Chapter 16
The autumn rain began to fall early in the morning.
The raindrops, scattered across the sky, densely linked together into lines and fell without stopping. The entire villa was enveloped in a layer of rain and mist.
It was dim inside. The crystal chandelier in the living room was turned on, bringing brightness to the room.
Shen Yuanchuan had been busy for several days. This morning, hindered by the rain and mist, he rarely stayed home for breakfast.
Just as he sat down, a flustered little bean rushed into the dining room.
Shen Tiantian bumped into Shen Yuanchuan’s leg and, taking the opportunity, hugged his calf, his face filled with anxiety.
“Daddy, someone… someone pinched my nose last night!”
As Shen Tiantian spoke, he even pushed his little nose forward, letting his father see the faint mark left on the tip of his nose.
A cub’s skin is tender. After a whole night, the faint red mark had still not faded.
Shen Yuanchuan was surprised for a moment. He rubbed his chin, feeling a little guilty.
Could it be that when I adjusted the little one’s sleeping position yesterday, I accidentally poked his nose?
Shen Yuanchuan coughed, picked up the little one who was flailing around his leg, and examined his nose from left to right.
Shen Tiantian was a little cub who was very good at taking advantage of a situation.
He immediately pouted his little lips, wiped away the non-existent tears from his moist eyes, and shrugged his little shoulders a couple of times.
“Someone… saw that I was well-behaved and easy to bully, so they pinched my nose, wuwu.”
Shen Tiantian said with righteous indignation, raising his little fists and choking up.
Shen Yuanchuan looked at his little expression. He was even biting his lip, as if he had suffered some great injustice.
After a moment of silence, before Shen Yuanchuan could say anything, Shen Jinfeng and Shen Xiuze walked over.
“Dad, what’s all the fuss about so early in the morning?”
Shen Jinfeng’s lazy voice drifted over. He had one hand in his pocket, a smile on his lips, his features handsome and gentle.
Shen Xiuze, beside him, was even more proper, neatly dressed, his back straight, only his expression was a bit cold.
“Well now, the little one is running into Dad’s arms to act spoiled first thing in the morning.”
It was Shen Jinfeng who spoke again.
Shen Tiantian pouted his little lips, looking angry. But then, as if he had thought of something, he immediately buried his bristling little head in his father’s chest.
His tone was wronged and pitiful, and he even peeked at his father with his little eyes.
“Daddy, it was second brother who pinched my nose.”
His lips moved, and regardless of whether it was true or not, he had already convicted his brother.
Shen Jinfeng was truly impressed by this little thing!
He took his hand out of his pocket, changed his posture to folding his arms, and stood a step away, leaning in to look at this little brat.
“What does your pinched nose have to do with me…”
Wait.
It seems it really was him who pinched it.
Shen Jinfeng remembered last night when he had pinched the little one’s nose for fun to watch him puff out his cheeks and breathe. His brow couldn’t help but twitch violently.
He silently turned his head and glanced at Shen Xiuze, who was already sitting in his seat, preparing to drink his health-preserving soup.
Although it wasn’t obvious, Shen Jinfeng was sure that Shen Xiuze was secretly laughing!
Shen Jinfeng didn’t dare to stick his neck out and provoke this little brat anymore. He quickly sat down and silently gnawed on his Western-style fast food.
Shen Yuanchuan was a little surprised that both his sons were so well-behaved this morning.
But in the next moment, the most restless little son spoke up.
“Second brother is a bad guy! Daddy,” Shen Tiantian tugged on the collar of Shen Yuanchuan’s shirt, pulling it, and looked up with his cute little face.
“Don’t give the company to second brother. He’s a big bad guy!”
The corner of Shen Jinfeng’s mouth, which was in the middle of gnawing on a piece of bread, twitched. He looked up and glanced at the little cub.
Shen Tiantian wasn’t afraid of him at all. He bared his row of small, white teeth and snarled at him.
Dare to provoke me, hmph, hmph!
Shen Tiantian seized the opportunity and continued to speak ill of his second brother in front of Shen Yuanchuan.
“In the future… when second brother has the company, he’ll kick me out to live in a shabby little house, with no sweet little red bean paste buns to eat, wuwu~”
After talking for a while, he even managed to make himself cry.
The more he thought about it, the more pitiful he felt. Shen Tiantian wiped away his little tears, imagining himself huddled in a corner in the middle of winter, gnawing on dry bread. The little cub couldn’t help but shiver.
“Daddy, can you… give the company to me? I’ll buy you a hundred red bean paste buns!”
Enough to eat for a lifetime!
This time, both Shen Yuanchuan’s and Shen Jinfeng’s eyelids twitched.
Shen Yuanchuan really wanted to give this little brat a spanking.
A hundred buns? Is his company that worthless?
Looking at his silly appearance, unable to even do simple math, he’d probably sell the company for a hundred yuan.
Shen Jinfeng, on the other hand, felt a little like laughing, and also a little guilty.
He looked up at the little brat who was still begging his father, and a soft snort escaped his nose.
“Give the company to you? Why don’t you just fly to the moon?”
Shen Tiantian was furious.
His way of showing anger was to climb onto his baby chair and stand up, making him half a head taller than his two brothers beside him.
Lifting his little face, Shen Tiantian made a fierce declaration:
“Give up. In the future, I’ll only give you one small bun a day, hmph!”
He would make his second brother work hard every day and not give him any food!
Let him understand the might of Long Tiantian!
The scene fell silent for a moment.
Shen Xiuze, who had been eating with his head down, couldn’t suppress the upward curve of his lips and smiled silently.
The frost in his eyes melted into a sparkling river. His long, slender eyelids twitched at the corners, his eyes filled with amusement.
Looking at Shen Tiantian, who was still standing there triumphantly with his little hands on his hips, Shen Xiuze’s smile deepened.
“Let’s eat,” he said, unable to hold back his laughter.
Shen Yuanchuan also shook his head helplessly, wondering who Shen Tiantian took after.
From his ancestors’ generation, no one in the Shen family had had a low IQ.
When Shen Xiuze and Shen Jinfeng were young, they were also mature, composed, intelligent, and sensible.
Shen Yuanchuan looked at Shen Tiantian with curiosity several times. Thinking of how his aunt had deliberately tried to swap the children, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Honestly, if the child had really been swapped with Ye Jiabao, Shen Yuanchuan might not have suspected anything.
Because no matter how many times he saw Shen Tiantian, Shen Yuanchuan would never think this was his own flesh and blood!
Shen Yuanchuan picked up his chopsticks, tapped the little cub who was still “spouting nonsense” and “intimidating everyone” on the head, and pointed to the small bowl in front of him.
“Eat. Do you want milk?”
Shen Tiantian quickly sat down, held up his small bowl, and shouted:
“Yes!”
He wanted to drink all the milk in the world!
So that his bad-guy brother would have none.
With this little interlude, the rest of the breakfast was a mix of exasperation and amusement for the other three.
After finishing his light and sweet nourishing soup, Shen Xiuze watched the little cub stuffing food into his mouth and suddenly paused.
Breakfast in the past, without the little one, seemed… very cold and cheerless.
Shaking his head to clear these thoughts, Shen Xiuze finished his meal and was the first to stand up and leave.
Shen Yuanchuan also didn’t delay any longer. He grabbed his coat and left for the company with his assistant.
Only Shen Jinfeng lingered for a long time after finishing his meal. After everyone else had left, he finally looked up and glanced a few times at the little one whose mouth was puffed out from eating.
“Ahem.” Shen Jinfeng cleared his throat, pressed a fist to his lips, looked left and right, and asked with some embarrassment:
“Does your nose still hurt?”
He clearly remembered not using much force at all last night.
How did it turn red?
Shen Tiantian, who had licked his little bowl of congee clean, puffed out his baby-fat cheeks, stuck his tongue out at his brother, and rubbed his little nose.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore, but pinching people’s noses is not right!”
Shen Tiantian wanted to stand up from his chair again. Seeing his movement, Shen Jinfeng’s heart skipped a beat.
“Alright, alright, don’t stand up. Aren’t you afraid of falling?”
Shen Jinfeng sighed helplessly. After all, it was his fault, and the little one was furious. After a moment of hesitation, he said softly:
“Is there anything you want? As an apology gift from me.”
Shen Tiantian rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, and nodded.
“I want to inherit the company.”
Shen Jinfeng was speechless. “Don’t even think about it.”
Shen Tiantian got angry. “Bad-guy second brother!”
Shen Jinfeng: “Little brat!”
Shen Tiantian: “Nyah, nyah, nyah!”
Before Auntie Mu-Mu could lift him down, Shen Tiantian had already stuck his bottom out, gotten down from the chair, and trotted away on his short little legs.
Shen Jinfeng stood there for a moment, thinking. He decided to bring Shen Tiantian a small cake.
The little one likes to eat sweets.
Shen Tiantian ran all the way back to his bedroom. Before he could push the door open, he heard the sound of the door to the next room opening.
Shen Xiuze had changed into a formal suit. He was well-dressed and had a slender figure.
He was holding a tube of ointment in his hand.
“Tiantian?” Shen Xiuze squatted down, his dark eyes very close, as black as ink. He carefully examined the faint mark on the tip of Shen Tiantian’s nose.
“This is ointment. Apply it so it won’t leave a scar.”
Shen Tiantian’s amber-like, light-colored eyes looked at his big brother in front of him. He nodded and gave an obedient hum.
“Okay.”
Shen Xiuze handed the ointment to his little brother, his expression unchanging, as if he hadn’t come upstairs specifically to find ointment for Shen Tiantian.
“I’m going to the company.”
Shen Tiantian held the ointment, watched his brother walk away, and couldn’t help but scratch his little face with his hand.
Big brother is so strange.
He must have pinched the cub’s nose too!
Shen Tiantian pouted, tossed his little head, and pattered back to his bedroom.
There was no live broadcast today, but Shen Tiantian still agonized over what to wear.
He was very particular about his appearance. He stood in front of his wardrobe for half an hour and still couldn’t decide which outfit to wear.
“You have a call, baby!”
Shen Tiantian’s gaze was glued to his wardrobe. He tapped his children’s watch, and a milky little voice sounded:
“Who is it?”
The corner of his cousin Ye Jiabao’s mouth twitched. He couldn’t help but say:
“Who else would be calling you?”
Isn’t his the only number saved in your watch?
Shen Tiantian pouted. I’m a very busy person too, okay?
“Cousin, what’s up?”
Ye Jiabao cleared his throat and began to probe for information.
“Tiantian, after you left, there’s no one to watch TV with me. I wonder how you’re doing at your dad’s house?”
This little fool, Shen Tiantian, couldn’t keep a secret. As soon as Ye Jiabao started, he would blurt out a whole bunch of things.
“Sigh~ I’m not doing well.”
Shen Tiantian shook his head.
It had been several days since he returned to the Shen family, but he still hadn’t successfully taken over the company.
His two brothers were so annoying. Shen Tiantian felt that even his food didn’t taste good anymore.
He pinched his “thin” round little tummy and sighed.
“My tummy is all skinny now. And yesterday… yesterday, big brother pinched my nose, wuwu~”
Shen Tiantian wiped away non-existent tears, pulled out a black and white jacket with his small hand, and then dragged out a pair of cool sneakers. He happily hugged them and went to the small sofa to change.
Hearing this, Ye Jiabao’s eyes flickered, and the corners of his lips unconsciously curled up.
“Is that so? They’re so mean. I told you, those two are not good people at all!”
The repressed and gloomy mood from his previous life influenced Ye Jiabao, making his words full of negative energy.
“Shen Xiuze is a pretentious snob, and Shen Jinfeng is a two-faced schemer! The two of them are equally arrogant and look down on everyone!”
“Tiantian, listen to me, you must fight them to the end!”
Shen Tiantian put on his cool jacket and shoes, stood sideways in front of the mirror, looked left and right, and couldn’t help but nod.
“Okay.”
This outfit looks really good today!
“I will inherit the company.”
A pair of black pants will go well with this.
Ye Jiabao successfully brainwashed Shen Tiantian and couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction.
“Good. I’m not trying to affect your mood, I just can’t stand to see those two brothers bully you. Don’t worry, your cousin will support you in taking over the company!”
Shen Tiantian continued, “Okay.”
I’ll wear jeans instead.
Shen Tiantian turned and ran to find his jeans. After a long struggle, he finally finished changing and nodded in satisfaction.
“Cousin, I look really good today.”
Shen Tiantian was beautiful again. He shook his head and hummed a nursery rhyme.
On the other end, the corner of Ye Jiabao’s mouth twitched. He couldn’t be bothered to respond to that.
“Are you not filming today?”
Ye Jiabao started to inquire about Shen Tiantian’s filming schedule again.
Shen Tiantian hummed in acknowledgment and replied:
“Not today, but tomorrow. The uncle said we film every two days.”
Ye Jiabao said “oh,” his eyes shining with a sharp glint. As if he had thought of something, he couldn’t help but say:
“Then can I come and see you tomorrow? The two of us can watch TV together.”
Shen Tiantian continued to admire his clothes in the mirror, smoothing down a stubborn tuft of hair with his small hand, and hummed again.
“Okay, we can watch Agent Gogo.”
It was his favorite cartoon.
Ye Jiabao hung up the phone, thinking that Shen Tiantian was as foolish as ever.
He curled his lip in disdain. When I go to the Shen family tomorrow and “accidentally” appear in the live stream, people will naturally compare me to Shen Tiantian.
He hadn’t learned much else in the Shen family in his previous life, but he was very good at faking a noble temperament.
Ye Jiabao hadn’t found the film crew that Shen Tiantian had joined in his previous life yet, so he could only take a different approach and show his face in the live stream first to gain some fans.
Shen Tiantian hung up his cousin’s call, continued to admire himself in the mirror for a long time, and then ran out happily.
As he ran, he thought, Cousin is so pitiful.
He can’t even watch TV at home.
His aunt was so stingy. Before, whenever Shen Tiantian wanted to watch TV, she would scold him, making Shen Tiantian run back to his room in a huff.
Thinking of this, Shen Tiantian couldn’t help but run downstairs and ask the butler uncle to put on Agent Gogo for him.
There was a dedicated audio-visual room on the second floor of the villa. Seeing that the little one liked to watch TV, the butler uncle specially took him there.
Shen Tiantian dangled his little feet and watched two full episodes of Agent Gogo before leaving, satisfied.
For lunch, his two brothers and father still didn’t come back.
The chef uncle made a nutritious meal for Shen Tiantian. It was fresh and sweet, exquisitely presented on a small plate, and Shen Tiantian could eat one in a single bite.
During his afternoon nap, Shen Tiantian slept for a full two hours. When he woke up, the weather was still dark and gloomy, and the rain was falling steadily.
He yawned, lazily lying on the carpet in the living room, playing with his building blocks.
When Shen Jinfeng came back, he saw the little one leisurely playing with his blocks.
For a moment, he felt that he was working himself to death outside, investing, while this little brat was living a more leisurely life.
Shaking his head, Shen Jinfeng threw these thoughts out of his mind, deliberately walked over, and dangled the small cake he had brought back in front of Shen Tiantian.
“This was just baked today. The chef said the bread base is very soft, and there’s a little bit of strawberry in the cream, so it’s very sweet.”
Shen Tiantian was indeed attracted. He held a building block in his hand and stared at the cake in Shen Jinfeng’s hand without blinking.
“Is it yummy? Very sweet?”
Shen Jinfeng nodded, a smile touching his jade-like face. He stood up and walked towards the dining room.
“This was bought for a little friend.”
Shen Tiantian trotted after him, looked up with his little face, and asked:
“A wittle fwiend? There are no wittle fwiends at home.”
He was already a big kid who could inherit the company.
Watching Shen Jinfeng place the cake on the table, Shen Tiantian stood on his tiptoes, his head peeking over the table, and stared at the small cake expectantly.
“There are no little friends? That’s strange.”
Shen Jinfeng sat down in a chair and deliberately put on a troubled expression.
“Then who should I give it to?”
Shen Tiantian immediately turned his head, his eyes as bright and sparkling as a sea of stars. He was just short of raising his little hand.
“I’ll eat it.”
He even had to put on a well-behaved little expression to appear sensible.
“I’ll help that wittle fwiend eat it.”
Shen Jinfeng looked at Shen Tiantian’s sparkling eyes, suppressed a laugh, and his already gentle face seemed even more vibrant at that moment.
“You’re quite well-behaved then.”
Shen Tiantian immediately nodded in agreement, smiling very cutely.
“That’s right.”
