037 Yi Siyu, a Cannon Fodder Character Awakens?

Old Master Shen felt like crying, his gaze turning to An’an for help. To his surprise, An’an simply turned around and ran off.

"Little heartless thing," Old Master Shen muttered. "The big one is overbearing, and the little one is completely unreliable."

"Grandfather, do you want me to feed you?" Shen Zhihan actually wanted to say "force-feed," but he feared that if he uttered that word, the old man would jump up and throttle him.

Old Master Shen felt bitter inside just smelling the medicine, and his smile was equally pained. He slapped his thigh and began to put on a performance, tears and snot flowing: "My dear wife, why did you leave so early? You left this lonely old man behind to endure the moods of our grandson every single day! Oh, my dear, why is my life so bitter?"

Shen Zhihan remained silent, watching him calmly as he put on his show.

Just then, An’an came running over like a whirlwind. She took out her little bag and held it high. "Great-grandfather, it’s not bitter. Your life is actually very sweet, really."

As she spoke, she pulled several candies from her bag. She had taken this little bag to kindergarten today, filled with sweets given to her by her classmates. She couldn't bear to eat them herself, saving them specifically for Shen Zhihan and Old Master Shen. Now that the old man had to take his medicine, they were put to perfect use.

An’an peeled a strawberry-flavored candy for him. The candy was a delicate, powdery pink, looking so delicious that no child could resist the temptation. "Great-grandfather, hurry and drink your medicine. Once you're done, An’an will feed you a candy." She struggled to pull her gaze away from the treat, already swallowing hard.

Old Master Shen’s heart was touched once again. He instinctively looked at Shen Zhihan. If Shen Zhihan hadn't been lost as a child, would he have been just as cute as An’an? Seeing An’an reminded him of Shen Zhihan, and he felt that in the process of raising her, he was somehow getting a chance to raise Shen Zhihan all over again.

With a look of resignation, as if facing his own doom, Old Master Shen picked up the medicine bowl, his hand trembling slightly.

An’an cheered him on from the side: "Great-grandfather, go for it! You’re the best!"

Old Master Shen wanted to tell the little milk bun to be quiet, as he was nearly choking. He downed the medicine in one gulp, and the very next second, An’an raised her hand and popped the fruit candy into his mouth.

A sweet flavor instantly spread across his palate. "Great-grandfather, is it sweet?"

Old Master Shen wanted to cry and laugh at the same time, nodding happily. "Sweet."

An’an peeled another one for Shen Zhihan, offering it to him like a precious treasure. "Daddy, you try one, too."

After taking his medicine, Shen Zhihan went to his study to work, while Old Master Shen stayed to read picture books with An’an.

***

That night, An’an slept soundly, but Yi Siyu suffered from nightmares, shouting in his sleep.

Qiu Hong did not go home. Instead, keeping it hidden from everyone, she settled Yi Siyu in a friend's house. Because he was born in the second half of the year, Yi Siyu would turn six in mid-September, yet he was still in middle kindergarten. This experience had left both mother and son terrified, and Qiu Hong stayed in the room with him throughout the night.

Qiu Hong was gathering evidence of Yi Tiancheng’s attempted murder of his own child, and the more she uncovered, the more horrified she became. It turned out that Yi Tiancheng had been cheating for a long time and even had an illegitimate son. That child went to the same kindergarten as Yi Siyu—how could they be so brazen!

Qiu Hong felt like killing him, but the more furious she became, the calmer she grew. She needed to collect enough evidence; she needed to transfer their assets as quickly as possible; she would make Yi Tiancheng lose everything and leave with nothing, ruining his reputation for good!

Hearing Yi Siyu’s terrified cries from his dream, Qiu Hong set aside her work and hurried to the bedside, holding his hand and wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Siyu, don't be afraid. Mommy is here. Mommy will protect you."

Yi Siyu jolted awake, sitting up and gasping for air. He was trying to digest everything he had seen in his dream. He had dreamed that he died, and his mother, overcome with grief, was struck by a car and lay in a pool of blood. His father had another child, not much younger than him, and another wife. They laughed wildly at his mother's grave, and then his maternal grandparents and uncle all died as well—everyone was gone. He dreamed his soul floated in the air, watching helplessly as his mother lay in blood, unable to touch her. He dreamed over and over of his mother being hit by a car, his grandparents dying of grief, and his uncle being crushed by falling bricks.

It was too horrific. Yi Siyu clung tightly to Qiu Hong. "Mommy, don't die. Don't die, you can't die."

Qiu Hong hugged her son back. Over the last seven days, Yi Siyu had only survived thanks to the care of the giant python; he was extremely weak, his shoulder blades protruding. Physical wounds would heal quickly, but the trauma to the soul could last a lifetime—some people never truly recover.

"Siyu, be a good boy. Mommy is here. Don't be afraid, Mommy won't die. Mommy still wants to watch Siyu grow up and do many things that Siyu likes."

The embrace of his mother was warm and comforting, and Yi Siyu gradually relaxed. *Yes, it was a dream, it must have been a dream.* A voice echoed in his mind—something about "cannon fodder" and him being a character in a book. He was too young to understand, but he would figure it out. In the end, he only remembered one thing: he had to hold onto An’an's leg tight.

Once he had cried enough, Yi Siyu asked, "Mommy, when can I go back to kindergarten? When can I go play with An’an?"

"Soon, just wait a little longer for me, half a month at the earliest. Siyu, there is something I want to ask you. That day, you and your father..."

To her surprise, Yi Siyu’s reaction was intense. "Mommy, he is not my father! He wanted to kill us! He wanted to kill you, and if you died, he would laugh!"

Qiu Hong felt a jolt of alarm and hurriedly felt his forehead—no fever. "Siyu, do you hate him that much?"

Yi Siyu hadn't understood it during those days, but he knew he hadn't fallen on his own; Yi Tiancheng had pushed him. He had been wondering why Yi Tiancheng would do such a thing, and if he had ever considered that he might die! Thinking of that dream and the inexplicable voice in his head, things that hadn't made sense before suddenly seemed clear. Yi Tiancheng wanted him dead so that the other child could take his place!

"Mom, he pushed me," Yi Siyu said calmly, his face blank.

Although she had suspected it, hearing Yi Siyu say it himself made Qiu Hong gasp, her heart aching as if pierced by a blade.

Yi Siyu continued with his expressionless face: "Mom, I had a nightmare—a terrifying one. The world we live in is a book, and I am a cannon fodder character who dies young. After I died, you were killed in a car accident. I saw them laughing—laughing hysterically at your grave. I saw Yi Tiancheng holding another woman and another child; they called him husband and father. Mom, I don't understand. Aren't we human? Aren't we living, breathing people? What kind of book character, what cannon fodder—I really don't understand."

Although Qiu Hong didn't read novels, she was an adult; she could grasp what Yi Siyu was saying, even if it sounded preposterous. The world was full of strange things. Some people would choose to send their children to mental institutions, while others would choose to stay by their side; even if they didn't believe it, they wouldn't assume the child was sick.

Qiu Hong was the latter. She looked at Yi Siyu in shock. If Shen Zhihan’s bodyguards hadn't intervened when she jumped today, she likely would never have found Yi Siyu. If it hadn't been for An’an, she probably wouldn't have found him either. She couldn't bear to think about it further.

Qiu Hong took a deep breath. "Siyu, don't let your imagination run wild. With Mom here, you will never be in danger."

"Mom, there’s a voice in my head telling me to hold onto An’an's leg. Mom, I like An’an. Can I let her be my little sister?"

Qiu Hong answered decisively: "Yes! A life-saving grace is impossible to repay, so we can only treat her like family. From now on, whatever we have, she will have a share!"

An’an, the subject of their conversation, had slept beautifully. Upon waking, Jiang Yue accompanied her to kindergarten. Ten minutes from the school, traffic slowed to a crawl, indicating an accident ahead. The car window rolled down, and An’an heard the chirping of little sparrows. She leaned out, as if she had discovered something. "Uncle Driver, please pull over. There’s a little kid in the bushes!"