Chapter 95 (Updated 95-95)

Ninety-five:

Mu Shaoyan sat on the sofa and waited and waited, standing up and sitting down repeatedly, until he finally saw his adorable little nephew.

Mu Shaoyan rushed over, "How did it go? What did your grandfather say?"

Ye Qingxi nodded, "Grandpa said 'okay'."

They actually agreed?!

Sure enough, it had to be his little nephew!

Mu Shaoyan breathed a sigh of relief.

He carried Ye Qingxi to the sofa, massaged his shoulders, and said, "You must be exhausted."

To persuade his father, his adorable little nephew must have used a lot of persuasion, including pleading and acting cute!

Mu Shaoyan then lifted his leg and placed it on his own lap, saying, "Uncle will give you a massage."

Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?

Ye Qingxi: ...

Ye Qingxi thought her uncle was such a sycophant!

"No," Ye Qingxi said.

Mu Shaoyan didn't believe it. "You're just being modest."

Ye Qingxi: "Really not."

He looked at the person in front of him and said, "I told Grandpa that you were going to have a parent-teacher conference, and since my uncle wasn't there, he had to go. Grandpa agreed."

Mu Shaoyan: ? ? ?

Mu Shaoyan paused in his leg-massaging motion. "That simple?"

Ye Qingxi nodded, "It's that simple."

"Then why did you come out so late?"

Ye Qingxi sighed. "Isn't it because you didn't go yourself that your dad wants to keep you waiting?"

Ye Qingxi bent down and leaned closer to him, "So, Uncle, next time something like this happens, why don't you go talk to Grandpa yourself?"

Mu Shaoyan: ...

Mu Shaoyan smiled at him, neither agreeing nor refusing, and simply continued massaging his legs.

Two days later, Mu Feng indeed attended Mu Shaoyan's parent-teacher meeting in person.

Mu Shaoyan left school early and went to Duan Yi's house with Ye Qingxi.

He sat in Duan Yi's bedroom, but his mind was entirely on Mu Feng's parent-teacher meeting.

What will he think when he sees his grades?

What would the teacher say to him?

Will he feel like he wasted his time and shouldn't have come at all?

When he comes back, should I tell him not to go again next time?

Mu Shaoyan was uneasy, his heart was like a suspension bridge, sometimes tense, sometimes blown around by the wind.

Duan Yi noticed that as he listened, his thoughts seemed to have wandered off somewhere, so he tapped on the table.

Mu Shaoyan immediately snapped out of his daze, "Go on, I'm listening."

Duan Yi: ...

Duan Yi had no choice but to explain it to him again.

During the class, Mu Shaoyan's mind wandered at least four times.

Ye Qingxi saw this and kept it in mind. After leaving Duan Yi's house with Mu Shaoyan, she asked with concern, "Uncle, what's wrong with you today? What are you thinking about?"

Mu Shaoyan shook his head. "It's nothing."

Ye Qingxi didn't believe it.

But today is nothing compared to usual, right?

The only difference is that Duan Yi's mother wasn't there; she went to a parent-teacher conference.

Wait, a parent-teacher conference?!

Ye Qingxi suddenly had a flash of inspiration and remembered Mu Shaoyan's awkward manner when he wanted Mu Feng to attend the parent-teacher conference but was too embarrassed to ask him.

Is that what he was thinking?

Indeed, Ye Qingxi thought, this was the first time Mu Shaoyan had taken a serious exam since his second year of high school.

This was also the first time he allowed his father to see the changes in him after he realized his mistakes.

He was naturally nervous.

He wanted to please his father and gain his approval, but he was also afraid that it was just a fantasy and that he would not get it.

Ye Qingxi looked up at him and saw his youthful yet handsome profile under the streetlights.

He was only eighteen years old after all.

When the two returned home, Mu Feng had already entered the house an hour earlier than them.

At this moment, he was in the study looking at the documents Mu Zheng had sent him.

Ye Qingxi walked to the study door, knocked, and peeked her little head inside. "Grandpa, can I come in?"

Looking at his adorable little face, Mu Feng asked, "Didn't you already come in?"

Ye Qingxi smiled, went inside, and gently closed the door.

He asked, "Grandpa, what did the teacher say to you at your uncle's parent-teacher conference?"

"He said a lot."

"Would you like to talk to your uncle about it?" Ye Qingxi hinted at him with her eyes.

However, Mu Feng clearly didn't get his hint and said in a flat tone, "Forget it."

Mu Shaoyan's homeroom teacher spoke at length, trying to persuade him to continue his efforts and get back to his high school freshman year as soon as possible.

Mu Zheng had said this to Mu Shaoyan many times, so Mu Feng was too lazy to say anything more.

—If this were useful, Mu Shaoyan would be number one in the grade by now.

Ye Qingxi: ...

Ye Qingxi felt that his grandfather was really hypocritical in his treatment of his son and his grandson.

He was very willing to talk to him, and every time he spoke to him, he felt very safe.

But he was very stingy with his uncle.

Ye Qingxi walked to Mu Feng's side, tilting her little face up, "Grandpa, if you're like this, Uncle will be very sad."

Mu Feng looked down at him: "Oh?"

Ye Qingxi nodded and gave a firm "Mmm," "He's been really concerned about you going to the parent-teacher conference all night, and he really hopes you can praise him when you get back."

Mu Feng: ?

Mu Feng didn't quite understand: "Praise him?"

What should we praise him for?

Praise him for being in the bottom ten or so of his class?

Should we praise him for failing physics?

Praise him for scoring 30 points lower than others in one subject?

Mu Feng felt that it was already good enough that he wasn't being scolded.

And you even praised him?

What's so praiseworthy about him?!

“That’s right!” Ye Qingxi said, “My uncle has started to study hard now, and he has improved in this exam. Shouldn’t we praise him for improving? Our kindergarten teachers always praise children who make progress.”

Mu Feng: ...

Mu Feng really wanted to tell his adorable little grandson, "You know it's kindergarten, right?"

Kindergartens naturally emphasize praise-based education.

But Mu Shaoyan is already a senior in high school, and he's only now realizing the importance of studying hard. Is that something to praise?

Mu Feng couldn't bring himself to praise it.

Self-degradation is not an excuse; it is his duty to turn back from the wrong path. Praise is unnecessary.

"Good boy/girl, Grandpa will praise you after your next exam."

Ye Qingxi: ...Did I ask you to praise me?

Aren't we talking about my uncle right now?!

Ye Qingxi simply couldn't do anything about him.

Since reasoning doesn't work, then we can only stop trying to reason.

So Ye Qingxi started using his charm attack. He grabbed Mu Feng's hand and shook it, saying, "I don't care, I don't care, I just want you to praise my uncle."

"Uncle has already tried his best. He really wants you to praise him. If you don't praise him, he will definitely feel bad."

Mu Feng: ...

If he praises him, he'll be the one who feels bad.

Ye Qingxi: ...

Seeing that Mu Feng was still reluctant, Ye Qingxi decided to use nuclear weapons.

You forced me to do this, Grandpa!

The next second, Ye Qingxi burst into tears, her eyes brimming with sobs. "I don't want Uncle to be sad! If Uncle is sad, he might not study properly again! I want Uncle to study hard! Waaah..."

Mu Feng: !!!

Mu Feng panicked immediately.

He quickly pulled Ye Qingxi onto his lap and frantically grabbed tissues from the table to wipe away her tears.

"Praise me, praise me, praise me," Mu Feng conceded. "I'll praise you in a bit, so don't cry."

He was truly at a loss.

Mu Feng was never the type to comfort children.

He could never bear to see boys cry. When Mu Shaowu and Mu Shaoyan were little, they would cry their hearts out, and Mu Feng would sit calmly to the side reading the newspaper, without disturbing or interfering, allowing them to cry freely and comfortably. After they finished crying, Mu Feng would act as if nothing had happened.

Sometimes, when he found their crying too noisy, he would push Mu Shaowu/Mu Shaoyan into the music room where Mu Shaoting practiced the piano. The music room was well soundproofed, so no matter how much they cried, Mu Feng couldn't hear a sound.

Crying is the most useless thing to do!

Especially men!

Why do men cry? If you want something, you should find a way to get it. If you can't get it, either accept your fate or find a new way. What problem can crying solve?

Crying won't solve anything!

Therefore, Mu Feng taught Mu Zheng, Mu Shaowu, and Mu Shaoyan from a young age not to cry in front of him, because he wouldn't care. Of course they could cry, but after they finished crying, nothing would change.

In a family, someone plays the "bad cop," and someone else plays the "good cop."

When Mu Feng's wife, Shao Xian, was alive, she was usually the one to play the "good cop." She was gentle and patient with the children, always coaxing them over and over again. As a result, the children were closer to her.

Mu Feng had no objection to this; after all, it was his wife who was carrying his child for ten months, and they should naturally love her more.

Later, Shao Xian left, and Mu Zheng took over playing the role of the virtuous woman.

Mu Zheng would take care of his younger siblings, patiently and kindly analyzing the pros and cons for them and mediating the conflicts between them and Mu Feng.

It can be said that among the four children of the Mu family, only Mu Shaoting, being a girl, received the special treatment of being comforted by Mu Feng when she was wiping away tears of grievance.

Girls are always more sensitive and emotional, so they need more love and care from their parents.

As for the boys, Mu Feng hoped they would have the courage to get what they wanted even if it meant shedding blood, rather than the idea that they could get it just by shedding tears.

But this educational philosophy was shattered at this moment, amidst Ye Qingxi's cries.

Ye Qingxi is so well-behaved. Since she came to their family, she has never caused them any trouble.

Not only that, he was always worried about his family.

He worries about Qin Cheng, who is Mu Zheng's biological son; he worries about Mu Shaoyan's poor academic performance; and he worries about Mu Shaowu's reluctance to work because of him.

Mu Feng had previously scolded Mu Shaowu for suddenly joining a film crew instead of spending time with his son at home, calling him into his study and asking if he really had to go at this time. Couldn't he wait until his relationship with his child was more stable? He wasn't short of money!

Mu Shaowu cried out, "I'm innocent! Master Qingtang! I didn't want to go either, but Xiaoxi wanted me to go. He didn't want me to be affected by his work. He even cried and asked me if it was because of him? If he was dragging me down? What could I do? I could only agree to go to work. Otherwise, I would have loved to stay home and cultivate our relationship."

At that moment, Mu Feng sneered and said disdainfully, "You go to him just because he cried?! What child doesn't cry? He'll be fine after he's done crying. Can't you just comfort him? But is comforting him all you're going to do?!"

Now, Mu Feng feels that it's still not possible.

Ye Qingxi's crying can't be solved by just coaxing her!

He wouldn't care if Mu Shaowu and Mu Shaoyan cried, since they were both being unreasonable and their young master's temper was acting up.

But Ye Qingxi is different. When Ye Qingxi cries, it really makes people panic and feel sorry for her.

Especially when he sits in your lap, he doesn't cry loudly, but silently sheds tears.

Let alone praising Mu Shaoyan, Mu Feng felt he could even agree to coax Mu Shaoyan right now!

"I'll praise him in a little while, praise him a lot, okay?" Mu Feng coaxed gently, "Stop crying, or you'll turn into a little kitten and have to sleep with Cotton Candy."

Ye Qingxi was amused by his words, raised her hand to wipe her face, and said in a sweet and soft voice, "I won't cry anymore."

Mu Feng softened even more immediately.

He looked at the child in front of him, his heart filled with heartache.

Before he turned sixty, Mu Feng never imagined that he would one day develop such strong feelings and love for a child who was not related to him by blood. He never expected that he would hold the child on his lap and comfort him, and even wipe away his tears, especially since the child was a little boy.

But now he realizes that people are indeed all different, and it all depends on who you meet and who you treat.

When faced with someone like Ye Qingxi, it seems that no amount of ruthless tactics can be used.

All that remains is tenderness.

I just hope he'll be happy.

Mu Feng patted Ye Qingxi's head and pulled him into his arms.

Ye Qingxi leaned against him, thinking: Great! The plan worked!

Indeed, it's not about having many tricks, but about using them effectively!

For his grandfather, father, and uncle, all he has to do is "waaaah!" and it will work every time!

hey-hey!