Chapter 43: First, Let’s Get the Count Right

The moment Paddy started to cry, the other children began to wail as well. Their cries were so loud they brought a teacher running.

"What’s wrong?" the teacher asked, looking at them with a headache already forming.

"Felix Ford put paper "donkey" on our backs," Paddy shrieked, making his accusation. The other kids chimed in, and they all pointed at Jean Vance.

Jean Vance pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "In that case, why don’t you explain what this is first?"

When Paddy saw it, he guiltily averted his gaze.

Seeing this, the teacher understood everything. "Charlie King, the rest of you, come with me."

Paddy was stunned. He hadn’t expected this outcome. He shot Jean Vance a venomous glare before hanging his head and following the teacher with a miserable expression. ’I’m so screwed,’ he thought.

A child from Class 8 who had wandered over to play saw the whole thing. He ran back to his classroom and announced, "Our school has a few new donkeys! They even admitted it themselves—they’ve got signs on their backs!"

Everyone loves gossip, and children are no exception. They crowded around him, begging for the details.

Seeing he was the center of attention, the little boy smugly recounted the entire story. He even remembered the name of the kid with the "donkey" sign. "...I heard the teacher call him Charlie King."

’Charlie King? Paddy?’

Felix Ford happened to overhear him and was rather surprised. ’Paddy is always the one tricking other people. Someone actually managed to get him?’

’Who could be so clever? I kind of want to meet them.’

Annie noticed his excitement and ran over to him. "Jean, you should stay away from Charlie King in Class 1. He loves to play tricks on other kids."

Felix Ford nodded. He knew. ’No one knows what kind of person he is better than I do.’

’He’s the absolute worst.’

’He was the one who used to make fun of me for not having a mom and got the whole class to ignore me.’

Remembering what happened before, Felix Ford snorted. ’Well, I have a mom now, too! And she’s a hundred, no, a thousand times prettier than his mom! My mom’s a fairy!’

At four in the afternoon, Amanda Vance drove to the kindergarten, wondering how Jean was doing at school.

She stood by the gate with the other parents, paying no mind to the curious glances from those around her. When she saw the little boy rushing toward her, the corners of her mouth curved into a smile, and she bent down to catch him in a hug.

Felix Ford had started out walking in line with his teacher toward the school gate, but the moment he spotted Amanda Vance in the distance, he couldn’t contain himself. Spreading his arms like a little fledgling, he darted into her embrace, wrapped his arms tightly around her neck, and called out, "Mama! Mama!" over and over.

Amanda had grown somewhat used to her son’s clinginess lately. She stroked his head, wiped the sweat from his brow, and noticed he was still wearing his mask. "How are you feeling? Any better?"

"Uh-huh! Much, much better!" Felix Ford said, taking her hand and turning to introduce her to a girl beside them. "Annie, this is my mom."

Then he turned to another child. "Tiantian, this is my mom."

He went around introducing her to every child he knew, repeating the same sentence with his chin held high in pride.

’See? I have a mom now.’

The children stared at Amanda Vance, their eyes shining. Annie couldn’t help but say, "Jean, your mom is so pretty."

"Of course she is!" Felix Ford’s chin lifted even higher. He looked at them smugly and announced in a loud voice, "My mom is the prettiest of all!"

The children all nodded in agreement. The other mothers found the exchange amusing, but they couldn’t help stealing another glance at Amanda Vance. She really was gorgeous. They had seen her from outside earlier and assumed she was an older sister picking up a younger sibling. They were surprised to see her son was already this old. ’I wonder what her secret is,’ they thought. ’She looks so young.’

Their stares held no malice. Amanda gave them a slight nod in greeting before leading Felix Ford away.

She waited for him to buckle his seatbelt before starting the car. "Did you have fun at school?" she asked casually.

"I did," Felix Ford replied, his short legs swinging slowly. He remembered playing with everyone at school that day. He tried his best to maintain a cool and aloof expression, but failed, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Seeing his expression, Amanda relaxed. Back when they were abroad, Jean had always played by himself. She had worried he might become too withdrawn, a common trait among geniuses who often find their peers a bit... simplistic.

Amanda didn’t see it that way. More than having a genius for a son, she simply wanted him to make friends, have fun, and enjoy a happy childhood.

Fortunately, things seemed to be going well now.

In the distance, Jean Vance clutched the strap of his backpack, watching them drive away. Only then did he slowly walk toward the exit and find Samuel Ford’s car. The moment he opened the door and saw the man inside, he went on high alert. "Didn’t I tell you not to come?"

’Did he see Mom just now? Would he have recognized Felix?’

Jean Vance studied him, his eyes unconsciously betraying a hint of appraisal and suspicion. Noticing the boy’s expression, Samuel Ford raised an eyebrow. "You really don’t want me here?"

Seeing nothing out of the ordinary in the man’s expression, Jean Vance relaxed slightly. He got into the car, took off his backpack, and hugged it to his chest. "That’s right, I don’t," he said flatly. "My school day doesn’t line up with your work schedule. There’s no need for you to pick me up."

"I’m the boss."

Which meant he could leave work whenever he pleased. He didn’t have to be punctual.

Samuel Ford looked back down at his laptop and continued typing. "How was school today?"

’Such a cliché question.’

Believing the man had been too busy with work to have seen them, Jean Vance relaxed and gave a dismissive reply, "It was fine."

"Fine how?"

Seeing him press the issue, Jean Vance grew impatient. "The students are childish, and the teacher is boring," he said, his face cold.

’It’s the same here as it was abroad.’

’So boring.’

He couldn’t help but turn his head to look at the man. "Can I skip kindergarten and move up a few grades?"

"What grade do you want to skip to?"

"High school." ’I’ve taken placement tests. My level is perfect for high school right now. In two more years, I could take the college entrance exams and go to university. Then I could earn money to support Mom so she won’t have to work so hard anymore. I could protect her from bullies, too.’

Just as he was mapping out his future, he suddenly heard the man laugh. The sound shattered his train of thought. He whipped his head around to face him, his brow furrowed. "What are you laughing at?"

The driver today was Rocco. He heard the boy’s question and couldn’t resist a glance in the rearview mirror. ’Good grief, young master,’ he thought. ’What else would he be laughing at? He’s laughing at your daydreaming, of course.’

’The kid is what, five? And he wants to go to high school? What a joke. The nerve of him to even say it.’

Samuel Ford clearly thought the same. It was rare for his son to amuse him, but this flight of fancy had managed it. A smile played on his lips as he said, "Why don’t you wait until you can count properly from one to a hundred. Then we can talk."

Jean Vance’s face froze. His perpetually calm little expression started to crack. He had forgotten he was supposed to be Felix Ford right now.

’Counting? Just to one hundred? He can’t even do that?’

’Are we really identical twins?’