I Found My Future Wife Next Door - Chapter 10

In the quiet little Western-style house, two children who resembled dolls sat facing each other on the carpeted floor. On the ground, the puzzle pieces had formed the complete image of a cat’s ears.

The younger child looked up and said in an adorable tone, “This ear is done. Shenshen, is your ear finished?”

“Not yet, only half,” replied the older Lu Zhishen, sounding a bit frustrated.

Why was it that even though they were working on the puzzle together, Ranran was already halfway ahead of him? It must be because the puzzle pieces were hard to find. Next time, he would buy an easier puzzle to bring over and play with Ranran.

Wait, no, next time, he should bring other toys. He didn’t want to keep playing with puzzles all the time.

Building blocks seemed like a good idea. They were definitely more fun than puzzles.

Lu Zhishen’s little mind whirled as he thought about replacing the puzzle.

Yu Qianran clapped her hands and praised, “Wow, that’s amazing!”

Lu Zhishen shyly lowered his head.

Gu Kexin, her eyes filled with a smile, held a beautifully arranged fruit platter and called out, “Ranran, Shenshen, come have some fruit.”

Yu Qianran stood up, gesturing as she spoke, “Mom, look at the puzzle Dad gave me. There are so many pieces!”

“I see it. Ranran, make sure to finish it properly,” Gu Kexin said, picking up a piece of apple and gently touching it to Yu Qianran’s pink lips.

Yu Qianran happily ate it and didn’t forget to compliment, “The apple Mom fed me is so fragrant and sweet. It’s delicious.”

Gu Kexin couldn’t help but feel overjoyed. She gently pinched Yu Qianran’s round little cheek and said, “Ranran’s little mouth is also very sweet.”

“By the way, that annoying little cousin Ranran doesn’t like has already been sent away by Mom. They won’t be coming to our house anymore.”

Yu Qianran looked impressed and clapped her hands loudly, exclaiming, “Wow, Mom is so amazing!”

Gu Kexin basked in Yu Qianran’s repeated praises and proudly replied, “Of course.”

After sharing the good news, Gu Kexin didn’t disturb the children further and left them to their own space again.

For her, even when she was busy with work in the past, she knew Ranran lacked companionship. She felt helpless, unable to force other children to play with Ranran.

This situation dragged on until now, when Lu Zhishen naturally gravitated toward Ranran. She no longer had to go out of her way to find playmates for Ranran, and since they came from similar family backgrounds, she felt completely at ease.

Her eyes filled with affection as she watched the two children sitting close together, feeling a sense of peace and happiness.

The puzzle pieces slowly fell into place under the small hands of the two children, forming half of Tom Cat’s lifelike image.

Aunt Wang timely reminded them, “Ranran, Shenshen, wash your hands. It’s time for dinner.”

Outside, the sky had darkened, while inside, the lights had unknowingly brightened, filling the air with the aroma of food.

After dinner, Yu Qianran and Lu Zhishen lingered at the door, chattering reluctantly.

After hesitating for half a second, Yu Qianran voiced a question she had long been curious about: “Shenshen, can you not like so many things?”

Little Lu Zhishen was greatly puzzled. “Do I like a lot of things?”

Yu Qianran nodded seriously. “Yes, you’re always taking classes and studying.”

Mom had said that if you like something, you have to study it. Shenshen was such a big dummy for liking so many things, he never had time to play with her.

Lu Zhishen widened his eyes and shook his head repeatedly in denial. “I’m not! I don’t! I don’t like taking classes at all!”

Yu Qianran tilted her head and looked at him.

“Those are things my mom likes, she insists I learn them.” Lu Zhishen pouted his little mouth, speaking with grievance. “I don’t like studying at all. I just want to keep playing with you, Ranran.”

Those incomprehensible lessons, repeated over and over, were even scarier than the monsters in Ultraman.

“Can’t you just not learn them?” Yu Qianran blinked his eyes, asking innocently.

Lu Zhishen shook his head. “No, she’ll add more classes, and then I won’t even have any rest days.”

He added a few more punishments Ji Nuan had inflicted on him, describing his mother as more terrifying than any monster.

Yu Qianran had only seen Ji Nuan once, and she had been angry the whole time, truly frightening. He resolved to avoid her in the future, making sure never to get caught, or else he might be taken away and locked up.

Little Lu Zhishen planted a deep fear of Ji Nuan in Yu Qianran’s heart.

“Well, okay,” Yu Qianran said, a bit dejected, but he perked up and smiled. “You have to come find me tomorrow too.”

Lu Zhishen hung his head dejectedly. “But I don’t want to go to class. Another day without playing with you. If only you were with me…” A sudden idea struck him, and he excitedly said to Yu Qianran, “Why don’t you come to class with me?”

Yu Qianran bit his lower lip, neither agreeing nor refusing.

He really wanted to play with Shenshen, but Shenshen had to go to class. If he accompanied Shenshen, he’d feel awkward just watching without participating. And if he joined Shenshen in class… no, no, Shenshen’s lessons sounded so difficult.

Yu Qianran was deeply conflicted, unsure what to do.

“Ranran, please come with me, okay?” Lu Zhishen stepped forward, tightly grasping Yu Qianran’s hand and swinging it freely. “My house has lots of little cookies, the kind I bring you every day.”

Little cookies!

Yu Qianran’s eyes sparkled. The cookies Lu Zhishen brought were always so few, and they disappeared almost as soon as he started eating them. If he went to Shenshen’s house, maybe he could eat them all the time.

He thought this and even voiced it aloud.

Seeing this, Lu Zhishen immediately nodded, coaxing Ranran. “Of course! I’ll ask the auntie to bake lots and lots of cookies for you, and little cakes too.”

Yu Qianran was even more tempted, wanting to nod in agreement.

But just as the thought arose, the image of Ji Nuan scattered it. Remembering her fierce expression, he shook his head repeatedly to push the idea away.

He straightened up and refused firmly. “No.”

“Why?” Lu Zhishen didn’t understand. He had clearly seen Ranran about to nod.

Yu Qianran covered his mouth with both hands, blinking and shaking his head.

He couldn’t say it. He mustn’t speak ill of others.

Shenshen’s mom was too scary. He’d better wait at home for Shenshen to come play with him and bring the little cookies.

Afraid Lu Zhishen would ask more questions, Yu Qianran moved behind him and pushed him along, urging, “Hurry home, and remember to come find me tomorrow.”

Lu Zhishen: QAQ

…

In the warm, cozy yellow room, the little dumpling, freshly washed, lay in bed, his beautiful eyes fluttering. He tilted his head slightly to look at the man walking over with a storybook.

Yu Qianran saw the cover of the storybook in his dad’s hands. “Dad, I don’t want to hear a story about a princess and a prince today.”

Dad affectionately patted Yu Qianran’s little head and asked softly, “Then what do you want to hear?”

Yu Qianran thought seriously and came to a conclusion. “Hmm, I want one about little animals.”

“Okay, whatever Ranran wants.”

Dad switched out another storybook from the shelf, moved to the bedside to sit down, opened the book, and began narrating the adventures of the little animals inside in a deep, pleasant voice.

After finishing one story, Dad looked at Ranran, who was struggling to keep his sleepy eyes open, and affectionately ruffled his hair. “Does Ranran have something on his mind?”

At times like this, Ranran would always fight off sleepiness, waiting for Dad to speak first.

“Mhm.” Yu Qianran nodded. “Dad, Shenshen wants me to go to class with him so we can be together during the day too.”

Dad was pleased that Ranran had made a friend. “Isn’t that great? If Ranran wants to go, Mom and Dad won’t stop you.”

“But Shenshen’s mom is really scary.” Yu Qianran emphasized the things Lu Zhishen had told him, then hung his head dejectedly. “Dad, what should I do?”

Dad was taken aback. He truly hadn’t imagined that Ji Nuan would come across this way in the children’s minds, nor did he know whether Ji Nuan herself was aware that her own child was portraying her like this.

“Let me tell you, Auntie Ji isn’t scary. She’s a very good person. She’s just strict with Shenshen because she has high hopes for him, understand?”

Yu Qianran didn’t quite get it and compared his own family to Lu Zhishen’s. “Why don’t I have that? Is it because Mom and Dad don’t have high hopes for me?”

“Of course not. Mom and Dad have just as many hopes for you as Auntie Ji does for Shenshen. It’s just that our parenting philosophies are a bit different.” Dad gently tapped Ranran’s little nose with his slender finger. “If Ranran wants to go, tell Shenshen tomorrow. Don’t keep him waiting too long.”

Yu Qianran nodded softly, his half-closed eyes slowly shutting completely. “Goodnight, Dad.”

Dad tucked Yu Qianran in snugly and whispered softly, “Goodnight, Ranran.”

The moon in the sky dimmed, allowing the stars to twinkle, before being overshadowed by the brighter sunlight, casting an orange-red hue across the sky.

Yu Qianran didn’t wait for Lu Zhishen in the morning. He sat on the swing outside the yard, gently swaying his legs.

Is Shenshen not coming because I refused yesterday? Will Shenshen stop coming in the mornings from now on? Should I go find him now? What if I run into his mom, Auntie Ji…

Yu Qianran sighed softly, putting a little more effort into swinging. With each sway, he thought to himself: Go find Shenshen, don’t go find Shenshen, go… go find Shenshen.

The swing came to a steady stop, leaving him no room for second thoughts.

“Yay, I’ll go find Shenshen.”

Yu Qianran hopped off the swing and happily headed back into the house.

Since he was going to find Shenshen, he should bring a gift. He decided to give Shenshen one of his own toys.

After bustling around for a while, Yu Qianran carefully selected a toy car.

He eagerly went to find Auntie Wang to ask for a gift box, then meticulously wrapped the present with his small hands, tying a slightly crooked bow on top.

First, Yu Qianran went to find Gu Kexin. “Mom, Mom, I want to go find Shenshen.”

Gu Kexin agreed right away, though she wasn’t entirely comfortable letting Yu Qianran go out alone. She insisted on walking him to the gate.

Yu Qianran smiled and nodded, his eyes curving into crescents.

“Wear this.”

Yu Qianran looked down at the new watch on his wrist, blinking curiously. He didn’t understand why it had suddenly been swapped for a different style. “Is this the same as Shenshen’s?”

Gu Kexin nodded. “Mhm. Remember to wear it whenever you go out, Ranran. It has a tracker.”

Once fully dressed, Yu Qianran held the gift in one hand and his mom’s hand in the other, heading off to Lu Zhishen’s house.

“Ranran, do you want Mommy to help you carry the gift?”

Yu Qianran: “I can do it, Mommy.”

He wanted to carry the gift for Shenshen himself, hoping Shenshen would see it first thing.

The path wasn’t very long, with endless summer flowers blooming vibrantly along the roadside, swaying in the breeze.

Gu Kexin only walked Yu Qianran to the outer gate, smiling as she said, “Mommy will stop here. Ranran can walk the rest of the way on your own.”

Yu Qianran looked ahead, then back at his mother, nodding obediently. “Goodbye, Mommy. Ranran will miss you.”

After bidding farewell to his mother, Yu Qianran quickly made his way to the villa’s entrance, standing on tiptoe to ring the doorbell.

“Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~”

“Who is it?” The door was opened by a middle-aged man dressed in a black suit.

Yu Qianran looked up at him, his voice soft and childlike. “Hello, Uncle. I’m Yu Qianran, here to see Shenshen.”

The butler invited Yu Qianran inside and brought him a glass of water. “Young Master Yu Qianran, you’ll have to wait a bit. The young master is currently in a lesson.”

Yu Qianran tilted his head, looking hopeful. “Can I take a peek?”

The butler agreed. “Of course.”

Although it wasn’t Yu Qianran’s first time visiting Shenshen’s home, he hadn’t explored much during his last visit and wasn’t quite sure how to get around.

He followed the butler, turning a corner until they reached the room where Lu Zhishen was having his lesson. Through the crack in the door, he could see Lu Zhishen’s back.

“Thank you, Uncle,” Yu Qianran said with a smile. “I’ll wait here for Shenshen. You can go attend to your duties if you need to.”

The butler smiled. “Alright. If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll be in the room near the staircase.”

Yu Qianran nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

From inside the room came the sound of the teacher’s voice, saying things he couldn’t understand.

He leaned closer, peeking through the crack in the door. From this angle, he could only see Lu Zhishen’s back and the teacher’s stern expression. He couldn’t help but shiver.

How scary. Is this what Shenshen has to face every day?

Yu Qianran held his breath, afraid that if he was discovered, he’d be dragged inside to listen and study too.

The sharp-eyed teacher didn’t miss the little boy peeking in. After having Lu Zhishen answer a question, he pointed toward Yu Qianran outside the door and said, “Your friend is here.”

Lu Zhishen turned in the direction the teacher pointed, and upon seeing Yu Qianran, he exclaimed happily, “Ranran!”

He didn’t forget he was still in class. “Teacher, can I take a break?”

The teacher nodded. “Go ahead, but only for ten minutes.”

“Thank you, Teacher. You’re the best!”

With those words, Lu Zhishen eagerly ran over to Yu Qianran.

“Ranran, what brings you here?” He had thought Ranran wouldn’t come to see him.

Yu Qianran pursed his lips, averting his gaze. “You didn’t come this morning.”

Hearing this, Lu Zhishen scratched his head sheepishly and grinned. “I overslept this morning. I didn’t mean to skip.”

Yu Qianran blinked, his expression soft and adorable. “Are you sure you weren’t angry?”

“Of course not!” Lu Zhishen was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Ranran to think he skipped because he was angry. “So, did you come because you thought I was angry?”

Yu Qianran hummed in agreement, pulling out the gift he had been hiding behind his back and handing it over. “This is for you.”

“Ranran, you’re so sweet, bringing me a gift.”

Lu Zhishen reached out and hugged Yu Qianran, planting a soft kiss on his chubby cheek with his pink lips.