Chapter 30: Who doesn’t want a compliment from sister?

Chapter 30: Who Doesn’t Want Their Little Sister’s Praise?

The Fu family dining table had always prioritized quantity over quality.

Fu Cheng adopted a hands-off approach with his three sons.

As Fu Cheng put it, "As long as they don’t starve, let them do whatever they want."

Even the chef in the Fu family kitchen was someone Fu Cheng hired from an ordinary cafeteria—specializing in large-batch cooking.

The portions were generous, but the presentation was nothing special.

The three boys weren’t picky eaters. They were still growing, so as long as they were full, they were satisfied.

Now that a little princess had joined the family, Fu Jingyi arranged for a new chef specifically to prepare children’s meals for her.

Little Dumpling sat in her usual High Chair. In front of her, besides a serving of mashed potatoes, was a small yellow duckie bowl.

"Ducky!"

The bowl had been specially bought by Fu Jingyi’s assistant.

During lunch, he noticed his little sister clinging to the duckie bowl at the restaurant and remembered it for later.

Seeing how much she liked it now, he smiled and put a spoonful of vegetables into the bowl.

"Eat your veggies to grow big and strong, Zhi Zhi!"

Fu Yuchen had just come out of the kitchen, carrying a bowl of meat and egg custard. Seeing this, he placed the custard in front of his sister.

"Eat more eggs and meat—it’s good for your health."

Fu Siyuan, the youngest and biggest eater of the three, had just arrived at the dining table and immediately stuffed a chicken drumstick into his mouth.

Seeing his older brothers doting on their sister, he hastily pulled the drumstick from his mouth and tried to put it in her bowl.

"Zhi Zhi, have a drumstick—"

Under the sharp glares from his two older brothers, Fu Siyuan pulled his hand back quietly. "Double standards! You’re bullying the weak!"

He took an angry bite of the drumstick, chewing aggressively as if taking out his frustration.

Fu Yuchen scoffed. "You? Weak?"

Even though Fu Siyuan was still growing, he was already much taller than his peers.

Combined with his energetic, restless nature, the young man radiated raw energy—no one dared to provoke him.

Seeing Fu Yuchen about to pick a fight again, Fu Siyuan pretended to roll up his sleeves, brandishing the drumstick as he prepared to argue back.

"Enough. We’re eating."

With their father absent, Fu Jingyi was the one in charge.

Fu Siyuan’s retort died in his throat, and he immediately turned to his little sister with puppy-dog eyes.

"My precious Zhi Zhi, they’re ganging up on me."

Zhi Zhi tilted her little head, still gripping her spoon tightly.

Hearing her Third Brother’s complaint, she copied what she’d seen earlier in their father’s room and gently patted his head.

"Third Brother, don’t cry. Zhi Zhi likes Third Brother."

Third Brother seemed to really enjoy this.

Seeing his mouth turn up in a smile, Little Dumpling beamed. "Zhi Zhi likes Third Brother the most! Don’t cry."

Fu Siyuan lowered his head, letting his sister ruffle his hair, then shot a smug look at his older brothers.

"Did you hear that? Zhi Zhi said she likes me the most!"

Fu Jingyi, sitting beside his sister, carefully removed bones from a tender braised rib from the kitchen.

Listening to Fu Siyuan’s showing off, he shook his head with a smile. "Sit down and eat."

This time, Fu Siyuan firmly made sure to separate himself from Fu Yuchen.

Specifically, Fu Yuchen sat in front of the High Chair, while Fu Siyuan held onto his bowl and sat behind his sister.

Even with the Little Dumpling between them, Fu Siyuan still felt like the one being picked on.

Dinner went relatively smoothly.

Everything left on the table—including the food their sister hadn’t finished—got eaten by the boys.

Zhi Zhi was still thinking about Small Fish and wanted to go upstairs right after dinner.

"Wait a bit before going up. You just ate—you need to walk it off."

Fu Jingyi was worried she might get a stomachache, especially since she’d finished that small bowl of custard during dinner.

The sky hadn’t fully darkened yet, so it was still early. The three Fu brothers led their sister, who barely came up to their hips, outside.

The Fu family estate was massive.

Besides a private helicopter pad, it had outdoor basketball and soccer fields, and even a small golf course.

These areas were usually maintained by special staff.

Since the brothers weren’t often in the country, the facilities remained in perfect condition.

On the basketball court, Fu Siyuan balanced a basketball on one finger. With a gentle flick from his other hand, the ball spun effortlessly.

Zhi Zhi was spellbound. Watching the ball spin so fast on her Third Brother’s finger, her mouth formed a perfect O of amazement.

Only when Fu Siyuan had done enough tricks—tossing the ball high and catching it with ease—did Little Dumpling start clapping.

"Third Brother is amazing!"

Receiving his sister’s praise meant more to Fu Siyuan than any award.

He walked the ball over, knelt down, and held it out to her.

"Zhi Zhi, want to play with Third Brother?"

The Little Dumpling was completely fascinated by his skills.

Immediately, she reached out with both hands and hugged the basketball.

But she overestimated her abilities—just holding the basketball was a handful already, let alone spinning it.

The ball was also quite heavy, as heavy as Zhi Zhi's little fat toy fish.

Zhi Zhi put all her might into holding the ball, her tiny arms squirming constantly in an attempt to make it spin.

Fu Siyuan couldn't help but laugh at his sister's adorable efforts.

He reached out to support the bottom of the basketball, and as his fingers rotated, the ball slowly began to spin.

With no effort at all, Zhi Zhi got the ball spinning, her bright eyes shining even more.

"Zhi Zhi is amazing! She can spin the ball on her very first try!"

Fu Siyuan lavished praise on his sister without hesitation.

Zhi Zhi, thrilled that the ball was finally spinning, lit up with excitement.

Suddenly, the court's floodlights flashed on. Before Fu Siyuan's brain could process it, his body moved on instinct—his hand shot up to shield his sister's eyes.

"Fu Yuchen! Couldn't you give a warning before turning on the lights? What if Zhi Zhi's eyes get hurt?!"

He turned his head and yelled at Fu Yuchen, who had flipped the floodlights switch. Little did he know, the moment the lights had flashed on, his tall frame alone was enough to block the harsh glare from his sister.

Fu Yuchen didn't respond.

He was wearing a white shirt earlier but had changed into basketball gear upstairs for this basketball match.

Even Fu Siyuan had changed into a sleeveless basketball jersey.

Fu Jingyi, however, remained in his daytime white shirt.

He had no intention of joining the game—knowing Fu Siyuan's competitive drive, he'd be completely wiped out for the next morning's meeting once the match ended.

Sitting down on a bench with his sister in his arms, Fu Jingyi gently pinched the soft flesh of her cheek and asked playfully, "Zhi Zhi, guess who will win today—Second Brother or Third Brother?"

The atmosphere on the court was already tense.

Zhi Zhi widened her eyes, watching her two brothers. The tension was so thick that even her little face tensed up.

"Brother, are Second Brother and Third Brother going to fight?"

Fu Jingyi stroked the soft hair atop her head. "Not fighting—just a friendly match."

"Second Brother and Third Brother are competing to see who's better."

Seated on her brother's lap, Zhi Zhi rested her hands on his knees and gave a serious little nod.

"Second Brother and Third Brother are both amazing. Zhi Zhi likes Second Brother and Third Brother the most!"

Fu Jingyi chuckled softly.

His sister was so sweet and obedient—no wonder Fu Yuchen and Fu Siyuan were playing their hardest, both determined to win this match.

Who wouldn’t want to get some praise from their little sister?