Just one month after Caicai was born, Shi Yuan often lay in bed, tears streaming from the pain of the abdominal incision.
But he dared not cry in front of Caicai—he had to be a strong father.
So he waited until the dead of night, when everyone was asleep, to cry in secret.
Suddenly, cries came from the crib.
Shi Yuan quickly turned his face away, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. “Coming, coming.”
He scrambled out of bed to prepare a bottle of milk, but Caicai refused to drink it and kept crying.
Shi Yuan checked the diaper next.
Caicai still cried.
“You’re really testing me, baby.” His stomach ached as he picked up Caicai and sat back on the edge of the bed, letting out a soft sigh to steady himself.
When He Jingchuan arrived, this was the scene he saw.
Shi Yuan sat on the bed holding the baby, one crying loudly, the other with red-rimmed eyes.
As the baby cried, Shi Yuan cried too. “Uncle He, I don’t know how to soothe him.”
He Jingchuan watched for a moment before reaching out to take Caicai, gently patting him twice.
The crying stopped abruptly.
He Jingchuan said, “He’s hungry.”
Shi Yuan raised the bottle in confusion. “I just fed him.”
He Jingchuan glanced at it. “The formula wasn’t mixed properly.”
Shi Yuan looked down at the bottle and saw it had indeed clumped together.
He fell silent for a moment before burying his face in his hands. “Uncle He, am I not fit to raise him?”
He Jingchuan chuckled. “Everyone feels that way when they become a parent for the first time.”
He reached out to playfully tap Caicai’s nose. “Be good, baby, and don’t trouble your dad, okay? Your dad is still recovering.”
Caicai immediately quieted down.
By the time Caicai was ten months old, he had already learned to say “Dad.”
The first time Shi Yuan heard it, he thought he must have misheard.
That day, he was in the kitchen preparing baby food when he heard Caicai’s voice. He quickly wiped his hands and rushed out. “Caicai, did you just call me Dad?”
Caicai sat on the foam play mat stacking blocks, calmly placing a small triangle on top of another block. When he was focused on something, he didn’t like being disturbed—except by his dad.
Caicai looked serious. “Mm-hmm.”
Shi Yuan was overjoyed. “I don’t believe it. Call me Dad again?”
Caicai held onto the edge of the sofa to stand up. Having just learned to walk, he wobbled toward Shi Yuan and plopped into his arms. “Dad.”
Shi Yuan hugged him tightly, even changing his form of address. “Boss Cai, you really spoil me!”
His son was a genius, wasn’t he?
In high spirits, Shi Yuan generously added a few more dishes for Caicai.
Caicai was the only one in the house who didn’t criticize his cooking and even ate with gusto. Shi Yuan, who had long been discouraged, finally regained a bit of confidence through Caicai.
“Boss Cai, Dad loves you.” Shi Yuan couldn’t resist cupping Caicai’s little face and planting a big kiss on it.
Caicai was looking more and more like him these days. Shi Yuan privately felt that, aside from those green eyes, it was almost impossible to tell at a glance that he was Hawthorne’s son.
Perhaps because they spent every day together, Caicai also resembled Uncle He more now than he did at birth.
During dinner, He Jingchuan stared at Caicai for a long time.
The child’s profile, brow bone, and those eyes—the more he looked, the more familiar they seemed.
“What’s wrong, Uncle He?” Shi Yuan looked up.
He Jingchuan withdrew his gaze and smiled. “Nothing.”
That night, he sat alone in the study until the early hours of the morning, digging out old photos that had been sealed away for over twenty years.
In the photo, a young man stood on the deck, with golden hair, blue eyes, and a radiant smile.
He actually bore a striking resemblance to Caidou.
When Caidou was one and a half years old, Shi Yuan decided to return to Cambridge to continue his studies.
He Jingchuan accompanied them all the way to the airport.
Shi Yuan took the luggage and picked up Caidou. “Caidou, say goodbye to Grandpa.”
He Jingchuan patted Caidou’s head and looked at Shi Yuan. “Are you really taking the child with you?”
Taking care of a child alone was exhausting.
Shi Yuan said, “Caidou is very well-behaved, right, Caidou?”
Shi Yuan didn’t want to miss any stage of Caidou’s growth. No matter how difficult it was, he wanted to keep him by his side.
Caidou wrapped his arms around Shi Yuan’s neck, burying his little head in his father’s shoulder, and declared like a domineering CEO, “Grandpa, don’t worry. Caidou will take good care of Daddy.”
Several passersby nearby overheard and couldn’t help but laugh, curiously glancing over.
At first glance, they were all stunned.
What a beautiful mixed-race baby.
Then, looking at the father and grandfather, it was no surprise—this family had excellent genes.
After checking his passport and visa, Shi Yuan set off alone with Caidou.
Caidou had a remarkable talent for languages. Shi Yuan intentionally encouraged him, letting Caidou read the signs along the way and point out directions for his father.
The airport bustled with people.
At the boarding gate, an elderly couple dressed simply saw Shi Yuan with his child and, noticing his kind appearance, hesitated for a long time before finally approaching with their boarding passes, cautiously stopping Shi Yuan to ask for directions.
Shi Yuan set Caidou down, letting him sit on a nearby bench, then took the boarding passes and examined them.
The elderly couple was traveling abroad to visit their child. They recognized only a few words and were completely unfamiliar with English. Confused by the symbols on the boarding passes, they couldn’t find the correct location.
Shi Yuan patiently explained things to them. It was the elderly couple’s first time traveling abroad, and they understood very little, so it took some time for them to grasp the information.
After the elderly couple repeatedly thanked him and left, Shi Yuan turned to look for Caidou.
Caidou was gone.
Ten minutes earlier.
While his father was talking to someone ahead, Caidou nibbled on a small biscuit, his bright eyes curiously scanning his surroundings.
Suddenly, a sweet, creamy fragrance wafted into his nostrils.
Caidou’s eyes lit up.
The smell of a little cake!
He put down his biscuit, clumsily climbed down from the chair, and followed the scent all the way to a dessert shop.
Inside the counter, a machine was whirring as it whipped cream, and the transparent glass display case was filled with colorful sliced cakes.
Caidou let out a “wow” and pointed to a strawberry cream cake, saying in his sweet, childish voice, “Miss, please help me take this one.”
Daddy loved strawberry cakes the most! He wanted to buy it for Daddy.
The young woman at the dessert shop had never seen such a beautiful little baby before and couldn’t help but soften her voice. “Sweetie, this one costs seventy-eight. Will you be paying with cash or online?”
Caidou had been taught well by his father and grandfather and knew that buying things required money. He lowered his head, opened his little butter bear backpack, and earnestly searched inside for his money. He pulled out a crisp new bill and said, “Miss, here.”
“Sweetie, this is twenty yuan. You’re still fifty-eight short.”
Caidou frowned. His father and grandfather hadn’t given him much cash, and this was the largest bill he had.
What to do? He didn’t have enough money…
Shi Yuan stood helplessly in front of the empty bench, his mind suddenly going blank.
Where was his baby?
He looked around but couldn’t find any trace of Caidou.
“Radish?!” Shiyuan’s voice was already trembling, his heart pounding so hard it felt ready to burst. He cursed himself for leaving Radish alone and immediately turned to rush toward the airport’s broadcast station.
One minute before the announcement began, Hawthorne was following a staff member toward the VIP lounge.
This was his third time in China.
Ever since Shiyuan had taken a leave of absence from school and returned to his home country, Hawthorne had come to Haishi once every year.
Shiyuan was from Haishi. Hawthorne thought that if he walked the streets of Haishi, perhaps one day, he might unexpectedly run into him.
But it had never happened.
According to the hospital, if it was a private matter unrelated to medical treatment, they would not provide the dean’s personal contact information.
Still, he hadn’t come away completely empty-handed.
It was said that the dean was semi-retired, enjoying life in peace.
Since the dean was in good health, if Shiyuan was truly with him, then perhaps the day he would return to school wasn’t too far off?
Lost in these thoughts, Hawthorne didn’t notice that he had walked up to a dessert shop and nearly collided with a small figure.
“Ouch…” Radish’s little nose was suddenly bumped, and tears welled up instantly. On his fair little face, the tip of his nose and the corners of his eyes flushed red in an instant.
Hawthorne looked down and saw a beautiful child who barely reached his knees.
When he got a clear look at Radish’s face, his pupils instantly contracted!