May, in the ancient-style film set of Hejiang District, Rong City.
In the supporting actors’ rest area for the drama The Beauty Who Brings Calamity, two young men dressed in dark-blue period costumes huddled together, whispering.
“Xiao Yuanzi, you actually memorized the lines just for an audition? Honestly, that film isn’t worth it. My agent said the team behind it is weak, just a famous director lending his name, nothing more.”
Pei Jingyuan didn’t wait for his friend to finish before cutting in immediately,
“Still better than lying in bed doing nothing and waiting to starve, isn’t it?”
Huang Licheng gave him a side-eye, studying that narrow, sharply-defined face and those sly fox-like eyes.
From bone structure to build, Pei Jingyuan was flawless, a perfect specimen. Unfortunately, actors of the “seductively charming” type never had much audience appeal.
He’d been acting for two years, and his best role so far was only a third-male lead villain.
Among the batch of actors who’d joined the company at the same time, a few had already become newly-minted top stars, every historical idol drama they touched turned into a hit.
Huang Licheng lowered his voice,n“None of those roles you recommended yourself for last month called you back?”
Pei Jingyuan stared at his script and shook his head. Sensing his friend’s worry, he rolled up the script and tapped Huang Licheng’s arm with it.
“Hey, what are you worrying about? I’ve been working this hard, even if there’s no merit, there’s effort! Heaven rewards diligence, okay? I’ve never doubted that, not once!”
Huang Licheng gave him a look that clearly said “you’re hopeless.”
“You’re over three years old already, can you please stop being so naïve?”
Pei Jingyuan got spirited at once.
“Even if Heaven doesn’t reward me, I still hope that when I’m old and look back on my life, I won’t regret wasting my youth, nor be ashamed of living a mediocre existence! When I die, I’ll be able to say, my life and all my strength were devoted to the world’s most magnificent cause, Acting!”
Each word landed firm and powerful.
“Enough already, shut up!”
Huang Licheng raised a hand to cover his ears.
“Can you stop chanting that pot of poisonous chicken soup every day? Only my dad’s generation says stuff like that, it’s ancient!”
Pei Jingyuan squinted his long, narrow eyes.
“Did you just call Ostrovsky* old-fashioned? You uncultured brute, hmph!”
Huang Licheng rolled his eyes till only the whites showed,“Of all the sky in the world, this method actor only recognizes Stanislavski**!”
“Oh right, let me show you my new phone case.” Pei Jingyuan pulled out his phone, face bright with pride, turning it around for display. His grin practically said, “Come on, praise me already~”
Huang Licheng took one look and nearly blacked out,
“Though poor, remain unyielding, never abandon lofty ambitions..” Pei Jingyuan spoke dramatically
Huang Licheng sprang up dramatically, his wide costume sleeves nearly knocking over the foldable chair beside him, “I’m done, goodbye!”
Pei Jingyuan reacted fast, catching the chair before it toppled, “Hmph~”
Once his friend fled, he went back to memorizing lines, freeing one hand to rummage through the brown paper snack bag at his side.
He hummed softly, in a childish sing-song voice, “Chubby banana~ I’m gonna eat you up~”
Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, a small, round figure appeared, “Hm?”
Pei Jingyuan pressed his lips together, staring at the tiny ball of cuteness, black hair, fair skin, soft baby chubbiness.
Well, aren’t you adorable!
Still holding the small banana, he glanced around, then instinctively raised his voice in a playful tone, his brows arching in amusement.
“Hey, little one, where did you come from?”
The little dumpling puffed up his milky-white cheeks and launched himself forward, “Xiao Dad!!!”
“Huh?” Pei Jingyuan instinctively caught the small body flying into his arms, warm and sweet-smelling, carrying that unique milky scent of a toddler.
Yuanbao wriggled and cooed in his embrace, rubbing against him affectionately.
Uuuhhh…
All Yuanbao has done before bedtime was wish he could attend his Big Dad and Little Dad’s wedding in his dream.
Who would’ve thought he’d suddenly appear here, only to discover that Big Dad and Little Dad hadn’t even met yet!
Yuanbao’s whole world collapsed.
But he didn’t care! He clung to his Little Dad and refused to let go!
Pei Jingyuan felt those soft hands hugging tight around his neck, surprisingly strong for such a small kid.
Lifting his head, he tried to put some distance between them to ask about his parents but noticed the bright round eyes staring fixedly at the little banana in his left hand.
“…Uh”
Oh no, he only had one left!
In that instant, Pei Jingyuan’s lifelong principles, respect the old, love the young, began a violent battle against his instinct for self-preservation and selfishness.
Finally, he decided, “Well then… ‘Chubby banana~~~’”
Yuanbao puffed up his cheeks and poked at the banana with a tiny finger.
“Xiao Dad~ Yuanbao wants to eat the chubby banana too.”
“Huh??” For the second time today, Pei Jingyuan let out an incredulous sound. He leaned closer to the little round face.
“Kiddo, did you overhear me mumbling just now?” Yuanbao’s sparkling dark eyes shifted from the banana to his Little Dad’s face then naturally puckered his lips and gave his pretty, lovely face a quick kiss.
Pei Jingyuan slapped a hand over his cheek, stunned, “Eh? You!”
What kind of parenting is that? How could they let a child kiss strangers!
…Forget it. The cub was still small; even if his parents lectured him with ears pulled, he probably wouldn’t remember.
Lowering his voice, Pei Jingyuan continued, “Little friend… ”
“Don’t call Yuanbao a little friend!”
Yuanbao patted his tiny chest proudly, “It’s Little Yuanbao, okay~”
“So your name’s Little Yuanbao?” Pei Jingyuan nodded, accepting it.
“Then Little Yuanbao, did you just hear me say ‘chubby banana’?”
God, how embarrassing! Good thing it wasn’t an adult who’d heard him.
Yuanbao only looked puzzled. He hadn’t actually heard him speak; he simply pointed again at the banana and pouted hard.
“Yuanbao wants to eat a chubby banana~” Pei Jingyuan’s clever mind turned quickly.
Well, would you look at that! Apparently, there was someone else in this world who also called bananas “chubby bananas”!
He grinned wide in delight, “You’ve got good taste! Hehe~”
Peeling off the thin skin of the banana, he was just about to hand it over but then paused, “Wait… are you even allowed to eat random food outside? What if you get an upset stomach, will your parents call the police on me?”
But before he could hesitate further, the tiny cub grabbed his wrist with both hands and took a big bite right off the banana’s tip.
Having succeeded, Yuanbao lifted his chin proudly, his expression both satisfied and mischievously cute, “Hee-hee~~”
Pei Jingyuan: Ugh! my chubby banana!
…Forget it. One shouldn’t argue with a three- or four-year-old. He could only hope the kid didn’t end up with a tummy ache.
And so, clinging to him like a koala to a tree, Yuanbao finished the entire little banana in his arms.
Pei Jingyuan let out a faint hum under his breath as he tossed the banana peel into a plastic trash bag.
Then he reached out a finger and gently scraped the little boy’s plump, milky cheek, “Happy now?”
Little Yuanbao, having eaten that soft, sweet chubby banana, burrowed into his Little Dad’s chest, squirming and cooing like a spoiled kitten.
Pei Jingyuan lowered his head to look at the round cheeks puffed up against him.
So soft, “You ate my chubby banana, and I… I…”
He suddenly felt like a terrible adult. Facing those wide, innocent, curious eyes, he hesitated and asked softly, “Can I… maybe pinch your chubby cheeks just once?”
Yuanbao puffed his milky-white face up even more, “Little Dad can pinch, okay~”
Pei Jingyuan, guilt practically written all over his face, gave a light squeeze.
Oh wow…. It really was like a tiny, soft cream bun!
He knew that little kids often drooled when their cheeks were pinched, so he restrained himself, just a single touch before he quickly pulled his hand back.
“Where are your parents, huh? I’ll take you back to them.”
Yuanbao straightened up and tilted his small head toward his Little Dad’s ear.
“You wanna whisper something to me?” Pei Jingyuan cooperatively leaned closer, lowering his head toward the chubby face.
The little boy’s voice came out soft and serious, full of babyish earnestness:
“According to the setting, you’re Yuanbao’s Little Dad~”
Pei Jingyuan had just filmed a “horseback archery” scene earlier that day, and his brain misfired, “Shooting? Your little butt hurts?”
Yuanbao shook his head hard, “No, not that.”
He wrapped his small arms around Pei Jingyuan’s neck and leaned in again to whisper, “Yuanbao is Little Dad and Big Dad’s baby~”
Pei Jingyuan: “?”
“Little Dad said Yuanbao is Big Dad’s late-in-life baby~”
Pei Jingyuan: “??”
“Big Dad said, because Yuanbao is the most adorable baby born from both Big Dad and Little Dad, that’s why I’m called Little Yuanbao~”
Pei Jingyuan: “???”
His brows furrowed deeper and deeper.
Seeing his Little Dad’s strange expression, Yuanbao poked his soft belly with a tiny hand.
“Yuanbao came out of Little Dad’s tummy, you know! Little Dad~~ you can’t not remember that~~”
Pei Jingyuan stared at the three- or four-year-old in shock. The silence that followed was deafening.
This little banana thief… How the heck does he know I can have kids?
Something was definitely, seriously wrong here.
Just then, the assistant director’s aide came running over to call him.
“Xiao Pei! The director says to redo your scene. Go touch up your makeup, quick!”
“Got it!”
Before the words had even finished leaving his mouth, Pei Jingyuan scooped up the little dumpling in his arms and strode off toward the nearest crew member.
“This kid… no idea where he came from. Maybe someone’s lost child. Please watch him for a bit, I’ve got to fix my makeup!”
“Huh?” said the staffer, blinking.
Yuanbao stretched out his short little hands, trying to grab onto his Little Dad, but by the time he reached out, the man was already gone.
The staff member looked down. Yuanbao looked up. Big eyes met small eyes.
The crewman tugged awkwardly at his utility pants, then crouched down halfway.
“Hey there, kiddo. Who are your parents? Do you know their names?”
Yuanbao’s big eyes grew watery as he glanced again toward the spot where his Little Dad had disappeared.
He remembered what Little Dad had always told him:
“Little Yuanbao, if something ever happens and I’m not there, you must find Big Dad right away, okay?”
So if Little Dad didn’t recognize him now… then he could only find Big Dad.
Uuuhhh… Little Yuanbao’s heart hurts…
The crewman just watched as the round, chubby child in front of him pressed two thin fingers from his left hand onto the back of his right, the little hand plump and dimpled.
It looked like he’d made up his mind about something.
Then, with surprising calm and politeness, Yuanbao spoke up in his soft, sticky-sweet tone, “Mister Stranger… um… hmm.”
It was the first time the crewman had ever heard such a strange yet somehow sensible way to address someone.
“Go on.”
“I want to find my Big Dad,” Yuanbao said earnestly.
The crewman looked puzzled, “Your dad, huh? Do you know where he is?”
Yuanbao tilted his head, thinking hard.
“Big Dad… probably at the big mansion…”
He wasn’t too sure, given Little Dad’s situation, the timeline seemed messy but he still gestured seriously with his tiny hands.
“There’s a curvy little lake, and white swans…”
Seeing the confusion on the man’s face, he kept trying to explain, “You have to drive there by car, and there are lots and lots of trees.”
The crewman rubbed his forehead and muttered to himself, “This kid… don’t tell me you really wandered off on your own.”
It wasn’t impossible, the film set was always chaotic. Luckily, the Hejiang District police station was right next to the film city.
They’d come by before when some equipment got stolen, so the staff had the police number saved.
Pulling out his phone, he said,
“Hold on a sec, kid. I’ll call the police so they can help you find your parents.”
Yuanbao pressed his tiny fingertips together, his delicate little face scrunched up in distress.
Uuuhhh… What if the scary Big Dad doesn’t recognize me either…?
*Ostrovsky= Russian playwright, generally considered the greatest representative of the Russian realistic period
**Stanislavski= Seminal Russian and Soviet theatre practitioner. He was widely recognized as an outstanding character actor, and the many productions that he directed. The method is an actor training system made up of various different techniques designed to allow actors to create believable characters and help them to really put themselves in the place of a character.
(I Googled it 🤫
Welcome to our journey of YaunBao reunited with his Big and little daddy! Join us for laughter, chaos and fluff! Also remember to support the original Author 🙏❤️
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Cressilia
[Translator]
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Next →
ChaptersChapter 1 · YaunBao in wrong Time lineChapter 2 · Finding Big DaddyChapter 3 · DNA ProofChapter 4 · Hospital visitChapter 5 · New RoleChapter 6 · Meeting Daddy SoonChapter 7 · New NeighbourChapter 8 · Moving inChapter 9 · Meeting Little Daddy again!Chapter 10 · WhiteChapter 11 · Car for Little DaddyChapter 12 · Live StreamChapter 13 · KittyChapter 14 · Bonding Time~Chapter 15 · White CatChapter 16 · Yuanbao, your dad is terrifying!Chapter 17 · Will Dad blow up the kitchen?Chapter 18 Part 1 · Little Dad, let’s get New Big Dad!Chapter 18 Part 2 · Little Dad, let’s get new Big Dad!Chapter 19 · Yuanbao doesn’t have a loving big dadChapter 20 Part 1 · Dad never holds back Yuanbao~ No, no~Chapter 20 Part 2 · Dad never holds back Yuanbao~ No, no~Chapter 21 · Little Dad’s friendChapter 22 · Our Child from future!Chapter 23 · Little Daddy Knows!Chapter 24 · How did the two fathers meet?Chapter 25 · They really treat him like a gold ingot!Chapter 26 · Big Daddy really likes little daddyChapter 27 · Hehe, Yuanbao’s dad is such a humorous personChapter 28 · This name sounds like some kind of unspoken codeChapter 29 · Don’t you dare steal Yuanbao’s little dad!Chapter 30 · You’re so smart, it’s only natural that our child is clever too.Chapter 31 · That’s definitely a hickey!Chapter 32 · We simply can’t compete!Chapter 33 · Big Dad, you’re not allowed to bully Little DadChapter 34 · Amusement ParkChapter 35 · Big Dad, you have to protect Little DadChapter 36 · Go eat friesChapter 37 · These fries are so deliciousChapter 38 · Yuanbao imitated his dad’s tone: “No, no~”Chapter 39 · Did you hurt Daddy’s hand?Chapter 40 · Were the father and son plotting something behind my back?Chapter 41 · They really went a little too far in the future.Chapter 42 · Sudden feeling of being “needed”Chapter 43 · The little guy tells his dad everythingChapter 44 · Why was Dad secretly observing him?Chapter 45 · I’ll introduce you to these two adorable peopleChapter 46 · According to family hierarchyChapter 47 · Yuanbao is mine and Jingyuan’s childChapter 48 · Little Yuanbao, you sound just like your dad talking right now!Chapter 49 · Are you happy today?Chapter 50 · Waaah, how could Daddy say such bad things about Yuanbao to Little Daddy?!Chapter 51 · Dad, will Yuanbao have a younger brother or sister?Chapter 52 · Let him handle the whole “conquering” thing!Chapter 53 · Dad, do you miss dad?Chapter 54 · Yuanbao’s Dad, how about we start dating?Chapter 55 · Did the two fathers talk for two days before telling Yuanbao?Chapter 56 · I’d like a different birthday presentChapter 57 · I love playing like this with my two dadsChapter 58 · Dad, come home soonChapter 59 · Jingyuan, let me hold you for a whileChapter 60 · Big Dad and Little Dad are just like Yuanbao’s left and right feetChapter 61 · Yuanbao, how about letting your father sleep in the middle?Chapter 62 · Waiting for your goodnight kissChapter 63 · Philodendron, McDowellChapter 64 · Little Dad is so badChapter 65 · Yuanbao wants to stay home and play every dayChapter 66 · Where’s my little Yuanbao?Chapter 67 · He’s my childChapter 68 · Two fathers?Chapter 69 · Does French Fries taste the same?Chapter 70 · Teacher AnnieChapter 71 · You’re bullying meChapter 72 · Big Dad asked Little Dad to kiss you for himChapter 73 · I think what’s missing is a formal confessionChapter 74 · If the ingot is an inward square, thenChapter 75 · Little Potato Ball and Daddy PotatoChapter 76 · That must be some other silly kidChapter 77 · In the future, how about I help you pluck out your white hairs?Chapter 78 · Little Dad already tried his best to help you!Chapter 79 · You can only blame the prize for being too temptingChapter 80 · Little Dad will hold a personal art exhibition just for youChapter 81 · Shall I make it up to you?Chapter 82 · Little Dad, kiss kiss~ Help Yuanbao give Big Dad a kiss tooChapter 83 · You’ll just say he’s a relative’s childChapter 84 · #PeiJingyuanMalePregnancy#Chapter 85 · Family GatheringChapter 86 · Yuanbao will work hard and make lots of money!Chapter 86 · Extra 1Chapter 87 · Who’s he messaging?Chapter 87 · Extra 2Chapter 88 · Extra 3Chapter 88 · Why are you blushing?Chapter 89 · Let’s get marriedChapter 89 · Extra 4Chapter 90 · Hair CutChapter 90 · Extra 5Chapter 91 · They’re willing to accept you as part of the familyChapter 92 · A Family DinnerChapter 93 · This is Yuanbao’s… very, very tall Big Dad, Nie ShenyuanChapter 94 · The wedding