Chapter 8: Its Name Is Gas Canister

At the beginning of the term, Shi Chu noticed that Ying Zhiyao still spent most of her classes asleep, just as she had when she was little. Upon waking, she would sit there in a daze. No matter which teacher saw this, they all pretended not to notice, seemingly allowing the girl to do as she pleased. At first, Shi Chu was worried, but Ying Zhiyao never complained about feeling unwell; instead, she candidly said, "No need to study, I'm so sleepy."

Shi Chu found himself at a loss for words, unsure how to respond. October arrived, and the weather gradually turned cooler. As usual, Shi Chu accompanied Ying Zhiyao home. The crooked roads and numerous alleys of Ping Town were confusing; Ying Zhiyao still couldn’t navigate home alone without getting lost. It wasn’t just the streets—she also struggled to remember people’s faces and names, often unable to match them correctly.

Dong Rui constantly sought Ying Zhiyao’s attention, but all he ever got in response was her blinking in confusion, tilting her head, and eventually shifting her gaze to Shi Chu, continuing to daydream. Her slow, soft-spoken manner earned her the nickname “Sleepy Little Beauty.” Her life skills were practically nonexistent. Most households in Ping Town still used traditional clay stoves. One day, Ying Zhiyao eagerly wanted to try lighting the fire. Shi Chu thought it would be fine to let her watch after repeatedly warning her, then went to his room to fetch something.

To his horror, when he came back, he found Ying Zhiyao coughing uncontrollably. Looking up at him, her cute face was covered in soot, and her small hands kept patting her forehead. When she finally lowered her hand, Shi Chu noticed the hair on her forehead had been singed and curled by the flames. At that moment, his heart nearly stopped in fright. From then on, he never let Ying Zhiyao near the traditional stove again.

Everything Ying Zhiyao needed daily was prepared by Aunt He. When Aunt He was too busy, Shi Chu would help style Ying Zhiyao’s hair. Starting from zero knowledge, Shi Chu had now mastered hundreds of hairstyles in the shortest time. He felt as if he were raising a daughter—one who was picky with food, disinterested in studying, dreamy, and absent-minded, but obedient, exceedingly so, and irresistibly adorable. The feeling was delicate and complex.

Undoubtedly, Ying Zhiyao clung to him even more. “Gas Tank,” Shi Chu said, watching the little Shiba Inu circling around her. True to its name, the Shiba Inu was so well-fed it looked like a little gas cylinder, waddling with a swaying rear. So this time, besides Aunt He, Ying Zhiyao had brought Gas Tank home with her.

Ying Zhiyao said she loved the little Shiba Inu, which reminded Shi Chu of the Shiba Inu pendant she had given him in childhood. After reuniting, Shi Chu no longer hung the pendant on his backpack but kept it inside instead. He didn’t know why—perhaps afraid of feeling lost. He worried that if the little girl saw the pendant but couldn’t remember their childhood, he would be saddened. So he put it away carefully.

Shi Chu crouched beside Ying Zhiyao, accompanying her as they played with the Shiba Inu. “Chu Chu, Gas Tank doesn’t like strangers approaching, but he likes you,” Ying Zhiyao said. The dog liked him so much that on their first meeting, it burrowed into Shi Chu’s arms. It would turn its back to other strangers, but with Shi Chu, it was quite affectionate.

“Woof!” Gas Tank seemed to understand Ying Zhiyao’s words and whimpered affectionately, nestling back into Shi Chu’s arms. Shi Chu thought that a pet often reflected its owner. Ying Zhiyao was obedient and adorable, and Gas Tank was just the same. The girl’s Shiba Inu was a smiling one—with its mouth open and tongue out, utterly endearing. Though Shi Chu had never been much interested in animals before, he found himself fond of Gas Tank.

“Chu Ge! Let’s go play ball!” Dong Rui’s loud voice called out, followed by He Miao. “Hey, Gas Tank’s still as plump as ever today!” “Woof woof!” The little Shiba Inu barked disdainfully at Dong Rui twice, then flopped down at Shi Chu’s feet, its plump rear facing Dong Rui, and tucked its head in as if pretending to sleep.

“...” Dong Rui scratched his head. “Sigh, another day being rejected by Gas Tank.” The three of them laughed together. Since the incident with Lin Hao, classmates had grown fond of Shi Chu, especially Dong Rui, who was clingier than Ying Zhiyao, always tagging along and even insisting on going to the restroom together. He Miao couldn’t help but tease him.

On weekends or during free time, Dong Rui always came looking for Shi Chu, with He Miao close behind, watching over the silly Dong Rui. Before this, no children of the same age had ever sought out Shi Chu, let alone come to his home. Now, seeing Dong Rui and He Miao, Shi Nuan was delighted—happy that her child finally had friends.

He Miao and Dong Rui never looked down on the Shi family’s humble circumstances. Whenever they came, they never arrived empty-handed, always bringing small gifts from home. Though not valuable, their kindness was sincere. Occasionally, the two would join Shi Chu and Ying Zhiyao in collecting discarded items to sell afterward.

“Ying Zhiyao, where are your family?” Dong Rui asked casually, chewing on a blade of grass. He Miao was curious too. The girl seemed to live only with Aunt He, who took care of her daily needs, and no one else.

Shi Chu said nothing; Dong Rui had asked a question Shi Chu never dared to voice, and he watched Ying Zhiyao’s reaction closely. Ying Zhiyao stroked Gas Tank’s head and, after a long pause, uttered a single word: “Busy.” The fleeting hesitation in her eyes did not escape Shi Chu’s notice. He Miao’s gaze remained fixed on Ying Zhiyao and naturally caught it as well.

Just as Dong Rui was about to continue questioning, Shi Chu interrupted, turning to He Miao: “I heard the school is hosting some kind of evening gala.” He Miao immediately caught the signal and quickly explained, “Oh, yes. Because there are art students and to enrich campus life, the school likes to hold events like galas and requires every class to participate.”

She glanced at Ying Zhiyao. “Yao Yao, do you have any talents?”

Ying Zhiyao lowered her head, her eyes seemingly vacant. “Pfft, that’s so boring. Our academic class is always the underdog. How can we compete in talent with the art class? They always take first place, just trying to make us feel inferior. If they have the guts, they should compete with us in academics.” Dong Rui clearly had no interest.

He Miao tapped Dong Rui on the shoulder. “Each field has its expertise and strengths.” “Yeah, yeah.”

After that, no matter what the three said, Ying Zhiyao remained silent, sitting apart, resting her chin on her hand, gazing into the sky, lost in thought.

“Dong Rui, don’t ask Yao Yao about her family anymore,” He Miao whispered as a warning. “Okay,” Dong Rui replied. Although slow-witted, he sensed Ying Zhiyao’s unease from the moment he asked about her family. “Chu Ge, is something going on in Ying Zhiyao’s family?”

Shi Chu shook his head. “I don’t know either.”

“Don’t overthink it. When it’s time for us to know, we will. Until then, as long as Yao Yao is happy, that’s what matters,” He Miao said with a smile.

“Mm.”