“Mom~” Dabaobao’s clear, childlike voice suddenly rang out as a chubby little hand waved in front of her eyes.
“Mom, what are you thinking about? Why is your face so red?”
Returning to her senses, Ruan Tinghe covered her face in embarrassment and frustration.
It was all that shameless Shen Yan’s fault!
He kissed her and then just left, without even explaining what he meant.
What exactly was he trying to do?
Dabaobao stretched out his hand and touched her forehead, his little face filled with panic.
“Ah! Mom, you have a fever! It’s so hot!”
“I don’t have a fever!” Ruan Tinghe pulled his little hand away and forced herself not to think about it anymore. It was just like being bitten by a dog—why keep thinking about it?
“But Mom, you’re really hot.”
Dabaobao looked confused. Her face was red and warm, even the corners of her eyes were slightly wet and flushed. She looked unwell—if not a fever, then what was it?
“I really don’t have a fever!” she said helplessly, pulling Dabaobao onto her lap. “Dabaobao, does it still hurt anywhere?”
Dabaobao shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. They’re weak! I hit them harder!”
“Dabaobao,” Ruan Tinghe said gently, “you can’t always stand in front alone anymore, okay? Mommy will worry. You, Erbaobao, and Xiaobao are all Mommy’s precious babies. You’re equally important to me. If any one of you gets hurt, Mommy will feel heartbroken.”
“But Dabaobao is strong!” he patted his small chest. “I can protect my younger siblings.”
“But Dabaobao is still a child too. When you’re in danger, you’ll be scared, and when you’re hit, it will hurt. You’re also Mommy’s baby.”
Ruan Tinghe gently pinched his cheek and explained softly.
“I know you want to protect your siblings, but Mommy wants you to remember this: you must first protect yourself. Only then can you protect them.”
“Mom…” Dabaobao’s eyes turned red, his little nose sniffing as tears began to well up.
“I’m not blaming you,” she said quickly. “Mommy just feels sorry for you. I don’t want you always standing in front of your siblings alone.”
Dabaobao wiped his tears, his heart aching and soft.
Ever since he could remember, neighbors and adults always told him the same thing:
“Dabaobao is tall and strong, you must protect your siblings.”
“You’re the big brother, you must take care of them.”
But only his mother never said he must protect them.
Instead, she always said: “You three must take care of each other.”
When she went out to work, she would assign them roles—Dabaobao cooking, Erbaobao washing vegetables and lighting the fire, Xiaobao washing dishes and cleaning.
They had always taken care of each other. But because he was the strongest, everyone always told him he should shoulder everything.
So he always tried his best, afraid of disappointing Mommy.
Now Mommy said he was also her precious child, that she would feel heartache if he got hurt too.
His nose suddenly stung, and he wanted to cry.
Dabaobao threw himself into her arms, tears falling like broken beads.
Erbaobao and Xiaobao didn’t know when they had woken up and now also crowded over, hugging her tightly.
Erbaobao said guiltily, “Mommy, I’m sorry… Brother, I’m sorry. I was too scared today. I only hid behind you. I won’t be scared anymore. I’ll protect you too.”
Xiaobao tugged at her sleeve carefully, her watery eyes looking up at her, babbling softly.
Erbaobao translated, “Sister says she was wrong too. She shouldn’t have only waited to be protected. She’ll protect us too.”
Ruan Tinghe’s eyes turned red as she hugged all three children tightly.
“Dabaobao, Erbaobao, Xiaobao… Mommy didn’t say all this to blame you. I just want you to know that each of you is equally important to me.”
The three children nodded in unison.
“You all did very well today,” she continued softly. “But you can still do even better.”
They looked up in confusion. “How?”
“Mommy taught you before. What should you do when you encounter bad people?”
Dabaobao raised his hand. “Run away.”
Erbaobao followed. “Shout for help.”
Xiaobao raised her little hand and made a finger-gun gesture.
“That’s right,” Ruan Tinghe nodded. “When you’re in danger, you run, you shout for help, and you get the police to catch the bad guys. You don’t stay and fight them, understand?”
They all nodded.
“So if something like today happens again, what will you do?”
“I’ll take my siblings and run away, and also take Aze gege!” Dabaobao said immediately.
Ruan Tinghe kissed his forehead. “Good job.”
“I’ll also run and shout for help to bring adults over!” Erbaobao added proudly.
Another kiss.
They all turned to Xiaobao.
Xiaobao scratched her head, looking troubled.
“Ah… ahh…” she gestured helplessly, clearly not knowing.
Erbaobao translated, “Sister says she doesn’t know where the police uncle is.”
Dabaobao said seriously, “Then we go find Shen daddy! He’s super strong!”
Xiaobao immediately nodded.
Ruan Tinghe sighed helplessly.
Just moments ago they were calling him Uncle Shen, and now it was “Daddy” again?
“No,” she said firmly. “Shen Yan is not your father.”
“Huh?” Xiaobao looked unconvinced, babbling insistently.
Ruan Tinghe looked at Erbaobao.
Erbaobao widened his eyes in shock. “Really?”
Xiaobao nodded vigorously, then suddenly leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
Ruan Tinghe was still confused when Erbaobao translated, stunned.
“Xiaobao said… she saw in her dream that Shen daddy and Mommy were kissing, so he is Daddy.”
Ruan Tinghe’s face instantly turned bright red.
“N-no nonsense! Dreams don’t count!”
Xiaobao waved her hands as if arguing back.
Erbaobao continued, “She says she really saw it. And she also saw Shen daddy pin Mommy against the wall…”
“Wahhh!” Ruan Tinghe quickly covered his mouth. “Don’t say it!”
Her heart was in chaos.
There was no way Xiaobao could have actually seen it—she had been sleeping at the time.
So… was it really a dream?
But how could it be so real, like she had witnessed it personally?
And last time, when Shen Yan sneaked into her room at night, Xiaobao also said she saw it…
At the time she thought the child had simply woken up.
Now thinking about it… could it really be a dream?
And a dream that could reflect real-time events?
That was too strange.
Was Xiaobao only dreaming about her and Shen Yan?
Ruan Tinghe’s expression darkened.
No matter what, real or not, she needed to stay far away from that shameless man from now on—otherwise who knew what Xiaobao would dream next time.
“Alright,” she said firmly. “No more talking about this. Does it still hurt? Mommy will help you change your medicine.”