I surrender…

And just like that, the whole morning passed by.

Because Ye Hao was playing on his phone like crazy during class, a bunch of melon-eating bystanders followed his lead without thinking.

Broad daylight, clear skies—everyone was openly using their phones in class!

Then…

When the bell rang, the teacher walked out of the classroom holding a plastic bag full of confiscated phones.

Feeling the wronged stares of his classmates around him, Ye Hao shrugged.

What? Why are you all looking at me?

Most importantly—Liu Qianxia, why were you on your phone too?

Aren’t you supposed to be preparing for the college entrance exam?

If you weren’t going to take it, you should’ve said so earlier!

I wasted so much time tutoring you for nothing… seriously.

As for Li Mengying, fine—her family’s loaded.

She’s the kind of person who says, “Huh? Exam? What’s that? Oh, university? That’s something you just walk into, right?”

See? How could you compare yourself to her?

Just as Ye Hao was wondering why Yuan Yuan hadn’t shown up yet, a familiar figure appeared in front of him.

“Let’s go! Since you’ve already got your lunch ready, we’ll eat at the place Brother Cheng once fought his legendary battle! Come on!”

Ye Hao: …

“Do you believe I won’t slap you right now?

Can you act normal for once?”

Ye Hao was helpless.

Wasn’t this guy supposed to be normal before?

When did he turn into such a weirdo?

I really worry about Uncle Yuan… this kid’s future doesn’t look too bright… tsk tsk tsk…

“I am normal!

And I get half your lunch.

I don’t care that you hit me before—that’s the rule.

You hit me, I eat half your food.”

“Since when was that a rule?”

Every time he ran into this guy, whether it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Yuan Yuan always took half.

Sometimes Ye Hao really wanted to lock him in a dark room for a few hours so he could reflect on his life.

What kind of nonsense is this?

If it weren’t for the fact that they grew up together—and that his mom used to protect Yuan Yuan—Ye Hao would’ve broken his legs long ago!

“Don’t worry about it.

It’s been like this for years.

Now hurry up—I’m starving.”

As Yuan Yuan spoke, he grabbed Ye Hao’s arm, trying to drag him out of the classroom.

“Hey hey hey, wait a second—let me grab my stuff first.”

Ye Hao only had one backpack.

There was nothing inside except a lunchbox roughly the same size as the bag itself.

He didn’t really know what Sister Yaoyao was thinking, but…

As long as it tasted good, it was fine. (shrugs)

“You… why are you putting your backpack on?”

Watching Ye Hao sling his bag over his shoulder, Yuan Yuan took a few steps back, looking terrified.

Then, out of pure habit, he crouched down and covered his head—like a reflex so practiced it was almost pitiful.

Ye Hao: “…What are you doing?

Why are you suddenly squatting down?”

“You’re not gonna hit me?” Yuan Yuan brushed his hair back, staring blankly at Ye Hao.

Hit you?

Huh?

Why would I hit you for no reason? You’re not a punching bag.

“Why would I hit you?”

“Then why are you wearing your backpack?”

“It’s got my lunch inside, idiot.”

Ye Hao walked up, grabbed Yuan Yuan by the armpits, and lifted him back onto his feet.

Then he straightened Yuan Yuan’s messy hair and shook his head as he walked out of the classroom.

This guy was beyond saving.

That moment just now—it felt familiar somehow, but he couldn’t remember where he’d seen it before.

“Could it be that I’ve studied so hard lately I’ve gone stupid?”

Hiss—

Just thinking about that made Ye Hao suck in a cold breath.

Damn!

Sure, studying was important, but health was just as important!

Looks like tomorrow he’d need to take a proper break.

He didn’t even know where this guy got the “tickets” from, but whatever—it’d be fine as long as they had fun.

As Ye Hao walked away deep in thought, not even looking back, Yuan Yuan subconsciously touched his own face.

“Hey! Wait for me!

Half for you, half for me!

You’re my best partner!

Wait for me, Haotzu!”

Watching Yuan Yuan roll up his sleeves and dash out of the room, everyone in class—except for Li Mengying and Liu Qianxia—collectively gasped.

At that moment, a girl wearing glasses had stars in her eyes.

“Hey hey hey! Doesn’t this feel exactly like a scene out of a shoujo manga?”

“See? Boy love really is true love!”

“They look so happy together…”

Hearing the whispers around her, Li Mengying felt a wave of irritation.

How could two guys possibly have that kind of relationship?

Was everyone crazy?

Besides, Ye Hao’s behavior was clearly like that of an older brother taking care of a younger sibling—there was no way there was anything romantic about it.

These people were so full of nonsense.

“Li Mengying, should we follow them and see what they’re up to?”

Liu Qianxia, unable to sit still, looked at Ye Hao’s empty seat and suddenly felt a strange sense of emptiness.

Ever since this Li Mengying girl showed up, she felt like the distance between her and Ye Hao kept growing.

“What’s the point?

What could two guys possibly be doing?”

Lying on her desk, Li Mengying pulled out two identical lunchboxes from her drawer.

The more she stared at them, the more frustrated she felt.

She looked calm on the outside, but inside, it was like a volcano about to erupt.

Why was Ye Hao so ridiculously good to that girly boy?

He’d never treated her that nicely!

Even if it was just “male friendship,” it was still too much!

“You… brought a lunch too?”

Seeing the two lunchboxes on Li Mengying’s desk, Liu Qianxia silently took out her own two lunchboxes.

Their eyes met.

It felt like a silent battle between dragon and tiger.

But since Ye Hao wasn’t there, both could only sigh.

“Yeah… guess we’ll just have to throw them away.”

“Yeah…”

At that moment, on the rooftop—“the place Brother Cheng once fought”—

“Whoa whoa whoa!

Haotzu, what is this?!

Why’s it so fancy?!”

Yuan Yuan stared wide-eyed as Ye Hao took out a very un-lunchbox-looking lunchbox.

“Stop playing around.

Didn’t you say you were hungry?

Just open it and eat.

I can’t finish all this by myself anyway.”

Sitting on the railing, Ye Hao rubbed his temples, watching Yuan Yuan fool around again.

How could he even play with a lunchbox?

“Then I won’t hold back!”

Opening it excitedly, Yuan Yuan froze when he saw the top layer—a big heart-shaped decoration staring back at him.

“Haotzu… you actually got a girlfriend behind my back?”

“Huh?

No, of course not.

Who would even like someone like me?”

Honestly, sometimes even Ye Hao didn’t like himself.

“You traitor!

We agreed we’d be single for life, and now you’ve betrayed the brotherhood!”

Ye Hao: ???

“Don’t play dumb.

You’ve been exposed!

Didn’t expect you to secretly score big while pretending to be all serious.”

What are you even talking about?

Ye Hao was completely confused.

Wasn’t this guy starving a minute ago?

Why was he ranting instead of eating?

Taking the lunchbox from Yuan Yuan, Ye Hao blinked.

Wow, Sister Yaoyao really went all out.

Even if she was at the age to get married, that didn’t mean she should use her little brother as a test subject for her “romantic lunch experiments”!

Sure, the heart was cute, but this kind of misunderstanding could cause problems!

He was still single, damn it!

“You got anything else to say for yourself?”

“Uh… not really.”

“You!

Sigh… I didn’t expect you to be so shallow.

Fine, whatever.

I’ll just go solve my hunger problem myself.”

“Huh?”

If you’re not eating, then why did you drag me up here?!

I could’ve just eaten in class and then taken a nap afterward—wouldn’t that be way better?

“You’re not eating?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll eat it myself.”

Fine, whatever.

If he couldn’t finish, he’d just bring it home and tell Sister Yaoyao to make less next time.

Yuan Yuan: ???

He said he wasn’t eating… but curiosity was killing him!

Who the hell had the guts to charm Ye Hao into letting someone make him a lunch?

He’d seen Ye Hao reject girls before—it was like watching a motivational seminar.

He’d give a whole speech about focusing on studies, and by the end, the poor girl would thank him and go home to study harder!

Back in middle school, it was even simpler—he’d just say “Get lost.”

But ever since high school, he’d turned into some kind of philosopher.

Yuan Yuan didn’t get it.

Those girls were pretty, smart, and popular—why wouldn’t he even look at them?

Well… not his business.

Still… he couldn’t help being curious!

“So… who made this lunch?

It’s really fancy.”

“Mmph?”

Ye Hao looked at him with wide, innocent eyes, his mouth stuffed with food.

“Oh, that?

My sister came back from overseas to take care of me.

So yeah, it’s from her.”

When Ye Hao first came home and found the door unlocked, he’d nearly had a heart attack.

But after thinking about it—there was nothing in the house worth stealing—he’d realized it was Sister Yaoyao.

Honestly, life had been pretty great lately, and he was grateful for it.

“Your sister?

You have a sister?

Since when?”

Yuan Yuan scratched his head.

Impossible—he’d never heard about Ye Hao having a sister!

“What do you know?

She just got back recently.

She went abroad when I was still in elementary school, so of course you wouldn’t know.”

“Oh, I see…

Wait!

Then who was that little one who kept calling you ‘Onii-chan, Onii-chan’ nonstop a few years ago?”

“Huh? Which one?”

“Back in second year of middle school!

I came over to hang out, and you told me you had guests and kicked me out.

I saw someone shorter than me through the door.”

“Oh, that… hmm… I don’t remember.

Probably someone unimportant.

Why are you asking?”

“I’m curious!”

“Curious about what?

That’s useless.

Anyway, are you eating or not?

If you don’t hurry, the school store’s gonna close.”

“Eat!

Of course I’m eating!”

Ye Hao: …Heh.

Classic.

Sure enough, Yuan Yuan ended up eating exactly half the lunch.

Not more, not less—half.

Sometimes Ye Hao wondered if this guy was cursed.

No matter what it was, if Ye Hao ate it, Yuan Yuan had to eat half.

“Why are you staring at me like that?

Honestly, your sister’s cooking is even better than our family’s chef’s.

And with all these meatballs—it’s obviously made by your real sister.”

Yuan Yuan knew about Ye Hao’s weird food preferences.

For instance—his obsession with meatballs.

Anyone who knew that much about Ye Hao had to be close to him.

“You really have no shame, do you…”

“Of course not!

I never steal from anyone else.”

“Huh??? Then why do you steal from me?”

“Because you’re the only one I steal from!

Fighting you for food is my right as your best friend!

Now tell me—do you admit defeat or not?!”

Seeing Yuan Yuan’s proud, smug expression, Ye Hao’s blood boiled.

Stealing his food and then asking if he accepted it?!

Good god—he really wanted to break this guy’s legs!

But after a moment of thought…

Ye Hao raised both hands in surrender.

“I admit defeat…”