Spoiled by a Paranoid Big Shot Since Childhood - Chapter 7

The next day, Xi Bei finally woke up and poked his small head out from underneath the covers.

With just one look, his dark, translucent eyes widened in astonishment, a flurry of emotions crossing his flushed little face.

He was actually sharing a blanket with Qin Yian.

Qin Yian was leaning against the headboard with his eyes closed, his head tilted back slightly, looking rather exhausted. One of his arms remained draped over Xi Bei, swaying gently in a slow, rhythmic motion as if he had been soothing him to sleep all night with the utmost tenderness.

Feeling himself being held, Xi Bei couldn’t help but recall the events of the previous evening.

He remembered Qin Yian’s tightly gripping hands, his face leaning in so close, and his anxious, deeply worried expression. Within seconds, the rims of Xi Bei’s eyes turned red.

“Brother Yian…” Xi Bei murmured softly.

Qin Yian had only fallen asleep two or three hours after Xi Bei did. Yet the moment he heard the soft call, his eyes instinctively fluttered open.

“…I’m here,” he answered.

Like a dazed little creature receiving a response, Xi Bei pursed his lips, revealing a shy, bashful smile.

Although Xi Bei was already in the first grade and was used to sleeping alone, his family’s home had been very small, and his tiny partitioned room had been incredibly dark. Whenever he felt scared, he would crawl down from his own small bed and curl up to sleep right next to his father’s hand.

His mom and dad used to call him a little coward and tease him for being bashful, but Xi Bei would simply act spoiled to stay, rolling up next to them like a clingy little ball. Sleeping beside his family had always been his most peaceful and happiest moments.

He missed his mom and dad every single second.

He had felt as though the agonizing grief would kill him, but Qin Yian’s presence last night, holding and comforting him to sleep, made him feel as if… he were finally coming back to life.

“Thank you, Brother Yian…” Xi Bei said in a soft, gentle voice. Feeling the slight sting where the needle had pierced his hand, he realized he must have run a fever. “Did I disturb your sleep last night?”

Like a little adult, Qin Yian shook his head. He shook it very seriously. “No.”

Only then did Xi Bei nod. He flicked his tongue to moisten his small lips, looking both timid and obedient. “That’s good.”

He had been terrified of being too loud. His parents always had to wake up incredibly early for work, pushing their street food cart out by four or five in the morning. Even though he had never slept over with anyone else, he applied the same logic: Qin Yian definitely had to go to school today. If that was the case.

Suddenly, a thought seemed to strike Xi Bei. His eyes grew perfectly round, and he tightly gripped Qin Yian’s hand, asking in surprise, “Is today Monday?”

Qin Yian nodded. “Yes.”

“…Brother Yian!” Xi Bei cried out anxiously. “We’re going to be late for school!”

Qin Yian paused for a brief moment before offering a quiet, puzzled, “Huh?”

As it turned out… they actually were.

The young master had spoken: he wanted to take Master Xi Bei to school with him.

However, Qin Yian attended an elite private academy with incredibly strict regulations regarding outside personnel. Without anyone officially handling transfer paperwork, it was impossible for the school to let Xi Bei through the gates.

Fine.

The young master frowned in deep thought. Since his school wouldn’t let Xi Bei in, he would simply go to Xi Bei’s school instead.

The only issue was that Xi Bei attended a tuition-free public elementary school that cost a mere nine yuan a semester for miscellaneous fees. Each classroom crammed fifty to sixty children together, making it impossible for the teachers to keep track of everyone.

Who would dare allow the young heir of the Qin family to attend such an ordinary school? If Qin Yueyuan found out, he would tear everyone to pieces.

Yet, if they didn’t allow the two to attend the same school, they wouldn’t even have to wait for Qin Yueyuan to find out a stern-faced Qin Yian would drive everyone to absolute wits’ end first.

Before the Qin household could descend into total chaos once again, Butler Gu stepped in to halt the escalating situation.

“Young Master,” the butler said, kneeling down to pick up the boy’s backpack, his voice gentle and soothing. “You must go to school your own school. Otherwise, Mr. Qin will be furious.”

Qin Yian held Xi Bei’s hand tightly, responding in anger, “Is that so? Am I going to school or am I going to prison? Do I not even have the right to choose which cell I get thrown into?”

“…”

Hearing his words, the staff could only marvel. This young master was truly sharp-tongued and exceptionally clear-minded, far surpassing any ordinary eight-year-old child.

Xi Bei turned his head blankly to look at Qin Yian, his dark eyes shining with immense admiration.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Qin Yian added, “Tuan Tuan is mine. Why can’t I go to the same school as Tuan Tuan?”

Butler Gu was well-accustomed to Qin Yian’s cold, interrogative rebuttals. He simply smiled, neutralizing the young master’s argument with a single sentence: “Master Xi Bei is still sick. He needs to stay home to rest and remain under medical observation.”

Qin Yian froze in place, his prior confidence vanishing instantly.

“Otherwise, he might run a fever again at school.”

Qin Yian’s brows furrowed tightly as he snapped completely back to reality.

“If you insist, Young Master, I will—”

“I understand,” Qin Yian interrupted Butler Gu, his small face tensed as he spoke calmly. “I will go to school properly.”

Reluctantly, he finally let go of Xi Bei’s hand, suppressing the intense urge to pack the smaller boy up and take him along. “Tuan Tuan, you have to go to school with me in the future.”

Sensing the grip on his hand loosen, Xi Bei’s heart skipped a beat. He instinctively nodded, promising obediently, “Okay…”

Surrounded by a small entourage of drivers, maids, and the butler, the young master finally stepped into the car. Following the soft click of the closing door, Xi Bei waved his small hand at Qin Yian.

The car carrying Qin Yian sped away, quickly vanishing from Xi Bei’s line of sight.

Xi Bei stood beside Butler Gu, staring into the distance for a long time without snapping out of his daze. He pursed his lips, looking like a porcelain doll waiting at home for someone to return.

Qin Yian acted like a soothing balm to his pain. The moment Qin Yian left, the agony of losing his parents rushed back over him like a violent tidal wave, completely enveloping him and making it hard to breathe.

“Master Xi Bei,” Butler Gu spoke up suddenly, deliberately pretending not to notice the boy’s reddened eyes.

Xi Bei hurriedly raised his arm to wipe his face, answering in a sweet, childish voice, “Uncle, I’m here.”

Even though he was in so much pain, he didn’t dare say a word, nor did he want to trouble anyone else. Xi Bei was a very, very good boy.

Sighing silently in his heart, Butler Gu maintained a warm smile on his face to shift Xi Bei’s attention. “Master Xi Bei, you are in the first grade this year, correct?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“But if we want to go to school with Young Master Yian, we might need you to transfer from your old elementary school and skip directly into the second grade,” the butler said, gently smoothing down a stray tuft of hair sticking up on the boy’s head. “Do you think you can handle that?”

Xi Bei hesitated slightly before asking, “…If I go to the second grade, can I be in the exact same classroom as Brother Yian?”

Butler Gu nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay,” Xi Bei agreed without a single shred of hesitation. “I promised Brother Yian.”

Butler Gu’s heart melted completely. Moving his hand from the boy’s head to gently pat his small cheek, he said softly, “Tuan Tuan, Uncle wants to ask you one more thing.”

He spoke with deep warmth, his tone carrying both comfort and a gentle probe. What he was about to say next was undeniably cruel to a child, but the matter was pressing, and he had no choice but to ask.

“In a couple of days, I will take Tuan Tuan to see your mom and dad. They are going to be sleeping and resting for a very long time,” Butler Gu explained carefully. “But your parents felt uneasy leaving you to live all by yourself, so they asked Uncle and Uncle Qin to take care of you. They want you to become Young Master Yian’s younger brother…”

Qin Yueyuan and Butler Gu had already discussed the situation thoroughly, and they had also spoken with the driver, Old Jiang.

Old Jiang had to face legal consequences and was bound to serve prison time. He had his own family to support and was in no position to assume the responsibility of adopting Xi Bei. Meanwhile, Qin Yueyuan happened to need a way to appease the public eye regarding the accident.

By having the Qin family adopt Xi Bei, the boy would naturally receive the treatment of a young master; his future would undoubtedly be smooth sailing. However, the Qin family was a prestigious, old-money clan. As the sole heir, Qin Yian’s status on the official household register could not be altered or complicated. Consequently, Xi Bei would technically be registered under Butler Gu’s household file for the time being.

Naturally, Xi Bei knew nothing of these complex adult arrangements. He only understood one thing: “The final goodbye.”

“I… I understand…” he whimpered in a small, hushed voice. “I know.”

From this point forward, his parents could no longer be a part of his life. His parents had once been his entire world, but now they had vanished with the wind. From now on, his world would be Qin Yian.

“…Good boy.”

Butler Gu looked down, gently wiping away the tears gathering at the corners of Xi Bei’s eyes. “Alright. Now, Uncle will take Master Xi Bei to your old school to pack up your things so that it will be easier for you to join Young Master Yian later, okay?”

Xi Bei naturally had no objections. He followed closely behind the butler, bundled up in a large coat to shield him from the wind, and walked into his former classroom.

During this era, mobile phones and the internet were not yet highly developed, so news did not travel instantly. However, because everyone lived in the same neighborhood, word of mouth was inevitable.

It was currently the start of the second period. A few of the children, who had not yet formed a mature worldview, looked at Xi Bei as he entered. Their faces displayed a mixture of innocent cruelty and blatant pity as they began to whisper among themselves.

“Xi Bei’s mom and dad died.”

“A car accident. My mom told me about it; she told me not to walk past that intersection anymore.”

“He’s so pitiful, he doesn’t have a mom or dad anymore.”

“If you don’t have a mom or dad, doesn’t that mean nobody wants you?”

“Nobody wants him anymore?”

“…”

Listening to the whispers for only a brief moment while packing his books, Xi Bei’s eyes turned thoroughly red.

Butler Gu stepped forward quickly, covering Xi Bei’s ears. He turned to the cruel children and spoke with sharp severity, “Did no one ever teach you to remain quiet during class?”

The children fell into a sudden uproar. Before they could say anything more, the language arts teacher sharply rapped on the blackboard, shouting loudly, “Silence, all of you!”

Xi Bei was usually a little afraid of the language arts teacher, and his small body shuddered. However, the teacher didn’t scold anyone further.

The younger students were able to order milk in the mornings, and because Xi Bei’s parents loved him dearly, they had naturally signed him up. The teacher held a small carton of strawberry milk, knelt down, and gently placed it into Xi Bei’s hands.

“Bei Bei,” the teacher said with a gentle smile, “don’t listen to their nonsense. They don’t know anything…”

“Thank you, Teacher.” Xi Bei lowered his head, speaking in a small voice. “I’m not angry. My mom and dad told me that I have to respect all the other children.”

The teacher couldn’t help but turn her head away to wipe her eyes.

“But,” Xi Bei squeezed the small milk carton, his brows furrowing as he spoke with absolute seriousness, “they got one thing wrong.”

“Somebody does want me.”

He enunciated each word clearly.

His mom and dad would always be by his side; even at this very moment, they were standing firmly right behind him. Furthermore, Xi Bei still had Qin Yian.

Not only did the teacher’s mouth drop open in surprise, but even Butler Gu was caught off guard by the boy’s resilience.

Qin Yian remained completely distracted throughout his classes all day.

It was rare for him to lose focus, but he spent the entire day thinking about Xi Bei back at home. The desk next to him was completely empty because he hated letting anyone get close to him. Aside from Xie Ye, who sat directly behind him, it was practically impossible for most classmates to strike up a conversation with him.

However, if Xi Bei came here, he would definitely have him sit right by his side.

Ah, Xi Bei is only in the first grade right now. I’ll need to tutor him at home so he can easily catch up to the second-grade curriculum…

Right before the second-to-last period of the afternoon ended, several children near the doorway suddenly let out a few gasps. The whispering grew louder, and the students began exchanging bewildered glances.

Sensing something, Qin Yian lifted his head and looked toward the door.

Urged on by the butler, Xi Bei was peering into the room during the recess break, looking a bit timid and nervous. Suddenly, their gazes collided.

A sweet, obedient smile blossomed across Xi Bei’s face. Moving his short little legs, he ran quickly into the classroom, finally arriving in front of Qin Yian with his small chest heaving up and down.

“Tuan Tuan, why are you—”

“Here!”

Xi Bei carefully pulled a warm, small carton of milk out from his coat. Holding it up like a precious treasure, he placed it directly into Qin Yian’s hands.

Qin Yian snapped his head up in surprise.

Xi Bei’s cheeks were completely flushed, and his curled eyelashes fluttered gently. He looked softer and more delicate than the most beautiful rose looking exactly like a little angel who had just descended into the human world.

“Tuan Tuan’s milk,” Xi Bei said softly. “For Brother Yian to drink.”