Once the teacher saw that all the parents had rested, she had them line up again and announced the next game.
"The next game is called Pin the Nose. We'll give each parent a strip of cloth to use as a blindfold. After spinning around three times, the parent must follow their child's spoken directions and stick the nose in the correct place on the animal. The family that finishes fastest wins."
"Let me emphasize this again: children may only tell their parents which way to go. You can't lead them by the hand. Does everyone understand?"
"Yes!" the children answered in unison.
"Good. Since we have limited space and props, we'll play this game in groups of five."
Since the children were still young, each class was kept fairly small to avoid accidents during games. Lu Yu's middle-year class had only twenty children. In groups of five, they would finish in four rounds, so it wouldn't take too long.
"Now, could one person from each family come and draw your number? Either a parent or a child can do it." With that, the teacher set the draw box on the table.
Since some of the children might come up to draw, the table was roughly their height, making it easy for them to reach.
"Yuyu, do you want to go?" Shen Zeyu asked, holding Lu Yu.
"Little Dad, I want to go." Children always enjoyed things like drawing lots.
"Then Yuyu can go for our family." He set Lu Yu down. Seeing so many children gathering around the table, he added, "Walk slowly."
"Got it, Little Dad," Lu Yu answered as he walked over.
Hearing Shen Zeyu say "our family," Lu Cizhou felt a flicker of delight, and the corners of his lips lifted unconsciously.
As the two waited for the teacher to hand out the props, they kept an eye on the draw, worried that Lu Yu might fall in the crowd. Most of those drawing numbers were children.
By the time they received their strip of cloth, Lu Yu had returned, but his expression was entirely different from when he had left. "What's wrong?" Shen Zeyu asked.
"Little Dad, we're the very last ones in the last group." Children always thought being first was best. Now that he had drawn the last spot, just thinking about it made him unhappy.
"Being last is great too. Everyone says the best performers are saved for the grand finale."
"Really?"
"Of course. Ask your dad if you don't believe me." Lu Yu already believed him, but he still turned to look at Lu Cizhou.
Lu Cizhou nodded in confirmation, and Lu Yu immediately brightened. "Then we must be the best, since we're going last."
Seeing Lu Yu cheer up, Shen Zeyu continued, "So sometimes, going last isn't a bad thing. As long as you're good enough, the order doesn't matter so much."
"Little Dad, I understand!"
Lu Cizhou didn't interrupt as Shen Zeyu taught Lu Yu this lesson. He thought Shen Zeyu was very good at it, making things easy for Lu Yu to accept. Had it been him, he probably would have just given a very serious explanation.
Lu Yu would have listened to him too, of course, but it certainly wouldn't have worked as well as Shen Zeyu's approach.
After talking to Lu Yu, Shen Zeyu turned to Lu Cizhou. "Then I'll take part in this round."
"Of course," Lu Cizhou said.
Soon, the first group began. The game sounded simple, but playing it was another matter. Some parents fell to the ground after spinning three times, while others veered completely off course because their children gave poor directions.
Watching from the sidelines, Shen Zeyu found it hilarious. Out of politeness, he didn't laugh aloud, but he was roaring with laughter inside.
Hahaha, that person is so funny!
This made things difficult for Lu Cizhou, whose head was filled with Shen Zeyu's laughter. Left with no other choice, he picked a topic at random. "Aren't you nervous?"
Shen Zeyu looked baffled. "Nervous about what?"
Lu Cizhou discreetly pointed at someone nearby, leaned close to Shen Zeyu's ear, and whispered, "Look how nervous the people waiting for their turn are."
Warm breath brushed his ear. Shen Zeyu suppressed his discomfort and waited for Lu Cizhou to finish before reaching up to rub his ear.
"What's there to be nervous about? I have a great sense of direction. Besides, you should have faith in Yuyu's ability to guide me."
Lu Yu, who had been watching the game, quickly chimed in. "Exactly, Dad! You have to believe in us. We're the best!"
As the three watched and chatted, it was almost time for the last group. Shen Zeyu took the cloth strip from his pocket and handed it to Lu Cizhou. "Help me put on the blindfold. I'll get used to it ahead of time."
He even lowered his head to make it easier for Lu Cizhou. Lu Cizhou took the cloth, but the moment he tied it on, his breathing faltered.
With his head slightly lowered, Shen Zeyu exposed his fair neck. Against it, the black strip of cloth created a contrast that struck Lu Cizhou all at once.
"Is it done?" Shen Zeyu's voice brought Lu Cizhou back to his senses.
Lu Cizhou stepped back slightly before answering, "Yes."
"Group five, please get into position and prepare." While the two hadn't been paying attention, the fourth round had already ended.
Seeing that Shen Zeyu was already blindfolded, Lu Yu told Lu Cizhou, "Dad, you need to lead Little Dad to his spot." Without waiting for an answer, he turned and went to the designated area for the children.
Shen Zeyu realized he had put the blindfold on too early; he should have waited until he was in position. He reached up to pull it off.
"Don't move," Lu Cizhou suddenly said. "I'll lead you over. This will help you get used to it."
Thinking that made sense, Shen Zeyu stopped what he was doing and held out his hand.
Looking at Shen Zeyu's outstretched hand, Lu Cizhou slowly placed his own in it.
"Follow me." Lu Cizhou led Shen Zeyu forward by the hand.
Shen Zeyu followed him step by step. Gradually, all the noise around him seemed to fade away, leaving only the sensation of Lu Cizhou holding his hand. Whatever thought crossed his mind, his face slowly reddened.
Finally, just as Shen Zeyu felt he was about to start steaming, Lu Cizhou spoke. "We're here. The target is straight ahead."
Seeing the color in Shen Zeyu's face, Lu Cizhou lowered his head slightly and whispered beside his ear, "Good luck."
As even Shen Zeyu's neck turned red, Lu Cizhou smiled silently and stepped aside before Shen Zeyu could react.
"Start!" the teacher called.
With no time to think about anything else, Shen Zeyu immediately began spinning.
After completing three turns, Shen Zeyu felt he was facing the right direction and walked straight ahead.
Halfway there, Lu Yu called out, "Little Dad, you're going off course! A tiny bit to the right!"
Shen Zeyu immediately moved a little to the right and stopped. Lu Yu's voice came again. "Little Dad, you can go forward now."
Shen Zeyu continued forward. "Little Dad, you're there! You can stick it on now."
"A little to the left. A little higher. Too far, too far! Down a little."
Shen Zeyu kept adjusting his hand.
"Ahhh, Little Dad, that's right!" Lu Yu cried excitedly.
Hearing that, Shen Zeyu tugged at his blindfold. It wouldn't come undone, so he pulled it downward instead, letting the cloth slide to his neck.
Afraid the sunlight would hurt his eyes if he opened them suddenly, Shen Zeyu opened them slowly.
As his eyes opened, Shen Zeyu found Lu Cizhou standing in front of him with a broad smile, one hand raised to shield him from the sunlight.
Once Shen Zeyu had fully opened his eyes, Lu Cizhou spoke in a gentle voice. "Congratulations on winning."
Before you continue