Chapter 16: A Little Scholar Has Arrived

Old Master Jin saw that Chengcheng and Tiantian were as cute as little snowballs. They had round little faces, big eyes, and their small arms and legs were white and chubby, looking just like little glutinous rice balls. They were incredibly adorable.

"Quick, quick, quick, let me hold them."

Old people love babies, and Old Master Jin was no exception.

He used both hands to pick up Chengcheng and Tiantian simultaneously, his technique practiced and skillful.

Held in his arms, Chengcheng wasn't shy at all. Instead, she stared at him with wide eyes, trying to recall who he was.

In her past life, there did seem to be a family surnamed Jin that had a very good relationship with her grandfather.

However, back then she had been obsessed with studying and had no interest in social circles or family connections.

Because of that, she didn't know these people very well.

Seeing that she wasn't shy and was even looking at him with those big eyes, Old Master Jin was in a very good mood.

"This child is quite bold; she's comparable to Wen Ting when he was little."

Old Master Chi nodded in agreement. "Yes, this child is bold, quite similar to Wen Ting."

Chengcheng looked at the old man in surprise. She hadn't expected him to refrain from telling his old friend that she wasn't the Chi family's granddaughter; instead, he acted as if he were truly about to announce to the world that she and Tiantian were twins.

She felt a bit overwhelmed by the favor. After all, in her past life, she had arrived at the Chi family a bit late, so this hadn't happened.

She hadn't expected that with this rebirth, the plot points seemed to have changed slightly.

What Chengcheng didn't know was that in her past life, Old Master Chi had also wanted to recognize the two children as twins.

But because Chengcheng had already been old enough to remember things when she arrived at the Chi family in her previous life, and because the paternity test had been forged, both she and the Chi family had mistakenly believed she wasn't the real heiress.

Therefore, being adopted and treated warmly by the Chi family in the first place had filled her with gratitude, and she wouldn't have been greedy for more.

Even if Old Master Chi had intended to recognize her as his biological granddaughter, she might not have agreed.

However, since Chengcheng was unaware of this, she felt a small sense of being moved by the old man's actions.

After all, for prominent families, recognizing blood relatives was a very rigorous process.

Even adopting a child required a family meeting.

Yet, the old man didn't seem to care about such things, naturally introducing her to others.

"Fanmo, this is your little sister. Say hello to her."

The more Old Master Jin looked at Chengcheng, the more he liked her. He smiled and asked his grandson to greet her.

Only five years old, Jin Fanmo was elegant and handsome, looking like the type of intelligent boy one would expect.

He walked over, looked at Chengcheng—who looked like a doll in Old Master Jin's arms—and nodded appreciatively.

"Little sister is very cute."

Much cuter than the little troublemaker sisters at home.

Old Master Chi laughed heartily. "The other one is Tiantian."

Jin Fanmo also glanced at Tiantian, but Tiantian, being shy, reached out her small hands and whimpered, wanting Old Master Chi to hold her.

Old Master Chi smiled and brought her over. "Tiantian is shy and wary of strangers."

Jin Fanmo nodded maturely. "It's okay, all children are like that."

He was himself only a five-year-old child, yet his precocious remark made both old men laugh.

Old Lady Chi brought over many fruits and snacks.

She asked Jin Fanmo what he liked to eat.

"Let's see if there's anything you like."

On the plate were handmade cakes, handmade beef jerky, and handmade dried fruits—all made by Old Lady Chi herself.

Jin Fanmo took a piece of beef jerky. "This is fine."

Old Lady Chi liked him very much and brought him many more toys.

However, Jin Fanmo spoke like a little adult, saying he didn't play with toys and preferred to accompany the elders in conversation.

Old Lady Chi was surprised. "This child is truly well-behaved."

Old Master Jin laughed. "He's just precocious. He doesn't like playing with other children either; he spends his days reading and doing experiments, wanting to go to school every single day."

The Jin family had genes for academic excellence; the whole family consisted of high achievers.

Jin Fanmo had loved reading since he was a baby, and by the time he entered kindergarten, he was proactively asking to learn characters.

Now, he not only recognized characters but could write them, and his schoolwork far exceeded that of a third-grader.

Hearing how amazing the child was, Old Master Chi clicked his tongue in great admiration.

"Then will Fanmo be attending primary school on our side in the future?"

Old Master Jin nodded. "Yes, once the house renovation is finished, we'll send him to school."

Old Master Chi, however, said, "Newly renovated houses all have formaldehyde. I think it's better if you move into my house first. It's better for the child's health."

"Didn't there be news a few years ago saying a child developed leukemia not long after moving into a new home?"

"Modern renovations aren't as simple as they were in our era; they're full of chemicals."

"Your old residence is also far from the school. Why don't you just move here for now?"

"If you don't like living together, that villa next door has been renovated for several years, and the ventilation has long since cleared everything out. You and your grandson can move in there first."

Old Master Jin originally didn't want to trouble them.

But upon hearing that formaldehyde in a new house could harm a child's health, he hesitated.

"This... won't it be too much trouble for you?"

Old Master Chi slapped his thigh. "What are you saying? We're life-and-death friends. It's just a temporary stay. Don't overthink it."

"If you're really concerned, you can make up for it by having your Fanmo tutor my two granddaughters in their studies in the future."

Old Master Chi's words left Old Master Jin speechless. "Alright, alright, alright. I'll listen to you then. We'll stay next door to your house for now."

"If it turns out to be suitable, I'll just buy it directly; I'd be even happier living there. Hahaha~"

Seeing that he was still worried about being a burden, Old Master Chi said

"Fine. Since you want to live with peace of mind, I'll sell the villa next door to you. It's sitting empty anyway."

Old Master Jin hadn't expected him to be truly willing to sell. "Are you sure? This location is excellent; the price will go up in the future."

Old Master Chi laughed. "What's the big deal? I own this entire residential area. Selling you one villa won't be a loss. Don't worry."

Old Master Jin was very happy. "Alright, then sell me one villa first. Let's go handle the paperwork in a bit, otherwise, I won't be able to live there with a settled mind."

Knowing his friend was someone who disliked troubling others, Old Master Chi immediately sent the butler to handle the paperwork.

Since the transfer of ownership required the individuals to be present, the two old men went together.

They left Jin Fanmo, Chengcheng, and Tiantian to play at home.

Jin Fanmo had intended to go along as well.

But Old Master Jin, intending for Chengcheng and Tiantian to become friends, told him, "Help Grandpa Chi look after your two little sisters. We'll be back in a bit. Be good, and Grandpa will buy you some textbooks tonight."

Upon hearing the mention of textbooks, Jin Fanmo finally quieted down.

"Okay, then Grandpa, please come back early."

Old Master Jin patted his head and went out.

This left Jin Fanmo, Chengcheng, and Tiantian staring at each other.

Tiantian was shy and hid directly behind Chengcheng, not daring to come out.

Chengcheng, on the other hand, stared intently at this little young master with her big eyes.

She remembered now.

This little boy had also come to the Chi family in her past life; back then, he had also come with Old Master Jin.

It was said that this boy was a child prodigy.

Back when she was in primary school, this academic genius had already skipped from middle school to high school and started university at sixteen.

At that time, the students at school most admired this "God of Learning."

It was just that back then, her personality had suddenly changed drastically, abandoning her usual composure and acting out every day as if she were possessed, so she hadn't paid attention to outside affairs.

She hadn't expected that in this lifetime, she would actually get to see the "God of Learning" in his childhood.

(End of Chapter)