Chapter 111

Chapter 111

On the morning of the first day of school, Wen Cishu got up early to send their little monkey to school with Bo Tingyuan.

Bo Yiming sat between his two fathers, arms wrapped around the new backpack from his little dad, his expression sulky and awkward.

If they were heading somewhere fun instead of school, his mood would have been much brighter.

—If only the driver would suddenly make a sharp turn at the school gate and take them to an amusement park instead.

This was Wen Cishu’s first time sending their child to school, so he reminded him, "If anything happens at school, call me."

Though Bo Yiming had heard similar words a million times, these came from his little dad.

He was more than happy to listen attentively, exaggeratedly tilting his head to press his ear closer. "Little Dad, what else? What else?"

Wen Cishu glanced over him, exchanging a smile with Bo Tingyuan.

He wrapped an arm around the little monkey’s shoulders and said earnestly, "Also, listen carefully to the teacher. If you don’t understand something, ask questions. And if you do understand, don’t get too proud. Most importantly—eat a big lunch. Don’t go hungry."

Bo Yiming was too happy for words, wriggling excitedly in his little dad’s embrace.

But then he remembered how fast he was growing, and his smile dropped from his lips.

—Ugh, if only he were as tiny as Xingxing, or even Rong Rong or Xiao Qi, he could keep snuggling in his little dad’s arms forever.

Wen Cishu noticed his sudden pout and the puppy-dog eyes on his face. "What’s wrong?"

He teased lightly, "We’re almost at school. Are you planning a last-minute bail?"

"Of course not!" Bo Yiming tilted his head, resting it on his little dad’s shoulder, then suddenly remembered something and looked up again. "Little Dad, you *better* remember to pick up your adorable little son this afternoon, okay?"

"Of course. We’ll come get our most precious baby," Wen Cishu assured him, holding him close.

The car stopped by the school gate. Wen Cishu gently fixed his hair and adjusted his uniform before letting him out.

Bo Yiming stopped him. "Little Dad, you don’t have to get out to walk me in. I’ll go from Big Dad’s side."

Bo Tingyuan had already stepped out of the car.

Wen Cishu glanced at the school gate in the distance. "Hmm? We’re not walking you in?"

Bo Yiming coughed lightly, lowering his voice. "If my classmates see *two* dads dropping me off today, they’ll tease me."

Wen Cishu: "..."

—Such adorably contradictory child’s logic.

"So if they only see your big dad, they won’t laugh?"

Bo Yiming scooted toward the door, grinning. "I’ll just say they saw wrong—it’s our bodyguard! Hehe!"

The moment he stepped out, he was met with his big dad’s unamused look.

Clutching his backpack, Bo Yiming dodged with a grin the hand reaching to ruffle his hair and called out loudly, "See you tonight, Big Dad!"

Wen Cishu smiled to himself, watching their little one sprint toward the school gate.

Almost immediately, classmates of varying heights crowded around him, calling out greetings.

After getting into the car, Bao Tingyuan instructed the driver to start driving.

He drew Wen Cishu to sit beside him in the middle.

Wen Cishu lowered his voice and asked, "You didn’t mind what Yi Ming just said, did you?"

Recently, he’d realized that while Bao Tingyuan appeared easygoing and accepting, he could actually nurse quiet grudges.

It wasn’t the first time Bao Tingyuan had heard their mischievous younger son say something like that.

But since Wen Cishu asked, he decided to go with it.

He pushed his glasses up, his eyes behind the lenses revealed a hint of helplessness. "Should I really hold it against a kid?"

They say eyes can say a lot, and Wen Cishu almost felt sorry for him. He took Bao Tingyuan’s hand and rubbed it gently, softly saying, "Then when he gets home from school, I’ll scold him. How could he say such a thing about his dad?"

Instead of a verbal response, the privacy screen between the front and back seats slowly began to rise.

Wen Cishu tilted his head, puzzled. "Hmm?"

Bao Tingyuan remained silent, waiting until the partition was fully raised before pulling Wen Cishu into his lap, facing him.

"Hey? It’s work hours!"

Wen Cishu automatically leaned back, only to have Bao Tingyuan press a hand against the small of his back, pulling him tight against him.

He quickly tapped the car window, pointing at the rush-hour traffic outside, and whispered, "It’s rush hour—what’s gotten into you?"

Originally, both side windows were cracked open a third of the way.

At those words, Bao Tingyuan rolled them up.

Now, the backseat became a relatively enclosed private space.

Reading danger in Bao Tingyuan’s unreadable stare, Wen Cishu leaned back again, reminding him, "We’re almost at your office."

During breakfast, Wen Cishu had specifically mentioned the plan: first drop off their son at school, then take Bao Tingyuan to work.

Bao Tingyuan cupped Wen Cishu’s slender neck, his thumb gently kneading his earlobe. "Since Yi Ming said that, aren’t you going to comfort me?"

Wen Cishu nuzzled his hand, eyes darting to his lips, tempted.

After all, it had been a whole hour since their last kiss after brushing their teeth in the morning.

But when he opened his mouth, what came out was, "Oh, so you were just faking being hurt earlier—you didn’t actually care, did you? Mm—"

Bao Tingyuan chuckled and kissed him.

He didn’t remove his glasses, tilting his head slightly so his nose bumped Wen Cishu’s cheek.

When the kiss ended, Wen Cishu was a little breathless. "Good thing I don’t wear glasses. If I did, they’d be smashed by now with the way you bump into me."

Bao Tingyuan rubbed his cheek. "Did I hurt you?"

"Yeah." Wen Cishu took his hand and bit his wrist lightly, leaving a faint mark.

Lately, he’d picked up a mischievous habit—he loved leaving little marks on Bao Tingyuan, marking him.

Bao Tingyuan watched as Wen Cishu admired his handiwork before tugging the cuff of his black dress shirt down to cover the mark.

Wen Cishu's series of seemingly unintentional little actions sent a tiny jolt through the bite mark, tingling deep in Bao Tingyuan's chest.

Wen Cishu lifted his gaze, only to have his chin gently cupped, meeting those mysterious, depthless green eyes.

This time, it was Wen Cishu who slowly reached up to remove his glasses, sliding his arms around Bao Tingyuan’s neck before leaning in for a kiss.

A broad palm pressed into his slender back, as if trying to press him straight into his chest.

In the middle of their heated kiss, the phone in the armrest storage suddenly vibrated.

Bao Tingyuan managed to grab it.

Both of them saw the name "Yi Ming" displayed on the screen at the same time.

Wen Cishu stiffened, beating him to the punch and answering.

Before either could speak, their son’s voice came through the phone.

"Big Dad, did you go to work? Did you come back home? Where’s my little dad?"

Wen Cishu was torn between laughter and exasperation.

"I’m on my way to the office, not there yet. Pay attention in class and quit worrying about us."

Bao Tingyuan finished speaking, hung up, then pulled Wen Cishu closer, brushing a kiss against his soft, full lips. "What’s so funny?"

Wen Cishu lowered his head, chuckling into his hand before shaking his head. Then he demanded, "How could you just hang up like that? What if Yi Ming had more to say?"

Bao Tingyuan: "If he did, he’d call again."

When it came to their son's habits, he knew them inside out.

Wen Cishu straightened up, his tone turning stern. "Alright, President Bao, let’s be professional. What kind of behavior is this, getting handsy on the way to work?"

He placed the glasses back on Bao Tingyuan’s nose, admiring his striking mixed features.

Bao Tingyuan didn’t let go, his gaze steady on him.

Sunlight streamed in from the rear and side windows, casting a soft glow over his gentle features.

Only Bao Tingyuan knew how this simple moment had once seemed impossible.

Wen Cishu noticed his intense stare, the earlier heat now softened into tenderness.

Pulled into an embrace, he rested his chin on Bao Tingyuan’s shoulder and asked softly, "What are you thinking about?"

Bao Tingyuan held him tighter. "Thinking of you. Every moment."

Even if the nightmares had stopped, he still needed constant reassurance that what he had now wasn’t just some fleeting dream.

Wen Cishu soothed him with slow circles on his back in response.

-

School.

Shortly after Bao Yiming got to school, his phone rang - it was Xingxing.

Xingxing asked question after question about school, and Bao Yiming patiently answered each one.

Xingxing: "Brother, wanna come over this weekend? I asked my parents, and they agreed. Oh, and my grandma too."

Bao Yiming felt the importance Brother Xingxing showed him and naturally agreed without hesitation.

"Are we sleeping in your room?"

"Yeah." Xingxing got a little shy. "My room isn't as big as yours."

Actually, Bao Yiming had heard him mention it before, but he pretended he'd never heard it before and said, "That doesn't matter. Your room must have lots of fun things, right? You're not keeping the good stuff from me, right?"

"Of course not." There was clear eagerness in Xingxing's voice, as if he wished his brother could come stay with him tonight. "Brother, don’t forget to tell your two dads after school, okay?"

Bao Yiming leaned on the desk and replied casually, "If I forget, remind me again tonight, Xingxing."

"Okay." Xingxing readily agreed.

The two children chatted for a little longer before Bao Yiming finally hung up on his smartwatch.

When he looked up, he saw the teacher standing right there.

"Uh... Hello, teacher!"

He shot up from his seat, almost as tall as the teacher already.

The teacher took a step back. "Sit down first."

Bao Yiming obediently sat back down.

The teacher didn't make a big deal of it, only reminding him, "Next time, no phone calls after the class bell rings."

After all, it was just the start of the semester, and students were still adjusting from their summer vacation mode. The teacher understood.

Bao Yiming was surprised—was class already going on while he was talking to Xingxing?

He frowned slightly. We barely said anything.

Glancing at the teacher now at the front of the classroom, he thought to himself: If every teacher were like Xingxing, long classes wouldn’t feel so painful and boring.

Unable to hold back, he couldn't help giggling—"Hehe~"

Before the teacher could look his way, Bao Yiming immediately pressed his lips together, sat up straight, and widened his amber eyes.

He reminded himself: "I’m the sole heir of the Bao family—I have to study hard!"

The next second, he checked the time on his watch.

Oh no, there was forever until class ended!

The classmate beside him was surprised—what was up with Bao Yiming so early in the new semester?

—Wait, was he actually going to try in school now?