Returning to Infancy with my Nemesis

After watching two more episodes of the animation series, Tang Mian greedily enjoyed his time. However, Shen Siwan paused the TV screen and explained to him, “Watching too much TV isn’t good for your eyes. We can finish the rest tomorrow. How about playing something else with Zhao zhao?”

Tang Mian nodded obediently and didn’t make a fuss. But secretly, he couldn’t help but mutter to himself, finding it unexpected how captivating the animation series turned out to be.

Fu Shizhao had injured his arm, so Tang Mian didn’t engage him in any games. Instead, he held his small hand and took a stroll around the villa.

For three- or four-year-old kids, actions didn’t necessarily follow logic. Lack of logic seemed more normal at this age.

Fu Shizhao allowed himself to be led by Tang Mian’s hand, while they revisited familiar spots together.

In his past life, he had purchased this very villa that was almost sold, planning to give it to Tang Mian whenever he decided to buy it. Unfortunately, he had waited in vain for Tang Mian to make that decision.

In reality, he knew Tang Mian wouldn’t buy back the villa. “Seeing things” only led to “missing people.”

Ironically, he became the one who “saw things and missed people.”

As they passed by Tang Sheng’s room on the second floor, Tang Mian paused for a few seconds. He carefully looked at the nameplate on the door that his mother had written by hand. Then, contentedly, he continued holding Fu Shizhao’s hand and left the scene.

His mother enjoyed these things with a strong sense of life, even if they seemed a bit childish. However, they carried meaningful memories. In his previous life, he had never paid attention to these details, but now he felt a strong sense of nostalgia.

For instance, each room had a nameplate hanging on the door, each with a name written on it.

His childhood room had a nameplate that read “Mian Mian & Zhou Zhou’s Nest.” This must have been put up after Fu Shizhao’s arrival.

His older brother Tang Sheng’s door had a nameplate reading “Xiao Sheng’s Study.”

He remembered his older brother always had excellent grades and was diligent in his studies. Even when Tang Mian entered junior high and high school, his photos were still hanging on the school walls.

Now it was spring, and his older brother was already in the first term of his first year of junior high school. Tang Mian was also approaching his fourth birthday.

He wondered when his mom would send him to preschool…

Tang Mian wasn’t very keen on going to preschool, and he didn’t really need to. However, it would be best for Fu Shizhao to attend preschool and receive early education. After all, he needed to be there with him.

Tang Mian didn’t want his little brother to be “stolen” by others at preschool.

And besides… if Tang Mian went to preschool, his mom could finally engage in activities she enjoyed, rather than revolving around him every day.

He knew that his arrival had caused his mom to put aside her career plans. In his previous life, he couldn’t change that, but this time he hoped he wouldn’t “delay” his mom anymore.

With the foresight of information about the next twenty years, he knew that self-media and live streaming industries would become immensely popular worldwide. His mom was involved in fields related to plants and had graduated from a top-tier university. If she was willing… he could guide her into creating a self-media account, starting a live stream, and becoming one of the pioneers in the field, reaping the benefits of early adaption.

This way, she could engage in what she loved in her expertise while satisfying her work ambitions, making her life more fulfilling.

In this second chance at life, he wished for everyone he cared about to have fewer regrets.

—

After the two little companions had finished exploring the second floor, the door of “Xiao Sheng’s Study” was pushed open slightly, and then quickly closed again.

Tang Sheng sat back on his chair with a sense of loss.

He hoped that Tang Mian would like his gift and forgive him.

—

—

With their short legs and limited energy, three- and four-year-old kids like Tang Mian didn’t need much logic in their actions. Without logic, things seemed more normal.

After a thorough exploration of the vast villa, Tang Mian was exhausted, and he plopped onto the small couch in his room.

“It’s almost bedtime,” Fu Shizhao spoke from the other small couch in the room, suddenly breaking the silence.

Glancing at the small alarm clock on the table, Tang Mian realized it was only half-past seven. He mused that he used to go to bed at this time at his age. Quite early, he thought.

However, he was undeniably feeling tired…

As he contemplated this, Tang Mian couldn’t help but yawn, and his eyes began to well up with a hint of mist.

Fu Shizhao’s injured arm needed a fresh bandage and a bit more medicine. Tang Mian didn’t want to waste more time, so he held Fu Shizhao’s hand and went downstairs to find his parents.

Tang Minghuai and Fu Yu had returned from their walk and their brief drinking session.

There were rooms specially prepared for the staff on the ground floor of the villa.

After coming downstairs, Fu Shizhao obediently went to find Fu Yu to change his bandages. Fu Yu used to be a street-smart guy before he joined the military, good at playing sports and handling situations. Changing bandages was a simple task for him, given his history of dealing with various injuries.

Since waking up in this new world, Fu Shizhao had been constantly by Tang Mian’s side, like a little companion. Suddenly being without Fu Shizhao around made him feel a bit out of sorts. Thankfully, his parents were there to guide him. They took him to the bathroom to freshen up, and also fetched the eye drops prescribed at the hospital. They carefully administered a drop to his slightly swollen eyes, a result of shedding too many tears today. After all, experiencing such an ordeal would naturally bring tears to anyone’s eyes.

In the bathroom of the master bedroom, Tang Mian felt a long-lost sense of homey happiness. The spring weather was mild, and there was no need for a shower. Instead, he felt a quick wash-up would suffice.

While his mother was removing her makeup and his father was meticulously shaving, his older brother was now in junior high school, making it too early for him to get ready for bed at this hour.

Having finished washing up, Tang Mian couldn’t help but yawn repeatedly. Although he wanted to stay close to his parents, his body was indeed tired. When the third yawn became uncontrollable, Tang Mian decided to head back to his room.

As Tang Mian stepped into his room, his hand instinctively reached for the switch of the duck-shaped ceiling lamp. With a couple of clicks, the lamp adjusted to his preferred color and brightness.

Content with his lighting choice, Tang Mian continued walking into the room, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

Feeling exhausted, when the third round of yawning became uncontrollable, Tang Mian went straight back to the children’s room.

Fu Shizhao hadn’t returned yet. Instead, the two maids were inside, busy with something.

Both of them noticed his action of adjusting the lights and exchanged a knowing smile as if it was a common occurrence.

Concerned that the child might roll off the bed while sleeping, the sides of the bed in the children’s room were lined with protective rails. The maid sisters were currently installing divider panels made of the same material as the protective rails. It seemed they intended to partition the bed into two sections.

Quickly, Tang Mian understood the purpose behind their actions – they were likely trying to prevent him from accidentally bumping into Fu Shizhao’s injured arm while sleeping together at night.

One had to admit, there was a possibility…

He knew he wasn’t very well-behaved when sleeping, as evident from the assortment of stuffed toys on the bed.

He still remembered when he was little, he would “spoil” a stuffed toy every night by cuddling with it in bed. This habit had persisted into adulthood without changing.

His college friends used to tease him for this habit.

Because on his first day of school, Tang Mian had chosen to bring along a pink-dressed cat plushie toy his mother had made for him. However, due to having a bit too much luggage on the first day of school, the plushie toy fell out of his bag. A fellow student from the same dormitory building found it, took it to the dormitory manager, and posted a lost and found notice, which led to some playful teasing.

Later on, his roommates playfully called him “xiao mian mao” for several years. (little mian cat)

Finally, the maid finished installing the divider and arranged all the stuffed animals on the bed at the end where Tang Mian usually slept. The bed was quite large, and since Tang Mian was relatively short for his age, the stuffed animals wouldn’t hinder his sleep.

Shortly after, the maid turned to Tang Mian and explained with a smile, “Later, when you sleep with Zhao Zhao, don’t be on his side. Zhao Zhao’s arm is injured, and sleeping together might press on his wound and cause pain. Once Zhao Zhao’s wound has fully healed, sister will remove this divider.”

Tang Mian nodded obediently to show his understanding and sat on the bed wearing his slippers.

Since he didn’t have a phone at this age, and other forms of entertainment were too childish for an adult soul like his, and his feet and legs were sore, he didn’t feel like continuing to explore the room or watching cartoons…

Feeling bored, Tang Mian played with the stuffed animals at the end of the bed for a while, discovering several that he had accidentally damaged in his previous life. As if participating in a ritual of sorts, Tang Mian eventually chose a small dog plushie to accompany him to sleep tonight.

Cuddling the small dog plushie, Tang Mian slipped into the covers, couldn’t resist another yawn, and gazed at the duck-shaped ceiling lamp on the ceiling for a while.

He liked the brightest yellow color for the duck lamp and always adjusted the light to this hue.

After lying there for a while, Tang Mian sat up slowly, carefully removed the hearing aid from his right ear, and placed it in the drying box on the bedside table.

Since sleep at night was long, the hearing aid had to be taken off to avoid discomfort and potential damage from pressing against it.

The bedroom was quiet, and even without the hearing aid, there wasn’t much of a difference in sound. Tang Mian curled up under the covers.

Gradually, Tang Mian’s eyelids began to droop. Holding the small dog plushie, he turned over and fixed his gaze on the direction of the room’s door.

Why hasn’t Fu Shizhao returned yet…

He’s taking so long.

–

–

Deep down, Fu Shizhao was feeling conflicted.

He missed his foster father a lot, but he also wanted to be close to Tang Mian.

On the first night after his rebirth, he wasn’t sure who he should sleep with. He wished he could split himself into two. Luckily, his foster father’s presence had made the decision easier.

His foster father had explained, slightly embarrassed after changing the bandages and applying the ointment, “Daddy isn’t very well-behaved during sleep, and I tend to snore. It’s hard to sleep with me. The two sisters helped divide the bed in the children’s room with a partition board. You can sleep with Mian Mian tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll change your bandages again. The wound isn’t serious, and it’ll heal quickly.”

The two options suddenly merged into one, and Fu Shizhao felt a sigh of relief. He no longer needed to be torn between the choices.

After tending to the wound, Fu Shizhao deliberately slowed his pace and engaged in conversation while they both prepared for bed.

His adoptive father was a close friend of his biological father during their military service days. Though they had lost contact over the years, when his biological father was on his deathbed, he entrusted the young Fu Shizhao to his friend without any hesitation.

This decision led to his upbringing by his adoptive father for many years.

Fu Shizhao understood that his biological parents had hoped for him to grow up safe and sound, free from the entanglements of the Fu family. That’s why they entrusted him to his adoptive father.

However, in this life, he was still determined to step into the murky waters of the Fu family. Despite having avenged himself in his previous life, he wasn’t satisfied with the outcome – trading a thousand blows for every enemy he defeated. This time, he aimed to reap the benefits without suffering the same losses.

Even if it meant standing by Tang Mian’s side, he was willing to wade through this journey.

While washing up, his adoptive father lectured him at length, mostly about getting along well with Tang Mian. He reiterated the instructions regarding his arm injury, and then, with a sudden cough, he asked, “Tonight, when you were walking with Mr. Tang, he asked me about kindergarten. Does Zhao Zhao want to go to kindergarten?”

Fu Shizhao paused for a moment.

In his previous life, he hadn’t actually attended kindergarten.

Tang Mian’s mother felt protective of him, especially because he needed hearing aids to live normally. She was afraid he might face difficulties or harm in kindergarten. So, she opted for homeschooling him during his early education years.

Fu Shizhao had accompanied Tang Mian in studying early childhood education courses at home. They even hired a private tutor. As a result, he hadn’t gone to kindergarten.

In this life… with an adult soul inhabiting Tang Mian’s body, he was more than capable of taking care of himself. Would he want to attend kindergarten?

Fu Shizhao wasn’t particularly concerned either way. If Tang Mian wanted to experience what he missed in his previous life, Fu Shizhao was more than willing to accompany him.

However, Fu Shizhao didn’t know Tang Mian’s thoughts yet, so he answered, “If brother wants to go, I’ll go too.”

Since Tang Uncle had already discussed this matter with his adoptive father, it was likely that Uncle Tang and Aunt Tang would ask Tang Mian for his opinion. Fu Shizhao figured he would observe and follow Tang Mian’s lead.

After hearing this, Fu Yu sighed softly, patting Fu Shizhao’s head. He didn’t say much more. He saw nothing wrong in Fu Shizhao’s response. If anything, it just showed how thoughtful he was. It was a relief that the Tang family were all good people.

Even if Tang Mian didn’t want to attend kindergarten, Fu Shizhao was confident that they could provide a solid early education for him at home. The Tang family never compromised on education and upbringing, a fact apparent from Tang Sheng.

Although the lady had brought up Zhao Zhao to provide Tang Mian with companionship, in reality, they were the ones who benefited the most.

Fu Yu couldn’t help but add, “If Mian Mian wants to go to kindergarten, Zhao Zhao, you have to protect him. There might be kids like Xiao Wei there.”

Fu Shizhao earnestly nodded. Yet, deep inside, he couldn’t help but chuckle. After all, the soul inside Tang Mian’s body was that of an adult. He shouldn’t be bullied by kids much younger than him.

What he was actually more worried about was Tang Mian getting “snatched” away by other children. Tang Mian was just so likable…and adorable…

Fu Shizhao would definitely be on guard.

Tang Mian had to remain his number one priority.

–

After the chitchat and washing up, Fu Yu sent Fu Shizhao to the stairs on the second floor. He watched him enter the children’s room and steal a glance at his direction before closing the door before leaving.

Although Mr. and Mrs. Tang had allowed someone with Fu Shizhao’s status to come up to the second floor, Fu Yu still understood the boundaries. The second floor was where the employers’ family resided, and he didn’t want to disturb them.

As soon as Fu Shizhao opened the door to the children’s room, he spotted Tang Mian sleeping facing their direction. He carefully closed the door, taking extra care to avoid making any noise that could wake him.

Perhaps it was because of their long walk around the estate earlier in the evening, but Tang Mian was sleeping deeply. His cheeks were a rosy hue, and his long eyelashes cast a soft shadow on his face.

Fu Shizhao approached the bed with gentle steps, peering at Tang Mian who was sleeping peacefully behind the protective railing. He watched him for a while, a sense of warmth and contentment filling his heart.

Despite appearing more composed than Tang Mian during the day, Fu Shizhao had to admit that the experience felt surreal. He was a mixture of emotions, from fear to hope.

He feared that if he closed his eyes and opened them again, everything might turn out to be a dream. But the pain from Tang Mian’s earlier pinch, along with the tears he shed, was evidence that this was indeed real.

And the discomfort from his arm injury was oddly reassuring. It was a tangible reminder that he was alive and present in this new reality.

With these thoughts in mind, Fu Shizhao carefully lay down on the other side of the bed, ensuring not to disturb Tang Mian. As he passed by the end of Tang Mian’s bed, he quietly pocketed a cat plushie.

He pulled the covers over himself, turned off the light, and closed his eyes, whispering a silent wish.

He hoped that when he woke up tomorrow, Tang Mian would still be right there by his side.