I'm a senior in high school, and the Emperor Development System has arrived!

Chapter 143 Can't you let her go back after filming?

The little boy's mother was startled; her face instantly filled with embarrassment and apology. She hurriedly bent down and covered her son's mouth.
"Shh! What nonsense are you talking about! Don't point at others, it's rude!"

While scolding her son in a low voice, she hurriedly bowed and apologized in the direction of Bai Qianqian and Chen Zhou:

"I'm so sorry! The child was just being silly and didn't know any better. Please don't mind..."

The little boy was struggling with his mouth covered by his mother, making "mmm" sounds, his big eyes filled with curiosity and confusion.

He clearly didn't understand why his mother said he was "talking nonsense," since his sister's eyes were clearly white!

Bai Qianqian had absolutely no idea how to respond; she just wanted to disappear as quickly as possible. She practically buried her head in her chest.

Just then, a hand gently rested on her back, bringing a comforting warmth.

It's Chen Zhou.

He stepped forward, subtly placing himself between Bai Qianqian and the overreacting little boy.

There was no anger on his face, but rather a gentle smile as he looked at the struggling little boy and his apologetic mother.

"It's okay, he's cute."

Chen Zhou smiled at the mother, then bent down, winked at the little boy, and lowered his voice, as if sharing a huge secret:

"Little brother, I'm not a fairy. This is called cosplay, which means dressing up as a powerful character from an animated film, like your favorite Ultraman."

"My sister is currently playing a ninja named 'Hinata.' She has a pair of 'Byakugan' that can see through enemies—that's her superpower! Isn't that cool?"

Upon hearing the words "superpowers" and "ninja," the little boy's confusion instantly gave way to even greater surprise and admiration!
He forcefully pried open his mother's hand covering his mouth and asked in a low but excited voice:

"Really? Does my sister really have the superpower of rolling her eyes?"

Upon hearing Chen Zhou's explanation, Bai Qianqian's embarrassment strangely subsided somewhat.

She turned her head slightly and saw the little boy's innocent and trusting eyes. The embarrassment in her heart was replaced by a warm and tender feeling.

She took a soft breath, her face flushed, and nodded to the little boy. Although the nod was small and her eyes were still somewhat evasive, at least she responded.

Chen Zhou quietly gave her a thumbs-up as a sign of encouragement.

The little boy's mother breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her son had been calmed down and stopped "talking nonsense," and that the atmosphere had clearly eased.
"I'm so sorry... You're so pretty, little sister, you dressed up so well."

Her last sincere compliment made Bai Qianqian's cheeks blush even more.

"Let's go, Xiaoyu, it's time for us to go home."

The young mother hurriedly left, pulling her little boy who kept looking back.

The shop assistant also turned their attention away and continued tidying the shelves.

The air seemed to suddenly become lighter.

Bai Qianqian let out a long sigh of relief, feeling her hands and feet go weak.

Chen Zhou picked up two bottles of mineral water, then chose two pieces of bread, went to the cashier to pay, and turned back to ask her in a low voice with a smile:

"scared?"

Bai Qianqian quickly followed, her face flushed as she nodded, her voice still very soft:
"...Um, I...I feel a little awkward."

"Kids are innocent."

Chen Zhou paid and handed her a bottle of mineral water:
"Here you go, Hinata-san, have some water."

She took the item and said softly:
"……Thanks."

Stepping out of the convenience store, the warm sunshine returned to my body.

Chen Zhou hailed a Didi (ride-hailing service), then stood in front of the iron gate looking at Bai Qianqian.

Actually, after learning about Bai Qianqian's family background, he had always been somewhat puzzled by her personality.

Logically speaking, a daughter from a wealthy family like this should at least be quiet, if not lively.

However, Bai Qianqian was too introverted, which contrasted sharply with her mother's enthusiasm.

After thinking it over, Chen Zhou couldn't help but ask:
"Qianqian, I notice you have a slight stutter. Is it natural or did you develop it later?"

Bai Qianqian seemed to have been turned on by this sudden question, and her body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

She didn't answer immediately; her pupils, covered by white contact lenses, slowly drooped.

Several seconds passed, and just as Chen Zhou thought she wouldn't answer and was about to change the subject, she finally spoke in a barely audible voice:

"..."

"No...it wasn't innate, it was...something that happened when I was in elementary school..."

Chen Zhou immediately quieted down and waited patiently without urging him.

Bai Qianqian's gaze fell on the grass beside the sidewalk, as if this would make her less nervous:
"When I was in fourth grade... there was a time... when it rained heavily."

She spoke very slowly, squeezing out each word with difficulty:

"After school... Mom and Dad are busy, but Grandpa... will come to pick me up..."

When she mentioned her grandfather, her voice trembled with a barely perceptible sob, and her eyes reddened slightly.
"Crossing the road... the rain was too heavy, I... I chased after a dog and darted out, the driver... the driver didn't see me... I ran too fast... Grandpa... pushed me away..."

She spoke haltingly for a moment, then suddenly stopped, as if enduring immense pain:
“I…I’m fine, I just…I tripped and fell, and hit my head…but…but my grandfather…”

The subsequent narrative becomes extremely vague and fragmented, like a painting torn to shreds.

"...and then...that's how it happened...talking...can cause this..."

She omitted many things, finally managing to utter a single sentence before burying her head completely, her expression overwhelmed by immense sorrow.

A heavy silence filled the air.

Chen Zhou looked at her suddenly become incredibly vulnerable, and felt as if something had squeezed his chest tightly.

Although Bai Qianqian omitted a lot, he still managed to piece together the outline of the matter from her words.

The car accident in the rain, the grandfather who died saving her, the impact she endured, and the subsequent illness...

All of this trauma has ultimately manifested itself in her struggles every time she speaks now.

Her stutter was nothing but fear, self-blame, and a scar permanently etched on her body and mind.

"Feel sorry……"

Chen Zhou's voice lowered, carrying an unprecedented solemnity and gentleness:

"I... I shouldn't have asked this so suddenly."

He realized the depth of his problem, how he had inadvertently opened a crack in the system.

Bai Qianqian gently shook her head, the movement was very small.

She didn't look up, but simply raised her hand and quickly wiped the corner of her eye with her fingertips.

Just then, Chen Zhou's phone rang.

The ride-hailing car he ordered has arrived.

"The car has arrived."

He spoke softly, then patted Bai Qianqian's shoulder:

"Your grandfather is watching over you from heaven, and he would definitely want you to be happy."

She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes again, then smiled and looked up:
"Thanks……"

The ride-hailing driver honked his horn to signal them to get in the car.

Chen Zhou took a deep breath, deciding to refrain from any further words, and simply said softly:
"Get in the car first."

He opened the back door first and stepped aside.

Bai Qianqian moved her feet and sat down inside.

The driver glanced at them through the rearview mirror, seemed to sense that something was off, and wisely didn't say anything.

The car drove smoothly. Chen Zhou didn't try to break the silence again, only occasionally glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

But Bai Qianqian suppressed her sadness and smiled as she spoke to Chen Zhou:
“My...my grandfather is very, very good. He...he's very skillful. He can...he can weave little dragonflies out of bamboo strips, and...and little birds too…”

She said haltingly:

"He...he made me a small stool, and...he put it under the grape trellis in the yard of my old home. In the summer...he would sit...sit there...and fan me with a palm leaf fan..."

Chen Zhou sighed almost imperceptibly, wanting to say something but unable to utter a word, finally only saying:
"He... must be a very good grandfather."

Bai Qianqian didn't say anything more, she just nodded gently.

Her gaze drifted to the window, as if trying to find that distant figure under the grape trellis in the fleeting cityscape.

……

Not long after, the driver reminded him:

"arrive!"

The two got out of the car and looked at the bustling convention center in the distance, their mouths agape slightly.

It's so lively, so incredibly lively!

A striking poster for the "Summer Anime Carnival" hangs above the huge exhibition hall entrance, while large anime models, some majestic and others quirky, stand at the entrance.

As far as the eye can see, there are magical girls wielding staffs, angels and demons with wings, knights in armor, and even a Joker with his face painted like a clown...

Of course, there were also a few "veteran photographers" carrying telephoto cameras.

Watching the photographer relentlessly snapping photos of the cosplayer's exposed skin, Chen Zhou couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Photography is great, I should learn it.

Don't you see how the descriptions for secondhand cameras on Xianyu (a Chinese online marketplace) are all like this:
"The female model is pregnant by accident and urgently needs money!"

Chen Zhou was speechless every time he came across similar copywriting:

Can't you just let her go home after filming?

They just had to film middle schools and middle-aged cadres; they deserved to be unable to afford abortions.

It would be different if it were him.

He knew Dai.

Seeing the noisy scene, Bai Qianqian couldn't help but take a step back and murmured:
"So...so many people!"

Sensing that she was a little socially awkward, Chen Zhou naturally took her hand and said with a smile:

"Come on, follow me, it'll be alright."

Bai Qianqian blushed for a moment, then nodded obediently.

The moment I entered the convention center, many eyes turned to me.

The pairing of Sasuke and Hinata is still quite rare at comic conventions.

After all, Hinata's official pairing is Naruto, and Sasuke's official pairing is Sakura.

Now that Sasuke and Hinata are walking hand in hand, what else could they be but a Minotaur?
However, just as the two were about to venture deeper inside, they spotted two familiar figures.

These two rough-around-the-edges guys were looking like perverts, searching everywhere for women with exposed cleavage and long legs.

They looked back and talked to each other:

Wow! As expected of the Yingchong Comic Con, the girls here are really something!

"I wish I were a cosplayer. I've heard that the anime convention scene is pretty chaotic."

"Oh dear, Mei, go ahead and do whatever you want. It'll be funny if you end up covered in red rashes."

"If I get AIDS, then I'll have no choice but to take you down, Xinglun!"

Stephen Chow chuckled and said:
"You should go get the pork knuckle instead. He has vitiligo and is a pure and innocent little kitten from a foreign land."

Li Bin pretends to vomit:
"Ugh~ You're so disgusting! But seriously, is it really okay for us to sneak into the anime convention without inviting him?"

Stephen Chow waved his hand and said:
"Why would we call him? Does he even have time to hang out with us? He has so many girls to keep him company, it's a business worth hundreds of millions a night!"

Li Bin lamented:

"He's no longer the same Pork Knuckle he used to be!"

As the two were talking, Chen Zhou, who was eavesdropping right next to them, slowly twitched the corner of his mouth.

Bai Qianqian, standing behind him, seemed slightly nervous.

They never expected to run into an acquaintance from their class here.

If those two see what they're dressed like now, the whole school will know that he and Bai Qianqian were holding hands at the anime convention tomorrow.

Their mouths are like chrysanthemums spun by a windmill—they can't keep a single fart out.

Thinking it over, Chen Zhou decided it was better to keep his distance from them, so he pulled Bai Qianqian and walked to the other side.

But unexpectedly, Li Bin's eyes lit up instantly when he saw Chen Zhou cosplaying Sasuke, and he shouted at Zhou Xinglun:
"Holy crap! This Sasuke cosplay is spot on! Look at that aura, it's Sasuke himself!"

Zhou Xinglun also looked at Chen Zhou and nodded in evaluation:

"He's really handsome, both his physique and demeanor are a perfect replica! But for some reason, his figure feels a bit familiar..."

Li Bin rolled his eyes:
"You feel like you know everyone!"

As he spoke, he took out his phone and quickly caught up with Chen Zhou:

"Teacher, teacher, your Sasuke is so accurate! Can I take a picture with you?"

Chen Zhou awkwardly touched his nose and said in a deep voice:

"Yeah, sure."

Upon hearing this, Li Bin was overjoyed and quickly raised his phone to take a picture.

After taking the group photo, he excitedly returned to Stephen Chow's side and showed him the photo:
"Look at him, isn't Sasuke handsome?"

Stephen Chow craned his neck to look over, carefully observing Sasuke and Hinata Hyuga, who was huddled behind him:
"Wait, doesn't this look a bit like Chen Zhou and Bai Qianqian?"

It would have been better if Zhou Xinglun hadn't mentioned it, because Li Bin also felt that the two looked somewhat alike.

Coming to his senses, Li Bin exclaimed "Holy crap!"

"Xinglun, is it possible that Elbow is secretly dating Boss Bai behind our backs?"

Stephen Chow was also filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment:

"This kid not only went to the comic convention behind our backs, but he also dragged our group's most beautiful girl along! This is simply unforgivable!"

Li Bin also said angrily:

"Yes, unforgivable!"

Stephen Chow's eyes were sharp as he called out towards the spot where the two had just been:

"Chen Zhou! Don't think we don't know it's you..."

Before the words were finished, the two looked at each other in bewilderment.

Li Bin murmured:
"Damn it, where is he?"

At this moment, about 70 or 80 meters away from the two of them, Chen Zhou let go of Bai Qianqian's hand.

Bai Qianqian glanced back with lingering fear, patted her chest, and calmed herself.

The two looked at each other and then couldn't help but laugh.

Bai Qianqian's face was flushed, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at Chen Zhou:

"Thank... thank goodness you were here, otherwise... otherwise they would have found out!"

(End of this chapter)