OL CH32

The crew-cut thug let out a muffled whimper, feeling as though the bridge of his nose had been completely shattered.

Two streams of blood gushed straight down his face, painting a comical sight as he crouched on the ground, clutching his nose in agony.

Seeing their leader injured, the rest of the gang abandoned their pursuit of Qin Fei and swarmed forward to jump Bai Su.

Yet the moment they clashed, they realized this boy was anything but an easy target.

Even though most of them were tall and solidly built, they were simply no match for Bai Su. He overwhelmed them with raw, devastating force—a textbook display of one strike overpowering all finesse.

The youth wove effortlessly through the crowd, thrashing them until they wailed and pleaded for their mothers.

Qin Fei watched the scene in utter shock, finding no opening to intervene. It felt as though stepping in would only disrupt Bai Su’s rhythm, so he could only linger on the periphery, occasionally picking off a stray opponent.

Gazing at Bai Su’s swift, lethal movements, Qin Fei realized that his past impression of him being frail and delicate was absolute nonsense.

When Bai Su planted a kick squarely into another lackey’s gut and sent him flying backward, Qin Fei reflexively clutched his own stomach, aching just from watching.

Qin Fei had always believed he had a decent build and was quite capable in a scrap. But facing Bai Su made him realize the chasm between a novice and a master.

What he didn’t know was that Bai Su had grown up in an orphanage. To care for the younger children there, he had to take on countless chores; circumstances had forced them to grow up far earlier than ordinary kids.

As one of the eldest, Bai Su took the initiative to handle the heavy manual labor, giving him strength far beyond average peers. With the orphanage director unable to look after every child, kids like him inevitably witnessed more of humanity’s dark underbelly, and fighting was simply routine.

Reflexes and brawling instincts forged in the trenches of survival were not something these sheltered greenhouse flowers could ever match.

Only after the thugs were reduced to a chorus of groans and swore never to lay a finger on Qin Fei again did Bai Su finally lower his fists.

A brief interrogation revealed the truth behind why they had targeted Qin Fei: they had been hired by a well-off boy from Qin Fei’s own class.

The reason was classic petty jealousy: the boy had confessed to a girl, only to be rejected because she had feelings for Qin Fei. In retaliation, the spoiled rich kid paid off someone connected to street thugs to teach Qin Fei a lesson.

Looking at Qin Fei’s stunned, clueless expression, Bai Su knew it was pure collateral damage.

Qin Fei finally pieced it together—no wonder these scoundrels had gone to such lengths to corner him!

Now that the mastermind was identified, handling the matter would be straightforward. The rest could be left to the person involved.

Walking over to Qin Fei, who sat on the ground with a bruised mouth, Bai Su crouched down and asked, “Can you still stand?”

“Y-yes, I can!” Qin Fei scrambled up instantly. “You got here just in time; I’m barely hurt.”

Seeing Bai Su give a brief nod before turning to leave, Qin Fei hurried after him, falling into step beside him. “Bai Su, thank you so much back there. Without you, I definitely couldn’t have beaten them. But… how did you happen to be here?”

“Just a coincidence,” Bai Su replied.

“A coincidence? Inside the school?” Qin Fei found that hard to believe.

Bai Su didn’t bother hiding it. Pointing toward his own collarbone, he said, “At the dinner table the other day, I saw bruises right here, and on your elbows.”

Bai Su offered no further explanation, but a wave of touched emotion washed over Qin Fei’s face. He assumed Bai Su must have noticed he was in trouble at school and had come specifically to look out for him.

Who knew Bai Su possessed such a soft, kind heart!

Glancing at Qin Fei, who was trailing behind him with a look of naive gratitude, Bai Su broke character and gave him a rare, genuine smile. The air between them had never been so harmonious.

In truth, Bai Su had planned to check on him yesterday, but a dream two nights ago had derailed his plans.

The dream had been hazy. At first, a tall, faceless man appeared, holding him tightly in an embrace that made Bai Su feel unimaginably safe and blissful.

After holding him for who knew how long, the man suddenly leaned down and pressed a kiss firmly to his lips.

The soft, electric sensation had felt so vivid that Bai Su went rigid in the dream, a warm, tingling numbness rippling through his entire body.

Then, the man’s blurry features finally sharpened—it was Uncle Qin!

Bai Su remembered the shock he felt in the dream, but right on its heels came an overwhelming, irrepressible wave of pure joy.

It had been such a wonderful dream. In it, Uncle Qin held him close, kissing him endlessly. He kissed every inch of Bai Su’s face, leaving Bai Su feeling as though he were submerged in a pot of honey, melting from the sweetness.

The hollow ache upon waking still lingered in his chest; regrettably, it had only been a dream.

Because of that dream, Bai Su had needed considerable time to sort through his feelings, which delayed him by a full day. Still, arriving early was never as good as arriving right on time—he had caught Qin Fei in trouble the very moment he showed up.

Looking back on the dream later, Bai Su didn’t feel panicked, nor was he particularly surprised.

Uncle Qin had always been a special presence in his life. All along, his desire to stay by the man’s side, to watch him constantly, his dread of disappointing him, and his urge to keep Uncle Qin all to himself… were simply because he had fallen for him!

Yet, having untangled his feelings, Bai Su knew he couldn’t afford to be reckless. Although Uncle Qin seemed very fond of him, the man most likely viewed him as a child.

He was not yet strong enough, nor distinguished enough to catch the man’s romantic eye.

Unwilling to scare him away with an impulsive confession, Bai Su knew he needed more time.

In that moment, a burning ambition took root in his heart like never before: one day, he would make that man, who haunted his waking thoughts and dreams, entirely his!

Coming to terms with his own heart also shifted his perception of Qin Fei.

So what if Qin Fei had known Uncle Qin longer? They were merely uncle and nephew.

To put it plainly, Bai Su already considered Uncle Qin his own man, which made Qin Fei his future nephew! In that light, forgiving the kid’s petty quirks was hardly a chore.

As an elder, one ought to look after the younger generation!

Besides, treating Qin Fei well now might turn him into a useful wingman down the line. With that in mind, Bai Su resolved to get along with him.

Thinking of this, Bai Su flashed Qin Fei a radiant smile. Qin Fei looked completely flattered and broke into a goofy grin in response.

He really didn’t look very bright…

[A few days later]

“Brother Bai, come quick! We have the roast chicken you like today!”

Seeing Bai Su come downstairs, Qin Fei waved enthusiastically from the dining room entrance. He pulled out a chair for Bai Su, chattering away: “And there’s fresh-squeezed mango juice, it tastes amazing. Brother Bai, let me pour you a glass!”

Witnessing this bizarre spectacle once again, Chen Tian’s lip twitched. While he was glad Qin Fei had stopped picking fights with Bai Su, his little nephew seemed far too attentive toward Xiao Bai lately.

Could it be that his future partner was simply too extraordinary, leading Qin Fei to realize his charms?

Was this the literal definition of “hard to guard against a thief within the household”?

At the thought, Chen Tian directed an unfriendly glare toward Qin Fei.

Bai Su, on the other hand, had grown completely accustomed to it, treating it as routine.

Ever since Bai Su had thoroughly wiped the floor with those thugs on Qin Fei’s behalf, Qin Fei’s attitude toward him had done a complete 180-degree turn.

Saved in the nick of time by such staggering combat prowess, Qin Fei had been thoroughly conquered.

A single fight had earned Bai Su a mountain of goodwill. Without Bai Su having to say a word, Qin Fei took the initiative to curry favor.

Later, after accompanying Bai Su back to the orphanage to visit the other kids and hearing how Bai Su had cared for them, that goodwill rapidly upgraded into full-blown hero worship.

In Qin Fei’s eyes now, Bai Su was a powerhouse brimming with justice and responsibility!

Once the rose-tinted glasses went on, everything changed. Spending more time together, Qin Fei realized Bai Su possessed countless virtues: he studied diligently, paid attention to detail, genuinely cared for Uncle Qin, and knew how to repay kindness.

Even when Bai Su acted a bit cold toward him, Qin Fei merely took it as “having character.”

As for his past suspicions of Bai Su being a scheming “green tea” or a fake “white lotus”? Pure delusion on his own part!

And so, in a very short time, Bai Su gained a devoted fanboy lackey.

Watching Qin Fei follow him around like an eager puppy, Bai Su suddenly felt that his past self—the one who had bickered with someone as fundamentally goofy as a Siberian Husky—must have been out of his mind.

Annoying as the kid could be, he did have decent grades.

Bai Su’s academic foundation was undeniably weak, and private tutors couldn’t stay at the Qin residence around the clock. Having Qin Fei around as a study tool proved quite convenient.

When it came to academics, Bai Su gave one hundred percent. He was determined to study hard and improve himself, refusing to let Uncle Qin down!

Yet, while Bai Su and Qin Fei grew increasingly harmonious, Chen Tian was suffering.

Back when they were at each other’s throats, he had merely laughed it off.

Now, watching his nephew fawn over his beloved day in and day out, Chen Tian felt as though he had fallen headfirst into a vat of vinegar, nearly souring himself to death!

So, when Qin Fei poured the juice and eagerly stepped forward to deliver it, Chen Tian casually gave him a nudge.

The glass tipped, spilling half its contents all over Qin Fei’s clothes. Wailing in dismay, the boy bolted upstairs to change.

Seeing that Bai Su didn’t spare the brat a second glance, instead carefully carving a piece of roast chicken and placing it onto Chen Tian’s plate, Chen Tian finally looked satisfied.

He knew it—a mature man like himself possessed real charm; what good was a wet-behind-the-ears kid like Qin Fei? He had completely forgotten how childish his own little stunt had just been.

The days slipped by in this chaotic fashion. Two years passed in the blink of an eye, and both Bai Su and Qin Fei grew up.

Chen Tian never interfered excessively with their upbringing, yet Bai Su still blossomed into the exceptional, radiant person he had always envisioned.

Although Bai Su hadn’t attended a conventional high school, he had never slacked off in his private studies. This year, he sat for the national college entrance examination alongside his peers.

Chen Tian, behaving like every anxious parent with a test-taker in the house, was so worried he could barely sleep, far more nervous than Bai Su himself.

Before the exams, he went to great lengths to help Bai Su decompress and stay calm. Throughout the examination days, he stood vigil outside the testing gates under the scorching summer sun.

Oblivious to the sweltering heat, his eyes remained fixed on the examination building. Even though System 009 could broadcast Bai Su’s exam status directly into his consciousness, he refused to wait in the air-conditioned car.

Chen Tian stood there expressionless, like a devoted statue awaiting his spouse, completely unaware that he had become quite a striking sight in the eyes of onlookers.

After several grueling, anxious days, the final subject was finally underway. Once the bell rang and the exam concluded, Chen Tian stared unblinkingly at the school gates. Only when a familiar figure emerged did his heart settle back into place.

The boy before him was no longer the frail, gaunt youth he had first met. Over two years, Bai Su had shot up in height, with long, straight legs and a lean, toned frame.

His facial features had fully matured into striking handsomeness. Beneath his white shirt lay subtle, firm contours of muscle, complemented by softly curled short hair and bright, luminous eyes.

“Uncle Qin!”

Spotting Chen Tian, Bai Su waved his hand, his face lighting up with a brilliant smile that radiated pure warmth and sunshine.

Author’s Note:

Seeing the comments suggesting a “double amnesia” trope—actually, my upcoming pre-order novel Everyone in the World Is My Love Rival [Quick Transmigration] is exactly like that! Fragment x Fragment.

Strong shou across various types VS Fake cannon-fodder, true powerhouse, possessive, goofy, jealous-king gong.

The gong has top-tier looks and god-level power, but the moment he meets the shou, he pulls all kinds of shameless, goofy antics just to chase his wife.

Here is the synopsis below for you to check out; bookmark it if you’re interested!

The Lord God Qian Chen, who had been single for ten thousand years, finally wooed his dao companion through sheer persistence and shamelessness.

To celebrate, he decided to travel across mortal realms with his lover. Who could have foreseen the accident that followed?

To protect him, his lover’s divine soul shattered into countless twisted planes of existence.

Only by guiding those scattered soul fragments to true happiness could they be successfully brought back.

To rescue his beloved without delay, Qian Chen had to guard against enemies while fracturing his own soul, casting the pieces into these worlds simultaneously.

Qian Chen’s severed soul fragments held no memories—only his deep obsession with his lover.

And so, cannon-fodder side characters across countless planes opened their eyes at the same moment.

Looking at the man who should have stood at the pinnacle of the world, yet was currently trapped in the mud, only a single thought echoed in their minds:

This person belongs to me!