I Found My Future Wife Next Door - Chapter 6

He Hates Lu Zhishen the Most

Three little mice quietly slipped into the living room from outside, thinking they hadn’t been noticed, but the surveillance cameras followed their every move.

Yuyu pointed at the most conspicuous camera aimed at the living room and said, “Ranran, you go block it.”

Yu Qianran refused, “No, I want to pick snacks.”

Seeing that he couldn’t order Ranran around, Yuyu wasn’t angry. Instead, he turned to Yangyang and commanded, “Yangyang, you go.”

“Okay,” Yangyang replied dejectedly, not daring to object.

The three of them had a clear division of labor. Ranran rushed to the snacks and picked out a few packs of cookies that looked decent. Yuyu, the greedy one, wanted to take everything, stuffing his clothes until they bulged like a big, round belly.

“Hurry up, switch places with Yangyang,” Yuyu urged.

He still knew that when doing something mischievous, everyone should take turns getting something good, or else someone might snitch.

Yu Qianran frowned, disliking Yuyu’s rude demand, and asked, “Why don’t you go?”

Yuyu said matter-of-factly, “It was my idea, so of course you have to listen to me.”

Yu Qianran pursed his lips, his face showing anger. Suddenly, he put the snacks back and huffed, “Then I won’t eat. I don’t have to listen to you.”

Yuyu was so annoying. He didn’t want to listen to Yuyu at all.

It was Yuyu who had asked him to sneak snacks together in the first place, but now Yuyu was acting as if he had forced his way in. It wasn’t fun at all, and he didn’t like it!

“You can’t do this,” Yuyu said, clearly encountering a mid-action rebellion for the first time. He anxiously grabbed Ranran to stop him from leaving. “You’ve already started, how can you quit now? That’s lying, and we’ll look down on you!”

If Ranran didn’t take the snacks, wouldn’t it become his fault alone? Yangyang, that coward, would definitely follow Ranran’s lead. Absolutely not, he couldn’t possibly give up the snacks.

Yu Qianran forcefully pulled his hand back, not wanting anyone to touch him. He put his hands on his hips and retorted, “I’m not a liar.”

Yuyu grabbed a pack of snacks and shoved it toward Yu Qianran, saying angrily, “You are a liar. I don’t care, you have to take the snacks.”

“I’m not,” Yu Qianran dodged backward, not wanting Yuyu to succeed.

“You are a liar, liar, liar, liar!”

“I’m not. Don’t come closer. I don’t want them anymore.”

“No, these are yours. You have to take them.”

“Go away…”

Yu Qianran was forced back more than ten meters by Yuyu, his clear voice tinged with anger and grievance.

“Go away!”

Yu Qianran closed his eyes and waved his hands, swatting away the snacks Yuyu threw at him. As he stepped back, his foot caught on an uneven object, causing him to lose his balance and fall backward,

“Wahhhh~”

A dull “thud” followed, catching everyone’s attention.

Upstairs, Lu Zhishen’s door wasn’t tightly closed, and the various noises had woken him up. The moment he opened his eyes and didn’t see Ranran, he immediately rushed out of his room. He saw many staff members hurrying downstairs, and the crying from below sounded familiar,

The first thing Lu Zhishen saw when he ran downstairs was Ranran sitting on the floor, his fair cheeks flushed red from crying, tears streaming from his beautiful eyes, looking both adorable and pitiful.

Lu Zhishen ran to Ranran and sat down beside him, pulling him into his arms. He whispered softly, “Why is Ranran crying? Who bullied you? I’ll beat them up for you.”

His face showed anger, like the fiercest little puppy, his dark eyes shifting from Yangyang to Yuyu.

Yu Qianran cried, “It hurts. I want to go home.”

His bottom hurt, and his hands hurt too, as if they were broken. Wuwuwu, would he have no hands in the future? He couldn’t imagine how he would hold things without hands.

Hearing this, Lu Zhishen felt a tearing pain in his heart, accompanied by a chill. Seeing Ranran so sad made him feel terrible too. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t taken a nap, you wouldn’t have fallen,” he said, filled with self-blame.

Lu Zhishen held Yu Qianran protectively in his arms. Since the doctor couldn’t examine him from a distance, he looked toward the director, signaling him to intervene.

Catching the request, the director crouched down, patted Lu Zhishen gently, and spoke in a soft, lowered voice, “Shenshen, wait a moment. Let the doctor take a look.”

After a brief examination, it turned out Yu Qianran had only sprained his left hand slightly. The other painful areas would heal soon enough.

Yu Qianran didn’t cry out loud, but tears kept streaming down his face. Lu Zhishen tried to wipe them away but couldn’t keep up. Hearing the doctor’s diagnosis, he couldn’t help but doubt, “Uncle Doctor, are you sure he’s okay?”

The doctor replied with certainty, “Of course. Why would I lie to you?”

While comforting Yu Qianran, Lu Zhishen asked, “Ranran is crying so sadly. Is there any medicine that can make the pain go away after taking it?”

The doctor facepalmed and answered coldly, “No.”

Yu Qianran’s eyes welled up with tears, and hearing this, they fell even faster, breaking Lu Zhishen’s heart.

The three children ended up in a cold war, none willing to talk to the others. The director was at his wit’s end, coaxing and persuading them until the atmosphere finally eased and they could continue recording the show normally.

During the afternoon recording, not a single child was happy. The director felt as if the sky had fallen, and he had to coax and persuade each one individually to wrap up the day’s filming.

Looking at the little ones, the director said softly, “The recording is over now. Come and get your snacks. Your parents will be here soon to pick you up.”

…

In the evening, the sun melted the horizon into a golden curtain. The earth, scorched all day, finally caught its breath, and the flowers in the garden bed released an enchanting fragrance.

“What?!”

“I have to leave too? Isn’t this my home?”

A small figure stood by the garden bed, looking up in disbelief.

Ji Nuan crouched down and patiently explained, “We’re going back to live in the city center. We only came here for a few days to record the show.”

Go back? No way.

Lu Zhishen stubbornly stood his ground. “No, what about my Ranran?”

“What do you mean ‘your Ranran’? That’s someone else’s child, not your brother,” Ji Nuan said, exasperated. It had only been a day, and he was already trying to take someone else’s child. “If you want to play with Ranran, you can come over occasionally. I won’t stop you.”

Only occasionally? Lu Zhishen’s little face scrunched up in resistance. “No! I want to be with Ranran every day!”

Ji Nuan said firmly, “No room for negotiation. Go pack your things now.”

“No, no, no!” Lu Zhishen said angrily. He didn’t want to go back. Being home alone meant having to attend classes, and he really didn’t want to do that.

Ji Nuan stood up, crossed her arms, and spoke with a stern, frustrated expression, “Lu Zhishen, you’re my child, not Ranran’s family’s. If you don’t listen, I’ll add another class to your schedule.”

“Bad mom, I don’t want to go home with you,” Lu Zhishen said, pushing Ji Nuan aside and turning to run toward the door.

Suddenly, his feet left the ground, Lu Zhishen turned his head to meet Ji Nuan’s angry face. “Let me go! I want to find Ranran. I want to be Ranran’s brother!”

Ji Nuan was furious. She hauled Lu Zhishen right in front of her and said word by word, “Lu Zhishen, are you asking for a beating?”

Lu Zhishen turned his head away, refusing to meet Ji Nuan’s gaze. He even flailed his arms and legs, shouting, “Bad mommy, bad mommy! I want to stay here!”

“Not allowed,” Ji Nuan insisted on her decision.

Lu Zhishen cried, “I don’t want to go to class! I don’t want to go back! I want Daddy to come!”

Daddy would definitely grant his wish.

Ji Nuan sneered, “No one can change my mind!”

She picked Lu Zhishen up, tossed him into the car, fastened his seatbelt, and ordered the driver to start the car. She couldn’t even be bothered to pack Lu Zhishen’s luggage.

As for some clothes and toys, if Lu Zhishen wanted them, they could always buy new ones.

Lu Zhishen’s first major rebellion had failed.

That night, he was sulky and unhappy, even refusing to eat dinner. It was clear he was trying to make Ji Nuan soften and agree.

But Ji Nuan was not someone who easily gave in. Both of them were stubborn by nature, and neither was willing to back down.

The next day.

In the middle of the warm yellow bed, a small lump protruded. The blanket was pushed open from inside, and a drowsy little boy crawled out.

Yu Qianran covered his mouth with his fair, tender palm, his eyes still heavy with sleep. He yawned widely.

He slid off the bed, and his small figure disappeared behind the bathroom door.

When he emerged again, he had washed up and changed into fresh clothes, a yellow outfit printed with cute little ducks. Yu Qianran toddled out of the bedroom.

“Mommy, what are we doing today?”

The moment Yu Qianran went downstairs, his eyes landed on his mother. His heart and eyes were full of her as he quickly rushed into Gu Kexin’s warm embrace to snuggle.

Gu Kexin gently stroked Yu Qianran’s soft hair, her smile warm. “Let’s have breakfast first, and then Mommy will watch some TV with Ranran, okay?”

Yu Qianran nodded. “Okay.”

As long as he was with Mommy, he was happy doing anything. It would be even better if Daddy were here too.

Time passed slowly. The sunlight outside streamed in and then retreated. Cicadas seeking shade on the lush branches fluttered their wings, producing the unique soundtrack of summer.

Yu Qianran watched his favorite cartoon on TV with little interest, frequently glancing toward the door.

Gu Kexin had long noticed Yu Qianran’s little actions but hadn’t said anything. She could sense her child was growing restless.

She asked, “Ranran, don’t you want to watch TV anymore?”

Ranran blinked, looked up into Gu Kexin’s eyes, and nodded slightly.

“What does Ranran want to do?”

Yu Qianran tilted his head and made a request. “Mommy, I want to play with puzzles.”

Gu Kexin smiled. “Okay, Mommy will get them for you.”

Her son seemed to have a bit of a tsundere personality. His eyes kept drifting toward the door, clearly waiting for someone to come find him, yet he refused to say it out loud to her, pretending not to care at all.

She felt a playful urge to tease him, wanting to see how long Ranran could hold out.

Yu Qianran clearly had no idea that all his actions and expressions had been seen through. He even pretended to thank her politely before dumping the puzzle pieces out.

Two hours passed. They had lunch in between, and Yu Qianran was still sitting on the floor, diligently working on his puzzle.

Some parts of the assembled picture didn’t fit smoothly, clearly pieced together carelessly without much thought.

Gu Kexin admitted she didn’t have as much patience as her son. She spoke up first, “Ranran, do you want Shenshen to come over and play?”

Yu Qianran’s hand paused. Against his true feelings, he said, “No.”

He didn’t want to think about that liar Lu Zhishen, who had promised to come play with him today before they parted last night but never showed up.

“Is that so?” Gu Kexin narrowed her eyes, seeing right through Yu Qianran’s little act. “Mommy noticed you’ve been glancing at the door all morning, thinking you really wanted to play with Shenshen. I was even going to call and ask for you.”

Yu Qianran’s beautiful eyes sparkled for a moment, but remembering that Lu Zhishen had broken his promise first, he stubbornly suppressed the urge to reach out. Puffing out his cheeks with an air of pride, he declared, “The door looks nice.”

He wasn’t good at lying, and the guilt in his tone made it all the more amusing.

Gu Kexin shrugged helplessly. “Alright then.”

She wondered who he took after, being this prideful might leave him without friends later on. That wouldn’t do. She’d have to ask around about how to help him overcome this stubborn streak.

As the sky darkened, Yu Qianran’s mood grew increasingly sour. The puzzle he had been working on was already torn apart and stuffed back into its box, and the cartoons on TV had long been switched to documentaries.

Little Yu Qianran pursed his lips, his cheeks puffed out like an angry pufferfish about to burst.

For several days in a row, Yu Qianran kept hoping Lu Zhishen would come. He thought that if Lu Zhishen apologized, he might reluctantly forgive him.

But as time passed, Yu Qianran realized Lu Zhishen wasn’t coming. In his heart, he firmly stamped Lu Zhishen with the label of “liar.”

His fair, adorable face gradually grew calm again. His eyes no longer drifted toward the door, and everything returned to how it was before Lu Zhishen had forcibly dragged him into friendship.

He hated Lu Zhishen the most.