Returning to Infancy with my Nemesis - Chapter 59

Since the day they met by the river, the yellow-haired boy hasn’t bothered Tang Mian anymore.

It is said that the yellow-haired boy dyed his hair back to its original color, took off his studded clothes and shoes, and started wearing school uniforms and sneakers. He stopped skipping classes and his exam ranking rose by two spots, now being the third from the bottom.

Not long after, both his father and mother came to the parent-teacher meeting.

The reason was that he had been too “well-behaved” during this period, and they were afraid he was planning something big. When they arrived, they were greatly surprised to see his desk piled up with various study materials.

Tang Mian didn’t pay much attention to it. As Mu Zichen said, he only listened to half of it before switching to other gossip.

Tang Mian didn’t have much interest either, and even if he listened, he didn’t take it to heart. After all, it wasn’t someone important.

Mu Zichen naturally received a sharp gaze from Fu Shizhao, which prompted him to quickly change the topic.

Being fourteen or fifteen years old, not too young but not too old either, they could still sense some things vaguely.

But since they were both brothers, Mu Zichen had decent emotional intelligence and knew not to get too involved. It was better to see through things without exposing them.

Junior high school didn’t have as much pressure as high school, and there were no evening self-study sessions. Sometimes, if they finished their homework quickly, they could play a little longer before going to sleep.

Both Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao already had their own mobile phones in junior high school.

There was a popular mobile game at the moment, and many classmates were playing it, including Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao.

In the previous life, Tang Mian had also played the game with Fu Shizhao, but it wasn’t as fun as this life.

In the previous life, Fu Shizhao used Fu Yu’s old phone and refused Shen Siwan’s kind offer to buy him and Tang Mian the same new phone. After all, for a middle school student, a phone was just a tool and could easily lead to addiction. It was better to make do with what worked.

Tang Mian still remembered Fu Shizhao’s old phone. It had very little storage space, drained battery quickly, couldn’t run games, heated up after playing for a while, and was very laggy.

So in the previous life, Fu Shizhao mostly stuck by Tang Mian’s side, watching him play games, unable to play together.

Later, he found it boring and stopped playing as well.

In this life, Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao bought the same model of phone, the latest one on the market, with excellent performance and smooth gaming experience.

Tang Mian even personally drew a phone case with a cat and a dog, customized it online, and gave the one with the dog pattern to Fu Shizhao. [t/n : This reminds me of the novel cover haha, tang mian has cat ears]

The two of them always pulled Mu Zichen and Fu Jiacao to play together.

Fu Jiacao liked playing support roles, Mu Zichen enjoyed playing tank characters with high health points, Tang Mian liked playing ranged characters, and Fu Shizhao preferred melee combat.

Surprisingly, they were quite formidable when they cooperated.

However, they didn’t get too addicted to the game either.

In Tang Mian’s eyes, the game was just a form of entertainment.

For Fu Shizhao, the game was just another activity he did with Tang Mian. If Tang Mian played, he played; if Tang Mian didn’t play, he couldn’t be bothered to play either.

On the other hand, Mu Zichen always pulled Fu Jiacao to play duo matches. There were several times when Tang Mian saw them still online playing together when he logged off after staying up late on weekends to play and claim rewards.

Tang Mian always had a smile on his face.

Well, children are easily immersed in something at this age, it’s normal.

If everyone restrained themselves like Fu Shizhao, it would be too boring.

Yes, as Fu Shizhao grew older, he gave Tang Mian more of the feeling of the Fu Shizhao from the previous life, after their relationship fell apart.

Perhaps Fu Shizhao, growing up in such a privileged environment, was meant to be like this.

Clearly… Tang Mian should dislike this kind of Fu Shizhao, but he couldn’t find any reason to dislike him. Instead, he felt happier being around this kind of Fu Shizhao.

In fact, Tang Mian knew deep down that in the previous life, after being brought back, Fu Shizhao became even more dazzling and outstanding. Apart from not staying by his side anymore, there was nothing to fault him for.

And in this life… Fu Shizhao still stood by his side, and their relationship was good. Tang Mian enjoyed it, so how could he dislike it?

Tang Mian initially thought that their junior high school would go smoothly, just like elementary school, but unexpectedly, some things happened towards the end. One of them didn’t go as planned, but the other… it’s hard to say, it was just interesting. Coincidentally, both events happened on the same day. It was a math competition in the third year of junior high school.

That year, they had just turned 15.

As usual, Tang Mian accompanied Fu Shizhao to the neighboring city to participate.

He knew that Fu Shizhao liked maths a lot. Over the years, he participated in the maths competition every year and achieved impressive results. The math competition lasted only one day, on a Saturday. They planned to play there on Sunday after finishing the exam on Saturday and then return.

Their family had already booked a nearby five-star hotel for them. Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao didn’t want their family members to accompany them. They only allowed Fu Shizhao’s grandmother to send bodyguards to follow them, so as not to disturb them and provide transportation, which was convenient.

After all, they were still one year away from turning 16. Although it was just in the neighboring city, they were more mature compared to other children of the same age. But still, they couldn’t help but worry.

On Friday night, they checked into a hotel in the neighboring city. While Fu Shizhao was reviewing, Tang Mian quietly sat beside him, drawing on his tablet. When Fu Shizhao finished reviewing, Tang Mian’s drawing was also complete.

It was a lively chibi character with dog ears, wearing a shirt that had the nickname Tang Mian gave him, “Fu Xiaogou” (Little Fu Dog), holding a perfect test paper. At the top of the drawing were four words — “Victory from the start.” The drawing was the size of a phone wallpaper.

Over the years, Tang Mian often drew these chibi character based on himself and people around him.

When he was happy, he drew the chibi character eating strawberry candy, picking strawberries, or wagging its tail. When he wasn’t happy, he would draw various funny expressions on the chibi character’s face. Over the years, Fu Shizhao had almost collected a complete set. Sometimes, when chatting with them, Fu Shizhao would also use these emojis/stickers.

When they went out to play, Tang Mian would add this chibi character to the landscapes he liked.

Sometimes, Fu Shizhao wondered if Tang Mian had gotten used to bullying him, would he want to keep bullying him forever.

He could sense that Tang Mian also had some special feelings for him.

But he wasn’t sure what exactly those feelings were.

Tang Mian probably didn’t even know what those feelings were either.

He was afraid… it was a familial bond.

Too many things had happened between him and Tang Mian, especially with the element of rebirth, deepening their connection. However, sometimes overly intense emotions, after experiencing so much fermentation, tended to become calm and transform into gentle familial affection. He firmly believed that the initial form of love was passionate.

It should be a surging wave, not a quiet stream.

“I sent it to you, a lucky wallpaper  for tomorrow’s victory.” Tang Mian’s eyes curved as he patted Fu Shizhao’s shoulder.

Fu Shizhao quickly lowered his head to open his phone. Inside the friend chat with the nickname “Gege,” he received the drawing and promptly set it as his new lock screen wallpaper.

Although he no longer called Tang Mian “gege,” Tang Mian didn’t mind him setting his nickname like that.

After doing all of this, Fu Shizhao raised his gaze and met his eyes, smiling as he replied, “You still worry about me.” He felt very reassured.

Tang Mian smiled and got up, saying, “I’ll go take a shower. You can continue reading for a while.”

“Okay.”

Every time he said he was accompanying Fu Shizhao to study, it was actually an excuse for him to relax and take a break.

Recently, he didn’t know if his sister-in-law and his mom had talked about something, but his mom had also started gossiping, always subtly hinting and asking if he had someone he liked.

His mom even nostalgically said that it was thanks to him that he had brought his brother and sister-in-law closer. Otherwise, with his brother’s straightforward personality, they probably wouldn’t even exchange a few words.

However, Tang Mian knew that his sister-in-law liked his brother’s personality. If his brother weren’t a big straight man but someone good at sweet talk, his sister-in-law might not have liked him so much.

After all, when you like someone, you will definitely like every aspect of them. Even if some things may seem like flaws, in the eyes of a loved one, they are still very adorable.

After taking a shower, his hair was still dripping because it had grown long. Tang Mian thought for a moment and walked out of the bathroom wearing pajamas. He held a towel around his hair, ready to ask Fu Shizhao to help blow-dry it. Later, when Fu Shizhao finished showering, he would help blow-dry his hair too.

Blowing his own hair was indeed not as convenient and quick as having someone else do it for him.

He had started growing out his hair, planning to have a wolf tail hairstyle like in his previous life.

In his previous life, the initial intention of having this hairstyle was to cover up the voice changer in his right ear. He was still very sensitive back then.

Unexpectedly, this hairstyle suited him quite well by chance, and he also liked it.

However, in his previous life, he cut his hair short after entering college. After cutting it, he regretted it, but at that time, there were too many things going on, and he didn’t have the mood to take care of his hair. He was too busy to have the energy to be sensitive anymore.

In this life, he wanted to grow out his hair simply because he liked it.

They remembered that there were no specific rules in high school that prohibited having long hair, but it wasn’t allowed to be loose because it would obstruct the line of sight. If they got distracted during class, the teacher standing at the podium wouldn’t be able to see clearly. Dyeing hair was also not allowed, but other than that, there weren’t many requirements.

During class, he would just tie his hair up with a small hairband, just like he did in his previous life.

The teacher never said anything to him. They knew he wanted to cover his ears, so they took care of his emotions.

Fu Shizhao, who was initially reading the wrong question, instinctively looked up when he heard a sound. Unexpectedly, he saw Tang Mian wearing only pants, with water droplets falling from the ends of his hair. His fingers, clutching the wrong question book, tightened unconsciously, and his fingertips turned slightly pale.

They were both boys, so there shouldn’t be much to worry about. It was normal to be shirtless.

But it was different for Fu Shizhao because he had ulterior motives towards Tang Mian.

Fu Shizhao quickly lowered his eyelashes and silently repeated in his mind—

Tang Mian is only fifteen years old now, and there are still three more years.

Even though they both have the souls of adults residing in their bodies.

Not long after, Tang Mian came to him, and his voice echoed above his head:  “Help me blow-dry my hair.”

Fu Shizhao pursed his lips slightly. “Put your clothes on first.”

Tang Mian, who was casually drying his hair with a towel, paused. Thinking he found something interesting, he teased, “Why would you be shy now?”

From childhood to now, they had taken many baths together, but for some reason, he started feeling shy as they grew up. Fu Shizhao, after hearing this, suddenly stood up, took Tang Mian’s shirt from his hands, and personally helped him put it on.

The pajama top had a button design, making it easy to wear.

Then, Fu Shizhao took the slightly damp towel from Tang Mian’s hand and draped it around his neck, preventing the water from his hair from wetting the collar.

Before Tang Mian could react, he was pushed onto a stool.

Soon, the sound of a hairdryer filled the room. Feeling the warm air on his head, Tang Mian smiled and didn’t continue teasing him.

Fifteen-year-old Fu Shizhao… was quite cute.

In no time, Tang Mian’s hair was dry. Fu Shizhao tidied up his study materials on the desk and went to the bathroom with his pajamas.

Instead of immediately lying-in bed, Tang Mian sat down, casually flipping through Fu Shizhao’s study materials, waiting for him to finish washing so he could blow-dry his hair.

The math competition questions for the third year were already giving him a headache. After glancing through the notebook for a while, he closed it and yawned.

When Fu Shizhao came out of the shower, Tang Mian was already yawning a lot.

Fu Shizhao’s eyes showed a trace of helplessness. He said with a slight complaint, “If you’re tired, go to sleep. Why are you still sitting here?”

Yawning, Tang Mian picked up the hairdryer from the table, pointed to the stool where he had just sat, indicating that he should sit down for him to blow-dry his hair.

Fu Shizhao couldn’t refuse, so he sat down obediently, letting Tang Mian blow-dry his hair.

His hair wasn’t as long as Tang Mian’s, so it dried quickly. When he was in the bathroom earlier, he had already wiped his hair with a dry towel. In a short while, Tang Mian had blown it dry.

“Go to sleep,” Fu Shizhao stood up and turned off the main light in the room, leaving only a small bedside lamp.

Actually, this hotel room was a double room, and there were two beds, but Fu Shizhao still got into Tang Mian’s blanket. He used the excuse he had always used — recognizing the wrong bed.

He claimed that he couldn’t sleep well if he didn’t sleep with Tang Mian, which might affect his performance in the exam the next day.

He had used this excuse for the first time when they were still in elementary school.

Originally, Tang Mian planned to sleep in one bed by himself because he thought he might disturb Fu Shizhao’s sleep by hugging him at night, thus affecting his sleep and, subsequently, his exam performance the next day.

Fu Shizhao, with his quick thinking, instantly came up with this excuse.

He was so used to being embraced by Tang Mian as a body pillow that he had long been accustomed to it. Sometimes, not being hugged by Tang Mian at night made it difficult for him to sleep well.

In all subsequent exams away from home, he would sleep in the same bed with Tang Mian at night.

However, fearing that something unexpected might happen at night, their family always booked double rooms for them. Lying in bed, Fu Shizhao quickly fell asleep.

Although Tang Mian was very tired, every time he accompanied Fu Shizhao to exams, he would wait for him to fall asleep first before going to bed. He was afraid that if he fell asleep first, he might not behave well and disturb Fu Shizhao’s sleep, which would become a habit over time.

After falling asleep tonight, Fu Shizhao had a dream.

In the dream, he saw an eighteen-year-old Tang Mian.

At that time, Tang Mian’s hair was already tied up, sometimes casually loose, sometimes tied up with a small hair tie. Every smile, every movement, tugged at his heartstrings.

He asked Granny to clear a room on the third floor for Tang Mian.

The third floor had no residents originally, and most of the rooms were vacant. In the early years, they were used for guests who came to visit.

The third floor was quiet, well-lit, and had a good view. Apart from being a bit hot in the summer, there were no other issues.

Once, Snowball sneaked into the third floor and got lost. It barked for a long time, but the people downstairs didn’t hear it. They thought it was lost until they finally found it with the help of surveillance.

In the dream, a room on the third floor was cleared out as Tang Mian’s art studio, equipped with his drawing board, paper, paint, and brushes.

He gently pushed open the door and quickly closed it, as if afraid of disturbing the teenager inside who was painting.

Naturally, Tang Mian noticed him, but he continued to use the brush to blend colors, not turning his head.

A silver butterfly-shaped earring was worn on the right side of Tang Mian’s ear, connected to a hearing aid. A gentle breeze passed through the window, and with his slight movements, the wings of the small butterfly fluttered.

This reminded him of the scene he saw when he passed by the art studio in his previous life during high school.

Tang Mian still had his back to him, unable to see his face, only vaguely seeing the fluttering wings of the small butterfly. But this time, he didn’t just pass by and leave. Hewalked to his side.

Tang Mian happened to finish the last stroke, seeming to sense the pause behind him, turned around and looked at him. His eyes were curved like a small moon.

It was his appearance at 18.

It was his white moonlight.

The white shirt was stained with colorful pigments, but it didn’t look dirty. Instead, it resembled a piece of art created inadvertently.

Boldly, he unbuttoned his shirt.

He wanted to see the scenery inside that was more beautiful than the artwork.

He had never been so bold before.

Tang Mian didn’t refuse him, but cooperated obediently, with a smile in his eyes. This was his dream, and he was the master here; he could manipulate everything, including Tang Mian.

Including Tang Mian.

Very beautiful.

As expected.

Like fat sheep jade, like the core of a peach blossom. He wasn’t satisfied with just admiring with his eyes. He wanted to appreciate it with more senses.

The drawing room was littered with papers, and paint was scattered everywhere. He held the brush in his hand with malicious intent, staining the artwork on the beautiful paper.

The sunlight outside was just right.

When Fu Shizhao woke up the next day, he was completely confused.

Tang Mian hadn’t woken up yet and was still holding onto him like a body pillow, with his legs resting on him.

It was still early.

It was just his biological clock acting up.

If it were any other day, he would continue to hold Tang Mian and go back to sleep for a while longer, but today was different. He hurriedly freed himself from Tang Mian’s embrace, got out of bed, and headed straight to the bathroom.

To wash… his pants.

Fu Shizhao thought his movements were already light enough, but unexpectedly, Tang Mian suddenly appeared in the bathroom when he put his pants in the dryer.

Tang Mian woke up because he couldn’t find anything to hold onto while tossing and turning on the bed. After waking up, he found that Fu Shizhao was no longer in bed. He glanced at the time on his phone and realized it was still early, so he followed the sound and came to the bathroom to see if something had happened.

Unexpectedly, he stumbled upon this scene.

Tang Mian’s gaze shifted from confusion to a meaningful look, and… a faint sense of satisfaction.

Fu Shizhao:

Actually, in the previous life, he had dreams like this many times, and he experienced the same physiological response upon waking up. However, no situation was more embarrassing than the current one. Being caught washing pants by the subject of his dream…

Fu Shizhao really wanted to escape from here instantly.

Tang Mian’s voice was still a bit hoarse after waking up. He smiled and said,” It’s okay, you’re fifteen, it’s normal.”

 After saying this, his smile increased, and he turned away. Staying longer would make him feel very embarrassed and might affect today’s exam.

However, Tang Mian’s steps couldn’t help but become much lighter.

The child has grown up.

Fu Shizhao:  …  

Fu Shizhao gritted his teeth and put his pants into the dryer, squatting next to it, contemplating about life. Fifteen years old… it’s indeed normal.

Most boys did experience this kind of situation around the age of fifteen; it was a normal physiological and psychological response to development.

He had a similar reaction around the same time last time, but back then, his feelings for Tang Mian weren’t very clear yet. He was still in the stage of slowly figuring things out.

But unexpectedly, while he was still figuring things out, he completely fell into it.

Indeed, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.

But this time is different. In the dream, he did something very excessive to Tang Mian. His little secret must not be known by anyone.

Fu Shizhao began to recall some mathematical formulas that might be used in today’s competition, attempting to drive these distracting thoughts out of his mind with serious knowledge.

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