ANGEL Chapter 6: A Failed Courtship Attempt

Translator: Abo Dammen

“Xiao Yu-gege, how do you do this question?”

Ye Zhishu pushed her homework book over with her right hand while pulling out a banana from her bag with her left, chomping on it noisily.

It was already her third banana since coming to the repair shop. Who knew how many she had eaten earlier at school?

Zeng Yu sighed on behalf of Ping-jie. “Eat less, or you’ll end up with a stomach ache.”

“But it’s so delicious! A good banana is a good banana, and the Banana Queen will protect my stomach.”

“…”

Zeng Yu shook his head with a light laugh, his brows relaxed, and the corners of his eyes lifted. The sight made Ye Zhishu’s heart waver again.

Xiao Yu-gege, I still really like you. Everything I said yesterday was just nonsense, don’t take it seriously!”

Zeng Yu glanced at her, uttering a nonchalant “Mm,” and continued to look at her homework problem.

The third-grade math question wasn’t overly complex, but the wording was convoluted, filled with traps. Ye Zhishu had scratched out most of her answer, yet she still couldn’t figure it out.

With just one look, Zeng Yu pinpointed the key point, twirling his pencil deftly before underlining the crucial information.

He didn’t say a word, but after a few seconds of staring at it, Ye Zhishu suddenly had an epiphany. She grabbed her homework book and began writing furiously, all the while praising both Zeng Yu’s brilliance and her own cleverness.

Zeng Yu stood up and returned to fixing a tricycle. His white tank top, damp with sweat, clung to his back, faintly revealing his skin underneath.

The muscles in his shoulders and back shifted with his movements. As Ye Zhishu enjoyed this visual feast, she began craving a second helping. “Xiao Yu-gege, was the guy from yesterday your friend? Why hasn’t he come to hang out with you today?”

Zeng Yu’s tone was flat. “I don’t know him.”

Ye Zhishu didn’t believe him. Shaking her head, she teased, “Xiao Yu-gege, good things should be shared with everyone. It’s not right to keep them all to yourself.”

“…” Zeng Yu closed his eyes briefly in exasperation. “Did you finish your homework?”

With a dramatic sigh, Ye Zhishu lowered her head, pretending to battle her homework in agony.

The tricycle belonged to an old man who collected recyclables. At the moment, he was leaning against the doorway, chatting with a sanitation worker. Each of them was munching on a banana.

The sanitation worker finished his banana first, tossing the peel into the garbage bin behind him. Smacking his lips, he commented, Xiao Yu, where’d you get so many bananas? They’re really sweet!”

The old man, with his sparse teeth, ate slowly but nodded in agreement. “Delicious! Better than the ones at Old Qiao’s store!”

Though his speech was slurred, his voice was loud enough to reach the owner of Qiao’s Fruit Shop. The lady boss shouted back from afar with an even louder voice, “If you’ve got the guts, never come to my store again!”

Old Qiao’s was the only fruit shop on this street. The old man, grumbling under his breath, eventually gave in and rode off on his tricycle—after snatching one more banana from Zeng Yu.

Across from the repair shop was a paint store. Master Zhang also grabbed a banana. “Xiao Yu, why aren’t you eating any?”

Zeng Yu glanced at the two baskets of bananas that had mostly been handed out. Last night, Yi Bai had refused to take them back, insisting they were a token of apology for disturbing him.

Left with no other choice, Zeng Yu distributed them to the neighbors.

Unable to answer the question, his thoughtful little helper Ye Zhishu piped up for him. “These are all from Boss Jiang overseas. Xiao Yu-gege loves them!”

Master Zhang sighed. “That Jiang Guang sure is lucky, winning the lottery and moving abroad to enjoy life. Xiao Yu, do you have to hand over the money you earn here too?”

“No,” Zeng Yu said, feeling tempted as he watched everyone enjoying the bananas. Finally, he crouched down and peeled one for himself.

Master Zhang muttered, “At least Jiang Guang still has some conscience.”

The aroma of bananas filled the street, attracting the stray cat, Youtiao, who meowed as it wandered closer.

The cat rubbed against Master Zhang, then the sanitation worker, and even Ye Zhishu inside, but it deliberately avoided Zeng Yu, clearly still holding a grudge for not being allowed cotton candy.

Zeng Yu looked down at the cat, his lips quirking up slightly. “Cats shouldn’t eat bananas.”

“Meow—” The little cat pounced on Zeng Yu’s leg, tugged at his pants, and swiped his half-eaten banana. With a victorious flick of its tail, it darted off.

Ye Zhishu exclaimed, “Classic misdirection!”

Everyone burst into laughter, their mirth echoing through the shop. Even Zeng Yu’s face showed a rare, clear smile, the early autumn sunlight softly outlining his lips.

When Ye Ping returned from work and saw him, she quipped in a trendy manner, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen our young master smile this happily.”

The laughter grew even louder.

Zeng Yu, “…”

Ye Ping pulled Zeng Yu aside to talk. “Xiao Yu, I didn’t get the chance to ask yesterday. That guy named Yi Bai… is he really pursuing you?”

Zeng Yu’s smile faded slightly, his thin lips pressed together.

Thinking he was mulling it over, Ye Ping, speaking as someone with experience, advised, “Xiao Yu, life with someone is a lifetime commitment. Be cautious. And he’s a foreigner to boot—don’t let yourself get swindled…”

Not wanting to bring up her past, Zeng Yu simply said, “I know. Don’t worry, Ping-jie.”

Realizing she’d been overly critical, Ye Ping softened her stance. “But if he really likes you, maybe give it a shot. Gain some experience.”

Zeng Yu nodded in agreement.

After Ye Ping took Ye Zhishu home, the repair shop quieted down again.

Zeng Yu, as usual, worked on fixing vehicles, clocked out on time, and walked home alone along the street.

The moonlight was serene, the road silent. There were no stray bricks to trip over, the supermarket hadn’t closed yet, and he even managed to find fresh vegetables and meat on discount.

The day felt both the same as always and yet subtly different.

For once, Zeng Yu was genuinely in a good mood.

After returning home, he took a shower, enjoyed a hearty dinner, and found inspiration even while tinkering with his robot.

Only when drowsiness overcame him did Zeng Yu stop, glancing at the clock.

There were only a few seconds until midnight. He quietly counted down.

Three, two, one.

The three clock hands overlapped with a soft click. Zeng Yu blinked slowly, dazed.

He stood up and gave his numb legs a few light punches.

Taking a step back with his right foot—

As if sensing something, he urgently grabbed the table beside him with both hands.

He barely managed to stop himself from slipping on an iron sheet underfoot.

Zeng Yu, “…”

He glanced back at the clock. The second hand spun merrily—it was already the next day.

Zeng Yu let out an indescribable sigh.

Clicking his tongue softly, he lowered his head to carefully inspect the floor, then cautiously left the room, locking the door behind him.

The living room was unchanged. Zeng Yu moved around his own house like a thief, glancing left and right.

Although nothing seemed amiss, he couldn’t fully relax. His gaze drifted toward the peephole on the front door.

Holding his breath, Zeng Yu crept closer, inching his eye toward the peephole.

“…”

He shut his eyes.

Too late. The image was already imprinted in his mind.

The breath he’d been holding escaped in a sharp, mocking laugh. He opened the door.

Standing there was Yi Bai, holding 33 bananas. His smile was wide, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “Surprise!”

His sky-blue gaze dropped slightly, fixing on Zeng Yu, joy shining in his eyes like starlight.

“I was just about to knock, Xiao Yu. We’re so in sync!”

Zeng Yu didn’t respond. His gaze was vacant as he stared at the faint golden halo floating above Yi Bai’s head.

It wasn’t attached by any wires. It shifted slightly whenever Yi Bai moved. It was undeniably hovering there.

Compared to this odd sight, the pair of massive wings on Yi Bai’s back seemed almost unremarkable.

Yi Bai noticed Zeng Yu examining him and obligingly lowered his head for a better view. “It’s a real angel halo! Last time, the battery was dead, so I didn’t wear it. This time, I made sure it was fully charged before coming to see you! It even has adjustable brightness. How bright would you like it?”

Yi Bai snapped his fingers a few times, and the halo responded by growing brighter and brighter.

The glare made Zeng Yu squint and take a step back. “Stop.”

Yi Bai obediently dimmed it back to its original level but took a step forward in the process.

The fluffy golden curls on his head swayed obediently with the motion. For some inexplicable reason, Zeng Yu’s hands itched.

“Xiao Yu,” Yi Bai began hopefully, tilting his head in a charmingly boyish way, “they say men are most attractive when they’re working. Have you fallen for me a little bit now?”

“…” Zeng Yu stared at him in silence.

Yi Bai was dressed impeccably in a shirt and trousers, the fabric smooth and without a single wrinkle. His sleeves were rolled up three times, neatly resting just below his elbows. The exposed forearms were pale and toned, with veins faintly visible, their paths clear and pleasing to the eye.

This reminded Zeng Yu of the mechanical arm he had just installed on a robot—metal gleaming with a cold sheen but given life through intricate wiring, almost as if it had flesh and blood.

Zeng Yu’s breathing faltered slightly.

The chest before him seemed faintly taut, radiating the warmth of a heartbeat and an unmistakable masculine scent.

There was no denying Yi Bai had a flawless, mature appearance.

If only his expression weren’t so childish.

Yi Bai’s face flushed red as he struggled to hold back but ultimately couldn’t resist blurting out, “Xiao Yu, your gaze has lingered on me for over five seconds! Does that mean you like me a little more now?”

Yi Bai’s face drew closer, and Zeng Yu stepped back again. Yi Bai seized the opportunity to step forward, crossing the threshold of the door.

The pristine white collar of Yi Bai’s shirt half-concealed his Adam’s apple, which bobbed faintly, releasing a hint of his overexcited voice. “Xiao Yu?”

“…” Zeng Yu remained expressionless. “No.”

Yi Bai’s smile slowly drooped. He let out a pitiful little “Ah,” his blue eyes shimmering like rippling water.

Seeing that Zeng Yu had adopted a firm stance, clearly ready to shut the door, Yi Bai’s eyes darted around in panic. Finally, he pressed a shoulder against the door to stop it. “Wait!”

Zeng Yu looked at him.

Yi Bai bit his lip, his cheeks once again suspiciously red. He stared at Zeng Yu and lowered his voice to a pleading tone. “If I bring you 33 more bananas tomorrow, can I trade them for a tiny request?”

Zeng Yu continued to watch him.

Taking this as encouragement, Yi Bai grew excited. He grabbed at the large wings behind him, presenting the fluffy white feathers to Zeng Yu.

“You can… touch them, okay?”