The Quiet Child

The car ride to the Hao residence was silent.

Hao Jiwan sat in the back seat with Wang Yi still resting against him. The boy had fainted from exhaustion, his breathing light and uneven.

Jiwan looked down at him occasionally.

Too thin, he thought again.

The boy didn’t look like a dangerous genius at all. He looked fragile, like someone who would break easily.

But those eyes earlier…

They had been far too calm.

Jiwan had met countless powerful people, criminals, politicians, businessmen. Everyone reacted to his presence.

Fear.

Nervousness.

Respect.

But Wang Yi had simply looked at him like he was observing something interesting.

That alone made Jiwan curious.

The car stopped in front of a massive black gate.

The Hao residence.

Servants quickly opened the doors when they saw their master step out carrying someone.

They all froze.

Their usually cold and distant boss was carrying a thin young man in his arms.

“Prepare food,” Jiwan said calmly as he walked inside. “Something light.”

“Yes, sir.”

He brought Wang Yi into a guest room and placed him gently on the bed.

For a moment he simply stood there.

Then he turned to leave.

But just as he reached the door—

A small voice spoke from the hallway.

“…Father?”

Jiwan stopped.

Standing outside the door was a small boy with soft black hair and big dark eyes.

He looked about four years old.

Hao Mian.

The boy held a small stuffed rabbit in his arms.

He rarely left his room.

But tonight he had quietly wandered out.

His eyes slowly moved toward the bed.

“…Who is that?”

Jiwan looked at his son for a moment.

“This is Wang Yi,” he said simply.

“Your new… parent.”

Hao Mian blinked.

He didn’t look shocked.

He just stared silently at the sleeping boy on the bed.

Then, after a few seconds, he quietly walked inside.

Jiwan watched but didn’t stop him.

Hao Mian approached the bed slowly.

The sleeping Wang Yi looked peaceful, his messy hair falling over his eyes.

Hao Mian tilted his head.

“…Pretty.”

Jiwan raised an eyebrow slightly.

The child reached out a tiny hand and gently poked Wang Yi’s cheek.

Soft.

Warm.

At that exact moment—

Wang Yi’s eyes slowly opened.

For a second, he looked confused.

Then he noticed the tiny child standing beside him.

Oh.

So this must be Hao Mian.

Wang Yi remembered the novel.

The quiet boy who grew up without love.

But right now…

The child looked so small.

So lonely.

Hao Mian stared at him with big curious eyes.

“…You woke up.”

Wang Yi blinked once.

Then suddenly—

He smiled softly.

“Hello.”

Hao Mian blinked.

“…Hello.”

The child hesitated before asking quietly,

“Are you sick?”

Wang Yi laughed weakly.

“Something like that.”

Hao Mian thought for a moment.

Then he climbed onto the bed.

Jiwan watched silently from the doorway.

The boy carefully placed his stuffed rabbit next to Wang Yi.

“…Rabbit helps when sick.”

Wang Yi stared at the toy.

Then at the serious little face.

His heart melted instantly.

This kid is too cute.

Wang Yi gently picked up the rabbit.

“Thank you.”

Hao Mian nodded proudly.

Jiwan felt something strange watching the scene.

Hao Mian rarely spoke this much.

Usually the child stayed silent, locked inside his room with books.

But now he was staring at Wang Yi like he had discovered something interesting.

Just then a servant knocked.

“Sir, the food is ready.”

Jiwan nodded.

He brought a tray himself and placed it on the bedside table.

Wang Yi sat up slowly.

The moment he saw the food his eyes lit up like a starving kitten.

Jiwan noticed immediately.

“…Eat.”

Wang Yi didn’t need to be told twice.

He began eating quickly but still neatly.

Hao Mian sat beside him watching with intense curiosity.

“…You eat a lot.”

Wang Yi swallowed.

“I haven't eaten for three days.”

Hao Mian’s eyes widened.

“…Three?”

Wang Yi nodded.

The child frowned seriously.

“That’s bad.”

Wang Yi laughed softly.

“You’re right.”

For the next few minutes the room was quiet except for Wang Yi eating.

Hao Mian suddenly leaned closer.

“…Are you really my parent now?”

Wang Yi paused.

Then he gently patted the boy’s head.

“If you want me to be.”

The child thought deeply.

Then nodded.

“…Okay.”

Jiwan watched silently.

Something about the scene felt…

Unexpectedly warm.

______________________________________________

Later That Night~

After eating, Wang Yi rested in the guest

room.

But he didn’t sleep.

Instead, he stared at the ceiling.

Step one complete.

He had entered the Hao family.

Now came the difficult part.

Living peacefully while hiding the fact that his brain worked far beyond normal people.

He didn’t want to become another experiment again.

So he had decided something.

He would only show 10% of his intelligence.

Just enough to survive.

Just enough to be useful.

But not enough to be feared.

Suddenly—

A loud sound echoed somewhere in the mansion.

A servant shouted from the hallway.

“Someone stole from the study!”

Jiwan’s cold voice followed.

“Find them.”

Wang Yi sighed softly.

Already?

He stood up and walked toward the door.

Outside, servants were searching everywhere.

Jiwan stood in the center of the hallway looking extremely dangerous.

But Wang Yi noticed something immediately.

The broken vase.

The muddy footprints.

The open window.

He looked once.

Then smiled faintly.

“…The thief is still inside the house.”

Everyone froze.

Jiwan slowly turned toward him.

“…How do you know?”

Wang Yi scratched his head like he was guessing.

“Well… if he escaped through the window, the mud would continue outside.”

Everyone looked.

The footprints stopped inside the hallway.

Wang Yi pointed casually toward a nearby storage room.

“…He’s probably hiding there.”

The guards rushed over.

The door opened.

And inside—

A trembling servant was caught immediately.

The hallway exploded with shocked whispers.

Jiwan looked at Wang Yi quietly.

“…You noticed that instantly?”

Wang Yi smiled sheepishly.

“Just lucky.”

But inside his mind he sighed.

Oops.

That was probably more like 15% brain power.

From the second floor balcony—

Little Hao Mian watched everything.

His eyes sparkled.

“…He’s amazing.”

And for the first time in a long time—

The quiet child smiled.

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