TNIBFT -Chapter 46 A Dad Who Always Wants to Be Strong

Seeing the expectant look on Ye Tian’s face, Xiao Jiang’s first reaction was to turn his head toward his older brother.

Ye Yunting quickly said, “It’s fine.”

Then he ignored Ye Tian, picked up his brush, and began to write.

Xiao Jiang’s eyes darted around nervously. When he noticed Ye Tian staring at him, he pulled the corners of his mouth into a little grin, showing his tiny milk teeth, and then leaned over the edge of the bed to start writing as well.

Watching the small backs of his two sons, Ye Tian felt helpless. His eldest was too wary; it would take a long time before he could open his heart to him.

Ye Yunting was shrewd and would not easily trust others. His cautious personality was precisely why, years later, during the wars, he would rise up and seize control of Sifang City, becoming a local ruler.

Looking at his sons’ tiny figures, Ye Tian felt a pang of emotion. Whether it was himself, his three children, or everyone in Sifang City, they were all just cannon fodder for the main character, Shen Jie, to achieve his glorious path.

Wherever Shen Jie went, sacrifices had to be made.

Forget it—he didn’t want to think about that now!

These next few days, he still needed to find a carpenter to make three desks. The way the kids were bent over writing with brushes like this was far too inconvenient.

“Big brother, guess who I met on the road?”

Before anyone had entered the room, a voice called from afar.

Ye Tian turned his head as Ye Shuangxue, all flustered, swept the door curtain aside and rushed in. Cold wind swept through the gap, fluttering Ye Tian’s clothes. Ye Shuangxue’s small face was flushed red, beads of sweat dotted her forehead, and her chest heaved violently. She had clearly run all the way back, her little lion boots caked in mud.

Seeing Ye Tian staring at her, Ye Shuangxue shrank her neck and didn’t dare look at him, quickly crouching beside her older brother.

Ye Tian didn’t ask anything.

He prepared to make dinner; after all, the children’s studies came first and couldn’t be delayed.

Clumsily moving around, Ye Tian made a racket in the room, and after a long while, he still hadn’t finished chopping the vegetables. Ye Shuangxue turned her head and, seeing Ye Tian looking flustered and messy, gave a speechless look and said, “You go do your homework, I’ll cook!”

“Oh!”

Ye Tian cleared a space and then realized something was off. “Bam!”—he lightly smacked Ye Shuangxue on her little head. “No respect for elders.”

“I think it’s you who doesn’t know how to write, right?”

Ye Shuangxue covered her head with both hands and, when Ye Tian turned his back, stuck her tongue out at him, making a funny face.

Ye Tian bent down and went over to Ye Yunting. Before he could even see what the children had written, Xiao Jiang looked up with his little head, his nose smeared with dark ink, teeth stained black, a miserable expression on his face as he awkwardly smiled at Ye Tian.

Ye Tian said naturally, “So, how’s it going?”

“You don’t know how to write, right?”

“Do you want Dad to teach you? When it really matters, you still need your old man!”

Confident, Ye Tian thought: after all, in his previous life, he had received twelve years of higher education. Homework for a five-year-old? That was basically kindergarten level—how could he not know it?

He bent down, looking at the place Xiao Jiang had pointed to: “From near to far… cover this body and hair.”

Looking at the characters, Ye Tian almost choked on his own saliva.

“Cough! Cough! Cough!” Ye Tian started coughing violently.

Ye Yunting stared at him, a sly smile on his face. Seeing Ye Tian’s red face trying to escape, Ye Yunting suddenly said, “What do these words say?”

“What does this sentence mean? I’ve forgotten everything the teacher said. What do we do now?”

Ye Yunting’s small face looked troubled.

Ye Tian tried to maintain composure, eyes glancing at busy Ye Shuangxue, and called out, “Hey, your brother and little brother are doing homework, why aren’t you writing?”

As he spoke, Ye Tian tried to slip away, but Ye Yunting suddenly laughed, “You don’t know either, do you?”

“Oh, you probably can’t read characters, right?”

Ye Tian paused under his feet.

This was his first confrontation with his eldest—how could he afford to lose?

He gritted his teeth and glanced calmly at the book. Then, suddenly bending over with a look of tender affection, he cupped Ye Yunting’s small face in both hands and said, “Call me ‘Dad,’ and I’ll immediately tell you how to read these characters.”

At such close range, Ye Yunting could even smell the scent of soap pods on Ye Tian’s body.

And feel his burning warmth.

His cheeks, pinched in Ye Tian’s hands, turned a rosy white, and his little pink mouth formed a perfect “O,” fresh and red. Ye Tian couldn’t help but think silently: my eldest son isn’t any less good-looking than his biological father!

Seeing Ye Tian staring at him, Ye Yunting’s face instantly flushed crimson. He averted his gaze, wriggled free, and muttered under his breath, “Shameless.”

Then he straightened up and continued writing with his brush at the edge of the bed.

A mischievous smile curled on Ye Tian’s lips. “Little rascal, do you think a grown man like me can’t handle you?!”

Ah, this is the story of a father who must always be strong!

Listening to Ye Tian hum a tune, the three children felt a wave of exasperation.

A large chunk of Donald Duck on the edge of the bed had been ripped off the schoolbag. Ye Tian looked at the three children with a questioning gaze. His eyes settled on Ye Shuangxue. First day at school, her shoes were covered in mud; the road to the school had been repaired in the village, so the tough little girl must have gone out for some “fresh air.” And with her bag in that state, she’d clearly been in a fight.

Ye Tian remained calm and unmoved.

That evening, as the four of them sat down to eat, Ye Tian suddenly said, “If anyone at school bullies you, don’t hold back—hit them back.”

“Don’t be scared. You still have me on your side!”

Ye Shuangxue froze for a moment with her chopsticks in hand.

Seeing Ye Tian staring at her, she quickly lowered her head, feeling guilty. This dog Ye Tian is surely testing me; I can’t admit it.

If she admitted it, she’d definitely get a severe beating.

First day at school, already fighting; being framed for stealing; sleeping in class—any normal parent would discipline her strictly.

Xiao Jiang glanced quickly at Ye Yunting. Seeing his older brother say nothing, he pressed his lips together and absentmindedly continued eating.

Ye Yunting wasn’t listening to Ye Tian at all.

He didn’t believe that Ye Tian could stay calm if he knew they’d caused trouble, or that he’d talk about morals in such a relaxed way.

No one in the family spoke. Ye Tian explained, “I’m not trying to punish you.”

He put down his chopsticks. Flames leapt from the fire as he added more wood, saying, “School is also a small society. The strong eat the weak; it’s the same everywhere. When you’re not with me, I can’t watch over you every moment, but I know my reputation isn’t good, and it will affect you.”

Ye Shuangxue’s eyes widened. Her dark, big eyes stared at Ye Tian in astonishment.

Did he go to school?

How could Ye Tian possibly know?

Seeing his daughter staring at him, Ye Tian continued, “If you have conflicts with classmates, you must be brave and say no, resist, and refuse.”

“If you don’t want to tell me, and they dare to lay a hand on you, make sure they leave with teeth missing—next time, they won’t dare bully you.”

“All consequences are on me.”

Having seen too much bullying in his previous life, Ye Tian couldn’t help worrying about his three children.

Though Ye Shuangxue’s combat ability would explode in a few years, right now she was still a small fry. Ye Tian couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Ye Yunting was surprised. A man like Ye Tian could actually say things like this—without any disgust or blame—encouraging them to resist and protecting them.

Xiao Jiang felt touched, thinking that Ye Tian was the best dad in the world.

Ye Shuangxue raised her little brows and exclaimed, united in purpose, “Yes! Make them leave with teeth missing!”

She clenched her tiny fists as she spoke, then looked at Ye Tian with mock disdain and asked, “But what if you can’t beat them?”