Growing Bonds and Lingering Memories

"I don't think there's anything wrong with Mo." Bihua said. "Even I like him. And I don't think that child seems to be scheming."

"But, Bihua, don't you think Mo seems a bit obsessed?" Ye Rufeng said. "You should see his attitude towards that child. They've only known each other for a few days, and now Mo's eyes are all on him."

"Are you actually jealous of a child?" Bihua teased.

"...Maybe." Ye Rufeng slumped onto the sofa dejectedly.

"If we're going to be suspicious... I actually believe that Chen'ai might have colluded with his younger brother to win Mo's favor." Bihua smiled softly. "I'm telling you, put in more effort. Otherwise, maybe with just a word from that child, Mo will go home with him."

"...Are you joking or are you serious?"

How is it going? Do you get along well with him?

It's okay...

What's wrong?

He always treats me like a child.

Well, you are a child.

How dare you say that! Humph.

Don't be like that. You're the one we all envy.

Come on.

How's your body? Is there anything uncomfortable?

No, I'm in great shape. What about you? How's the progress over there?

Without you, we're all standing still.

Haha, very funny. Don't think I'll forgive you just like that.

Don't be like that. Mickey Mouse is cute too.

Thank you! Now, he thinks I really like Mickey Mouse. Oh, look, I'm almost surrounded by mice.

I can see that. You already have three of them on you.

Glad you noticed!

At least, he doesn't have any guard against you.

I can make him have no guard against me even without these damn mice. By the way, what's going on with the Qingye District being taken back?

What do you think?

...Be careful. They're not that stupid.

At least, I don't think they're smarter than me.

After closing the computer, Ziye thought for a while and then stepped on a small stool to get off the computer chair.

Mo had already gone to school, so what on earth should he do now?

He had already gotten bored with the educational games Mo bought. There were still two hours before Mo came back.

...I'll find someone to chat with. Ziye put on his coat, moved a small stool to the door, stepped on the stool, turned the doorknob, and then slipped out of the door.

What kind of child did he bring home?

When Mo came back, he could hardly believe his eyes.

The train toy he bought for Ziye yesterday had turned his home into a train kingdom.

The tracks that "went up the mountain and down to the sea" were connected with rare complexity. Six small electric trains were running towards each other. Then, at the moment when they were about to collide, the switch was activated by the first small train. With a click, the tracks were reconnected, and the six small electric trains continued to run smoothly and leisurely, passing each other.

Mo carefully stepped over the decorations beside the tracks but still accidentally kicked over a mannequin. When Mo quickly put it back in place, his elbow knocked over a row of "shopping streets".

Well, I think I'd better let him do it himself. Mo thought as he carried the dinner and carefully walked into the kitchen stepping on the empty space.

After preparing dinner, Mo knocked on Ziye's door.

"Ziye?"

There was no response.

Mo opened the door.

No one was there.

"Ziye?" Mo's face turned slightly pale. "Ziye? Are you there? If you are, don't hide from me."

Mo searched every room and then saw the small stool beside the door.

Did he go out by himself?…

When Mo was tremblingly dialing the phone to call the management office downstairs, the doorbell rang.

Mo quickly hung up the phone and went to open the door. Fortunately, it was the little Ziye.

A woman stood beside Ziye and smiled at Mo. "Sorry, is he your child?"

"Yes." Mo heaved a big sigh of relief and picked up Ziye beside the woman. Ziye hugged his neck.

"He said he couldn't get in the door, so I took the liberty of keeping him at my place." The woman smiled.

"Thank you. I will definitely come to thank you in person another day." Mo was sincerely grateful. He patted Ziye's back and felt that his heart finally settled down.

"No need. We're neighbors. There's no need to be so polite." The woman pointed opposite. Across a small, dark patio was a very old iron door.

There were very few people living in this old apartment now.

"Did you move here recently? Do you know the auntie opposite?" Mo asked.

"Yes. My mother was ill a few days ago, so I moved back here to take care of her nearby." The woman said amiably. "Let him come and play with me another day. This child really pleases me."

"Thank you." Mo also smiled.

After dinner, sitting on the "empty space", Mo began to prepare a lecture.

Ziye sat in front of him with his head down, and two small trains passed behind him.

"How could you run out by yourself? Do you know how worried I was?" Mo said.

"Sorry." Ziye apologized.

"...Don't do it again next time." Mo put on a serious face.

"I definitely won't dare next time." Ziye said.

...How on earth should I "educate" him like this? Mo was worried. He had thought that the child would make a big fuss and be unreasonable, and then he could punish him by not letting him have snacks...

What kind of lousy book is this? He even secretly studied it for a long time during his lunch break.

Mo felt that he might have wasted his effort.

"I'll tidy up the toys myself." Ziye said again.

"I... I'll help." Mo said in a low voice.

"So, it's your turn to apologize?"

"Yes. He ran out because he didn't have lunch. I forgot to heat it up for him first." Mo sighed.

"Pfft... Then, where is he now? Do you want me to send him food?"

"This... I sent him to the affiliated primary school here..." Mo said.

"Goodness... Don't you think you're making a big deal out of it?" Bihua shouted on the phone. "He's so smart. Sending him to primary school is simply a waste of his talent. Why don't you hire a private tutor? No, no. I'm going to bring him back."

"I know, I know. But I can't find a suitable teacher for him at the moment." Mo sighed.

"Besides, I'm really worried about leaving a stranger alone with him."

"That's why there are professional female private tutors now." Bihua said helplessly.

"Okay, okay. I'm going to class. Let him stay for a few days first. I'll look for a tutor on the weekend."

"Wait until the weekend? No, no. I'll ask someone to help me look for one now. What kind of teacher does he like?"

"...I didn't ask... His brother seems to be studying life sciences. Let him study that too..."

"There are people like you. No way! I'll come to your place tonight. I'll ask him what he likes first."

"Okay, okay." Mo sighed.

"Children, there's one apple on the table now. If I put one more on it, how many apples are there in total?" A girl with her eyes squinted into slits from smiling held an apple and was teaching about twenty children.

Nineteen children were shouting and pulling at their opponents' clothes. Three children were sleeping. Ziye propped his chin up and watched the female teacher boredly.

"Two." Ziye said listlessly.

"Yes! So good!" The girl smiled, stroked Ziye's head, and placed a bright candy on his desk. "Just like him, there's a prize for getting the answer right!"

The three sleeping children woke up.

The remaining children were still making a ruckus.

Ziye increasingly admired these teaching staff. If it were him, he would have thrown these children one by one off the building for the ants to carry away long ago.

"Then, there are two apples on the table now. If I put two more, how many are there?"

"Teacher!" A child beside Ziye immediately raised his hand high.

"Come on, how many?" The female teacher's eyes were still squinted shut with a smile.

Ziye began to suspect that maybe her eyes were small to begin with.

"Three!" The child shouted.

Ziye sighed.

"Ooooh, I just said, two apples plus two apples." The female teacher guided patiently.

"Come on, stretch out your fingers and count. How much is two plus two?"

The child was still thinking, the female teacher was still waiting, and now Ziye began to feel sleepy.

"It doesn't matter. Otherwise, shall we give the chance to other children?" The female teacher asked.

With snot running, the child nodded.

"Four." Ziye said helplessly because the female teacher kept looking at him.

"Ooooh, that's right! So great!" The female teacher stroked his head again and piled another candy on the small desk in front of him.

This won't do. Ziye thought. If she keeps stroking my head like this, I'll go bald.

There were already several bags of candies, and the number seemed to be increasing. The female teacher seemed to have taken an interest in him and had started to ask multiplication questions.

"There are three people on one boat. How many people can nine boats hold?"

Ziye felt that his eyelids were so heavy that they were about to close. "Twenty-seven people."

The female teacher looked both surprised and delighted.

"Ziye? Is Ziye here?"

The savior had arrived! Ziye quickly opened his eyes wide, saw the direction where Mo appeared, and then couldn't wait to run up.

"Ah, so he's Professor Shen's child." The female teacher sighed. "No wonder. He's so smart."

"This... Yes." After saying this a bit reluctantly, Mo took Ziye's hand and left.

"She likes you too, doesn't she?" After leaving the school gate, Ziye said, sounding a bit unhappy.

How do you know that?" Mo was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

"Of course. You can tell by her eyes. No, no. Little Mo can't be a playboy. Little Mo already has me." Ziye pulled Mo's hand.

"Of course." Mo held back his laughter and promised insincerely.

Passing by a store that looked a bit shabby, Mo stopped.

Ziye looked at the heavily locked store door and then at Mo. Mo's eyes looked a bit desolate.

"You know, I met your brother here." Mo said softly. "We hit it off immediately. I was so familiar with him that I told him everything, and I liked him so much that I thought he was... a very special friend to me."

"...Do you like my brother on the Internet or in real life more?" Ziye asked.

"...I like him on the Internet more." Mo winked at Ziye. "Don't tell your brother, okay?"