The three children were playing hide-and-seek. Occasionally, they would disappear from the monitoring screen. That was when the child ran to the side, but would reappear on the screen after a while.
When it was time for Ji Zhile to hide, he took Ji Ningyi’s hand and walked out of the monitoring range. There was only Zhu Pan in the scene and she went to find someone after counting.
The video fast-forwarded until Zhu Pan found Ji Ningyi.
Two children appeared together in the picture.
Cheng Yangjiao asked: “Panpan, where did you find Ningyi?”
Zhu Pan said: “On the tree, as soon as Ningyi was outside, I called him, and he came back.”
Cheng Yangjiao frowned: “The doors are locked, how did he get out, did he climb the wall?”
“Si Tian, let’s go see Ningyi.”
Si Tian hummed. Her heart beat a little faster, as if the development of the matter exceeded expectations, which was a warning and a reminder.
Si Tian called out to the system: “Xiao Ai, I want to know where Ji Zhile is now.”
Xiao Ai said as always: [Host, I don’t have permission to know this.]
It’s just that the tone is inexplicably a little vague.
What else did Si Tian want to say? Cheng Yangjiao had already knocked on the door of Ji Ningyi’s room. Si Tian could only suppress the idea of blackmailing the system, people can’t do two things at once.
The door knocked twice and Ji Ningyi opened it immediately.
He stood at the door, wearing a long white T. His face was a little pale. He looked up at them: “Mom, Grandma, what’s wrong?”
Cheng Yangjiao said, “Ningyi, we didn’t see Zhile. Just now we watched the surveillance and found that you and Zhile went to hide together. Do you know where he hid?”
Ji Ningyi shook his head: “Grandma, I don’t know either. I hid with Zhile at first, but later I was worried that we would be discovered together, so we hid in different places.”
His voice was low, as if he was apologizing: “There is a small door next to the big tree in the back garden, Zhile and I went out through the small door together.”
“Then, where did you hide and where did you see Zhile running?” Cheng Yangjiao’s voice suddenly became sharp when she heard them stepping out of the outer wall.
Ji Ningyi shrank slightly and raised his head to look at Si Tian. His eyes were slightly red, as if he was afraid, with a slight glint of water.
Si Tian was soft-hearted, bent down, and hugged him gently: “It’s okay, Ningyi. Don’t be afraid, Grandma is just too worried about Zhile. Just tell us where you saw Zhile go.”
Ji Ningyi nodded: “I saw Zhile running towards the gate.”
Cheng Yangjiao looked at Ji Ningyi and realized that she had spoken too loudly just now, so she softened her voice and asked, “Is Ningyi sick?”
Ji Ningyi nodded: “A little dizzy.”
“Then you have a good rest, your mother and I will go find Zhile.” Cheng Yangjiao said.
Ji Ningyi pulled Si Tian’s sleeves, wrapped his arms gently around her neck, and let go obediently: “Then, I’m going to sleep, Mom.”
Si Tian carried him back to the bed. Ji Ningyi quickly stopped struggling and looked at her with watery eyes.
“Ningyi, don’t worry.”
Ji Ningyi nodded.
He watched his mother and grandmother go out to find Zhile.
He clenched his hands tightly and his palms were covered in cold sweat.
He lied again. Why did he lie again? He knew where Zhile was, he did it on purpose.
When Grandma asked him, those lies seemed to be said without thinking or hesitation, as if the structure of the lies had already been built in his mind. Even for a moment those lies would improve themselves and tell him that the truth of the matter was like this.
He was also convincing himself, but his heart pounded for a moment. If there is a flaw, Zhile does not run to the gate. If Zhile wants to hide, he must find a place where no one is there. There is no place to hide there.
Ji Ningyi shrank his head into the quilt, not knowing why he became like this.
Obviously, he was so afraid and nervous that he wanted to tell his mother everything. But when he saw them, he lied again. He was too afraid of not being liked and criticized.
***
After leaving the room, Cheng Yangjiao said with a heavy tone, “Let’s go to the door that Ningyi mentioned first.”
“It turned out that we had a dog at home and made a special door for it to go out. I almost forgot about it all these years.” Cheng Yangjiao explained, but her face was a little gloomy, “I didn’t expect Zhile and the others to find out and run out from there.”
Sensing her mother-in-law’s remorse, Si Tian said: “Ningyi said just now that Zhile ran toward the gate. Although he was naughty, he didn’t dare to go to strange places by himself. He wouldn’t run too far, Mom, don’t blame yourself.”
Hearing this sentence, Cheng Yangjiao raised her eyebrows: “You are quite good at comforting people.”
Si Tian said, “Where is it?”
She just doesn’t know how to blame others when things happen. No one is happy to see such a thing happen. If this is the case, it’s better for everyone to work together to deal with it.
“Why is Ningyi sick today?”
“I don’t know, maybe it’s heatstroke.” Si Tian said.
“Children won’t suffer from heatstroke in this kind of weather. You can ask Zhile later when you find him.” Cheng Yangjiao said, “Ningyi has always been sensible, but being sensible is a stressful compliment for a child.”
Children always want to be praised by adults and parents and will work hard for praise.
But being sensible is too broad, good grades are sensible, not mischievous and not losing your temper are sensible, not picky eaters are sensible…
It’s not a good thing to suppress yourself in order to get a sensible compliment.
Si Tian: “I know.”
They searched around the outer wall but could not find anyone. Seeing the passage of time, Si Tian became more and more anxious, which was beyond her expectations.
“Xiao Ai.”
The voice of the system responded weakly: [I am here.]
“Where is Ji Zhile now?” Si Tian’s voice was very serious, without the slightest bit of easy teasing, “I hope you can tell me as soon as possible. If something really happens to Ji Zhile, not only will my task fail, but you will be punished for it too.”
The system was startled, not knowing why the host guessed so accurately. It obviously did not reveal anything, the system wanted to cry.
Si Tian was urging again: “Time waits for no one, what should Ji Zhile do if we are late?”
The three children were playing hide-and-seek. Occasionally, they would disappear from the monitoring screen. That was when the child ran to the side, but would reappear on the screen after a while.
When it was time for Ji Zhile to hide, he took Ji Ningyi’s hand and walked out of the monitoring range. There was only Zhu Pan in the scene and she went to find someone after counting.
The video fast-forwarded until Zhu Pan found Ji Ningyi.
Two children appeared together in the picture.
Cheng Yangjiao asked: “Panpan, where did you find Ningyi?”
Zhu Pan said: “On the tree, as soon as Ningyi was outside, I called him, and he came back.”
Cheng Yangjiao frowned: “The doors are locked, how did he get out, did he climb the wall?”
“Si Tian, let’s go see Ningyi.”
Si Tian hummed. Her heart beat a little faster, as if the development of the matter exceeded expectations, which was a warning and a reminder.
Si Tian called out to the system: “Xiao Ai, I want to know where Ji Zhile is now.”
Xiao Ai said as always: [Host, I don’t have permission to know this.]
It’s just that the tone is inexplicably a little vague.
What else did Si Tian want to say? Cheng Yangjiao had already knocked on the door of Ji Ningyi’s room. Si Tian could only suppress the idea of blackmailing the system, people can’t do two things at once.
The door knocked twice and Ji Ningyi opened it immediately.
He stood at the door, wearing a long white T. His face was a little pale. He looked up at them: “Mom, Grandma, what’s wrong?”
Cheng Yangjiao said, “Ningyi, we didn’t see Zhile. Just now we watched the surveillance and found that you and Zhile went to hide together. Do you know where he hid?”
Ji Ningyi shook his head: “Grandma, I don’t know either. I hid with Zhile at first, but later I was worried that we would be discovered together, so we hid in different places.”
His voice was low, as if he was apologizing: “There is a small door next to the big tree in the back garden, Zhile and I went out through the small door together.”
“Then, where did you hide and where did you see Zhile running?” Cheng Yangjiao’s voice suddenly became sharp when she heard them stepping out of the outer wall.
Ji Ningyi shrank slightly and raised his head to look at Si Tian. His eyes were slightly red, as if he was afraid, with a slight glint of water.
Si Tian was soft-hearted, bent down, and hugged him gently: “It’s okay, Ningyi. Don’t be afraid, Grandma is just too worried about Zhile. Just tell us where you saw Zhile go.”
Ji Ningyi nodded: “I saw Zhile running towards the gate.”
Cheng Yangjiao looked at Ji Ningyi and realized that she had spoken too loudly just now, so she softened her voice and asked, “Is Ningyi sick?”
Ji Ningyi nodded: “A little dizzy.”
“Then you have a good rest, your mother and I will go find Zhile.” Cheng Yangjiao said.
Ji Ningyi pulled Si Tian’s sleeves, wrapped his arms gently around her neck, and let go obediently: “Then, I’m going to sleep, Mom.”
Si Tian carried him back to the bed. Ji Ningyi quickly stopped struggling and looked at her with watery eyes.
“Ningyi, don’t worry.”
Ji Ningyi nodded.
He watched his mother and grandmother go out to find Zhile.
He clenched his hands tightly and his palms were covered in cold sweat.
He lied again. Why did he lie again? He knew where Zhile was, he did it on purpose.
When Grandma asked him, those lies seemed to be said without thinking or hesitation, as if the structure of the lies had already been built in his mind. Even for a moment those lies would improve themselves and tell him that the truth of the matter was like this.
He was also convincing himself, but his heart pounded for a moment. If there is a flaw, Zhile does not run to the gate. If Zhile wants to hide, he must find a place where no one is there. There is no place to hide there.
Ji Ningyi shrank his head into the quilt, not knowing why he became like this.
Obviously, he was so afraid and nervous that he wanted to tell his mother everything. But when he saw them, he lied again. He was too afraid of not being liked and criticized.
***
After leaving the room, Cheng Yangjiao said with a heavy tone, “Let’s go to the door that Ningyi mentioned first.”
“It turned out that we had a dog at home and made a special door for it to go out. I almost forgot about it all these years.” Cheng Yangjiao explained, but her face was a little gloomy, “I didn’t expect Zhile and the others to find out and run out from there.”
Sensing her mother-in-law’s remorse, Si Tian said: “Ningyi said just now that Zhile ran toward the gate. Although he was naughty, he didn’t dare to go to strange places by himself. He wouldn’t run too far, Mom, don’t blame yourself.”
Hearing this sentence, Cheng Yangjiao raised her eyebrows: “You are quite good at comforting people.”
Si Tian said, “Where is it?”
She just doesn’t know how to blame others when things happen. No one is happy to see such a thing happen. If this is the case, it’s better for everyone to work together to deal with it.
“Why is Ningyi sick today?”
“I don’t know, maybe it’s heatstroke.” Si Tian said.
“Children won’t suffer from heatstroke in this kind of weather. You can ask Zhile later when you find him.” Cheng Yangjiao said, “Ningyi has always been sensible, but being sensible is a stressful compliment for a child.”
Children always want to be praised by adults and parents and will work hard for praise.
But being sensible is too broad, good grades are sensible, not mischievous and not losing your temper are sensible, not picky eaters are sensible…
It’s not a good thing to suppress yourself in order to get a sensible compliment.
Si Tian: “I know.”
They searched around the outer wall but could not find anyone. Seeing the passage of time, Si Tian became more and more anxious, which was beyond her expectations.
“Xiao Ai.”
The voice of the system responded weakly: [I am here.]
“Where is Ji Zhile now?” Si Tian’s voice was very serious, without the slightest bit of easy teasing, “I hope you can tell me as soon as possible. If something really happens to Ji Zhile, not only will my task fail, but you will be punished for it too.”
The system was startled, not knowing why the host guessed so accurately. It obviously did not reveal anything, the system wanted to cry.
Si Tian was urging again: “Time waits for no one, what should Ji Zhile do if we are late?”
