Chapter 8
A few minutes later, He Zhen’s English teacher came in with a bag slung over his shoulder.
His name was Matija, a blond, blue-eyed middle-aged man. When he saw a new face beside the young master, he joked, “Looks like I have one more student.”
“No, he’s my little follower.” He Zhen’s small face was full of pride.
It was Matija’s first time seeing He Zhen this happy before class. He greeted Yu Chen, “Hello, little one.”
“Hewwo! Blond uncle.” Yu Chen had never seen a foreigner before, and his grape-like eyes were brimming with curiosity. Sitting in his baby chair, he was a little taller than He Zhen. The chair came with its own small tray, which was piled with snacks, fruit, and milk.
Matija chuckled gently. “All right, we’re starting class. If the little one is interested, he can learn together with Young Master He.”
Yu Chen sucked on his sweet fresh milk. “Okay!”
All the snacks Yu Chen was eating had been proactively asked for by He Zhen and prepared by Li Huan. Yesterday, Li Huan had told him that Yu Chen had heart disease, and ever since then, He Zhen kept feeling that Yu Chen ought to rest well and get plenty of nutrition.
Matija’s teaching style was very humorous, and that was also the main reason He Zhen was not resistant to English lessons. At present, his English level was already close to that of a fifth-grade primary school student, and his vocabulary was extremely rich.
“Precious. It means valuable, precious.” As Matija repeated the word, he also helped He Zhen correct his pronunciation.
“Precious!”
“Dead body!”
Two completely different voices shouted at the same time.
He Zhen tilted his head toward Yu Chen, who was muttering along, and pouted as he corrected him, “It’s precious!”
Yu Chen frowned his little brows seriously. “Dead body!”
He Zhen let out a long sigh, practically wearing an expression that said Fine, whatever you want.
Holding back laughter, Matija moved on to the next word. “Ponderous.”
He Zhen: “Ponderous.”
Yu Chen: “Fat to death!”
Yu Chen was learning in his tiny baby voice with utmost seriousness. He was so focused that he did not even care about eating his favorite potato chips anymore.
The corners of He Zhen’s mouth twitched slightly. Resting his chin on one hand, he looked deeply solemn.
At last, Matija burst out laughing. He exchanged a meaningful look with He Zhen and said, “You must be very happy every day.”
Although He Zhen did not know why his teacher was saying that, he reluctantly agreed.
Li Huan had been worried Yu Chen would interfere with He Zhen’s studies and had wanted to stop him, but after seeing Matija’s friendly signal, he did not interfere any further and simply watched the two little ones learn English in silence.
For the rest of the lesson, every time He Zhen read a word, Yu Chen followed right after him.
He Zhen: “Curse.”
Yu Chen: “Curse-die!”
He Zhen: “Umbrella.”
Yu Chen: “I’m not hot anymore!”
He Zhen: “Gangster.”
Yu Chen pondered over this one for a while, then shouted in an especially loud voice, “Dry! Wash! Him!”
“Haha, you little dummy!” He Zhen really could not hold it in anymore. He reached out and vigorously kneaded Yu Chen’s plump little face. “You didn’t get a single word right!”
Yu Chen was utterly bewildered. He licked his pink lips, and his big eyes were full of confusion.
He had clearly said all the words. So why was even Uncle Li Huan laughing?
Afraid of damaging the child’s confidence, Matija gave Yu Chen a thumbs-up. “The little one has real talent for languages.”
Yu Chen shyly revealed his missing tooth, then rewarded himself with a small milk biscuit rich with creamy flavor.
A lively and cheerful English lesson came to an end.
He Zhen immediately tugged Yu Chen along to play in the flower beds. It was already dark outside, and Li Huan was worried the cold air would make the two little cubs sick. Only after much persuasion did he finally manage to take Yu Chen home at eight in the evening.
Before leaving, He Zhen tugged at Li Huan’s sleeve and, with his little hands behind his back, asked in a serious manner, “Butler Li, from now on, can you bring Yu Chen to play with me every day?”
Li Huan hesitated for a moment, then tried his best to explain it in a way a child could understand. “After Chenchen’s father comes back, I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
He Zhen vaguely remembered that Yu Chen’s father was a worker at the winery. Frowning his little brows, he asked, “Where is his father?”
Li Huan glanced at Yu Chen and answered gently, “He’s gone away for a while.”
He Zhen pouted unwillingly. “Then before his father comes back, can he play with me every day?”
Li Huan still had concerns, but then he thought about how no one would be able to look after the little guy while he himself was on duty. So he compromised with He Zhen. “When I’m working, I can bring him over. Would that be okay?”
He Zhen was not very satisfied, because he knew Li Huan did not work every single day. Still, after reluctantly nodding in agreement, he put his little hands behind his back and looked toward Steward Xu inside the room, who was preparing his pajamas.
If Butler Li worked every day, wouldn’t that mean he could play with Yu Chen every day too?
In the night, Li Huan—carrying Yu Chen in his arms—suddenly felt a chill down his back.
He still had no idea that the young master’s little abacus beads were already being clicked directly at him.
For several days in a row, whenever Li Huan was on duty, he would bring Yu Chen to play with He Zhen. The relationship between the two little ones improved by leaps and bounds, and they were now practically inseparable. He Zhen even gave Yu Chen a beautiful pale-yellow crossbody bag. Every day when Yu Chen went home, his little bag would be bulging, stuffed full of presents He Zhen had given him. Whenever the boy from the same floor saw Yu Chen, he would look at him with open envy.
In Baiqiang Manor, something like this naturally did not stay secret. The fact that Yu Youshan’s son had won the young master’s favor spread through the whole estate like the wind in less than two days.
This time, when people looked at Li Huan, there was no longer any ridicule or mockery in their eyes, as if he were some great unlucky fool. On the contrary, their expressions and attitudes became increasingly flattering. Quite a few people even started thinking about how to get their own children to become friends with the young master.
That day, Yu Chen went out with Li Huan, carrying his pale-yellow bag over his shoulder. Li Huan had the day off and had originally planned to take Yu Chen to play in the balloon castle at the mall. Unexpectedly, he received a temporary call from He Zhen asking for Yu Chen to come over first.
Today was Saturday. Normally, He Zhen should have had his regular follow-up session with the psychologist in the morning, and in the afternoon he was supposed to attend a family gathering, so he should not have had any time to ask Yu Chen over to play.
But the moment the two of them entered, He Zhen spotted the soft little milk dumpling lying obediently in Li Huan’s arms and said to the doctor, “It’s him. Take a look at his illness.”
Doctor George had not expected that the task the young master mentioned would be this. Pushing up his glasses, he smiled and asked, “And where exactly does this little friend feel unwell?”
He Zhen could not explain clearly, so he took Yu Chen’s small hand and led him over. “His heart doesn’t feel well.”
Because of his heart disease, Yu Chen had been getting sick often ever since he was old enough to remember. He knew his heart condition was considered a difficult and complicated case, so when he heard that He Zhen wanted a doctor to treat him, he willingly moved closer and obediently waited for the doctor to examine him.
A trace of hesitation appeared on Doctor George’s face. He was a psychologist, and the knowledge he had once learned about cardiology was far from sufficient. Besides, throughout the year he had been treating He Zhen, he had never explicitly said that he was a psychologist. In young He Zhen’s eyes, a doctor was simply someone who could treat anything.
Li Huan noticed George’s difficulty and stepped in to explain for him. “Young Master, there are many different kinds of doctors. Chenchen’s illness needs a doctor who specializes in treating heart disease.”
He Zhen froze for a moment, then muttered, “Fine, then.”
Yu Chen, on the other hand, was not disappointed at all. He still smiled happily, even though he knew his heart disease was very serious—serious enough that he might die from it.
“Thank you, Boss.” Yu Chen lifted his little face and gripped He Zhen’s hand tightly. “As long as we go find a doctor who can treat heart disease, it’ll be okay.”
He Zhen nodded in silence. Realizing that he had become too worried about Yu Chen’s health, he drew his hand back behind him. “I was just afraid you’d get sick and wouldn’t be able to be my little follower anymore.”
Yu Chen comforted him in a soft baby voice, “That won’t happen!”
He Zhen still had things to do afterward, so Li Huan picked Yu Chen up and got ready to leave, taking the opportunity to see Doctor George out as well.
On the way, Doctor George carefully explained He Zhen’s current psychological state to Li Huan and reminded them to continue paying attention to changes in his mood, and to show him care and affection.
When he said that last bit, George silently sighed to himself. It was easy enough to say, but care from outsiders could never truly compare to care from family.
Ever since going through his mother’s death and his father’s abandonment, He Zhen’s mental state had been extremely poor. He woke from nightmares night after night, and both his body and mind often showed signs of anxiety and early depression.
To avoid upsetting him, George had taken a very gentle approach to his treatment, mainly keeping him company and talking with him. He only told He Zhen that he was a doctor who came by regularly to check on his health. After all, in wealthy families, it was almost standard for every child to have a personal doctor of their own.
After seeing Doctor George off, Yu Chen got into the car with Li Huan and sat in his dedicated baby seat. Curious, he asked, “Uncle.”
Li Huan gently stroked his head. “What is it, little treasure?”
Yu Chen pressed his plump lips together. “Where is Boss sick?”
Li Huan did not know how to explain something like this to a four-year-old cub. After thinking for a long time, he finally said, “Put simply, the young master is always unhappy. If a person is unhappy every day, they can become very seriously ill. That’s why that doctor came just now to treat him.”
“Ohhh.” With both little hands on the side rail of the seat, Yu Chen said very seriously, “I want Boss to be happy every single day!”
Li Huan’s feelings were a little complicated. He pinched Yu Chen’s plump cheek and asked in a warm voice, “Then does our little treasure feel happy every day?”
Yu Chen’s eyes curved into crescents as he smiled. “Super, extra happy!”
Li Huan hesitated for a moment before asking, “Does little treasure miss his daddy?”
At the mention of Yu Youshan, a trace of grievance flashed through Yu Chen’s beautiful eyes. Although he had long known he had been abandoned, he still could not brush aside the sadness.
Every time he thought of Yu Youshan, he could not help also thinking of the mother who had loved him most.
“I do.”
“But…”
“I have uncle with me!”
Yu Chen lifted a bright smile again and stretched out his chubby little arms toward Li Huan. “Uncle, hug!”
Li Huan’s heart warmed all at once. He scooped Yu Chen into his arms and kissed him again and again.
Ever since Li Huan told Yu Chen about He Zhen’s illness, Yu Chen had taken it to heart. Whenever the two of them played together, he always let He Zhen have his way. Although his own body was weak and he could not exercise too strenuously, whenever He Zhen had golf lessons or fencing lessons, Yu Chen would sit nearby hugging snacks and keeping him company. Whenever He Zhen got tired, he would glance over at him from time to time, as if afraid he had run away.
Yu Chen was a very attentive little child. He was always feeding He Zhen chocolate biscuits and sweet milk.
In the past, He Zhen had not been interested in these sweet snacks at all. But now that they were tributes from his little follower, he could more or less force himself to eat a few bites.
That day, after fencing class, He Zhen took Yu Chen by the hand and prepared to go play in the yard. Along the way, he complained to Yu Chen, “This afternoon I have horse-riding class again, and I hate it the most. It’s so annoying.”
With his other hand, Yu Chen was holding a small biscuit. After taking a bite, he asked through a full mouth, “Why do you hate horse-riding class?”
He Zhen said, “When I was little, I got kicked by a horse. And I hate that teacher too.”
Yu Chen stopped in his tracks. He remembered what Li Huan had said that day. Then he solemnly patted the biscuit crumbs sticking to his small palm and, imitating the tone of an adult, said in a serious voice, “Boss, I’ll help you skip class.”
He Zhen’s eyes lit up at once. “How? Every day there are so many people watching me go to class.”
He Zhen’s lesson schedule had been arranged two years ago by a professional educational institution hired by Father He. It covered everything from ages two to eighteen, comprehensive and packed with content. Practically not a single week could be skipped.
A mysterious smile spread across Yu Chen’s plump little face. Standing on tiptoe, he leaned close to He Zhen’s ear and whispered, “Boss! Do you know about invisibility cloaks?”
“Invisibility cloaks?” That was a bit beyond He Zhen’s understanding. He frowned. “Do those really exist?”
Yu Chen’s expression was extremely serious, his tone absolutely certain. “Yes! Haven’t you seen Bubble Special Agents? The kids in there have invisibility cloaks!”
It had to be said—He Zhen was truly tempted. Excited little sparks flared in his light brown eyes as he hurriedly asked, “Where do you buy one? Is it expensive?”
“Every month, I only get twenty million in allowance.”
“I don’t know if that’ll be enough.”
For the first time in his life, the gold-and-jade young master of the He family was worrying about money.
Yu Chen did not really know where exactly to buy one, so he gestured as he explained, “My daddy could buy it on his phone. He bought it on a red little heart. It’s called… called Duoduo.”
“Duoduo?” He Zhen confirmed the money issue again. “Is it expensive? We need to buy two.”
“Not expensive.” Yu Chen waved his chubby little hand grandly. “My daddy said things there are the cheapest!”
Hearing that, He Zhen was delighted and immediately dragged Yu Chen off in a rush to ask Li Huan for help. Li Huan was very efficient. As soon as he learned that He Zhen wanted to shop online personally, he immediately registered an account on Pinduoduo for him and helped bind a bank card to it.
To ensure the safety of the funds, he had not left too much money in that account, so that money could be deposited as needed.
After downloading the app, the two little cubs eagerly opened the red app and hid under the blanket, secretly studying how to buy an invisibility cloak.
He Zhen had already learned the basics of online shopping. But as a young master who had never once shopped online before, he was dazzled by the overwhelming variety of goods.
“That thing is called an invisibility cloak, right?”
“Right!”
Yu Chen lay right in front of the phone, excited beyond measure, his beautiful grape-like eyes fixed on it in intense concentration.
He Zhen tapped the search box, and when the keyboard popped up, he suddenly realized he did not know how to write the characters for invisible.
He knew pinyin, but he did not recognize those two characters.
Beside him, Yu Chen’s eyes were full of admiration and anticipation. Seeing that He Zhen kept busy typing, he gave him a big thumbs-up and sweetly buttered him up. “Boss, you’re so advanced.”
He Zhen: “Hm?”
Yu Chen smiled until his eyes curved into crescents. “You know how to write.”
The moment He Zhen heard that, his face turned even redder. He was far too embarrassed to tell Yu Chen that he did not know how to write the characters for invisible at all.
With Yu Chen staring at him like that, he became more and more nervous, until his palms were sweating.
He was the boss, after all.
Making a fool of himself in front of his little follower would be way too lame.
Heaven did not fail the determined. Just as He Zhen’s little face was burning red with embarrassment, he discovered a small microphone icon. Once he spoke the words invisibility cloak, the page immediately changed, and countless transparent items resembling raincoats appeared before the two little ones.
Yu Chen let out a “Wow!” at once and eagerly scooted even closer.
He Zhen was extremely satisfied with Yu Chen’s reaction. Browsing through all kinds of invisibility cloaks, he looked absurdly proud.
He Zhen already knew numbers, and once he confirmed that his allowance was enough to buy invisibility cloaks, he happily placed two orders in one go.
“Yu Chenchen, since you’re my little follower, I’m buying you an invisibility cloak too.”
“This is called sharing blessings and hardships alike!”
Looking at the final successful payment screen, Yu Chen happily hugged He Zhen’s arm and rubbed against it. “Thank you, Boss!”
His boss was really so generous!
He had actually spent the huge sum represented by the four digits “18.21” all at once!
He Zhen looked smug and proud. “Once the invisibility cloaks arrive, the day after tomorrow we’ll wear them and skip class!”
