Lunch was settled at a mid-range restaurant near the school. Mom Wang came by to help for a while, and after everything was arranged, she left the space to the classmates.
Wang Zhi was very popular. The classmates who came filled two whole tables, both boys and girls, making it quite lively.
Before the meal started, everyone gave Wang Zhi their gifts. Yu Shulin turned around to rummage in his backpack, pulled out a box, and handed it to Wang Zhi with a smile, saying, "Happy birthday."
"The latest model gaming console? This must be expensive, thanks, bro!" Wang Zhi happily accepted it, feeling quite proud. Shulin was truly a good friend! Putting so much thought into his gift. Next year for Shulin's birthday, he would definitely prepare an even more valuable gift to show his appreciation!
Other classmates at the table also saw the game console. Some were envious, some jealous, some felt sour. That console definitely cost at least a thousand yuan, instantly overshadowing the gifts they had brought.
"Of course, he's from a wealthy family, different from us," someone muttered quietly, was nudged by the person next to them, and finally fell silent.
Wang Zhi had friends all over the grade, but only a few top students from the advanced class came. Most people at their table were Wang Zhi's friends from the regular classes and his old middle school classmates. Among this group of kids, Yu Shulin stood out a bit too conspicuously. City No. 2 High School, advanced class, good grades, good looks, good family background, liked by teachers and praised by parents, and he was even rumored to have been involved with the school beauty Liu Fen not long ago. With so many halos hanging over his head, in these kids' minds, Yu Shulin had already been somewhat demonized. Now that they suddenly saw him in person, their feelings were inevitably a bit complicated.
They already felt inferior in many ways, and now their gifts were overshadowed too. The accumulated dissatisfaction, envy, and jealousy couldn't help but show a little on their faces.
Noticing the others' displeasure, Yu Shulin maintained a calm and gentle expression on the surface, though inwardly he was puzzled and frowned. He had never been to a birthday party before; he had only decided on this gift after asking Zhou He. Could it be that he gave the wrong thing?
Wang Zhi also noticed the others looking at Yu Shulin differently. He hurriedly put the game console away and urged, "Eat, eat, the food will get cold. Where do you guys want to go play this afternoon? How about the arcade?"
Everyone's attention was diverted, and they started chattering about the afternoon's activities.
Wang Zhi went to greet the other table of classmates and, after collecting a pile of gifts, sat back down cheerfully. But seeing everyone chatting animatedly and eating happily, yet only Yu Shulin was being left out, his good mood was instantly cut in half.
"What's wrong?" Yu Shulin noticed his change in mood and asked, turning his head.
"Sorry," Wang Zhi leaned over, feeling apologetic. "I didn't think they would deliberately exclude you. A bunch of blockheads, I'll talk to them later! I really like the gift you gave me, thanks."
Yu Shulin smiled and punched his shoulder lightly. "Don't talk nonsense. They're not excluding me; it's just that we didn't know each other before, so there's not much to talk about. It's your birthday, cheer up."
Wang Zhi pretended to rub his shoulder, scanned his friends, frowned, then smiled in relief. "You're right, I was being silly. Don't mind it. Later at the arcade, we'll have fun. I'll teach you anything you don't know how to do."
Yu Shulin nodded with a smile, lowered his head to eat, and pushed his thoughts aside. The attitude of the people at this table towards him wasn't like this at the beginning; it changed after he gave the gift. Thinking about it now, was the gift he gave too expensive?
He glanced sideways at the happily smiling Wang Zhi and curved his lips. Forget it, let them think whatever they want. As long as the person receiving the gift is happy.
Liang Zhou spaced out in his room for a long time, taking out his phone several times but putting it down each time.
Asking directly... would that seem too careless? Should he go look for Shulin's ID card? No, no. But besides the ID card... right, the household register! The birth date is on the household register!
He got up and went to the study, took the household register out from the bottom locked drawer, flipped to Yu Shulin's page, and scanned the birth date field.
September 18th... He closed the household register and frowned. He had just missed Shulin's seventeenth birthday... Wait. He reopened the household register, confirmed the birth year again, and his face darkened. He suddenly felt like a real beast.
The year Shulin first came, he said he was fifteen. Liang Zhou had believed him. But looking at it now, he was actually only fourteen at the time, and wouldn't turn fifteen until after September...
So Shulin is actually only sixteen now, just turned, nominally seventeen... He had actually been having improper thoughts about a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, and for a long time too...
Beast.
Shulin had grown very tall very quickly. In just a year, he went from Liang Zhou's chest height to his chin. Plus, Shulin usually spoke and acted in such a well-behaved and mature manner... But no matter how mature he seemed, Shulin was indeed just sixteen, and Liang Zhou himself was already twenty-four. The generation gap was something he really didn't want to see.
At four in the afternoon, Yu Shulin said goodbye to Wang Zhi and rode his bike home.
Liang Zhou was sitting in the living room. Seeing the door open, he looked up and greeted, "You're back."
"Yeah." Yu Shulin rubbed his wrist as he walked over, took off his backpack and tossed it onto the sofa, then sat down beside him, sighing, "So tired. I'm never going to any classmate gathering again."
Liang Zhou glanced at his face, once again emphasizing in his heart that this kid is only sixteen. Then he took Yu Shulin's hand and started massaging his wrist. "What's wrong with your wrist? You've been rubbing it. Didn't have fun playing with your classmates?"
"Someone bumped into me at the arcade, twisted my wrist a bit." Yu Shulin said, thinking of that "accidental" classmate, narrowed his eyes, and smiled. "Hanging out with classmates isn't as comfortable as chatting with you, brother. I didn't even do my homework. Today was really not worth it. Oh, right, brother, why are you sitting in the living room? Is someone coming?"
Liang Zhou was pleased by his words, the corners of his mouth lifting as he said gently, "No one's coming. I was waiting for you."
"Waiting for me?"
"Mm. We're going to see a movie tonight." He reached out and ruffled Yu Shulin's hair. "I booked seats. We'll go eat first. The movie starts at 7:20. I'll wear a disguise. It'll be dark, no one will recognize me."
"A movie? What kind of film is it? Who's in it?" Yu Shulin withdrew his wrist, shook it, and asked.
"I'm in it. Want to go?"
Yu Shulin's eyes lit up, and he jumped up. "The one you filmed abroad? Yes! Of course I want to go! I'll go upstairs and take a shower and change. Wait for me, brother!"
Liang Zhou smiled. "No rush, there's still plenty of time."
Yu Shulin didn't listen to him, turning around and rushing upstairs to his room.
The cinema on a holiday was even busier than usual. Yu Shulin sat next to Liang Zhou, flipping through the movie promotional poster in his hands, saying happily, "The styling in this film is really cool. After the trailer came out, lots of classmates were talking about this movie. Your popularity has risen a lot again, brother."
"Mm." Liang Zhou set down the popcorn and cola, took off his glasses and mask, and nodded.
Yu Shulin hurriedly put the mask back on him. He glanced around at the people nearby and, seeing that no one was paying attention to their corner, leaned in and whispered, "Don't take it off yet. Wait until the lights dim and the movie starts playing. Don't get recognized." Even though they had deliberately chosen seats in the corner, it never hurt to be careful.
Liang Zhou let him help with the mask, his exposed eyes full of amusement as he murmured, "I'll listen to you."
"That's more like it." Satisfied, Yu Shulin sat back, rolled up the poster and stuffed it into his bag, then started munching on popcorn.
The theater had a pretty good turnout. Some viewers who had already seen pirated versions from overseas were excitedly discussing the plot, their words full of praise for the lead actors and the production team.
He perked up his ears to listen, his mood getting better and better, his eyes crinkling into crescents. Liang Zhou looked at him sideways, using the gradually dimming lights to conceal his own feelings, his gaze focused and tender. After a long moment, he gently took hold of his hand and whispered, "How about big brother watches movies with you for a lifetime?"
Yu Shulin, who had been intently listening to others discuss the film, snapped back to attention and looked at him, puzzled. "Brother, what did you just say? I didn't catch it."
"...It's nothing." He paused, smiled, reined in his emotions, and turned to look at the screen. "The movie's about to start. Don't get distracted."
The plot of "Bound by Blood" was simple at its core, essentially the story of two brothers separated in childhood who grow up to love and fight each other. Yet it was also complex—the hatred between races, the pull of family ties, the clash between righteousness and allegiance, the struggle between faith and reality... These intricate, conflicting emotions ran through the entire film. Coupled with the ancient, mystical magical backdrop, the epic and beautifully choreographed fight scenes, and the open-ended conclusion... The director was a master at hitting the audience's sweet spots. Once you started watching, your mind was completely captured by the story, making you involuntarily follow the characters through sorrow, joy, anguish, and despair. Then, as the ending arrived, you were left with a sense of poignant loss and quiet contemplation.
Liang Zhou played the younger brother on the "evil" side—no helping it, Guan Bowen was the bigger star and often played heroes, so the righteous protagonist naturally went to him. Given this kind of "defeat the big villain and save the world" plot trajectory, one could easily guess the villain's fate.
When the story reached the point where the younger brother played by Liang Zhou was shot dead by an arrow from the older brother played by Guan Bowen, Yu Shulin couldn't help but hold his breath and grip the hand beside him tightly.
"What's wrong?" Liang Zhou immediately turned to look at him. Truth be told, watching a character he portrayed die wasn't something he particularly enjoyed.
...Especially not dying at the hands of that unreliable movie star, Guan Bowen.
Yu Shulin didn't reply. His entire focus was on the film. The sound of the arrow piercing flesh was so realistic, and the splattering blood... Liang Zhou's face filled the screen, pale, blood at the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of shock, resentment, a longing for life, a yearning for family, and disappointment in his brother.
The details were too vivid. He could hardly convince himself this was just a movie, that it was fake. Such imagery made him recall the feeling of being stabbed to death in his previous life... It was terrifying. The hand he was holding in his right hand was warm. He took a deep breath, calming his emotions, and turned to Liang Zhou with a strained smile. "Brother, don't play characters that die next time. It's hard to watch."
Liang Zhou squeezed his hand back, reached an arm across to pull his head onto his shoulder, and patted him soothingly. "Okay, I'll listen to you."
It felt like comforting a child. After calming down, Yu Shulin suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. He quickly pulled away, took a sip of his iced cola, and muttered, "I'm not a kid, you don't need to hug and comfort me..."
Liang Zhou just smiled and didn't say anything. Sixteen years old—that was still a kid.
After the film ended, the theater remained quiet for a while. A minute later, the audience gradually snapped out of it and began filing out, discussing the plot as they went.
Liang Zhou put his glasses and mask back on. He and Yu Shulin sat chatting for a bit, waiting until most people had left before slowly walking out. Along the way, many people were discussing the ending of "Bound by Blood." They exchanged a look and smiled.
It seemed the film was very well-received. Glory Pictures had played this move right.
On the first day of its release, discussions about the film online suddenly exploded. Lead actors Guan Bowen and Liang Zhou were praised over and over, stealing the spotlight for a time.
Some who had been skeptical about the film were piqued by this and stepped into theaters with friends.
The more people watched it, the more they discussed it. That open-ended ending had everyone guessing and theorizing. Eventually, a consensus emerged: the younger brother played by Liang Zhou definitely didn't die! With so many plot holes left unfilled, there had to be a sequel!
After gaining popularity overseas, "Bound by Blood" became a hit domestically as well. After its release, the box office soared, eventually solidly surpassing all other films released during the same period, becoming the biggest winner of the National Day holiday box office battle.
Everyone at Glory Pictures was overjoyed. They pressed their advantage, quickly launching several large-scale promotions riding on the film's hot streak.
For the remainder of the National Day holiday, Liang Zhou was swamped with various interviews and events. Though he declined most, he was still so busy he was hardly ever seen. Yu Shulin buried himself in homework for a day. After realizing his brother truly was too busy to spend time with him, he accepted Zhou He's invitation to go to the basketball court and sweat out some youthful energy.
After the holiday, Glory Pictures collaborated with a TV station to launch a large-scale talent show. This move drove countless starry-eyed young men and women into a frenzy, making the very air feel several degrees hotter. Even a school with strict discipline like City No. 2 High School couldn't avoid a restless, agitated atmosphere.
Teenage girls love to dream the most. Now that there was a platform for them to showcase themselves, they were absolutely fixated on it! Even if they couldn't participate, they had to watch it closely!
The school's response to this was quite firm. With a decisive wave, they announced that a city-wide joint examination was imminent, and everyone should study hard to get a good ranking! Good grades would be rewarded; those who slipped back too much... well, let's just say parents would be invited for a chat.
The students felt like they'd been struck on the head, instantly sobering up, and cried out about the school's inhumanity. A city-wide joint exam! Not some five-school or ten-school joint exam, but the entire city!
What did "entire city" mean? That was many, many tens of thousands of students. To stand out among so many tens of thousands... you'd definitely get in the newspapers, on TV... in short, you'd become famous! If prestigious universities took notice... early admission wouldn't be a dream, guaranteed placement and bonus points would be within reach!
Although the joint exam mainly targeted senior high school students (12th grade), what if they, as sophomores (11th grade), gave it their all and got bonus points? What if they met their mentor, and from then on shone brilliantly, becoming a teenage prodigy? A bright future was right before their eyes, so why waste words! Study! Strive! Talent shows could go die in a minute!
The students' agitated hearts were instantly suppressed, replaced by unprecedented enthusiasm for studying. Set against the backdrop of the overwhelming promotional campaigns for the talent show outside, it made one burn with fervor in an instant!
What is youth? This is it!
While the students around him grew restless, Yu Shulin maintained his usual pace, attending classes, going home, eating, and sleeping on schedule. The only difference was that the time he spent with Liang Zhou was becoming less and less.
Liang Zhou was too busy. With this talent show, Glory Entertainment aimed to spin off its artist training department and establish a dedicated training center. The preliminary work was extensive and tedious, filled with meetings, and there never seemed to be enough time.
Glory's film and television production departments had recently been separated, forming two subsidiary companies under different management. Following that, the signed artists and trained agents were also to be divided accordingly. Together with the soon-to-be-established training center, this would form a complete star-making cycle. Additionally, plans for constructing cinemas in various locations needed to start... There was too much to do, a constant state of busyness.
After initial resolutions were in place for all these matters, Zhao Zhi compiled the profiles of several artists the company planned to focus on cultivating and placed them on Liang Zhou's desk.
Finally relaxing after a long day, Liang Zhou flipped through the stack of documents, pondered for a moment, and pointed at two names. "Let's start with them. Test the waters first; we can switch if it doesn't work out."
Seeing how exhausted he was, Zhao Zhi swallowed the words that had been circling in his mouth and nodded. "I'll arrange it right away. The few newcomers we brought into the company last year have been developing quite well. It's time to arrange film roles for them."
"Alright, handle it as you see fit." Liang Zhou gathered the files on his desk, stood up, and reached for his coat. "I have a dinner engagement, so I'm heading out first. Now that things are on track, don't work overtime every day. Go home and spend time with your wife and kids."
"I know." At the mention of his family, Zhao Zhi's expression softened considerably.
Just as he stepped out of the elevator, Zhao Zhi was abruptly grabbed by a very impatient Zhang Qian and dragged into an office.
"Let go, let go. Don't get so worked up. Liang Zhou was too tired; I didn't say anything. Just give it up," Zhao Zhi said, somewhat helpless. He really didn't understand why Zhang Qian was so obsessed with this nonsense every day.
Zhang Qian's face, full of anticipation, turned to annoyance, frustrated with Zhao Zhi's lack of initiative. "Why didn't you say anything? It's just introducing him to a few guys. Is it so hard to ask him to spare some time for a meal?"
"It's not hard," Zhao Zhi shook his head, giving him a sidelong glance. "It's simply hopeless."
Zhang Qian glared.
Zhao Zhi pulled Zhang Qian's hand off him, crossed his arms, and looked at him. "Everyone in the company is busy, and you're the only one obsessing over finding Liang Zhou a partner. What are you thinking?"
"I'm just afraid he might actually go and molest a minor!" Zhang Qian was so worried his hair was turning white. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Liang Zhou being arrested, then Glory going bankrupt, himself losing his job, becoming unemployed, and finally starving on the streets... It was terrifying!
"No, you need to go catch up with Liang Zhou right now and talk to him about this."
Zhao Zhi looked at him speechlessly. Liang Zhou was such a proper person; how could he possibly molest a minor? "If you're sick, take your medicine. Don't tough it out." He patted Zhang Qian's shoulder and left the office.
"...No loyalty! Not a true brother!" Zhang Qian fumed.
The city-wide joint exams kicked off in full swing. To ensure the students' results were genuine, the school specifically installed signal jammers around the exam halls and prepared two sets of papers, A and B, making cheating impossible.
Yu Shulin remained calm. After receiving the test paper, he first skimmed through the entire thing as usual to get a general idea, and only then picked up his pen to start answering.
After finishing all the questions, his gaze shifted down to the final bonus question. The morning's Chinese language exam didn't have a bonus section, so was this unique to the math paper?
It turned out bonus questions weren't exclusive to the math exam; chemistry and physics had them too, though with different point values.
During the exam period, evening self-study sessions were canceled, allowing Yu Shulin to return home early. Surprisingly, Liang Zhou was already home, but he looked unwell.
"Brother, what's wrong?" He rushed over, bending down to look anxiously at Liang Zhou, who was leaning on the sofa, and asked softly, "You look terrible. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Seeing him return, Liang Zhou forced himself to perk up and smile, sitting up straight. He reached out to pat Yu Shulin's head, his voice slightly hoarse. "I meant to pick you up, but I suddenly felt too lazy to move, so I just waited here for you. How did the exam go? Were the questions difficult?"
"Not difficult, it went smoothly." He shook his head, frowning at Liang Zhou's slightly flushed cheeks. He reached out to feel his forehead and grew alarmed. "What do you mean 'too lazy to move'? Brother, you have a fever! Come on, let's go to the hospital." He reached out to pull him up.
"A fever?" Liang Zhou's mind was a bit sluggish. Seeing the anxiety and worry all over Yu Shulin's face, he instinctively grasped his hand and quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, I'm fine, really fine. Don't be anxious."
"What do you mean 'fine'? You're burning up!" Yu Shulin unconsciously raised his voice, calling for Aunt Liu. "Aunt Liu! Where's Uncle He? Brother has a fever. Ask Uncle He to bring the car around and take us to the hospital!"
Aunt Liu hurried out from the kitchen, still holding a bunch of green onions. "What's wrong, what's wrong? How did he get sick? He was fine when he came back." She approached, looked at Liang Zhou's complexion, and also panicked. "Uncle He went out to buy groceries. What should we do? I don't know how to drive."
Damn it, he couldn't drive either. Yu Shulin frowned and took out his phone to call a taxi.
Seeing the two of them flustered and losing their composure, the corner of Liang Zhou's mouth lifted slightly. He pressed down on Yu Shulin's hand holding the phone, used his support to stand up, and felt his own forehead. "The fever isn't high. Aunt Liu, find the fever reducer we have at home and cook some porridge. I'll take the medicine, sleep for a while, and I'll be fine. No need to go to the hospital."
"Not going to the hospital?" Yu Shulin frowned, not quite agreeing with his decision.
"No need." Liang Zhou took his hand and started walking upstairs. "Sweating it out under the covers will be enough. I know my own body."
"But..."
"Be good, Shulin. Keep me company, okay?"
Yu Shulin relented helplessly, nodding with a frown. He turned back to ask Aunt Liu to get the medicine, then said, "If the fever doesn't go down after taking the medicine, we're going to the hospital immediately."
Liang Zhou pinched his cheek and nodded. "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Managing to change into pajamas back in his room, having some porridge to settle his stomach, and swallowing the medicine, Liang Zhou finally couldn't hold on any longer and closed his eyes to sleep. Yu Shulin tucked him in, hurried downstairs to eat dinner under Aunt Liu's urging, then grabbed his homework and went to Liang Zhou's room, taking care of him while doing his assignments.
By the time he finished his homework, it was already 8:30 PM. Uncle He pushed the door open, looked at the sleeping Liang Zhou, and urged Yu Shulin, "Young Master Shulin, you should go rest now. I can take over here."
"It's alright." He shook his head, refusing. "I'll do it. The joint exams are over, and I have tomorrow off. I'll go back to my room to sleep after brother breaks a sweat."
"Well then, alright." Uncle He nodded. "If you get tired, go rest. Aunt Liu and I are both downstairs."
"Mm, Uncle He, you should go rest too."
The door closed again. He stood up, went to the bathroom to wring out a towel, and used it to wipe the sweat from Liang Zhou's forehead. Then he sat by the bed, staring at Liang Zhou's rather pallid complexion, feeling somewhat dazed.
How did this person, who was always so reliable and reassuring, suddenly fall ill?
Falling ill is no good at all. 166 Reading Net
