Chapter 10: Punishment "Hey, where's Huo Wenyuan?!" ...

The happy weekend vanished like excess steam in a kiln, and in the blink of an eye, it was school day again.

This time, Gu Ci no longer kept his distance from Huo Wenyuan. According to Young Master Huo's latest instructions, he was to walk beside him.

Gu Ci grasped the straps of his schoolbag with both hands and followed obediently to Huo Wenyuan's right.

Huo Wenyuan frowned, "Why are you standing so far away from me?"

Gu Ci stared at the distance between them in surprise. There wasn't even room for half a person between them. This...wasn't close enough?

The Young Master's aloofness and warmth came and went so quickly and unpredictably.

Huo Wenyuan's tone revealed three parts impatience and two parts exasperation: "Are you afraid others will know we know each other?"

Gu Ci, hearing such a demanding request for the first time, carefully and precisely moved his left foot half a step.

Is this finally okay?

Young Master Huo was finally satisfied.

As the two men walked side by side up the steps in front of the teaching building, a strange cry suddenly erupted from behind them, accompanied by the security guard's roar of "Stop right there!" Gu Ci and Huo Wenyuan turned around to see a swift, agile purple figure swooping out of nowhere, about to collide with Huo Wenyuan. In that crucial moment, Gu Ci bravely stepped forward, blocking the impact.

Gu Ci felt a jolt against his shoulder blade and stumbled back a few steps. A hand grasped his school uniform collar, barely helping him steady himself. He

looked up and met Huo Wenyuan's dark eyes.

Huo Wenyuan let go: "Does it hurt?"

Gu Ci rubbed his shoulder blade: "No."

Just a little... numb?

"I'm sorry, classmate!" The source of the impact, apprehended by the security guard, apologized profusely. He looked up at Gu Ci, his eyes brightening. Then, looking at Huo Wenyuan beside him, his vision went dark again.

"Huo... Wenyuan! Why are you here? Ah~tui!"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Gu Ci looked at Huo Wenyuan curiously.

Did he have any grudge against this friend dressed like a purple turkey?

Huo Wenyuan picked up Gu Ci and then rolled his eyes at the "purple turkey" with disgust: "Don't you have eyes?"

The "purple turkey" exploded: "Didn't you hear me say sorry? My mom taught me to say sorry if I bump into someone! But you, ignoring my sister, actually walked with such a fair and lovely pretty girl!"

Gu Ci interrupted briefly: "Um...classmate, I'm a boy."

Huo Wenyuan added slowly: "Your eyesight is really not good."

The "purple turkey" was infuriated by this condescending attitude, especially under the high-pressure gaze of the security uncle. He said to Huo Wenyuan with bared teeth: "Huo Wenyuan, your mouth is really poisonous! I really don't know what my sister likes about you! My sister! The school belle! I say good morning to you 366 times a year, and you don't reply to any of them. You don't even look at the love letter and gift I gave you..."

Huo Wenyuan covered Gu Ci's ears in time.

Before Gu Ci could finish hearing the rest of the story, he said

, "Meow, meow, meow!" The security guard, holding up "Purple Turkey," roared, "Classmate, this is not the place for you to argue. No one without a school uniform is allowed in!"

Turkey continued to speak, but between the security guard's expulsion and Huo Wenyuan's artificial isolation, Gu Ci felt he had missed the most exciting part.

Only when he completely vanished and Huo Wenyuan released his hand did Gu Ci's world begin to sound again.

Heading back into the teaching building, Gu Ci asked, "Huo Wenyuan, what was that student saying just now?"

Huo Wenyuan paused, looking at him. "Want to hear?"

Gu Ci nodded.

Huo Wenyuan: "Give me a head pat."

Gu Ci hesitated for a moment, feeling it wasn't right, but the allure of those words was too great. He slowly bent down on his knees, lowering his head for Huo Wenyuan's touch.

Huo Wenyuan: "..."

He flicked Gu Ci's head and lifted him up.

Gu Ci, clutching his forehead, said, "?"

Wasn't it a head pat? How could this be so unsportsmanlike?

Huo Wenyuan looked speechless. He reached out and ruffled Gu Ci's hair fiercely. "You don't have to squat. I can reach it just like that."

Gu Ci: "Woo."

Huo Wenyuan asked, "Want to know what he just said?"

Gu Ci nodded quickly.

Huo Wenyuan: "#%& (birds chirping and flowers fragrant)"

Gu Ci was terrified.

Huo Wenyuan was pleased with his reaction and said in a natural tone, "Be good. Stay away from him next time you see him. He's a bad student."

Gu Ci quietly moved his shoulder blades and nodded submissively. He had his own judgment on whether it was good or bad.

Although he tried to restrain himself, Huo Wenyuan still noticed his actions and scanned him with his eyes like an X-ray: "It really doesn't hurt?"

Gu Ci felt that Huo Wenyuan was worrying too much: "It was just a bump, not a big one, don't take it too seriously."

To prove his point, he quickly moved his shoulders vigorously and smiled, showing his small white teeth: "Look, are you okay?"

Huo Wenyuan was stung by that smile, frowning slightly, and said to Gu Ci seriously: "Don't stand in front of me in the future, I don't need your protection."

Why did he ask that suddenly?

Gu Ci expressed his confusion: "But you stood in front of me too..."

Friends, shouldn't we support and protect each other?

Huo Wenyuan looked at Gu Ci's small body that was almost knocked away. Even so, he still wanted to stand in front of him without knowing his own limitations?

He stared into Gu Ci's shimmering eyes and asked, "Do I need your protection?"

Gu Ci: "Yes."

Huo Wenyuan: "..."

He repeated, "I don't."

Gu Ci replied, "You still do."

Huo Wenyuan: "No."

Gu Ci: "But..."

Huo Wenyuan fell silent, but a visibly calmer expression settled over him.

He didn't know why, but even though Gu Ci had done nothing wrong, his mood became increasingly agitated, and his tone grew even more gloomy.

"From now on, I won't need you."

He didn't need to rely on others' sacrifices to protect himself.

With these words, Huo Wenyuan walked into the classroom alone, leaving Gu Ci staring blankly at his back.

Did he... anger Huo Wenyuan? But they had only just become friends...

The students in the front row, standing over their textbooks, whispered to each other, "Why did Huo Wenyuan walk in with such a sour expression? Who has angered the prince again?"

His deskmate, wearing glasses, gave him a look, motioning him to look. Gu Ci, the new student, walked in with his head bowed, his backpack slung over his shoulder. He looked like he'd made a mistake.

The boy with glasses shook his head and sighed, "Having provoked Huo Wenyuan, Gu Ci's fate will probably be bumpy..."

Gu Ci walked into the classroom from the front door, and as he passed Huo Wenyuan, he seemed to be hesitant to speak. Before he could say what he wanted to say, he was interrupted by the sudden bell for morning reading, so he had no choice but to return to his seat in silence.

Shang Zui noticed that Gu Ci was a little distracted, and secretly covered himself with his textbook, leaning over and asking, "What's wrong, little Gu Ci? Who bullied you?"

Gu Ci shook his head in denial, and stared at Huo Wenyuan's back without saying a word.

Shang Zui followed him over and understood immediately.

Huo Wenyuan's little mouth must have been smeared with honey.

He stiffened his fists and boasted to Gu Ci, "Don't be afraid of little Gu Ci, wait for me to help you deal with him after class!"

Shang Zui's face was filled with righteous indignation. He wanted to continue to cheer Gu Ci up, but he saw that Gu Ci was looking behind him with a bad look, and his head was shaking like a rattle.

Shang Zui, assuming he was afraid of offending Huo Wenyuan, soothed him, "Don't worry. It's just Huo Wenyuan, what's the point of being afraid of him?"

Just as he finished speaking, he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. He sensed something was wrong, his face frozen, and he refused to turn.

Xie Bu Ruo's 3D surround sound began to resonate: "There's no point playing dead. Turn around."

Shang Zui resigned himself to his fate, slowly turning his head to meet a pair of fierce eyes.

Xie Bu Ruo said with a forced smile, "Who are you dealing with? Get up! Run ten laps around the playground!"

Shang Zui collapsed.

Gu Ci, feeling somewhat guilty, stood up straight and whispered to Teacher Xie, "I'm sorry, Teacher Xie. Don't be angry. It was actually me..."

Xie Bu Ruo looked at the most well-behaved and quiet student, shocked, and took a step back. "I'm so surprised, Gu Ci. You're actually... pleading for him?"

Gu Ci's eyes fluttered, and he nodded cautiously, ignoring Shang Zui's various glances.

Xie Bu Ruo applauded: "That's very loyal."

"You each run five laps, turn right, turn back, go out, turn left, go downstairs, go go go!"

-

Gu Ci tugged at the corner of his school uniform, standing in the huge playground with Shang Zui, a little dazed.

Early in the morning, besides the two of them, there were also sports students training in vests and shorts.

Shang Zui looked experienced, skillfully rolled up the sleeves of his school uniform and asked Gu Ci: "First time?"

Gu Ci nodded.

No... I've never been punished to run.

As a "three-good kid" who has been labeled with various praise words such as "considerate", "well-behaved", "sensible", and "hardworking" since childhood, Gu Ci can do everything well in both study and life. He has never even been criticized by his elders, let alone corporal punishment.

Shang Zui clenched his fists, feeling a little guilty: "I'm sorry, Gu Ci."

He originally wanted to stand up for him, but he didn't expect to get him into trouble instead.

However, Gu Ci's performance exceeded his expectations. Gu Ci said gently, "It's none of your business, Shang Zui. I was just daydreaming, and you were just trying to comfort me." He

was just unlucky enough to be caught by Teacher Xie. But this time was just right; he'd never been punished to run before, so now he could consider it a new experience.

"Just think of it as... gaining experience!"

The more positive Gu Ci's attitude became, the more Shang Zui hesitated.

What I'm saying is... not all experience needs to be accumulated, good Gu Ci!

As the countdown to the start of the race rang out in unison, two figures, seemingly out of place among the gym students, ran hard across the playground. While not as fast as the others, they were in formation and had a consistent pace.

Shang Zui asked as they ran, "Gu Ci, are you okay?"

Gu Ci's ease once again exceeded his expectations, not even taking a breath: "I'm fine! Go for it!"

Shang Zui: Is it really that inspiring?

Watching the two small black dots being left far behind by the gym students, Xie Bu Ruo, leaning against the railing, looked on eagerly, a little melancholy, but not much.

He always upholds his mission and responsibility as a class teacher. He stood up straight and walked back to the classroom, not wasting any time to set an example of killing a chicken to scare the monkeys: "You see, no matter how good your grades are, this is the result if

you are absent in class!" Xie Bu Ruo tapped the countdown on the blackboard and started to pump up the morale: "The physical exam is coming soon. There are still 11 days until the second diagnosis, 32 days until the third diagnosis, and 43 days until the high school entrance examination! Classmates, isn't it exciting enough! Isn't it alert enough! Your goal is to enter the high school department of Xichen! If your grades are bad, you can only go next door!"

Next door is another key middle school ranked second in Guicheng.

Xie Bu Ruo said while looking at the first row by the window, and struck while the iron was hot: "You should be like Huo Wenyuan and others, studious and determined..."

Looking over, there was no one by the window.

"Hey, where is Huo Wenyuan?!"