As the children moved, a servant naturally followed them.
Gu Xiuyuan cleared his throat and said to them, "I’m taking them to feed the rabbits. You can stay back."
The rabbits were raised by Gu Xiuyuan’s grandmother. Whenever he finished all his lessons and needed to relax, he would go and feed them carrots.
The servant nodded, "Understood. I’ll wait outside."
【Aren’t we supposed to visit Gu Xiuyuan’s grandmother?】 the system questioned.
Ji Nian glanced at the little boy beside her, whose eyes were still slightly red but whose expression looked reliable. She noticed his clenched fist and understood.
【Looks like they’re planning to sneak in.】
It wasn’t hard to figure out why. The Gu Family believed the grandmother had a strange illness and weren’t sure if it was contagious, so it was normal to keep the children away.
Ji Nian thought it would just be a small rabbit hutch, but when they arrived, she realized they had built an entire "rabbit courtyard."
After symbolically taking a basket of carrots from the servant, the three children walked in.
Only Shen Qingtang naively thought they were there just to feed the rabbits. "They’re so cute! That little one has a black tail."
The servants, worried about dirtying their clothes, had them put on aprons and change into boots.
"Don’t come too close. We want to play by ourselves," Gu Xiuyuan said, looking up at the servant.
The servant thought for a moment and nodded in agreement, stepping back to a spot where they could still see a corner of the rabbit hutch and the children’s shadows.
"Where do we go from here?" Ji Nian asked, crouching down in a spot where the servant couldn’t see her.
Gu Xiuyuan glanced at her and tried crouching down as well.
He whispered, "There’s a back door here that leads to a small path to my grandmother’s place."
For some reason, crouching together and whispering like this felt like an adventure.
After all, they were doing something their father had forbidden—it was both thrilling and nerve-wracking, but Gu Xiuyuan didn’t dislike the feeling.
"But the servant is watching us. If we leave, there won’t be any noise, and he’ll definitely come to check," Gu Xiuyuan said seriously.
Ji Nian nodded, her round face equally serious. "That’s a real problem. You’re right."
Shen Qingtang looked at her two companions, confused by their conversation.
Ji Nian didn’t exclude her and whispered, "We’re going to visit Gu Xiuyuan’s grandmother now."
"She’s sick."
"But the adults won’t allow it, so we have to go secretly."
Shen Qingtang’s eyes widened in understanding.
Her gaze shifted between Ji Nian and Gu Xiuyuan’s troubled faces, recalling what they had just said.
Shen Qingtang felt she should do something for her friends and wanted to be part of it. She didn’t want to be left out.
"Then… I’ll stay here and keep watch for you," she said.
She had learned the term "keep watch" from a cartoon.
"I’ll pretend to talk to you so he won’t suspect anything. Just come back quickly."
Gu Xiuyuan nodded. "That could work."
There was still a risk of being discovered, but it was better than all of them leaving.
Shen Qingtang nodded firmly. "Then you two go ahead! I’ll stay here!"
"I can feed the rabbits. I love bunnies the most."
Gu Xiuyuan looked at her earnestly and said, "Thank you!"
Then he turned to Ji Nian, signaling her to follow him.
But Ji Nian remained crouched, unmoving.
Under Gu Xiuyuan’s puzzled gaze, Ji Nian looked at Shen Qingtang and said seriously, "You’ll be here alone for a long time."
"Aren’t you scared?"
Shen Qingtang wanted to say she wasn’t, but before the words could leave her mouth, she glanced around.
The vast space was silent except for the sound of rabbits hopping. A pale, stark light hung overhead.
She couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Ji Nian continued, "Do you really want to stay?"
Her emerald-green eyes, shining like gems under the light, reflected Shen Qingtang’s hidden fear.
She couldn’t lie to Ji Nian.
"I don’t…"
Under Ji Nian’s calm gaze, Shen Qingtang’s eyes reddened, and she slowly lowered her head.
She felt so useless. Would Ji Nian hate her now? Would she no longer need her?
Would she stop playing with her in the future?
Filled with anxiety, Shen Qingtang looked up, about to tell Ji Nian that even though she was scared, she would try her best not to hold them back.
But Ji Nian said, "Then let’s all go together."
Shen Qingtang stared up at Ji Nian, who had now stood up.
"But… we’ll get caught."
Ji Nian smiled carelessly. "So what if we do?"
She pulled Shen Qingtang up and casually stuffed the carrot she was holding into a rabbit’s mouth.
"What’s the big deal about getting caught? What’s wrong with making mistakes?"
"Who can say they’ve never made a mistake? We’re just five-year-old kids. It’s not like we’re saving the world."
Both Shen Qingtang and Gu Xiuyuan were taken aback by Ji Nian’s reasoning.
"But… making mistakes is wrong," Gu Xiuyuan said.
Ji Nian sighed and patted his shoulder. "It’s wrong, but everyone makes mistakes."
"Ji Tingzhou once secretly fed his broccoli to the dog when no one was looking because he didn’t like it."
"Do you think you’re better than Ji Tingzhou?"
Gu Xiuyuan: "………Why are you calling your dad by his full name?"
Ji Nian shrugged. "Yeah, I’m making a mistake too."
"But he doesn’t have super hearing. He can’t just appear and spank me."
"Not only will I call him Ji Tingzhou, I’ll call him Zhouzhou. What’s he gonna do about it?"
"Zhouzhou, Zhouzhou, Zhouzhou~"
Wei Yang, who was on the phone with Ji Tingzhou while hanging from the ceiling: "………"
Kid, can’t you keep your voice down?
Ji Tingzhou, who clearly heard how his daughter was disrespectfully addressing him: [Smiling]
Everyone around him suddenly shivered. "Why does it feel so cold all of a sudden…"
"Ji… Ji Tingzhou! Your glass! You just crushed it!"
Ji Nian, feeling a sudden chill on the back of her neck, quickly reached up to touch it.
Weird. Where did that draft come from?
Gu Xiuyuan didn’t say anything more. His father wasn’t as powerful as Ji Tingzhou, let alone him.
The little boy was lost in thought, his eyes dazed.
So… making mistakes is allowed? Getting caught is okay too?
Shen Qingtang looked equally bewildered.
Of course, Ji Nian felt Shen Qingtang’s issue was more significant, so she added,
"Never do something you don’t like just to please others."
"And don’t underestimate yourself, thinking sacrifice is something you should just accept."
"I’m friends with you not because I need you to do things for me."
"Understand? Then nod."
Shen Qingtang instinctively nodded along with her words.
Ji Nian ruffled her hair. "Good."
She grabbed both children by the hand and led them in the direction Gu Xiuyuan had pointed out earlier.
Shen Qingtang turned to look at Ji Nian’s profile, silently repeating her words in her heart.
When she turned back, she tightened her grip on Ji Nian’s hand.
Meanwhile, Gu Xiuyuan was thinking: As the man of the group, if we get caught, I’ll take the blame and tell them it was all my idea.
