Just then, the sound of the front door opening came from the entryway.
"Shin-chan, is Himawari awake yet?"
That familiar voice—it was his sister-in-law, Misae Nohara.
Before Lin Zhi could even move, Shin-chan came running out, shouting, "She's been awake for ages! I've been working really hard playing with her!"
Lin Zhi blinked. "???"
This brat could lie without blinking. He'd been the one playing with Himawari the whole time!
"Oh? You've worked so hard. Here's your reward for today."
"Wow! Pudding! Mommy, you're the best!"
"Wait… these shoes—Lin Zhi's here, isn't he?"
"Yup! He came over a while ago and played with Himawari too."
At that, the noise outside went quiet for a moment.
"You little brat! Didn't you just say you were playing with her? And stop calling him by his name—say Uncle! Uncle! Got it?!"
From the entryway came Misae's furious yell and Shin-chan's pitiful wailing.
Lin Zhi sat calmly at the low table, sipping tea. He didn't even need to open his eyes to picture the scene outside—Misae holding several heavy grocery bags in one hand while pinching Shin-chan's cheeks with the other.
Step, step, step.
The sound of her brisk footsteps echoed down the hall—exactly what he expected from her.
"Oh, Lin Zhi, you're already here!"
A familiar figure appeared in view. Lin Zhi glanced up, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Just as he thought—Misae stood there, her hands full of groceries, while the little potato-headed Shin-chan dangled helplessly from her grip.
"Sorry to trouble you, sister-in-law," Lin Zhi said, holding the drowsy Himawari.
Misae chuckled behind her hand. "We're family, no need to be so polite. If you ever need anything, just come by."
"By the way," she added, "Hiroshi said you should stay over tonight. Is that okay?"
"No problem," Lin Zhi replied. "Tomorrow's Sunday anyway."
"Perfect. I'll go make lunch then."
Still holding the grocery bags, she released Shin-chan.
With a thud, the little guy dropped to the floor.
"Ow… Mom, you're too rough."
Rubbing his red cheeks, Shin-chan shuffled to the table, grabbed some tea and snacks, and started munching noisily.
Then he muttered under his breath, "No wonder she's got three belly rolls…"
"You really never learn, do you?" Lin Zhi said dryly, watching him.
Was this kid fearless or just hopeless?
After lunch—
"Lin Zhi, I'm heading to the salon this afternoon. I'll leave Himawari in your care, okay?"
"Got it, sister-in-law. Don't worry."
"And keep an eye on Shin-chan too. Try not to let him embarrass us again."
"Oh? Did something happen recently?"
"When does something not happen with him?"
"True enough…"
"I'll be back early tonight. I'll cook a nice dinner then."
"Thanks, sister-in-law."
Once Misae left, the Nohara house grew quiet again—just Lin Zhi and the two kids.
Children tire easily; after lunch, Himawari quickly drifted off to sleep. Lin Zhi gently tucked a blanket over her, then turned around to find Shin-chan sprawled face-down on the tatami mat—one hand propping up his head, the other lazily feeding himself rice crackers while watching TV.
"Shin-chan, aren't you going out to play with your friends today?"
Without turning around, he answered listlessly, "Don't feel like it today…"
Suddenly, he rolled over and looked at Lin Zhi, his eyes shining with curiosity.
"Lin Zhi, I heard you're going to high school around here now?"
"Call me Uncle," Lin Zhi said, pinching the boy's chubby cheek. The soft feel made him smirk.
"Yeah, I'm attending a local school. Why?"
"Then… have you met any pretty older girls?"
The intense gleam in Shin-chan's eyes made Lin Zhi's forehead twitch.
This kid… totally his grandfather's influence.
In Shin-chan, he could see that same shameless streak—Hiroshi's father, the very definition of an old man with no dignity.
"Didn't you say you don't like kids?" Lin Zhi asked, exasperated.
Shin-chan nodded seriously. "Yeah, but I only like big sisters, not kids."
And in his mind, "kids" meant anyone younger than a college student.
Lin Zhi sighed. This brat was still in kindergarten and already calling others "kids." Ridiculous.
"Hmm… you're right," Shin-chan muttered, disappointed, then gave Lin Zhi a look full of disdain.
That look seemed to say: How useless. He doesn't even know any pretty ladies.
Calm down, Lin Zhi told himself. He's your nephew. You can't hit your nephew.
The doorbell rang.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
The chime was followed by cheerful, childish voices outside.
"Shin-chan! We came to play!"
Lin Zhi's ears perked up.
"Shin-chan, your friends are here," he called out.
"Eh? I don't wanna move. Can you get the door for me, Lin Zhi?"
Face-down on the tatami, Shin-chan's muffled voice came out of the floor.
Lin Zhi sighed. "…Fine."
He walked to the entryway.
Click.
The door opened, revealing a group of kids around Shin-chan's age.
"Huh? A stranger?"
A boy with a rice-ball-shaped head froze, then hid behind a chubby, blank-faced boy.
Among them, the only girl's eyes sparkled when she saw Lin Zhi.
The boy who seemed the most well-mannered stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said politely,
"Hello, we're Shin-chan's friends. I'm Kazama. This is Nene, Bo-chan, and Masao. Is Shin-chan home?"
Lin Zhi looked at the boy in mild surprise.
Same age as Shin-chan, yet so polite. Why couldn't his nephew be more like this?
"Nice to meet you," Lin Zhi said with a smile. "I'm Lin Zhi Nohara, Shin-chan's uncle. Come on in—he's inside."
"Thank you," Kazama said, bowing again.
The kids stepped inside, neatly taking off their shoes. From their practiced manner, they were clearly frequent visitors.
When Kazama reached the end of the hallway and saw what was inside, his mouth twitched.
"Shin-chan… what are you doing?"
From inside came a muffled voice:
"Playing corpse game."
Lin Zhi: "…"
Everyone: "…"
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T/N:
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