Spoiled by a Paranoid Big Shot Since Childhood - Chapter 8

“Thank you, Tuan Tuan.”

Qin Yian was startled for a mere fraction of a second before quickly recovering his composure.

He had never consumed cheaply packaged milk of this kind. Even under circumstances where most children were fiercely fond of sweet, trendy snacks and novel treats, he had never once tried them.

To put it in perspective, the milk he had given Xi Bei previously was flown in directly from abroad. Though it sounded almost absurdly extravagant, it was an undeniable reality.

Everyone including the butler fully expected Qin Yian to refuse to accept the carton.

Yet, Qin Yian reached out.

He took the strawberry milk from Xi Bei’s hand. Moreover, he did not release his grip afterward, continuing to hold onto Xi Bei’s small hand.

The soft, adorable little bundle blinked his eyes at him.

Qin Yian’s handsome, frosty expression thawed instantly. Completely ignoring the lingering stares of everyone around them, he pulled out the chair next to his own. With an undercurrent of eager anticipation, he told Xi Bei, “Tuan Tuan, sit here.”

The surrounding classmates widened their eyes in absolute astonishment.

A chorus of hushed whispers began rising from every corner of the room.

This was an elite private academy, and these children were in the second grade. It had to be said that these kids were far more precocious, sharp, and clever than ordinary children. Witnessing the scene unfold before them, they collectively felt as though they and their peers were trapped in a dream.

Who was this boy? Why was he allowed to sit right next to Qin Yian?

On what grounds? someone thought bitterly. Something they had spent so much calculated effort to achieve had been granted to this newcomer in a single heartbeat.

Xi Bei felt somewhat uncomfortable being bathed in such an intense collective gaze. However, because he had always been deeply polite, he merely offered a timid, bashful smile to the dozens of eyes scanning him up and down.

He turned his head, tightly holding Qin Yian’s hand, and spoke in a very small voice, “Brother Yian, I have to go back with Uncle Butler now.”

Qin Yian’s hand stiffened slightly, but a solution formed in his mind in the very next second. “I will go back with you.”

“Young Master,” the butler, who had been standing by the classroom door, shook his head with a calm smile. “You must wait until school dismisses before you can return home. We will be waiting for you right outside the gates.”

Naturally, Qin Yian was unwilling. Gripping Xi Bei’s hand, he walked out the door with a cold expression, turning his head to shoot a remark at the butler behind him: “Are you a tree stump just standing there, waiting for a rabbit to crash into you?”

“…”

Only after the butler finished speaking with the teacher and led both Qin Yian and Xi Bei out of the school prematurely did the young English teacher finally let out a sigh of relief.

She redirected her attention toward the students, coughing twice to demand silence before carefully choosing her words:

“Class, the boy next to Qin Yian just now is our new classmate, Xi Bei, who will be transferring into our class shortly. Everyone must remember to get along well with him!”

A sudden commotion erupted as the children began whispering among themselves.

An energetic, rebellious boy spoke up loudly, “Why is he transferring here? Who is he?”

The English teacher was quite young, and she sincerely hoped that her explanation would encourage these children to show more care and affection toward this forthcoming, well-behaved child.

She deliberated for a moment before speaking, “Some tragic events occurred in this young child’s family, which happen to be connected to Qin Yian’s family… That is why he is transferring here. Everyone must look out for one another and help him!”

However, the moment she finished speaking, the chatter downstairs didn’t stop. Instead, it intensified rapidly. Someone let out a sharp gasp of realization and suddenly raised their voice:

“I know! Haven’t you guys read the newspapers? Qin Yian’s father’s driver struck and killed a married couple in an accident, and those people’s child—”

“Oh! So it was that boy just now? That means he doesn’t have a mom or dad anymore?”

“Then Qin Yian must feel incredibly guilty toward him, right? Otherwise, why would he ever be willing to hang out with a poor person like that?”

“…”

“Silence! Quiet down!”

The young English teacher tapped helplessly on the lectern.

In the midst of the chaos, Xie Ye Qin Yian’s sole friend called out a sharp “Hey!” in an attempt to stop his classmates, who were growing increasingly thrilled and curious. However, no one paid him any attention.

He was thoroughly exasperated. Acting like a little adult, he turned his head away, refusing to converse with them any further. Although he possessed a naturally lively and boisterous personality, he understood that one should never crack jokes regarding a tragedy of this magnitude.

He figured that if Qin Yian were here, he would undoubtedly say: What a noisy bunch of chirping, weak fools.

Worse yet, they held themselves in such high regard while looking down on others. The malice of young children was often entirely unprovoked; he could only hope that Xi Bei wouldn’t be affected by them when he officially arrived for classes.

Backed by the formidable name of the Qin family, the paperwork required to transfer Xi Bei was not difficult to process, and everything was finalized within a few short days. To ensure that Xi Bei would not struggle with the sudden school change and the skipped grade, the butler explicitly hired private tutors to help him catch up. Every detail was arranged flawlessly.

On Friday morning, when the car that typically transported Qin Yian to school departed, an additional passenger sat inside Xi Bei.

Finally able to go to school alongside Xi Bei, Qin Yian who felt as though the past few days had dragged on like agonizing years displayed a subtle hint of eager anticipation beneath his deliberately solemn, icy facade.

He held Xi Bei’s hand tightly, practically pleading in his instructions, “Tuan Tuan, when we get to school, you must sit right next to me.”

Xi Bei nodded obediently. “Okay.”

“Do not wander too far from me.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“…”

After lecturing for a long while, Qin Yian finally felt satisfied, delivering his concluding decree: “You are not allowed to let any of them call you Tuan Tuan!”

Though a bit dazed and not entirely understanding why, Xi Bei was currently the most compliant regarding Qin Yian’s words, so he immediately nodded. “I understand.”

Screeech—

The sound of the brakes and the tires frictioning against the pavement was slightly grating.

Qin Yian’s spirits instantly lifted as he led Xi Bei out of the vehicle. Along the path toward the academic building, they immediately drew the attention of numerous onlookers. By the time they stepped over the threshold into the classroom, this underlying scrutiny was brought entirely into the open.

“Qin Yian!” It was the same rebellious kid from the other day, acting highly boisterous. “Hey, you’re finally here? What was the name of the person next to you again? Is he the one related to your dad’s driver—”

Scrape—

Qin Yian shot him an icy, piercing glare.

The chair was pulled out, and he smoothly took Xi Bei’s backpack from his shoulders, hanging it neatly onto the back of the seat. Xi Bei was gently “escorted” into his seat under Qin Yian’s meticulous care.

“I am indeed here,” Qin Yian stated, scanning the boy from head to toe before delivering a calm, biting retort. “I don’t know about the person next to me, but the person standing right across from me seems to be named Nosey Parker.”

“…”

The rebel was, after all, merely an eight-year-old child. He was significantly shorter than Qin Yian, entirely outmatched in sheer presence, and hopelessly bested in a war of words. Ultimately, he could only stomp away in a huff.

“Tuan Tuan,” Qin Yian squeezed the palm of Xi Bei’s hand, sheltering the smaller boy behind his frame as a matter of course. “Don’t pay any attention to them.”

“It’s alright, Brother Yian,” Xi Bei turned around to comfort him instead. “I’m fine.”

Qin Yian felt that his Tuan Tuan was simply too gentle and well-behaved. He was precisely the type of person who was easily taken advantage of.

As the two were speaking, Xie Ye suddenly poked his head out from behind Qin Yian’s seat. Brimming with natural, boisterous energy, he casually slung an arm over Xi Bei’s shoulder and said in a carefree manner, “Hi there! My name is Xie Ye, and I’m Qin Yian’s friend.”

Xi Bei blinked in surprise. Noticing that Qin Yian didn’t dispute the claim, he replied with absolute sincerity, “Hello, my name is Xi Bei!”

“Oh?” Xie Ye paused briefly. “Then why did Yian call you Tuan Tuan just now? Is your childhood nickname Tuan Tuan?”

“Yes, it is,” Xi Bei nodded.

“Then can I call you Tuan Tuan too? I—”

Qin Yian instantly grabbed Xie Ye’s wandering paw, placing his hand unerringly back onto his own desk before delivering a calm, chilling threat: “No, you may not.”

Xi Bei seemed to have something he wanted to say, but before he could voice it, Qin Yian added in a freezing tone, “A friend? I don’t know him.”

Xie Ye let out a dramatic wail. Relying heavily on his solid relationship with Qin Yian, he promptly lunged forward to retaliate. Unfortunately, he was no match for Qin Yian in a physical tussle either. After a few moments, he was forced to beg Xi Bei for mercy before finally being let off the hook.

With the three of them tangled in a playful scuffle, they remarkably resembled ordinary children of the same age.

“Bei Bei!” Xie Ye settled for the next best option, his eyes curving into bright crescents. “We have activities class this afternoon. Let’s play together, yeah?”

Before Qin Yian could even open his mouth to refuse, Xie Ye cut him off completely: “You can’t play! You have to go learn basic golf!”

“…” Xi Bei looked on blankly. “G-Golf?”

Qin Yian’s brows furrowed.

At the strict behest of Qin Yueyuan, the school had indeed established this specialized elective activity. However, it was never publicly advertised, remaining a unique privilege reserved exclusively for a select few heirs.

The athletic activities assigned to ordinary students consisted of more standard sports, such as basketball or soccer. In the past, Qin Yian detested basketball and soccer sports that required scrambling over a single ball amidst a crowd of sweating bodies. Consequently, when Qin Yueyuan urged him to take up golf, he had simply agreed.

But now that Xi Bei was here, Qin Yian felt a sudden pang of regret. Having never been exposed to the lifestyle of high society, Xi Bei possessed only a vague, fragmented understanding of something like golf, making it impossible for him to accompany Qin Yian.

Xie Ye burst into a hearty laugh. “I’m playing basketball today! Bei Bei, why don’t you come with me?”

Xi Bei hesitated slightly. Because he was a year younger than his classmates, his height which was perfectly average for a first grader seemed somewhat disadvantaged now that he was among second graders.

He said softly, “I don’t mind either way.”

Qin Yian couldn’t quite explain why his heart felt so strangely uneasy. The mere thought of losing sight of Xi Bei left him feeling an underlying sense of worry.

At half-past three on Friday afternoon, the athletic activities period commenced right on schedule.

Xi Bei had initially followed closely behind Xie Ye, wanting to see how basketball was played. However, on the massive sports field, basketballs seemed to be flying frantically in every direction. The second graders played with a certain reckless lack of restraint; accidental fouls occurred frequently, and tumbling onto the ground was an absolute norm.

Even Xie Ye took a hard spill.

Yet, he didn’t care in the slightest, laughing it off as he looked up. Xi Bei was kneeling beside him, his wide, round eyes staring blankly at the scrape on Xie Ye’s leg.

“Over here…” Xi Bei crouched down, retrieving a band-aid from his pocket, and applied it with utmost care. “This is for you.”

A few beads of sweat had formed on the tip of his nose, but he couldn’t spare a moment to wipe them away. His fair, tender little hand adorned with soft dimples across the knuckles extended forward, presenting a bright pink band-aid in the center of his palm.

The seven-year-old little bundle looked entirely consumed by worry, presenting a picture of absolute loveliness.

Xie Ye stared at him in a brief daze, privately concluding that it made perfect sense for Qin Yian to adore Xi Bei to such an extent. Even though Xie Ye had a younger half-brother from his father’s second marriage, he felt that his brother wasn’t even a fraction as endearing as the boy standing before him.

Xie Ye accepted the band-aid.

“Thank you!” he chirped, carelessly slapping it onto his skin. “Have you figured out the rules yet? Do you want to join the game?”

Xi Bei’s gaze remained anchored to the boy’s injury. Only after he carefully smoothed down the curling edges of the adhesive did he shake his head somewhat timidly. “…I’m sorry, I still don’t quite understand it.”

“No worries, take your time!” Xie Ye offered a brilliant, radiant smile, slapping the dust off his uniform as he rose to his feet. He turned his head back, speaking as he moved, “Don’t worry, basketball is incredibly fun! As long as you remain cautious, you won’t get”

Before the words could fully clear his lips, a basketball suddenly hurtled violently from a distance, flying straight toward Xi Bei’s small frame.

Xie Ye let out a sharp cry of alarm.

Xi Bei had been listening to Xie Ye with absolute obedience, completely undistracted. By the time he registered the danger, his entire world had already flipped upside down. The violent momentum knocked him completely off balance, causing him to crash heavily onto the rough ground in a thoroughly wretched state.

Because he had already been in a crouching posture, he managed to avoid hitting his head. However, his fair, delicate palms scraped harshly against the coarse earth, causing fresh blood mixed with coarse grains of sand to seep out.

“Hey! Who did that? Who threw the ball out of bounds?!” Xie Ye barked in absolute fury. “Who was it?!”

A searing, burning agony radiated from Xi Bei’s palms. Yet, the moment he noticed Xie Ye’s mounting rage, he instinctively forced a soft, reassuring smile, murmuring, “I… I’m fine…”

Before his sentence could finish, a heavy thud echoed through the air.

Xi Bei was already splayed flat on the ground when another ball came hurtling toward him from afar. This ball struck unerringly, slamming squarely into his small chest and forcing a stifled, painful groan from his throat.

Xie Ye was absolutely livid. He lunged forward a couple of sharp paces, stepping up to confront the approaching figures.

Xi Bei wanted to tell Xie Ye not to be angry; he wanted to reach out and grasp the hem of his uniform. However, the pain was simply too immense.

Managing to lift his head with great difficulty, the rims of Xi Bei’s eyes filled with a hazy layer of tears, finally allowing him to clearly discern the figures standing before him.

It was the rebellious kid who had confronted him and Qin Yian this morning, flanked by two or three small lackeys. They were currently cradling a third basketball in their arms.

The rebel tossed the ball lightly in his hands, staring down at him as he asked:

“Hey, are you the one whose mom and dad were crushed to death?”

Xi Bei’s brain instantly erupted into a violent, deafening ring.

“How can a kid from a destitute family like yours ever deserve to be friends with Qin Yian?” the rebel sneered. “It’s only because your parents are dead, and it was Qin Yian’s family driver who killed them. Qin Yian simply feels sorry for you!”

“That is the only reason you’re allowed to be friends!”