Zhong Jin and Qiu Sheng had a bit of an argument over who would introduce themselves at the parent-teacher meeting, but when they noticed their child lounging on the sofa, watching the spectacle with amusement, they immediately stopped bickering in perfect unison.
Parents should set a good example for their children.
Parents shouldn’t let their kids enjoy the show for free.
So, they quickly reached an agreement: they would both go, and neither of them would get out of it.
That evening, after the child had fallen asleep, Qiu Sheng, dressed in her nightgown, was preparing things for school the next day by the bed. As she folded the pleated skirt of the school uniform, she suddenly remembered something. She got up and hurried to the bathroom door, knocking on it.
“Zhong Jin, Zhong Jin, are you done? I just remembered something important.”
The sound of running water in the bathroom stopped, followed by the slap of slippers against the tiled floor. The bathroom door swung open, revealing Zhong Jin’s handsome face, still damp from the shower. “What is it?”
Qiu Sheng’s gaze lingered for a moment on the loosely tied towel around his waist before she quickly looked away.
“I just realized I forgot to buy safety shorts for Yuntong. The school uniform has a short skirt, right? Kids climb around so much at school, and I don’t want her to accidentally expose herself. She definitely needs to wear safety shorts underneath.”
“Oh, you’re right,” Zhong Jin said, nodding. “That’s important. Good thing you reminded me.”
He grabbed a towel from the rack and started drying his hair. “I’ll get dressed and go buy them now.”
“Do you even know what kind to buy? Maybe I should go instead.”
Zhong Jin was already pulling a T-shirt over his head. “You’re not familiar with the area. I know where to go, but I’m not sure if the stores will still be open this late.”
“Then I’ll stay home and watch her while she sleeps. I’ll send you a photo of the safety shorts so you can buy the right ones. Don’t get the wrong ones.”
“Got it.”
A sleepy little voice piped up from behind them. “Where are you going? I want to go too.”
The poor child had somehow climbed out of bed and was standing behind them, rubbing her eyes and wearing Zhong Jin’s oversized slippers.
“You’re not going. It’s late, and you need to sleep. You have school tomorrow,” Zhong Jin said, patting her head before grabbing his car keys and heading out.
The little girl clomped after him in his big slippers, calling out, “Don’t eat barbecue while you’re out, okay?”
“I won’t. Don’t worry.”
The sound of the front door closing echoed through the apartment.
The little foodie still wasn’t convinced. She waddled over to her mom, hugged her leg, and looked up. “Is he going to eat barbecue?”
“No,” Qiu Sheng said, picking her up and carrying her back to bed. “Even if your dad is unreliable, he wouldn’t go out for barbecue in the middle of his shower.”
It was almost midnight, and most of the shops on the street were closed. Zhong Jin went to several places but couldn’t find the safety shorts. Finally, he found a baby store with a contact number posted on the door. He called, and the owner said she wouldn’t come to open the store for just a few pairs.
“So, that’s why you came back with 100 pairs of safety shorts?” Qiu Sheng asked, her temple throbbing as she looked at the huge bag he’d brought home.
“They wouldn’t come for a small order. At least I got them,” Zhong Jin said, heading back into the bathroom.
He needed to shower again because it seemed like he hadn’t rinsed off all the soap. While talking to the store owner, a few bubbles had popped out from his collarbone, and he wasn’t sure if the owner had noticed.
Qiu Sheng opened the bag and checked the contents. There were 10 boxes, each containing 10 pairs of safety shorts.
At least the man had some sense. He hadn’t bought all 100 pairs in the same size. Instead, he’d bought three different sizes, so they’d still fit as the child grew. It wouldn’t go to waste.
Qiu Sheng opened one box, took out a pair of small, four-legged safety shorts, washed them in clean water, and hung them on a child-sized hanger by the window to dry.
The first day of kindergarten was a big deal, and parents had to introduce themselves. It was going to be a formal occasion.
The small apartment was bustling early in the morning.
Qiu Sheng put on a chic little suit, curled the ends of her hair, and applied a light, natural-looking makeup to appear polished but not overdone.
Zhong Jin, on the other hand, wore his usual shirt and trousers, with his leather shoes polished to a shine.
When they were younger, Qiu Sheng had thought Zhong Jin looked better in casual, loose-fitting clothes. Back then, his youthful face didn’t quite suit the formal business style.
But now, approaching 30, that youthful boyishness had faded. Life had given him a sense of depth and maturity, and the formal attire suited him perfectly.
He was like a tree that had reached its prime—tall, steady, and elegant.
Qiu Sheng was helping Yuntong comb her hair when she caught herself staring at Zhong Jin’s broad back. The crisp shirt hinted at the firm muscles underneath, and she had to admit, his figure was still quite captivating.
Zhong Jin adjusted his hair in the mirror and turned around. “Can you find me something to moisturize my hands? They’re feeling a bit dry.”
Qiu Sheng handed him a sample-sized tube of face cream. “There’s a little left. Just squeeze it out.”
Zhong Jin squeezed some cream onto his hands and sniffed it. “It doesn’t smell great. I think I’ll stick to Dabao next time.”
The Chanel Sublime La Crème, priced at $3400 for 50g, was a luxury item. If it weren’t for the sample that was almost empty, she wouldn’t have let him use it.
What a turn-off.
You’re only worthy of Dabao for the rest of your life, Qiu Sheng thought to herself.
Zhong Jin had rarely bought Yuntong short skirts before. The school uniform’s pleated skirt only reached mid-thigh, so Qiu Sheng had paired it with knee-high socks to protect her knees when she crawled around.
The little girl looked adorable in her neatly pressed blue blouse, short skirt, long white socks, and black Mary Jane shoes. Her hair was tied up in two cute little buns, and she carried her small backpack and water bottle.
Maybe it was the outfit, but Yuntong suddenly seemed so grown-up, as if she were putting on her armor and preparing to face the world.
When they arrived at the kindergarten, it was still early, but the entrance was already crowded with parents and children.
As Zhong Jin and Qiu Sheng walked over, hand in hand with Yuntong, a familiar parent greeted them. “Oh, you’re here! I saw you on the orientation day. Your family is so good-looking.”
Someone else tugged at the parent’s sleeve and whispered, “They’re divorced.”
The parent who had complimented them was clearly taken aback and looked a little embarrassed.
Qiu Sheng smiled warmly and introduced herself. “Hello, I’m Qiu Sheng, Zhong Yuntong’s mother.”
“You look a bit like a celebrity,” the parent said.
Qiu Sheng, who had been so confident moments ago, suddenly looked uncomfortable and stammered, “No, you must be mistaken.”
Another parent chimed in, “Doesn’t she look like Qiu Danhua? The actress who played the princess in that drama? They even filmed part of it by the beach here, didn’t they?”
“Yes, you really do look like her.”
Zhong Jin could clearly sense Qiu Sheng’s discomfort. He scanned the crowd and spotted Xiang Zimo jumping out of Mao Feixue’s car. He quickly led the family away.
“Xiang Zimo,” Zhong Jin called out.
The little boy, who had been looking around, spotted them and ran over, shouting from a distance, “Yuntong!”
When Xiang Zimo reached them, they noticed his front teeth were missing.
Zhong Jin patted his shoulder. “Losing your baby teeth? Both front teeth at once?”
Xiang Zimo scratched his head sheepishly. “Yeth.” Hearing himself lisp, he immediately turned red.
Yuntong stared at Xiang Zimo’s missing teeth, her little mind probably spinning with thoughts.
The adults chatted among themselves. Miao Qingyue’s family had arrived too. Unlike the other girls, Miao Qingyue wasn’t wearing the pleated skirt but had opted for the boys’ trousers, covering her prosthetic legs.
The little girl was hesitant to step into the unfamiliar environment, and the adults gathered around to comfort and encourage her.
Yuntong tugged on Zhong Jin’s sleeve. “I want to sit on your shoulders.”
“No, you can’t sit on my shoulders while wearing a skirt.”
"Then pick me up," she said.
Zhong Jin lifted her into his arms.
The chubby child sat on her father's arm, looking around curiously. When she spotted Luo Jiahao standing with his mom outside the crowd, she started banging on Zhong Jin's head. "Put me down!"
"First this, then that—what exactly do you want?" Zhong Jin grumbled but set her back on the ground.
Little Tong sprinted on her short legs through the crowd, and Zhong Jin immediately called out, "Zhong Yuntong, don't run around!"
Fortunately, the child stopped just in time, right at the edge of the crowd, standing in front of Luo Jiahao.
Ever since the kindergarten poisoning incident, Luo Jiahao and his family had been ostracized by those around them. Although he wasn't the one who had poisoned anyone, everyone knew he was the kind of kid who would pick up random things to eat.
Parents didn’t dare let their children play with him, fearing he might pick up something dangerous and feed it to another child. No one was willing to take that risk with their own kids.
When they arrived at school, the parents who used to greet them now avoided them, steering clear whenever they saw them.
It used to be Luo Jiahao’s mom who told him not to play with Miao Qingyue. Now that the tables had turned, she finally understood how painful it felt.
Little Tong stopped in front of Luo Jiahao, her tiny forehead beaded with sweat. She blurted out nervously, "I found your grandpa!"
"Zhong Yuntong, what are you up to now?" Luo Jiahao sighed. "My grandpa’s at the park practicing Tai Chi."
Without hesitation, Little Tong grabbed his hand and dragged him back to Xiang Zimo. She said to Xiang Zimo, "Smile for me."
Xiang Zimo didn’t understand but obediently gave a small, closed-mouth smile.
"Ugh, a real smile—show your teeth!"
Xiang Zimo covered his mouth with his hand and grinned, revealing his missing front teeth.
Little Tong pulled his hand down, exposing Xiang Zimo’s toothless grin.
"See? He’s the 'Bun Grandpa,' and you’re the 'Bun.' He’s your grandpa. I’m right, aren’t I?" The mischievous child puffed out her chest, looking as proud as if she’d just solved a great mystery.
No one could figure out what she was up to this time.
That is, until Zhong Jin pulled out the photo he’d taken of the bun-selling grandpa. In the picture, Little Tong stood on her scooter in the morning light, facing the grandpa, who was grinning widely, showing off his two missing teeth.
The parents burst into laughter.
"This little rascal, she’s got quite the imagination."
"Little Tong, not everyone with missing teeth is the 'Bun Grandpa.'"
"You’ll understand when you lose your own teeth someday."
"This is too funny."
Xiang Zimo, who had been a bit self-conscious about losing two teeth, and Miao Qingyue, who had been hesitant to enter school because of her leg, both forgot their worries for a moment and joined in the laughter.
Mao Feixue wiped away tears of laughter. "You little troublemaker. Good thing your dad’s trained in investigation, or he’d never keep up with your wild ideas."
At that, Zhong Jin suddenly thought to himself:
Maybe it wasn’t because he studied investigation that he could keep up with his daughter’s train of thought.
Perhaps it was because he’d spent a lifetime outsmarting this little rascal in a past life that he’d taken up investigation in this one.
