Zhengzheng’s third birthday coincided with the winter holidays.

Lu Xiao’s parents-in-law missed Little Ximi and wanted him to send her to B City for a while. They planned to bring her back after the New Year. Lu Xiao and his wife were busy at the end of the year, and since the grandparents hadn’t seen their granddaughter in some time, they agreed. Little Ximi was almost two years old; she was getting smarter by the day and could say a lot of words.

Little Ximi knew that going to her grandmother’s house meant she would definitely get to see her “Little Big Brother.” When Lu Xiao said he was sending her to her grandmother’s, the little girl surprisingly didn’t cry.

Before leaving, Lu Xiao and his wife took Little Ximi to choose a birthday gift for Zhengzheng. Lu Xiao asked, “Baby, it is Brother Zhengzheng’s birthday. What do you want to give him?”

Little Ximi pursed her small lips, looking adorable and dazed. “Cake.”

Lu Xiao’s wife laughed. “There will be cake. Come, look. Should we choose a toy car or a small basketball…”

Little Ximi didn’t listen carefully at all; her little head was turning this way and that.

The next morning, Little Ximi flew to B City with her parents.

Zhou Yining and her friends were setting up the birthday party. Quite a few people were coming tonight. Jing Xin and Qin Sen were bringing Little Flower Vase and Yueyue. Zhou Shen and the others were also coming. Zhou Shen’s son was about the same age as Zhengzheng. Plus, there were Zhengzheng’s friends from kindergarten.

Zhengzheng had been sent to the Qin family home early in the morning. Qin Sen and Jing Xin would bring him over together in the evening.

After discussing work with a screenwriter, Ji Dongyang went directly to the cake shop to pick up the cake. On the way, he called Zhou Yining. “Do you need me to buy anything else?”

Zhou Yining was arranging small pastries. “No need. Are you almost here?”

Ji Dongyang smiled. “Mm. I’ll be home in half an hour.”

Zhou Yining said “Oh” and added, “Jing Xin and my cousin have set off with Zhengzheng. They should arrive around the same time as you. And Lu Xiao, give him a call and tell him not to be late.”

Ji Dongyang agreed and called Lu Xiao.

Turning into the villa area, a Land Rover followed behind him. A Ming glanced at the rearview mirror. “That looks like President Qin’s car.”

Ji Dongyang glanced back. “Mm.”

There were many cars parked both inside and outside the courtyard. Indeed, many people had come today.

Qin Sen’s car parked next to his. As soon as Ji Dongyang got out, Zhengzheng jumped down from Qin Sen’s car by himself. Seeing Ji Dongyang, he immediately ran over, looking excited. “Papa!”

Ji Dongyang picked up his son and looked at Qin Sen’s family. Little Flower Vase and Jing Xin brought out the gifts from the back. The little girl called out sweetly, “Hello, Uncle Ji.”

Ji Dongyang smiled. “Good girl.”

The group walked inside together.

Little Flower Vase walked in holding a gift. The gift box was too tall, and she tripped over the threshold as she entered. Qin Sen reacted quickly, grabbing her clothes and hauling her back. He bent down to pick her up, pinched her startled little cheek, and asked, “Scared?”

Little Flower Vase shook her head. “Not scared. There is a carpet, so it won’t hurt much if I fall.”

Qin Sen curled his lips, rubbed her head, and put her down. “Go play.”

There were many children in the living room. Little Flower Vase gave the gift to Jing Xin and ran off to play.

Zhou Yining hadn’t been able to make it back for Zhengzheng’s birthday last year. Since she had time off this year and Zhengzheng had started kindergarten, they organized a simple birthday party.

Ji Dongyang walked to her side. Seeing the sweat on her forehead, he raised his hand to wipe it away and whispered, “You’ve worked hard.”

Zhou Yining smiled. “It’s nothing.”

She looked at Zhengzheng. “Look, he is very happy.”

That made it all worth it.

Ji Dongyang smiled and took the air pump from her hand. “Let me do it.”

Zhou Yining snatched it back. “No need. Everyone is here. Let’s go greet the guests.”

Ji Dongyang nodded. “Lu Xiao should be arriving soon too.”

Zhou Yining thought of Little Ximi and smiled. Did that little girl still love to bite people?

Less than ten minutes later, Little Ximi arrived with her parents.

Standing at the door, Little Ximi shouted, “Brother Zhengzheng!”

Her voice was milky and cute, very loud.

Zhengzheng was playing with the boys from his kindergarten. Hearing this, he turned to look, his expression unchanging, then turned back.

Zhou Yining was amused. She patted her son’s head. “Uncle Lu and Auntie Su are here. Go say hello. They came especially to celebrate your birthday.”

Zhengzheng looked at Little Ximi, who was smiling excitedly. Her teeth were small and white, like little grains of rice. But he knew those teeth hurt when they bit.

After hesitating, he stood up and walked over. “Hello Uncle Lu, Hello Auntie Su.”

Little Ximi pounced over hugging a small basketball. The ball fell from her arms and hit Zhengzheng’s foot.

“Brother Zhengzheng, let’s play!”

“…”

“Play ball-ball!”

“…Okay.”

Zhengzheng reluctantly agreed. Today was his birthday. He had many friends here, and his parents’ friends were here too. He had to consider the big picture.

Zhengzheng hugged the small basketball against his will. Little Ximi leaned in close, staring eagerly. As soon as he picked it up, she slapped it out of his hands with one hand. Little Ximi giggled, looking very happy, and urged him, “Again, again…”

Zhengzheng: “…”

A few months ago, he had already experienced what Little Ximi called “playing.”

It was repeating a monotonous game over and over again. As long as she was happy.

Zhengzheng picked up the ball.

Little Ximi slapped it away.

Zhengzheng picked up the ball again…

Little Ximi slapped it away again…

…

This repeated for over ten minutes.

Zhengzheng felt she might as well just bite him.

Children didn’t have much patience. Twenty minutes later, Zhengzheng was annoyed.

He led Little Ximi to the side, trying to change the rules of the game or abandon it altogether. “Shall we wash our hands? I’ll take you to eat something. There are lots of snacks.”

He pointed to the small dining table over there. It was indeed filled with all kinds of delicious and beautiful food: cupcakes, pastries, puddings, jellies…

Everything one could wish for.

Little girls should like these.

Little Ximi glanced over, her round eyes lighting up. However, she had eaten a chocolate in the car just now, so she could still resist.

Her little head turned back. “I don’t want to eat. I want to play.”

Zhengzheng: “…”

He took Little Ximi to the kitchen where there was a sink and washed his hands.

Little Ximi watched him quietly. “Brother…”

Not playing anymore?

Zhengzheng washed his hands clean and extended his hand to her mouth. He said solemnly, “Do you want to bite someone?”

Little Ximi blinked her big eyes. Mama said biting people hurts them. Last time she bit Mama, Mama even cried.

Actually, she didn’t know that Mama was just teasing her.

But she took it seriously.

Little Ximi shook her head, her small head shaking like a rattle drum. “No. Brother will hurt.”

Zhengzheng coaxed her. “It won’t hurt. You used to like biting people very much.”

Little Ximi rolled her dark eyes, staring at his hand. Her teeth felt a little itchy, as if she was hesitating.

After a while.

Suddenly, two small hands grabbed his hand, and she took a bite.

Zhengzheng: “…”

He felt that Little Ximi might be what Mama called… part puppy.

He definitely wouldn’t raise a dog in the future. Coffee was better behaved; chubby, obedient, and didn’t bite.

Little Ximi didn’t bite hard. She bit very lightly, then looked up at him, her eyes crinkling into a smile. She looked a bit cunning, but incredibly cute.

Zhengzheng felt he was very silly.

Little Ximi definitely thought he wanted to be bitten by her…

Little Ximi blinked, slowly released her mouth, and blew on the back of his hand. “No hurt, no hurt…”

Zhengzheng pulled his hand away, feeling a bit depressed. “Alright, let’s go back.”

Little Ximi held his hand, smiling, her milky voice adorable. “Okay! Brother… does it hurt…”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

It really didn’t hurt; she hadn’t even left a tooth mark.

Zhengzheng led Little Ximi into the middle of the group of children, letting her go plague others.

Watching her pester other kids to play those monotonous, boring, infinitely repetitive games, he wanted to see how long others could last.

Little Ximi was cute, so little boys were willing to play with her.

However…

None lasted more than ten minutes.

After having Zhengzheng, Zhou Yining liked children more and more. She liked Little Ximi and kept staring in that direction, unable to help laughing aloud. “Lu Xiao, why does your daughter like repeating one game so much?”

Lu Xiao was helpless. “Once she gets tired of it, she won’t like it anymore.”

Lu Xiao’s wife also had a headache. “She might prefer playing with robots, just repeating one action…”

She turned to glare at Lu Xiao. “I told you not to let her watch so many cartoons!”

Lu Xiao: “…”

Blaming me for this too?

When did I let Little Ximi watch a lot of cartoons?

Zhou Yining raised an eyebrow. “Zhengzheng is still the most patient. Lu Xiao, leave your daughter at my house. Zhengzheng will play with her.”

Ji Dongyang chuckled in her ear.

Zhengzheng might go crazy if we did that.

Lu Xiao glared. “Impossible.”

Ji Dongyang: “Don’t speak so absolutely.”

Zhou Yining added, “In ten years or so, who knows.”

Lu Xiao: “…”

That stung.

Jing Xin said, “If you like daughters, have another one. Zhengzheng is in kindergarten now; it’s the perfect time to prepare.”

Zhou Yining glanced at Ji Dongyang.

Ji Dongyang smiled, looking at her without speaking.

Zhou Yining pursed her lips. Seeing her silence, Ji Dongyang said in a low voice, “We aren’t having more. One is enough. Coffee gave birth to four kittens a while ago; we can’t handle it.”

Zhou Yining: “…”

Why compare a child to cats again?

Raising cats and raising children are not the same!

Zhou Yining was hesitating a little about whether to have another, but only a little. deep down, she leaned toward not having another.

Ji Dongyang understood.

Dinner was ready, so the topic stopped there.

Everyone went to eat together.

After dinner, Little Ximi stared at the big cake for a long time, just standing there watching it.

After a while, she asked, “When do we sing the birthday song?”

After she asked for the eighteenth time, Zhengzheng went to ask his mother, “Mama, when do we cut the cake?”

Little Ximi kept watching; she seemed to really want to eat it.

Since they had just eaten dinner not long ago, Zhou Yining asked the children, “Do you guys want cake now?”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“I want to sing!”

…

Since the children all wanted it, they decided to sing the birthday song and cut the cake.

The children sang the birthday song, their voices loud and pleasant. Zhengzheng made a wish. Just as he was about to blow out the candles, Little Ximi went “Pfft!”

One step ahead of him, she blew out the candles.

“…”

“Little Ximi, you can only blow candles on your own birthday.”

Little Ximi blinked. Seeing everyone looking at her, she was a bit at a loss, feeling she had made a mistake.

She looked at her parents for help, and finally looked at Zhengzheng.

Zhengzheng: “It’s okay. Uncle Lu, don’t blame her.”

Lu Xiao: How could I blame my precious daughter?

He said, “Uncle will buy you another cake next time.”

Zhengzheng shook his head. “We can just eat this one.”

Little Ximi pulled Zhengzheng’s hand and said very quietly, “Brother…”

Zhengzheng patted her little head. “I’m not angry.”

Little Ximi immediately smiled, her small teeth looking especially cute.

She was very friendly. Happily, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

Zhengzheng: “…”

Lu Xiao hurriedly hoisted his daughter up. Being so proactive at such a young age is not good!

Little Ximi kicked her little feet unhappily. “Papa, I… I want down…”

Lu Xiao: “Papa will hold you for a bit.”

Little Ximi: “No…”

“I want down to play.”

Zhou Yining laughed out loud. Ji Dongyang patted his son’s head, picked him up, and held his hand. “Cut it like this. One piece for everyone.”

As he spoke, he turned to look at Zhou Yining. The two smiled at each other.

Little Ximi was making a fuss.

This birthday party ended in a lively and noisy fashion.

…

After Zhengzheng finished his winter break, Zhou Yining had rested for a while. During this time, she took a cameo role in a movie. The lead actress was Jing Xin, and it was invested by Huachen.

Zhou Yining had few scenes; filming was expected to take two weeks.

Before leaving, she looked at Ji Dongyang. “I’m going now.”

Ji Dongyang rubbed her head and picked up their son. “Say goodbye to Mama.”

Zhengzheng clutched the clothes at his father’s chest, looking a bit aggrieved. “Papa, will you take me to see Mama?”

Zhou Yining and Ji Dongyang had agreed that during the winter break, they would both accompany their son. Ji Dongyang had adjusted his work focus over the past two years, so his schedule was more flexible than Zhou Yining’s. Zhengzheng spent more time with him than with Zhou Yining. This little closet-romantic Zhengzheng didn’t say it, but he really wanted to go.

Zhou Yining felt a bit apologetic. She looked at Ji Dongyang. “…How about you bring Zhengzheng along?”

Ji Dongyang had work at hand and actually couldn’t leave for long. He could go for three days at most.

Zhengzheng also had school.

That night, after Zhou Yining pestered him relentlessly, Ji Dongyang helplessly compromised. “When Zhengzheng has his weekend, I’ll take him over.”

Zhou Yining looked up and kissed him on the lips, smiling at him with narrowed eyes.

Ji Dongyang curled his lips. He really had less and less of a bottom line.

This concludes the translation for the Ignite at a Touch universe (for now)!