Chapter 19

Chapter 19

As they were leaving,

Li Yun made a point to see them off.

Standing at the porch, he said, "Tingyuan, I have a couple more words to say to Cishu."

"Mm."

The evening breeze ruffled the loose strands of hair at Wen Cishu’s temples.

Bao Tingyuan shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over Wen Cishu’s shoulders. "I’ll be waiting in the car."

"Mm." Wen Cishu felt the jacket’s warmth and adjusted it slightly, then looked at Li Yun. "Dad?"

Li Yun withdrew his gaze from his son's retreating figure and spoke earnestly. "Cishu, Dad doesn’t have anything too heavy to say. I just wanted to tell you—Tingyuan has always been a man of few words, never one to wear his heart on his sleeve. You know, his mother’s family has a vast business empire, with strict upbringing and no fewer rules than the Bao family’s. Ever since he was old enough to understand, he’s had to shoulder immense pressure."

"Mm," Wen Cishu thought to himself—it seemed his earlier rambling questions had made the elder worry.

"I understand."

At the car, the assistant held the door open, but Bao Tingyuan didn’t get in. Instead, he glanced back at the two still on the porch.

Li Yun noticed this too and sighed. "Tingyuan is stronger than I am. I couldn’t survive a day in that stifling environment where personal will is smothered. After he returned to the country, the old master’s health declined rapidly, eager to heap the entire Bao family’s burdens onto him. In just three or four years, even I got multiple nuisance calls a week from distant Bao relatives—let alone what he endured."

Wen Cishu nodded.

He understood perfectly well that without an iron will, it would be impossible to take over the Bao family legacy. No matter how meticulously the old master had prepared, there would always be those eager to carve out a piece for themselves.

Li Yun then changed tack. "But Dad isn’t saying all this to complain about Tingyuan’s situation. Rather, I want to tell you—for Tingyuan, everything in this world can be divided into just two things."

"Oh?" Wen Cishu was slightly curious. "What two things?"

Li Yun smiled. "Your happiness, and everything else."

He raised a hand. "Go on, Tingyuan is waiting for you. Come for New Year’s—I’ll cook you both a meal myself."

Wen Cishu nodded and reassured him again. "Dad, Tingyuan and I are fine. Please don’t worry."

"Good." Li Yun was relieved, watching Wen Cishu join his son.

He nodded to his son, who met his gaze.

As the car drove away, an old friend noticed Li Yun still standing under the porch and came over to ask.

Li Yun quickly wiped the dampness from the corner of his eye.

Earlier, when they were leaving, Bao Yiming had received a special model airplane from his grandfather—a rare model you couldn’t find anywhere else.

-

He was so excited he nearly jumped on the spot, diving into the car to examine it eagerly.

In his excitement, it wasn’t until later that he realized he was sitting alone in the backseat of a separate car.

He leaned forward, peering through the front windshield.

Dad and Papa’s car!

Bao Yiming huffed and asked the driver, "Uncle Liu, was it Dad who pushed me into the car?"

Leaving his poor little son to suffer alone in the cold?

Uncle Liu glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "You climbed in by yourself, young master."

"Huh?" Bao Yiming’s energy deflated. "Really?"

Uncle Liu: "I saw the eldest young master look back at you specifically when he got into his car. He might have been wondering too."

Handsome Yi Ming scratched his head in frustration.

Who surrendered the joy of sitting between his two dads?!

Oh, it was himself.

Oh well.

-

At the Bao family mansion, Bao Yiming jumped out of the car and ran ahead, only to see Dad carrying Papa down.

The oversized black suit almost engulfed his papa completely, with loose black locks swaying gently outside.

"Hmm?" He followed beside Dad and whispered, "Is Papa asleep?"

Just then, the collar of the suit was slightly tugged down, revealing a pair of smiling almond-shaped phoenix eyes. "Dummy, didn’t you say we’d eat cake together later?"

"Oh!" Bao Yiming grinned.

Papa was unbearably cute like this!

Li Yun’s homemade mini-cakes were given to every guest in attendance.

Earlier, when Bao Yiming received his along with the gifts, they had agreed to eat them at home.

The household staff, including Uncle Xu, were waiting at home. Their cheerful mood made it clear the evening must have been pleasant.

As they approached the stairs, Wen Cishu looked up and blinked. "Let’s take the elevator, yeah?"

They hardly ever used that antique elevator together.

Bao Tingyuan paused, then turned and swept him into the elevator.

Bao Yiming, who had been a step ahead, turned back only to see the elevator slowly ascending with his two dads inside. "?"

His cute face puckered, and he bolted upstairs two steps at a time to wait at the second-floor elevator door.

Inside the elevator.

Wen Cishu gazed at the ornate wrought-iron grille as his feet swung idly. Leaning his cheek against Bao Tingyuan’s broad shoulder, he narrowed his eyes to admire those stoic but gorgeous features.

He asked softly, "Don’t you wanna know what your dad just said to me?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Bao Tingyuan flicked his gaze toward the outside.

Wen Cishu slowly turned his head and met the glaring, monkey-like stare of his son.

Bao Yiming: ==

Wen Cishu leaned against Bo Tingyuan's shoulder, laughing uncontrollably, his body gently trembling as the hem of his clothes swayed gracefully.

Bo Tingyuan felt as though he were holding an immortalized begonia tree in his arms, petals drifting down like snowflakes.

As he stepped outside, Wen Cishu playfully tapped his foot in the air toward Xiaohouzi. "Why are you staring at us like that?"

Bo Yiming followed closely behind, walking into the room together with them.

He complained unhappily, "Earlier we went together; when we returned home, shouldn't we ride back together too?"

Lifting his eyelids slightly, he added, "Daddy didn't even tell me I got on the wrong car!"

He said it with gritted teeth, appearing genuinely upset.

Wen Cishu landed lightly, naturally smoothing out his suit jacket with both hands, and softly said, "We thought maybe you wanted to enjoy the gift from Grandpa by yourself."

He reached out and tugged at his little velvet bowtie. "You look so handsome today—how about a smile?"

Bo Yiming mischievously circled around his Xiao Baba.

With his back turned to Da Baba, he declared, "I only smile for my Xiao Baba."

Wen Cishu pinched his cheek gently and gave it a light tug.

His own child—no matter how much he looked, he was just too adorable.

Bo Tingyuan pushed up his rimless glasses. "Are you sleeping with your Xiao Baba again tonight?"

"Of course!"

Bo Yiming eagerly replied while tilting his head upward. "Xiao Baba, I'll definitely try hard to tell you a French bedtime story tonight."

Just then, Auntie Zhong entered carrying the cakes and desserts they had brought back.

Delighted, Bo Yiming ran over. "Granny Zhong, my grandpa is amazing, right? He even made this cake himself."

Auntie Zhong replied, "When you were little, your grandpa even handmade toys for you. He's actually very skillful."

"That's right," Bo Yiming almost forgot. "Where are those toys now?"

Auntie Zhong began explaining.

As the two chatted, Bo Tingyuan slowly pulled his suit jacket out of Wen Cishu's embrace.

Wen Cishu felt the fabric sliding across his arm, as if taking warmth away with it.

As the jacket was nearly completely removed, he gently grabbed the sleeve and softly asked, "Have some cake with me, okay?"

Bo Tingyuan neatly folded the garment still warm from body heat and explained, "Mother called earlier; she wants me to call her back immediately upon arriving home. She's waiting."

"Then go ahead," Wen Cishu released his grip.

Bo Tingyuan’s mother was a sharp and decisive woman who managed a vast family business. To her, every minute counted.

Back when Bo Tingyuan casually mentioned sending Xiaohouzi to study in France, it probably took her one phone call that same night to arrange everything within an hour, such that the next day, the moment Xiaohouzi touched down in Paris, he would be directly enrolled in school.

Of course, today was Li Yun's birthday, perhaps precisely because of that...

When Wen Cishu snapped back to reality, he noticed a single candle burning atop the cake.

He slid off the sofa and sat on the soft cushion, sitting close to his little son.

"Baby Mingming? Where did the candle come from?"

Aunt Zhong said with a straight face, "Aunt Zhong made it appear. Our young master gets whatever he wants."

Wen Cishu smiled, lifting his hand to remove the beads from his neck, loosening his hair bun as he leaned back comfortably, teasing, "Granny Zhong’s got a treasure trove in her pocket."

Bao Yiming laughed along with his dad, "Yeah, Aunt Zhong is even better than Doraemon."

Aunt Zhong scolded lightly, "You two play then. I’ll go check on the herbal calming tonic. Yi Ming, don’t let your dad have too much cake—cream isn’t easy to digest."

"Okay~" Bao Yiming prompted his dad to join him in making a wish.

Wen Cishu didn’t insist that wishes were only for birthdays, humoring him, clasping his hands together and pressing them under his chin as he closed his eyes. After three seconds, he said, "Alright, your turn now, sweetheart."

Bao Yiming noticed how his dad had shortened "Baby Mingming" into an even cuter nickname. He wished he could shrink down small, just like little brother Xiao Qi, and curl up in his dad’s arms.

He made his wish just as earnestly.

By the doorway, Aunt Zhong hadn’t fully left yet.

Peering through the gap, she watched the father and son press their heads together, so happy together it warmed her heart.

These past two days, everyone in the mansion had been saying that ever since the master began coming downstairs more to spend time with the young master, the boy no longer liked running off outside. Instead, he had become stuck to his dad’s side.

Before, the young master used to act all grown-up for a while, but now, in front of his dad, he was especially sweetly childish, revealing his true nature.

-

Study room.

Bao Tingyuan ended the call with his mother, rubbing his temples before putting his glasses back on.

He walked back to the bedroom but heard no sound from inside.

Pushing the door open, he only saw the half-eaten cake on the coffee table in the sitting area and the jewelry Wen Cishu had worn earlier on the sofa.

No one was there.

"Yi Ming?"

Bao Tingyuan called out lowly, but there was no response.

A vein at his temple pulsed violently, his thick brows instantly furrowing as he strode further inside.

Wen Cishu wasn’t on the bed, nor in the bathroom. His tension was near breaking point.

He dreaded the sight of a collapsed figure in any hallway.

A soft melody floated from the walk-in closet, as if someone was humming leisurely—soft, lilting, and soothing.

Step by step, Bao Tingyuan approached. The sound, like a breeze, twisting and changing tune, wound its way into his ears.

Though he had never heard Wen Cishu hum these tunes before, he couldn’t mistake that clear, pleasant voice. His heart calmed instantly.

The walk-in closet had double doors—one shut, the other half-open.

Bao Tingyuan stepped forward, about to knock, when he caught sight of a slim figure in the full-length mirror.

Wen Cishu had just taken off his trousers, wearing only the patterned Chinese shirt from earlier. He was humming while unfastening the tiny buttons on his flared sleeves.

His back was turned to the door, and in the mirror, only the dark-toned hem of his shirt swayed against the snow-white, straight line of his thigh—like it was playfully caressing fragrant jade, hinting at what it half-concealed...

The air was filled with Wen Cishu's soft, tuneful humming, tender and laden with feeling.

To Bao Tingyuan’s ears, there was an allure in it that even Wen Cishu himself didn’t realize.

Just then, a noise came from the living room.

Bao Tingyuan averted his eyes and swiftly turned to exit.

Bao Yiming saw his father and asked curiously, “Where’s Papa?”

“Changing clothes.” Bao Tingyuan watched as the boy pulled a cushion onto the carpet and sat back down. “What were you doing earlier?”

He settled into the sofa and picked up the Beiyun jade pendant beside him.

“Brother Xingxing called me,” Bao Yiming said, holding up his left wrist to show his little watch—a token of their small friendship.

Wen Cishu emerged just then wearing loose loungewear and noticed Bao Tingyuan sitting on the sofa, absentmindedly fiddling with the jade pendant.

The dark green jade had been carved with intricate patterns and was fairly heavy.

Yet in Bao Tingyuan’s large, deft fingers, it seemed small.

As he listened to his son speak, Bao Tingyuan slowly traced the carved patterns with his thumb—gentle and casual.

Wen Cishu glanced at it, then looked away.

Why did that gesture remind him so much of how Bao Tingyuan used to knead his hand?

Turning toward his grinning son, he asked, “Yi Ming, what did Brother Xingxing talk to you about? You seem so happy.”

Bao Yiming wiggled his little spoon. “Daddy, let’s eat our cake first, then I’ll tell you.”

The round cushion Wen Cishu had been sitting on earlier had been moved.

As he bent to pull it closer to his son, a hand came to rest lightly on his shoulder, guiding him to sit—right beside Bao Tingyuan’s long leg.

Wen Cishu took a dessert spoon and scooped up some cream.

“Alright, let’s hear it. Your father and I will listen together.”

Bao Yiming grinned. “Brother Xingxing asked me for help with his homework. There were parts he didn’t understand.”

“You two discuss schoolwork too?” Wen Cishu said, truly surprised.

The original protagonist, after all, was quite the proper young man.

“Of course! I’m older, so I have to teach him,” Bao Yiming declared, putting on his little teacher act.

After finishing his cake, he knelt on the cushion, leaning in with both hands on the table, edging forward slightly. “Daddy, after the show’s over, can we have Brother Xingxing and Rong Rong and Xiao Qi come play?”

“Of course,” Wen Cishu teased. “Just the children? What about their parents?”

Bao Yiming frowned, looking like this was a completely new idea.

“He snorted…”

Wen Cishu mused, so this kid really *did* just want to "trick" the little ones into playing.

Smiling, he spun the silver spoon between his fingers, bringing it to his lips and quickly licking off the dab of cream on the back.

Just as he was smiling, he heard Bao Tingyuan’s deep voice from behind him.

"Yi Ming, weren’t you supposed to tell Xiao Dad a French story tonight?"

Yi Ming looked up at Big Dad. "Huh?"

Bao Tingyuan reminded him, "Go get a storybook from the study, so you won’t forget how to tell it."

"Oh, right!" Yi Ming pushed himself up from the coffee table, standing as he recalled Grandma Zhong’s words. "Xiao Dad, you can only have a little more, okay? The rest… go to Big Dad. Big Dad, make sure Xiao Dad doesn’t eat too much. I’ll go get the book! Be right back!"

With that, he dashed off, his footsteps thudding even through the carpet.

Wen Cishu smiled and thought, with all that noise, if they lived in a high-rise apartment, they’d still get endless complaints no matter how good the soundproofing.

Bao Tingyuan watched the person who had unconsciously leaned against his leg, radiating a lazy, soft charm.

With the little monkey’s cheerful chatter gone, Wen Cishu slowly turned his head and only then noticed Bao Tingyuan had been quietly watching him.

Bao Tingyuan was leaning back against the sofa, relaxed and at ease. As Wen Cishu turned, his fingers tucked the hair behind his ear, revealing his perfect profile.

Suddenly, the room went completely quiet.

Wen Cishu felt the warmth of his fingertips.

The thumb that had been caressing the jade pendant now lightly grazed his cheek, the curve of his ear—even brushing against the soft earlobe.

Like toying with a jade pendant, he gave it a light tug.

Wen Cishu’s breathing slowed unconsciously. Once again, he saw a deep, wordless desire in those eyes.

A little flustered, he asked, "Do you… want some cake?"

Though he didn’t get a confirmation, Wen Cishu whirled around, scooped up a little cream with the spoon, and quickly lifted it to Bao Tingyuan’s lips.

Bao Tingyuan glanced at the spoon.

The image of Wen Cishu smiling and savoring the cake flashed in his mind again.

"Hmm?" Wen Cishu wiggled the spoon teasingly.

Bao Tingyuan took the spoon from his hand—but instead of bringing it to his own mouth, he leaned down and offered it to Wen Cishu.

The main light was on in the living room, but a lamp on the far wall cast light from behind.

So when Bao Tingyuan leaned forward, Wen Cishu felt the warmth and solidness of him pressing closer, his breath warm, carrying a scent that felt dangerously charged.

Just as Wen Cishu nearly forgot about the spoon, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed.

His instincts screamed warning. He quickly snatched the spoon back, turned away, and shoved it into his own mouth, muttering, "Take it or leave it!"

Yi Ming rushed in, arms full of several fairy tale books.

Bao Tingyuan adjusted his glasses, resting his arm on the sofa armrest. "Found them that quickly?"

"Yep!" Yi Ming, oblivious to any tension, bounced into the master bedroom and neatly stacked the books on the nightstand.

Bao Tingyuan followed his son's figure with his eyes, finally resting his gaze on the row of books.

He furrowed his thick eyebrows and tugged at his tie to loosen it.

As he stood up, Bao Tingyuan glanced at the person deeply focused on eating cake and gently reminded him, "Don't eat too much. Once Aunt Zhong brings the soothing tonic, wash up and get some rest."

Wen Cishu murmured around the spoon in his mouth.

*We're just a married couple who sleep in separate rooms—please mind your boundaries!*

Bao Tingyuan stepped forward and said a few more things to their son.

Wen Cishu heard the patience in his voice and subtly turned his head, only to notice the Beiyun pendant gripped in his lowered hand.

Returning to the present, he looked down at the ring on his left hand and fell into thought.