Chapter 10: Are you surprised?

Qi Mu was quite content in Shiyan. He was like a little flame wherever he went, capable of igniting a blazing fire.

Elementary school was much shorter in terms of hours compared to kindergarten, but it required much more seriousness. Apart from a bunch of cultural courses, there were also quite a few assignments. Qi Mu perfectly inherited his parents’ shortcomings: Qiao Jin excelled in languages but struggled in math, while Qi Dashan couldn’t pass anything other than math.

Thus, Qi Mu followed his father in language studies and his mother in math, precisely missing all correct options and becoming an absolute academic failure.

Qiao Jin was distressed. After tutoring him with his homework for two days, she couldn’t continue: her heart condition was not good, and if that went on for a few more days, she could go to heaven to find her mother.

Qi Dashan was blindly optimistic and said, “It’s okay. I wasn’t good at studying before, but look at me now, I’m doing fine.”

Qiao Jin glared at him, “Can Mu Mu be compared to how you were back then?”

Qi Dashan replied, “No, not at all. My dad couldn’t even sponsor a teaching building for the school back then.”

Qiao Jin said angrily, “… Go away, just spoil him to death!”

Despite saying this, Qiao Jin didn’t really push Qi Mu. If he couldn’t study well, then so be it. A person’s life wasn’t just about academics; there were vast opportunities ahead to soar and thrive.

Thinking of her brother, Qiao Jin felt a sharp, dense pain in her heart.

Her only requirement for Qi Mu was to grow up safely and healthily. Everything else was secondary.

Qi Mu behaved fairly well at Shiyan Elementary School, mainly because no one bullied him. It wasn’t that there were no troublemakers in the school; it was just that they were still adapting to the new environment and hadn’t had time to cause trouble.

As for the older grades, they have only just heard about a first grader who was driven to and picked up from school in a car, which was abnormal for a school like Shiyan.

The night before Qi Mu reported to Guorui, Yin Xiuzhu called him.

Qi Mu was thrilled. “Do you miss me?”

Yin Xiuzhu’s little face turned rosy. “I miss you.”

Qi Mu chuckled, “I’m going there tomorrow. I’ll bring you chocolate, the kind I bought from Hu-wa-yi. It’s super sweet.”

Yin Xiuzhu asked, “Hawaii?”

Qi Mu replied, “Yeah, the place with all the beaches.”

Yin Xiuzhu, reluctant to hang up, asked again, “Is it fun there?”

Qi Mu said, “It’s alright. My dad said he’ll enroll us in a summer camp later and take you with us.”

Yin Xiuzhu suddenly widened his eyes, “I… I can go too?”

Qi Mu thought he was afraid of his dad, considering Dashan was tall and fierce-looking. Yin Xiuzhu always seemed timid around him. Qi Mu reassured him, “Don’t worry. If my dad doesn’t go, it’ll just be us kids going together.”

Yin Xiuzhu’s heart pounded loudly, and he couldn’t speak for a long time.

Qi Mu was restless. He had already stretched his limit talking on the phone with Yin Xiuzhu for so long. He was eager to start watching the cartoon that was about to go live on TV and said, “I’ll hang up now. See you tomorrow.”

Finally finding his voice, Yin Xiuzhu replied, “See you tomorrow.”

Qi Mu hung up and happily bounced off to watch TV, while Yin Xiuzhu stood still for a long time. His usually calm eyes sparkled like stars in ink as if a beautiful porcelain doll had been infused with a soul.

The next day, Qi Dashan took Qi Mu to Guorui Elementary School, where Xu De personally received the new transfer student in his class.

Xu De, having taught for many years, had a sharp and experienced gaze. With just one glance at Qi Mu’s forehead, he felt a headache coming on.

“Oh no… we’ve got a god-like figure returning. Their class’s performance indicators might hit historic lows.”

Qi Dashan, being the open and affable person he was, had everything meticulously prepared from top to bottom. Though Xu De’s head throbbed at the thought of dealing with the extravagantly confident Qi Mu for the next six years, he couldn’t help but feel a touch of sorrow.

Qi Dashan dropped off his son and left without a single word of instruction for Qi Mu, completely at ease.

Xu De tentatively spoke to Qi Mu, “Don’t be afraid of the new environment. If you have any questions, come to me.”

Qi Mu grinned innocently, showing his little tiger teeth. “Teacher, don’t worry. Xu Xiaoming, Fang Junqi, Dong Jisheng—they’re all my good friends in the class.”

He didn’t mention Yin Xiuzhu, because Yin Xiuzhu was more than just a good friend now; he was like a brother, something deeper and more significant!

Upon hearing the names of these three troublemakers, Xu De instantly understood what level of student Qi Mu was.

The teacher’s smile gradually faded. “Alright, having friends is good…”

Already dealing with three rascals, adding one more would just make it a full table, wouldn’t it? Comrade Xu couldn’t help but lament the gradual thinning of his hairline.

As the children of Class One arrived early in the morning, they noticed a new desk at the back of the classroom.

Xu Xiaoming exclaimed happily, “Our class has an odd number, looks like the new transfer students will have a desk all to themselves.”

Fang Junqi remarked, “How unfortunate.”

Dong Jisheng yawned, “Unfortunately my foot, look at how shiny and new that desk is.”

Xu Xiaoming’s eyes lit up with an idea, “Should we give them a welcome gift?”

Dong Jisheng caught on immediately, “What kind?”

Xu Xiaoming grinned mischievously, “You know, that one!”

Fang Junqi murmured quietly as they headed out together, “Is that really a good idea? What if it’s a girl and we scare her to tears?” Despite his words, this chubby boy had already found a plump, round cabbageworm.

Xu Xiaoming was thoroughly disgusted, “That’s huge!”

Fang Junqi considered, “Should we find a smaller one?”

“Forget it,” Xu Xiaoming insisted, “This is the one!”

The three children had everything arranged and were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the new transfer student.

In the first class, Xu De’s Chinese class, he led Qi Mu to the classroom and said, “Wait outside the door for a moment.”

Qi Mu understood immediately, “Okay!” He deliberately stepped back, determined to give his good friends an unparalleled surprise.

After Xu De entered the classroom, all the students stretched their necks curiously to get a better look.

Dong Jisheng, sitting in front of Xu Xiaoming, caught sight of a hint of light blue fabric. “Isn’t that the uniform from Shiyan?”

Upon hearing “Shiyan,” Xu Xiaoming’s heart skipped a beat. “You must be mistaken. Why would someone from Shiyan come here?”

Fang Junqi couldn’t resist but to bring up Qi Mu’s name. “Qi Mu…”

Xu Xiaoming jolted and nudged Fang Junqi with his elbow. “That’s impossible!”

Fang Junqi fell silent.

Xu De scanned the room and cleared his throat. “Our new student comes from Shiyan Elementary School…”

Dong Jisheng gave Xu Xiaoming a knowing look as if to say, “See, I wasn’t wrong.”

Xu De continued, “He graduated from Guorui Kindergarten. Let’s all get along well with him. His name is Qi Mu.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Xu Xiaoming’s eyes widened, and he grabbed Fang Junqi’s chubby arm tightly.

Fang Junqi cried out in pain, tears almost welling up in his eyes.

Xu Xiaoming exclaimed, “Am I deaf? How did I hear Qi Mu’s name?”
Dong Jisheng’s face turned pale, “Are we both deaf?”

Fang Junqi whimpered, “It really is Qi Mu.”

At that moment, the classroom door opened, and a fair-skinned young boy entered with a backpack slung over his shoulder. His slightly tousled hair stood out against his clean forehead. He had large, round eyes, and a delicate nose, and when he smiled, his tender lips revealed two distinctive little tiger teeth.

“Hello everyone, I’m Qi Mu. Please take care of me from now on.”

His crisp voice echoed in the spacious classroom, seemingly enchanting—especially captivating Xu Xiaoming’s startled soul and Dong Jisheng’s bewildered spirit.

Xu De instructed him, “Go sit at your new desk for now. We’ll rearrange seats later.”

Qi Mu nodded, “Okay!”

Qi Mu walked straight over and winked at Yin Xiuzhu when he saw him. Yin Xiuzhu was seated in the third row, sitting very upright like a young bamboo shoot, trembling slightly. His lips moved, “Qi Mu.” He didn’t speak aloud, but the name resonated deep within him, giving him countless strength through his veins.

As the class was about to begin, Qi Mu didn’t immediately greet Yin Xiuzhu. Instead, he went straight to his seat.

Just as he sat down, Xu Xiaoming stood up abruptly from his seat, two aisles away from Qi Mu.

Xu De narrowed his eyes, “Xu Xiaoming, what are you doing?”

Xu Xiaoming hurried over in three quick steps, like a gust of wind, to Qi Mu’s desk.

Qi Mu looked slightly surprised to see him, “Xiaoming, long time no see.”

Xu Xiaoming’s smile froze, almost suffocatingly stiff, “Long… long time no see.”

Qi Mu continued calmly, “We’re in elementary school now, not kids anymore. Don’t leave your seat casually during class.” He seemed mature and composed.

Xu Xiaoming’s heart ached, but the thought of the cabbage worm in his desk made him feel like a complete mess. If Qi Mu found out about it, he might as well let him eat the damn thing alive!

Fang Junqi also caught on quickly. He hurried over and added, “Qi… Qi Mu, let us help you organize your new desk.”

Qi Mu replied, “Since when did my name become Qi Qi?”

Fang Junqi, tears welling up in his eyes, said, “I… I was just so happy.” He was so happy that he was crying!

Qi Mu patted his shoulder reassuringly, “I knew you would be happy, so I didn’t tell you in advance. I wanted to surprise you.”

What the hell kind of surprise was this???

Where was the joy in this situation? Xu Xiaoming and Fang Junqi were on the verge of wetting themselves in shock!

Dong Jisheng, not having been in the same class as Qi Mu before, couldn’t fully grasp Xu Xiaoming’s bone-deep “terror,” though he was starting to worry about how the cabbage worm tasted.

Xu De couldn’t stand it anymore and raised his voice, “Class is starting, everyone back to your seats!”

Xu Xiaoming pushed Qi Mu lightly and said, “Come over to my desk first. I have something for you here…”

Qi Mu interrupted, “We’ll talk after class. The teacher is watching.”

Xu Xiaoming couldn’t care less about the teacher at that moment. At such a critical juncture of life and death, he only wanted to survive.

Fang Junqi reacted quickly, already flipping open the desk lid—not the kind with holes, but the kind that flips up.

Unfortunately, Xu Xiaoming hadn’t managed to drag away the big boss yet, so with his impromptu move, Qi Mu naturally saw everything.

A huge caterpillar was there, winding its graceful figure…

Fang Junqi, Xu Xiaoming, Dong Jisheng: “…”

Qi Mu blinked, understanding. “Is this a welcoming gift for me?”

Xu Xiaoming stumbled, almost falling to his knees. “…I didn’t know the new transfer student was you.”

Qi Mu looked at him. “Luckily it’s me. If it were someone else, wouldn’t they be scared to tears?”

Xu Xiaoming was already on the verge of tears!

With such a commotion, Xu De had already walked over, and classmates in the class were all looking over.

Xu De had no idea what they were up to. He strode over and when he saw the green bug, he quickly took a step back: “Such a big bug!”

Immediately the whole class, from the homeroom teacher to the elementary students, witnessed how terrifying the new transfer student could be.

Qi Mu calmly picked up the chubby caterpillar and said to Xu Xiaoming, “Go find a small bottle.”

Xu Xiaoming’s face turned as pale as paper. “!”

Qi Mu glanced at him sideways.

Xu Xiaoming said desperately, “I’m sorry, Mu Mu, I’m sorry, I’ll never dare again!”

His plea was so heartfelt that Mrs. Xu probably hadn’t seen her cub like this before.

Qi Mu was firm, “Are you planning to take it home, fry it up, or swallow it whole?”

With a cry of despair, Xu Xiaoming sobbed like a lost puppy.

Later, the caterpillar was carefully put into a container and placed on Xu Xiaoming and Fang Junqi’s desks.

Mr. Xu watched the whole process, unsure of what to say: Should he scold Xu Xiaoming? The child was already pitiful enough; should he leave it to Qi Mu to handle as the teacher? But Qi Mu handled it better than he, the homeroom teacher.

Dealing with naughty kids, it seems, should be left to the naughty kids themselves.

Xu Xiaoming once again became the subject of Qi Mu’s domination, as if he had rewritten and reprised a kindergarten drama with an expanded and upgraded script.

Qi Mu didn’t do much, but he managed to impress the whole class.

Many classmates had good friends from kindergarten in other classes, so word spread quickly. Qi Mu’s reputation as a dominant figure echoed throughout the grade.

After class, Qi Mu had an aura around him and everyone gave him a wide berth.

Xu Xiaoming slumped at his desk in frustration: he looked at the caterpillar twisting and turning, his eyes hurt; then he glanced at his extravagant and magnificent pencil case, and his teeth ached; thinking about seeing Qi Mu every day from now on, his whole body ached!

No one dared to approach Qi Mu, except for Yin Xiuzhu.

As soon as class ended, Yin Xiuzhu came over to him. Qi Mu greeted him, “Have a seat.”

Yin Xiuzhu sat down, and Qi Mu pulled out the chocolate from his pocket. “Here, for you.”

Yin Xiuzhu took it, feeling the warmth of the chocolate through his palm, reaching into his heart. He felt ashamed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t prepare anything.”

Qi Mu replied, “If you apologize like that again, I won’t play with you.”

Yin Xiuzhu hurriedly said, “I’m sorry.”

Qi Mu squinted, “Apologizing again?”

Yin Xiuzhu wasn’t afraid of him at all; instead, he felt warm inside. He lowered his eyes and said, “You were really amazing just now.” He was referring to the caterpillar incident.

Qi Mu lay lazily on the table. “Xu Xiaoming just loves bullying people.”

Yin Xiuzhu replied, “It’s my fault for not noticing they messed with your desk…”

“What’s that got to do with you?” Qi Mu interrupted him lazily. Then he asked, “By the way, Xu Xiaoming didn’t bully you, did he?”

Yin Xiuzhu shook his head. “No, no one bullies me.”

“That’s good then. If he ever bullies you, I’ll make him swallow that caterpillar,” Qi Mu said.

A smile tugged at the corners of Yin Xiuzhu’s mouth. “You’re really amazing.”

“You’ve said that twice already,” Qi Mu remarked.

“But…” Yin Xiuzhu couldn’t help but say, “You really are amazing.”

“Alright, third time’s the charm,” Qi Mu slouched on the table. “Okay, the amazing big brother Qi Mu is here to protect you!”

Actually, Qi Mu was several months younger than Yin Xiuzhu, but they didn’t know that yet.

Guorui Elementary School adhered to the principle of elite education (money shouldn’t be spent in vain), offering a rich array of extracurricular activities. The third class in the afternoon was swimming.

Qi Mu said, “Swimming class, and I didn’t bring my swim suits.”

Xu De asked, “Did anyone bring extra swim trunks?”

Actually, asking was futile. Who would bring extras? He was considering whether to buy a new pair for Qi Mu when Yin Xiuzhu raised his hand, “I brought two pairs.”

Xu De looked slightly surprised, “Really?”

Yin Xiuzhu nodded, “Yes.”

Qi Mu immediately said, “I’ll wear Yin Xiuzhu’s then.”

“Okay,” Xu De said, relieved that he didn’t have to go out to buy them.

On the way to the changing room, Qi Mu asked Yin Xiuzhu, “How come you brought two pairs of swim suits?”

Yin Xiuzhu replied, “I knew we had swimming class today and that you would be coming, so I prepared in advance.”

“Oh, I see…” Qi Mu felt delighted inside. He remembered his dad’s often-used phrase and couldn’t help but say, “You’re really virtuous!”