The Cannon Fodder Dad of Three Villainous Cubs - Chapter 28

In Ji Yanyan’s perception, Daddy was also just a baby, albeit one who was several hundred months old. As a fellow baby, he exercised empathy and could understand some of Daddy’s behaviors. However, Ji Sichen’s patience had run out; he sat to the side with a dark face, urging them to hurry up.

Ji Zhixiu’s invisible tail drooped. He said his reluctant goodbyes, and as the other children dispersed, a classmate from a different class gathered his courage and spoke to Ji Sichen: “Chen-chen, you’re like my dad.”

Ji Sichen: “…”

He had inexplicably gained a “wild son” three months older than himself. Unable to handle this, he fled in a panic.

The father and his three sons finally returned home, Ji Zhixiu and Ji Yanyan still immersed in the day’s excitement, chatting non-stop.

But the atmosphere froze the moment they opened the door.

Only the dining room light was on. Dinner had long since been cooked and set on the table. Ji Zishen, wearing an apron and arms crossed, looked at them with an expressionless face. His mere presence was intimidating enough without a word being said.

!!! They had played too long and forgotten the dinner time!

Guilt and fear flashed across Ji Zhixiu and Ji Yanyan’s faces. The two of them, like new recruits joining the army on the same day, immediately stood in a standard military posture, punishing themselves by standing against the wall. They looked at their noses, then at their hearts, not daring to let out a breath.

Ji Zishen couldn’t take it anymore and exploded: “Didn’t you promise me you’d be back before dinner time! Look at what time it is! Where did you two run off to?!”

Ji Zhixiu gave an awkward laugh, not daring to talk back.

Ji Zishen knit his brows and continued his rant: “What are you two thinking? The food is all cold now! Are you going to make me chase after you and beg you to eat?”

Ji Zhixiu offered a dry, apologetic laugh: “I’m sorry, we came back late. We definitely won’t make the same mistake again.”

Ji Yanyan groveled his way over, clinging softly to his brother: “Brother, I’ll peel an orange for you, okay? Please don’t be angry anymore.”

Ji Zhixiu had long since accepted the nickname “Evil Tangerine Head.” Hearing this, he felt a strange, phantom pain, his face wincing as he inhaled sharply.

“You’ve worked hard cooking, Zishen. Sit down and rest for a while; I’ll massage your shoulders. After dinner, you just lie down and rest I’ll take care of cleaning the table and dishes.” Ji Zhixiu was as sycophantic as possible. It took a great effort to coax his eldest son, and the three of them sat happily at the table for dinner. Only Ji Sichen remained in a daze.

He would take a bite of food, then stare at Ji Zhixiu, as if the man were his side dish.

Ji Zhixiu endured and endured, choosing to ignore Ji Sichen’s strange behavior.

After dinner, only Ji Sichen declined the invitation to watch cartoons and returned to the study to study.

Even if Ji Sichen were a fully automatic learning machine, he would still have times when his battery was low. Ji Zishen was afraid he’d tire himself out, so he went to deliver a fruit platter halfway through.

This time, Ji Sichen wasn’t obsessed with his studies. He looked up, his eyes filled with complex emotions that shouldn’t appear on a child’s face.

Ji Zishen’s emotions remained unchanged: “Say what you want to say.”

Ji Sichen’s lips parted, but he hesitated.

Ji Zishen didn’t stay to wait and turned to leave. Ji Sichen grew anxious and hurriedly called him back: “I have a question I want to ask you. You… why have you changed?”

Though his words were vague, Ji Zishen understood the subtext. He opened up for once: “Do you know how many times I’ve been adopted and how many so-called ‘families’ I’ve had?”

Ji Sichen shook his head, not understanding why he was suddenly bringing this up.

“So, I know very well how rare it is for a child’s needs to be respected and acknowledged. But he gave me all of that. This is my favorite lifestyle, and it’s not a one-sided indulgence both sides are genuinely accepting it. That way, the house isn’t filled with a strange, suffocating atmosphere. Do you know how rare that is for me?”

There is no such thing as true empathy in this world, but with Ji Sichen’s clever little brain, he could understand the literal meaning of Ji Zishen’s words. Still, he was awkward: “That’s not true. How does he respect you? Didn’t he come back late?”

Ji Zishen sighed and looked him in the eye: “But he apologized to me. Do you know how valuable a parent who knows how to apologize is?”

“…” Ji Sichen finally had nothing to refute.

Ji Zishen pushed the fruit platter toward him and looked him in the eye, his tone flat: “You don’t have to like him; that’s your business. I won’t force you, but there’s one thing…”

“Don’t do anything to hurt him, and don’t do anything to hurt this family.”

With that, he didn’t wait for Ji Sichen’s reply and turned to leave.

Ji Sichen was stunned by the sudden, powerful aura Ji Zishen had unleashed. It took a full five or six minutes for him to come to his senses. He frowned, his little face becoming scrunched up.

He understood now. Ji Zishen had changed because he had finally recognized the essence of Ji Zhixiu:

Ji Zhixiu…

Is a moron!

He’s so old, yet he still has the mind of a child without a shred of fatherly dignity. He’s always grinning like an idiot, not keeping a single thought in his head.

It would be a miracle if a moron didn’t drool or cause trouble for others; you couldn’t expect too much from him.

Ji Sichen began to contemplate the composition of the family for the first time. His expression became more and more serious, and he felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

Ji Zishen had finally gotten what he wanted taking charge of the house. Ji Yanyan was fine; he could just buy a rope to tie him up another day. But the family lacked someone capable of dealing with the outside world, someone who could stand tall.

Ji Sichen had never taken Ji Zhixiu’s words to heart before, but now he couldn’t stop thinking about them.

It was true: he could only get more opportunities if he stood in the light. He had to be the family’s public face and handle all relevant matters. What if he made a mistake and his life was forced into a “blank gap” for several years?

The image of Ji Zhixiu playing “make-believe” that afternoon, holding leaves and stones and insisting they were a grand feast, automatically surfaced in his mind… He shivered in retrospective fear and forcefully chased the image out of his brain. He really didn’t want to watch the whole family eat dirt and grass.

Having made his decision, he didn’t hesitate anymore. He pushed open the study door and walked out.

Only Ji Zhixiu was alone in the living room. He looked over in surprise: “Sichen, why are you out at this hour? Are you thirsty or do you need the bathroom?”

Look at that, he only has these two things on his mind.

Ji Sichen became even more determined. He cleared his throat: “I’ve thought it over. What you said makes a lot of sense. I promise you that everything I do will comply with legal and ethical standards.”

He paused and bluntly stated his request: “Now you can give me the computer, right? I have a program I want to write. If I finish it, I might be able to sell it.”

Ji Sichen gave him a meaningful look and made a gesture with his hand.

It took Ji Zhixiu a full half-minute to say: “Y-yes, of course, absolutely.”

Ji Sichen didn’t say another word. He took out the computer under Ji Zhixiu’s nose, bid him a polite goodnight, and closed the study door again.

The living room returned to quiet. Ji Zhixiu stood there for three minutes, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably, the curve of his mouth growing wider and wider.

Aaaaah! The little villain has finally turned over a new leaf and is going to pursue his internet dreams!

He can finally mooch off his son!!

Lying flat and decaying I’m going to be a happy salted fish.jpg

Ji Zhixiu was so happy he was bubbling over just thinking about it. He excitedly performed a set of military exercises on the spot; still not satisfied, he put his hands on his hips and danced a tap dance.

Ji Zishen was planning to go to sleep. Hearing the rattling sounds from the living room, he thought something had been broken and hurried over in concern.

The moment he opened the door, Ji Zhixiu sensed something was wrong. To save face, he did a 360-degree turn, picked up a book from the side, and tipped over onto the sofa.

A second later, Ji Zishen appeared in the living room.

He paused, a look of confusion on his face: “Daddy, what are you doing?”

Ji Zhixiu was positioned at a slight angle, one foot on the sofa, his expression calm and his brows solemn. One hand held the open textbook, while the other was slightly curled, elbow resting on his knee, his hand in a fist against his forehead the standard “The Thinker” pose.

Ji Zishen wanted to be an adult, so he naturally understood the cruelty of the adult world. He assumed Ji Zhixiu must be pondering a very important problem and subconsciously lowered his voice: “Daddy, I won’t disturb you anymore. Get some rest early.”

Just as he was about to turn back, Ji Zhixiu called out to him: “Wait.”

Ji Zishen turned back, confused. When he looked closely, he saw a glimmer of crystal-clear tears in the corners of Ji Zhixiu’s eyes, and his mouth was still twitching uncontrollably.

Ji Zhixiu had never shown such vulnerability in front of him before. Ji Zishen realized the seriousness of the situation, hurried over, and asked: “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Just as he was filled with dire premonitions, Ji Zhixiu extended a trembling hand and squeezed a few words through his teeth:

“Quick, quick, help me up! I pulled my groin, and I can’t move!”

Ji Zishen: “…”