Chapter Nine

Tao Ran could feel his heart racing, ever since the day he opened his eyes and became a different person, he had never once felt anything but fear and confusion. He was out of sync with the world, like a passerby, like a lost soul. But then, he met Li Zekun. From the moment he saw him, he couldn't resist the urge to get closer. When he heard him say that he wouldn't let anyone mistreat him, it was like something had hit him square in the chest, a painful itch mixed with a sourness that made his eyes water.

Moved to happiness to the point of forgetting the slap I received just last night.

Li Zekun instinctively dodged a bit as Tao Ran's trusting and intimate gaze fell upon him. His eyes were like a puppy's - gentle, innocent, and completely focused on him as if he were the entire world.

The sick room instantly quieted down, so quiet that Li Zekun could almost hear the sound of the drops falling into the IV tube, and the sound of the medical equipment beeping. Li Zekun felt suffocated, but just as he was about to reach his limit, he received a phone call.

That call from Yang Yan must have been related to school arrangements.

Li Zekun sat on the chair next to Tao Ran's bed and answered the phone without avoiding Tao Ran's presence. "Yanxue, did you help me ask?"

"Yeah, it's just that now during the third year of high school, the class teachers are all striving for higher college admission rates, and no class is willing to accept students with poor academic performance, especially Class A."

Li Zekun furrowed his brows slightly and said, "We have to arrange at least class B for him. Just call the school principal and arrange it directly."

Yang Yanxue laughed and replied, "That's not a problem. Oh, by the way, yesterday I went to Mr. Tan's place to get Taoran's ID and household registration. He asked me if I was really interested in that child."

"Just keep it by my side.", said Li Zekun, without saying much more.

"Tan asked me to let you know, if it's not inconvenient to you, that he says that child... is quite open-minded in playing around, and even accepts private jobs. If you don't mind the dirtiness, it's a done deal." Li Zekun's emotional cleanliness is not a secret in the circle. In the past, when the Prince's Party invited him out to play, he didn't even touch the wine-spilling lord.

Li Zekun looked up at Tao Ran. The child didn't pay much attention to the content on his phone. He was carefully holding a soft plastic container while sipping his wonton soup, and his face looked surprisingly innocent and clean.

"Okay, I understand. Is there anything else?"

Yang Yanxue was a little surprised by Li Zekun's casual mention, but didn't say much: "Having a Beijing household registration might be more convenient for the college entrance exam. Will you help him transfer his registration?" Taoran's household registration is from a small city in northwest China. Even if he later moved to Beijing, changing his household registration would be like climbing to the heavens. But if Li Zekun wanted to help, it really would be just a simple sentence.

Li Zekun noticed Tao Ran was slightly distracted, perhaps because his gaze had been fixed on Tao Ran for too long. The young boy looked up with a hint of confusion and glanced at Li Zekun cautiously. He smiled at him in a meek and obedient manner.

It was that kind of smile - the same one he remembered seeing on Cheng Xia's face the first time they met. He had been pushed forward by a group of frivolous noblemen's mocking and teasing stares, feeling ashamed and unsure, with a shy and hesitant smile on his face.

"Move over, move to my place. My household registration is now only under my name."

Yang Yanxue almost couldn't hold his phone steady and said, "... Kun, are you really starting to fall for him?" One Cheng Xia was enough to torture Li Zekun, and now another one shows up? And they are all hostess man. At least Li Zekun was the first guest of Cheng Xia, and Tao Ran...to put it bluntly, he's just a terrible person.

Li Zekun said coldly, "Yan Xue, why are you talking so much now? Why don't you go educate and become a front-line psychology teacher?"

The words were a bit heavy, but Yang Yanxue knew that Li Zekun did not like others meddling in his love life. In this circle, even close relationships needed a certain level of security. Yang Yanxue stopped prying and changed the topic with a smile. "High school starts on August 17th, it's already the 10th today. Just help him buy some things these days and get ready. Then he can just go to the school on the reporting day to pick up his uniform and books."

"Ok, I trouble you."

"No problem, let's meet up again another day. Bye"

Li Zekun put away his phone and didn't think much of the fact that there was an additional person on his household registration. He watched as Taoran drank soy milk and flattened the straw. It was a habit of Cheng Xia.

Li Zekun pinched the base of the mountain and opened his mouth abruptly with a hint of curiosity, "Are you wondering who I just made a phone call to?"

Tao Ran was momentarily stunned, not even biting down on the straw as their open mouth revealed a small, bright red tongue.

"I said, are you curious about what I just said?"

Tao Ran shook his head very honestly.

Li Zekun chuckled, "I'm going to send you to a terrible place, a room full of people. I'll put you in there to learn some things. Don't worry, you'll be able to break free in just over a year."

It has been a long time since Li Zekun had teased anyone. When he was young, probably until his early twenties, he was pretty mischievous, especially towards Cheng Xia. He scared him many times, warning him that he wouldn't be his friend if he didn't listen to him. At first, Li Zekun was pleased to see how obedient Cheng Xia was, but it wasn't until he accidentally witnessed Cheng Xia crying in the bathroom that he knew what it meant to feel heartbroken. From then on, he minimized his hurtful words and refrained from hurting others. After Cheng Xia left, he didn't feel like saying anything anymore.