No One Else Will Do But You - Chapter 1

“Luo Luo, come quickly! You have a new friend now!” Shu’s mom called her new neighbors inside to visit, and also called out to Shu Luo.

“A new neighbor? Is it a little sister?”

Shu Luo’s voice could be heard from far away. He was heard before he was seen.

Shu’s mom smiled a bit awkwardly. “Please forgive him. This child is very mischievous; we’ve spoiled him a bit.”

The new neighbor was a single mother, Jiang Qin, and her son, Jiang Mu. They had just moved in today. The boy was particularly handsome and was in the same grade as Shu Luo—both in the eighth grade.

Shu’s mom saw that Jiang Mu was very quiet, sitting off to the side. He had a handsome appearance and a calm demeanor. He was of mixed heritage, but it wasn’t immediately obvious.

The loud thump-thump-thump of slippers was heard as Shu Luo rushed out. He walked in front of Jiang Mu, looking a bit mischievous as he rubbed his chin. “What’s your name? I’m Shu Luo, and you can call me Brother Shu Luo.”

“Huh?” Jiang Mu looked up at the little boy standing in front of him. Although they were the same age, this Shu Luo seemed a bit smaller. He wants to be called Brother Shu Luo?

So, Jiang Mu replied with something Shu Luo didn’t understand.

“Huh?” Shu Luo looked at him, confused, then suddenly had an epiphany. “Oh! You agreed, right? Haha, not bad, not bad, you have good taste.”

Jiang’s mom couldn’t help but laugh, looking at the charming and lively boy. “Jiang Mu is half Chinese, half French. He spoke to you in French.”

“A mixed kid, and a Chinese-French one at that. Oh, so that was French. What did it mean?” Shu Luo asked curiously, sitting down next to Jiang Mu.

The little boy smelled like soap. For once, Jiang Mu didn’t find someone annoying, so he told him what he had said.

“Idiot.”

Shu Luo froze for a moment, then reacted angrily. He glared at him and lunged forward. “What! You called me an idiot? I’m so smart, I always get perfect scores on my exams!”

Shu’s mom let the kids play and said to Jiang’s mom, “Let the kids play. Why don’t you all stay for dinner tonight? We can go grocery shopping now and make some delicious food for the kids.”

Jiang’s mom nodded. “Thank you, Sister Qiu. We just arrived and don’t know anyone here. We’re so lucky to have such kind neighbors.”

Shu’s mom saw that she was also very pretty and looked young. Raising a child alone must be difficult, so her heart went out to her and she took the initiative to get to know her.

“It’s nothing. A close neighbor is better than a distant relative! You’ll get used to it after a while.”

“Mm-hm.”

The two on the sofa were still grappling with each other, seemingly inseparable, but it was clear that Jiang Mu had the upper hand.

He was a head and a half taller than Shu Luo. What was going on?! He was supposed to be the older brother!

Shu Luo felt a little guilty as he looked at him. He silently stood up on the sofa to look down at him. “You, how tall are you? Are you six feet tall?”

Jiang Mu looked at him, amused. “If I were six feet, wouldn’t you be a little over four feet?”

Hey, this kid! Is he looking down on me?! Being tall isn’t everything!

“I’m almost five feet!”

“Oh? Five feet. Drink more milk.”

Shu Luo felt his temper flare up. “I’m telling you, don’t underestimate me! Watch out, I’ll be taller than you one day and crush you!”

“Mm-hm, I’ll be waiting.”

And so, the two officially met.

Dinner was incredibly lavish, and Shu Luo had already abandoned all pretense of manners and was eating with gusto.

Next to him, Jiang Mu ate gracefully, a pleasant sight to behold, creating a stark contrast with Shu Luo. Shu’s mom’s mouth twitched. “Sigh, this ungrateful child!”

Jiang’s mom, however, found Shu Luo endearing. “Luo Luo is so cute. My Jiang Mu isn’t cute at all. By the way, how old is Luo Luo?”

“Luo Luo was born in December 1995. What about Xiao Mu?”

“Xiao Mu was born in February 1993. It looks like Xiao Mu is the older brother!” Jiang’s mom gently ruffled Shu Luo’s hair. “This way, Jiang Mu can be your big brother and protect you.”

Shu Luo’s hand, which was holding a chicken leg, paused. He shot an annoyed glance at the calm boy next to him. Hmph! What’s so great about being older!

Shu’s mom suddenly remembered something. “Has Xiao Mu’s school been arranged?”

“At Zhengcheng First Middle School. It’s already settled.”

Shu Luo quietly looked up. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”

“Oh, that’s great! Luo Luo goes there too. You two will have a companion and can walk home together.”

Shu Luo felt that his thunder would be stolen. He was not happy…

“Luo Luo, you’ll take Xiao Mu to school tomorrow morning and help him get to know the area. Make sure you bring him home safely at noon!”

“Oh.”

Sigh, I’m so tired.

Perhaps it was the new neighbor’s looks that made Shu Luo feel a sense of rivalry, forcing him to be constantly on guard.

Before they left, Shu Luo silently glared at Jiang Mu. Unexpectedly, Jiang Mu turned his head, as if he had already seen Shu Luo’s glare. He had no expression, but the slight curve of his lips made Shu Luo’s hair stand on end.

Hmph! What’s so funny!

Shu Luo stomped back to his room with the thump-thump-thump of his slippers.

Shu’s mom could only shrug. “This child…” She then looked at Jiang Mu and nodded in satisfaction. “Xiao Mu is so well-behaved.”

Jiang’s mom seemed to have something on her mind, and she said with a sense of helplessness, “He’s mature for his age. It’s all my fault for being too impulsive.”

Shu’s mom was afraid of hurting her feelings. “Oh, it’s nothing for a child to be a little mature. In the future, I’ll have to rely on Xiao Mu to guide my troublemaker! He gives me nothing but headaches.”

Jiang’s mom and Jiang Mu thanked them and returned to their home across the hall.

They hadn’t had a chance to tidy up their belongings yet, but there wasn’t much anyway. They had left in a hurry.

“Xiao Mu, do you regret leaving with me?”

Jiang Mu knew she had been troubled these past few days. It was rare for her to have such a happy conversation with the auntie next door, and now she was suddenly asking this question.

“Mom, I’m a grown boy now. I understand some things.”

Looking at her son, who was as tall as she was, but who was still only fourteen years old, she wished he could be as carefree as the boy next door. She hoped her child could be like him.

Seeing the look of guilt on Jiang’s mom’s face, Jiang Mu wanted to distract her. “By the way, I’ve already cleaned the bathtub. Mom, why don’t you go take a bath? You’ve had a long day. You can put on a face mask and relax. Otherwise, you won’t be beautiful anymore.”

Jiang’s mom, who valued her looks, was afraid of not being beautiful, so she forgot her worries for a moment and went to take care of her face.

Jiang Mu watched her enter the bathroom, then began to tidy up the living room.

The boy across the hall started writing in his diary.

April 31st, 2007. Mood: Hmph! That’s it! A weirdo moved in across the hall. He looks strange. Maybe he eats too much; he’s so tall. He’s a head taller than me! I don’t know what he ate to grow so big. Hmph! He’s also a mixed kid, but so am I! My dad is from S City and my mom is from D Province. I’m a mixed-province kid, haha!

Apparently, we go to the same school. I hope I don’t see him being too excellent! Well, I’m a little tired. Time to sleep. I hope there’s snail noodles for breakfast tomorrow. Mm-hm, with a bit of spice would be best.

Author’s Note: It’s been a long time, and I’ve finally started writing again. Compared to my previous immature writing style, I’ve thought about this one for a long time. Now that I’ve graduated from high school, I can finally take my time writing. I’m so happy.