TNIBFT -Chapter 17 Don’t Think I’ll Like You Just Because of This

Ye Tian acted as if nothing had happened, eating while talking. The corners of his mouth glistened with oil, making Ye Shuangxue swallow unconsciously.

She had eaten the meat bun too quickly just now—before she could even savor the taste, it was already gone. That dog Ye Tian must have done it on purpose.

Thinking about the bun she had stepped on earlier, Ye Shuangxue felt a pang of regret. If she had known, she would’ve picked it up—peeling off the outer layer, she could’ve at least taken a couple of bites. But hearing Ye Tian speak like this, she retorted stubbornly, “You did it on purpose.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything while we were outside?”

She had thought Ye Tian was the same as before—buying meat buns just to eat them himself, deliberately tempting her and making fun of her.

Ye Shuangxue’s little face darkened. She turned away in a huff, refusing to look at him.

“Little sister, I still have a bite left. Do you want it?”

Ye Yunting felt ashamed that he had eaten too quickly and hadn’t taken care of his sister. He hurriedly offered the small piece of bun in his hand. But Ye Shuangxue, still sulking, said, “I don’t want my brother’s.”

“Big sister, next time you can have my meat bun.”

Xiao Jiang, his little mouth greasy, softly tried to coax her.

Ye Tian completely ignored the children’s conversation and leisurely finished the last bite of his bun. For a five-year-old, one big meat bun was enough to feel full—but for an adult man, even two buns barely filled his stomach. More importantly, Ye Tian wanted Ye Shuangxue to understand a principle.

“Whoever makes a mistake must bear the responsibility.”

Ye Tian spoke slowly, lifting his head to look at Ye Shuangxue. “You’re still young, but as your father, I want to tell you this: before you have the ability to control things, every action you take and every decision you make comes with consequences—good or bad. So before making a decision, don’t let your emotions control your mind.”

Under Ye Tian’s stern gaze, Ye Yunting’s eyes flickered with guilt as he looked away.

Crack! Crack!

The firewood in the hearth burned fiercely, flames licking upward.

The atmosphere in the room turned solemn. No one spoke.

Ye Tian clapped his hands and stood up, looking at the three children. “As your father, it’s not just my responsibility to make sure you survive—I also have the duty to raise you well.”

“Blindly trying to please you would be irresponsible. As for what I owe you from the past, give me time—I’ll make it up to you little by little, whether you believe me or not.”

After finishing, Ye Tian met Ye Yunting’s probing gaze.

At this moment, Ye Tian’s eyes were firm and sincere—completely different from his previous careless self. Could a person really change so much in just two days?

Ye Tian’s tall shadow enveloped Xiao Jiang. The little boy tilted his head up, eyes shining with admiration, practically ready to applaud him.

Ye Shuangxue pressed her lips together. She absolutely refused to admit anything good about Ye Tian.

Stupid Ye Tian!

Seeing that the lesson had gone far enough—too much lecturing would only make children resentful—Ye Tian decided to stop there. With gradual guidance, maybe the three children wouldn’t grow into great villains, and they could live peaceful lives.

With that thought, Ye Tian turned around and picked up a bundle from his bed.

All three children stared at his movements.

Only Xiao Jiang rubbed his hands together and said, “These are gifts for big brother and big sister.”

Gifts?

Ye Shuangxue’s eyes lit up. She pursed her lips and stretched her neck to look at the bundle in Ye Tian’s hands. Ye Yunting was equally puzzled, not understanding what Ye Tian was planning.

“This one is for Xiao Jiang.”

Ye Tian took out a pair of black cotton shoes from the bundle. They were neatly made, with fine stitching, and most importantly, the ankles of the boots were lined with thick gray fur. At a glance, they looked incredibly warm. It was the best pair of cotton shoes the three siblings had ever seen. Would Ye Tian really be willing to give them such a thing?

“Are these really for me?” Xiao Jiang’s little face flushed with excitement, his tone full of disbelief. His eyes were fixed on the cotton boots, as if he wanted to bore a hole through them just by looking.

Ye Tian smiled. “Do you think your dad could wear them?”

Xiao Jiang jumped up from the wooden stump, staring at the boots as if drawn by some kind of magic, his gaze locked forward as he walked toward them.

Ye Tian found it amusing and placed the boots into Xiao Jiang’s hands.

The moment the little guy got hold of them, tears poured down like rain. His small hands kept rubbing the surface of the shoes, hugging them tightly as if they were a priceless treasure. In a muffled voice, he said, “This is my first pair of shoes… these are mine… I have my own cotton boots now…”

Thinking of what the original Ye Tian had done, Ye Tian sighed helplessly and reached out to rub Xiao Jiang’s head. “Don’t cry.”

“When Dad earns more money in the future, I’ll buy you even better boots.”

Xiao Jiang nodded obediently.

Ye Tian urged, “Hurry up and try them on. Why are you just hugging them?”

“These are for the eldest.”

Ye Tian took out another pair of cotton boots of the same style as Xiao Jiang’s, except the fur on these was black. This made it easier to tell whose was whose, and Ye Tian felt the black trim suited Ye Yunting’s cool personality better.

Ye Yunting hadn’t expected to have a pair as well.

Over the past couple of days, he had been quietly observing Ye Tian. It seemed like Ye Tian paid more attention to his younger brother and sister. He had assumed Ye Tian didn’t care about him—but he hadn’t expected Ye Tian to actually buy him shoes too.

Ye Yunting stood up, lowering his head, his little face flushed red. “Thank you.”

“You’re my son. It’s only right that I buy you shoes.”

Ye Tian reached out, intending to pat Ye Yunting on the shoulder, but Ye Yunting instinctively dodged. Ye Tian’s hand froze midair, and the atmosphere instantly stiffened.

Xiao Jiang and Ye Shuangxue looked at Ye Tian nervously.

Given Ye Tian’s past temperament, if any of the three of them dared to ruin his mood like this, he would definitely hang them up and beat them. What was wrong with their big brother today?

“Hahaha… You brat, are you shy or something?”

Ye Tian laughed heartily, not minding it at all. Xiao Jiang and Ye Shuangxue both let out sighs of relief, and Ye Yunting’s tense body relaxed as well. Ye Tian didn’t say anything further.

Seeing that both her brothers had their own cotton boots, Ye Shuangxue widened her round eyes and looked toward the bundle on Ye Tian’s bed.

The “little tyrant flower” couldn’t hold back anymore. After waiting for a while without being called, Ye Shuangxue stood up timidly and asked, “Is there a pair for me?”

No girl dislikes pretty things—loving beauty is in a woman’s nature. Even five-year-old Ye Shuangxue was no exception.

Her bright eyes were wide open, her little expression so tense it looked almost constipated.

Ye Tian deliberately kept a straight face and didn’t answer. Ye Shuangxue lowered her head in disappointment, thinking Ye Tian must be taking revenge on her—not only did she get one less bun, now she didn’t even get new shoes. The little girl felt so wronged that her tears were about to fall.

With that pitiful look, she didn’t resemble a little villain at all.

Ye Tian found it funny. Looking down at the top of her little head, he reached out and handed her a pair of bright red boots embroidered with a lion. They were delicate and adorable. The moment Ye Tian saw the lion design, he had thought of Ye Shuangxue. He bent down with a smile and asked, “Do you like them?”

Ye Shuangxue froze.

Her eyes widened, and it took her a long moment to react. She looked up at Ye Tian and asked, “For… for me?”

“I… I…”

She stammered, unable to get her words out. Then she suddenly snatched the little boots from Ye Tian’s hands and hugged them tightly, tears streaming down her face as she said, “Stupid Ye Tian, don’t think I’ll thank you just because of this! I don’t want your things!”