Chapter 9
Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, the parcels He Zhen and Yu Chen had ordered were delivered to White Rose Manor.
By now, it had long since become a common sight for He Zhen to have a plump little tail following behind him. Almost every bright, sun-drenched morning, the flowerbeds were filled with childish, innocent laughter.
Li Huan noticed that He Zhen seemed to have become obsessed with online shopping, often dragging Yu Chen along to buy all sorts of strange and random things.
As the other staff put it, they had never seen the young master own so much junk before.
That day, it was time for He Zhen’s riding lesson.
As the little sidekick, Yu Chen sat in his usual soft little chair and kept him company.
To avoid attracting attention, He Zhen had specially hidden the two invisible cloaks inside the little crossbody bag he had given Yu Chen, and had repeatedly reminded Yu Chen to guard them well. Looking down at the bulging little bag, Yu Chen nodded with utmost seriousness.
He was definitely going to complete this mission!
The riding lesson was long and boring.
Ten minutes into class, Yu Chen opened his mouth in a tiny yawn, his big eyes darting around guiltily. Then, after He Zhen gave him an “ok” hand signal, he trotted over with little tap-tap-tap steps and carried out the original plan.
The riding instructor looked very fierce. Although he spoke very gently to He Zhen, there was still something in his bearing and manner that radiated the message that he was not someone to be trifled with.
Children were all sensitive little creatures. Yu Chen could tell that the coach’s smile was not sincere.
“Hewwo!” Although Yu Chen was scared, he still bravely walked forward and lightly tugged at the hem of the instructor’s clothes. “Can you help me pick up the ball?”
The instructor clicked his tongue in annoyance and was just about to snap at Yu Chen when he turned his head and saw He Zhen watching him.
So he immediately plastered on a smile. “Sure.”
“Thank you!”
Just now, Yu Chen had used every ounce of strength he had to throw the little ball very, very far away. By the time the instructor ran over to fetch it, it would probably take a very, very long time.
Their plan went smoothly.
Watching the instructor’s back, Yu Chen hurriedly pulled the invisible cloak out of his little pocket and called out, “Boss!”
He Zhen’s brows flew up in excitement. “Quick! Yu Chenchen!”
Yu Chen’s little hands moved fast. Though he was not quite as nimble as He Zhen, with He Zhen helping him, he still managed to put it on successfully. The process was just a little difficult.
“Yu Chenchen, yours seems a bit small.”
He Zhen had originally wanted to say that Yu Chen was chubby, but the moment he thought of Yu Chen’s illness, he swallowed the words.
Yu Chen blankly agreed, “Yeah, it is.”
He Zhen grabbed his hand. “All right, hurry up. Let’s go.”
By the time the instructor came back, He Zhen was nowhere to be seen on the training grounds. He frowned slightly and looked around, only to catch sight of those two sneaky little figures by the door.
He had come here to give regular reports on He Zhen’s condition to his boss. Today, there had not been any particularly unusual change in He Zhen, but suddenly there was another little child by his side. And from the looks of it, the two of them were getting along extremely well.
Though he knew there was an eighty-percent chance that He Zhen had skipped class, the instructor had already gotten useful information today, so he did not bother chasing after them. Instead, he leisurely whistled his way off to rest.
Meanwhile—
He Zhen was running so hard his heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.
He knew Yu Chen could not run fast, so he simply scooped Yu Chen up face-to-face and tried his best to keep his own pace steady. But he was still just a child, so Yu Chen’s little round face kept bobbing up and down with He Zhen’s steps.
Of course, this amount of movement naturally had no effect on Yu Chen.
Yawning, he lazily propped his little feet against He Zhen’s waist and thought it felt very comfortable to be carried like this by him.
The transparent raincoat rubbed together with little kacha kacha sounds. Yu Chen was very happy, wrapping his short little arms tightly around He Zhen’s neck.
At that hour, there were quite a few servants coming and going.
When they saw the young master dashing past in a strange transparent raincoat, sweating all over, they were all extremely curious.
Especially since He Zhen was clutching a very solid little child in his arms and hurrying off as if on some urgent mission.
After running for quite a while without seeing the instructor come after them, He Zhen was overjoyed. Hiding by the wall, he finally stopped, panting for breath, and bounced Yu Chen in his arms a little. “Yu Chenchen! Your idea wasn’t bad.”
Proudly showing his gap-toothed smile, Yu Chen nodded. “Mm-hmm!”
He Zhen curled his lips smugly. “Don’t get cocky. Keep it up.” Skipping riding class made him feel lighter than ever before. Since they were already wearing invisible cloaks anyway, he simply decided to take Yu Chen and go wild in the back garden of the manor. He rarely went there, and now that he had the time, it was the perfect chance to have a look around.
Although Yu Chen had been at the He family for a fair amount of time by now, the only places he had really gone were the flowerbeds and the front courtyard of the manor. Places like the winery, the riding grounds, and Swan Lake—he had never seen any of them.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the two children played for a very, very long time, only heading back after dark.
In the sitting room, every servant stood ramrod straight with serious expressions. The two housekeepers, Li Huan and Xu Kai, had also appeared together, which was rare. It was not until two tiny figures appeared at the doorway that Li Huan finally let out a breath of relief.
The moment he heard that He Zhen had skipped class while carrying Yu Chen in his arms, he immediately pulled up the manor surveillance to search for them. When he saw that all the usual places He Zhen liked to play were empty, he truly panicked.
“Young Master He, where did you go to play?” Housekeeper Xu anxiously crouched beside He Zhen and lightly brushed the dirt off his clothes. “This whole afternoon, we nearly turned the entire manor upside down looking for you.”
He Zhen said nothing, only tightened his grip on Yu Chen’s little hand, clearly in an excellent mood.
At that moment, Housekeeper Xu glanced at Yu Chen and smiled mildly. “The young master has never skipped class before. If he wants to play with Chenchen, he should still finish his lessons first.”
Yu Chen looked at Xu Kai for two seconds, then turned his little head toward Li Huan. When he saw the serious look on Li Huan’s face, his heart tightened with nervousness. Curling his little toes, he realized he had made Uncle upset.
“Chenchen, come here.” Li Huan sighed and beckoned to him. Yu Chen obediently went over and was picked up into Li Huan’s arms.
Xu Kai casually glanced at Li Huan. “Housekeeper Li, when you go back, you need to educate the child. It’s fine for him to like playing, but he shouldn’t be leading the young master astray.”
Li Huan said nothing, only gently wiped the dusty little face of the child in his arms. “Mm.”
He Zhen had always been sensitive by nature. Though he was only five, he could tell from Xu Kai’s tone that Li Huan was being blamed.
“I was the one who took Yu Chen to skip class. You’re not allowed to scold him.”
He Zhen immediately shoved Xu Kai away from him, his eyes cold and resistant. “I was the one who didn’t want to take riding lessons. It has nothing to do with Yu Chen. From now on, I’m never going again!”
Xu Kai had not expected He Zhen’s attitude to be so firm. Smiling, he soothed him, “You misunderstand. We weren’t blaming Yu Chen.”
It was obvious He Zhen had no intention of listening to Xu Kai’s explanation. Folding his little arms, he stepped back again and repeated, “I’m not taking riding lessons anymore!”
Xu Kai still looked relaxed, smiling as he tried to persuade him. “If you stop taking riding lessons, your grandfather will be angry.”
“I don’t care.” The moment he heard that, He Zhen’s eyes turned red. In his world, his mother and father were already gone, and his maternal grandparents were far away overseas. The closest family member he had left was his grandfather. But his grandfather rarely smiled at him, never played with him, and always sighed whenever he saw him.
He Zhen fought desperately to hold back his tears, his little face full of stubbornness. “He doesn’t care about me anyway. He doesn’t want me either!” In that case, what did it matter whether he got angry or not?
It was rare for He Zhen to feel this aggrieved. He was afraid of riding lessons, but the servants did not dare cancel them on their own. Every time class came around, he had to force himself through it in fear.
Seeing the redness around He Zhen’s eyes, Yu Chen’s little brows furrowed. He pouted, and then golden little tears began streaming down his face too.
When He Zhen saw Yu Chen start crying, his own eyes burned even redder, and with his emotions surging, his thin little shoulders began trembling uncontrollably.
“Wuwu! Wuwu!” Yu Chen rubbed at his tears with his dirty little hands, his eyes swimming with tears. “Boss, don’t cry.”
Li Huan lowered his eyes in heartache and let out a helpless sigh.
Xu Kai had never seen He Zhen like this before. Just as he hesitated over what to say, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside the door.
“Little Zhenzhen, your auntie’s here.”
Panic flashed across Xu Kai’s face at once. He wanted to hurry over and coax He Zhen, but it was already too late.
“What’s going—”
The moment He Jinglin stepped in and saw the two little ones crying like tear-soaked dolls, her brows instantly knit together.
“What happened?”
Her usually gentle and easygoing features were suddenly edged with sharpness and scrutiny.
Her voice turned cold. “Why are they crying like this?”
She looked straight at Xu Kai. Clearly, the question was for him.
Xu Kai was clearly flustered, though on the surface he still appeared composed. “The young master skipped riding class, so I—”
“Shut up!” He Jinglin had always thought it was fine if her nephew was a bit willful and naughty. At the very least, living in such a huge estate, he should not be bullied. If she had not seen this with her own eyes today, she would never have imagined that He Zhen could be pushed around like this by a mere housekeeper.
“Xu Kai, do you know your place?”
Xu Kai immediately lowered his head. “Third Miss, I truly did not scold the young master!”
“Then why is he crying?” He Jinglin naturally knew Xu Kai would not dare openly berate He Zhen. He Zhen had always been strong. If Xu Kai had said nothing at all, there was no way He Zhen would be crying like this.
He Zhi’an hid behind He Jinglin, frightened by his mother’s anger. After hesitating for a long time, he still shuffled forward with tiny steps and went to comfort He Zhen and Yu Chen, telling them not to cry anymore.
Yu Chen looked even more aggrieved than He Zhen. His little round face shook with sobs, and his plump lips had already begun to tinge faintly purple.
Seeing this, Li Huan hurriedly patted Yu Chen’s back and anxiously said, “Chenchen, breathe properly.”
He Zhen froze, obviously terrified, and clutched at Li Huan’s sleeve as he shouted, “What’s wrong with him!”
Where had He Zhi’an ever seen such a scene before? He immediately turned to He Jinglin. “Mom! Hurry and call the doctor!”
Seeing this, He Jinglin quickly called the family doctor over to examine Yu Chen. Xu Kai’s matter could be dealt with later—what mattered most right now was Yu Chen’s health.
Seeing everyone so worried about him, Yu Chen pouted, tightly tugged at Li Huan’s clothes with his little hand, and let a faint blush rise on his soft little face. After a long while, he mumbled, “I’m okay.”
An hour later, Yu Chen lay on He Zhen’s little bed, his grape-like big eyes looking obediently at everyone.
The doctor had already examined him and said it was only his usual old problem. If he wanted to recover completely, he would still need surgery. In daily life, as long as he did not exercise strenuously and his emotions did not fluctuate too much, he would be fine.
From start to finish, He Zhen sat silently on the little stool by the bed, his lips pressed tightly together.
He Jinglin was in the middle of scolding Xu Kai. After feeding Yu Chen a few sips of warm water, Li Huan asked in a low voice, “Chenchen, should Uncle take you back to sleep?”
Yu Chen obediently nodded his little head, his damp eyes shifting to He Zhen’s swollen red eyes. After thinking for a long time, he carefully asked, “Unker, can I play with Boss a little longer?”
Li Huan turned his head away and quickly wiped the tears from the corner of his eye, not letting Yu Chen see. “All right. I’ll go prepare hot water for the young master. He should still have a bath today.”
That left only three little ones in the room.
He Zhen silently drooped his head, his brows tightly furrowed.
Wanting to cheer the two of them up, He Zhi’an foolishly said, “How about I tell you a joke?”
Yu Chen very cooperatively clapped. “Okay!”
Before He Zhi’an even got to the joke itself, he burst into laughter first. “Today, while one of the kids in our class was taking his nap, he farted twice!”
“He did it like this! Pfft! Pfft!” He Zhi’an acted it out with all his might.
He Zhen and Yu Chen said nothing. “…”
Seeing that neither of them laughed, He Zhi’an rubbed his head sheepishly, then eagerly added, “Oh right! That kid who doesn’t get along with He Zhen cried super hard when he got a shot!”
This time, He Zhen could not help pouting as he complained, “Boring.”
He Zhi’an closed his mouth. His aggrieved big eyes turned toward Yu Chen. He was trying so hard to be funny!
Yu Chen was a very considerate little child, so he immediately asked very enthusiastically, “Is kindergarten fun?”
He Zhi’an nodded like a chick pecking rice. “Super fun! In a few days we’re having a Hanfu garden party. When the time comes, all the kids will wear pretty hanfu and eat delicious pastries.”
As soon as food came up, little He Zhi’an swallowed. Then he continued rambling, “Have you ever eaten a pastry shaped like a lion? It’s super, super tasty!”
Yu Chen shook his head, his chubby little hand picking at the blanket. “No.”
He Zhi’an eagerly invited him, “Then come to our kindergarten! Big Boss is there too.”
Yu Chen knew He Zhen did not like going to kindergarten, so his bright, expectant eyes secretly glanced at He Zhen before he slowly asked, “Does kindergarten… cost money?”
That question completely stumped little He Zhi’an.
After thinking about it, he answered innocently, “Probably not?”
Yu Chen was very afraid of becoming a burden to Li Huan. Lowering his little head, he said heavily, “Then I won’t go. Home is fun too.”
Just then, Li Huan happened to overhear the children talking. Handing bowls of hot fresh milk and jade-white pudding to He Zhen and He Zhi’an, he reached out and touched Yu Chen’s head. “Does Chenchen want to go to kindergarten? If you want to, I can try contacting your father. Then we can send you to kindergarten.”
Yu Chen’s eyes lit up at once.
Pressing his plump lips together, he rubbed his head against Li Huan. “Unker, does kindergarten cost money?”
Suppressing the ache in his heart, Li Huan forced a smile. “No, it doesn’t.”
Yu Chen immediately beamed. “Okay!”
Holding the warm milk in his palms, He Zhen was very curious why Li Huan had not prepared a serving for Yu Chen. Watching He Zhi’an gulp down his milk, He Zhen frowned, deciding that He Zhi’an must have stolen Yu Chen’s portion.
But He Zhen had no time to make trouble over that, because right now there was something much more important he needed to deal with.
Clearing his throat, he cut in coldly, “Yu Chenchen, if you go to kindergarten, what am I supposed to do?”
Before Yu Chen could answer, He Zhi’an spoke up first. “You go too.”
He Zhen let out a huff and said reluctantly, “Fine, then.”
