Chapter 70 Daddy Daddy Daddy

Chapter 70: Dada Dada Dada Dada Dada

The little one was growing up, step by step—from his first sip of milk, his first swim, his first tooth, his first "Dada," his first solid food, to learning to sit and crawl... The moment "Dada" reached his ears, all his growth became vividly real.

Shu Yangkuo wasn't like Shi Zai, who could express any emotion freely and openly. He wouldn't excitedly shout, "Wang Wang called me!" Yet, his excitement was evident in the way he held Wang Wang close for several nights in a row, sleeping beside him.

Even if Wang Wang had only uttered that single "Dada" before turning nine months old.

Naturally, Shi Zai presented him with a cake, "Congratulations, hubby, on being called 'Dada'!" He then proceeded to brag to everyone they knew. The weather had warmed up, gradually turning hot. Whenever they took Wang Wang out, Shi Zai would tell anyone they met, "Wang Wang called his daddy 'Daddy' and made him cry!" Everyone around them laughed, while Shu Yangkuo remained impassive, letting his wife spin her tales, and Wang Wang merely lifted the corner of his lips with a soft "heh."

One evening, Shi Zai teasingly poked the man's chest:

"Bro, what will you do when Wang Wang starts kindergarten? Will you cling to the kindergarten gate, teary-eyed, crying, 'Wah wah, my Wang Wang!'... Don’t abandon your old dad... Hahahaha!"

"..."

His wife’s teasing was particularly merciless tonight. Shu Yangkuo fell silent for a moment, then turned to gaze at Wang Wang sleeping in his crib.

*Don’t wake Wang Wang. Could he please cover his ears?*

Shi Zai couldn’t stop laughing. This grumpy man wasn't even hugging him anymore—it was just too funny. When he finally managed to stifle his laughter:

"Bro, you’re still young, super young! So handsome and young—you make me want to bang my head against the wall! Hahahaha!"

"..."

"Alright, alright, I’ll stop laughing. Seriously, bro, what will you do then?"

"...Wife, don’t act like you won’t be upset too."

As he spoke, Shu Yangkuo turned, pulling his chatterbox of a treasure back into a tight embrace, kissed him, and let out a soft sigh.

Shi Zai snuggled deeper into the man’s arms, pressing his ear against Shu Yangkuo’s chest, and grinned:

"I can cry my eyes out then. Hehe, it’s great being a few years younger than you—I can do whatever I want. Bro, I know you’ve already changed so much. Keep it up. You can tell me any little feeling you're too embarrassed to share. Isn’t that what a wife is for? To be spoiled by you, to be held while you whisper things no one else can hear? Bro, from being pregnant with Wang Wang to now, with him almost nine months old... you’ve truly put in the work."

"...Wife, don’t say that. I love you, so much. I'm so happy."

Hearing this, Shi Zai chuckled softly, turned his face, and kissed Shu Yangkuo’s chest. His waist was already sore from being squeezed so tightly.

He felt the man’s happiness.

But this man really had been working hard. That’s why Shi Zai said that when Wang Wang started kindergarten, Shu Yangkuo would be even more reluctant to part with him. He had spent almost a year, day and night, focusing on the little one, balancing work and home life, so that Shi Zai could concentrate on his career—cultural relic restoration wasn’t something one could achieve in a few months or even a few years. Although more people sought his help now, becoming a true master artisan still required a long journey, demanding patience and perseverance to steadily advance toward his ultimate goal.

He'd never had much formal schooling, yet he aspired to become an excellent cultural relic restorer, even a "master."

So, although he loved Wang Wang just as much as Shu Yangkuo did, he fell far short when it came to hands-on care and attention. Day after day, he repeated tedious procedures, sometimes spending an entire day on a single small step. He could only play with Wang Wang in the evenings, let alone take Wang Wang to the shop the way Shu Yangkuo could, working while soothing him... Shi Zai’s work didn’t allow for that—it was all about meticulous details, impossible to multitask.

It was quite remarkable: the lively, outgoing one settled down to master such delicate craftsmanship, while the reserved, steady one handled business.

The reason was simple: both had enriched themselves through their love for each other. Well, there was no point arguing over who worked harder. Even when busy, Shi Zai never felt he was shortchanging Wang Wang. When it came to giving love unreservedly, he always excelled. Before Wang Wang was born, he used to get hung up on his past, worrying that he might neglect one thing or another... But now, through experience, he fully understood: the neglect he had suffered stemmed from a lack of love, even from not being treated as a person... Now, even if he covered Wang Wang with kisses, Shu Yangkuo wouldn’t be jealous; even if he couldn’t care for Wang Wang more due to work, Wang Wang wouldn’t feel neglected; even if he didn’t pay as much attention to Yang Yun as before, Yun Bao wouldn’t be upset...

Ultimately, his love for them was irreplaceable, a love that nothing could come between. With love came absolute security and mutual trust. Even without constant embraces, they knew they were always in each other’s sight.

When Shi Zai looked up, he met the man’s gentle, quiet yet deeply emotional gaze. He blinked:

"Bro, I have a way to make it easier for you when the time comes."

"...Hmm?"

"Let’s—have another one. Then you won’t have time to be sad! Hahahaha!"

"..."

He was always at a loss with his wife's bizarre train of thought. Was having a child just for that? They could have kids forever then.

Seeing the man fall silent, Shi Zai laughed again and cleared his throat:

"Bro, why are you being so old-fashioned again? Don’t you get what I mean? And what about everything I just said... Bro! When Wang Wang is nine months old and we stop night feedings, the two of us can... hehe... make merry all night long!"

"..."

Shu Yangkuo didn’t know what to say. This little rogue was even more of a smooth talker now that he was educated. He couldn’t match him verbally, so he could only respond with actions.

In the small living room, Shi Zai sat on the windowsill, the sofa... enjoying himself late into the night. This joy continued until mid-April, when Wang Wang was over nine months old. Indeed, once night feedings stopped, they no longer had to worry about feeding him and could indulge in each other in the living room, the bathroom, inseparable.

But just as they returned to the frequency and bliss of life before Wang Wang, the little one started acting up again.

Just when they thought they could relax and breathe easier, the little one’s behavior in this new phase gave them fresh worries. But such is a child’s growth—interwoven with various experiences and emotions, gradually shaping a better personality and life.

At over nine months, the "mother-attachment phase" manifested as a "dad-attachment phase" in their household. Wang Wang clung to his dad almost 24/7, refusing to be put down. Unlike the clinginess at four or five months, which could be soothed with holding, now—with greater awareness and a budding personality—he was harder to placate.

One afternoon, only Shu Yangkuo and Wang Wang were home. After holding the little one for two hours, he finally wanted to be put down—when he first learned to crawl, he was hard to catch, but lately, he seemed unwilling to even touch the ground. Worried that his legs might be uncomfortable, Shu Yangkuo even asked Zheng Yuan and was reassured that this was normal for this stage. But the moment he set Wang Wang down, the little one immediately crawled back into his arms, demanding to be held.

So he held him.

But sitting and holding wasn’t enough—the little one squirmed like a fish, insisting he stand.

Shu Yangkuo held his son, standing up once again, and smiled as he gently tapped the back of Wang Wang’s small hand:

"Tell Daddy, what’s on your mind?"

"En en... Dad..."

"Why don’t you ask Dad to hold you when he’s home, hmm?"

"Dad... Dad..."

Shu Yangkuo kissed his son’s little arm, his heart warming to the point of burning. These past few days, Wang Wang not only clung to him but also occasionally called him "Daddy" again, making him wish he could hold him forever. The occasional nighttime fussiness seemed trivial in comparison.

In the evening, when Shi Zai returned, he still had to hold Wang Wang constantly. If he put the little one down to go to the kitchen, Wang Wang would crawl to the doorway, tearfully watching. Whether it was going to the bathroom or taking a shower, if he didn’t bring Wang Wang along, the little one would sit by the door, blinking his big, reddened eyes, on the verge of tears, as if abandoned by his daddy. How could Shu Yangkuo bear to leave him?

But Wang Wang was also becoming more mischievous, deliberately causing trouble while watching his reactions.

On the balcony, Wang Wang shouted "ah ah"—he wanted to see the flowers. Shu Yangkuo only had to hold him closer, but the little one waved his small fists, eager to grab something. One pot contained a cactus Shi Zai had just brought home, saying he wanted to graft it with the large fluffy ball at home... Wang Wang had already set his sights on it, stretching out his small hand to touch it. Shu Yangkuo sighed softly, considering throwing the cactus into the yard or taking Wang Wang outside to distract him, but he couldn’t afford to upset either. So he first tried reasoning with the little one:

"Wang Wang, don’t grab it. It has prickles."

"Chi chi..."

"It’s 'prickles.' They’ll hurt your hand."

Wang Wang looked down at his small hand, then lifted it and slapped it on his daddy’s shoulder. He was brave; he wasn’t afraid of pain!

He wanted to grab it.

The little one in his arms giggled, his big eyes sparkling. Shu Yangkuo endured another slap, then held the small hand—smaller than his pinky—and guided it toward the cactus. Soon, the little one was happily waving his arms and legs, going "en en," still wanting to grab it.

Shu Yangkuo looked at the bead of blood on his fingertip... Well then.

After playing for a while, Wang Wang felt something was off—his hand hadn’t touched anything at all. Daddy was lying, so annoying. He started crying with a pout. Shu Yangkuo silently watched the little one in his arms for a moment. Wang Wang was secretly peeking at him with one eye open. He chuckled; this wasn’t the first time Wang Wang had fake-cried. Whether his demands were reasonable or safe or not, if he didn’t get what he wanted, he’d start wailing.

Just dry sobs.

Shu Yangkuo couldn’t possibly let Wang Wang actually touch the cactus, so he simply carried him away from the balcony and played with the train set with him. The newly purchased oversized train set hadn’t lost its novelty yet—surely he wouldn't make trouble now. Just as he thought this, Wang Wang tossed all three little trains aside, climbed onto the tracks himself, and after just two steps, started whining "uh-uh" with a pout. Shu Yangkuo picked him up, but the little one, with his short little legs still kicking, insisted on climbing back up... Shu Yangkuo gathered all the trains and placed them back beside Wang Wang, only for the little one to instantly toss them away again.

That's it, no more picking them up.

Wang Wang started wailing again, dry-sobbing and demanding that he pick them up. After several rounds of this, Shu Yangkuo couldn’t help but laugh:

"What do you take me for, huh?"

"Dad-dy..."

Shu Yangkuo moved closer, kissed Wang Wang’s forehead, and felt his heart melt completely. What did a little mischief matter? He started picking up the toys all over the living room.

Not long after playing, Wang Wang wanted to be held again. But once picked up, he struggled to get down. The moment Shu Yangkuo tried to put him down, the little one curled his legs back up... Shu Yangkuo thought, maybe it was time to pick up his wife from work and take the little one out for a stroll. However, by the time his wife returned, they still hadn’t left the house.

Just like the previous morning, as soon as he took off Wang Wang’s little shorts and shirt, the little one scurried away crawling. Shu Yangkuo, holding the outdoor clothes, quickly caught up. Being tall, he knelt down and tried to hold the little one by the waist, but Wang Wang squirmed like a writhing donkey or a slippery fish, struggling so much that he was hard to hold. The clever little guy even raised his arms high, making it impossible to get a firm grip.

Shu Yangkuo didn’t dare to hold him too tightly—he was too strong for the toddler's fragile body, and he was afraid of hurting him. This only made Wang Wang even craftier. Taking advantage of the loose grip, he’d slip away and crawl off again. Just as Shu Yangkuo stood up, the little one crawled right back toward him... To avoid stepping on his son, Shu Yangkuo had to chase after him on his knees. Every time he caught him, Wang Wang would slip away again, refusing to wear his clothes no matter what. Twice, Shu Yangkuo managed to get the shirt over his head, but Wang Wang cried so hard he feared the little one might choke, forcing him to quickly pull the clothes off again. Wang Wang, red-faced with anger, punched him a few times with his tiny fists before crawling away again.

The little naked rascal crawled around, giggling. Shu Yangkuo paused for a moment, then lay down on the mat, sprawling out in an uncharacteristic way.