Xiaobai Is Also Troubled Today

After looking at his phone for a long time and seeing no new messages, Bai Tingzhi stopped paying attention. He took his now-ready noodles to the living room and turned on the TV.
 
He picked a channel at random, not planning to watch it carefully, but just wanting some background noise.

 
The sound of slurping noodles echoed in the empty, lonely room.
 

As Bai Tingzhi calmed down, he began to think again. He seemed to have forgotten something. Why did I keep my hair this long?
 
Looking back on his past, his childhood, nothing seemed to be related to it. He only remembered ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ that sometime after junior high started, he already had "long hair."

 
Thanks to his androgynous face, he had managed to evade questions during school inspections again and again.
 

But the reason he kept his hair this long had been completely forgotten.
 
Where did that memory go?

 
Where?
 

Similar to the helplessness he felt when he couldn't find the general store, this was the first time in all his years that he felt so profoundly confused about his own life.
 
Was it because he relied too much on the people around him, unable to think for himself when he encountered a problem? Or was this simply something beyond his ability to comprehend?
 

Bai Tingzhi couldn't figure it out, and sometimes, maybe he wasn't supposed to.
 
He didn't know what was waiting for him, but he had a premonition that was growing stronger by the day: his life was probably, very likely, about to be turned upside down.

 
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, since it was unavoidable, he would have to face it calmly.
 

Maybe he should have learned to stand on his own two feet a long time ago, to stop relying on friends and family, and to have a bit of so-called masculinity.
 
He really didn't look like a boy; Bai Tingzhi had already admitted that to himself. But I am a boy now, so there's no reason to evade the responsibilities I should bear.

 
The phone's notification sound chirped.
 

The screen lit up and then dimmed, flashing with an unread message.
 
Sometimes—perhaps more often than not—he really was too delicate.

 
I won't be like that anymore. I'm going to be a tough guy, a man that others can recognize as one.
 

Bai Tingzhi pushed aside those illusory thoughts and daydreams. He picked up the phone from the table and tapped on the message in Q-Network.
 
It was a voice message.

 
"Xiaobai—" Gu Junzhu's soft voice called out. "Can you accompany me to the south side of town this afternoon?"
 

The girl's tone was gentle, like a kitten scratching at his heart.
 
He was very lazy.

 
He was reluctant to go out on his days off for unimportant things.
 

But now I'm going to go out. A sunny day like this is a good time to go out and bask in the sun, isn't it?
 
Sometimes, Bai Tingzhi felt like he was a quilt. Though he didn't want to be cleaned for a long time, one day he'd remember and know he had to be aired out.

 
Without asking Gu Junzhu what she was going to do, he silently sent an "OK" sticker.
 

"Great! See you later!" From her words, Bai Tingzhi could imagine the girl cheering, her joy practically bursting through the screen.
 
After quickly cleaning up his bowl and chopsticks, he returned to his room and changed into some clean, simple clothes. The whole outfit was black and white—monotonous but attractive. On a "boy" like Bai Tingzhi, it created a unique sort of charm.

 
Riding his bicycle, he set off early for the south side of town. Making a girl wait wasn't a good habit.
 

That's what Lin Yunian said, anyway.
 
He has zero dating experience himself, but he still talks a big game.

 
He wasn't stupid, though. It was a matter of basic manners. It was rude to make others wait, so the sooner he got there, the better.
 

Riding downhill, the wind whipped his hair around wantonly, often blowing strands into his mouth. He kept having to free a hand to brush it away. Bai Tingzhi regretted not bringing a hair clip with him.
 
It would take about a quarter of an hour to get from his house to the south side of town. The main street he had to take was probably very close to the one he had walked down that morning. The route he was on now was one he took frequently; it was only when he'd gone down that secluded street in the morning that he had felt so lost.

 
While passing through the city center, Bai Tingzhi stopped for a moment. There were many shopping malls here, and the weekend crowds were immense. He didn't usually come here to hang out. Now he was wondering if he should buy a bottle of water or something. It would be rude to show up empty-handed.
 

In the end, he decided to buy two ordinary milk teas.
 
When he arrived at the south side of town, the timing was just about right—not too early, not too late.

 
The south side was much more spacious. Most of the buildings weren't very tall, and there were far fewer people than in the city center. Looking around now, he didn't see many pedestrians on the street. The only thing that caught his eye was the towering Yunzhong Library.
 

"We haven't decided where to meet yet..."
 
Bai Tingzhi was wondering about this and was about to send Gu Junzhu a message when a sleek, black luxury business van that looked incredibly expensive pulled up in front of him.

 
Probably because he was too stunned to process the situation, he didn't even have time to look at the brand before a mature man got out of the driver's seat. The man was wearing a high-end suit the likes of which he had never seen before, and he walked straight to the passenger door.
 

Bai Tingzhi unconsciously took two steps back, but then he saw the man open the car door, and a familiar yet otherworldly figure leaned out.
 
"Xiaobai!"

 
Gu Junzhu smiled and waved at him. She was wearing a dark, long skirt that was both elegant and mysterious, and her shiny black high heels made her look even nobler.
 

"What's wrong?" Seeing Bai Tingzhi staring dumbfounded, Gu Junzhu took a few steps closer and asked teasingly.
 
"It's nothing..." he said, trying to subtly glance at the man standing by the car, only to find that he was looking right back at him.

 
"Uncle Zhong, you can head back first," Gu Junzhu said, hearing the footsteps approaching from behind.
 

"Understood, Miss," the man said with a bow. He straightened up and turned to Bai Tingzhi. "I'll entrust my young miss to the care of this young lady."
 
"...Okay, sure."

 
How could Bai Tingzhi dare to say no?
 

He knew Gu Junzhu's family was well-off, but wasn't this a bit too much? A butler? Did they have personal bodyguards too?
 
Noticing Bai Tingzhi's uneasy expression, Gu Junzhu explained with a helpless, wry smile, "I didn't tell you before because I was afraid it would affect our relationship."

 
Gu Junzhu clutched a book in front of her, shifting her weight slightly from side to side, as if she were also very conflicted.
 

Bai Tingzhi swallowed hard. Am I being pursued by a rich girl?!
 
No! No!

 
He quickly patted his cheeks. I, Bai Tingzhi, am not that kind of person. We didn't even know each other before, so how could there be any real feelings between us?
 

"So, what did Classmate Gu want to do today?"
 
Gu Junzhu smiled with a practiced grace and generosity, as if she had taken special lessons in etiquette. She held up the book and gave it a little shake.

 
"To exchange a book, of course."
 

Her voice was as crisp and pleasant as a silver bell. Bai Tingzhi felt that being with Gu Junzhu wasn't so stressful after all. The intimidating presence of that man just now had been far more terrifying.
 
"Student Gu, you like to read?"

 
"Mhmm, I guess so," Gu Junzhu said with a quick pout, trying not to let anyone see.
 

"That's a nice hobby."
 
"Yeah, Xiaobai thinks so too, right?"

 
Bai Tingzhi could feel that this laugh was a genuinely happy one.
 

He looked up at the magnificent library, and a sense of being overwhelmed settled over him.
 
"Xiaobai."

 
"Hm?"
 

"Can you call me Junzhu?"
 
"Classmate Junzhu."

 
"Hahaha..." Gu Junzhu burst out laughing, barely able to stand up straight. She freed a hand to tidy her hair. "Classmate Tingzhi, you're really interesting!"