Chapter 10
With their new agreement in place, all three little cubs were extremely happy. Yu Chen especially so—his short little arms wrapped around He Zhen, and he smiled so brightly that it was as if all the pain from his illness had just vanished.
Of course, He Zhen kept his small face cool and stiff the whole time. No matter how Yu Chen rubbed against him in that soft baby voice, he still maintained his “aloof and untouchable” air.
Late that night, He Zhi’an was getting ready to go home with He Jinglin. When she heard that He Zhen had agreed to return to kindergarten, He Jinglin teased, “And what exactly was it that made little Zhen change his mind?”
He Zhi’an answered too quickly, “Because Yu Chen is going to kindergarten too.”
“So that’s what it is.” He Jinglin smiled without saying more, then bent down and pinched Yu Chen’s white, tender little chubby cheek. “Little treasure, Auntie is holding a party at home next week. Would you like to come?”
Yu Chen curved his eyes into a smile. “What’s a pah-tee?”
Suppressing a laugh, He Zhen answered before anyone else could. “It means a party.”
He Jinglin’s hands were warm, and being touched by her felt very comfortable to Yu Chen. Like a fluffy little kitten, he nuzzled against her, his thin little voice carrying a hint of anticipation. “Is Boss going too?”
He Jinglin was completely melted by him. “Of course.”
At the side, He Zhen muttered, “I never said I was going.”
He Jinglin shot him a meaningful look. “Then I’ll just have An’an come pick up little treasure, and you can stay home and wait.”
He Zhen’s proud posture instantly collapsed. He sat frozen on the stool as if someone had tapped his pressure point, surrounded from head to toe by thick resentment.
He Jinglin held back her laughter, took the chance to pet Yu Chen a little more, then left with He Zhi’an. Before going, she said to He Zhen, “I’ve already dealt with Steward Xu’s matter. If you need help in the future, contact Auntie in time. And your father—”
She paused for a moment. “And those classes of yours. If there’s any teacher you don’t like, or any class you don’t want to attend, you can tell me too.”
He Zhen was still sulking over the party and sat there with his little arms crossed in anger.
He Jinglin was already used to her young nephew’s indifference and never bothered to argue with a child. But unexpectedly, Yu Chen, curled up in the little blanket, called out in his soft baby voice, “Thank you, Auntie!”
He Jinglin barely managed to suppress the urge to catch Yu Chen and shower him with kisses. She waved gently instead. “Bye-bye, little treasure.”
He Zhen sneaked a glance at Yu Chen, and only after He Jinglin had left did he murmur in a voice as soft as a mosquito, “Thank you, Auntie.”
Yu Chen glanced at him, then immediately jumped barefoot off the bed and ran to the window, clutching at it as he shouted, “Auntie! Boss said thank you!”
“Hey! What are you doing?!” He Zhen chased after him and covered Yu Chen’s chubby little face with his hand, ears red as he retorted, “I didn’t say that.”
He Jinglin had not yet gone far and heard every word clearly. Lifting her gaze, she just happened to see the two little boys tangled together in play by the floor-to-ceiling window.
“Auntie knows.”
Yu Chen grinned, showing his missing tooth. The next second, his chubby little legs left the ground as He Zhen carried him back to the bed.
“Yu Chenchen! I have to say it—you’ve gotten fatter!”
After rolling once across the bed, Yu Chen shamelessly copied He Zhen’s pose, lifting his legs and lazily swinging his little feet.
He muttered, “I have not.”
With a solemn face, He Zhen stuffed his own bowl of fresh milk white jade soup into Yu Chen’s hands. “Drink it.”
“That’s yours. I’m not drinking it.”
Yu Chen shook his head obediently.
He had seen it earlier. Uncle had prepared this for He Zhen. Even though his boss was a young master, he looked skinny and not even as strong as Yu Chen himself. So he really should not drink Boss’s milk.
“I told you to drink it.” He Zhen’s tone grew a little impatient as he forced it into Yu Chen’s hands. “Are you not listening to me?”
This time, hesitation appeared on Yu Chen’s childish little chubby face.
Then, without another word, he hugged the cup and gulped the whole thing down in one go.
When Li Huan came in, Yu Chen was licking the milk from the corner of his lips and rubbing his round little belly. There was no need to guess—it had definitely been He Zhen who gave him his own milk.
“Sleepy?”
Li Huan lifted Yu Chen into his arms and could clearly feel that he was a little heavier.
“Sleeepy.”
Yu Chen drooped his head and found a comfortable position in Li Huan’s arms, squinting his big eyes shut.
“All right. Let’s go home.”
Tonight, Xu Kai should have been on night duty, yet He Zhen had not seen even his shadow. He had no idea how exactly He Jinglin had handled things.
“Young Master, would it be all right if Aunt Liu stayed with you tonight?” Yu Chen’s heart had been uncomfortable today, and Li Huan truly did not dare leave him home alone. Aunt Liu was also considered one of the old staff who had looked after He Zhen for years, so Li Huan trusted her to care for him.
“Mm.” He Zhen was unusually easy to talk to. Only after watching Li Huan and Yu Chen leave did he go wash up by himself.
Time passed quickly. From that day on, Xu Kai never appeared in White Rose Manor again. Li Huan told He Zhen that Auntie had sent Xu Kai to butler school for further training, which counted as a small punishment. After all, Xu Kai was still someone who had been looking after He Zhen for years, so dismissing him outright would have been too harsh and lacking in face. Of course, once Xu Kai finished his retraining, the only place he could possibly be assigned would be a branch of the He family. He would never be allowed anywhere near He Zhen again.
As for Yu Youshan, Li Huan had never once managed to reach him by phone. Only one time, late at night, the call connected, and from the other end came a drunken voice along with the sounds of fighting. Li Huan’s heart sank. Understanding the situation at once, he did not ask Yu Youshan when he planned to return. He only brought up the matter of sending Yu Chen to kindergarten. Whether Yu Youshan understood or not was unclear. He just mumbled a few vague responses.
After hanging up, Li Huan sat there deeply troubled.
He had no idea how much debt Yu Youshan owed.
Right now, what worried him most was what kind of hard life Yu Chen would live if he were taken away in the future.
On the small pillow beside him, Yu Chen was sleeping sweetly. One white, chubby little hand rested on Li Huan’s arm, and his expression made it seem as though he were having some beautiful dream.
For a moment, Li Huan felt all kinds of emotions welling up inside him, and a faint soreness gradually rose in his nose.
A selfish thought came to him.
If Yu Youshan truly was such an irresponsible father, then perhaps it would be better to simply let Yu Chen stay by his side.
At the very least, he could keep taking care of Yu Chen, and the child would not have to live that unstable kind of life where one meal was guaranteed and the next was not.
If Yu Youshan missed Yu Chen, then he could just come back and visit him.
“Unca…”
Half asleep, Yu Chen called out in his soft baby voice. Following the warmth, he burrowed into Li Huan’s arms.
Li Huan held him tighter, but the worry between his brows only deepened.
Yu Chen’s illness really ought to be treated as soon as possible.
Did Yu Youshan even have any plans at all?
With endless concern and worry weighing on him, Li Huan did not sleep the entire night.
Another weekend arrived.
At last, Li Huan had finished handling Yu Chen’s kindergarten admission.
The kindergarten attended by He Zhen and He Zhi’an was the most famous elite kindergarten in Hai City. The campus was beautiful and luxurious, and every child there came from a family of wealth and influence. The only reason Li Huan had managed to enroll Yu Chen there without a guardian’s signature was thanks to He Jinglin’s help.
When He Zhen found out Yu Chen had been admitted, he was more excited than anyone. Like a little adult, he wandered around his dressing room for ages before finally picking out a backpack he found satisfactory and giving it to Yu Chen.
He had always been the cold and distant little prince in class, ignoring everyone. Although the other children did not dare provoke him, they had not spent any less time behind his back complaining that he was withdrawn and had no friends.
Now, once he brought such a beautiful little follower to school with him, those children were definitely going to be jealous.
The moment he thought of that, He Zhen became even more motivated and began looking everywhere for other things he could give Yu Chen.
Yu Chen did not need to prepare much for kindergarten. He only had to bring two clean changes of clothes every day. Toys and snacks were forbidden.
At noon that day, having eaten his fill, Yu Chen sat on the soft milk-white carpet in He Zhen’s room with his chubby little legs spread apart, admiring his new schoolbag.
The beige backpack He Zhen had given him was just so beautiful. It felt incredibly nice to the touch, and there was a Mickey Mouse printed on it.
Yu Chen rubbed his round little face against it and happily narrowed his eyes.
Recently, He Zhen had been giving Yu Chen special training. Every day, like a real parent sending a child to school, he went on and on about the daily routines and rules of kindergarten life. Talking alone was not enough—he would also spring little tests on him at random, constantly checking whether Yu Chen had remembered everything.
“If you want to go to the bathroom but can’t pull your pants down, what do you do?”
Yu Chen raised his hand and answered in his soft baby voice, “Teacher, please help me!”
“If you didn’t eat enough, what do you say?”
“Teacher, please help me get more food!”
“If another child wants to hit you, what do you do?”
At this question, Yu Chen puffed out his little face. His pretty eyes were full of guilt and avoidance.
Why would anyone want to hit him?
He was so well-behaved.
Couldn’t they just… not hit him?
Seeing that he did not answer, He Zhen, like a strict little teacher, said seriously, “Mm?”
Yu Chen pouted and, extremely unwillingly, said, “If you dare bully me, I’ll make Boss beat your teeth all over the ground!”
He Zhen was deeply satisfied and asked again, “And if they ask who your boss is?”
Yu Chen lowered his little head and poked at his chubby fingers. “Um…”
He Zhen pressed him. “Say it.”
Puffing out his cheeks, Yu Chen muttered it like he was reciting a nursery rhyme: “My boss is called He Zhen, the most impressive and handsome one in the class!”
Only then did He Zhen’s lips curl up in satisfaction.
