Room 1101.
Yuanbao clutched the hem of his little dad’s shirt, his round face full of curiosity as he peeked around the unfamiliar space.
The layout was similar to their own home, but there were far more things scattered about. The sofa, the coffee table, the desk, the cabinets, any surface that could hold something was piled with bits and pieces of daily life.
“Ah!”
Pei Jingyuan realized just how messy his place looked. He quickly covered the little one’s big eyes with his palm and crouched down. “Little Yuanbao, don’t look just yet, okay? Brother needs to tidy up a little first.”
Yuanbao grabbed his little dad’s fingers, blinking up at him with bright eyes.
So this was how his little dad lived before he became his little dad? How strange. How interesting.
Pei Jingyuan couldn’t figure out what that sparkle in the boy’s eyes meant before the little cub suddenly leaned into his arms, soft and warm, like a sweet piece of candy that had just melted into his embrace.
“Yuanbao will help brother clean up too~ Yuanbao knows how~”
Pei Jingyuan smiled, hugging him gently and brushing his hand over the boy’s soft, fluffy hair. “Alright then!”
But truthfully, when it came to cleaning, he didn’t have much of a plan himself.
“Let’s see… Brother will start by doing the laundry. Once that’s done, we can free up the sofa.”
He gathered up all the jackets and pants he had only worn once and tossed them into the washing machine.
A white T-shirt slipped to the floor. Yuanbao bent over to pick it up and trotted happily after his little dad’s long legs.
After turning on the washing machine, Pei Jingyuan leaned against the counter and looked down at the obedient little cub, asking about what had happened outside earlier.
Yuanbao tilted his head toward the dark opening of the washing machine, mumbling in his soft, milky voice. Judging by his little pouting lips, he clearly wasn’t very happy with his big dad.
Pei Jingyuan couldn’t help himself. He reached out to pinch those puffed-up cheeks and quickly scooped the boy into his arms, chuckling. “Your big dad wasn’t wrong. He was just worried about you.”
Yuanbao wrapped his arms around his little dad’s neck and took a deep sniff.
“Brother smells nice today too?”
“Not today,” Pei Jingyuan laughed. “That’s probably just the shampoo. I don’t wear perfume when I go to the set.”
He carried the boy back to the sofa and tapped the tip of his small, upturned nose, curious. “Wait, why did you say ‘too’? Do you know that brother usually wears perfume?”
Yuanbao raised his chin proudly. “Mm hmm!”
He mimed the motion of spraying perfume, his voice bright and sweet. “Spray on the left~ spray on the right~ and then you smell good!”
Pei Jingyuan blinked in surprise. “You really know that?”
He glanced toward the door. Could it be that Mr. Nie sprayed perfume at home and the little one saw him? But that didn’t seem right, Mr. Nie didn’t really smell like anything in particular.
No smoke, no alcohol, and no strong scent at all…
Oh!
He did remember once catching a faint whiff of aftershave earlier that morning, when Mr. Nie came over to ask if he would join them for dinner tonight.
Yuanbao’s eyes shifted, suddenly full of regret. He should have told big dad to buy perfume! Little dad would definitely love it as a gift.
Pei Jingyuan noticed his thoughtful little face and rubbed his hair again. “Alright, alright. Brother’s going to get us some fruit to eat. But there’s not much at home…”
Yuanbao looked at the cluttered coffee table and shook his head earnestly. “There’s lots here!”
“Not that kind of stuff…” Pei Jingyuan said, embarrassed, as he quickly stacked some magazines and shoved them into the lower shelf. “I mean things that are good for you to eat, fruit or snacks.”
Yuanbao followed his little dad into the kitchen.
Pei Jingyuan pulled out a bag of golden-yellow baby mangoes and waved it. “Let’s eat some mangoes.”
“Okay~” Yuanbao stood on his tiptoes, looking at the glossy countertop. “Brother, this kitchen is so clean!”
There were no knives, pans, or spatulas in sight, unlike the big kitchen at home.
“Haha!”
That was because he never cooked!
What a pure little thing.
Pei Jingyuan didn’t like how sticky mango juice felt on his fingers, so he washed his hands and put on disposable gloves before peeling the fruit carefully.
Then came a sudden clattering sound.
He turned his head just in time to see the little cub stepping back from the fridge, while a pile of things came tumbling down.
He rushed over and scooped the boy into his arms. “Yuanbao, are you alright?”
The boy pointed at the fallen items, eyes wide in panic. “Little dad, the fridge exploded! It wasn’t me!”
He had only touched it a little!
Pei Jingyuan laughed softly and held him close. “No explosion, sweetheart. There’s just too much stuff in there.”
He reached out to shut the upper door of the fridge, then bent down to pick up the things that had fallen.
“Good thing there weren’t any jars. You might’ve been hit…”
That thought made his heart tighten. He rubbed the boy’s chubby cheeks gently. “You did great, though. When there’s danger, you step back right away to keep yourself safe.”
Yuanbao puffed out his cheeks proudly. “Big dad taught me that!”
Then he paused and added seriously, “Future big dad, not current big dad.”
The current big dad, after all, only knew how to say no to buying cats.
Pei Jingyuan blinked. “Future big dad?”
He didn’t really understand how a big dad could have a ‘future’ and a ‘now,’ but little kids sometimes said things without much logic, so he didn’t think too deeply about it.
He just smiled. “Well, your big dad must be really good at teaching kids. Just like my dad.”
Knock, knock.
Both of them turned toward the door at the same time.
“That must be your big dad now.”
Pei Jingyuan hurriedly stacked the fallen items on the counter and took Yuanbao’s hand. “Coming, coming~”
Yuanbao bounced along beside him, mimicking his tone. “Coming, coming~”
Seeing the boy so cheerful again, Pei Jingyuan finally relaxed. Maybe he wasn’t very good at babysitting after all. Best to hand the little one back to the steady, dependable Mr. Nie.
When the door opened, Nie Shenyuan immediately noticed the relief on Pei Jingyuan’s face. His gaze swept toward the child. “Yuanbao didn’t make trouble for Mr. Pei, did he?”
“No, not at all.” Pei Jingyuan smiled awkwardly. The truth was, he himself had caused more of the mess. Yuanbao only added a tiny bit to it.
“Brother, come play at our house~”
Nie Shenyuan crouched down and lifted his son into his arms. He turned to Pei Jingyuan with his usual calm courtesy. “Mr. Pei, dinner’s ready. Please, join us.”
“Alright,” Pei Jingyuan agreed without hesitation, he had already promised that morning, after all. Smiling, he pinched Yuanbao’s cheek. “You go back with your dad first, brother will come right away.”
He winked playfully. “Just five minutes, okay?”
His brows lifted slightly, his smile radiant.
Yuanbao wanted to imitate that wink but couldn’t quite manage it. He squinted both eyes instead, trying his best. “Hurry, hurry!”
As Nie Shenyuan carried the child back into Room 1102, he left the door open.
While washing his hands, he asked casually about what had happened at little dad’s place. Yuanbao, never one to keep secrets, chattered on about “the clothes on the sofa” and “the things falling out of the fridge.”
His tiny hands rubbed the soap, making bubbles that smelled faintly sweet. In a serious tone that didn’t quite match his baby voice, he concluded, “Little dad’s so pitiful. He doesn’t even have an auntie to help him.”
At home, there were always housekeepers to clean and cook, little dad had to do it all by himself.
As he said this, Yuanbao’s wide eyes turned toward the mirror, staring accusingly at his big dad’s reflection.
Nie Shenyuan could tell exactly what that look meant, even without words. The unspoken message was loud and clear.
He waited patiently until the boy finished playing with the bubbles. “Did your little dad say anything else?”
Yuanbao shook his head, then suddenly remembered something. “Oh! He praised big dad!”
Then, after a brief pause, he added solemnly, “Future big dad.”
Nie Shenyuan’s expression shifted ever so slightly, choosing to ignore that last part. “How did he praise me?”
Yuanbao’s small hands reached under the faucet, waiting for his father to turn it on. As the water washed away the bubbles, he answered earnestly, “He said future big dad is really good~ Just like little dad’s own daddy!”
The sound of running water filled the space. Nie Shenyuan’s brows drew together slightly. Clearly, father and son had very different ideas about what “praise” meant.
Back in Room 1101, Pei Jingyuan had just hung up a call from his grandmother reminding him about her upcoming medical check-up.
As he stood in the hallway, finishing the call, he noticed a tiny “cat head” poking out from next door, Yuanbao again, peeking curiously from Room 1102.
Pei Jingyuan laughed and made a gesture for him to wait.
Yuanbao rested his chin on the doorframe, perfectly content just to wait like that.
When Pei Jingyuan ended the call, he walked over smiling. “Hey, little cat hat, where did that come from?”
Yuanbao pointed toward his big dad, who was already sitting at the table.
Pei Jingyuan followed the gesture and couldn’t help thinking, this little Yuanbao really was born lucky.
On the table was a beautifully arranged dinner, six dishes and two soups, a perfect balance of meat and vegetables, rich and fragrant.
Pei Jingyuan blinked in surprise. Every single dish was one of his favorites.
“Mr. Nie’s family eats pickled crab and yellow croaker too?”
Nie Shenyuan glanced down at the little boy, who lifted his head proudly as if to say, of course we do.
It was Yuanbao who had spent a long time talking to the chef, carefully describing what his little dad liked to eat so that the dishes could be specially prepared.
Nie Shenyuan said calmly, “As long as Mr. Pei likes it.”
“I like it, I really do,” Pei Jingyuan quickly said in return. In his heart, though, he was thinking that this meal could easily compare to the dishes his grandmother made for him when he went home for the New Year.
Yuanbao, sitting in his little children’s chair, piped up sweetly, “Brother, eat more~”
Actually, Pei Jingyuan didn’t usually eat much at night. But then again… once in a while was fine. At worst, he could just eat less for breakfast and lunch tomorrow.
While they were eating, Yuanbao suddenly asked where the toy car was. He hadn’t seen it earlier.
Pei Jingyuan swallowed a mouthful of the delicious wine-soaked edamame, “It’s on the bedside table next to where Brother sleeps.”
In truth, it was lying right beside his pillow.
The little toy car had doors and a hood that could actually open. How fun was that!
Noticing the faint change in his expression, Nie Shenyuan said, “I’ll send a few more over later.”
Yuanbao nodded eagerly beside him. “Yes, yes! Bring lots! They’re all Brother’s!”
Pei Jingyuan hesitated. He didn’t want to accept things for no reason, but…
“All right, thank you, Yuanbao!”
He picked up the communal chopsticks and placed a piece of food into the little boy’s bowl. “You too, eat more and grow tall, okay~”
Nie Shenyuan ignored the proud, almost “showing off” look on his son’s face and turned to Pei Jingyuan. “Mr. Pei, why don’t you come over for dinner these next few days as well?”
“Really?” Pei Jingyuan looked at the dishes that suited his taste so perfectly and suddenly felt guilty. “But it feels rude to keep imposing on you like this.”
Yuanbao immediately asked, “Then Yuanbao can go eat at Brother’s house?”
“Uh…” Pei Jingyuan coughed lightly. “Let’s still eat here. At Brother’s house, there’s only fruit.”
He thought to himself that the chubby bananas he bought at the supermarket last time had already been finished. He said in a small voice, “Brother doesn’t know how to cook.”
Nie Shenyuan remembered the first time he met him, he’d noticed that there wasn’t a single bag of groceries in the two shopping bags he was carrying.
Yuanbao looked doubtful. He remembered that his little dad used to stir-fry vegetables, all green and fragrant. He glanced suspiciously at his big dad but didn’t say it aloud.
After dinner, Yuanbao wanted to drag his little dad to lie on the sofa bed and play.
But Pei Jingyuan had to tell the little one that he had something to do that evening. “I need to make an important phone call for work, okay?”
“Ah?” Yuanbao puffed out his little cheeks in confusion. He had only just seen his little dad for such a short while!
Nie Shenyuan rubbed his son’s hair gently. “Let Brother get back to work. Come on, let’s talk about the kitten.”
Yuanbao tilted his head up in his father’s palm. “What kitten?”
Pei Jingyuan saw the sparkling light in the boy’s eyes and couldn’t help but laugh.
How could there be such an adorable little kid! If he knew how to take care of a child, he might have been tempted to kidnap him home in a sack.
Thanks to Nie Shenyuan’s timely words, Pei Jingyuan managed to excuse himself and head home to work.
Standing inside the door, he poked his head out to wave at the little one. “See you tomorrow, Yuanbao~”
Yuanbao stood obediently beside his father’s long legs and nodded.
Pei Jingyuan looked up and met the tall man’s steady gaze. He said politely and sincerely, “Thank you for the meal, Mr. Nie. The dinner was wonderful. See you tomorrow.”
When the door clicked softly shut, Nie Shenyuan’s deep eyes showed a faint trace of melancholy.
Father and son, one lowered his head, while the other looked up.
Yuanbao muttered under his breath as he turned around, little feet padding on the floor. “Dad better make a cute little kitten appear, or else…”
He glanced secretly at his father and delivered his most terrifying threat, “Or else I’ll cry, roll all over the floor, and make a big fuss, you’ll see!”
Before he could finish, his father’s strong arms swept him up and lifted him high into the air.
“Eeeh~”
Yuanbao squealed in delight, but immediately covered his mouth and tried to keep a serious face.
He couldn’t let Dad use the “lift high” trick to coax him! He was a very hard-to-please little boy!
November 1st.
Pei Jingyuan sat at his desk in front of his computer, typing as he spoke with the screenwriter over a video call.
“Teacher Pei.”
Pei Jingyuan quickly said, “Please don’t call me that, you’re too polite.”
Screenwriter Gu was already a well-known veteran in the industry, nearly forty years old. Hearing such formality from him made Pei Jingyuan feel like he was losing years of his life.
“Then I’ll just call you Jingyuan,” Gu said. “I’ve worked with the director three times. As you may have heard, he tends to make changes on set. Sometimes if an actor doesn’t quite deliver, he’ll cut the scene. Other times, if he feels the performance fits perfectly, he’ll add something on the spot. So when you’re understanding your character, you’ll need to stay flexible. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
It was such a privilege to be told that.
“Yes, I understand. I’ll organize your notes later and think through the character’s life experience again, add more depth to the details. Thank you, Teacher Gu.”
Gu smiled. “You’re professionally trained, so I don’t need to worry. I’ll go contact the other actors for now. Let’s stop here for today.”
“Of course.”
When the call ended, Pei Jingyuan thought to himself, what a rare kind of person Teacher Gu was, someone who treated actors with such genuine respect.
Just then, he received a new message on WeChat.
It was from Luo Minyi.
Since the audition, they hadn’t spoken at all.
[Teacher Pei, are you free for dinner? I’d like to discuss our shared scenes.]
Pei Jingyuan blinked. So she had passed the audition too.
That was wonderful.
Nothing made him happier than seeing everyone get what they worked hard for.
He agreed readily, then noticed another new contact in his list, it was Mr. Nie.
Should he check on Yuanbao?
He glanced at the time. Half past ten. Not too late.
He typed quickly. [Mr. Nie, sorry to bother you so late. I just wanted to ask, is Yuanbao in good spirits?]
He was also curious how the “kitten” matter had been handled.
But after sending the message, it was like dropping a pebble into the ocean. No reply.
After his shower, he sat cross-legged on the sofa, memorizing his lines while glancing at his phone from time to time. Still nothing.
Nie Shenyuan’s face surfaced in his mind, calm, composed, dignified. It was hard not to overthink.
Maybe…
Maybe Mr. Nie’s friendly attitude, the dinner invitations, were only because Yuanbao liked playing with him. Perhaps the man himself wasn’t really interested in keeping much contact privately.
That seemed like a very reasonable guess.
Pei Jingyuan looked quietly toward his front door.
Ah… he must have taken it too literally and actually gone over to freeload a meal.
Maybe his sense of social boundaries really was off.
Handling people and relationships had never been his strength.
The young man in his early twenties took a deep breath, shifted his focus back to the script, and muttered softly to himself.
“Work hard at acting, earn more money. That way, I won’t need to deal with socializing anymore.”
He wanted to save up enough.
Then he could retreat into the deep mountains and disappear from the world.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
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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 · Why are you blushing?Chapter 88 · Extra 3Chapter 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