Chapter 94 The Timid Him (Part 6) I'm Proud to Have My Motherland by My Side…
Song Ce followed Zhao Mingjun to his room. The room was very spacious, and after being connected to the adjacent guest room, it had been turned into a rather large study.
"Brother Ce, come here quickly! I've hidden some really interesting novels in my study. Let's study them together. Anyway, the midterm exams are over, and we brothers should relax a bit." Zhao Mingjun pushed open the study door excitedly and said with a smug look on his face.
Song Ce shook his head, his expression serious. "Mingjun, the first year of high school is a crucial period for building a solid foundation. The academic difficulty is far greater than in junior high. If you want to improve your grades in the future, life will only get harder. If you also want to get into a good university, then we must always maintain our enthusiasm for learning and not slack off!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Mingjun's head buzzed. He wanted to say he'd only play for a little while, but seeing Song Ce's calm face, he swallowed the words back. After all, he cherished his childhood friendship with Song Ce, and he knew that Song Ce was saying all this for his own good.
After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Mingjun could only hang his head and reluctantly follow Song Ce to open his schoolbag and begin to bury himself in his studies.
During this time, Zhang Ruiyu had Aunt Zhou bring them fruit. He was pleased to learn that Song Ce was studying with Zhao Mingjun in the room. When it was time for dinner, he personally went upstairs to call them down, smiling as he told them he was taking them out for a big meal that day.
Zhao Mingjun, who had been studying rather listlessly, perked up immediately upon hearing that there would be a big meal.
Zhang Ruiyu led the two of them to a restaurant called Fulangyuan. The restaurant had a very unique design, with a bamboo forest landscape inside the glass curtain wall, which was truly tranquil and elegant.
“Brother Ce, my uncle loves coming to places like this. If you ask me, we should go eat boiled fish instead!” Zhao Mingjun whispered in Song Ce’s ear.
"This place looks pretty good, is there a problem?" Song Ce asked, puzzled.
"You'll see in a bit. Don't worry, if you're still hungry tonight, I'll take you out for an extra meal, I promise you won't go home hungry!" Zhao Mingjun patted Song Ce on the shoulder and smiled mysteriously.
After the three of them sat down in turn, Song Ce finally understood what Zhao Mingjun meant.
The place certainly has an elegant name, and the dishes have lovely names too, like Bamboo Branch Roast, Osmanthus Wine, Zen in the Clouds and Water, and Beihai Bean Soup. However, the portions are pitifully small; they're basically gone in two or three bites. It seems that what you're paying for here isn't the food, but rather the creativity and atmosphere.
Zhang Ruiyu was clearly very satisfied with the place he had chosen, and he warmly invited Song Ce to relax and eat to his heart's content.
Throughout the meal, Zhang Ruiyu looked at Song Ce as if he were another nephew. Learning that the two of them wanted to go out and play for a while, Zhang Ruiyu simply drove them to their destination, reminding them to be careful before leaving.
"Brother Ce, what kind of person is my uncle?" Zhao Mingjun put his arm around Song Ce's shoulder and asked with a grin.
"Uncle is a very nice person, and he's good to you. He's very approachable and has a kind heart," Song Ce replied with a smile.
"Hahaha! Brother Ce, only you would describe my uncle like that. But I can also tell that my uncle likes you quite a bit." After saying that, Zhao Mingjun snapped his fingers coolly, "Let's go, let's go get some extra food."
"Okay, let's go!"
But as soon as the two reached the snack street outside the school, they were stopped by Liu Xiangtian and a few thugs.
With a malicious smile on his face, Liu Xiangtian reached out and patted Song Ce on the shoulder, saying sarcastically, "Oh, isn't this our top student in the grade, Song Ce? Why are you condescending to come to this run-down food street on campus today? This is not befitting your status!"
Song Ce frowned and said coldly, "Get out of the way."
Seeing that the other party was hostile, Zhao Mingjun quickly stepped in front of Song Ce and loudly questioned, "What do you want? Are you trying to bully me?"
Liu Feng stepped forward and said fiercely, "Hey big oaf, we brothers won't bother you, so you better behave yourself! If you anger our boss, we'll beat you up too!"
"Fine, I'll fight you. Do you think I'm afraid of you? Anyone can talk tough." Although Zhao Mingjun was terrified, he still braced himself and retorted to Liu Feng.
Liu Feng swallowed hard and immediately shoved Zhao Mingjun, saying, "You're pretty arrogant, aren't you!"
Song Ce quickly pulled Zhao Mingjun behind him, looked directly into Liu Xiangtian's eyes, and said, word by word, "If you have nothing to do, don't block our way."
Liu Xiangtian laughed heartily upon hearing this, "Listen to this, this good student dares to threaten us brothers! I'm blocking your way today, what can you do to me? Song Ce, you got first place once, and you really think you're something special?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the thugs behind Liu Xiangtian surrounded him, ready to fight at any moment.
Zhao Mingjun was taken aback by the imposing manner of Liu Xiangtian and his group. Somewhat at a loss, he tugged at Song Ce's sleeve and whispered, "Brother Ce, a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle..."
"Mingjun, get out of the way!" After saying this, Song Ce swung his fist directly at Liu Xiangtian's face.
"Holy shit! You surnamed Song! How dare you hit me? Do you even want to stay at Fifth Middle School?" Liu Xiangtian roared, furious, "Brothers! Get him! Beat him to a pulp!"
With Liu Xiangtian's shout, the chaotic scene was completely ignited.
How could Zhao Mingjun stand by and watch his brother suffer? He roared and charged forward. But before he could even move, Song Ce, wielding a stick he'd somehow acquired, moved like a ghost among the thugs. By the time Zhao Mingjun reacted, the thugs were already sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain.
Liu Xiangtian was alright, but Liu Feng, who had pushed Zhao Mingjun, was undoubtedly the most disheveled. Seeing Song Ce walking towards him, he quickly covered his injured face, took a few steps back in terror, and screamed shrilly, "Song Ce, you... what do you want to do?"
Song Ce smiled slightly, but to Liu Feng, that smile was terrifying.
“You scared my friend. Apologize to him,” Song Ce said slowly, pointing at Zhao Mingjun who was walking over.
"I, I..." Liu Feng trembled with fear. Liu Xiangtian, who was standing next to him, thought he was unwilling to apologize and said angrily, "Liu Feng, didn't you hear what Brother Ce said? Hurry up and apologize to this brother!"
No wonder Liu Xiangtian is able to be the boss; he truly knows when to yield and when to stand firm. When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Besides, with so many of them unable to defeat Song Ce alone, why would they dare to act tough and pretend to be weak?
Upon hearing this, Liu Feng quickly apologized: "Brother, sir! I was blind to your greatness. Please forgive me this time!"
"Mingjun, what do you think?" Song Ce turned to ask Zhao Mingjun.
Zhao Mingjun was stunned for a moment, then said, "...Okay, I accept. Just don't bother Brother Ce again next time."
Song Ce's lips curled up slightly as he looked at the thugs lying on the ground with a half-smile: "Since my friend has forgiven you, you should leave now."
After Liu Xiangtian and the others slunk away, Zhao Mingjun patted Song Ce on the shoulder heavily and said with admiration, "Brother Ce, you're amazing! Those moves just now were like those of a martial arts master in a TV series. When did you secretly learn kung fu?"
Song Ce chuckled upon hearing this, put away his staff, and said, "I used to practice this whenever I had nothing else to do. I never thought it would come in handy today. Come on, it's on me today, to calm you down."
"Alright! Then I won't be polite!"
The two ate quite a bit at the food street, and then went home in high spirits.
Back home, Song Ce lay on his bed, reflecting on the day's events and pondering deeply. It seemed he needed to find a way to completely eliminate Liu Xiangtian and his associates. After all, Liu Xiangtian was one of the masterminds behind the rape case.
The following Saturday, Song Ce got up early and went downstairs to buy breakfast for Song Mingyuan and Chen Mei. When Song Mingyuan got up and went to the living room, he saw his son setting out breakfast on the dining table.
"Xiao Ce, did you go out to buy breakfast?" Song Mingyuan asked.
“Yes, Dad, didn’t you say you wanted to eat tofu pudding the other day? This is what I bought from Pan’s, it’s still warm, come and eat!” Song Ce said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Song Mingyuan beamed with joy. He hadn't expected his son to remember something he'd casually mentioned. This was the first time he'd ever felt this way, and it warmed his heart.
Looking at the other breakfast, Song Mingyuan's smile faltered slightly. He patted his son's shoulder and said, "It's Saturday today. Your mother usually doesn't get up for breakfast."
"It's okay, Dad, let's eat first."
Watching Song Ce peel the eggs and place them on his plate, Song Mingyuan felt a little dazed. It had been a long time since the father and son had sat down for a proper breakfast like this. As Song Ce ate, he shared funny stories from school with Song Mingyuan, and Song Mingyuan also chatted with Song Ce about everyday things. For a moment, the atmosphere between father and son became exceptionally harmonious.
"Dad, are you working overtime today?" Song Ce asked.
"There's nothing much going on at the company today, so I won't be going to the office," Song Mingyuan said with a smile.
Song Ce nodded and said to Song Mingyuan, "Dad, let's go to the market to buy groceries today! I want to cook you a big meal."
Song Mingyuan was taken aback by these words. "Why did you suddenly think of cooking for Dad?"
"Dad, you forgot? Today is your 42nd birthday!" With that, Song Ce picked up a gift box from the chair next to him and handed it to Song Mingyuan: "Happy birthday, Dad!"
Looking at the gift box, Song Mingyuan felt a lump in his throat, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears. He instinctively turned his head away, forcing a calm expression, and said, "Dad's already so old, why bother celebrating his birthday?"
“Dad, everyone has to celebrate their birthday, no matter how old they are! This is a gift I’ve been looking at for a long time. Open it and see if you like it?” Song Ce said with a smile.
Song Mingyuan took the box and opened it with trembling hands. Inside, a brand new OIA mobile phone lay quietly.
"Xiao Ce, you... this... thank you, Dad doesn't know what to say. But where did you get so much money to buy a phone?" Song Mingyuan picked up the phone, weighed it in his hand, and then carefully put it back.
“Dad, I forgot to tell you, I bought this for you with my own royalties. Last time I saw that your phone screen was cracked and the earpiece wasn’t working properly, so I thought I’d get you a new phone for your birthday,” Song Ce said with a smile.
Suppressing his excitement, Song Mingyuan turned away, quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, and whispered, "Thank you, son."
Breakfast was eaten in this warm atmosphere. The father and son chatted and laughed all the way home after buying groceries, and Chen Mei woke up. After hearing the noise in the kitchen, she quickly gathered her hair, opened the bedroom door, and went out.
At this moment, in the Song family kitchen, Song Mingyuan was washing vegetables by the sink, while Song Ce took down the cutting board and cut the vegetables that Song Mingyuan had washed. Chen Mei hadn't seen such a harmonious scene between the father and son in a long time. Her usually rebellious son was now chatting and laughing with Song Mingyuan, and the warmth between them seemed to shut her out.
Chen Mei's heart tightened suddenly, and a strange sense of being neglected welled up inside her. For so many years, she had been the one taking care of her son's daily needs; why should Song Mingyuan try to compete with her for their son's love?
"Mingyuan, Xiaoce, what are you talking about?" Chen Mei bit her lower lip tightly, her tone unconsciously carrying a hint of questioning as she loudly asked the two of them.
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Author's Note: Thank you so much for your comments, my lovely angels! They give me even more motivation! ( ` ) Sending love!
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