yournovel Chapter 6 Parents' Thoughts
Chapter 6 Parents' Thoughts
Winter vacation arrived quietly, and Xie Anran's music training classes were moved to the afternoon. At the crack of dawn, Xie Anran got up on her own, quietly washed up, and then sat obediently in a chair at the dining table, patiently waiting for the shredded pork noodles her mother, Zhang Yun, had prepared.
With light footsteps, Zhang Yun walked over carrying a bowl of shredded pork noodles—the portion wasn't large, but it was brightly colored, fragrant, and delicious. "Anran, have you been waiting long?" Zhang Yun placed the noodles on the table, her tone full of affection.
"I'm willing to wait as long as Mom makes noodles," Xie Anran said, lifting her little face and responding with a childish voice, her eyes full of sincerity.
"Haha, our Anran is such a good boy~" Zhang Yun smiled and ruffled his hair, her heart filled with joy. She noticed that since Xie Anran was discharged from the hospital, he had become exceptionally well-behaved and sensible. He was usually quiet and never made a fuss, and he always tried to be considerate of adults. His maturity beyond his years often made her heart ache.
Xie Anran ate his noodles slowly. Zhang Yun's cooking wasn't top-notch, but it was decent enough; every bite tasted like home. In his previous life, his parents passed away when he was in his forties. The regret and longing after their loss only became clearer and more intense in this second life. Therefore, he cherished this warm family bond and every moment spent with his parents. However, he also knew that his most important task right now was to find a way to improve his health and prolong his life.
"Anran, I heard from Aunt Xiaoli that you have a particularly strong musical talent in the training class?" Zhang Yun asked curiously as she sat to the side, watching her son eat noodles in small bites.
Xie Anran put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and answered seriously, "That's what the teacher and Aunt Xiaoli said. I don't know if it counts as strong or not."
Zhang Yun was stunned for a moment. Looking at her son's composed appearance, she secretly wondered: This child's tone of voice is much more mature than that of children his age. Could it be that learning music can really improve intelligence?
After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Yun suddenly asked, "Anran, do you prefer music now, or do you prefer being with Qianqian?"
Xie Anran was slightly taken aback, and quickly began to calculate in his mind. Strictly speaking, Qianqian's initial "assistance" to him was no longer significant, but the scroll had clearly indicated that he should cultivate a good relationship with his deskmate—he knew in his heart that the "deskmate" mentioned here was most likely Qianqian.
After all, their parents were family friends, and the two were childhood sweethearts born on the same day, both sharing a deep interest in music. More importantly, Liu Xiaoli had considerable connections in the entertainment industry, and her family background was extremely wealthy. Simply put, they were a perfect match, and as long as he could survive, both families would likely be happy to see them remain close. The mission requirements and family background were tightly tied to Qianqian, so it was clearly not the right time to sever ties with her directly.
Having thought it through, Xie Anran answered earnestly, "I like them all."
"Alright." Zhang Yun nodded, but secretly she had a plan in mind. She had always liked that little girl, Qianqian. Her son wasn't in good health, and it wouldn't be a bad thing if a kind-hearted girl she knew well could accompany and take care of him from a young age. Although doing so might wrong Qianqian, she could only be selfish this once for her son's sake. As for Liu Xiaoli, she would think of ways to make it up to her later.
After breakfast, Xie Anran returned to her room and diligently reviewed her music textbook, using the free time in the morning to solidify her music theory knowledge. Meanwhile, Zhang Yun picked up the landline in the living room and dialed Xie Weimin's number, who had already gone to work.
"What did you say? You're proposing an engagement to Liu Xiaoli?" On the other end of the phone, Xie Weimin was stunned by his wife's words, his voice filled with disbelief. "What era are we living in? Still practicing arranged marriages from childhood? It's ridiculous!"
"Anran needs someone by his side, someone he knows well and who can truly care for him." For her son's sake, Zhang Yun's tone lost its usual gentleness and became more resolute. "I'm not really getting engaged, I just want to express my intentions and let Sister Xiaoli know how we feel. She'll need your help in many areas in the future, and as long as she doesn't object, whether it works out or not is another matter."
Xie Weimin fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking, his tone grave: "Wife, you're being too radical. A few days ago, something happened on the An family's side—Liu Xiaoli threatened suicide to fight for custody of Qianqian, almost causing a death in the An family."
He paused, then added, "The An family suppressed this matter, and not many people know about it. I only found out through some acquaintances."
On the other end of the phone, Zhang Yun fell silent instantly, her hand gripping the phone tightening slightly. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. Her anxiety was suppressed by shock, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on her back—she had almost pushed Liu Xiaoli to the opposite side. If she had really brought up the engagement, she might have completely enraged the other party, and then she wouldn't even have Qianqian by her side.
"There's no need to bring up engagement," Xie Weimin's voice came again, his tone calm and straightforward. "Sister Xiaoli knows that with Anran by her side, we can take good care of Qianqian. She won't let Qianqian distance herself from Anran on her own. Even if she has the idea of sending Qianqian abroad in the future, we'll let Anran go with her. It'll be a good opportunity for her to go abroad for medical treatment, killing two birds with one stone."
Xie Weimin understood perfectly well that they didn't necessarily need Qianqian; they just wanted to find a girl he didn't dislike and knew well to accompany Anran, but that was too difficult. For their son's future stability, they had no choice but to "use some tricks" to firmly grasp this connection.
"Okay, I understand." Zhang Yun took a deep breath, suppressing the panic in her heart, and replied softly.
Meanwhile, Xie Anran's lips twitched in the room. He hadn't really intended to eavesdrop, but his hearing had become exceptionally sensitive lately, and with the added boost from his musical talent, he heard every single word his mother said in the living room.
"Mom and Dad, you're overthinking things." Xie Anran sighed helplessly, a bitter smile creeping onto his face. He didn't actually need Qianqian's care at all, but in the current situation, it was clearly inappropriate to show rejection. He could only go along with his parents' wishes for now and figure out a way to explain later.
The following afternoon, Xie Anran went to his training class on time. Qianqian, as lively as ever, came over to him as soon as she saw him, proudly raising her chin: "Anran, Anran, I've learned vocal techniques!"
"That amazing?" Xie Anran smiled and ruffled her hair.
"Of course!" Sisi said happily, her eyes sparkling. "And I've found that the little tricks you taught me are even more useful than what the teacher taught!"
"You can't say that," Xie Anran said earnestly. "The teacher's techniques are more systematic and professional. I just found you an easier way to learn. Don't underestimate the teacher."
"Oh... I know!" Sisi stuck out her tongue and nodded obediently. One of her greatest strengths was that she listened to advice and was never willful.
The two little ones huddled together, chatting quietly, while several boys who liked to play with Qianqian watched with envy and jealousy. In their eyes, Xie Anran was nothing special except for her fast learning pace and musical talent—she was too quiet, didn't talk much, and usually kept to herself.
But Xixi was different. She was beautiful, had a sweet voice, and was particularly good at self-promotion, making her especially popular among the boys in the class. However, Xixi only had eyes for Xie Anran and was always sticking to his side, which made the boys both angry and helpless.
But a child's "revenge" is limited to this—at most, deliberately ignoring Xie Anran, not talking to him, and not playing with him. In a child's world, this is already the most "serious" form of bullying.
As for things like physical assault and bullying, these children are not yet exposed to that level of issues.
Xie Anran, however, remained completely unfazed, attending classes and studying as usual, unaffected in the slightest. This left the group of boys even more exasperated, whispering amongst themselves, "Why is he so happy even though nobody plays with him?"
"Yeah, that guy is so infuriating, he keeps monopolizing Sissi!"
The boys' complaints had no effect on Xie Anran. He was focused on absorbing the music theory knowledge from class, and had even secretly begun to study more advanced material on his own. However, due to his physical limitations, his learning progress hadn't accelerated much, but it was still steadily advancing, bringing him one step closer to his goal of "concentrating on ninety lessons."