Chapter 6
When Lin Huaixi woke up from his sleep, he realized it was raining.
The flowers and plants Grandpa had grown looked even brighter in color, and little puddles had collected on the ground, only a thin layer of water, but clear enough to reflect his image perfectly.
Lin Huaixi loved rainy days. His eyes shone with excitement, and his heart had already flown outside.
But he still remembered his promise with Grandma, so he did not dash out right away. Instead, he kept bustling around by the doorway, busy nonstop. One moment he climbed onto a chair, pressing his little hands against the window as he craned his head out to look around; the next moment he ran to the staircase, standing on tiptoe as he searched for Grandma’s figure.
“Grandma, hurry up!”
Hearing Lin Huaixi’s soft, milky call, Grandma came out of the inner room with a smile, carrying a child-sized raincoat and rain boots.
Lin Huaixi pattered over to her. Without needing Grandma’s help, he swiftly put on the rain boots, then picked up the raincoat and wriggled around inside it like a little caterpillar until his pretty little face finally squeezed out through the opening.
“Go wait for me in the little courtyard first…” Grandma had not even finished speaking when Lin Huaixi rushed out, one corner of his raincoat lifted by the wind.
Lin Huaixi especially loved splashing in puddles. He would definitely dirty his clothes, and he might even catch a cold because of it, but Grandma felt this was part of a child’s nature, and also a chance to get close to nature, so she did not stop him. Instead, she had even taken the initiative to buy Lin Huaixi a set of rain gear.
The raincoat was a bright red, with a longer hem that hung to just above his knees. The boots were the same red, glossy and spotless, completely unafraid of rainwater.
Grandma stood at the doorway changing her shoes, watching the little dumpling running back and forth in the yard. That patch of red was so vivid that even the blooming flowers were outshone by it.
Seeing that Grandma had come over, Lin Huaixi stretched out his arms and shook them hard, finally managing to reveal his little hands so he could take Grandma’s hand on his own.
The grandmother and grandson walked forward together.
Lin Huaixi turned back to look at the little window next door and asked in a crisp voice, “Can we ask Qi Wang to come too?”
“Of course we can, though I don’t know whether Qi Wang is still home.”
Lin Huaixi stood obediently to one side, waiting for Grandma to ring the doorbell.
Grandma pressed the bell three times in a row, but the house remained completely quiet. No one came out.
Looking at Lin Huaixi standing on tiptoe and swaying back and forth, Grandma comforted him, “Qi Wang may already have gone to school. Next time, let’s come earlier to look for him, okay?”
Lin Huaixi nodded slowly.
Children’s moods come quickly and go quickly. Very soon, Lin Huaixi was smiling again, playing by himself to his heart’s content, letting out bright peals of laughter from time to time.
By the time they reached kindergarten, Lin Huaixi had already stomped through every puddle on the ground. Crystal-clear droplets splashed into the air, reflecting bright light under the sun, and water beads clung to both his raincoat and rain boots.
Lin Huaixi was already very lovable to begin with, and now, dressed in a red raincoat with his short little legs, he looked like a tiny mushroom, doubling his cuteness. The kindergarten teachers all wore fond, auntie-like smiles as they came forward to greet him. After exchanging a few words with Grandma, one of them took Lin Huaixi by the hand and led him inside.
The moment Lin Huaixi stepped into the yard, he tipped up his face and asked, “Has Qi Wang come already?”
At the mention of Qi Wang’s name, Teacher Xiao Xu’s expression stiffened, and a complicated emotion that Lin Huaixi could not understand surfaced in her eyes. “Qi Wang… he… he’s reading.”
Lin Huaixi had stubbornly refused to take off his little raincoat because he wanted to show it to Qi Wang, so at once he happily ran toward the reading hut—but Teacher Xiao Xu caught hold of him.
Teacher Xiao Xu fell silent for a few seconds, then awkwardly tried to divert Lin Huaixi’s attention. “Xixi, can you take off your raincoat first, okay?”
“But I want…” Lin Huaixi had only gotten halfway through his sentence when he suddenly changed his mind.
If Qi Wang put on the little raincoat and went splashing in puddles, then Qi Wang would definitely be happy too!
Immediately, Lin Huaixi stretched out his arms and cooperatively let Teacher Xiao Xu help him out of the raincoat, then changed into a pair of clean little shoes.
“Thank you, Teacher.” After thanking her, Lin Huaixi hurried off eagerly to find Qi Wang.
Teacher Xiao Xu watched his retreating figure, then let out a long sigh.
Last night, no one had come to pick Qi Wang up, and afraid something might happen, Teacher Xiao Xu had stayed with him the whole time.
She would never forget the expression on Qi Wang’s face as he sat by the door looking out at the curtain of rain.
His eyes were filled with emotions that only adults should have, and yet his face was childish, and his pupils still held the clean purity unique to children. The split between the two was so stark that it made her heart ache and also left her shaken.
Qi Wang had only transferred in a few days ago, and apart from Lin Huaixi, he kept his distance from everyone. Teacher Xiao Xu had too many things to do at once and had not paid him much attention.
Only now did she realize that this child carried far too many problems. But with a child who was prematurely mature like this, anything she did as an adult would carry too much purpose. It would be hard for her to truly help him, and there was even a chance it might backfire and deepen the wounds in his heart.
Fortunately, Qi Wang had been taught well. He did not show any strong aggressiveness and was still able to get along normally with the other children.
At this point, it seemed the only thing they could do was temporarily place their hopes on Lin Huaixi, this little happy fruit.
…
Before Lin Huaixi even got close to the reading hut, Wang Xiaohu grabbed him, while the other children stood nearby, their big eyes rolling around nonstop.
“Xixi, I have a secret to tell you!” Wang Xiaohu tried hard to lower his voice, though with little effect. “I overheard it this morning.”
“What secret?” Lin Huaixi’s curiosity was immediately hooked.
“My mom got back from her night shift yesterday and saw Qi Wang in the kindergarten. His dad and mom never came to pick him up. My mom wanted him to stay at my house for one night, but Qi Wang didn’t want to.”
Lin Huaixi froze, his eyelashes trembling nonstop. “How could that be? Qi Wang was obviously at home! I even said hello to him before going to sleep!”
“It’s true!” Wang Xiaohu got so anxious that he forgot to keep his voice down. “Mom told Dad this morning. I heard it very clearly.”
Lin Huaixi still refused to believe it. His pretty little features scrunched up, and his mouth puffed out slightly. He wanted to explain things for Qi Wang, but he did not know what to say.
“And Mom also said…” A child’s memory was limited, so Wang Xiaohu could not remember that long string of words. His thoughts spun around for a moment before he tried carefully, “Qi Wang… it seems like he doesn’t have a dad.”
To the children present, fathers and mothers were the most important people in the world. Hearing that, they all fell silent.
Gu Youyou thought of her little dog. Her small hands clenched tightly, and a layer of mist formed in her pretty eyes. “He’s just like Doudou. Doudou has never seen his dad either. That’s so pitiful.”
The little girl beside her was infected by the mood and sniffled, but Lin Huaixi alone shook his head, his voice tender yet serious. “It’s not pitiful. Not pitiful at all.”
The moment he finished speaking, he suddenly noticed Wang Xiaohu standing in front of him trembling nonstop, his shoulders drooping down like a timid little quail that wished it could curl itself into a ball.
Lin Huaixi blinked in confusion. “What’s wrong with you?”
Wang Xiaohu’s lips quivered twice, as if he had seen the thing he feared most. “Y-y-you…”
Lin Huaixi followed the direction of his pointing finger and unexpectedly found Qi Wang standing in the shadows.
His face lit up with delight at once, and he ran over with a smile. “Qi Wang, I have a really pretty little raincoat. You can wear it and splash in puddles. Let’s go play together!”
Qi Wang turned his head to look at Lin Huaixi. His eyes were dark and heavy, like an inorganic glass bead, without a trace of light or life in them.
Every time Lin Huaixi saw him, he would smile, as though seeing him were something that made him truly happy. But in Qi Wang’s ears, that sentence still echoed clearly:
Not pitiful at all.
“Why do you still want to play with me?” Qi Wang stared fixedly into Lin Huaixi’s clear and spotless eyes, almost as if he were tormenting himself. He bit down hard on every single word as he said,
“Didn’t you hear? I don’t have a dad.”
He could practically imagine Lin Huaixi’s reaction already.
There had once been a little boy without a father in his old neighborhood. After his own father found out, he strictly forbade him from interacting with that boy. And among the “good friends” his father had carefully chosen for him, that little boy was treated as worse than trash.
Back then he had been the youngest of them all, too young to understand those words, but over time, clever little Qi Wang came to understand the meaning of one phrase:
A wild child.
A child who had no father or mother’s love, a child who should never have been born into this world.
Now he himself was just like that little boy. He too was about to be treated like something filthy.
But unlike what he had imagined, Lin Huaixi’s thick, curled lashes blinked once, and the only thing in his wide eyes was confusion. “Why? I don’t have a dad either, but everyone still likes playing with me!”
The two little dumplings were standing very close together. In Lin Huaixi’s eyes, Qi Wang saw his own foolish little self reflected back.
The other children reacted the same way. Wang Xiaohu, who had the quickest temper, ran over and grabbed Lin Huaixi’s hand. “How could that be? Xixi, how could you not have a dad!”
“I just don’t have one,” Lin Huaixi said in the same innocent, muddled tone, pointing up at the sky. “Mom said Dad turned into a little star. He can only watch me from up there.”
“Then will he ever come back?” Gu Youyou asked.
Lin Huaixi shook his head. “He won’t come back anymore.”
The center of the topic shifted to Lin Huaixi. Looking at Lin Huaixi, who would form two sweet little dimples when he smiled, all the children grew sad.
Seeing everyone’s expressions, Lin Huaixi pouted in confusion. “Youyou, don’t cry. I may not have a dad, but I have my mom and my grandma and grandpa, and I have you all too. I’m really not pitiful at all.”
Counting on his fingers, Lin Huaixi said with curved brows and smiling eyes, “Grandma makes little bunny cakes for me, Grandpa gives me pretty flowers, Mom brings me lots and lots of presents, sleeps with me, and gives me kisses too, so I already have so, so much!”
Lin Huaixi used his hand to wipe away the tears from Gu Youyou’s cheeks. Even at such a young age, he already knew how to comfort people. “Doudou has you, and your dad and mom too. We’ll go visit him often, so Doudou won’t think he’s pitiful either.”
Gu Youyou sniffled and looked at Lin Huaixi through tear-filled eyes.
On the day Doudou was born, she had stayed by his side the whole time and cried several times from heartache.
After that, she had grown up together with Doudou. Every time she got home, Doudou would wag his tail and run over to greet her. When she slept, Doudou would rest his head by the side of her bed. And when she opened her eyes after waking up, she would see Doudou with his ears perked up and his mouth spread in a grin.
It seemed… he really was happy. He did not seem pitiful at all.
Gu Youyou suddenly wanted very badly to hug fluffy Doudou. “I’m going to be even nicer to Doudou, so he won’t be pitiful at all. Tonight I’ll feed him two chicken drumsticks!”
Lin Huaixi pictured that scene in his mind and nearly started drooling. Enviously, he said, “Then Doudou will definitely be very happy.”
The other children were influenced by this too, and all began to feel that not having a father was not really such a big thing.
After thinking it over, Wang Xiaohu suddenly became sad. “I have a dad, but I don’t have a grandma. No one makes little bunny cakes for me.”
Little bunny cakes held irresistible temptation not only for Lin Huaixi. Every time the other children thought about them, they almost drooled too, envying Lin Huaixi for having a grandma.
“Then from now on, I’ll share more with you all.” Seeing Wang Xiaohu’s face droop, Lin Huaixi patted him on the shoulder. “Your dad can’t make little bunny cakes, but he can lift you way up high. When you fly up, it’s super cool. My grandma can’t lift me like that.”
Every time Wang Xiaohu was lifted high above his father’s head, he felt like a superhero, as though he were about to go save the world. It was unbelievably cool.
So which was better—being lifted high, or little bunny cakes?
He twisted his fingers and struggled over it for a long while. At last, he let out a long sigh. “Isn’t there any dad in this world who can lift you high and make little cakes too?”
Lin Huaixi laughed. Though he was standing by the wall, the shadows fell only at his feet and could not touch him in the slightest.
When Lin Huaixi had first begun to understand the idea of parents, he too had once repeatedly asked where his father was.
His mother, grandma, and grandpa had not hidden it from him. Instead, they had told him the truth in a gentle way, not allowing him to grow up inside a false fantasy.
They believed that even though children were innocent and ignorant, their clear hearts could understand all truths. As long as they were guided in the proper way, they would be able to face this world correctly and calmly.
Although Lin Huaixi had never received fatherly love, his mother and grandparents had loved him with all their strength. That love was so intense it had almost become something tangible—not only something he could feel, but something he could almost touch.
And children who grow up in love are born knowing how to love themselves, and how to love others too.
That was why Lin Huaixi felt very happy. He had never once thought of himself as pitiful, and he would also take the initiative to love the people around him and protect them.
He walked over to Qi Wang once more and took hold of his hand. “Qi Wang, you may not have a dad, but you have me. I can always play with you. Xiaohu and Youyou and the others will too!”
Warmth and softness spread over the back of his hand. Fingers that had grown cold on that rainy night felt warmth once more.
Just then, the teacher happened to move the things that had been blocking the roof, and the shadows disappeared. With Lin Huaixi’s arrival, bright sunlight once again fell over Qi Wang, driving away the damp, sticky chill of that rainy night.
Qi Wang moved his fingers and lowered his head to look at the little dimples of flesh on the back of Lin Huaixi’s chubby hand.
He did not like foolish people, because foolishness was contagious. When Lin Huaixi smiled, everyone else followed and smiled too.
And now it seemed as though he had been infected too, foolish enough to forget what had happened before, foolish enough to want to stay this way forever.
Though that was what Qi Wang thought, when he looked at Lin Huaixi’s soft, glutinous little face, he still did not respond. Instead, he gave a cold snort through his nose and deliberately said, “How is that the same?”
“How is it not the same?” Lin Huaixi knitted his brows tightly and thought hard for quite a while. Then, rather reluctantly, he said, “You can treat me like your dad too, if you want.”
Qi Wang: “…”
“Who wants you to be my dad!” Qi Wang’s delicate little face puffed up all over again.
Like a little grown-up, Lin Huaixi let out a sigh in his heart.
Ai, why is Qi Wang so quick to get all puffy with anger?
Once again, he grabbed hold of Qi Wang’s arm and shook it in a coaxing, spoiled way. “Hurry and go put on my little raincoat. It’s really, really fun!”
The other children crowded around as well, making Qi Wang feel that he not only had Lin Huaixi, but them too.
Surrounded by them all, Qi Wang was nudged forward. Though his whole face still clearly said he was unwilling, light had returned to his eyes, and he was no longer shutting himself away.
Teacher Xiao Xu had been worrying about Qi Wang and sighing nonstop. Hearing the children’s laughter and teasing from the little courtyard, she instinctively glanced outside.
The Qi Wang who had just been so lifeless, leaving her at a complete loss, had now become the child among them with the richest emotions and the liveliest expressions.
Though he had not fully blended in yet, he was at least standing in the sunlight the whole time.
Only then did Teacher Xiao Xu finally let out a breath of relief, her gaze falling on Lin Huaixi, who had been smiling all along.
As expected—no one could resist this little happy fruit.
When it was time for school to end, Teacher Xiao Xu started worrying again.
Yesterday, Qi Wang’s irresponsible guardian had forgotten to pick him up. Today, they still could not even be reached by phone.
If she were not responsible for the safety of all the children, Teacher Xiao Xu truly wanted to go to Qi Wang’s house and give them a proper “home visit.”
Afraid the same thing would happen again, when she saw Lin Huaixi’s grandma, she asked her to take Qi Wang home together with them.
The moment Lin Huaixi heard that, he was overjoyed and immediately tugged on Qi Wang with his little hand. Although Qi Wang found this soft, clingy little rice cake rather annoying, he still did not shake his hand off.
Seeing the two children playing beside them, Teacher Xiao Xu lowered her voice and told Grandma about what had happened yesterday.
Grandma’s brows drew tightly together, and something formed in her mind. But on the way back, she did not reveal any of it in front of the two little dumplings. She merely escorted Qi Wang all the way to his courtyard gate herself.
Grandma pressed the doorbell and waited a full three minutes before the plump nanny, Sun, came over with a face full of smiles.
“I was just about to go pick the child up. I never expected you would already have brought Qi Wang back. Thank you so much.”
Grandma did not respond to that. Instead, she smiled and patted Lin Huaixi on the head, telling him and Qi Wang to go play somewhere else.
Lin Huaixi was a little chatterbox with lots he wanted to share with Qi Wang, and he warmly reached for Qi Wang’s hand.
But this time, Qi Wang reacted very differently. He stared blankly at the window on the far left, his expression exactly the same as it had been that morning.
Lin Huaixi tilted his head, unable to understand Qi Wang’s emotions, and softly asked, “Are you tired?”
Qi Wang did not answer. He only walked forward very slowly. The front door was close enough to reach, but instead of going in, he sat down on the steps, wrapped his arms around his knees, and curled himself into a tiny little ball.
Lin Huaixi did not know how to describe it. He only felt as though something had been hollowed out of Qi Wang, leaving him especially, especially sad.
He did not run off to play by himself. Instead, he quietly sat down beside him, curling up into a little ball as well, warming Qi Wang with his body.
Grandma withdrew her gaze and frowned at Nanny Sun.
As an outsider, it was not proper for her to interfere too much in other people’s household matters. But leaving such a small child in kindergarten for an entire night was truly unacceptable.
“It rained all night yesterday. Qi Wang stayed at the kindergarten the whole time. He may have caught a chill.”
Nanny Sun had thought that since Grandma was a neighbor, she could exchange a few polite words first. On hearing this, however, she stupidly let out an “Ah.”
She felt guilty too, but had thought Grandma was just another parent who ought not know anything about this. Now that she had been exposed, her expression turned ugly. “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll go back and change him into clean clothes and boil him a strong bowl of ginger soup. It’s not good for children to drink too much cold medicine.”
Grandma smiled gently, but she had no intention of letting the matter drop. “Exactly. Children are physically weak and can’t bear such things. He should never have been left at the kindergarten overnight.”
“…” Nanny Sun slapped her thigh theatrically and said in a tone full of regret, “I didn’t want that either! But my grandson couldn’t eat yesterday and kept crying, so I took him to the hospital. That’s why I got delayed.”
“And how is your grandson now?”
Nanny Sun had not expected Grandma to be so tactless. She forced out a dry laugh and began to stammer. “N-no, it’s nothing serious, but he’s my only precious grandson, so of course I stayed with him all night.”
Your own child is a treasure, while someone else’s child is just worthless grass, fit to be abandoned with no one bothering to pick him up.
Grandma had always been extremely kind and courteous in the way she treated people, but this time she truly could not hold back. Her face turned cold. “I understand that you care about your grandson, and of course you should have time of your own. But picking up and dropping off the child is also part of your job, and your responsibility. If something came up at the last minute, you could have had someone else do it for you. No matter what, you should never have left such a young child alone in kindergarten. If something had happened, who would have been able to bear the responsibility?!”
“I…” Nanny Sun was left speechless by the rebuke, her face reddening. But she was not ashamed—she was angry at having lost face. “What I do is none of your business! His parents didn’t say a thing, so what are you barking so loudly for, like some big dog?”
Grandma looked coldly at this utterly conscienceless Nanny Sun. She disdained wasting words on someone like her and turned to walk further inside. “We’ve been neighbors for so long and still haven’t met. This is as good a chance as any to pay a visit to Qi Wang’s mother.”
Nanny Sun panicked. She reached out to grab Grandma and began making a scene. “What are you doing? Who said you could come in? If you keep walking in like this, I’m going to start yelling!”
Nanny Sun had an extremely loud voice. There was no way the people inside the house had not heard her. But Qi Wang’s mother did not come out to ask what was happening, nor did she come to protect her son. Instead, as if annoyed by the noise, she pulled the curtains shut.
Though Nanny Sun had not seen her employer’s face, that action alone explained enough. Immediately, she straightened her back and looked smugly at Grandma. “See that? They don’t welcome you here. You’d better go back where you came from and stop being such a nuisance!”
Grandma stood where she was, unmoving, staring at that curtained window in utter disbelief.
She had no way to forcefully interfere. Originally, she had only wanted to remind Qi Wang’s parents, so they could deal with the problem of Nanny Sun.
But only now did she realize that the true source of the problem lay at the root itself.
How could parents like this exist in the world? Did she really not love her child at all?
If this continued, then Qi Wang might be left in kindergarten a second time—or somewhere else.
Grandma felt chilled to the heart and instinctively looked toward Qi Wang, wanting to do something for this poor child.
She took a deep breath and did not turn away. “This time, I was indeed too abrupt. Next time, when I have time, I’ll come by again with a gift.”
Qi Wang’s parents’ negligence had already emboldened Nanny Sun. Now she had swelled with self-importance to the point where she felt she was the true master of this courtyard. Planting her hands on her hips, she pointed at Grandma’s nose and cursed, “Didn’t you see? You’re not welcome here! I’ve never seen anyone so shameless. You still want to come back clinging like that? I’m warning you—leave now, or I’ll grab a broom and beat you out!”
Grandma only wanted to solve the problem, but hearing such vulgar language, she became angry. “Is it appropriate to say such things in front of children?”
Lin Huaixi was her precious treasure and also her bottom line. She wished she could place all the beautiful things in this world before him, and she would never allow anyone to hurt him in any form.
Lin Huaixi could not understand those words, but Nanny Sun’s sudden outburst frightened him. His small body shrank back instinctively, wanting to hide. But when he looked at Qi Wang sitting beside him, he forced himself to be brave and used his soft little hands to cover Qi Wang’s ears.
Qi Wang froze for a moment and looked up at Lin Huaixi.
Lin Huaixi’s wide eyes were full of fear, but he still squeezed out a smile for him and mouthed silently, “Don’t be scared. I’ll protect you.”
Those hands could not block out any of the sound, and yet they gave Qi Wang a certain kind of strength. He held Lin Huaixi’s slightly trembling hands and pressed them against his own ears. “Stay here. Don’t move.”
Though Lin Huaixi did not understand, he vaguely sensed something and obediently nodded.
Step by step, Qi Wang walked up to Nanny Sun and looked up at her.
Like a weak little beast, he forced himself to stand tall, putting on a brave front as he tried to face the wind and rain all by himself. “My family doesn’t need you anymore. Leave!”
Looking at Qi Wang’s childish little face, Nanny Sun found it ridiculous and sneered, “Who do you think you are? Do you pay my salary? Stay out of grown-ups’ business. Go play in the mud instead!”
Qi Wang did not back down. His little face was held so stiffly tight that the flushed tips of his ears and his trembling hands gave him away.
Weakness itself was the reason people mocked you. He could do nothing. He could accomplish nothing.
Grandma was not Qi Wang’s relative, but looking at his back, she felt great pain in her heart. Holding Qi Wang’s little hand, she stepped in front of him protectively. “How can you treat a child like this? This is abuse!”
Nanny Sun deliberately pulled a ridiculous face and let out an exaggerated “Ah.” “What a huge accusation. If you can’t stand it, then take the child home and raise him yourself. But let’s be clear first—I won’t give you a single cent.”
“You!” Grandma had lived her whole life with elegance and gentleness. This was the first time she had ever been angered to the point of losing her composure.
And she clearly realized that trying to reason with a shameless, shrewish person was useless. To force Nanny Sun to act properly, stronger means would be needed.
But she was only an outsider. There was only so much she could do, and she could not protect Qi Wang forever.
Nanny Sun sensed this too. Picking up the broom beside her, she threatened, “This is trespassing. Leave now, or I’ll call the police and have you arrested!”
Dust flew up and choked Grandma so badly she could not open her eyes. Shielding Qi Wang, she kept stepping backward, but accidentally stepped on a loose stone. Her body lurched, and she lost her balance.
Just as she was about to fall, a strong hand caught her shoulder and helped her retreat to one side.
“Aren’t you going to call the police? Hurry up then, so I don’t have to do it myself.”
Nanny Sun looked at the young woman who had suddenly appeared—bright and striking, yet with a heroic air—and asked warily, “Who are you? What do you want?”
The woman lazily raised a brow, lifted her chin slightly, and pointed at the jade bangle on Nanny Sun’s wrist.
“That jade bracelet was stolen from our auction house. Since we’re heading to the police station anyway, let’s have a proper talk there about how it came into your hands.”
