Chapter 93
The day before their trip to the aquarium, Xing Nuo video called Xiao Ran, who was now in elementary school, using Shen Yan’s phone.
Xiao Ran, pouting, blew a kiss at Xing Nuo through the screen.
“Xing Nuo! You haven’t come down to play in the garden lately. Are you sick?”
Xing Nuo, seeing the wet saliva mark on Xiao Ran’s screen, tried to wipe it off with a tissue, then, giving up, tilted his head and cupped his cheeks.
“No. Xiao Wan goes to elementary school now…finishes school late…I alweady home after swings.”
Xing Nuo was the most popular child in the Happy Family Residence complex’s small garden.
The girls would fight over him during playtime, wanting him to be the prince in their “saving the princess” games, his little wooden sword in hand.
But Xing Nuo preferred being a knight, always giving up the prince role and running around, yelling “Hiya!” and slaying imaginary dragons.
The boys, some of them also drawn to his cuteness, liked playing in the sandbox with him.
Sometimes, the two groups would even have competitions to decide who got to play with Xing Nuo.
But lately, with the fluctuating temperatures, Xing Nuo would often be carried upstairs by his brother before the competitions even ended,
leaving a group of crying children to be dragged home by their parents.
Xiao Ran felt like she hadn’t seen Xing Nuo in ages. She slumped her shoulders, her face a picture of misery, and tossed her backpack on the floor.
“Elementary school not fun! Have to learn so many things!”
She hated elementary school!
Xing Nuo, still harboring a rosy image of elementary school, lay on the sofa, his fair skin almost translucent in the lamplight.
“Daddy said…after elementary school…Zaizai big boy. I want go to elementary school.”
Shen Yan, who was working on his laptop, having a video conference, seeing that his little brother hadn’t gotten to the point yet, took off his glasses and whispered:
“Xing Nuo, you’re supposed to ask Xiao Ran about the aquarium.”
Xing Nuo, remembering, turned back to the phone. “Xiao Wan, you went to aquarium before…need bring anything? Ewaser? Pencil?”
This was his first school trip, and he was so excited, he hadn’t slept well for days.
Xiao Ran, having gone a year ago, had forgotten most of the details. She scratched her head.
“I don’t think so.”
Her mom, who was making soup, walked over, smiled at Xing Nuo on the screen, and said:
“No need for stationery. Just the usual things you take when you go out with children.”
Shen Yan paused his meeting, his face serious, put his glasses back on, and asked Xiao Ran’s mom for advice.
“Okay, thank you. Water bottle, tissues…”
After asking a few questions, confirming his preparations were adequate, he relaxed slightly.
Xiao Ran’s mom, looking at Shen Yan, felt like she had seen him in a magazine somewhere.
“Are you taking Xing Nuo, Mr. Shen?”
Shen Yan, putting away his notes, nodded.
“Yes! Daddy busy…Big Brother and me…go to aquarium…see big whales!” Xing Nuo chimed in, his face beaming.
Xiao Ran’s mom smiled, thinking the brothers were quite interesting.
With such a big age gap, they looked more like father and son.
After the call ended, Xing Nuo took out his little sunflower backpack and started packing.
“Teddy beaw tissue…widdle hat…” he mumbled as he put things in his backpack.
Shen Yan, seeing him trying to stuff his small pillow inside, stopped him.
“No need for pillow. We’ll be back after lunch. No need to stay overnight.”
Xing Nuo took out the pillow and put his sketchbook and crayons inside instead.
“Bring sketchbook…dwaw pictuwes of whales.”
Shen Yan didn’t stop him and, seeing the bulging backpack, smiled faintly.
After Xing Nuo fell asleep, Shen Yan finished his video conference on the balcony, then, with a small nightlight on, continued researching the aquarium.
Having no experience taking children on outings, he wanted to be prepared and even posted a question online, asking for advice.
Shen Baizhou, emerging from his large fish tank, water dripping from his body, his eyelids lifting slightly, his voice listless, said:
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you sleeping?”
Shen Yan put away his notes and frowned, seeing the puddle of water on the floor.
“Go back to your fish tank.”
Shen Baizhou snorted, jumped back into his tank, transformed into a small, transparent octopus, and sulked in a corner.
Shen Yan, taking off his glasses, closed his laptop, grabbed a mop, and cleaned up the water.
Seeing the dirty dishes, he rolled up his sleeves, put on a teddy bear apron, and washed them, then cleaned the entire kitchen.
Looking at Shen Baizhou’s messy desk, he sighed and tidied it up as well.
Shen Baizhou, the little octopus, opened his small, beady eyes, watched him, and blew a few bubbles.
“Thank you,” he said politely.
Shen Yan tossed a handful of fish food into the tank, hitting Shen Baizhou on the head.
“You’re welcome. Eat.”
Shen Baizhou, annoyed, surfaced and slapped the water with his tentacles.
“Get lost! I’m not a fish!”
He just looked like a small octopus!
Shen Yan hummed and tossed in more fish food.
“Don’t mention it. I bought several bags.”
Shen Baizhou tried to slap Shen Yan with his tentacles, but Shen Yan dodged.
He smiled, closing the bedroom door.
“Go to sleep. And remember to eat your fish food.”
Ignoring Shen Baizhou’s grumbling, Shen Yan returned to the living room.
He took off his apron, quietly opened Xing Nuo’s bedroom door, looked at the sleeping child, and gently brushed the hair away from his forehead.
The soft strands tickled Xing Nuo’s nose, and he wrinkled it, then turned over and continued sleeping.
Shen Yan, his earlier bad mood lifting at the sight of Xing Nuo’s peaceful sleeping face, smiled and whispered “Sweet dreams,” placing a sleep-inducing pillow in his arms.
He closed the door and stayed outside all night, keeping watch.
Unlike Shen Baizhou, who loved to sleep and laze around,
Shen Yan was always busy, juggling his responsibilities in both worlds.
During the day, he managed his company in the real world, expanding his business. At night, he fought other monsters for territory, trying to acquire more dungeons.
He even had to keep an eye on Shen Baizhou, that troublesome octopus.
Seeing Shen Baizhou, who had morning classes, rushing out with his backpack, he tossed him a sandwich.
“Have the driver take you.”
Shen Yan was taking Xing Nuo to the aquarium today and didn’t need the driver.
Shen Baizhou, relieved, his earlier panic subsiding, slowed down.
“I was thinking of running there.”
He could run incredibly fast, his speed breaking world records if he wasn’t careful.
Shen Yan, having dealt with a similar situation before, which had almost made the news, glared at him.
“Just go. You’re annoying.”
Shen Baizhou clicked his tongue, grabbed the sandwich, and hurried downstairs.
Xing Nuo, in his dinosaur onesie, its tail dragging behind him, walked out of his room, sleepy-eyed.
“Big Brother gone?” He looked at the open door, his head tilted.
Shen Yan hummed, looking at the sleepy little one, his soft, white cheeks like little rice cakes, and smiled, unable to resist.
He kissed Xing Nuo’s cheek, his heart melting.
This is my little brother.
After helping Xing Nuo wash up, Shen Yan slung his little backpack over his shoulder and carried him to the kindergarten, where the other children were gathering.
The yellow school bus was waiting by the curb.
Xing Nuo, wearing beige overalls and a brown bear-shaped bib, his curls bouncing, held his brother’s hand and sat down on the bus.
The other children, looking out the window, were chattering excitedly.
“When we go?”
“Go fast, go fast! I want see mermaids!”
Little Fatty, having arrived first, was clutching a pile of snacks, his chin held high like a little emperor.
“I brought lots of snacks! Xing Nuo, you no have!”
Spoiled at home, he couldn’t help but show off.
Xing Nuo patted his backpack and took out a few individually wrapped bread rolls.
“I have. Bwead.”
Shen Yan, glancing at Little Fatty, his expression cold, made him freeze.
Little Fatty, intimidated by Xing Nuo’s emotionless brother, quickly retreated with his snacks.
Shen Yan secured Xing Nuo’s seatbelt, gave him some water, and waited for the bus to depart.
Teacher Xiao Song, acting as their tour guide, stood at the front, holding a small red flag, and explained the day’s itinerary.
“After we enter, please follow my flag. We’ll visit every exhibit. The aquarium isn’t very big, so there’s no need to rush.”
The parents, relatively quiet, nodded.
“After the tour, those who want to take the bus back can gather at the entrance. Others can leave on their own.”
As Teacher Xiao Song enthusiastically explained the schedule and Xing Nuo listened with wide-eyed anticipation, the bus rumbled towards the aquarium.
