Extreme Pampering
Chapter 211 - 209: A Reliable Playmate.

Chapter 211: Chapter 209: A Reliable Playmate.

After Xiaoshi turned three years old, Pei Yu considered sending him to kindergarten, not so much to have him start his education early, but to provide him with an environment to make friends, worrying that he would be too lonely without playmates of his own age.

On the day of school entry, Shen Zhiyi and Pei Yu took him to the classroom together. It was Xiaoshi’s first time seeing so many peers of his age, and his big eyes looked around with curiosity.

Shen Zhiyi had explained in advance what "going to school" entailed. She wasn’t worried about anything else, just that Xiaoshi might not adapt to being suddenly separated from his parents for such a long time, since he had always been a clingy baby.

"Baby," she kissed Xiaoshi’s cheek, "in a few hours, Mommy will come to take you home, okay?"

Xiaoshi had understood several days in advance that going to school meant being separated from his mom and dad, and he hadn’t shown too much resistance, especially now that he saw so many little friends in the classroom. He nodded obediently, said goodbye to his parents, and was led by the teacher to meet new friends.

The two adults didn’t leave immediately, they watched from outside the classroom for a while. Seeing that Xiaoshi was adapting quite well, Shen Zhiyi was somewhat relieved.

"It seems that he can play well with his new friends."

Xiaoshi had always been surrounded by adults, without peers, so making friends through this opportunity could actually be very helpful for his growth.

Pei Yu didn’t speak. His expression seemed somewhat cold as he calmly watched Xiaoshi playing.

Shen Zhiyi had work to do and planned to come back to pick up the baby after school in the afternoon.

About an hour after she left, the classroom, usually filled with laughter and chatter, suddenly erupted with crying. The teachers, experienced as they were, patiently soothed the children with gentle words and diverted their attention with toys.

But they clearly did not understand the potency of Xiaoshi’s crying. He cried at the top of his lungs for half an hour, and even when his voice became hoarse, there was no sign of easing, and he tried to run outside past the teachers.

The teachers, at their wits’ end and completely helpless, had no choice but to call the parents.

A few minutes later, Pei Yu appeared at the door, "Xiaoshi."

Xiaoshi looked at him with tearful eyes and reached out to be held, "Daddy!"

The child’s face was red from crying, his eyes swollen, and his voice so hoarse it was hard to hear. Like his mother, Pei Yu gently patted his back, holding him in his arms and slowly rocking.

Xiaoshi had always been a high-need baby from a young age, and although he became sensible as he grew up, he was still only three years old, extremely clingy. He happily played with new friends for a while, but suddenly missed his mom and dad. However, school was different from Huating; he couldn’t see his parents immediately when he wanted, which made him panic.

By the time they got him into the car and the vehicle headed towards the road leading to Huating, the child finally stopped crying. Pei Yu gave him some water to drink and used a towel wrapped around an ice pack to soothe his eyes.

"Pei Shi," Pei Yu called his name, and when the boy looked up at him, he calmly asked, "Do you think crying can solve everything?"

Xiaoshi was fond of crying; it always resulted in someone comforting him and being completely indulgent. Although just a child, he understood this trick was extremely effective—the only time crying didn’t work was because he hadn’t cried long enough.

He tentatively glanced at Pei Yu, moved closer to hug Pei Yu’s waist, called out "Daddy" with a hoarse voice, trying to bluff his way through.

Pei Yu let him hug, stating indifferently, "Crying is only effective with people who feel sorry for you, like your mother. But when you cry in front of her, she feels sad. Every time you cry, she feels sad once again. Do you want to keep using this tactic in the future?"

Xiaoshi stared at him blankly, crumpling the front of his shirt, "But, but what should I do then?"

What else could he do but cry?

Pei Yu lowered his eyes and tapped the smartwatch on his wrist. "What do you think I gave you this for? Call me."

"All you have to do is say you can’t adapt, you don’t want to play at school with new friends, and you want to be with Mom and Dad, then I will come to get you."

Xiaoshi hung his head, lost in thought for a while. Actually, he didn’t want to cry at first. He had just told his buddy that he wanted his mom and dad, and the buddy said if he wanted to go home, he should cry. If the teachers couldn’t console him, they would call his parents to take him home.

"I’m sorry, Dad." He tilted his head and burrowed his face into Pei Yu’s chest, rubbing against him, then looked up for a kiss, his big eyes fluttering, "Will you forgive me, please?"

His eyes were identical to Shen Zhiyi’s.

Pei Yu watched him for a while, kissed him on the forehead and said softly, "When we get home, you need to seriously apply eye pads. If Mom sees your eyes are swollen, she will be sad."

Xiaoshi agreed crisply. He didn’t want to make Mom sad either.

Indeed, as soon as Shen Zhiyi heard that Xiaoshi was picked up early from school, she immediately asked Pei Yu if Xiaoshi had cried, guessing that he must have.

"He cried for a while," Pei Yu replied, "It’s okay."

Shen Zhiyi went to the playroom to see the baby. Xiaoshi was quietly playing with puzzles. He had no playmates and was mostly playing by himself, occasionally muttering nonsensical things to himself.

"Baby," she lifted Xiaoshi into her arms, and he affectionately wrapped his arms around her neck, "Don’t you want to go to school? You can make a lot of new friends there."

Xiaoshi told her earnestly, "Dad and Mom are more important than friends."

In fact, it’s normal for a child to not adapt to school at first and to cry. If they go a few more times, they will be fine. But since Xiaoshi said he didn’t want to go, Shen Zhiyi and Pei Yu didn’t want to force him. They always put Xiaoshi’s wishes first when taking care of him. Moreover, he is still so young.

However, the matter of finding playmates couldn’t be neglected. After much thought, Shen Zhiyi had an idea for a suitable candidate.

On the weekend, Shen Zhiyi was at home, playing ’Blind Man’s Buff’ with Xiaoshi. The child searched for a long time before suddenly grabbing someone, "Found you!"

After saying that, he felt something was off. His mother was slim and tall, but the person he had grabbed was short and chubby, which felt very familiar to him.

He paused for a moment, then pulled off the blindfold, and his eyes lit up as he saw who it was, "Jiaze brother!"

Duan Jiaze was nine years old this year, still a little chubster. He enthusiastically hugged Xiaoshi, shouting, "Xiaoshi little brother!"

Anyone who didn’t know better would think they hadn’t seen each other in ages, when in fact, they had just met over the New Year.

Duan Jiaze lived in France, and the two brothers were only able to meet a few times a year. Shen Zhiyi remembered that Jiaze’s mom had divorced last year and had mentioned wanting to move back to China with the child. So, she got in touch and brought the kid over to stay temporarily at Huating.

Although there was a six-year age difference, the two brothers got along very well. Duan Jiaze thought Xiaoshi little brother looked like Shen Zhiyi and doted on him endlessly. As for Xiaoshi, he found Jiaze brother’s chubbiness very pinchable and found that he listened to his every command. He also loved spending time and playing with him.

Seeing how well the brothers got along, Shen Zhiyi knew Xiaoshi had found a reliable playmate.