Qian Yixuan smiled and patted Tang Li's head.
"Being able to admit your mistakes makes you much better than an adult."
"It's getting late, let's go." With the matter settled, Meng Wan finally got down to business.
Qian Yixuan nodded, and the three of them and the dog remained seated in the back row. This time, they made no noise and arrived at the art studio smoothly.
Tang Li was visiting for the first time and found everything new and exciting.
Having learned from her previous experience, Meng Zhiyao no longer clung to Meng Wan, but was able to paint in the studio with peace of mind.
Qian Yixuan was doing other things beside him, occasionally exchanging a few words with Meng Zhiyao, but he didn't keep talking and disturb him because he was eager to know more about him, giving Meng Zhiyao plenty of space.
Meng Wan sat outside, flipping through a book she hadn't finished reading last time. Tang Li wanted to go into the art studio, but Meng Wan stopped him, so the two of them sat bored next to Meng Wan, their eyes revealing a hint of resentment.
"I told you it would be boring." The subtext: You insisted on coming here.
Tang Li lay face down on the table, a small patch of cheek flesh protruding from the pressure of the table.
"How long will you be staying?"
"All day long. If you get bored, have Butler Chen come and pick you up."
"No, that woman has been acting crazy and making a lot of noise since she came back. I don't want to go back."
Did they do anything to you?
"She wouldn't dare do anything to me, she just picks fights with Butler Chen and the others every day, always finding fault with this or that. But!" Tang Li's tone shifted, and his eyes lit up.
"I kicked her door before I left, warning her that if she went crazy again, I'd catch some snakes to bite her!"
Meng Wan rubbed his head. If it were Tang Qi, he really would have done that.
"There's a ball over there. Let's go play with Tyrannosaurus Rex in the yard for a while."
As long as he wasn't kicked out, everything was fine. Tang Li immediately got off the chair, grabbed the ball, and called Tyrannosaurus Rex to the yard.
Meng Wan glanced up at the person and the dog, and after making sure they were within her sight, she lowered her head and continued reading her book.
Inside the studio, floor-to-ceiling windows framed the entire courtyard view. Meng Zhiyao turned her head and could see a person and a dog peering through the glass window.
This was Qian Yixuan's first time meeting the second young master of the Tang family. Because of Tang Qi's encounter, he assumed this second young master would also be quite remarkable. Seeing the chubby little face distorted by the pressure of the glass window, he couldn't help but smile.
He closed the book and nudged Meng Zhiyao.
Meng Zhiyao looked at him, while Qian Yixuan raised his chin, gesturing for Meng Zhiyao to look out the window.
Seeing that Meng Zhiyao was looking at him, Tang Li became even more excited. He made a few more faces at him and shouted something, seemingly inviting him to come out and play together. However, because the glass was soundproof, Meng Zhiyao couldn't hear him.
Meng Zhiyao glanced at it twice, then looked away and continued drawing.
Tang Li glanced at it, pursed his lips, but didn't argue. Instead, he obediently played with the Tyrannosaurus Rex in the garden.
Qian Yixuan looked away and saw Meng Zhiyao's painting, his smile widening even further.
"Yaoyao, do you want to make more good friends? Like your older brother and sister, you can go to school with your schoolbag every day, play with your friends at school, buy snacks with your friends after school, eat them while walking home, and meet up with your friends on weekends, just like you have Tang Li now."
Meng Zhiyao blinked and looked out the window at Tang Li, who was having a great time. Tang Li had a smile on his face, teasing a Tyrannosaurus Rex with a ball, and running freely in the garden... It was a life he had never experienced.
He did attend kindergarten, but he didn't like to talk, so he couldn't make friends and could only watch others play. Later, he became afraid of interacting with others, and his personality became increasingly withdrawn. Over time, he became the one who was isolated.
So he could only keep drawing and drawing... As long as he kept drawing, he wouldn't have to talk to anyone, and he wouldn't care that he was alone...
"Yaoyao?" Qian Yixuan called his name softly when he saw Meng Zhiyao lost in thought.
Meng Zhiyao blinked at him, but after a moment of anticipation, his eyes dimmed. He shook his head and picked up his paintbrush again.
Qian Yixuan felt a pang of sympathy, but he didn't force Meng Zhiyao to do anything. Instead, he silently walked out, leaving the studio to Meng Zhiyao alone.
Separated by a window, Meng Zhiyao was quietly painting with a serious expression, while Tang Li had a bright smile, which was a little silly.
"Why are you out?" Meng Wan asked, somewhat surprised to see Qian Yixuan emerge. "How did it go?"
"It's much better than last time. You can tell he's in a good mood lately. He's started incorporating bright and vibrant colors like yellow and orange, which he wouldn't normally use, into his paintings. The overall composition of his paintings isn't as gloomy and oppressive as before."
Qian Yixuan placed the freshly brewed tea in front of her. "Has anything happened recently?"
Meng Wan frowned, trying to recall what factors had caused Meng Zhiyao's change this week.
"Tyrannosaurus Rex, are you stupid? Give me the ball and come back here!"
Outside, Tang Li's furious voice could be heard.
Meng Wan suddenly realized that not only Meng Zhiyao had changed, but Tang Li had also lost his previous repressed indifference. Even the murderous aura he had when he first returned to China, the one that said "the whole world is my enemy, and I will destroy everyone," had dissipated considerably.
The two had different experiences, but their unhappy childhoods gave them completely different personalities, which, surprisingly, complemented each other perfectly.
"I think it's probably because there are people of the same age who are easier and more comfortable to get along with than adults like us."
Qian Yixuan nodded. "So I asked Yaoyao if he wanted to go to school, but he... he was clearly envious, but he shook his head and refused."
"Should we take him to school? There are too many people. Wouldn't it be too risky to send him now?"
“Having a familiar person by your side greatly increases your sense of security,” Qian Yixuan said meaningfully.
Meng Wan looked at Tang Li outside, who was having a carefree time and having a great time, and felt a headache coming on.
"Tang Li." Meng Wan called out, and Tang Li, upon hearing the voice, stopped trying to snatch the ball from the Tyrannosaurus Rex's mouth and ran over happily.
"what?"
Meng Wan waved, and Tang Li hurriedly came over.
"Would you like Meng Zhiyao to go to school with you?"
For some reason, Tang Li sensed a conspiracy.
"What do you want me to do?" After all, he's a child raised by the Tang family. No matter how silly he is on ordinary days, he's very quick-witted when it matters.
"Didn't you say you wanted him to study at your school? And that you would protect him?"
Tang Li paused, realizing that these were indeed the words he had spoken at the Meng family's dinner table.
"What? The dignified second young master of the Tang family doesn't keep his word? Will you still have the nerve to come to the Meng family to freeload in the future?" Meng Wan curled her lips, a sly glint in her eyes.
He lived in this world ten years earlier than Tang Li, and that wasn't for nothing.
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