Chapter 326: Childhood Friends Must Be Cultivated from a Young Age (9)

While running, An Ziyu accidentally fell and scraped his knee, causing a bit of blood to ooze out. Although he wasn’t as prone to crying as he was when he was younger, the stinging pain still brought tears to his eyes.

Pressing his lips together, An Ziyu stared blankly at the wound, feeling an overwhelming sense of grievance. He remembered how, in the past, when he fell, Luo Luo would help him up and gently blow on the wound, saying, “Pain, pain, go away.”

Tears flowed more freely from his eyes. A large shadow fell over him, and An Ziyu looked up expectantly, but his anticipation was quickly dashed when he saw who it was.

The gym teacher bent down and helped him up, saying, “I’ll take you to the infirmary. Don’t cry, An An; you need to be a little man.”

The last three words seemed to strike a nerve, and An Ziyu sniffled, wiping away his tears and replying softly with a hint of babyish tone, “Okay.”

A crowd of girls and boys had gathered around. The girls were very concerned about him, surrounding the teacher and asking about his condition. Several girls even wanted to accompany him to the infirmary. The boys, however, were less friendly, whispering and making fun of him with words like “little prince” and “spoiled.”

An Ziyu had heard these kinds of comments many times. He knew what “little prince” meant; to him, Luo Luo was as beautiful as a princess, and princesses were always with princes. So he secretly enjoyed this nickname a bit. But now, for some reason, it made him uncomfortable.

Why? An Ziyu didn’t know.

The nurse in the infirmary was very gentle. When the teacher asked if he should notify An Ziyu’s parents, An Ziyu shook his head and declined. He looked at his bandaged wound and shook his head again.

The teacher had always seen An Ziyu as a fragile porcelain doll, quiet and radiant like a little prince, even when just sitting there. So, the teacher’s impression of him shifted slightly when he heard this response.

After the last class, Shen Mubai went to An Ziyu’s classroom to pick him up. Seeing his bandaged knee, she paused for a moment before walking over and asking, “Ziyu, how did you get hurt?”

An Ziyu pressed his lips together, his tone tinged with a bit of dependency and grievance.

“Luo Luo, I accidentally fell during gym class. It really hurts.”

Shen Mubai, taking advantage of her height, patted his head skillfully. “Does it still hurt?”

An Ziyu hesitated, seeing the worry and concern in her eyes, then nodded.

Shen Mubai thought for a moment, then crouched down and said, “I’ll give you a piggyback ride.”

An Ziyu was stunned.

Shen Mubai thought he was embarrassed.

“Didn’t you say it still hurts? I’ll carry you back.”

Looking at her back, An Ziyu’s fingers curled slightly at his side. He couldn’t resist the desire to be close to her and climbed onto her back, wrapping his arms around her neck and whispering, “Am I heavy?”

They were about the same age, and although Shen Mubai was a bit taller, carrying him was still a bit of a strain. But she said, “You’re not heavy. Ziyu, have you not been eating well? You’re so light.”

Hearing this, An Ziyu felt relieved and smiled.

“Luo Luo is the one not eating well. You always sneak into my room to steal snacks.”