Chapter 9.1
The night breeze carried a chill with it and as soon as Fu Shen left the club, he sobered up.
Tang Zhou, also roused by the wind struggled to get down.
Rubbing down, he felt a heat come up again.
Fu Shen had no choice but to let him go and support him by the arm.
“Do you want to find a designated driver or take a taxi?”
“What?” Tang Zhou asked, dazed and slurring.
Fu Shen didn’t ask him again, instead hailing a taxi and trying to help him get in.
However Tang Zhou pushed him away.
“No, I’m not getting in the car.”
He turned and walked away, leaving Fu Shen with no choice but to apologize to the taxi driver and follow him silently.
As he walked, he stumbled and swayed then shrugged off Fu Shen’s outstretched hand, giving him a glare. “I can walk.”
The sockets of his were already quite deep and his eyes were very large. With this glare, they seemed to round even more, momentarily dissipating that chilly demeanor and making him look like a mischievous, fluffy cat. The street lamp just happened to shine into his pupils, making them very bright.
Fu Shen couldn’t bring himself to be angry. As he saw Tang Zhou turn a corner, he hastened to catch up, hovering near but not too close, keeping his gaze fixed on him the whole time and ready to step forward at the slightest hint of trouble.
One drink wasn’t a lot, but Tang Zhou was definitely drunk, though not heavily.
He seemed to recognize this place vaguely and there was a strong inner voice that kept telling him to keep walking down this street.
Stumbling and staggering like a young child, he rushed towards a place he had long yearned for.
This area was located in the bustling district, with shops lining the streets and a dense flow of people.
Worried that he might get jostled, Fu Shen hastened to catch up and grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”
Tang Zhou gave him a dazed, blank look then seemed to think he looked familiar and didn’t shake him off. He stretched out his other hand and pointed ahead.
A child who was playing too excitedly and not looking where he was going suddenly came crashing into them. The people around quickly dodged, but Tang Zhou, drunk and rooted to the spot, didn’t react in time.
The child rushed against him like a little cannonball and Tang Zhou tipped backwards, his heart racing with the sensation of losing balance as he stared wide-eyed.
Fortunately, his back didn’t meet the ground, instead falling into a broad, soft chest. Through several layers of thin fabric, he seemed to feel a hint of warmth and the slightly faster heartbeat.
The child knew he had done something wrong and apologized in a milky voice.
The parents also came over and apologized to Tang Zhou, lightly spanking the child’s bottom as a reprimand.
The child’s face turned red as he buried it in his father’s embrace, acting cute and saying he wanted a piggyback ride.
The father crouched in front of him with a look of indulgence, his back facing him.
The child climbed onto his father’s broad back then shouted happily, “go~ go~”
As Tang Zhou watched the family of three walk away, his lips suddenly drooped and his eyes filled with moisture as he glanced at Fu Shen for a moment.
Fu Shen raised his eyebrows.
“No one has ever piggybacked me.”
He said this in a pitiful tone, but it wasn’t off-putting.
Fu Shen thought to himself, was it a ghost that piggybacked you earlier?
He shrugged and said casually, “No one has ever piggybacked me either.”
Tang Zhou’s eyes opened wide, as if to say ‘we’re in the same boat’ then turned his back to Fu Shen and bent down. “I’ll piggyback you!”
Seeing that Fu Shen was just standing there, Tang Zhou tugged on his hand. “Quick, get on!”
“….”
Was this still the legendary school prince?
Fu Shen sighed and pulled him up. “No need. Didn’t you want to go somewhere earlier?”
“Right!” Tang Zhou grabbed his hand and walked quickly forward. “It’s just ahead, I remember!”
As they crossed the zebra crossing, a row of claw machines came into view. Fu Shen’s heart skipped a beat as he saw Tang Zhou rushing up to them, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
He never would have expected that Tang Zhou actually liked stuffed toys.
Feeling a complex range of emotions, he stood in place and watched as Tang Zhou pulled on the knob, but it wouldn’t budge. His lips drooped as he grew frustrated until Fu Shen reminded him, “You need to put coins in.”
Tang Zhou paused, looking at him expectantly.
Fu Shen: “I don’t have any coins.”
Tang three years old eyes immediately turned red and he looked pitiful.
Fu Shen told him, “Wait here for me, don’t run around.”
Drunken Tang Zhou was even more of a handful than when he wasn’t drunk.
Tang Zhou nodded obediently.
After a short while, Fu Shen returned with a handful of coins.
Tang Zhou was still looking dazedly in the direction that Fu Shen had left, so when he saw him appear, surprise flashed across his face.
His obedient appearance unconsciously softened Fu Shen’s hearts.
Unable to resist, Fu Shen spread out the coins in his palm and coaxed softly, “Do you want to play? If you want to play, call me ‘big brother’.”
Tang Zhou was now a few sheets to the wind, so it didn’t matter what he called him— he could even call him ‘Dad’.
Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and said, “Big brother.”
Fu Shen’s heart seemed to be struck by something, instantly softening it to the core.
Fu Shen pressed his fist against his lips, but couldn’t stop laughing.
Anxious, Tang Zhou patted his arm, “Hurry up and put it in.”
Even if he was in a hurry, he wouldn’t take the coins from Fu Shen’s hand and put them in.
Fu Shen smiled. He was such a good boy. He obediently threw a coin in and Tang Zhou quickly twisted the knob, aimed for a hideous looking doll and launched his attack.
It was a definite defeat.
Before he could feel too disappointed, Fu Shen threw another coin in and reminded him, “Move.”
Tang Zhou gathered himself up and fought harder and harder.
After losing several times in a row and seeing the youth almost about to cry, Fu Shen pulled the last coin out and coaxed him, whispering close to his ear, “Let me try again?”
Tang Zhou looked at the stuffed doll in the machine and then at Fu Shen’s face which looked reliable and nodded his head.
The two of them switched positions and Fu Shen threw the coin in skillfully, his gaze fixed on the blue little whale lying quietly in the window display.
He moved the claw with precision and it was all done in one go.
Tang Zhou, who was leaning against the window, clenched his fist and stared closely at the little whale, afraid it would drop like its predecessors had. He didn’t dare breathe too loudly.
It was not until the doll dropped accurately into the hole that Tang Zhou finally let out a breath and looked at Fu Shen with admiration in his eyes, “You’re powerful!”
The powerful big brother Fu bent down to retrieve the little whale and handed it to Tang Zhou.
Tang Zhou looked at him questioningly.
Fu Shen, “It’s for you.”
“You caught it.”
“I’m giving it to you.”
The youth’s eyes lit up like stars and he took it happily “Really?”
Fu Shen nodded.
Overjoyed, Tang Zhou took the little whale into his arms with both hands and touched the poor quality rough fabric.
“We have to go home.” Fu Shen spoke in an untimely manner.
Tang Zhou reached for a yard after getting an inch, “But I’m tired of walking.”
“Take the car.”
“I don’t want to.”
“…… I should carry you?”
“Yes!”
Fu Shen gave an exasperated laugh, “Do you still remember what your name is?”
“It’s Tang Zhou.”
“Who am I then?”
Tang Zhou stared at him for a while, then whispered, “You’re big brother.”
The big brother who gave him the stuffed whale toy.
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Aaah, that’s so cute an funny >w<
Thank You for the new chapter (๑°꒵°๑)･*♡