However, Yue Kai was still too young to fully perceive the existence of Mai Xuanfeng, nor did she play with her much. Yet, whenever she caught sight of Mai Xuanfeng, she would burst into laughter, showing no fear or rejection. Seeing them interact harmoniously always filled Lan Lan with the contentment of a doting mother.
Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng invested considerable effort in Yue Kai's upbringing. It was said that a child's character was evident by the age of three. Although Liang Yufeng doted on Yue Kai, he never indulged her in matters of principle.
Consequently, Yue Kai developed an excellent temperament. There were rarely any raised voices in their home. Even when Yue Kai made mistakes, Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng would not scold or hit her; instead, they would sit with her and calmly explain things.
Having grown up in such a family environment, Yue Kai naturally had no concept of arguments.
Because of her good nature and pretty looks, Yue Kai had always been popular since starting kindergarten. Little girls enjoyed playing with her, and little boys saw her as a princess, following her around as her attendants.
Lan Lan was naturally delighted by her daughter's popularity.
Yue Kai and Jing Chu attended the same kindergarten. When Yue Kai was in the lower grades, Jing Chu was already in the pre-school class.
One day, Lin Mei and Lan Lan went to pick up their children from kindergarten together. Upon arriving, Lan Lan found Yue Kai surrounded by a group of little boys, who were eagerly offering her snacks and toys, vying to give them to her.
Lan Lan smiled. This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened. Children nowadays seemed to have learned this trick from somewhere.
Fortunately, Liang Yufeng had discussed this matter with Yue Kai almost daily. Through repeated reinforcement, Yue Kai had learned not to accept gifts from other children and to politely refuse.
Lan Lan watched this scene but did not intervene, waiting for Yue Kai to resolve it herself. Indeed, her daughter did not disappoint her. Lan Lan heard Yue Kai say in her childish voice, "My daddy says I shouldn't accept gifts casually. We have lots of snacks and toys, so you don't need to give me any!"
"Are we really good friends?" one of the boys asked.
Yue Kai nodded, "Of course! All children are my good friends!"
"But I want to be your best friend," another boy said.
Yue Kai said earnestly, "No, you can't. We must treat everyone equally. You are all my best friends."
At just over three years old, children don't always speak in complete sentences fluently, but Yue Kai said these words with remarkable ease because Liang Yufeng coached her daily.
While Yue Kai was navigating her social situation, Lin Mei had already picked up Jing Chu from the pre-school class and arrived at the lower grades' classroom.
As soon as Jing Chu arrived, he saw Yue Kai surrounded by a group of boys. He instinctively assumed she was being bullied. Thus, he walked over with a stern face and, in front of boys who were more than three years younger than him, took Yue Kai's hand.
Jing Chu had inherited Xing Zheng's height and had been taller than his peers since childhood. Standing before the children in the lower grades, he was even more conspicuous. He wore the kindergarten's uniform and carried his schoolbag. With a stern face, he told them, "Don't bully girls."
"We're not bullying her; we're good friends," one of the boys replied.
Yue Kai also explained to him, "Really, they are all my best friends!"
Jing Chu turned to look at her, his expression gradually becoming complex. "Then what am I?"
"You are Brother Jing Chu," Yue Kai said.
Jing Chu: "..."
Jing Chu was a little over six years old and understood far more than Yue Kai. At this age, possessiveness had begun to emerge. He had never forgotten that Yue Kai was his future "wife."
Although Lin Mei had told him that it was just a joke between adults and that everything depended on whether Yue Kai liked him when she grew up, respecting Yue Kai's wishes, Jing Chu had subconsciously settled on this matter.
Children liked to play with older children, and Jing Chu was very smart. Yue Kai had always enjoyed playing with him. When he arrived, she forgot about her other friends and walked away with Jing Chu. Jing Chu's stern expression finally softened, revealing a clear smile.
The two children walked ahead hand in hand, with Lan Lan and Lin Mei following behind them. Seeing them getting along so well, Lan Lan truly hoped that the two children could fall in love. However, as Liang Yufeng had said, matters of the heart depended on Yue Kai's wishes. Although she was very fond of Jing Chu, her godson, she could not force them together.
Still, nurturing their feelings from childhood should have prevented any unexpected issues. Yet, an unexpected event did occur.
One day in their second year of high school, Yue Kai suddenly confessed to Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng that she had fallen for a boy in her class.
Jiang Yue Kai had maintained a very equal relationship with Liang Yufeng and Lan Lan since childhood. As parents, they had never suppressed her with their authority; they had always interacted on an equal footing. Therefore, Yue Kai had almost no secrets from her parents.
She had been pursued by many boys since starting school, and her parents were aware of all these things.
However, this was the first time Jiang Yue Kai had actively liked someone.
Upon hearing Jiang Yue Kai's confession, Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng exchanged glances. However, their concerns were entirely different. Lan Lan worried about Lin Jing Chu's disappointment upon learning this, while Liang Yufeng was concerned about his daughter's judgment.
Nevertheless, both of their expressions were uniformly serious.
Seeing this, Jiang Yue Kai told them, "I like him, and he likes me. I want to date him, but we will be mindful and it won't affect our studies. His grades are very good, and we can go to the same school."
Jiang Yue Kai attended an international high school. Those who studied there generally came from good families and had good upbringing. Jiang Yue Kai was in the experimental class, where the students all had good grades.
Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng were not worried about the other boy's academic performance. Lan Lan even felt that at her age, dating was not a problem; she herself had dated quite a bit in high school.
However, Liang Yufeng objected. "I do not approve of you dating now. If he truly likes you, he wouldn't be in a hurry for these next two years."
This was not a direct refusal, but it created an opportunity to test the other boy. At seventeen or eighteen, children's hearts are unstable, and no one can guarantee how long this relationship will last. This also served as a chance to see how much patience the boy had for Jiang Yue Kai.
Jiang Yue Kai did not get angry when her father objected. She thoughtfully considered Liang Yufeng's words and found them very sensible. "Dad is right. I believe our feelings can withstand the test. Then I won't date him for now. After we apply to schools and receive offers, I will bring him to meet you." Jiang Yue Kai was very confident in her feelings.
After their father-daughter conversation, Lan Lan finally asked Jiang Yue Kai, "Why do you like him? What about him attracts you?"
Lan Lan was very curious about what qualities the boy possessed that made her so steadfastly like him, to the point of forgetting Lin Jing Chu, her "childhood betrothal" prospect.