Transmigrating into the Genius Cannon Fodder’s Aunt

Chapter 153 Part 1 – What Ye Anran Wants to Protect (I)

When Xia Mian went home for the weekend, Aunt Wei specially reminded her to keep an eye on Xiao Feng.

He and Chenchen had both been acting a little strange lately. After school in the afternoons, no one knew where they ran off to play, and they never came home until dusk.

All the adults had been busy recently. Ning Shaobai and Zhou Xuewen were both away on business. As for Xia Wenyue’s family, there was even less to say—even Mao Huizhu had taken leave from school to follow Mao Zhishan to a film set. There was almost no one left at home.

So when Xia Mian was at school, Xiao Feng would stay with Chenchen at Ning Shaoyun’s house.

But Ning Shaoyun had been busy preparing for an art exhibition, so the two children were practically left to fend for themselves.

At first, Aunt Wei hadn’t thought much of it. The boys were nearly ten already, right at that mischievous age. But then she noticed how extravagantly they were spending money.

Xiao Feng loved saving money, and Chenchen never lacked it, so the adults never confiscated their New Year’s gift money. They let them save it themselves and use it freely when needed.

Up to now, Xiao Feng had barely touched his pocket money.

“For art supplies, it seems.” Aunt Wei said. Having worked for Ning Shaoyun for years, she understood a thing or two about painting. “I saw Xiao Feng use his own allowance to call and order art materials.”

“Haven’t you always bought him more than enough? How could he possibly run out?”

Indeed, Xia Mian had never been willing to let Xiao Feng go without. Everything she bought for him was top quality and expensive, and because he was still little, the boy usually didn’t use that much.

Xia Mian put Aunt Wei concern into heart. She had thought it might take some effort to get to the bottom of things, but the very next day the truth began to surface.

Even without careful observation, Xiao Feng’s odd behavior was obvious. Professor Zhu had specifically called to say he had matters to attend to this week. He had only assigned homework and hadn’t asked Xiao Feng to come to the academy, yet the child still prepared his schoolbag, packing his drawing board and paper.

“Didn’t Professor Zhu said no class today?” Xia Mian reminded him.

“Uh-huh,” Xiao Feng nodded. “I’m going to Senior Brother’s studio to draw. There are lots of senior brothers and sisters there. It’s lively.”

Lively? That caught Xia Mian off guard. Usually when painting, this child was so focused he don’t even notice whether it’s lively or not.

She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Alas, the child had grown up, and had already developed little secrets of his own!

After lunch, she rode her bicycle to take Xiao Feng to the art academy. As she lifted his heavy schoolbag, she casually asked, “Do you really use this much paper and paint?”

Xiao Feng nodded.

“And why did you pack so many milk candies?”

Xiao Feng loved milk candies. Because he used to go hungry in his childhood, he cherished food deeply. At first, Xia Mian had worried he might lack self-control, but thankfully, the child listened to her well.

When she told him he could only eat two candies a day, he ate only two. She refilled the candy jar about once a month, and over the years it had become a habit. Only during the time he had started befriended Ding Sijin that the candy had gone faster, but never this fast.

It hadn’t even been ten days into the month, and more than half the jar was already gone.

“I’m not eating them. They’re for Brother,” Xiao Feng said. He even opened his mouth for her to inspect. “No cavities.”

Xia Mian: “……”

The little rascal had even learned to divert the topic!

Xiao Feng was quite sensitive to people. Although Xia Mian knew he was unlikely to be easily fooled, she couldn’t help reminding him on the way that helping others should be within one’s means.

“For example, if Auntie buys you one bag of candy a month, the most you can do is not eat any and give them all away. But if you ask Auntie to buy more just to give away, then it’s no longer you helping, it’s Auntie helping. Do you understand?”

Xiao Feng nodded.

“And it’s also the same with your paper, brushes, and paints. If someone needs help, you can share some, but if you give away everything and can’t paint yourself, that’s not right.”

“If someone asks that of you, they’re probably not well-intentioned.”

Sitting on the front bar of the bike, Xiao Feng tilted his head up at her and smiled. “Got it, Auntie.”

At the studio entrance, Xia Mian handed him his bag and drawing board. “Want me to pick you up this afternoon?”

“No need.” Xiao Feng shook his head. “Brother Chenchen will come get me. We’ll go back together. Auntie, you do your homework.”

Xia Mian: “……”

Why did she suddenly feel that bittersweet sense of seeing her child growing up and no longer needing his mother?

He kept secrets now and wasn’t clingy anymore. Even though he used to stick by her side!

With a sigh of melancholy, Xia Mian rode her bike in a circle around the fence once before secretly returned to the studio.

Even if it hurt a little, she still had to keep watch. She was willing to give Xiao Feng space, but only if she could ensure his physical and emotional safety. She had to find out what was going on!

Luckily, the studio was on the first floor. Standing by the wall, she could discreetly peer through the window and see everything inside.

Midterm exams were approaching, so even though it was the weekend, the studio was full of students. But most looked either drowsy or anxious, and not many of them were really in the zone.

When class monitor Wei Yuanhang saw Xiao Feng, he scooped him up at once. “Oh my, our little deity! Did you come specially to bless us?”

He set him on the platform stool and handed him a small bread roll. “Come on, come on! O’ art deity, please bless me—let my submission pass!”

Everyone immediately perked up and began rummaging through their pockets.

“Hey, did I bring any candy today?”

“Haha, I got a chocolate!”

“No way. If the offerings are the same, it won’t work. You switch.”

“Why don’t you switch? Hey!! You’re too sneaky—I’m first!”

The studio instantly became lively. The students searched high and low, jostling and laughing, determined to make sure their “offerings” were all different.

Xia Mian almost laughed out loud. Sun Shuming had once said he was worried that Xiao Feng eating too much candy wasn’t good for him, and since then, the variety of things they fed the boy had become much richer.

More than ten minutes later, after the chaotic round of “prayers” ended, everyone was finally energized and settled down to continue their work.

Xiao Feng, meanwhile, carried a bulging bag of snacks to the back of the studio, where Wei Yuanhang had already set up an easel for him.

But once seated, Xiao Feng didn’t seem very focused. As he painted, he kept glancing toward the door.

At last, a thin boy walked in.

It was Ye Anran.

He didn’t seem like a student. But on many campuses, there were occasionally a few people who slipped into lectures unofficially; as long as they were serious about learning, professors would often offer some guidance. Ye Anran was probably one of them.

Compared to the last time Xia Mian had seen him, his complexion was even paler now. His skin looked almost translucent, dark circles heavy beneath his eyes, as though he were utterly spent.

Because of midterms, Sun Shuming also came to the studio on weekends to give guidance. Xia Mian guessed that might be why Ye Anran had shown up.

Xiao Feng, who had obviously been waiting for him, quickly acted as if he hadn’t noticed and dropped his eyes to his drawing paper.

Only after Ye Anran had set up his easel and become fully absorbed in painting did Xiao Feng quietly inch a little closer.

Ye Anran was concentrating on coloring. When he needed red, he paused slightly, then bent down to rummage through the nearly flattened paint tubes in his box.

After finding the color, he painstakingly pressed the tube flat, squeezing bit by bit, determined not to waste a single drop.

Just as he finally managed to squeeze some out and was exerting force, a splash of red suddenly spattered onto him.

He paused for a moment, then turned his head and saw that the child next to him had accidentally squeezed out the paint again, leaving a huge blob on the palette, some even had splashed onto his legs.

The child held the palette and looked at him with wide, pleading eyes. “Big brother,” he said softly.

Ye Anran paused, then used his brush to gather the paint that had splattered onto his leg. He scooped half of the excess paint from the child’s palette, then helped him mix the color properly.

After painting for a short while, the child lost interest and squatted beside him, watching him work.

As if to show gratitude, he clumsily helped squeeze out paint and pass brushes.

The paint in Ye Anran’s own box was too flat for the child to squeeze, so he used his own paints for him instead. Yet the same child who had been bursting tubes earlier did not make a single mistake again.

Ye Anran didn’t even need to ask for a color. Before he spoke, the child would squeeze it out for him.

Ye Anran stared blankly for a moment, then soon returned to painting with an expressionless face, once again completely immersed into his work.

Time passed. After a while, Wei Yuanhang, who had been watching from the side, finally couldn’t stand it anymore. Frowning, he said, “Hey, there should be a limit to playing pitiful. What kind of move is it to trick a kid?”

“First you used his drawing paper, then his brushes, and now you won’t even spare his paint?”

Xiao Feng hurriedly said, “Brother Ye didn’t trick me.”

“Is that so?” Wei Yuanhang didn’t say more in front of the child. He just beckoned to Xiao Feng. “Come here. Help me see if this painting looks right.”

Xiao Feng cast Ye Anran a worried glance, but still walked over.

From beginning to end, Ye Anran showed no reaction at all, even when some girls nearby whispered, “How shameless!”

It was as if he couldn’t hear them. He kept painting expressionlessly, and only when Sun Shuming came over to give guidance did a trace of light return to his face.

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