Chapter 52, Part 52
52:
Ye Qingxi wasn't unable to sleep because Mu Feng had the light on; he simply hadn't reached sleepiness yet.
But for someone of Mu Feng's age, going to bed early is undoubtedly beneficial to his health.
Therefore, Ye Qingxi was quite happy to see Mu Feng go to bed.
His excitement made it even harder for him to fall asleep.
Ye Qingxi tossed and turned in bed a couple of times, but couldn't fall asleep.
"Can't sleep?" Mu Feng asked him.
Ye Qingxi nodded, then, remembering that Mu Feng couldn't see her in the darkness either, she said, "A little."
He turned to look at Mu Feng, "Grandpa, can you sing lullabies?"
Let him listen and see if Mu Shaowu's poor singing is due to genetics or a gene mutation.
Mu Feng, who has hardly ever sung in his life: ...
Mu Feng was silent for two seconds, then said, "How about I tell you a story?"
Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?
He wasn't asked to lull him to sleep.
He simply wanted to see why Mu Shaowu would sing a perfectly good song in such a way.
But can Mu Feng also tell stories?
When Ye Qingxi thought of Mu Feng telling him stories, wasn't that just like a grandfather telling stories to his grandson?
He's never had this experience before.
So he threw back the covers, snuggled into Mu Feng's blanket, and whispered, "Okay~"
Mu Feng felt his sudden approach and instinctively wanted to push him away and let him sleep in his own bed.
But as soon as he raised his hand, he stopped.
Ye Qingxi is Ye Min's grandson. Ye Min has a good temper and only has this one relative. It's estimated that this is how it's been all these years: sleeping in the same bed with him, holding him, and telling him stories.
That's why Ye Qingxi immediately came closer after hearing him tell a story.
Mu Feng was afraid that if he pushed him away now, the boy would think that the fake grandfather was just a fake grandfather and was no different from his real grandfather.
It will make him sad.
So he lowered his hand, letting Ye Qingxi's soft little body press against him, and pondered what story he should tell.
Ye Qingxi is a boy, so the princess series is meaningless to him.
Mu Feng thought of "Calabash Brothers," but in "Calabash Brothers," his grandfather was captured by a monster, and the whole story involved the Calabash Brothers rescuing his grandfather. Mu Feng was afraid that this would remind him of Ye Min and make him feel sad.
How about "Journey to the West"? In this story, the master is captured by a monster, so Ye Qingxi shouldn't be upset.
But given Ye Qingxi's extensive film viewing experience, which is so vast that even DNA is known, he probably already watched "Journey to the West" a long time ago.
For a moment, Mu Feng really couldn't think of what to say.
Ye Qingxi waited eagerly, and after almost a minute, seeing that he still hadn't spoken, she said to him, "Grandpa, you can tell me now~"
So, Mu Feng, the newly appointed novice at putting people to sleep, had no choice but to say, "Once upon a time, there was a crow."
Ye Qingxi: ? ? ? A crow?
Which fairy tale is this?
"It's thirsty and wants to drink water."
Ye Qingxi: A crow drinking water?!
It wasn't a fairy tale?! He thought all bedtime stories were fairy tales!
"Just then, it saw a bottle with water in it, but the bottle was too deep for the crow, and the opening was too narrow, so the crow couldn't drink. What do you think it should do?"
Ye Qingxi: ...Is it possible that there won't be a Q&A session for bedtime stories?
This is for putting children to sleep, not for getting them to use their little brains and become more and more awake!
"How do we do it?" Ye Qingxi asked innocently.
"It found some small pebbles, put them down, and the water slowly rose up, allowing it to drink."
Ye Qingxi: ...That's really concise and to the point.
The problem is, he's even less sleepy now.
"Wow~" Ye Qingxi exclaimed, "So that's how it is."
Listening to his lively tone, Mu Feng thought these little stories were quite nice.
He instantly found a way to start telling Ye Qingxi these short stories from Aesop's Fables or idiom stories.
Although he told each story without any rhetoric or intonation, and could tell one in just one or two minutes, his vast knowledge of stories allowed him to tell Ye Qingxi several, eventually making her sleepy.
In the last second before going to sleep, Ye Qingxi couldn't help but exclaim: If this weren't him, but a real child, with the bedtime stories his grandfather tells, his foundation in idioms would definitely be solid. In just a short while, he has already told six idiom stories. He's really amazing.
Ye Qingxi leaned against Mu Feng and fell asleep.
Mu Feng felt his soft breathing and called out, "Xiao Xi".
There was no response; sure enough, they were already asleep.
Mu Feng breathed a sigh of relief. If he continued, he was prepared to tell Ye Qingxi stories like "Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage" and "Standing in the Snow at the Cheng Gate".
He felt the warmth of Ye Qingxi's body against his; it was magical and wonderful.
Mu Feng never imagined that he would feel this tenderness from a child at the age of sixty.
He has always played the role of a strict father in his children's upbringing, with more authority than warmth.
Mu Feng didn't think there was anything wrong with it; he had never been one to enjoy being close to others.
Getting too close can easily lead to overstepping one's bounds. In a sense, Mu Feng is a typical feudal patriarch who does not allow and dislikes anyone challenging his authority.
Including his children.
But now, Ye Qingxi lay softly beside him, her body temperature seeping through his skin, and Mu Feng unexpectedly felt a different kind of warmth that he shouldn't have had in his life.
It's not uncomfortable, it's quite comfortable.
It's very comfortable, quiet, and pleasant.
Ye Qingxi is a very sensible child. Even when she's leaning against you, she just stays close to you without moving around or making a fuss.
It will only be like a tender new shoot, quietly nestled beside you.
Mu Feng inevitably felt pity and a protective instinct towards him.
I was afraid that I might accidentally break one of its branches.
He raised his hand and touched Ye Qingxi's little face; it was a child's touch, different from that of people of any other age.
If initially, Mu Feng's adoption of Ye Qingxi and his care for him were entirely based on his friendship and promise to Ye Min, then now, the love brought by that promise is gradually diminishing, and being replaced by a genuine familial love that has unconsciously developed in his interactions with Ye Qingxi.
Human emotions are a very mysterious thing. Some people, even if you've known each other for a hundred years, may not seem to develop any strong feelings for each other; while others, even if you've known each other for less than a hundred days, may find themselves unconsciously bowing down to each other.
Ye Qingxi clearly falls into the second category.
He has a very clever little brain, is lively and cute, gentle and considerate. He is full of kindness to everyone he meets. His little face is always tilted up, his eyes are bright and sparkling. He stretches out his hand, which is full of candies that he has carefully selected.
He never held back his emotions, so everyone who was with him felt happy.
Including him.
Mu Feng remembered the short-sleeved shirt he bought for him that he would never wear, as well as the bracelet and watch that he always wore.
He's the kind of kid who, even when he's out having fun, will still think about buying gifts for his family and friends.
While most children are still taking, Ye Qingxi is already very generous in giving.
Sometimes Mu Feng didn't really want him to be so obedient and sensible—people who are too sensible always bear too much, are more soft-hearted, and are more easily hurt.
But when he saw the smile on Ye Qingxi's face, he felt that as long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.
The friends around him were chosen by him, and they are like children he watched grow up, so they wouldn't hurt him.
Anyone in his family who might harm him has been excluded from Ye Qingxi's world.
So, he shouldn't get hurt. If he's kind-hearted and sensible, it won't matter.
At least, he won't get hurt before he grows up and falls in love.
As for romance, Mu Feng had a bit of a headache.
These things are never under control, and even someone as composed as Mu Zheng was not satisfied with his approach to relationships.
Mu Feng thought he still had to try to live a few more decades, otherwise he wouldn't be able to rest easy if he didn't see Ye Qingxi fall in love and didn't know what kind of person she liked.
If Ye Qingxi could stay young forever, that would be wonderful. If he didn't grow up, the people in this family could protect him forever.
But who can stay young forever?
Mu closed his eyes, feeling Ye Qingxi's presence beside him, and slowly fell asleep.
The next morning, Mu Feng woke Ye Qingxi up early.
He watched Ye Qingxi finish washing up and have breakfast with him before handing him over to Li Wei.
Ye Qingxi got into the car and checked his watch; he had gotten in a full twenty minutes earlier than he had yesterday.
He missed Mu Shaowu very much at that moment.
Mu Shaowu was taking him along, and as long as he wasn't late, it was fine. As long as he got into the classroom a second before the bell rang, it would be OK.
When Mu Feng takes him along, it's all about being methodical and unhurried from the moment he gets up, allowing ample time for the journey.
Ye Qingxi sighed silently in her heart, tilted her head, and fell asleep again.
The road is clear.
Ye Qingxi arrived early, a rare occurrence, thanks to the smooth journey.
Pei Liang walked into the classroom, saw him, and subconsciously raised her hand to look at her phone watch.
He wasn't late; Ye Qingxi was early.
Strange, why is he here so early today?!
"What's wrong?" Pei Liang asked, puzzled. "Are you feeling unwell?"
Ye Qingxi: ...Can't you wish me well for once?!
"No, my grandfather gets up early, so he woke me up early too."
Pei Liang nodded, "That's what I was thinking."
He and his grandfather would wake up earlier than he would go to bed.
When Ye Qingxi saw him arrive, she remembered her plan to outmaneuver Mu Shaoyan, which she had devised earlier. Now that the National Day holiday was over, she could start the plan anytime!
So, Ye Qingxi leaned closer to Pei Liang and said, "I have something to tell you."
"What?"
Ye Qingxi leaned close to his ear and started chattering away.
Pei Liang had no objections after hearing this, and even gave him a suitable candidate, "My cousin, my cousin is also a senior in high school this year."
"Okay," Ye Qingxi replied.
"Do you need me to act with you?" Pei Liang asked as she opened her backpack.
"I don't need it now, but I might need it later. I'll call you then."
“Okay.” Pei Liang nodded.
but……
He looked at his companion, not having high hopes for Ye Qingxi's plan.
He had met Ye Qingxi's uncle before, and he didn't look like a good student.
So, it's difficult to get him to study hard and get good grades.
"Xiao Xi, you must never end up like your uncle," Pei Liang said earnestly. "You must study hard, don't skip classes, and definitely don't dye your hair."
Ye Qingxi nodded: He's not some chuunibyou or a slapstick idiot.
Pei Liang continued to tease him, "Then you shouldn't sleep in class anymore."
"That won't do," Ye Qingxi said. "I'm really sleepy."
"Then why did you say you wanted to study hard?"
"I've done all my homework," Ye Qingxi said. "And all of my homework answers were correct."
After thinking about it, Pei Liang realized that what he said was true.
Every time he checked Ye Qingxi's homework, Ye Qingxi wrote it neatly and correctly, unlike those two idiots, Zhong Yan and Kang Cong.
Pei Liang sighed. How could he have two silly childhood friends? It was truly sad.
Fortunately, Ye Qingxi is still here; otherwise, Pei Liang would feel that his genius is as lonely as snow.
"By the way, did you tell Zhong Yan and the others about what you just told me?"
Ye Qingxi shook her head.
Pei Liang was pleasantly surprised by his action.
"You didn't say?"
"I only need one person to cooperate with me."
Upon hearing this, Pei Liang smiled smugly.
Sure enough, he said it himself: of the three of them, Ye Qingxi liked him the most.
After all, who wouldn't like a genius to like a little fool?
Ye Qingxi is especially intelligent.
Intelligent people naturally prefer intelligent people.
Pei Liang leaned closer to him, "Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret."
Ye Qingxi: ...
Actually, there's not much need to keep it a secret.
Of course, it's good to keep it a secret.
"Mm." Ye Qingxi nodded with a smile.
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