Chapter Eight: Is Talking Nonsense Just Blowing Hot Air?

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Shen Jin’an had never encountered a male manipulator like this before. She had initially wanted to observe more closely, but upon hearing the last sentence, she couldn’t help but retort, “Li Li’s excellence comes from his intelligence and hard work. What does that have to do with you? Stop flattering yourself.”

Teacher Wang’s face turned ashen with anger at Shen Jin’an’s words. He glared resentfully at her, then looked at Gu Yichao with a mix of hope and grievance, expecting this benefactor to stand up for him.

But to his dismay, after hearing Shen Jin’an, Gu Yichao’s gaze swept over the tear-streaked Li Li in her arms and nodded approvingly. When he looked back at Teacher Wang, his eyes had grown noticeably colder.

“Fine, fine, you’re ganging up on me! If word of this gets out, I want to see which teacher would dare to teach Gu Li!”

Gu Yichao ignored the powerless and furious Teacher Wang, turning to Shen Jin’an instead. “What exactly happened?”

The noise was so loud it hurt Shen Jin’an’s ears, so she immediately played the recording she had just made.

The unscrupulous teacher stubbornly insisted that this was his teaching method. Gu Yichao then summoned security and had the man escorted out.

At last, the villa returned to calm.

“How’s Gu Li?”

Shen Jin’an listened to the faint little snores by her ear. The little one was sleeping soundly but still furrowed his brows slightly, as if uneasy even in his dreams.

“Cried himself to sleep just now. By the way, was this really the teacher you found? So unreliable.”

Shen Jin’an recalled the system’s earlier description: had she not discovered the situation in time, Gu Li might have lived under that psychological manipulation for a long time. Even after leaving the teacher, such a mindset would continue to torment him.

Gu Yichao was silent for a moment, a shadow flickering in his eyes. “A relative recommended him.”

“Better watch out for that relative.”

Seeing Shen Jin’an cradle Gu Li and prepare to leave, Gu Yichao’s eyes shifted slightly. Suddenly, he said, “Recording is a good habit.”

Shen Jin’an nodded in agreement. If she hadn’t developed that habit in her past life, she would have been framed countless times in the workplace.

“Oh, there’s a warm bowl of preserved egg and lean pork congee for you in the kitchen. Remember to eat it.”

Gu Yichao was momentarily stunned, then looked after Shen Jin’an’s departing figure. “Thank you.”

After settling Gu Li, the deluxe thick latex mattress Shen Jin’an had purchased was delivered.

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Lying on the spacious two-meter-wide luxury bed, with a recently released horror film projected on the ceiling, Shen Jin’an sighed contentedly, “This is life.”

At this time in her previous life, she would probably still be in the office, painfully clutching her thinning hair while rushing to finish a pointless PowerPoint demanded by her boss.

[A better surprise awaits: the bonuses for your two tasks have been credited to your account.]

Shen Jin’an’s drowsiness from the horror movie instantly vanished. She sprang up to check her bank balance.

Seeing the long string of zeros, she hugged her phone happily and flopped back onto the bed, grinning foolishly.

Excited, she watched three horror films in a row before finally falling asleep—and slept until after noon the next day.

Shen Jin’an strolled slowly to Gu Li’s bedroom door, her mind still lingering on the drama from yesterday.

After such a big ordeal, she wondered if it had left any psychological scars on the little one.

She raised her hand and gently knocked on the door.

“I’m coming!”

The child’s tender voice came from inside. Within seconds, the door slowly opened, revealing an empty room. Shen Jin’an looked down and saw a gas cylinder about knee-high.

Gu Li lifted his fair little face, and when he saw Shen Jin’an, he widened his round eyes, a flicker of panic crossing his features.

“Wait for me a moment!”

Before Shen Jin’an could say anything, the door, barely opened, slammed shut with ruthless speed.

Shen Jin’an hadn’t expected Gu Li to be so young and already have secrets of his own. Though curious, she was a good stepmother who respected her child’s privacy.

She touched her nose and leisurely leaned against the doorframe to wait.

Rustling sounds came from inside, like a little hamster hiding something.

When Gu Li opened the door again, Shen Jin’an crouched down and winked mischievously, “There’s nothing you’re hiding from me now, right?”

The little one puffed out his chest proudly. “Nothing!”

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Shen Jin’an was charmed by this earnest, honest child. She scooped Gu Li into her arms and entered the room. “Did you have a bad dream last night, Li Li?”

Gu Li’s large eyes glanced awkwardly aside, his long lashes fluttering like little fans. “No.”

Shen Jin’an felt relieved. “It’s okay to have nightmares. You were very brave yesterday. Just ignore whatever that teacher said—it’s nonsense.”

Hearing her words, Gu Li was shocked. “Nonsense means you’re talking rubbish?”

Shen Jin’an hadn’t expected the child’s logic to be so vivid. “Not exactly. What I mean is, no matter what, your father and I love you. Besides, a kid your age should be enjoying childhood, not studying so early.”

The little marshmallow frowned. “Kids can’t study?”

“That’s not what I mean. But compared to studying, I want you to grow up happy. Studying isn’t nearly as fun as playing with building blocks, so I hope you can play with blocks more.”

Shen Jin’an hurriedly explained, brushing aside scattered Lego pieces at her feet. The familiar toys reminded her of her own innocent, carefree (albeit unproductive) childhood.

Just as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt something under the Lego pieces—a math workbook.

Lost in childhood memories, Shen Jin’an was speechless.

Nearby, Gu Li saw his stepmother discover the workbook he had hidden. He quickly lowered his head, nervously twisting the hem of his shirt.

He hadn’t forgotten what she said earlier, nor how unhappy she’d been whenever she caught him studying, saying that no matter how well he did, it was useless.

He didn’t dislike his stepmother now, so he didn’t want her to be upset because of his studying.

“I’m just looking. I’m not planning to study.”

Shen Jin’an never imagined the little one’s desire to study was already so strong. She herself had spent elementary school years scheming with her parents to avoid homework.

She smiled awkwardly. “Why would I stop you from studying? I just want you to follow your own wishes and do whatever you want. If you want to learn, you can start anytime.”

No sooner had she spoken than the damn system’s notification sounded in her mind, timed perfectly with a hint of schadenfreude:

[Task 3: Prevent the little antagonist from studying. Time limit: half an hour.]