Returning to Infancy with my Nemesis - Chapter 63

“Let’s go.” Tang Mian turned around and opened the door to the bathroom.

Fu Shizhao followed him happily. After closing the bathroom door, Tang Mian helped him take off his clothes.

Fu Shizhao was still wearing the loose short sports suit he wore when playing basketball today, which was relatively easy to take off.

Fu Shizhao also cooperated, and Tang Mian almost effortlessly put all his clothes into the laundry basket in the bathroom.

During the summer vacation, his older brother and sister-in-law took the two of them to the seaside for a trip. After coming out of the sea, they took a shower together in the hotel and played with shower gel bubbles for a long time. They also often went to the toilet together during class breaks. There was hardly any place that Fu Shizhao hadn’t seen.

Tang Mian unabashedly swept his gaze over Fu Shizhao’s body. Very beautiful and well-defined abs.

He still remembered when Fu Shizhao first developed his abs, he excitedly ran up to him and said he wanted to show him something. Tang Mian even thought for a moment about what that something could be, thinking it might be a gift he wanted to give him.

But to his surprise, Fu Shizhao directly lifted his shirt to show off his abs.

Tang Mian envied and touched them for a long time.

There is no boy who doesn’t like such things. There is no art student who doesn’t appreciate a beautiful physique.

But Tang Mian knew very well that he wasn’t someone who enjoyed sports. Walking the dog after meals, physical education classes, and occasional outings were already enough physical activity for him.

Having well-defined abs is not something that comes easily. Especially for high school students who spend most of their time sitting in the classroom, with limited opportunities for exercise.

Just looking at other people’s abs is enough to satisfy his cravings.

Tang Mian shifted his gaze away from the well-defined abs and looked at Fu Shizhao’s waist. Besides the broken arm, there were also some scratches on his calf and right side of the waist, probably from when he scraped against the ground.

The scratches on his calf had been treated, but not the ones on his waist. They were covered by his clothes, so he didn’t notice them.

Tang Mian frowned slightly, raised his hand, and touched the scabbed wound. He asked, “Why didn’t you apply medicine to this area?”

Although he couldn’t see it, Fu Shizhao could definitely feel it. After all, the area of the scrape wasn’t small, and he wouldn’t overlook it on his own body.

Tang Mian’s fingers were slightly cold, and Fu Shizhao’s gaze followed his finger to his waist. He explained in a low voice, “Ge, it’s just a minor injury. I didn’t pay attention to it.”

He was always someone who could endure pain, and he had been practicing Sanda since he was young. Sanda is a combat sport with strong opposition and is prone to injuries. He had long been accustomed to these minor injuries and pains.

When he was younger, his foster father saw the small injuries left by Sanda on his body and asked him tenderly if he wanted to switch to a gentler Taekwondo, but he refused. Sanda’s speed and power were far greater than Taekwondo, and he preferred Sanda more.

But this time was different from the math competition in the third year of junior high school.

This time, he didn’t intentionally hurt himself. He was just afraid that Tang Mian would be hit by the basketball. Before his brain could react, his body moved forward to block the ball for him.

Tang Mian let go of his hand, looked at him discontentedly for a moment, and didn’t say anything else. He lowered his head slightly and rolled up his sleeves.

He was a bit sensitive to the cold, wearing a thin long-sleeved shirt. If he didn’t roll up his sleeves, it would be easy for his clothes to get wet when helping Fu Shizhao take a shower.

Although he would also take a shower and change clothes later, he didn’t like the feeling of clothes sticking to his skin after they got wet. It’s better to avoid it if possible.

Tang Mian turned on the showerhead and adjusted the temperature. He put shower gel on the bath sponge and handed it to Fu Shizhao, saying, “You wash the parts you can reach first, and I’ll help you with the parts you can’t reach.”

“Okay.” Fu Shizhao obediently reached out his uninjured left hand to take the bath sponge and lowered his head to create bubbles on his body.

It was still a bit hot during the “autumn” period, so he would take a quick shower every night. There were only sweat stains left from playing basketball this afternoon, so it was enough to lather up with shower gel and rinse it off.

After rinsing his hands covered in bubbles under the water, Tang Mian leaned against the wall and watched him shower, intending to lend a hand only when he needed help.

After all, he didn’t have a fetish for bathing others.

The water temperature wasn’t set too high, but the bathroom quickly filled with a thin layer of mist.

Tang Mian suddenly remembered some rumors about Fu Shizhao from his past life. Since they had nothing better to do, why not have a chat? He decided to ask, “by the way… what kind of person do you like?”

In his past life, Fu Shizhao had no scandals in that area and never had a partner or lover. It was strange for someone with absolute advantages in all aspects like him. Even if he had nothing else, his appearance alone should have made him popular.

Fu Shizhao paused his showering motion, a hint of confusion appeared in his eyes as he met Tang Mian’s gaze. He asked uncertainly, “What do you mean?”

“I mean the type of person you’re attracted to,” Tang Mian further explained, “Many people have confessed to you, but I’ve noticed that you didn’t react much. I’m just curious. “

Fu Shizhao knew that Tang Mian’s curiosity was genuine, without any other emotions or ulterior motives. He continued to lower his head and lather himself with shower gel, pretending to casually throw the question back, “What about you? What type do you like?”

Tang Mian furrowed his brows, not falling for it. “I’m asking you.”

Fu Shizhao made a sound of understanding, ” I don’t know, I prefer math. “

Tang Mian: “… ” Tang Mian fell silent. This person… is so odd.

In his past life, he was obsessed with work, and in this life, he was obsessed with studying. Being single was his destiny. Tang Mian couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated.

“What about you?” Fu Shizhao threw the question back at him. He also handed the bath sponge to Tang Mian, asking him to help with the parts he couldn’t reach.

Tang Mian took the bath sponge and stood by his side, using the opportunity to learn more. “I like painting.”

Fu Shizhao didn’t continue asking and calmly said, ” We should focus on studying at our age. “

Although he said that, his gaze couldn’t help but wander towards the area on Tang Mian’s chest that was accidentally wet by the showerhead, revealing a hint of fair skin.

He was saying this to Tang Mian, not to himself. He really wanted to start a young romance, with someone.

Tang Mian glanced at Fu Shizhao, his eyes filled with the words “no hope.”

The trend of early relationships in high school was even stronger than in middle school. It had only been a little over a month since they started high school, and there were already several couples in their class.

Some of them became a couple simply because they were assigned as desk mates and got along well. Some started dating after passing a few notes during evening self-study for various reasons.

 Some were attracted by the other person’s appearance or talent and started dating after a few days of pursuit. It was quite hasty.

Tang Mian didn’t have a high opinion of this.

But in his past life, there were couples in their class who started dating in high school and continued until they graduated from college. It could only be considered a rare occurrence.

And now they were in high school, where emotions were still pure. Although Tang Mian didn’t have high expectations, he found it quite interesting. However, he only found it amusing to watch others in early relationships, as he himself had no interest in it.

After all, he was already an adult at heart and had no interest in high school students. High school students were too young and lacked life experience, still very immature. He would rather spend his time drawing, studying, and solving problems.

But to be honest, he was quite curious to see what Fu Shizhao would be like in an early relationship. But it would probably be difficult to witness.

Tang Mian took the bath sponge and helped Fu Shizhao wipe his back and left arm, then rinsed off the bubbles on his body and helped him put on his pajamas before “ushering” him out.

He also needed to take a shower and then do his homework.

Fu Shizhao injured his right hand, so he didn’t have to do the weekend homework, but Tang Mian still had to do his. He quickly took a shower by himself, put on pajamas of a different color but the same style as Fu Shizhao’s, and walked out of the bathroom.

Fu Shizhao was sitting at the table, looking at his phone. Snowball, was obediently sitting by his leg.

Tang Mian approached and glanced at the screen of his phone, realizing it was the interface of the school forum. He casually asked, “Anything interesting? “

“Yes,” Fu Shizhao’s face clearly showed a smile.

Tang Mian’s hand paused as he picked up his backpack and took out the homework for the weekend one by one.

“About the two of us,” Fu Shizhao obediently replied.

With a hint of confusion, Tang Mian took the phone from his hand and scrolled to the top of the post, reading the title. “Fu Shizhao helped Tang Mian after getting injured by a basketball and went to the hospital.”

The title of the post seemed harmless, just stating a fact. But the veins on Tang Mian’s forehead couldn’t help but twitch, sensing that something was off.

Tang Mian continued scrolling down to read the comments.

“I saw it too, scared me to death. Fu Shizhao’s reaction was really fast.”

“I heard he broke his arm bone and had to get a cast, but it’s not a big problem.”

“Will he still be able to make it to the autumn basketball tournament?”

“He will definitely participate in the basketball tournament, but he won’t be able to train during this period. It might affect their ranking and coordination. Fu Shizhao is really good at basketball, so they probably won’t replace him last minute. Even if they do, it’s unlikely that the replacement can catch up with him in such a short time.”

“As long as he’s okay.”

Up until this point, Tang Mian felt everything was normal, until he saw another comment.

“Tang Mian always goes to watch Fu Shizhao play basketball. I heard they’ve been childhood friends, always going to school and leaving together. This time, Tang Mian even sacrificed himself to block the ball. Such a close relationship.”

Tang Mian: …..

“Fu Shizhao even calls Tang Mian ‘Ge,’ so intimate.”

“Fu Shizhao often rides a scooter to the cafeteria during breaks to bring snacks and stationery for Tang Mian. They’re in the same class and have been close friends since the beginning of the school year.”

“I won’t accept it if anyone else gets either of them, but if they keep it within themselves, I fully support it.”

“They are truly a perfect match.”

“The younger one is so attractive, especially since they’re not that far apart in age. Fu Shizhao is even taller and bigger than Tang Mian. A younger, big dog. So tempting.”

“If there’s any latest information about the two of them, please ping me!!”

Tang Mian furrowed his brows and handed the phone back to Fu Shizhao. “What is all this nonsense? How come even Mu Zichen and Xiao Cao are being gossiped about? They’re so weird.”

Although it sounded like he was intentionally using Mu Zichen and Fu Jiacao to cover up the awkwardness between himself and Fu Shizhao, it was something he genuinely wanted to say from the bottom of his heart.

Mu Zichen, that playboy, always had a thing for stunning beauties. There was no way he would have anything with Fu Jiacao.

Fu Jiacao may appear delicate, but he had a strong sense of responsibility and a strong moral compass. He would never fall for someone like Mu Zichen, the playboy.

They were simply good brothers.

In a while, Mu Zichen would probably start flirting with others and change partners every now and then. The rumors would naturally die down. Fu Shizhao smiled but remained silent. That wasn’t necessarily true.

Tang Mian’s biased view of Mu Zichen was too heavy. He always believed that this version of him would also become a playboy, just like in the previous life. It probably had to do with his cryptic nature.

But Fu Shizhao could see that he was indeed very different from his previous self.

“Don’t waste your time on these meaningless things, let’s study vocabulary,” Tang Mian said.

“Okay.” Fu Shizhao obediently switched to studying vocabulary, put on his headphones, and started silently memorizing. Tang Mian also sat down and focused on doing his homework.

Suddenly, Tang Mian looked up, glanced at Fu Shizhao, and unexpectedly said, “don’t call me ‘Ge’ anymore.”

Fu Shizhao took off one of his earphones, blinked his eyes quickly, and asked, “Why?”

Tang Mian hesitated for a moment and replied, “This… term of address isn’t quite appropriate.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Fu Shizhao persisted, refusing to let it go.

Tang Mian opened his mouth, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn’t come up with a reason. In frustration, he lowered his head and continued writing in his notebook. He couldn’t just say it was too ambiguous.

The term “gege” itself was indeed warm and ambiguous, but the problem lay with those people who shipped them together, not the term itself.

Normal people wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with that term of address. But Tang Mian was indeed influenced by the replies in that post. He and Fu Shizhao… what a joke.

They were good friends, good brothers, and their relationship was so close that it could even be considered like family. How could there be anything between him and Fu Shizhao?

It was simply absurd.

Fu Shizhao was just a high school student now, even more immature than other high school friends he knew. He always acted spoiled towards him. Even if he took a step back, it was impossible for him to have any feelings for Fu Shizhao.

Moreover, Fu Shizhao had always regarded him as his only real brother since childhood. There couldn’t possibly be any other thoughts in his mind, otherwise he wouldn’t have openly shared that post with him.

It was just a joke.

Fu Shizhao treated it as a joke too. Seriously, who would think otherwise?

Tang Mian was working on his Chinese language assignment, copying down sentences to practice his handwriting and reinforce the correct writing of each character.

Lost in his thoughts, Tang Mian made a mistake and used correction tape to fix it, making a crisp sound as he corrected the wrong character and rewrote the correct one.

The bright desk lamp illuminated the corrected mistake, making it stand out.

The teacher didn’t actually encourage them to use correction tape, as it wasn’t allowed in the college entrance examination. They needed to develop a habit of not relying on such tools from an early stage. This correction tape was from middle school, and since it hadn’t been used up, Tang Mian continued to use it, planning to stop using it once it was finished.

The correction tape was also a gift from Fu Shizhao, simply because it had a cute white cat pattern on it, like a cotton candy. Come to think of it… many of his stationery items were gifts from Fu Shizhao.

Thinking of the reply under that post about Fu Shizhao riding a small electric scooter during breaks to buy snacks and stationery for him, Tang Mian’s gaze fell on the little cat on the correction tape, and he irritably flipped it over.

That electric scooter belonged to Fu Jiacao. He rode it to school every day. His mother rented a nearby house to accompany him for his studies. It wasn’t far, and riding the small electric scooter was convenient. The school also thoughtfully provided charging stations.

Tang Mian, Fu Shizhao, and Mu Zichen were classmates in the same school. The distance between the school cafeteria and the teaching building was quite far, requiring a considerable amount of time to walk back and forth.

During breaks, Fu Shizhao often rode Fu Jiacao’s small electric scooter, carrying Mu Zichen to the cafeteria to buy food. He would also bring snacks and stationery for Tang Mian and Fu Jiacao.

However, Tang Mian didn’t enjoy riding small electric scooters, motorcycles, bicycles, or any other means of transportation. The wind rushing past his ears made him unconsciously cover his right ear, which felt uncomfortable. As a result, he rarely joined them.

Even when riding in a car, Tang Mian didn’t like to open the windows. Most of the time, he would sit on the left side, ensuring that the wind wouldn’t reach his right ear and disturb his hearing aid.

But bringing some things from the cafeteria was normal, nothing more. It wasn’t just for him, but also for Fu Jiacao. Sometimes, their classmates who were close to them would ask them to bring snacks like spicy strips when they played basketball together.

There was nothing ambiguous about it.

As Tang Mian absentmindedly continued writing in his Chinese textbook, his efficiency was particularly low. It seemed like he wouldn’t finish his homework for the weekend even if he spent the whole day on it.

Meanwhile, Fu Shizhao listened to his silent earphones, his gaze occasionally shifting to the vocabulary book. His heart was in a good mood, thinking about Tang Mian.

Tang Mian did have a reaction to that post.

It was a pleasant surprise for him.

Tang Mian’s feelings leaned more towards a familial bond. After all, he had watched Fu Shizhao grow up since they were young, like raising a small animal.

But the influence from his previous life also had a subtle impact on him. The older he got, the more he resembled the Fu Shizhao from his previous life, and the more he tried to separate himself from the role of a small animal.

It was certain that Tang Mian’s feelings were complex, far from being simple. Even the slightest possibility was enough to make him ecstatic. Due to his low efficiency, Tang Mian finished writing his Chinese homework and then started slacking off.

He started randomly petting snowball, pouring a glass of water for himself and Fu Shizhao, checking his phone for messages, and decisively closing the pen cap to start playing games.

Fu Shizhao, who heard the movement, took off his earphones and leaned over, resting his chin on Tang Mian’s shoulder. His uninjured left hand wrapped around Tang Mian’s shoulder, taking the place of his right hand.

“I want to play too,” Fu Shizhao said.

“Sure, you can play with one hand while Tang Mian and I use one hand each. I’ll invite another friend to join us,” Mu Zichen’s voice suddenly sounded from the phone.

When they play games, Tang Mian, Fu Shizhao, and Mu Zichen usually use voice chat, even when they are at home. After all, Tang Mian wore a hearing aid in his right ear and didn’t like wearing headphones.

“Are you not afraid that we’ll drag you down?” Fu Shizhao responded to Mu Zichen’s comment with a smile, carefully observing Tang Mian’s reaction.

Tang Mian released the hand that Fu Shizhao was holding and handed him the control of the phone on the left side. Perhaps because he was in a good mood while slacking off and playing games, he didn’t resist Fu Shizhao’s intimate touch.

Fu Shizhao was always a bit slow, so it was quite rare for him to have any reaction to that post. Mu Zichen smiled and said, “I believe in your teamwork.”

Fu Jiacao’s voice was gentle, “It’s fine, winning or losing doesn’t matter.” The four of them continued playing games until almost dawn.

To be honest, the coordination between Tang Mian and Fu Shizhao was passable. In other words, whatever Tang Mian said, Fu Shizhao would completely follow, like a very obedient left hand.

In the end, the wins and losses were evenly split, with no increase or decrease in rank.

They were quite happy.

Finally, Tang Mian put the matter of that post from tonight behind him, charged his phone, and urged Fu Shizhao to go to sleep. Tang Mian went straight to the small bed next to Fu Shizhao’s bed.

When he returned, the bodyguard had moved the small bed here, covered with a clean and soft blanket.

When Fu Shizhao was injured in the third year of junior high, Tang Mian slept here to avoid putting pressure on his wound. This time was no different.

Fu Shizhao’s room was quite large, so it didn’t matter if they continued to place this bed here. They wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of moving it back and forth every time.

However, Fu Shizhao placed a big dog bed for snowball next to his bed. If they kept the bed here all the time, snowball’s bed would have to be moved elsewhere, and Snowball wouldn’t be able to sleep by the bed every day.

After thinking for a moment, Tang Mian didn’t say anything. After all, Fu Shizhao was getting older now and wasn’t as prone to getting injured. It didn’t matter if they squeezed onto the same bed.

Turning off the main light in the room, Tang Mian lay on the small bed and glanced at Fu Shizhao, who was still using his phone with one hand. He frowned and asked, “Why are you still playing with your phone?”

Fu Shizhao’s phone had run out of battery from playing games earlier and was currently charging. Otherwise, he would have looked at it for a while before going to sleep.

“I’m browsing the forum. The post has become more and more exciting,” Fu Shizhao smiled and turned around, “Do you want to read it together?”

Tang Mian: …..

Tang Mian snatched his phone and threw it next to the pillow, then grabbed the small dog doll from the bedside and placed it in Fu Shizhao’s hand before turning off the small lamp.

Go to sleep.