Chapter 133
In the white, disinfectant-smelling hospital room. Shen Tiantian was nestled in the blue and white hospital bed’s quilt, and the blue-black blood vessels on his thin eyelids were clearly visible.
His small hands were placed by his cheeks, and his small body was curled up in discomfort. Tiantian dazedly woke up for a while, and through his hazy vision, he saw his stern big brother sitting on the side.
“Big brother.” Because he was sick, his voice was soft and gentle.
Shen Xiuze hummed in acknowledgment, smoothed the stray hairs on his forehead, and said in a low voice: “How are you? You’ve almost finished the IV drip. Are you still uncomfortable?”
Shen Tiantian touched his little belly. His round and chubby little belly was now deflated, and his belly was also cool, a bit like the cold jelly he had eaten before. “It doesn’t hurt much anymore.”
Tiantian lay in the pillow, and half of his little cheek was sunk in, revealing two distinct black and white eyes. It made one’s heart soften. Shen Xiuze, following the doctor’s advice, did not dare to give him anything to eat and could only wait until he had completely emptied or digested.
Under Shen Xiuze’s gentle comfort, Shen Tiantian dazedly fell into a light sleep again.
Shen Yuanchuan was out of town for business and couldn’t come. He called Shen Xiuze several times. “The little one will definitely learn his lesson this time. You can’t eat too much watermelon in the summer,” Shen Yuanchuan said with a sigh.
Shen Xiuze didn’t say much, gave a few perfunctory replies, and hung up the phone. Just as he hung up, Shen Xiuze received another call from his uncle. For the sake of his deceased mother, Shen Xiuze hesitated for a moment and finally answered it.
“Hey, Xiuze! I heard your little brother is in the hospital? Who did it? Was it Shen Jinfeng?” the uncle asked.
Shen Xiuze’s expression instantly turned cold. “Don’t make such baseless assumptions. Shen Jinfeng wouldn’t do such a thing, and he’s not that bored.” Shen Jinfeng was a little casual and rebellious, but he wouldn’t go so far as to harm his own little brother!
Hearing Shen Xiuze’s cold and angry tone, his uncle quickly said “ai” twice. “I misspoke. Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. I was just saying it casually. How could it really be Shen Jinfeng? Children, it’s normal to have an upset stomach, right?”
Shen Xiuze didn’t listen to him continue to ramble, frowned, and hung up the phone.
In the hospital room, the lightly sleeping Shen Tiantian blinked his eyes, tilted his little head, and looked at his brother who had just finished the call. Shen Xiuze was stunned for a moment, not expecting to have woken the little one up. “Did I wake you?”
Tiantian shook his little head and softly called out to his brother. “Big brother, don’t believe what others say. Second brother is very good.”
It was too common to have an upset stomach in the summer. Especially since the temperature was particularly high today, and Shen Tiantian had already eaten a lot of watermelon during the day. He had eaten more at night, so his stomach definitely couldn’t take it.
A layer of water shimmered in Tiantian’s watery, dark eyes. He reached out his small hand from the quilt and patted his big brother’s hand. “Don’t believe the bad guys. My brothers are all very good.”
Shen Xiuze listened to the little one’s big words and couldn’t help but press his lips into a smile. The ice in his eyes seemed to be warming and melting bit by bit. “I know. You’re so worried. Hurry up and sleep for a while. I’ll take you for a check-up when it’s light.”
Shen Tiantian smiled softly and fell asleep peacefully.
The summer heat was gradually showing its true power. The sun had been shining with a scorching light for two or three days in a row.
In the hospital, Shen Tiantian had been on an IV drip for two days, and his gastroenteritis was almost completely better. But after not eating properly for two or three days, the baby fat on his cheeks was almost gone.
Only then did Shen Xiuze realize that the baby fat and meat that Shen Tiantian had gained were very not solid. Just a day or two of not eating properly could make him lose a lot. When Shen Xiuze poked Shen Tiantian’s little belly now, it was not at all as elastic and warm as before.
Instead, it was much more shriveled, and the soft and sweet feel was greatly reduced. Shen Tiantian’s whole person looked a size smaller. The summer clothes on him were loose and wide. His palm-sized little face was pale, with two dark and round eyes embedded in it, which made one’s heart ache.
After resting for four or five days, Shen Tiantian could finally go to kindergarten again. He came late in the morning, wearing his favorite bib shorts set. The front of his clothes had a large pocket that could fit his small hands.
The other children in the class saw Tiantian and were so surprised that they let out a few “ah”s.
“Tiantian, you’ve changed!”
“You’re so skinny. The meat on your face is all gone.”
“Tiantian, were you beaten by your parents? Did they not give you any food?”
The children surrounded Shen Tiantian and asked a lot of questions. Tiantian put his small schoolbag in the bookshelf and shook his head.
“I was sick. The doctor uncle said I have to eat very light food, so I’ll get thin even if my tummy is full.” When he ate, the butler uncle would feed Shen Tiantian a small half-bowl of congee. His stomach was occupied, so he naturally ate very little of other things.
As soon as he said this, Little Fatty, who had been on a diet, came over, his eyes sparkling. “Tiantian, what did you eat? Can you tell me?”
Tiantian hummed twice and counted on his little fingers: “For lunch, I had corn congee, an egg, and half a bowl of noodles.”
Little Fatty said “oh” and asked again: “And?”
Tiantian spread his hands. “That’s all~”
Little Fatty took a few steps back, so shocked that he almost fell to the ground. “I eat more than that for breakfast!”
Tiantian narrowed his eyes in a smile and patted Little Fatty’s bulging belly. “You have to eat very little to get thin.” Little Fatty went to doubt his life in a corner.
Tiantian’s “demolish the kindergarten and build a water slide” business plan had been blocked by illness before it could even begin. He had been greatly weakened by this one battle and had decided to wait a while.
After a hard day of kindergarten, Tiantian received another piece of bad news. The teacher said: “We’re going to have the kindergarten’s final exams next week. All the children should go back and prepare. After the exams, it will be summer vacation. I hope everyone will do their best and treat this exam seriously.”
As soon as Tiantian thought of the exams, his head grew a size bigger. Until dinner, Tiantian, who could finally eat some meat, was worried. The butler uncle’s heart ached, and he wished he could feed Tiantian a couple of bites himself.
Shen Yuanchuan saw his little son’s dazed and foolish appearance and couldn’t help but sigh. “Now he’s even sillier after being sick. What should I do in the future?”
Shen Yuanchuan looked at the little one’s still pale lips and couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. His originally firm idea of not giving Shen Tiantian too many shares was now shaken again.
Or should I give him a little more? What if the little one starves himself to death in the future?
Shen Jinfeng had been exhausted from his exams recently. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he was constantly memorizing things in his dreams. “Is it the kindergarten’s exam week?” he reminded.
Only then did Shen Yuanchuan react. Kindergarten also has final exams! Shen Jinfeng propped up his chin with one hand and watched the show with a raised eyebrow: “I heard that after the exams, there’s also a parent-teacher conference.”
Shen Yuanchuan’s heart suddenly tightened. It’s over.
He’s going to be embarrassed in front of all the kindergarten parents!
The experience that his first two sons had not given him was now being retaliated against by his little son all at once. It’s his retribution.
Shen Yuanchuan sped up his eating and also tapped Shen Tiantian’s head. “Hurry up and eat. It’s already Friday. There are only two days left before the exams. Can you still sit still?”
Tiantian let out a puzzled “ah.”
Shen Yuanchuan finished his meal in a few bites, picked up Shen Tiantian, and rushed upstairs. “Let’s go! So that your dad won’t be too embarrassed, I’ll tutor you tonight!”
Tiantian hummed twice, and his words of protest were all blocked by his biological father. He was carried to the study, and Shen Tiantian sat down at the desk with a thud, with a textbook for this semester in front of him.
“Alright, let’s start with the simplest math.” Shen Yuanchuan said. Tiantian tilted his head. ?
The math taught in kindergarten was even slower than Shen Tiantian’s tutoring. Tiantian held his pen and, under his daddy’s stressful gaze, he calculated the problems one stroke at a time.
Shen Yuanchuan folded his arms. Seeing the little one secretly glance at him every two seconds with his unconcealable eyes, he couldn’t help but get angry. “What are you looking at me for? Do I have the answers on my face?”
Tiantian quickly lowered his head and continued to struggle with the calculations. But he had counted on his little fingers more than ten times, and the problems he couldn’t solve still couldn’t be solved.
Seeing this, Shen Yuanchuan slapped his head. He tried his best to suppress the urge to tear up the math problems and, like Shen Tiantian’s teacher, he gave him several vivid examples. Tiantian tilted his head. “Chestnuts?”
Fragrant and sweet roasted chestnuts?
Shen Yuanchuan looked at his head, which was filled with all kinds of snacks, desserts, and fruits, and was so angry he almost put on a respirator. Tiantian saw his daddy’s desperate expression and giggled.
“Don’t be angry, don’t be angry, Daddy. I’ll do well on the exam. I won’t be the last!” Shen Yuanchuan was very pleased with his little cub’s determination.
“Alright, I’ll watch you review these two days, and I’ll also have Teacher Zhao come and give you two more lessons.” Tiantian was stunned, and the smile on his little face slowly disappeared.
On Saturday, Shen Yuanchuan did as he said and watched Shen Tiantian review at home. Shen Tiantian sat on a small chair by the window in the study, holding a pen in his hand, his brows furrowed tightly.
While his daddy was not paying attention, he looked up, secretly opened the window, and picked a handful of green leaves from the branches outside. He also made eye contact with a little sparrow that was building a nest on a branch. The little sparrow chirped at him.
Shen Tiantian covered his mouth and laughed. Afraid that his daddy would find out, he quickly lowered his head and obediently did his problems. He could barely sit still in the morning.
In the afternoon, the dozing Shen Tiantian saw Gu Nanqi, who had come to call him out to play. “Tiantian! Come down! There’s an inflatable castle in the small park over there!” Gu Nanqi shouted from the yard on the first floor.
Shen Tiantian immediately stood up and nodded vigorously. “Okay, okay. I’m coming.” But he turned his head and met his daddy’s deathly gaze.
Shen Tiantian shrank his little neck and sat back down, and shouted at Gu Nanqi with a righteous tone: “I have to study! I’ll go next time!”
Gu Nanqi was puzzled and shouted, “What? Study?”
How could this word come out of Shen Tiantian’s mouth?!
