Chapter 109

Chapter 109

After getting in the car, the call finally connected.

Bao Yiming yelled "outdated" at the top of his lungs three times, failing to hear any particular reaction from his Dad.

Wen Cishu turned his face toward the car window, thinking to himself: It’s a damn shame that car designers haven’t invented an in-car ejection seat yet.

"I’m almost off work. Are you and Papa coming to the company?"

Bao Tingyuan’s question made Wen Cishu turn his head to glance at the disappointed little rascal.

He nodded.

But Bao Yiming said, "Papa says no~"

"What?" Just as Wen Cishu was about to speak, the kid quickly hung up before he could respond and grinned from ear to ear.

He distinctly remembered having lectured this little punk before not to pull these stunts right in front of him. Yet here he was, pulling this stunt again.

"Your Dad is going to call me any second now!"

Wen Cishu shook his head helplessly—raising a child was harder than rocket science.

No sooner had he spoken than his phone rang.

Bao Yiming stifled a snicker and leaned in, only to have Wen Cishu put his palm against his face to push him away.

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror. "Sir, Young Master, please sit tight. We’re about to turn."

"Okay!" Bao Yiming quickly steadied his Papa and sat properly against the seat himself.

Wen Cishu shifted closer to the window and answered the still-vibrating phone. Just as he was about to explain that he hadn’t said those words earlier, the voice on the other end spoke first.

"Why haven’t you ever told me to my face that you think I’m outdated?"

Wen Cishu opened his mouth, at a complete loss for words!

No, he had to defend himself. Glancing at the little rascal, he said, "You actually believe the words of a certain Bao Yiming?"

Bao Yiming’s eyes widened—it was the first time he’d heard his Papa call him by his full name.

Wen Cishu added, "I never said we weren’t coming to pick you up. Bao Yiming said that on purpose."

After a pause, he continued, "I think that little milk pot at home should be put to better use besides just warming up milk. Don’t you agree?"

Bao Yiming: ?.?

His bottom already ached in anticipation.

His mind conjured up an image of his so-called "tall" frame being pinned on the sofa by his Dad for a spanking.

Bao Yiming tugged at his Papa’s sleeve, batting his eyelashes pitifully. "Papaaa, pleeease~~~"

Over the phone, Bao Tingyuan asked, "So, are you coming now?"

Wen Cishu scoffed and turned the tables. "Given that you just doubted my integrity, I’m not coming anymore. Make your own way home."

Bao Yiming pouted: "Oh no, both dads are sulking."

"Little Papa, pleeease let's go~~~ Big Dad will definitely jump for joy!"

"Pfft..." Wen Cishu snorted, imagining the scene—completely absurd.

Bao Yiming continued to plead, "Let's go, let's go~"

Bao Tingyuan added, "Wanna catch a movie tonight?"

Wen Cishu teased, "Is the kiddo coming too?"

Bao Yiming pricked up his ears, trying to inch closer to the phone.

Bao Tingyuan: "Stick him in a row by himself."

"Deal."

Wen Cishu immediately instructed the driver to head to the office to pick someone up. Hanging up, his handsome face wore a mischievous smile.

Bao Yiming shrank back slightly. "Little Papa, don’t smile like that—it’s kinda creepy."

Wen Cishu explained the plan.

Bao Yiming sat obediently. At first, he thought his dads were going to the movies without him, but since they weren’t leaving him out, he squirmed excitedly.

"It’s fine if I sit alone. I’m a four-foot-eleven big kid now!"

Wen Cishu thought, *You really are easy to please.*

-

Father and son picked up Bao Tingyuan and headed to the kids’ restaurant Bao Yiming had suggested.

At first, Wen Cishu didn’t see anything odd—until they stepped inside and realized the place was filled with under-fives.

The family of three settled into a private room. The restaurant staff recognized them, wearing expressions of stifled excitement.

Wen Cishu watched his little one hum off-key while ordering without a care, clearly giddy with excitement.

Leaning slightly toward Bao Tingyuan with his cup, he asked, "When you heard we were coming to pick you up, did you actually jump for joy?"

Bao Tingyuan’s sharp gaze shot toward him from behind his glasses.

Wen Cishu raised an eyebrow quickly. "Hmm?"

Bao Tingyuan reached for his water glass, flatly. "Of course. When I left work, I even had someone fixing the office ceiling."

Wen Cishu: "..."

He exaggeratedly shuddered. *That joke flopped harder than the ceiling.*

Bao Tingyuan cut a look at their son across the table. "Hmm?"

Bao Yiming stayed silent, just checking off every dish on the menu.

When he was very young, he’d passed by this restaurant and always dreamed of coming here with both dads. Back then, though, Papa barely left his room...

But now, he could finally make this little dream come true~

Midway through the meal, Bao Yiming slipped off to the bathroom.

Wen Cishu recalled the incident at the brand store and solemnly relayed it to Bao Tingyuan, asking quietly, "Do you think Yi Ming might also have a bit of separation anxiety or something similar?"

Bao Tingyuan knit his thick brows, his green eyes fixed on him.

Wen Cishu couldn’t read his expression and reacted defensively, tentatively asking, "Did you not notice, or did you notice but never brought it up with me?"

"No." Bao Tingyuan took his wrist and massaged it, his tone deep and unhurried. "I was just worried you’d feel off without someone there."

Wen Cishu frowned, his gut made him say, "Are you talking about Yi Ming, or yourself?"

Their eyes met.

Wen Cishu saw a flicker of something in the green eyes behind the glasses.

He’d guessed right.

But Bao Tingyuan’s expression remained calm, his voice even. "Look, when Yi Ming’s at school or the farm, he’s fine because he knows you’re looked after at home."

Wen Cishu thought: *Isn’t that the same as when he goes to the company?*

So it all came back to Bao Tingyuan—or really, to the two of them.

Wen Cishu was about to say more when he heard little monkey coming back, so he nodded.

That was the end of that.

He suspected Bao Tingyuan was hiding something and started worrying—had he stopped his meds?

After the meal, the three of them drove to a private theater.

They watched an animated film.

Wen Cishu’s mind kept wandering, and Bao Tingyuan, figuring he was worn out from the day, took off his suit jacket and tossed it over his shoulders, pulling him into his arms.

The small screening room held only the three of them.

Apart from the images and sounds on the oversized screen, the only sound was Bao Yiming chomping popcorn.

Leaning against Bao Tingyuan’s shoulder, Wen Cishu murmured, "Your kid’s a bottomless pit. Good thing we stock up."

No wonder he had hit five feet by age nine—aside from his fathers’ genes, it was thanks to his nonstop eating.

Bao Tingyuan glanced at his engrossed youngest son, then lowered his head to kiss the face of the person in his arms.

Wen Cishu whispered a "warning": "No adult behavior during a cartoon!"

Bao Tingyuan gave a quiet laugh.

Bao Yiming peeked over during a scene change to observe his two fathers.

Tch. Of course they weren’t watching!

-

Preoccupied with Bao Tingyuan’s medication, Wen Cishu said he was sleepy upon arriving home, and that he’d nap before showering.

Once he’d urged Bao Tingyuan into the bathroom, he bolted off the couch to check the drawer.

No pill bottle in sight.

Had it been moved somewhere else?

He closed the drawer, glanced toward the bathroom, frowned as he approached.

When Bo Tingyuan finished showering and opened the door, he saw Wen Cishu leaning against the wall outside, deep in thought, eyes downcast.

He stepped forward, wrapped an arm around his waist, and lightly brushed their lips together. "Waiting for me?"

These days, Bo Tingyuan rarely wore glasses after showering.

Wen Cishu, held by the waist, pressed a forearm against his chest and directly asked if he was still taking his medication.

After speaking, he gazed into those deep green eyes and said with quiet intensity, "I worry about you too, so you mustn’t lie to me, understand?"

A bead of water still traced Bo Tingyuan’s brow, a drop sliding down, tracing the sharp angle of his jaw.

Wen Cishu raised a hand, cupping his cheek to wipe away the moisture, whispering, "I really don’t want to secretly speculate or doubt you."

Bo Tingyuan lowered his head, nuzzling against his soft lips. "What if we both get checkups tomorrow?"

"Hmm?" Wen Cishu leaned back slightly, searching his eyes. "Both of us?"

"And Yi Ming," Bo Tingyuan said. "A full family checkup."

Wen Cishu murmured, "So you’ve stopped taking the medication, haven’t you? If you say no, I’ll believe you. You don’t have to prove it with a checkup."

Bo Tingyuan swept him into a tight embrace as they slowly moved toward the bed. "I’ve stopped the medication."

The two clung together like two halves of one whole.

Wen Cishu’s heart pressed against his chest, his cheek nuzzling gently against Bo Tingyuan’s temple. "If the doctor thinks medication would be better for you, you should listen. But you have to let me know, just like how you care for me and understand my condition completely, okay?"

Hearing such a tender voice, Bo Tingyuan was suddenly overcome with unreality.

He had waited for many years—for what, he wasn’t entirely sure.

But at this moment, this felt like what he'd been waiting for.

They gazed at each other, and Wen Cishu sensed he had something to say, waiting patiently in silence.

Then, Bo Tingyuan parted his lips. "At dinner, you said Yi Ming doesn’t want you going out alone."

"Mm."

Wen Cishu held his breath, not daring to blink, convinced the next words would be crucial.

Bo Tingyuan’s lips moved, but at the last moment, he defaulted to French. "Whether I’m on medication or not, I can’t suppress this thought."

He spoke hesitantly, but the moment the words left him, he seemed to exhale years of tension.

Though Wen Cishu had vaguely guessed, hearing it aloud still left him momentarily speechless.

Instantly, he recalled the ending of their story in the original book, his chest constricting. "Then—"

Bo Tingyuan pressed his lips together, his smile turned bitter. "You don’t need to react to this. I’ll manage it myself."

Wen Cishu tilted his head up, nuzzling their cheeks together in reassurance. "I know. You’ve controlled it well—really well."

It was hard to imagine someone forever wrestling between reason and deep-seated desires, especially when they held power yet kept such tight control.

"But my main concern is Yi Ming..."

He couldn't say that Yi Ming had followed the example from the original book, just crudely locking someone up at home.

Bo Tingyuan said, "As long as you're healthy, he won’t worry excessively. Besides, he’ll be making more friends in the future, and his attention will be diverted."

Wen Cishu pondered for a long time, hesitating whether to tell Bo Tingyuan some details from the original story in some way.

His gaze fell on the bracelet around his wrist, and remembering Yongning Temple, he said, "How about we get the check-up and then visit Yongning Temple?"

"Alright," Bo Tingyuan scooped him up, "but tonight, there’s something else I’d like to discuss with you."

Wen Cishu, being carried toward the bathroom, asked, confused, "What is it?"

Bo Tingyuan: "About you thinking I’m old-fashioned."

Wen Cishu: "Huh...?"