The little child tugged at his uncle and ran. Even though this masked stranger had just saved them, he didn’t want to give him his uncle.
The little child pulled the uncle back into the house and
then slammed the door shut.
Through the crack in the door, the little child shoved the
food that their dad had placed outside.
“Here, these are for you. Now go away.”
Dad had said to be polite, so after a moment’s thought, the
little child rephrased, “Please go away. I want to sleep with my uncle.”
The eyelids of the masked man outside the door twitched.
He felt the urge to break down the door.
Tidying up the yard, Zhan Xi saw his little child closing the
door. He shut down the broken machine and carefully stored it away.
The machine was a bit loud; if he didn’t shut it down, he
couldn’t hear what the little child was saying.
“Ningning, who did you lock outside?”
“Um, the masked uncle.”
As Ningning answered, Zhan Xi had already walked over. “What
masked uncle? Is it a guest? Ningning, didn’t Dad teach you not to lock guests
outside?”
Zhan Xi lifted Ningning with one hand and opened the door
with the other.
The door opened.
The masked man outside raised his hand as if he was about to
break the door.
Zhan Xi: “...”
Zhan Xi squinted his eyes.
Annoyed by their antics, An Nuo walked over, pulled the
masked man inside, and then closed the door behind him.
“Enough, don’t tease Ningning anymore. Take off the mask.”
Trying to fool the little child with the mask on, and
shamelessly letting the little child praise him, An Nuo couldn’t stand it any
longer.
Prompted by An Nuo, the man with the mask stopped dragging
his feet and readily took off the mask.
The handsome face behind the mask made Zhan Xi feel somewhat
familiar, and the little child’s eyes slowly lit up like a small flame.
“Aunt!”
The little child was infuriated. “You, you lied to Ningning!”
Raphael tugged on the thin string of the mask, pretending to
be puzzled as he looked at the little child. “When did I lie to you? If it
wasn’t for me just now, you would have been captured by the bad guys.”
Ningning: “...”
Still quite upset!
Hearing his own child calling out “aunt”, Zhan Xi knew that
this was the King of the Sixth Planet, Raphael.
He wasn’t familiar with Raphael, but from the little child’s
description, he vaguely guessed that this King had a somewhat romantic mind and
was exceedingly indulgent towards An Nuo.
He invited the person inside with a composed tone, “Since
you’re here, come in and have a seat. Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
He said he hadn’t eaten, so naturally, Zhan Xi didn’t want to
leave him hungry.
But Ling Qi had already made dinner in the evening, and Zhan
Xi didn’t want to ask Ling Qi to cook again at this time.
He looked at Raphael, pondered for a few seconds, and then
said, “I’ll make something simple for you to eat. Just wait a moment.”
As soon as his words fell, the little child immediately
turned up his eyes.
“Dad, make a little extra for Aunt!”
Raphael: “?”
Raphael was extremely clever, and he had already sensed that
something was off from the little child’s reaction.
“No need to trouble yourself.”
Raphael said lightly, “I’m not hungry right now. When I’m
hungry, I’ll go buy something to eat.”
“Buying food costs money too. I’ll make it for you.”
Zhan Xi had also heard of Raphael’s nickname as “Door
Knocker”. He felt that although his cooking might not be as good as Ling Qi’s,
his child had been eating it for so long without any issues, which meant that
his cooking was still edible. (T/N: This term is often used
humorously or sarcastically to describe someone who is overly cautious,
protective, or watchful, akin to a guardian of the door.)
Since it was edible, there was no need to spend unnecessary
money.
Raphael couldn’t persuade Zhan Xi and could only watch as
Zhan Xi headed to the kitchen. As he lowered his head, the little child that
Zhan Xi had placed on the ground looked even happier.
An Nuo, afraid that the little child might get tired, had
already taken off his Mecha helmet and given it to him.
At this moment, the little child with its head poking out was
giggling with his face up.
Raphael glanced at him, bent down, and took off his Mecha.
“This Mecha is quite heavy; it seems like you’re getting stronger.”
After taking off the Mecha, the little child dragged his own
Mecha and carefully put it away.
The little child knew that the family wasn’t wealthy, so he
treasured his belongings. He put away the Mecha and then looked back at
Raphael.
Raphael put his arm around An Nuo’s shoulder, and their eyes
met in the air.
The two of them exchanged glances, and in the end, the little
child didn’t forget to settle the score: “Your, your voice is not right when
you speak!”
Raphael’s voice just now was like a robot.
Raphael, who had come from the Sixth Planet, raised an
eyebrow and handed him a small voice changer: “Here, I’m giving this to you.”
The technology on the Sixth Planet was advanced, and these
portable voice changers were considered inexpensive trinkets.
The little child was somewhat fond of these inexpensive
trinkets. He took the voice changer and temporarily forgave his step-aunt.
The voice changer was easy to use. Once the little child
figured it out, he happily used it to call his older brother.
Even though the little child turned his voice into a
mechanical one and pretended to be a stranger talking to his brother, when Huo
Lin looked at the incoming call’s name and the way the little child was
speaking, he fell silent for a few seconds.
A few seconds.
The older brother cooperated and was “fooled” by the little
child.
Listening to his older brother not recognizing him, the
little child was almost floating with joy. He then called Ludwig and Ai Wei,
making a round of calls that left him exhausted.
While the little child was making calls, Zhan Xi’s meal was
ready, too.
Only Raphael was at the dining table. He looked at An Nuo
beside him and asked, “Would you like to eat something together?”
Previously, An Nuo had tried Zhan Xi’s cooking. He gently
declined, saying, “No need, you’re hungry, go ahead and eat, have a little
more.”
Raphael’s heart warmed by the coaxing, and he took a big bite
with his head lowered.
The next second.
Raphael nearly had to restrain himself from spitting out,
using all his composure to swallow the food in his mouth. He then looked up at
Zhan Xi, asking, “Do you always cook like this?”
Zhan Xi: “...”
Seeing his reaction, Zhan Xi knew he wasn’t very satisfied
with the taste. “Don’t worry, even though it doesn’t taste great, it’s very
healthy. Ningning has been eating this since he was young. Look, he’s chubby
from it, isn’t he?”
Raphael choked up.
Eating Zhan Xi’s food and still turning into a little chubby
kid, this kid really wasn’t picky about food.
Zhan Xi assured that his cooking was fine, and Raphael
couldn’t waste it naturally. He gritted his teeth and finished the meal, barely
filling his stomach.
While he was eating, An Nuo was watching nearby.
After finishing the meal and not seeing the little chubby
kid, Raphael took An Nuo by the hand and went to An Nuo’s room.
Having just eaten Zhan Xi’s food, Raphael felt like he needed
some compensation.
Zhan Xi looked at their figures and murmured, “It looks like
tonight... Ningning will come over to sleep with me.”
Raphael hadn’t seen An Nuo for so many days, and now that
they had met, there was certainly no room for the little chubby Ningning. It
was just right. He hadn’t slept with the little child for several days, so
tonight he could place the little one between him and Ling Qi.
Inside the room.
As soon as Raphael entered, he slammed the door shut with a
bang. The sound of the door closing startled Ningning, who was secretly making
a call with his star device inside the room.
“Baby, I haven’t had a good night’s sleep for many days.”
Raphael tightly embraced An Nuo, lowered his head and kissed
him. While kissing, he asked in a low, husky voice, “You’re willing to give up
even me for that little chubby kid.”
An Nuo’s breathing was uneven from his kisses, and his legs
went weak. “Raphael, don’t... don’t kiss anymore. How long have we been
together? I’ve only been with Ningning for a few days. Why are you jealous of
him?”
Raphael cupped his face and continued kissing, saying, “I
don’t care. I just want to stick to you.”
With Raphael’s close presence, An Nuo couldn’t resist for
long. His slender and graceful fingers grabbed onto Raphael’s hair, his voice
unsteady: “No, this is my and Ningning’s room. Raphael, you—”
Before An Nuo could finish his sentence, the corner of his
eye caught sight of a child. His eyes widened suddenly, and the next moment, he
pushed Raphael away even harder.
Raphael had his back to the child, who sat like a wooden
statue on the bed, so he didn’t see the child’s presence. He was much more
clingy than the child.
After all, even though the child was heavy, adults could
still lift him with ease.
Considering Raphael’s build, there was little chance An Nuo
could lift him up.
“Raphael!”
An Nuo harshly kicked Raphael, finally pushing him away.
Luckily, besides kissing, they hadn’t done anything too excessive.
But even just a kiss made An Nuo’s thin-skinned face turn
red.
“Uncle”
The child, still in a daze, looked at Uncle and Aunt: “You’ve
never been this affectionate with Ningning.”
Since he was a child, he had always been kissed on the face,
and as time went on, he grew used to it. Moreover, this reciprocating child
would also kiss the faces of the adults when happy.
The child, who always kissed faces, had never kissed a mouth.
Dad said kids shouldn’t do that.
Although Raphael had a thick skin, he was also stunned by the
fact that the child saw him being affectionate with An Nuo.
Fortunately, Raphael reacted quickly.
He cleared his throat, recalled the scene just now, and
deduced that the child was probably sitting behind them and didn’t see much.
“Come here.”
Raphael picked up the child hiding in the room, his tone
revealing a rare hint of soothing: “When you grow up and have a wife, you can
be this affectionate. But for now, you’re still young, so don’t kiss randomly.”
The child was fooled by Raphael’s words. By the time the
child regained his senses, he was already being carried back to Dad.
Zhan Xi didn’t find it surprising at all when the child was
returned to him.
The two adults exchanged greetings, and afterward, Raphael
returned to the room while the child was handed over to his father.
“Ningning, be a good boy and sit for a while. Daddy will take
you to bed later.”
“Mhm!”
Ningning sat on the stool, his chubby legs crossed, watching
his dad work.
That night, Ningning and Uncle Ling Qi slept together as
usual, and they both slept soundly.
The next morning.
When Ningning got up to pack his school bag, Zhan Xi looked
at the Confucius figurine in his bag and felt a bit worried. “Ningning, this is
quite heavy. How about we don’t bring it today?”
Ningning’s face turned serious upon hearing this. He held
onto the figurine and said earnestly, “I have to bring it!”
Zhan Xi: “...”
For the sake of his own face and Ningning’s face, Zhan Xi reminded
again, “Ningning, even though Confucius is knowledgeable, he passed away a long
time ago. He can’t make others knowledgeable, too.”
But Ningning, who was seeking blessings from Confucius,
couldn’t hear this.
He stubbornly stuffed the figurine into his bag and spoke on
behalf of Confucius, “Grandpa Confucius is really amazing!”
He believed that Confucius would bless him to become amazing
too!
Zhan Xi, unable to convince him, almost got frustrated.
“Ningning, today you’re taking practical exams. Confucius doesn’t know about
these practical subjects. Bringing him won’t help.”
Ningning covered his ears, refusing to listen, determined in
his heart!
Despite Zhan Xi’s attempts to dissuade him, Ningning
ultimately took the figurine to school. On the way to school, Zhan Xi had
already put on a firm mask.
After today’s exam, he would quickly send Ningning to the
winter camp and then rush back to the barren planet overnight!
He couldn’t stay on this White Mist Star any longer.
Completely unaware of his embarrassment, Ningning, along with
his classmates, began their last day of exams.
Before the exam, the young children still kowtowed to
Confucius.
The live broadcast room was crowded once again, thanks to
yesterday’s popularity. More people came to watch the children pay their
respects to Confucius.
After witnessing the children’ prayers, the online viewers
eagerly turned their attention to the practical exams. Unlike yesterday’s exam,
today’s test was much more stimulating.
Principal Hardy looked at the live stream’s barrage. All the
comments were full of admiration for their children, giving him a sense of
satisfaction.
The barrage continued scrolling: [Truly worthy of the
Imperial Military Kindergarten. Are these children’ learning intensities on par
with regular elementary students?]
[So impressive. These children are so skilled in Mecha combat
classes!]
[Help, that chubby little child looks so soft and squishy,
but why is his Mecha combat so fierce?]
[Awesome, the Imperial Military Kindergarten is really
awesome. If I have a child in the future, I must send them here.]
After watching the livestream for two days, Principal Hardy
finally saw some positive feedback.
He was very content with this.
As for the exams that lasted a whole day, the little children
were all quite tired.
For the child who was about to celebrate his birthday, he
looked tired and said, “I’m so tired today. Let’s have cake tomorrow.”
Ningning nodded, “Okay, tomorrow then. Ningning is also very
tired.”
A group of tired little children, led by Teacher Lily, were
brought to the school gate, and then they were the last ones to be picked up by
their parents from the kindergarten.
The young children who were previously confused, this time,
were taken back by their parents. The parents, who had been embarrassed for two
days, decisively stopped taking care of them and instead, one by one, told the
truth to the children—
“Did you bow to Confucius before the exam these past two
days? Mom and Dad saw it, no, your aunts and uncles saw it too, and even your
grandparents.”
“Kids, your exams are being live-streamed across the entire
galaxy. There are so many people watching!”
“Little child, do you want to check out a hot trend?”
“Sweetie, do you want to play StarCraft? Mom will show you
something interesting.”
On this evening, the children in a certain class were all
crying loudly.
Among them, the loudest cries came from a little child who
couldn’t even hold on to his beloved rice bowl.
“Ningning is really going to throw a tantrum!”
The little child nearly pouted, tears falling like beads from
a snapped string down his chubby face.
The main culprit who informed the little child about the
live-streaming was none other than Raphael. Raphael had teasingly shown the
high-definition videos of himself online to the little child.
While watching, Raphael clicked his tongue in disapproval and
commented, “Look at this. Even your generation of young children has their dark
history in high definition. I think I should get a new phone; this old one
can’t even fit your videos anymore.”
The destructive power of these videos was really
overwhelming. The little child felt like he’s just a fragile little child. He
couldn’t handle this blow.
“Daddy, daddy, please delete the videos.”
The little child cried as he climbed onto his father’s lap,
his chubby little hands holding onto his father’s neck, begging him to delete
all the videos.
Zhan Xi looked down at the little child and rubbed his
temples. “Daddy can’t delete them.”
If he could delete the videos, Zhan Xi would have done so
yesterday. After all, his little child has lost face, and he would lose face
too.
The little child had smeared tears all over his father.
Seeing that his father couldn’t do anything about it, he climbed down from his
father’s lap. With teary eyes, he wanted to go out and find his big brother.
