Chapter 25

As if to confirm his words, the police dog brought by Officer Zhang let out two sharp barks and lunged repeatedly toward Sun Zhicai, requiring several stern reprimands from the officer to pull it back.

The police dog lay down, looking aggrieved, yet its dark eyes remained fixed on Sun Zhicai, baring its teeth.

Sun Zhicai’s face turned deathly pale in an instant.

Zhu Shiyan patted the police dog and continued, "I was the one who had the newly installed surveillance cameras removed, and I was the one who asked Teacher Xue to help suppress the news, all to lower your guard. Of course, I couldn't be entirely certain if you would attempt a second frame-up, so I pulled the surveillance footage from the first time you framed Xi Fei."

"The hallway cameras indeed don't cover the classroom, but they do show whether anyone enters or leaves. From the moment the rumor about the missing underwear began circulating, Xi Fei and I stayed in the classroom until it was locked every single day. There was only one day when I had something to attend to and left earlier than him. That was the day you slipped the stolen item into his desk."

"After we left that day, a total of five people entered or exited the classroom. I have questioned the other four individually, and you are the one with the highest suspicion."

"Furthermore, on that day, you were clearly agitated. Even though I had intentionally obscured the facts, you were still able to accurately describe exactly what was in Xi Fei's desk. I am now certain that you are the one who did this."

"As for why Zheng Xingyan would help you..." Zhu Shiyan smiled slightly. "I suspect he caught you stealing the underwear and used it as leverage to force you to frame Xi Fei."

He shifted his gaze to Zheng Xingyan. "Am I right, Young Master Zheng?"

Zheng Xingyan, naturally, refused to admit it and shouted angrily, "Bullshit! What does this have to do with me? This is the first time I've ever met Sun Zhicai!"

Zhu Shiyan shook the note in his hand. "The student who helped you pass the note has already spilled everything. Are you still not going to admit it?"

Zheng Xingyan whipped his head around to look behind him. A boy hiding behind the crowd shrank his neck in fear.

With every sentence Zhu Shiyan spoke, Chu Junyuan posted an image in the school's group chat. By the time he finished, Chu Junyuan had finished posting as well. Everyone in the dorm building saw the evidence piece by piece, looking at each other with sighs of disbelief.

Sun Zhicai looked ashen. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, muttering, "It wasn't me, it really wasn't me... I never did anything like that..."

But now, no one believed a word he said. After the initial shock, the students in the hallway began to berate him furiously, and soon after, both he and Zheng Xingyan were taken away by Officer Zhang.

Zhu Shiyan never saw them at school again.

How complex could the thoughts of high school students be? In Zhu Shiyan's eyes, these tactics were no different from children’s squabbles, yet it was this clumsy, loophole-ridden frame-up that had cast the original book’s Xi Fei into the abyss. In his impoverished, gloomy, and unlikable life, they had added the labels of "pervert" and "thief." He had struggled to survive at school, while his scum parents forced him to drop out and work. Driven to the edge, he had eventually chosen to perish along with those people.

But what had he done wrong? His parents were not a choice he could make; the biased perceptions of teachers and classmates were not something he could determine; and Sun Zhicai’s framing was something he could never have foreseen. In the original story, he was pushed step by step toward total ruin, yet had anyone ever asked him why?

Zhu Shiyan suddenly felt incredibly fortunate. Fortunate that he had come, and fortunate that he had the chance to pull Xi Fei out of the abyss.

***

This matter was now settled.

During the flag-raising ceremony on Monday, Xue Heng stood on the stage, giving a flowery account of how he had "caught the thief." Disgusted by his smugness, Zhu Shiyan moved his fingers and sent a message to Zhu Tingyun. Even though he wasn't favored in the Zhu family, it was easy enough for him to ruin a teacher. Such a teacher was a blight anyway; he considered it a public service to clear out a pest.

After the principal finished speaking, scattered applause broke out, followed by a significant commotion among the students.

"It's Xi Fei! It's Xi Fei!"
"Damn, he's so handsome it's killing me."
"Those legs are longer than my life."
"What should I do? After this, I feel even more protective of him. I want to sleep with him."
"Wake up, you won't get a chance with him."

...

Zhu Shiyan had been dozing off, but he stood up straight the moment he heard the commotion. On stage, Xi Fei was reading from his script with an expressionless face. Zhu Shiyan looked at him with eyes full of pride, feeling much like a parent watching their child grow up.

Chu Junyuan, standing beside him, felt goosebumps at the look in his eyes. "What’s with that look? You look just like my dad looking at me."

Zhu Shiyan glanced at him, then quickly turned back. "You don't understand."

"Yeah, yeah, I don't understand. You guys have such deep brotherly love, while I'm like the cheated-on spouse, all pathetic and alone."

"What nonsense." Zhu Shiyan laughed and scolded him. "Ask your girlfriend and Shen Sihui if they have time tomorrow night. I want to invite them to dinner to thank them for their help."

"Dinner? Sure, I have time. Where are we eating?"

"My place."

Chu Junyuan hesitated for a second. "Which home?"

"The apartment where I live with Xi Fei. I'm cooking myself."

"Whoa, you, the young master of the Zhu family, can cook?"

"...Keep being sarcastic and you don't have to come."

Chu Junyuan immediately knelt down figuratively to apologize. "I was wrong. You cooking yourself? Such a rare opportunity, of course I have to show up."

Zhu Shiyan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Also, tomorrow is Xi Fei's birthday. I want to give him a surprise. You don't need to do anything; I've already ordered the cake. Just show up."

"What kind of talk is that?" Chu Junyuan said, displeased. "I'm his friend, at least. How can I show up empty-handed on his birthday?"

Zhu Shiyan smiled and patted his shoulder. "Thanks."

The next evening, Zhu Shiyan was busy in the kitchen, and Xi Fei was helping him prep. As they were finishing up, the doorbell rang. Zhu Shiyan gestured. "That must be Junyuan and the others. Go open the door."

"Mn." Xi Fei put down the fruit he was washing and went to open the door.

"Ta-da!" Chu Junyuan shook the cake he was holding. "Happy birthday!"

Xi Fei froze. A birthday? He subconsciously turned his head to look at the person busy in the kitchen.

Chu Junyuan placed the cake on the table and called out to Zhu Shiyan, "I brought the cake! Is the food ready yet?"

"Almost, almost, just take a rest."

Chu Junyuan didn't stand on ceremony, picking up a piece of fruit from the table and popping it into his mouth. He waved at the two girls standing at the door. "Come in, why are you standing there?"

Mi Lin and Shen Sihui handed the gifts they had brought to Xi Fei. "Happy birthday."

Xi Fei paused, accepted them with both hands, and acknowledged them sincerely. "Thank you."

"Oh right, almost forgot the birthday present." Chu Junyuan stood up, pulled a set of top-student exercise workbooks from somewhere, and handed them to Xi Fei with a straight face. "This series is a limited edition. It suits a top student like you perfectly."

Mi Lin stood to the side, pretending not to know him. It was embarrassing, so incredibly embarrassing.

Xi Fei didn't react much, still accepting them with both hands. "Thank you."

Chu Junyuan waved his hand. "Don't mention it, we're brothers."

Mi Lin: "..." How did she end up dating such a golden retriever of a boyfriend?

Zhu Shiyan brought the last dish to the table and saw them standing at the door. He smiled. "You're all here. Please, take a seat."

The five of them sat around the table. Zhu Shiyan poured tea for himself and Xi Fei, stood up, and said, "Thank you three for your help with this matter. I'll toast you with tea instead of wine."

Chu Junyuan looked disgusted. "I often suspect you aren't eighteen, but twenty-eight. Why be so formal? Besides, I helped Xi Fei, why are you thanking me? What, are you two acting like a married couple now?"

He was clearly joking, so Zhu Shiyan smiled and said nothing. Xi Fei, however, felt a tickle in his heart and stole a glance at him.

Shen Sihui took in their interaction. She picked up two bottles of red wine from the table and blinked. "What's the point of just drinking tea? I happened to bring two bottles of wine. Want some?"

Chu Junyuan let out a 'wow,' looking excited. "I didn't realize you were so bold. Let's drink!"

Zhu Shiyan thought about it and didn't stop them. It was just a little red wine; it shouldn't matter.

Two hours later.

Chu Junyuan was swaying unsteadily, holding Mi Lin's hand and wailing. Shen Sihui had also drunk quite a bit, but her eyes were clear, her speech was logical, and she showed no signs of intoxication. Zhu Shiyan was a bit tipsy, but he pretended to be normal, and no one had noticed yet that he was drunk.

The meal was coming to an end. Mi Lin’s family had a strict curfew. She managed to help Chu Junyuan up and smiled shyly. "It's getting late, we should head back."

Zhu Shiyan remained seated but said, "Xi Fei, go see them out."

Xi Fei nodded and rose to see the three of them off.

Downstairs, Mi Lin went to hail a taxi. Shen Sihui stood side-by-side with Xi Fei. She was quiet for a moment before suddenly saying, "I really envy you."

To have someone as good as Zhu Shiyan protecting him with all his heart. Even if it wasn't necessarily romantic love, such a friendship was rare.

Xi Fei lowered his eyelashes. Envy? In the seventeen years of his life, there had been nothing worth envying. Only this one person, just by standing beside him, could make someone utter the word "envy."

Although Shen Sihui had helped him, Xi Fei still harbored a faint hostility toward her. Perhaps it was intuition; he felt that this girl's feelings for Zhu Shiyan were not ordinary. If she weren't transferring schools soon, Xi Fei would have found a way to keep her away from Zhu Shiyan regardless.

After seeing them off, Xi Fei turned and headed back upstairs. When he opened the door, Zhu Shiyan was eating cake. Seeing him walk in, his eyes curved into crescents. "You're back."

Xi Fei’s heart seemed to skip a beat. A warm current washed through him, filling his heart with softness. He sat down beside him, wiped the cream from his face with a tissue, and asked softly, "Still not full?"

Zhu Shiyan happily held the cake up to him. "Is mine better than what you made?"