Only about as loud as your breathing

The atmosphere between the two grew subtle.

"Brother Xie, are you and Brother Mu Ze dating?"

Xiaomai put his schoolbag between them, blocking their view of each other.

Xie Yuan came back to himself and asked with a smile, "Who told you that?"

Was he refusing to admit it?

A flicker of disappointment crossed Mu Ze's eyes.

Xiaomai glanced toward Su Wanyue. "Sister Xiao Miao said so. She said your show is a dating show, which means finding someone to date."

Xie Yuan glanced at the girl Xiaomai was looking at. She was a little taller than Xiaomai, around eleven or twelve, and had helped carry things at the orphanage entrance earlier.

He looked back. "Yes, we're dating."

"What does it feel like for a boy to kiss a boy?" Xiaomai's clear eyes were full of curiosity.

Xie Yuan raised a hand and tapped Xiaomai on the head. "That's not something a little kid like you should be thinking about."

Xiaomai rubbed the spot where he had been tapped, looking aggrieved. "I'm not a little kid."

"Oh?" Xie Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Are you eighteen? Are you an adult?"

"If you're not eighteen, you're a kid."

"Only eight more years." Xiaomai held up eight fingers. "I'll be an adult soon."

Xiao Yu exposed his lie. "Nine more years. You only turned nine last week."

Xiaomai argued, "I'm eating as a nine-year-old now. How is that not eight more years?"

Xie Yuan tapped the table, interrupting their argument. "Even if you're one day short, you're still not eighteen."

"You're still a kid."

"Fine." Xiaomai looked a little dejected. "Why can't I grow up faster?"

Seeing his eager expression, Mu Ze said, "Once you grow up, you'll think being a kid was better."

Xiaomai tilted his head. "Do you want to go back to being a kid, Brother Mu Ze? Why?"

"Kids have lots of homework."

Mu Ze went still and glanced at Xie Yuan. "On second thought, no."

If he went back to childhood, he would have to wait many more years before he could pursue Young Master Xie.

"All right." Xie Yuan tapped the table. "Time to do your homework."

The children took out their homework one after another. Soon, the only sound from his group was the scratching of pens against paper.

Voices drifted over from Su Wanyue's group now and then.

It seemed the guests were getting along well with the children.

Mu Ze placed Xiao Hua in Xie Yuan's arms. "I'll help with homework, and you look after her. No problem, right, Young Master Xie?"

The words "Young Master Xie" always had a lingering, tender quality when Mu Ze said them.

Xie Yuan held Xiao Hua reflexively, and the two stared at each other.

Xiao Hua suddenly put her hand into her mouth, her little mouth moving as she sucked her fingers.

Xie Yuan stared at Xiao Hua's pale, chubby fingers. "Xiao Hua, are they tasty? What do they taste like?"

Xiao Hua tilted her head. "Candy. Sweet."

Xie Yuan stroked Xiao Hua's head. "If your fingers are sweet, then you don't need candy, do you?"

Xiao Hua stopped sucking her fingers and quietly pulled her hand out, hiding it behind her back. "Xiao Hua, no eat. Want candy, eat."

Xie Yuan said, "That depends on you, Xiao Hua. If you suck your fingers again, no candy."

Xiao Hua blinked her big eyes. "No eat, no eat. Xiao Hua no eat."

Satisfied, Xie Yuan carried Xiao Hua over and took a picture book from the classroom bookshelf.

He opened the picture book. "Only five thousand-odd days until your college entrance exam, Xiao Hua. Now is the time to work hard."

They watched Xie Yuan open the picture book as though he knew exactly what he was doing, pointing at the pictures and teaching Xiao Hua to recognize them.

The livestream comments scrolled rapidly.

[Hahahahaha, I'm dying. Only five thousand-odd days until the college entrance exam, and now is the time to work hard. Young Master Xie, are you a demon?]

[Poor Xiao Hua. Still drinking milk, and already worrying about the college entrance exam.]

[Hahahaha, Young Master Xie, you're a real genius. I'm already starting to feel sorry for your future kids.]

[The baby still in the womb fell silent upon hearing about the college entrance exam looming six thousand days away.]

[You can tell Young Master Xie will be a good dad. His kids are bound to turn out outstanding.]

Some haters couldn't stand it, either.

[Seriously, is Xie Dog sick in the head? What could a kid that young possibly understand?]

[Heh, I'd slap that picture book right across his face.]

[Kids are all caught up in the rat race these days, but there's no need to start preparing for the college entrance exam at two or three. He's completely ruining the kid's education.]

[I suddenly understand why some kids have psychological problems. Starting college entrance exam prep at two or three would drive anyone crazy.]

[Idiots, can't you see? Young Master Xie is just teaching Xiao Hua to read a picture book. He isn't asking anything else of her. Can you pass your college entrance exam just by looking through something once?]

[Heh, you can't seriously fail to see that Young Master Xie said that on purpose.]

Director Ma was already used to watching the comments erupt into another argument.

Even the deputy director, who had been worried at first, could now remain perfectly calm.

After all, ever since the show began, the comments in Xie Yuan's livestream had been full of arguments every day.

Arguments aside, apart from a few reports during the first two days, everything had remained peaceful afterward.

Inside the orphanage classroom.

As Mu Ze helped the children with their homework, he could hear Xie Yuan teaching Xiao Hua about the picture book.

His voice wasn't loud, but Mu Ze heard every word.

Listening to his voice, Mu Ze felt utterly at peace.

If we have a child someday, will we be like this too?

Or will it be the other way around? Will I be teaching the child while Xie Yuan watches us with a smile?

But he and Xie Yuan were destined not to have children.

After a brief moment of regret, Mu Ze focused on helping the children with their homework.

Elementary school homework these days was anything but simple. There were traps everywhere, and sometimes even university students might not know the answers.

Mu Ze was undoubtedly a very good teacher. He could explain every child's questions clearly and simply.

For the most part, the children understood after a single explanation.

Over in Su Wanyue's group, one child gradually became distracted by what was happening on this side.

After it happened several times, Gu Yanzhou stood up and came over to Xie Yuan.

He tapped the table. "Xie Yuan, could you keep it down over here? You're interfering with our task."

The children concentrating on their homework all stopped writing and looked up at this person who had suddenly appeared.

Xie Yuan stopped turning the page and looked up. "President Gu, would you like to use an instrument to measure how many decibels our voices are?"

"They're only about as loud as your breathing."

Whether Xie Yuan was teaching Xiao Hua about the picture book or Mu Ze was helping the other children with homework, their voices were very quiet and wouldn't disturb anyone else.

At least none of the four children doing homework together had been distracted by the sound.

Gu Yanzhou frowned. "Stop making excuses. If your voices weren't disturbing us, would I deliberately come looking for trouble?"

Xie Yuan raised an eyebrow, amusement in his expression. "Who knows? After all, it wouldn't be the first time you've done something like this."

"You..." Gu Yanzhou's temples throbbed, his face full of anger.

The girl named Xiao Miao walked over, with a little boy of six or seven hiding behind her.

"Brother Gu, it's not this brother's fault. We were the ones who got distracted."

The boy behind Xiao Miao peeked half his head out. There wasn't a trace of a smile on his little face, and his eyes were at a loss.

"Brother Gu, I won't get distracted again. Don't blame..." The child's voice was very soft. He glanced at Xie Yuan and quickly lowered his head. "...this brother."

Seeing both children speak up for Xie Yuan, Gu Yanzhou's expression darkened, his eyes fixed on Xie Yuan.

Su Wanyue came over and took his arm. "Yanzhou, let it go. The children are all here. Don't scare them."