Thank you, Lily, for the coffee<3
Bonus chapter 1/3
Tn: The last chapter was incomplete. Please read/ reread it for the flow. Sorry and thank youuu<3
Yang Shiqing saw the Cheng family off. Before leaving, he fully respected Chengzi’s wishes: “If Chengzi really doesn’t want to learn Taekwondo anymore, I can refund this month’s tuition.”
“No need, no need.”
Since they were all neighbors, Chengzi’s parents absolutely refused to accept it. Chengzi was already six years old and knew what he was doing. To get out of his extracurricular class, he had staged a two-day hunger strike. His original plan was to faint at home, so the only ones who would witness his embarrassment would be his parents.
But Taekwondo class was incredibly physically demanding, and he simply couldn’t hold out. Now, not only had all the kids in the dojo seen him embarrass himself, but it seemed he had also caused trouble for Uncle Yang.
Chengzi twisted his fingers together, his small feet fidgeting uneasily, not daring to meet Yang Shiqing’s eyes. Only when Yang Shiqing turned around did he murmur an apology, his voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. The children who remained in the dojo were listening to Coach Kobayashi’s safety lesson.
“…You must not play tricks with your own lives just to make your parents agree to your requests, understand?”
“Got it……” the children answered in unison.
Yang Shiqing picked up the thread: “The reason Chengzi’s parents agreed to his request is because they love him very much. People who love you will feel heartbroken when you hurt yourself. When something happens, you need to learn to discuss it with your parents…”
Su Youli was munching happily on the drumstick handed to him by Granny Yang. He didn’t quite understand, but he still responded enthusiastically. Chengzi didn’t want to go to school, so his parents forced him to go. Chengzi went on a hunger strike, and then his parents agreed not to send him to school anymore.
Su Youli’s little brain whirred, and he came to a conclusion — Hunger strikes are great! After finishing the first afternoon class, little Su Youli finally waited for dismissal time. Su Youli wasn’t particularly fond of physically demanding courses like Taekwondo. By the afternoon, he started to zone out. Their classroom was at the very back, so he couldn’t see the main gate.
Every time Coach Kobayashi looked at him, he saw the little guy’s round head facing him, his gaze fixed on the plain white wall, the wall behind which lay the direction of the dojo’s entrance. To be honest, the little guy had performed remarkably well. Coach Kobayashi could clearly sense that he didn’t enjoy the class, yet the little guy still took it seriously, striving to make every movement perfect.
Coach Kobayashi thought to himself, why isn’t this kid my kid? He’s just too well-behaved and easy to handle.
“Clap, clap,” Coach Kobayashi patted his hands to gather everyone: “Alright, kids, today’s lesson ends here. Those whose parents haven’t arrived yet, please wait in the classroom. Those whose parents are here can leave now.”
Yang Yang held Youyou’s little hand, standing at the door waiting for Yang Shiqing to finish his class. The children from the preschool class had all been picked up by their parents. Coach Kobayashi nudged Yang Shiqing and pointed towards the main entrance. Both their gazes followed. Su Youli was on his tiptoes, his face pressed against the glass door, his chubby cheeks squished together.
“When will Youyou’s parents come to pick him up?” If this were his son, he’d want to attend the class with him.
Yang Shiqing looked at the little guy’s expectant back and said, “Youyou’s dad has been busy the last couple of days.”
“What could be more important than picking up your son from school? Not even bringing lunch. What kind of father is that?”
Coach Kobayashi got angrier the more he talked. Yang Shiqing thought of the several extremely luxurious cars he had seen parked outside the Su family home yesterday, the kind that would never appear in a small town like theirs, and let out a deep sigh.
Having been in class all day, the little guy, almost drowsy with exhaustion, still stood steadfastly at the door waiting for his father. After waiting for what felt like a long time, familiar footsteps approached. A tall figure, a handsome and resolute face, with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Su Youli’s round eyes immediately lit up. He rushed out and threw himself into Qin Kun’s arms: “Dad!”
Qin Kun, caught off guard by his son’s embrace, lifted him up by the armpits, holding him high, and kissed his cheek: “Did Youyou have a good day today?”
The little guy thought very seriously. He didn’t like Taekwondo class, but he really liked Coach Kobayashi, so the day had been pretty good.
“I had a pretty good day. Did Kunkun have a good day today?”
The reason they had sent the little guy to class today was because they needed to discuss matters with Shen Minyan. As the head of the Shen Group, Shen Minyan had already spent a long time in Yunshui Town. His time was planned down to the second. Shen Minyan had proposed taking Youyou back to the Shen family within the next couple of days, giving them very little time to prepare.
“Daddy had a good day too.” Qin Kun rubbed his cheek against his son’s.
The three-year-old toddler couldn’t detect the emotions the adult was hiding and closed his eyes, comforted by his father’s familiar voice. The little one had waited for his daddy all day and finally fell asleep peacefully in his father’s reliable and safe embrace. The little guy didn’t wake up at all during the ride. Qin Kun carried his son out of the car seat and walked towards home.
The tall man slowed his pace, taking several times longer than usual to cover the short distance of a few dozen meters back to the house. Qin Kun looked at his son lying in his arms. He truly wished this road, carrying Youyou, could be longer, just a little bit longer.
“Back?” Su Siwen pushed his wheelchair out from the kitchen.
The little guy was gently placed on the soft sofa. Su Siwen spread the thin blanket folded on the sofa over him, his gaze never leaving him.
“Let’s tell Youyou when he wakes up,” Su Siwen said in a low voice.
Qin Kun’s heart ached. “Maybe wait until tomorrow? Youyou was tired today.”
Su Siwen was silent for a moment, then shook his head. Ever since the little guy was old enough to understand, the two of them had told him about his origins very early on. Su Youli didn’t quite grasp the concept of adoption. He just knew his family was different from others; he had two dads. His two dads loved him very much, so they were his daddies.
What did it matter if he was biologically related or not? His two dads were his whole world, the people he loved the most. Su Youli was woken by the smell of butter cookies. The little toddler opened his eyes, propped himself up on the sofa, and saw his little dad sitting nearby, painting with a brush, and Kunkun in the kitchen, wearing an apron and taking cookies out of the oven.
“Dad, it smells so good!”
Su Siwen put down his paintbrush, tilted his head, and responded to his son: “Baby’s awake? Are you hungry?”
Su Youli touched his tummy. The chicken leg he had for lunch seemed to have digested already. “Hungry. Youyou is hungry.”
“Drink some milk first.”
Dinner that evening was very lavish. When Youyou didn’t want to use chopsticks, surprisingly, his dads didn’t object and let him use his hands. No need to stick his fingers into the holes of the children’s training chopsticks, no need to master such a difficult skill. The little guy grabbed his spoon and scooped rice and vegetables into his mouth, spoonful after spoonful.
There was even dessert after dinner! The little guy nearly jumped out of his chair when Qin Kun took a little rabbit-shaped cake out of the fridge!
It felt like New Year’s!
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