Feng Ye sat up in bed. Things had been a bit frantic and late the previous night, so she had overslept.
Massaging the bridge of her nose, she looked at the little ball of fluff in front of her with a look of amusement, calling out softly, “Xiao Bao.”
Wen Ruanqing was three years old this year. Initially, Feng Ye and Wen Si had not planned on sending Wen Ruanqing to kindergarten, but they could not stubborn out Wen Ruanqing’s intense desire to go, so they could only relent.
Today was Wen Ruanqing’s first day of school.
Wen Tingyin was six years old this year, but she was already entering the first grade. Today, both children were starting school together.
Wen Tingyin had gotten out of bed early with Wen Ruanqing. They had slept together the previous night, making it convenient to wake up and freshen up together. Today, Wen Ruanqing’s outfit and styling had been put together by Wen Tingyin.
“Mom, you have half an hour of preparation time.”
Wen Tingyin was wearing her school uniform. Her height was growing rather quickly. Although there was still baby fat on her face that had not yet faded, her posture was excellent, and the uniform on her body exuded a subtle air of nobility. She tilted her head to look at Wen Ruanqing, “Xiao Bao, drink your milk.”
Wen Ruanqing gave an “Mm,” shuffled over to Feng Ye, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Feng Ye: “Mom, big sister and I will wait downstairs.”
“Alright.”
Satisfied, Feng Ye rubbed her forehead against Wen Ruanqing’s, “Go on, I’ll be down in a moment.”
Hearing this, Wen Ruanqing turned around and jogged toward Wen Tingyin. Her height had grown a bit, but she was not particularly tall. Because she had been taking medication long-term, there was not much flesh on her face, but her eyes were exceptionally bright, especially today, full of anticipation for kindergarten life.
“Big sister, will you pick me up when school is over?”
Wen Ruanqing knew how to speak; her learning ability was strong, and she had picked up many words from following Wen Tingyin and Huo Yinli around. At this moment, she held a small cup, sipping her milk one small mouthful at a time, leaning against her chair and swinging her little legs, “Will you pick me up?”
Wen Tingyin gave a “Hehe” laugh, deliberately letting out an “Mm” as if she were contemplating, though her peripheral vision remained fixed on Wen Ruanqing: “I’ll think about it.”
“Ah…” Wen Ruanqing stopped drinking her milk entirely. She placed the cup on the table, walked anxiously over to Wen Tingyin, furrowed her brow, and looked utterly displeased, “Big sister, are you really not coming?”
Wen Ruanqing lowered her gaze in disappointment: “Alright then.”
Wen Tingyin had to attend school too, so it was only reasonable that she couldn’t pick her up.
It wasn’t sad.
But the moment Wen Ruanqing turned around, the corners of her mouth turned down, and tears began to well up and roll around in her eyes. She sniffled, her head dropping slightly. It… it really wasn’t sad.
Seeing this, Wen Tingyin immediately hugged Wen Ruanqing from behind, looking at her with a mix of amusement and heartache: “You little crybaby.”
“I am not!”
Wen Ruanqing’s voice grew louder. She turned her head away, refusing to look at Wen Tingyin, “I am not crying.”
She wasn’t a crybaby; she just couldn’t hold back her tears, that was all.
Wen Tingyin pulled out a tissue to wipe away Wen Ruanqing’s tears, softening her tone: “Big sister was just teasing—”
“Xiao Bao!”
The main door was suddenly pushed open, and Huo Yinli walked inside, also wearing a school uniform. Her hair was tied into a simple ponytail. She was clearly wearing the exact same uniform as Wen Tingyin, yet she gave off a more aloof impression.
“Sister Xiao Li.”
Wen Ruanqing sniffled hard, broke free from Wen Tingyin’s embrace, and ran straight toward Huo Yinli, opening her arms for a hug: “Hug me.”
The moment Huo Yinli saw Wen Ruanqing, her gaze softened. She said softly, “Big sister has you. Why are your eyes all red? Who bullied you?”
“No one.”
Wen Ruanqing rested her head on Huo Yinli’s shoulder and gave a “Hmph.” She turned her head away, still refusing to look at Wen Tingyin: “I wasn’t bullied.”
“Is that so?”
Huo Yinli looked amusedly at Wen Tingyin, who was currently staring back with a resentful expression. Huo Yinli let out a light laugh, “Let me guess, were you teased by Wen Tingyin?”
“Hmph.”
Wen Ruanqing let out another “Hmph,” this one exceptionally heavy. She straightened her body, looked at Huo Yinli, and asked, “Sister Xiao Li, will you pick me up this afternoon?”
Huo Yinli nodded: “Of course I will.”
The education system in Haishi was not high-pressure. Primary schools basically dismissed around three o’clock in the afternoon, whereas kindergartens dismissed half an hour later. Therefore, Huo Yinli could naturally go and pick up Wen Ruanqing. Seeing Wen Ruanqing get upset, she naturally wouldn’t intervene to fix it; on the contrary, she was more than willing to fan the flames.
Hehe.
Huo Yinli added another line: “By the way, is there someone who is unwilling to go pick you up?”
Wen Ruanqing looked at Wen Tingyin and said softly, “Big sister is unwilling to come pick me up.”
“Then she is truly bad.”
Huo Yinli carried Wen Ruanqing over to sit on the sofa, curling her lips, “A big baddie.”
Wen Tingyin stood up from her chair, walked over to stand in front of the two of them, and placed her hands on her hips: “I am not a baddie.”
“Then will you pick me up?”
Wen Ruanqing tilted her head up, her eyes completely filled with anticipation: “Big sister.”
Wen Tingyin softened her voice and nodded: “Of course I will, I was just teasing you.”
“Hug me.”
Wen Ruanqing held out her arms for Wen Tingyin to hug her, and Wen Tingyin naturally had no reason to refuse. She reached out, pulled Wen Ruanqing into her arms, and kissed her, “Big sister likes you the most.”
“I like big sister too.”
Wen Ruanqing’s voice was crisp. She wrapped her arms around Wen Tingyin’s neck, humming a little tune, her mood clearly turning excellent.
Sitting on the sofa, Huo Yinli crossed her arms, feigning displeasure, “Then does Xiao Bao not like me anymore?”
Hearing that Huo Yinli’s tone wasn’t right, Wen Ruanqing immediately turned her head to look, waving her hands vigorously: “I like you!”
“I like you too.”
Huo Yinli was instantly coaxed into a good mood. She looked up at Wen Ruanqing, a faint smile gracing her face.
“Is everyone ready?”
Feng Ye walked downstairs, rubbing her neck. She wore light makeup; her natural features were already beautiful, and just a tiny bit of enhancement was enough to draw anyone’s gaze.
“Has everyone eaten?”
Wen Tingyin nodded: “We’ve eaten, Mom.”
Feng Ye pulled out a chair and sat down. A servant quickly brought up her breakfast. She took a sip of milk and watched the three of them playing around, her gaze tender: “Has Xiao Li eaten?”
Huo Yinli first called out, “Auntie Feng,” and then replied, “I’ve eaten.”
“Good, Auntie will finish breakfast right away, and then I will take you to school.”
Feng Ye would not allow the three children to be late. After eating her meal, she immediately led the three of them toward the school, heading to the kindergarten first. The kindergarten and the primary school were not far apart, making drop-offs and pick-ups very convenient.
“Alright, Xiao Bao.”
Feng Ye carried Wen Ruanqing out of the car. The kindergarten teacher was already waiting outside. Upon seeing Wen Ruanqing, a smile instantly broke across her face: “Little student Wen Ruanqing, you’re here.”
Wen Ruanqing carried her small backpack, clutching the straps as she stepped forward: “Tee-cher.”
Her pronunciation of “teacher” was a bit imprecise, though occasionally she could say it clearly.
“Then follow the teacher inside.”
The kindergarten teacher took hold of Wen Ruanqing’s little hand, “Say goodbye to Mom.”
A sense of reluctance surfaced in Wen Ruanqing’s heart. Although she wanted to go to school, now that she was actually leaving, she felt a bit like crying. But she held it back, turning around to look at Feng Ye, and then at her two older sisters behind her: “Mom, big sisters, bye-bye.”
Wen Tingyin waved her hand at Wen Ruanqing, mimicking her pronunciation: “Bye-bye Xiao Bao, I will pick you up this afternoon.”
“That’s right, Xiao Bao, we’ll see you this afternoon.”
Huo Yinli squeezed out a smile, feeling a bit uneasy about leaving Wen Ruanqing alone in the kindergarten. What if she wasn’t happy here?
Feng Ye’s smile was also a bit bitter; she was truly a bit worried about Wen Ruanqing. She walked up to the teacher and said softly, “Someone will specially deliver her lunch at noon. If she feels physically unwell at any point, please call an ambulance immediately. There are also bodyguards outside. I hope you can pay extra attention to her.”
Money had been heavily invested into this kindergarten. Even the main principal was at their beck and call, and the teachers inside received high salaries. They were fully aware that they had to take impeccable care of Wen Ruanqing, otherwise, their livelihoods would be at stake.
“Rest assured, I will definitely be meticulous.”
The teacher knelt down and placed a hand on Wen Ruanqing’s shoulder: “If you feel unwell anywhere, you must tell the teacher, okay?”
Wen Ruanqing nodded obediently, raising her hand to wave at Feng Ye: “I’m going in.”
“Bye-bye.”
Feng Ye watched the teacher lead Wen Ruanqing inside, her gaze lingering until that tiny figure could no longer be seen. She let out a silent sigh, turned around, and smiled at the two older children, “Let’s go, you two need to report to school as well.”
Hearing this, Wen Tingyin and Huo Yinli immediately returned to the car. Since it was the first day of primary school, there were many people. After saying “goodbye” to Feng Ye, Huo Yinli and Wen Tingyin walked inside together. They were in the same class, making it convenient for them to go to school and interact daily.
“We’re here.”
Wen Tingyin looked at the classroom number, let out a breath, and took the lead in walking inside: “Let’s go.”
Huo Yinli was also relaxed as she stepped into the room. The teacher was already standing at the podium. Quite a few classmates inside were chatting away, making the atmosphere extremely lively, though it quieted down for a brief moment upon seeing them enter.
“Hello everyone.”
Wen Tingyin greeted them with a smile, looking at the teacher without a shred of timidity: “Teacher, where do I sit?”
The teacher assigned her a seat toward the front of the middle row: “Sit over there.”
Wen Tingyin smiled and said, “Alright.”
Huo Yinli also gave a slight nod to the teacher. After she and Wen Tingyin took their seats, the noisy chatter around them erupted once more. She took out her pencil case and arranged it on the desk, taking a light breath before falling silent.
However, Wen Tingyin fully integrated into the crowd: “Hi, hello, my name is Wen Tingyin. What’s yours?”
“My name is…”
Watching Wen Tingyin’s powerful social skills, Huo Yinli couldn’t help but marvel internally. Resting her chin on one hand, the corners of her lips curled upward.
A new day was beginning.
The small class Wen Ruanqing had been placed in had a total of fifteen children. This was a private kindergarten with expensive tuition, so there weren’t many children enrolled. It was split into three classes: small, middle, and large.
“Sit here.”
The teacher settled Wen Ruanqing into her seat and then pulled the small water cup out of her backpack: “If anything happens, you must call for the teacher.”
Wen Ruanqing nodded, taking her small water cup to have a sip: “Okey-dokey—”
Seeing how obedient Wen Ruanqing was, the teacher’s heart softened. She let out a sigh of relief, stood up, walked to the front of the classroom, and first gave a self-introduction: “Hello, little students, I am Teacher Xiao Lu. If anything happens, you must tell Teacher Xiao Lu.”
Below the podium, there was a flurry of chirping and chattering, exactly like a nest of little birds taking turns making noise.
Teacher Xiao Lu had them go up to the stage one by one to introduce themselves. Since Wen Ruanqing’s seat was near the front-middle, she wasn’t called up at the very beginning.
“Hey.”
Wen Ruanqing’s back was poked twice. Confused, she turned around to look, discovering a short-haired girl wearing thin, black-rimmed glasses. However, her eyes weren’t dull at all; they flickered with bright light: “What’s your name?”
“Wen Ruanqing.”
Wen Ruanqing turned sideways to face her: “And yours?”
The other girl tilted her head up, her expression filled with pride: “Chou Qiu.”
Wen Ruanqing hesitated: “Qiuqiu [Ball-ball]?”
Why would someone be named “Qiuqiu”?
Chou Qiu nodded, giggling as she pulled a lollipop from her backpack and handed it to Wen Ruanqing: “For you!”
Wen Ruanqing was surprised. She curved her eyes into a smile, took the candy, and said, “Thank you.”