When Pei Jingyuan sent the father and son off and closed the door, he found himself standing alone in the entryway.
Without the little cub’s cheerful voice echoing through the room, the apartment felt strangely still. The silence was so deep he could hear the faint hum of traffic from the street outside.
Yes… when Yuanbao was there, chattering endlessly, he hadn’t even noticed how much his hand hurt.
Now that they were gone, the pain seemed to intensify all at once, spreading up from his wrist to the tips of his fingers until they tingled with numbness.
He remembered Nie Shenyuan’s careful instructions and quickly went to sit on the sofa, resting his wrist back on the ice pack.
The images from earlier, Nie Shenyuan tending to him with quiet patience, the calm voice guiding him through every small detail, floated back into his mind one after another.
No wonder, he thought with a faint smile, so many people online said that before having children, people should have to pass a “parenting certification exam.” Only high scorers should be allowed to raise kids.
Clearly, those netizens had their reasons.
Still, he didn’t dwell on it. Though he didn’t need to be on set tomorrow, there were scripts to read and lines to memorize, work that couldn’t be delayed.
Absent-mindedly, he reached out for the script beside him, using his right hand out of habit.
A sharp hiss of pain escaped him at once.
Pei Jingyuan jumped up from the sofa, hopping in place as the pain throbbed through his arm. Finally, he dropped to his knees on the cushions, bowing to the inevitable in surrender to his own “misfortune.”
Back at the hospital, Nie Shenyuan had suggested putting his wrist in a full cast, but Pei Jingyuan, worried about filming, had opted for a removable splint instead.
And now, faced with the throbbing ache, he muttered under his breath, “Mr. Nie really does know best.”
Settling back down, he steadied his breathing, pressed the ice pack against his wrist, and began flipping through the script again.
Meanwhile, Yuanbao had already bathed under his big dad’s care and was now curled up beneath his blanket, clutching a big panda plush close to his chest. His voice came out soft and sticky-sweet. “Big dad?”
Nie Shenyuan brushed back the bangs from the boy’s forehead, revealing the smooth, pale skin beneath. “Missing your little dad already?” he asked with a knowing smile.
Yuanbao pouted a little and nodded, hugging the panda tighter as though it were his little dad’s arm.
“Big dad, why does little dad have a red string? Do you know?”
Nie Shenyuan recalled Pei Jingyuan’s earlier explanation. It sounded like one of those old traditions that lingered from generation to generation.
For a brief moment, an image flashed in his mind, the bright red string against that slim waist, and he had to force himself back to composure.
“Maybe it was removed when you were born,” he said lightly. “That’s why you’ve never seen it. It’s like that brother with the surname Huang, he used to know your little dad, but since they don’t see each other anymore, you don’t know him.”
The reasoning made sense. Yuanbao thought it over and seemed satisfied with the answer.
He began counting on his little fingers. “But I haven’t seen Butler Uncle either, or Uncle Chen, or Driver Uncle…”
Nie Shenyuan smiled faintly. Though only a few years had passed, so much could change within that time. Still, the little cub might not understand.
“They worked with your little dad before,” he explained patiently. “When their work ended, they went somewhere else to find new jobs. That’s why you haven’t met them.”
He remembered Pei Jingyuan’s mention of his grandmother and hugged the boy a little closer. “Yuanbao, for now, don’t bring up the topic of his grandmother when you’re with your little dad, alright?”
“Oh.” Yuanbao nodded obediently, then nuzzled into Nie Shenyuan’s side. His soft, childish voice piped up again, “Big dad told me not to tell Grandma Zhao and the others that I’m a future kid. I didn’t say anything!”
“Good boy.” Nie Shenyuan smiled and patted his back. “Now sleep.”
But Yuanbao tilted his face up suddenly. “Big dad, will little dad fall down at home?”
“No, he won’t,” Nie Shenyuan assured gently, his palm moving rhythmically against the boy’s back. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
Yuanbao made a small hum, tucking his chin under the blanket. “Then what should little kids think about?” he mumbled sleepily.
“Think about having breakfast with your little dad tomorrow morning,” Nie Shenyuan said, his tone warm. Over the past few days, he had become surprisingly good at this whole parenting thing. “And remember to tell Auntie to make pork rib soup for him, it’ll help his hand recover.”
“Oh!” Yuanbao squeezed his eyes shut immediately, as if that would make tomorrow arrive faster. “Then Yuanbao will fall asleep right now so morning comes quicker.”
The room gradually fell quiet, bathed in the soft silver of moonlight spilling through the balcony windows.
About half an hour later, while Yuanbao’s gentle breathing filled the room, Nie Shenyuan, caught in the haze between wakefulness and sleep, suddenly felt his heart jolt.
An image flashed through his mind, Pei Jingyuan slipping and falling in the living room.
He frowned deeply, turning to look at the round little face nestled beside him in the dim light.
It was nearly eleven o’clock.
Back at the apartment, Pei Jingyuan was still immersed in his script, completely unaware of time passing.
His role didn’t have many lines, but he had memorized even the other actor’s dialogue by heart, playing both sides of the conversation by himself.
When his phone suddenly lit up, he blinked in confusion, his thoughts still tangled in the fictional world.
Ancient drama? No, wait, his phone.
He picked it up. A new message.
From Mr. Nie Shenyuan
Pei Jingyuan’s first reaction was to check the time. “This late?” he murmured.
Opening the message, his surprise softened into something warm and tender.
[Mr. Pei, are you asleep? How’s your hand? Is the ice helping?]
Pei Jingyuan leaned forward, resting against the coffee table, and typed with his left hand.
[Not yet asleep]
Typing with his non-dominant hand was slow, almost clumsy.
Before he could finish the next sentence, another message appeared on the screen.
[Mr. Nie Shenyuan: Why are you still awake?]
Pei Jingyuan froze, his fingers hovering above the screen. For a brief moment, it was as if Nie Shenyuan’s calm, deep gaze appeared right before his eyes, the kind that could make a person feel both guilty and seen. A pang of embarrassment swept through him.
He hurriedly deleted what he had been typing and began again, tapping carefully on the small keypad one character at a time, murmuring under his breath as he composed his message, “I’ll sleep right away. I’m so sorry for troubling you…”
Before he could finish, a faint noise came from outside.
The sound of a door opening, Room 1102?
Pei Jingyuan frowned slightly and glanced toward the entryway in confusion.
A few seconds later, there was a soft but distinct knock at his own door.
“Mr. Pei?”
He blinked, startled. The voice outside was unmistakable.
He didn’t even have time to think. Setting his phone down, he hurried to the door, calling back in a low voice so as not to disturb the neighbors, “Coming, coming.”
When the door swung open, a tall man stood before him, face calm but serious, the dim hallway light outlining his sharp features.
“Uh… Mr. Nie?” Pei Jingyuan said uncertainly.
Nie Shenyuan’s eyes swept over him once, pausing slightly. He was still wearing the same loose white undershirt from earlier, the wide neckline revealing a clean line of collarbone and skin, his arms long and slender under the dim light.
Clearly, the man hadn’t gone to bed at all.
“Were you busy with something?” Nie Shenyuan asked.
“No,” Pei Jingyuan answered at once, instinctively straightening his posture like a student caught staying up too late. “I just tend to sleep late, so I was reviewing my lines.”
Nie Shenyuan’s expression carried quiet disapproval. Without saying another word, he stepped forward and walked inside.
“Ah…” Pei Jingyuan blinked, unsure whether he should stop him. But seeing no hostility in the man’s face, he simply stepped aside to make room.
As Nie Shenyuan passed him, the faint scent of soap and something cool, like cedar, brushed by. Pei Jingyuan noticed the dark brown sleepwear he wore, soft fabric that draped perfectly on his tall frame, elegant yet understated, clearly something of high quality.
He couldn’t help but think silently to himself, so even in sleepwear, Mr. Nie looks perfectly composed. The man was truly born with a model’s figure.
If Yuanbao inherited even half of that, he thought absently, the boy was destined to grow into someone both striking and graceful.
“Hmm?” Nie Shenyuan’s quiet voice brought him back to the present.
Pei Jingyuan blinked rapidly, realizing he had been staring. He quickly shut the door and turned toward the man. “That… Mr. Nie, you’re here this late because…?”
“Yuanbao was worried about you,” Nie Shenyuan said simply. “He was afraid you might have trouble being alone at home, so I came to check.”
His gaze swept across the living room, landing briefly on the open script scattered across the sofa. So, that was what kept him awake.
“Yuanbao really is such a sweet child,” Pei Jingyuan said with a smile, his heart softening at the mention of the little boy. “I’m fine, really. I was just about to wash up and go to bed.”
But Nie Shenyuan didn’t move. He stood there silently, like a tall, steady shadow in the quiet room.
Pei Jingyuan hesitated. Was he… planning to supervise him?
He almost laughed. How very much like a strict parent.
Feeling guilty for his late-night disobedience, he decided to cooperate. Lifting his uninjured hand, he pointed toward the bathroom and said quickly, “I’ll brush my teeth now.”
The small, almost sheepish gesture looked oddly familiar, exactly like something Yuanbao would do.
Nie Shenyuan followed a step forward. “Do you need help?”
Pei Jingyuan stood at the sink, picking up the toothpaste, only to realize that the cap was the twist-off kind. He had managed fine with soap earlier while showering, but this…
He turned toward the doorway, looking embarrassed. “Um… would you mind helping me with this?”
The words came out soft, the ending almost swallowed.
Nie Shenyuan stepped inside without hesitation. Taking the toothpaste from his hand, he unscrewed the cap, then carefully squeezed a neat line onto the brush. His movements were slow and deliberate, almost as though waiting for a signal.
After a few seconds, Pei Jingyuan finally said quietly, “That’s enough, thank you.”
He accepted the toothbrush with both hands, murmuring a polite “thanks” once more.
Nie Shenyuan filled the cup beside the sink with water and set it down for him.
Feeling slightly flustered, Pei Jingyuan began brushing his teeth. The faint mint scent soon filled the air.
After a few moments, he looked up into the mirror, and nearly laughed aloud. Reflected beside him was Nie Shenyuan, standing there like a stern guardian, watching to make sure he brushed properly.
Pei Jingyuan couldn’t resist giving a goofy smile through the foam, his bright eyes curving like fox tails, pure and clear as mountain water.
Nie Shenyuan caught his own reflection in the mirror and paused. For what felt like the hundredth time, he reminded himself that this young man was still very much a boy.
Barely older than Yuanbao.
And, like Yuanbao, someone who needed patient care.
When Pei Jingyuan finally rinsed his mouth, he wiped his face with a tissue, breathing out the cool scent of mint.
“Mr. Nie, I’m done,” he said, almost cheerfully.
In Nie Shenyuan’s ears, it sounded almost like he was saying, See? I did well, didn’t I?
He gave a small approving nod. “Good. You did well.”
Pei Jingyuan blinked. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Did Mr. Nie really just praise him like he would a child?
Such boundless fatherly affection.
Trying not to laugh, he asked tentatively, “Then… I’ll go rest now? You should probably head back too. If Yuanbao wakes up and doesn’t see you, he might get worried.”
Nie Shenyuan replied calmly, “I asked the housekeeper to stay with him. If he wakes, she’ll come get me.”
There were always two staff members assigned to stay overnight in the main house, while the rest, including the guards, lived in the apartment building below.
Pei Jingyuan could only stare for a moment. Truly a man who thought of everything.
Nie Shenyuan’s eyes drifted once more to the bright living room and the open script on the table. “You’ll go to sleep now?”
“Yes, right away!” Pei Jingyuan nodded earnestly.
Only then did Nie Shenyuan seem satisfied. He gave a final glance around and finally left.
Ten minutes later, Pei Jingyuan was lying on the bed, his injured arm resting beside him. The room was quiet, and his thoughts began to wander.
Was Mr. Nie always this kind to everyone?
He looked so distant on the outside, like someone hard to approach, yet in truth, he was incredibly warm-hearted.
Maybe his earlier assumptions had been completely wrong.
How embarrassing.
He pulled the blanket up over his face, groaning softly. His toes curled under the sheets in shy frustration.
Forget it, he told himself. Thinking about embarrassing things before sleep only leads to insomnia.
In Room 1102, the housekeeper had already left. When Nie Shenyuan got into bed, the mattress dipped slightly under his weight, startling the small, sleeping bundle beside him.
Without waking, the little boy rolled closer, warm and trusting, pressing himself against his father’s side.
Nie Shenyuan wrapped an arm around him automatically, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Yuanbao, your little dad is fine. He just stays up too late and eats too little. He doesn’t know how to take care of himself.”
The little cub made a tiny sound in reply, a soft “hmm~” that melted in the darkness like a kitten’s purr.
Nie Shenyuan’s eyes softened.
Remembering the innocent “kiss” from earlier, he bent down and gently pressed his lips to the boy’s forehead, letting the quiet night fold around them.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The Realm’s ancient scrolls mention something called… “buy them a coffee.”
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
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 · Extra 5Chapter 90 · Hair CutChapter 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