Chapter 22: School Tyrant 22

Zai Ye had lived alone for a long time and had never thought he would become attached to a child. It wasn’t until Wen Ling pointed it out that he suddenly realized his recent behavior seemed like he couldn’t live without the child.

But how could that be?

He had never seen responsible parents growing up. His parents were either on the brink of divorce, tearing each other apart, or their marriage was merely a formality, with each living their own separate lives.

Zai Ye never considered himself a responsible parent. But this child came so suddenly, and he was the closest blood relative left. He always felt that if he didn’t care for her, no one else would.

It was like not being able to abandon a puppy.

He had been troubled and frustrated over this child, but also moved and soft-hearted. Unconsciously, he had turned into this loving parent.

Lost in deep thoughts about his life, the young father quietly attended class at school, and Yu Qian’s kindergarten life began successfully. After a few days of boredom, the child finally found some enjoyment at kindergarten.

She wasn’t interested in most of the toys at the kindergarten, but she started playing with… other children.

Aunt Wu brought some small snacks for teething, and Yu Qian opened the lid and fed them to the other kids, one by one. Her classmates, still naïve, flocked to her when they discovered she had something delicious, like a bunch of chicks drawn to food.

Some really liked the snacks, while others just liked the excitement. Whenever the teacher wasn’t paying attention, the corner where Yu Qian was became crowded with children. If you looked closer, each child had their mouth open, waiting to be fed by Yu Qian. She was focused, distributing the snacks evenly, like a caretaker.

Teacher: “…”

Even more surprisingly, from that day on, it seemed like she became the one to distribute the toys in class.

One day, the teachers found out that one child had been bullied by another but didn’t go to the teacher for help. Instead, they went crying to little Qian. The result of that day was a mini brawl in the class.

After finally adjusting his mindset and enjoying a carefree study life without needing to watch over the child, Zai Ye suddenly received a notification to visit the kindergarten.

For the first time in his life, Zai Ye, who had always been the one to call home, was now the one called to school as a parent.

Standing at the kindergarten entrance, he felt a strange sense of fate.

“So, who bullied her?” The first thing Zai Ye said upon entering made the teachers groan.

“It’s like this: Little Qian’s parent, teacher might not have explained clearly on the phone. A child took something from another child, and Little Qian helped to get it back. So, there was some friction between a few kids…”

“Hm, so, was she hit?” Zai Ye asked.

“No, Little Qian used a building block to hit the other child. That’s not right. We’ve already spoken to her about it. We hope you also pay attention to the child’s mental health…”

“I understand,” Zai Ye replied.

The teachers relaxed, seeing him cooperative. Earlier, his sharp gaze and forceful tone made them think he was coming to fight for the child, and they were worried about handling him. But after interacting with him, they found him easy to talk to.

An easygoing parent, Zai Ye, took his two-year-old daughter to a familiar gym run by an acquaintance on the weekend.

The boss, Yi Jingjing, had dreamed of opening a martial arts school when he was a teenager. Although he didn’t succeed, his gym was still running well.

They met at Ning Zeyi’s racing club, and two years ago, when Yi Jingjing’s gym faced a financial crisis, Zai Ye helped him through it. So, the loyal brother gave Zai Ye a share of the profits every year. Zai Ye didn’t care much about the pocket money, and he hadn’t visited the gym since last year.

The main reason was that every time he came, he would be bothered by people trying to hit on him, which was really annoying.

“Long time no see! What’s the wind blowing that brings our little boss here today?” Yi Jingjing, tall and muscular, looked like a black bear, and many customers came specifically to see him.

Zai Ye: “I need your help with something.”

Yi Jingjing: “No problem, just say it, bro, there’s nothing I won’t help with! But what’s in your arms, it’s all bulging?”

Zai Ye opened his coat, revealing a child sleeping in his arms: “My daughter.”

This little one could really sleep. She had just woken up, eaten breakfast, and was already asleep again on the way.

Yi Jingjing: “What? Daughter?!”

Zai Ye: “She got into a fight at kindergarten. I want you to help teach her so she doesn’t get bullied next time.”

“Hold on!” Yi Jingjing’s confusion grew even more, his tone turning more absurd. “A fight at kindergarten? How old is she?”

Zai Ye: “Two years old.”

Yi Jingjing: “You’re training a two-year-old to fight? What’s wrong with you?”

Yi Jingjing was speechless: “Although I did learn martial arts at Shaolin when I was young and taught some punches and kicks at my martial arts school, training a two-year-old… I’ve never done that. It’s too early, their bones and muscles aren’t developed yet, and improper training can cause harm…”

After listening to his long explanation, Zai Ye abandoned the idea: “In that case, we won’t do physical training. Let’s start by teaching her the awareness of defending herself when others bully her.”

“Well… I guess that works. Just consider it an extracurricular activity for her, getting some physical activity is good for her health,” Yi Jingjing agreed. Then, as he prepared, he suddenly realized he forgot to ask how Zai Ye had such a big daughter!

Since it was for play, Yi Jingjing didn’t ask too much.

First, he demonstrated with Zai Ye, and the child watched from the side.

Zai Ye threw a punch at him, and Yi Jingjing cooperated by shouting loudly. They performed several slow-motion demonstrations, and then it was Yu Qian’s turn.

The cute little girl was too much fun! Yi Jingjing quickly forgot to ask how the child came to be.

He squatted down, made a strong pose, and encouraged the child in front of him: “Come on, don’t be afraid, give me a punch, hit here!”

Yu Qian looked at the big guy squatting in front of her, then turned her head to glance at her father, who was crossing his arms.

Zai Ye: “No need to hold back, just hit his face if you want.”

Yu Qian hesitated and landed a punch on Yi Jingjing’s chest. After hitting, she realized their earlier interaction and belatedly added, “Ha!”

The thick muscles under his chest moved, which startled the little one, and she shrunk back, her expression vivid.

Yi Jingjing, after receiving the light punch, suddenly fell back dramatically, looking pained. “Cute little princess, you hit me right in the heart!”

Zai Ye: “…” Suddenly, he felt coming here was a mistake.

He picked up the child and moved away from Yi Jingjing, suspiciously eyeing him: “You’re not a pervert, are you?”

Yi Jingjing: “How can you doubt my character! I really want a daughter too!”

Zai Ye’s suspicion grew: “You’re not going to steal my child, are you?”

Yi Jingjing, with a righteous face: “How could I do something illegal? Come on, let’s continue!”

Zai Ye, holding his child, walked off: “Forget it, I think this training isn’t meaningful. We’re leaving.”

Although his spontaneous teaching plan failed, Yu Qian still managed to become a “tyrant” in her kindergarten class. She wasn’t the oldest in the class, but she had the strongest self-care ability. As long as her father wasn’t in sight, she wouldn’t cry and was emotionally stable. Whether it was lunchtime or naptime, she didn’t need the teacher’s supervision and was very self-aware.

As the child who caused the least worry for the teacher, she received the most praise, including small red flowers. The teachers also discovered her ability to mediate conflicts between the children, and they focused on nurturing that.

Meanwhile, her father, who had become a school tyrant for a few years, was becoming well known.

“Brother Ye, you’ve been spending less time at school lately, and our turf has been taken.”

“This semester, there are always little gangsters hanging around outside, chasing girls for their contact information. The girls in our class are afraid to go out alone after school. How about we find a time and take care of those idiots?”

After school, Zai Ye walked toward the school gate with his hands in his pockets, followed by a group of young subordinates, each eager to act.

After a rare team-building activity, the group gathered for a late-night snack, and the others held Zai Ye down: “Brother Ye, you can’t just leave halfway this time.”

Zai Ye: “I can stay up all night today.”

He had received news earlier that his child had been taken to play by her mother, Wen Ling, and would stay the weekend at her place.

The group chatted about the small-time thugs they had dealt with and then moved on to topics like the upcoming sports meet.

“The sports meet is two days long! Finally, a break! Some school leaders said seniors shouldn’t participate, that it would affect their studies. They must be out of their minds.”

“Luckily, the principal is reasonable and didn’t take away our right to participate. Otherwise, I would have filed a complaint!”

“Didn’t the class teacher say there’s another exam before the sports meet?”

“Great, we’re definitely going to fail miserably.”

“After the exam, there’s a parent meeting. My mom will probably beat me up when she sees my crappy grades.”

In the midst of the complaints, Zai Ye took a sip of beer nonchalantly.

He hadn’t had beer in a long time. There used to be plenty in the fridge, but since the child learned to open the fridge and take drinks, beer could no longer appear at home. He was forced to quit drinking and even gave up soda, only drinking purified water or yogurt, just like his daughter.

The younger subordinates glanced at Zai Ye, both envious and a little pitiful. They all knew that during high school, Zai Ye’s parent-teacher meetings were always unattended.

Soon, no one mentioned the parent-teacher meeting or exams anymore, and instead, they started talking about the sports meet, listing the events they wanted to participate in. For them, the sports meet was their stage.

When Zai Ye went to Wen Ling’s place to pick up his daughter, she suddenly asked him about the parent-teacher meeting: “Your dad probably won’t go to your parent-teacher meeting. Do you want me to go instead?”

Zai Ye immediately refused: “No need.”

Wen Ling: “How about having your cousin go?”

Zai Ye: “That’s not necessary.”

Wen Ling didn’t say more and saw them off.