Chapter 6

Xiao You felt puzzled, but who wouldn’t be happy to receive a gift? He took the pendant without hesitation. "Fine, then I’ll cover your expenses later."

Qiu Baozhu watched as he clipped the little sheep pendant onto his—jeans belt loop.

?

If he had known, he would have given it to Pan Shengan; Pan Shengan actually seemed to have some aesthetic sense.

They wandered all the way to the school gate. The pendant Xiao You had just attached clinked against the metal button of his jacket, making a rhythmic, rattling sound. The little sheep didn't quite match the boy's vibe; it looked as if he had forcibly snatched it from someone else's hands. Qiu Baozhu glanced at the pendant from time to time, feeling as if he had carved a piece of flesh from his own body.

"Hey!" Shen Chen spotted Zeng Mingxi. His attitude was completely different from how he treated Wei Shu, because Zeng Mingxi was one of them—they were on the same side. Shen Chen hopped onto Zeng Mingxi’s back, grinning and refusing to get down.

"Tell me! Did you intentionally let me see those expired chocolates in your bag? Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was this morning?" This last part was directed at Zeng Mingxi, but it implicitly included Wei Shu, who was standing beside him.

Zeng Mingxi dumped him off his back and laughed. "You were the one who insisted on grabbing them; I didn't force you."

"Where are you guys heading? Not going home?" Seeing the four of them walking arm-in-arm, Zeng Mingxi asked casually.

Xiao You replied, "My cousin just opened a new arcade. I’m going to go support him. Do you want to come?"

"I’ll pass. 'Three-Hair' assigned us a few essays to write." Zeng Mingxi’s family background was even better than Xiao You’s, yet he lacked the typical vices of a rich kid and didn't participate in the clique culture at Jicai.

Qiu Baozhu remembered that in his previous life, Zeng Mingxi had also been very close to Wei Shu from the very beginning. It was only later, after the Wei family officially recognized Wei Shu, that the interaction between the two became sparse—even less than that of ordinary friends.

"That thing on your belt..." Zeng Mingxi noticed the little sheep pendant on Xiao You for some reason. He chuckled, "Quite unique."

Wei Shu stood to the side, unmoved, his expression and gaze weary.

Qiu Baozhu clenched his hand inside his jacket pocket into a fist. Thankfully, the other party didn't react.

"I gave it to him." Qiu Baozhu didn't look up at anyone else, his lips curling into a smile as he stared at the pendant he had just gifted.

Xiao You smiled. "That's right, Qiu Baozhu gave it to me."

Hearing it was from Qiu Baozhu, Zeng Mingxi stepped closer to look. He leaned over, held the pendant in his palm, and after examining it carefully, looked at Qiu Baozhu. "Very cute. It’s your style."

Just then, Wei Shu walked past them and stepped out of the school gate. The clump of air seemed to shatter.

Qiu Baozhu caught a whiff of a familiar, damp, fresh woody scent—the kind of smell that clings to a blade after it slices through tree bark. It wasn't common, and the moment he smelled it, his tongue felt astringent. This was the scent of Wei Shu during his youth.

Qiu Baozhu had never liked it; he felt it smelled too bitter. He preferred things sweet, whether it was food or anything else.

Seeing Qiu Baozhu glance at the departing Wei Shu, Shen Chen leaned against Zeng Mingxi. "Hey, why do you hang out with Wei Shu? Being in the same class is one thing, but Wei Shu is from the other class—there are seven or eight classrooms between you two, and your statuses don't match either."

Zeng Mingxi just laughed. "I don't look at family background when making friends."

Shen Chen let out a scoff.

"Are you really not coming with us?"

Zeng Mingxi pushed him away. "You guys go ahead, I'm heading off." He was clearly going to catch up with Wei Shu.

Pan Shengan looked puzzled. "Why do I feel like Zeng Mingxi is sucking up to Wei Shu..."

"Alright, enough, let it go. He can hang out with whoever he wants." Xiao You pulled Qiu Baozhu along. "Come on, let's go play."

-

The newly opened arcade was sparing no expense, offering discounts, bundles, and free snacks and drinks to attract customers with all sorts of tactics. The hall was packed, and the air was a mixture of pungent cigarette smoke, alcohol, and the scent of various fruit candies and sodas.

The arcade was very foreign to Qiu Baozhu. He Yingjie hadn't liked him going, and later, Wei Shu had strictly forbidden it. The young boy felt a sense of novelty toward the environment and things he had rarely encountered. From time to time, he would stop and stand quietly behind players to watch how they operated.

Shen Chen and Pan Shengan had gone to exchange tokens, leaving only Xiao You to accompany him. The lights in the arcade were dim, and the flickering screens cast colorful reflections on Qiu Baozhu’s green eyes, which were filled with seriousness and a desire to explore. His eyes glowed with a dark green light, making him look like a cub that had just left its mother and was hunting on its own for the first time.

"You've never played before?" Xiao You asked, curious and amused.

Qiu Baozhu shook his head honestly. "Not really."

Such a chaotic, noisy entertainment venue where all kinds of people gathered was something he wouldn't even have dared to imagine in his past life. It had been hard enough for him to even get off Qingyu Mountain under Wei Shu's watch. If he absolutely had to go, it would be in Wei Shu's company, and Wei Shu would have likely booked the entire place out.

The entire arcade would only contain him and Wei Shu, with just one machine running in the empty space, emitting beeping background sounds that echoed in endless loops. Back then, Qiu Baozhu had only felt trembling and fear.

Hearing that Qiu Baozhu hadn't played much, and with Shen Chen just arriving, Xiao You snatched the basket of tokens from Shen Chen’s arms and shoved it to Qiu Baozhu. "My treat, play whatever you want."

"Old Xiao!" Shen Chen was dumbfounded.

Pan Shengan said nothing and went off to exchange another basket of tokens.

-

Qiu Baozhu hugged the tokens and played every arcade game he wanted to try. He liked this kind of place; everyone was full of passion, and passion was the source of vitality.

The temperature in the arcade was higher than outside, and tiny beads of sweat broke out on his temples and the tip of his nose, making his whole face look shiny. Xiao You had been playing with him, but he couldn't resist the temptation of the pool table and ran off to the billiard room, telling Qiu Baozhu to find him when he was done.

It was better without Xiao You. He only had lukewarm feelings for him anyway.

Qiu Baozhu was currently standing in front of a claw machine. He only inserted tokens after confirming which doll he wanted. He had just given Xiao You a little sheep, and now he wanted to catch one for himself. The doll was beautiful, made of white fleece fabric that shimmered like cream under the lights.

Qiu Baozhu operated the joystick nervously. The claw above swayed, loose and flimsy, looking as if it were saying, "I don't care how you operate me, I'm going to cheat anyway."

After catching and dropping the doll seven or eight times in a row, Qiu Baozhu gritted his teeth, his cheeks puffed up, and his breathing grew heavier.

"You won't catch it like that." A smiling voice appeared behind the boy.

Qiu Baozhu turned to see Zeng Mingxi, and beside him, Wei Shu. His heart skipped a beat, and he felt an unprovoked panic. But soon, this panic vanished. He was no longer familiar with Wei Shu at all, and he wouldn't become familiar again. He no longer had to worry about causing trouble by doing something Wei Shu forbade.

"Obviously, I just didn't want to hang out with Shen Chen and the others. I finished my essay a long time ago," Zeng Mingxi shrugged. "I'm just here because Wei Shu had to come to work."

"Work?" Qiu Baozhu looked around the arcade. He remembered now; in high school, Wei Shu did indeed earn money in his spare time.

"Then suit yourselves." Qiu Baozhu didn't look at Wei Shu, replied to Zeng Mingxi indifferently, and turned his head back. He stared at the doll in the glass case, his frustration rising again. If he didn't catch one today, he wasn't going home. It was all Wei Shu's fault. If Wei Shu hadn't locked him up in his past life, he wouldn't be so inexperienced with these things. Therefore, Wei Shu owed him compensation.

Qiu Baozhu turned back. "Then how should I catch it?"

Zeng Mingxi raised his chin slightly. "Ah Shu, why don't you catch one for Qiu Baozhu? His level is really..." He clicked his tongue.

Qiu Baozhu stepped aside to make room.

Wei Shu stood with one hand in his pocket, his dark eyes cold. When he spoke, he was heartless. "I'm not that free."

With that, he turned and left. Soon, his tall and straight figure was swallowed by the crowded room, disappearing from sight.

Zeng Mingxi gave Qiu Baozhu an apologetic smile. "Looks like you have to rely on yourself."

Qiu Baozhu blinked. "It's not like I can't do it; I don't need him."

As he gripped the joystick again, covered by the noisy crowd, the feeling of grievance deep in his heart didn't seem so overwhelming. It flowed silently and slowly occupied the boy's entire being.

Qiu Baozhu monopolized the claw machine, inserting tokens without blinking. By the time the basket of tokens Shen Chen had exchanged was bottoming out, with only a few left, Qiu Baozhu still hadn't caught the little sheep doll he wanted. He went to exchange another basket, and as that one also neared the bottom, Qiu Baozhu didn't even furrow his brow. To the eyes of others, he looked like a spoiled little spendthrift.

-

It was getting late, and as high school students, they had to head home. The arcade became even rowdier than before. Xiao You and Shen Chen came to call Qiu Baozhu to leave. They would get scolded if they didn't go home soon.

"You guys go ahead, I'm staying until I catch one." Qiu Baozhu stood motionless, his gaze stubborn.

Xiao You, hands in his pockets, leaned over to look at the glass cabinet of the claw machine. "These claws are specially adjusted. If you want it, you might as well just buy it."

"Buying it is boring." Just like fishing in the artificial lake of the Wei family villas; catching them with a hook was also boring.

Shen Chen clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I never noticed, Qiu Baozhu, you're quite stubborn."

Pan Shengan hesitated, his face contorted with a strained expression like he was holding back a massive amount of urine. "I really have to go, otherwise my mom will kick me to death with her high heels."

Qiu Baozhu murmured, missing the doll again. He straightened up and took a step back.

Pan Shengan’s name was meant to imply he was as handsome as Pan An, but he was an illegitimate child his father had outside. When he was brought home, he faced a family of unfamiliar siblings and several "little moms" whose actual ages were impossible to tell. Pan Shengan lived under someone else's roof, and life had never been easy. As it happened, the woman Pan Shengan followed had established her footing in the Pan family through her ferocity.

When he was twenty-five, Qiu Baozhu heard from Wei Shu that Pan Shengan had tripped at home, ruptured his spleen, and died on the way to the hospital. Recalling what Pan Shengan had just said about his mother kicking him with high heels, Qiu Baozhu thought that perhaps it wasn't a simple trip that caused the ruptured spleen.

After taking a deep breath, Qiu Baozhu grabbed his schoolbag from the cabinet, unzipped it, and fished out two irregularly shaped stones from the bottom. "Just tell them you were hanging out with me."

"Qiu Baozhu, how did you..." Pan Shengan knew these couldn't be ordinary stones. His face flushed with embarrassment. "Thank you."

Xiao You looked at the two stones in Pan Shengan’s hand, feeling inexplicably annoyed. "Let's go, let's go! We're leaving, you can come back by yourself later."

After they left, Qiu Baozhu rolled up his sleeves and plunged back into the rigorous task of operating the claw machine. He completely ignored the pulsating electronic music around him, the people coming and going behind him, and the players changing at the machines on either side. Only Qiu Baozhu stood there, immovable.

He felt as if he had never accomplished anything on his own. Before the bankruptcy, he had his parents. After the bankruptcy, he had Qiu Fei and Wei Shu. During the ten years he was imprisoned by Wei Shu on the mountain, he thought he was a pearl covered in dust. If Wei Shu would just let go, he was sure he could succeed at anything.

"This world is too dangerous"... what Wei Shu said might not have been entirely wrong.

Qiu Baozhu realized belatedly that he had spent quite a lot of money. Claw machines were quite dangerous.

"Excuse me." A middle-aged man in a suit suddenly appeared beside him, bowing.

Qiu Baozhu was startled. The middle-aged man took a set of keys out of his pocket, opened the glass cabinet, and reached in to take the doll Qiu Baozhu had been chasing all along.

"I am the store manager here. I noticed that your spending today has reached the requirements for our opening promotion, and this is a gift for you." The middle-aged man was so enthusiastic that his features seemed to melt.

Qiu Baozhu looked suspicious. The doll felt even better than he had imagined—soft and slippery, like warm jelly. The boy was reluctant to put it down, but he was also confused. "What kind of promotion is this?"

The manager smiled like a flower, answering smoothly, "For customers who have a 0% success rate after 500 attempts, our store gives away a doll for free."

Qiu Baozhu: "..."

Although his self-esteem was slightly bruised, Qiu Baozhu decided this was also a form of strength. Not everyone would choose to keep fighting amidst failure after failure. If he had given up early, he truly would have ended up with nothing.

The boy walked out of the arcade, beaming, and hung the little sheep doll on his schoolbag zipper as he walked. The doll swayed back and forth on the bag, and the boy walked with the stride of someone returning home in glory.

As for the manager, who had successfully completed his task, he wiped the sweat off his neck, straightened his jacket, and turned to give a fawning smile to the high school boy sitting on a high stool at the bar not far away.