Chapter 19: The School Bully (19)

When Zai Ye left his mother’s villa with his child, he made a firm decision not to disrupt her family of three again. It was a complex emotion—proud determination tinged with melancholy.

Yet halfway through summer vacation, when Mrs. Wen called to invite him and his daughter on a vacation together, it took Zai Ye less than three seconds to agree.

All those earlier concerns about pride, not wanting to intrude, or believing he could manage childcare alone had vanished. Now, he would welcome anyone—literally anyone trustworthy—who could temporarily relieve him from this parenting hell.

Anything would do!

Though his daughter, Yu Qian, was well-behaved most of the time, she was still just a two-year-old—reasoning wasn’t her strong suit. When she wanted something, Zai Ye often found himself defenseless; she could cry, while he couldn’t cry back at her.

He’d considered disciplining her—every parent who has been pushed to their limit by their child has had countless moments of wanting to give them a good smack. But whenever it came to that point, Yu Qian would suddenly turn clever.

She would reach for him with trembling lips, about to cry, calling “Daddy.” Even when he tried to scold her, she’d wrap her arms around his neck, nuzzling her tiny head under his chin, making pitiful whimpering sounds while her small body shook with quiet sobs.

Zai Ye couldn’t even manage to raise his voice.

This poor high school student father, inexperienced in childcare, was thoroughly outmaneuvered by his two-year-old daughter.

He had to spend considerable mental energy outsmarting her, like preventing her from raiding the refrigerator for forbidden foods. Sometimes when he wanted to eat spicy takeout, he had to hide it, because once discovered, she would appear from nowhere like a cat, reaching for his food.

Saying “You can’t eat this yet” or “I’ll buy you something else” never worked. She would persist until, inevitably, crying achieved her goal.

If that wasn’t enough, there was the time she opened the door while he wasn’t looking and wandered outside. To his horror, she even managed to use the elevator. If Aunt Wu hadn’t spotted her while returning from grocery shopping, Zai Ye wouldn’t have known she’d left at all.

By mid-summer vacation, these countless incidents had left Zai Ye mentally exhausted.

This was despite having Aunt Wu’s help with cooking, feeding, bathing, and cleaning. Just teaching Yu Qian what she could and couldn’t do had depleted his lifetime supply of patience.

Thus, Mrs. Wen’s phone call came at the perfect moment.

Before calling, she had worried her son might refuse, knowing his stubborn nature well. But encouraged by her husband, she decided to try.

On the phone, she rambled, “It’s not good for a child to stay home all the time. She needs playmates. Taking her out, letting her play with other children—it’s beneficial for her development…”

“Okay.”

“…you agreed?”

“Yes, I agreed.”

Even after hanging up, Mrs. Wen could hardly believe it. Her eldest son, who had grown distant, had so easily agreed to join their family trip.

But this was wonderful news—it had been years since they’d vacationed together. They weren’t planning to go far, just to their beachside villa in Binhai City. She had purchased it during her recovery period, attracted by its pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters. The private beach section was quiet, perfect for children to play safely.

On departure day, Mrs. Wen personally drove to pick them up.

The eternally youthful and handsome father wore a simple T-shirt and pants, carrying a large bag while holding his daughter. They wore matching T-shirts—Zai Ye’s read “Yes” while the child’s read “No.” They even had matching hats, creating an adorable sight.

Mrs. Wen chuckled, “Even wearing parent-child outfits, how sweet!”

In the car, Yu Qian quickly started rummaging through the bag for yogurt.

“You’ve had too much today,” Zai Ye stopped her. “No more.”

Yu Qian stared at him briefly, then stubbornly returned to searching the bag.

Zai Ye pulled her clothes, making her look at the characters: “Look here, know what this says? No, understand? No!”

The child pointed at his shirt in response: “Yes!”

Watching their interaction, Wen Ling was thoroughly amused.

Zai Ye couldn’t care less anymore. After handing his daughter over to his capable mother, he pulled down his hat and caught up on sleep. It had been ages since he’d slept so peacefully, without sudden wake-ups or constant worry about what dangerous thing his daughter might attempt.

Sensing her eldest son’s exhaustion, Mrs. Wen let him rest while she took both children out to play.

Nine-year-old Lu Lang met Yu Qian for the second time. Mrs. Wen reintroduced them, emphasizing that as her young uncle, he must not bully his little niece.

Still holding a grudge from their last encounter, Lu Lang ignored his mother’s words. When she wasn’t looking, he made faces at Yu Qian, trying to frighten her.

To his frustration, Yu Qian found his expressions fascinating, laughing with genuine delight. Each grimace earned a giggle, until it seemed like Lu Lang was deliberately entertaining her. When he realized this, he kicked the sand in annoyance.

Finally finding an opportunity, Lu Lang used his height advantage to intimidate her, raising his small fist. As he approached, Yu Qian lost her balance and fell backward. Mrs. Wen turned just in time to see this, immediately grabbing Lu Lang’s ear for a stern scolding.

“What did I tell you before we came? What did you promise me? Tell me…”

While Lu Lang howled in the background, Yu Qian contentedly dug in the sand. By the time Mrs. Wen finished disciplining Lu Lang and called her husband to handle their troublemaker, she turned back to find Yu Qian had dug a proper hole, her chubby arms and face covered in sand.

She laughed, “Oh my, Xiao Qian has turned into a sandcat! Let grandma help clean you up.”

After washing her clean, Mrs. Wen shaded her with a small umbrella, walked with her under the trees, played in the shallow pool, then prepared fruit and drinks.

When Zai Ye finally woke, he leaned against the stairs watching his quietly eating daughter, puzzled: “Why is she so well-behaved with you and at Brother Xiu’s, but such a terror at home?”

Offering him a bowl of fruit, Mrs. Wen replied, “Children are very perceptive. They know they can act up around people who truly care about them, but become angels when those closest to them aren’t around.”

Zai Ye said nothing, biting into his fruit. Yu Qian had already toddled over, tugging his pants with one hand: “Go play!”

Mrs. Wen watched them both, her expression tender: “See? She didn’t ask me to play, but the moment she saw you, she did. She depends on you completely.”

Zai Ye made a noncommittal sound, but quickly scooped up his daughter and headed outside.

The sun had softened, painting the sea with streaks of red and gold. Mrs. Wen’s husband, Lu Xishu, was returning from the beach with Lu Lang, who hung from him like a playful monkey, his earlier scolding forgotten in his broad smile.

Naturally, he soon returned to his old ways, seeking to bother Yu Qian. He’d considered pestering Zai Ye too, but this brother wasn’t the one he remembered. Now towering even over his father, with hands that looked capable of sending him flying, Zai Ye’s quiet stare made Lu Lang nervously retreat behind his father.

Zai Ye slowly crushed his empty water bottle, watching Lu Lang hide. He contemplated teaching the boy a lesson now to prevent future trouble with his daughter.

They passed the first night peacefully. The next day, the whole family headed to the beach.

Yu Qian sat out of the water, sipping juice while Mrs. Wen applied sunscreen to her arms. Without prompting, she offered her other arm after the first was done.

Mrs. Wen stepped away briefly to put something away, and Lu Lang seized his chance. He quickly dumped a handful of sand into Yu Qian’s juice cup, letting out a mischievous laugh as he anticipated her tears.

Yu Qian glanced at her cup, then suddenly splashed all the juice onto Lu Lang’s pants. The sky-blue fabric instantly bore a suspicious wet patch that looked remarkably like… well.

Zai Ye, who had hurried from the sea upon noticing Lu Lang approach his daughter, arrived to witness this scene. He fell silent—his daughter’s juice-splashing technique was familiar, identical to his own, in fact.

She’d learned this from seeing him do it just once. Why couldn’t she pick up good habits this quickly?

Before Lu Lang could react, Yu Qian pointed at his pants and declared, “Pee-pee.”

Lu Lang’s eyes widened in shock: “I didn’t! You splashed me!”

Yu Qian spoke with utmost seriousness: “Wet your pants.”

Lu Lang was furious, then turned to see Zai Ye approaching.

Looking down at him with a smirk, Zai Ye added, “Still wetting your pants at this age? How embarrassing.”

A critical hit.

Wrongly accused, Lu Lang burst into tears.

The father-daughter duo who had successfully reduced someone to tears strolled leisurely toward the sea, perfectly in sync.