Volume One, Chapter 66: Let's Make Up

Huo Cong and Huo Xiaobei each had their own little phone. In their contact lists, apart from family members, they were each other's only "friend."

In truth, they hadn't been classmates for very long, yet they quickly became inseparable, sharing everything. Despite their vastly different temperaments, they got along remarkably well, often displaying an astonishing tacit understanding. Especially in the small games played at school, whenever the two teamed up, they always claimed first place, as if they could read each other's thoughts without a word.

Take tonight, for example. The two had been at odds all day, but by evening, neither could hold out any longer. Still fuming, Huo Xiaobei took the initiative to call Huo Cong. It seemed as if Huo Cong had been waiting for this call—he answered instantly.

"Hello..." Huo Cong's voice brimmed with urgency.

Huo Xiaobei hadn't expected him to pick up so quickly and was a bit surprised, but she was still angry: "Hmph."

After a few seconds of silence, with no sound from the other end, Huo Cong called out, "Huo Xiaobei."

"Why are you calling me?" Huo Xiaobei snorted again.

Huo Cong rubbed his nose. Though his desk-mate still wasn't speaking kindly, at least he was finally willing to talk. Huo Cong's eyes reddened a little.

"Wasn't... it you who called me?"

Huo Xiaobei's eyes widened suddenly, her tone growing sharper: "So what if I called you? If I didn't, would you never speak to me again?"

"...," Huo Cong was at a loss for words, silently thinking as he held his phone: It seemed like you were the one ignoring me.

But since his desk-mate was clearly upset again, Huo Cong dared not provoke him further and hurriedly said, "No! Even if you didn't call me, I was just about to call you."

Half of Huo Xiaobei's anger dissipated at that, and she gave a soft "hmph," "That's more like it."

Finally, the two began to talk. Huo Xiaobei couldn't hold back any longer, his mouth firing off words like a machine gun as he gave Huo Cong a good scolding. Huo Cong listened quietly.

Huo Xiaobei talked until his mouth was dry, just as he was licking his lips, the door was knocked twice.

Seeing it was Ye Sheng, Huo Xiaobei quickly hid the phone behind him. Ye Sheng said nothing, simply handed him the milk she was holding.

"Thank you, Shengsheng."

Huo Cong's eyes widened instantly as he pressed the phone closer to his ear.

There was a rustle on the other end, and Huo Xiaobei, with a spark of static in his voice, called, "Huo Cong, are you still there?"

"...Yes!" Huo Cong replied quickly, opened his mouth to ask something, then closed it again, rubbing his fingers together.

As if they shared a telepathic connection, Huo Xiaobei giggled, "Are you wondering if the person who came in just now was your mother?"

She isn't... my mother, Huo Cong thought. She gave me up long ago.

"Shengsheng brought me milk," Huo Xiaobei said deliberately when he got no response. "Warm milk, too—so fragrant and sweet."

Huo Cong unconsciously pursed his lips. What's so special about that?

"Why would she bring you milk? Do you live together?"

"We're neighbors—right across the hall. My dad is working late tonight, so Shengsheng came to look after me. She's really kind. Huo Cong, if you want her to take care of you, you shouldn't be rude to her anymore."

With that, Huo Xiaobei became serious again, saying earnestly, "I'm really angry about you throwing away your hat. If you don't pick it up, we can't be good friends anymore."

"I didn't!"

Huo Cong blurted out anxiously, "I didn't throw it away... It's just, it got dirty."

"You didn't throw it away?" Huo Xiaobei's voice rose. "Then why did you tell everyone you threw it away?"

Huo Cong lowered his head, his voice turning rough, "I can't wear it anyway. What's the difference between throwing it out and it being dirty?"

"It's not the same! If your hat gets dirty, it doesn't matter. But if you throw it away, that's different."

Huo Xiaobei spoke solemnly, "As long as you didn't throw the hat away, we're still good friends and I'm not mad at you anymore. Let's make up, Huo Cong."

Hearing that he wasn't angry anymore, and that they could make up, Huo Cong's eyes brightened, struggling to keep his lips from curling into a smile.

"Oh. Then... let's make up."

Once things were settled, Huo Xiaobei's voice regained its usual warmth and excitement. "Bring your hat to school tomorrow, and we'll figure out how to clean it together."

The two children discussed for a long time, only reluctantly ending the call when they saw how late it was.

Huo Cong walked out of his room and asked the housekeeper where his blue hat was.

"The blue woolen hat?"

"Yes," Huo Cong nodded.

The housekeeper replied, "I saw it today. Xiao Ying washed it again and hung it on the balcony."

Huo Cong hurried to the balcony to look for it, but it wasn't there. He grew anxious and asked several people, nearly causing an uproar in the household.

Eventually, Xiao Ying found it in a corner of the balcony, but—the hat was ruined.

Somehow, it had turned into a pile of yarn.

"This can't be worn anymore. How did this happen..." The housekeeper saw the young master's expression change, hoping to repair it, but the hat had been stretched out of shape—it was completely ruined.

Huo Cong stood frozen in place, as if turned to stone, then suddenly collapsed backward in a rigid fall.

"Young master!" The entire mansion was thrown into chaos.