Chapter 4: Testing

Yu Xi had no idea how he had ended up being surrounded by these people.

He had used the essential oil the blonde boy found for him, and after smelling it for a while, he felt much better. However, his head still felt heavy, and his reactions were slower than usual.

By the time he snapped out of it and realized everyone was gathered around the small corner where he was sitting, it was already too late; he couldn’t find a chance to escape.

They weren’t doing anything aggressive—they were just staring at him.

The gazes fixed on him were too open and unrestrained, scanning him from head to toe like a digital scanner. He could tell these looks didn’t contain malice, but rather an intense curiosity, as if he were some rare animal. Still, he felt completely out of place.

Every one of Pei Wang’s friends came from an extraordinary family background. They were all glamorous and possessed a remarkable temperament. People raised on a silver spoon had a natural aura that set them apart; their confidence and pride radiated from their very bones, not just from their designer clothes or posture.

Under their scrutiny, Yu Xi became subconsciously self-conscious about his shabby clothes. He felt like a discordant, out-of-tune note in a grand symphony, ruining the rhythm and atmosphere of this luxurious club—so utterly incompatible.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have followed Pei Wang here from the start…

“Hey, are you nervous?”

The sudden question made the high-strung Yu Xi shrink his shoulders. He took a beat too long to reply: “N-no.”

He stuttered as soon as he opened his mouth, exposing his anxiety completely. Yu Xi’s ears instantly turned beet red, and he buried his head even lower, like a lamb that couldn’t find a hiding place, curling into a ball of fluff under the watchful eyes of staring predators.

Someone said, “He’s obviously nervous because you guys are crowding him and staring so hard.”

“Acting like you aren’t doing the same thing. Why don’t you stand further back? You’re in my way.”

“Why should I? I still want to ask him a few questions.”

Hearing that someone wanted to ask him questions, despite his panic, Yu Xi kept his manners. He lifted his head to look at the speaker and listened intently.

“How old are you today? You look so small, sixteen?”

Yu Xi blinked and answered truthfully, “I’m already eighteen.”

“Holy sh*t, he says he’s eighteen…”

“He’s actually eighteen.”

“Eighteen…”

“Already eighteen, huh…”

Several people acted like a human echo chamber, repeating Yu Xi’s answer one by one, their expressions filled with a similar look of surprise.

Yu Xi didn’t understand why being eighteen was so shocking, and he fidgeted with his hands awkwardly.

Then someone else asked, “Then you must have already graduated high school? Are you going to university?”

Yu Xi: “I just graduated. I got into Capital University.”

“Wow! Capital University!”

“That’s amazing, he actually got into Cap U.”

“Capital University, that’s impressive…”

“It’s Capital University.”

They started repeating again, passing the answer around, but the surprise this time was different from before. There were now several hints of admiration in the way they looked at him.

Yu Xi felt it and secretly swung his legs slightly under the sofa.

Afterward, these people asked many more questions, such as his college entrance exam score and ranking, which high school he attended, his hobbies, his favorite movies, his height and weight, and whether he had ever been in a relationship…

The questions were all over the place. Someone even asked why his eyelashes were so long, if he ate slowly because his mouth was so small, and if he used perfume because he smelled so sweet… Even though the questions were strange, Yu Xi answered each one seriously.

Through this questioning, Yu Xi gradually relaxed, no longer as tense as he was at the beginning. The others also had glowing eyes, listening to his answers with great interest, with even more curious questions lined up.

It wasn’t until Pei Wang, who was leaning alone not far away, let out a cough that someone finally remembered the “official” business.

“What’s the relationship between your family and Pei Wang’s mother? We haven’t seen you before.”

Yu Xi thought for a moment. “My mom and Auntie Pei have been friends since middle school. Later, my mom… took me to another city, so they haven’t seen each other for many years.”

“So that’s how it is. Your family only got back in touch with Pei Wang’s mom because you got into university here?”

Yu Xi nodded. “It’s pretty much like that.”

The real reason wasn’t exactly that, but the university he got into certainly played a role in the relationship between Ms. Pei and his mother.

He had long been capable of independence—stronger than many peers his age. He had worked many odd jobs during middle and high school to earn money and could take care of himself completely. He didn’t really need to trouble the Pei family.

However… Ms. Pei’s proactive offer to care for him was actually half-intended as a way to quickly repair the bond with his mother.

After all, they hadn’t seen each other in over a decade. What separated them wasn’t just time and distance; the fissures caused by past mistakes made these two once-inseparable best friends feel naturally anxious and cautious after reconciling.

And Yu Xi was meant to act as the glue.

Of course, Ms. Pei’s kindness toward him was sincere. Yu Xi was grateful for this kindness and swore in his heart to repay it, along with his mother’s share of gratitude.

Therefore, he had to perform well. At the very least, he had to get on good terms with Pei Wang. To achieve that step, he had to survive the ordeal in front of him.

Yu Xi lifted his long lashes, his clear eyes sweeping over the people around him.

He understood what Pei Wang and his friends were doing. They were testing him, judging him, wanting him to back down.

But he wasn’t that easy to discourage.

“It must be pretty hard staying at the Pei house, right?” A girl with curly hair leaned in close and whispered in Yu Xi’s ear. “After all, his temper is total trash.”

The volume was just enough for their circle to hear, but it didn’t reach Pei Wang.

The others nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, yeah, that kid isn’t easy to get along with at all, and he holds grudges.”

“His young master temper is hard to serve; everyone has to spoil him.”

“Did he bully you? Tell us about it.”

Listening to these condemnations of Pei Wang, Yu Xi rubbed his palms and shook his head. “No.”

“Sigh, don’t just endure it. We can all see he’s been picking on you. Here, I’ll teach you a trick. I’ll tell you his weakness; it’s guaranteed to make him behave.”

Yu Xi couldn’t help but show a bit of curiosity. When the person moved closer with a hand covering their mouth, he instinctively leaned his ear toward them. He waited for a few seconds but heard nothing. Confused, he turned his head to look.

He didn’t know what had happened, but the other person was holding their breath, their entire face flushed red. “Y-you… don’t lean so close to me.”

Yu Xi: “?”

While that person was stammering, another person immediately snatched the spot. “You useless thing, move aside and let me speak! Cough… here, little brother, I’ll tell you.”

Yu Xi tilted his head and leaned his ear in again.

“Pei Wang’s weakness is—his mother.”

Yu Xi’s eyes widened slightly.

“Are you surprised?” the person laughed.

Yu Xi nodded without speaking. He was surprised, but not because the weakness was unexpected. It was more of a “Is that all?” kind of feeling.

He actually already knew. Through the less than twenty-four hours since yesterday, he noticed it every time Auntie Wan used Ms. Pei’s words to stop Pei Wang from being rude. She often reminded him of his mother’s instructions, and Pei Wang’s expression would turn very strange.

He looked defiant, but his words and actions would noticeably restrain themselves.

“So, if he does anything to make you unhappy, just go complain to his mother!”

“But you can’t just say Pei Wang is wrong directly. You have to drop hints, complain indirectly, and act pitiful. I don’t need to teach you that, right?”

Next, several people taught Yu Xi some “tactics”—how to complain without leaving a trace and how to act pitiful naturally without looking fake. Yu Xi listened, stunned.

“You guys are really amazing…”

The curly-haired girl smiled. “Understand what to do now?”

Yu Xi nodded, then shook his head. “Thank you, but I don’t want to complain.”

His answer made everyone exchange a glance.

“Why?”

“Pei Wang doesn’t really know me yet, so it’s normal for him to be defensive toward a stranger. Since you are all his friends, it proves he isn’t a bad person, right?” Yu Xi gave a faint smile. “Besides, I don’t want to make their mother-son relationship worse. Getting Pei Wang punished isn’t what I want. I want him to drop his prejudices and accept me.”

After a short moment of surprise, the people surrounding him all broke into smiles.

“He bullies you like that, and you aren’t even angry?”

Yu Xi shook his head. “He hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s like… like a sensitive and alert puppy. If a stranger suddenly enters his territory one day, it’s normal to have a stress reaction. Since he doesn’t know if I’m friend or foe, as the stranger, I should let him get used to my scent first.” After saying it, Yu Xi immediately felt the analogy was a bit inappropriate and hurriedly added: “I’m not calling him a dog as an insult. Puppies are very good. I didn’t mean to curse at him; I just meant he’s like…”

His desperate attempt to clarify made several people chuckle out loud.

“Alright, alright, we understand.” The curly-haired girl patted his hand. “That analogy is actually quite fitting. As expected of a top student who got into Capital University.”

Yu Xi scratched his cheek, feeling a bit embarrassed.

At that moment, the blonde boy, who had been observing from outside the circle, squeezed his way in.

“Since you’ve all cleared things up, I’m taking Xiao Xi away.”

He reached out his hand to Yu Xi. Yu Xi instinctively reached back, but he was interrupted before he could stand up.

“What’s the rush? We want to chat with Xiao Xi, too. How can you hog Xiao Xi all to yourself? Xiao Xi isn’t yours.”

The blonde boy’s face turned red. “I-I’m not trying to hog him! I’m thinking of his well-being. With so many people crowding him, he’s definitely uncomfortable. I’m taking him to a quieter place to rest.”

Someone burst out laughing. “Oho, you’re quite the ‘good guy’ now. Xiao Xi, let me tell you—this Da Jin guy is actually bad. Just yesterday in the group chat, he said he’d help Pei Wang bully you. Don’t be fooled. Only we are the good guys, so stay right here and don’t go anywhere.”

“You guys!” The blonde boy wanted to curse but held back because Yu Xi was there.

“How about we just show Xiao Xi the chat records to see if it’s true~”

The blonde boy actually got anxious this time, trying to press down the phone the person pulled out. The next second, Yu Xi’s voice rang out, dousing the frantic fire in his heart like a gentle spring rain.

“There’s no need. I know Da Jin isn’t a bad person.”

The blonde boy turned his head. Yu Xi was still sitting there in an upright posture, offering him a reassuring look.

“From the moment we met, he has been very good to me and taken care of me. I should thank him. And I also know that everyone is a good person, right?”

As he spoke, Yu Xi beamed a smile at everyone. His eyes curved like crescent moons, and his deep dimples felt like they were filled with intoxicating honey that could sweeten a person’s heart directly, causing a wave of tingles.

The crowd froze, everyone losing their souls to that excessively beautiful smile.