Returning to Infancy with my Nemesis - Chapter 17
The next morning, when Tang Mian woke up, both his father and his big brother had already left.
Today was Friday, and the weekend was just around the corner. After the weekend came Monday, the day for kindergarten enrollment.
Fu Shizhao’s arm had not fully recovered, and their birthdays were still some time away. His mother hadn’t mentioned anything about filming recently.
With his new drawing board, Tang Mian was in high spirits. He practically carried the drawing board with him everywhere he went.
He held it while watching cartoons, while basking in the sun, while eating, and even during his short naps.
He truly seemed like a child, without the need for any pretence.
Tang Sheng regretted not giving Tang Mian the drawing board sooner, and he stared at it several times with a hesitant expression.
He wished he had given it to Tang Mian earlier.
Shen Siwan also understood the origin of the drawing board, knowing it was a thoughtful gift from Fu Yu and Fu Shizhao. She noticed that Tang Mian had a keen interest in drawing, and before bedtime, she talked to her husband about it, planning to ask Tang Mian if he wanted to learn how to draw once their kindergarten life was more stable.
As for the musical instruments they bought to stimulate his hearing, Tang Mian didn’t seem very interested, but it was Fu Shizhao who enjoyed fiddling with them.
If Fu Shizhao developed an interest in music, they could consider enrolling both children in a hobby class on weekends.
It would be beneficial to have some special skills if they were interested.
With a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, Monday arrived as expected.
On that morning, the two kids were dressed in new, adorable outfits, complete with cute little hats. They had backpacks with cartoon cat and dog designs, merchandise from the recent cartoon show they’d been watching.
These purchases were made over the weekend in preparation for their first day of school.
According to the household staff, Tang Caihua’s family had visited over the weekend, but to their surprise, Tang Mian’s family was not at home once again, giving them the cold shoulder.
This time, however, Tang Mian’s father, Tang Minghuai, got a call from them. He noticed the caller ID but didn’t answer the call.
After they left, Tang Minghuai took a while before he sent them a message, explaining that he was watching a movie with Mian Mian and Zhao Zhao and had his phone on silent, so he didn’t notice the call.
Upon returning home, Tang Minghuai informed the villa’s security personnel and removed the family’s access privileges. Security in upscale villa communities was well-maintained, and even delivery drivers and couriers had to be registered. Those without recorded information and authorization were not allowed inside alone.
Initially, Shen Siwan had registered Tang Wei’s access privileges when she saw that Tang Mian and Tang Wei were getting along well. Now, it didn’t seem necessary anymore, and it would only cause them trouble.
Inside the car, Tang Mian sat with his small drawing board, doodling casually. Beside him was Fu Sizhao, and they both focused on their little activities.
Tang Minghuai and Shen Siwan sat on either side of them, both dressed in appropriate formal wear. Even Fu Yu, who was used to wearing patched-up clothes and anything comfortable, was wearing a suit. He occasionally glanced at himself in the mirror with a somewhat uncomfortable expression.
Today was Zhao Zhao’s first day of kindergarten, and as his guardian, Fu Yu had to take it seriously.
Everything was ready, and the car was slowly heading towards the kindergarten.
Throughout the journey, Shen Siwan was preoccupied with constantly talking to the two kids.
“Don’t be afraid, okay? If you miss Mom and Dad, you can call us.”
“There are many children at kindergarten. If someone bullies you, make sure to tell the teacher right away.”
“Mom will give your stuffed animals to the teacher, and they’ll be placed on your little beds for naptime. You can cuddle with them during lunchtime.”
…
Tang Minghuai couldn’t help but smile helplessly and stifled a yawn. He understood his wife’s anxiety, but there wasn’t much he could do. He had also spent a sleepless night due to her worry.
Fortunately, both kids had slept well and eaten a hearty breakfast. Even Zhao Zhao had obediently finished a whole bottle of milk.
Tang Mian, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by Shen Siwan’s anxiety, had to set aside his small drawing board and snuggled into her arms, using his cuteness to comfort her.
On the other hand, Fu Sizhao carried himself like a little adult and lifted his little head, saying, “Don’t worry, Auntie. I’ll protect big brother.”
Shen Siwan’s expression finally relaxed a bit, and she smiled gently, “Good.”
She wasn’t too worried about Fu Sizhao, given his independence and adaptability. Before coming to the Tang family, Fu Sizhao had traveled with Fu Yu and had excellent self-care skills. Even at home, he rarely shed tears.
However, Tang Mian was different. He had never left their side since birth, and when he was younger, he would cry when separated from them. After Fu Sizhao arrived, he hardly cried anymore. She hoped the first day at kindergarten would go smoothly for him.
The kindergarten wasn’t too far from the villa area and was a well-equipped private nursery. Most of the children attending were from wealthy families.
Fu Yu parked the car in the designated spot at the kindergarten’s entrance. Many parents were dropping off their children at this time, and there were quite a few groups of kids walking in together.
A teacher from the kindergarten was waiting at the entrance. They quickly got out of the car, taking the two kids with them as they approached her.
“Are you Mian Mian and Zhao Zhao?” The round-faced teacher smiled, revealing her two adorable front teeth. “I’m Teacher Tu Tu. You can call me Teacher Rabbit.”
Tang Mian, clutching his small drawing board, and Fu Sizhao, holding hands, followed Teacher Rabbit into the kindergarten with their heads held high. They greeted their teacher with a cheerful “Hello, Teacher.”
Teacher Rabbit affectionately patted their heads and handed each of them a piece of candy. She then turned to the parents and said, “I’ll take them to their classroom now since it’s time for class. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me through the phone.”
“Thank you, Teacher,” Tang Minghuai replied with a nod.
“Goodbye, Mom and Dad, and Uncle Fu,” Tang Mian waved his little hand, having already opened the candy he received, his chubby cheeks puffing up as he savoured it.
Fu Sizhhao leaned closer to Tang Mian, mirroring his actions, and waved his hand as well.
Fu Yu noticed something amiss with his son and gently patted his head to soothe him.
Finally, with reluctant gazes from the adults, the two boys, hand in hand, followed their teacher into the school courtyard.
Seeing that the two new students had adjusted well, Teacher Rabbit breathed a sigh of relief. She had worked at this kindergarten for several years and knew that welcoming new students could be a challenging task.
There was a student in their class who used to cry a lot when she first started, and it took a long time for her to adapt to kindergarten life. However, these two new students seemed well-behaved, showing no signs of crying or separation anxiety.
Just as Teacher Rabbit was beginning to relax, she heard a faint sniffle from beside her, and her heart skipped a beat. Could it be happening now?
She took a deep breath, preparing herself for a potential emotional storm
To her surprise, the one who was quietly following her was Tang Mian, the one holding the small drawing board. It seemed that Fu Sizhao was the one who had suddenly started crying.
Teacher Rabbit couldn’t believe it. Weren’t they both fine just a moment ago? During the car ride, didn’t Fu Sizhao promise to protect Tang Mian?
Very quickly, large teardrops rolled down Fu Shao’s small face, and his long eyelashes glistened with moisture. He looked like a pitiful, wet puppy.
Teacher Rabbit was taken aback by this sudden change.
“Why is Zhao Zhao crying?” Tu Tu quickly crouched down and took out a baby tissue from her pocket.
However, Fu Sizhao reacted quickly, avoiding her hand holding the tissue and instead rushing into Tang Mian’s arms, as if he had found the only piece of driftwood to save him from drowning.
Seeing this, Tu Tu recognized the situation as one where a child was displaying a rejection reaction to strangers. She didn’t force contact and instead handed the tissue to Tang Mian, saying, “Can Mian Mian help Teacher wipe Zhao Zhao’s tears?”
She knew that for now, they needed to rely on the trust between the two children. If they couldn’t calm him down and he continued to cry, she would call his parents. It was the first day of school, and they needed to take it step by step.
Tang Mian was a bit puzzled but quickly took the tissue and began to gently wipe away Fu Sizhao’s tears. Fu Sizhao, on the other hand, was cooperative this time, not avoiding the touch, allowing Tang Mian to wipe his tears.
Upon closer reflection, Tang Mian realized that Fu Sizhao had indeed been acting a bit differently since they got off the car and met the teacher. He had stayed very close to Tang Mian and hadn’t been very talkative. Was he scared?
It was quite normal for a three-year-old to feel scared when taken to a strange place by a stranger.
What a fragile little troublemaker. Despite silently poking fun at the situation, Tang Mian was unexpectedly in a good mood.
Fu Sizhao was highly dependent on him. Only he could comfort Fu Sizhao effectively. Tang Mian enjoyed this unique feeling. If this continued for a long time, Fu Shao would definitely listen to him.
Even when he was taken back to the Fu family for high school, he would expect Fu Sizhao to report his daily life to him obediently.
He didn’t believe that in this lifetime, he would grow apart from Fu Sizhao.
After Tang Mian comforted him for a while, Fu Sizhao didn’t push it further. Instead, he obediently held Tang Mian’s hand and followed the teacher towards the classroom.
Fu Shao had staged this act not to be coaxed by Tang Mian but because…
Aunt Shen had mentioned that the kindergarten had single beds for the children to sleep in, aiming to foster their ability to sleep alone. She was concerned that they might have trouble falling asleep, so she had prepared the dolls for them.
Fu Shao needed to “preheat” in advance; otherwise, it would be more challenging to smoothly crawl into Tang Mian’s bed at lunchtime.
He didn’t want to sleep alone, nor did he need any training to sleep independently. Everything went as smoothly as expected.
I finally got my first ko-fi~ Although they didn’t mention which novel they’re reading. Gonna upload 2 chaps on each of them.
- 1Hi, Translator here, I hope ya’ll post good reviews for our cuties on Novel Updates.??
Translator
