#The Same Milk Tea
At six-thirty in the morning, the thin mist had yet to fully disperse. The sky was like a piece of blue glass freshly washed clean, translucent and faintly gleaming with a deep azure hue.
The snack street by the school gate was already alive with the smoke and bustle of morning. A long, winding line had formed outside the famous Old Wang's Breakfast Shop, known throughout the school. When the steamer lids were lifted, thick white clouds of steam rose slowly into the morning light, carrying the savory scents of meat and dough.
Xia Zhifeng hitched her shoulder bag higher and quietly took her place at the end of the line.
In her past life, Zhou Huai'an had almost never eaten breakfast properly during high school because he was always at odds with his family. Whenever his stomach pain flared up, he would casually fish a packet of ice-cold spicy strips out of his desk drawer or gulp down a couple of mouthfuls of ice water, abusing his body until he developed severe stomach problems. His high fever had only gone down yesterday, and his stomach was already fragile. It couldn't take the slightest irritation.
"What can I get you, miss?" the proprietress called, briskly wiping down the counter without looking up.
"Two of your signature fresh-meat buns, and two cups of your special hot milk tea. Three-sweet, please. Thank you." Xia Zhifeng's voice was gentle and clear.
The proprietress expertly packed everything up. "Coming right up! Two hot milk teas, cartoon seals and all. Here you go!"
Xia Zhifeng accepted the bag. The two cups of milk tea sat side by side, each seal printed with an adorably goofy little bear. They radiated a piping-hot, sweet fragrance.
When Xia Zhifeng stepped into Sophomore Class 3, only a few students were there. Morning light streamed through the tall aluminum-framed windows, illuminating every tiny mote of dust floating in the air.
She walked to the back row. Zhou Huai'an's seat was still empty. Several blank exam papers from yesterday lay scattered across the desktop, their corners wrinkled from their owner's earlier agitation.
She slowed her steps and gently placed one of the steaming buns and the bear-printed cup of milk tea on the upper-right corner of his desk. Then she turned and returned to her own seat by the window in the row ahead. After pulling out her chair, she sat down, set the identical cup of milk tea on the corner of her desk, and took out her English vocabulary book, beginning to read softly.
"Ding-a-ling—"
The warning bell for morning self-study rang through the entire school building. The noisy hallway fell silent in an instant, and the students hurried into the classroom one after another with their books in their arms.
Just as the final second of the bell faded, a tall figure appeared in the front doorway.
Zhou Huai'an had arrived right on time.
The sickly, bedraggled look brought on by last night's fever had vanished without a trace. His washed black hair hung messily over his forehead, and his blue-and-white school jacket hung open carelessly over a clean black T-shirt. The boy's features were deep and sharply defined, his jaw taut. He had regained his usual reckless, arrogant, untouchable air.
His appearance made the classroom, which had been quietly reciting lessons, fall silent for several seconds. Quite a few students sneaked glances at him from the corners of their eyes, curiosity, wariness, and private scrutiny mingling in their gazes. The news of Zhou's father exploding in rage and shouting at the school gate last night had already spread like wildfire through all the class group chats.
Zhou Huai'an was long accustomed to such looks and couldn't be bothered to lift his eyelids. He swung his backpack with one hand, crossed the aisle with his long legs, and walked straight to his seat in the back row.
The moment he pulled out his chair, his movements suddenly stopped.
On the upper-right corner of his desk sat a greasy paper bag and a cup of milk tea sending up wisps of steam.
One of Zhou Huai'an's eyebrows lifted almost imperceptibly. He reached out and touched the cup. The scalding heat traveled from his fingertips all the way to his heart. He instinctively raised his head, his dark eyes sweeping across half the classroom toward the window-side seat in the front row.
The morning light fell perfectly across Xia Zhifeng's profile. She was slightly bent over, her slender fingers earnestly circling and marking words in her textbook. And on the upper-right corner of her desk sat a cup of hot milk tea with exactly the same bear printed on its seal.
The same milk tea. The same shop's packaging.
The boy's tightly pressed lips moved slightly, as if ice had melted beneath a spring breeze.
The anger that had filled his brows and eyes softened in an instant. Zhou Huai'an lowered his head to look at the cup of milk tea, and the corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably into an exceptionally brilliant, almost foolish grin.
It felt as though an entire block of cotton candy had been stuffed into his heart, sweetness bubbling outward—this little liar who kept calling herself the "support team leader" sounded so righteous every time she spoke, yet here she was, obediently buying him the same breakfast in secret.
Zhou Huai'an pulled out his chair with one hand and sat down. With a carefree motion, he tore open the plastic wrapper around the straw. It made a crisp rip as he jabbed the straw through the seal.
He tipped his head back and took a long, vigorous sip.
The rich, sweet milk tea slid down his throat and warmed the stomach that had still been aching last night. As the boy devoured the tender, juicy buns, he propped one foot on the crossbar of his desk. Every now and then, his eyes swept toward the quiet figure in front of him. His whole person radiated the smug satisfaction of someone declaring, "I have someone looking after me, someone who cares about me."
During the ten-minute break, the classroom grew noisy again.
The clatter of desks and chairs mingled with the sounds of horseplay. Near the hallway by the back door, several boys who usually loved gossiping huddled together, lowering their voices while casting ill-intentioned glances toward Zhou Huai'an.
"Hey, heard about it? Last night, Bro Zhou's dad slapped him in front of the school gate and called him a useless piece of trash who'd never amount to anything!"
"Seriously? His dad really said that?"
"Why would I make that up? My bro saw it with his own eyes last night! He said the Zhou family is relying entirely on his half-brother now. That guy goes to a private school and ranked first in his entire grade, while Bro Zhou fights and smokes at school every day. The old man of the Zhou family stopped wanting to deal with him ages ago."
"Tsk, tsk. No wonder his temper's so awful. Turns out his family abandoned him... But speaking of that, Xia Zhifeng actually gave him an umbrella yesterday? Could she feel sorry for him?"
"Ha! Who knows? Maybe Xia Zhifeng was just feeling saintly. If you ask me, getting involved with a good-for-nothing punk like that will drag her down sooner or later..."
The sour, malicious taunts drifted into Zhou Huai'an's ears word for word on the breeze.
In the past, when faced with such rumors, Zhou Huai'an would either scoff and treat them like dogs barking, or kick over a desk and go beat someone up.
But when the words "feeling saintly" and "getting involved with a punk and being dragged down" reached his ears, the milk tea cup in Zhou Huai'an's hand instantly buckled.
Amid the grating crunch of crushed plastic, the boy's gaze turned icy. A terrifying layer of frost covered his eyes.
They could talk about him all they wanted. They could call him useless if they pleased. But he absolutely would not allow a single filthy scrap of gossip to stain that gentle, pure girl!
"Bang—!!!"
A thunderous crash that shook half the classroom suddenly exploded.
Zhou Huai'an slammed one hand down on his desk so hard that even the chalk box on the lectern trembled three times.
The entire classroom froze as if someone had pressed pause. Every laugh and conversation stopped abruptly, and everyone looked toward the back row in terror.
Zhou Huai'an shot to his feet, his tall, lean body bringing with it an intensely oppressive, violent aura. He shoved both hands into his pockets and walked toward the boys who had been running their mouths, his face darkening with every step.
The boys went pale with fear and hurried backward, knocking over the chairs behind them. "Zhou... Zhou Huai'an, what are you doing? We weren't talking to you..."
Zhou Huai'an stopped in front of them and bent slightly forward, his dark eyes pinning the ringleader's face in place. His voice was cold enough to cut.
"That last part. Say it again if you've got the guts."
The ringleader gulped and swallowed hard, his legs trembling. "W-We were just saying it casually..."
"Keep your mouth clean." Zhou Huai'an raised a hand and jabbed his index finger hard against the boy's chest, every word carrying undisguised dominance and protectiveness. "You talk about me, and I can't be bothered to care. But if I hear one more word about Xia Zhifeng—"
The boy's eyes were faintly red, his voice as vicious as a wolf guarding its territory.
"I guarantee you'll spend the rest of this semester taking class on your stomach. Got it? Get lost!"
"Got it! Got it!" The boys, grateful to be spared, scrambled back to their seats. They didn't dare look at him again.
The classroom fell deathly silent. Everyone had been stunned by Zhou Huai'an's near-maniacal protectiveness.
At her window-side seat in the front row, Xia Zhifeng slowly lowered her pen and turned to look at the boy standing ramrod straight in the back, his posture as upright as a pine. A gentle, relieved smile curved her lips.
He was no longer fighting the world by hurting himself. He was beginning to understand how to stand up for and protect everything he cared about, like a real man.
The lunch dismissal bell rang, and the students surged out of the classroom.
But a large crowd of students and parents had gathered at the school gate to watch the spectacle. The roar of an engine rumbled from the center of the crowd.
A black luxury business vehicle was parked conspicuously in front of the main school gate, blocking most of the passage. The door opened, and a middle-aged man in a high-end tailored suit and gold-rimmed glasses stepped out.
He was Zhou Huai'an's Second Uncle Zhou—Zhou Enterprises' deputy general manager, Zhou Tianhe.
Zhou Tianhe held two expensive gift boxes of premium bird's nest. His face wore an exceptionally loving, gentle smile. As he nodded to the onlookers who had gathered around, he craned his neck toward the school gate, putting on the perfect performance of a caring elder.
"Isn't that Deputy General Manager Zhou from Zhou Enterprises? He came to pick up his nephew himself?"
"Look how wonderful his Second Uncle is. He's carrying such expensive gifts and really cares about his nephew..."
As he listened to the surrounding praise, a trace of smug viciousness flashed through Zhou Tianhe's eyes.
When he saw Zhou Huai'an emerge with one hand hooked around his backpack strap and his face dark, Zhou Tianhe immediately plastered on a smile and went to greet him. His voice was loud enough to make sure half the school could hear.
"Huai'an! Second Uncle's finally been able to wait for you! I heard you and your dad had another falling-out last night. I was worried sick and couldn't sleep a wink! Come on, let's go to a hotel for a big meal. We'll sign that agreement we discussed on the phone yesterday while we're there. Second Uncle will absolutely help you get your revenge and take back what belongs to you!"
As he spoke, Zhou Tianhe reached out to grab Zhou Huai'an's arm, trying to use moral pressure and fake concern to force him into submission in front of everyone's eyes.
The Zhou Huai'an of the past, impulsive, extreme, and wounded to the core by his father's love, might truly have followed him in a moment of hotheadedness when faced with such a "warmth trap," willingly allowing himself to be used as a weapon.
But at this very moment, as Zhou Huai'an looked at that utterly hypocritical face, what rose in his mind was the image of Xia Zhifeng beneath the desk lamp last night, earnestly analyzing the pros and cons for him with those clear eyes—
*"He's counting on you being angry and wants to use the things you said in the heat of the moment to trick you into signing a statement giving up your rights. He wants to use you as a weapon against your dad."*
The boy stopped in his tracks.
Zhou Huai'an lowered his eyes to the hand Zhou Tianhe had placed on his arm, then suddenly let out a cold laugh. There was no anger in it, only mockery and coldness that reached to the marrow.
He flung Zhou Tianhe's hand away.
"Second Uncle, in the middle of the day, you leave your big company to put on a show outside our high school. Aren't you tired?" Zhou Huai'an looked down at him from his superior height, his voice bright and every word carrying across the entire scene.
Zhou Tianhe's smile froze on his face. "Huai'an, what are you talking about? Second Uncle is doing all this for your own good..."
"For my own good?" Zhou Huai'an arched an eyebrow, his gaze sharp as a blade. "So for my own good, you chose the moment when my fight with my dad was at its worst and my head was least clear to trick me into signing a statement transferring my equity and giving up my inheritance? Second Uncle, do you think I'm three years old?"
The students and parents watching burst into an uproar, and many of them turned suspicious looks on Zhou Tianhe.
Zhou Tianhe's expression changed, and he grew frantic. "Y-You are talking nonsense! I'm your real Second Uncle. Why would I hurt you?!"
"Whether you hurt me or not, you know best." Zhou Huai'an kept one hand in his pocket, his gaze cold as ice. "I won't give up a single share or penny of the equity and property my mother left me, and I won't sign a thing. You want to use me to fight my dad for power? Keep dreaming."
With that, Zhou Huai'an couldn't be bothered to spare him another glance. He coldly spat out his final sentence.
"Don't come to school looking for me again. I'm busy. I don't have time to act out your rotten script about a loving uncle and filial nephew."
After tossing out those words, Zhou Huai'an strode away without looking back, walking straight around Zhou Tianhe and leaving him behind.
Behind him, Zhou Tianhe stood frozen in place with the gift boxes in his hands. His face shifted from green to purple, then from purple to black. Amid the endless pointing and murmuring of the students and parents, he slunk back into the car and drove away in disgrace.
On the camphor-lined path beside the school gate, sunlight passed through the dense branches and scattered golden patches of dappled light across the pavement.
Xia Zhifeng stood quietly beneath the shade, holding a light-blue sun umbrella. She had witnessed the entire satisfying counterattack.
When she saw Zhou Huai'an swing his backpack and stride toward her, she folded up the sun umbrella. Her eyes were filled with unconcealed amusement and approval.
Zhou Huai'an quickly walked up to her and stopped.
The cold, sharp presence he had shown Zhou Tianhe vanished in an instant. The boy rubbed the back of his neck a little sheepishly, his eyes flickering away for a moment. Yet his voice held unmistakable pride and a clear desire for praise.
"Team leader... I did okay just now, right? I didn't embarrass you as the support team leader, did I?"
Xia Zhifeng looked at the boy who was clearly so tall and imposing, yet now resembled a puppy with a tail about to wag into the sky, and laughed softly.
She pulled a carton of milk that still held a little warmth from the side pocket of her backpack and held it out to him, her eyes curving into beautiful crescents.
"You did extremely well. Your logic was clear, your counterattack decisive, and you didn't leave the other side any room for moral pressure. You deserve a carton of milk as a reward."
Zhou Huai'an looked at the carton, and his mouth split into a huge grin. He accepted it, then naturally took a large step forward and began walking on Xia Zhifeng's left, using his tall frame to shield her from the bustling crowd along the road.
"Tch, you think one carton of milk is enough to send me off... That performance just now was worth at least two." Zhou Huai'an muttered under his breath, but there was no hiding the delight in his eyes.
"Sure. I'll make it up to you with another carton tomorrow." Xia Zhifeng turned her head to look at him.
Sunlight spilled over the two of them as they walked side by side, stretching their shadows long before intertwining them.
As Zhou Huai'an tore open the straw for his milk, he looked at the girl's exquisite profile beside him. The dazzling sunlight swept away all the gloom in his heart.
He knew the Zhou family's conflict wouldn't end here. There might still be countless storms ahead.
But this time, he was no longer the useless person who stood alone and helpless, capable only of fighting the world by hurting himself. Someone was standing firmly by his side, raising a clear, open sky for him.
"Xia Zhifeng," Zhou Huai'an suddenly said.
"Hmm?"
The boy tipped back his head and drained the milk, then accurately tossed the empty carton into the trash can beside them. He turned to her, his eyes shining with an incredibly dazzling light.
"Help me study for next month's midterms. I, I mean, I'm going to break into the top hundred and make every one of those contemptuous bastards in the Zhou family shut up!"
Xia Zhifeng looked at the light burning anew in his eyes and smiled brightly.
"Sure, Zhou Huai'an. You chose this yourself, so don't come crying and begging me to let you off when the time comes."