Volume One, Chapter 43: And you, did you miss me?

Huo Cong was not in the best of moods.

He woke up that morning with a cold, his nose running and his head heavy. When his father asked if he wanted to stay home for the day, he thought about it but shook his head.

“It’s just a cold, it’s nothing.”

Still, he put on a mask, not wanting to infect the other students—especially the one who sat next to him.

But then, his seatmate didn’t come.

The bell had already rung for class, yet the desk beside him remained empty. Huo Cong couldn’t help but ask their homeroom teacher, Mr. Cheng, “Where’s Huo Xiaobei?”

“Xiaobei? Xiaobei caught a cold and took the day off.”

At first, Huo Cong couldn’t believe it, then he pressed his lips together, feeling wronged.

He was sick too, but he had come anyway…

He glanced at the empty chair beside him, his eyes gradually reddening. With a soft huff, he turned his face away.

He would never speak to Huo Xiaobei again!

The entire morning, he listlessly went through his classes. At lunch, when the students lined up like a little train to follow the teacher to the cafeteria, Huo Cong stayed behind, slumped over his desk, looking forlorn.

“Huo Cong!”

A bright voice rang out. Huo Cong thought he was hearing things. Squinting, he looked up and saw Huo Xiaobei jogging over, backpack slung over one shoulder, a red bag in hand, sniffling as he ran.

Huo Cong stared wide-eyed as Huo Xiaobei plopped down next to him. “Weren’t you taking the day off?”

He completely forgot his earlier resolve to never speak to Huo Xiaobei again.

Xiaobei took off his bag and grinned. “I missed you, so I came.”

Huo Cong was stunned. Missed me?

“What about you? Did you miss me?” Xiaobei, ever the charmer, edged closer and reached out for a hug.

Huo Cong quickly held him off. “Hey… Don’t hug me, I’ve got a cold.”

“So do I, it’s fine.”

Huo Cong couldn’t resist for long. After being hugged, his cheeks, formerly pale, flushed with color, and he perked up.

“I asked you, did you miss me?” Xiaobei repeated when he didn’t get an answer.

With a red face, Huo Cong pouted. “No. I’m not a little girl.”

“Oh? So if you were a little girl, you’d miss me?” Xiaobei laughed, utterly unconcerned with the actual point of the sentence.

The point was whether he missed him, not whether he was a boy or a girl.

Huo Cong pushed him with a smile. “You really have no shame.”

They exchanged a glance and sneezed at the same time.

Xiaobei hadn’t eaten lunch but insisted he wasn’t hungry. Huo Lindong didn’t force him but worried he might get hungry in the afternoon, so he packed him an assortment of snacks.

Naturally, snacks were meant to be shared with your desk mate.

So, the two sick little boys, masks slipped down to their chins, each held a carton of milk, leaning over their desks, whispering to each other.

“What did you learn this morning?”

“I don’t know, I wasn’t listening.”

“Huh? Why not? I was counting on you to help me catch up!”

“I…” Huo Cong couldn’t admit he hadn’t listened because he’d been missing him. He simply opened his textbook and said, “I’ve already learned it all before. If there’s anything you don’t understand, I can teach you.”

Xiaobei had learned it all too, grinning mischievously like a little fox.

“Really? Then let me test you…”

—

Ye Sheng was quite content these days.

Someone cooked her special meals, and every lunch was delivered right on time. Sometimes, she even got an extra dinner. As for breakfast, she now just went over to Huo Lindong’s place to eat before work—after all, her schedule and the children’s school times lined up well.

As for Mia, after she was lucky enough to have breakfast once, she never got a second chance—Ye Sheng couldn’t bear to share anymore.

Ye Sheng didn’t accept Huo Lindong’s care with a completely clear conscience. She happened to be planning to order a set of fitness equipment, and after consulting her third brother, she simply ordered two sets.

Wan Sandao messaged: “The other set is for Brother Lin, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Ye Sheng replied. “Brother Lin takes care of all my meals now; he’s feeding me so well, I have to show my appreciation.”

“You already gave him the hat you knitted for me, didn’t you?” Wan Sandao huffed.

Ye Sheng nearly choked. “That was a special circumstance, it just happened to work out that way. I’m working on yours now.”

Wan Sandao wouldn’t let it go. “I thought you got a new brother and forgot the old one.”

Ye Sheng couldn’t help laughing. “What’s this? Are you jealous now? Don’t worry, I won’t forget you.”

“Alright, I’ll be waiting. Don’t forget our other brother, either.”

Wan Sandao teased, “Your real brother gets even more jealous than I do—he’s a vinegar jar through and through.”

Ye Sheng laughed and promised she remembered.

Just as she hung up, Mia strode in from outside, her face dark as thunder. “Boss, someone’s put out a smear campaign against you and it’s trending.”

She handed over her phone. Ye Sheng glanced at the screen, her brows knitting together.