No Time

The party was fairly normal at first, my cousin flirting, guests chatting, and "Zuan" sitting next to me and giving me presents.

Who would have expected that I was going to be targeted by an assassin?

It was really like a movie scene when I was suddenly in Zuan's arms and he told me not to be afraid.

He jumped on a table and swung in the air like an acrobat who swung on trapezes, like the ones I saw in a circus one time.

The assassin finally showed up and now I could see how he was hiding so secretly. He had clothes and paint on his face that made him look just like he was the chandelier! That was a little scary and I realized what could have happened to me if Zuan wasn't there.

Zuan dodged the flying knives easily but I was still worried. But it turns out that it wasn't needed.

The assassin was kicked down and pummeled straight into the ground, creating a crack on the marble floor. Were human heads that tough? I didn't think so, but the assassin still got up.

The assassin still rushed towards me and I stood there calmly. I've had many assassination attempts hurled at me, but this was the first time anyone got so close to me. But I was trained, I could knock the assassin off his balance and run away at the very least.

"You aren't human."

The next thing I knew, the assassin, who turned out to be an android like I had suspected had its head cleanly sliced off.

My father said that the weak feared the strong. And I knew that because everyone tried to give me the best gifts they could to please my father.

But I didn't know that it could mean it literally. Strength, power, it would make people afraid.

The adults were all looking at Zuan like a monster. And he noticed this and gave a nonchalant look to the crowd.

They parted widely for him when he wanted to leave like he was very welcome to leave.

I was angry at them but couldn't do anything to them before I talked to Zuan. At this rate, we would probably not ever meet each other again. I didn't want that.

"Zuan, don't go! I still haven't given back the wig!" I shouted.

He turned back and looked at me, mouthing, "I don't ne-"

But he couldn't finish what he was saying because he collapsed onto the floor.

"Take him to the closest guest room and call a doctor!" I ordered.

The bodyguards and regular guards dismissed the confused and scared guests. Some of them moved the heavy android and put it away in the freezer room. Even if somehow, the android still was able to move, it wouldn't be able to generate enough heat to get out of the extremely cold freezer room.

"Young master, this young man... he might not be human..." the family butler, Mr. Wang, was waiting outside the guest room door when my parents and I cleared the ballroom area and gave specific orders to patch up the floor, fix the chandelier, and clear away the tables and other supplies. My curious cousin who was somehow fearless and not worried at all tagged along.

"I know." I mean, nobody could be powerful enough to deal with an android that advanced easily.

My parents stood behind me as I peeked in the room.

Um, were we in the right room?

Deathly pale skin, long black hair, light pink lips, cold expression, fair features. These all described Zuan, but this kid too?

Sleeping on the bed was a child who looked about the same age as me. He looked like the exact clone of Zuan except for being a lot younger.

"This is Mr. Shui Yu. He has... reverted back into his younger self."

Mr. Wang, I don't need to know what I already figured out.

But he was really beautiful! He had a long white nightgown on, probably one of the gifts that I got, and his long hair was still the length it had been before, meaning it was longer than his height, just like Rapunzel!

Zuan frowned in his sleep, so I pressed his glabella to smooth out his skin.

"Isn't this good? I'll hire this kid to be Xiaoshen's personal bodyguard," my father said.

"We've caused enough damage to this child. We'll ask first. I just wonder how he turned so young. And he's better at fighting than my father," my mother noted.

My mom's side grandfather was a military general and he was the one training me. Ugh, I didn't want to think about that sadistic old man.

My cousin exclaimed, "Is this the person who saved you? How did he turn into a child? He's very adorable and looks like a girl!"

Don't you dare have any ideas about Zuan.

Zuan woke up in less than 2 hours.

"Where am I? My voice... Oh, so this is the side effect. Not too bad, I still have my abilities."

He really was calm.

It was 10 o'clock right now, way over the 9 o'clock time I usually slept at.

"Zuan, are you ok?"

"I'm ok, can I borrow some clothes? Your size should be fine. I'll return it."

"No, you must stay here for the night. Let's have a sleepover."

"...ok?"

Zuan fell asleep relatively fast, but I was still nervous. I held his hand as I fell asleep.

When I awoke at 7 in the morning, Zuan was already up wearing black traditional clothing with braided hair.

He was calling someone, "Shane, tell the people at the base that I have some circumstances."

"...Don't ask. I turned into a kid."

"No, not like that Conan detective thing. I didn't eat a pill or anything, I'll turn back soon enough. Are you hanging out with the Japanese kids? They're nice and polite but some of them are enthusiastic about old animes to the point of being obsessed."

"Anyway, just let the people at base know. Yeah, bye."

He was speaking in English fluently. Just how talented was Zuan?

"Little Blue, you're up, the butler told us to come to breakfast."

So we went to breakfast and ate some toast and jam with milk.

"Shui child, we want you to be Xiaoshen's personal bodyguard. We've had assassination attempts on him, but this android incident was the first. We're really worried that it'll happen again and you're the only one we can count on. And in your... child form, per se, you can even guard Xiaoshen at school. We'll pay you 100 million per month, is that fine? Please, we don't want our child hurt..."

Mom, this is the first thing that comes out of your mouth?! Having Zuan by my side would be great, but having him as a person working for me isn't a pleasant idea. What if he doesn't like me because he has to work for my family?

"...ok."

When we got back to my room after eating breakfast, Zuan told me, "You have nice parents. You are a very lucky child. I'll protect you from now on."

"But I wanted to be your friend, not your employer!" I yelled, shooting him a grieved expression.

"Your parents are the ones using me, I can still be your friend."

"Pinky swear!"

That's how Zuan and I became friends.

For now.