Here we go again.

It should’ve been a question, but somehow it came out sounding like a statement.

It was as if Su Tong had no intention of caring what he thought or asking for his opinion. She was simply announcing what was going to happen.

So Su Tong could only sigh in resignation.

“I refuse.”

That was all he could say.

But just as he’d expected, his refusal was rejected.

“I refuse to accept your refusal.” Su Tong paused, then added, “And… no more of this recursive nonsense!”

“Then I really don’t have anything else to say.”

“Then don’t say anything.”

“…But I still don’t want to go.”

“That! Is! Not! Happening!”

Su Tong said, enunciating every word.

She held out her hand, pointing two chopsticks straight at the boy’s nose.

“Just look at the state of you! Your hair’s so long, and you haven’t even cut it. Are you planning to braid it? Girls look good with braids because they take care of their hair. Yours is a tangled mess, like a bird’s nest—dry and brittle. Even if you gave it away, no one would want hair like that. And you still want to keep it?”

Su Tong’s face flushed under the scolding, and he instinctively talked back.

“A great man… A great man doesn’t sweat the small stuff!”

“If you can’t even keep your own house in order, how can you hope to set the world right?”

“I…”

“You what? Just shut up and behave!”

“…”

Su Tong finally gave up trying to fight back.

That day, the boy was reminded of the terror of being argued into a corner by Su Tong—and the humiliation of being effortlessly crushed by her verbal attacks.

He really didn’t know when to quit.

Su Tong had lived two lifetimes. She’d slacked off more than he’d eaten bowls of rice, and she was an expert in every kind of shameless quibbling and shamelessly twisting an argument. How could an innocent virgin like Su Tong possibly handle her?

Naive!

So the girl gave a cold laugh.

“When you take something from someone, you owe them. I bought you a meal. You don’t have to be grateful enough to prostrate yourself, but you should at least appreciate it a little. And now you won’t even go get a haircut to repay me?”

Su Tong froze.

He couldn’t help looking up at the girl, then down at the leftovers on the table. Suddenly, he understood.

So this had been part of her plan all along?

She’d used buying textbooks as an excuse to treat him to a meal. That meant he’d been forced to owe her a favor—and feel grateful for it. He was in her debt, no question.

What a scheming woman!

Su Tong’s heart gave a jolt. He scooped the last spoonful of rice into his mouth—whatever else, the food was innocent—then shook his head with resolve.

“No. One thing is one thing, and another is another. This meal was payment for helping you buy textbooks, so that debt’s settled. Getting a haircut is a separate matter. It has nothing to do with this meal.”

As he spoke, he clenched his fists, ready for Su Tong to sneer at him or keep arguing in circles.

But unexpectedly, nothing happened the way he’d imagined.

All he heard was a soft laugh.

Su Tong set down her chopsticks, propped her chin on her hand, and quietly watched him.

“You really are still you, no matter what…”

Her voice faded, until it was almost inaudible.

Su Tong stared at her, dumbfounded.

He didn’t understand why the girl would say something like that to him.

But he didn’t have time to wonder.

Su Tong nodded again.

“Since you’re so determined to refuse, I won’t force you—did you think that’s what I was going to say?”

The girl paused, then smiled slyly, like a little fox.

“Of course not. I never said I was a reasonable person. So no matter how you struggle, I’m not letting you off the hook.”

Su Tong almost swore out loud.

But the girl naturally didn’t give him the chance. She called over a waiter, paid the bill, then winked at him.

“Are you coming or not?”

“…”

Su Tong was getting even more confused about what the girl was thinking.

If she really wanted to take him to get a haircut, shouldn’t she be doing everything she could to restrain him so he couldn’t get away?

But now he was free to move around, and Su Tong didn’t seem the least bit worried he’d run. She looked completely in control. What was that about?

Forget it.

He’d stop thinking about it.

If one person gets to walk the broad road, someone else has to take the narrow bridge. He didn’t understand why the girl was so fixated on him, but he did feel bad about refusing her kindness.

He felt a little guilty, but there were some things he didn’t want to change. Swans had their way of being swans, and toads had to live like toads. Su Tong had just said out loud that she liked him, but the boy knew better than anyone that it was only a joke.

A kind joke, nothing more.

So there was no need to hope.

No need to hope an angel would descend from the heavens.

No need to hope a demon would whisper in his ear.

Because life wasn’t only as painful as childhood. It was…

Always like this.

Su Tong closed his eyes and resolved to make a run for it the moment they left the restaurant. The girl had such thin arms and legs that she couldn’t possibly outrun him. Sure, he’d been moping ever since his father died, but at least he hadn’t lost the long-distance running stamina he’d built up back then.

Long-distance running.

It was the only thing he could rely on to forget his pain and anger, and the only way he had to remember his father.

Decision made.

He opened his eyes again, sighed with mixed feelings, and followed the girl.

The door was only a few steps away. They’d reach it in no time.

Su Tong was already poised to sprint. He figured he’d have to apologize after they got back to school. He really was sorry, but right now…

Then he heard the girl’s voice.

“Nia, did you come by yourself?”

He jumped. His tense muscles went slack in an instant.

Still, he held on to a little hope. He leaned around the girl to see who was standing in front of her. It was a little girl.

She looked very young, her face full of shyness and nervousness. She had long silver hair and wore thigh-high stockings and a maid outfit. She looked meek and easy to pick on.

She was cute, too.

But she was unmistakably just a little girl, with arms and legs even thinner than Su Tong’s. She looked so frail that she couldn’t possibly pose any threat to him.

Su Tong breathed a sigh of relief.

He’d thought they’d sent some terrifying bodyguard, eight feet tall, with phoenix eyes, heavy brows, and a face red as dates. But it was just a sweet, soft little maid?

That was it?

Su Tong instantly felt confident.

“Su Tong,” he called to the girl. “I’ve got something to do, so I’ll head off first. Catch you later!”

Before the words had even left his mouth, he was already making a break for it.

Ready to charge forw—

—ard!

The first half of the word was still in his mind, but the next instant, muscle memory kicked in and carried him one step forward.

But then he heard the girl give a helpless order.

“Nia, grab him. Don’t let him get away.”

“Yes!”

The exchange between master and maid reached Su Tong’s ears, and he couldn’t help finding it funny. Did they really think he’d earned the title of Little Prince of Long-Distance Running for nothing?

He wasn’t much good at sprinting, but after all those years, he’d built up enough explosive speed to crush an ordinary person—let alone two little girls with skinny arms and legs.

How could they possibly catch—huh?

A sudden, heavy force pulled him back.

Someone had grabbed his jacket. It was cheap to begin with and couldn’t take much tugging. Su Tong could almost hear the fabric straining and tearing.

He froze and instinctively turned around.

Behind him, the silver-haired little maid was gripping his jacket without budging an inch. She still looked shy, and when he turned around, she nearly jumped. Then she timidly explained,

“M-Miss said you’re not allowed to run, sir.”

“…”

Su Tong began to question reality.

To be continued.