The Smiling Red Panda 微笑的红熊猫

6. Mo Xiu, Mo Jingtang's Shixiong

"Su Jingtang! Get back here!"

"Shi Mei, calm down." Jingtang chuckled, he was holding a medicine manual he took from the library and discovered Shi Mei doodled on it once.

It was a doodle of him (in chibi form). Shi Mei had done it absentmindedly but was furiously embarrassed it was found, and Jingtang was the last person he want to find it.

"It's just a drawing, Shixiong." Jingtang waved, "You're good at it. Why don't you think of becoming a painter?"

Shi Mei fumed, flushing red. "You're too mischievous."

He huffed and gave up.

Jingtang was currently fourteen, Xue Meng was fifteen, Mo Ran was sixteen and Shi Mei was seventeen.

But as a fourteen-year-old, Jingtang grew taller than when Shi Mei was fourteen. Both of them didn't mind, and Jingtang kind of already knew this would happen, because of all the times the Mei twins had told him how he would have been a tall kid if he was fed properly and exercised better and not on the run from his own father.

"You'll outgrow your clothes so quickly if you keep growing." Shi Mei once said to him.

"Anyway, why would you vandalize a book?" Jingtang furrowed his brows, keeping his laughter down. "It doesn't matter, if you get caught I'll tell them I did it."

Shi Mei rolled his eyes affectionately, "Shidi, that's stupid."

"You're stupid, I'm gonna devour Mengpo Hall." Jingtang stuffed the book in his robes and ran away.

"Jingtang, don't run!" Shi Mei sighed exasperatedly. "That kid is too energetic."

"Good morning, sir. Good morning, ma'am." Jingtang greeted the servers politely and because he always did this, the servers always favoured him, smiling at him and secretly giving him a little more food than normal.

"Ever the charmer." Xue Meng rolled his eyes.

"Should I count how many eye rolls I get today?" Jingtang spoke rhetorically.

"How many now?"

"Two."

"Not too many."

"Oh look, Shizun's coming over."

"Greetings Shizun." Xue Meng and Jingtang saluted him respectfully.

"Greetings to Shizun." Shi Mei bowed when he arrived.

"Let's eat." Mo Ran who entered with Chu Wanning, sat down beside him.

As they were eating, Mo Ran kept placing dishes near Chu Wanning, especially the ones he liked the most. Unfortunately for Jingtang, he also liked the dishes that were being moved, so he could do nothing but chew his chopsticks until Shi Mei noticed and shared his food.

Xue Meng tried not to, but couldn't resist rolling his eyes.

"Should I count that?" Jingtang wondered out loud.

"Shut up." Xue Meng mumbled under his breath.

Chu Wanning finished eating soon enough and without saying a word, he left. And like a lost puppy, Mo Ran stared at his retreating figure before getting up and following.

Jingtang choked on his food with laughter, making Shi Mei sigh and get him a cup of water.

"Alright, stop playing. Finish eating."

"Yes, Shixiong." Jingtang responded in mock seriousness.

Shi Mei glared, making him shut up.

Outside, Mo Ran trailed after Chu Wanning as they left Mengpo Hall.