Chapter 8

Children are full of energy, and from the moment they got in the car to the moment they got out, Feng Jiayuan didn’t stop talking.

Ji Qingyu initially thought she would need to muster all her energy to deal with it, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy. The child didn’t give them any trouble; she was just excitedly sharing things that had happened recently—

“Grandpa didn’t close the fridge properly, and Grandma was very angry!”

“I saw it a long time ago, but I didn’t open the fridge to steal ice cream.”
After saying this, she turned her head with difficulty to look at her parents, hoping for their praise. She was different from Xu Yichuan, who loved to sneak food and hide snacks under the bed. She would never be so childish.

Ji Qingyu saw the “praise me” look in her eyes and immediately exclaimed, “Really? I knew Yuan Bao was the best. Best baby in the world!”

“Mom, you’re exaggerating.”

In some moments, Feng Jiayuan was very much like her father. Even though she was happy to hear such words, happy enough to pick at her fingers, her words and attitude were still very proud.

“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration,” Ji Qingyu said seriously. “In my heart, Yuan Bao is the cutest baby.”

“And what about Dad?”

Feng Jiayuan suddenly threw out this question.

Ji Qingyu was slightly stunned. One second, she said Yuan Bao didn’t give her any trouble, and the next, she was caught off guard.

How was she supposed to answer this?

She really didn’t have the courage or the guts to say to such a stern face, “He’s also my baby” or “Where did this smelly man come from? He’s not my baby.”

Could she just close her eyes and rest like him now?

“Mom!” Feng Jiayuan was an impatient child. When she didn’t get a response in a few seconds, she started urging.

“…” Ji Qingyu leaned over, her butt leaving the seat. “I’ll tell you a secret.”

Feng Jiayuan was indeed intrigued and stretched her neck, leaning her ear towards her.

Ji Qingyu whispered in her ear, “He’s the least cute baby, shh.”

When Feng Chengze expressed the view that “children are young and can be easily fooled,” Ji Qingyu disagreed. In her own family, her parents always answered her questions and fulfilled her requests. They never got impatient or brushed her off because they couldn’t answer, nor did they blame her for not being obedient or sensible. Yuan Bao wasn’t being noisy; she was only four years old and was seriously communicating with her. So, of course, she had to respond properly.

Just look at how Yuan Bao communicates with her five years later via WeChat voice messages. Sometimes, she might get impatient, but she never brushes things off.

Dad is indeed not as cute as her, and Feng Jiayuan covered her mouth, giggling non-stop. The mother and daughter whispered to each other, and Feng Chengze, sitting upright, didn’t try to eavesdrop. When Ji Qingyu couldn’t see, the corners of his mouth slightly lifted.

…

From the kindergarten to the Feng residence, it took nearly forty minutes without traffic. Ji Qingyu felt inexplicably complicated, especially when the car was driving on Songjing Road. She instinctively tightened her seatbelt. More than twenty hours ago, she was sitting in the car, passing this road. Thinking about it now, she felt pretty unlucky. This area leads to a wealthy district, isolated from the city’s hustle and bustle. There were not many pedestrians, let alone traffic jams. Who would have thought a car would suddenly crash into her, sending her five years into the future?

Fortunately, the driver of this car drove very steadily.

Thinking about it, this was Yuan Bao’s car. Although she was an outsider, she could tell that this nanny car had been modified, and the glass was probably bulletproof. So, the driver who picked up and dropped off for school must be qualified.

The car drove smoothly into a quiet path, backed by mountains and facing a lake with vast greenery.

Songjing Shuyuan is a famous wealthy district in Jing City. Although it is not yet open for sale, the standalone villas have already been snapped up.

The Feng family bought the largest one years ago. It includes a private garden and lawn covering thousands of square meters. They saw the carved iron gate slowly open from a distance, with a security booth at the entrance.

Ji Qingyu stared out the car window, internally exclaiming at the sight. After their car drove in, the gate immediately closed, revealing a green lawn with a white and a black dog playing with a ball. They probably recognized the car as their little owner and ran up with their short legs, almost leaving afterimages.

Feng Chengze naturally noticed, too. After a brief surprise, he regained his composure. Their family had never kept dogs, so his parents probably got them to entertain the child.

The nanny car circled the fountain pool and stopped at the grand main building porch. Butler Yang had already received a call from the security room. He waited on the side, and after the car stopped, he walked up, and the door automatically opened.

Feng Jiayuan unbuckled herself and shouted, “Grandpa Butler, I’m so tired today.”

No one in this world likes going to school. She thought no one would disagree with that.

Butler Yang chuckled and nodded seriously, “It must have been hard.”

When the eldest daughter of the Feng family was only two years old, her father and grandparents had already argued about her education more than once. Zheng Mingyue and Feng Jinglin only had this one precious granddaughter and spoiled her immensely. They heard children had to get up at seven o’clock to go to kindergarten and felt very distressed. So, they discussed hiring a private tutor to come to the house every day to teach her.

How could Feng Chengze agree to such a ridiculous and unreasonable idea?

Kindergarten at home, what about elementary school and middle school?

The outcome of the argument was, of course, no surprise.

Butler Yang looked at Feng Chengze and Ji Qingyu in the car and greeted them with a smile, “Sir, Madam, it must have been a tiring journey?”

Ji Qingyu smiled reservedly. She had only heard Feng Yu mention the butler before, and this was her first time meeting him. She was afraid of saying too much and making mistakes, so she let Feng Chengze handle these interpersonal relationships until she figured out what was happening.

Feng Chengze nodded calmly.

Feng Jiayuan got down from her seat, opened her arms, and Butler Yang lifted her out of the car. He only let go after her little shoes touched the ground.

Then Ji Qingyu and Feng Chengze got out of the car. She considered herself a guest or a little follower, either sticking with Yuan Bao or Feng Chengze. Considering the height difference, if she followed the over-one-meter-tall Yuan Bao step by step, it would attract attention. So, she decisively stood next to Feng Chengze, looking like a little bird relying on a big tree. She would never go west if he went east.

She used her actions to tell Feng Chengze: “Mr. Feng, please lead the way.”

Feng Chengze glanced at her lightly, tacitly approving her behavior. After taking a few steps, Feng Jiayuan realized that her parents had really come back. She turned around and squeezed between them, holding Feng Chengze’s hand with her left hand and Ji Qingyu’s with her right. She looked up and smiled, showing her little white teeth.

The family of three walked hand in hand into the main building, passing through the antique shelves and into the living room.

Feng Chengze thought he had entered the wrong house. The Feng family’s furnishings were always solemn, with no bright colors except in the flower room. The last major renovation was ten years ago, and occasional repairs over the years had used expensive wood, giving a dignified but somewhat cold atmosphere.

But what was going on now?

The floor tiles were covered with milky white children’s crawling mats, and the large sofa was filled with Barbie dolls and stuffed animals. There were also three children’s four-wheel toy cars in the hall, not to mention the car and airplane models scattered everywhere. Feng Chengze scanned the room and saw graffiti on the walls and cartoon stickers of various sizes on his father’s cherished antique vase—something that would have made his father frown if anyone touched it before.

Feng Chengze: “…”

Zheng Mingyue, dressed in comfortable home clothes, came down from upstairs and said gently, “You’re back.”

Feng Jiayuan let go of her parents’ hands and rushed like a cannonball.

Zheng Mingyue smiled broadly, bent down, and caught her, “Sweetie, did you have fun at kindergarten today? Are you tired? Are you thirsty?”

“Grandma, you really didn’t lie to me!” Feng Jiayuan was extremely happy, “My dad and mom are back~.”

“Grandma would never lie to you.”

Ji Qingyu and Feng Chengze could only act as excellent background figures. She was very nervous at first, but after all, it was her first time at the Feng family home and meeting the parents. The story had taken an unexpected turn; she was supposed to go home with Feng Yu to meet his parents, but now she was meeting Feng Chengze’s parents instead. Seeing Mrs. Feng smiling at her, her heart settled.

However…

Mrs. Feng and Mr. Feng didn’t seem as serious as Feng Yu had described…

Especially Mr. Feng. She had seen photos of the big boss during her internship at Yisheng Group, and he had an aura of authority.

In the dining room, Mr. Feng signaled the driver to take out his phone to show a video, his face full of loving smiles, “Yuan Bao, the vase had been taken down for cleaning and disinfection. Look, Grandpa completed the task you gave him.”

Feng Jiayuan raised her chin, “Mr. Feng is the best. President Feng is very satisfied.”

“Feng Jiayuan.”

Feng Chengze knew he should speak less like Ji Qingyu, but hearing his child call his father “Mr. Feng,” his brow twitched, and he couldn’t help but disapprove and correct her, “Call him properly.”

Feng Jiayuan, who had been swinging her legs, pouted and obediently sat when she heard her father scold her. She felt wronged but refused to cry easily. Her eyes turned red, but she kept her mouth tightly shut. She was scared when her dad spoke to her in that tone. But she had been well-behaved. When Dad took Mom out to play, she didn’t cry. She obediently stayed at Grandpa and Grandma’s house, ate, slept, and brushed her teeth for three minutes without missing a second. Why did Dad scold her as soon as he came back?

Ji Qingyu: … Ah, this.

Could she say it was fun to hear Yuan Bao call Grandpa “Mr. Feng”?
Thinking about how she always called her dad “Master Ji,” she felt guilty. Could it be that Yuan Bao learned it from her?

Mr. Feng looked at his son impatiently but didn’t undermine him. However, his gaze was as sharp as a knife. Seeing the tense atmosphere, Ji Qingyu realized she couldn’t stay out of it any longer. Why? Because the imposing Mr. Feng was putting pressure on her, staring at her…

?
??
Ah, don’t look at her, don’t look at her—
Did she look like someone who could smooth things over?
How could she possibly have the ability to calm Feng Chengze down?

But Mr. Feng’s gaze was hard to ignore. Whether she faced it or avoided it, it would be tough. She didn’t want Yuan Bao to cry, so she took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and tugged on Feng Chengze’s shirt sleeve.

Feng Chengze was actually feeling regretful inside. Feeling a light tug, he turned his head and met Ji Qingyu’s bright, expressive eyes. Looking down, he saw her slender fingers holding his sleeve. He looked away, then turned to his daughter, who was sitting on the sofa with a pout. He said softly, “Yuan Bao, go wash your hands.”

Feng Jiayuan wanted to hum at her dad like her mom did. Humph! Humph!!

But she just pouted, jumped off the sofa nimbly, and reluctantly followed. As the three headed towards the first-floor bathroom, Mr. Feng shook his head disapprovingly. His son never listened to him, but one look from his wife and he softened.