Chapter Text
And children, this is why you shouldn’t develop a crush in high school. This all started when a young heir was talking to his high school advisor. Jin Zixuan, didn’t have any extracurriculars, at all. Even as an heir to a huge fortune, he barely did anything else besides schoolwork and avoided his parents’ arguments. But he still had a good friend, Mianmian. She was a part of the Medical Club and their Class Representative.
“Jin Zixuan, you haven’t joined any clubs since starting at this school,” the school advisor looked at Jin Zixuan’s information.
“Why do I have to join a stupid club?” Jin Zixuan complained. “I’m going to take over my family’s business. Why do I need to join a club?”
“When you start applying for universities, they prefer candidates that apply themselves and are involved,” the advisor explained. “It is not too late to join a club. There are plenty of clubs that are looking to recruit new members.”
Why join a club if he wasn’t going to get anything out of it? What could he get out of a high school club that wasn’t student council? His older half-brother is running for reelection for student council president. There was no way he could run for any position in the student council. He had no drive and it was his brother’s thing. And his best friend was the class representative.
What else could a rich heir with too much time on his hands can join? It would have to be a club where he knew people that were members. People that he tolerated. What was that one club that Mengyao visited his friends in? Something childcare related.
Wait! Jiang Yanli was in that club! For years Jin Zixuan has had a crush on a girl that was a grade above him. They always ran into each other during events that their families were invited in. The Jins and the Jiangs were in similar social circles.
“What about the Babysitters’ Club?” Jin Zixuan suggested.
The advisor looked at his transcript. “You haven’t taken a childcare class before. Why would you want to join the Babysitters’ Club? You’ve written that you want to go into business after graduating.”
“My two half siblings are in the school’s pre-school,” he did not lie. He knew that his two half-siblings attended the school’s pre-school. “I want to be more involved with my siblings. And Mengyao stops by.”
“Alright!” The advisor smiled. They pulled out a club registration form. “Please fill this out and turn it in to the club president.”
As he held the registration form, he questioned what he was getting into. After his meeting, Jin Zixuan finished filling out his form when his best friend came up to him.
“You are filling out a club registration form?” Mianmian seemed shocked. “You never seemed the type to join a club.”
“My advisor advised that I join a club to show that I’m involved,” Jin Zixuan explained.
Mianmian looked at his form. “Babysitting club?! You haven’t been around kids before. Why this club in particular?”
The heir snatched the form away from Mianmian’s prying eyes. “I have my reasons!”
Mianmian gave her friend a judgemental look. “Is your reason Senior Jiang?” Jin Zixuan’s face went red. “I thought so. Well, let us go to the daycare room to turn in your form. I think I’ll join the Babysitting Club too.”
Jin Zixuan looked shocked. “You are already class rep and a part of the Medical Club. You want to join a third club.”
“Unlike you, I want to add more to my extracurriculars. Besides, it will be fun to see you interact with the children and Senior Jiang.” Mianmian gave her explanation to Jin Zixuan.
After getting another registration form, the two freshmen students walked to the school daycare room. The school has a daycare program that accepts children from six-months and up until they are ready for primary school. The daycare is mainly run by the students in the Babysitting Club. During most of the school day, an older woman called Wen-popo watches the children. After school, lunch, and breaks the students take over childcare responsibilities.
The children attending the daycare are mostly the high school students’ younger siblings. The club members’ siblings make up most of the daycare kids.
The freshmen made it to the colorful doors that had animals, clouds, and flowers painted. Above the door was a sign that said Daycare.
“Hello,” Mianmian opened the daycare room. “We are here to turn in our Club Registration Forms to the president.”
“Look kids! New recruits!” One of the seniors said out loud. It was Lan Xichen who spoke to one of the kids that looked similar to him.
“Good, we need some underclassmen,” said who was the unlikely choice of president. Nie Mingjue, senior and president of the Babysitters Club. “Hand them over to Little Lan Zhan.”
“?!” Jin Zixuan and Mianmian looked down to see little Lan Zhan. A little boy with chubby cheeks and short hair. He looked a lot like Lan Xichen, except the little boy had light colored eyes.
“Registration papers please,” Lan Zhan held out his hand. His little face looked so serious.
“Just play along,” Xichen whispered to Jin Zixuan and Mianmian. “We like to make my brother feel included.”
Mianmian immediately played along. “Thank you for taking our registration forms. We are happy to be here. I’m called Mianmian. This is my friend Jin Zixuan. You probably know his brother Mengyao.”
“Mn,” Lan Zhan nodded his head. “You need your aprons.” The boy left to fetch aprons for the new members.
“That was my little brother Lan Zhan,” Lan Xichen introduced. “He is an interesting little boy. Over here coloring is Nie Mingjue’s brother Nie Huaisang. He is squishy, but whiny and clingy. Over there is Wen Ning, he is a little sickly child. Here are Qin Su and Mo Xuanyu, the infants playing on the mat.”
The infants squeal at the familiar face. “Ge!”
“I know A-Su and A-Yu,” Zixuan said. “They are my half siblings.”
“Of course!” Xichen said. “You all share a dad. Now we get to the final two kids. Over there with our other club member are Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying.”
He was finally introduced to his biggest rivals. The little brothers to Jin Zixuan’s crush. The two brothers were eating their lunch with their elder sister. It looked like a cute scene. The two boys munch on their apple slices. Jiang Yanli taking out a napkin and wiping away crumbs on Jiang Cheng’s cheek.
Until, the brothers noticed two newcomers. These two new people were invading their territory. There was a suspicious boy.
“Peacock!” Wei Ying pointed at Jin Zixuan. “Flashy.”
“Peacock,” Jiang Cheng said in agreement.
Jin Zixuan was confused. Were they talking about him?
“Now, now,” Jiang Yanli said to her brothers. “He is Jin Zixuan. I’ve known him since we were little. Please be kind to him.”
“I don’t like his face!” Jiang Cheng claimed.
“Hi! I am Wei Ying!” Wei Ying introduced himself to Mianmian. Completely ignoring the Jin heir in favor of the freshman girl.
“He is so cute!” Mianmian gushed. “I am Luo Qingyang, but you can call me Mianmian.”
Just like that, Mianmian was easily accepted into the club. Meanwhile Jin Zixuan was still being ignored by the brothers.
The little boy from earlier interrupted Mianmian and Wei Ying. “Mine.” Lan Zhan grabbed a hold of Wei Ying’s hand. The little boy dragged Wei Ying away from Mianmian, towards some plushies.
“My little brother is very much attached to Wei Ying,” Lan Xichen commented with a fond smile. “Isn’t it cute?”
Holding a rattle-drum menacing in his little fist, was Jin Zixuan’s worst enemy, Jiang Cheng. Jiang Yanli’s much younger brother. The baby of the family.
“Why does he look so angry?” Jin Zixuan asked. The child looked at him like he was a threat.
“A-Cheng can be a little grumpy,” Xichen explained to the newcomer. “He is very protective of his family.”
From what Jin Zixuan remembered, their parents weren’t too involved. Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan’s relationship was rocky. They were always away with their different businesses. Leaving Yanli with her little brothers.
Since her parents were barely present, Jin Zixuan had to get the approval of Yanli’s brothers.
“Jiang Cheng,” Jin Zixuan kneeled to the little boy’s level. Jiang Cheng’s eyes raised in suspicion. “I hope we can get along for your sister’s sake.”
BONK!
Jiang Cheng striked Jin Zixuan with the rattle drum! The older teen flinched in pain. “Ow!”
“A-Cheng!” Jiang Yanli scolded her little brother. “Why did you hit him? That wasn’t nice.”
“Cause I don’t like him!” Jiang Cheng answered in a huff.
And that was the beginning of Jin Zixuan’s journey in the Babysitters’ Club. He left the club room with a bruise on his forehead and his shoes covered in Nie Huaisang’s vomit.