When the teacher saw Wen Xu holding Little Youningâs hand, she did not think much about it. She merely thought that Wen Xu was like a loving older brother.
âAhem, just now, Gao Yange told me you two are dating. Is that true?â The class teacher felt weird asking that even as the words left her mouth.
In reality, dating was not banned in Jixia Academy. Due to the studentsâ backgrounds, it was not unusual for many of them to be engaged for the sake of establishing alliances between families. Although the kids may not understand what exactly a relationship was yet, the school did not mind the engaged couples getting to know each other and staying close to one another.
Most schools did not allow students to date because they were worried that these children might be tempted to taste the forbidden fruit and make mistakes that would ruin their lives. Moreover, it would usually affect their academics. Nonetheless, the students in Jixia Academy all had family businesses to inheritâno one really cared about studying hard and finding a good job.
As for their private lives, they have their families to take care of that; the teachers barely had any say in those matters.
âShe mustâve misunderstood,â replied Wen Xu composedly.
âNonsense! Thatâs not what you said just now!â Gao Yange pointed at them panickedly.
Wen Xu blinked slowly. âTeacher, she has a crush on meâsheâs always sticking on to me. The Qi family has good relations with my familyâitâs only natural for me to take care of Youning in school. This is none of her business.â
â...â The class teacher was at a loss for words.
How could this boy be so blunt?
Even if it was the truth, it still was not ideal to say these things out loud!
âI know your families have good relations. Itâs also true that you should take care of your juniors.â As the class teacher, she had been informed by the principal about Wen Xuâs status and thus did not dare to say much to him. âIf itâs just a misunderstanding, this can all be resolved by simply explaining the situation.â
âNo, it canât! Teacher, heâs lying!â yelled Gao Yange. âI saw it with my own eyesâQi Youning was sitting in his lap! His shirt was even unbuttoned and the two of them were kissing!â
They kissed, but not on the lips. However, Gao Yange decided to keep that to herself.
The class teacherâs expression changed abruptlyâher panic was evident on her face.
All she wanted to do was let this incident pass as quickly as possibleâboth the Qi and the Wen family were not people she wanted to enrage. Even the thought of the name âWen Renâ sent shivers down her spine. Besides, the principal had hinted at the possibility of this being an alliance between the Qi and Wen family through marriage. Moreover, Qi Youning was too young to have anything happen to herâshe probably just liked being around Wen Xu.
Right now, the only thing preventing this matter from being over was Gao Yangeâs persistence. How annoying!
Nevertheless, now that things have escalated to this point, the class teacher had to say something. âWell umm... Although Youning is still young, next time you should be more careful. We donât want this to affect her negatively in any way.â
âYouâre right, but Iâve decided that Youning will be my future wife, so I want to develop our relationship from now,â revealed Wen Xu coolly. His tone did not change at all.
The teacher was staggered. She was growing impatient toward Wen Xu, who was still unwilling to take a step back so the matter could be resolved.
âEven if thatâs the case, you should still be cautious about how this will affect her. Besides, isnât it a little early for Youning? Does she understand any of this?â inquired the class teacher as she tried her best to hold down her rage.
Little Youning blinked a few times. She felt that she understoodâbeing Wen Xuâs wife meant living with him like Daddy and Mommy. Wen Xu will listen to her every commandâjust like Mommy and Daddy. Daddy never refuted anything Mommy saidâeven when she was wrong. If Mommy made a mistake, Daddy would do anything to make it right.
According to her big brother, that was the customary law between a daddy and a mommy. However, reality was far from that!
Little Youning turned her head up to look at Wen Xuâshe felt that he still had much space for improvement.
âIt doesnât matter whether she understands or notâshe will know eventually anyway. Besides, I only kissed her because I thought sheâs cute; she kissed me because she likes me. Itâs the same as her kissing her dad and her brotherâyouâre blowing this out of proportion.â Wen Xu glared at Gao Yange irritatedly. âWhatever your name is, who do you think you are to meddle in our familiesâ business?â
Gao Yangeâs face flushed red. She had been in the same class as him for so long, yet he did not even know his name.
She did not suspect that he merely pretended to not know eitherâif he said it that way, that meant he truly did not know her name.
In the end, the class teacher insisted, âDespite all that, Youning is still young. Iâll have to let her parents know about this.â
Having said that, the class teacher called Little Youningâs class teacher and reiterated the entire incident to her. This morning, Little Youning slipped out of P.E. to see Wen Xu swim. Now, she got into trouble again. Hence, her class teacher called Ruan Danchen immediately.
Coincidentally, Ruan Danchen was resting in Qi Chenglinâs office at that timeâhe heard every word through the phone.
When Ruan Danchen hung up, she noticed Qi Chenglinâs fuming expression. He insisted, âIâll go with you. That boy is dead meat!â
...
When Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen arrived at the school, they ran into Wen Ren on the first floor of the teaching building.
âYo, my in-laws,â Wen Ren greeted as he grinned irksomely.
â...â Qi Chenglin was absolutely disgusted. âWhat are you doing here?â
Wen Ren smiled. âI miss my son, so I came here to see him.â
âHaha.â
Who on Earth would believe that?
The three of them entered the office. Little Youningâs class teacher was there too.
In one breath, her class teacher unveiled everything that happened that morning and also that afternoon.
Qi Chenglin felt that he was slowly, but surely, losing his precious daughter.
âSheâs still young, so I think itâs better to keep an eye out,â suggested her class teacher euphemistically. Compared to Qi Chenglin, she was much more afraid of Wen Ren.
âThereâs no need. Thatâs my future daughter-in-law. Theyâre just trying to develop their relationship. What do you care?â Wen Ren pouted.
â...â The class teacher was rendered speechless.
Just then, Wen Xuâs class teacher came back from the washroom. She was stunned the moment she saw Wen Ren. âMr. Wen, what brings you here?â
âMy son told me that you guys arenât letting him spend time with my daughter-in-law, so I came to see whoâs this brave soul trying to ruin their beautiful relationship. Those are the kinds of people I hate the most.â He thought back on the time when his uncle forbade him from seeing Fang Jiaran for the longest of timesâit was a traumatic experience he would never forget.
â...â Both the class teachers were dumbfounded.
Beautiful relationship? They were only children!
â...â Qi Chenglin ground his teeth and spat, âWhoâs this daughter-in-law you keep blabbering about? Since when has my daughter become your daughter-in-law?!â
âAh, itâll happen sooner or later,â Wen Ren dismissed shamelessly.
âSooner or later my foot,â Qi Chenglin discontentedly.
âJust think about itâwerenât you and your son just as shameless toward Wei Ziqi? Why are you so against me then? This is double standards.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âHaha, double standards indeed. You donât have a daughter. You wonât understand,â Qi Chenglin scorned disdainfully.
His words stabbed deep into Wen Renâs heart. Wen Ren had everythingâa blissful marriage and a happy familyâexcept a daughter.
When Fang Jiaran was pregnant with Wen Ming, they prayed wholeheartedly for it to be a girl. Unfortunately, when she went for a check-in four months into her pregnancy, it was revealed to be a boy. Their feelings back then could not be put into words.
They could not be upset with the outcomeâit was their own flesh and blood after allâyet, inevitably, there were still some feelings of disappointment.
However, Wen Ren was to be blamed most. After Wen Ming was born, Wen Ren just had to blurt out, âItâs all your fault for reading dirty comics when you were pregnant.â
Infuriated, Fang Jiaran instantly announced she was not going to bear a third child for him. Let him be envious of others for the rest of his life!
Even until now, Wen Ren could not convince Fang Jiaren. He was so frustrated that he contemplated poking holes in his condoms.
Thus, before he could get his own daughter, he focused all his envy onto Qi Chenglinâexpending all his might to drag Qi Chenglinâs daughter into his family.
âHehe, Iâll have a daughter-in-law soon.â As Wen Ren said that, his eyes darted onto Little Youning.
Wen Xu took the chance and instructed Little Youning, âYouning, call him âDadâ.â
Qi Chenglin could not tolerate them anymore. He scooped Little Youning up and stormed out of the office. That father-and-son duo was too shameless!
He yearned to beat up both of them!
â...â The two class teachers stared with open mouths as they watched Qi Chenglin âfleeingâ from the father-and-son duo. Were they really so terrifying?
His daughter was only so young. What was he worried about?
Ruan Danchen smiled at the teachers bashfully. âIt seems like this conversation canât go on any further. If youâll excuse us... My child caused a lot of problems today. Iâll be sure to have a proper talk with her when we get home.â
âIs it really unnecessary?â Wen Ren interjected.
Ruan Danchen pretended that she did not hear a word. She was not happy about them trying to steal her precious daughter from her either.
She smiled at the father-and-son duo. âWeâll take our leave first. Letâs chat another time.â
Having said that, she speed-walked out of the office.
Wen Ren quickly took Wen Xuâs hand and chased after them. âThereâs no need to wait for another time! Weâre already here anyway. Weâll go to your house for dinner! Ah, my in-laws, please donât leave in such a hurry! I love you all! Why are you running faster and faster? I know your address! Running is futile!â
Ruan Danchen did not care. She dashed to Qi Chenglinâs car as swiftly as possible and hopped in. âLetâs go, letâs go! Wen Ren is right behind us!â
The author wrote Ruan Danchen instead of Fang Jiaren in the chinese text but most likely meant the latter. It had been rectified here for continuity sake.