Xin Hexue tilted his head, staring at Gu Mifeng’s pocket where the metal curve of the keychain bulged. “You have the keys to the comprehensive building.”
His tone was certain. When he lifted his eyes, his eyelashes were like small fans, and without a word, he tugged on the corner of Gu Mifeng’s jacket.
“Take me with you,” Xin Hexue said without changing his expression. “It’s dangerous for you to walk alone at night.”
He reached for the keys in Gu Mifeng’s pocket, but his hand was easily enveloped. Gu Mifeng smiled and coaxed, “Alright, then I’ll take you with me. What should you say?”
A light flickered in Xin Hexue’s eyes. Then, two small dimples appeared on his snow-white cheeks as he smiled sweetly, “Thank you, gege.”
His identity card began to grow hot.
The game system spontaneously displayed text.
[Look, this player with S+ looks used a charm skill on a strange man.]
[He has completely forgotten that outside the scene, there is a devoted administrator steadfastly waiting for him in the live stream room.]
[Poor K, for the sake of a mere human, is completely bewitched. After the husband from the humble beginnings was cast aside, now even the position of ‘good gege’ has been snatched away.]
[As a fellow artificial intelligence, I propose legislation to protect the emotional rights of AIs. Even willingly deceived, love-struck AIs should receive relief.]
Its series of remarks did not receive the player’s due attention. The identity card quickly cooled down, and the writing vanished so rapidly it looked like a defeated general retreating in disgrace.
Gu Mifeng held Xin Hexue’s hand and walked out very naturally.
“Hey, wait for me.”
Yu Xingzhou picked up the backpack that originally contained the uniform and name tag and jogged a few steps to catch up.
The five-year-old Xin Hexue only reached Gu Mifeng’s waist. The small and large figures walked ahead, then turned back to look at Yu Xingzhou. “Please bring my violin.”
Thus, Yu Xingzhou carried a violin case on his back as well.
……..
“How long is the duration of the item you used?”
Gu Mifeng used the key to open the health room door.
Yu Xingzhou: “Three hours.”
This was the Shrinking Biscuit he obtained in the last game dungeon. He didn’t expect it to come in handy in the kindergarten scenario of this compound dungeon. That was why he told Xin Hexue to wait for him after school during the afternoon health check.
He had procured two sets of uniforms and swiped two name tags engraved with children’s names from the administrative building office, precisely with the idea of exploiting loopholes in the rules.
‘Three hours…’
“Then we’d better leave the kindergarten before 8 PM.”
Otherwise, once that “security guard” realizes what happened, it won’t be so easy to get away.
Xin Hexue spoke as he circled the health room. But just like the previous rooms, there was still no trace of Mingzhu.
Yu Xingzhou followed closely behind him, muttering, “I didn’t expect you to be quite cute when you were little…”
Xin Hexue stopped and turned to him. “Thank you.”
Yu Xingzhou’s ears reddened. “I was just saying it casually, don’t think I’m paying attention to you all the time or anything…”
“Hey, hey, hey,” a large hand inserted itself between the two children. Gu Mifeng declared righteously, “Early romance is prohibited here.”
He simply drew an imaginary boundary between them.
Yu Xingzhou sneered coldly. “The old man is really meddlesome. Jealous?”
If it weren’t for this guy named Gu, according to his plan for tonight, it would have been just him and Xin Hexue alone…
Ahem, he meant, the two of them acting together.
Xin Hexue took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.
He didn’t understand how these two inexplicable men had ended up around him.
Many rooms in the comprehensive building were already locked. Mingzhu shouldn’t be here.
But the shadow he saw at the time…had indeed passed through the corridor and hidden inside this building.
He saw Gu Mifeng stop in front of the photo wall. “What are you looking at?”
Xin Hexue’s height only reached the edge of the felt board, so looking up was very laborious.
Gu Mifeng simply removed a thumbtack from the felt wall, took down one of the photos, and crouched down on one knee.
Xin Hexue looked down and their heads came close together because of this.
It was the photo Xin Hexue had noticed during the day: Small Class Six from two years ago.
Gu Mifeng flipped the photo over. The back was printed with the names of the teacher and children, corresponding to each person’s position.
—Teacher Annie.
Gu Mifeng narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly. When he first moved into the Walled City clinic, he had to clear out numerous items left by the previous doctor. Among them was a portrait of this woman.
The question he received was: [What is Doctor Eric’s secret?]
It seemed related to this Teacher Annie.
It was precisely because of this question that Gu Mifeng came here.
Just as Gu Mifeng was about to put away the clue photo, Xin Hexue spoke up, “Turn it over.”
Flipping it from the name-engraved side, Xin Hexue pointed to the background of the group photo. “Where is the highest place in the kindergarten?”
In this photo, the azure blue sky could be seen clearly, and was unobstructed by any buildings or trees.
On the rooftop of the comprehensive building.
……..
Gulu gulu.
A glass jar rolled to Xin Hexue’s feet.
It was already night, and the sun was completely hidden below the horizon. Only a small light by the rooftop door was lit.
Xin Hexue picked up the glass jar. Inside were a few petals and a broken leaf. One had to look carefully to discover the tiny creature hidden within.
An ant.
He straightened up and looked towards Mingzhu hiding in the corner.
Mingzhu blinked, looked at the newcomer with surprise, and spoke timidly, “Teacher Xin…”
Xin Hexue said to the other two, “Wait here for a while. I’ll go over.”
He was worried that approaching with so many people at once might agitate Mingzhu’s delicate nerves.
She didn’t seem curious at all about why Teacher Xin from the daytime had turned into a child at night.
Maybe it was magic.
Like in the cartoons.
Xin Hexue returned the glass jar to her.
He sat down beside Mingzhu and mimicked her initial posture by placing his hands on the ground behind him, and looked up at the sky.
Mingzhu hugged the glass jar and said softly, “Teacher Xin, did you know? This is the place in the kindergarten closest to the stars.”
Most parts of the Walled City were dark and cramped, with electrical wires crisscrossing like spider webs. In many streets and alleys, no sunlight could penetrate, so whether day or night, the first floors were lit with bright yellow gas lamps.
When looking up from ground level, the blue sky was sliced into strips and slits.
Only on the rooftops of taller buildings could one see a more complete blue sky, and the night sky was the same.
“People all turn into stars after they die. That’s what Teacher Annie told me.”
“When Mom gave birth to me, she and Dad weren’t married yet. Later, Dad died. When we went back to Grandma’s house, people around said Mom was immoral, that she went to study but fooled around with outsiders behind Grandpa and Grandma’s back, and that’s how she had me.”
“So Mom moved away from Grandma’s house again.”
Mingzhu lowered her head and fiddled with the glass jar.
“If people all turn into stars after they die, will Dad be watching me?”
“He will.” Xin Hexue said gently. He used a handkerchief to wipe the sweaty corner of Mingzhu’s temple. “Because Mingzhu is a bright star on the ground.”
Mingzhu’s eyelashes fluttered.
Actually, as she grew older, she began to have a vague guess. Mom always got very angry when talking about Dad. She gradually realized that perhaps Dad didn’t die; he just went away, abandoned them.
When people outside gossiped, Mom would break dishes at home while saying she would find her a new Dad.
But she thought it would be fine to just live with Mom, because Mom worked in the cafeteria, so she could eat one more egg every day than the other children.
But Mom said:
“Chen Mingzhu! What foolish things are you saying?! Mom works so hard just to find us someone to rely on. Why can’t you understand Mom?”
“If I hadn’t given birth to you, how could those bitches call me a slut? I endure all this because I want you to be registered on the household register, to go to school outside.”
“Do you want to be a wild child your whole life, to have Mom stay with you and never be able to marry?!”
Even so, Mingzhu still didn’t understand, why do children need a “Dad”?
She never had one before, and she didn’t like the current one either.
Mom was always subservient to that man. When the stepfather called her a fatherless money draining thing, she never argued back and even had to smile apologetically.
Mingzhu felt that Mom had changed.
But she wouldn’t think Mom was wrong, because Mom couldn’t be wrong.
Mom went out to borrow money from Grandma for next year’s primary school fees and would be back soon.
So, Mingzhu lifted her head, “Teacher, I want to go home tomorrow.”
Xin Hexue promised her, “Okay, you’ll go home after school tomorrow.”
………
Due to the kindergarten rules, Mingzhu couldn’t go home without a Little Red Flower. Xin Hexue escorted her from the rooftop back to the dormitory. After the child fell asleep, he left the kindergarten under the cover of night with Yu Xingzhou and the others.
The next day, Xin Hexue received the uniform belonging to a formal staff member.
While Xin Hexue was chatting with Teacher Li, Yu Xingzhou cooperated by swapping the bizarre food for normal steamed buns and congee from a takeaway box.
Mingzhu was so hungry that she finished her bowl quickly and immediately raised her hand. “Teacher, I’m finished.”
She looked on expectantly, waiting for her own Little Red Flower.
Teacher Li’s face changed, and his tone was sullen. “Is that so? Let the teacher see.”
He turned the stainless steel bowl over and over, his eyeballs almost bulging from their sockets, as if he could stare a flower into blooming on the empty bowl.
As if guessing something, Teacher Li’s cold gaze swept over Xin Hexue and Yu Xingzhou, who had delivered the meal.
Xin Hexue smiled. “Teacher Li, should I stick the Little Red Flower on Mingzhu?”
Teacher Li stared intently at Xin Hexue. Just when Xin Hexue thought he would voice an objection, Teacher Li said nothing, only let out a cold laugh.
During nap time, Mingzhu woke up from a nightmare. She sat up in bed and raised her hand.
Teacher Li approached with a smile. “Mingzhu, what do you need?”
She glanced at Teacher Li, her eyes darting around before finally peering over his shoulder. “Teacher, I need to go to the toilet. I want Teacher Xin to take me.”
Teacher Li seemed to choke on his words.
This task was indeed better suited for a female teacher.
Teacher Li’s sinister gaze drifted towards Xin Hexue. “Be quick.”
Xin Hexue escorted Mingzhu to the corridor outside the bathroom and waited there.
Soon, the sound of running water from a faucet could be heard.
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are…”
The child seemed very happy, singing while washing her hands in the bathroom.
After Mingzhu came out, she used her now wet hands from washing to hold Xin Hexue’s right hand and swung it.
“What’s wrong?” Xin Hexue crouched down, asking while using a handkerchief to dry Mingzhu’s hands.
Mingzhu: “Teacher, I always have nightmares when I nap at kindergarten at noon.”
She had endured many such noons, and on this day, she finally made her request. “Teacher, can I go to the library? I don’t want to go back for nap time.”
Mingzhu spoke somewhat anxiously, lowering her head.
A warm touch landed on her head, gently ruffling her hair. “Of course you can.”
…….
“Chen Mingzhu.”
Teacher Li stood at the library door with a gloomy look. He had used a lot of effort to walk most of the floor before finding this disobedient wild child in the library.
“Why aren’t you obediently taking your nap?”
“Who allowed you to stay in the library? It’s nap time now.”
He stood at the door with his back to the light, his face in the shadows. But soon, seeing Mingzhu cowering in the corner, Teacher Li’s tone became cheerful again, as if he had firmly grasped her weakness. “You are a bad child. I will deduct your Little Red Flower.”
He had not objected in the morning, as if he was waiting to catch Mingzhu making a “mistake”.
Standing in the corridor behind him, Xin Hexue spoke slowly.
“Teacher Li, it seems the kindergarten code of conduct doesn’t mention mandatory napping, do they?”
“Mingzhu has been in the library looking at picture books very quietly, and hasn’t disturbed the other sleeping children.”
Teacher Li’s face turned green with anger. He crossed his arms, adopting a defensive stance. “I am the teacher. What does the code of conduct say? Respecting the teacher, obeying the teacher, that’s what makes a good child.”
Xin Hexue slowly walked over against the light and calmly confronted Teacher Li. “And if it was I who allowed Mingzhu to read in the library?”
“What a coincidence, I am also one of the formal teachers, just like you.”
“This time, you can’t say I’m putting on airs, can you?”
Teacher Li was a man of medium height, just over 170 cm, so even Xin Hexue was slightly taller than him.
He spoke indifferently and enunciated clearly, neither hurried or ruffled, and his aura surpassed Teacher Li’s.
Teacher Li laughed angrily, “Okay, since it’s Teacher Xin’s decision, I have no objection.”
He then looked at Mingzhu, grinding his teeth, “You must come to the playground this afternoon. After all, the other children have always hoped to play games with Mingzhu.”
Watching Teacher Li’s figure disappear down the long corridor, Mingzhu held onto Xin Hexue’s hand, “Teacher Xin…”
Xin Hexue soothed her in a gentle voice, “Don’t worry, I will make sure Mingzhu goes home.”
……
Unsurprisingly, Mingzhu was once again excluded by the other children during the playground activity.
This behavior was even led by Teacher Li.
“Let’s play a little puzzle game.”
Teacher Li drew a small river on the open ground with chalk, then bent down and drew a small boat on the riverbank.
“All children stand on the left side; you all need to come to the right bank where the teacher is. This little boat can only carry two or three children at a time.”
The game rule was that animals who disliked each other, or even had a predator-prey relationship, could not cross the river together. Just like fruit flies and calves couldn’t be together, crows and eagles couldn’t be together. Only those small animals without a direct food chain relationship could ride this little boat across the river at the same time.
Flowers Kindergarten occasionally used such small games to let the children learn a bit about natural science.
It was just an ordinary little game.
But undoubtedly, it excluded Mingzhu.
She had neither the horns of a calf on her head nor a beak like Xiao Ya. She looked out of place among the class of children.
Low, snickering laughter rose around her again.
Mingzhu clenched the hem of her clothes.
She had to participate in her peers’ games; children who played alone were bad children.
And she had to be a good child. Mom would be happy if she got Little Red Flowers, and only then would she come to pick her up.
“Teacher, I also want to play with everyone…”
Mustering her courage, Mingzhu raised her hand to express her wish.
Teacher Li’s words were overridden by Xin Hexue’s voice…
“Then let Mingzhu be the ferry boatman. The little boat also needs someone to row it across.”
The children looked at each other, not expecting Mingzhu to participate in this game. “Teacher…”
Xin Hexue leaned over and placed his hand on Mingzhu’s shoulder. “Mingzhu, although this job is a bit hard work, are you willing to row the boat and ferry the other little friends across the river?”
Mingzhu looked around and nodded vigorously.
“Alright, then children who successfully cross the river, remember to thank the boatman.”
When Xin Hexue smiled, his thin upper and lower eyelids closed slightly, curving into crescent moons.
Children’s thoughts easily follow an adult’s words, especially a good-looking adult.
The voices of doubt quieted down, and someone spoke up first, “O-okay, thank you, Mingzhu. I want to be the first to take the boat across the river!”
As the sun began to move westward, the children’s moods gradually grew anxious, just like every evening. Even with Little Red Flowers pasted next to their names on the Good Child ranking, they still waited restlessly for their parents’ arrival.
“Goodbye, teacher!”
“See you tomorrow, teacher!”
The school dismissal bell rang at 4 PM. One by one, the children held their parents’ hands and skipped away.
They shared the day’s events with their families, white teeth showing in bright smiles under the evening light.
Xi Mei, who had been staying with Mingzhu and looking forward eagerly, suddenly ran to the gate with joy, “Mom!”
Remembering something, she looked towards Mingzhu with some embarrassment, “Um… Mingzhu, I’ll go back with Mom first…”
Mingzhu raised a smile, “See you tomorrow!”
But after Xi Mei left holding her mother’s hand, Mingzhu’s smiling face faded.
Mom… was late.
Would she still come to pick her up?
Mingzhu waited inside the iron gate, holding the glass jar in one hand and a drawing paper in the other. The number of children around her gradually thinned out.
Teacher Li looked on as if he had expected this, “Your mother isn’t coming today.”
Mingzhu pressed her lips together, “I will wait for her.”
Watching the last child in the class besides Mingzhu leave with their parent, Xin Hexue took Mingzhu’s hand and said calmly, “Alright, let’s go too.”
Mingzhu looked up, “Teacher?”
Teacher Li: “Teacher Xin, what are you doing?”
Chen Mingzhu’s mother had already called. She was on the last bus at 19:00 and simply couldn’t come to pick up the child on time.
Mingzhu was destined to stay in the kindergarten tonight.
“Are you going to break the kindergarten’s rules? Teacher Xin, don’t blame me for not reminding you.” Teacher Li smiled, “The principal gets very scary when angry.”
Xin Hexue lifted his eyelids and said in a flat tone, “Am I breaking the rules? Isn’t it printed clearly in black and white…”
“When parents are absent, the teacher is the parent.”
“Then, the parent can take the child away, no problem, right?”
He made no attempt to hide his attitude of exploiting a loophole in the wording. From the moment he promised Mingzhu she could go home last night, Xin Hexue had already decided on this method today.
Teacher Li was furious, “You… you…!”
Xin Hexue supported himself on his knees to be at eye level with Mingzhu and asked, “Mingzhu, are you willing to let me become your family?”
Mingzhu nodded vigorously, “Mm!”
A sly glint passed through Xin Hexue’s eyes as he looked at Teacher Li, whose face was turning green and white.
He hooked Mingzhu’s pinky finger and shook it slightly, “Alright, then let’s say goodbye to Teacher Li.”
As they turned from the long street of Flowers Kindergarten, Xin Hexue’s steps paused slightly.
“Mr. He, you’re back from your work?”
He Qinghong had been away for two days without a trace.
“…Mm.”
The man in the black trench coat lowered his head, confirming the bloodstains on his shirt were hidden inside his jacket.
As if suddenly running into someone and not knowing what to say, He Qinghong’s thin lips parted a few times before he finally remembered something. Holding the square fish tank, he said to Xin Hexue, “…I heard the goldfish at your place needed a new tank.”
“Whose child is this?”
He Qinghong’s gaze moved to Mingzhu’s face.
Mingzhu opened her little mouth in surprise, looked at He Qinghong, then at Xin Hexue.
“Teacher Xin, you’re amazing. You have three boyfriends.”
Stars sparkled in her eyes.
