Time slipped away little by little, and before they knew it, it was already August, which was also the busiest month for Ji Mochen and his daughter.
On one hand, the enrollment notifications from the kindergarten had arrived, along with the knowledge and life skills the children had to grasp before enrollment.
In other words, Ji Ruochu's schedule for the next six months would be packed full.
On the other hand, the family edition of the reality show "Dad's in Charge" would officially launch online in early August.
The show's live broadcasts had already achieved extremely high viewership. Not to mention now there would be edited highlights capturing only the most exciting moments.
Once the lifestyles of the five families were aired, heated discussions erupted online.
The children's little quirks during study time, the mischief they got up to when naughty, and the occasional tender moments with their parents - these all provided endless fodder for chatter that could last three days and three nights.
Naturally, the Ji family attracted the highest level of interest.
After all, not only did the show reveal the extravagant lifestyle of the Ji family, it also successfully elevated the images of Ji Mochen and his daughter.
On one side there was the doting couple who unconditionally spoiled their daughter and wanted to hug her every moment.
On the other side was the precocious little one who acted far beyond her years and exhausted herself caring for the family.
A combination like this would draw eyes no matter where they went.
Not to mention the incredible spectacle of the little girl befriending and becoming the disciple of the elderly practicing tai chi in the park.
In short, the fame of the Ji father and daughter skyrocketed this summer thanks to the show "Dad's in Charge."
Ji Mochen, who usually coasted along lazily as a D-list celeb, now had to frequently run promotional events.
Although he wasn't short on money, his fans expected him to engage them, and the company needed their cash cow to perform.
But the busiest one was still Ji Ruochu.
Not only did she have classes to attend, she also had to prepare birthday gifts for Ji Mochen and Ling Chujin.
Ji Mochen's birthday was the lunar July 20th, which fell on September 1st this year. Ling Chujin's was August 3rd. The two were only about ten days apart.
This left Ji Ruochu little over half a month to prepare gifts while still attending classes. Her schedule was extremely packed.
However, the Ji father and daughter, now blazingly popular thanks to the show "Dad's in Charge," were unaware of the crisis brewing in the shadows.
This hidden danger was like a temporarily caged vicious dog. The tighter it was confined now, the more ferociously it would bite when eventually set loose.
But that's a story for later. Currently, the family of three was entirely preoccupied - the father earning money, the mother competing, the daughter studying. They were swamped and had no time to worry about what others thought.
If there was any external attention they cared about, it would be Ji Ruochu's class next year when she started school. After all--
"Class i?" Ji Mochen was startled when he first saw the class assignments, exchanging a look with his wife. Both their expressions were somewhat ugly.
It should be known Capital Kindergarten only admitted nine classes this year, from Class A to Class I. It was one thing their daughter didn't make it into Class A, but she actually ended up in the last class?
"Keep your voice down. Our daughter is probably napping," Ling Chujin glanced at their daughter's closed door and tentatively asked, "Should we call the school? Or...ask Big Brother?"
It wasn't that the couple was vain. They were mainly worried their daughter would be laughed at by peers in their social circle in the future. After all, they knew best how unpleasant it felt to be looked down on for poor grades.
"Let me call the teachers first," Ji Mochen said and headed to the study with his phone.
Shortly after.
"Hello, Teacher Lin? I'm Ruochu's dad..."
...
"Yes, we saw the class assignments. Our Ruochu is in Class I. I feel this is a bit unreasonable."
...
"My wife and I are at the bottom among the parents, but given our daughter's abilities, I don't think Class I is appropriate even if she didn't make Class A. I feel your class assignments are too one-sided--"
The man's angry voice abruptly stopped when he saw his daughter lying on the carpet flipping through a picture book.
Ji Mochen swore this was the moment he regretted most in all these years.
He could handle having poor grades himself and dragging others down, but now his daughter knew too?
To be honest, if not for the still connected phone call and his daughter's bright eyes gazing silently at him...
He would surely have curled up in a corner and wailed loudly.
"Mr. Ruochu's dad?" The teacher called out puzzledly over the phone.
"Sorry Teacher, something urgent came up I need to handle. I'll call you back later."
...
The call quickly ended.
But the awkward resentment in the study did not dissipate.
Ji Mochen opened and closed his mouth, wanting to say something but unable to get a single word out for half a day.
What could he say?
"Sorry daughter, your parents have dragged you down?"
Or "It's okay, Class I is still good?"
He couldn't bring himself to say it. He really couldn't...
"It's alright, Dad."
The tender voice of a child rang out the next moment.
Ji Ruochu got up from the carpet with her picture book in hand, walked over to stand by her distressed father, and gazed up at him with as clear and comforting a look as always in her eyes.
In that instant, Ji Mochen's heart shattered. When he bent down to pick up his daughter, his hands even shook a little.
"Don't worry Dad, the teachers are all very nice. I'll be fine in any class."
As she spoke, the little one even patted her father on the shoulder.
"Don't cry, Dad."
Unbeknownst to her, as soon as she said this, the father holding her was instantly choked up.
"It's Dad who is useless, dragging you down."
