Chapter 125: Brother-in-law, I Need a Favor

Xiao Rou entered the classroom, and as soon as she disappeared from sight, Qiangzi and Haozi rushed over, showering Chu Dong with flattery.

"Brother Dong, I always knew you were no ordinary man. Even from a distance, I could tell today’s lesson was profound. That girl is stunning—no less charming than my sister-in-law. I’m telling you, if you weren’t in such desperate need, could you let a brother have a chance?" Haozi squinted his small eyes, bowing and flattering eagerly.

"Brother Dong, don’t listen to him. That guy already has someone. Even though he got kicked out, it should be my turn now. Besides, I think the girl looks familiar, there’s a sense of closeness—that’s the foundation of feelings! Brother Dong, if you’re going to let go, you have to let me have her, right?" Qiangzi, confident in his strength, pushed Haozi behind him and even winked at Chu Dong.

Qiangzi had indeed seen Xiao Rou before; though from afar and unclear, she seemed familiar. Chu Dong couldn’t just hand her over to him. Placing a hand on Qiangzi’s shoulder, he pulled Haozi aside. “Look, it’s not that I’m heartless, but I have plans tonight. How about this: you two head back for now. Tomorrow, I’ll call you and find time to give you further training. Haozi, just leave your car here. You can take a taxi or the bus—just one thing: don’t bother me, or next time, I won’t bother with you at all.”

Chu Dong accompanied Qiangzi and Haozi out of the main gate, walking to a nearby bus stop.

“Brother Dong, make sure you keep your word. Don’t bail tomorrow. After spending today with the beauty, don’t switch to spending time with your sister-in-law. You’ve already got a few little troublemakers at home; one less or one more won’t matter,” Qiangzi gave him a preemptive warning, just in case he wasn’t available the next day.

“Don’t worry. Tomorrow, no matter what, I’ll hold the class. I’ll train you to be the new generation of men with wives, lovers, mistresses, and affairs. Don’t worry,” Chu Dong said, patting each of their shoulders.

The two were reluctant to part, holding onto his hand a bit too tightly, but the bus had arrived. Reluctantly, they said goodbye.

Watching them board, Chu Dong waved, and as the bus pulled away, he noticed Qiangzi and Haozi crowding near the rear door, banging on it frantically.

He felt touched—these two really cared about him. Even this brief separation was hard to bear. Turning back toward the main gate, he planned to wait in his car for Xiao Rou to finish class. He hadn’t walked far when his phone rang.

It was Qiangzi.

“Hey, already calling? You just left,” Chu Dong said, a little overwhelmed by their clinginess and worried they might keep bothering him.

“What? We were so focused on talking to you we got on the wrong bus. We had no change, Haozi put in a hundred yuan, but they said no change given. We’re planning to just hang out on the bus today…” Qiangzi sounded frustrated.

“Ambitious. Tonight I’ll bring you a blanket. We’ll tough it out together,” Chu Dong teased, adding fuel to the fire.

Back in Haozi’s car, Chu Dong set an alarm and lay back in the rear seat, waiting for Xiao Rou’s class to end. Around four in the afternoon, he got up and went outside the teaching building where Xiao Rou had gone earlier. After standing for a few minutes, he sat on a step.

Soon, Xiao Rou emerged clutching her notebook. Seeing Chu Dong waiting, she smiled brightly and approached. “You’ve been waiting a while? Sorry.”

“No problem. I just got here. You barely had time to stand before you came out. Come on, my car’s just outside. Let’s go,” Chu Dong quickly stood and dusted off his pants.

Silently, they walked to the main gate and got into the car. Chu Dong felt a twinge of regret—would inviting her to dinner seem like he expected something in return?

“Where should we eat?”

After a long pause, they both spoke in unison.

“Heh, you decide. Ladies first,” Chu Dong said with a gentlemanly smile.

“You choose. I don’t know what’s good outside. I usually eat at the school cafeteria and rarely go out,” Xiao Rou replied shyly.

“Then let’s go to Yoshinoya. Convenient and quick. They have a few decent rice bowls,” Chu Dong recalled from when Xiao Lan often ordered in; he wasn’t exactly sure where the best places were, so he picked a familiar spot.

“Alright, I’ll trust you,” Xiao Rou said softly.

Chu Dong had his reasons for choosing such a place—not to save money. He’d already squeezed enough from Qiangzi and Haozi earlier. He just worried Xiao Rou might insist on paying, and this way, even if she tried, she wouldn’t spend much.

Sure enough, she tried to pay at first, not wanting to be the center of attention. Chu Dong let her. After the meal, he took her to the hospital.

He brought a flower basket and some fruit, accompanying Xiao Rou to visit her younger brother.

Xiao Xiaofeng was only nineteen—no match in looks for his sister but still a handsome young man, though his complexion was pale.

“Sis, who’s this?” Xiao Xiaofeng asked, curious to see his sister with a young man for the first time.

“This is Brother Chu. He helped pay for your treatment. You owe him, you know,” Xiao Rou introduced while peeling an apple at the bedside.

“Thank you, Brother Chu. We’ll definitely repay you,” Xiao Xiaofeng said earnestly despite his youth.

“When you’re in trouble, that’s when you need friends. No need for thanks. Besides, what is a friend? Someone who’ll stick a knife in their ribs for you. Once you’re better, just treat your sister well,” Chu Dong smiled warmly.

Xiao Xiaofeng suffered from uremia and needed a kidney transplant. He was undergoing dialysis, waiting for a suitable donor. Lately, only his sister visited; his classmates didn’t know about his illness, which made him frustrated. Chu Dong’s easygoing and approachable nature quickly made Xiao Xiaofeng comfortable with him.

When they left the hospital, Xiao Xiaofeng asked when Chu Dong would visit again. Xiao Rou affectionately tucked the blanket around him. “Brother Chu is busy. Don’t trouble him.”

“No problem. I’ll come whenever I have time. The boy’s great—I like that. But between the two, I still prefer his sister,” Chu Dong said honestly.

Xiao Rou lived on campus; her family wasn’t in the city, so she stayed in the dorm provided by the school after graduation. Though it was late after visiting her brother, Chu Dong insisted on driving her back.

At the school gate, Xiao Rou got out and waved goodbye, waiting for him to leave in Haozi’s flashy, domineering car before entering.

“Hey, Xiao Rou, where are you off to?” A female teacher, only slightly older, returned with a bag of toiletries in hand.

“Oh, I was at the hospital visiting my brother. Teacher Qin, are you going to take a bath?” Xiao Rou greeted quickly. When Qin came over, they walked toward the faculty dorms together.

“Is that guy your boyfriend? Nice car,” Qin remarked enviously.

“No, he’s just a kind person who helped pay for my brother’s treatment,” Xiao Rou blushed, lowering her head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Heh, understood, understood,” Qin said knowingly as they returned to the dorm.

Chu Dong was surprised. He’d been out almost a whole day without a single call—didn’t any of the three girls at home care about him?

Before entering, he checked his phone for missed calls, preparing excuses just in case. But the screen was empty, making him feel as if he’d run into thin air—strength unused, a bit uncomfortable.

Cursing his ungrateful girls, Chu Dong opened the door.

“Hee hee, ha ha…” The crisp, tinkling laughter of Tan Xue and the others greeted him.

Peeking while changing shoes, he saw the three girls watching Guo Degang’s comedy show, dressed in nightgowns or shorts, clutching pillows, laughing uproariously, kicking their pale legs about—a lively scene.

“I’m back! Anyone here to keep me company tonight?” Chu Dong barged in provocatively, a tactical move to avoid interrogation.

Sure enough, Tan Xue looked annoyed at his late return but snapped back, “Keep dreaming. Go back to your empty bed; we’re all busy, no one’s paying attention to you.”

Like hearing a royal pardon, Chu Dong slipped quickly back to his room. After changing, he took a quick shower and picked up a book on “Go: Invasion and Opening Strategies.”

The long night stretched on, and not a single visitor came. Chu Dong put down the book and turned off his bedside lamp, a little annoyed but soon fell asleep peacefully.

The next day, Qiangzi and Haozi arrived promptly at nine, each with a notebook ready to take notes—very serious indeed.

Li Youlan had been watching TV in the living room, but Chu Dong felt awkward discussing dating tactics in front of her, so he found an excuse and sent her to her room to outline her upcoming study subjects.

“Dating, as the name implies, starts with ‘dating’. The character splits into ‘water’ and ‘wrap’. This means you must be gentle as water, offering yourself as nourishing dew to your beloved. ‘Wrap’ means tolerance—you must have a broad mind and indomitable spirit to forgive every mistake she makes, except for being unfaithful,” Chu Dong rambled on with great eloquence.

With his gift of gab, the two were completely convinced; whatever he said sounded reasonable and right. He taught with enthusiasm, and they learned diligently; an outsider might think they were discussing some profound theory.

The day passed quickly. Feeling greatly enriched, the two brothers left discreetly before Tan Xue and the others returned.

Chu Dong had learned how to order food online. When Tan Xue and Xiao Yu’er came back, the delivery arrived as well.

Xiao Yu’er seemed upset, her eyes slightly red. Tan Xue asked, but she said nothing, barely eating before running back to her room.

Tan Xue tried again with no result, so she returned to the living room, monopolizing the TV with Li Youlan. Chu Dong had nowhere to linger, so he retreated to his room with a book.

He brewed a cup of tea, stripped down to his underwear, got into bed, and just as he covered himself with a blanket and picked up his book, the door was pushed open.

Xiao Yu’er peeked in, assessed the situation, closed the door quietly, and tiptoed over.

“Sis’ husband, I’m begging you for a favor,” she said, biting her lip, eyes filled with resentment.

[End of the original text.]

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