Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Home life was joyful, and Lin Jiaxu absolutely loved his home.

He never hid this affection from his parents.

But for Xu Yinuan and Lin Cheng, a child who was quiet around outsiders yet "lively" with his parents was a bit much to handle.

As he grew up, while learning and absorbing everything from the outside world, Lin Jiaxu gradually let his inner child shine through.

His special abilities—his peculiar traits—often caused trouble for his parents.

Lin Jiaxu didn’t like other people in the house, whether it was the nanny or the housekeeper.

The house was so big that Lin Jiaxu always found spots to avoid them and play alone, as well as enjoy quality time alone with his parents.

Those were the times when he truly cut loose and played wildly.

For instance, he would occasionally fly his toy car through the air around the house, or the neatly arranged items would suddenly be completely rearranged overnight.

Sometimes, dolls and toys would suddenly appear dangling from the ceiling…

Using powers his parents couldn’t understand—like superpowers from cartoons—he would levitate objects.

Then, with a crash, everything would come tumbling down and shatter, and he wouldn’t know how to put them back.

At such times, the child would pretend nothing had happened, waddling on his short, chubby legs back to his bedroom to sleep.

These incidents almost turned into creepy, horror-movie scenarios at home.

Of course, the little culprit never meant to frighten anyone.

For example, the dolls on the ceiling were just Lin Jiaxu’s spur-of-the-moment idea—floating himself up to the ceiling and sticking toys there to imitate cartoon characters for fun.

Then, after wearing himself out, he would fall asleep, forgetting all about the toys still stuck to the ceiling.

Or when his mother remarked on how dreary winter was, he would, like an emperor trying to impress his queen, with a wave of his little hand use his abilities to make the garden instantly turn green and bloom with flowers.

God only knows, when Xu Yinuan first saw the house in disarray, she was wondering who'd be bored enough.

Who would stick toys to the ceiling? Who would break everything in the house…?

She almost thought someone had broken into the house, but upon closer inspection, everything was still there—just broken.

Before checking the surveillance footage, it never occurred to her that it could be her quiet child. After all, who would expect a child who had just learned to crawl to climb onto the ceiling?

But following her instincts, she instinctively had the house tidied up without calling the police.

It wasn’t until the winter when Lin Jiaxu was three, and the garden flowers sprouted and bloomed overnight, that she finally put two and two together.

Trembling, Xu Yinuan and Lin Cheng checked the surveillance footage and finally understood that all the mischief at home was the work of this little rascal.

At two or three years old, just starting to run and jump, Lin Jiaxu was like most children—into everything.

Honestly, when Xu Yinuan and Lin Cheng first discovered this from the surveillance footage, they didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"This child, I really don’t know what to say about him…"

Lin Cheng said with a sigh, "Is this how superpowers are supposed to be used?"

If Lin Jiaxu had truly malicious intentions, Lin Cheng might have been able to come down hard on him. But the child was just being a playful kid, and no one had taught him not to use his abilities this way.

It was also at that time that Lin Cheng truly lowered his guard a bit toward Lin Jiaxu.

Although the child had extraordinary abilities beyond his parents’ expectations, they both came to realize that, regardless of what Lin Jiaxu originally was, his behavior was that of a genuine child.

He played like an ordinary child and wanted his parents’ approval, though he expressed it subtly.

Xu Yinuan and Lin Cheng were really touched.

They helplessly watched the surveillance footage, shook their heads and laughed, and carefully saved the videos to their phones and family archives. Then, they quietly adjusted the home surveillance permissions.

From then on, only the two of them stopped being surprised by the strange occurrences at home.

Although they now knew who was behind these incidents, Xu Yinuan and Lin Cheng didn’t let their guard down or go easy on the lessons. In fact, they became even stricter because of his displayed abilities.

Of course, Lin Jiaxu was clever.

The child seemed to sense that his parents would cover for him and hide his peculiarities, so he let it all hang out in front of them.

As long as he was at home, his behavior became wild and free than when he was outside.

If there were no outsiders around, it was his time to cause mischief.

Sometimes, Xu Yinuan and Lin Cheng would see Lin Jiaxu "whoosh" past them right before their eyes.

Xu Yinuan had to admire her own nerve—the child didn’t bother hiding his uniqueness at all…

Because of this, Lin Cheng had to put on his stern father act.

He had to teach Lin Jiaxu to keep himself in check and not display his abilities in front of outsiders or in public.

He emphasized that even at home, he shouldn’t reveal his abilities in front of others.

Lin Jiaxu could tell that his parents were sincerely teaching him, so he took their words seriously.

Then, as soon as there were no outsiders at home, he would resume his mischievous antics.

Xu Yinuan couldn’t bring herself to punish him and would let it slide after a few words. Lin Cheng wanted to scold him, and Lin Jiaxu would listen obediently—though it went in one ear and out the other.

"I heard, but I didn’t remember."

He guaranteed he would do it again, completely unapologetic.

It infuriated Lin Cheng to the point of wanting to spank the child, but with Xu Yinuan’s protection, there was nothing he could do.

Xu Yinuan often watched with amusement, because Lin Jiaxu’s actions were never dangerous. She delighted in seeing the father and son’s playful back-and-forth.

Lin Cheng said the child wasn’t close to him.

Lin Jiaxu also said Lin Cheng was stern, strict, and critical—he didn’t like Lin Cheng.

But in Xu Yinuan’s eyes, they were clearly very close.

Because of their implicit trust and love, Lin Cheng sincerely treated Lin Jiaxu as his own child and guided him, and Lin Jiaxu felt safe enough to play freely in their presence.

Xu Yinuan’s eyes crinkled with gentle smiles, her gaze tenderly lingering on the father and son.

But did Lin Jiaxu truly not understand amidst all the playful moments?

He understood everything.

Even though he still hadn't called Lin Cheng "father" or revealed his truest self, the love and care from his parents made him subconsciously understand that home was a safe place.

That’s why he could play so freely at home and increasingly refused to hide himself in front of them.

He understood this better than anyone else.

These were the heartwarming moments unseen by the housekeeper and Butler Grandpa.

*

When Lin Cheng woke up and saw the faint smile on his sleeping wife’s lips, he was momentarily mesmerized—it felt like he hadn’t experienced such tranquility in a long time.

Lin Cheng paused, not waking his wife.

He washed up, changed clothes, and went to Lin Jiaxu’s room. Walking quietly, he padded to the bedside and looked at the child sleeping peacefully.

Asleep, Lin Jiaxu looked like a genuine child—so soft, so adorable.

Gazing at him like this, a part of Lin Cheng’s heart slowly softened, and he even felt reluctant to wake him.

After watching for a while, he gently placed his broad, warm hand on Lin Jiaxu’s cheek and said in a slightly stern voice, "Time to get up, the sun's burning your bottom!"

Lin Jiaxu stirred, opening his sleepy eyes. Before he was fully awake, Lin Cheng withdrew his hand.

Rubbing his eyes, Lin Jiaxu saw it was Lin Cheng.

Lin Cheng said, "Hurry up, brush your teeth, wash your face, and come downstairs for breakfast. Understood?"

"Oh," Lin Jiaxu nodded slowly.

After Lin Cheng left the room, Lin Jiaxu yawned and slowly got out of bed.

Xu Yinuan wasn't feeling well and tended to sleep longer, so only the two of them were at the dining table.

Lin Cheng had already finished eating and had cleared his dishes, waiting for Lin Jiaxu to finish.

Perhaps due to the subtle easing of their relationship the day before, Lin Cheng felt a sudden surge of what could be called fatherly affection. He didn’t want to be as stern and distant as before and didn’t rush Lin Jiaxu, instead watching him eat slowly.

Lin Cheng kept a stern face, and Lin Jiaxu had no idea what he was thinking, but he wasn’t afraid of his dark expression at all. Relaxed, he ate bite by bite.

The only sound at the table was from Lin Jiaxu’s bowl and utensils, but Lin Cheng wasn't bothered at all.

After a while, Lin Jiaxu put down his chopsticks and spoon, wiped his mouth, and said, "I’m full."

Lin Cheng nodded. "Mm, go get your book of ancient poems and recite in the yard for a while."

This was part of his daily morning routine, and Lin Jiaxu was used to it.

But he looked up and asked curiously, "Aren’t we reading the criminal law text today?"

At home, an entire bookshelf was filled with various law books. It was unclear what Lin Cheng was worried about, but civil law and constitutional law were temporarily set aside in favor of criminal law, which he had Lin Jiaxu study first. Every day, Lin Jiaxu would read a small chapter of it before moving on to other books.

Lin Cheng’s face tightened slightly. He couldn’t bring himself to admit that, after all these years, he had finally discovered a hint of paternal love in himself.

He sternly said, "Just read what you’re told. Why ask so many questions? Hurry up!"

"Oh."

Lin Jiaxu found his temper inexplicable but still turned to fetch the book.

Lin Jiaxu quickly returned, bouncing as he brought the book. "Got it."

"Where did we leave off last time?"

Lin Jiaxu opened the book. He picked up characters quickly and recognized many words. "The third poem."

Lin Cheng said, "Mm, review it yourself first."

"The reeds are lush, white dew turns to frost. The one I desire is on the other side of the water…"

The clear, bright voice of the child echoed in the yard. Whenever this happened, Butler Grandpa and the housekeeper found it curious.

You might think the child was ill, yet he read well and communicated without problems with his parents.

But when facing others, Lin Jiaxu would fall silent, staring straight at you until you couldn’t take it and retreated.

What’s more, his parents showed no interest in encouraging him to communicate with others, aside from assigning him plenty of daily lessons.

It was as if they weren’t worried about the child’s future social life.

It was all very strange.

The housekeeper watched and shook her head.

She couldn’t understand it, truly couldn’t, and if not for her decent professional standards, she might have gossiped about it.

Who teaches a child like this? It’s simply completely irresponsible.

"My power could uproot mountains, my spirit overwhelmed the world. But the times were against me, and my steed refuses to advance…"

The child continued reciting the next ancient poem.

"Mm, well read. This poem was written by a hero of the Qin and Han dynasties named Xiang Yu. It means…"

When Xu Yinuan woke and came downstairs, she saw this scene: her husband sitting with their child at the stone table in the yard, one listening attentively, the other explaining seriously.

She quietly approached and saw a light in her husband’s eyes—both content and proud, as if thrilled to have such a bright and clever child.

She paused, her heart twinging slightly. So her husband wasn’t untouched after all.

All these years, they had thought their defenses remained strong, both stubbornly refusing to yield. But the child’s presence had gradually permeated their lives and everything about them.

The child, cold in front of outsiders yet lively and mischievous with them, had long since made them let their guard down. They would worry and feel anxiety for him, feel sorrow and heartache for him, and also take joy in his happiness.

Xu Yinuan quietly returned to the house, sat at the dining table, and smiled at the housekeeper who had set out utensils.

As she ate, listening to the voices of her child and husband outside, a smile unconsciously formed on her lips.

Xu Yinuan didn’t want to disturb the bond between father and son at that moment. She wanted to let them have a little more time together.

She was greedy—after tasting a moment of happiness, she always wanted just a bit more. In her heart, she wished for them to become a real family of three.

She treasured this peace and happiness.