”

He gazed at Fa Muzhi with that same warm, yet resolute smile until the other picked up the cup and began drinking. Only then did he continue, “Don’t worry about me. Sure, I look sickly every day, but it’s just minor ailments—nothing serious. I won’t be kicking the bucket anytime soon.”

As he spoke, he met Fa Muzhi’s disapproving expression, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “Alright, I can’t hide anything from you. I do get seriously ill occasionally.”

“Still, I want to go to work.”

Then, his tone softened, as if consulting him. Lowering his eyes, he murmured to Fa Muzhi, “You know my job—it’s light work. Taking time off is as easy as saying the word. You needn’t worry, it’ll tire me out. Rest assured, I’m not the type to burn myself out for a career…”

Then why must you insist on going to work—? The rim of the coffee cup still pressed against his lips, Fa Muzhi looked back at him.

And then he saw Su Huanliu staring right at him.

Calm, gentle eyes…

His heart skipped a beat, and he averted his gaze.

Then he heard Su Huanliu’s voice drifting over from across the table—

“Don’t worry, Zhizhi. I’m fine. Really, I am.”