The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

When Bai Ci carried Niu Niu out of Willow Lane, it was already completely dark.

The streetlights cast long shadows, and the November night wind blew in from the alley entrance, making him shrink his neck in the cold.

The phone was still lit up, and Sister Li would occasionally chime in from the video: "There's a manhole cover ahead, don't step on it," or "There's an electric scooter on the right, keep to the left."

Bai Ci did exactly as instructed.

The little one in his arms was warm, like a little furnace. Her face was buried in his chest, her breathing rising and falling. She had been so sleepy just a moment ago, but now her little mouth hadn't stopped.

"Brother Bai Ci, let me tell you, my sister is amazing."

Bai Ci knew she wanted to chat, so she asked, "How did you become so amazing?"

"She is the smartest person in our family; her teacher said she is the top student in the department."

Niu Niu's tone was full of pride, "And she's in the student union's discipline inspection department. Students who make mistakes are afraid of her. When it comes to matters of principle, she even dares to confront the counselor."

Xiaoqi said in Bai Ci's mind: "The St. Andrews Student Union Discipline Inspection Department has a lot of influence on campus. It is responsible for attendance and discipline, and it is familiar with the student affairs offices of various colleges."

"My sister can be a bit fierce sometimes," Niu Niu leaned against Bai Ci's chest, counting her sister's taunts on her fingers. "She doesn't allow me to eat too much candy, she doesn't allow me to watch TV for too long, and I have to go to bed at 11 pm every day. Last time I secretly hid a piece of candy under my pillow, and she found it. She gave me a look, and I handed it over myself."

Bai Ci smiled slightly.

Niu Niu added, "But my sister is very good to me. When someone bullies me, she goes straight to confront them. Last time, that chubby boy downstairs pushed me, and my sister went to his house, knocked on his door, and talked to his mother for a long time. After that, the chubby boy would avoid me whenever he saw me."

"That's pretty impressive," Bai Ci said.

"And also, my sister is incredibly strong."

How big?

Niu Niu gestured in his arms and said, "Last time Mom wasn't home, the supermarket downstairs delivered two cases of bottled water, and my sister carried them all the way up to the fifth floor by herself! One case in each hand!"

Bai Ci silently calculated the weight of the two cases of mineral water, and then shook her slightly sore arms.

"...That's really impressive."

Niu Niu suddenly moved and patted his shoulder.

"Brother Bai Ci, please put me down."

Bai Ci was taken aback: "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sleepy anymore," Niu Niu said softly, with a hint of concern in her voice. "I can walk by myself, I'm not tired."

Bai Ci was silent for a second, feeling a strange sensation at being pitied by a child.

"We're almost there, no need."

Niu Niu said as she slid downstairs, "No, Niu Niu will walk by herself."

Bai Ci had no choice but to bend down and put her down. After Niu Niu steadied herself, she looked up at him, then reached out her little hand and took his hand.

"Brother Bai Ci, do you know how I got my nickname?"

"How did you get here?"

"My sister named me!" Niu Niu's tone became proud again. "Mom said that my sister said I was small and round when I was born, like a little girl, very cute, so she named me Niu Niu."

Bai Ci couldn't help but smile: "It suits me quite well."

"Right? I think so too!"

Niu Niu said sweetly, "Brother Bai Ci, my sister said that only close people use nicknames, so you can just call me Niu Niu!"

A smile appeared in Bai Ci's eyes, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly: "Yes, Niu Niu."

.......

Bai Ci led Niu Niu into the open space downstairs, where they saw a figure at the entrance of the building, as if he had been waiting for a while.

During the video call, Sister Li saw a person standing at the entrance of the building and breathed a sigh of relief: "We're here, we're here, it's Shi Yu."

The night air was filled with a cool evening breeze. Her figure was slender and graceful. Her simple dark casual clothes accentuated her neat and elegant posture. Her eyebrows and eyes were beautiful and well-proportioned, with the corners of her eyes slightly upturned. Usually, she carried a cold and sharp aura that kept strangers at bay, but when she looked in this direction, her cold eyes softened gently.

When Niu Niu saw her, her eyes lit up instantly. She let go of Bai Ci's hand and ran towards Song Shiyu with her short legs, her voice crisp and sweet, still carrying a hint of softness: "Sister!"

Song Shiyu immediately stepped forward, bent down, and caught Niu Niu who was lunging at her steadily: "Did you suffer any grievances today? Did you cry?"

Niu Niu shook her head, hugged Song Shiyu's neck, buried her face in the crook of her neck and rubbed against it, then peeked out and pointed to Bai Ci not far away, blinked her eyes, and said proudly, "No, sister, it was Brother Bai Ci who protected us! This afternoon, some bad guys came to bully Aunt Li, but Brother Bai Ci was so amazing, he chased them all away!"

As Bai Ci approached, Song Shiyu came to greet him.

She glanced at the phone Bai Ci was holding up; on the screen, Sister Li was smiling and waving.

"Aunt Li." Song Shiyu nodded to the camera.

"The person has been delivered, so I'll hang up now." Sister Li's tone completely relaxed. "Shiyu, Niu Niu is in your hands now. Bai Ci, come to the Enforcement Bureau quickly, I'm almost done packing up here."

"Okay." Bai Ci hung up the video call and put her phone in her pocket.

Song Shiyu's gaze fell on Bai Ci, whose figure was so thin it was almost frail. On her excessively beautiful face, her light brown pupils were like amber soaked in light, clear and clean, making her look frail and delicate.

That face was so innocent, with clean, light brown pupils that seemed untouched by the world. Her skin was almost translucent white, and standing in the night wind, her shirt collar was torn, revealing her collarbone; she looked as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

She paused for a moment, a clear look of doubt flashing across her eyes, and muttered to herself: Him? He chased away the bad guys?

This boy looks thinner than a piece of paper, he would probably sway in the wind, how could he possibly beat the troublemakers?

She scrutinized Bai Ci closely, her brows furrowing slightly. "Are there people like this in school?"

Her features were excessively delicate, and her demeanor was exceptionally clean. If she were a student of St. Andrew's, how could she, as a member of the disciplinary committee, have no recollection of her at all?

I've never even seen a vague figure like him on campus before, let alone noticed him. Could he be some young master from a family who rarely visits the school?

Bai Ci felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and subconsciously wanted to shrink back. This was an instinct ingrained in the original owner's bones; she would always instinctively back down when faced with someone whose aura was both cold and dazzling.

He raised his hand and gently squeezed the hem of his school uniform, speaking softly with a slightly awkward politeness: "Hello, I'm Bai Ci. Sister Li has to go to the Enforcement Bureau to make a statement, so she asked me to bring Niu Niu back first."

Song Shiyu withdrew her gaze, her tone becoming more serious than before: "Thank you, Bai Ci, I appreciate your help."

Song Shiyu noticed the red marks on Bai Ci's neck and the ripped school uniform, and her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly: "Your clothes... and the injuries on your body, are you alright? Did you get hurt fighting with some bad guys just now?"

Bai Ci was taken aback, not expecting her to notice these things, and subconsciously shook her head: "It's nothing."

He wasn't used to being cared for; the tips of his ears turned a faint red, and his eyes darted away slightly.

Niu Niu pointed her little finger at Bai Ci's collar and added in her childish voice, "Sister, Bai Ci's clothes were torn by bad guys, and he even gave me candy!"

Bai Ci pursed his lips: "...Of course. Niu Niu was also very brave; she didn't cry for too long."

Looking at his slightly hesitant yet still earnest expression, Song Shiyu's coldness softened, and a faint smile curved her lips, almost imperceptibly: "Anyway, I still want to thank you. If it weren't for you, Niu Niu and Aunt Li would probably have suffered even more injustice."

The evening breeze blew again, carrying the chill of November.

Song Shiyu subconsciously pulled Niu Niu closer to her, then looked at Bai Ci: "It's so cold outside, why don't we go upstairs and have a cup of hot water to warm up before we leave?"

Bai Ci quickly shook her head gently, her tone a mixture of apology and firmness, without the slightest hesitation: "Thank you for your kindness, but there's no need to trouble you. Sister Li is still at the Enforcement Bureau; I need to go find her."

Xiao Qi popped into my mind: "Bye-bye, business is important, but you have to keep warm and don't catch a cold! The system won't reimburse your medical expenses if you catch a cold!"

Another gust of cold wind blew by, and Bai Ci subconsciously pulled her school uniform collar tighter. The wind blew the ripped opening wider, revealing more of her slender collarbone, making her look exceptionally thin.

Song Shiyu paused, her brows furrowing slightly, and suddenly said, "Wait, your school uniform is torn too badly. It'll be windy at night, and you'll definitely be cold wearing it. Besides, it's not very appropriate to go to the Enforcement Bureau."

She thought for a moment and said, "I have a new St. Andrew's school uniform jacket at home. The one the school gave me before didn't fit, so I exchanged it for another one. I haven't worn it yet, and the size should be similar to yours. Wait a few minutes."

Bai Ci was taken aback for a moment, then quickly waved his hand: "No need, no need, it's too much trouble for you. I can bear with it, we'll be at the Enforcement Bureau soon." He really wasn't used to troubling others, let alone Song Shiyu, whom he had just met.

"No trouble at all, it'll only take a few minutes." Song Shiyu said firmly as she walked into the apartment building.

Soon, footsteps echoed around the hallway and then came down. Song Shiyu came out with a brand new dark blue school uniform jacket and handed it to him.

Bai Ci took it; the coat had a faint scent of laundry detergent, and it was clean and soft.

Song Shiyu watched him put on his coat and then said, "By the way, I know Teacher Li from the student affairs office. She can help you submit an application to get a brand new school uniform. Add her on the phone, and send me your student ID information later so I can notify you when it's done."

What she was thinking was: No matter who he is, he helped Niu Niu, and I have to repay this favor.

Bai Ci took out her phone and added Song Shiyu as a friend.

Looking at the new contacts in the list, and then at the spare jacket that fit me perfectly, I felt even warmer inside.

This was the first time since he came into this world that someone had helped him so sincerely, and it was Song Shiyu, a complete stranger.

Bai Ci smiled slightly, gently patted Niu Niu's little hand, and nodded to Song Shiyu: "Don't worry, I'll be careful. Niu Niu, stay home and be a good girl. I'm going to the Enforcement Bureau now."

Song Shiyu whispered a reminder: "The Enforcement Bureau isn't far away, so be careful on the road."

Niu Niu said in a soft, sweet voice, "Goodbye, Brother Bai Ci!"

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the outside. His spare school uniform jacket was warm, and his steps became more and more determined.

Song Shiyu, holding Niu Niu's hand, stood at the entrance of the building, watching Bai Ci's figure gradually disappear into the night. Her brows furrowed slightly, and her doubts deepened.

This boy named Bai Ci not only looked unfamiliar, but his personality was also completely different from his frail appearance. He had the awkwardness of a young man, but also a sense of responsibility beyond his years.

The evening breeze was still slightly cool, and the dim streetlights cast long shadows of her and Niu Niu, giving her a strange feeling.

Bai Ci walked in the alley, the evening breeze brushing against his face, carrying a slight chill, but it didn't make him feel uncomfortable.

"Bai Bai, you were amazing today!" Xiao Qi's cheerful voice rang out. "Song Shiyu must have a really good impression of you! And you even remembered to accompany Sister Li to give her statement, you're so responsible!"

"Um."

Bai Ci responded softly, quickened her pace, and headed towards the Execution Bureau.

The moonlight was beautiful, illuminating the road ahead.