Chapter 141: Friends Reconciled After a Fight

A moment later, Rong Qing emerged from the kitchen carrying a fragrant, freshly baked cake. The two little rascals, who had been squatting on the ground, instantly lit up and scampered around her in excitement.

"Mmph! Tianci, Tianci, your mom is simply the best!" The chubby boy's mouth was smeared with cream, and his eyes shone with absolute adoration. A gorgeous mother who could bake such delicious treats—Huo Tianci was just too fortunate. Suddenly, the little chubby boy thought of his own mother, who would stand with hands on her hips and jab a finger at the bridge of his nose: 'Eat! Keep eating and you'll turn into a little fat pig, and I won't want you anymore!' *Sob... how pitiful.*

Huo Tianci ate with refined manners, his cutlery making not the slightest sound. He glanced sideways at the silly chubby boy with a mixture of exasperation and amusement, though his eyes retained a smile. Such an expression was rarely seen, reserved only for the family members closest to him.

After finishing lunch, Huo Tianci led the chubby boy to play in the sprawling courtyard of the Huo estate. In this season, towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, and clusters of peonies bloomed in vibrant competition. Beneath the sprawling canopy of blossoms, the two toddlers chased and romped about. Huo Tianci was not typically a hyperactive child, and his cheeks were flushed as he took short, breathless pants. Shifting his gaze, he spotted the dopey chubby boy searching everywhere for him. Holding his breath, Huo Tianci retreated a step backward.

*Hmph, what a dummy.* He was definitely not going to let him know about the hidden path in the garden that led straight to the pavilion. Bending low, Huo Tianci moved with agile grace. Before arriving anywhere, he made it a point to thoroughly memorize the terrain. Even in this small garden where he rarely lingered, he moved with absolute freedom, completely eluding the wide-eyed, searching gaze of the chubby boy.

Navigating the twists and turns with a tactical precision rare for his age, Huo Tianci mapped out the layout in his mind like a miniature strategist. Narrowing his eyes, he hunkered down in a clump of bushes, roughly ten meters away from his target. *Now.* With the agile swiftness of a young wolf, he bolted forward.

At that exact moment, the chubby boy caught a glimpse of a dark figure flashing past. For the little goofball, there was nothing more thrilling; up until now, he had been losing the entire time, and even a chubby boy had his pride. Putting his heart and soul into the chase, he lunged forward with all his might, his wobbling, plump frame crashing down to pin the smaller form firmly beneath him.

"Hehe, Tianci, admit defeat... I've caught you!" The chubby boy was ecstatic and incredibly proud, wiggling his trapped little bottom back and forth in triumph.

Just as he let his guard down, the child beneath him suddenly kicked him off. With a sharp thud, a fist connected squarely with the chubby face, and the round little body lost its balance, sitting down hard on the ground with a grunt. Blinking through the pain and holding his cheek, the chubby boy saw a little boy dressed in black staring fiercely at him like a wild wolf. The chilling expression was so terrifying it looked as if he wanted to tear him apart alive, making the chubby boy tremble with fright.

"Waaah! Sob... Tianci..." The chubby boy burst into loud tears, his face instantly swelling red where he had been struck. Clutching his cheek in agony and terror, he stared in disbelief as the boy continued to glare at him. *So terrifying!*

At that instant, another boy burst through the foliage. Seeing the chubby boy being bullied, Huo Tianci’s anger flared, and he charged at the boy in black like a hunting leopard. The boy possessed a certain innate grit and stubbornness, and stood slightly taller than Huo Tianci. Yet Huo Tianci’s strikes were ruthless and his force fierce, catching the other boy off guard. Soon, fists and kicks flew, and both boys ended up battered. Finally, Huo Tianci and the boy tumbled into the bushes together, neither willing to concede.

Huo Tianci gripped the boy’s chin, applying a fierce pressure that quickly turned the fair skin red and bruised, right beside a fresh scratch on the back of his hand. "Do you yield?" Huo Tianci demanded fiercely, driven by the stubborn pride of childhood. The boy, resembling a wolf cub, stiffened his neck and glared back with a pair of bright, unyielding eyes.

Huo Tianci increased the pressure. Even as his fragile neck threatened to give, the boy refused to back down. The frail child let out a soft, whimpering sound, collapsing onto the grass like a wounded wolf. "Hmph!" Huo Tianci finally released his grip and brushed off his dirtied clothes. The pain from the blows he had taken made him grit his teeth, though his face remained far less battered than the others.

The chubby boy stopped crying, his swollen eyes filled with awe and concern. Watching Huo Tianci avenge him filled his heart with joy and pride. He resolved that if Huo Tianci were ever in danger in the future, he would stand by his brother no matter what!

Freed from the restraint, the strange boy crouched defensively in a corner. The bleeding on his neck had stopped, but the wound looked shocking and raw. Even Huo Tianci was secretly startled by the boy's sheer grit. Thus, Huo Tianci stood scrutinizing the boy, while the wolf-like child remained on high alert against the two of them, resulting in a tense standoff.

Taking the initiative, Huo Tianci walked over and nudged the boy's shin with his foot. Sure enough, the defensive figure flinched, shooting a fierce glare at the intruder. "Hey, I'm Huo Tianci, and this is Fatty. What's your name?" Huo Tianci introduced himself.

The beast-like boy frowned, re-evaluating the two little fellows before him. Realizing they posed no further threat, his lips parted to spit out two words: "Peng Cheng."

Huo Tianci frowned, sensing something amiss. He immediately followed up, "What is your family name?"

At this, the boy named Peng Cheng shrank back, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes. He pressed his lips together in silence, the light in his gaze dimming significantly.

Huo Tianci chose not to press further. He glanced around at the three of them—their clothes filthy, disheveled, and thoroughly ruined. "Come back to the estate with me. At least change your clothes first."

After a brief moment of hesitation, Peng Cheng followed Huo Tianci away.

When the three boys returned home, they gave Rong Qing quite a start. The unfamiliar boy had blood on his neck and several scratches on the back of his hand, looking utterly wretched; the chubby boy had swollen, tear-streaked eyes and a puffy, pathetic little face; and Huo Tianci was by far the most normal-looking, with only messy hair and dirtied clothes—his actual injuries were hidden beneath his garments, out of sight. Only then did Rong Qing breathe a sigh of relief.

Directing the other two little fellows to wash up and change, Rong Qing narrowed her eyes to interrogate her own little tyrant. Looking at the stubborn little rascal—gritting his teeth and unable to sit comfortably—a pang of heartache swept through her, choking off any harsh words she intended to say. "You got into a fight?"

Pulling the child onto her lap, Rong Qing ignored his struggles and lifted his shirt. *Hiss—* A angry red welt struck her eyes like a knife. Though the little fellow seemed fine on the surface, the injuries on his body were painful enough to hurt him and break her heart! Rong Qing then pulled off his trousers to find more red welts on his thighs, though less severe than the ones on his back.

Remaining silent, Rong Qing smoothed soothing, anti-swelling ointment over the boy's skin, massaging it in repeatedly until the angry redness subsided. Huo Tianci had braced himself to be scolded, reprimanded, or even punished by Mommy. But her silent treatment unnerved him even more, throwing the usually composed and shrewd little fellow into a panic.

"Qingqing... Mommy... I won't dare do it again." Huo Tianci's voice carried a trace of tears; he knew Qingqing had never been this angry before, nor had she ever ignored her baby.

Rong Qing sighed softly. Boys fighting was inevitable, and the other child's injuries were far worse than this little one's. Yet, seeing this distressing sight, no matter how understanding she tried to be, her heart ached. This was her baby, a child who had never been injured a day in his life. Once the medicinal oil dried, Rong Qing dressed the little fellow in clean clothes.

"Mommy?" Huo Tianci pressed his small hands against his mother's cheeks. The usually lawless little tyrant was now as docile and obedient as a lamb.

Rong Qing smiled at the silly boy and gave his little bottom a light smack. "Next time you fight, learn to protect yourself. Only a foolish child chooses such a crude method." A boy's untamed nature could not be stamped out, but she hoped Huo Tianci would grow through these conflicts, realizing that true wisdom meant solving problems with the mind.

Though the young Huo Tianci only half-understood her words, he grasped one core truth: hereafter, if a problem could be solved another way, he would avoid fighting, and if a fight was unavoidable, he must protect himself. Because this body wasn't just his own—his mother would hurt and grieve over him, and that was what mattered most to him.

After cleaning up, the boy named Peng Cheng finally made peace with Huo Tianci. A bond forged through blows quickly turned the similarly-tempered boys into close companions. The three toddlers sat together on the soft living room carpet as Huo Tianci brought out all his prized toys and treasures. The three of them were soon playing in high spirits.

Dinner was prepared by Rong Qing herself, with a maid assisting nearby with the ingredients. Even after marrying into high society, Rong Qing insisted on doing things personally. Not only had she raised little Huo Tianci herself from infancy, but she also cooked whenever she had the time. There was no denying that Rong Qing's gentle upbringing and devoted homemaking fostered an increasingly harmonious atmosphere within the grand family.

Unrestrained, the chubby boy gnawed happily on a chicken drumstick, his cheeks bulging cutely. In contrast, Peng Cheng sat rigidly nearby, bound by strict etiquette; his movements were restrained, and he took only tiny portions of food from right in front of him, leaving his bowl almost empty. Rong Qing frowned as she watched him from the side.

She had never seen this child before, yet the fact that he had appeared within the Huo estate was puzzling enough. Seeing the little fellow's practiced manners and guarded demeanor softened the lingering annoyance in Rong Qing's heart. The table was laden with dishes, yet the boy was like an eagle trapped in a cage, unable to spread its wings.

"Have some meat." Rong Qing placed a chicken drumstick and some tenderly stewed beef onto a small side plate for him.

Peng Cheng looked up in stunned surprise at the beautiful woman before him. Such gentle surroundings and intimate care were things he had never experienced before. "Th-thank you..."

With the meal concluded, all three youngsters were stuffed and satisfied. The chubby boy's chauffeur had long been waiting outside the main gates. With tear-filled eyes, the chubby boy clutched Huo Tianci's arm and refused to let go, giving the pretty auntie a farewell kiss filled with reluctance.

"Tianci, I'm leaving..." The chubby boy turned back every few steps, and would never have left had Rong Qing not promised he could come back to play anytime.