A Paranoid Alpha Childhood Friend is Acting Spoiled Again - Chapter 4

This sort of issue—possessiveness—can be seen as either a big deal or no deal at all. Most children are like this; they naturally have a sense of “this is mine” and “why should I share?” toward the things and people they love. Usually, as they grow older, this mindset gradually fades. However, out of a sense of professional duty, Teacher Li couldn’t simply ignore it. After all, it is easier to straighten a sapling than a fully grown tree.

Therefore, when school let out, Teacher Li intended to have a private chat with Nuo Fanxi’s parents. However, the person who came to pick up the children was the Tang family’s butler. Nuo Fanxi’s parents had been busy with work lately and rarely had time; yesterday, they only managed to make a special trip because they had just returned from a business trip.

“Teacher Li is looking for Xixi’s parents?”

Nuo Fanxi and Tang Mo were sitting in the car, aggressively sipping drinks the butler had bought them. Seeing that the butler hadn’t boarded yet, Nuo Fanxi turned to look out the window.

Seeing her turn, Tang Mo followed suit and saw the butler speaking with Teacher Li.

“Xixi, what did Teacher Li say to you during recess today?”

Nuo Fanxi turned back and thought for a moment before saying, “Nothing, she didn’t say much. Oh, right, Momo, are you still following that teacher to learn piano this weekend?”

Tang Mo and Nuo Fanxi were the same age—both five years old. To be precise, Tang Mo was actually a month younger than Nuo Fanxi and would start primary school after this year. For children of this age in ordinary families, this was a time to just do whatever they wanted. Firstly, the adult world was still far away, and secondly, they were too young; learning deep, complex subjects was difficult for children.

But Tang Mo was not a child from an ordinary family. With such a massive family legacy behind her, if she didn’t work harder than others from a young age, she would be looked down upon by other children in the same social circle when she grew up.

“Mhm,” Tang Mo lowered her head, her voice very small.

Seeing this, Nuo Fanxi turned sideways to look at her. “Momo, do you dislike learning piano with that teacher?”

Tang Mo nodded. “I don’t like it.”

Not only did she dislike it, but she also found it exhausting. If she didn’t learn well, the piano teacher would be mean to her. And it wasn’t just the teacher—even her mother would scold her.

“If you don’t like it, then let’s just not learn it!”

“But… Mommy said I have to learn these things. If I don’t, I won’t be able to keep up with the other kids.”

Nuo Fanxi was still young and didn’t quite understand these things. She simply felt that if Tang Mo didn’t like it, she shouldn’t do it. “Why? Since you don’t like it, why is Godmother Xiaozhu forcing you?”

Little Tang Mo didn’t understand either and shook her head. “I don’t know. But Mommy said all the other kids are learning, and if I don’t, I won’t be as good as them when I grow up.”

“Who said that?!” Nuo Fanxi patted her chest and declared, “Momo is so smart, how could you not be as good as them?! Besides, who says all the other kids are learning? Look at me, I’m not learning it! Godmother Xiaozhu is just bluffing you!”

Tang Mo lowered her head as if thinking, then slowly looked up. “B-but… why would Mommy bluff me?”

Nuo Fanxi scratched her head; she truly couldn’t figure out why her Godmother Xiaozhu would force Tang Mo to learn those boring adult things.

“Forget it, don’t think about it. When I go to your house to play, I’ll help you test the waters with Godmother Xiaozhu!”

“Okay, okay!”

The two children had nothing to play with in the car, and their backpacks only contained textbooks. Teacher Li had assigned homework today, so Tang Mo planned to write a bit in the car. But Nuo Fanxi was different; she felt that since it was time to rest and relax, a child should just play.

There was a reason Nuo Fanxi thought this way—the homework Teacher Li assigned was simply too easy. She could finish it in ten or twenty minutes at most, so there was no need to rush.

“Momo, I’ll write it for you.”

Tang Mo resolutely shook her head in refusal. “No, no. Teacher and Mommy both said ‘do your own tasks yourself’ and not to depend on others. Besides, Xixi, if you do it for me and Mommy checks it when I get back, she’ll be angry.”

Nuo Fanxi had no choice but to drop it. “Alright then.”

Her eyes darted around as a thought struck her. She leaned in and said, “Then I won’t write it for you, I’ll just tell you the answers! That way you can finish quickly!”

Tang Mo still shook her head. “No, no. If you tell me the answers, isn’t that the same as you doing the homework for me? I have to do it myself. Otherwise, when I grow up and the homework gets more and more, I can’t just rely on Xixi to give me the answers forever.”

That logic was sound, so Nuo Fanxi didn’t say anything more. She sat quietly by her side, watching Tang Mo hunch over and write in her notebook stroke by stroke.

Finally, the butler finished his conversation with Teacher Li and returned. Getting into the car, he glanced back and felt a sense of admiration seeing the two children with their homework.

“Eldest Miss, Xixi—sit properly, we’re going home.”

Nuo Fanxi and Tang Mo looked up, acknowledged him, put their homework back in their bags, and sat up straight.

On the way.

Nuo Fanxi’s little mouth couldn’t stay still. She asked the butler, “Uncle Chen, are my Daddy and Mommy too busy with work to pick me up today?”

Nuo Fanxi was actually used to this. Tao Wanqing and Nuo Lin were frequently away on business trips and were rarely home. Most of the time, Bai Xiaozhu would have the butler pick up Nuo Fanxi whenever he went to get Tang Mo.

Of course, Nuo Fanxi had been upset about it at first. Being young, she naturally relied on her parents. But over time, she realized that throwing a fit was useless; her parents would remain busy regardless. Eventually, she became accustomed to it. She didn’t cry or make a scene, nor did she constantly pine for them—a reaction that was quietly unlike what a child’s should be.

The butler hummed an affirmation. “The Madame said that if you miss them, you can give them a call.”

“Then never mind.”

“Why never mind?”

Nuo Fanxi leaned against the seat back and murmured, “Even if I call them, they’ll just ask me if I was good at school today and if I listened to the teacher. There’s no difference between calling and not calling.”

That was true.

Most children would be incredibly homesick if they didn’t see their parents for a long time; some would even wail loudly. But the butler had never seen this child, Nuo Fanxi, cry.

Not once.

The butler asked curiously, “But don’t you miss them?”

Nuo Fanxi said, “Of course I miss them, but what’s the use in saying so? Daddy and Mommy will still keep doing what they do. Even if I tell them how much I miss them and hope they stay to accompany me, they have to earn money to raise me. Saying it is useless.”

So young, yet so sensible and clear-headed.

The butler thought to himself: Such an obedient child really is always someone else’s.

“Uncle Chen.”

“Mhm?”

“Did Daddy and Mommy say when they’d be back?”

“Mmm… for that, you’ll likely have to ask the Madame. Uncle Chen isn’t very sure.”

Nuo Fanxi didn’t have high expectations for her parents’ return; she was used to it. Compared to expecting them back, she looked forward more to when she could go play with Tang Mo.

She asked cautiously, “Uncle Chen, can I go play with Momo this weekend?”

When her parents were away, they would have a nanny watch her. But a child alone at home was bound to be bored. Since she was old enough to have her own ideas, a nanny couldn’t really be a playmate. Therefore, on weekends, Nuo Fanxi would have the nanny take her to see Tang Mo.

However, besides kindergarten from Monday to Friday, Tang Mo had other things on the weekends: piano, painting, and foreign languages. These were taught by professional tutors hired by Bai Xiaozhu, and Tang Mo was not allowed to skip them.

So, even though Nuo Fanxi grew up with Tang Mo, Bai Xiaozhu had a rule: Nuo Fanxi couldn’t visit while Tang Mo was in her tutoring sessions.

The butler couldn’t answer the question; it wasn’t his decision to make. “If Xixi really wants to play with the Eldest Miss, you have to ask the Madame. If she agrees, then you can.”

Tang Mo asked, “Is my agreement not enough? Xixi coming over won’t bother me. She’s just bored at home. Uncle Chen, help me talk to Mommy. Let Xixi come over. I promise she won’t disturb my studies, okay?”

The butler was stuck between a rock and a hard place. It wasn’t that he didn’t want them to play—it was only natural—but Tang Mo’s status meant she couldn’t just play wildly like an ordinary child.

Moreover, if he spoke up, the Madame would surely feel he was leading the Eldest Miss astray. He was just a butler; he knew his place and what he should and shouldn’t do.

“Eldest Miss, it was the Madame’s idea not to let Xixi disturb your studies. Even if I speak up, she won’t agree.”

Tang Mo could only lower her head in disappointment.

Nuo Fanxi, however, didn’t think it was a big deal. She patted Tang Mo’s shoulder and comforted her, “It’s okay, Momo. I’ll call Godmother Xiaozhu in a bit and promise her that I won’t disturb your classes. I’m sure she’ll agree!”

“Really?!”

“Of course!”

Nuo Fanxi said, “Think about it—the only reason she doesn’t let me visit is because she’s worried I’ll distract you. If I promise not to, she has no reason to stop me!”

Tang Mo thought this made perfect sense. Overjoyed, she asked, “Then… when will you call her?”

Nuo Fanxi looked toward the butler’s seat with a beaming smile. “Uncle Chen, can I borrow your phone?”

Butler: “…” Little ancestor, you’re going to be the death of me!