Suddenly, Hua Jinyan sharply turned his head, his eyes looking keenly behind him.
Director Hua was startled, "Why so fierce?"
Hua Jinyan withdrew his gaze and glanced at Director Hua, "I wasn’t looking at you."
Director Hua turned to look, but saw nothing out of the ordinary, his heart pounding as he lowered his voice, "Jinyan, did you see something unclean?"
This school has unclean things! I have to transfer my son out!
Hua Jinyan shook his head, "No, let’s head back."
In fact, since leaving the school gate, he had felt a prying gaze tightly fixed on them, filled with malice.
All the curtains in the art classroom had been drawn, and the art teacher standing in front of the window let out a breath, her lips curving into a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
She walked up to David’s plaster cast, her voice tinged with amusement, "Quite perceptive, aren’t we!"
Upon returning home, Little Taotie washed his hands and face and then started following the nanny around, "Auntie, let me carry the dishes, the teacher said that at home we should help the adults with the chores!"
The nanny couldn’t stop smiling, "Little Taotie is so well-behaved. The soup is too hot, let Auntie carry it. You take this plate of cut fruit."
"Okay!" Little Taotie obediently followed behind the nanny with the plate in hand.
Director Hua glanced at his son sitting on the sofa playing with the tablet and cleared his throat, "Your teacher said you should do chores, why aren’t you doing any?"
Hua Jinyan looked at him indifferently and retorted, "Should I do whatever the teacher says?"
"Not necessarily, but..."
Hua Jinyan cut him off, "What did the head of teaching tell you?"
Director Hua’s expression turned awkward.
How could he tell his son that he had been lectured by the head of teaching, and didn’t dare to argue back, ending up looking like a fool?
"I won’t bring my phone to class from now on," Hua Jinyan stated calmly.
"That’s not acceptable!" Director Hua said anxiously, "You can’t be without your phone in case of an emergency and no one can contact you!"
Hua Jinyan shrugged, "Alright then."
"Is school tiring?" Director Hua asked with concern.
Hua Jinyan shook his head, "I can handle it."
"In one more month, filming will wrap, and then I can take you back to live with us."
"You..." Director Hua sighed, "Then at least go back and see the elders."
"Sure, I know, I’ll go back when I have time."
"So when will you have time?"
Hua Jinyan shrugged, "During a long break maybe."
"What about weekends?"
"I have Mysticism class on Saturdays, like I told you."
Hua Jinyan slowly pulled out a badge from his backpack and handed it over, "Forgot to tell you, on Sundays, I work."
"Work?" Director Hua opened the badge skeptically then quickly closed it again, his face a picture of disbelief, "Am I blind, did I read that wrong?"
"You didn’t read it wrong."
"What are you up to!" Director Hua raised his voice, "You’re so young! Do you know how dangerous this is!"
"It’s alright, I think it’s quite interesting."
"No, you can’t go anymore, return this," he said firmly.
Hua Jinyan looked at him indifferently, "I’m quite satisfied with my life now, it’s better than being shut away in a temple all the time."
At this, the nearly furious Director Hua suddenly deflated, slumping down. After a long while, once he’d stabilized his emotions, he asked in a subdued voice, "Do you really like it?"
"Well then... then don’t tell your mother," Director Hua conceded, "If you like it, go ahead, I won’t stop you."
Hua Jinyan reached for the badge and said softly, "Thank you, Dad."
Director Hua, feeling resigned, "Your mother will certainly give me an earful if she finds out."
"You have it tough, Dad," Hua Jinyan said, patting his shoulder in dispassionate consolation, "Mom will just scold you for a bit and it’s over, she won’t hit you, just endure it."