Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The sight of Xiaotu crying like this was simply too pitiful for him to bear, so he reached his hands out and patted her gently on the back and said in a low voice, “All right now, stop crying. Why don’t we go home?”
“If we leave, does that mean I won’t have to come back to preschool?” Xiaotu lifted her head up, and her red eyes stared right at him.
“Uh…” Cheng Zhiyan thought about it for a minute and then answered in a way that he hoped would be a distraction, “For today you won’t have to come to school anymore.”
“All right.” Xiaotu hadn’t noticed at all that Cheng Zhiyan had added the word today before his response, and she mistakenly believed that she would never have to come to preschool again. Therefore, she cheerfully rushed to grab her book bag from her storage locker.
“Xiaotu, are your parents here to pick you up?” The preschool teacher who had been busy chatting with other parents a moment ago saw Xiaotu rush to grab her book bag and promptly reached out her hand to stop her. She then stooped down to ask her this question.
“He’s here.” Xiaotu turned around and pointed at Cheng Zhiyan, who wasn’t far from them, and happily exclaimed to the teacher, “Over there!”
The teacher looked in the direction Xiaotu’s fingers were pointing. At the entrance of the classroom, a good-looking young boy in a black T-shirt was standing, seeming to be waiting for something. His posture was upright and he had a mature air about him, but still…the young boy had to be only around ten years old at most, There were still babyish features on his nonetheless handsome face.
Today was the first day of the advanced section for preschool children. Since most of these children were practically babies, most parents had been especially worried, and most families had had all members of the family present to send off and pick up their children. The classroom was overcrowded with parents.
“Yet…for Bai Xiaotu’s family, how come only a young boy had come to pick her up?”
With confusion in her voice, the teacher asked Xiaotu, “Is that your brother? How come your mother and father didn’t come to pick you up?”
“No, he’s not my older brother.” Xiaotu shook her head, then she looked the teacher in the eye and said with a serious expression, “Brother Orange Juice is my boyfriend.”
“…”
Upon hearing this, the teacher instantly froze.
“B…boyfriend?”
“Yep!” Xiaotu nodded vehemently, and there was a proud look on her babyish face as she boasted to her teacher, “I’m his girlfriend.”
“Xiaotu, do you even know what a girlfriend is?” The teacher had regained her composure and couldn’t help but ask Xiaotu this question with amusement.
“I know! A girlfriend is someone who will become someone’s wife in the future.” Xiaotu straightened her small back and answered matter-of-factly.
The teacher looked at Xiaotu with a mirthful expression, then she glanced at Cheng Zhiyan, who was standing by the door, and she patted her on the head, “Who taught you all of this?”
“My mother.” Xiaotu responded frankly. “And Auntie Zhou.”
“Auntie Zhou?”
“Auntie Zhou is Brother Orange Juice’s mother, and she said that I’m still too young to marry him, so at the moment I can only be Brother Orange Juice’s girlfriend.” Xiaotu had put her hands behind her back and shook her head back and forth as she related all this to the teacher.
……
So…
Was this infant betrothal between childhood sweethearts?
The teacher glanced at Cheng Zhiyan again in astonishment. Well…to be honest, that little boy was particularly good-looking. Although he was still young, his eyes were soulful, he appeared like a gentleman, and he had a calm and collected demeanor. Although he was simply quietly standing there, the sight of him was beautiful to behold.