The Cannon Fodder Dad of Three Villainous Cubs - Chapter 18

Ji Zhixiu had a dream-filled night and woke up quite early, feeling as though a stone were pressing against his chest, leaving him with an inexplicable sense of unease.

Unable to pinpoint the reason, he forced himself to clear away the negative emotions and got up to make breakfast.

When he stepped out of the kitchen, he saw his two “great sons” emerging from the bathroom one after the other.

This was something that had never happened before. Ji Zishen was extremely particular about personal privacy and boundaries; when there were many people around, he would always wait until the very last moment to use the restroom and would never allow Ji Yanyan to go in and cause trouble.

Ji Zhixiu arched an eyebrow, faintly sensing that something was amiss. Just as he was about to speak, his attention was diverted by Ji Yanyan’s bare, little feet: “Yanyan, why aren’t you wearing your shoes?”

Ji Zhixiu plucked Ji Yanyan up like pulling a radish to inspect his dirty little feet.

Ji Yanyan flailed his arms and legs: “Put me down, I want to walk myself.”

Ji Zhixiu knew him too well and let out a cold snort: “If I let you walk, you’ll jump onto the bed barefoot and get all the dust on the quilt.”

He placed Ji Yanyan on the vanity, supervised him as he washed his little feet clean, and put his slippers back on before letting him go.

The three of them sat at the dinner table. Ji Yanyan, a little foodie who usually couldn’t wait to bury his face in his bowl, managed to resist the temptation of the fragrant meal this time. His two dark, round eyes darted around, occasionally stealing glances at Ji Zishen.

That strange feeling returned.

In the past, his own favoritism had spoiled their sibling bond, and the two brothers were never particularly close. Why was Yanyan suddenly so attached to Ji Zishen now?

Ji Zhixiu placed the milk porridge in front of Ji Yanyan: “Yanyan, do you have something you want to tell your brother?”

Ji Yanyan was usually a bratty, straightforward child, but this time his little mouth remained tightly shut, and his eyes spun even faster, practically spelling out the words “I have a secret” all over his face.

Just as Ji Zhixiu was about to press him, Ji Zishen suddenly set down his bowl, cutting off his train of thought: “I’m full. I’ll be late for school, so I’m leaving.”

Ji Zhixiu checked the clock and then looked at Ji Zishen, who was putting on his backpack, filled with confusion.

Children grow up and have their own secrets, and given Ji Zishen’s unique situation, he decided not to ask further, merely reminding him to be careful on the road.

After sending his eldest son out the door, he turned back to see only the back of his younger son, pitter-pattering away toward the bedroom, the cowlick on his head standing perfectly straight.

After cleaning up the table, Ji Zhixiu returned to the bedroom and found the room dim. There was a small lump in the bed; Ji Yanyan was wrapped in the quilt, sleeping soundly with a faint, rosy flush on his face.

Having not slept well the previous night, Ji Zhixiu felt the sleepiness catch up to him. He lay down on the bed, hugged the little sticky rice ball, and quickly drifted off.

…

When Ji Zishen reached school, he greeted his friends as usual, appearing innocent, sunny, and cheerful. No one would have guessed that his heart was as deep as the sea, carrying a heavy burden.

Since Ji Zhixiu had fooled him so thoroughly, he didn’t need to be polite either.

What that fool cared about most was his biological son; getting to Ji Yanyan was the best strategy.

Ji Zishen lowered his eyes, his expression calm as he planned while taking his textbooks out of his bag to prepare for class.

But when his hand touched his textbook, he felt something odd. A flicker of confusion crossed his face, and he immediately flipped the book open.

Inside was a small envelope with his name written on it in Ji Zhixiu’s handwriting.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly opened the envelope.

Inside were several hundred-yuan bills, an absolute fortune for a child his age. Besides the money, there was a small note:

[Last night’s dinner was delicious. Thank you, Shen. This is all money you deserve; you can use it however you like.]

The note was signed with a simple stick-figure drawing of a person holding a heart, smiling with eyes curved into crescents.

In that instant, Ji Zishen didn’t know why, but a ringing sound began in his ears, growing increasingly intense until it drowned out the noisy playfulness of the classroom.

So, when Ji Zhixiu snuck into his room last night, it was just to give him this envelope not to monitor him, be on guard against him, or rummage through his things!

But why? He could have just given it to him face-to-face, yet he chose to hide it in the book instead.

Ji Zishen couldn’t understand the reason, nor did he know how well Ji Zhixiu understood him.

Ji Zhixiu was acutely aware of Ji Zishen’s deep-seated trauma and obsessions. If he had handed the money over directly, it would have been like parents giving pocket money to a child, carrying a hint of inequality. To protect Ji Zishen’s self-esteem, he had secretly slipped the money into the book and used the note to tell him that this money was earned through his own efforts, that it belonged solely to him, and that it was his source of security and confidence.

The school required students to buy supplementary books and workbooks. Ji Zishen never wanted to endure the humiliation of asking Ji Zhixiu for money, but the other students didn’t know his true situation at home, so he had to rack his brain to come up with one excuse after another.

Lies, however, eventually fall apart. Even when he tried his best to cover them, they appeared clumsy. The classmates who occasionally helped him started to show impatience. Ji Zishen had no other choice but to humble himself and beg.

He, who wanted nothing more than to be self-reliant and live freely, was thwarted by a tiny workbook. This caused him immense pain.

Now the problem was solved, but…

A massive wave of guilt drowned him. Thinking of what he had planned to do, Ji Zishen tossed his textbook aside and ran out, reckless and uncaring.

Ji Yanyan was a carbon copy of his father an utter fool who would truly believe and follow through with anything.

…

Ji Zhixiu was sleeping soundly. Although the little person in his arms had his eyes closed, his eyeballs were darting around behind his lids. He could no longer keep up the act, so he squinted one eye open to peek at his father.

Afraid of waking him, Ji Yanyan burrowed into the quilt, knelt halfway on the bed, and backed away toward the corner.

When he finally uncovered himself, his face was flushed red. This was the first time he had ever done something so sneaky. Extremely nervous, he unconsciously clenched his hands into fists and climbed down from the bed, creeping out on his tiptoes.

Just as he reached the door, a faint sound came from behind him. Ji Yanyan was so startled he almost cried out, but he covered his mouth in time.

He looked back with a guilty conscience, fearing a interrogation from Ji Zhixiu, but Ji Zhixiu merely rolled over and hugged his pillow to sleep.

“…” Ji Yanyan mimicked the adults, patting his little chest with his small hand to catch his breath.

Scared the life out of me.

After closing the bedroom door, he snuck into the study, climbed onto a chair, and stood on tiptoe to retrieve his small bag from the cupboard.

He had already planned everything out. He put everything he needed inside, stuffing it so full that the little duck-bill flap on the bag stood straight up, looking as if it were ready to peck at anyone.

He then fetched a small yellow hat and a face mask from the wardrobe, covering himself from top to bottom until he was completely hidden.

Daddy told him that bad people like to kidnap cute children. Now that his face was covered, no bad person would realize how cute he was, and naturally, they wouldn’t come to kidnap him!

Hehehe, I really am a smart baby.jpg

Ji Yanyan cupped his face with his hands and wiggled his little bottom, feeling intoxicated by his own cleverness for a moment before heading to the front door.

With his duck bag on his back and dressed like a little duck himself, he began his journey of first-time solo travel (not running away from home).

Ji Yanyan was deeply attached to his father. Walking alone in an unfamiliar environment, everything around him suddenly felt so large and vast. Nervous, he gripped the straps of his schoolbag and cheered himself on.

Yanyan is so capable; I will definitely find a stepfather!

His brother had said a few things to him this morning, and he felt they were particularly sensible.

Daddy was a “bad guy” who only let him eat a few bites of ice cream a day. If he found a stepfather, Daddy’s attention would no longer be on him, and he wouldn’t be able to boss him around like this anymore.

Plus, a stepfather he picked himself would suit his tastes better someone who would buy him lots of candy, ice cream, and chocolate every day would be hired on the spot.

Ji Yanyan felt as if he could already see ice cream growing wings and waving at him. His eyes went blank, filled with beautiful fantasies. He forgot his fear of the surroundings and, without realizing it, walked a very long way.