The Cannon Fodder Dad of Three Villainous Cubs - Chapter 27

The school’s schedule was very considerate; the sports meet was followed immediately by the weekend, preventing the students from being unable to adjust their state of mind in time.

But this concern did not exist for the two children in his home. Every time Ji Sichen “refreshed his location,” it was always in the study, his cute little face looking as solemn as an old man’s.

Ji Zhixiu crossed his arms and let out a helpless sigh.

Ji Yanyan, who had been playing with LEGOs, was disturbed by his father’s mood. He crawled over using both hands and feet: “Daddy, are you blowing up a balloon?”

Ji Zhixiu’s attention had already drifted elsewhere, and he was baffled by this random question: “Balloon? Where would there be a balloon?”

Ji Yanyan copied his expression, puffing out his cheeks, pouting his lips, and blowing a long breath, using his hands to mimic a balloon. Ji Zhixiu was charmed; he smiled and rubbed his hair: “Daddy isn’t blowing up a balloon; Daddy is worrying.”

“What is ‘worry’?” In Ji Yanyan’s innocent world, there was no such word as “worry.”

Ji Zhixiu didn’t want his emotions to infect the boy, so he patted his back: “Never mind me; go back to playing.”

What is it that a Dragon Overlord cannot mind! Ji Yanyan’s rebellious spirit suddenly flared up. He sprawled across his father’s lap, his tone quite overbearing: “No, I won’t let you be like this!”

Ji Zhixiu chuckled: “And how do you intend to manage it?”

Ji Yanyan’s chubby little body leaned forward, looking straight into his eyes: “Daddy, tell me.”

Ji Zhixiu’s eyebrows arched slowly. He could already envision what Ji Yanyan would be like when he grew up, pinning someone against a wall with an overbearing CEO vibe.

He chased this thought out of his head. He had wanted to talk about what was on his mind, but didn’t know where to start. After a standoff of a few seconds, he let out another long sigh.

Ji Yanyan: “…”

His cheeks were naturally plump with baby fat, dimpling whenever poked. When he puffed them out, he looked like a little steamed bun: “Daddy, stop blowing up balloons. Daddy, come out and play with me, be happy, be happy!”

Seeing that even the bratty kid knew how to comfort people, Ji Zhixiu was about to feel gratified when a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He grasped Ji Yanyan’s shoulders in surprise: “Daddy has something he needs your help with.”

As a Dragon Overlord, when he gave his word, he would definitely fulfill his mission. He immediately patted his small chest: “I am ready, don’t worry.”

Ji Zhixiu: “.” It’s “I will handle it,” not “I am ready.”

After their nap, Ji Zhixiu and Ji Yanyan sat in a row, their posture identical, eyes darting around they might as well have had the words “I have a bad idea” written on their faces.

Just as they were becoming restless and about to run out of patience, they finally waited for Ji Sichen to come out to get some water.

Aside from being thirsty or unable to hold it in, Ji Sichen rarely left the study. Ji Zhixiu seized the opportunity to ask: “Sichen, let’s go out and play. The weather is great today.”

Ji Sichen didn’t even lift an eyelid, turning a deaf ear to him.

Ji Zhixiu had already guessed he would have this reaction. He exchanged a look with Ji Yanyan, and they acted in tacit agreement.

Ji Yanyan pitter-pattered to the door, stood on tiptoes, and tried his hardest to open it. Ji Zhixiu lunged forward, grabbed the boy, and threw him over his shoulder.

Ji Sichen: !!!

It took him two or three seconds to react, then he flailed his short arms and legs. But this force was negligible to Ji Zhixiu: “Help! What are you doing? Save me! I don’t want to go out!”

Ji Zishen heard the commotion and came out of his room. He wasn’t the least bit surprised, only helpless.

The brothers’ eyes met. Ji Sichen’s eyes lit up instantly he had found his lifeline.

He knew Ji Zishen; he would definitely not join in on such nonsense.

Watching Ji Sichen’s crazily suggestive expression, Ji Zishen paused and turned to ask: “Are you coming back for dinner?”

“Yes.” After Ji Zhixiu dropped that one word, he rushed out with Ji Sichen on his shoulder.

Ji Sichen flailed the whole way, but it was completely useless. His mind was filled with terrifying thoughts.

Has Ji Zhixiu finally had enough? Does he want to dump me? Or does he want to send me back?

Just as he was about to dwell on it further, his train of thought was disrupted by Ji Yanyan’s strange noises beside him. Ji Yanyan had regressed into an ape-man, jumping around and happily beating his chest.

Ji Sichen: “…” Probably not planning to do anything bad to me.

Seeing that struggling was futile, Ji Sichen switched to a more comfortable posture, lying on Ji Zhixiu’s shoulder and listlessly surveying his surroundings.

To figure out the reason, I must think at the same level as the mastermind. I refuse to become a fool.

A few minutes later, before Ji Sichen could react, they arrived at their destination.

Ji Zhixiu placed his son on the ground and patted his shoulder: “Go play.”

Outside the residential complex was a free activity area where local children would come to play. They were roughly the same age as Ji Sichen, and quite a few were his classmates.

Ji Sichen caught a few familiar faces and instinctively recoiled, but when he took a few steps back, he bumped into Ji Zhixiu.

“Go play with them,” Ji Zhixiu said with a gentle smile, though his tone was chilly: “Or do you want to play with the younger kids in the mud?”

“…” Ji Sichen had mild germophobia. After a glance, he felt intense revulsion and even took a sharp intake of breath.

“So?”

Ji Zhixiu smiled until his eyes narrowed. Ji Sichen sensed a hint of danger: “Fine, I’ll try.”

Children are naturally playful, but Ji Sichen was extremely resistant. He pressed his lips into a line, his facial muscles tense, looking like he was heading toward a heroic martyrdom.

“Um…” He gritted his teeth, his voice trembling slightly, “C-can I join you?”

The children playing were stunned, looking at him blankly.

Ji Sichen’s little face was tense, devoid of any emotion, but the tips of his ears were uncontrollably red. “I can give you guidance so you can play better.”

Games… need guidance?

The children were even more bewildered, looking at each other in confusion.

Ji Sichen sensed their subtle rejection. He bit his lower lip tightly, refusing to show any embarrassment, and lowered his head further and further.

Ji Sichen had known he was different since he was a child. Everywhere he went, there was praise and applause, and he had felt exceptional, immersed in that praise. But after his parents’ accidental death, he had been kicked around like a burden; every face he saw was icy and full of disgust.

This had left Ji Sichen somewhat traumatized, his inner world becoming sensitive and fragile. This scene triggered those past nightmares; he was trapped, unable to struggle free.

Just then, a pair of warm, strong hands gripped his shoulders, pulling him back to reality.

“Hi there! Can you let the two of us join in?”

Ji Zhixiu’s face was the ultimate trump card. Children also had aesthetic judgment and were instinctively drawn to beautiful things.

After exchanging glances, they didn’t hesitate, inviting them warmly. A small hand reached out toward Ji Sichen.

The fingers were short and thick, the palms stained with black dirt. Ji Sichen frowned, hesitating for a few seconds. But seeing those clear, clean eyes, he reached out on impulse and selectively held that clean finger.

Ji Zhixiu and Ji Sichen were soon surrounded by chatter: “We are playing a roleplay game. What do you want to be?”

“What roles are left?” Ji Zhixiu asked.

The little boy in front stared at him for a few seconds and suddenly said: “Uncle, you can be the King!”

The King was the most powerful role in the castle. They had been fighting over it for a long time, but with an authority figure like Ji Zhixiu present, all the children agreed to this proposal.

Ji Zhixiu pushed the awkward Ji Sichen forward and asked: “What about him? What do you think he’s suited for?”

“Listen to the King’s arrangements.” The children spoke in unison, their tender voices like heavenly music.

Ji Zhixiu was absolutely charmed. He immediately took on the role of the King, hands on his hips and chest puffed out, speaking with great authority: “Come closer, everyone! The King has an order!”

“The King is hungry. You three, go prepare some food.” “The King loves the fallen leaves from that tree. Go pick some up.” “The King loves diamonds most of all the bigger, the better. You two, go complete this task.”

Ji Zhixiu’s gaze swept around and landed on Ji Sichen: “As for you, watch over Yanyan. Patrol the territory once, and when you get back, tell me about the most beautiful spots you found.”

A vein throbbed on Ji Sichen’s temple. He was about to protest against Ji Zhixiu’s “favoritism,” but he suddenly realized that a castle really did need a guard to walk the dog, so he reluctantly agreed.

Ji Zhixiu sat on the slide with his arms crossed while the other children scattered to carry out their tasks.

Ji Sichen had intended to slack off, eyelids drooping as he walked at a snail’s pace. A child preparing a meal saw him and earnestly advised: “Hurry up and complete the King’s order; there’s no time left!”

Ji Sichen muttered to himself, just about to drag his feet forward in a half-dead state, when he suddenly saw what the child was holding: “What is that?”

“This is the fish I just caught.” The child’s eyes shone with excitement as he held the leaf lovingly: “This is the freshest, biggest fish in the river. Only a fisherman like me could catch it!”

Ji Sichen: “…”

He couldn’t quite understand this “crazy” behavior, so he chose to complete his own task. He followed Ji Yanyan in silence, meeting children on the road who all urged him to take it seriously.

As Ji Sichen walked, he was inexplicably drawn into the role, his mind fully occupied with what he would tell Ji Zhixiu later.

When he returned, several children had already completed their tasks, and Ji Zhixiu was surrounded.

They didn’t know where they had picked up a piece of cement to use as a platter. On it were leaves, stones, dry branches, and all sorts of weeds and flowers. The arrangement was so exquisite that one couldn’t help but marvel at the children’s wild imagination and creativity.

Ji Zhixiu held it up and studied it for a moment, his lips curling: “The King loves shrimp most of all. I am very satisfied with this ingredient.”

The child jumped for joy: “Then I’ll go catch more shrimp for the King!”

Ji Sichen kept his distance stubbornly, not wanting to blend in. But hearing this, he couldn’t help but look over curiously, discovering that they were using curved dry branches as shrimp.

Other children presented various treasures. When it was Ji Sichen’s turn, he gave a perfunctory, made-up answer.

He thought Ji Zhixiu would be angry, but when he looked up, he was met with a pair of smiling eyes.

Ji Sichen froze. He realized that no matter how reluctant he had been, he had already entered the role. He had walked in a wide circle around the grounds and unconsciously memorized everything he saw.

Too stupid. How could I do such a stupid thing!

Ji Sichen was about to bristle when Ji Zhixiu ordered: “Go prepare the food.”

“…” He had no choice but to walk away, sullenly, to find the other children.

From start to finish, Ji Sichen was the one who didn’t fit in, a mix of compulsive paranoia and perfectionism.

“Shrimp shouldn’t be picked curved; pick the straight ones. Curved means it’s already dead, nerve control has disappeared, and the muscles have relaxed.”

The other children were stunned: “Although I don’t understand it, you make a lot of sense! Can you help me see which squid is better to pick?”

Facing their worshipful, star-struck eyes, Ji Sichen remained unmoved. He walked over with a straight face, squatted on the ground, and stared intently at a few blades of grass. His germophobia cured itself; he dug around in the dirt, his mouth filled with technical jargon.

Ji Zhixiu found it funny.

Ji Sichen didn’t even realize that his behavior of pretending to read manga was actually an implication of his desire to blend into the world of children and his yearning for friendship.

That was why Ji Zhixiu had disregarded his resistance and forcibly brought him to the activity area. While this might have stimulated his fragile, sensitive heart, some wounds must be exposed to the sun and disinfected before they can heal instead of hiding them in the heart, waiting for them to fester and rot, making recovery impossible.

The first step of desensitization was going smoothly. Ji Zhixiu was genuinely happy for him.

Time slipped away unnoticed. Ji Yanyan, who had inexhaustible energy at home, was the first one to call out that he was tired his eyelids were barely opening.

“Brother, Daddy, let’s go back.”

Ji Sichen was stunned when he heard the voice. He looked around in a daze. His perception seemed to have blanked out for a section; he couldn’t understand why he had wasted so much time here, playing so happily… Impossible, how could I play such an childish game!

“Let’s go back,” Ji Sichen said awkwardly.

Ji Yanyan turned to wave his arms: “Daddy, stop playing, let’s go home.”

Ji Zhixiu was surrounded by the children, enjoying the privileges of a King, immersed in the game and unable to extricate himself.

If you’re playing a roleplay game, can children really understand it? Adults are the best fit!

This is too fun!!

Hearing the urge to leave, Ji Zhixiu didn’t even look up: “Wait for me, just a little longer.”

“…” “Just a little, little bit.” “…”

Ji Yanyan sighed, took his brother’s hand, and walked to the shade. He sat on a bench, his eyes glazing over as he waited.

The other parents didn’t know the reason and thought he had been bullied. Looking at Ji Yanyan’s cute face, their maternal instincts overflowed: “Little one, why are you sitting here alone instead of going to play?”

Ji Yanyan rested his face in his hands and sighed like an old man: “I’m tired; I want to go home.”

The parent smiled: “It is getting late, time to go home and rest. Is your home far? Can you go back by yourselves?”

Ji Yanyan shook his head, his gaze falling on the parent as he asked innocently: “Are you also waiting for your daddy to finish playing and go home?”

Parent: “???” My daddy?

Her mind automatically visualized her kindly old father, who had only a few strands of hair waving in the wind, sitting on a folding stool at the entrance, slurping hot tea and spitting the tea leaves back into the teapot.

What else could he play? Isn’t he bullying the elderly!

Ji Yanyan seemed to see her question, tilted his head, and pointed to the middle of the field: “That’s my daddy; he doesn’t want to go home because he’s playing, and I’m waiting for him.”

The parent looked over. The field was filled with little “rice balls” in colorful clothes, their short legs moving on the ground, only in the very middle…

Duang. A giant one, extremely conspicuous.

Parent: “…” Parent: “…” Parent: “…”

From that day on, there was a legend in the parent group: when they were waiting patiently, there was a parent playing to his heart’s content, making his children wait for him.

But there were only children with an average age of under six on that field!