029 Qu Bowen, You Have a Little Brother!

Qu Bowen had thick eyebrows and large, expressive eyes, with hair that was quite coarse. Because his parents had been busy lately and hadn't taken him for a haircut, his hair had grown rather long, standing straight up in individual tufts that made him look like a little hedgehog.

Once the welcoming ceremony concluded, An’an sat down next to Qu Bowen.

Qu Bowen, who had the personality of a little neighborhood bully, kicked the seat of the chubby boy next to him to make him move, and An’an took the spot.

It was An’an’s first day at school, and everything seemed fascinating to her. She studied with great focus, sitting up straight, and whenever she had a question or the teacher asked one, her little hand shot up high into the air.

As soon as class ended, An’an was surrounded by the other children, who bombarded her with questions.

"Your name is An’an, why are you only transferring to our school now?"

"I’ve never been to school before. My daddy let me choose, and I picked this kindergarten."

"Wow, you have such good taste! Your daddy is amazing for letting you choose your own school. He’s so nice!"

An’an’s eyes curved into crescents: "Mhm, my daddy is the best. The best in the whole world."

"Your hair is so pretty, who braided it for you?"

"It was my Sister Yue."

"An’an, can you sing or dance?"

An’an shook her head.

"Can you draw, or speak French or English?"

An’an shook her head again.

Gao Feifei gave a huff. "How come you can't do anything!"

Gao Feifei was Xia Kexuan’s close friend and worshipped her because Xia Kexuan could do everything.

Xia Kexuan stood nearby watching the show, letting out a cold scoff. She had heard that An’an was an orphan picked up by Shen Zhihan, so it was only natural that she didn't know how to do anything.

If this had been any other child, Gao Feifei’s words might have moved them to tears.

An’an widened her eyes, which were clear and innocent. "That’s right! I don't know how to do anything, that’s why I have to come to kindergarten. I want to make friends, I want to play with you all, and I want to learn things. Oh, and I can write my own name now! My great-grandfather taught me last night, and I learned it right away!"

Qu Bowen, who hadn't been able to get a word in earlier, grew angry when he heard Gao Feifei picking on An’an.

Hearing this, he jumped in enthusiastically: "Wow, An’an, that’s amazing! It took me a whole night to learn how to write my own name!"

Qu Bowen was known as the class troublemaker, but he was also a top student.

The other children began to look at An’an with admiration. They started recalling how long it had taken them to learn to write their own names, and it seemed—well, it had actually taken quite a while.

With Qu Bowen leading the way, the other children chimed in.

"An’an, you’re so smart, you’re absolutely right! We come to kindergarten to learn exactly because we don't know things yet. Gao Feifei, I remember you couldn't dance at first either, and you only learned how to later! What’s there to be proud of? Hmph!"

Xia Kexuan hadn't expected the situation to turn around like this. She rolled her eyes, already hatching a new plan. She couldn't let a mere brat get the better of her; she was determined to make An’an lose face.

The teachers listened to the children’s chatter without interfering, keeping a watchful eye in case things went too far.

Time flew by, and soon it was lunchtime.

An’an had never eaten with so many people before and found it quite novel. The lunch was buffet-style, and the children chose what they liked. The selection was rich, ensuring a balance of protein, vegetables, and fruit, so every child could find something they enjoyed.

The children chattered away as they ate. An’an was quiet, focused on enjoying her meal, but her ears and eyes were wide open.

In the bright, airy cafeteria, a few sparrows were chirping by the window. An’an listened for a long while before swallowing her food and turning to Qu Bowen: "Qu Bowen, you have a little brother now!"

Qu’s mother was indeed pregnant, and Qu Bowen had watched her belly grow day by day, feeling very expectant about the new arrival. He had always wanted a younger brother so they could watch Ultraman together, wear matching outfits, and fight monsters. Whenever people teased him about it, Qu Bowen would insist, "I want a brother, the baby in Mom’s belly is a brother."

Hearing this out of the blue, Qu Bowen froze, then his little mouth turned down in a pout. "No, I don’t want a stinky brother, I want a sweet little sister, like An’an!"

Children’s likes and dislikes were incredibly direct. That morning, when he stood on the second-floor balcony and saw An’an walking beside Shen Zhihan, following the school director without crying or fussing, her big eyes darting about, he had thought that maybe having a sister wouldn't be so bad. He had forgotten that before meeting her, he had been obsessed with having a brother.

Now, hearing An’an say he had a brother, Qu Bowen felt as if the sky were falling.

The other children were curious too. They had seen Qu Bowen’s mother—a very gentle woman with a large belly—and whenever they saw her, they would automatically stop running and start walking to avoid bumping into her.

"How do you know? You just met Qu Bowen today, right? Or do you have family working at the hospital? Did you see his brother being born with your own eyes?"

An’an was exceptionally serious. "I just know. Qu Bowen, you have a little brother. I’m so envious; you’ll have someone to play with from now on."

Just then, a teacher answered a phone call and immediately walked over to Qu Bowen. "Bowen, have you finished eating? Your daddy has asked for leave for you and sent the driver to take you to the hospital. Your mommy has already had the baby."

Qu Bowen asked urgently, "Is it a brother or a sister?"

"It’s a little brother! Bowen, didn't you want a brother to wear Ultraman clothes with? Congratulations!"

Qu Bowen’s little face looked rather sour.

An’an said, "Congratulations! Qu Bowen, your parents must love you so much. It must have been very hard for your mommy to have the baby today, but they came to pick you up right away, so they must love you very much."

Qu Bowen began to feel proud. "That’s right, my parents love me so much. So I will take good care of my little brother."

*Fine, a brother is a brother.*

The other children looked at An’an with admiration. "Wow, An’an, you’re so amazing! Can you tell us how you knew?"

*It was the little sparrow by the window who told me, of course.*

An’an thought to herself, but she remembered what Shen Zhihan had told her: she must never tell anyone that she could understand the language of animals.

Gao Feifei, seeing An’an surrounded by children, felt a wave of jealousy.

"That An’an is so annoying. Tian Wenhan, the chubby boy, wanted to be your friend, but now he’s clinging to An’an. What do you call people like that? Right, a 'lick-dog'! He’s not being your 'lick-dog' anymore, he’s acting like one for An’an!"

Gao Feifei’s mother didn't like to watch over her child and, for the sake of convenience, had given her a dedicated smartphone when she was three. Whenever the mother and daughter walked down the street, the mother would be in front looking at her phone, and Gao Feifei would be behind looking at hers. The term "lick-dog" was something Gao Feifei had picked up from short videos.

Xia Kexuan rolled her eyes, and an idea immediately formed.