Nato’s gaze carried no malice—just pure, honest confusion.
To avoid being overheard by Chu Shiye, he even thoughtfully lowered his voice to a near-whisper.
Ji Mian: “…Ahem.”
He covered his mouth, turning his face away as his shoulders trembled slightly.
Chu Shiye: “…”
Nato: *Oh no, was I overheard?*
Carefully, he snuck a glance at Chu Shiye.
The landlord’s face showed no particular expression; it was the same as it had been a moment ago.
…But the subtle tension in the air said otherwise.
Nato quietly let out a breath of relief.
Thankfully, Chu Shiye didn’t seem to have heard him.
But still… it was really odd.
He’d never seen anyone’s spiritual entity act so… clingy toward someone else.
Ji Mian finished laughing and turned back to look at Chu Shiye.
Chu Shiye’s face was full of frustration.
Ji Mian: “…Pfft.”
He started laughing again.
Chu Shiye: “…”
Without a word, Chu Shiye stretched out his hand.
Ji Mian: “Alright, alright, I’ll give it back.”
He gently untangled the little white snake, which had twisted itself into a pretzel, from his fingers and placed it into Chu Shiye’s palm.
Ignoring the snake’s squirming, Chu Shiye shoved it back into his pocket.
His face remained blank.
Ji Mian thought: Aww, he looks so upset, so pitiful.
He chuckled and patted Chu Shiye’s head in consolation.
Chu Shiye glanced at him, then lowered his eyes.
Ji Mian: Hmm, less pitiful now.
Nato’s gaze flitted between the two, his expression slightly dazed.
As they turned down another alleyway, Nato’s house came into view.
The rusty iron gate to the yard was half-open, and the yard itself was cluttered with trash.
“…I haven’t been back for a week,” Nato muttered, accidentally stepping on a bag of garbage. His face reddened as he explained to Ji Mian, “No one’s been cleaning here.”
Ji Mian: “It’s alright.”
The three carefully navigated the yard and arrived at the front door.
Bang!
Before they could even knock, a loud crash came from inside, like someone smashing a bottle against the floor.
Nato flinched violently.
Ji Mian gestured for Nato to hide behind Chu Shiye and stepped forward to knock on the door lightly.
“You little sht! Coming back this late?!”
The door was flung open, and a wave of alcohol fumes poured out as a figure stumbled through.
Chu Shiye immediately stepped forward.
The man who appeared had unkempt hair that hadn’t been touched in days and a face covered in scruffy stubble—it was Nato’s father, Eren.
Eren’s face was flushed from alcohol, and he was clutching a nearly empty bottle of liquor, hiccuping as he staggered.
“Uh… who, who’s this?”
His alcohol-soaked brain couldn’t process much. He squinted at the unfamiliar face in front of him, clutching the bottle as he swayed closer.
“Where’d this guy come from… Oh! You’re here!”
Eren’s wandEreng gaze suddenly locked onto Nato, who was standing behind Chu Shiye. Nato’s body went rigid, and Eren immediately tried to shove past Chu Shiye to get to him.
But he couldn’t move Chu Shiye an inch.
Chu Shiye stood there, solid as a mountain.
Eren froze for a moment before a flash of anger appeared in his bloodshot eyes. “Who the hell do you think you are, standing in my way!”
He raised the bottle abruptly and swung it at Chu Shiye’s head.
Thud!
The bottle fell to the ground with a clunk, followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor.
Eren collapsed with a pained howl, rolling around on the ground as a small object tumbled out of his pocket.
It was a wooden badge, carved with the image of a star with a single eye.
Ji Mian recognized the badge. He’d seen it before at the city gates, worn by many of the residents waiting in line.
The emblem on the fallen badge was unmistakable—it was the symbol of the Relief Society.
Eren, Nato’s father, was a member of the Relief Society.
Standing beside Chu Shiye, Ji Mian asked coldly, “The injuries on Nato—were they caused by you?”
Eren, who hadn’t been hurt much, continued howling on the ground like he was gravely injured. “I’m his father! A father hitting his son—what’s wrong with that?”
He glared angrily at Nato, then grabbed an empty bottle nearby and threw it at him. “You ungrateful brat! Just standing there while I’m getting beaten—why aren’t you helping me?”
Crash!
The bottle shattered into pieces on the ground, making Nato’s face turn pale as he took a shaky step back.
Eren snarled, “Trying to run away, are you? You’re just like your dead mother, you little—”
A torrent of vile, unrepeatable curses spewed from his mouth as he staggered to his feet, lunging at Nato.
In the next second, a fist slammed into Eren’s face, sending him sprawling to the floor again.
This time, the punch wasn’t light. Eren screamed like a pig being slaughtered, rolling around on the floor and unable to get up for a long time.
When he finally regained enough strength to lift his head, he was met with Chu Shiye’s cold, indifferent gaze.
Those deep, dark brown eyes carried an icy, night-like stillness that made Eren shudder involuntarily.
The room was silent, the tension so thick it was suffocating.
Ji Mian stepped over the threshold, walking a few steps into the house.
Underneath the overwhelming stench of alcohol clinging to Eren, there was another faint, unpleasant odor—a rotting smell.
Ji Mian’s gaze swept past Eren, taking in the room.
The house was a mess. Amid the broken bottles on the floor were several discarded glass tubes with traces of pink liquid at the bottom.
They looked like some kind of medicine.
Ji Mian pulled his attention back to Eren, speaking calmly. “He is my student.”
Eren spat, “So what? I’m his father!”
Ji Mian’s voice remained soft, yet the weight of his words was undeniable. “If my student gets hurt again for no reason, what do you think will happen to you?”
Eren froze.
Despite Ji Mian’s gentle tone, a wave of fear washed over Eren, even greater than what Chu Shiye’s punch had inspired.
Something about this young man—so refined and calm—made Eren feel as if he might truly do something terrifying.
Eren instinctively shrank back, his earlier arrogance completely extinguished.
Ji Mian no longer paid him any attention. Turning to Nato, he asked, “Do you want to stay here, or would you like me to take you somewhere else?”
Nato hesitated before replying, “…I want to leave.”
Ji Mian nodded. “Alright.”
The three turned to leave. Eren didn’t say a word, but he stared at Ji Mian’s back as they walked away.
As soon as they stepped out of the yard, the sound of bottles smashing echoed from the house again.
Nato kept his head down, silent. He was already used to this chaos. If it hadn’t been for his teacher and landlord escorting him home today, he knew he’d have been beaten again.
“Do you want me to take you to your aunt’s house?” Ji Mian asked.
Nato hesitated. “My aunt… she’s been sick recently.”
That was why he had to leave her care and return to this so-called “home.”
Ji Mian responded, “In that case, take me to see her.”
Nato’s aunt, Nasha, lived on the other side of the city.
When they arrived at her home, it was Nasha herself who opened the door.
“Are you Mr. Su?”
Nasha was a soft-spoken woman with a gentle voice.
“Nato has mentioned you,” she said warmly. “He said you’re a wonderful teacher. I’m sorry I couldn’t dress properly—I haven’t been feeling well lately…”
She was dressed in thick pajamas, her hair tied up, and a hot towel rested on her forehead.
Ji Mian asked, “Are you running a fever?”
Her face was unnaturally flushed, and her voice lacked energy. “Just a small illness, nothing serious.”
Nato helped Nasha sit down, explaining to Ji Mian and Chu Shiye, “My aunt went to the hospital a few days ago, but the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong. They just told her to rest at home.”
Ji Mian studied Nasha’s pale complexion and raised his hand.
A soft glow fell over her. Nasha froze for a moment, then suddenly felt all her lingEreng discomfort disappear. For the first time in days, she felt completely revitalized.
Chu Shiye silently observed Ji Mian.
Nato was astonished. “Auntie, do you feel…”
Nasha touched her face, feeling the feverish heat dissipate. Her body temperature was back to normal.
“What… What just happened?” Nasha exclaimed, shocked. “Is this a miracle?”
Nato proudly answered, “It’s Mr. Su! He’s a healer!”
Nasha looked at Ji Mian with gratitude. “You must be a very skilled healer. Please, come inside and have some tea.”
Inside the cozy home, Nato bustled about like it was his own place, helping Nasha bring out tea and snacks.
“Mr. Su, you brought Nato here—was it because that scoundrel hit him again?”
When Ji Mian confirmed this, Nasha’s face darkened with anger.
“I’ve wanted to become Nato’s guardian, but that damned Eren refuses to agree,” she said bitterly. “Last time, he almost went to jail. If he does end up in prison, I’ll finally gain custody and keep Nato away from that hellhole for good.”
Ji Mian asked, “Does he often hit Nato?”
“‘Often’ doesn’t even cover it,” Nasha scoffed. “It’s like a daily routine. First it was my sister, now it’s Nato. I don’t know when that monster will finally rot in hell.”
After a moment’s thought, Ji Mian said, “Could you take care of Nato for now?”
Nasha immediately hugged Nato. “Of course I can. He’s like my own child.”
As Ji Mian and Chu Shiye prepared to leave, Ji Mian’s eyes caught something on a nearby table: a small box containing several glass tubes filled with pink liquid—the same kind as the nearly empty bottles at Eren’s house.
“What’s this?” Ji Mian asked.
“It’s medicine from the Relief Society,” Nasha explained. “I’ve been drinking it when I don’t feel well. The effects don’t last long, but it helps.”
Ji Mian asked, “May I take one?”
“Of course,” Nasha said. “Please, take it.”
Ji Mian accepted the tube, and after saying their goodbyes, he and Chu Shiye left.
Walking through the dim alleyways, Ji Mian opened the glass tube and cautiously sniffed the liquid before handing it to Chu Shiye.
After examining it, Chu Shiye said, “It’s normal medicine. Nothing unusual.”
This type of medicine was the most common and widely used in the area.
Ji Mian murmured, “Maybe I’m just overthinking things.”
The two continued walking. The night deepened, and for a while, neither spoke.
“…”
Chu Shiye suddenly stopped and turned his head.
Ji Mian turned to look at him, their gazes meeting for a few seconds.
Then Chu Shiye blurted out, “It’s not my fault.”
Ji Mian: “Hmm?”
Chu Shiye muttered gloomily, “I didn’t make it act like that.”
Ji Mian immediately understood. “Mm-hmm.”
Chu Shiye continued, “I can’t control it.”
Ji Mian: “Mm-hmm.”
Chu Shiye added, “I don’t know why it acts that way, but… it’s not my fault.”
Ji Mian: “Mm-hmm.”
Chu Shiye: “…”
Is Su Lan brushing me off?
Noticing Chu Shiye had gone quiet, Ji Mian glanced over.
The Alpha stood there, his expression full of grievance.
Ji Mian: “…Pfft.”
He couldn’t hold back a laugh, amused by Chu Shiye’s pitiful expression.
Chu Shiye: “…”
Now he looked even more aggrieved.
Keep me fueled with caffeine! Support me on Ko-fi! It helps a lot ! Thank you so much ♡(´･ω･)(･ω･`)♡
