If there were a contest for the most unlikely super S-class boss to have children, Yan Qingyuan would definitely be the unanimous choice. So when they heard he had a child, every boss came to join the fun.
Shen Mingsu harbored a grudge against Yan Qingyuan and firmly believed that Yan Qingyuan's child was the naughtiest and least likable, just like his father. Therefore, Shen Mingsu absolutely refused to come.
Shen Ruoqin rolled her eyes at him, decided to ignore him, and directly brought Shen Chang Le to see his little brother.
Shen Chang Le was very curious about his little brother. His backpack was overflowing with gifts he'd brought for him, and his dark green eyes shone with undisguised joy. He looked up at his mother and asked, "Will my little brother like these snacks?"
"He should...like some of them." Shen Ruoqin noticed that Shen Chang Le had also put several bags of peas and melon seeds into his backpack, and she had to remind him, "His little brother doesn't have any teeth yet."
Shen Chang Le nodded. "Then he can eat them when he grows teeth."
"By then, they'll be expired."
"..."
This was like a bucket of cold water poured over him. Shen Chang Le sullenly hugged his backpack. When he followed his mother to Yan Qingyuan's courtyard, he immediately saw his little brother surrounded by Sethia, Tan Mo, and Mingcai.
This little brother, whom his mother often mentioned, had rosy lips and white teeth, a delicate and adorable face, and wore an cute little penguin onesie. He was also very good-natured. Mingcai was teasing him with a bell toy, and the little guy enthusiastically reached out his paws to grab it.
"So cute..." Shen Chang Le's protective instincts were instantly aroused at first sight. His gaze lingered on little Yan Chi, and he shook Shen Ruoqin's hand. "Mommy, can I go see my little brother?"
"Sure, go play with your brother." Shen Ruoqin released Shen Chang Le's arm, walked to Ming Danxi's side, greeted Yan Qingyuan, and watched the children playing. "Your little darling is so cute."
Ming Danxi also liked little Yan Chi. "Hmm, so well-behaved, it doesn't seem like his child."
Yan Qingyuan glanced at them. Oh well, they were praising his child anyway, so he wouldn't hold it against them. Besides Shen Ruoqin and Ming Danxi, Yan Qingyuan also had the incessantly chattering Yi Luo beside him.
Yi Luo clung to Yan Qingyuan, recounting all the delicious food he had eaten recently. He had even brought a lot of food. "Try some, Master! Grilled squid tentacles, super fragrant!"
"No." Yan Qingyuan turned his head away in refusal, casually tossing the annoying giant jelly far away.
One second Yi Luo was clinging to Yan Qingyuan, the next they were hundreds of meters apart. He blinked blankly, looking at the grilled squid tentacles in his hand, then suddenly pushed aside the children and asked little Yan Chi in a casual tone, "Do you want some?"
Little Yan Chi: "...?"
He stared wide-eyed at the strange man in front of him, tilting his head in confusion. He instinctively looked at Yan Qingyuan, but Yan Qingyuan was talking to Chen Ruoqin and the others, not noticing him at the moment.
The air was filled with the aroma of cumin. The little guy had never eaten this food before, and he couldn't help but sniff it.
A strange smell... but he really wanted to eat it.
"It's delicious, here you go," Yi Luo generously stuffed the skewers into Xiao Yanchi's hands.
Xiao Yan Chi smiled at him. He was adorable, with chubby, pink cheeks and crescent-shaped eyes when he smiled. He held up a squid tentacle and offered it to Yi Luo's mouth. "Yay!"
Here, have some~
A little kid who shares food… Yi Luo was stunned. He subconsciously glanced at Sethia.
Sethia's short, golden hair shimmered in the sunlight. He stared at the squid tentacle in little Yan Chi's hand, drooling, his bright blue eyes filled with longing for the food.
The boy turned and asked, "Dad, do you have any more food? Don't hoard it!"
Yi Luo sensed the difference in their tastes. "...Even if I do, I won't give it to you."
Sethia never imagined his own father could be so heartless. He snorted and muttered, "You stingy little thing! Then I won't share any of my food with you from now on, even if you starve to death."
Yi Luo ignored him. He hugged Yan Chi tightly, biting his chubby cheek and touching his face to his own. "I don't want any, you eat, you eat."
Shen Chang Le quietly said, "Little brother doesn't have any teeth yet, he can't eat this."
His voice wasn't loud, and it was drowned out by the noise of the crowd.
After Yi Luo had a good hug and kiss with Yan Chi, he relentlessly bothered Yan Qingyuan. Yan Chi sat on the small blanket, watching his back, his gaze shifting downwards, intently looking at the squid tentacles.
He tentatively bit into a small squid tentacle, grinding it with his gums. A strong barbecue flavor immediately filled his mouth, and Yan Chi's eyes lit up. He smacked his lips, the novel taste making him take another bite.
However, after a few bites, the squid tentacle remained unharmed.
Little Yan Chi couldn't bite it, only taste it. Suddenly, he felt a burning gaze, looked up, and met Sethia's gaze.
Sethia swallowed hard, restraining himself. This was his younger brother; he couldn't take food from him.
"Oh?" Little Yan Chi offered the squid tentacle to Sethia, asking with his eyes, "Want some? Here, have a bite."
"For me?" Sethia was flattered. "You really want to give me some?"
Yan Chi offered it to him again.
"Thank you! You're such a good baby!" Sethia happily kissed Yan Chi on the cheek. "You're even better than my dad! I love you!"
After saying that, he picked up the squid tentacles and started eating them heartily.
In just a few seconds, the small skewer of squid tentacles was gone.
Little Yan Chi stared blankly at the empty skewer, his eyes gradually reddening, brimming with tears.
His skewer... was gone.
Sethia, who was happily eating, suddenly noticed the little boy's reddened eyes and was startled. He quickly gave him the rest, comforting him, "Don't cry, don't cry, I'll give it back to you, please don't cry."
The tears in Little Yan Chi's eyes gradually dissipated, but he remained sullen, looking at the last remaining squid tentacle. He couldn't bite it... The next second, a sweet lollipop appeared at his lips.
Little Yan Chi's amber eyes brightened, and he looked up, meeting a pair of dark green eyes.
“This is strawberry milk flavor.” Like a little adult, Shen Chang Le handed the squid tentacles to Sethia and then stuffed a lollipop into his hand. “That flavor is too strong; little babies shouldn’t eat too much. Eat this; it’s very sweet.”
The strawberry lollipop was indeed much tastier than the squid tentacles that were too tough to chew. Little Yan Chi was easily appeased, smiling at Shen Chang Le.
Encouraged, Shen Chang Le took out other food from his small backpack and piled it all in front of little Yan Chi, picking and choosing. "This is a cheese stick, you can eat it."
He then tore open the packaging for little Yan Chi and placed it in his other hand.
"Hmm..." little Yan Chi looked left and right, his little face thoughtful as he considered which one to eat next. After careful consideration, he took a big bite of the cheese stick.
While little Yan Chi was eating, Shen Chang Le, Sethia, and Mingcai squatted beside him, watching him with their chins propped up.
Mingcai, her heart pounding, pinched the little guy's cheek. "Mommy, I want to take him home and raise him!"
Ming Danxi's voice was gentle. "No, this is your Uncle Qingyuan's house. You have to ask him."
"Okay." Mingcai looked at Yan Qingyuan expectantly. "Then, Uncle Qingyuan, can the baby come home with me? I'll take good care of him."
Yan Qingyuan didn't even think about it. "No."
Mingcai sighed. "Alright."
The three of them played with little Yan Chi for a while. The little guy gradually started to get sleepy. He yawned, rubbed his eyes, and began looking around for Yan Qingyuan.
"Is he going to sleep?" Yan Qingyuan had been watching him closely. He came over, picked up Yan Chi, and gently patted his back.
Little Yan Chi hugged his father's neck, whimpered twice, rested his head on his shoulder, his curled eyelashes drooping. Soon, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Shen Ruoqin found it amusing and said softly, "Sleeping already?"
"Mmm." Yan Qingyuan covered Xiao Yanchi's head with a hat, glanced at the people surrounding her, and asked, "Aren't you leaving?"
Yi Luo pouted, "Aren't you going to try and keep us?"
"No."
"...How heartless."
Of course, in the past, Yan Qingyuan would have chased them away after they'd only been standing there for five minutes, but this time he'd endured it for almost two hours. This remarkable improvement left Yi Luo and the others in awe.
Yan Qingyuan truly loved his baby.
"Let's go then." Shen Ruoqin waved to Shen Chang Le, glancing at the peacefully sleeping little guy. "I'll come find you to play again next time."
Shen Chang Le, carrying his little schoolbag, waved to the sleeping Yan Chi and whispered, "Goodbye, little brother."
"By the way, are you going to send the child to Yunzhou for school?" Shen Ruoqin suddenly remembered this. "Then the children can all come to school together, it'll be lively. Hmm, it's just that choosing teachers is a bit of a hassle..."
Yan Qingyuan looked down at little Yan Chi; he hadn't thought that far ahead. "Let's talk about it after he's an adult."
The underage little one definitely needed to stay with him. As for whether he would go to school in Yunzhou after he grew up, it was entirely up to Yan Chi's own wishes.
However, Yan Qingyuan frowned when he thought of the unreliable principal, Shen Mingsu. Suddenly, he wasn't very willing to send his child there, fearing that the Shen family would corrupt his little one.
Shen Ruoqin noticed Yan Qingyuan's worry. "Don't worry, my brother doesn't teach kids. He's just a figurehead at school."
This reassured Yan Qingyuan slightly.
After everyone left, Yan Qingyuan carried the child home. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped, his amber eyes fixed on something behind a tree. His voice was icy. "Come out."
Xing Zhinan poked his head out from behind the tree. He observed Yan Qingyuan's expression and, seeing no sign of anger, slowly emerged. "This… Little Yan Chi is asleep? Haha, youth is great, he falls asleep instantly."
Yan Qingyuan: "…"
In Yan Qingyuan's silence, Xing Zhinan realized he had done something wrong. He looked around, finally lowering his head. "Okay, it's my loose tongue that let the news about Little Yan Chi slip out…"
"Slap!"
Yan Qingyuan slapped him across the face.
"Oh, don't be angry, it was an accident." Xing Zhinan had a handprint on his face, which he had expected. He quickly defended himself, "Of course, it's not all my fault. It's all Li Xian's fault for eating all the peanuts."
Xing Zhinan's argument was logical and convincing, determined to drag Li Xian into it. "If there had been even one peanut, I wouldn't have gotten so drunk, so Li Xian also bears some responsibility."
Yan Qingyuan's hand itched to slap him, but he had already slapped him once, especially since Yan Chi was right next to him. So he couldn't resist the urge to slap him again.
"Huh? Why didn't you hit me?" Xing Zhinan looked at Yan Qingyuan with surprise. "This isn't like you. Have you changed your personality?"
Yan Qingyuan looked up at him. "You want to be hit?"
As a father who wanted to set a good example for his child, Yan Qingyuan didn't want him to leave the child with the impression of a short-tempered father, but Xing Zhinan was just too annoying.
If he really missed that slap, Yan Qingyuan could grant his wish.
“Don’t hit me, don’t hit me!” Xing Zhinan backed away, grinning, “The sound of a slap is too loud. What if it wakes the child and you have to go and soothe him? It’s not worth it.”
Yan Qingyuan: “…”
He had to admit, he was right.
Perhaps because he hadn’t been slapped, Xing Zhinan started bouncing around again, running to Yan Qingyuan every few days. He not only came himself but also brought Xingluo to play with little Yan Chi.
Every time before Yan Qingyuan tried to shoo him away, Xing Zhinan would tell him in an experienced tone, “Children should play with other children. Look how happy little Yan Chi is playing with our Xingluo.”
Xingluo was teaching Yan Chi how to tell fortunes with coins and tortoise shells, but after little Yan Chi got the tortoise shell, he treated it like a toy, only enjoying the crisp clinking sound of the coins inside.
Xingluo: "...Looks like you're not suited for this."
Little Yanchi couldn't tell fortunes, but he liked the tortoise shell. He smiled at the older brother who had brought him the toy, clung to his arm, and shakily stood up, kissing him on the cheek.
Xingluo's eyes widened in shock. Seeing him about to fall again, she quickly hugged him, "Dad! Did you see that? Baby stood up!"
“I saw it, I saw it with both eyes.” Xing Zhinan nudged Yan Qingyuan with her elbow, winking. “See? I told you, letting little Yan Chi play with Xingluo and the others is good for his physical and mental development.”
Yan Qingyuan pursed his lips, finally not stopping them from coming to see little Yan Chi this time.
However, as little Yan Chi grew older, he learned to walk and talk, and inevitably became influenced by other children. Before doing anything, Yan Chi would take out his tortoise shell and shake it to see if it was auspicious or inauspicious.
Anyone who didn't know better would think he was Xing Zhinan's child. Yan Qingyuan reminded him, “...There's no need. As long as you want it, everything will be fine.”
Little Yan Chi is five years old this year and still can't quite master his abilities. A few days ago, Feng Wang came to play with him, and seeing Feng Wang transform into a little dragon, he tried to transform too, but couldn't transform back no matter what, and could only wag his tail and go to his father for help.
Or, seeing Sethia transform back into his jelly form, he imitated it, and in the end, he still cried and toddled to his father with his short legs.
He hadn't mastered his abilities, and his mind was completely in disarray.
Yan Qingyuan felt this couldn't continue; it was time to temporarily separate Yan Chi from the other children.
A few days later, when Shen Mingsu came to bring Shen Chang Le to play with his friends, he was surprised to find that [I] was no longer in my original location. This wandering world had moved, and Yan Qingyuan and his son were nowhere to be seen either.
Shen Mingsu had to tell Shen Chang Le, "It's not that I didn't want to bring you to see the other children; they moved... moved."
Even their world had been moved.
Shen Chang Le asked dejectedly, "Why did they leave?"
Shen Mingsu remembered Shen Ruoqin telling him that Yan Qingyuan's not-so-bright son had learned some abilities, and he figured it was probably because of that that Yan Qingyuan had moved.
Shen Mingsu thought for a moment, "Perhaps... it's because Yan's father moved three times?"
Shen Chang Le: "...?"
What does that mean? His mother had only taught him about Mencius' mother moving three times.
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