Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Qi Yue had once thought about scolding Xiao Yunshuang to drive him away, but Xiao Yunshuang seemed unable to read his hints. No matter how much Qi Yue threatened or intimidated him, the boy stubbornly and strictly carried out the tasks assigned by Old Master Qi.

Whenever Qi Yue was too harsh, Xiao Yunshuang would look at him with tear-filled eyes, silently shedding tears, yet still insist on watching Qi Yue eat, drink, and bask in the sun. Then, he wouldn’t forget to sob and complain to Old Master Qi.

Naturally, Qi Yue would get scolded again.

Qi Yue: …What else can I do? Fine, I’ll just lie low!

After being watched by Xiao Yunshuang for nearly a month, Qi Yue had grown used to his presence. Finally, the Gu couple completed the formalities and found a kindergarten for Xiao Yunshuang.

With Xiao Yunshuang going to school, he no longer needed to keep an eye on Qi Yue.

Qi Yue thought he was finally free, but on the very first day without Xiao Yunshuang’s supervision, he felt uneasy all over. He lost interest in everything, yet his body obediently ate, drank, and basked in the sun on schedule, though he was listless and lacked spirit.

Only when Xiao Yunshuang returned happily from kindergarten in the evening and came to play with him did Qi Yue immediately regain vitality and energy.

The next day, after Xiao Yunshuang went back to school, Qi Yue again felt bored and lifeless.

Qi Yue didn’t understand why he felt this way.

A few days later, the Gu couple unexpectedly took Xiao Yunshuang home early from kindergarten.

Hearing Xiao Yunshuang’s voice outside the door, Qi Yue was surprised and immediately jumped up to open it, indeed seeing the Gu couple and Xiao Yunshuang returned ahead of schedule.

Xiao Yunshuang’s cheeks were flushed and slightly swollen. Upon seeing Qi Yue, he instantly turned teary-eyed, threw himself into his arms, clung tightly, and cried bitterly.

Only when Old Master Qi inquired did they learn that Xiao Yunshuang had been bullied by other children at kindergarten.

Xiao Yunshuang’s health was fragile. He looked small and thin but exquisitely beautiful, with a bit of baby fat on his face, chubby and doll-like. His skin was delicate, white, and tender like jelly—everyone who saw him wanted to pinch him.

Qi Yue wasn’t shy about sneaking a pinch himself, of course gently, careful not to hurt or leave marks.

At kindergarten, Xiao Yunshuang was the smallest. Other kids, seeing his appearance, also wanted to pinch him. Xiao Yunshuang always refused.

But three- or four-year-olds don’t understand “no” well; when stubborn, even their parents can’t control them.

Xiao Yunshuang was the weakest, so resisting was difficult.

At first, because they were unfamiliar, the other children held back. Teachers, seeing no injuries, treated it as childish play and paid little mind.

Unexpectedly, there was a bigger, sturdier, chubby child in the class who was rough and heedless. Ignoring Xiao Yunshuang’s refusals, he used brute force to pinch his face until it turned red and swollen.

Once the teachers found out, they immediately called both sets of parents. The other parents apologized, scolded the chubby boy publicly, and paid medical fees.

Xiao Yunshuang kept a serious face and didn’t cry. The Gu couple and teachers thought he was strong, but when he saw Qi Yue, he broke down and cried pitifully, clinging to him all night—following him everywhere, even to eat, use the bathroom, and bathe—and only fell asleep hugging Qi Yue.

The next day, he refused to return to kindergarten no matter what.

Qi Yue finally couldn’t bear it anymore. Slamming the table, he boldly told Old Master Qi, “I want to go to kindergarten too, be in the same class as Shuangshuang, so I can protect him. No one is allowed to bully him.”

Old Master Qi made three conditions: he could go, but had to behave like a normal child, not reveal his peculiarities, not bully others, and obey the teachers. Qi Yue readily agreed.

Old Master Qi happily went to enroll him, not minding that a five-year-old boy was joining kindergarten’s youngest class; as long as he could go to school and blend in, it was worth it.

On Qi Yue’s first day, he loudly pounded on the desk atop the podium and declared, “Gu Yunshuang belongs to me. I protect him. Anyone who bullies him, I’ll beat up.”

The teacher was speechless.

But indeed, with Qi Yue around, no one dared pinch Xiao Yunshuang’s face anymore.

A few days later, when that chubby boy tried to pinch Gu Yunshuang’s face again, Qi Yue caught him and held him down, pinching until he cried loudly.

Naturally, both sets of parents were called again.

The other parents, understanding the situation, didn’t blame Qi Yue. They took the opportunity to scold the chubby boy, telling him that doing bad things would get him beaten either by his parents or others, scaring him into not daring to be arrogant again.

From then on, Qi Yue and Gu Yunshuang were classmates all the way through kindergarten to high school.

Until Qi Yue was sixteen, Old Master Qi suddenly passed away. After the funeral, Qi Yue left without a trace, leaving only an empty house cared for by the Gu couple. Seven years passed in the blink of an eye.

***

[Who can remember things so clearly from when they were three years old? Who are you kidding? Lying without even a rough draft.]

[According to science, if the memory is vivid or often mentioned, it’s possible to remember events from age three even when grown up. This shows how deeply Shuangshuang’s encounter with July impressed him, so much that he still can’t forget.]

[Haha, the first time they met, little Shuangshuang splashed July with dirty water meant for watering vegetables. July was so angry he cursed, got chased by grandpa wielding a broom, while Shuangshuang giggled nearby. Such a warm and adorable scene.]

[Was little Shuangshuang really that cute as a child, making people want to pinch his cheeks? I don’t believe it—unless I get to pinch him!]

[Waaah, I wish I could travel back in time to pinch little Shuangshuang’s cute face! I’d love to go to the same kindergarten as him!]

[Wake up! Don’t forget the fierce July is guarding him. Be careful or he’ll pinch your face swollen first.]

[Fierce July guarding treasured Shuangshuang—aww, they make such a perfect pair!]

Fans of Gu Yunshuang and Qi Yue flooded the chat with enthusiastic comments, drowning out unfriendly messages and keeping Gu Yunshuang’s livestream cheerful and peaceful.

Thanks to strong moderators, no one was allowed to insult others casually; occasional jealous remarks were swiftly overwhelmed by friendly comments.

After some black fans got banned, one frustrated user posted from a new account:
[Wasn’t it true that wherever Gu Yunshuang appeared, haters would swarm? What’s going on today? The stream’s been live for so long, why haven’t those haters come?]

This puzzled the director too. Even with moderators, the internet shouldn’t be so calm. Usually, Gu Yunshuang’s scandals and curses would fly everywhere, bringing the stream more traffic.

They knew the real purpose of this variety show; the black fans’ troll army had long been prepared. Yet now, one by one, they seemed to vanish, which was very strange.

New Wave Entertainment hurriedly contacted their troll army partners, only to receive replies: “We’re all in the hospital getting IV drips!”

The entire troll army had apparently been hospitalized?

Meanwhile, a trending topic quietly rose on social media, making the hot search list:
#MultiplePeopleHavingNightmaresOfTonguesBeingCutOffWithSwollenThroatsUnableToSpeak_SuspectedNewInfectiousDisease#

Reporters interviewed some patients who all exhibited the same symptoms. When asked about possible causes, their eyes flickered nervously, and they clammed up.

***

But terrifying rumors had already spread among the troll and hater circles.

They all knew that the haters and trolls who cursed Gu Yunshuang online last night had been punished. After a night of nightmares where their tongues and hands were cut off, they woke up with swollen tongues unable to speak, and many had accidentally broken their hands, ending up hospitalized. Even the entire troll company was in the hospital—horrifying.

Some even quit the business overnight, too scared to continue as trolls.

When New Wave Entertainment tried to hire other troll armies, they found all of them dodging the name “Gu Yunshuang,” refusing orders no matter how much money was offered, leaving the company baffled.

The livestream interviews continued.

The host asked the next question: “Why did you choose to join this variety show?”

Gu Yunshuang answered, “Because I didn’t want to pay a hefty breach of contract fee.”

Qi Yue said, “To protect my dear Shuangshuang, so no one can bully him without anyone to stand up for him.”

The two hosts were speechless.

Host B asked Qi Yue, “What kind of person do you think Gu Yunshuang is?”

At this, Qi Yue became animated: “My Shuangshuang is the most beautiful in the world—pretty, well-behaved, soft, cute, smart, studious, filial, polite, respectful to elders and kind to the young…”

After listing all the virtues he could think of, he worriedly added, “Shuangshuang is good at everything except speaking up. When bullied or wronged, he stays silent. He’s timid, cries easily at scary or disaster movies, can’t sleep without the light on, and needs me to accompany him to feel safe. He’s so fragile and pitiful, too easy to be bullied. These years I wasn’t around, I don’t even know how badly he suffered.”

Qi Yue frowned in pain and sighed deeply.

Host B: …

Audience: …

Are you really talking about the same Gu Yunshuang we know—the aloof, indifferent one who dares to retort anyone and never flinches even if the sky falls?

[Ha! Gu Yunshuang weak and helpless, easily bullied? He’s lucky if he doesn’t bully others himself!]

Even Gu Yunshuang’s fans felt uneasy.

[Bro, we know you care about Shuangshuang and want to change how people see him, but isn’t that a bit exaggerated? It’s hard to believe.]

Meanwhile, in Group A, Gu Yunshuang’s response was similar.

Host A asked, “What kind of person do you think Qi Yue is?”

Gu Yunshuang replied, “Qi Yue is a good person—honest, kind, filial, cultured, polite… but his health is poor. He gets out of breath after a few steps, gets motion sickness on cars, boats, planes, and even the sun makes him dizzy and weak. He eats little and is picky, can’t eat many things. Though he looks tall and strong, he’s all show, very fragile inside. A light push and he falls. Hard to take care of, and very easy to be bullied. Over these years when I wasn’t around, I don’t know how he managed.”

Gu Yunshuang frowned deeply, sighing with worry.

Host A: …

Audience: …

Why does this sound so unlike the Qi Yue they know? It feels like Gu Yunshuang is describing a completely different person.

At this moment, both black fans and supporters agreed: these two really are equally blind!