"Time is the swiftest yet slowest thing in the world, the longest yet shortest, the most ordinary yet most precious, the easiest to overlook yet most regretted."

Guyen now fully grasped those words. If he could, he’d yank open the drawer and hunt for that mythical time machine. Then shoot his ten-minutes-ago self. Or, failing that, hand the gun over and let that past version shoot present-day Guyen.

Guyen stirred his tofu pudding haphazardly. As his emotions cooled and feelings faded, only two words echoed in his head: *I want to die*.

Sure enough, people change. One second he swore he’d never regret it; the next, he was plotting to find Doraemon.

"Guyen, tell me why you fought," Gu Yu’an said, stepping out of the bedroom, her makeup freshly touched up.

Unlike Guyen’s half-dead slump, she glowed like a well-fed vampire queen—rosy-cheeked and brimming with energy.

"Can’t let it go, huh? Nothing to say," Guyen mumbled, eyelids drooping.

"Online says good communication is key to parenting. Weren’t you chatty earlier?" Gu Yu’an pulled out a chair and sat.

"Alright, Master, stop preaching. Fine, I’ll talk." Guyen set down his spoon, resigned.

"Tang Yuan got hassled by outsiders. I just went to check." Guyen kept it brief.

"That simple?"

"What else?"

Gu Yu’an knew it wasn’t that straightforward—the twists were obvious, and Guyen refused to elaborate.

"Why not say that in the principal’s office? Fighting’s wrong, but your heart was in the right place."

"Forgot Tang Yuan’s mom? If school calls her, Tang Yuan gets beaten again." Guyen leaned back, voice flat.

Gu Yu’an recalled Tang Yuan’s home life: her mother’s harshness since childhood, dumping divorce bitterness on her, then remarrying and having another child—leaving Tang Yuan stranded in awkward silence.

"Every family has its struggles," Gu Yu’an sighed.

"Done. Get out. Don’t ruin my meal." Guyen scooped up tofu pudding.

"Not finished! All you do is eat. Starve for one meal and you’ll die?" Their tender mother-son act crumbled after ten pathetic minutes.

"Health is the revolution’s capital." Guyen bit into a steamed bun, words muffled.

"No talking while eating! How many times?" Gu Yu’an glared, eyes wide.

"Manners are for outside. Home’s home—no rules." Guyen raised an eyebrow, chewing and sipping tofu pudding.

"Where do you get these twisted ideas?" Gu Yu’an huffed, half-amused.

"Your intentions were good, but violence solves nothing. It’s the worst fix."

"I couldn’t just watch. If I’d agreed to that mess, Zhao Zhuoyang would’ve killed me." Guyen devoured one bun and grabbed another.

"Men! Always soloing problems. You think you’re tough—broke bones—but what if blood spilled? How would your parents cope?" Gu Yu’an’s voice trembled, tears threatening. Guyen rushed to apologize: "Mom, I’m sorry. Next time, if they touch me, I’ll flop down and scam them silly."

"Clown." Gu Yu’an’s frown melted into a smile.

"I’m not saying ignore it. That crap’s infuriating. If I saw it, I’d slap them before they spoke."

"Slaps *are* handy on-site." Guyen rubbed his right cheek.

"Enough! I’ve only slapped you once. Don’t you know me as your mom?" Gu Yu’an’s voice soared when flustered, scolding like a song.

"Stay on topic." Guyen pressed his ear.

"Next time, if school fails, call Uncle Su. His big company can send guards. Scare those kids your age—tough talk solves it."

"You’re pulling meme-video stunts. That’s not your style. Uncle Su’s gentle—why’s he scheming?" Guyen snorted, picturing himself on a scooter leading a mob, and burst out laughing.

"No memes! No real fights. High schoolers just need scaring." Gu Yu’an snapped, clueless about viral clips.

"Hahaha—will they run shouting ‘Sarilang, Sarilang’?"

"Memes? Sarilang? Guyen, speak properly!" Gu Yu’an finally snapped, rapping his head with a crisp *thwack*. Yep, this head—guaranteed ripe.