Chapter 92
Xing Nuo, clutching his new car-shaped eraser, happily walked home hand-in-hand with his brother.
Their little yellow duck scooter, parked among a row of other electric scooters in the basement, looked particularly cute and quirky.
On Monday morning, Shen Baizhou rode the scooter to kindergarten, with Xing Nuo sitting in front.
The temperature had dropped, and Xing Nuo wore a thick jacket and a knitted hat, his hands tucked in his pockets, a teddy bear print mask covering his face.
At the kindergarten gate, Teacher Xiao Song, seeing Xing Nuo arrive on a scooter, smiled and helped him down.
“Xing Nuo came by scooter today.”
Xing Nuo nodded vigorously, pulled down his mask, revealing his rosy lips, and smiled.
“Yes! Big Brother wides scooter…vewy fast.”
Having arrived by scooter, Xing Nuo was the first to arrive at kindergarten.
Teacher Xiao Song praised him, ruffled his hat, and led him inside.
Xing Nuo waved at his brother and went inside with his backpack.
Shen Baizhou put his duck helmet back on and rode to his high school, which was two streets away.
He was now in his final year of high school, his grades still at the bottom of the class.
Fortunately, despite his delinquent appearance, he never caused trouble at school or talked back to his teachers, only occasionally showing his frustration when his abysmal grades were announced.
He would then slump back in his seat, staring at his single-digit scores in sullen silence.
The teachers, having learned about his solitary nature and aversion to trouble, found him to be a relatively low-maintenance student.
Shen Baizhou sat down at his desk, opened his textbook, and frowned.
He attended classes diligently, but his intelligence was limited, and he couldn’t seem to improve his grades.
The boy in front of him turned around and poked him.
“Shen Baizhou, you bought a scooter? It’s pretty cute.”
The girl next to him had seen it on the school forum. Despite his poor grades and solitary nature, Shen Baizhou was quite popular at school due to his good looks.
Many girls would secretly take pictures of him and post them on the school forum for everyone to admire.
“I saw that scooter a few days ago. I thought it was a bit childish…but it suits you.”
The girl, realizing her mistake, quickly added a compliment.
Shen Baizhou, his chin resting on his hand, his expression lazy as he poked his textbook with his pen, just hummed.
“It is cute. Convenient for taking my little brother out.”
After three years, his classmates knew about his brother complex and played along.
“Haha, your little brother is also in the photos on the forum. Sitting in front of the scooter, looking so well-behaved.”
Shen Baizhou smiled, his eyebrows lifting slightly, a smug look on his face.
“My little brother is well-behaved. He’s not a troublemaker.”
He only spoke more when the topic was his little brother.
The bell rang.
An important announcement was made in Xing Nuo’s kindergarten class.
“This Friday, we’ll be going to the aquarium to learn about marine life! Please prepare accordingly.”
The children cheered.
“Aquarium! I’ll take my puppy!”
“Can Mommy come too?”
“I’ll ask my big sister to come with me! She’s so pretty!”
Each child could only be accompanied by one parent. Xing Nuo, his cheeks resting on his hands, wished he could bring more people.
That way, Daddy and both Big Brothers could come with him.
During lunch, Xing Nuo, making a rare effort, ate all his meat and took his empty bowl to Teacher Xiao Song.
“Teacher Xiao Song, I finished.”
Teacher Xiao Song, surprised, looked at the empty bowl and exclaimed, “The sun must have risen from the west today! Xing Nuo actually ate all his meat!”
Xing Nuo, embarrassed, his ears turning pink, his eyes sparkling, placed the bowl on the teacher’s desk.
“Teacher Xiao Song, I ate meat…can Daddy and both Big Bwothers come to aquarium?”
Teacher Xiao Song, realizing his motivation, chuckled and shook her head.
“No, only one parent per child for this trip.”
Too many parents would be chaotic.
Xing Nuo, disappointed that he couldn’t bring both his dad and brothers, sighed and returned to his seat.
Little Fatty, having finished his lunch, walked over, intending to take the meat from Xing Nuo’s plate.
Seeing the empty plate, he was instantly enraged.
“Who ate Xing Nuo’s meat?! That was my meat!”
Qingqing, happily munching on her food, wiped her mouth and glared at him.
“You’re always bullying Xing Nuo! He ate it himself! Not for you!”
Little Fatty banged his hand on the table, his voice rising.
“Impossible!”
Xing Nuo would never eat his meat!
Xing Nuo, folding his bib neatly, his hands clasped in his lap, looked up at Little Fatty and said:
“I ate it.”
Little Fatty, used to having extra meat, was furious.
He gritted his teeth, glaring at Xing Nuo’s innocent eyes, then huffed and went to take meat from another child’s plate.
The child started crying.
Teacher Xiao Song hurried over, grabbed Little Fatty, and took him outside for a lecture.
Nap time.
Xing Nuo, lying on his cot, fluffing his pillow, was lost in thought.
Daddy and both Big Brothers couldn’t come. What should he do?
Growing up brought new worries.
He pulled the blanket over himself, about to go to sleep, when he heard soft sobs from the next cot.
The children, exhausted from the morning’s activities, were all sleeping soundly.
The nap room was quiet, and only Xing Nuo, still awake, heard the muffled cries.
He sat up and saw that it was Little Fatty.
Little Fatty’s eyes were red and swollen, tears streaming down his chubby face.
Xing Nuo didn’t like the bully Little Fatty.
He scratched his neck, then sighed and climbed out of bed, padding softly to Little Fatty’s cot.
“Little Fatty, why you cwy?” he whispered.
Little Fatty quickly turned his back, wiping his tears with his hand, and mumbled:
“I not cwy.”
Xing Nuo shrugged and offered him the small plush toy from his own bed.
“You miss Daddy? Me too. Toy for you…hug…then no miss.”
He placed the toy, which Teacher Xiao Song had given him, on Little Fatty’s nightstand.
Little Fatty turned his head, picked up the toy, and, his eyes still red, his mouth turned down in a pout, said:
“So childish. I don’t play with toys anymore.”
Xing Nuo didn’t reply, yawned sleepily, and climbed back into his own bed.
During snack time, Little Fatty, his eyes still puffy from crying, walked over and silently placed his cheese cake on Xing Nuo’s plate, then quickly ran away.
Xing Nuo, his mouth full of sweet cake, looked up at him, puzzled, and blinked, touching his curls.
Qingqing, still hungry, seeing the extra cake on Xing Nuo’s plate, leaned closer, her eyes wide with anticipation.
“Xing Nuo, I think Little Fatty might have poisoned the cake! Should I taste it for you?”
Xing Nuo giggled, his eyes sparkling.
“Okay. I vewy full. Qingqing eat.”
Qingqing, her ponytail bobbing happily, quickly devoured the cake.
Little Fatty, watching from afar, seeing his cake being eaten by Qingqing, whom he disliked, stomped his foot angrily.
But having just been lectured by Teacher Xiao Song, he didn’t dare cause any more trouble and just sulked.
He now understood how it felt to have your cake eaten by someone else.
It was infuriating!
The bell rang, and Xing Nuo, his backpack on, his hand gripping the shirt of the child in front of him, eagerly walked out of the kindergarten.
Seeing the familiar yellow scooter, his eyes lit up, and he ran towards it.
Shen Baizhou, having taken the day off to pick up Xing Nuo, beeped the horn, attracting the attention of the other children.
Xing Nuo climbed onto the scooter, and Shen Baizhou secured him.
Xing Nuo, his head held high, feeling like the coolest kid in kindergarten, his curls bouncing in the wind, smiled as the other children watched them leave.
“Big Brother, Teacher said…go to aquarium!”
Shen Baizhou, putting Xing Nuo’s helmet on, asked:
“When? Need pwepawe anything?”
Xing Nuo replied obediently: “Fw-iday. But…only one pawent…can go with child.”
Shen Baizhou’s face fell, and he rode back to their apartment building, helping Xing Nuo down.
“We’ll ask Shen Yan if he’s free.”
Shen Wen had been busy lately, dealing with Wen Xingxue, who kept challenging his dungeons.
He had been constantly returning to his dungeon world, trying to get rid of him permanently.
Shen Baizhou had to attend school. He had already taken the day off, and it wouldn’t be easy to get another one.
Shen Yan, the company boss, was the only one with a flexible schedule.
Xing Nuo nodded and, holding his brother’s hand, took the elevator upstairs.
In the evening, Shen Yan arrived with his assistant and a chef to prepare dinner.
Xing Nuo, standing at the kitchen door, his eyes wide with anticipation, watched the chef expertly flipping food in the wok, the delicious aroma filling the air.
Shen Yan, his sleeves rolled up, was preparing a cucumber salad.
Xing Nuo, his little face beaming, peeked over the counter and exclaimed:
“Smells yummy! Big Brother amazing!”
He then turned to the chef.
“Uncle amazing too! Food smells yummy!”
The chef, his face wrinkling into a smile, gave Xing Nuo a piece of stewed chicken.
“Here, Xing Nuo, try this. The chicken is so tender and flavorful.”
Xing Nuo, holding the small bowl with the chicken, looked at it, then smiled sweetly and offered it to his brother.
“Big Brother work hard. Big Brother eat.”
Shen Yan, knowing the little one’s picky eating habits, chuckled and tapped his head.
“Trying to butter me up? Put it down and set the table.”
Xing Nuo nodded eagerly and ran to the dining room with the chopsticks, afraid of being asked to eat the chicken.
