Mu Zhe looked at Lulu. His heart beat fast, and his mind began conjuring unsettling thoughts.
Lulu turned around, gazing at Mu Zhe's gloomy face by the edge of the bed while gently petting Fantuan.
"Why so gloomy?"
Lulu asked. He stepped closer, then sat beside him. Mu Zhe lifted his face, staring deeply into Lulu's eyes.
"Is it really okay for us to go back to school now?"
Mu Zhe asked. His tone and expression were thick with worry.
Lulu managed a faint, bitter smile.
"It's okay. Uncle Bo Ya and the others have made all the arrangements. We'll be safe."
He tried to reassure him.
"But—"
"Shhh…"
Before Mu Zhe could voice everything weighing on his heart, Lulu placed a finger against his lips. Mu Zhe froze; a strange new feeling stirred within him—warm, tingling, vibrating through his chest.
"Don't worry. I'll protect you. No one will hurt you. Trust me,"
Lulu soothed. His hand moved from Mu Zhe's lips to his hair, brushing softly over the strands falling across his forehead.
"But…"
"Shhh…"
Once again, Lulu silenced him with a gentle finger to his mouth.
But… who will protect you? I'm so scared. The words caught in his throat. Tears spilled down his cheeks. Lulu swallowed hard—his heart ached to see it. He pulled Mu Zhe into a tight embrace.
Fantuan watched the two people he loved most. Seeing his parents this way made his heart ache too. He rubbed his head softly against Mu Zhe's chest, doing his best to comfort him.
"Meow…"
"Daddy don't cry. Papa…" Fantuan nuzzled Lulu's chest as well.
"Meow…"
His voice sounded sad, calling to them both, hoping they would stop crying.
Hearing Fantuan's soft whimpers, Lulu realized he had let his emotions get the better of him—and so had Mu Zhe. They had forgotten what mattered most: protecting what was theirs. Dwelling on fear would change nothing. They had to be strong and stand their ground.
"I'm okay now. Sorry for worrying our child,"
Mu Zhe said as he lifted Fantuan's round, fluffy body into his arms. He kissed him repeatedly, wiping his tears against the cat's soft fur.
Lulu smiled. Having such an understanding child like Fantuan was a precious comfort right now. He stroked Fantuan gently, leaned close to his ear, and whispered:
"Papa will buy you premium wet food after school."
"Meow!"
Yay! Papa promised! Fantuan seemed to reply, his fluffy tail flicking happily, eyes shining up at Lulu.
"I promise,"
Lulu confirmed, kissing Fantuan's pink little paw. He straightened up, brushed the tears from his beloved's face, and said:
"After school, we'll take Fantuan for a nice walk in the park."
"Mmm."
Mu Zhe nodded, a sweet smile returning to his face.
Arghhh!!! He's so cute…!!! Lulu screamed internally, struggling to hold back. He quickly turned away before he lost control and squeezed those soft, round cheeks.
"Come on. Everyone's waiting for us,"
Lulu said, leading the way.
Mu Zhe smiled. Seeing Lulu flustered and trying to hide his affection chased away all the unease he'd felt that morning.
"Your papa is so cute when he's shy,"
Mu Zhe whispered, kissing Fantuan's little nose.
"Nya…"
Fantuan purred in reply.
Once he saw his papa and daddy heading off to school, Fantuan settled back into his bed. He yawned widely, gave himself a quick scratch, and curled up comfortably.
***
"Hahaha… welcome back, everyone!"
The principal greeted them with a wide, warm smile. He immediately spotted Ma Yuan and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Are you alright?"
He asked.
Ma Yuan nodded, smiling softly, then walked quickly toward Zhou Jun, hiding behind his sturdy frame—the only place he truly felt safe.
When they entered the classroom, all eyes turned to them—including Shen Wei's. His eyes lit up when he noticed the look on Mu Zhe's face.
Mu Zhe, Zhou Jun, Jiang Hai, and Zhang Yiran took their seats. The room was quiet, full of curious glances. Where had they been these past months? What had happened? They seemed different—stronger, yet distant, as if they had returned from another world. It made them feel harder to reach, yet impossible to ignore.
The same shift was felt in Lulu's class. Everyone watched in wonder and admiration at how much Lulu and Ah Fei had changed.
"Lulu! Over here!"
A voice rang out from nowhere, cutting through the morning silence. All eyes turned to Jonathan.
Lulu glanced at Ah Fei. "What is this kid doing here?"
Ah Fei shrugged. "How should I know? Isn't he your friend?"
Lulu shook his head, glancing left and right before letting out a quiet sigh of relief. "Good—Mu Zhe isn't here yet."
"Why are you pretending not to see me?"
"Kyaaa!!!"
Lulu and Ah Fei yelped in unison. They had no idea when Jonathan had appeared right at their table—he'd been watching their reactions with his head resting on his hand.
Jonathan plugged his ears with his fingers.
"Wow… almost hit high notes there,"
He groaned.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
Lulu said, clutching his chest, soothing his poor heart that had nearly leaped out of his chest.
Jonathan pouted, looking dissatisfied.
"What are you doing here?"
Lulu asked.
"Studying. I've been here a week."
Lulu's jaw dropped. Cold sweat pricked his skin. He could already imagine Mu Zhe's anger—Mu Zhe had never been fond of Jonathan's boldness.
Jonathan smiled, triumphant. He'd finally gotten his wish to be in the same school as Lulu—after pulling every string he could to convince his father.
"Lulu! Ah Fei! Are you two okay?"
Zhang Yiran came running over, followed closely by Mu Zhe, Zhou Jun, and Jiang Hai. They looked anxious, checking Lulu and Ah Fei all over for any sign of trouble.
Mu Zhe froze the moment he saw Jonathan. His expression turned sharp and cold.
Jonathan simply smiled back—a smile clearly testing Mu Zhe's patience.
"Hello, senior,"
Jonathan said, extending his hand with a grin that only stirred Mu Zhe's irritation.
Furious, Mu Zhe turned abruptly and headed for the door.
Lulu stood frozen, unsure what to do. Zhang Yiran patted his shoulder, gesturing for him to go after Mu Zhe before his temper flared further.
Lulu jumped up and ran.
"Mu Zhe!!!"
He shouted.
Mu Zhe paused, glancing back—but then turned again and began running as if his life depended on it.
"Mu Zhe!!!"
Lulu yelled louder this time.
Heads popped out of classroom windows, curious about the drama unfolding. Lulu didn't care—he kept running after him.
Back in the room, Zhang Yiran, Zhou Jun, Jiang Hai, and Ah Fei gathered around Jonathan. They needed to get to the bottom of this—for Lulu and Mu Zhe's sake.