Slacker Second Gen C06

Chapter 6: School Tyrant 6

Unable to find someone to help take care of the child, Zai Ye could only handle it himself for the time being. After hearing the bad news last night, he set his phone to reject all calls. Early in the morning, he took Yu Qian out—to get a haircut.

This was truly the most urgent matter. He had wasted half an hour in the bathroom that morning trying to tie the child’s hair.

Whenever he used a little more force, Yu Qian would clutch her head, whining in pain. But if he didn’t use enough force, her fine, silky hair would slip through his fingers. After finally gathering it all, tying it resulted in one side puffing up or the other sticking out. The child would then rub her scalp vigorously, complaining that it hurt.

In the end, he let her hair down and found a hair salon.

“What a cute little girl. Did your brother bring you here for a haircut?” The hairstylist greeted them warmly, smiling.

Zai Ye noticed Yu Qian’s mouth about to open, the word “Dad” almost escaping. He quickly pinched her lips shut and said to the stylist, “Cut her hair short, as short as possible.”

“This little girl is so pretty. If her hair is too short, it won’t look good. How about I just trim it a bit and style it nicely?”

“No need, cut it short.”

“But if it’s too short, you won’t be able to tie cute little pigtails. How about I give her a slight curl at the ends—” The stylist tried hard to persuade him.

“Can you cut it or not? If not, I’ll find another place,” Zai Ye said, standing up as if to leave.

The stylist picked up the scissors with a smile. “Alright. Should I cut it just below the ears or above?”

In the end, the stylist gave her a bob cut that barely reached her ears, making the child look even more like an adorable doll, her face appearing smaller than before.

While trimming the stray hairs, the stylist commented, “The child’s hair quality is excellent. It grows quickly, though, so you’ll need to trim it often. Otherwise, you’ll have to tie it up. By the way, our salon is running a promotion: recharge 500 yuan and get a 50 yuan bonus, plus a free hair wash with every haircut. Would you like to sign up?”

Zai Ye’s ears twitched. Although he had never been tempted by such promotional offers, this time, the thought of her hair growing back and becoming a hassle, coupled with the free hair wash, made him consider it.

“Come again next time, sweetheart!” The stylist cheerfully waved them off.

Yu Qian held the salon’s VIP card, swaying her hair by her ears.

“If you keep swinging it, you can walk on your own,” Zai Ye warned.

Yu Qian had no intention of walking. She tilted her head and leaned against his shoulder.

In just a few days, Zai Ye found himself much more adept at carrying the child.

He hailed a cab and took Yu Qian to a nearby daycare to check things out. Before coming, he had researched some information on his phone, but seeing it in person made him frown.

Was this place really suitable? It was small, overcrowded with children, and clearly understaffed. The facilities weren’t up-to-date. He even saw two kids fighting over a toy, scratching each other’s faces, though the teacher quickly intervened.

Looking at the child in his arms, who was too lazy even to move, Zai Ye frowned at the thought. This lazy little one, who barely spoke, would probably just cry if bullied. Leaving her here seemed unthinkable.

Without proper identification documents, Zai Ye had already visited three daycare centers with Yu Qian.

The other two had better facilities, but there were always issues that dissatisfied him.

He bought water and cigarettes from a store and squatted in the shade of a tree by the roadside, frowning. “Why are you so troublesome?”

He wasn’t a heavy smoker. The past few days had been so busy he hadn’t even thought about it. Now, feeling irritable, he lit a cigarette and took a couple of deep drags.

The smell made Yu Qian scrunch her face. She shouted, “Stinky! Stinky! Stinky!”

Zai Ye stared blankly ahead, ignoring her.

Yu Qian suddenly headbutted his shoulder. He raised the hand holding the cigarette and pressed the other hand against her forehead.

The child butted her head into his palm like a wild boar. With a sigh, Zai Ye stubbed out the cigarette and threw it into a nearby trash can.

“Alright, alright.”

How could a child be this troublesome?

Bigger troubles awaited him at home.

When they returned, stepping into the foyer, he set the child down.

Yu Qian looked up. “I want yogurt!”

“You can only have one bottle,” Zai Ye replied as they moved toward the living room. Suddenly, he locked eyes with two people sitting on the sofa.

“!!”

To avoid detection, the two had even left their shoes at the entrance and lay in wait. Zai Ye’s eyebrows twitched. He quickly scooped up Yu Qian, spun around, and headed for the door.

Thwack!

A slipper flew past his head and hit the shoe cabinet, stopping him in his tracks.

“Xiao Ye, come here.” His long-unseen mother, holding the other slipper, said sternly.

Behind her sat a middle-aged man in a suit, seemingly fresh from a meeting—undoubtedly his father.

His parents, Yan Xiansheng and Wen Ling, had been divorced for years, their separation bitter and complete. Yet here they were, sitting together because their teenage son had unexpectedly become a single father.

On the coffee table lay three identical paternity test reports, one of them crumpled.

Yan Xiansheng and Wen Ling studied the child for a long moment before turning their complicated gazes on Zai Ye.

Yan Xiansheng spoke first. “I’ve clearly been too lenient with you. Barely an adult, and you’ve already fathered a child? And you’ve been hiding it all this time?”

Zai Ye reacted with his usual defiance, his face expressionless. “It’s hereditary.”

These words, dripping with sarcasm.

This was why Yan Xiansheng couldn’t get along with his son. Any conversation with him ended in rage.

“What kind of nonsense is that? Are you saying I taught you to have a child out of wedlock?”

“Lead by example. How is that not teaching? Like father, like son.”

The sharp retort left Yan Xiansheng red-faced. He nearly grabbed the broom by his side to beat his son, stopping only because of the little granddaughter watching.

Wen Ling sighed and spoke gently. “I’ve clearly neglected you over the years, Xiao Ye. I always thought you were a good kid. How could you do something so irresponsible?”

The boy who had just been brazenly arguing with his father fell silent, his only response to his mother’s disappointment being silence.

“What about the child’s mother? Since the child is born, why not have a wedding?” Wen Ling suggested.

“I don’t know who her mother is,” Zai Ye replied flatly.

Both parents stared.

“What do you mean you don’t know? You don’t even know who you slept with?” Yan Xiansheng’s voice rose.

Wen Ling clutched her chest in disbelief. “How could this happen!”

Zai Ye shrugged. “I don’t know anything. Honestly, I think I might still be a virgin.”

“Don’t talk nonsense! A virgin doesn’t father a child!” Yan Xiansheng roared.

“I have no idea how she came to be, no clue who her mother is, and I only picked her up a few days ago at the police station. I even thought she was Dad’s illegitimate child at first.”

He added, turning to Wen Ling, “I’ve been an adult for a while now. I’ve spent more time living on my own than being raised by you. However I turned out, it’s not your concern. Go focus on raising your second son instead of wasting time on me.”

“You ungrateful brat!” Yan Xiansheng bellowed, raising the plastic broom to strike.

Wen Ling also erupted, removing her slipper. “What did you say? Say it again!”

Faced with two enraged parents, Zai Ye vaulted over the couch with ease, grabbed the bewildered child, and began a chase around the house.

“Stop running, you little brat! Have the guts to stand still!” Yan Xiansheng shouted, chasing after him with the broom.

“Put the child down! Don’t scare her!” Wen Ling called after him, brandishing her slipper.

The once-dignified former couple looked anything but as they chased their son around, only to be outrun by the high-energy teenager.

Zai Ye eventually locked himself and Yu Qian in the bedroom, ignoring the pounding on the door. He wrapped the child in a blanket and placed headphones over her ears, muffling the noise.

Though his face still bore the marks of defiance, he whispered to the child, “Don’t listen.”

Yu Qian tilted her head at him before leaning forward and resting her chin in his palm, falling asleep instantly.

“…”

How could she sleep through this chaos?

Later, when the commotion outside died down, Zai Ye emerged.

His parents sat on the sofa, seemingly calm again.

“This has already happened, so what’s your plan for the child?” Yan Xiansheng demanded.

“You’re still in school. How can you take care of such a young child?” Wen Ling asked, her tone concerned.

Zai Ye’s voice was steady. “When I was underage, you barely cared about me. Now that I’m an adult, you don’t need to worry about me at all. I’ll take care of my daughter myself.”

“Big talk. You think you know how to take care of a child?” Yan Xiansheng scoffed.

Zai Ye straightened his back, thinking of sleepless nights, washing soiled clothes, tying hair, feeding, and carrying the child to daycare visits. “Better than you do.”

———

—”Xiansheng” is used as a formal or respectful way of referring elders or someone with authority
His actual name is Zai Yan