TC Extra 5

Two months later, Ye Xingzhou returned to the Ye family.

Qi Xing was completely bewildered. Wasn’t big brother the orphan his god-grandfather had adopted? How had a father and an entire family suddenly appeared overnight?

He didn’t like Ye Xingzhou’s father. When Ye Chonglin personally came to Qingping Garden to take Ye Xingzhou home, exchanging polite pleasantries with Old Master Chen, Qi Xing caught sight of him and instinctively disliked him. Big brother’s father didn’t look like a good person at all. If he had been, how could big brother have ended up in an orphanage?

Pouting, the little boy went back to find Ye Xingzhou, who was packing his luggage. The moment the thought crossed his mind, he blurted it out: “Big brother, I don’t like your dad.”

“I don’t like him either,” Ye Xingzhou replied flatly as he continued packing, not even looking up.

“Then don’t go back with him.”

“I can’t.”

He picked up the SpongeBob plush they had bought only the day before and stuffed it into the little boy’s arms, “This is for you.”

Qi Xing hugged the doll tightly, still unhappy: “Big brother, when you go home, you can’t forget about me.”

“I won’t.”

“Then let’s pinky swear.”

The little boy held out his finger, looking up at him with complete innocence.

Ye Xingzhou looked at him for two seconds before hooking his own finger around the tiny one: “Alright.”

Qi Xing seemed genuinely afraid that his older brother would forget him. The day after Ye Xingzhou returned, he couldn’t wait to have Old Chen arrange a driver to take him to the Ye family to visit his older brother.

Although he was just a child, he was the grandson of Old Master Chen, and Old Master Chen’s personal assistant even came with him. The Ye Family dared not neglect him and treated him to good food and drink. Qi Xing said he wanted to see Ye Xingzhou, but the Ye family matriarch, who was receiving them, hesitated awkwardly, forcing an embarrassed smile.

The bastard child had only just returned yesterday, and her three sons had locked him in the underground wine cellar for the entire night. He had only been let out early that morning and was now burning with a fever in his room.

How could she possibly let Old Master Chen’s people see that?

Unfortunately, Ye Chonglin had already gone to the company, so there was no one left to smooth things over. The woman tried to change the subject, but Qi Xing wasn’t fooled in the slightest. He loudly insisted on seeing his older brother. Ye Xingzhou, having heard the noise at some point, came downstairs despite being stopped and called out to him, “Xingxing.”

The moment Qi Xing turned around and saw him, he immediately ran over. Seeing Ye Xingzhou’s pale, exhausted face, his little brows knitted tightly together: “Big brother, what’s wrong?”

Ye Xingzhou had barely managed to say, “I’m fine,” when Old Master Chen’s assistant looked him over and asked hesitantly, “Your face is so red, do you have a fever?”

Hearing that, Qi Xing stood on tiptoe and reached up to touch Ye Xingzhou’s forehead, but he was too short to reach.

Ye Xingzhou gently lowered his little hand. “It’s all right, it’s not that serious.”

Qi Xing, however, was not so easily fooled. Turning around, he demanded angrily of the mistress of the house, “Why did my Big Brother get a fever as soon as he came to your house? Did you bully him?”

Being questioned so aggressively by such a tiny child made the woman’s face burn with embarrassment, her expression turning cold immediately.

When Assistant Chen asked Ye Xingzhou again, Ye Xingzhou glanced coldly at the three brothers who were trying to sneak away, and calmly recounted what had happened last night. He said that the three brothers had deliberately locked him in the underground wine cellar for nearly ten hours before he was released.

The assistant frowned upon hearing this. An underground wine cellar was usually kept at around ten degrees Celsius. At this time of year, everyone was still wearing light clothes or even short sleeves. Being locked in such a place for a whole night, it was no wonder that he would get sick and have a fever. The Ye Family boys had gone too far.

Although he was just an assistant and couldn’t say anything, Qi Xing was furious: “You bunch of bad guys! You bullied my big brother! I’ll fight you!”

The kid rolled up his sleeves and was about to go up and beat someone up when Ye Xingzhou grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back, saying, “Don’t get involved.”

“They’re too mean! I’m going to beat them to death!”

“You can’t beat anyone to death, stop messing around.” Ye Xingzhou kept him firmly in place.

The little boy bared his teeth and claws in fury, glaring fiercely at the three brothers. Although they looked slightly guilty, they also seemed rather pleased with themselves. They paid no attention whatsoever to a little brat like him, even making faces at him on purpose to provoke him.

After thinking it over, the assistant asked Ye Xingzhou, “Would you like to come back with us for now?”

Qi Xing immediately chimed in: “Big brother, come back with me!”

Ye Xingzhou refused; since he had returned to the Ye family, he had no intention of leaving like this.

Qi Xing was very angry. Ye Xingzhou saw the sulking child out of the door and said, “Be good and go back. I’ll come see you again in a few days.”

“What if they bully you again?”

Ye Xingzhou reassured him, “Don’t worry, I have a way to deal with them.”

Qi Xing simply didn’t believe it. How could his older brother, who was so “fragile,” possibly deal with those three big bad guys?

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the three brothers peeking out from the doorway, obviously trying to laugh at them, making him angrier. He rolled his eyes, took two steps forward, picked up the water hose used for watering flowers in the yard, turned it on, and sprayed it at the three brothers.

He moved so quickly that not only were the three completely unprepared, even Ye Xingzhou had failed to anticipate it. By the time everyone reacted, the three brothers had already been drenched from head to toe, looking exactly like three drowned rats.

Hands on his hips, the little boy burst into triumphant laughter. Serves you right for being so naughty and smug!

Ye Wanqi let out a scream and charged toward Qi Xing, intending to hit him.

Ye Xingzhou immediately stepped in front of Qi Xing, while Old Master Chen’s assistant took another step forward, spreading his arms protectively in front of them.

Fortunately, Ye Wanqi never got the chance. Before he could reach them, the Ye family’s butler rushed over in a panic and had someone pull him away.

After returning home, Qi Xing immediately ran to complain to his god-grandfather. After listening, Old Master Chen commented, “The Ye family’s upbringing doesn’t seem very good.”

Qi Xing didn’t really understand what “family upbringing” meant, but he could tell his god-grandfather also thought that family was awful. “Will Big Brother get bullied by them again?”

“Don’t worry,” Old Master Chen said with a smile. “If he hadn’t been mentally prepared, he wouldn’t have gone back. And if he couldn’t protect himself, there would’ve been no point in going back.”

“But Big Brother is so pitiful. Will he even have enough to eat over there?”

Old Chen suppressed a laugh: “It’s not that serious. If you’re worried, just go and check on him more often.”

Of course, since he had been the one to take Ye Xingzhou in, Old Master Chen couldn’t simply ignore the situation. Afterwards, he still gave Ye Chonglin a call to ask about what had happened. Ye Chonglin had always treated himself as Old Master Chen’s junior, very respectful. He immediately promised to discipline his sons properly and assured him there was nothing to worry about.

Regardless of what he really thought, Ye Chonglin was eager for his biological son to be able to establish a connection with Old Master Chen. Acting humble and putting on a show cost him nothing.

That very day, after returning home, Ye Chonglin whipped his three sons with a leather belt. While Ye Chonglin pretended to discipline them, the three boys howled dramatically, and their mother stood nearby dabbing at nonexistent tears. Standing on the staircase, Ye Xingzhou watched the performance with cold eyes, completely unmoved from beginning to end.

A few minutes later, he turned around and went upstairs, no longer interested in watching. Even though it was a farce for others to see, it was fine this way, saving him the trouble of doing it himself.

Qi Xing called to “comfort” him: “Big Brother, hurry up and get better. From now on, I’ll protect you. I won’t let anyone bully you ever again.”

“Mm. Thank you.”

Qi Xing felt relieved and exclaimed, “You’re welcome!”

After Qi Xing entered the third grade, Ye Xingzhou also enrolled in the high school division of the same international school.

On the very first day of school, the little boy anxiously came over to the high school section to “inspect things,” and sure enough, he found the three brothers picking a fight with Ye Xingzhou.

Immediately, Qi Xing rushed over and planted himself in front of Ye Xingzhou, glaring furiously up at the group of high school boys. “What are you doing? Don’t you dare bully my Big Brother!”

Ye Wanyao sneered, “Ye Xingzhou, is this all you’re capable of? Having an elementary school kid stand up for you? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

In truth, the brothers don’t dare to go too far now. At most, they would throw a few sarcastic remarks at Ye Xingzhou, nothing more.

Ye Xingzhou had no interest in dealing with them. He had already packed his schoolbag and intended to leave when Qi Xing, this little brat, suddenly rushed out like a fighting rooster, determined to defend him. All he could do was sigh helplessly.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you for ice cream.”

With a single sentence, Ye Xingzhou successfully diverted the child’s attention and led him away, ignoring the curses still coming from behind them.

“They’re all so mean. Big brother, if they ever bully you again, you have to tell me,” Qi Xing urged him worriedly.

Ye Xingzhou looked at him with amusement: “What can you do if I tell you? Go and complain to your god-grandfather again?”

Qi Xing waved his fist: “I’ll beat them to death.”

“Let’s talk about it when you’re older.”

Qi Xing looked down at his small frame, then looked up at Ye Xingzhou, who was much taller than him, and felt inexplicably discouraged. Why couldn’t he have been born a few years earlier? It was all his parents’ fault for not trying hard enough!

Despite being looked down upon by Ye Xingzhou, Qi Xing still came to the high school section to wait for him every day after school. Ye Xingzhou would ride his bike to take him home first before going back to the Ye Family home. On weekends, they would go to Qingping Garden together.

So it turns out, a high school student and an elementary school student could actually be friends.

Soon everyone knew that Ye Xingzhou had a little kid following him around, and there was no shortage of ridicule and mockery, but Ye Xingzhou never bothered to pay attention. There was no shortage of mockery and ridicule, but Ye Xingzhou never bothered responding.

He was isolated by Ye Wanyao and his brothers, but he didn’t care at all, since he was used to being alone anyway.

Although Qi Xing was only an elementary school student, having such a lively, cheerful child following him around every day made life far more interesting than before. Even dealing with the pack of wolves and tigers that was the Ye family became much easier to endure.

Qi Xing was wonderful in every way, except for being a little spoiled. Then again, children who grew up pampered were usually like that.

Thinking about all this, Ye Xingzhou stood outside the ice cream shop by the school gate, leaning against his bicycle while looking at his phone, waiting for Qi Xing.

It’s also another problem for kids to be too greedy.

Someone called out to him, and Ye Xingzhou looked up to see Lin Zhinian, his classmate.

Lin Zhinian was one of the few classmates with whom Ye Xingzhou could exchange a few words, though that was all. He gave him an indifferent nod, “Need something?”

Lin Zhinian took out a workbook from his schoolbag, saying that he had just bought it at the bookstore, and asked him if he wanted it: “This is the last one in the store. I see you don’t have it. If you want it, I can give it to you. I’ll go to a bigger bookstore tomorrow.”

Before Ye Xingzhou could speak, a child’s habitually drawn-out voice rang out from behind him: “Big brother—”

Qi Xing walked over, glanced once at Lin Zhinian, then turned around and stuffed the ice cream cone he had just bought into Ye Xingzhou’s hand: “Are we going or not?”

Ye Xingzhou turned back to Lin Zhinian, “No thanks. I’ll buy one myself.” He handed the ice cream back to Qi Xing for him to hold, got onto his bicycle, and rode away with the little boy seated behind him.

Qi Xing was sitting in the back seat, swinging his legs and eating ice cream. When he saw Lin Zhinian still standing there, he pouted and asked, “Big brother, who was that just now?”

“Classmate.”

“Are you going to be friends with him?”

“We’re just classmates.”

“Then you don’t need to be friends with him. Being friends with me is enough.”

He couldn’t see Ye Xingzhou’s expression, but he could hear the smile in his voice: “You’re only this old, and you’re already this domineering? Am I only allowed to have you as my one and only friend?”

Qi Xing declared confidently, “My older brother is mine.”

“And what about you? Don’t you still have the glass marbles your neighbor’s brother gave you in your pencil case?”

“Big brother, don’t be so stingy.”

“I’ll learn from you.”

“My neighbor went to America, and I only have one friend now, my older brother.”

“You little liar,” Ye Xingzhou exposed him, “didn’t you go to your classmate’s birthday party yesterday?”

Qi Xing wasn’t guilty: “He’s just a classmate. My only good friend is my older brother.”

Ye Xingzhou’s laughter drifted on the wind, even more relaxed and cheerful than before. “Okay, just remember what you’ve said.”

⋆⋆⋆⋆

♡♡♡ if you like my translations, please consider buying me a kofi~! ♡♡♡