The divorce comeback system arrived right after I was born.

Time flies like an arrow; the gaps between our fingers are too wide, and the years are too fleeting.

The man who once drove a sports car in the small square, not only winning over the tears of chubby Liu Bo, but also winning over Chen Zhi, the "Akina Mountain Racing God" admired by the neighborhood kids, is now facing the second catastrophe of his life.

Park opening season.

The September wind carried a hint of heat, making people feel restless and irritable.

In the Chen family's living room, the adults from both families were sitting around the coffee table, the atmosphere so lively it seemed they were discussing some huge project worth over 100 million.

Several brightly colored flyers were laid out on the coffee table, printed with words such as "Sunflower Kindergarten" and "Rose Parent-Child Center".

"Let's go with this one, Sunflower."

Lin Shuxian pointed to one of the flyers and tapped his finger on the table.

"It's close to both our homes, only a ten-minute walk. The key thing is that their food is good; the menu is even better than the cafeteria at my workplace."

Chen Jun expressed his strong agreement and took a sip of tea.

"I think it's a good idea. Our two families can send our children to the same class. Zhizhi and Wanwan have been together since they were little, so they can look after each other."

Zhang Guifang peeled an orange, nodding repeatedly.

"That makes sense. We're all busy with work, so if one family works overtime and leaves late, the other family can easily pick up both kids. It's so convenient."

The adults quickly reached an agreement and, in just a few words, decided on the fate of the two children for the next three years.

Lin Jing turned to look at the two little ones playing with building blocks on the carpet, her face full of affection.

"Wanwan, Zhizhi, you'll be going to kindergarten in a few days! Aren't you excited?"

Lin Wanwan suddenly raised her head.

The little girl has grown up a bit more now. Her delicate, sculpted face is adorned with two black grape-like eyes, and she has two shallow dimples when she smiles.

She threw the building blocks in her hand on the ground and jumped up excitedly.

"A kindergarten? Is it a place with slides and lots of children?"

Lin Jing nodded with a smile.

"Yes, there are lots and lots of children, and teachers are teaching them to sing and dance."

"That's awesome!"

Lin Wanwan cheered and waved her little hands wildly in the air, like a happy little moth.

"I want to go! I want to make lots and lots of new friends!"

For social terrorist Lin Wanwan, kindergarten was simply paradise.

That place meant endless playmates, and that besides Chen Zhi, there were many more people who could listen to her babbling stories.

She couldn't wait to conquer that new continent.

Compared to Lin Wanwan's excitement, Chen Zhi, sitting next to her, was a completely different person.

He was clutching a red Lego brick in his hand, and he slumped onto the carpet as if his soul had been ripped away.

That tender little face was etched with a sense of vicissitude and despair that belied his age.

go to school.

These two words struck Chen Zhi like a thunderbolt, leaving him completely stunned.

Thinking of Chen Zhi, in his previous life he finally endured nine years of compulsory education, three years of hellish high school, and four years of university life, before gloriously dying in his corporate slave job.

I thought that after being reborn, I could live a peaceful and leisurely life as a wealthy person, drinking milk, basking in the sun, and bullying the chubby Liu Bo every day.

As a result, the gears of fate turned once again.

Do we have to start all over again?

Just thinking about the scenarios he would face in the future gave Chen Zhi a headache.

Sitting on a small stool with their hands behind their backs, they follow the teacher and recite, "Sit in a row and eat fruit."

To win a little red flower, one must behave well and be sensible.

We are forced to take a nap at noon, even if we are as energetic as a husky, we have to close our eyes and pretend to be dead.

This isn't going to school; it's like being in jail.

It's been almost twenty years since I went from kindergarten to university.

Chen Zhi took a deep breath and slammed the Lego bricks in his hand onto the baseboard.

Click.

It sounded like the sound of his heart breaking.

Over there, Lin Wanwan was already fantasizing about her wonderful campus life, humming an unknown tune and wiggling her bottom on the sofa.

Looking at his daughter's carefree attitude, Lin Shuxian felt a pang of sadness welling up inside him.

He moved closer to Lin Wanwan and poked his daughter's chubby arm with a finger.

"Wanwan."

Lin Shuxian's voice trembled slightly, a sign of his father's impending separation.

"You're going to school soon, will you miss your dad?"

Lin Wanwan was immersed in the joy of making countless new friends. Upon hearing this, she didn't even turn her head, and was still combing the hair of a rag doll in her hand.

No, it doesn't.

The answer was crisp and concise, without any hesitation.

There was even a hint of disdain in her voice, as if her father had asked a completely unnecessary question.

Click.

Lin Shuxian heard the sound of his own heart breaking, even louder than the sound of Chen Zhi pressing the building blocks.

He clutched his chest, his eyes instantly reddening.

"How could I not think about it? Dad thinks about Wanwan a hundred times every day."

Lin Shuxian sniffed, his voice choked with emotion.

In his view, his daughter was just putting on a brave face.

After all, Wanwan is still so young and has never been away from her parents. Suddenly having to go to an unfamiliar environment must be terrifying for her.

She pretended not to care so that her father wouldn't worry.

What a sensible child!

Lin Shuxian did some self-reflection and was deeply moved.

He hugged Lin Wanwan tightly, burying his face in his daughter's small shoulder, not caring whether it was covered with crumbs from the cookies they had just eaten.

"Wanwan, don't be afraid when you go to kindergarten."

Lin Shuxian's voice was trembling with tears, and he looked even more nervous than when Lin Jing gave birth.

"Mommy and Daddy have just gone to work, it doesn't mean we're abandoning you. We'll definitely pick you up, we'll be there as soon as you get out of school!"

Lin Wanwan was struggling to breathe as her father strangled her.

She struggled to break free from Lin Shuxian's embrace, stretched out her little hand, and patted Lin Shuxian's head like a little adult.

"Okay, sure."

She nodded vigorously, her face full of perfunctory attitude.

Lin Shuxian completely failed to see the impatience in his daughter's eyes.

He looked up, his eyes red-rimmed, and said to Lin Jing beside him:

"Honey, don't let Wanwan's strong act fool you. She'll definitely be crying for her mom and dad later. She's just like me—so sensitive."

Lin Jing was peeling an orange when she heard this and rolled her eyes.

She popped a segment of orange into her mouth and mumbled:

"Come on, I bet you'll be the one crying and looking for your daughter later. Wanwan has a cheerful personality and is very adaptable. Children grow up, and this day will come sooner or later. You have to learn to let go."

"I won't let go!"

Lin Shuxian was heartbroken and furious. "She's only three years old! How can I bear to let her face the harsh realities of society at such a young age!"

Lin Jing ignored her husband and turned to continue chatting with Zhang Guifang about which children's clothing store had nice clothes and good quality.

Here, the Lin family father and daughter are staging a melodramatic scene reminiscent of a Qiong Yao drama, depicting a "life-and-death separation."

On the other side, Chen Zhi was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, his hands supporting his chin, staring blankly at the ceiling.

That melancholic air made him look just like a heartbroken young artist.

Chen Jun and Zhang Guifang noticed their son's unusual behavior.

The couple exchanged a glance, signaling that they understood.

Their son has been smart since he was a child and more mature than his peers, something they've long been used to.

While other children were still playing in the mud, Chen Zhi had already learned to use the remote control to change channels and accurately find the financial channel, but his wife thought he might just like the red and green candlestick charts.

But no matter how smart he is, he's still just a child.

It's normal to feel anxious when facing separation or an unfamiliar environment.

Chen Jun put down his teacup, squatted down in front of Chen Zhi, and tried his best to make his tone sound gentle and reliable.

"Son, what's wrong? Are you afraid to go to kindergarten?"

Chen Jun reached out his rough, large hand and rubbed Chen Zhi's head.

"Don't be afraid, Mom and Dad understand how you feel. It's your first time away from home, so it's understandable that you're nervous. We promise you, we'll pick you up as soon as we get off work tonight, and we won't be late."

Zhang Guifang also came over, overflowing with maternal love.

"Yes, Zhizhi, there are lots of children to play with at kindergarten, and there are delicious snacks too. If you miss your mom, just tell your teacher, and she will call your mom."

Chen Zhi slowly turned his head and looked at his parents, whose faces were full of concern.

In his clear, black and white eyes, there was no fear, no dependence, only a deep, well-like helplessness.

That kind of helplessness is the weariness of having seen through the world's illusions yet being forced to remain deeply immersed in them.

He gently shook his head.

The movements were slow and heavy.

"You don't understand."

The child's voice was innocent, yet it was delivered with an old-fashioned tone.

Chen Jun and Zhang Guifang were stunned.

Why do these lines sound so familiar?

"What don't we understand?"

Chen Jun asked with amusement, taking it as just innocent childish talk.

Chen Zhi stood up from the carpet.

He patted off non-existent dust from his buttocks and then put his hands behind his back.

He stood ramrod straight, his chin slightly raised at a 45-degree angle.

At this moment, he was no longer that little kid wearing open-crotch pants—no, he was now wearing full-length pants.

He seemed like an old man who had experienced many vicissitudes of life.

Chen Zhi glanced at his parents and sighed.

"You'll understand when you get to my age."

After saying that, he shook his round head, put his hands behind his back, and walked with a pigeon-toed gait towards his bedroom.

His figure stood forlorn, conveying a sense of lonely desolation and a yearning for victory.

The living room suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The teacup in Chen Jun's hand froze in mid-air.

Zhang Guifang dropped a half-peeled orange onto the table.

Lin Shuxian forgot to cry, and Lin Jing stopped eating sunflower seeds.

The four adults looked at each other, a huge question mark popping into their minds at the same time.

Wait until he reaches that age?

Three years old?

"that……"

Lin Shuxian broke the silence, pointed to the door where Chen Zhi had disappeared, and swallowed hard.

"Old Chen, has your Zhizhi been watching some weird TV series lately?"

Chen Jun snapped out of his daze, gave a dry laugh, and tried to cover up his embarrassment.

"Maybe it's because I listened to too many storytelling performances with my dad. You know, older people love listening to stories like Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin."

Zhang Guifang stared thoughtfully at her son's bedroom door.

She felt that, for a moment just now, the way her son looked at her was as if he were looking at two children who hadn't grown up.

In the bedroom.

Chen Zhi climbed onto his small bed and lay down in a starfish position.

He looked at the star stickers on the ceiling and sighed again.

What a messed up life.

We have to start all over again.

If only I could fast forward to retirement.