Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Wen Cishu really wanted to help the little monkey finish setting up the tent, but he had probably eaten too much at lunch. As soon as he sat down on the comfortable sofa, his head lolled and he dozed off.

Bao Yiming blinked and glanced toward the nearby bed, then called softly to the camera: "Big Daddy, are you still home? Little Daddy fell asleep."

He was afraid that if he moved Little Daddy himself, he might wake him up, so he really needed Big Daddy’s clear instructions.

"What should I do, Big Daddy?"

"Ming Zai, are you using the live stream camera like a video call now?"

"Haha, since asking for help during lunch worked so well, why not ask again? But great job—you're right, we really need Big Daddy now!"

Not long after, Bao Tingyuan appeared at the doorway.

The audience clearly saw the little boy's eyes light up as he got up and hurried toward the bedroom door.

Then, Bao Yiming turned back and placed the camera on the lower coffee table.

Viewers then saw a pair of long legs approach the sofa, gently brush aside Little Daddy Wen Cishu’s black hair, and lift him into a princess carry with effortless ease.

Still half-asleep, Wen Cishu felt the familiar embrace and didn’t wake up—instead, he snuggled closer.

Bao Yiming truly loved how Big Daddy carried Little Daddy every time, and couldn’t resist moving the camera to capture the heartwarming scene for the audience.

He murmured to himself, "Getting a shot of their backs shouldn’t be a problem~"

His tone brimmed with love for both of his dads.

The low-angle, backlit perspective made the moment look like something straight out of a manga.

The towering black silhouette looked almost supernaturally tall, especially the long legs stepping forward—proportions more dramatic than from any eye-level view.

His arms held the person in his embrace tightly, strands of long hair spilling over his elbow, shimmering delicately like flowing fringe in the light.

Aww, "This angle is too beautiful! Ming Zai, do you get to see this every day at home? You... you're really lucky, huh?"

Aww, "What do we do? This is Ming Zai’s view of his two dads. Feels inappropriate to post some risqué comments, but I'm getting way too excited!"

The audience quickly self-censored and copied the same line in unison:

"Aww, Ming Zai, you're truly a great photographer."

Seeing Big Daddy bend down to place Little Daddy on his own bed, Bao Yiming turned the camera back to the tent and whispered, "Alright everyone, let's get back to setting up the tent now."

A few minutes later, viewers only saw the shifting shadows on the carpet before realizing Big Daddy had returned to the living room.

Bao Yiming stuck his head out of the tent’s little window, grinning as he waved goodbye. "'Bye, Big Daddy~"

"Big Daddy stayed a while—what was he doing?"

"Tucking his wife in, kissing, hugging... you get the idea."

"Hey, you two, could you please do a couple's reality show—for Ming Zai’s sake? Pretty please?!"

"Ming Zai: ? What about me? Leaving me out?"

Busy Bao Yiming put together all the pieces from the box, then asked Uncle Xu for right-sized cushions, blankets, and pillows to set inside. He also collected stuffed animals and charms from his room to decorate inside and outside the tent.

The more he looked, the more he liked it. Bao Yiming couldn’t help but snap some photos with his kid’s watch.

Throughout the process, sharp-eyed viewers caught the young boy occasionally glancing toward his Dad napping on the bed across the room.

Though just a quick glance, the small gesture showed his care and affection for his Papa.

Over in another household,

Zhu Wei was eating a small cake Rong Rong had just made and said to her husband off-camera, “Can you ask the crew if they can stagger the evening tasks for the four families?”

“Why?”

Rong Rong’s dad was also eating cake, though the camera only captured him handing Zhu Wei a tissue from the table.

Just like in Ming Zai’s family, he was filming the mother-daughter duo.

Zhu Wei was blunt: “I want to watch the other guests’ challenges.” As soon as she said it, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Damn, Wei, you might be onto something!”

“Just here for the tea, huh? Production team, hurry up! This is seriously a great idea.”

The staff managing Zhu Wei’s livestream naturally saw the flood of comments and immediately relayed the suggestion to the planning team.

Before long, viewers saw an announcement from the crew stating that a lottery would determine the specific times for today’s challenges, so viewers could catch all of them.

The speed of this response and adjustment earned unanimous praise from audiences.

“Last time I noticed the crew really listens to feedback—no wonder your show’s popping off!”

*Rubbing hands gleefully*, “Guess I’ll be bouncing between livestreams then, hehehe.”

When Wen Cishu woke up, he almost swore it was nighttime.

“Yi Ming?”

Bao Yiming darted to the bed. “Dad, did you sleep well? Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine.” Wen Cishu had just sat up too quickly and felt a bit dizzy.

Clutching the blanket and leaning against the headboard, he asked softly, “Did anything happen while I was asleep?”

Bao Yiming first shook his head, then quickly nodded.

He filled him in on the message he’d received from the crew earlier.

As Wen Cishu listened, he yawned. “So, what slot did we get?”

“We’re up first! We’ll play as soon as you wake up.”

“Wait, WHAT?!”

Wen Cishu’s eyebrows shot up, his voice cracking in surprise as he instantly became wide awake. “Seriously?!”

“Yep.” Bao Yiming pointed at the tent. “Papa, let’s do it in the tent!”

Wen Cishu: “But…”

*Laughing*: “There goes wifey panicking again~ Just woke up and hit with a plot twist!”

"Where is Ming Zai's big dad? Come here quickly!"

LOL. Zhu Wei, Chu Han, and Teacher Zhou all know the producers' plan—they're waiting for Ming Zai's family to complete their task first.

Wen Cishu went to splash water on his face but remained confused, unable to figure out why the schedule had suddenly changed while he was taking a nap.

When he was led into the tent and settled against a cushion, he suddenly felt extremely crowded as Bao Tingyuan ducked in and sat across from him in the tiny space.

The camera then switched back to the big dad's perspective, showing Ming Zai and his little dad seated closely opposite him.

Wen Cishu hugged a large plush toy: "What's the task? Is it complicated?"

Bao Tingyuan pulled out the task envelope just delivered by the production team: "Answer audience questions."

"Oh~" Wen Cishu visibly looked relieved.

He probably hadn't slept enough—his expression seemed tired, with long lashes slightly lowered, looking somewhat dazed.

Bao Tingyuan grabbed a square pillow nearby, about to place it behind Wen Cishu's back.

But Wen Cishu quickly reached over and took it, murmuring, "I can do it myself."

"Mommy, let big dad help you!"

"I love watching wifey from big dad's point of view~ A total gentle beauty, 360 degrees no flaws~ Definitely makes you want to kiss her anytime~"

Seeing this, Bao Yiming quickly adjusted the pillow for his little dad.

"All set, big dad! I'm ready to start."

He rested his chin on the plush toy's head, batting his eyes innocently: "Big dad, is it a quiz? Do we get rewards if we answer correctly?"

"Is it?" Wen Cishu asked uncertainly, glancing puzzled at Bao Tingyuan.

"Buddy, why would you think we'd ask intellectual questions?"

"Well, he's only nine, that totally makes sense lol."

Since the camera was positioned in front of Bao Tingyuan, viewers could clearly see the question on the card as soon as he pulled it out.

#Parent-Child Relationship Revealed#

First question: "Ming Zai, please describe one of your most memorable moments involving your two dads. (Questioner ID: If Ming Zai Were My Son)"

Bao Tingyuan read the question slowly and clearly in his deep voice.

"? Wow, these really are fan questions, even with nicknames."

"Ming Zai's big dad's voice sounds a bit cold but very soothing."

"By the way, since he's mixed race, did he grow up speaking Chinese? He has absolutely no accent."

Bao Yiming finally realized these were fan-submitted questions.

He smiled and lifted a small plush toy, waving it playfully in front of his two dads: "But I have so many memories. Big dad, can I only share one?"

Wen Cishu was very curious—what would our little monkey remember?

Was it something before or after his awakening?

Bao Tingyuan noticed the way he was looking at their son, his eyes glistening with warmth and tender affection.

He said to the boy, "You can tell us as many as you'd like."

"Sure!" Bao Yiming tilted his head and looked at his Dad. "When I was little, I once sneaked into Dad's bedroom—"

He stuck out his tongue. "I missed you so much."

"Mm-hmm." As always when speaking to his son, Bao Tingyuan responded at just the right moment, encouraging him to continue.

Wen Cishu was also watching intently, eyes eager.

Bao Yiming: "Dad was napping, just like today, and I lay by the bed watching him for a long time. Then suddenly, his eyes flew open."

At this pause, Wen Cishu’s heart skipped a beat.

He had no memory of the scene his son described and worried he’d scared the child.

Bao Tingyuan promptly gave him a questioning look and gently squeezed his hand.

Wen Cishu looked into his deep green eyes and seemed to calm down again. "Yi Ming, what happened next? Did Dad say anything?"

Bao Yiming recalled the moment: "Dad just patted my cheeks, just like he does now, and told me, 'Yi Ming is so cute.' But when I tried to talk to him, he dozed off again."

Wen Cishu drew him into a hug.

Why were his eyes suddenly burning?

He quickly lowered his head, gazing absently at the swirl of hair on the little one's head.

He murmured, "Sorry, sweetheart. Daddy doesn’t remember this. But Daddy won’t forget again."

"Huh? That’s alright!"

Bao Yiming's voice was sweet and proud, brimming with triumph. "Even in his dreams, Dad says, 'Yi Ming is so cute~'"

He snuggled against his dad’s arm.

"OMG, is Mommy about to cry?"

"Did wifey really forget? But Ming Zai remembers it so clearly."

"Ugh, now I wanna cry too. I remember so many happy childhood memories, but my parents say they don’t recall them."

Wen Cishu's gaze darted past Bao Tingyuan, who had been watching him intently.

"What about Big Dad? Does Yi Ming remember any fun stories to share about Big Dad?"

"Hmm..."

Bao Yiming dragged out his words playfully.

He lifted his chin and pouted at his Dad, like he was tattling. "Dad, did you know? On the day we went for hotpot, Big Dad took so many photos of you. He wouldn’t let me see any."

Wen Cishu & Bao Tingyuan: "..."

The couple exchanged a glance.

Bao Tingyuan's tone was calm. "Moving on."

"Hahaha what the heck? It was so emotional just now, then suddenly the topic changed."

"Ming Zai, your Dad is so mean! Go cry for him, quick!"

"Hotpot? Was that from the boating day? What photos? Ah! I wanna see too!"

But when Bo Tingyuan opened the second question card, he didn't say a word for half a minute.

The father-son pair across from him looked at him curiously.

"What's wrong, Dad? Don't you recognize the characters?"

Wen Cishu pursed his lips with a soft chuckle. "Hmm?"

Bo Tingyuan looked down at the card's question.

Second question: "Honey, please describe to everyone how you met Ming Zai's dad. (Questioner ID: I'm Fighting Ming Zai for Mommy~)"

"Ahhh this was my question, look at my ID! Production team, you really—I'm gonna cry happy tears!"

"Why the long pause? You're not gonna skip the 'honey' part, are you? Please, I'm begging you, Ming Zai's dad~"

Wen Cishu asked suspiciously in a low voice, "You really don't get it?"

Bo Tingyuan, very uncharacteristically, cleared his throat before speaking.

This just confused them more.

Bo Yiming was getting antsy, "Dad? Show the card to Mommy?"

Bo Tingyuan said, "Yi Ming, I'm a bit thirsty. Could you get me a glass of water?"

"Huh?" Bo Yiming looked at his mommy in surprise—why does this feel shady?

Wen Cishu, trusting him, knew there must be a reason and added, "Yi Ming, Daddy's kinda thirsty too. How about you grab some fruit for us to share?"

"Fine, fine~"

Bo Yiming muttered while getting up, huffing, "You're totally ditching the kid to talk adult stuff, aren't you?"

He huffed as he crawled out of the tent indignantly.

Bo Tingyuan reached out and gave his son's neck a quick rub, "When you come back, your mommy will answer."

"Okay, don't lie to me!" That finally reassured Bo Yiming.

"Ming Zai was clever but missed the point—the real key is the question itself!"

"Grown-ups are the worst! Poor little Ming Zai~ Come to auntie for hugs!"

"Mommy and Dad are so in sync~ Truly a married couple~"

When the little rascal was gone, Wen Cishu blinked and asked with a smile, "What is it? Did they ask something awkward?"

Bo Tingyuan picked up the card again, reading the words aloud.

"Honey, please describe to everyone how you met me."

After finishing the sentence, his green eyes behind the glasses swiftly met Wen Cishu's gaze. Though Bo Tingyuan tried to play it cool, keeping his tone casual and fast-paced, Wen Cishu still jumped like he'd been scalded, his ears and neck instantly flushing red.

Bao Tingyuan quickly blocked the camera with the card.

"Mommy's turning red! I'm hyped! (jk~"

"Ming Zai is such a tease—first deliberately reading it super fast! Now he's blocking our view of Mommy~"

"No no no, the speed was just right. With that deep, magnetic voice, if he deliberately slowed down, Mommy might straight-up bail, hahaha~"

Wen Cishu felt the tent was too small—they should've bought a giant yurt that could fit twenty people.

He was flushed all over, and seeing the camera blocked, he quickly tilted his face aside, fanning his neck with his hand.

When Bao Tingyuan reached over to hold his hand, he lightly swatted it away, giving him a sharp phoenix-eyed glare before quickly looking away.

Yet Bao Tingyuan's gaze remained unwavering, watching him like a touched mimosa plant.

For the first time, he realized how much these nicknames got to him.

"I'm back!"

Bao Yiming called out.

Only then did Wen Cishu let out a small breath, though his eyes still darted around, avoiding Bao Tingyuan as he took the fruit plate handed by his son.

Once Bao Yiming ducked back into the tent and settled down, Bao Tingyuan finally lowered the card.

"What were you two whispering about earlier?"

"Since they're not in the fandom, they probably don't know—sometimes blocking the view leaves more to the imagination, hehe~"

"Wow Mommy really is so shy, his eyes are all shiny~"

Bao Yiming asked, "So, what was the second question? Did Papa already answer it?"

"No," Bao Tingyuan said. "We waited for you."

"Yay!" Bao Yiming leaned against his papa's arm, making eager puppy-dog eyes.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wen Cishu saw Bao Tingyuan pick up the card again. Worried he might reread it, he hurriedly jumped in with the question himself.

Bao Yiming ate up stories about his dads—he'd never had the chance before.

"Papa, spill the tea already~"

Not daring to look at the man across from him, Wen Cishu lowered his gaze and said, "I met your dad on a setup. Nothing particularly special. Your great-grandpa and his grandfather were old friends, so they had us exchange photos. We met for dinner not long after."

He glanced at Bao Tingyuan's long legs, clad in suit pants, then picked up a large blueberry and took a bite.

Bao Yiming asked eagerly, "And then?"

Wen Cishu pursed his lips from the blueberry juice, replying flatly, "Then we got to know each other, tied the knot pretty quick. That's about it."

"So it was one of those fancy arranged marriage power dinners?"

"Figures—rich folks always marry their own kind, wuwu~"

"So Mommy's family is also loaded and low-key mysterious? Wow~ (This fandom's slacking—what's Mommy's name? Give us something to work with!)"

Bao Tingyuan asked, "So what was your first impression?"

"Huh?" Wen Cishu's upturned eyes lifted slightly. "Do we have to answer this part too?"

"Mm."

Bao Tingyuan gave a slight nod, his expression so stern it was as if he were a cold and ruthless professor at a thesis defense.

"Little Dad, I want to know too."

Bao Yiming also picked up a blueberry and started munching on it. Then he remembered this was a live show and whispered, "Is it okay to say?"

"It's fine."

Wen Cishu lowered his voice and said childishly, "He was really fierce, just like now—didn’t talk, ice-cold."

Bao Yiming looked at Big Dad, then nodded in sudden understanding, agreeing, "How could Big Dad be like that? Meeting Little Dad for the first time and actually being fierce to him."

"What? Your little dad is pulling your leg, kiddo. You actually believe that?"

"What did Big Dad look like back then? Was he really fierce? I think he’s okay now."

"Judging from the few rare photos online, he probably had well-defined features, with low-set brows and deep contours. Fierce… maybe what people call aloof?"

From an angle the audience couldn’t see, Bao Tingyuan raised an eyebrow slightly. His gaze pierced through his glasses, sharp as a scalpel.

In that instant, Wen Cishu felt as if he were being dissected by that piercing emerald stare.

He looked down guiltily and stuffed a blueberry into his mouth.

—Uh-oh, I have a feeling he’ll “interrogate” me about this later.