Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After Li Zexuan returned to the dormitory, he placed the snacks on his desk.
âSour barsâ¦,â muttered Li Zexuan as he read the ingredients list.
âHm⦠so, itâs candy, â said Li Zexuan. He had never eaten something like this before. Whenever his younger brother, Li Zekai, gave him candy, he would always refuse. He thought only little children ate candy.
Sun Mingtao opened the door to the dorm room and entered. He saw Li Zexuan with some sour sticks in his hands. âYou actually bought some candy?!â
Li Zexuan shoved the sour sticks into the drawer. âI was just curious. Anyway, I am going to do my homework now.â
Sun Mingtao wanted to get more information out of Li Zexuan, but he had started with his homework.
Li Zexuan opened his notebooks. He was a little absentminded today.
Beijing University and Imperial Films College were both in the capital.
Although he didnât know how far the two schools were from each other, it was convenient that thev both would be in the same citv.
When Li Zexuan found out about Xie Wanyuâs goal of getting into Beijing University, his motivation to make it to Imperial Films College got even stronger. If what Luan Rongrong said was true, there was no doubt that Xie Wanyu was smart enough to get into Beijing University. She was a top student, after all. However, Li Zexuan was doubtful whether he could make it into Imperial Films College. He decided to work harder in his studies.
At Yun Xi Primary School, Li Zekai was ecstatic because the long-awaited holidays were finally here! After lunch, he went back to his dormitory to pack his clothes. Li Zekai was the first to rush out of the classroom. He grabbed his bag and ran to the school gates the moment the bell rang.
Assistant Qin was already waiting for him at the entrance.
âUncle Qin!â shouted Li Zekai happily as he ran to him.
Assistant Qin took the backpack from Li Zekai. âYoung Master, how are you?â
âUncle Qin, are daddy and Auntie Lin at home?â asked Li Zekai, as he held Assistant Qinâs hand. âIs Auntie Lin livestreaming right now from home? Maybe I can have a slice of cake when I get back!â
âI just came directly from the company, so I donât know. Mr. Li is in the office, but Madam should be at home right now. Should I take you there directly?â asked Assistant Qin.
âYes,â said Li Zekai. âWill daddy be back soon?â
âYes, I think so. Mr. Li has been going home early these days after office,â said Assistant Qin. âAre you hungry? I will buy you some fried chicken.â
âNo, I am not very hungry. Letâs go home directly.â Li Zekai got into the backseat of the car.
At the Li family house, Lin Wan and Xia MO were livestreaming. Auntie Huang knew that Li Zekai would be back home tonight, so she went to the supermarket to buy some groceries to cook something special for him. In the evening, Lin Wan logged off and talked to Xia MO for a while.
âWanwan, I really envy you,â said Xia Mo.
âWhy?â
âAfter Xiao Yi went to college, I and Xiao Tianlin had nothing to do but stare at each other all day. It gets lonely. Itâs funny. We think that children need us. But it turns out, we need them more. Xiao Yi is in his second year at the university. He rarely comes home.â Xia MO still hadnât been able to adapt to the constant absence of her son at home. âYou have three children! It must be lively here.â
Lin Wan laughed. âJiejie is quite obedient. Li Zexuan and Li Zexin are always bickering and quarreling. They seem to be jealous of each other. Are you envious of that? And Li Yanchen sometimes pitches in and accuses me of being biased and partial about the amount of attention I give him.â
âThatâs because everyone wants your attention. Itâs good to feel needed. When Xiao Yi comes back from the university, he wonât even look for me unless I pester him. And if I ever try to spend time with him, he will just brush me off. I
donât have much to talk about with Xiao Tianlin. Children really keep the family together.â
âHmph! Why do I feel I am much freer without children?â said Lin Wan. After Li Zexin started his third year at Yun Xi Junior High School, he came home every day for English classes. Lin Wan wouldnât be done with her work until the middle of the night.
âMaybe I have been married to Old Xiao too long⦠By the way, has Mr. Li used the supplements Xiao Tianlin gave him? Is it helping his hair loss? Old Xiao gave him a lot of supplements. Keep an eye on him. I threw away a lot of useless supplements Old Xiao brought home.â
Lin Wan was speechless.
âSome of them can be ingested, but some arenât very healthy,â said Xia Mo.
âMany are for the kidney and vigor.â
Lin Wan was perplexed. Her face turned red. âWhat is Li Yanchen even doing?
âI will throw them away. Why is he even getting them? He is not going to let me live in peace,â said Lin Wan.
âAlright. I am heading back now.â Xia MO carried her small bag and walked out of the live broadcast room.
Li Zekai, who had been loitering outside the door, was happy when the door opened.
âJiejie, youâre back!â said Xia Mo. âHello, Auntie Xia,â greeted Li Zekai. âUm⦠where is Auntie Lin?â
âHe is here already?â said Lin Wan. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âAuntie Lin!â Li Zekai ran up to her and hugged her. âAuntie, is there cake for me? I am hungry.â
Lin Wan almost stumbled. Fortunately, she was near the wall, so she steadied herself. âYes, I made a lot. I will get them for you.â
Li Zekai looked inside the room. There was a row of small cakes on the table. The cakes looked colorful.
âI can get them myself,â he said as he walked toward the table and picked up a small cake. He swiped the icing with his fingers and tasted it.
âThis umbrella looks cute,â he said. âCan I eat it?â
âYes. All the decorations on the cake are edible,â she said. âI saved some for Xinxin, too. He wants to share them with his friends.â
Li Zexin had already asked Lin Wan to make some cakes for him yesterday. So, she kept all the cakes instead of sending them with Xia MO to her shop.
âI hope he isnât taking everything away?â said Li Zekai. âAuntie, does he get to come back here every day?â
âYes. He is in his third year of junior high, right?â said Lin Wan. âItâs the most important year. He needs to do well.â
âAuntie, Doudou transferred schools,â said Li Zekai sadly.
Lin Wan didnât know who Doudou was. âIs Doudou your friend? Do you miss him?â she asked. She saw that he looked a little sad. âLife is like a moving train, Jiejie. Some people get off, and some get on. Doudou might have gotten off because he needed to go to his destination, but others will get on to take his place.â
âAuntie, I think itâs good for him that he transferred,â said Li Zekai, which surprised Lin Wan. âOur school isnât that good. Doudou only got to go home twice a month. His new school is near his house. He can attend school and go back home every day! Also, he doesnât have to pay school fees. Itâs free for nine years of schooling. Auntie, I also want to go to a school like that.â
âSo⦠youâre not sad?â asked Lin Wan. âYou just wanted to tell me that you want to transfer, too?â
âI feel a little sad, but I am happy for Doudou,â said Li Zekai. âHe gets to go home every day after school. I want to study in a school nearby so that I can come back home after school every day. Also, it will be free for nine years of education! I am going to talk to daddy about this.â
When Lin Wan first appeared in this world, she had wondered why all the children were in boarding schools. She especially felt that Li Zekai was too young to be staying away from home to study. She had thought of having him brought back and enrolled as a day scholar.
However, she soon realized that she didnât have enough energy to keep him company. If Li Zekai were to go to a day school from now on, who would take him back and forth from the school? Who would tutor him on his homework every night?
Lin Wan fell silent. She didnât say anything. She needed time to think. She couldnât make a decision right away.
âAuntie, Doudou said that our school is quite expensive, and I donât want dad to spend that much money. When dad comes back, can you help me persuade him to let me attend a day school?â asked Li Zekai..