“Mom says although An An is smart, most people in this world are ordinary.” An An slowly spoke, enduring Qin Ningyi’s patience.
“I can’t look down on my friends just because they aren’t as smart as me, nor should I constantly call them stupid,” An An said obediently. “That’s why An An didn’t say it in front of Grandma and Aunt.”
Hearing what Huo Rou had taught him, Qin Ningyi’s heart softened. “What your mother said is very right.”
“So An An doesn’t want to go to school because he’s afraid he’ll learn too fast and be bored alone?” Qin Ningyi seemed to understand this feeling.
An An was like him when he was little. At that time, he also seemed smarter than his peers and had been troubled by it.
An An, upon hearing Qin Ningyi talk about his childhood struggles with the same issue, became instantly interested. “Then what did Dad do later?”
Later…
“Your grandfather discovered I was learning faster than my peers, so he let me skip several grades. I was ahead in my studies, and it wasn’t as boring anymore.”
Speaking of this, Qin Ningyi recalled a little girl he met in his childhood. “I also met a very smart little girl. Whatever I told her, she understood very quickly.”
An An latched onto the words “little girl” and, seizing the opportunity, asked, “Who was that little girl? Are you still good friends now?”
Qin Ningyi realized this child was here to be his mother’s vanguard, blocking any potential romantic interests around him.
“We met in the compound. We didn’t see each other again after we moved away.”
An An was relieved and, veering slightly off-topic, tried to persuade Qin Ningyi about Huo Rou. “Dad, my mom is also very smart. You’ll know when you meet her.”
Speaking of which, An An asked again, “Dad, do you really not know my mom?”
Qin Ningyi didn’t know how to answer An An, as he didn’t even know how An An came to be…
After a brief silence, Qin Ningyi returned to the initial topic. “An An, you can learn from Dad and try going to primary school.”
“Studying is very important, and so are friends.” Qin Ningyi didn’t have many friends, and he hoped An An could have many friends and live a more colorful life.
“Some people, although not as smart as An An, are better than An An in certain aspects.” Qin Ningyi’s clear voice was softened by the night, carrying a hint of tenderness. “Let’s try it. If you understand the primary school curriculum, you can make friends. Learning how to make friends is also a course for smart people.”
“A course for smart people?” An An repeated. “Then An An wants to go.”
“Good boy.”
“But Dad, if it’s really boring, can An An come back? An An can wait for Mom to come back and teach me.” An An was still worried.
“Okay, I promise you.” Qin Ningyi gently patted An An’s back, making his commitment.
Here, father and son drifted off to sleep in warmth.
Meanwhile, Qin Feiwan sat at her desk in the bedroom, pen in hand, drawing. She felt something was off.
An An hadn't been as easy to persuade this afternoon as he was yesterday. Instead, his father had followed along immediately.
After spending the previous night together, An An had been noticeably more talkative when sleeping next to her. She thought An An liked her and had intended to continue coaxing him today, but he hadn't chosen her.
Qin Feiwan looked at the manuscript in front of her, recalling last night’s conversation, and seemed to understand.
She slammed the table. “This little guy, he was trying to get information from me!”
She knew why he had only talked about his father’s romantic past all night. This little guy had become a demon.
An An’s obedient yet sharp eyes flashed in her mind, along with his uniquely patterned T-shirt.
Inspiration struck her. She picked up her brush, quickly capturing the feeling.
The next morning, Qin Ningyi told his family about the agreement he and An An had reached. They hadn't contacted Ren De School yet, but a school near the company was enrolling today.
“You mean you want An An to undergo an enrollment assessment?” Su Nianzhu asked Qin Ningyi, looking worried. “Won’t it be too difficult? What if it damages An An’s confidence?”
“Mom, you weren’t this worried when I skipped grades,” Qin Ningyi said calmly.
“You are you, and An An is An An. How is that the same?” Su Nianzhu refused to admit her favoritism.
Qin Ningyi’s expression relaxed. “An An is also very smart.”
An An nodded in agreement from the side. “Yes, Grandma, An An is very smart too. Let An An try!”
Su Nianzhu looked at the two “smart faces” that looked so alike and chuckled helplessly. “Alright, alright, go ahead.”
Xiao Konglin had already contacted the school principal. When Qin Ningyi arrived at the school gate with An An, Xiao Konglin was already waiting.
Qin Ningyi watched An An follow Xiao Konglin into the school, then lowered his head to his laptop to get some work done.
An An followed Xiao Konglin to a classroom. “Young master, you go in by yourself. I’ll wait for you here.” Xiao Konglin opened the door for An An and reminded him, “Just say what you know when the teacher asks you anything.”
An An nodded, his expression calm.
After An An entered, Xiao Konglin peeked through the door crack, listening to the conversation inside.
The female teacher on the far left asked, “Little one, can you introduce yourself? What’s your name and what do you like to do?”
“My name is Huo Ji’an, and my nickname is An An. I like reading and going out with my mom.”
“What books have you read? Tell me about them.”
“I’ve read the Chinese books for the first and second grades. Recently, I also read ‘Network Attack and Defense Technology,’ but I didn’t understand some parts.”
An An’s words were astonishing. The title of the book sounded unusual. The female teacher who asked the question exchanged glances with the teacher in the middle and decided to move past that point.
“Do you know any poems from the Chinese books, An An?”
“I know all of them.” An An’s expression remained largely unchanged throughout, but the three teachers sitting in front of him showed a more varied range of emotions, including surprise and disbelief.
“Then recite the poem ‘Mountain Travel’ for us.” The female teacher in the middle requested.
“Distant mountains on the cold path, a stone trail winds along. Where white clouds rise, a home is found. Stopping the carriage, I gaze, loving the late autumn woods, for frosted leaves are redder than flowers in February.” An An recited without hesitation.
“Do you know ‘Returning Home on an Impulse’?”
“So many years have passed since I left my hometown, and recent events have half faded away. Only the mirror lake water in front of the door, with the spring breeze, doesn’t change its old waves.” An An also recited effortlessly.
The three teachers looked at each other and then reconfirmed the summary of the child in front of them. No wonder the principal had asked the three of them to interview one child. It was quite interesting!
The male teacher on the far right asked, “An An, do you have any specialty in sports? Or, what sports do you know?”
An An thought about his words, looked at his small fists, and asked, “Does boxing count?”