Lin Zhenmo has been acting really strange lately.
Since Father Qu had been coming home late recently, Qu Tantan had been spending her after-school hours at her Mom’s office. They would eat out before heading home, which made their return significantly later than before. Yet, even with this delayed schedule, they often ran into Lin Zhenmo just as he was getting back, his face visibly exhausted.
Mother Qu had naturally expressed concern, but Lin Zhenmo only shook his head without saying a word, his guarded demeanor making it clear he didn’t want to be questioned. Perhaps people had grown used to his aloof nature, no one found it particularly strange.
That was until one day, when Lou Xiangwen, entrusted with picking Qu Tantan up due to Mother Qu’s last-minute work, saw Lin Zhenmo on their way home.
He was surrounded by a group of boys, all significantly taller than him. Yet, instead of looking intimidated, he stood rigid, his eyes sharp with wariness. The leader of the group grinned, pointing at Lin Zhenmo before shaking something in his hand. Qu Tantan clearly saw Lin Zhenmo’s back tense, looking like he wanted to take the item back.
The leader tossed it to another boy in a mocking manner, who then passed it to someone else. They were obviously toying with Lin Zhenmo.
Lin Zhenmo, seemingly afraid it would get broken, kept trying to snatch it back. In the end, the item landed back in the leader’s hands, and with a sneer, he spat out some words before ruthlessly smashing it to the ground. Laughter erupted, loud and grating.
Lin Zhenmo snapped. Like an enraged young leopard, he lunged forward.
Although Qu Tantan had long suspected that Lin Zhenmo often got into fights, this was the first time she had witnessed it firsthand.
Boys fought with a vicious intensity. Even though Lin Zhenmo was the shortest among them, he didn’t fall behind in the least, and he fought the hardest. His sharp, upturned eyes gleamed with an icy ferocity, a stark contrast to his usual haughty but harmless demeanor when he merely scoffed at Qu Tantan.
Though they were just elementary school kids, the fight was escalating. Punches were landing on heads without hesitation. Lou Xiangwen stood frozen, utterly stunned.
As time passed, Lin Zhenmo’s stamina began to wear out. He was outnumbered and was about to get overwhelmed. Seeing this, Qu Tantan started to panic.
She didn’t like him, but he was still a neighbor. She couldn’t just stand by and watch him get beaten to a pulp.
She turned to look at Lou Xiangwen, who remained frozen in shock. One glance told her he had never been in a fight before, completely useless. And her Dad, who could actually fight, wasn’t around.
Qu Tantan frowned, staring at the boys, deep in thought. Suddenly, she glanced at Lou Xiangwen’s height, and a sly smile appeared on her face.
Lou Xiangwen suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
Before he could react, Qu Tantan yanked him toward the fight. Then, she took a step forward and shouted, “Hey! Stop fighting!”
The boys were caught up in the brawl. Who would listen to her?
But Qu Tantan wasn’t discouraged. She raised her voice, sounding fierce. “Who do you think you are, fighting on this turf? Do you have any idea who my Brother Lou is?!”
Lou Xiangwen, who was abruptly shoved into the spotlight : ?!
Qu Tantan whispered urgently behind him, “Keep a straight face! Look cold and scary, like a real boss.”
Lou Xiangwen : “……”
The leader of the boys paused, turning to size Lou Xiangwen up.
Despite being easy to push around in front of Qu Tantan, when Lou Xiangwen actually straightened up, he was quite intimidating. He was tall, and when he looked down at others, he exuded a natural air of dominance.
Especially when facing a group of kids who barely reached his waist.
Qu Tantan dramatically crossed her arms, snorting, “Hmph. My Brother Lou is undefeated, known across the city! He could lift all of you with one hand, and you dare stir up trouble in his territory?”
The leader hesitated but tried to act tough. “W-We’ve never heard of him!”
Qu Tantan sneered, gesturing exaggeratedly. “Tsk, that’s just because you’re ignorant. My Brother Lou is from the streets. His knives go in white, but come out red. If I tell you his name, you’d be scared to death!”
Lou Xiangwen, aka Brother ‘knives go in white, came out red’ Lou, struggled to keep a straight face. He wasn’t sure if the kids were scared yet, but his own legs were about to give out.
However, this was the golden era of martial arts novels and gangster films. Boys idolized the idea of street legends. The mention of such an infamous figure made the little gang wary.
One of them, who happened to live in the same neighborhood, stared at Lou Xiangwen for a while before tugging at the leader’s sleeve. In a hushed voice, he reported, “I live near him. I heard my Mom say he really is mixed up in the underworld!”
Rumors about a certain mysterious neighbor had finally come in handy!
Although those wild stories had already been debunked, this kid was clearly behind on the news and still believed them.
Lou Xiangwen stood stiffly in the cold wind, while Qu Tantan kept nudging him to keep up the act. He forced himself to nod with an icy expression, exuding the air of a crime boss.
The group of boys suddenly shifted, making Lou Xiangwen think they were about to gang up on him. His first instinct was to grab Qu Tantan and run.
But the moment he raised his hand—his tense, dark expression making him look even scarier—the boys panicked.
Thinking he was about to pull a weapon, they shrieked in terror and scattered.
“HELP! RUN!”
“Brothers, run! He’s got a knife!!”
“Brother Lou is going to kill someone! Waaaah, so scary!!”
Listening to the chaotic shouts fading into the distance, Lou Xiangwen sluggishly lifted Qu Tantan into his arms, his face full of confusion. He almost turned to dust under the bitter wind.
Qu Tantan was laughing so hard in his arms that she was rolling around, her stomach aching from laughter.
Lou Xiangwen was utterly helpless against this little troublemaker. He wanted to scold her but couldn’t bear to, and if he didn’t scold her, he felt she was being too unruly. After holding it in for a long time, he finally asked helplessly, “Where did you even learn to say things like that? If your Dad finds out—”
“From the bedtime stories my Dad tells me!”
Qu Tantan immediately leaned forward, resting her hands on his shoulders and blinking her big, innocent eyes. “But this is our little secret, Brother Lou. You won’t tell my parents, right?”
As she spoke, she extended her pinky finger, her soft voice demanding a pinky promise.
Lou Xiangwen had never been able to resist her acts of cuteness. The moment he met her sparkling eyes, he somehow nodded in a daze and agreed.
Just as Qu Tantan revealed a mischievous smile, she noticed Lin Zhenmo still standing there silently. Her smile slightly faded, and she scratched her cheek, suddenly unsure of what to say.
Strictly speaking, aside from exchanging cold snorts, they had never had a proper conversation.
But they were neighbors. And now, after watching him fight and even helping him drive away the older students, the situation had become rather strange.
Lou Xiangwen looked at Lin Zhenmo, then down at Qu Tantan, unable to understand what was going on between these two kids. In the end, he wisely chose to keep his mouth shut.
He was afraid of hearing another ‘knives go in white, come out red’ kind of threat.
Finally, seeing Lin Zhenmo standing there with his head down, looking a little lonely, Qu Tantan softened. She felt that, as the older person here, she shouldn’t hold grudges against him. So she patted Lou Xiangwen, signaling him to put her down.
Walking up to Lin Zhenmo, she didn’t ask why he was fighting or what had happened. Instead, seeing him searching for something, she simply asked, “Are you looking for something? Need help?”
Lin Zhenmo’s body stiffened. He suddenly clenched something in his hand, gripping it tightly before standing up and glaring at her.
He wiped the corner of his injured mouth. His upturned eyes looked even more fierce, filled with sharp arrogance. Not only Qu Tantan but even Lou Xiangwen, watching from afar, felt his heart race, wanting nothing more than to scoop Qu Tantan up and run away, hoping she wouldn’t provoke this kid any further.
Just as Lou Xiangwen was about to take a step forward, the boy, after a long internal struggle, suddenly muttered in a stiff voice, “I don’t need your help. I can handle it myself.”
Lou Xiangwen froze in place.
Actually, Lin Zhenmo followed up with a barely audible “Thanks,” but only Qu Tantan, who was standing close, heard it. Even so, it was enough to shock Lou Xiangwen.
Qu Tantan, however, was only momentarily surprised before flashing a bright smile. “Got it! You’re really strong, huh?”
Lin Zhenmo thought she was mocking him, so he immediately pulled a long face, his eyes drooping.
Qu Tantan had no idea he had misunderstood her. Still smiling, she extended an invitation. “It’s already so late. Since you found what you were looking for, let’s go home together!”
Lin Zhenmo pursed his lips and remained silent, seemingly considering it.
Just when Qu Tantan thought he was going to refuse again, she saw him bend down, pick up his dusty backpack, pat it off, and then—slowly, almost reluctantly—follow behind her.
Qu Tantan’s eyes crinkled with a smile. She jogged back to Lou Xiangwen’s side, tugging at his sleeve as they walked home.
The whole way back, Lou Xiangwen couldn’t help but glance back repeatedly, only to find that Lin Zhenmo was indeed still following them. Though Lin Zhenmo remained silent, he didn’t speed up to distance himself like he usually did.
At that moment, the tension in Lou Xiangwen’s heart finally began to ease.
…Honestly, he was really afraid that if he let his guard down for even a second, Lin Zhenmo would end up beating up Qu Tantan, who always seemed to enjoy provoking Lin Zhenmo.
Qu Tantan, of course, had no idea Lou Xiangwen was imagining scenes of her getting beaten up. She just felt that after walking home together this time, maybe—just maybe—their relationship had improved a little.
Maybe she could finally get along with her aloof little neighbor.
But as it turned out, that was just wishful thinking.
The next day, as Mother Qu brought her home, she happened to see Lin Zhenmo at the entrance of their apartment building. Smiling, she raised a hand to greet him, only to watch him lower his face and hurry downstairs, brushing past her as if she were invisible.
…Qu Tantan felt a tiny pang of grievance in her heart.
Pouting, she climbed the stairs, fuming internally: Fine! I’ll never take the initiative to talk to him again! Whoever talks to him first is a little puppy!
Just as she was sulking and heading up the stairs, she looked up and saw her Dad, who had rarely arrived home so early, standing at their apartment door with a frown.
Tilting her head in confusion, she asked what was wrong, only to learn that they had overheard the mother and son next door arguing. The apartment walls weren’t well-insulated, and as the voices got louder, they could vaguely hear things like, “Coming home so late,” “Fighting again,” and “Who was that person?”
Then, after a loud door slam, Father Qu opened their own door and saw Lin Zhenmo rushing downstairs.
Qu Tantan suddenly recalled how, when Lin Zhenmo brushed past her just now, his eyes seemed a little red.