Chapter 25
He Zhen stayed in low spirits all the way through dinner.
Seeing him sulking for no clear reason, Old Master He asked, “Now then, who upset you?”
Yu Chen, who had been earnestly devouring his food, guiltily lowered his little head, practically wearing the words it was me right on his face.
How could Old Master He fail to notice the subtle little tension between He Zhen and Yu Chen? Smiling with a sigh, he said to He Zhen, “This National Day holiday, I’m thinking of taking you all to the mountain villa for a vacation. Are your classes packed?”
He Zhen replied dully, “I can move the classes to later.”
“Good.” Old Master He turned to look at Yu Chen, who was gnawing on ribs. “What about Chubby Chenchen? Are you going?”
Ever since Yu Chen entered second grade, he had acquired a brand-new nickname in the He family—Chubby Chenchen.
“Yes!” Yu Chen nodded his little head frantically and said ingratiatingly to He Zhen, “Wherever Boss goes, I go!”
Still convinced he ranked below little cakes in Yu Chen’s heart, He Zhen kept his head down and sulked, not so easily won over by Yu Chen’s sugar-coated flattery.
Even though he had angered He Zhen, it did not affect Yu Chen’s enthusiasm for stuffing himself in the slightest. In the blink of an eye, half a bowl of fragrant rice was gone. Cradling his empty bowl, he said to the servant, “Auntie, please help me fill my bowl.”
“Chenchen, half a bowl of rice is enough.” One of the maids at Old Master He’s house had more or less watched Yu Chen grow chubbier, so she rubbed his head and reminded him, “Your uncle said that if you’re still not full, you can eat more vegetables.”
Yu Chen drooped visibly and nodded. “All right then.”
At the side, He Congxing looked at Yu Chen obediently and asked Old Master He, “Grandpa He, why can Chenchen only eat half a bowl of rice?”
Old Master He laughed. “He’s losing weight.”
Although He Congxing did not understand why Yu Chen had to lose weight, he still nodded earnestly and shoveled rice hard into his own mouth.
He was a professional picky eater who had disliked meals ever since he was little. Even half a bowl of rice could take him forever to finish, so he truly admired Yu Chen’s excellent appetite.
After dinner, Yu Chen put on his exercise wristband and went for a walk with Li Huan, while He Zhen stayed behind to continue playing chess with He Congxing. He Congxing was very happy, because his brother rarely spent the whole time with him instead of running off to play with Yu Chen.
“Brother, which character cake cup do you want?”
He Congxing carefully took a box of cakes out of the mini fridge as if it were a treasure. “There’s LinaBell, StellaLou, Donald Duck…”
Remembering Yu Chen’s request, He Zhen hesitated a moment before taking a chess piece in hand and saying, “Mickey Mouse.”
“Then pick one for Chubby Chenchen too.” He Congxing had brought two boxes of cakes in total, eight pieces altogether. The He family had quite a few children, so one for each would be perfect.
“Thank you.” After hesitating briefly, He Zhen picked a LinaBell one as well. LinaBell was a clever little fox, exactly like Yu Chen. Yu Chen would probably like it.
“The rest can go to He Nan and He Ling…” He Congxing counted on his fingers and muttered to himself. “I think Brother He Nan and Brother He Ling like Donald Duck.”
“Is there one for yourself?” He Zhen asked.
“Yes.” He Congxing nodded with a smile.
…
At eight in the evening, after finishing his walk, Yu Chen hummed a song on the way back to He Zhen’s room, getting ready for a bath.
He Zhen was leaning against the tatami reading a book. Yu Chen gave him a guilty glance, then tiptoed over to the bathroom. In just a few quick movements, he had stripped off his T-shirt and shorts, leaving only a pair of little underpants on.
Just as he was about to go get his pajamas, he suddenly spotted two cake cups sitting on the tea table—the very cakes he had been longing for.
At once, he did not even care about his pajamas anymore. He ran over, picked up the cakes, and grinned at He Zhen. “Boss! You really got the cakes! And there are two!”
He Zhen replied blandly, “Mm. Congxing gave you one too.”
“Congxing must be a little angel!” Holding the cakes, Yu Chen called out to He Zhen. “Boss! Come on, let’s eat them!”
Watching Yu Chen’s hopeless excitement, He Zhen spoke in a faintly resentful tone. “Go ahead. They’re all yours.”
At that moment, Yu Chen’s happiness meter maxed out.
Having two cakes all to himself was the kind of thing he did not even dare dream about.
By the tea table, Yu Chen had already begun tasting the deliciousness impatiently. He Zhen quietly sized up the chubby doll whose skin was dazzlingly white, and eventually his gaze settled on Yu Chen’s Ultraman underpants, stretched just a little tight.
His expression froze, and he frowned. “Yu! Chen! Chen!”
Holding his little cake, Yu Chen asked innocently, “Boss, do you want a bite too?”
He Zhen pressed his lips together tightly. “Your underwear looks awfully familiar.”
Yu Chen lowered his head to look, then answered, “Yours.”
He Zhen: “……”
A bad premonition suddenly rose in his heart.
In his underwear drawer, there often seemed to be pairs that had been stretched loose in a suspicious way.
At first, he had found it strange.
Now he thought he finally understood.
Fixing his eyes on Yu Chen, He Zhen asked, “Yu Chenchen, why are you wearing my underwear?”
Yu Chen mumbled around his cake, “That day you said you were scared, so I came to keep you company. In the morning I accidentally peed on my underwear, so I took yours.”
Expressionless, He Zhen slowly evened out his breathing. “Is this the first time you’ve worn them?”
Yu Chen shook his head. “Nope. Lots of times already.”
He Zhen was close to fainting from anger. Without saying a word, he grabbed his book and turned his back.
So that was why!
He had always assumed before that he himself must have been getting fatter and thinner at random, stretching out his underwear!
So that was it!
Worried that He Zhen was angry, Yu Chen asked pitifully, “Boss, didn’t you say our relationship was so good we could even wear the same pair of underwear? Did you forget?”
“NO! I! DIDN’T!”
He Zhen felt so suffocated with grievance that his slender shoulders trembled faintly.
Yu Chen looked a little lost and asked quietly, “Boss?”
He Zhen replied irritably, “What?”
Yu Chen asked, “Are you crying?”
His neck flushed red, He Zhen snapped, “NO! I’M! NOT!”
Yu Chen pursed his lips and secretly sent Li Huan a text message on his wristband: “Uncle, Boss seems to have suddenly lost control…”
On the second day of the National Day holiday, Old Master He took more than fifty members of the family to the neighboring city’s Bihai Mountain Villa for a vacation.
It was close to the sea, with fresh air and a private shoreline, making it a perfect place for the whole extended family to relax and travel together.
These days Yu Chen no longer needed to sit in a baby seat during car rides, but long-distance drives still made him carsick, so the entire way he lay prone across He Zhen’s lap, whimpering pitifully.
At times like this, He Zhen naturally did not hold a grudge over the matter from the past two days. From time to time, he lowered his head and fed Yu Chen preserved plums, having long since tossed their little quarrel to the back of his mind.
After they finally arrived at Bihai Mountain Villa, Yu Chen lay inside the room to rest, while He Zhen was called over by Old Master He to greet the relatives and elders at the gathering terrace.
He Jingtai had not seen He Zhen in nearly half a year, but he still knew everything about He Zhen’s recent situation.
Although He Zhen had already dismissed Housekeeper Xu—the one He Jingtai had planted around him—and the listening device installed in his bedroom had also been removed, there was still someone under He Jingtai’s control hidden within He Zhen’s bodyguard team.
However, Li Huan was far too cautious. The bodyguards arranged close to He Zhen were all personally selected by Old Master He, making it very difficult for He Jingtai’s people to do anything.
After Old Master He had slapped him last time, he had privately warned him. So He Jingtai did not dare make his little moves too openly anymore. Still, he had heard that after school each day, what He Zhen most liked to do was stay glued to Yu Chen. Classes he disliked were simply dropped outright. Because of that, he had become much less wary of He Zhen.
When He Zhen got a little older, there would still be time to make use of matters concerning He Zhen’s mother.
He Zhen disliked dealing with relatives, especially his two smiling-tiger uncles. But since Yu Chen was feeling unwell from carsickness and needed rest, he instead stayed outside in the courtyard with He Zhi’an, discussing their plan to go tidepooling the next morning.
He Zhi’an said that at this season, seafood was at its plumpest. After the early-morning low tide around five o’clock, the beach would be full of lively crabs and shrimp. At that time, they could carry little buckets to collect seafood, then ask the cooks in the back kitchen to grill it for everyone.
He Zhen himself was not interested in tidepooling, but he figured that once Yu Chen heard about it, he would definitely want to go, so he agreed on a time with He Zhi’an.
At that moment, the brothers He Ling and He Nan ran out of the main hall and happened to run into them.
The two of them had never forgotten how He Zhen beat them until their faces were black and blue two years ago. So every time they saw He Zhen now, they did not dare provoke him anymore. But being afraid to bully He Zhen did not mean they also dared not bully He Zhi’an.
He Ling asked arrogantly, “Hey, He Zhi’an, what were you just saying about tidepooling?”
He Zhi’an had always been afraid of the two brothers, so he answered honestly, “Housekeeper Uncle said the early tide has been going out around six in the morning lately. Then we can go collect seafood and have fun.”
The moment He Ling heard that, he grew interested. “We’re going too.”
He Zhi’an slowly said “Oh,” then tugged He Zhen away, intending to go somewhere else.
Too lazy to pay attention to the other two, He Zhen jumped down from the stone railing. “You go find Congxing to play. I’m heading back.”
He Zhi’an nodded and obediently went inside to find He Congxing.
After He Zhen left, He Nan could not help complaining, “What’s with acting so cool?”
He Ling bumped him unhappily. “You think he’s cool?”
He Nan pursed his lips and said nothing.
The villa had originally been built thirty-five years ago and was renovated again three years ago. Scenic lake views, flowers, grasses, and fish had been added, making its architecture much richer in function. The main paths connected in every direction, and the scenery was exceptionally beautiful.
He Zhen asked the kitchen for some sweet-and-sour summer-cooling desserts, then returned to the room to check on Yu Chen. On the bed, wrapped in a silk quilt, Yu Chen looked like a little silkworm cocoon, letting out occasional soft murmurs, caught halfway between waking and sleeping.
Standing by the bed, He Zhen called softly, “Yu Chenchen.”
Yu Chen gave no response, his slightly weak chubby face only twitching faintly.
“There’s hawthorn mango jelly. Do you want some?”
At once, a pair of sparkling eyes flew open in front of him.
Smacking his lips, Yu Chen answered, “Yes.”
He Zhen: “……”
After dinner—once Yu Chen learned that they were going tidepooling the next morning, he and He Zhen deliberately went to bed early. Li Huan was extremely thoughtful, and had guessed children liked to play in water, so before coming he had prepared two waterproof one-piece coveralls and beautiful plastic buckets for them.
Before falling asleep, Yu Chen clung to the edge of the bed and muttered, “Why did Uncle prepare such a big coverall for Boss?”
He Zhen lifted one arm, flipped Yu Chen over, and pulled him into his arms. “That big coverall is yours. Don’t you know your own size?”
Yu Chen silently stared at He Zhen, not daring to make a sound.
At dawn, beneath the red glow over the sea, Yu Chen and He Zhen set out for tidepooling. Little He Zhi’an slept in and arrived a bit later than they did.
The one-piece coverall on Yu Chen fit him perfectly. His little feet stepped on the soft sand as a gentle, comfortable sea breeze brushed past, and he let out a leisurely little yawn.
“Boss.” Holding He Zhen’s hand, he said very seriously, “If I find a big lobster, I’m definitely giving it to you!”
He Zhen looked a little puzzled. “Why would you give it to me?”
Yu Chen shrugged his plump little shoulders. “Because my boss deserves the best!”
“Not just a big lobster! Big crabs too! Big starfish too! I want to give you the most precious pearl in the whole sea!”
A faint smile rose at the corner of He Zhen’s lips. Clasping Yu Chen’s hand tighter, he said, as if only barely willing to admit it, “Mm.”
Yu Chen handed him the bucket. “Boss, it’s heavy. I can’t carry it.”
He Zhen answered readily, “I’ll carry it for you.”
The beach after low tide truly held quite a few treasures.
It was Yu Chen’s first time seeing the sea. Looking left and right, he was amazed even when he picked up a tiny shell, hurrying to show it off to Li Huan and He Zhen.
And every time that happened, Li Huan would enthusiastically praise him.
Just then, the figures of He Ling and He Nan appeared at the other end of the shore.
The two brothers were not wearing protective coveralls and were searching the sand barefoot for the best seafood, with a housekeeper trailing behind them, clearly fed up but still forced to accompany them.
Yu Chen was a very clever little thing. Worried that the best seafood would all be found by those two brothers first, he unconsciously quickened his pace and bent his head down to search with all his might.
After searching for a long time, he suddenly spotted an invincibly huge sea crab hiding behind a rock.
“Boss! There’s a huge crab here!”
He Zhen was still far away. By the time he looked up, Yu Chen had already stuck his little bottom up in delight and run toward the crab.
Yu Chen finally reached it and scrunched up his little face, straining hard to lift the rock. But the moment he got within one step of the crab, another larger hand suddenly snatched it away.
Yu Chen blankly looked up and found He Ling holding the huge crab high in the air, wearing a triumphant expression.
“I saw it first!” Yu Chen rose on tiptoe and tried to snatch it back, but He Ling was taller and stronger. With one hard shove, Yu Chen staggered backward and fell flat onto his bottom.
“I got it first!” He Ling declared as if announcing victory, tossing the crab into his bucket before turning and heading off with He Nan toward another part of the beach to keep searching.
“Chenchen, does your bottom hurt?” Li Huan reached Yu Chen one step before He Zhen did. After checking his tailbone, he picked him up with aching concern. “Let Uncle rub it. Did that scare you badly?”
Watching that fall just now had made his heart ache terribly.
“Boss! Uncle! They stole my crab!” Some sand was smeared across the tip of Yu Chen’s nose, and his eyes instantly reddened with grievance.
“Yu Chenchen!” He Zhen threw down the bucket and rubbed Yu Chen’s heaving little chest. When his gaze shifted toward He Ling, it turned instantly cold.
“Boss, I’ll go find you a super crab again. Don’t be sad.” Yu Chen wiped his dirty little face, desperately holding back his sorrow. Once he adjusted his mood, he grabbed his little bucket and pattered off again to look for seafood.
He had already seen how shameless He Ling and He Nan’s fathers were.
For the sake of his boss and his uncle, he could not go making trouble.
He Zhen had completely lost interest in anything else. He stood still, staring fixedly at He Ling in the distance.
Sensing the anger in his eyes, Li Huan crouched down and tried to comfort him. “Children don’t know any better. Don’t bother arguing with them. If this gets carried all the way to Old Master He, we’ll be the ones who lose out.”
He Zhen silently clenched his fists and nodded heavily.
When they returned to the villa at noon, the He family elders heard that the children had caught quite a lot of seafood while tidepooling, and all of them praised them enthusiastically. Especially when they saw He Zhen and Yu Chen carrying back a full bucket of little sea creatures, Qin Zhi held He Congxing in her arms and said expectantly, “Zhenzhen and Chenchen did so well! We absolutely must try some at lunch!”
He Congxing was very excited and copied Qin Zhi by lifting his thumb toward them.
After playing the whole morning, even though He Zhen and Yu Chen were wearing coveralls, their faces and shoulders were still stained with sand and dirt, so they needed to wash up before eating.
He Zhen turned down Yu Chen’s invitation to bathe together. While Yu Chen went inside to wash, He Zhen quietly went out alone, passed through the green bamboo corridor, and arrived at the place where He Ling and his parents were staying.
By now, He Ling was already a fourth grader, also attending Hongwen First Elementary. The two brothers did not often run into each other at school.
However, as the top student in his grade, He Zhen frequently had opportunities to go in and out of the teachers’ offices. Once, by coincidence, he had run into He Ling after He Ling was called into the office and scolded by a teacher.
He Zhen originally did not care. But before leaving, he had happened to hear the teacher mention the word cheating.
Meanwhile, He Ling was crying miserably and begging the teacher not to tell his parents. That was because He Ling’s mother cared very deeply about her son’s education, and at family gatherings she was always boasting about He Ling’s honors.
At once, He Zhen came up with an idea and arranged for He Ling to come out.
Under the wisteria outside the courtyard, He Ling looked puzzled as he stared at He Zhen. “Why did you call me out? Don’t tell me you’re trying to get revenge for your underling?”
With a blank face, He Zhen looked at him coldly. “I need you to go apologize to Yu Chen and return the crab to him.”
He Ling seemed to have heard a joke. Shrugging, he said, “I’m not going. What can you do to me? My parents are right in the sitting room. If I shout, they’ll come right out.”
“In the sitting room?” He Zhen stared at him coldly. “Fine. Then that makes things easier—I can go tell them about your cheating on exams.”
“What cheating? You’re slandering me!” He Ling’s expression changed at once, and he guiltily glanced toward the sitting room. “You’re talking nonsense! If you keep this up, I’ll tell Grandpa!”
“Whether I’m talking nonsense or not, all we have to do is call your homeroom teacher and ask.” Although He Zhen was slightly shorter than He Ling, his bearing lost to him in no way.
The reason he dared approach He Ling was because he had a one hundred percent chance of winning.
If He Ling’s parents already knew about the cheating, then He Zhen would expose the matter right there at lunch. And if they did not know, then things would be even easier.
“What exactly do you want?”
He Zhen’s light-brown eyes held not a trace of warmth, and his tone carried faint contempt. “Nothing much. I just want to tell all the relatives that you cheated.”
“He Zhen, you—”
Those words seemed to hit He Ling squarely in his weak spot, and he immediately lost all his nerve. If all the relatives found out he had cheated, his mother would beat him to death.
“I’ll go apologize.”
Stubbornly lowering his head, He Ling muttered, “Please don’t tell my parents.”
“And that crab?”
“The crab?” He Ling stammered. “It should still be in the back kitchen.”
He Zhen said, “Go get it back and return it to Yu Chen.”
Seeing how firm He Zhen was, He Ling could only mumble agreement and hurried off to the back kitchen to retrieve the biggest crab.
After finishing his bath and drying his hair with a little towel, Yu Chen was surprised to hear someone knock at the door. To his astonishment, the one standing outside was He Ling, there to apologize, with the fattest, biggest crab as an extra.
He Ling spoke in a very low voice, his eyes darting all over the place as he talked. One look at his stubborn expression made it obvious he was apologizing very unwillingly.
Even so, Yu Chen still accepted the apology. He placed the huge crab into his little blue bucket for the moment, planning to give it to He Zhen.
At lunchtime, He Ling’s mother, as usual, went on at length to everyone about how He Ling had taken first place in a kayaking competition. He Nan’s mother could not stand listening anymore and smiled. “What a coincidence. Our Xiao Nan also took first place at his kayaking club not long ago.”
Used to her two sisters-in-law secretly competing, He Jinglin peeled crab meat for He Zhi’an while reminding him to eat slowly.
“Grandpa! Can people kayak on the man-made lake at our villa too? I can perform for you!” He Ling’s tone carried an ingratiating eagerness.
Not wanting to be outdone, He Nan quickly said, “Grandpa! I can perform for you too!”
Old Master He let out a hoarse laugh and turned to look at He Zhen and He Zhi’an. “Can the two of you paddle too?”
He Jinglin answered, “Zhi’an can only paddle, but he isn’t very fast. Xiao Zhen has good athletic instincts—he should be excellent.”
When Old Master He looked over, He Zhen was in the middle of helping Yu Chen dismantle a crab.
Crab shelling was complicated and fussy. Yu Chen could do it himself too, but because he was always in such a rush to eat, he often did not clean it properly.
He Zhen was afraid he would bite on the shell, so he simply did it for him.
“Xiao Zhen, you know how to kayak?”
“Mm.”
“Uncle, Congxing knows too.” He Congxing smiled obediently, then shyly buried himself in his mother’s arms.
Seeing that all the children knew how, Old Master He said, “All right then. This afternoon, let’s take a walk in the wetland park next to the villa. The children who want to kayak can hold a little race there, and I’ll consider it a check on how your classes are going. The child who takes first place will receive a gift from me.”
The wetland park covered sixty hectares and was one of Old Master He’s properties. At present, only one-third of it had been developed, including a large artificial lake. The remaining area was planned to be turned into a scenic zone.
Qin Zhi smiled and said, “Our Congxing definitely can’t compare with the older brothers, but could he participate just a little, just to liven up the atmosphere?”
Old Master He pinched He Congxing’s soft little cheek and said, “All right.”
By the lakeside of the park, it had not been this lively in a very long time.
He Zhen was holding Yu Chen’s hand, choosing equipment for the kayak race.
At the next side, He Ling and He Nan were itching to try. Kayaking was the sport they were best at, and their chances of taking first place were high. They just did not know what kind of gift Grandpa had prepared.
He Jingtai had specially instructed He Nan that he had to take first place. This competition was not just about the gift, but about earning Grandpa’s approval. The pressure of his father’s order weighed heavily on He Nan, and he silently swore that he would win the championship.
He Zhen had trained in kayaking for a year and was very strong at it. Later, once he became obsessed with fencing and combat sports, kayaking fell by the wayside.
Yu Chen took this competition very seriously. He carefully checked the binoculars, waterproof shoe covers, boat, paddle, life jacket, and all the other equipment, ensuring He Zhen’s safety.
“Boss, you have to take good care of yourself.”
“Yu Chenchen, do you want to sit on it and come with me?” After inflating the kayak with a pump, He Zhen looked up and asked Yu Chen.
Yu Chen hesitated. “Boss, if I sit on it, won’t I affect your race?”
He Zhen began putting on his life jacket. “Why would you affect it?”
Yu Chen answered guiltily, “Because I’m heavy.”
He Zhen did not care about that and began helping Yu Chen into his gear. “When I took kayaking class, you never got to see it. Don’t you want to play with me?”
“Yes!” Yu Chen’s big eyes curved happily.
Getting to sit there, not use any effort, and watch the scenery—what could be better?
As long as Boss did not mind that he was heavy, then there was no problem.
“Then we’ll do it together.” He Zhen wanted Yu Chen with him. That way, even the race would be fun.
After reminding He Zhi’an that coming in second was fine but safety came first, He Jinglin turned back and saw Yu Chen helping He Zhen carry equipment. Laughing, she teased him, “Chubby Chenchen, are you kayaking too?”
Yu Chen shook his head. “No, I’m sitting on it to cheer Boss on.”
He Jingtai hid the disdain in his eyes and smiled as he looked at Yu Chen, naturally very pleased that Yu Chen intended to sit there.
After all, in a race, the lighter the weight, the easier it was to maintain balance.
The moment the whistle blew, the five prepared kayaks set off all at once.
He Nan and He Ling burst forward very quickly and soon took a strong lead.
Seeing that his own family’s kayak was moving steadily along at the back, Yu Chen still worked up all his energy to clap and cheer for He Zhen.
He Zhen himself remained calm and unhurried.
This place had fairly complicated terrain, with thick reed beds lining the shore. Besides, they had to paddle three full laps. Burning all of one’s energy too early would bring no benefit at all.
“Yu Chenchen, is the scenery pretty?”
Wearing the binoculars like a serious professional, Yu Chen had the lenses pointed straight at He Zhen’s face. “Pretty!”
He Zhen noticed the little trick in Yu Chen’s mind and raised a brow. “Who exactly are you calling pretty?”
Yu Chen grinned. “I’m saying you look handsome~”
The word handsome was one he had learned recently from a fairy tale with Li Huan. It was used especially to describe brave and strong princes.
The corner of He Zhen’s lips lifted. “Yu Chenchen, all you do is say nonsense.”
Squinting his eyes, Yu Chen challenged him. “That’s not nonsense.”
“It is too!”
“No, it isn’t!”
Their kayak was full of laughter and playfulness, while on the side of He Nan and He Ling, the atmosphere had clearly grown sharper and more confrontational. The two of them refused to yield to each other over a narrow stretch of waterway, and because they were pushing too hard, they even collided once.
As for the two Buddhist teammates, He Congxing and He Zhi’an, they were very obviously treating the whole thing like sightseeing. Neither of them was especially skilled, and for He Congxing in particular, managing the kayak alone was already a challenge in itself.
They did not care about winning—so long as they stayed safe, that was enough.
Around the lakeshore stood three or four adults carrying equipment and monitoring safety, ready to rush out if any child fell into the water. The children all knew how to swim, but falling in would still frighten them.
Slowly, time passed, and soon He Ling and He Nan began their third lap. Compared with the first two laps, it was obvious their stamina was running low. They had originally been one kilometer ahead of He Zhen, but within just five short minutes, He Zhen’s sudden burst of speed started to close the gap.
He Ling and He Nan immediately felt a huge sense of crisis. They paddled desperately, every part of their bodies taut.
“My boss is the number-one greatest little kayaking athlete in the whole world!” In order to cheer He Zhen on, little Yu Chen spent a full lap showering him with rainbow farts. The things he said had even the adults on shore unable to stop themselves from laughing.
“Dad, who do you think will win?” He Jinglin asked with a laugh, clutching her stomach after being entertained by Yu Chen.
Old Master He analyzed the situation objectively. “Congxing is still on his first lap, and Zhi’an is on his second, so their odds aren’t great. Right now Xiao Zhen is in third place, but his speed is clearly increasing more and more. It’s hard to say who’ll take the championship in the end.”
A flicker of concern rose in He Jingtai’s gaze.
At He Zhen’s current pace, passing He Nan and He Ling was only a matter of minutes.
He Jingcheng had originally been full of confidence, but after hearing everyone say that, he and his wife grew anxious in secret.
This was such a hard-won chance for He Ling to prove himself in front of Grandpa. He absolutely had to take first place!
Another six minutes passed.
The situation on the water changed completely.
Holding the binoculars, He Jinglin discovered that He Zhen was now less than one hundred meters behind He Ling, who was still in first place.
“Dad! Xiao Zhen’s explosive power is incredible! Look!”
A trace of appreciation appeared in Old Master He’s gaze. “Mm.”
He Ling now felt as though he were facing a mortal enemy, and silently glared at He Nan with knitted brows.
At that very moment—with only four hundred meters left to the finish line, an accident suddenly happened.
He Congxing, who was still paddling his first lap, suddenly crashed into a large rock near the reeds, and his kayak tilted crookedly and came to a stop.
Qin Zhi panicked on the spot and shouted, “My son! Hurry and go rescue him!”
Old Master He hurriedly stood up and ordered, “Get someone over there to help the child, now!”
Not even waiting for the rescue personnel to act, Qin Zhi ran frantically along the shore. He Congxing was not in immediate danger, and he could swim, but there was no way she could gamble on that what if.
For the first time in his life, He Congxing had encountered a situation like this and was terrified.
“Mom, Dad, save me.”
Curled up in the corner, he tried desperately to keep the kayak balanced. But because he was too flustered, the paddle slipped from his hands and dropped into the lake.
At that moment, He Ling and He Nan paddled past one after the other.
He Congxing immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, “Brothers, please save me!”
He Ling only glanced over once and did not slow down in the slightest, continuing to paddle forward desperately. Though He Nan hesitated for a second, he still hardened his heart and ignored him, chasing after He Ling and looking for one final chance to win.
By now, He Zhen had already cut the gap between himself and He Ling down to fifty meters.
Yu Chen kept cheering for him at full strength, and their speed was very fast.
Fueled by Yu Chen’s praise, He Zhen’s blood was surging hot.
He was definitely going to take first place!
He was definitely going to defeat He Nan and He Ling!
“Brother Zhen, Chubby Chenchen, save me!”
The voice drew He Zhen’s attention, and only then did he realize that He Congxing’s kayak had somehow gotten jammed tightly against the rock and could no longer move.
He Congxing’s face had turned white from fright, and he was sobbing helplessly.
“Boss! Hurry and save Congxing!” Yu Chen waved his little arms frantically while comforting He Congxing. “Don’t be scared, okay? With me and my boss here, we’ll save you.”
He Zhen calmly nodded and slowly maneuvered the kayak over.
Meanwhile, Yu Chen spread his chubby little legs wide in order to keep the kayak balanced while also leaving room for He Congxing, preparing to hold him in front.
The two of them worked together in perfect sync—one focused on pulling He Congxing up, while the other stretched out his arms to keep the kayak balanced.
In less than a minute, He Zhen had hauled He Congxing safely up into the kayak and seated him down.
“Don’t cry anymore. We’re safe now.”
Holding the shivering He Congxing in his arms, Yu Chen gently rubbed his little head against He Congxing’s hair.
On the shore, all the adults had gone still.
He Jingtai and He Jingcheng exchanged a glance, very obviously caught off guard. They had long understood He Zhen’s personality: ever since he was small, he had been overbearing, hot-tempered, and violent—not the sort of child who loved helping others.
Even the rescue personnel who had already reached He Congxing quietly withdrew.
Qin Zhi had only made it halfway there when she saw He Zhen steadily carrying He Congxing forward in the kayak. She collapsed onto the ground and burst into tears.
He Ling had already taken first place and was now sitting by the shore resting. Behind him, He Nan panted heavily and hid fearfully behind his mother, worried that He Jingtai would scold him.
He Jinglin let out a long breath and ran to help Qin Zhi up.
Old Master He stared at He Zhen, clear surprise lingering for a very, very long time in his bright old eyes.
When the three children safely reached shore, Qin Zhi had already rushed back over. She immediately pulled He Congxing into her arms, her eyes stinging with tears as she said to He Zhen, “Thank you, thank you…”
He Jinglin walked forward, preparing to help Yu Chen and He Zhen out of the kayak, but to her surprise, He Zhen had already sprung out nimbly and then carried Yu Chen steadily across the wooden platform at the shore, taking care of everything himself without any trouble.
Old Master He’s gaze never left He Zhen, completely ignoring He Ling, who was still standing there waiting for his reward. A thoughtful smile appeared on his face, his eyes full of surprise and comfort.
“Grandpa, I got first place.”
No matter how naughty he was, He Ling was still just a child and could not perceive the hearts of adults. Just like now—he had no idea what Old Master He was thinking, and was still excitedly waiting for his reward.
But He Jingtai and He Jingcheng, standing nearby, had already sensed that something was wrong.
Which of the adults present was not sharp-eyed?
He Zhen’s performance just now had been exemplary.
At some point or other, words like immature, violent, easily angered, rude had become He Zhen’s defining labels.
But looking at him now, He Zhen was clearly not like that at all.
Old Master He lowered his eyes and looked at the expectant He Ling, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold-inlaid jade ruyi charm. “This is for you.”
He Ling was overjoyed and proudly looked toward his mother.
This jade pendant was a rare treasure Old Master He had only recently obtained that year. It symbolized peace and happiness. There were two of them in total, perfect for giving to juniors.
He Ling’s mother smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.
Her own husband, He Jingcheng, was basically hopeless.
The only thing left was to place her hopes on her son becoming the future heir of the He family.
He Zhen did not care in the least what reward He Ling had received. He was completely focused on helping his precious little underling take off his life jacket.
“Lift your leg.”
“Stretch your arm.”
Yu Chen curved his eyes and enjoyed the whole process, but then suddenly widened them and poked at He Zhen, who was bent over.
“Boss, Grandpa’s here.”
“Xiao Zhen.” Old Master He walked over to He Zhen and slowly took hold of his hand. “It’s so cold. Weren’t you afraid when you saved Congxing just now?”
There were still water droplets on He Zhen’s face. He answered directly, “No.”
Old Master He asked again, “At the end, your speed was actually very fast. You had a strong chance of winning. Do you regret not taking first place?”
He Zhen’s eyes were bright, filled with the uninhibited confidence of youth. “Why would I regret it? Sure, I wanted first place, but Congxing was in danger. Saving him was the right thing to do.”
“Exactly!” Yu Chen hurriedly added for him, “Compared to a race, of course saving Congxing matters most. My boss is a little angel. He’s first in his grade every single time, and he also likes helping people!”
He Zhen blushed slightly from Yu Chen’s praise and lowered his lashes. “There’ll be other chances to take first place in kayaking.”
Yu Chen nodded. “That’s right! As long as we keep working hard!”
Old Master He had never expected that, in just a few short years, He Zhen would mature so much. And when faced with personal gain, the sense of responsibility and justice He Zhen showed was something many adults themselves did not possess.
“Every single time, first in the grade?” Old Master He bent down slightly and said, “Xiao Zhen, because you saved Congxing, Grandpa also has a reward for you.”
He Zhen looked up at him in surprise, and the moment Yu Chen heard the good news, he was so happy he nearly bounced on the spot.
“This mountain villa, together with the wetland park, Grandpa is giving to you as your reward.”
“And as for Chubby Chenchen, Grandpa is giving you the other ruyi pendant, in the hope that everything will go just as you wish.”
When they heard that Old Master He intended to give the entire villa to He Zhen, nearly every adult present froze in shock.
