Spoiled by a Paranoid Big Shot Since Childhood - Chapter 9

Xi Bei remained quiet for a long time, saying nothing.

He knelt on the ground, his head slightly lowered, seemingly staring at his bleeding palms.

Standing in front of him, Xie Ye was practically exploding with rage. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked. After a brief moment, he let out a long, furious roar, took two large strides forward, and grabbed the bully by his collar.

“Hey!!”

Xie Ye was naturally fiercely loyal and boisterous. He kept in mind how much Qin Yian treasured Xi Bei; since Xi Bei was Qin Yian’s friend, that meant he was his friend too. He absolutely would not tolerate anyone bullying his friend right in front of him!

“You’re brave enough to say that to his face, so why didn’t you have the guts to say it in front of Qin Yian?”

Xie Ye was quickly surrounded by the bully’s two lackeys, but he wasn’t afraid at all. He simply glared down at the bully, declaring angrily, “You’re just a coward who picks on the weak!”

“I just can’t stand the sight of him, so what?!”

The collar was pulled tightly enough to hurt the bully’s neck, turning his face red, but he remained stubbornly defiant. “His family has no money! Yet when he gave Qin Yian that cheap milk, Qin Yian actually accepted it!”

“On what grounds?!”

Previously, at his parents’ behest, the bully had gifted Qin Yian expensive imported chocolates, only to receive a dismissive glance in return. Not only did Qin Yian refuse to accept them, but he also averted his gaze from the box the bully had opened, calmly piercing through the gesture: “I don’t like eating things that have been handled by others.”

The grudge had likely been formed back then.

Even though the bully privately detested Qin Yian, he still had to follow his parents’ orders to curry favor with him. Before Xi Bei arrived, it was one thing Qin Yian ignored everyone, so the bully could rationalize it as him just being naturally cold and detached.

But now, Xi Bei was here.

A child from a “pauper” family, an orphan who lost both parents, a little squirt who looked “girlish” how could someone like that effortlessly achieve what he could not?

…

Xie Ye grew even more infuriated.

Just as he was about to engage in an all-out brawl with the three boys, he suddenly felt a gentle tug on his hem.

The volatile standoff instantly froze. When Xie Ye turned around, his face still carried a trace of indignation, but the moment his eyes fell upon Xi Bei’s curled eyelashes shimmering with teardrops, his anger instantly dissolved into panic.

“It’s alright.”

Tears rolled down Xi Bei’s face, yet the corners of his lips managed to curve upward into a deeply compliant, pitiful smile.

“…Hey, don’t cry,” Xie Ye quickly let go of the bully’s neck and turned around, frantic. “I’ll go find Yian. Wait here! I—”

“Don’t tell Brother Yian!”

In a sudden panic, Xi Bei reached out and grabbed Xie Ye’s sleeve.

Instantly, a bloody handprint was left starkly on the fabric. It was a jarring, heartbreaking sight.

The air fell completely silent.

Even the bully, who had been gearing up for a massive shouting match with Qin Yian, froze. He and his lackeys let out a curse entirely unbefitting of their age, completely bewildered.

“…It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt.”

If one were to ignore the fact that his small body was trembling, it might have actually seemed like it didn’t hurt that much.

“Don’t tell Brother Yian. He will be unhappy.”

Xi Bei didn’t want to tell Qin Yian because he didn’t want him to worry or fret over his problems. It wasn’t because he believed the bully’s nonsense; he simply didn’t want Qin Yian to feel bad for him.

Mom and Dad were gone; Xi Bei knew that. It was Uncle Qin and the others who had taken him in, otherwise, he would have ended up in an orphanage. Qin Yian was the very first person he had acknowledged as family since his parents left.

Xi Bei would not easily doubt his family.

However, the bully’s words had undeniably dredged up some deeply painful memories. With his parents gone, everything Xi Bei once owned was lost. In his innocent, fragmented understanding of the world, he realized that everything had an expiration date—once it was exhausted and used up, it would disappear forever.

Just like his little sweater. His mother used to mend it for him, but now she never would again.

Xi Bei worried that if Qin Yian was constantly exhausting himself and worrying over his sake, a day would eventually come when Qin Yian would find him burdensome. If that happened, Xi Bei wouldn’t even have his last family member left. After all, the new people and things he currently possessed felt as fragile and fleeting as a mirage.

Xie Ye naturally couldn’t comprehend the depths of Xi Bei’s thoughts; he only felt that Xi Bei was utterly heartbreaking.

Unfortunately, though he was anxious and furious, he had no other recourse. Hissing a resentful glare at the bully, he took Xi Bei by the hand and hurriedly dragged him away from the basketball court.

…

“Brother Xie Ye,” Xi Bei asked softly, “do you know where the doctor is?”

Xie Ye felt a heavy weight of guilt, believing he had failed to protect Xi Bei. If Qin Yian had been there, this never would have happened.

“The school clinic…” Xie Ye murmured gruffly. “I think it’s—”

With their backs turned to the sports field, the two walked slowly toward the academic building, looking like a pair of defeated soldiers.

“Tuan Tuan.”

A soft call suddenly drifted from a distance.

The two little soldiers stiffened instantly.

A second later, Xi Bei hurriedly shook his outer sleeves downward, doing his best to conceal his injuries. He turned around, offering a soft response: “Brother Yian.”

Qin Yian was still wearing his baseball cap. His hair was slightly tucked back beneath the brim, revealing his pristine features and making his handsome profile appear even more striking. Even at such a young age, his exceptional bone structure was remarkably evident.

“Tuan Tuan,” Qin Yian asked, “were you playing ball just now?”

“Yes, I was,” Xi Bei answered obediently.

Feeling somewhat guilty, he instinctively hid his hands behind his back.

However, Qin Yian remained sharp. He instantly noticed the dirt smudged across Xi Bei’s sleeves. Furrowing his brows slightly, he turned his gaze to Xie Ye.

“Did Tuan Tuan fall?”

Xie Ye flinched visibly.

He licked his lips, and just as he was about to speak, he felt a small hand gently tugging at the back of his uniform. He deflated instantly. Blinking with a feigned air of ignorance, he forced a casual laugh, “Ah? I don’t know…”

Qin Yian: “…”

Their subtle movements were entirely captured in his eyes. Seeing Xi Bei looking so pitiful while trying to get Xie Ye to cover for him, Qin Yian couldn’t quite articulate the emotion swelling in his chest.

His immediate instinct, of course, was worry over whether Xi Bei was hurt.

His second thought, however, was far more peculiar.

Xi Bei was supposed to be closest to him. He didn’t want to see his precious bundle sharing secrets with someone else, let alone see Xi Bei banding together with Xie Ye to exclude him.

“Tuan Tuan,” Qin Yian’s voice grew slightly firmer. Stepping forward, he knit his brows and gently grasped Xi Bei’s forearm. “You’re hurt.”

It wasn’t a question; it was a definitive statement. Though he was still a child, an innate air of absolute authority naturally emanated from his frame.

Xi Bei’s eyes widened into perfect circles. He bit down on his small, protruding lip bead, causing his lips to turn from pink to a stark white.

Amidst Xie Ye’s defeated sighs, Qin Yian slowly rolled up Xi Bei’s sleeves, exposing the messy injuries beneath.

His elbows and forearms were covered in raw friction burns, but the worst of it was his constantly bleeding palms a large patch of tender skin had been completely scraped away, presenting an incredibly painful sight.

“…”

Qin Yian’s brows locked tightly together as he instinctively demanded, “How did you fall?”

Xi Bei murmured in a tiny voice, “I was careless. I didn’t see the ball coming.”

Qin Yian’s expression remained tightly drawn, his face unreadable.

Xie Ye silently braced himself for a disaster, thinking that given Qin Yian’s usual icy temperament, he would surely deliver a biting remark like: “The ball is an inanimate object, are you one too?”

But Qin Yian didn’t say that.

He lowered his gaze, gently blowing a breath of cool air over the wounds before speaking softly:

“Does it hurt?”

The heavy stone in Xi Bei’s heart finally seemed to drop. He flashed a sweet, radiant smile and shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“You must tell me next time,” Qin Yian said, taking hold of his uninjured hand. “Come on, let’s get you bandaged up first.”

The crisis seemed to dissolve seamlessly.

Xi Bei followed closely behind Qin Yian, walking naturally toward the school clinic. Feeling deeply remorseful, Xie Ye quickly tagged along, scratching his cheek while pretending as though nothing was amiss.

Once the school doctor finished dressing the wounds on Xi Bei’s hands, the three of them finally breathed a collective sigh of relief. As the doctor turned away to pack up the medical supplies, the boys prepared to leave.

“…Oh, right,” Xie Ye suddenly remembered something. Without running it through his head, he blurted out, “That second ball slammed right into you, didn’t it? Is your chest hurt… ah…”

As the final words left his mouth, he suddenly felt Qin Yian snap his head around, his gaze locking unerringly onto him.

“His chest?” Qin Yian countered sharply. “A second ball?”

Xie Ye: “…”

Xi Bei blinked his wide eyes. The smile on his face gradually vanished. Knowing he was caught, he lowered his head and whimpered softly:

“I’m sorry… Brother Yian.”

Qin Yian stood up abruptly, his taut little face completely frozen in ice. “Who bullied you?”

“Xie Ye,” Qin Yian’s chest heaved slightly. “Speak. Who was it? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Xie Ye scratched his head in sheer vexation.

So, what the two of them had been hiding just now wasn’t the fall itself—it was the truth that Xi Bei had been intentionally targeted and struck with a basketball.

Worry for Xi Bei mixed with a sharp sting of resentment over why the boy hadn’t confided in him. Qin Yian had to admit that at this very moment, even his gaze toward Xie Ye carried a flash of anger.

Why wouldn’t he tell him, choosing to tell Xie Ye instead?

Children’s thoughts are fiercely possessive. Even for Qin Yian or rather, especially for Qin Yian he possessed an absolute mindset of: “You can only be absolute best friends with me.”

“Brother Yian…”

Xi Bei finally blinked his aggrieved eyes. A lone teardrop clung to his lashes before rolling down the curve of his cheek and falling with a soft splat. He practically leaped off the stool, his bandaged, seeping hand clutching Qin Yian’s arm as his voice trembled violently:

“Please don’t be angry, okay?”

The air in the room settled into a heavy silence. Xie Ye, well aware that he shouldn’t remain there, took a few steps back and temporarily slipped out of the room.

“I was the one who told Brother Xie Ye not to tell you,” Xi Bei choked out, his voice thick with tears. “I… I just didn’t want you to worry. If I keep making you worry, you won’t want me anymore…”

Qin Yian’s face washed over with visible shock and bewilderment.

Witnessing his expression, Xi Bei became visibly frantic. His eyes swimming with tears, he hurriedly pulled his hands back, completely forgetting the pain:

“Please don’t find me bothersome, please don’t find me bothersome… Anyone else can find me bothersome, but Yian mustn’t dislike Tuan Tuan…”

Anyone else whether it was the bully or Xie Ye, Xi Bei didn’t actually care about them. Only Qin Yian. He was the only one who truly mattered.

In an instant, the words the butler had shared previously replayed vividly in Qin Yian’s mind.

Qin Yian felt entirely anchored to the spot by the sheer weight of this revelation. His gaze locked onto the soft, tiny bundle before him  a boy entirely unlike anyone else he had ever encountered in his life. This was his Tuan Tuan.

Initially, Xi Bei hadn’t known how to act around Qin Yian, which made him timid, fearful, and hesitant. Later, even though he resolved to become family, he was, after all, a child who had only recently lost his parents. His sense of security was as fragile as a soap bubble, shattering at the slightest touch.

Qin Yian lunged forward and wrapped Xi Bei in a fierce embrace.

How could he have harbored those selfish thoughts just a moment ago? Xi Bei wasn’t refusing to be his absolute best friend; in reality, Xi Bei loved him more than anyone else. And he loved Xi Bei the most, too.

“Tuan Tuan,” he vowed, “I will never find you bothersome, and I will never dislike you. Even if the entire world abandons you, I will always want you.”

“I promised you that I would shield all your tears and sadness away. If you hide them and tell others instead, that is what makes me sad.”

Xi Bei’s nose was flushed red as he nuzzled against Qin Yian’s cheek. “Mm…”

Qin Yian murmured, “Tuan Tuan.”

“Mm…”

The school clinic was entirely empty. The faint, clinical scent of disinfectant drifted lightly through the air, and the stifling heat of their sweat seemed to evaporate in an instant, freezing the atmosphere around them. Warm sunlight poured through the window panes, bathing both of them in a cozy, radiant glow.

Qin Yian’s glass-like eyes held room for only one person the soft, pale little bundle in his arms.

“You are my Tuan Tuan,” Qin Yian stated with absolute, unwavering seriousness. “And I am your An An.”

The palms of the two children pressed flush against one another. Xi Bei could distinctly feel the vibration of Qin Yian’s chest, hearing his heartbeat grow stronger and steadier with every passing second.

“I am your An An, and yours alone.”