Chapter 17
Lin Huaixi marched angrily toward the teachers’ office. The moment he stepped through the door, he was like a mother hen, protecting Qi Wang, this little “chick,” behind him.
The atmosphere in the office was rather stiff. It just so happened that no one was speaking, so everyone’s attention was drawn to Lin Huaixi.
Sun Baiyi’s parent had already arrived.
Looking at the son in her arms, Madam Sun was so heartbroken she was almost in tears, her heart full of resentment and fury. Hearing the sound at the door, she thought Qi Wang’s parent had arrived and glared over angrily, just about to start cursing, only to realize it was merely a tiny little radish not even as tall as her thigh.
Her gaze moved between Lin Huaixi and Qi Wang, and she said irritably, “I’ve already been waiting this long. Why hasn’t Qi Wang’s parent come yet? And who is this little brat? Can children stay farther away when grown-ups are discussing serious matters?”
Madam Sun was dressed head to toe in designer labels and wore all kinds of jewelry, looking like a rich, elegant lady, but her bearing and expression did not match at all.
Ever since Sun Baiyi had been born, her whole heart had been devoted to her son. She had personally taken care of everything and wanted to give him the very best. Ever since Sun Baiyi was little, not even a patch of skin had ever been broken. Yet now both his knees and palms were scraped bloody, and there were even little stones still embedded in the wounds.
When the wounds had just been treated, Sun Baiyi had cried his lungs out from the pain. Madam Sun had been heartsick and on the verge of collapse, already so furious she had lost all reason. She was like a crazed tigress, speaking without the least restraint.
The homeroom teacher’s expression was not looking good.
He had just been made the target of Madam Sun’s displaced anger and thoroughly scolded. Since this was his job, he had endured it. But Lin Huaixi and the others were only children. Lin Huaixi had not even been involved in the incident and had done nothing wrong, so why did she have to be so fierce toward him too?
When the teacher saw the fear written plainly in Lin Huaixi’s bright, watery eyes, yet also saw the stubbornness of him biting his lower lip and refusing to back down even one step, he could not help speaking up. “Mrs. Sun, I understand that you feel sorry for your child, but please control your temper a little. Whatever it is, let’s wait until Qi Wang’s guardian arrives.”
“How am I supposed to control my temper? My precious son came to your school perfectly fine, and now he’s hurt this badly. What if it leaves lasting consequences? What if his whole life is ruined? Can you afford to take responsibility for that?”
The teacher was standing close to Madam Sun and was shouted at until his ears rang. His brow twitched, and he fought to suppress his anger. “The doctor already said that Sun Baiyi only scraped his skin. If he heals properly, he won’t be left with scars, and it’s even more impossible for there to be a fracture. Of course, this was our negligence, and your concern is understandable. I’ll go with you to the hospital later and wait for Sun Baiyi’s examination results.”
In the homeroom teacher’s eyes, this was only roughhousing between children. Little bumps and scrapes were unavoidable and really not a major issue. Making such a huge scene out of it might instead leave a psychological shadow on the child, which could affect his friendships and school life afterward.
What was more, from his observation, Sun Baiyi had been spoiled rotten and acted like a lawless little tyrant at school, while Qi Wang was quiet by nature and spent every day only with Lin Huaixi. He did not seem like someone who would take the initiative to bully others.
But when the teacher looked at Sun Baiyi, whose eyes were red-rimmed, who was so exhausted he could no longer cry aloud, only trembling in tiny sobs, he could not bear to voice his own suspicions.
The office fell silent again. Madam Sun’s anger was already beyond control. She slammed her hand heavily on the desk and pointed at Qi Wang as she threatened him, “What exactly did you do to my son? Was it you who pushed him over? Speak! Are you mute?!”
Lin Huaixi stood in front of Qi Wang and was therefore taking Madam Sun’s anger more directly. He was so frightened that a mist gathered in his eyes, and even the arm he had stretched out was trembling slightly, like a helpless little blade of grass ravaged by a violent storm.
Earlier, when he had been alone in the office, Qi Wang had kept his head lowered the whole time, like a lifeless doll. Only after Lin Huaixi appeared did a ripple appear in his eyes, and he stared at Lin Huaixi without blinking.
Feeling Lin Huaixi’s fear, the silent Qi Wang became like a little beast that had been provoked. He abruptly lifted his head, trying hard to bare his fangs and claws to intimidate the enemy. “Xixi didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t yell at him!”
Adults could be terribly arrogant sometimes. Madam Sun only found it ridiculous and deliberately mocked him. “Ha, so you can speak after all? Don’t give me that brotherly devotion act. Hurry up and say it—how exactly did you bully my son?”
Madam Sun’s face was twisted and ferocious. In the eyes of the two children, she looked like a bloodthirsty demon.
Qi Wang gripped Lin Huaixi’s wrist, wanting to pull him behind himself, but powerlessly discovered that he was just as small and weak and could not protect Lin Huaixi at all.
An unfamiliar feeling took root in his heart and began to sprout. Qi Wang lowered his head and looked at his tiny palm. Heat surged into his eyes. He pressed his lips together hard, trying to look stronger. “I already said I didn’t bully Sun Baiyi.”
Madam Sun gave a cold snort and said through clenched teeth, “If you hadn’t pushed him, would my son have fallen to the ground for no reason? Lying this well at such a young age—when you grow up, you’ll definitely become scum!”
Standing on tiptoe, Lin Huaixi tried hard to peek out from behind Qi Wang and said tearfully, “Qi Wang is good! Qi Wang doesn’t lie!”
Lin Huaixi was cute, had a sweet personality, and was especially lovable. No one had ever been this fierce to him before. He was trembling all over from fright. Each time he said a word, big tears rolled from his eyes, until his whole face turned wet.
Madam Sun had not expected the two little brats to challenge her. Furious, she raised her hand to scare them, but her wrist was seized tightly.
Lin Huaixi had been biting his teeth earlier, trying hard not to cry aloud. But now, the moment he saw Grandma’s figure, he finally found a sense of safety. Tilting his head back, he burst into loud sobs, pouring out all the grievance and fear in his heart.
That crying sound shattered Grandma’s heart. She immediately gathered both children into her arms, blaming herself bitterly for coming too late and making Xixi and the others face all this alone and get so badly frightened.
Wen Qianshu’s condition had improved a lot, but she still had occasional episodes, sinking into her own world and ignoring everything around her.
Grandma had heard the phone in the house next door ringing for a long time and gone over to answer it, only to learn that Qi Wang had gotten into a conflict with another child at school.
The teacher had asked the guardian to come to school, but Wen Qianshu’s mental state was fragile. If she were forced to face something like this, her condition might worsen.
Although Qi Wang loved his mother deeply and had never once disliked her, school was a small social world. Grandma feared that if Wen Qianshu came to school, gossip might spread, causing Qi Wang to be isolated and rejected there, which would amount to a second injury for him.
After weighing both sides, Grandma decided to come to school in Wen Qianshu’s place. She had already prepared herself mentally, but she had never expected Lin Huaixi to be drawn into this matter too.
While comforting the two children, Grandma glared at Madam Sun. “Why are you targeting two little children? If you have something to say, say it to me!”
Madam Sun snorted coldly, crossed her arms, and said arrogantly, “Who told you to come so late? Your child bullied my precious baby. I’m not done with you. Qi Wang must transfer schools. I refuse to let this ticking time bomb stay beside my son any longer!”
Seeing the two women on the verge of clashing, the homeroom teacher hurried forward to ease the atmosphere. “Mrs. Sun, let me introduce her. This is Lin Huaixi’s grandmother. Why don’t we all sit down and talk this over properly? There’s no need to go as far as a transfer.”
Madam Sun frowned. “What’s going on? Why aren’t Qi Wang’s parents here? Does he not have parents? No wonder he has no manners.”
Although he was standing at the center of the conflict, Qi Wang did not care about those words. He was only focused on wiping Lin Huaixi’s tears with a tissue. But when he heard the second half of her sentence, he abruptly lifted his head and glared at Madam Sun with all his might.
Grandma was close to losing control from anger too, but she forced her voice steady. “In front of three children, could you watch your words and behavior a little? Do you look like a mother behaving this way?”
“I…” Madam Sun also realized that in her fury she had gone too far and said something she should not have. She instinctively turned to look at her son.
Sun Baiyi began sobbing even harder. Feeling his mother’s gaze, his body trembled twice uncontrollably. He did not dare meet her eyes, keeping his head lowered as if he wished he could burrow into a crack in the ground.
Madam Sun sensed the problem at once. She hurried over and once again put on a smile full of motherly love, wanting to pat her son’s hair, but Sun Baiyi instinctively dodged her touch.
“…” Madam Sun’s expression froze on her face. Regret and anger churned in her heart, and she redirected her hostility at Grandma.
Who told these parents to be so irresponsible, raising their child so badly and coming this late too? That was why she had failed to control her temper.
Madam Sun strode over aggressively and kept arguing. “The nature of this incident is extremely serious. Such a small child already knows how to deliberately push people. It’s a good thing my son was standing on flat ground. What if he’d been standing on steps and fallen down? What then? Qi Wang is basically a little would-be murderer. He must transfer schools. Otherwise I’ll have to question the safety of this school, and don’t think I won’t report you to the education bureau!”
Seeing Madam Sun’s words grow more and more outrageous, the homeroom teacher could not help cutting in. “Didn’t Qi Wang say already that he didn’t push him? Sun Baiyi fell by himself. It’s possible the truth really is like that. The surveillance video should be sent over any moment. Why don’t we watch it before making a final judgment?”
Madam Sun gave another cold snort and gracefully sat down, returning to the elegant rich-lady image she had worn earlier. “What’s there to look at? My precious child would absolutely never lie. Watching the surveillance is just wasting time.”
Grandma struck back immediately. “With a parent like you, your child is very likely to lie.”
“You!” Madam Sun had absolutely no control over her emotions. Forgetting that Sun Baiyi was still trembling in her arms, she sprang to her feet and was about to point at Grandma’s nose and curse her again.
The teacher’s scalp went numb.
He had only come to work. Why did he have to deal with this kind of mess?
Afraid the two sides might actually come to blows, the teacher hurried forward to break it up. But then his phone dinged, drawing his attention away.
He had a feeling about what it was. He immediately picked up the phone, and sure enough, it was the surveillance video.
The homeroom teacher quickly opened the video, then held the phone up before Madam Sun with a complicated expression. “Mrs. Sun, please take a look at the surveillance first.”
Madam Sun had trusted her son’s words completely. Now, staring at the surveillance footage, she froze in shock. Her face changed several times. Her lips trembled once, and all the blood drained away.
“H-how could this be possible?”
Grandma had never once doubted Qi Wang. Now that the truth had finally come out, her disgust toward Madam Sun reached its peak. Her face darkened as she said, “You not only falsely accused two children, you also spoke viciously and frightened them into tears. Today, you must apologize to them. If Xixi and the others are left with any psychological shadow because of this, I will never let it go!”
Madam Sun cared deeply about saving face. The two lumps of flesh on her cheeks seemed to droop. The corners of her mouth twitched twice, and she said awkwardly, “I was only so flustered because I care too much. But that’s not right. My son was so frightened—Qi Wang must have scared him badly enough to make him fall.”
Finding another angle to attack, Madam Sun immediately became aggressive again. “You little brat, why were you glaring at my son? Are you still trying to bully him?!”
Although Qi Wang had not laid a hand on him, he had not let Sun Baiyi go either, watching him the whole time with a cold gaze.
Sun Baiyi was guilty and frightened and had been trembling all along. Now the words my son exploded in his ears, and he reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He jumped to his feet, kept his eyes tightly shut, and spoke in a voice as small as a mosquito’s buzz. “I-it was me who said Xixi he didn’t…”
Qi Wang’s expression changed at once. If Lin Huaixi had not been there, he really would have lunged over and hit someone. Grandma too guessed the meaning behind those half-finished words. It was as if she had been struck by lightning. Her hands trembled as she held Lin Huaixi tighter and tighter.
Only Lin Huaixi still had not figured it out. With tears all over his face, he poked his head out from Grandma and Qi Wang’s embrace and looked around curiously, wanting to know what they were talking about.
Grandma looked at Lin Huaixi, her own eyes growing wet. Her heart ached with both pain and guilt, and she glared at Madam Sun with clenched teeth.
Madam Sun was so frightened by the expressions on Grandma’s and Qi Wang’s faces that she took two steps backward. She had no doubt at all that the two of them wanted to hit her.
She still had some brains. She realized that it was her own son who had spoken wrongly first, that his guilty conscience had made him fall, and that Qi Wang had nothing to do with it.
Madam Sun no longer dared meet Grandma’s or Qi Wang’s gaze. But she was someone who valued face and was used to protecting her son unconditionally, so she stiffened her neck and forced her argument. “Children don’t know any better. He didn’t do it on purpose. Besides, how can an adult hold something against a child? Isn’t that just bullying a child?”
As she said this, she completely forgot how just moments ago she had been like a disheveled demon, pointing at two children and threatening them.
Grandma was so angry she laughed. She had been cultured and courteous all her life, yet now she realized that when faced with this kind of shameless, unreasonable person, it felt like punching cotton. There was simply no way to reason with her.
Lin Huaixi looked at Grandma, then at Qi Wang, blinked twice, made up his mind, wiped away the tears from his face with his little hand, and while no one was watching, wriggled free from the embrace and charged like a tiny cannonball straight at Madam Sun’s stomach.
Lin Huaixi was small and not very strong, but Madam Sun had not been prepared. She cried out and lost her balance, tumbling from the chair.
Lin Huaixi himself was knocked backward too. His body staggered a few steps, and he stared up at the spinning ceiling with a dazed expression.
None of the people present had expected this sudden turn. Everyone hurried over at once.
Madam Sun’s leg was still caught on the chair, and with her hair a mess, she was awkwardly trapped in the gap between the chair and the desk. She struggled for quite a while but still could not sit upright.
Looking at her ugly expression, Lin Huaixi was not afraid at all. Before Madam Sun could flare up, he pointed at her first and said in a childish voice, “I’m a child who doesn’t know any better. You’re a grown-up, so you do know better. That means you can’t hold this against me!”
Madam Sun: “…”
Everyone else: “…”
Madam Sun’s mouth hung open. All her words clogged in her throat. Her eyes were full of disbelief, and her expression was miserable beyond words. Combined with her awkward pose, she looked utterly ridiculous.
Grandma had never expected Lin Huaixi to say something like that. She looked at him with a complicated expression. The homeroom teacher tried hard to suppress the corners of his mouth, barely holding back his laughter as he pretended to anxiously help Madam Sun back to her feet.
After getting up, Madam Sun lowered her head to straighten her clothes, only to discover that her stockings had split down the middle and her silk blouse had torn open too. Her heart ached so much it trembled. She glared furiously at Lin Huaixi. “Do you even know how much this outfit—”
“Enough!”
Sun Baiyi’s father had just received the news and rushed over in haste, loudly stopping his wife.
Madam Sun froze and muttered, “Why are you here?”
Looking at his wife and son, Mr. Sun felt not only heartache, but even more guilt and shock.
His wife had not always been like this. But after their son was born, she had poured too much of herself into him, giving him whatever he wanted and indulging him endlessly. Her love had twisted into spoiling, harming both others and themselves, until in the end she had become like this.
Mr. Sun turned around and, wearing a courteous smile, said with deep apology, “Today’s matter was entirely our fault. We not only wasted your time, we also frightened two little children. I offer you my solemn apology here. I am truly very sorry.”
Madam Sun felt unable to save face and tugged at her husband’s sleeve. “What are you saying? Didn’t you see Yiyi, he…”
Mr. Sun turned back and glared at his wife, his tone stern. “Do you really think the way you are now is good? A child who grows up beside you will naturally be influenced by you too. Do you want him to become this way as well?!”
Madam Sun’s first reaction was anger. “You only side with outsiders! Yiyi is so well-behaved. What’s wrong with him?”
Mr. Sun was distressed to the core and said word by word, “At home, if anything displeases him, he cries, throws tantrums, and smashes toys. At school, at such a young age, he’s already learned to form cliques, and he even damages school property all the time! You’ve spoiled him rotten. He doesn’t know how to control his emotions at all. Do you want him to grow up into a delinquent?”
Madam Sun frowned slightly. His words had shaken her a little, but she was still stubborn. She still felt her son was perfectly fine and that the problem lay with everyone else.
Mr. Sun gritted his teeth, stopped paying any attention to her, and strode toward Sun Baiyi with a dark face. “Apologize. Now!”
“S-sorry…” Sun Baiyi stammered out a few words, then burst into loud wails.
Although Mr. Sun felt sorry for him, he knew Sun Baiyi’s problem was serious. He only watched coldly, even pulling back Madam Sun when she tried to rush over and comfort him.
In the past, whenever Sun Baiyi cried, his mother would protect him, and he would always get what he wanted. But now that trick suddenly stopped working. After letting out a couple of dry howls, Sun Baiyi stopped on his own and stared at his parents in confusion.
Once Mr. Sun realized that his son’s crying was basically a form of controlling them, the veins at his temple began jumping. He made up his mind to deal with him thoroughly once they got home. Madam Sun, on the other hand, had gone completely blank. Her pupils trembled twice, and her face turned gray, as if all her strength had been pulled out of her.
But she did not reflect at all. Instead, it was as if some fantasy of hers had shattered, and she turned that anger toward her husband. With hair hanging loose and wild, she glared at him as though looking at an enemy. “Yiyi is my treasure. For him, I can do anything. And what about you? You never care about anything. What right do you have to criticize me? And even dislike Yiyi!”
Mr. Sun was shocked by his wife’s stubbornness and blind favoritism. Gritting his teeth, he raised his hand high. Madam Sun thought he was going to strike her. Her eyes widened in stunned disbelief, and tears spread through her eye makeup, leaving dark black streaks all over her face. She looked utterly miserable.
But the raised hand did not come down on her.
Instead, Mr. Sun gave himself a heavy slap.
He truly had neglected his family and was one of the chief causes of all this. He had no right to stand on the moral high ground and blame others. The truly innocent ones were Lin Huaixi and the others.
Mr. Sun grabbed his wife, who was still too shocked to react, and together they bent deeply in apology toward the two little children, neither of whom even came up to their thighs.
Grandma held both children and watched them coldly. The anger in her heart did not lessen in the slightest, but she did not stop them either.
These two children deserved an apology.
Mr. Sun then respectfully handed over a business card. “If there is a chance later, we are willing to come apologize in person. And if either of the two children suffers any problems because of this, please contact us. We will definitely take responsibility.”
Mr. Sun’s attitude was still acceptable. Only then did Grandma accept the card.
At long last, this farce finally came to an end. After exchanging a few polite words with the homeroom teacher, Mr. Sun ignored his wife, took his son by the hand, and strode out.
Looking at her cold and ruthless husband, Madam Sun suddenly realized what awaited her. Her whole person seemed soul-struck, and she covered her mouth as she cried uncontrollably.
Sure enough, you only realize how much a slap hurts when it lands on yourself.
Sun Baiyi staggered a few steps, dragged along by his father. Before leaving the office, he turned back and looked at Lin Huaixi once. There was no longer the same disgust in his eyes as before. Instead, there was a different kind of feeling there.
The office fell silent again, but Grandma’s expression was extremely grave.
This made her realize how serious the problem was. She worried that rumors might spread around school and affect Lin Huaixi’s growth, so she wanted to have a proper talk with the homeroom teacher. But at the same time, she was worried about leaving Lin Huaixi and the others alone, so she hesitated for a few seconds.
Lin Huaixi’s heart was clean and clear, incapable of holding hatred. His mood had already brightened again, while Qi Wang was carefully using a tissue to wipe away the dried tear tracks on Lin Huaixi’s face.
Noticing Grandma’s gaze, Lin Huaixi smiled and asked, “Can we go outside and play?”
Grandma: “…”
She was astonished at just how broad-hearted Lin Huaixi was, but also felt a little relieved. Smiling, she nodded. “Go ahead.”
After the two children left, Grandma finally dropped the smile and spoke seriously with the homeroom teacher.
…
It was already long past dismissal time. All their friends had gone home, and the whole campus had grown quiet, becoming a playground belonging only to Lin Huaixi and Qi Wang.
Lin Huaixi pulled Qi Wang over to play on the slide. Beads of sweat glimmered on the tip of his nose, and a bright smile stayed on his face the whole time, making him look utterly carefree.
After they got tired from playing, the two little dumplings sat side by side on the steps. Resting his chin in his hand, Lin Huaixi quietly gazed at the sunset in the distance, too enchanted for words.
Qi Wang, however, was looking at him. In his mind was nothing but the image of Lin Huaixi charging in to protect him earlier.
“Why did you come over just now?” Qi Wang asked softly, as if afraid to disturb him. “This whole thing clearly had nothing to do with you.”
Lin Huaixi blinked, then said blankly, “What are you talking about?”
Qi Wang paused, not wanting to bring up the details. “Just now.”
Lin Huaixi’s train of thought abruptly connected. He puffed out his lips in dissatisfaction and grabbed Qi Wang’s wrist, as though accusing him. “Didn’t you promise me before? If someone bullies you, you have to tell me. So why didn’t you tell me this time?”
Qi Wang did not continue that line of conversation. Instead, he asked over and over again, “Why did you want to protect me? Just because Sun Baiyi is a bad guy and he might hit me or scold me later?”
Lin Huaixi had already rolled up his sleeves, revealing his soft, squishy arms, and said angrily, “We’re good friends. Of course I have to protect you!”
“What if Wang Xiaohu got bullied instead?” Qi Wang asked again.
Lin Huaixi froze for a moment, imagined that scene, and shook his head like a rattle drum. “Impossible. Nobody can bully him.”
Lin Huaixi was a little silly, and his head did not turn very fast. Qi Wang knew he probably would not get the answer he wanted from him, but he still could not suppress the hidden thoughts in his own heart. So he continued, “Then what if today I had been the one bullying Sun Baiyi? Would you still have helped me?”
Lin Huaixi’s clean, clear eyes reflected Qi Wang’s face. Without the slightest hesitation, he said, “No way. Qi Wang, you wouldn’t bully people.”
Qi Wang pressed his lips together and stared deeply at Lin Huaixi. He swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue and only nodded seriously. “Mm. I wouldn’t bully people.”
Lin Huaixi smiled happily, his eyes curving. “So even if other people bully you, you don’t have to be scared, okay? See? I protected you just fine, didn’t I?”
Infected by his mood, the corners of Qi Wang’s lips also lifted slightly. He gave a light snort through his nose and added silently in his heart:
I’ll protect you too.
The evening glow spread across the entire sky, dyeing the clouds dreamy colors and spilling gently over them. Lin Huaixi sat facing away from the light, and his soft hair had been dyed amber. Even his outline had become soft and gentle. The evening glow became his backdrop and also seemed to wrap around him entirely.
That image froze forever in Qi Wang’s eyes. No matter how many years might pass, if he closed his eyes, he would still be able to see it clearly.
A small patch of his heart was lit up as well. A seed took root there, sprouting beneath the light and growing strong.
And that warm orange glow became the everlasting base color of Qi Wang’s life.
After Grandma finished speaking with the homeroom teacher, she went to find Lin Huaixi and Qi Wang and took them home together.
When Grandma got back, she told Lin Yunmi and the others what had happened. All three adults looked grave.
Lin Huaixi was sunny and cheerful, like a little pistachio, and did not seem like a child with any worries. But what had happened today rang a warning bell for them.
Lin Yunmi was full of worry, though she tried her best to hide it and continued getting along with Lin Huaixi as usual. She carefully observed him for several days and only after realizing that Lin Huaixi had not taken the matter to heart at all did she finally breathe in relief. At the same time, she became even more determined to protect Lin Huaixi’s young little heart.
But Wen Qianshu did not know what had happened. In her current mental state, it was impossible for her to properly comfort Qi Wang. After weighing everything, Lin Yunmi brought Qi Wang over and had him stay at their house for a month.
Lin Huaixi was overjoyed. Every day he clung affectionately to Qi Wang, trying to become “real brothers” with him. Under Lin Huaixi’s influence, the number of smiles on Qi Wang’s face gradually increased too.
Sun Baiyi’s family also showed a very sincere attitude in admitting fault and called many times. Lin Yunmi refused their offer to come apologize in person. Seeing that Lin Huaixi and Qi Wang had not been left with any psychological shadow, she decided not to pursue the matter with them any further.
For nearly two months afterward, Sun Baiyi did not come to school.
The children who liked getting chocolate were disappointed at first, but their attention quickly moved elsewhere. After a while, everyone assumed Sun Baiyi had transferred schools and simply grew used to life without him.
The weather gradually turned colder. Withered yellow leaves covered the ground. Wearing newly bought little shoes, Lin Huaixi wandered back and forth over the dry leaves with great interest, enjoying the crackling sounds beneath his feet.
Qi Wang ran out after him carrying a scarf. Seeing that Lin Huaixi had not even put on a hat, he frowned tightly and hesitated over whether he should go back inside again.
Lin Huaixi spotted him and stood on tiptoe, waving with a bright smile all over his face.
Qi Wang walked over and helped wrap the scarf around Lin Huaixi, taking care of him like a little grown-up.
Recently Lin Yunmi’s motherly instincts had been overflowing, so she had tried learning to knit scarves. Unfortunately, she had absolutely no talent for it and somehow turned the scarf into something that looked more like a fishing net full of holes. In order to maintain her image, she could only turn to Grandma for help.
Grandma knitted one scarf for each of the two children. Lin Huaixi wore a soft white scarf, which made his little face look even rounder and fairer. Just looking at him filled people with joy.
Qi Wang looked at Lin Huaixi’s big sparkling eyes. The tightly drawn line of his brow loosened, and he could not bear to scold him after all. He only said, “Why did you forget your scarf and hat again? Be careful or I’ll tell Auntie.”
Lin Huaixi was best at sweet-talking. Grabbing Qi Wang’s sleeve, he gave it a little shaking as if acting spoiled and looked up at him with shining eyes. “I’ll remember from now on. Next time I’ll definitely wear my scarf and hat properly. Qi Wang, you’re the best. Can you not tell Mommy?”
Very few people could resist a move like that. Qi Wang went silent for a few seconds, then reluctantly gave a low, unwilling “Mm.”
Lin Huaixi instantly smiled. He had just been about to continue sweet-talking when the sound of footsteps crunching over dry leaves broke his train of thought.
Lin Huaixi turned instinctively, and when he saw who it was, his eyes widened in surprise.
It was Sun Baiyi!
“Aren’t you supposed to have transferred schools? Why are you here?”
Sun Baiyi kept his eyes lowered and walked over in silence. He stopped one step away from them, his gaze moving between the two before finally settling fixedly on Qi Wang.
Lin Huaixi did not hold grudges. He had almost forgotten what happened that day. But Sun Baiyi’s expression was not friendly, and the silly little tuft of hair on top of Lin Huaixi’s head immediately stood straight up. His protective instincts came online at once, and once again he stood in front of Qi Wang. “Y-you want to bully Qi Wang again?!”
Sun Baiyi glanced at Lin Huaixi, flattened his mouth a little, and slowly brought out the hand he had been hiding behind his back.
Lin Huaixi had already prepared himself. He puffed out his chest, raised his chin, and tried to scare him off like a little fighting rooster.
But what Sun Baiyi brought out was an exquisitely wrapped gift box. He looked at Lin Huaixi again, showing a hurt expression, and his voice dropped much softer. “I’m apologizing for what happened before. This is a gift I picked out very carefully for you.”
Lin Huaixi: “…”
He looked at the beautifully wrapped present, then at Sun Baiyi’s face, which plainly said, How could you treat me like this? I’m so hurt. He was completely dumbfounded.
