A Cub Just Wants to Snag a Big Shot on a "X-Change" Variety Show! - Chapter 6

[LMAO. If I had Man-zai’s “social butterfly” energy, I’d have married my idol and reached the peak of my life long ago.]

[I’m profoundly shocked… isn’t he afraid of how awkward it would be if he got rejected?]

[But look at the way the cub invites people with those puppy eyes. Who could possibly have the heart to say no?!]

The chat was right.

Indeed, no one could refuse—including Pei Zhiyan.

The young boy’s posture stiffened. He stared silently at Shen Xiaoman, a hidden surge of emotions swirling in his dark eyes, though to outsiders, he still looked completely expressionless.

Where had he ever seen a scene like this? A cub this lively? A little sun who crashed into things with such momentum?

“Brother?” The little sun-cub tilted his head.

Pei Zhiyan still gave no response, so Shen Xiaoman took it upon himself to grab the boy’s arm, tugging him forward. “Brother, let’s go! We have to get to school early. Today’s the first day!”

“Wait a second, Xiao Yan! You forgot your break—”

A man came rushing up behind Pei Zhiyan. He froze for a moment upon seeing the two cubs. He stared at Shen Xiaoman for a few extra seconds, finding him familiar, yet he couldn’t for the life of him remember who he was.

He settled for a kind smile. “Little one, are you also here for the X-Change program?” He had spotted the cameras surrounding Xiaoman.

“Yes! Hello, Uncle!” Shen Xiaoman nodded vigorously.

The man was momentarily blinded by the cub’s high-energy smile. Seeing such a bright, radiant grin from a sweet child first thing in the morning was incredibly healing—especially when compared to the overly independent and cold Xiao Pei. The man sighed inwardly with emotion.

He patted Xiaoman’s soft, round head and said with a smile, “Are you and Xiao Yan old friends? You two look like you have a great relationship.”

Pei Zhiyan: “?” How on earth did you see that?

“Mmhmm, yeah!” Shen Xiaoman used both hands to tightly hug Pei Zhiyan’s thin arm, nodding solemnly. “My name is Shen Xiaoman. I’m Brother’s number-one-best-friend-in-the-whole-world! You have to remember that, Uncle. When I knock on your door later, you have to open it, okay?”

“…” Pei Zhiyan’s lip twitched.

The cub had truly elevated shamelessness to an art form, lying through his teeth with wide eyes. The livestream comments exploded with laughter, a literal wall of “Hahaha” scrolling across the screen.

[I’m dying of laughter. This baby is too cute.]

[He literally issued himself a key card to the house, hahaha!]

[Did the other kid even agree? This is a forced friendship, lol!]

[Am I the only one who thinks Shen Xiaoman has no sense of boundaries…]

[Yes, only you. If Xiao Pei hated it, he would have pushed him away or refused. He’s not stupid, and he definitely doesn’t look like the type of kid who would politely accommodate others’ feelings.]

[I just love this ‘straight-shooter’ social butterfly energy. If you don’t like it, go watch the city kids.]

[The city kids are going to school! Omg, go watch quickly!]

[Hahaha, Little Tao is rolling on the ground and wailing!]

[Grandma is so emotionally stable. She’s just sitting there smiling, handing the kid snacks.]

“Alright, alright! My, what a coincidence. You two can go to school together then.” The man stuffed a lunchbox into Shen Xiaoman’s hands. “This is the breakfast I prepared for Xiao Yan, but he refuses to eat it. I have to go to work now—Xiaoman, could you convince him to eat it? Thank you, Xiaoman.”

“Mm-hmm! Leave it to me!” Xiaoman’s voice was crisp as he accepted the mission without a second thought.

The primary school wasn’t far, about a twenty-minute walk. One tall cub and one short cub walked down the sidewalk. Shen Xiaoman was in high spirits, swinging Pei Zhiyan’s hand and chatting non-stop, his thoughts jumping rapidly from one thing to another.

“Brother, you’re going into third grade, right?”

“Wow, Brother, look at that super, super tall tower!”

“It’s a plane! Plane, plane!”

“I can help you with your homework, you know. I know third-grade stuff too. I’m a little genius~”

“Maybe we should find a place to eat breakfast first. If you don’t eat, your tummy will hurt. You’ll faint from hunger.”

“It smells so good. Did Uncle make it himself?”

Pei Zhiyan: “No.” There was a housekeeper in charge of cooking; the uncle had just arranged the plates.

Xiaoman turned his head, a bit stunned. The little chatterbox was so used to talking to himself that he wasn’t quite ready for Pei Zhiyan actually responding.

But as expected of the protagonist, his voice was really nice.

“Brother, say more! I love hearing you talk,” Xiaoman said, mesmerized. He held the boy’s hand and began delivering sincere, “rainbow-fart” flattery.

Pei Zhiyan: “…” The tips of his ears turned red once more.

But no matter how much Xiaoman wheedled or pestered him, Pei Zhiyan didn’t speak again, keeping his lips pressed tight as if he were a mute.

As they approached the school gates, the crowds thickened. Private cars were stopped at a white line, and parents had to walk their children in. Even so, the entrance was extremely congested, and the wails of children starting school for the first time could be heard.

Only two cameramen remained, holding phones to livestream the two cubs. They blended perfectly into the sea of people, and the professional gear had been put away. This made filming easier without causing a scene or disrupting the public.

“Brother, hold on to me! Don’t wander off.” Xiaoman gripped his fingers tight, fearing they would be separated.

The September weather was hot, and Xiaoman’s palm was warm, like a little heater. Pei Zhiyan looked down and tried to pull his hand away twice; he found it very difficult to handle such an enthusiastic child. It felt too awkward.

Not only did he fail to break free, but Xiaoman also switched to interlocking their fingers, terrified he would actually lose his brother.

Pei Zhiyan was slightly taken aback, finding it almost funny. Shen Xiaoman is the one who should be afraid of getting lost, right? Naive, innocent, and universally loved. Not like me—rotting in the mud where no one cares. If I’m lost, I’m just lost.

“Xiaoman, slow down!” the housekeeper called from behind, having been pushed back by the crowd. Xiaoman obediently pulled his brother to a stop to wait.

Once inside the campus, they finally had enough space to keep their shoes on. The housekeeper guided the two cubs through the freshman orientation, bustling about to finish the registration before dropping them off outside the teaching building.

Past this point, the production crew and parents were forbidden from entering. The cubs’ daily lives inside the school were captured by surveillance cameras. The crew wasn’t allowed to enter for unauthorized filming; any necessary segments had to be requested from the school board three days in advance.

The housekeeper waved a reluctant goodbye to Xiaoman. Although this cub was noisy, as long as he was home, the house felt as lively as the Lunar New Year. Plus, he wasn’t a picky eater; he’d finish every scrap and hold up his empty bowl to praise her cooking. It was truly endearing.

“Brother is in 3rd Grade, Class 5…” Xiaoman stood by the directory posted on the first floor, looking up to read carefully. “Ah! It’s on the third floor. I’ll take you there to learn the way, and then you can walk me back to the first floor, okay, Brother?”

Pei Zhiyan glanced at him, meeting those sparkling puppy eyes again. “You… recognize all these words?” he asked, pointing at the directory.

Xiaoman was very smug. Duh, he thought. He puffed out his little chest. “Yeah! I even know your name! Am I amazing?”

He pointed at Pei Zhiyan’s new school ID and chattered: “This character is read as yan, and it means fire! Even your name is piping hot, Brother. You’re definitely going to be a multi-millionaire in the future!”

Pei Zhiyan: “…” Where is the logic in that?

Xiaoman pulled him toward the stairs, but his grip loosened slightly. Sensing the opening, Pei Zhiyan hesitated for a moment before taking the chance to pull his hand away. He still wasn’t used to the cub’s warmth, and he felt he didn’t deserve such kindness from Xiaoman. It was better to distance himself early.

“Ah!” Xiaoman didn’t expect the resistance to vanish so suddenly. He stumbled forward, his forehead inches away from the concrete stairs. Suddenly, his backpack was yanked violently from behind—

The fall stopped instantly. By some miracle, he didn’t crash.

Before Xiaoman could even react, Pei Zhiyan had grabbed his hand again, spun him around to face him, and checked him over. Xiaoman looked up with a dazed face.

Pei Zhiyan looked nervous, seriously and gently pressing different parts of the cub’s head to check for injuries.

“Oh,” Xiaoman suddenly remembered something and made a sound.

“Did you hit your head here?” Pei Zhiyan’s fingers paused, lightly touching the spot his fingers had just grazed. His movements were careful.

Xiaoman shook his head and pointed at the large clock opposite the stairs. “There are only five minutes until class starts.”

He took off his backpack and rummaged through it. “Brother, your breakfast!”

Xiaoman pulled out the insulated lunchbox and handed it to Pei Zhiyan with a giggle. “Uncle told me to make sure you eat it. Skipping breakfast is bad for your stomach. There’s no time left, so go to your classroom and eat it quickly! I’ll come find you during the break, okay?”

He forced the lunchbox into Pei Zhiyan’s hands and pushed him toward the stairs.

Pei Zhiyan was lost. Clutching the lunchbox, the hesitant apology rolling around in his throat felt inappropriate to say now. He had almost let Xiaoman fall—it could have been serious. Why wasn’t the cub angry? Why was he smiling like a fool?

Back at his great-aunt’s house, if he even accidentally bumped his cousin’s shoulder, he would be whipped on the calves with a broom until the pain made it hard to walk…

Pei Zhiyan’s mind was a mess. He had no idea how to treat Shen Xiaoman.

By the time he snapped out of it, Xiaoman had vanished into his own classroom.

Pei Zhiyan stood there for a moment, holding the lunchbox, then headed up to find his classroom. The moment he walked in, the room went silent for a second before becoming noisy again. The students threw curious glances at the new transfer student.

Pei Zhiyan’s back was ramrod straight. Having left the Xiaoman he couldn’t handle, he returned to his cold, “do not approach” persona. He calmly found an empty desk and sat down.

He took out a pencil, an eraser, and a cheap, rough-paper exercise book from the town. He opened his brand-new textbook and scanned it. It was from the same series his cousin used back in the village.

The curriculum might be the same, but Pei Zhiyan knew clearly that this was where the similarities ended. Through this variety show, he would receive two months of elite education at this provincial private school—a precious resource he would never have obtained in his lifetime back in the village.

He would also earn a large appearance fee. He expected his great-aunt to snatch most of it, but at least he had a chance to fight for it. Ideally, he’d get enough for his primary and middle school tuition. Studying was his only wing to fly away from that life.

These were the reasons he agreed to the show. Making friends, cooperating with the hype, or getting close to new parents… those things were useless to him. He didn’t want to waste energy on them.

And yet…

Pei Zhiyan gripped the insulated lunchbox and finally opened it.

The left side held steaming hot congee, and the right side had two meat buns, a boiled egg, and two small fried dough sticks. The portion was huge, almost like a lunch for a cub. He wondered if Shen Xiaoman had eaten breakfast. It would have been better to share it with him.

Pei Zhiyan stared at the food, and finally, he picked up the chopsticks.

Shen Xiaoman went to 1st Grade, Class 2. While Pei Zhiyan was a transfer student, Xiaoman was a fresh first-grader. The entire class was new.

The classroom was rowdy. Many outgoing kids were already playing together, while other cubs were slumped over their desks, shoulders shaking as they wailed, still struggling with the tragedy of having to go to school every day.

Xiaoman’s new desk mate was exactly like that. He poked the boy.

The little chubby kid looked up with a snot bubble, his face covered in tears. His fair forehead had a red mark from his electronic watch. He sobbed irritably, “Wh-what are you doing?! Don’t touch me! Waaaaah…”

“I’m only six, and I’m younger than you, but I’m not crying. Shame on you!” Xiaoman pulled his eyelids down and stuck his tongue out in a mock face.

“I-I-I’m not crying!” The chubby boy’s eyes widened, and he wiped his tears away forcefully.

“If you’re not crying, I’ll give you something yummy.” When Xiaoman talked, his topics switched with lightning speed—he absolutely did not care for the other person’s processing time. The chubby boy was dazed, but once he realized what was happening, he waited obediently for Xiaoman to rummage through his bag.

Xiaoman actually pulled out some snacks. It was the “finger mochi” he had made with the housekeeper at the Tao house! Specifically meant to bribe the other kids!

The chubby boy smelled the rich, milky fragrance, and his eyes immediately glazed over. He swallowed hard, instantly forgetting his toys, his parents, and his home. His entire soul was focused on the mochi in front of him.

The “radish heads” in front, behind, and beside them also caught the scent. They turned their heads, gazing at Xiaoman with longing in their eyes.

[LMAO. Man-zai’s social skills are literally a cheat code.]

[He hits the mark with different groups every single time…]

[Even through the crappy surveillance cameras, you can see how happy the kids around him are.]

[Man-zai: A professional social butterfly.]

[Did he save any for Xiao Pei?]

Using only his snacks, it took Xiaoman just one break to easily harvest the hearts of the children around him. By the time the long morning break arrived, they were all chirping and running to find him.

A “Radish Head” assembly!

“No, no, I’ll play with you guys when I get back. I’m going to find my brother!”

Shen Xiaoman scooped up all the remaining finger mochi and bolted. He ran against the flow of students, stomp-stomp-stomping up to the third floor.

The long break was thirty minutes, plenty of time. He had promised the protagonist-cub he’d come, and he had to take this chance to get closer.

At the door of Class 5, Xiaoman randomly grabbed a “lucky” classmate. He sweetly called her “Sister” and asked her to help him call out the new student.

She looked back into the room and frowned. “He looks like he’s not feeling well. He’s slumped over the desk clutching his stomach. Little one, maybe you should go in and check on him yourself?”

“Huh?!” Xiaoman was shocked.

Heaven and Earth be my witness, the baby hasn’t done anything yet! What happened?!