Chapter 324: Utterly Useless
Si Kaiyi looked at the animals and couldn’t help but say, "These animals are so pitiful, they can only be locked up in cages and watched by people."
He seemed cold, but his thoughts were delicate.
With such strong empathy, he was sure to grow up to be a good kid.
Yun Shifei said, "That’s true, but some of them are also protected animals that couldn’t survive in the wild and were rescued by the zoo."
The zoo’s poor conditions were undeniable, but often it was a matter of necessity to protect the animals.
Yun Shifei still wanted Fang Kaiyi to hold onto his childlike innocence.
Unexpectedly, Qin Yumo snorted, "Maybe they don’t even want to be rescued. Look at them, stuck in such cramped spaces. If you locked me in a cage 24 hours a day, I’d definitely go crazy."
Yun Shifei: "..."
Who didn’t know that already? She just wanted little Si Kaiyi to have an innocent and romantic childhood for now.
"Big Sister, look! It’s a panda!" Si Kaiyi tugged at her sleeve.
Yun Shifei also saw it—the national treasure panda. Every child came to the zoo with the hope of seeing a panda, and Si Kaiyi was no exception.
At this moment, staring at the black-and-white fuzzball sitting on the tree, his eyes opened wide with wonder, and the sadness from earlier vanished completely.
"It’s eating bamboo! Pandas really eat bamboo!"
Si Kaiyi craned his neck upward to watch.
But his height betrayed him; there were many people in front of him, so he could only see bits and pieces.
Qin Yumo noticed this and effortlessly lifted Si Kaiyi up, placing him atop his shoulders: "Now you can see better."
Si Kaiyi let out a surprised cry, still not fully registering what happened.
But sure enough, his view was much clearer now; he was thrilled.
"Such a cute panda! I’d really love to bring it home."
"Sure, I’ll give you one later," Qin Yumo said.
"Really, big brother?" Si Kaiyi asked in astonishment.
"I never lie."
"Big brother, you’re the best!"
Children are so easy to pacify, Yun Shifei thought, as she looked at Si Kaiyi and then at Qin Yumo.
Even though she didn’t mind him being good to Si Kaiyi, a part of her felt uneasy—her hard-earned bonding with her obedient little son had been so easily snatched away by someone else.
And that someone happened to be a person she particularly disliked.
As if sensing her gaze, Qin Yumo suddenly turned his head to look at her.
He smirked lightly and flashed a smile at her, prompting Yun Shifei to quickly avert her eyes. Pathetic!
After spending the entire day at the zoo, she helped Si Kaiyi take a few photos. The photographer uncle, hoping to sell his pictures, glanced at the young couple and asked, "Would the two of you like to take a group photo with the child?"
Child? He made it sound like the child belonged to them.
Yun Shifei declined, "No need."
"Why not? It’s such a rare chance for all of us to have fun together. Uncle, take a shot of the three of us!" Qin Yumo suggested.
Yun Shifei refused flatly, "I’m not taking any photos with you. I’ll take one with Xiao Yi."
Saying that, she crouched down to Si Kaiyi’s height, naturally wrapping her arm around his shoulder, flashing a peace sign at the camera.
But who would have guessed, just as the shutter clicked, Qin Yumo dashed into the frame.
The photographer uncle couldn’t suppress an "Oops," and upon seeing the photo, Qin Yumo’s blurred figure pretty much ruined its aesthetic.
He was about to complain when Qin Yumo interjected, "No worries, print them all; any bad ones can just be discarded later."
Yun Shifei glared at Qin Yumo, "Why did you jump into the frame?"
"I just wanted a group photo of us, that’s all."
Yun Shifei pursed her lips.
She wasn’t the type who especially liked taking photos. Suddenly, she remembered a long time ago—she and Cheng Lie had gone traveling together and taken a few touristy snapshots.
But this time, although the context was similar, the person beside her had changed. Back then, taking photos with Cheng Lie had been enjoyable.
Now, though, with this man—Yun Shifei cast a sideways look at Qin Yumo. She found him utterly irksome.
She had no choice but to retake a photo with Si Kaiyi, and this time, Qin Yumo didn’t jump in.
He waited quietly nearby for them to finish before saying to Yun Shifei, "Xiao Yi wants some candied hawthorn. Why don’t you go buy it for him? I’ll stay here and take a few more photos—I have to make sure my handsomeness is captured perfectly."
Yun Shifei: "..."
She was somewhat bewildered but reasoned that with Qin Yumo dressing flamboyantly every single day like a playboy, this narcissism seemed well within character.
So, she took Si Kaiyi to go buy candied hawthorn.
But as soon as she turned around, Qin Yumo didn’t continue taking photos. Instead, he approached the photographer and asked him to print all the shots.
He casually fished out the blurry group photo featuring him, tucking it into his pocket.
The rest were properly organized.
When Yun Shifei returned with Si Kaiyi and saw the developed photos, she couldn’t help but ask, "Where’s that one?"
"Which one?"
"The one where you jumped into the frame."
"Oh, that one was too ugly. I didn’t want to show it to you, so I threw it away," he replied.
Yun Shifei nodded, "Well, good you’re self-aware."
Qin Yumo: "... Can you be any more ruthless?"
Was this really hurting him? Yun Shifei didn’t believe so. Considering all the despicable things Qin Yumo had done before, she already thought she was being quite merciful by not stabbing him outright.
On their way out of the zoo, Qin Yumo bought Si Kaiyi a panda plushie, fulfilling his earlier promise.
Si Kaiyi hugged the plushie with excitement plastered across his face.
Yun Shifei then bid farewell to them, saying, "You two go ahead. I’ll wait for the bus."
They weren’t headed in the same direction.
But unexpectedly, Qin Yumo also turned to Si Kaiyi and said, "Xiao Yi, you head back first."
Yun Shifei cast him a sharp glance, "Then I’ll take Xiao Yi home first."
"Then I’ll come along," Qin Yumo said, stepping forward immediately.
This man was unbelievably clingy. Yun Shifei could feel her temples pounding—she was genuinely infuriated.
Qin Yumo was utterly shameless; why was he so insistent on pestering her?
"I have a boyfriend, so stop having inappropriate thoughts about me," she snapped at him.
"Oh, I know you have a boyfriend. But I also know that your boyfriend is in trouble right now. Chances are, he won’t have the time to care about you for a while," Qin Yumo said matter-of-factly.
Yun Shifei’s eyes widened: "What are you talking about?"
Tension instantly overtook her, and she stared at Qin Yumo with guarded suspicion.
Seeing her look at him like he was some sort of villain made Qin Yumo feel uncomfortable. She didn’t know anything yet instinctively distrusted him.
Did she really think so poorly of him?
"Don’t look at me like that—I didn’t cause his problems. He has them all on his own. Honestly, what can you expect? No college education, no family background—how much insight could he possibly have? Being abandoned is inevitable; it’s just reality. Your boyfriend is useless. It’s laughable that my uncle tries to treat him so well."