Chapter 22: The School Bully (22)

After years of living alone, Zai Ye never imagined he would grow attached to a child. It wasn’t until Mrs. Wen pointed it out that he suddenly realized how dependent on the child he had become.

But how could that be?

Growing up, he had never seen truly responsible parents. His own parents’ marriage had fallen apart in a bitter divorce, and the other parents he knew maintained marriages in name only while living separate lives.

Zai Ye had never considered himself a responsible parent. The child had arrived so suddenly, and as her closest living relative, he felt that if he didn’t care for her, no one would. It was like being unable to abandon a puppy.

Though the child had caused him frustration and trouble, she had also touched and softened his heart. Without realizing it, he had transformed.

While Zai Ye quietly contemplated his life during school hours, Yu Qian was finding her place in kindergarten. After a few days of initial boredom, she discovered her own way to enjoy school.

Though she showed little interest in the kindergarten toys, she began to… play with the other children.

When Aunt Wu brought her teething snacks, Yu Qian would carefully distribute them to her classmates. Her naive classmates, discovering she had treats to share, would gather around her like little chicks. Some genuinely wanted the snacks, while others just enjoyed being part of the group. When teachers weren’t watching, Yu Qian’s corner would fill with children, all waiting with open mouths as she methodically shared her treats, looking every bit the careful caretaker.

The teachers could only watch in amazement.

More surprising still, Yu Qian soon became the unofficial distributor of classroom toys. One day, the teachers noticed something unusual – when a child had a toy taken from them, instead of seeking the teacher to help, they went crying to Yu Qian. This led to an unexpected fight breaking out in class.

Just as Zai Ye had settled into a comfortable routine of uninterrupted school life, he received a summons to the kindergarten. For someone who had always been the student whose parents were called in, becoming the parent being summoned felt like karmic justice.

Standing at the kindergarten gate, he felt the weight of this role reversal.

“Who bullied her?” His first words made the teachers nervous.

“Well, Mr. Zai, there may have been some confusion in our phone call. One child took another’s toy, and Yu Qian tried to help retrieve it. This led to some… friction between the children…”

“Was she hurt?” Zai Ye asked directly.

“No, actually, Yu Qian hit the other child with a block. This wasn’t appropriate, and we’ve discussed it with her. We hope parents can help monitor their children’s emotional well-being…”

“I understand,” Zai Ye replied.

The teachers relaxed, relieved by his reasonable response. His initial intimidating presence and sharp questions had made them expect a difficult parent, but he proved surprisingly cooperative.

That weekend, this cooperative parent took his two-year-old daughter to a familiar gym. The owner, Yi Jingjing, had once dreamed of opening a martial arts school. Though that dream hadn’t materialized, he’d built a successful gym instead.

They had met at Ning Zeyi’s racing club. When Yi Jingjing’s gym faced financial crisis two years ago, Zai Ye had helped him through it. Ever since, the grateful owner shared yearly dividends with Zai Ye, though Zai Ye never cared about the money. He’d avoided visiting lately, tired of constant attention from other patrons.

“What rare wind brings our little boss here today?” Yi Jingjing’s massive frame, reminiscent of a black bear, dominated the entrance.

“I need a favor,” Zai Ye replied.

“What’s that bundle you’re carrying?” Yi Jingjing asked, noticing the bulge under Zai Ye’s jacket.

Zai Ye opened his jacket to reveal his sleeping daughter. The little one had an impressive ability to sleep – having just woken for breakfast before dozing off again during the trip.

“What? A daughter? DAUGHTER?!” Yi Jingjing exclaimed.

“She got into a fight at kindergarten,” Zai Ye explained. “I want you to teach her so she won’t lose if someone bullies her.”

“Hold on!” Yi Jingjing’s confusion mounted. “Fighting in kindergarten? How old is she?”

“Two.”

“You want to train a two-year-old to fight? Are you serious?” Yi Jingjing was incredulous. “Look, I studied at Shaolin Temple as a kid and taught martial arts, but training a two-year-old? That’s dangerous – their bones haven’t developed properly. We could seriously hurt her…”

Hearing this, Zai Ye adjusted his request. “Then let’s skip the physical training. Just teach her to understand when she should defend herself.”

“That we can do. Think of it as an enrichment activity – movement is good for kids anyway.” Yi Jingjing agreed, though he suddenly realized he’d forgotten to ask about the child’s origins.

Keeping things playful, Yi Jingjing began with a demonstration alongside Zai Ye while Yu Qian watched. After a few slow-motion moves, it was her turn.

Charmed by her cuteness, Yi Jingjing quickly forgot his earlier questions. He crouched down, flexed playfully, and encouraged her: “Come on, don’t be scared. Give me your best punch, right here!”

Yu Qian studied the large man before her, then glanced at her father, who stood watching with crossed arms.

“Don’t hold back,” Zai Ye said. “You can even hit his face.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Yu Qian delivered a tiny punch to Yi Jingjing’s chest, belatedly adding a quiet “Ha!”

When she felt his muscles move under her fist, she quickly withdrew her hand, her expression a mixture of surprise and concern.

Yi Jingjing dramatically fell backward. “Oh, precious princess, you’ve struck my heart!”

Zai Ye immediately regretted his decision. He scooped up his daughter and regarded Yi Jingjing suspiciously. “You’re not some kind of pervert, are you?”

“How could you doubt my character?” Yi Jingjing protested. “Your daughter is just too adorable – I want one too!”

Zai Ye’s suspicion deepened. “You’re not planning to kidnap children, are you?”

“I would never do anything illegal!” Yi Jingjing declared righteously. “Now, put her down and let’s continue the lesson!”

“Forget it,” Zai Ye said, already heading for the door. “This isn’t going to work. We’re leaving.”

Though the impromptu self-defense training failed, Yu Qian continued to thrive as a kindergarten “boss.” While not the oldest in her class, she showed remarkable independence. As long as her father wasn’t in sight, she rarely cried and maintained impressive emotional stability. She handled lunch and nap times without supervision, showing unusual self-discipline for her age.

Her exemplary behavior earned her countless praise stickers, and the teachers began nurturing her natural talent for mediating conflicts between classmates.

Meanwhile, her father, who had been a school bully for years, found himself dealing with his own territorial issues.

“Brother Ye, you’ve been around less lately. We’re losing ground.”

“There’s been this group of thugs hanging around school, harassing girls for their contact information. The girls in our class are afraid to walk home alone. Should we teach them a lesson?”

After school, Zai Ye walked toward the gates, hands in his pockets, followed by his eager group of followers.

Following a rare evening of team bonding, the group gathered for late-night snacks, insisting Zai Ye stay. “Brother Ye, no running off halfway through this time.”

“I can stay all night,” he replied, having received word that Yu Qian would be spending the weekend with his mother.

When Zai Ye went to pick up his daughter from Mrs. Wen, she surprised him with a question: “Your father won’t attend your parent-teacher meeting. Would you like me to go?”

“No need,” Zai Ye replied immediately.

“What about your cousin?”

“Also unnecessary.”

Mrs. Wen let the matter drop and saw them off.

On their way home, Zai Ye received a message from her: 「Neither your father nor I have been good parents, so we have no right to demand you be a good child. I only hope you can live healthily and happily now. As you learn to be a father to Yu Qian, I hope you can gradually let go of the unhealthy family patterns we created.」

Zai Ye suddenly tossed his daughter into the air, catching her amid her delighted giggles. “I don’t expect perfection from you either – just be healthy and happy.”

Yu Qian wiggled in his arms, reaching for her small backpack. She pulled out a notebook almost full of star stickers representing excellence.

Zai Ye: “…”

On the day of his high school parent-teacher meeting, Yu Qian’s kindergarten happened to be closed. With Li Xiu traveling abroad, Aunt Wu attending her own child’s meeting, and Mrs. Wen at Lu Lang’s parent-teacher meeting, Zai Ye had no choice but to bring Yu Qian to school with him.