Chapter 2: Chapter 2 It’s You, Brother Xiao Chen!

Chapter 2: It's You, Brother Xiao Chen!

After tucking him in, Song Qinian snapped two photos and sent them to Lu Tingan, then quietly left the room.

Having instructed his secretary to prepare for the upcoming meeting, Song Qinian seized the moment before it began to call his beloved from the floor-to-ceiling window.

After a few rings, the call connected. A cool, clear voice, though warm and tinged with laughter, came through: "What's up, Song Xiaonian?"

Song Qinian unconsciously smiled, raising a hand to rub his warm ears. "Nothing, I just missed you, Gege."

Lu Tingan covered the phone, exchanged a few words with the young director beside him, then stood and moved to a quiet corner. "I'll be back in a couple of days... no, tomorrow. I'll be back tomorrow."

He had come to S City to familiarize himself with the film crew and actors. The next movie was about to begin filming, and after their chubby baby celebrated his hundred-day banquet, Lu Tingan would join the crew, arriving early to adapt to the environment and immerse himself in his role.

Song Qinian: "What time tomorrow? I'll pick you up."

Lu Tingan didn't refuse. His beautiful, almond-shaped eyes lowered slightly, and a gentle smile softened his composed face as he murmured, "The flight lands in A City at 5 p.m."

The secretary signaled that the meeting was about to start, and Song Qinian nodded.

He told his lover over the phone, "Tomorrow, I'll bring the two little 'gas tanks' along to pick you up."

After a few more affectionate moments, Song Qinian hung up and returned to the lounge to check on the child.

In just a short while, the little one had kicked off his thin blanket. His chubby, pale arms and legs, resembling lotus roots, were sprawled out. His round, plump belly rose and fell with each breath. His sleeping posture was messy, yet he slept soundly.

—Both children slept exactly like their other father.

Song Qinian went over, pulled the blanket back up, and gently placed the little rabbit that had fallen aside back into the chubby baby’s arms. He leaned down to kiss the child’s forehead, left the living assistant to watch over him, and then turned to leave for the meeting.

Lu Zhishi had no idea how long he had been sleeping. He drowsily lifted his head to look at the ceiling. Having just turned three months old, his vision was still blurry, and he couldn’t see distant objects clearly.

The surroundings were quiet, as if he were alone. His father was probably working, and Lu Zhishi didn’t want to disturb him, so he entertained himself by playing with his chubby little hands.

His hands were plump and pale, with dimples appearing on the back of his hands and arms when poked. They were soft, pudgy, and quite fun to play with.

Not far away, Assistant Zhao on the sofa stood up to check on the little one. Seeing that he had woken up but wasn’t crying, she sat back down after flipping through the *Baby Encyclopedia*, quietly keeping an eye on him.

After finishing the meeting, Song Qinian went straight to the lounge to check on the child. The little one was playing quietly and happily, making no noise.

When Song Qinian entered, Assistant Zhao stood up and briefly reported the child’s condition before leaving.

"Sweetie, you’re awake?" Song Qinian walked over and gently stroked the child’s head. His large hand slipped into the baby’s clothes to feel his back—no sweat.

"Ah, mm..." (baby talk for "Dad").

Seeing him, Lu Zhishi happily waved his chubby hands, involuntarily breaking into a smile, feeling joy from the inside out.

His pink gums were adorable, and Song Qinian’s heart melted. What a chubby baby...

After checking the diaper, Song Qinian carried him out, glanced at the time, and warmed a bottle of milk to feed him.

Lu Zhishi nursed the bottle, looking at his working father and then craning his neck to glance at the secretary who had just entered.

Amid the incomprehensible project data reports, Lu Zhishi lifted his plump foot and, while Song Qinian wasn’t paying attention, rested it on his arm.

The soft little one secretly smiled, his eyes crinkling. This position was much more comfortable.

Song Qinian fondly rubbed his round little head and continued listening to the secretary’s report.

After finishing, Song Qinian checked the time again and continued working while holding the child with one arm.

It had to be said, Song Qinian was indeed a very capable CEO dad.

He took care of both children at home. Despite his busy schedule managing company affairs, he still made time to accompany the two children as they grew up.

Right now, after hurriedly reviewing documents from various departments and having the secretary distribute them, Song Qinian put on his suit jacket, scooped up Lu Zhishi, and headed to the kindergarten to pick up the other child for lunch.

On the way, Song Qinian called Chi Yuehang to let him know he was taking the two little ones for lunch.

Food, food, food! It was lunchtime!

But...

Lu Zhishi bit his bottle, his eyes fixed on the dishes of meat right in front of him, drooling with desire.

Song Qinian laughed and wiped his drool, turning him around so he couldn’t see the food on the table.

But the chubby baby in his arms twisted vigorously, his chubby hand clutching Song Qinian’s clothes, insisting on staring at the meat and drooling. Song Qinian had no choice.

"Little chubby baby, why are you so eager?" He took a handkerchief to wipe the baby’s mouth and coaxed him to drink his milk. "Drink your milk first. You can eat meat when you’re older."

Sitting across from them, Lu Zhiyu smiled, his eyes curving, thinking the meat in front of him smelled even better now.

Beside him, Chi Chen, seeing the little one’s pitiful expression, nonchalantly picked up a piece of beef.

Sure enough, the chubby little baby shifted his gaze to him, blinking his big eyes and drooling.

Under such a gaze, Chi Chen lowered his head and ate the beef. After finishing, he glanced at Lu Zhishi, a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Ah..." Lu Zhishi was stunned. So you’re a little troublemaker, a white-skinned black sesame filling! (Chinese metaphor for someone who looks innocent but is mischievous).

Don’t think he didn’t notice just because his vision was blurry. You held the meat in the air for so long and only ate it after he looked over!

He wasn’t really a baby—inside, he was an adult. Even if his language and limb coordination weren’t fully connected to his brain, even if he became more sensitive after turning into a baby, prone to crying, laughing, and gurgling, and was called an adorable little chatterbox by his dad...

Tugging at Song Qinian’s clothes, Tubby puffed up his cheeks and babbled, wanting to go to the other side and be held by his brother.

Lu Zhiyu even stopped eating, happily pulling his younger brother onto his lap and holding him tightly with his arms. "Little Zhishi, chubby baby."

Grabbing his brother’s clothes, the little one looked up directly at Chi Chen beside him.

Chi Chen also lowered his head, quietly watching for a moment before taking out a handkerchief to wipe the drool from the babbling baby. Patting his round head, he said calmly, "You can eat when you’re older."

Nuzzling his head against Chi Chen’s hand, Lu Zhishi tried to straighten up and nestle into Chi Chen’s arms. Lu Zhiyu watched helplessly as his precious younger brother was taken away by Chi Chen, feeling extremely envious.

Glancing resentfully at the person beside him again and again, Lu Zhiyu felt even his meal had lost its flavor, and he ate one less bowl.

Song Qinian didn’t bother stopping their shenanigans, just watched them with a smile from across the table.

Chi Chen held the little one vertically, one hand supporting his neck and the other his bottom. His body was somewhat stiff, not daring to move much.

His movements weren’t as skilled as Lu Zhiyu’s. The child was still very young, and Chi Chen was hesitant to hold him. The last time he had held him was when Lu Zhishi was just over two months old.

Now, at over three months old, the chubby baby in his arms was much heavier than before, covered in soft baby rolls, with the distinct milky scent of an infant filling the air around him.

Soft, warm, and a solid, chubby little one. He squirmed every now and then in his arms, tiny hands clutching his clothes, face buried snugly against his chest. Chi Chen gently patted his back.

“Ah-du da-da… ah…”

Lu Zhishi suddenly forgot what he had been doing, his mind filled with just one thought: *Brother, you smell so good.*

Leaning against Chi Chen’s chest, Lu Zhishi crinkled his nose and sniffed, his little hands patting and tugging at Chi Chen’s clothes.

A faint scent he couldn't name—Lu Zhishi couldn’t quite place it, but he found it nice and comforting, with a hint of sunshine.

Song Qinian couldn’t help joking, “Why are you acting like such a little rascal?”

The little one was indeed heavy. Song Qinian gently took the baby back.

Chi Chen’s expression remained unchanged, though he secretly flexed his arm under the table.

After babbling away for a long while, Song Qinian checked the time and began softly rocking him to sleep.

By the time his two older brothers finished their meal, Lu Zhishi was already sound asleep.

Next to the kindergarten was a villa under Lu Tingan’s name, reserved for the children’s afternoon naps.

After the meal, Song Qinian took them there and took a short nap with them.

*

“Ah-wu… mm-ah…”

Lu Zhishi woke up just as it was quitting time. He tugged at his father’s clothes and babbled excitedly.

Time to eat, time to eat!

No one knew where he got such impatience—Song Qinian wasn’t even this quick when organizing paperwork.

Song Qinian looked down and asked him with a smile, “Do you want milk now, or wait until we get home?”

The fidgety little one in his arms immediately quieted down, blinking his big eyes and making soft cooing sounds.

“Okay, got it.” Song Qinian lifted him, checking his weight, and with his other hand packed files into his bag, planning to finish the rest of his work at home.

In the break area nearby, Chi Chen, who had finished his homework, glanced at Lu Zhiyu still rushing through his, packed his own stationery, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and sat waiting beside him.

Lu Zhiyu shot him a quick glance, head down as he wrote furiously, complaining, “You’re not waiting for me again.”

Chi Chen replied calmly, “You got distracted earlier.”

They could have finished at the same time, but Lu Zhiyu had lost focus, sneaking looks at his brother.

Knowing he was at fault, Lu Zhiyu didn’t argue and just sped up his writing.

By the time Song Qinian carried Lu Zhishi over, Lu Zhiyu was rewarded with his brother’s happy giggles: “Ha…”

Lu Zhiyu: “…”

Song Qinian couldn't help smiling, patting his eldest son’s head comfortingly.

Chi Chen’s lips curved slightly as he reached out and gently grabbed the chubby little foot in white socks.

After finishing his homework, Lu Zhiyu cupped his brother’s chubby face and planted two loud kisses, then slung his backpack to head home.

Back at the villa, Song Qinian got out of the car and helped each child out of their car seats.

“Xiao Chen, your dads said they’ll be working late tonight. Come have dinner and sleep at our place,” Song Qinian said.

Before Chi Chen could respond, Lu Zhiyu jumped in, “Great! We can play games together tonight!”

“Ah-wu… ha…” Lu Zhishi giggled, his eyes crinkling, and kicked his feet excitedly. With more kids around, the house would be lively.

Chi Chen had already received messages from his dads during the ride—his CEO dad was tied up with a tough project at work, and his doctor dad had surgery scheduled for the evening and couldn’t make it back.

Chi Chen nodded. Song Qinian ruffled his hair and led the three little ones inside for dinner.

After the meal, Lu Zhishi refused to take a bath, stubbornly clutching Lu Zhiyu’s clothes and insisting on watching TV with him.

Song Qinian couldn’t persuade him, so he pinched his chubby cheek and settled on the other side of the sofa with his laptop to work overtime.

Lu Zhishi couldn’t really see what was happening on the big screen, but he enjoyed the sounds.

“SpongeBob!”

“Patrick!”

Lu Zhishi felt like laughing—some shows are classics for a reason, beloved by every child.

Seeing him leaning against him, beaming and giggling, Lu Zhiyu smiled and adjusted his grip, worried he might slip.

The little chunk had some heft to him—soft, chubby, and cuddly. Lu Zhiyu’s arms were getting tired, but he didn’t show it, only shifting his position now and then.

Lu Zhishi wasn’t a real child; he could tell.

He wriggled his bottom, waved his arms around like he was just playing, then precisely grabbed the sleeve of the person beside him.

Chi Chen looked down at him: “…”

Lu Zhishi beamed up at him, showing an adorable, toothless smile.

Song Qinian was busy with work, and Lu Zhiyu’s arms were tired, and Lu Zhishi didn’t want to wear him out either.

So you're it, Brother Xiao Chen!