Chapter 3
It was Li Huan’s first time seeing the young master get put in his place.
After hearing Yu Chen’s words, a faint blush suddenly spread across He Zhen’s fair, slender neck. He pressed his lips tightly into a line, and there was a trace of guilt hidden in his delicate, beautiful eyes.
He was clearly furious, yet had no right to let it out. In the end, He Zhen could only raise his little hands, fold his arms coolly across his chest, and sulk in silence where he stood.
Though Li Huan found it rather novel, he still broke out in a cold sweat.
If this were just two ordinary children quarreling, it would not matter much if he, as an adult, chose not to interfere. But right now, He Zhen—so angry he looked like an exploding little pufferfish—was on the verge of blowing up. Li Huan was worried that in a fit of temper, He Zhen might drive Yu Chen out of the He family.
After thinking for two seconds, he crouched gently beside He Zhen. “Young—”
Before he could finish, He Zhen spoke to Yu Chen again. “I want to watch it now.”
Li Huan lifted his gaze and looked at Yu Chen’s tiny back, deliberately turned toward He Zhen. He felt a little tense.
“Then do you want me or not!”
“As your friend.”
For once, the gap-toothed Yu Chen, who usually spoke with a lisp, managed to say two clear and ringing sentences. But his round, chubby little face remained stubbornly turned away from He Zhen, not looking at him at all.
He Zhen, who had been receiving all kinds of elite training since the age of two, was a very clever child. Compared with others his age, his mind was somewhat more mature. He knew that Yu Chen was using provocation on purpose.
He Zhen set his childish little face in a stern line, released his folded arms, and proudly clasped his hands behind his back. “Then forget it.”
With that, he ran off in a huff.
Watching He Zhen’s furious and stubborn little figure storm away, Li Huan’s head began to ache badly. After locking the door, he scooped Yu Chen into his arms and listened as the child recounted everything that had happened that morning.
Though Yu Chen was only a little over four, he was very good at repeating things. Watching him gesture vividly as he spoke, Li Huan helplessly yet indulgently rubbed his little head.
He did not say much, only reminded Yu Chen to avoid He Zhen whenever possible. Though He Zhen was not bad by nature, his temper and moods were unpredictable. If one day he ended up hurting Yu Chen, that would be terrible. The other children in their yard all stayed far away from He Zhen, afraid of making him dislike them.
Once, Old Liu the gardener’s child had accidentally run into the garden where He Zhen was reading while playing around. In the end, both the child and the parent were driven out.
Of course, Li Huan had happened to be on sick leave at the time, so he only knew the story from what others had told him.
From then on, every child in the courtyard avoided He Zhen like the plague. Seeing him was like seeing the King of Hell. Even Aunt Wang’s little tyrant from the same floor became more obedient than a kitten in front of He Zhen.
The next day brought the moment Yu Chen had been looking forward to most.
Having never been inside a big shopping mall before, he was carried by Li Huan to the famous commercial shopping street in the city.
Li Huan was afraid Yu Chen would get tired, so he specially got a stroller with a baby seat. Sitting on it, Yu Chen was wildly excited, craning his little head left and right. Everything he saw felt wonderfully new to him.
Yu Chen was the youngest transmigrator into a book and had never really seen much of the world. He had not read many books either. A bright, gleaming mall like this—he had only ever seen one in comics.
“Unker, are you thirsty?”
Yu Chen smugly patted the thermos hanging at his waist and said in a thoughtful, sensible tone, “You can drink it.”
Before coming out, Li Huan had filled the thermos with warm water for Yu Chen. Printed on it was Flying Dog, the main character from the most popular cartoon of the day. When Yu Chen saw it, he loved it so much he insisted on wearing it slung across his shoulder, not minding the weight at all.
Li Huan smiled. “Uncle isn’t thirsty. Chenchen can drink it.”
Very solemnly, Yu Chen lifted a finger. With a click, the lid of the thermos popped open automatically, revealing a plastic straw.
Yu Chen hugged the cup happily and drank through the straw with the blissful expression of someone sipping sweet juice. Anyone who did not know better might really think he was drinking some kind of treat.
Li Huan could not help laughing. This was probably the special sense of ceremony that belonged only to children.
After spending the whole day shopping, Li Huan finally picked out several sets of clothes he liked. For children’s clothes, comfort and warmth mattered most. As for style, Li Huan felt that Yu Chen was so cute he looked good in anything.
By the time they finished buying the security monitor, it was already dark. Their plan to go to the amusement park could only be postponed. When Yu Chen learned that the plan had been canceled, he did not cry or make a fuss. Holding tightly to the stroller handle with his little hands, swinging his little legs back and forth, he cheerfully nodded in agreement.
Li Huan was genuinely curious—how exactly had Yu Youshan raised such a well-behaved little child?
After returning home, Yu Chen lay obediently on the bed, waiting for Li Huan to help him take off his padded pants. Though he was actually very capable when it came to taking care of himself, the padded pants his mother had made were simply too thick. With his strength, there was no way he could pull them off by himself.
Once the little floral padded jacket and pants were removed, Yu Chen changed into his pajamas. His grape-like eyes stayed fixed on Li Huan.
Li Huan was sorting through his new clothes, and Yu Chen was terribly afraid he might throw away the little floral padded jacket.
Focused on what he was doing, Li Huan naturally noticed the worried gaze from the child. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced over at Yu Chen. “Chenchen, what’s wrong?”
Dressed in little bear pajamas, Yu Chen asked in a muffled voice, “Unker, can my padded jacket be hidden away?”
“Hidden away?” Li Huan laughed in surprise. Then, once he understood, he reassured him, “I’ll wash it clean for you and put it in the cabinet.”
“Then I’ll pound your back for you.” Yu Chen raised his little fists and waved them in the air.
The smile in Li Huan’s eyes deepened. Unable to resist, he first put down the clothes in his hands and pulled Yu Chen into his arms, rubbing him with great affection.
Ever since Yu Chen came here, Li Huan suddenly no longer felt lonely. Every morning when he woke up, he felt full of motivation.
In the blink of an eye, the beginning of winter arrived.
Yu Chen was happy every single day, and after just one week living with Li Huan, he had gained half a kilo.
But Yu Chen noticed that he had not seen He Zhen for a very long time.
That morning, Li Huan—who should have been resting and spending time playing with Yu Chen—apologized guiltily to him. “I’m sorry, Chenchen. The young master is sick, so Uncle has to go to work today.”
Yu Chen was still lying in the warm bed. Opening his bright, clear eyes, he wrapped himself in his little blanket and asked, “What kind of sickness, unker?”
Li Huan replied, “A fever. It actually isn’t very serious, but he refuses to take medicine, so it’s dragging on and getting worse.”
Yu Chen’s moist eyes turned thoughtfully. “Why won’t he take medicine?”
Li Huan sighed. “The young master is in a bad mood.”
Yu Chen was instantly no longer sleepy. He sat up briskly, hugged the neatly folded new clothes stacked like a little tofu block, and handed them to Li Huan. “Unker, help me.”
Li Huan stroked his head. “Not going to sleep a little more?”
Yu Chen shook his head. His misty sleepy eyes lit up with a spark of spirit. “Take me with you. I can make him take medicine.”
Yu Chen’s innocent idea made Li Huan laugh, and he gently refused. “The young master has been in a terrible temper lately. I’m worried he’ll scare Chenchen. Why don’t you stay at home, all right?”
But Yu Chen had ideas of his own. Planting his little hands on his waist, he declared, “No way. I’m very good.”
Li Huan refused again. After helping Yu Chen into the newly bought yellow sweater, he said softly, “I bought Chenchen your favorite meat porridge. Can Chenchen eat by himself?”
“Uncle, let me go, pwease!”
This time, Yu Chen was especially firm. Clinging to Li Huan’s arm like a sticky little rice cake, he acted spoiled in a sweet and clingy way.
“Please?”
Li Huan had never been able to bear refusing Yu Chen in the first place. Now, seeing that soft, glutinous little dumpling blinking those watery, round eyes at him, his heart immediately melted.
“All right. But you have to listen to Uncle.”
“Okaaay!”
In the luxurious, brightly lit corridor appeared one big figure and one small one. The small one was round and plump, wearing a white hat with rabbit ears, hopping as he hummed some unknown nursery rhyme, bundled up from head to toe. The bigger one was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, elegant and proper in manner.
For the first time in his life, Yu Chen was seeing such a beautiful castle. Innocently, he said to Li Huan, “Unker, when I grow up, I want to buy a castle too.”
Li Huan held his little hand affectionately. “What ambition.”
Yu Chen said sweetly, “We’ll live there together!”
Li Huan froze for a moment. A trace of indescribable surprise rose in his light brown eyes. He said nothing more, only tightened his grip on Yu Chen’s small hand a little.
Outside He Zhen’s bedroom stood many people. Raising his little head, Yu Chen saw doctors in white coats, middle-aged men dressed in black suits like Li Huan, and some bodyguards with fierce expressions.
When Xu Kai saw Li Huan arrive, it was as if he had seen a savior. And when he noticed the little boy the young master had specifically asked about that night, he hurried over excitedly. “You two finally made it.”
Li Huan nodded and looked toward the bedroom door. “How are things inside?”
Xu Kai sighed, his head aching badly. “He still won’t take the medicine.”
Li Huan nodded steadily. “I’ll go in and try.”
Pushing open the heavy white wooden door, Yu Chen padded inside and was instantly stunned. Calling this place a bedroom would be an understatement—it was practically a palace.
Yu Chen even felt that it was prettier than the king’s chambers in a fairy tale.
The room was spotless, almost without a speck of dust.
The dark blue curtains stirred gently under the warm air from the heater. Lying on the bed, He Zhen looked thin and slight, forming a sharp contrast against the broad white wooden bed.
Perhaps because the room’s overall tones were cool, Yu Chen felt a little cold even though the heat was on.
He slowly wondered to himself whether He Zhen might feel afraid sleeping here alone at night.
Seeing that He Zhen lay there motionless, Li Huan did not dare disturb him rashly. Just as he was hesitating over how to speak, Yu Chen asked in a soft, glutinous voice, “Little prince, are you sleeping?”
Hearing that familiar babyish voice, He Zhen suddenly opened his eyes expressionlessly. His lips, dried by fever, were completely bloodless. He bit down on them and stubbornly shouted, “Get out!”
Yu Chen pressed his fleshy lips together, fingers twisting against each other as his little head began thinking hard of a strategy.
In the book, though He Zhen was a villain, a great deal of that had to do with certain ill-intentioned people in his family who deliberately misled and provoked him while he was growing up. Thinking carefully about it, He Zhen was rather pitiful. He had lost his parents’ love from a young age, and he was often teased and mocked by adults. He did not know how to express himself and was poor with words, so his personality had only grown more withdrawn and gloomy.
In the end, after learning about the series of things his grandson had done, Old Master He became completely disappointed in him. When choosing an heir, what he valued most was a person’s character and moral quality.
Clearly, the He Zhen in the book did not meet that standard at all.
Thinking back over all that complicated plot, Yu Chen felt like his little head was about to burst. In truth, when he had read this book, there had been many parts he only half understood. After all, his actual age had only been seven or eight. He would probably need to grow older before he could fully understand everything in the story.
The room remained silent for a long while.
Li Huan furrowed his brows anxiously and no longer wanted Yu Chen to go any closer. He crouched down, ready to carry Yu Chen away, when Yu Chen suddenly dodged nimbly and trotted toward He Zhen with quick little steps.
Today, Yu Chen was wearing a milky yellow padded jacket. His cream-colored casual pants were made of a very soft fabric, draping over his little yellow duck snow boots. His whole person seemed to radiate a sweet citrus scent.
Tilting his head clumsily, he tried to meet He Zhen’s gaze from beneath the blanket. “I heard you won’t take medicine. Are you scared it’ll taste bitter?”
There was a slight upward lilt in his tone, and with that little bit of smugness added in, the words sounded rather like he was showing off. Yet because Yu Chen was so cute, instead of being annoying, he only came across as lovable.
“You’re the one scared of bitter things.” Hearing that, He Zhen shot upright at once. Raising his little face, flushed red from fever, he glared at Yu Chen with a blank expression. “Don’t talk nonsense!”
“When I take medicine, I’m never scared of the bitterness.” Tucking in his little hands, Yu Chen bared his teeth smugly. “I drink it all in one gulp.”
The moment He Zhen saw Yu Chen’s smug expression, he got angry. He grabbed the medicine cup from the bedside table, took a shallow sip, then set it back down.
“See? I’m not scared of bitter things.”
He Zhen felt like the fever must have fried his brain, or why else would he be competing with a little chubby kid?
He had thought Yu Chen would refuse to accept defeat, but instead Yu Chen suddenly clapped his hands sincerely. “Wow, you’re amazing. When you drink medicine, you look like a mighty little lion.”
A faint snort escaped from He Zhen’s nose. Coldly, he pulled the blanket back over himself. “That’s a weird nickname.”
Yu Chen was still smiling brightly, his soft baby voice carrying pure concern. “Only after taking medicine can little lion get better.”
He Zhen set his face sternly and looked at Yu Chen strangely. “Little fatty, what are you doing in my bedroom?”
This time, Li Huan answered for Yu Chen. “Hearing that you were sick, Chenchen was worried about you and insisted on coming to see you.”
“To see… me… for what…” He Zhen lowered his eyes in surprise, his face turning a little unnatural. In the end, he simply turned his head away and refused to look at either of them.
The three of them stared at one another awkwardly for a very long time. Finally, with an odd look on his face, He Zhen cleared his throat and said unwillingly, “The medicine is cold.”
Li Huan laughed in surprise and quickly arranged for the servants to bring in fresh medicine.
Soon, the whole bedroom became busy.
While the doctor examined He Zhen, he lay there silently on the bed, though those light brown eyes would occasionally drift toward the little yellow dumpling at the side.
He had the strange feeling that the little fatty smelled sweet.
But he had no proof.
Things went on like that until noon. After taking his medicine, He Zhen drifted off to sleep, while Yu Chen followed Li Huan to the dining hall for lunch. Because he was so happy, he stuffed down a small bowl of beef mixed rice in one go.
In a flash, two days passed.
That day, Li Huan personally went to the neighboring city to report He Zhen’s recent condition to Old Master He. Since there was surveillance installed in the room, he was at ease even though he would be gone the entire day.
After breakfast, Yu Chen did as usual—hugging a little pillow and lying on the sofa, watching his favorite cartoon. Just as he got up to go pee, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure sitting in the tree outside the window.
Their eyes met, and Yu Chen smiled at He Zhen in the tree.
He Zhen said nothing, only gave a faint snort.
On the television, Shaun the Sheep had just reached the most exciting part. Yu Chen withdrew his gaze and quickly focused on the cartoon again.
In the tree, He Zhen grew anxious.
Normally, whenever the little fatty saw him, he would get very excited. What was wrong with him today?
Supporting himself against the branch, He Zhen tried his best to stand up so Yu Chen would notice him. But Yu Chen was completely captivated by the television and paid him no attention at all.
“Little fatty!” Helpless, He Zhen finally called out unwillingly, “I need something from you.”
Yu Chen turned back in confusion, his plump little face showing a trace of puzzlement. “Need something?”
He Zhen immediately lifted his brows proudly. “Mm.”
“I’m very busy.” Yu Chen’s babyish voice carried a little helplessness as he turned back to the television.
This episode was especially good. He had waited a long time for it. He absolutely had to finish it before going pee!
“Yu Chenchen!” Ignored, He Zhen flew into a rage and shouted fiercely, “If you don’t come out right now, I’m leaving. If you don’t come, don’t regret it!”
Yu Chen frowned and finally spared He Zhen another glance.
Reluctantly, he cast one last look at the television, then cried out in a trembling baby voice, “Coming!”
Moving the stool, opening the door… after another familiar series of steps, it was already ten minutes later by the time Yu Chen made it downstairs.
Seeing this, He Zhen coolly jumped down from the tree and walked over to Yu Chen.
Today, Yu Chen was wearing a khaki thick fleece coat with a little bear design. Every time he took a step, the tiny ears on his hood bounced.
This was the first time the two of them had stood so close together. Though they were only one year apart in age, He Zhen was much taller than Yu Chen.
“What is it?” Having been interrupted in the middle of watching cartoons, Yu Chen was feeling a bit peevish. He puffed out his cheeks, looking aggrieved.
Awkwardly folding his arms, He Zhen acted like a little grown-up. “Yu Chenchen, after several days of observation, I’ve decided to agree to let you be my underling.”
That line was something he had learned from the elders in his family.
He thought it sounded very cool.
“My underling?” Yu Chen mumbled unclearly. “What does underling mean?”
Seeing that Yu Chen did not understand the word, He Zhen’s face took on an inexplicable look of pleasure. “It means you call me Boss, and from now on, you have to listen to me.”
He had expected Yu Chen to be overjoyed after hearing that. Instead, an oddly complicated look crossed Yu Chen’s chubby little face. After a while, he lowered his bright, watery eyes and said weakly, “That doesn’t sound very good.”
“You—” He Zhen’s face instantly flushed red as he demanded sharply, “What’s so bad about it? If you’re my underling, I’ll protect you.”
“Protect me?” Yu Chen’s expression was very serious now, because he really needed to pee. His legs were trembling slightly.
He asked obediently, “What else?”
“And also…” He Zhen’s thoughts, without him realizing it, had already been led astray by Yu Chen. Muttering, he added, “I’ll share half my snacks with you.”
“And what else?”
“And what else?” He Zhen warned, “Little fatty, don’t push your luck.”
Even so, he still added one more sentence. “If you need help, I can reluctantly give it.”
This time, Yu Chen brightened.
Though on the surface it sounded like being a sidekick, in reality it did not seem all that different from being good friends.
Satisfied, he bounced in place twice and nodded sweetly. “Okay!”
Seeing how happy he was, He Zhen hurried to warn him, “Don’t be happy too early. If you’re my underling, you’ll have to report things to me from time to time.”
“For example—” Just as He Zhen was seriously thinking, Yu Chen suddenly raised his hand in a panic. “Report!”
He Zhen lifted a brow. “Hm?”
Yu Chen’s lips trembled. His eyes filled with tears as he looked more and more wronged. “Boss! I wet my pants! I need help!”
