Returning to Infancy with my Nemesis - Chapter 55

Ever since Tang Mian discovered the harmonious bond between Cotton Candy and Snowball, Tang Mian brought Snowball home for a few days, along with Fu Shizhao.

The enrollment for elementary school was about to begin, and in those days, Fu Shizhao did not attend classes but instead gave himself a few days to relax.

The family loved Snowball, and every night after dinner, they took Snowball and Fu Shizhao for a walk, sometimes accompanied by Cotton Candy.

In a small park near Tang’s home, several children around Tang Mian’s age were almost crying out of envy, clamoring for their parents to get them a cute little dog like Snowball.

Tang Mian proudly walked with Snowball in the park, showing off.

Fu Shizhao saw his little actions and his eyes softened.

His young master was always so cute…

On the first day of elementary school, Shen Siwan began to feel a bit anxious. This reminded Tang Mian of his first day at kindergarten.

Elementary school was different from kindergarten.

Kindergarten classes had fewer students, and teachers could accurately attend to each child’s emotions. In elementary school, there were far more students in a class, and teachers may not have the energy to attend to each student.

Tang Mian had a hearing problem in his right ear. Although he could restore his hearing by wearing a hearing aid, he was different from normal children, and sometimes he had difficulty immediately discerning fast speech.

Shen Siwan worried that he might face some difficulties in class.

Even though they had already explained the situation to the teacher and arranged for Fu Shizhao to sit next to Tang Mian, Shen Siwan couldn’t let go of her underlying worries.

But the day had arrived, and no matter how much she fretted, they could only take it one step at a time. Hoping that everything would turn out fine.

Carrying matching backpacks, Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao waved goodbye to his parents and walked into the classroom. Several students had already taken their seats, and Tang Mian quickly spotted Mu Zichen standing in the corner, trying to appear cool with sunglasses on.

 Tang Mian approached him with a smile and took off the sunglasses from his face, placing them on Fu Shizhao beside him. Tang Mian personally thought that Fu Shizhao looked even cooler with them on.

Fu Shizhao had grown taller over the summer break, and his physique was well-proportioned due to practicing martial arts. He was much healthier compared to the previous year at the same age.

Mu Zichen had slimmed down since their last encounter. With a little more weight loss and growth, he would be just about perfect.

Mysteriously, Mu Zichen took out two pens from his pocket and smiled, saying, “Here’s a gift for you guys.”

“…”

If Tang Mian remembered correctly, teachers would often ask students to practice handwriting with pens in elementary school.

In the previous life, Tang Mian had decent handwriting, while Fu Shizhao’s handwriting was messy and frequently criticized by the Chinese language teacher. He had to spend time in high school trying to improve his messy handwriting.

The reason was that Fu Shizhao despised using pens.

Because pen ink easily stained clothes and paper, he unintentionally rebelled against it throughout elementary school.

But things were different this time. Grandma Fu hired a calligraphy teacher for Fu Shizhao, and after seeing his work, it was clear that he had a talent for it.

Fu Shizhao genuinely disliked using pens for handwriting practice.

He remembered it vividly. The first time he used a pen, the ink stained the new clothes Auntie Wanwan specially bought to celebrate his entrance into elementary school. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t wash away the ink stains. He felt sad for a long time. Tang Mian eventually swapped his clothes with Fu Shizhao’s to ease his heart, but he never wanted to use a pen again.

But in this life, Fu Shizhao was diligently practicing his handwriting.

According to Grandma Fu, Grandpa Fu used to love calligraphy, so she hired a calligraphy teacher for Fu Shizhao as well. Seeing him earnestly practicing calligraphy made Grandma Fu very happy.

It wasn’t because he knew about Grandpa Fu’s love for calligraphy. It was because in the previous life, Tang Mian received a beautifully written love letter. Although he had no interest in the sender, he still cherished that letter.

The young master had always loved beautiful things, purely and sincerely.

Because of that incident, he had worked hard to improve his handwriting. Unfortunately, the results were minimal in the short term, at most preventing the Chinese language teacher from furrowing their brows.

After receiving the pens, Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao also prepared gifts for Mu Zichen.

The gift was something they made together—a small white cat made of wool felt, with its fur meticulously crafted using a felting needle. It was the size of a six-year-old’s palm and really cute.

Mu Zhichen’s eyes lit up the moment he saw the little cat.

They knew that Mu Zichen loved cats, but they were also aware that Mu Zichen’s dad was allergic to animal fur, which is why Mu Zichen couldn’t have a cat at home.

Every time Mu Zichen visited Tang Mian’s house, he would spend a long time cuddling the cats, almost wishing to suck all the fur off the little cats.

Coincidentally, Tang Mian had a habit of collecting the fallen fur of cotton candy. A few days ago, they noticed that the small box used to collect the fur was almost full. They came up with the idea of making a small gift for Mu Zichen, together with Fu Shizhao.

Tang Mian had good manual skills after all. As an art student, their range of skills extended beyond just drawing. There were many areas that required hands-on work.

Fu Shizhao assisted him with the tools while Shen Siwan sat nearby, worried. After all, felting needles were quite dangerous. Even a small prick could puncture the skin, and the thought of something worse happening was too terrifying to contemplate.

But Tang Mian’s hands were steady. He never got pricked by the needle, and soon, a cute little white cat took shape in his hands.

In fact, Tang Mian also made a small dog for Fu Shizhao. It was because Fu Shizhao’s longing gaze was impossible to ignore.

Since he liked it so much… making one more wouldn’t hurt.

After all, Cotton Candy was a long-haired cat, and it shed fur quite a lot. It would be a shame not to use it for felting these little creations. When Snowball grows a bit bigger, Tang Mian can use its fur to make dog-shaped felt too.

Mu Zichen was overjoyed to receive the little felted cat. Carefully, he hung it on their backpack zipper. Tang Mian had added a chain to it, which conveniently turned it into a hanging decoration.

Soon, all the students in the class arrived. The teacher asked each of them to come up to the front and introduce themselves, and then instructed everyone to write their names on the blackboard.

Seating arrangements on the first day of school were random, first come, first served. After a period of familiarity, the teacher would make adjustments based on factors like height.

Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao naturally chose to sit together, while Mu Zichen sat in the row behind them, with a boy who had arrived late as their desk mate.

Not all kindergarten classmates would reunite in elementary school. Apart from Mu Zichen, Tang Mian looked around the class but didn’t see any other familiar faces from kindergarten.

However, he did recognize several students, probably from the previous life. Tang Mian couldn’t recall their names anymore, but he simply felt a sense of familiarity.

Watching the boy sitting behind them stand up and walk to the front of the classroom, Fu Shizhao’s eyebrows slightly furrowed. The boy seemed very tense as he stood at the front, and his eyes turned red after speaking only a few words.

The teacher quickly comforted and guided him, soothing his emotions after a while.

Sniffling, the boy took the chalk handed to him by the teacher and wrote three crooked words on the blackboard. It took some effort to decipher what the words meant.

Fu Shizhao didn’t need to read them to know.

It said, “Fu Jiacao.”

This person is also a child of the same generation as the Fu family.

His grandmother used to be a maid in the Fu family, without any notable background. His father was also a low-key person in the Fu family, and his mother was an ordinary woman from a regular family. Consequently, his position within the Fu family was quite awkward.

In the previous life, he didn’t have the ability to stand up for himself and was treated like a transparent person in the Fu family.

But the reason why Fu Shizhao had a somewhat lasting impression of him was because of his overly weak personality. He was always manipulated by other members of the Fu family to deal with Fu Shizhao, even though he didn’t have any ill intentions towards him.

Fu Shizhao couldn’t bring himself to feel sympathy for him.

However, after taking over the family business, Fu Shizhao simply dismissed him and his parents without doing anything to harm them. He had no interest in them.

Fu Shizhao just hoped that he wouldn’t provoke him and Tang Mian.

It would be best if he could change his seat and not sit so close to them.

But Mu Zichen made Fu Shizhao’s temples throb with anger.

Before the self-introduction segment had even ended, Mu Zichen unilaterally declared a brotherhood with Fu Jiacao, making him laugh and alleviating his previously teary eyes. Mu Zichen even said that they were destined to be close friends and would be deskmates for the next six years.

Fu Jiacao didn’t say much, but he responded to every sentence, showing that he was also happy to make new friends.

However, his personality was not as outgoing as Mu Zichen’s. He was not proactive and spoke softly. It seemed like he was also prone to crying.

Fu Shizhao: ………

Can’t we change this person’s social butterfly attribute? Why does he always behave like this since childhood?

Fu Shizhao secretly thought about the possibility of keeping Mu Zichen and Fu Jiacao away from him and Tang Mian.

Soon, that possibility became zero.

It seemed like Fu Jiacao really liked Tang Mian.

It was all because when Tang Mian had just finished class, they took out a box of strawberries from their drawer and distributed them to the surrounding children, and Fu Jiacao received one too.

The strawberries were big and sweet.

Although he was from the Fu family, his personality was not likable. Whenever there were family gatherings and many children gathered to distribute snacks or small toys, he would be left out.

At first, he would feel aggrieved, but his mother always told him not to compete with his older siblings. She would gently pat his little head, her eyes filled with emotions he couldn’t understand, and then she would hold his hand and take him to the street to buy him snacks and small toys.

Over time, he came to understand that he was always excluded in such situations.

When he saw Tang Mian distributing strawberries, he instinctively lowered his head and consciously tried to diminish his own presence. Deep down, he still felt hurt during these moments, but he had grown accustomed to it and wouldn’t shed tears over such circumstances anymore. However, a fair little hand held out a bright red strawberry in front of him. Fu Jiacao widened his eyes in disbelief, staring for several seconds before accepting the strawberry. He actually had a strawberry too.

Tang Mian didn’t overlook him.

He really liked Tang Mian!

As Fu Jiacao continued eating, tears suddenly welled up in his eyes, and in no time, he was crying uncontrollably. It was only when Tang Mian heard him sniffling that they noticed his tears and froze in surprise. Tang Mian couldn’t fathom the reason behind his tears.

Could it be that the strawberry was so delicious it made him cry?

This person indeed seems to have a tendency to cry easily. During the self-introduction earlier, he almost burst into tears.

Now that the strawberry season has passed, these strawberries were specially air-shipped by his grandmother to celebrate the start of his elementary school. The taste was truly exceptional.

There were plenty of strawberries, so Tang Mian brought a box with him to make good impressions with his classmates.

Seeing his tears becoming more intense, Tang Mian quickly took out a tissue from his backpack and wiped away his tears.

Fu Shizhao frowned even more upon witnessing this. He took the tissue from Tang Mian’s hand and said, “Let me do it, Gege.”

Tang Mian had only eaten half of the strawberry he was holding, but he didn’t refuse and let Fu Shizhao wipe away the tears.

After clumsily wiping away the tears, Fu Shizhao casually tossed the tissue to Mu Zichen, who was sitting beside him with a blank expression, saying, “You do it. I can’t turn around easily.”

Mu Zichen quickly took the tissue and gently wiped away Fu Jiacao’s tears.

He was the only child in the family and also the youngest among the cast members. People around him always took care of him, and this was his first time taking care of someone else.

“Why did you suddenly cry?” Mu Zichen tentatively asked.

Fu Jiacao sniffled and replied, “The strawberry… the strawberry is so delicious.”

Mu Zichen was puzzled. “Ah… I see,” he said, still confused.

Eating something delicious should make you smile, shouldn’t it? Tang Mian couldn’t help but be stunned.

It’s really a kindred spirit to be moved to tears by the taste of strawberries.

Tang Mian, the Strawberry Enthusiast, was overjoyed and quickly handed two more strawberries to him.

Fu Jiacao felt warm inside. With Mu Zichen wiping away his tears, he stopped crying and obediently lowered his head to enjoy the strawberries. Tang Mian was also very happy. He hadn’t met anyone else who loved strawberries as much as he did.

With this strawberry bond, Fu Jiacao became more proactive towards Tang Mian and even gave him his favorite pen as a gift.

After every class, Fu Jiacao would gently poke Tang Mian’s back and have a chat with him for a while. If he noticed that Tang Mian wanted to go to the restroom, he would immediately hold his hand and go together.

He even learned how to write Tang Mian’s name and drew a poorly-drawn little strawberry for him. Fu Shizhao secretly compared it to his own drawing and found it even worse.

But what annoyed Fu Shizhao the most was when this person, after finding out that Tang Mian was one month older than him, started calling him “Tang Mian gege” (older brother).

“gege, can I borrow your pen?” “Gege, let’s go get some water to drink!” “Gege, I dropped something. Can you help me pick it up?” “Thank you, gege.”

Annoyingly, Tang Mian didn’t react at all. He didn’t correct Fu Jiacao’s way of addressing him and allowed him to continue calling him gege. Fu Shizhao really wanted to transform into a cotton candy that saw a dog and punch everyone, especially this Fu Jiacao.

Finally, right before the last class started, Fu Shizhao held Fu Jiacao’s hand, who wanted to go to the restroom with Tang Mian. His eyes were dark and unclear.

Coincidentally, Mu Zichen was not around.

Under Fu Jiacao’s puzzled gaze, Fu Shizhao slowly spoke, “Tang Mian is my gege (older brother), you can’t call him gege.”

Fu Shizhao felt that his tone was already quite gentle. If this person wasn’t a six-year-old child, but a little older, he wouldn’t have been this polite.

But when he saw Fu Jiacao’s eye rims turning red, the veins on Fu Shizhao’s temples started pulsating.

In no time, tears welled up in Fu Jiacao’s eyes, filled with sadness. But he really wanted to call Tang Mian gege… He really wanted an older brother who would treat him well, just like how Tang Mian treated Fu Shizhao.

At that moment, Tang Mian, who had quickly finished using the restroom, turned back and happened to meet Mu Zichen, who was returning with a water pitcher. The two of them walked back towards their seats together.

From a distance, they could hear Fu Jiacao crying.

As they got closer, they could clearly see his teary face.

Why was he crying again?

Tang Mian unconsciously quickened his pace.

Fu Shizhao, with a face full of frustration, was leaning on his desk. He heard Tang Mian’s approaching footsteps but didn’t lift his head. He silently perked up his ears to listen to the sound around him.

“why is Xiao Cao crying again?” Mu Zichen hurriedly wiped away his tears.

Fu Jiacao honestly confessed his inner discomfort, “I… I want to call Tang Mian gege. I want an older brother.”

After hearing this, Tang Mian subconsciously glanced at Fu Shizhao, who had been lying on his desk and seemed a bit off. A suspicion arose in his heart.

Mu Zichen scratched his head, still looking confused, “well, just call him then.”

“But… but Shizhao said Tang Mian is his gege,” Fu Jiacao continued to explain, and his tears flowed even more intensely.

“… aren’t we allowed to have multiple gege?”

Mu Zichen looked puzzled like an outsider. Fu Shizhao secretly rolled his eyes.

Tsk, why does this fella smell like green tea from the very beginning? [t/n: green tea=manipulative]

Although Fu Shizhao knew that Fu Jiacao wasn’t being manipulative and was simply answering from the heart, it didn’t stop him from feeling repulsed by him. Tang Mian’s suspicion was confirmed, and his gaze remained on Fu Shizhao without moving away.

So, it’s possessiveness between children, huh?

Fu Shizhao would secretly say such things to Fu Jiacao… he was somewhat surprised, but also felt that it was within reason.

Feeling the slightly heavy gaze on him, Fu Shizhao’s heart unknowingly sped up. He suddenly became worried and… a little less confident.

Now, the best solution would be for Tang Mian to comfort Fu Jiacao like he used to and continue letting him call him gege (older brother).

Most people would do the same, right? Class is about to start, and the teacher is coming soon. They need to quickly stop Fu Jiacao from crying.

Just the thought of Tang Mian having to comfort Fu Jiacao like he used to made Fu Shizhao feel uncomfortable.

There’s no denying it – he was feeling jealous of a child. It’s quite embarrassing, but no one would know. He had to retaliate.

How should he retaliate?

Should he also cry like Fu Jiacao? Pretending to cry was something he was good at.

If he also shed tears, Tang Mian might reconsider letting Fu Jiacao call him gege. It seemed like this was the only way.

Just as Fu Shizhao was preparing to “act,” he suddenly heard Tang Mian speak up, “Zhao Zhao said I’m his only gege, so I can only be his gege. Xiao Cao, why don’t you call Xiao Chen gege from now on? That way, you’ll also have an older brother.”

Upon hearing this, Fu Shizhao’s heart started pounding, almost ready to jump out of his chest.

Tang Mian’s words were a bit fast, and Fu Jiacao, who was already feeling down, listened with a dazed expression. In the end, he only caught the phrase “that way, you’ll also have an older brother.” He blinked his eyes, sensing that something was off but also feeling like it was the right thing to do.

Mu Zichen, unaffected, said, “Sure, sure, from now on, I’ll be your gege. Don’t worry, I’ll only be your gege.”

Fu Jiacao was stunned for a moment, and then finally stopped crying and smiled.

He had an older brother now!

Seeing this, Tang Mian smiled and turned back, his gaze falling on Fu Shizhao, who was still lying motionless on the desk. The curve of his eyes deepened, and he gently poked his fluffy little head with a finger.

Fu Shizhao’s whole body tensed up at Tang Mian’s touch, silently relieved that his nervousness, shyness, or guilt didn’t show on his face or ears. It was not easy to give away any hint.

Suddenly, Tang Mian leaned closer to him, or rather, closer to his ear, and whispered, “Don’t worry, I’m only your gege.”

Fu Shizhao felt like he was floating on cloud nine.

Seeing that Fu Shizhao still didn’t lift his head to acknowledge him, Tang Mian pondered for a moment and continued, “I’ll draw you another picture when we get back. You can ask for anything you want.”

Fu Shizhao loved the drawings Tang Mian made. Every time he received one, it made him so happy. Still, no reaction.

Fu Shizhao was being unreasonable and testing Tang Mian’s limits, but he wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to indulge himself. He wanted Tang Mian to know how important he was to him.

Tang Mian didn’t feel annoyed or think that Fu Shizhao was being unreasonable. He continued to think of ways to comfort Fu Shizhao, almost coming up with one after another, and whispered them into his ear.

Finally, when the bell for class preparation rang, Fu Shizhao discreetly turned his head slightly and sneakily glanced at Tang Mian with one eye. His voice was soft, as if he was being coquettish, “Will you keep your promises, gege?”

Just as they started elementary school, the children were not very quiet. Even when the bell rang for class preparation, they were still whispering to each other, making the classroom noisy. Fu Shizhao’s words blended into these conversations and didn’t seem out of place.

Tang Mian nodded and lowered his eyes, giving Fu Shizhao’s head another pat. He said, “I’ll keep my promises.”

“Then I want a pat first,” Fu Shizhao said.

Tang Mian: Well, I’ll give you a pat tonight.

Fu Shizhao: I haven’t decided what to see you draw yet. Gege, write me an IOU.

Tang Mian: Sure.

Tang Mian immediately tore off a sticky note and handed it to him, saying, “You write it.” Fu Shizhao finally sat up straight, picked up a pen, and carefully wrote something on the sticky note. Soon, he handed the completed IOU to Tang Mian. Tang Mian lowered his eyelashes and carefully read it.

The handwriting was neat.

[IOU]

[The debtor owes the creditor a drawing, any subject is acceptable]

[Creditor: Fu Shizhao]

[Debtor: ]

Staring at the seemingly serious IOU and the mismatched words “any subject is acceptable,” a deeper smile appeared in Tang Mian’s eyes. He gladly wrote his name after “debtor.

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