Daddy Long – Legs - Chapter 14

The school is going to start tomorrow and Xiao Ying looks very nervous this evening. He keeps walking back and forth to the kitchen, to the living room, to his room while bumping to the wall. Grandma who always paying attention of this child realize this and looks at Uncle Chen.

“This child is very nervous.”

“Yes, Madam. I realize that too.”

“Hm… does Xiao Mo said he’s coming home today?”

“Sadly no, Madam. Young master didn’t call me anything.” Said Uncle Chen.

“Help me call Xiao Mo. Now.” Ordered Grandma.

Uncle Chen quickly take the phone in the living room and dials Yu Mo’s numbers. Grandma takes it and puts it on her left ear. It rings for a while before Yu Mo finally picks it up.

“Yes, Grandma?”

A tired voice receives it and Grandma immediately holds her urge to scold her grandson.

“Were you asleep?”

“No, Grandma… I think I didn’t have time for that…”

“Aw, my poor grandson. That’s why I told you to stay here. Look your condition now. No one is taking good care of you now.” Said Grandma worriedly.”Should I ask Uncle Chen to stay with you?”

“No need for that, Grandma. Uncle Chen has to be there to manage Xiao Ying’s needs for school.”

“Oh, you remembered about that?”

Yu Mo laughs,”What’s with the mocking tone, Grandma? Of course I remembered. I asked Uncle Chen to manage it after all.”

“Then you should’ve seen how is he very nervous right now. He kept walking back and forth between the kitchen, the living room and his room. And I think he is still doing it now.” Grandma said and laughed a little.”Poor thing is getting nervous for his school. He didn’t want to go when Uncle Chen asked him to try the uniform, but I managed to give him reasons to.”

Yu Mo smiles through the phone.

He is glad that Grandma managed to persuade Xiao Ying. Yu Mo also knows that Xiao Ying will refuse his good intention to let him study. Yu Mo actually wanted to come back home for a while, but the works are piling up and he didn’t catch a good sleep. He also has to prepare a lot of things for school which started tomorrow, because of his position as school’s student chairman.

Yu Mo is still sitting on the bed with laptop in front of him. He is listening to Grandma’s rants and he puts away the laptop, decided to rest for a while. He looks at the clock, it shows 06.15pm. It’s evening already and he doesn’t have breakfast or lunch yet. Well, he is going to have dinner then.

“Yu Mo Gege?”

A sudden change of voice abrupt Yu Mo’s mind.

“Xiao Ying?” Yu Mo responded.”Hey, how are you?”

Silence.

“Xiao Ying?”

“I’m so nervous, Gege. Can I do well tomorrow? Will I become friends with students there? Will I make trouble? Will I be considered as stupid? Will I be bullied? Will I…” Xiao Ying quickly rumbling everything what’s in his mind.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Yu Mo quickly stopped him.”You have to calm down. Relax. You will be okay tomorrow. Everything will be fine.”

Silence.

“Xiao Ying? Listen well, you will be okay at school. No one will bully you. Everyone will befriend you. You won’t make a single trouble, because you are a good kid. You will do very well tomorrow.”

Silence again.

“Xiao Ying? Are you there?” Yu Mo started again.”I also start school tomorrow. You can come to see me when you are free. You will see me tomorrow too. I promise. So, don’t worry. I got your back, okay?”

“…really?”

“I’m absolutely sure about that.” Yu Mo answered with a laugh.”No one will mess with you too. You enter the same school I studied before. And kids with age like you tend to be actively befriended everyone and that includes a newcomer student like you. Besides, Uncle Chen will prepare anything for you. I trust him, so you have to trust him too.”

Yu Mo can feel Xiao Ying becomes less tense than before.

“I’m glad to heard Gege explained that to me.”

“I thought you are not afraid of anything. Remembered when I took you in? When you fainted in front of me?”

“That was another thing, Gege!” Xiao Ying quickly answered.”This time is different… Gege paid my school and let me live here…”

“Are you going to start again?” Yu Mo said.”I thought we had a deal.”

There is no deal, but Yu Mo has to remind Xiao Ying so he will be calm down and be brave.

“There was no deal. But, thanks Yu Mo Gege. I’m calmer now and I won’t let you down.”

“That’s the spirit. Grandma told me how you kept walking back and forth.”

“Grandma…” Xiao Ying sighed in distress. He is so embarrassed that Yu Mo knew about that.

“It’s fine, Xiao Ying. Now that you calmed down, you can have dinner with content, right?”

“Uh huh. Does Gege eat yet?”

“I haven’t, but I will soon.”

“Gege has to take care of himself too, right? Grandma and I are okay.” Xiao Ying said.”Maybe Gege can have dinner with us tomorrow?”

“I will try.”

After talking for a while, the call ended. Yu Mo decided to take a bath and have dinner before start doing the work again. After a while, Yu Mo finally becomes fresh again. He makes a hot tea and calls delivery for dinner. He looks at his phone and sees a message from his father.

Dad: I saw your finished works. Good job. I still expecting more from you. Rest well for school tomorrow.

Yu Mo only smiles and throws his phone on the bed. He will read the text for tomorrow’s school opening ceremony and have dinner. There will be more things for him.

***