Chapter 25: Chapter 25 “This, Cool~”

Chapter 25

"This is, like, so cool~"

The bodyguard, who had been sticking close by, silently pulled out two folding chairs and set them up in front of them.

Lu Zhishi looked up excitedly: "Thank you, Uncle~"

"Mm," the bodyguard replied coolly, standing beside him without another word.

The Zhao family’s bodyguard was equally serious, standing firmly by Zhao Xiaoxing’s side, eyes fixed intently.

With a swing of the rod and a cast into the water, Lu Zhishi completed the motion in one fluid go, sitting on the small chair and quietly waiting for a big fish to bite.

Compared to the patient Lu Zhishi, Zhao Xiaoxing grew a little restless, especially after waiting almost half an hour with no fish in sight.

Boredly holding his fishing rod, Zhao Xiaoxing’s gaze gradually drifted to the person beside him, his eyes lighting up slightly.

Ten minutes later, the Zhao family’s bodyguard uncle, expressionless, held a mini fishing rod and sat somewhat stiffly on a tiny stool, silently waiting for a big fish to take the bait.

Under the uncle’s watchful eye, not allowed to wander off, Zhao Xiaoxing circled around nearby before coming back, whining that he was tired and hungry.

The bodyguard uncle gave him the mini stool to sit on, then silently pulled out a bag of millet cakes from his pocket, followed by a small bottle of warm water.

Lu Zhishi watched in amazement—"Uncle, you’re really dedicated, knowing how to take care of kids."

Noticing him looking over, the Lu family’s bodyguard also pulled out a bag of biscuits and a milk bottle from his pocket, handing them to the young master: "We have some too."

Looking at the milk bottle in front of him, Lu Zhishi tilted his head up to gaze at his own expressionless bodyguard uncle.

"Uncle, you’re pretty dedicated too."

The two kiddos went from eating while fishing to eating while watching the two uncles fish, finally heading home happily with a bucket full of big fish.

"Dad, look!"

By the time they got home, Song Qinian had already returned and was in the kitchen cooking with Lu Tingan.

The aloof bodyguard politely greeted his boss, set down the small bucket, and left.

Song Qinian looked down and chuckled, "Did you catch all these?"

Lu Zhishi scratched his head, searched through the bucket for a while, then pointed and said, "This one's~"

Song Qinian looked at the small fish, then at the several larger ones, suppressing a laugh as he said, "Are you going to make soup for both dads with all of them?"

Lu Zhishi remembered his earlier boast and shyly rubbed his chubby face, "Mmhmm~"

"Alright then," Song Qinian ruffled his curly hair, "Thanks, Fat Cheese."

Lu Zhishi blushed, scratched his bottom, and whispered, "You’re welcome~"

Song Qinian carried the bucket into the kitchen, and Lu Zhishi trotted happily after him, lifting his chubby face to look expectantly at Lu Tingan.

Lu Tingan had overheard their conversation earlier. He glanced down and praised gently, "Very impressive, Fat Cheese. Keep it up next time."

Lu Zhishi puffed out his chest proudly, "Okay!"

The couple exchanged a glance, smiles playing on their lips as they held back laughter.

The fish soup was rich, creamy, and delicious. Lu Zhishi drank a big bowl and ended up so full he kept burping.

Song Qinian looked at his round little belly and frowned slightly, leaning in to whisper in Lu Tingan’s ear, "Bro, our chubby son drank so much soup—do you think he’ll wet the bed tonight?"

Lu Tingan also glanced over and said softly, "Probably not."

The two dads huddled together, murmuring about something. Lu Zhishi widened his eyes in confusion but still couldn’t make out what they were saying.

After dinner and a bath, Lu Zhishi lay in the big bed and wanted to call his brother.

It was nighttime here, but just noon for Lu Zhiyu.

As soon as the call connected, the two brothers chattered nonstop—what they ate, what they did, where they went...

Chi Chen occasionally appeared on screen, expressionless as he said, "I’ll bring you a gift when I get back."

"Thank you, brother~" Lu Zhishi happily squeezed his chubby face into the screen until it filled the frame.

The cool-looking little guy seemed expressionless, but Lu Zhiyu exposed him: "He buys something everywhere he goes. He’s bought a lot."

Aside from souvenirs for the adults, everything else was little gifts for Lu Zhishi.

Lu Zhiyu chattered on and on until Chi Chen’s ears turned red, and he expressionlessly covered Lu Zhiyu’s mouth.

Their study abroad trip was quite long this time—they probably wouldn’t be back until late August, right before school started. It was only late July now.

Through the video, Lu Zhiyu and Chi Chen both seemed to have grown taller, and Zhao Xiaoyun had tanned a bit.

Lu Zhishi looked down at his phone, watching the older brothers laughing and joking as they came over to say hello, and he couldn’t help feeling a little envious.

It looked so fun—he wanted to be with his brothers too.

After hanging up, the little one frowned, his chubby face tinged with melancholy. Lu Tingan placed a hand on his fluffy head.

As his father, he knew exactly what his child was thinking.

"When you start elementary school, you can see the world like your brother does."

Lu Zhishi turned and hugged Lu Tingan around the waist, burying his chubby face in his pajamas and nuzzling, "Dad..."

Lu Tingan stroked the back of his child’s head, frowning slightly as he reflected.

Maybe it had been too long since they’d gone out together, and with his brothers away, the little one was feeling a bit bored at home.

He said, "How about we go out and play tomorrow?"

Lu Zhishi popped his head up, eyes shining, "Really?"

Lu Tingan smiled, ruffling his hair, "Really. We’ll get a haircut tomorrow, then go to the amusement park."

"Haha—" Lu Zhishi grinned from ear to ear, hugging Lu Tingan and nuzzling his face and hair, "Dad, yummy food?"

His fluffy hair tickled a bit, so Lu Tingan leaned back slightly, a helpless smile in his eyes, "Alright, alright, we’ll get some yummy food, but not too much, or your tummy will hurt."

"Okay~"

Excited about going out to play tomorrow, Lu Zhishi tossed and turned in his little bed, unable to sleep, occasionally letting out a few giggles.

In the middle of the night, such a young child’s voice, popping up every now and then, was really quite startling.

Unable to sleep, Fat Cheese was eventually found by Song Qinian, who came to tuck him in and check if he had wet the bed. Forced to close his eyes and gently patted on the back to be lulled to sleep, he slowly drifted off.

Perhaps because it rained yesterday, the sky was exceptionally blue today, the grass was especially lush, and Lu Zhishi was particularly excited.

Zhao Xiaoxing came to play with Lu Zhishi every day without fail, rain or shine. When he found out they were going to the amusement park today, the little guy had tears in his eyes.

Lu Tingan picked him up to comfort him, "Xiao Xing is coming too, Uncle's got everything packed."

He had sent a message to Zhao Xiaoxing’s mom last night, but she might have been busy with work and forgot to tell the child.

Chubby Xing, upon hearing this, was stunned for a moment, a snot bubble popped up and then disappeared, before breaking into a wide grin: "Hi, Uncle～"

Lu Tingan chuckled softly, grabbed a tissue to wipe his nose, and then took him to wash his face.

"Let's go, let's go～"

Two short, chubby toddlers were circling around his feet, making it hard for Lu Tingan to move.

"Please wait a moment."

Holding one in each hand, he ushered them back to the room to change clothes, coaxing them patiently.

The two little ones were about the same size. Lu Tingan dressed them in matching light blue long sleeves and overalls, making them look almost like brothers.

Finally, he put sunglasses on them.

It was the first time Lu Zhishi and Zhao Xiaoxing wore sunglasses. They admired themselves in front of the mirror for a long time, reluctant to leave, even trying to style their hair.

"Looking good～"

"Cool～"

Lu Tingan checked his watch, amused as he leaned against the doorframe watching the two little chubsters wiggle their hips. He couldn’t resist recording two short videos.

"Alright, it’s time to go."

Lu Zhishi came to his senses and quickly pulled Zhao Xiaoxing, who was still wiggling his bottom: "Coming～"

The salon was booked in advance. Upon arrival, Lu Tingan took them upstairs to the VIP room.

"Just cut it a little shorter, and add a little style in the front," Lu Tingan told the barber his requirements.

Beside him, Lu Zhishi put away his little sunglasses and tousled his hair in preparation—he was going to be a cool little chubster.

Two minutes later.

Zhao Xiaoxing looked left and right, furrowing his little brows in confusion. How come it's not my turn?

Tugging at Lu Tingan’s pants, Chubby Xing asked sadly, "Uncle, how... how come not me?"

Lu Tingan blinked, was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and picked him up, messing up his hair.

"Last time, your mom mentioned you just got a haircut."

After thinking, it seemed true. Chubby Xing hung his head sadly, "Okay～"

He looked so sad that Lu Tingan placed him in the seat next to Lu Zhishi and told the barber, "Later, give Xiao Xing’s hair a little trim too."

The barber held back a laugh and replied, "No problem, Mr. Lu."

"Haha～" Overjoyed, Chubby Xing giggled, watching Lu Zhishi get his haircut without taking his eyes off him, his little legs swinging in the air.

While getting his hair cut, Lu Zhishi didn’t dare move, only grinning from ear to ear: "Hehe～"

Kids don’t need fancy styles, so the haircut didn’t take long. A quick wash and dry, and they were done.

Lu Zhishi looked in the mirror and tousled his hair. Aside from being shorter, it didn’t seem much different.

His plan to be a cool little chubster was a bust.

As for Zhao Xiaoxing, the little chubby guy was still giggling happily. His hair was only trimmed slightly at the ends, looking almost the same as before.

But that was okay—at least nobody cried leaving the barbershop, which was pretty good.

They didn’t linger after the haircut; they still had to go to the amusement park.

Without waiting in line, their super VIP access took them through another entrance directly inside.

Since it was the weekend, the amusement park was especially crowded, packed but buzzing with energy.

There were staff in various mascot costumes, colorful and shaped balloons, princesses walking by and parade floats.

Crystal-clear candied hawthorns, sweet-smelling cotton candy, and the aroma of roast duck.

Some came as families, some as couples on dates, and some by themselves.

Of course, they had to hit the carousel first. After all, they were kids—too young for extreme rides like the Hammer, the Sky Drop, or vertical plunges.

Lu Tingan pulled out the plan he made last night and followed the amusement park’s map to the kiddie carousel.

After a short wait in line, it was their turn. Lu Tingan chose two adjacent light blue horses and lifted each little chubster up onto them.

"Hold onto the horse’s neck tightly, understand?" Lu Tingan instructed softly.

Lu Zhishi and Zhao Xiaoxing nodded, clutching the horse necks tightly, their chubby faces a mix of excitement and nerves.

It was their first time on this ride.

Once all the other children were ready, the carousel began to turn slowly, accompanied by whimsical music, setting a playful mood.

Lu Tingan stood outside, filming on his phone, watching them play with a constant smile on his lips.

"Haha～ Let's go—"

"Go～"

The two happy little chubsters quickly forgot their nerves, one hand holding the horse and the other raised in laughter, their chubby, youthful faces full of joy and delight.

Kids should be happy. With a gentle smile, Lu Tingan took them on a few more rides, recording several videos.

After three rounds, Lu Zhishi had his fill. Though fun, the spinning made him a bit dizzy.

Zhao Xiaoxing lasted a bit longer, stopping after four rounds.

Lu Tingan crouched down, pulled a towel from his bag to mop their brows, and gave them some water.

Lu Zhishi hugged his water bottle and took several big gulps, mumbling, "Thank you, Daddy～"

Zhao Xiaoxing drank too quickly, water dripping down his chin. Lu Tingan wiped it off and patted his back: "Drink slowly."

Zhao Xiaoxing took a deep breath, "Thanks, Uncle～"

After finishing his water, Lu Zhishi wiped his mouth with his hand and asked Lu Ting'an excitedly, "Dad, where are we going?"

Where to play next?

Lu Ting'an wiped his wet sleeve and then his mouth before saying, "You can choose for yourselves."

After speaking, he laid out the map and guidebook in front of them for them to look at.

Lu Zhishi looked through it and found one spot, glanced at the notes beside it, and his eyes lit up.

He immediately pulled Zhao Xiaoxing along, excitedly convincing him, "This one, cool!"

Zhao Xiaoxing, being younger and not yet able to read, was a bit clueless. Hearing him say it was cool, he immediately agreed, "Yeah!"

With two pairs of big eyes looking at him with hopeful eyes, Lu Ting'an reluctantly agreed.

"Just be careful."