"Alright, that's enough for now. Let's head back." Bai Cha smiled, clapping her hands. She had been feeling happier lately, with more interesting things happening around her, making even hardship seem bearable.
"Huh? Now?" Gu Mingze was parched from talking, but Cang Liu seemed determined to make him try. With no other choice, Gu Mingze fell silent. Hearing Bai Cha's words made him feel hungry. He looked up at the bright sun and licked his lips, "Will there be food at home later?"
He had sparred with Cang Liu all morning and hadn't even drunk any water.
"We have ingredients at home, you can cook it yourself," Bai Cha replied.
Although the small Western-style building was considered a dormitory, anyone who possessed a Dragon Ancestor was allocated a small property. The subsidy varied based on the Dragon's rank. These properties were located within the dormitory area, making them Bai Cha's private assets and truly feel like home.
Furthermore, that entire compound was largely populated by members of the Shadow faction.
However, ever since Bai Cha started staying at the dormitory area more often, people from the Shadow faction would drop by to cause trouble whenever they had nothing better to do. They knew Bai Cha wouldn't turn them away, so many would even climb through windows when she wasn't home. This led Bai Cha to simply stop locking her door.
"Gu Mingze, do you have any conscience at all?" a scolding voice came from behind. Although the tone was gruff, the displeasure was evident.
"Your parents raised you for so long. After all these years, you never called them Mom and Dad, nor did you call me brother. Yet, after only a few days at that place, you're calling it home? We've never mistreated you, have we?" Gu Ziteng's expression was grim. Seeing Gu Mingze's cheerful smile, he felt a knot in his chest.
It was a relaxation and happiness he had never witnessed before.
But why? They were the family, yet his own brother was getting along so well with people he had only known for a few days.
Why? Not only had she carried him for ten months, ensuring he never worried about food or clothing, and sent him to the best schools for the best education, but in the end, it felt as if they had been bullying Gu Mingze all along.
"Gu Ziteng, no one said you mistreated Gu Mingze, so why are you feeling guilty? He's with me now. Don't push my limits again and again." Bai Cha retorted dismissively, turning her head. She was about to say more when Gu Mingze grabbed her wrist.
Bai Cha looked at Gu Mingze in surprise, only to see him shaking his head with a pale face.
Bai Cha knew what Gu Mingze had endured – years of emotional abuse, belittling, and indifference. Yet, in the end, Gu Mingze was still bowing his head, prepared to accept it?
"He's right. They never mistreated me in terms of money." Gu Mingze's face was pale, his voice trembling. This was the first time in his life he had looked up and spoken to his brilliant brother. "When I wanted to play esports, I reached Rank 1 on the national server for eighty percent of the characters. I had invitations from all the major clubs across the country and had already finalized negotiations. But you came and smashed my keyboard, destroyed my computer, and sent me to a boarding school."
"That was you being unproductive! What future is there in playing games? You'll just be a freeloader in old age!" Gu Ziteng's expression was displeased. He was also unaccustomed to Gu Mingze's attitude. Seeing Gu Mingze's defiance, his anger flared up.
When had Gu Mingze ever spoken to them with such a strong stance in all these years?
"Then the media widely publicized my broken promises. You were the top student at school, and I was subjected to bullying for three years." Gu Mingze's voice was calm, not loud, almost as if he were recounting someone else's story. "They threw me into a sewage pit, poured cold water on me while I was using the restroom, deliberately pushed me into the mud during physical education classes, and cursed me to die every day.
One time, you walked past and saw me soaked, but you left without saying a word. At first, when I resisted once and you saw it, you didn't ask any questions and instead beat me and punished me by withholding meals for two days. I could only shut my mouth and let them insult me.
You were too outstanding, so all their imbalances could only be vented on me."
"But you never explained..." Gu Ziteng frowned.
"The moment I said two words when you hit me, that man slapped me and said it was shameful for a Gu family member to fight with commoners. I couldn't even speak," Gu Mingze interrupted Gu Ziteng. "Later, you confined me. I banged on the door, crying that they were bullying me, but did any of you believe me?"
Gu Ziteng: "..."
"Then I escaped and went to another city. I wanted to act, to become a star, to sing and dance. Because you were too famous, no one recognized me, like a shadow. That was the first time I thanked you." Gu Mingze said, "I succeeded, and then you dragged me back. The result was that I violated my contract by disappearing without a word. My fans waited for me for a long time, and I was subjected to two years of cyberbullying.
Physical violence and cyberbullying, you guys really completed the set for me. But it's strange, isn't it? We're a military family, so why was your protection so good? Any bad news about you was suppressed within a minute, while my phone number cost five yuan and a chat account three..."
"Mingze." Cang Liu stopped Gu Mingze's words and held his hand. Gu Mingze's pale, slender hand trembled. The moment Cang Liu grasped it, Gu Mingze instinctively clutched Cang Liu's hand.
In that instant, Gu Mingze felt his years of passive acceptance and resignation to death shatter. The pain was heart-wrenching, so intense he couldn't breathe.
He had never been treated as a person.
But Cang Liu, someone so powerful, let him take charge and direct him. Even Bai Cha, someone so formidable, praised him. They would save him, they would say he was amazing. He had only fantasized about such things in his daydreams after watching anime.
When he was very young, he imagined he could save the world, become incredibly powerful, and stand before those who looked down on him, giving a cold snort like a boss, looking incredibly cool.
And now, although the latter part hadn't succeeded, the former half had partially. It was truly dreamlike.
"Let's go, back." Bai Cha glanced at the hand gripping her wrist. This kid was truly moved; he probably didn't know how much strength he was using. "Your phone calls will be priceless from now on."
"Is this your way of comforting me?" Gu Mingze rubbed his eyes; they were dry. He felt a dull ache in his chest, but he didn't want to cry, nor did he feel sad. He didn't want them to apologize or compensate him.
He just wanted to sever ties, completely and cleanly.
"No, it's the truth. The day before yesterday, I had Lucifer arrange protection measures for you," Bai Cha spread her hands. "Others really can't buy them anymore."
"Wait, Mingze, wait. We don't mean to disregard you." Seeing them turn to leave, Gu Ziteng became anxious and quickly called out to Gu Mingze, "We're just not good at handling external affairs. Our family doesn't have a public relations team; others help us..."
"Until you protected Teacher Zhiyue, I always believed you. Perhaps you really couldn't do anything," Gu Mingze sighed and lowered his head again. "If you didn't protect me, and I felt you didn't protect me, then no one would. I used to think treating everyone equally was your way."
But you protected someone completely unrelated. Bai Cha's sword was fast, but she controlled it well, leaving at most a sword mark on Zhiyue. However, if that fire had no one to protect him, he would have been burned to a crisp.
So, he was the least important, and they just wouldn't protect him.
Gu Ziteng remained silent, gritting his teeth, wanting to retort, but found himself speechless.
Much of what Gu Mingze said wasn't his original intention, but the way things had unfolded left him powerless to argue.
Bai Cha stood silently by, watching Gu Mingze vent his emotions. Her presence seemed to act as a pillar of support, allowing Gu Mingze to gradually calm down.
"Feeling better?" Bai Cha chuckled. Gu Mingze then realized he had reddened Bai Cha's wrist, leaving clear finger marks. Startled, Gu Mingze quickly let go.
"Ahhh! I'm so sorry, Miss Bai! I wasn't paying attention!" Gu Mingze quickly jumped back, clasping his hands together and bowing his head in extreme distress. "I forgot! I forgot to let go!"
Bai Cha merely smiled. Lucifer gently massaged Bai Cha's wrist, without uttering a word of reproach.
Only Cang Liu seemed a bit impatient. He walked ahead, shaking his sword and frowning, saying, "You cook."
"Huh? Oh, right. We haven't eaten yet... Brother, wait for me!" Gu Mingze quickly followed. Cang Liu couldn't cook, so it was naturally his job to cook for Cang Liu. If he stopped to get emotional, Cang Liu would also have to stop and go hungry.
Thinking of this, Gu Mingze immediately forgot his earlier unpleasantness and happily chased after him.
On the hot afternoon, Zhiyue had already left in anger, leaving only Gu Ziteng standing alone in the sun, crestfallen, for a long time.
Gu Mingze happily went to cook for Cang Liu, using Bai Cha's kitchen. Cang Liu stood nearby, chilling the food for Gu Mingze. He emitted cold air, negating the need for a refrigerator, and would occasionally sneakily eat some of the vegetables Gu Mingze cut.
Seeing Cang Liu reach for the cold pudding on the plate again, Gu Mingze couldn't help himself.
"Brother, please bear with it for a moment. If you eat more, there won't be any left," Gu Mingze said, looking at the pudding, which was already less than half full and looked pathetic. "There are other delicious things too."
Cang Liu silently withdrew his hand, quietly smacked his lips, and continued to place his hand on the plate to cool the ingredients.
Meanwhile, Bai Cha sat in her room, frowning over two documents.
"Master, have you encountered any difficulties?" Lucifer brought the freshly brewed tea and placed it before Bai Cha. "If there is anything I can do to help, I would be happy to serve you."
Bai Cha rubbed her forehead, looking a bit helpless. "No, I'm just looking at Gu Mingze's blood sample data."
"Is there something wrong with Mr. Gu's blood?" Lucifer asked.
"Well... you could say there's a slight issue. His blood, tsk, it's mutated. No wonder he can't resonate with Dragonkind," Bai Cha frowned as she looked at the data from Gu Mingze's blood sample. "Blood affects physique, and this way, even the most basic modifications can't be done."
Lucifer took the data from Bai Cha and examined it. Gu Mingze's blood wasn't truly problematic. It was a rare, slightly mutated bloodline, which would typically be advantageous, making one more attuned to nature and possessing higher potential than ordinary people.
If such a person were born into an ordinary family, they would undoubtedly shine, being considered gifted. However, compared to the chosen few like Dragon Knights, it was rather unfortunate. This bloodline had a deceptive quality that made the embryo mistakenly believe Gu Mingze had already undergone resonance.
"This blood type also prevents gene super-modification surgery; it would disrupt the balance," Bai Cha sighed softly. "Out of billions of people in the world, there are less than ten thousand Dragon Knights. Why insist on squeezing into that spot?"
Rather be the tail of a phoenix than the head of a chicken?
She could understand, but perhaps it was unnecessary for Gu Mingze.
"Lucifer, ask Gu Mingze to come here." Bai Cha said to Lucifer, then burned the documents clean with a gesture, lost in thought.
A moment later, Gu Mingze appeared before Bai Cha.