No One Else Will Do But You - Chapter 28

“Uh, Brother, actually, recently I… that, that…” He stammered for a long time without managing to say anything coherent.

Jiang Mu looked at the slightly blushing Shu Luo and felt a sudden curiosity about what he was going to say. Sure enough, he could never truly ignore this guy; his every move could affect Jiang Mu’s nerves. I’m really in trouble.

“Brother, I’m sorry. I wasn’t really avoiding you. It’s just that some girls were saying that I look like a child who won’t grow up, having to constantly trail behind his older brother. I, I heard that and thought it sounded quite reasonable, so I figured I’d try to distance myself a little. And then I shaved my head so you wouldn’t have the chance to rub my hair. Anyway, it was just…”

He explained for a long time, still not getting to the main point, but Jiang Mu understood completely.

“So, are you now trying to return to my embrace?”

Shu Luo suddenly lifted his head to meet Jiang Mu’s eyes: “Why do you put it so… strangely? It’s just that I regret listening to them. You’re so good to me, and I was being difficult.”

“Yes, and trying to act independent,” Jiang Mu said. “Luo Luo, listen to me. I would never force you to do anything; you know that yourself. I want to be good to you, so I’ll be good to you. What does that have to do with anyone else? Just because people say you won’t grow up, does that make it true? You only act like a child in front of me, but when you stand on stage, the light you project can hurt my eyes. I wish you’d never grow up, so you’d always trust me and follow me unconditionally. So, no matter what, don’t ever alienate me. That hurts me. Do you understand?”

That voice was the most gentle he had ever heard from him, like a deep, mesmerizing abyss—a chasm he just wanted to fall into.

“Brother, I’m sorry.” It was always his fault; he should have known how Jiang Mu felt about him.

Jiang Mu stood right in front of him, still half a head taller. He had just finished playing basketball and was radiating the scent of post-exercise sweat—not harsh, but still handsomely athletic.

The sweat was tracing down his nose, cheek, and arm—not messy at all, but giving off an aura of sunshine and fitness. His gaze was deep and fervent, and right now, he was looking at Shu Luo.

“Enough. Are you going to eat me with your eyes? Let’s go. We should head back to the dorm to shower before going out to eat,” Jiang Mu said helplessly, looping an arm over his shoulder and gently pushing him forward.

Shu Luo finally smiled, turning and throwing himself onto Jiang Mu, hanging off him with force: “Brother, you’re not mad at me anymore?”

Jiang Mu quickly supported his legs with his hands: “Do you really think you’re still a small child?”

“Didn’t you say I could be a child in front of you?”

Looking at that brilliant smile radiating in front of him, he preferred that Shu Luo remain a child. That way, he wouldn’t overthink Jiang Mu’s kindness towards him.

“Luo Luo, don’t ever let me see you try to distance yourself from me again. First, you need to be clear about my position in your heart. I’m asking you: Who am I?”

Shu Luo looked at Jiang Mu’s serious expression and carefully considered his answer: “My brother. The most important person to me besides Mom and Dad.”

“Good. Just remember that.”

Then, Shu Luo brought up a question.

“Brother, do you think it’s weird that we’re so close? I’ve played with Zhang Feiyang for ages, and we’re not like this.”

Jiang Mu looked at him and said plainly: “You don’t like it?”

“No, I like it! I just think you’re different from Feiyang.”

“Different is all that matters. Let’s go.” Jiang Mu subconsciously reached to rub his hair. When he felt the prickly sensation, he frowned: “Don’t shave your head casually in the future. It doesn’t suit you.”

Shu Luo touched his own head. He didn’t like it either; it was a desperate move born of his anger.

“Okay, I won’t cut it again. I actually don’t like it either.”

The Childhood Pal

Ay, life is just so dramatic. Teenage boys are just full of bullshit (屁事多).

That was Zhang Feiyang’s original quote.

He watched the guy across the table, who had been gloomy and suffocated a few days ago, now wolfing down his food. He couldn’t understand why. Was it just because he was using his young age as an excuse to be willful?

“Shu Luo, are you getting too into the role of class leader? I’ve noticed you’re a little neurotic sometimes.”

Shu Luo gave him a glare: “No way! When have I not presented myself with an extraordinary demeanor? Get lost with your ‘neurotic’ talk!”

Zhang Feiyang looked disdainfully at the glare: “Making that disgusting face with your cute features is a poor look! You might break the hearts of the little girls who have crushes on you.”

“Get lost with your ‘cute’ talk! I’m handsome! Not cute!”

He really is cute, but he just won’t admit it.

Zhang Feiyang stopped talking and simply started scrutinizing his childhood friend across from him.

They had been playing together since they were little. Although they didn’t live in the same neighborhood, they were in adjacent ones, not far—about a ten-minute walk, separated by a park.

They were kindergarten classmates and the only two who remembered each other, the reason being a certain event that was “etched into their memories.”

When Shu Luo was a child, his mother often tied a little pigtail on the top of his head, like a Gundam’s antenna. He was also fair-skinned and adorable, so the innocent young Zhang Feiyang thought his deskmate was a little girl. He treated him extremely well, sharing all his snacks and toys with Shu Luo.

Little Zhang Feiyang did wonder why his little deskmate never wore skirts, always preferred clothes like his, loved blue, and played with boys’ toys. He simply assumed it was little Shu Luo’s hobby.

Then one day, they went to the restroom together, and he was shocked: his adorable little deskmate had the same “little bird” as him?!

He told his mother, and she burst into hysterical laughter. Could they even be mother and son anymore…?

Then his mother told the deskmate’s mother, who had the same expression and reaction. Could they still be deskmates’ mothers…?

Presumably, to this day, only Shu Luo himself remains unaware of this story.

Thinking back to his own foolish lack of insight back then, and then looking at the blockhead still sitting next to him, sigh… what destiny…

It was a strange feeling. They had been friends for eleven years. How much longer would it last? This was a childhood friend, something Jiang Mu didn’t have.

That detestable Jiang Mu!

Shu Luo noticed that Zhang Feiyang was now chewing on his chopsticks while eating!

“Feiyang, are you still hungry? Do you need to get another serving? Don’t chew on the chopsticks,” Shu Luo waved his hand in front of him.

Zhang Feiyang snapped back to attention and slapped Shu Luo’s hand away: “Who’s chewing on chopsticks? I was thinking. Don’t interrupt me.”

“Hmph, hardly,” Shu Luo pouted, giving him a look that said, “I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

“What kind of look is that?” Zhang Feiyang aimed for the pork ribs in Shu Luo’s bowl and successfully snatched one with his chopsticks.

Shu Luo didn’t have time to react before he was robbed and immediately got furious.

“Zhang Feiyang, what are you doing?! I told you to go get another serving if you’re not full! You’re stealing my food and eating my food!”

Zhang Feiyang laughed smugly, chewing with obvious enjoyment: “Mmm, it tastes so good! Food from someone else’s bowl is always better.”

Shu Luo ignored him, finished his own food quickly, and left. He needed to get away from this shameless childhood friend. When they were little, he always gave him food; now that they were grown, he stole his food. What kind of logic is that?

The New Year’s Performance

It started to snow lightly from time to time, and the weather remained damp and cold.

The school track was perpetually wet, and the snow always melted quickly.

Deep winter was fast approaching.

“Students, New Year’s Day is coming soon. Every class needs to prepare a performance for the New Year’s Day gala. Class Leader, please start working on this immediately. Our class needs to come up with something creative and novel. We absolutely cannot let them think our ‘Great God’ class is nothing but bookworms. Shu Luo, I’m counting on you! I trust you!”

“…” Shu Luo was utterly dumbfounded.

How was he supposed to handle something artistic? It was something he had absolutely no connection with.

“Well, then, the Arts and Culture Representative will assist me with this. I’ll just be the organizer,” he quickly proposed. He was completely art-illiterate and couldn’t handle this kind of thing.

“Class Leader, you can’t do that! How can you put most of the burden on Huang Wen Yu? You need to participate too.”

He wasn’t sure which girl spoke up, but it was what truly started to give Shu Luo a headache. He truly had no feel for these things. He had never participated in any performance or organized any events before. Now, he was facing a genuine problem.

He had to discuss it with the Arts and Culture Representative, and then find classmates. It was truly agonizing!

Consequently, with only ten days left until New Year’s Day, they had to rush to finalize the plan. They also had to account for selecting people and rehearsal time—it was very tight.

Jiang Mu often saw Shu Luo sitting alone in front of the computer researching information during these nights, sometimes not going to sleep until one or two in the morning.

He had borrowed the computer from the homeroom teacher and had to return it in the morning because the teacher needed it for class. Since he didn’t have much time during the day, he could only use the few hours after the evening study session.

Shu Luo watched the school’s New Year’s Day documentaries from previous years. They were all relatively standard performances: singing, dancing, skits, short plays, etc. There wasn’t much originality; people mostly watched for positive, wholesome programs.

Now the homeroom teacher wanted him to come up with something novel, yet still positive and wholesome… Ugh, what a pain!

Shu Luo placed a small stool on the balcony, the laptop on his lap, working quietly so as not to wake his roommates.

He kept yawning when he got sleepy. It was already past midnight.

“This won’t work… this is too silly. This doesn’t seem original enough…”

He muttered softly to himself on the balcony while watching the videos, his eyes growing sore. He knew he had to keep watching a little longer; he had to come up with an idea by tomorrow.

Sigh, since he had no artistic talent, he could only resort to this stupid method to get an idea. He felt truly sorry for himself. He was so tired…

He yawned again.

Jiang Mu looked through the glass door at the person sitting on the small stool outside, completely lost in thought.

He had never seen this guy so determined and serious about one thing. Perhaps being the class leader would be a kind of qualitative growth for him.

The moonlight softly poured into the room, enveloping the person outside and tracing his profile, creating an unbelievable sense of beauty. A focused face is inherently charming, and in this state, anyone would exude an aura different from their usual demeanor. This side of Shu Luo made Jiang Mu feel a little breathless.

Indeed, the marks of growth appear in changes in one’s face and aura. Shu Luo also had moments where he sat quietly and focused. Even his mother would probably be shocked by this.

Jiang Mu took out his phone, turned on the flash, and immediately snapped a picture. Because the flash would draw Shu Luo’s attention, he also turned on the desk lamp right after taking the photo.

As soon as the action was complete, Shu Luo turned his head.

Seeing the light, Shu Luo turned and saw Jiang Mu standing by the door, looking at him.

Jiang Mu casually turned the lamp off, opened the door, and stepped out.

“Brother, why are you up? Did I wake you?”

Jiang Mu gently massaged his neck with one hand: “No, I woke up naturally. I saw you were still up so late. What’s wrong? Are you having trouble?”

Shu Luo yawned, covering his mouth, and nodded: “Yeah, I’m completely out of ideas. I don’t know what to do.”

“How about a musical skit? There are plenty of girls in the class who can sing and play instruments, aren’t there?”

Consequently, after Shu Luo proposed this idea the next day, he himself received a thunderbolt of a role.

“What?! Me?! Cross-dressing?! No way! I’m a boy with so much masculine vigor! I can’t do that!”

Huang Wen Yu looked at Shu Luo and smiled: “Class Leader, you can do it! This will definitely make our class’s performance unique and unforgettable. And it’s only a bit of cross-dressing; you won’t lose any flesh, will you?”

Shu Luo looked utterly defeated: “This isn’t about losing flesh! It’s my masculine dignity! My class leader authority! It’ll be ruined!” He was truly on the verge of tears.

“Class Leader, you need to look at it from another perspective. By selflessly doing this for the class, how could you lose authority? On the contrary, you’ll gain everyone’s support.”

He sounds so “reasonable”.

“I… Sigh…”

What more could he say? His only hope was that no one he knew would see this.

“You have to promise me one thing: before the performance starts, don’t let anyone in the class know what role I’m playing. When the show starts, well, let them see for themselves.” This was his only remaining request.

Huang Wen Yu nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. This performance was sure to pass the rehearsal and be a highlight. Shu Luo truly was great!