Shen Chengyan let out a sigh.
“It’s already very late. You need to sleep. You can’t eat anymore.”
“But I’m hungry!”
“You won’t feel hungry once you fall asleep.”
“I don’t care, I want to eat!”
“There’s no food at home, only milk.”
Shen Mo didn’t believe him. He jumped off the sofa and ran to the fridge. He was too short to open it and started panicking, circling around anxiously.
Shen Chengyan walked over, lifted him up with one arm, and opened the fridge door.
“See? There really is no food.”
Shen Mo leaned in to look and immediately made a face like the sky had collapsed.
“It’s emptier than your face.”
A faint smile appeared on Shen Chengyan’s lips as he put him down.
“Still refusing the milk?”
“Hmph!”
“What backbone.” Shen Chengyan gave him a thumbs-up, then went to pour the milk.
“……”
Shen Mo froze.
Just like that?
Why wasn’t he coaxed?
The next second, he flopped onto the floor and started rolling around.
Shen Chengyan’s brows immediately furrowed.
“What are you doing?”
“Throwing a tantrum!” Shen Mo howled.
“…Get up.”
“No!”
“You really want to starve yourself?”
“I do!”
“……”
Shen Chengyan’s temples throbbed.
He looked at the little brat rolling around and reached for his phone, searching: “What to do when a child won’t stop crying.”
Shen Chengyan closed the page expressionlessly, ignoring the terrible suggestions, and picked the child up from the floor.
Shen Mo’s face was already covered in tears.
He carried him back to the bedroom, didn’t scold him, didn’t raise his voice. He simply sat him on the bed, took some tissues, wiped away his tears and snot, and said calmly:
“I’ll pour another glass of milk. Drink it and go to sleep.”
“No, no!” Shen Mo sobbed.
“You don’t get to say no.”
The crying only got louder.
Shen Chengyan felt like his eardrums were about to burst. He let out a long breath.
“Fine. I’ll make you something good tomorrow, alright?”
“What good food?”
“Braised pork, roast chicken, stewed ribs, garlic prawns.”
Only then did Shen Mo sniff and reluctantly agree, even though his nose was still dripping.
The next morning at seven, the young master woke up.
He sat up groggily, rubbed his eyes, and suddenly remembered something. He jumped up and slapped Shen Chengyan across the face.
“YOU LIED!”
Shen Chengyan opened his eyes, face dark.
Shen Mo shouted:
“You said you’d make me food!”
After taking a deep breath and silently repeating be a good father three times, he forced himself to stay calm.
“I don’t know how to cook.”
“You liar!”
“I’ll take you out to eat.”
“Daddy, you’re the best!”
“….”
During washing up, Shen Chengyan noticed the child’s eyes were swollen like walnuts.
Last night, after drinking milk, he had cried for hours—complaining about hunger, about wanting grandma—nearly breaking his already fragile patience.
At his worst moment, he had seriously considered sending him back.
But he held back.
This brat was the way he was because he had been spoiled by Tang Yun.
If no one intervened, he would really be ruined.
After washing up, he drove him out for breakfast.
The child devoured everything the moment it was served.
After eating, Shen Chengyan wiped his mouth.
Only then did the boy ask, “Where are we going?”
“To see your mother.”
The moment Shen Mo heard that, he broke down.
“I don’t want that bad woman! I want to go home! I want grandma! I want godmother!”
Shen Chengyan frowned.
“If your mother is a bad woman, then what does that make me?”
After thinking for a moment, the boy replied seriously:
“A bad man.”
“……”
When they arrived at Qingwan Villa, Jiang Yu wasn’t there.
Judging by the state of the house, she hadn’t come home all night.
Shen Mo sat at the entrance and refused to go in.
“I don’t want to go inside!”
Shen Chengyan, already exhausted from a sleepless night and a full morning of chaos, felt his head pounding.
He had no energy left to coax him.
“Fine. Sit there then.”
Shen Mo: “……”
Inside, Shen Chengyan sank into the sofa, finally trying to rest.
But just then—
“WHEN do we eat lunch?”
Shen Chengyan was shocked.
“You had breakfast an hour and a half ago.”
“I’m hungry again.”
“…Just endure it. It’s not lunchtime yet.”
“No, no, no!”
“Stop yelling.”
“I want to scream!”
“Then scream all you want. Do whatever you want.”
“….”
The child ran off again.
“Stop.”
“Why?”
“Go change your shoes.”
“I don’t want to!”
“Be good. Take off your shoes before going inside.”
“I refuse!”
The boy ran wildly around the living room and dining area, shouting:
“I won’t change them! Come hit me if you dare!”
Shen Chengyan’s patience snapped.
He stood up, scanning the room as if looking for something to use.
The boy immediately sensed danger and ran.
But in the next second—he tripped over his own feet and fell face-first onto the floor.
The villa exploded with crying.
Shen Chengyan stood frozen.
He couldn’t believe it.
That stupid thing… was his child with Jiang Yu.
Meanwhile—
Jiang Yu also couldn’t believe how difficult gigolos were these days.
“Miss, add me on WeChat.”
She avoided eye contact while getting dressed.
“Sorry, my phone’s dead.”
“Then you can give me your number. I’ll add you later.”
“Sure, I love xiaolongbao.”
She answered nonsense without thinking, finally found her bag under the sofa, kicked her half-asleep friend awake, and fled the room.
Once inside the elevator, she finally exhaled.
Her friend yawned.
“Why did you run?”
Jiang Yu thought about it.
Yeah. Why did she run?
She hadn’t done anything wrong—just a mistake all men in the world could make.
On the way back, she charged her phone in the car.
When she turned it on, she saw several missed calls from Shen Chengyan.
Strange.
After everything they argued about yesterday… why was he calling her?