Chapter 27 So what? Being happy is the most important thing! ...
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The school's arrangements are very considerate; the sports meet is followed by the weekend, in case the students are unable to adjust in time.
But this worry didn't exist for his two children. Ji Sicheng's location was always in the study, his cute little face looking old-fashioned.
Ji Zhi Qiu crossed his arms and sighed helplessly twice.
Ji Yanyan was playing with Lego when her father's mood disturbed her. She crawled over on all fours and asked, "Daddy, are you blowing up a balloon?"
Ji Zhi Qiu's attention was already wandering, and she was stunned by this seemingly random question: "Balloon? Where did you get a balloon?"
Ji Yanyan puffed out his cheeks, pursed his lips, and blew a long breath, mimicking a balloon with his hand. Ji Zhi Qiu was charmed by his cuteness and smiled as he ruffled his hair. "Daddy isn't blowing up a balloon, he's just worrying."
"What is sorrow?" In Ji Yanyan's innocent world, there was no such word as sorrow.
Ji Zhi Qiu didn't want to let her emotions affect him, so she patted his back and said, "Don't worry about me, go and have fun."
What can't Long Aotian do for her! Ji Yanyan's rebellious spirit flared up instantly. She lay on her father's lap, her tone quite domineering, "No, I won't let you do that!"
Ji Zhi Qiu chuckled, "How are you going to manage this?"
Ji Yanyan leaned forward with her chubby little body, looking directly into his eyes, "Daddy told me."
Ji Zhi Qiu's eyebrows slowly rose, already able to foresee the domineering CEO-like appearance of Ji Yan Yan when she grows up and performs a wall slam.
He banished the thought from his mind. He wanted to talk to him about his feelings, but he didn't know where to begin. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed deeply.
Ji Yanyan: "..."
His cheeks were already chubby, and the soft flesh would leave a dimple when pinched. When he puffed out his cheeks, they looked like little steamed buns: "Daddy, stop blowing up balloons. Daddy, let's go out and play. Let's have fun!"
Just as Ji Zhi Qiu was about to feel relieved to see that his mischievous child could comfort people, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. He excitedly grabbed Ji Yan Yan's shoulder and said, "Dad has something he wants you to help with."
Long Aotian was a man of his word, always fulfilling his mission. He immediately patted his chest and said, "I'll poop, don't worry."
Ji Zhi Qiu: "".
Don't worry, I'll handle this.
*****
When they woke up from their afternoon nap, Ji Zhi Qiu and Ji Yan Yan sat side by side in the same posture, their eyes darting around, practically screaming "I have a bad idea" on their faces.
Just as they were getting restless and their patience was about to run out, Ji Sicheng finally came out to pour them water.
Except when he was thirsty or couldn't hold it in any longer, Ji Sicheng rarely came out of his study. Ji Zhiqi seized the opportunity and asked, "Sicheng, let's go out and play together. The weather is very nice today."
Ji Sicheng didn't even lift his eyelids, completely ignoring him.
Ji Zhi Qiu had already guessed that he would react this way. He exchanged a glance with Ji Yan Yan and took action in tacit agreement.
Ji Yanyan ran to the door, tiptoed, and tried to open it. Ji Zhi Qiu rushed to Ji Si Cheng, bent down, and hoisted the little girl onto his shoulder.
Ji Sicheng: !!!
It took him two or three seconds to react. He thrashed about with his short arms and legs, but his strength was negligible to Ji Zhi Qiu. "Help! What are you doing? Help me! I don't want to go out!"
Ji Zishen came out of the house when he heard the noise. He showed no surprise, only helplessness.
The brothers' eyes met, and Ji Sicheng's eyes immediately lit up; he had found a lifeline.
He knows Ji Zishen; he would never go along with such nonsense.
Seeing Ji Sicheng's frantically suggestive expression, Ji Zishen paused, then turned and asked, "Are you guys coming back for dinner?"
"Come back." After saying these two words, Ji Zhi Qiu carried Ji Si Cheng and rushed out.
...
Ji Sicheng struggled and struggled, but to no avail; his mind was filled with terrifying thoughts.
Has Ji Zhi Qiu finally had enough and wants to get rid of him? Or does she want to send him back?
Just as he was about to continue pondering, his thoughts were interrupted by Ji Yanyan's strange cries from the side. Ji Yanyan had completely reversed her ancestry and become an ape-man, jumping up and down and patting her chest with joy.
Ji Sicheng: "..." It's probably not something they want to do to him.
Seeing that struggling was useless, Ji Sicheng simply changed to a more comfortable position and lay on Ji Zhiqi's shoulder, his eyes listlessly surveying the surroundings.
To figure out the reason, one must be on the same level of thinking as the planner; he doesn't want to appear stupid.
A few minutes later, before Ji Sicheng could even react, they arrived at their destination.
Ji Zhi Qiu put her son down on the ground and patted him on the shoulder: "Go play."
There is a free play area outside the community where children from the neighborhood come to play. They are about the same age as Ji Sicheng, and many of them are his classmates.
Ji Sicheng spotted several familiar faces and instinctively resisted, taking a few steps back but bumping into Ji Zhiqi.
“Go play with them,” Ji Zhi Qiu said with a gentle smile, but her tone was chilling. “Or do you want to play in the mud with the younger kids?”
"..." Ji Sicheng had a slight case of mysophobia. After glancing at it, his face was full of disgust, and he even gasped.
"so?"
Ji Zhi Qiu's eyes narrowed as she smiled, but Ji Si Cheng sensed a hint of danger in her expression. "Alright, I'll give it a try."
Children are naturally playful, but Ji Sicheng was very resistant. His lips were pursed into a line, and the muscles on his face were tense, making him look like he was going to his death.
"Um..." he gritted his teeth, his voice trembling slightly, "...could I...come on?"
The children who were playing were stunned and stared at him blankly.
Ji Sicheng's face was tense, showing no emotion, but the tips of her ears turned red involuntarily. "I can give you guidance so you can have more fun."
Does the game... still need guidance?
The children were even more bewildered, looking at each other blankly.
Ji Sicheng sensed their subtle rejection, biting his lower lip tightly to avoid showing any embarrassment, but his head drooped lower and lower.
Ji Sicheng knew he was different from others from a young age, and was praised and complimented wherever he went. He considered himself extraordinary and was immersed in it. However, after his parents passed away unexpectedly, he was treated as a burden and kicked around. Everyone's face was cold and disgusted.
This triggered Ji Sicheng's reaction, making him sensitive and vulnerable. The scene touched upon past nightmares, which he was trapped in and unable to escape.
Just then, a pair of warm and strong hands gripped his shoulders, pulling him back to reality.
"Hi there! Can you take us along to play?"
Ji Zhi Qiu's face is the biggest weapon. Children also have the ability to appreciate beauty and are instinctively drawn to beautiful things.
They exchanged a glance and then, without further hesitation, extended a small hand to Ji Sicheng.
With short, thick fingers and black grime smeared on his palm, Ji Sicheng frowned. After hesitating for a few seconds, he looked into those clear, clean eyes and, as if possessed, reached out and selectively grasped that clean finger.
Ji Zhi Qiu and Ji Si Cheng were surrounded by chattering voices. "We're playing a role-playing game. What do you want to be?"
"What roles are left?" Ji Zhi Qiu asked.
The little boy at the front stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly said, "Uncle, you can be the king!"
The king is the most powerful figure in the castle, and they had been vying for this title for a long time. Now that Ji Zhi Qiu has the authority, all the children have approved the proposal.
Ji Zhi Qiu nudged the awkward Ji Si Cheng forward and asked, "What about him? What do you think he's suited for?"
"We'll follow the king's orders," the children said in unison, their innocent voices like heavenly music.
Ji Zhi Qiu was completely charmed and immediately put himself in the role of the king, putting his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest, and said in a very authoritative manner, "Come closer, the king is about to issue an order."
"The king is hungry. The three of you go and prepare some food."
"The king really likes the fallen leaves from that tree; go and collect some."
"The king loves diamonds the most, the bigger the better. You two go and complete this task."
Ji Zhi Qiu's gaze swept around and landed on Ji Si Cheng. "As for you, keep an eye on Yan Yan. Take a tour of my territory and when you come back, introduce the places you think are particularly beautiful."
Ji Sicheng's temple throbbed with embarrassment. He was about to protest against Ji Zhi Qiu's unfair treatment when he suddenly remembered that there should indeed be guards walking dogs in the castle, so he could only reluctantly agree.
Ji Zhi Qiu sat on the slide with her arms crossed, while the other children scattered, each with their own tasks.
Ji Sicheng originally intended to take advantage of the situation, so he walked slowly with droopy eyelids. When the children preparing the meal saw him, they earnestly advised, "Hurry up and complete the king's order, or you'll run out of time."
Ji Sicheng muttered under his breath, and was about to drag himself forward half-dead when he suddenly saw what was in his hand. "What's this?"
"This is the fish I just caught!" The child's eyes lit up with excitement as he proudly held the leaf. "It's the freshest and biggest fish in the river; only a fisherman like me could catch it!"
Ji Sicheng: "..."
He couldn't quite understand this crazy behavior, so he chose to complete his task and silently followed behind Ji Yanyan. On the way, they kept encountering children, who all advised him to take things seriously.
As Ji Sicheng walked, he inexplicably got into character, his mind filled with thoughts of what he should say to Ji Zhi Qiu later.
When he returned, the other children had already finished their tasks, and Ji Zhi Qiu was surrounded by them.
They found a piece of fallen cement somewhere and used it as a plate, on which they arranged leaves, stones, withered branches, and all sorts of grass and flowers. The arrangement was quite exquisite, making one marvel at the children's boundless imagination and creativity.
Ji Zhi Qiu held the dish and examined it for a while, then smiled and said, "The king loves shrimp the most, and he is very satisfied with this ingredient."
The child jumped up excitedly, "Then I'll go and catch more shrimp for the king!"
Ji Sicheng stubbornly kept his distance, unwilling to blend in, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but look over curiously and discovered that they had mistaken the bent, withered branches for shrimp.
The other children presented various treasures, but when it was Ji Sicheng's turn, he gave a perfunctory, fabricated answer.
He thought Ji Zhi Qiu would be angry, but when he looked up, he met a pair of smiling eyes.
Ji Sicheng was stunned, only then realizing that even though he was unwilling, he had put himself into the role, walked around the venue for a long time, and unconsciously memorized everything he saw.
That's so stupid! How could he do something so stupid!
Just as Ji Sicheng was about to explode, Ji Zhi Qiu ordered him, "Go and prepare the meal."
"..." He could only walk back in frustration to find his other friends.
From beginning to end, Ji Sicheng was the one who didn't fit in, with obsessive-compulsive tendencies and perfectionism coexisting.
"Don't choose the curved shrimp, choose the straight ones. Curved ones mean they are dead, their nerve control has disappeared, and their muscles are relaxed."
The other children were stunned. "Even though I don't understand, what you said makes so much sense! Can you help me decide which squid to choose?"
Unmoved by the starry-eyed admiration, Ji Sicheng walked over with a straight face, squatted down with his bottom sticking out, stared at a few blades of grass, and his obsessive-compulsive disorder miraculously disappeared as he rummaged around on the ground, spouting technical jargon.
Ji Zhi Qiu wanted to laugh.
Ji Sicheng himself didn't realize that his act of pretending to read comic books actually hinted at his desire to integrate into the world of children and his longing for friendship.
That's why Ji Zhi Qiu disregarded his resistance and forcibly brought him to the event venue. Although this might upset his fragile and sensitive heart, some wounds must be exposed to the light of day, properly disinfected and treated, so that they can heal, instead of being hidden in his heart and waiting for them to become inflamed and fester, never to recover.
The first step of desensitization went relatively smoothly, and Ji Zhi Qiu was genuinely happy for him.
...
Time passed by unnoticed. Ji Yanyan had boundless energy at home, jumping around energetically, but he was the first to complain of being tired, his eyelids almost too heavy to keep open.
"Brother, Dad, let's go back."
Ji Sicheng was stunned when he heard the sound. He looked around blankly, as if his senses had gone blank. He couldn't understand why he had wasted so much time here and was having so much fun... Impossible, how could he play such a childish game!
“Let’s go back,” Ji Sicheng said awkwardly.
Ji Yanyan then waved her arms, "Dad, stop playing, let's go home."
Ji Zhi Qiu was surrounded by children, enjoying the privileges of a king, completely absorbed in it.
Do kids really understand role-playing games? Adults are the most suitable for them!
This is so much fun!!
Hearing the urging, Ji Zhi Qiu replied without looking up, "Wait a minute, I'll play a little longer."
"..."
"In a little while."
"..."
Ji Yanyan sighed, took her brother's hand and walked to a shady spot, sat on a bench, and waited with a blank stare.
The other parents, unaware of the reason, assumed he had been bullied. Looking at Ji Yanyan's adorable face, they couldn't help but feel a surge of maternal love. "Little friends, why are you sitting here alone instead of playing?"
Ji Yanyan rested her chin on her hand and sighed in a mature tone, "I'm tired, I want to go home."
The parent smiled and said, "It is indeed getting late, it's time to go home and rest. Is your home far from here? Can you get back by yourself?"
Ji Yanyan shook her head, her gaze falling on her parents, and asked innocently, "Are you also waiting for your dad to come home after playing?"
Parent: ? ? ? My dad?
Her mind automatically conjured up an image of her kind father, with only a few strands of hair left on his head, sitting on a small stool by the door, slurping his hot tea and spitting the tea leaves back into the teapot with a "pui!"
What else can he do? Isn't this just bullying an elderly person?
Ji Yanyan seemed to sense her question, tilted her head and pointed to the middle of the field, "That's my dad. He doesn't want to go home because he's having so much fun. I'm waiting for him."
The parents looked over and saw that the activity area was full of little ones dressed in brightly colored clothes, their short legs barely touching the ground as they did so, except for those in the very center...
It's huge and very eye-catching.
Parent: "..."
Parent: "..."
Parent: "..."
From that day on, a legend spread among the parents' group: while they waited anxiously, one parent was having a great time playing, making his child wait for him instead.
But the activity area only had children with an average age of less than six!
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