Chapter 17:The School Bully (17)

After attending a family banquet, Yu Qian’s identity became official—at just two years old, she had become a wealthy heiress.

Little rich Qian was pulled from her bed early by her father today.

Zai Ye had to go to school, but first, he needed to drop her off at the Soaring Lounge. That meant Yu Qian had to wake up with him—an unrelenting enemy for all young children.

Standing at the sink, Zai Ye brushed his teeth mechanically, his face expressionless but radiating irritation from lack of sleep. Beside him stood Yu Qian, her tiny face a perfect miniature of his, equally drowsy as she moved her toothbrush twice before freezing mid-motion.

Zai Ye kept one foot on the edge of her small stool, using his leg as a backrest to prevent her from toppling backward. When he noticed her nodding off, he shook her chubby little chin to wake her.

Groggily awakened, Yu Qian continued brushing at a snail’s pace. Zai Ye, already finished washing up, saw her sluggishness and hurried her along, snatching her towel to quickly wash her face. Throughout the entire process, Yu Qian remained half-asleep until Zai Ye finally carried her to the dining table.

Aunt Wu had already prepared breakfast. Yu Qian nibbled on a pig-shaped bun with a vacant expression while across from her, her teenage father, in his voracious youth, devoured the same cute children’s buns in single bites.

Seeing Yu Qian’s obvious exhaustion, Aunt Wu voiced her concern: “Xiao Qian is still so young. She doesn’t need to wake up this early. Let her sleep longer.”

“No,” Zai Ye replied, “early rising is good for health.”

Of course, that wasn’t the real reason. He just couldn’t stand seeing this little troublemaker sleeping peacefully while he had to wake up early for school.

Once the grumpy high schooler left, Yu Qian transformed into a free little piglet, eating and sleeping as she pleased, far from Zai Ye’s control.

After the family banquet, Li Xiu’s Soaring Lounge became a favorite destination for many young socialites. The slightly older ones with free time would visit Yu Qian, often stopping by while shopping nearby. They’d come bearing gifts, having developed a habit of buying anything suitable for children they spotted in the stores.

These young women frequently brought treats (though Yu Qian couldn’t eat everything) and pretty clothes that always fit her perfectly.

Yu Qian, being neither fussy nor shy, quickly won them over. It started when one sister bought her a matching outfit for mother-daughter photos. Soon, others began visiting in groups, turning her into their real-life dress-up doll.

Zai Ye would drop off a simply dressed child in the morning only to return to a transformed little fairy—wearing expensive dresses, matching socks and shoes, her hair adorned with cute accessories, and smelling sweetly fragrant.

Though Zai Ye was a responsible father, as a high school boy with questionable aesthetic sense, he lacked the skills to dress her up. Seeing his fairy-like daughter, he took several photos on his phone and posted them privately to his social media.

Originally aloof with few contacts, his phone had mysteriously accumulated more connections recently, making his social feed unusually lively.

After posting his private update, he refreshed to find an acquaintance had posted photos of herself with Yu Qian in matching outfits, captioned “Parent-child look!” She wasn’t the only one.

Zai Ye, in a rare display of irritation, commented: 「My daughter is wearing matching outfits with you? Delete it.」

The responses came quickly:

「You’re just jealous! Not deleting it!」

「Someone’s envious.」

「Poor thing, he’s never even worn matching outfits with Xiao Qian.」

Zai Ye: “…”

Picking up Yu Qian, he asked sternly, “They dress you up and you just let them? Next time they try to change your clothes, make a fuss. Cry. Understand?”

Yu Qian parroted without comprehension: “Cry!”

Satisfied, Zai Ye nodded: “Right. When they tease you or ask you to do anything, just cry.”

That would teach these meddlesome people a lesson.

While walking home teaching his daughter how to be an uncooperative child, they passed a street vendor. The sizzling aroma of grilled meat and potatoes caught Yu Qian’s attention.

“Eat that,” she pointed at the fragrant skewers.

“No, children can’t eat street food,” Zai Ye stated firmly.

Yu Qian looked at him and insisted: “Eat.”

“Not allowed.”

The child tilted her head back and began wailing loudly.

Zai Ye’s face darkened: “I told you to cry at them, not at me!”

In a way, his teaching had succeeded perfectly.

Eventually, Zai Ye bought a skewer of grilled potatoes and meat, eating the meat himself while letting her nibble on two potato pieces. Though the cumin-seasoned potatoes weren’t as good as the meat, the child was satisfied just getting to eat something.

Her satisfaction was short-lived—that night she developed a stomachache, frightening Zai Ye into rushing her to the doctor, getting medicine, and spending hours trying to comfort her.

Unable to sleep well due to stomach pain, she whimpered through the night. Zai Ye carried her around the house endlessly, pacing every corner multiple times. He stayed awake all night, alternating between rubbing her belly and preparing medicine, jolting awake at the slightest sound until dawn approached.

Before finally collapsing onto the bed, Zai Ye pinched her cheek and growled, “Don’t even think about eating street food again!”

Exhausted from the previous night, he naturally skipped school the next day, sleeping until late morning when he was awakened by the child. Now recovered, she wore her pajamas with hair flying free, riding on his back and pulling his hair while persistently calling: “Daddy, Daddy.”

“I’m hungry, Daddy.”

Zai Ye groaned painfully. A sleepless night usually wouldn’t tire him—he’d once gamed for two days straight without rest and remained energetic. But a sick child was different; anxiety and worry had left him too exhausted to move.

Rising slowly, the child on his back was lifted up. She gave a short squeal before dissolving into giggles, rocking on his back like the mechanical rides at the Soaring Lounge.

Zai Ye deliberately tilted sideways, dropping her into the pile of blankets where she landed feet-up.

“Gahahaha!” She laughed harder, thinking it was all part of the game.

Grabbing his hair in exasperation, Zai Ye scowled: “You’re still laughing?”

Her laughter only grew louder.

Mentally drained, Zai Ye shuffled to the bathroom like a ghost, seeking a moment’s peace in the toilet. Within a minute, he heard scratching at the door and the handle being pulled, making him frantically try to remember if he’d locked it.

“Are you a cat? Why are you scratching the door?” he shouted from inside.

“Daddy, I’m hungry,” came the persistent reply.

At that moment, Zai Ye couldn’t help but think of his own father, Zai Yan. Every time he’d pestered Zai Yan like a debt collector, his father must have felt this same exhaustion.

When it comes to raising children, other people’s kids always seem the cutest—you only see them occasionally and bear no responsibility. But for parents facing the daily challenges, it’s particularly draining. Recently, Zai Ye had begun to appreciate school—those hours had become his only respite.

Unfortunately, summer vacation was approaching, meaning full-time childcare duty loomed ahead.

This was his second-year summer break; after vacation, he’d start his final year. For most students, this represented their last taste of freedom.

Last summer, Zai Ye had roamed Ning Water with his followers, getting into fights, racing on mountain roads, and even having midnight beach barbecues and swims—truly living life to the fullest.

This year, when his followers eagerly asked about his summer plans, Zai Ye just leaned back by the window, covering his face with a book.

“Brother Ye?” they asked, confused.

They only saw their Brother Ye motionless, the book hiding his face as if he’d departed this world.

As summer vacation approached, Zai Ye’s steps leaving school grew increasingly reluctant. A bright red car pulled up beside him, the window lowering to reveal a face with elegant makeup.

“Zai Ye, perfect timing. I brought a gift for Xiao Qian. I was going to take it to the Soaring Lounge, but something urgent came up. Could you deliver it for me?”

This young lady—once barely an acquaintance—now seemed closer to Xiao Qian than to him.

His daughter frequently received gifts, and Zai Ye had grown resigned to it—his refusals fell on deaf ears anyway.

“What kind of—” Zai Ye began impatiently, then saw a massive bear head emerge from the window. “…”

A two-meter teddy bear was pushed out, softly collapsing against him. The young lady quickly rolled up her window and sped away, leaving him no chance to refuse.

Standing near the school entrance surrounded by students, Zai Ye clutched the enormous teddy bear, drawing everyone’s attention.

“What a huge bear! Who is that?”

“Isn’t that… the second-year student…?”

Zai Ye desperately wanted to abandon the bear.

He stared into its round black eyes, repeatedly fighting the urge to dump it, before finally resigning himself to carrying it home.

Though his grip on the bear and expression remained cold, he couldn’t escape the constant chorus of passersby:

“Wow, what an adorable teddy bear!”