Traveling Through the Book and Becoming a Cub Among the Villains - Chapter 43
“But Xi,” the teacher said gently, “you’re so focused on supervising your little uncle’s studies, how come you’re not keeping an eye on your own? When are you going to stop falling asleep in class?”
Ye Qingxi, “.…”
He felt a bit helpless. It really wasn’t his fault, first-grade material was just way, way too easy. He got sleepy just listening to it. It was practically involuntary.
“You’re desk mates with Pei Liang, right? Look at him, he never sleeps in class.”
Ye Qingxi nodded. That was true. Pei Liang, despite his young age, already had the makings of a future academic overachiever. He was so self-disciplined his parents didn’t even need to nag him, he nagged himself. And sometimes his friends, too.
Even Ye Qingxi had been pulled aside for heartfelt conversations by Pei Liang more than once, worried that his smart little brain would go to waste if he didn’t study hard.
“If this keeps up,” the teacher continued, using her kindest tone, “what if Pei Liang gets 100 on the midterm, and you only get 60? Wouldn’t that be a shame?”
Ye Qingxi, “???”
60?! Even with his eyes closed, he could get 100!
“I’ll get 100, too,” Ye Qingxi said without hesitation.
Homeroom teacher, “?????”
Did he just say… what score?
“You think you can get 100, too?”
“Mm-hmm.” Ye Qingxi nodded seriously.
The teacher smiled, amused, “Getting 100 isn’t that easy, you know.”
“I can still do it,” Ye Qingxi replied, looking her in the eye, “I fall asleep in class because the things you’re teaching are way too simple. I already know it all, so I get sleepy listening.”
Oh? The teacher was intrigued. Given Ye Qingxi’s background, it wasn’t entirely impossible, maybe his family had hired private tutors and taught him ahead of schedule. She didn’t fully believe him, but she didn’t disbelieve him either.
“Well then,” she said, “we’ll see after the midterm.”
“If you really do know everything, then I won’t say anything if you nap in class. But if it turns out you don’t know it all… no more sleeping, okay?”
Ye Qingxi nodded confidently, “Don’t worry, teacher, I really do know everything.”
Is that so? The homeroom teacher mulled it over. Well, the midterms were only a month away. She’d find out soon enough if what he said was true or not.
“Alright, you can head back to class,” she said, “But as for your little uncle, maybe let his father handle it instead of you.”
“That won’t work,” Ye Qingxi shook his head.
He had the patience to remind to send a photo every 20 minutes. His grandpa? Definitely not. Mu Shaoyan was at that classic rebellious teenastage, what he needed most was patience. If his grandfather took over and they ended up fighting, wouldn’t that derail his entire college entrance exam?
“My little uncle is willing to send me photos, but that doesn’t mean he’d do the same for his dad. Senior year is too critical to mess around. He needs to be handled gently. If you suddenly swap who’s supervising him, it could all fall apart,” Ye Qingxi said sincerely.
The homeroom teacher, “..…”
You know about that, too?! You even know about “handling gently” and “all efforts wasted”?! And what do you mean “he’s willing to send you photos, but not to his dad”? What kind of dynamic is this?! You can manage him, but his dad can’t?
What kind of upside-down uncle-nephew, father-son logic is this?
The teacher leaned in, suspicious, “Ye Qingxi, what do you watch at home?”
How do you know so much?!
Ye Qingxi, “…..”
“TV, movies, books,” he quickly added, “All those things I said, I learned them from TV.”
The homeroom teacher nodded. Ah, that explains it.
Still, kids these days really were getting more and more precocious. Not like when she was young, no internet, limited television. Back then, a few kids would just group up to play or read. Now? Kids had access to everything online, things they should know and things they definitely shouldn’t.
Just like Ye Qingxi, he even knew that senior year was not to be taken lightly. This level of awareness… he’s miles ahead of his peers!
“Alright then,” the teacher finally relented. After all, senior year was indeed critical, “But you’re only allowed to use your smartwatch to supervise your little uncle, no other distractions, okay?”
Ye Qingxi nodded, “Mm-hmm.”
“Go on, then,” the teacher said with a smile.
Now she was really looking forward to Ye Qingxi’s midterm results. With a brain like his, surely he’d score very well, right?
Pei Liang, Zhong Yan, and Kang Cong were hiding just outside the office. The moment they saw Ye Qingxi come out, they immediately swarmed around him.
“What happened? Why did the teacher call you in?” they asked with concern.
“It’s nothing,” Ye Qingxi said, “She saw me using my smartwatch during class to get photos from my uncle, so she asked me why I was playing with it. I explained, and she let me go.”
The three of them breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good, then.”
Looking at their worried faces, Ye Qingxi couldn’t help but feel warm inside. His little friends really were adorable.
“Let’s go back to class,” he said.
And to avoid the problem of choosing who to hold hands with, Ye Qingxi simply took off running. The other three immediately chased after him, and the four of them jogged back to class together.
It was Friday. As soon as school was out, Ye Qingxi returned home and saw already there.
After dinner, Mu Shaoyan also came back.
“You’re home pretty early today,” Mu Shaoting commented casually.
Mu Shaoyan, “..…”
Ye Qingxi, …Well, if he doesn’t need to go get his hair washed, of course he can come home early.
Just thinking about how Mu Shaoyan came home late every Friday just to wash out that ridiculous red hair made Ye Qingxi feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Mu Shaoyan ignored Mu Shaoting and asked Auntie Zhang to cook him another serving of dumplings.
“Xiao Xi, here,” he said after that, opening his backpack and pulling out a paper bag of candy.
“I’ve tried all of these, they’re really good. I didn’t buy the ones that didn’t taste good.” He handed the kraft paper bag to Ye Qingxi.
Ye Qingxi took it and gave it a quick scan, there were around 7 or 8 varieties inside.
“Thanks, Uncle.”
“What about me?” Mu Shaoting looked at her younger brother, “Don’t I get any?”
Mu Shaoyan, …He’d only remembered his adorable little nephew and completely forgotten he had a sister, too.
Mu Shaoting bristled, “You’re done for, Mu Shaoyan! I’m never spoiling you again!”
Ye Qingxi quickly pushed the bag of candy toward her, “Auntie, pick whichever one you like, you eat first.”
Mu Shaoting instantly calmed down. She gently patted Ye Qingxi’s little face with a soft, mushy tone, “Our little Xiao Xi is still the sweetest, he knows how to take care of his aunt.”
, “…..”
“You just finished eating, don’t talk in that nauseating tone.”
Mu Shaoting, “????”
She grabbed a pillow and hurled it straight at Mu Shaowu.
Ye Qingxi quietly took a step back to avoid getting hit by mistake.
“Uncle, how was school today?” Ye Qingxi tugged at Mu Shaoyan and motioned for him to bend down, whispering in his ear.
“Same as usual,” Mu Shaoyan replied.
“Did you pay attention in class?”
Mu Shaoyan, “…..”
One look at his guilty expression, and Ye Qingxi knew he hadn’t.
“You were already sitting in the classroom and still didn’t listen?”
Mu Shaoyan scratched his head awkwardly, then quickly pulled out his phone to change the subject, “Xiao Xi, look! I made you a meme sticker, cute, right?”
Ye Qingxi, “????”
Ye Qingxi looked down at the phone, good grief, it was full of his selfies.
Things like, “Secretly watching,” “Kawaii~,” “Your little baby suddenly appears,” “I’m here,” “Yay,” “You got this”—all dolled up in pastel pinks, unbearably cutesy.
Was I sending you those photos so you could turn them into memes?! Did I ask you to stay in class, so you’d have time to make stickers of me?!
“Starting next week, Uncle, when you’re sitting in the classroom… could you maybe listen to the lessons a bit?”
Mu Shaoyan, “Xiao Xi, which sticker do you like best?”
Ye Qingxi, “..…”
He slapped a hand over Mu Shaoyan’s phone, “I’m talking to you about studying, not about stickers.”
“Then… should we go back to talking about the stickers instead?” Mu Shaoyan asked, entirely sincere.
Ye Qingxi, …Are you planning to take a sticker-making exam for the college entrance test?!
He had a headache.
Turning a middle-school-drama king into a top-scoring senior student was definitely not easy. The revolution is far from success, comrade, you must keep working hard!
“I don’t care, next week you have to pay attention in class.” Ye Qingxi’s tone was firm.
Mu Shaoyan, …uhhh.
“And also…” Ye Qingxi added.
Mu Shaoyan, “?????”
There’s more?
“Send me a copy of those meme stickers.” Ye Qingxi turned his head away, refusing to look at him.
“No problem!” Mu Shaoyan instantly lit up with joy.
Didn’t I say they were cute?! Even the model himself approves!
Mu Shaoyan was thoroughly pleased with himself.
Of course, the real reason was that their little Xiao Xi was just so adorable~
Thinking that, he couldn’t help but pinch Ye Qingxi’s cheek again. Too cute.
On Saturday, took Ye Qingxi out as promised to meet the person who would be teaching them martial arts.
To make learning easier, Ye Qingxi had even changed into a full athletic outfit.
When they arrived, Ye Qingxi realized it was a gym.
Their coach was named Kuang Jie, around 30, a former soldier who had now retired from service.
As soon as he saw Mu Feng, he greeted respectfully, “Uncle Mu.”
Mu Feng nodded and said, “These are the kids.”
“Understood,” Kuang Jie replied.
With that, Mu Feng handed the children over and went to sit on the sidelines, leaving things in the coach’s hands.
Kuang Jie looked over the group of little ones and had them start with some warm-up exercises, then told them to begin running laps.
Ye Qingxi, “????”
Even this requires running?!
He had no choice but to start chugging along. But once they began, the gap became obvious.
Qin , being the oldest and in the best shape, immediately took the lead with ease. Kang Cong followed closely behind Qin Cheng. Then came Zhong Yan and Pei Liang, keeping pace just behind Kang Cong.
As for Ye Qingxi, he slowly lagged behind as he kept running.
Ye Qingxi, …Who’d believe I’m actually 18 right now?!
By the time had finished two laps and started his third, he finally noticed his little brother was falling far behind.
Surprised, he slowed down on purpose and waited for Ye Qingxi.
“How come you’re running so slow?” Qin Cheng asked, jogging beside him.
Ye Qingxi gave him a pitiful look, it’s not like he wanted to be slow!
Qin Cheng melted instantly under that gaze, “I’ll run with you.”
“No need,” Ye Qingxi muttered.
“It’s fine,” Qin Cheng said gently, trying to comfort him.
Not long after, Pei Liang and the others caught up. Seeing Ye Qingxi’s situation, they all gave up on competing and just jogged alongside him.
Mu Feng, “…..”
Kuang Jie, “…..”
Kuang Jie clapped his hands, “Keep running, don’t bunch up into a group!”
Ye Qingxi, hearing that, quickly turned to his friends and Qin Cheng, “You really don’t have to stay with me.”
He paused, then added, “Actually, I’ll want some water in a bit. Whoever runs fastest, help me grab a bottle and open it, okay?”
The very next second “whoosh!” Qin Cheng shot forward like an arrow.
Ye Qingxi, “????”
That wasn’t a command to sprint like your life depends on it!
Seeing this, Pei Liang immediately launched forward, too.
Right behind him, Kang Cong and Zhong Yan also dashed ahead.
Ye Qingxi, “…..”
Watching their swift and energetic movements, Ye Qingxi could only look on with envy.
After three laps, Ye Qingxi sat down on a chair, slowly catching his breath. The training hall wasn’t large, so although three laps left him tired, it was still within the physical limits for kids their age. So he was just winded, not exhausted.
As he panted, a bottle of water was suddenly offered to him.
He was just about to reach for it when another one appeared. And then another. In no time, three bottles formed a near half-circle in front of him.
Ye Qingxi, “…..”
Now which one was he supposed to drink? Whichever he chose, the others might feel awkward.
So, he turned to Mu Feng, “Grandpa, do you have any hot water?”
Mu Feng handed him his insulated thermos, “Drink it slowly, small sips,” he instructed.
Ye Qingxi nodded, sipping little by little.
With warm water in his stomach and half an hour’s rest, Ye Qingxi soon perked back up, full of energy.
Seeing they were all recovered, Kuang Jie finally spoke, “Next, we’ll practice horse stance.”
He said, “When we’re on a bus and it suddenly brakes, people who are standing tend to sway or even fall over, right?”
Zhong Yan shook his head, “I don’t ride the bus.”
“I don’t either,” Kang Cong added.
Kuang Jie, “……”
Ye Qingxi, “……”
Ye Qingxi raised his hand and covered his little friend’s mouth.
Now is not the time for you to say something like that!
“Mm-hmm.” Ye Qingxi nodded along cooperatively, “That’s right.”
Kuang Jie gave him a grateful look and continued, “That’s because our center of gravity is unstable and our sense of balance is weak. So we need to practice horse stance first. This will not only lay a solid foundation for our future martial arts training but also help strengthen our bodies and improve our physical fitness.”
Ye Qingxi nodded along again, “Mm-hmm.”
“Come on, I’ll teach everyone how to do a horse stance,” Kuang Jie said, stepping forward.
Ye Qingxi already knew how. He had learned it before during filming.
So, after Kuang Jie finished demonstrating, Ye Qingxi stood up and quickly assumed a horse stance that looked pretty decent.
“Very good.” Kuang Jie made a few small adjustments to his posture, “That’s a very well-executed stance.”
Ye Qingxi, Heehee.
But he soon stopped heehee-ing.
Because during filming, he only needed to make sure his movements looked correct, no one asked him to hold the stance for any length of time.
But Kuang Jie did.
He somehow pulled out an incense stick, broke it in half, and said, “Since this is our first time practicing, we’ll just hold the stance for half a stick of incense.”
Ye Qingxi, “……”
Half a stick? That’s like 10 to 15 minutes? Why not just use a stopwatch instead? Did it really have to be this ceremonial?
“Oh.” Ye Qingxi replied.
The five of them quickly spread out and got into their horse stances.
First minute — Ye Qingxi thought, So easy!
One and a half minutes in — Ye Qingxi thought, Piece of cake!
Second minute — Ye Qingxi thought, I can still hold on.
Third minute — With a loud “thud”, Ye Qingxi, unable to hold it anymore, lost his balance and landed squarely on his butt.
Zhong Yan let out a “pfft” of laughter. Ye Qingxi turned to look at him. Zhong Yan immediately wiped the smile off his face and put on a serious expression.
Ye Qingxi brushed the dust off the back pocket of his pants, stood up, and got back into the stance.
Just as he was practicing, Mu Feng’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and walked out to take the call.
Soon after, Kuang Jie also stepped out to use the restroom.
Before leaving, he didn’t forget to remind them, “Keep practicing properly. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay,” Ye Qingxi replied.
As soon as he left, Zhong Yan quickly turned to Ye Qingxi and tried to redeem himself, “Xiao Xi, you okay?”
Ye Qingxi, “Still holding on.”
“I’ll help you.”
Ye Qingxi, “????”
He looked at Zhong Yan in confusion, how was he going to help?
The next second, he saw Zhong Yan stand up, run over to a nearby table, puff up his little cheeks, and start blowing hard at the burning incense stick.
Ye Qingxi, “!!!!!”
Seeing this, Kang Cong quickly ran to the other side and joined in, imitating Zhong Yan and blowing with all his might.
“Hoo—” “Hoo—” The two of them were blowing like their lives depended on it.
Ye Qingxi, “……”
The real top student of the group, study overlord, strict rule enforcer, and the kind of person who pushes not only himself but also his friends.
Pei Liang, “……”
Pei Liang squeezed his eyes shut tightly, pretending not to see a thing.
What else could he do? It’s not like he could just sit there and watch Ye Qingxi fall on his butt again!
Qin Cheng, “…..”
Qin Cheng quietly looked toward the door, keeping an eye on any movement outside, ready to give Zhong Yan and Kang Cong a timely warning if needed.
Ye Qingxi, “……”
How to put it? For their first time teaming up, they were already this in sync, that’s honestly impressive!
If only they weren’t working together to help him cheat, it would’ve been even better.
Author’s Note:
Xiaoxi: Help me, I really don’t need you to help me like this!
Zhong Yan: Don’t worry, Xiaoxi, you won’t have to do it soon.
Xiaoxi: …
[Small drama]
Current head teacher: He should be able to pass the exam, right?
Future head teacher: I doubt I have taught a genius.
Storyteller CloudyPastels's Words
Translator:nOmg they are cute~n