Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Early the following morning, Wen Cishu felt the bed shift beside him. He opened his drowsy eyes, still half-asleep, and let out a drowsy murmur, “Hmm?”

Bao Tingyuan brushed away the strands of hair clinging to his forehead. “Did I wake you?”

Wen Cishu instinctively nuzzled against his fingertips, his eyelids half-lowered as he asked in a soft voice, “Are you going to the office?”

This level of intimacy was enough to make Bao Tingyuan freeze, almost making him believe he was having a rare, beautiful dream.

However, he quickly snapped out of it, noticing Wen Cishu’s struggling against sleepiness. “Mm.”

Wen Cishu squinted and reached up to scratch the back of his neck.

Bao Tingyuan caught his slender, delicate wrist.

The moment their skin touched, it was like touching jade warmed by sunlight.

He turned to grab the ointment. “Let me apply it for you.”

“Oh.” Too lazy to sit up, Wen Cishu turned onto his side, half-sprawled, lifting one arm to rest on the pillow and pressing his cheek against it.

The multi-layered curtains hadn’t been fully drawn the night before, and in the faint morning light, Wen Cishu’s long, graceful swan neck peeked out, the delicate curves of his spine like pearls nestled in a velvet box.

The silky pajamas draped over his frame as he lay on his side, forming a graceful dip at his waist.

Half-asleep, Wen Cishu felt the collar of his pajamas being gently pulled down, but instead of the cool roller of the ointment, warm fingers grazed his skin.

The gentle motion of application and the soothing coolness of the ointment drew a soft sigh from him, a quiet “Mm~” escaping his lips.

Bao Tingyuan paused. “Feeling better today?”

His sleep-roughened voice was like warm breath grazing Wen Cishu’s ear.

Wen Cishu rubbed his cheek against his arm and let out another drowsy, lazy “Mm~.”

This wasn’t his usual waking hour, so with that, he slipped back under.

Bao Tingyuan gathered him close, laying him flat, his thumb brushing over Wen Cishu’s full, soft lower lip as he murmured in a low, gentle voice,

“Yiming will keep you company tonight.”

-

An hour later, in another suite of the mansion.

Bao Yiming blearily opened his eyes, ready to cuddle up to his little daddy, only to find himself alone in bed.

His sharp little mind quickly pieced together what had happened, and he shot upright.

“Ah!”

He fumed.

Bao Yiming sprang out of bed like a jack-in-the-box, rushed to the desk, yanked out his diary, and furiously scrawled a sentence:

“Papa carried me back to my room while I was asleep! Stole my cuddle time with Daddy!”

In his urgency, he wrote it in French.

The messy scrawl gouged into the paper.

To express his inner frustration, he filled the space before and after the sentence with countless exclamation marks.

Outside the door, the housekeeper called out.

"Young master? What's going on?"

Bao Yiming angrily wrenched the door open and took a deep breath.

The housekeeper looked startled. "Young master?"

Bao Yiming calmed his heaving chest. "Auntie, this isn't about you. I'm going to find my big daddy!"

With that, he ran across the carpet toward his little daddy's room.

The housekeeper could almost see three flames blazing behind him.

Worried, she pushed open the door to the suite and checked inside, relieved to find nothing broken or knocked over.

Bao Yiming ran to the second floor and saw Uncle Xu, immediately stopping. "Grandpa Xu, where's my big daddy?"

Uncle Xu noticed his crooked pajamas and straightened them for him. "He went to the company."

Bao Yiming gritted his teeth in anger. "Then I'll go find my little daddy!"

He rushed to the bedroom and threw himself onto the bed, his slender legs flapping wildly like a seal's flippers. "Little daddy~ Big daddy carried me away yesterday without my permission! That was so mean!"

Wen Cishu had also just woken up, still savoring the warmth of Bao Tingyuan's embrace, when he was suddenly tackled by the little monkey.

"Cough, baby, I think you're crushing Daddy's arm."

"Huh?"

Bao Yiming was horrified and quickly knelt on the blanket, his face full of worry as he gently stroked his little daddy's arm.

"Does it hurt here? I'll ask Grandpa Xu to call the doctor."

"No."

Wen Cishu pulled him close and patted his little cheeks, knowing just by his appearance that he hadn't washed his face yet.

His fingers lightly combed through the messy hair as he explained softly, "Your big daddy spends so much time alone and gets lonely. Plus, we weren’t home for two days, so he wanted to talk with me last night. But he was afraid of waking up our adorable little son, so he sent you to rest first."

"Really?"

Bao Yiming cradled his little daddy's arm, his amber eyes clear and innocent.

"Little daddy~ Next time you want to talk, just tell me, okay?"

He pressed his face against his little daddy's chest through the blanket, putting on his cutest show. "As your precious little son, Baby Mingming is very well-behaved~"

"I know, baby."

Wen Cishu patted his back. "Alright, go get cleaned up now."

Bao Yiming didn’t leave immediately, still worried he might have hurt his little daddy's arm. He jumped off the bed to help him up.

Wen Cishu remembered the task from the production team.

"Baby, Daddy has a little mission for you."

Bao Yiming tilted his head back. "Huh?"

"After your Dad gets off work, go ask him if he'd like to join us for an episode of the show, okay?"

Wen Cishu explained the production team's plans.

Bao Yiming looked puzzled. "Didn't Papa talk to Dad about it last night?"

Last night?

Wen Cishu felt guilty and struggled to find the right words.

But Bao Yiming suddenly had a mischievous sparkle in his eyes and continued on his own: "Papa, I got it. I'll talk to him tonight."

Wen Cishu nodded and blocked him at the bathroom door. "Go wash up."

"Okay!" A little plan quickly formed in Bao Yiming's mind. He turned and ran off, unable to suppress a grin.

—Awesome! He now had bargaining chips for "negotiations" with Dad!

Wen Cishu watched his skipping figure and wondered: Why was he suddenly so excited?

He had thought the little monkey would keep pressing about last night.

Just as he was about to close the door, Bao Yiming came zooming back.

Wen Cishu immediately asked: "Anything else to tell Daddy?"

Bao Yiming cheerfully said: "Papa, is the back of your neck still itchy?"

"Dad already put cream on it before leaving."

Wen Cishu mussed his hair. "Thanks for remembering, sweetheart."

"Oh~~~" Bao Yiming skipped away again.

In his heart, he silently gave back the credit he had taken from Dad.

Back in his room, he wrote about this in his diary.

So great!

Dragon Knight Dad works hard every day to protect Pea Princess Papa~

-

After last week's show ended, all the seed potatoes planted by the father and son sprouted.

Uncle Xu also found a good spot.

After finishing his tai chi practice, Wen Cishu helped Bao Yiming move the potato plants into the ground.

Bao Yiming personally covered the plants with soil. "Papa, will we really get little potatoes next year?"

"Should work."

Wen Cishu didn't know much about growing potatoes either. "You'll have to ask Grandma Zhong."

Bao Yiming then gave Auntie Zhong a knowing look.

Auntie Zhong put away the tools. "Don't worry, you'll get some for sure."

If it doesn’t work, she’ll secretly bury a few with Old Xu, ensuring it’s done flawlessly.

Wen Cishu lowered his head, pondering the same thing.

— If they don’t grow, we can sneak in to bury a few.

He sent the potato photos he had just taken to Bo Tingyuan.

"One Ming planted these, saying that when the potatoes grow, they can be used for cooking at home."

As soon as he hit send, a new message popped up almost simultaneously in the chat box.

Bo Tingyuan: "Rest more at home today."

Wen Cishu looked at the phone screen, a gentle smile spreading across his face.

Ten years of marriage, and there’s a bit of tacit understanding?

"Little Dad, what are you smiling about?" Bo Yiming tiptoed over to peek at the phone.

Wen Cishu turned off the screen, putting on a serious face, and said to him, "I remember there are photos of me dancing with your big dad on your phone. When will you send them to me?"

"Hmm~~~" Bo Yiming hopped away, "Little Dad, will you promise me something first?"

Wen Cishu noticed a reply on his phone and quickly nodded at his son, "Sure, go ahead and ask."

Bo Yiming mumbled, "No, you have to promise first."

Wen Cishu thought, you’re negotiating with me now? "Alright, I promise."

"Hooray!!" Bao Yiming cheered, spinning around joyfully. As he followed his Papa toward the mansion, he bounced along behind him. "Mommy Xingxing said she can take us to visit the film set! Papa, will you come with me too?"

He darted in front of his Papa, blocking the way, and flashed a mischievous grin. "Papa already promised just now, remember?"

Wen Cishu had thought it was about going to bed, not this.

He booped his son's nose. "Got it. When are we going?"

"Any day this week works!" Bao Yiming immediately checked his watch and forwarded a photo. "Papa, I sent it to you. I'll call Xingxing now!"

He turned and ran off excitedly.

Wen Cishu called after him, "Wash your hands first."

The energetic boy nimbly swerved and ran into the bathroom next to the first-floor living room.

Wen Cishu shook his head with a smile, then went to wash his own hands before opening his phone.

Bao Tingyuan: "Swamped at work today. I'll be back late. You and Yiming rest early."

Wen Cishu knew this was just his usual busy routine and didn’t dwell on it.

Still, he couldn’t help feeling a bit lonely, recalling the warmth of his chest when they woke up.

"Alright. I was thinking of showing you the photos Yiming took."

Bao Tingyuan: "What photos?"

Wen Cishu smiled as he sank into the soft sofa. "Those from your father's birthday—when we were dancing."

Bao Tingyuan: "Mhm."

"Mhm"?

Wen Cishu's almond-shaped eyes glared at the single character, his fingers pulling down on the screen, trying to refresh for new messages.

Was he really that uninterested?

Or was he too busy—maybe in a meeting?

Three minutes later, he flung the phone down in frustration.

Just then, Aunt Zhong came in, urging him to go wash his hair.

Wen Cishu leaned back lazily, with no real urge to budge.

Aunt Zhong said, "How many times has Dr. Lin told you—don’t wash your hair after 3 PM, or the chill will go to your head, and you’ll end up with headaches and those dark circles again."

"Alright, alright, I’ll go right now. Stop nagging."

Wen Cishu went to wash his hair while she kept scolding. As soon as he lay down, he sat back up and asked, "Aunt Zhong, where’s my phone?"

Aunt Zhong replied, "Something urgent? I’ll get it for you."

Wen Cishu lay back down again, with a sigh. "Never mind."

All I got was a "Mhm"—how am I supposed to respond to that?

He thought about it more and grew angrier, clenching his jaw.

Is this any way for husbands to talk?

Just shutting it down completely?