Chapter 23: Dispute (1)
Huo Xiaoxiao finally knew why adults always liked to pinch her face.
The baby’s face was so smooth and tender, like an egg in the shell, that when you gently pinched it, it seemed as if you could draw water out of it.
Who would not be addicted to this feeling?
Wasn’t there a phrase?
Without a tiger, the monkey would proclaim himself the king.
After two years of pretending to be a little child, Huo Xiaoxiao finally reigned supreme among a group of children.
If she could fool her daddy, what were these 3-4-year-olds?
Besides, this child was so cute. He was not crying, making trouble, or getting angry while she pinched her quietly. He pretended to be a young adult with an ‘I’m enduring you’ expression, which made her want to bully him even more.
Huo Xiaoxiao kept her promise and shamelessly touched him minute after minute.
Yi Qian, who was struggling under Huo Xiaoxiao’s clutches, blushed red, not knowing whether it was from Huo Xiao’s destruction or shame.
“Alright!” Yi Qian endured the humiliation and meditated for 60 seconds before he grabbed Huo Xiaoxiao’s sinful hands. “End.”
""
Huo Xiaoxiao rubbed his little face red before she reluctantly let go. She then picked up the Rubik’s Cube. “Hey, look at the Rubik’s Cube in my hand. Listen up. When you are on the second layer… go to the upper left, lower right, reverse to the right, then left…
“When you’re on the cross, it’s bottom right before top left. On diagonal… upper left, top right, lower left, and top right… Change clockwise up, lower left, upper left, left, lower left, counterclockwise to… down, upper left, lower right, right, right.”
The Rubik’s Cube clicked and successfully returned to its original position after several rounds.
The emotions in the child’s eyes could not be hidden. Huo Xiaoxiao quickly captured the excitement and worship in Yi Qian’s eyes.
She stuffed the Rubik’s Cube into his arms. “Remember it? Do you know how to play?”
Yi Qian was a bit confused.
“As long as you remember what I said and turn slowly, you’ll learn,” said Huo Xiaoxiao with ill-intentions.
The rules of the Rubik’s Cube were so complicated that a child as young as Yi Qian would not be able to learn them for a while.
For children, the result of exploration was not important, but the process was the key.
Thinking about her past, she had played the Rubik’s Cube for several weeks.
Take your time to figure it out!
“No, you said you’d teach me… and I don’t know how yet!”
“I didn’t say that… the teaching guide is all-inclusive. You’ll have to play with it slowly, and you’ll get it.”
Yi Qian raised his eyebrows, apparently understanding that Huo Xiaoxiao was angry with his words.
He thought he could learn it straight away, but he couldn’t.
“You’re not leaving until you teach me today.”
Huo Xiaoxiao made a face at him. “Brat! I can leave whenever I want. I’ll see how you can stop me!”
Yi Qian tightly grabbed her by the wrist.
Huo Xiaoxiao was a full head shorter than Yi Qian, and her small arms and legs didn’t look as strong as Yi Qian’s. She tugged on the hand that was held by Yi Qian but couldn’t pull it out.
“Yi Qian, what’s wrong?”
A few kids playing on the side made their way over.
Yi Qian pointed at Huo Xiaoxiao and said, “She’s lying!”
Apparently, Yi Qian was very ‘popular’ among the group. A hairless little kid forked over to block the road and looked at her fiercely.
Huo Xiaoxiao was surrounded by four or five children, who were a little short. These children were older, taller, and stronger than her, so they would not let her go.
“Why did you lie to my brother!”
“…”
Brother?
What a social society.
This was a prelude to bullying her.
“What are you doing? Get out of the way!”
“No, without teaching me, you’re not allowed to go home today!”
His tone was arrogant, but Yi Qian didn’t have any exciting expressions on his face. Instead, he kept it straight, as if she owed him money.
Upon seeing this, several servants in the room stepped forward. “Master, this is the littler sister the lady asked you to take care of. Did you forget?”
“We are taking care of her, and we are not bullying her.”
“Yes, yes, how can we bully her? She’s the one who bullied Yi Qian.”
“Look! She isn’t crying. We didn’t bully her!”
The servants saw that Huo Xiaoxiao indeed didn’t cry, so they turned silent. After all, these children were not easy to deal with.
“Come on, apologize to our brother!”
“Yes! Apologize!”
“No leaving until you apologize!”
“…” Was this a gang fight with her?
But with her small frame, she couldn’t fight alone, let alone in a group.
What was wrong with kids these days? They were so young, yet they were bullying a person?!
With everyone’s eyes stuck on her, she couldn’t walk away. Should she… cry? But her dignity mattered!
She would not admit defeat! How could she be bullied by these children with an adult mind?
So shameful!
She, Huo Xiaoxiao, couldn’t afford to lose to these children!
“It’s fine if you want me to teach you again, but…” Huo Xiaoxiao hung on. “You’ll all have to let me squeeze you for a minute.”
Yi Qian looked at his brothers.
“As long as you can let Yi Qian learn, you can do anything!”
“Yeah, anything!”
“Okay, it’s a deal.”
Huo Xiao let Yi Qian play with the Rubik’s Cube by himself while verbally teaching him.
“Here on the second layer… go to the upper left, lower right, reverse to the right then left…
“On the cross-section, bottom right before top left. On the diagonal… upper left, top right, lower left, and top right…
“Change clockwise up, lower left, top left, left, lower left, counterclockwise to… bottom, upper left, lower right, right, right.
Click, click!
Soon, a complete Rubik’s cube was put together in Yi Qian’s hands.
“Got it? you should know how to do it now, right?” Huo Xiaoxiao held up her fingers, and her tone was very exaggerated. “I have taught you three times! If you can’t do it, I can’t help it. ”
Indeed, three times.
“Yi Qian, can you do it?”
Even though Yi Qian was still a kid, he was too embarrassed to say before his brothers that even after three times, he had no idea.
“Go to upper left, lower right, reverse to the right then left… I can do it.”
Huo Xiaoxiao sat on the sofa in a swaggering manner. “Come here. Line up one by one.”
To sacrifice oneself for their friendship was of great importance to these kids. As they had promised, they wouldn’t go back on their word. The few little men were sad and lined up for Huo Xiaoxiao.
Huo Xiaoxiao was not polite, either. She bullied them without mercy. These children’s faces were tender, and they turned red when she pinched gently. It didn’t take much effort to make their faces turn into a peach.
The door opened, and a maid came in and smiled. She said to the children in the room, “Kids, Grandpa Yi is going to cut the cake. Shall we go out to eat the cake together?”
“Yes!”
One by one, the children followed the maids out happily. Huo Xiaoxiao looked at Yi Qian, who was holding a Rubik’s cube and was distracted, and smiled.
Brat! If you let so many brothers bully me together, I’ll make you doubt your life.
Someone pushed a big cake with more than ten layers in the hall. The guests who came to celebrate the birthday gathered in the center. Old Master Yi was supported by Yi Yang and Xu Xinyi to cut the cake.
As soon as Huo Xiaoxiao entered the hall, all she could see was a sea of legs. The view in front couldn’t be seen.
“Yueyue, what’s going on with your face? Why is it so red?”
That little boy called Yueyue pointed at Huo Xiaoxiao, who was looking for Huo Suicheng all over the hall. “She’s the one who pinched me.”
The child’s face was pinched red; of course, the mother would not be happy. She immediately grabbed Huo Xiaoxiao’s hand. “Whose child are you? Why did you bully my son?”
Huo Xiaoxiao looked at the little boy. “I didn’t bully him.”
“If you didn’t bully him, why did he say you pinched his face?”
“Chenchen, why is your face red?”
“Jing Jing, what’s the matter with your face?”
After three or five lines of questioning, the spear was pointed directly at Huo Xiao Xiao.
“…” ‘I accidentally played too much.’
Right, she did bully them a little.
But more than that, it was just a bit of fun!
These kids ratted her out!
“I didn’t bully them. They… they all let me pinch them.”
“Let you pinch? Chenchen, you really let her pinch your face?”
The child named Chenchen looked at Huo Xiaoxiao and did not speak for a while.
Seeing her son not talking, Chenchen’s mother frowned. “Whose child are you? Where are your parents?”
Huo Xiaoxiao was about to look back for someone but was caught off guard by being picked up lazily. When she was still in shock, she heard a clear voice, “Little baby, do you remember this brother?”
Huo Xiaoxiao looked up.
The one who held her in his arms was Lu Bo Yang, whom she had met once before at the Yonghe Club.
“Brother.”
“What a good girl! You remember your brother.”
Chenchen’s mother’s voice rang out less confidently, “Mr. Lu, she… is your daughter?”
Lu Boyang laughed, “No, no, no, how can I give birth to such a big daughter on my own.” He turned back and raised his voice, “Brother Huo, whose daughter is this?”
Huo Suicheng came to the crowd with a glass of wine, looked at Huo Xiaoxiao, then at the few people in front of him. His deep, cold voice sounded. “My daughter. What’s wrong?”
“Mr. Huo… is this your daughter?”
“Something wrong?”
Chenchen’s mother had her concerns.
“What’s going on?”
The commotion caught Old master Yi’s attention, and he looked through the crowd.
Yi Yang reassured his grandfather, “Grandpa, I’ll go take a look.”
Yi Yang and Xu Xinyi walked over, looked at the few people, and smiled. “What’s going on?”
Chenchen’s mother touched her son’s face and said, “It’s actually not a big deal. Just now, I saw my son’s face was red, and I thought he was being bullied. When I asked, it turned out to be Mr. Huo’s daughter who had pinched him.”
Xu Xinyi half-squatted to look at Chenchen, “Chenchen, tell Auntie. Was it Xiaoxiao who squeezed your face?”
Chenchen nodded.
The children who had been pinched by Huo Xiaoxiao stood there in order, with little flushes on their faces.
“You guys… were pinched by Xiaoxiao too?”
All of them nodded in unison.
The late-arriving Yi Qian also came up with a little red face.
“Yi Qian, what’s wrong with your face. Why is it red?”
Yi Qian looked at Huo Xiaoxiao. “She pinched it.”
Huo Xiao Xiao, who was in Huo Suicheng’s arms, immediately gained everyone’s attention.
“…”Huo Xiaoxiao felt a little awkward.
With the evidence stacking against her, she had no way out!
Lu Boyang opened his mouth and smiled. “Ah, among you children, Xiaoxiao is the youngest. Yet, you little men say that she bullied you all? Aren’t you ashamed?”
Huo Suicheng looked at Huo Xiaoxiao, who was hugging Lu Boyang’s neck and was clearly avoiding the question. He reached out to hold her over.
He knew exactly what kind of personality his daughter had. She indeed had the guts to do such a thing.
“It’s normal for kids to fight, so we adults should involve ourselves.”
Huo Xiaoxiao lay on Huo Suicheng’s shoulder. When she heard this, she turned around and said, “They let me pinch it. I didn’t deliberately bully them.”
“Let you pinch them?”
Huo Xiaoxiao nodded. “If you don’t believe me, ask Yi Qian.”
“Yi Qian, is this true?”
“No!” said the little boy named Chenchen. “She was the one who bullied Brother Yi Qian first, and then we let her pinch.”
‘You brat! You’d better tell the truth!’
“Jingjing, is this true?”
The little boy named Jingjing nodded.
Seeing that Huo Xiaoxiao’s crime of bullying was almost settled, Xu Xinyi quickly said, “There are several servants in the room. I will ask them to know what is going on.”
Not long after, the servants present in that room were called. They didn’t know exactly what had happened between the children, only seeing Huo Xiaoxiao pinch several children’s faces in turn.
Huo Xiaoxiao lay on Huo Suicheng’s shoulder and said, “First, I taught Yi Qian to play Rubik’s Cube, and they let me pinch it voluntarily. Second, I didn’t bully them; instead, they won’t let me go and bullied me. I am younger than them, so how can I bully them?”
One was a two-year-old little girl, while the others were three- or four-year-old boys. One could tell at a glance who was stronger.
It was good enough that she was a little girl who wasn’t being bullied by a few young boys. How could she bully them in turn?
Huo Suicheng lowered his head and asked Huo Xiaoxiao, “Did you bully them?”
Huo Xiaoxiao shook her head. “No, there was no bullying.”
Huo Suicheng looked up after hearing it. “Sorry, everyone, Xiaoxiao is still young. It is the first time to take her out to attend a banquet. It is also the first time to have contact with so many children. My daughter just said that she did not bully other children, then I am sure—no, I believe her words.”
“Jingjing, is this the case?”
The little boy named Jingjing nodded his head.
Chenchen also nodded.
“Then why did you say she bullied you?”
“She pinched our faces! Last time I squeezed the faces of other little girls, Mom, didn’t you say that I was bullying them?”
“…”
“So, if you disagree with me pinching your face, it’s bullying. But you… agreeing to pinch your face is not bullying you. So I didn’t bully you, understand? You have to apologize to me,” Huo Xiaoxiao struggled to explain.
The faces of the little boys turned red.
In this way, the parents of several children were also embarrassed, and their faces were full of shame. “I’m sorry, Mr. Huo. We were too impatient to blame Little Miss Huo, sorry. Chenchen, please apologize.”
“Sorry.”
“Sorry.”
“Sorry.”
The faces of several little boys flushed.
Huo Xiaoxiao looked at Yi Qian, but he did not speak.
He still remembered that Huo Xiaoxiao hadn’t taught him Rubik’s Cube properly and refused to apologize.
Huo Suicheng didn’t say anything and stroked Huo Xiaoxiao’s back. “Are you tired?”
Huo Xiaoxiao yawned and nodded.
It was pretty boring here with these childish kids.
Huo Suicheng didn’t wait for the end of the banquet but left early on the excuse of something.
On the way home, Huo Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but ask Huo Suicheng, “Daddy, aren’t you going to ask me?”
“Ask you what?”
“About bullying.”
Huo Suicheng looked at her, his tone uncaring. “Bullying is fine. You’re a child.”
‘…is it really right to teach children this way?’
If you bullied someone without asking why or guiding positively, were you not afraid of being poorly taught by your father?
Luckily, she had an adult mind; if it were any other kid, they might have grown up arrogant and overbearing.
“But how come I never knew you could play Rubik’s Cube?”
Huo Xiaoxiao’s face stiffened. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep to escape the question. “Daddy, I’m sleepy. I want to sleep.”
Seeing her eyebrows tremble, Huo Suicheng laughed helplessly.
Ever since Huo Xiaoxiao became a child, she had the same excuse.
When Huo Suicheng and Huo Xiaoxiao arrived at the Huo Mansion, the banquet at the Yi family’s main mansion also ended.
After sending the guests off in good spirits, Yi Yang and Xu Xinyi asked Yi Qian what was going on in the room tonight.
“Yi Qian, tell Mom what happened tonight? Did Xiaoxiao bully you?”
Yi Qian thought about it and said, “I was playing Rubik’s Cube, and she could also play. I wanted her to teach me, but she said she wanted to pinch my face before she taught me. So I let her do it.”
“And then what?”
“And then I didn’t learn, and she taught me again, but I still couldn’t. I didn’t want her to go. I wanted her to keep teaching me, but she wouldn’t. So we didn’t let her go.”
“And then what happened?”
“Later, she agreed to teach me, but we had to let her pinch our faces. They became red in the end.”
“So, Huo Xiaoxiao didn’t bully you guys?”
Yi Qian shook his head.
“Then why didn’t you just say so?”
“You didn’t ask me. Besides, she said she would teach me to play Rubik’s Cube, but I haven’t learned it yet.”
“Xiaoxiao is right… The Rubik’s Cube can’t be learned in a short time. You wronged her today, do you know? You said she pinched your face, but you didn’t say why she pinched your face, and you also didn’t say you let her pinch it. You lied about this, and you wronged her.”
Yi Qian was slightly stunned.
“It’s like the last time Daddy wrongly accused you of sneaking the eggs away without asking why you threw them away and said you were a lying child.”
“I didn’t secretly throw away the eggs!” When two things were mentioned together, Yi Qian seemed to have some empathy and understanding. “Then… what should I do?”
“The last time Daddy wronged you, what did he do?”
Yi Qian looked at Yi Yang. “Daddy apologized to me.”
“What else?”
“Bought me a present.”
“So?”
“I have to apologize to Huo Xiaoxiao and buy her gifts as an apology.”
“That’s right! A man should know his mistakes and correct them. Not to mention that Xiaoxiao is younger than you, she is your little sister. As an older brother, you have to take care of her. Well, after your grandfather’s birthday, it will be your birthday in two days. When the time comes, we’ll invite Xiaoxiao to come to your birthday. You can give her a gift in person and apologize to her, OK?”
Yi Qian’s eyes looked at Xu Xinyi uneasily. “Will she… come again?”
“You’ll know if she’ll come when you call her yourself and invite her to her birthday in two days.”
Yi Qian nodded his head.
Yi Yang made a call to the Huo family.
When the call came through, Yi Qian held the telephone, plucked up his courage, and said, “Uncle, I’m looking for Huo Xiaoxiao.”
Hearing a laugh on the other end of the phone, a kind voice asked him slowly, “Find Xiaoxiao? Who are you?”
“I’m Yi Qian.”
“So you’re the little kid from the Yi family? Wait a minute, Xiaoxiao will be right over.”
“Well, I’m not in a hurry.” Yi Qian sat on the couch with his back straight, one small hand holding the telephone while the other was unconsciously clasped on the couch cushions. He listened with rapt attention to the movement coming from the phone.
He was a little nervous.
He knew it was not good to be hurt, as he had almost cried when his father wronged him.
Huo Xiaoxiao perhaps cried too.
“Hello?” Huo Xiaoxiao’s milky voice came from the phone.
Yi Qian pursed his lips, his little face instantly turned red, and he said out loud in a rush, “I… I’m Yi Qian. In two days on my birthday, I want… I want to invite you to my house.”
“Oh.”
An emotionless ‘oh’ made Yiqian instantly lose confidence, and he asked in a low voice, “Will you… will you come?”
“I don’t know.”
Yi Qian was a little discouraged.
“I’ll… I’ll wait for you on my birthday.” After speaking, he hurriedly wanted to hang up, but he couldn’t help putting the telephone on his ear again and say, “You must come!”
Finished, he hung up the phone.
“Did she say yes?”
Yi Qian wasn’t quite sure. “She said she didn’t know.”
“It’s OK. It’s still a few days before your birthday. You’re going to pick out a gift for her.”
“Mm.” Yi Qian nodded heavily.
He reluctantly picked his favorite model car from his secret base.
He wanted to give this car model to Huo Xiaoxiao and say sorry to her.
On his birthday, the whole old house was decorated with balloons and ribbons, and a lot of friends came to celebrate his birthday.
That night, he placed the gift on his bedside table and solemnly said to it, “Huo Xiaoxiao, I’m sorry.”
He always remembered that he owed Huo Xiaoxiao a gift and an apology, which he would definitely pay when he saw her again.
Chapter 23: Dispute (1)
Huo Xiaoxiao finally knew why adults always liked to pinch her face.
The baby’s face was so smooth and tender, like an egg in the shell, that when you gently pinched it, it seemed as if you could draw water out of it.
Who would not be addicted to this feeling?
Wasn’t there a phrase?
Without a tiger, the monkey would proclaim himself the king.
After two years of pretending to be a little child, Huo Xiaoxiao finally reigned supreme among a group of children.
If she could fool her daddy, what were these 3-4-year-olds?
Besides, this child was so cute. He was not crying, making trouble, or getting angry while she pinched her quietly. He pretended to be a young adult with an ‘I’m enduring you’ expression, which made her want to bully him even more.
Huo Xiaoxiao kept her promise and shamelessly touched him minute after minute.
Yi Qian, who was struggling under Huo Xiaoxiao’s clutches, blushed red, not knowing whether it was from Huo Xiao’s destruction or shame.
“Alright!” Yi Qian endured the humiliation and meditated for 60 seconds before he grabbed Huo Xiaoxiao’s sinful hands. “End.”
""
Huo Xiaoxiao rubbed his little face red before she reluctantly let go. She then picked up the Rubik’s Cube. “Hey, look at the Rubik’s Cube in my hand. Listen up. When you are on the second layer… go to the upper left, lower right, reverse to the right, then left…
“When you’re on the cross, it’s bottom right before top left. On diagonal… upper left, top right, lower left, and top right… Change clockwise up, lower left, upper left, left, lower left, counterclockwise to… down, upper left, lower right, right, right.”
The Rubik’s Cube clicked and successfully returned to its original position after several rounds.
The emotions in the child’s eyes could not be hidden. Huo Xiaoxiao quickly captured the excitement and worship in Yi Qian’s eyes.
She stuffed the Rubik’s Cube into his arms. “Remember it? Do you know how to play?”
Yi Qian was a bit confused.
“As long as you remember what I said and turn slowly, you’ll learn,” said Huo Xiaoxiao with ill-intentions.
The rules of the Rubik’s Cube were so complicated that a child as young as Yi Qian would not be able to learn them for a while.
For children, the result of exploration was not important, but the process was the key.
Thinking about her past, she had played the Rubik’s Cube for several weeks.
Take your time to figure it out!
“No, you said you’d teach me… and I don’t know how yet!”
“I didn’t say that… the teaching guide is all-inclusive. You’ll have to play with it slowly, and you’ll get it.”
Yi Qian raised his eyebrows, apparently understanding that Huo Xiaoxiao was angry with his words.
He thought he could learn it straight away, but he couldn’t.
“You’re not leaving until you teach me today.”
Huo Xiaoxiao made a face at him. “Brat! I can leave whenever I want. I’ll see how you can stop me!”
Yi Qian tightly grabbed her by the wrist.
Huo Xiaoxiao was a full head shorter than Yi Qian, and her small arms and legs didn’t look as strong as Yi Qian’s. She tugged on the hand that was held by Yi Qian but couldn’t pull it out.
“Yi Qian, what’s wrong?”
A few kids playing on the side made their way over.
Yi Qian pointed at Huo Xiaoxiao and said, “She’s lying!”
Apparently, Yi Qian was very ‘popular’ among the group. A hairless little kid forked over to block the road and looked at her fiercely.
Huo Xiaoxiao was surrounded by four or five children, who were a little short. These children were older, taller, and stronger than her, so they would not let her go.
“Why did you lie to my brother!”
“…”
Brother?
What a social society.
This was a prelude to bullying her.
“What are you doing? Get out of the way!”
“No, without teaching me, you’re not allowed to go home today!”
His tone was arrogant, but Yi Qian didn’t have any exciting expressions on his face. Instead, he kept it straight, as if she owed him money.
Upon seeing this, several servants in the room stepped forward. “Master, this is the littler sister the lady asked you to take care of. Did you forget?”
“We are taking care of her, and we are not bullying her.”
“Yes, yes, how can we bully her? She’s the one who bullied Yi Qian.”
“Look! She isn’t crying. We didn’t bully her!”
The servants saw that Huo Xiaoxiao indeed didn’t cry, so they turned silent. After all, these children were not easy to deal with.
“Come on, apologize to our brother!”
“Yes! Apologize!”
“No leaving until you apologize!”
“…” Was this a gang fight with her?
But with her small frame, she couldn’t fight alone, let alone in a group.
What was wrong with kids these days? They were so young, yet they were bullying a person?!
With everyone’s eyes stuck on her, she couldn’t walk away. Should she… cry? But her dignity mattered!
She would not admit defeat! How could she be bullied by these children with an adult mind?
So shameful!
She, Huo Xiaoxiao, couldn’t afford to lose to these children!
“It’s fine if you want me to teach you again, but…” Huo Xiaoxiao hung on. “You’ll all have to let me squeeze you for a minute.”
Yi Qian looked at his brothers.
“As long as you can let Yi Qian learn, you can do anything!”
“Yeah, anything!”
“Okay, it’s a deal.”
Huo Xiao let Yi Qian play with the Rubik’s Cube by himself while verbally teaching him.
“Here on the second layer… go to the upper left, lower right, reverse to the right then left…
“On the cross-section, bottom right before top left. On the diagonal… upper left, top right, lower left, and top right…
“Change clockwise up, lower left, top left, left, lower left, counterclockwise to… bottom, upper left, lower right, right, right.
Click, click!
Soon, a complete Rubik’s cube was put together in Yi Qian’s hands.
“Got it? you should know how to do it now, right?” Huo Xiaoxiao held up her fingers, and her tone was very exaggerated. “I have taught you three times! If you can’t do it, I can’t help it. ”
Indeed, three times.
“Yi Qian, can you do it?”
Even though Yi Qian was still a kid, he was too embarrassed to say before his brothers that even after three times, he had no idea.
“Go to upper left, lower right, reverse to the right then left… I can do it.”
Huo Xiaoxiao sat on the sofa in a swaggering manner. “Come here. Line up one by one.”
To sacrifice oneself for their friendship was of great importance to these kids. As they had promised, they wouldn’t go back on their word. The few little men were sad and lined up for Huo Xiaoxiao.
Huo Xiaoxiao was not polite, either. She bullied them without mercy. These children’s faces were tender, and they turned red when she pinched gently. It didn’t take much effort to make their faces turn into a peach.
The door opened, and a maid came in and smiled. She said to the children in the room, “Kids, Grandpa Yi is going to cut the cake. Shall we go out to eat the cake together?”
“Yes!”
One by one, the children followed the maids out happily. Huo Xiaoxiao looked at Yi Qian, who was holding a Rubik’s cube and was distracted, and smiled.
Brat! If you let so many brothers bully me together, I’ll make you doubt your life.
Someone pushed a big cake with more than ten layers in the hall. The guests who came to celebrate the birthday gathered in the center. Old Master Yi was supported by Yi Yang and Xu Xinyi to cut the cake.
As soon as Huo Xiaoxiao entered the hall, all she could see was a sea of legs. The view in front couldn’t be seen.
“Yueyue, what’s going on with your face? Why is it so red?”
That little boy called Yueyue pointed at Huo Xiaoxiao, who was looking for Huo Suicheng all over the hall. “She’s the one who pinched me.”
The child’s face was pinched red; of course, the mother would not be happy. She immediately grabbed Huo Xiaoxiao’s hand. “Whose child are you? Why did you bully my son?”
Huo Xiaoxiao looked at the little boy. “I didn’t bully him.”
“If you didn’t bully him, why did he say you pinched his face?”
“Chenchen, why is your face red?”
“Jing Jing, what’s the matter with your face?”
After three or five lines of questioning, the spear was pointed directly at Huo Xiao Xiao.
“…” ‘I accidentally played too much.’
Right, she did bully them a little.
But more than that, it was just a bit of fun!
These kids ratted her out!
“I didn’t bully them. They… they all let me pinch them.”
“Let you pinch? Chenchen, you really let her pinch your face?”
The child named Chenchen looked at Huo Xiaoxiao and did not speak for a while.
Seeing her son not talking, Chenchen’s mother frowned. “Whose child are you? Where are your parents?”
Huo Xiaoxiao was about to look back for someone but was caught off guard by being picked up lazily. When she was still in shock, she heard a clear voice, “Little baby, do you remember this brother?”
Huo Xiaoxiao looked up.
The one who held her in his arms was Lu Bo Yang, whom she had met once before at the Yonghe Club.
“Brother.”
“What a good girl! You remember your brother.”
Chenchen’s mother’s voice rang out less confidently, “Mr. Lu, she… is your daughter?”
Lu Boyang laughed, “No, no, no, how can I give birth to such a big daughter on my own.” He turned back and raised his voice, “Brother Huo, whose daughter is this?”
Huo Suicheng came to the crowd with a glass of wine, looked at Huo Xiaoxiao, then at the few people in front of him. His deep, cold voice sounded. “My daughter. What’s wrong?”
“Mr. Huo… is this your daughter?”
“Something wrong?”
Chenchen’s mother had her concerns.
“What’s going on?”
The commotion caught Old master Yi’s attention, and he looked through the crowd.
Yi Yang reassured his grandfather, “Grandpa, I’ll go take a look.”
Yi Yang and Xu Xinyi walked over, looked at the few people, and smiled. “What’s going on?”
Chenchen’s mother touched her son’s face and said, “It’s actually not a big deal. Just now, I saw my son’s face was red, and I thought he was being bullied. When I asked, it turned out to be Mr. Huo’s daughter who had pinched him.”
Xu Xinyi half-squatted to look at Chenchen, “Chenchen, tell Auntie. Was it Xiaoxiao who squeezed your face?”
Chenchen nodded.
The children who had been pinched by Huo Xiaoxiao stood there in order, with little flushes on their faces.
“You guys… were pinched by Xiaoxiao too?”
All of them nodded in unison.
The late-arriving Yi Qian also came up with a little red face.
“Yi Qian, what’s wrong with your face. Why is it red?”
Yi Qian looked at Huo Xiaoxiao. “She pinched it.”
Huo Xiao Xiao, who was in Huo Suicheng’s arms, immediately gained everyone’s attention.
“…”Huo Xiaoxiao felt a little awkward.
With the evidence stacking against her, she had no way out!
Lu Boyang opened his mouth and smiled. “Ah, among you children, Xiaoxiao is the youngest. Yet, you little men say that she bullied you all? Aren’t you ashamed?”
Huo Suicheng looked at Huo Xiaoxiao, who was hugging Lu Boyang’s neck and was clearly avoiding the question. He reached out to hold her over.
He knew exactly what kind of personality his daughter had. She indeed had the guts to do such a thing.
“It’s normal for kids to fight, so we adults should involve ourselves.”
Huo Xiaoxiao lay on Huo Suicheng’s shoulder. When she heard this, she turned around and said, “They let me pinch it. I didn’t deliberately bully them.”
“Let you pinch them?”
Huo Xiaoxiao nodded. “If you don’t believe me, ask Yi Qian.”
“Yi Qian, is this true?”
“No!” said the little boy named Chenchen. “She was the one who bullied Brother Yi Qian first, and then we let her pinch.”
‘You brat! You’d better tell the truth!’
“Jingjing, is this true?”
The little boy named Jingjing nodded.
Seeing that Huo Xiaoxiao’s crime of bullying was almost settled, Xu Xinyi quickly said, “There are several servants in the room. I will ask them to know what is going on.”
Not long after, the servants present in that room were called. They didn’t know exactly what had happened between the children, only seeing Huo Xiaoxiao pinch several children’s faces in turn.
Huo Xiaoxiao lay on Huo Suicheng’s shoulder and said, “First, I taught Yi Qian to play Rubik’s Cube, and they let me pinch it voluntarily. Second, I didn’t bully them; instead, they won’t let me go and bullied me. I am younger than them, so how can I bully them?”
One was a two-year-old little girl, while the others were three- or four-year-old boys. One could tell at a glance who was stronger.
It was good enough that she was a little girl who wasn’t being bullied by a few young boys. How could she bully them in turn?
Huo Suicheng lowered his head and asked Huo Xiaoxiao, “Did you bully them?”
Huo Xiaoxiao shook her head. “No, there was no bullying.”
Huo Suicheng looked up after hearing it. “Sorry, everyone, Xiaoxiao is still young. It is the first time to take her out to attend a banquet. It is also the first time to have contact with so many children. My daughter just said that she did not bully other children, then I am sure—no, I believe her words.”
“Jingjing, is this the case?”
The little boy named Jingjing nodded his head.
Chenchen also nodded.
“Then why did you say she bullied you?”
“She pinched our faces! Last time I squeezed the faces of other little girls, Mom, didn’t you say that I was bullying them?”
“…”
“So, if you disagree with me pinching your face, it’s bullying. But you… agreeing to pinch your face is not bullying you. So I didn’t bully you, understand? You have to apologize to me,” Huo Xiaoxiao struggled to explain.
The faces of the little boys turned red.
In this way, the parents of several children were also embarrassed, and their faces were full of shame. “I’m sorry, Mr. Huo. We were too impatient to blame Little Miss Huo, sorry. Chenchen, please apologize.”
“Sorry.”
“Sorry.”
“Sorry.”
The faces of several little boys flushed.
Huo Xiaoxiao looked at Yi Qian, but he did not speak.
He still remembered that Huo Xiaoxiao hadn’t taught him Rubik’s Cube properly and refused to apologize.
Huo Suicheng didn’t say anything and stroked Huo Xiaoxiao’s back. “Are you tired?”
Huo Xiaoxiao yawned and nodded.
It was pretty boring here with these childish kids.
Huo Suicheng didn’t wait for the end of the banquet but left early on the excuse of something.
On the way home, Huo Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but ask Huo Suicheng, “Daddy, aren’t you going to ask me?”
“Ask you what?”
“About bullying.”
Huo Suicheng looked at her, his tone uncaring. “Bullying is fine. You’re a child.”
‘…is it really right to teach children this way?’
If you bullied someone without asking why or guiding positively, were you not afraid of being poorly taught by your father?
Luckily, she had an adult mind; if it were any other kid, they might have grown up arrogant and overbearing.
“But how come I never knew you could play Rubik’s Cube?”
Huo Xiaoxiao’s face stiffened. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep to escape the question. “Daddy, I’m sleepy. I want to sleep.”
Seeing her eyebrows tremble, Huo Suicheng laughed helplessly.
Ever since Huo Xiaoxiao became a child, she had the same excuse.
When Huo Suicheng and Huo Xiaoxiao arrived at the Huo Mansion, the banquet at the Yi family’s main mansion also ended.
After sending the guests off in good spirits, Yi Yang and Xu Xinyi asked Yi Qian what was going on in the room tonight.
“Yi Qian, tell Mom what happened tonight? Did Xiaoxiao bully you?”
Yi Qian thought about it and said, “I was playing Rubik’s Cube, and she could also play. I wanted her to teach me, but she said she wanted to pinch my face before she taught me. So I let her do it.”
“And then what?”
“And then I didn’t learn, and she taught me again, but I still couldn’t. I didn’t want her to go. I wanted her to keep teaching me, but she wouldn’t. So we didn’t let her go.”
“And then what happened?”
“Later, she agreed to teach me, but we had to let her pinch our faces. They became red in the end.”
“So, Huo Xiaoxiao didn’t bully you guys?”
Yi Qian shook his head.
“Then why didn’t you just say so?”
“You didn’t ask me. Besides, she said she would teach me to play Rubik’s Cube, but I haven’t learned it yet.”
“Xiaoxiao is right… The Rubik’s Cube can’t be learned in a short time. You wronged her today, do you know? You said she pinched your face, but you didn’t say why she pinched your face, and you also didn’t say you let her pinch it. You lied about this, and you wronged her.”
Yi Qian was slightly stunned.
“It’s like the last time Daddy wrongly accused you of sneaking the eggs away without asking why you threw them away and said you were a lying child.”
“I didn’t secretly throw away the eggs!” When two things were mentioned together, Yi Qian seemed to have some empathy and understanding. “Then… what should I do?”
“The last time Daddy wronged you, what did he do?”
Yi Qian looked at Yi Yang. “Daddy apologized to me.”
“What else?”
“Bought me a present.”
“So?”
“I have to apologize to Huo Xiaoxiao and buy her gifts as an apology.”
“That’s right! A man should know his mistakes and correct them. Not to mention that Xiaoxiao is younger than you, she is your little sister. As an older brother, you have to take care of her. Well, after your grandfather’s birthday, it will be your birthday in two days. When the time comes, we’ll invite Xiaoxiao to come to your birthday. You can give her a gift in person and apologize to her, OK?”
Yi Qian’s eyes looked at Xu Xinyi uneasily. “Will she… come again?”
“You’ll know if she’ll come when you call her yourself and invite her to her birthday in two days.”
Yi Qian nodded his head.
Yi Yang made a call to the Huo family.
When the call came through, Yi Qian held the telephone, plucked up his courage, and said, “Uncle, I’m looking for Huo Xiaoxiao.”
Hearing a laugh on the other end of the phone, a kind voice asked him slowly, “Find Xiaoxiao? Who are you?”
“I’m Yi Qian.”
“So you’re the little kid from the Yi family? Wait a minute, Xiaoxiao will be right over.”
“Well, I’m not in a hurry.” Yi Qian sat on the couch with his back straight, one small hand holding the telephone while the other was unconsciously clasped on the couch cushions. He listened with rapt attention to the movement coming from the phone.
He was a little nervous.
He knew it was not good to be hurt, as he had almost cried when his father wronged him.
Huo Xiaoxiao perhaps cried too.
“Hello?” Huo Xiaoxiao’s milky voice came from the phone.
Yi Qian pursed his lips, his little face instantly turned red, and he said out loud in a rush, “I… I’m Yi Qian. In two days on my birthday, I want… I want to invite you to my house.”
“Oh.”
An emotionless ‘oh’ made Yiqian instantly lose confidence, and he asked in a low voice, “Will you… will you come?”
“I don’t know.”
Yi Qian was a little discouraged.
“I’ll… I’ll wait for you on my birthday.” After speaking, he hurriedly wanted to hang up, but he couldn’t help putting the telephone on his ear again and say, “You must come!”
Finished, he hung up the phone.
“Did she say yes?”
Yi Qian wasn’t quite sure. “She said she didn’t know.”
“It’s OK. It’s still a few days before your birthday. You’re going to pick out a gift for her.”
“Mm.” Yi Qian nodded heavily.
He reluctantly picked his favorite model car from his secret base.
He wanted to give this car model to Huo Xiaoxiao and say sorry to her.
On his birthday, the whole old house was decorated with balloons and ribbons, and a lot of friends came to celebrate his birthday.
That night, he placed the gift on his bedside table and solemnly said to it, “Huo Xiaoxiao, I’m sorry.”
He always remembered that he owed Huo Xiaoxiao a gift and an apology, which he would definitely pay when he saw her again.
