Jiang Chi: "..."

He would have believed it if he hadn't known that the Eighth and Ninth Brothers were made up.

But as he watched the little dumpling dreaming of a bright future where Tangtang could be free, Jiang Chi's lips unconsciously curved into a smile, and his peach blossom eyes shimmered with a gentle light.

Then, very quickly, the light in Jiang Chi's eyes disappeared.

"...There are four apples on the table. If I bring two more apples, how many apples are there in total?"

Jiang Chi asked with a stiff face.

Once the hurdle of "seven" was overcome, it became much easier to teach Chaochao to count from ten to nineteen. Jiang Chi then began to teach the little dumpling addition and subtraction within ten.

But soon, Jiang Chi realized that he had gotten carried away.

Chao Chao counted them one by one, "There are... there are six."

“Yes, that’s right,” Jiang Chi’s confidence returned somewhat, “So 4 + 2 equals 6, remember that?”

"I've got it," the little dumpling replied firmly.

"Okay, then what is 7 + 1?"

Without the apple, Chaochao stammered, counting on her fingers, and finally gave a confident answer:

"It's 2!"

"..."

Chaochao raised one finger with her left hand to make a "7", then raised another finger with her right hand, completely certain of her answer.

What's wrong? Is what she said wrong?

Jiang Chi: ...It's definitely two fingers...

Sitting obediently on the little cushion, Chaochao glanced at Jiang Chi's defeated expression, then laboriously lifted the kettle with both hands to pour a glass of water for her brother. The little dumpling pushed the glass over and said sweetly:

"Brother, don't be angry. Drink some water, and then you can be angry again."

Jiang Chi choked on the mouthful of water he had just taken a sip of, “…”

"Brother, I'm going to the bathroom~"

The little dumpling climbed off the mat and ran away with tiny steps.

When she returned from the restroom, she read the math problem on the card very seriously, pretending to think for a long time before exclaiming, "It's 8!"

Jiang Chi's spirits lifted. "That's right."

"What about 5+2?"

Chaochao guessed randomly, her voice a little hesitant: "...7".

Jiang Chi, still in a daze of receiving a windfall, didn't notice anything unusual about the little dumpling.

Ten seconds later, Chaochao stared at the three math problems on a piece of paper and fell silent: "..."

She blinked her watery, pitiful almond-shaped eyes: "Is it all right as long as it's done?"

Jiang Chi nodded. How else could they get out if they didn't make it?

He was already lying down and thought it was okay if he didn't know how to do it, no rush.

The little dumpling jumped up from its seat with a "whoosh":

"Brother, I need to go to the toilet!"

Jiang Chi asked in surprise, "Didn't we already go all the way?"

Just as Chaochao was running to the bathroom, her sweet, childlike voice drifted over: "This time I need to poop!"

Jiang Chi: "..."

In the bathroom, after closing the door, Chaochao took out a crumpled piece of draft paper, on which she had crookedly copied the math problems Jiang Chi had given her.

She raised her smartwatch, took a picture of the draft paper, and hesitated for a moment over the names in her contacts.

I already asked Brother Jingcheng, so let's ask Brother Yuci instead. We can't tire Brother Jingcheng out.

Thinking this, Chaochao sent the photos to Yu Ci.

The system huddled in the corner, biting its handkerchief in a pitiful manner, whimpering. Did Chaochao not know that it could also do arithmetic, and that its computing power was unmatched in the world?

After much deliberation, the system decided to remain silent.

What if Chaochao becomes dependent on it in the future?

Damn, isn't that exactly what it wanted?

In less than a minute—

Yu Ci quickly replied to the message: [9, 4, 5]

Immediately afterwards, a voice message was sent.

Chaochao secretly clicked to listen, and the boy's clear and pleasant voice came through.

"Shall we start learning arithmetic now?"

Chaochao: "Yes, yes, my brother said that Daddy could do mental arithmetic when he was three years old."

Although she didn't understand what mental arithmetic was, it sounded impressive.

The little dumpling lingered in the toilet for a long time, and Jiang Chi outside was starting to wonder if she had fallen into the pit.

Before he could ask, Chaochao burst out of the door, beaming with pride: "I'm all better! I'm all better!"

She ran quickly to the table, leaned over it, and repeatedly muttered under her breath, "945...945...945..."

Jiang Chi frowned in confusion, having misheard it as "it's me".

What do you mean? Did you poop your pants?

Jiang Chi picked up Chaochao and checked her over. Chaochao, who had been writing down her answers in a hurry, held up the paper: "Brother, I'm done!!!"

"Um??"

Jiang Chi glanced at it; it was all correct.

Wow, could he really be a little genius?

He looked at the little dumpling in his hand with surprise, wondering if it had been switched.

Although she had finished the questions, it wasn't her own work. Chaochao's eyes were wandering. Fortunately, Aunt Song knocked on the door at that moment.

"Young Master Chi, Chaochao, it's almost lunchtime. Why don't you rest for a while?"

When Aunt Song saw Chaochao in Jiang Chi's hands, she was heartbroken.

Look, all of our Chaochao has lost weight from exhaustion!

Why teach arithmetic when they're not even four years old yet?

"Chao Chao, I cooked your favorite shrimp for lunch today."

The little dumpling that was in Jiang Chi's hands a second ago has suddenly appeared next to Aunt Song!

Chaochao eagerly took Aunt Song's hand, her spirits high, and said, "Grandma, let's go!"

Jiang Chi: ...I hereby declare you the tenth Calabash Brother on the vine, the Whirlwind Shadowless Brother.

Chaochao and Jiang Chi spent the whole morning in the study.

In the guest room, Pei Yushen, who had been waiting for half a day, sat by the window, the flowers that had been stuck in his wheelchair being taken down and placed on the table.

The boy stared at the row of flowers and plants with his dark eyes, and a restless mood gradually crept up his brow.

He was still clamoring to come and play with him yesterday...

Afternoon.

Mr. Huo went to play golf early this morning and is still at the golf course, not yet back.

It is said that when he left, he took dozens of photos of the portrait that Chaochao had drawn for him.

After waking up from her afternoon nap, Chaochao drank yogurt and sat on the sofa watching Calabash Brothers. Jiang Chi, who had canceled all his plans for the day, sat next to her and, recalling Chaochao's two trips to the bathroom that morning, vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

At this moment, the security guards at the entrance of the Huo residence received a notification.

Two guests have come to visit.

Judging from her appearance, she does indeed look like the person in the photo that Miss Chaochao sent.

"Please come in, both of you."