A Small Disagreement

The next morning, it was another early start for kindergarten.

Shen Xinde had barely lazed in bed for two seconds before Gu Zhuoling pulled him up. Seeing this, Xia Wanqing exclaimed that only Gu Zhuoling could keep the little rascal in line.

Still not fully awake, Shen Xinde let Gu Zhuoling lead him out of the car, listlessly said goodbye to Gu Ruize, who had brought them there today, and practically collapsed against Gu Zhuoling.

"Sleepy."

Shen Xinde went limp, resting his head against Gu Zhuoling's shoulder and neck as he whined about having to get up early for school.

"Xinde!" A loud voice called from a distance, startling Shen Xinde into a shiver. He looked up and saw Jiang Nan.

Jiang Nan took his backpack from an uncle who looked like a driver and ran over to Shen Xinde.

Gu Zhuoling gave the startled Shen Xinde two gentle pats, then moved a little closer to him without making a show of it as he watched Jiang Nan approach.

"Good morning!" Jiang Nan ran up to them with a particularly sunny smile.

Shen Xinde smiled back. "Good morning!"

"I'll take you to your classroom first." Gu Zhuoling straightened Shen Xinde's backpack, tucked the doll he had been holding into Shen Xinde's arms, and gave it a couple of pats on the head.

So fierce.

Shen Xinde drew in his neck, feeling as though those two pats had landed on his own forehead.

"Xinde, is this your doll? It's as cute as you!" Jiang Nan bobbed his head as he walked beside Shen Xinde.

"Nope, it's my big brother's." Shen Xinde was eager to share the doll he thought looked so much like Gu Zhuoling. "It looks more like my big brother!"

Jiang Nan examined the doll carefully, then agreed with Shen Xinde. "Yes, it's as handsome as your big brother."

It was rare for Shen Xinde to find someone who agreed with him. As if he had found a kindred spirit, he began pointing out each of the doll's features and comparing them to Gu Zhuoling's.

"Aren't these eyes just as pretty?" Shen Xinde pointed at the doll's eyes.

"Mm-hmm!"

"This little mouth!"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Look at this hair!"

"Mm-hmm!"

Whatever Xinde says, I just have to nod.

"What are you doing? Why are you nodding like crazy, Jiang Nan? Did you get electrocuted?" Zhuang Xingye popped up from somewhere. He hadn't heard what Shen Xinde had said and looked a little horrified by the sight.

"What do you know?!" Jiang Nan sprang up and attacked Zhuang Xingye with his teeth bared.

"Hey! Hey? Don't hit me! Ow, ow, ow!"

The two of them were already tussling.

With no one left to share with, Shen Xinde scratched his cheek in boredom and turned to Gu Zhuoling.

"All right, go on in. I'll come find you at noon." Gu Zhuoling still had a smile hidden in his eyes after listening to Shen Xinde's endless comparisons. He patted Shen Xinde's little head and spoke like a miniature adult.

"Bye-bye, Dolly!" Shen Xinde's eyes curved into a smile. He leaned close to whisper in Gu Zhuoling's ear, then ran into the classroom.

The first thing he did was greet Moon Teacher and ask if he could go into the nap room to put the little doll away.

When class started, Moon Teacher announced that, to help everyone get along better, the kindergarten had decided to take the children on picnics in a nearby park, starting the afternoon after next.

Because of staffing, though, the junior, middle, and senior classes could only go out one group at a time.

The children naturally cheered when they heard they could go out and play. Shen Xinde was happy too, but his excitement faded a little when he heard the junior and middle classes wouldn't be going together.

"Don't be sad, Xinde." At Shen Xinde's side, Jiang Nan naturally noticed the change in his mood. "We're only going out for one afternoon."

"It's okay." Shen Xinde thought about it. While Gu Zhuoling was out, he could finish the drawing he had promised him the night before at kindergarten.

At that thought, his mood brightened again, and he rejoined the lively chatter.

At noon, the junior class was let out early for free play. Before Shen Xinde could wait for Gu Zhuoling, he was pulled outside to play on the slides.

"Let's play on this one! This one has lots of twists!"

Jiang Nan excitedly led Shen Xinde up to the slide.

The two happily went down the slide twice, with Jiang Nan going first and Shen Xinde following each time.

After Shen Xinde came down the slide for the third time, he was about to return to the stairs and line up when he saw Jiang Nan standing on the little staircase, where another child gave him a shove.

"What are you doing?!" Shen Xinde hurried over and steadied Jiang Nan, who had nearly lost his footing, then looked up at the boy standing above them.

"Xinde! He cut in line!" Once Jiang Nan was steady, he immediately pointed an indignant finger at the boy. "He pushed me because I wouldn't let him cut!"

"Apologize!" Hearing that, Shen Xinde felt even more justified and shouted angrily at the boy.

"Dream on!" The boy had no intention of apologizing. Instead, he folded his arms as if he were in the right. "I was standing up here first, so I'm first!"

"No, you weren't! You pushed me aside and took my spot!" Jiang Nan's face went a little red with anger, and he tried to charge forward again, but Shen Xinde stopped him.

"Be careful, he might push you again." Afraid the boy would push someone on the stairs again, Shen Xinde held Jiang Nan back.

"Who can prove it?!" The boy remained completely shameless.

"We can!"

"That's right, Chen Ming! You cut in line, shame on you!"

"Bad guy!"

The children around them were all from junior class one, and many were good friends with Jiang Nan, so naturally they joined together to call the boy out.

Chen Ming, the boy from the next class, was a little scared to be ganged up on by so many people. He insisted a couple more times that he wouldn't stoop to their level, then tried to get down from the slide.

To his surprise, several children blocked his way.

"Xinde told you to apologize to Jiang Nan!"

A girl at the front spoke up firmly.

Shen Xinde took a closer look and saw that it was Jiaojiao, who had given him chocolate on the first day of kindergarten.

"Sorry, okay?!" Surrounded and a little annoyed, Chen Ming shouted the words, then pushed past them and ran away.

"Careful."

Shen Xinde steadied Jiaojiao, who had been pushed aside, but didn't manage to hold Jiang Nan back. Jiang Nan kicked at the air in the direction Chen Ming had fled. "Bad guy!"

"Don't be mad, don't be mad." Shen Xinde turned to comfort the indignant Jiang Nan. "We won't stoop to his level."

"Hmph! He'd better not let me run into him! Or I'll have a big fight with him!" Jiang Nan was still making fierce threats.

Shen Xinde turned his head and saw Gu Zhuoling and Zhuang Xingye standing by the door, Gu Zhuoling's dark eyes fixed on him.

Shen Xinde waved for the two of them to come over.

"Big brother, when did you get here?" Shen Xinde beamed as Gu Zhuoling walked closer.

"Just came down." After answering, Gu Zhuoling elbowed Zhuang Xingye, who was about to speak, his expression calm.

In fact, Gu Zhuoling had come down a few minutes earlier. He had seen what looked like a conflict over by Shen Xinde and was just about to step in when the children nearby had already come forward to help Shen Xinde out.

Zhuang Xingye had naturally seen it too and had muttered a couple of remarks.

"I didn't expect Xinde to get along so well with his classmates."

Did he get along well with them?

Haahaa had a good personality, so there were bound to be lots of people who played with him.