“Youyou, are you awake?”
It was a beautiful voice. Su Youli turned his head and saw a blur of white, followed by a face he distinctly remembered. It was the fairy brother he had seen today. Oh, wait, Shen Lin gege said the fairy brother was the eldest brother.
“Da-ge,” the little one said softly, his voice still unclear from just waking up.
Shen Yan bent down, his captivating eyes curving into crescents as he lifted the sleepy Su Youli onto his lap. His large palm patted Su Youli’s hand gently. Shen Yan didn’t try to engage him much during his waking-up period, simply keeping him company. Once Su Youli was fully awake, he reached out and grabbed the long, white garment draped over him.
He shifted his little bottom closer to Shen Yan, tilting his head back with wide, round eyes, staring at the ethereal traditional costume Shen Yan was wearing. The little one had never seen clothes like these. Curious, he reached out with his clean, plump little fingers and touched the front of the robe.
“Da-ge, it’s bamboo leaves!”
Shen Yan smiled, tapping the little one’s upturned nose with his fingertip. “Youyou knows bamboo leaves? That’s amazing!”
Proud of the praise, the little one puffed out his chest. “Youyou has bamboo leaves at home!”
He meant the home he shared with Qin Kun and Su Siwen. Su Siwen had always loved plants, so Qin Kun and Su Siwen had transplanted a few bamboo plants into their yard. Their growth was so vigorous that they had now formed a small, lush grove. Following Tang Dou’s advice, while the little one chatted excitedly, Shen Yan reached under the hem of his robe to feel the sweat towel on the little one’s back.
It was a bit damp. He needed to change it. Shen Yan felt at a loss. He had never changed a child’s clothes before. But it was fine. The eldest young master felt this small task was well within his abilities.
“Youyou, your clothes are a bit damp. How about I change them for you?”
Su Youli shook his head. “Youyou can dress himself.”
He had learned to dress himself when he was two and a half. It was very simple. Shen Yan’s strength had nowhere to go. When he stood in front of the children’s wardrobe and opened it, he fell into deep thought. The clothes inside were all purchased by the butler on Shen Minyan’s orders. Not knowing Su Youli’s preferences, they had bought everything imaginable.
Dinosaur onesies with tails and horns; Youyou would look adorable in those. Mini navy uniforms in blue and white; Youyou would be a handsome and cute little sailor. Trendy styles, streetwear, Korean-inspired outfits…
Children’s clothing nowadays was just too adorable. By the time Shen Yan finished walking through the closet, he had already picked out several outfits.
Su Youli looked at the clothes his eldest brother had laid out on the bed and blinked. “Da-ge, which one should Youyou wear?”
“Youyou can choose. Wear whatever you like.”
Shen Yan’s gaze swept over the various outfits. The little one, after hearing what he said, pushed himself off the bed with both hands, slipped his feet into his slippers, and padded over to open another wardrobe. Shen Yan followed and saw inside several pieces of clothing that looked completely out of place compared to the others.
Several batik short-sleeved shirts; white cotton-linen fabric printed with patterns. The gradient colors and designs impressed even Shen Yan, a regular attendee of fashion weeks. There were little vests, short-sleeved shirts, and even small jackets. Shen Yan could even see delicate embroidery at the collars, stitching the little one’s name. These were unique clothes that couldn’t be bought in any store.
Su Youli quickly picked out what he wanted to wear: a light short-sleeved shirt with a sunflower pattern and a pair of light blue shorts. Shen Yan helped him get them down, watching as the little one pattered back to the bed, took off his pajamas, and put on the clothes he had chosen. These were clothes his fathers had made for him, carrying the scent he knew best. Su Youli patted his little knees, then jumped off the bed, slipped into his slippers, and went to take Shen Yan’s hand.
Su Youli had no interest in the expensive, brightly colored clothes. He only loved the ones his adoptive fathers had made for him. Shen Yan crouched down and touched the fabric of the little one’s clothes. It was incredibly soft, nothing that would irritate the little one’s delicate skin. Even the fabric had been specially treated. Countless thoughts flashed through Shen Yan’s mind. In this day and age, the way adults showed love for their children was by buying toys and new clothes, giving them the best living conditions. Hand-making clothes for a child was simply…
“Da-ge, Youyou needs to put on shoes.”
Su Youli sat on the floor, his little head burrowing into the wardrobe as he searched for his cloth shoes. His little baba had made them for him!
Shen Yan: “…” I underestimated it. Youyou’s adoptive father not only makes his clothes but also his shoes…
A thought struck him. He looked at the bed and saw two small handmade pillows. Shen Yan closed his eyes, feeling humbled, and went to find the little one’s shoes. The cloth shoes were clearly the right size and looked quite new, probably made not long ago. The little one couldn’t tie shoelaces yet, so the shoes had snap fasteners. Su Youli slipped his little feet in, bent down to fasten the snaps, straightened up, and reached for Shen Yan’s hand.
A warm, chubby little fist slipped into Shen Yan’s palm. He looked down to see Su Youli smiling at him. Big eyes, lashes fluttering like butterfly wings, soft black curls atop his head. Su Youli looked up expectantly.
Shen Yan opened his mouth, a sentence popping into his head: ‘Parenting Manual, Rule Five: After Su Youli completes a task independently, such as dressing himself, give him plenty of praise.’
“Our Youyou looks so handsome!” Shen Yan’s eyes sparkled as he said it, with a slightly exaggerated tone.
The little one straightened up, his little belly slightly rounded, utterly adorable.
“Da-ge, where’s Shen Lin gege?” the little one asked as Shen Yan led him downstairs.
“Your second brother is in his room doing homework. How about I take you to dinner?”
The little one nodded. He knew what homework was; Yang Yang gege had to do homework too. Arriving at the dining room, he saw a Stitch-themed children’s high chair placed next to the table, clearly prepared for him. Su Youli touched the high chair, loving it immediately. He looked ready to climb into Stitch’s embrace with all fours.
“Da-ge,” the little one said, reaching toward Shen Yan.
Shen Yan lifted him into the high chair, adjusted it, and moved the tray in front of him. After just one meal, Shen Yan finally understood why Shen Lin called Youyou an angel baby. The little one fed himself with his spoon, taking small bites, not picky at all, eating whatever was given, not spilling a single grain of rice. He was a very well-mannered child.
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