My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

It wasn't until a few weeks later that Shi Nian knew the reason why Xiao Kun showed such a strong reaction when they first met. 

For Shi Nian, it was a day like any other. Her life only consisted of school, playing with friends, doing homework, watching cartoons with Qiang Fei and occasionally munched food from Auntie Si.

If it wasn't for her being curious about the new kitty which her classmate chanced upon yesterday, Shi Nian wouldn't have taken a road different than her usual path. If it wasn't for that, then she wouldn't have seen such a horrible scene either.

A group of big children were ganging on a small, little child. Mocking, laughing, occasionally pushing and hitting. The child was shoved so hard that he tripped and fell over his butt, yet he didn't make any sound at all, head hanging low.

Shi Nian blinked in confusion. She tried to creep closer silently to find out what was going on but her plan came to naught when she realized that the child in the center was next door's Xiao Kun!

Her eyes widened in anger and Shi Nian charged forward, pushing the kid whose leg stretched out, intending to kick Xiao Kun.. The circle was broken in an instant. Shi Nian gallantly stood in front of Xiao Kun and glowered at the group of boys who were half a head taller than her.

"You—" Maybe because Shi Nian's eyes were too ferocious, the boys instantly cowered and turned tails. "The mistress' son got help today! Let's go! We will continue tomorrow!"

Shi Nian glowered fiercely. "You will still bully Xiao Chun tomorrow?! See if I will tell the teachers!"

Honestly, it wasn't that Shi Nian was fearless. When she saw the boys retreating, she was so relieved that she wanted to cry. However, she held herself back and turned to Xiao Kun who had stood up on his own, asking in worry, "Are you okay? Why are they bullying you? They are so bad! Let's go and tell Auntie Si!"

Shi Nian pulled on his wrist, but the boy remained firm in place. "Xiao Chun?" The nickname had finally become a habit. Even though Shi Nian didn't have a lisp anymore, she would still call him that.

"Don't."  His shoulders were trembling minutely. "Don't tell my mother."

"Why?!" Shi Nian demanded, confused. "They are bad kids! We should report bad kids to the teachers and parents!"

"I said no!" Xiao Kun burst out in anger for the first time, making her dumbfounded. "Didn't you hear me?! I told you not to tell my mother!" As he shouted, tears slid down his cheeks in an unstoppable stream.

Shi Nian was so spooked that she was left with no choice but to appease him first. "A—Alright, alright, I will listen to you. I won't tell your mother. Xiao Chun, don't cry…don't cry…" Shi Nian's nose felt sour and she sniffed along with him.

Xiao Chun hiccupped and wiped his face roughly, the base of his ears was red. "Who's crying?!"

"But—"

"My name is Xiao Kun!"

"Okay, okay Xiao Kun. Your name is Xiao Kun." Shi Nian said his name 'Xiao Kun, Xiao Kun' over and over again until the boy calmed down. However, not even a few moments later, she regenerated back into Xiao Chun as if she was a goldfish with only three seconds of memory.

Xiao Kun's head was lowered as he continued to dry his tears. "Why did you help me? Don't you see that they are my classmates? They will come and find trouble with you..." 

For a seven years old child, Xiao Kun was very skinny and pale. His height barely reached Shi Nian's nose and it was still long before he could match his strong and vigorous classmates. Xiao Kun was so delicate and fragile, making Shi Nian compelled to help him!

Hearing Xiao Kun's words, Shi Nian was dumbfounded. "Why? I should help you at times like these! If those kids come to trouble me, then I will tell the teachers!"

Nan Xukun pursed his lips. "Is that how Auntie Qiang taught you?"

"No, Mama didn't teach me. Why?" Shi Nian blinked.

At that time, she still hadn't known what 'righteousness' and 'justice' meant. All she wanted to do was to chase away the kids that bullied Xiao Kun.

"Because from all of the children I've met, no one has ever stepped forward except you." Xiao Kun whispered under his breath, his long and curly eyelashes were damp with tears, making it look exceptionally dark against his fair skin.

Shi Nian was still stuck with the previous problem. "Why don't you let me tell Auntie Si? Or else, let's go and tell the teacher? Why are you keeping quiet when they're bullying you? How long have they been bullying you for?"

Nan Xukun frowned, irritated. "Why are you asking so many questions?"

"I am curious ah." She said innocently.

Nan Xukun snorted. "Did you not hear what they said?"

"I didn't." Shi Nian was serious. At that moment, her brain was blank. Where did she get the effort to listen to them yapping?

"They said I am a mistress' son." Xiao Kun confessed glumly. "They also said that I am a bastard, that my mother is only a mistress."

Shi Nian was confused. "What is a mistress? What a bastard?"

Xiao Kun blinked, dumbfounded. To be honest, he didn't really understand it either. He instinctively knew that it was a bad word and he couldn't let his mother hear them lest she would get upset again. "It means—um…" He borrowed the words which he had heard from the neighborhood auntie and translated it within his own capacity. "It means I have more than one father…"

"Huh?" Shi Nian was taken aback. "Isn't that a good thing? I don't even have a father, let alone more than one. You're so amazing!"

Two innocent children looked at each other speechlessly, both were equally confused and perplexed.

However, no matter how Shi Nian tried to cheer him up, Xiao Kun remained depressed until they returned home.

Shi Nian couldn't contain her curiosity and asked Qiang Fei on that very night, under the warm blanket when they snuggled together. 

For the first time ever, Qiang Fei sported a grave expression. "Where did you hear this?"

Shi Nian shrunk her neck fearfully. "I—I heard it from Xiao Chun and Xiao Chun heard it from the bad kids who bullied him!"

Qiang Fei pressed on her temple and sighed.

She had heard in passing that Si Qingzhao never talked about her husband but Qiang Fei didn't think too much about it. Everyone had wounds and secrets they never wanted anyone to know. However, she had never expected that the rumor would spread this far and low.

If the adults didn't talk about it in front of their children, how could they learn it?

Qiang Fei felt more urgently the need to move out from this neighborhood. "How is Xiao Chun? Is she[1] okay?"

Shi Nian thought for a while and crumpled her face, mimicking Qiang Fei's frown. "It seems like she's not."

"Listen to Mama, Niannian." Qiang Fei said seriously. "Bastard, mistress what not, they are all very, very bad words. Mama doesn't need to teach you the meaning right now because you will gradually understand it as you grow up. But remember," She stared into her daughter's golden eyes solemnly. "You cannot, by any circumstances, use those words to mock people, understand?"

"Yes!" Shi Nian recalled her and Xiao Kun's conversation and sighed in relief. Safe, she hadn't used those words at all. Then, as if thinking of something else, she let out a yelp. "Ah, what to do?!"

"What's wrong?"

"I—" Shi Nian scratched her nose sheepishly. "I seemed to have praised him about that. Mama, is that not very good?"

Qiang Fei: "…"

.

.

[1] In case you're curious, yes, Qiang Fei didn't realize that Xiao Kun is a boy either.

.

A/N: oh, Young Master Nan is too pitiful, he's only seven years old and has to endure those bullying. Where is his powerful and rich father ah? (ʘдʘ╬) why don't you show up?!