Deceiving a Son

Is that really the main point? Doubtful.

Shen Nian felt like a walking sweat-drop emoji. He had no idea what brand of oddball deity Xia Yanchun was supposed to be.

"Don't touch me until you wash your hands..."

Xia Yanchun kept her distance. She couldn't help but picture certain scenes involving Shen Nian, and her whole being felt off.

He definitely washed his hands, right?

Now she didn't even dare drink the porridge.

"What are you mumbling about..." Shen Nian kept a straight face. "I took a shower right after my workout..."

"I don't care. I want to watch you wash your hands once. You aren't allowed to touch me; it's so gross."

"Fine, fine, whatever you say."

Insulted by Chunbao (sadness).

Although Xia Yanchun wouldn't let Shen Nian touch her, she still guiltily hugged his waist while he rode the bike.

As long as she didn't touch his hands, it was fine!

Without a helmet, she pressed her face against Shen Nian's back, practically bubbling with contentment.

Winter mornings were the coldest.

Shen Nian's body heat was the warmest.

Able to smell the scent of body wash on him, Xia Yanchun believed that he had indeed showered.

They arrived at the school gate without obstruction, where a large "Coming of Age Ceremony" sign had already been erected.

It looked a bit familiar, resembling the same style as the "Welcome Parents" signs used for parent-teacher conferences.

Xia Yanchun held the porridge, her face crinkled as she indignantly said, "Are you even human? Couldn't you just do that sort of thing secretly? Why did you have to tell me?"

Shen Nian scratched his face, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Normally, I would have. But it's your fault for teasing me every single day."

Xia Yanchun really didn't have a comeback. Sometimes she just really wanted to tease Shen Nian. Is teasing and ordering around a younger brother a natural-born talent of an older sister?

A smart person knows not to continue a conversation on a topic where they are at a disadvantage.

"T-Then did you cook the porridge before or after you showered...?"

"After!"

Xia Yanchun looked up, poked the straw in, and handed it to Shen Nian. "You take a sip first."

Then she remembered to check her surroundings. At this hour, on this road, she might only run into sports students returning from morning training, including her classmate Huang Chen. It wouldn't be good to be seen.

Perhaps because it was too early, there were only other day students around, so she felt safe handing the porridge to Shen Nian.

Too lazy to argue, Shen Nian wrapped his lips around the straw. Silently, he took a massive gulp, swallowing and sucking simultaneously, draining the porridge until only the very last sip remained.

Xia Yanchun held the now-light disposable cup and fell into deep thought.

"Y-You drank it all!" She was furious, poking Shen Nian hard with her finger. "If you drink it all, what am I supposed to drink? Are you an idiot?"

"I'm a pervert."

"At least you have some self-awareness," Xia Yanchun muttered, finishing off the single remaining mouthful.

It was lean meat porridge. The pork was minced finely, cooked with small ginger cubes and cooking wine. It didn't taste gamey at all, and the texture was excellent. Xia Yanchun loved eating the breakfast Shen Nian made.

But today, she only got one sip.

She decided to sulk silently and let Shen Nian guess why.

They went up to the classroom together. Before reaching their floor, Shen Nian suddenly grabbed Xia Yanchun's wrist and pulled her toward the restroom corner.

"Watch closely."

Shen Nian entered the men's restroom area. Since the sinks were located towards the outside, everything was clearly visible even from the corridor.

Shen Nian scrubbed his hands vigorously right in front of Xia Yanchun, then wiped them dry on his clothes. "Clean now, right?"

"Hmph."

Xia Yanchun lowered her head, her face flushed pink. She just gave a light snort.

Who wants to talk to Shen Nian right next to the toilet!

Back in her seat, Xia Yanchun sat with her legs together, hands tucked in, staring into space. The blush on her face wouldn't fade for a while.

It was all Shen Nian's fault for saying weird things early in the morning.

She hated Shen Nian!

Clatter—

Two dorayaki buns were tossed onto her desk. Xia Yanchun glanced sideways at Shen Nian and found him looking back at her.

"They're clean..."

"I-I know that! Who asked you about that!" The blush that had just subsided surged back up. Xia Yanchun puffed out her cheeks, tore open the packaging, and started nibbling on the small bun.

Since Shen Nian had drunk most of her breakfast, she had to rely on his buns to fill her stomach.

She definitely had to make Shen Nian pay for a big meal this afternoon.

Shen Nian didn't know what to say, so he propped his chin up and watched her eat.

He thought Xia Yanchun had a high tolerance for such topics, but it turned out she was just a paper tiger. She seemed to know everything, but when it came to actually talking about it, she panicked like she just did.

So why had Chunbao been so cocky lately, always making weird jokes to tease him?

It was truly ridiculous.

...

The Coming of Age Ceremony was scheduled after the long break. Since today was Sunday, if not for the ceremony, they wouldn't need to be in the classroom at all.

Everyone was pretty bold; even though no one explicitly said phones were allowed, several students were playing openly since they had gotten them back last night.

There’s safety in numbers.

Shen Nian was also fiddling with his phone, messaging his dad.

[Shen Nian]: Dad, are you almost here?

[Shen Shi]: Almost. I'm getting gas at the station. By the way, I didn't bring money. Can you pay for the gas? Two hundred is enough. Don't tell your mom.

[Shen Nian]: Don't you know how to use WeChat or Alipay?

[Shen Shi]: Didn't bring my phone.

?

Deceiving his own son?

Shen Nian laughed out of anger.

[Shen Nian]: Okay, I just transferred the money to your WeChat. Too bad you can't receive it. Figure it out yourself.

Shen Shi didn't reply.

Shen Nian put down his phone, wondering what exactly his mom saw in his dad.

Though, looking at photos, his dad was quite handsome when he was young—a proper pretty boy.

"Everyone, wake up a bit. Go wash your faces or something. The Coming of Age Ceremony is starting soon. It won't look good if you're listless in front of your parents," Xia Yanchun said, fulfilling her duty as class monitor. After speaking, she ran back to Shen Nian's side and stood by the window to look at the school gate.

Sure enough, many cars were parked outside, and traffic police were directing traffic.

The Coming of Age Ceremony was much more important than a parent-teacher conference. Passing this ceremony meant a child could stand on their own...

Well, even if they could stand on their own, the permission slips still needed a parent's signature.

"Can you see Uncle's car?" Shen Nian also stood there, gazing into the distance.

"My dad hasn't arrived."

"What a coincidence, my dad hasn't arrived either. Damn, it's fate. With fate like this, it would be unreasonable not to get married."

"Idiot, get lost."

"This is my seat."

"What belongs to the younger brother belongs to the older sister."

Xia Yanchun muttered softly.