Thank you, quayA, for the ko-fi~
Feng Qi wasn’t worried about Feng Yuan’s safety.
The little guy wasn’t truly a human child. He was an auspicious little phoenix.
Not only could he transform back into a small phoenix if he encountered danger, but his very fate was one where he could get into all sorts of trouble and still come out unscathed.
Feng Qi’s only concerns now were whether the little guy was hungry or if he was scared outside.
—
“Yuan Yuan, what should we do?”
On the dark, narrow path, Xu Jiale held Feng Yuan’s small hand as they sat at the bottom of a small slope.
Feng Yuan had just rummaged through the ditch to gather all the snacks.
Hearing Xu Jiale’s words, he shared half of the snacks in his hand with him.
“Let’s eat our fill first, then we’ll keep looking for the way.”
Feng Yuan said, “My little car can navigate. I’ll set the navigation again!”
“Le Le, don’t worry. I’ll definitely get you home today.”
Feng Yuan sat on the ground, his chubby little legs crossed.
He had originally thought about going home, but looking at the sky, he already knew that he would be scolded even if he returned now.
Since he’d be scolded whether he went back now or later, Feng Yuan made a decision: he might as well go back even later.
The two children finished all the snacks.
Feng Yuan turned on the navigation in the ditch and listened to the route instructions.
Then, he climbed back up on his little car.
This time, he didn’t let Xu Jiale lead the way. He took charge of finding the path himself.
Some of the directions Xu Jiale had pointed out earlier were right, while others were wrong.
Feng Yuan recalled the route the navigation had announced earlier and began feeling his way forward again.
Whether it was Feng Yuan’s clever little brain at work or the innate auspicious power of the little phoenix protecting him, in the end, after two hours, the two children actually managed to find the village entrance.
This was the village where Xu Jiale’s grandparents lived.
At the village entrance, Feng Yuan also spotted his uncle.
The entire family had mobilized to search for the missing child.
Feng Yuan, who had been groping his way in the dark all this time, looked calm on the surface, but inside, he was actually quite panicked.
He had no confidence in finding the way at all.
When he actually found the right path and arrived here, he himself was stunned.
“Yuan Yuan, there’s a strange uncle.”
The two children had encountered people along the way, but they had hidden whenever they saw anyone.
They were too small.
The anti-kidnapping videos had warned them that children as young as they were shouldn’t casually talk to unfamiliar adults.
So, Feng Yuan had taught Xu Jiale not to pay attention to strange adults.
Now, at the village entrance, Xu Jiale felt a bit scared as he looked at the adult staring at them.
But Feng Yuan, looking at this adult, sniffled.
“He’s not a strange uncle. This is Yuan Yuan’s uncle.”
After saying this, Feng Yuan let go of Xu Jiale’s hand.
He toddled on his short little legs and rushed straight into Li Xing’s arms.
“Uncle!”
Feng Yuan hugged his uncle’s leg, burying his little face in it.
Li Xing bent down and picked him up.
Once in his uncle’s arms, Feng Yuan buried his damp little face in the crook of his uncle’s neck.
“Yuan Yuan got lost.”
It was only to his uncle that the little guy, who had been brave all along, finally confessed his fear.
“Yuan Yuan was so scared he wouldn’t find the way.”
Li Xing looked down at the little child nestled in his arms.
He hadn’t held Feng Yuan many times before.
Back in the seabed, Feng Yuan had sat on him once.
But a hug like this was almost unheard of between them.
Lately, he had been trying to mend his relationships with Li Wang and Li Si.
But despite his efforts, the progress bar was still at zero.
After learning about the situation, Li Heng immediately called him back.
“Try putting some effort into bonding with Yuan Yuan.”
Li Heng had a good understanding of the grandchildren he had raised himself.
He said calmly, “If your relationship with Yuan Yuan improves, Xiao Wang and Si Si’s attitude toward you will likely change for the better.”
Li Si and Li Wang were not the kind of children who were easily won over.
To earn their genuine affection, one either needed years of accumulated time or had to make an effort based on their preferences.
Their favorite person, without a doubt, was Feng Yuan.
Li Xing didn’t understand why the two children were so fond of Feng Yuan.
The entire Li family, the Yu family, and even those dragons…
They all adored Feng Yuan.
Li Xing couldn’t figure out what kind of charm Feng Yuan possessed.
“Uncle, you should comfort Yuan Yuan.”
The little guy, clinging to his uncle, noticed that his uncle was only holding him and hadn’t patted or soothed him.
So, the little guy sniffled and personally instructed his uncle on how to comfort him.
With such explicit guidance, Li Xing raised his hand and, as instructed, gently patted the child’s chubby back.
Feng Yuan, being patted by his uncle, gradually calmed down a bit.
The two of them were still holding each other when Li Heng, who had also come to the village, stepped out and witnessed the scene.
Li Heng had initially intended not to disturb them.
He stayed where he was and informed Feng Qi and Li Sheng.
However, Grandpa Xu, standing beside him, wasn’t as quiet as he was.
Grandpa Xu had spotted his little grandson.
“Le Le!”
Grandpa Xu, who usually had some difficulty walking and relied on a cane, threw his cane aside and rushed straight toward his grandson.
Xu Jiale, finally finding his grandfather, ran toward him in tears.
Before Feng Yuan and Xu Jiale had returned, the Li family members who had arrived earlier had already informed the two elderly about Xu Jiale’s situation.
Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu had had their child late in life.
Xu Jiale’s father was their only son.
And Xu Jiale was their only grandson.
Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu had always doted on this little grandson.
They had never known that their grandson was living in such miserable conditions. Whenever he visited, he was always well-dressed and had plenty of toys.
They had never heard him complain.
So, they had always assumed that their grandson was living a comfortable life in the city.
Now, both Feng Yuan and Xu Jiale looked utterly disheveled.
Their hair was messy, their faces were dirty, and their clothes were torn.
And Xu Jiale was in an even worse state.
The red welts on his little arms were swollen and looked horrifying.
Grandma Xu, who had been a step slower than Grandpa Xu, burst into tears the moment she saw her grandson’s pitiful state.
“My precious darling!”
Grandma Xu tearfully took her grandson’s hand, careful not to touch his injured arms for fear of causing him more pain.
“If life in the city was so hard for you, why didn’t you tell Grandpa and Grandma sooner?”
“Last time, Grandma saw you’d lost weight and even asked you. Why didn’t you say anything?”
The last time Grandma Xu had noticed her grandson had grown thinner, she had specifically asked her son about it.
Her son had claimed it was due to an illness.
Thinking about her irresponsible son, Grandma Xu gritted her teeth in anger.
She knew that her son and daughter-in-law weren’t the most loving or harmonious couple.
But she never expected that neither of them would take care of her grandson.
Grandma Xu pulled Xu Jiale into her arms, comforting him with a heart full of pain, “Le Le, from now on, Grandma will take care of you. Grandpa and Grandma will raise you.”
She could no longer bear to entrust her little grandson to anyone else.
Seeing both Grandma Xu and Xu Jiale in tears, Feng Yuan also started shedding golden1 not literally tears.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Li Xing asked, “Why are you crying?”
Feng Yuan’s eyes welled up with tears. “Yuan Yuan’s eyes feel sore.”
He was moved.
Thankfully, Xu Jiale’s grandparents loved him dearly.
Otherwise, Xu Jiale would have been in serious trouble.
Li Xing couldn’t quite empathize with the little guy’s emotional reaction.
Standing nearby, he calmly reminded them, “Let’s find a doctor first.”
He had also noticed the injury on Xu Jiale’s arm.
Grandma Xu nodded, carrying her grandson back home first.
Grandpa Xu picked up his walking stick and went to fetch the village doctor.
The village doctor in their community had been practicing medicine for forty to fifty years.
His skills were remarkable.
Not only did people from nearby villages come to him for treatment, but even residents from big cities often sought his help.
Grandpa Xu had a good relationship with the village doctor and brought him directly to their home.
The village doctor examined the injury on Xu Jiale’s arm.
“It’s not serious. Just apply some ointment. Though the injury isn’t severe, it must be quite painful. Was your grandson hit by someone?”
Grandpa Xu sighed, unsure how to respond.
The village doctor didn’t press further. After checking Xu Jiale, he also examined Feng Yuan.
Feng Yuan had a few minor scrapes.
Such small injuries were nothing out of the ordinary for him.
After the village doctor had a look, Feng Yuan diagnosed himself.
“Yuan Yuan is fine! Grandpa, Yuan Yuan will heal on his own,” he declared confidently.
He had plenty of experience with such minor wounds.
While playing outside, he often bumped and scraped himself.
If adults were around, he might shed a tear or two. But if no one was there, he wouldn’t even cry and would just keep on playing.
The village doctor chuckled. “You’re quite the little rascal, aren’t you?”
After checking both children, the village doctor prepared to leave and rest.
His clinic was busy during the day, and he didn’t like to be disturbed during his evening rest hours.
Grandpa Xu personally escorted the village doctor out.
After the doctor left, Grandma Xu was about to ask more questions when both Feng Yuan and Xu Jiale’s stomachs began to rumble loudly.
The two children were hungry.
The snacks they had eaten on the way did little to stave off their hunger.
Hearing their hungry stomachs, Grandma Xu immediately sprang into action.
“I’ll go make dinner. You stay here with Le Le and keep our guests company,” she said.
Grandma Xu headed to the kitchen. Li Heng and Frida followed her.
In the Li family, even the men knew how to cook.
Though Grandpa Xu’s house wasn’t very large, the main room was quite spacious.
Feng Yuan sat on his uncle’s lap, while Xu Jiale sat on his grandfather’s lap. Both children nestled close to the adults.
Xu Jiale was talking to his grandfather.
Having suffered a great injustice, he poured out all the grievances he had previously been too afraid to mention.
Meanwhile, Feng Yuan was chatting with his uncle.
His older cousins had all returned abroad. Feng Yuan was asking his uncle how he was getting along with them.
Li Xing answered truthfully, “They don’t like me.”
Feng Yuan was stunned.
He hadn’t expected his uncle to still be struggling to win over his brother and sister after so many days.
“Hmm,” Feng Yuan murmured.
Looking at his uncle, who wasn’t well-liked, the little boy shifted on his lap.
He climbed onto his uncle’s legs, cupping his handsome face with both chubby hands.
“Uncle, don’t give up!” he urged.
“You’re the dad. All children love their dads.”
Just like Xu Jiale. Even though his parents treated him so poorly, he actually still loved them very much.
But loving them was one thing. Xu Jiale now understood—
His parents didn’t love him.
So, Xu Jiale told Feng Yuan that from now on, he would only love his grandparents and only want his grandparents.
He didn’t want his parents anymore.
As for Feng Yuan’s uncle and older cousins, their situation wasn’t as bad as Xu Jiale’s.
Feng Yuan cupped his uncle’s handsome face, cheering him on with all his might.
Li Xing listened to the little guy’s comfort and encouragement, though no change was visible on his face.
After a round of encouragement, Feng Yuan even kissed his uncle.
All the adults at home could receive kisses.
But his uncle was rarely home, so he hadn’t yet received a Feng Yuan-branded kiss.
Feeling the brief, soft touch on his cheek, a slight flicker stirred in his eyes.
“Uncle, you have to do your best!”
“You’ll definitely be a good dad. Yuan Yuan believes in you.”
Just as Feng Yuan was showering his uncle with kisses and affection, Feng Qi and Li Sheng returned.
Feng Qi had retraced every step Feng Yuan had taken.
He picked up Feng Yuan’s smartwatch and the toy car that had fallen into the ditch.
Since Li Ting was also there, he handed the toy car directly to Li Ting for repairs.
The entire Li family had gathered. The once-spacious main room suddenly felt crowded.
Fortunately, Li Sheng had brought plenty of hot and cold dishes when he arrived earlier.
A few more dishes had been prepared in the kitchen.
Grandma Xu brought out the large round table from the west room. Everyone crowded around it for the meal.
At the dinner table, the Li family asked about Grandma and Grandpa Xu’s plans.
Without discussing it, the elderly couple instinctively made the same decision.
“Our bodies are still strong enough to move. We’ll go into the city tomorrow.”
“Le Le is still young. His grandpa and I feel that this child shouldn’t be raised by others.”
The elderly couple wasn’t without resources.
The deed to the large house where Father Xu lived was still in their names.
They had bought that house themselves.
In terms of assets, the elderly couple was far from struggling.
Before, they had considered transferring all their property to their son, handling the necessary paperwork.
Now, they had completely changed their minds.
This time, when they went to the city, they not only planned to transfer their assets to their grandson but also to settle some scores.
Their son and daughter-in-law only knew how to give birth, but not how to raise a child.
Le Le’s aunt was willing to raise him. But she took the child support money and nearly raised the child to death.
The elderly couple wouldn’t let these matters slide easily.
In their younger days, Grandma and Grandpa Xu were known throughout the neighboring villages for their strong personalities.
They had never been pushovers.
It was only in their old age, weary of trouble, that they appeared more gentle.
At the dinner table, to avoid spoiling the children’s appetites, the two families didn’t dwell too much on Le Le’s situation.
They chatted about lighter, happier topics.
For instance, Grandma and Grandpa Xu wanted to formally invite Feng Yuan for a meal once they settled in the city.
They were deeply grateful to Feng Yuan, this little child, for stepping up so courageously to help their Le Le.
“Oh, and would you like to stay here tonight?”
Grandma Xu wanted Feng Yuan to spend the night.
But Feng Qi smiled and politely declined: “There are quite a few of us. We wouldn’t want to trouble you.”
Grandma Xu looked at their large group and realized there really wouldn’t be enough space if they all stayed.
“Alright then, I won’t insist on keeping you. Once Le Le’s grandpa and I come over, we’ll get together again.”
“Sounds good.”
The two families enjoyed a lively meal. Feng Yuan was quite satisfied with dinner that evening.
The dinner wasn’t fancy, but it was delicious.
Grandma Xu was an excellent cook. Feng Yuan alone ate half a plate of her candied sweet potatoes.
Elderly folks always appreciate children with good appetites.
Seeing how much Feng Yuan could eat, Grandma Xu packed a bag of homemade dried sweet potato chips for him to take home.
Besides the sweet potato chips, she also gave them vegetables from their own garden.
“These are all grown by Le Le’s grandpa and me. They have no pesticides, and they’re completely healthy.”
“Take them back for Yuan Yuan to eat.”
Grandma Xu was so enthusiastic that Feng Qi couldn’t refuse, even if he tried.
In the end, their car was loaded with bags of fresh, homegrown produce and two trussed-up chickens for the journey back.
“Free-range chickens. They’re perfect for making soup.”
Grandma Xu’s warmth and generosity left Feng Qi almost overwhelmed.
Once they were finally in the car.
Feng Yuan poked his little head out the window, his pockets stuffed with candy.
Grandma Xu not only packed things for the adults but also didn’t forget to pack some for the little guy.
Both young and old returned home laden with treats.
In the car.
Feng Yuan, now sitting face-to-face with his dad, tilted his head up and looked at him.
Feng Qi looked back.
Father and son stared at each other for a few seconds—
Then Feng Yuan turned around, bent over the car seat, and presented his little bottom.
“Go ahead, Dad. Spank me.”
Feng Qi: “…”
Feng Qi’s lips twitched. Without hesitation, he gave the small bottom two firm smacks.
After receiving the spanking, Feng Yuan felt a sense of relief.
Alright, punishment over.
Now he could let go of his worries.
“Here, Dad, have some candy.”
Once the spanking was done, Feng Yuan rubbed his bottom with one hand and pulled candy from his pocket with the other, offering it to his dad.
He didn’t just share with his dad. He also gave candy to his big dad, his grandparents, and his uncle.
Grandma Xu had given him plenty of candy. Even after sharing it with everyone, Feng Yuan still had a lot left.
He patted his stash of sweets and broke into a wide grin.
The ride home was a bit bumpy.
At first, Feng Yuan was full of energy. But as he lay down, he started yawning.
Halfway through the journey.
Feng Yuan closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Seeing him asleep, Feng Qi pried open his mouth and carefully scooped out the contents with his fingers.
Li Xing, who was riding with them, couldn’t help asking, “What are you doing?”
“Getting the candy out of his mouth.”
Feng Qi continued as he worked, “A child shouldn’t have anything in their mouth while sleeping. If it gets into their windpipe, it could be dangerous.”
Li Xing: “…”
Li Xing: “Oh.”
He watched as Feng Qi meticulously removed the chewed but not yet swallowed candy from Feng Yuan’s mouth.
The candy was sticky, but Feng Qi showed no trace of disgust.
After clearing Feng Yuan’s mouth, Feng Qi took a tissue from Li Sheng and wiped his fingers.
Feng Yuan had been through a lot tonight. He was exhausted and slept soundly.
By the time they arrived home, he still hadn’t woken up.
Feng Qi looked at his dusty clothes and dirty little body. A bath couldn’t be put off until the next day.
Patiently, he woke Feng Yuan up.
After stirring, Feng Yuan was dazed for a moment before fully coming to his senses.
After waking up, he didn’t rush to take a bath but instead grabbed his little backpack first.
To protect his little red flower, the little guy stayed up late doing his homework.
By the time he finished his homework and took a bath, Feng Yuan fell asleep almost as soon as he touched the bed.
The next day was Friday.
Feng Yuan was finally about to be free.
He spent his last day of classes at kindergarten with Xu Jiale, while the adults weren’t idle either.
Grandma Xu filed a police report, accusing Aunt Xu of attempted murder of her grandson.
The Li family provided surveillance footage.
Xu Jiale’s grandparents took action. They had already caused a scene before filing the report.
The elderly couple went straight to the neighborhood where Aunt Xu lived.
The house in this neighborhood belonged to the Xu family!
The man Aunt Xu married came from a less well-off family.
The house the couple lived in was provided by the Xu family.
Grandma Xu came to reclaim both the house and the car.
She even demanded the child support previously paid for Le Le.
In short, the elderly couple wanted Aunt Xu to pay back every advantage she had taken earlier.
The Li family didn’t handle things as aggressively as the elderly couple.
They simply backed the elderly couple up.
The children were unaware of the adults’ conflicts outside.
Even before school ended, Feng Yuan was already excitedly planning his weekend activities.
The dragon uncles had earned money and said they would take him out to play!
“Le Le, I’ll bring you something on Monday!”
“Okay.”
Xu Jiale was also looking forward to this weekend.
His grandparents said they would take him to the amusement park for the whole day.
Both children had someone to take them out to play. They were both very happy.
As the two children eagerly waited, the school bell finally rang.
Feng Yuan had already packed his little backpack 10 minutes before school ended.
As soon as the bell rang.
He dashed out with his little backpack on.
Today, it was the dragon uncles picking him up!
When he reached the kindergarten gate, just as Feng Yuan was about to look around, Chi Rong, who had been waiting at the gate early, picked him up.
“Baby!”
“Uncle!”
Chi Rong, who had finished his work, held the cub in his arms and didn’t want to let go.
Taking advantage of his companions’ absence, he leaned down and showered Feng Yuan’s chubby little face with kisses.
Feng Yuan giggled uncontrollably from his kisses.
The teacher on duty at the gate had already been notified that Feng Yuan would be picked up by his uncle today, not his dad.
So, after confirming Chi Rong’s identity, she let him take the child away.
Another teacher, standing with the duty teacher, watched Chi Rong leave with Feng Yuan, her heart fluttering like a startled deer.
“Hey, is Yuan Yuan’s uncle single?”
Teacher Li, who had just graduated from university not long ago, happened to be single.
She blushed as she watched Chi Rong’s retreating figure.
The duty teacher smiled and teased her, “You like him? You can ask Yuan Yuan’s dad next time he comes.”
As the two teachers chatted, they couldn’t help but marvel at the good looks of Feng Yuan’s entire family.
As kindergarten teachers, they were very familiar with the children’s family situations.
They knew who Feng Yuan’s two parents were.
But many people online still didn’t know.
Kindergarten teachers have professional ethics. Although they were aware, they never disclosed anything online.
They also followed online news in their private time.
For example, they were also curious about the program director on Weibo who repeatedly invited Feng Yuan to participate in a parenting reality show.
“Will Yuan Yuan accept this invitation?”
The show’s director publicly stated that if Feng Qi and Feng Yuan are willing to come, they will definitely offer the best pay.
“Yuan Yuan, what’s this ‘recording a show’ thing? Do you know?”
The red dragon who had carried Feng Yuan away was now asking him about the program.
Feng Yuan was a bit caught off guard by the question.
“What show?”
“I don’t know. The name is really long and hard to pronounce.”
The red dragon tried hard to recall, but only remembered that the name was very tongue-twisting and included numbers.
He shared the key points he remembered.
“It’s a talent show, a competition. If you get liked by enough people, you can become a celebrity and earn lots of money.”
Feng Yuan only vaguely understood what the red dragon was saying.
“My dad is a celebrity, too.”
“Let me ask my dad first.”
“Okay.”
Like Feng Qi, Feng Yuan was still quite concerned about the dragons.
So, he took their work seriously, too.
“Yuan Yuan, let’s not talk about work for now. We’ve saved up a lot of money. So this time, we can take you out to have fun.”
The dragons had not only bought Feng Yuan a pile of gifts with their earnings but had also set aside some money to take him out for fun.
Feng Yuan went off to play with the dragon uncles, while Qin Xun didn’t join them.
Seeing that Feng Yuan was being entertained, he stayed home by himself.
He had a lot of tasks to handle and many things to study.
With Feng Yuan away, he could focus on getting these done.
The dragons were taking Feng Yuan on a package tour.
The tour was advertised as an ultra-low-price, two-day, two-night trip.
Moreover, the tour company made extravagant claims, promising that participants would experience the best of local customs and culture!
After discussing the tour one by one, the dragons collectively decided to take Feng Yuan on the group trip.
Their destination was Long City, one of the top ten tourist attractions.
The name “Long City” sounded very pleasing to the dragons’ ears.2Long can mean dragon. So basically, Long City means Dragon City, which is why the dragons were very pleased.
Feng Yuan had never been on a package tour before, so he was quite excited about it.
The dragons had originally invited Wu Jin to join their activity.
Wu Jin was also a dragon.
The dragons considered him one of their own, so they wanted to include him in this group outing.
But Yu Yi seemed a bit unwell these past few days, so Wu Jin couldn’t leave.
After Wu Jin declined the dragons’ invitation, Yu Yi, who was beside him, gave him a light kick.
“Why didn’t you go have fun with them? You’re being anti-social.”
Wu Jin sat beside him. He held Yu Yi’s hand and remained silent.
Seeing his tense, handsome face, Yu Yi knew he was worried about him.
“Hey, I just haven’t had much of an appetite these past couple of days. It’s nothing serious.”
“Why are you looking so gloomy?”
As he spoke, Yu Yi reached up and pinched Wu Jin’s handsome face.
Wu Jin let him do it, but his expression remained downcast.
“You haven’t been eating properly. You’ve lost weight.”
“Losing a little weight is fine. Consider it slimming down. I always feel like I’m a bit chubby.”
With that, Yu Yi deliberately changed the subject.
He was afraid that if they continued talking, Wu Jin would become even harder to console.
“Package tours can be full of traps. I’m still a bit worried about Xiao Hong and the others going.”
“Pass me my phone. I need to let my older brother know.”
“He happens to be in Long City right now.”
His older brother was in Long City to inspect a project. The local government departments were all busy receiving him.
With his older brother there, the chances of these dragons getting scammed in Long City would probably be lower.
“Okay.”
Obediently, Wu Jin stood up and brought over the phone.
After getting his phone, Yu Yi still didn’t dare to make a call. Instead, he sent a WeChat message.
In the WeChat messages, Yu Yi sent him a list of phone numbers for a group of dragons.
“You can search for their WeChat accounts using their phone numbers.”
“Bro, you can add them.”
“If you don’t want to add them, that’s fine, too. I’ve already sent your number to them, so they can contact you if needed.”
Yu Yi edited and sent the messages with the numbers to both sides.
Unfortunately, although he sent the numbers out, neither side received a friend request from the other.
Yu Yi’s brother was on the dragons’ blacklist.
The dragons had heard from Xiao Hong—
This brother wanted to sleep with Xiao Hong!
Moonlit: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Poor Yu Ye. Already blacklisted by the dragons. I’m pretty sure there’s an egg inside that tummy of yours, Yu Yi~
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152