“Uncle Qin, Uncle Su, please don’t refuse. Staying closer will make it much easier to see Youyou. He talks about you nonstop every day.”
Shen Yan, standing before them, was not as aloof as Su Siwen had seen in photos. His attitude was humble and approachable, without any sense of distance.
After some polite refusals, Qin Kun and Su Siwen finally agreed. “Sorry for the trouble, then.”
The garden.
Su Yuanzi had been let out of his cage by Shen Lin. After being confined for so long, Yuanzi’s appearance had gone downhill; his fur was messy, making him look even uglier. Ugly as he was, he was indeed intelligent.
Su Youli crouched in front of him, palm up, and the dog placed his paw on it. “Woof!”
Su Youli patted his head and told him to roll over. Yuanzi stuck out his tongue and immediately flipped over. The little one was overjoyed. His most loyal friend, Su Yuanzi, had been brought here by his daddies.
Shen Lin found a Frisbee and guided Su Youli’s hand to throw it. Su Youli called out to Yuanzi in his baby voice, “Yuanzi, go get the frisbee.”
Yuanzi barked twice and dashed off, quickly retrieving the frisbee from the grass and placing it in front of Su Youli, lifting his doggy head expectantly. Tang Dou and Shen Lin stayed in the garden with the child and the dog, enjoying a very pleasant time. Meanwhile, Qin Kun and Su Siwen had put away their luggage and were walking toward the garden to find them.
The vast lawn was an expansive new world that Su Yuanzi had never experienced before. In the sunlight, the pink-nosed native dog’s coat gleamed. When he was tired from playing, he obediently rested his head against his little master’s feet. Su Siwen stood not far away. A gentle breeze carried Youyou’s laughter mixed with the fresh scent of grass and trees. For a moment, his eyes felt warm, and a dull ache in his knees seemed to remind him that Youyou naturally belonged here.
Qin Kun put his arm around Su Siwen’s shoulders, his calloused thumb pressing gently against his skin. “Youyou is doing so well. We should feel at ease now.”
The two of them stayed in Beicheng for two days. And during those two days, Su Youli finally got his wish to sleep with his two fathers. Su Youli’s bed was actually large enough for the three of them, and there were many empty rooms in the house. But no matter how much Shen Yan and Shen Lin tried to persuade them, they refused to move in.
Shen Minyan stood by and said nothing, but that evening, he had two butlers move Su Youli’s everyday items to their villa. At night, Su Siwen leaned against the headboard and told the little one a story. Listening to his father’s pleasant voice, the little one fell asleep in less than two minutes. When he woke up the next morning, the little one reached out his hand and could hug his fathers. Kunkun, as before, carried him to the bathroom to wash up and then downstairs for breakfast.
After breakfast, Su Youli was led by his two fathers for a walk. When they passed the flowerbed at Pei’s house, the little one happily introduced it as his friend’s home. Su Siwen and Qin Kun walked the paths Youyou had walked over the past half month, saw the sights he had seen. The child was growing up day by day, and they too had to move forward; get healthier, work harder at life, so that they could accompany Su Youli for a longer time.
Time flew by, and two days passed quickly. Su Youli woke up in his fathers’ arms. The little one raised his soft little arms and wrapped them around Su Siwen’s neck. Over these two days, the Shen family realized that although the little one was usually well-behaved and independent, when he was with his two adoptive fathers, he became a high-needs baby. Normally self-sufficient, now he wanted Qin Kun to hold his hand everywhere and Su Siwen to feed him his meals.
To see them off, the Shen family’s pastry chef had specially made blueberry tarts and a variety of exquisite pastries for them to take on the plane. Like on the first day, everyone was gathered at the table today. After breakfast, Qin Kun lifted Su Youli down from his high chair. As if sensing something, the little one silently held onto Kunkun’s neck, his small mouth pressed together.
“Youyou, are you full?” Su Siwen asked.
Su Youli obediently replied, “All full.”
The little one’s big eyes were clear and bright. Looking into them could instantly purify any bad feelings in one’s heart. Everyone in the dining room fell silent, none wanting to be the one to tell the little one that his daddies were leaving him today. This was the second time they were leaving. Su Siwen had prepared the little one early on, using simple language to explain the concept of parting to a three-year-old.
It was unclear how much the little one had understood. The little one, held in his father’s arms today, was wearing suspenders and a short jacket. His eyes were moist, more beautiful than glass marbles. Su Siwen suddenly felt a bit guilty and poked Qin Kun in the side with his finger. Qin Kun sighed inwardly, kissed the little one’s forehead, and prepared to tell him that his daddies were leaving today.
“Daddies, are you going to take a plane?”
Under everyone’s gaze, the little one suddenly said, his voice sweet and soft. No crying, no sadness or grief– just stating a fact.
Qin Kun was the first to respond. “Yes, I’m taking your little Daddy abroad for treatment.”
“What is ‘abroad’? Is it far? How far?”
Qin Kun carried him outside and said, “The doctor who can cure little Daddy is very, very far away.” The little one’s little brows furrowed like waves. Qin Kun said calmly, “While we’re away, can Youyou take good care of himself?”
“Yes!” The little one sat up in Qin Kun’s arms and raised his little fist.
Seeing his son so sensible, Qin Kun felt both sad and proud.
“And take care of Yuanzi. That’s the mission Dad is giving you, Little Friend Su Youli. Can you complete it?”
Su Youli answered earnestly, “Can complete!”
“Eat lots of vegetables, exercise a lot. If you don’t eat vegetables, you’ll shrink,” Qin Kun said, gently patting the little one’s head with his palm.
Su Youli was truly afraid of not growing tall. He immediately protected the top of his head with both hands and said, “Youyou eat vegetables, exercise, no shrinking~”
Qin Kun laughed. “Okay, no shrinking.”
There were still a few hours before their flight. Su Youli helped his daddies pack their luggage, helped pack their food, and went back to his room to rummage through his small backpack for many little gifts. Just like when they arrived, the entire Shen family saw them off at the airport. Getting into the car, Su Siwen still held Su Youli.
Shen Minyan remained silent. In fact, they had barely heard him speak these past two days. That’s just how powerful figures were. Shen Yan, as the eldest brother, took on most of the responsibility of hosting the guests. Shen Lin was the mood maker. And the remaining one…
Su Siwen’s gaze fell on the young man in the back seat. His name was Tang Dou, a very cute name—no wonder Su Youli liked him. Su Siwen had actually communicated quite a bit with Tang Dou over the past two days. He was hired by the Shen family to take care of Su Youli. Zhang Shun said he held a Ph.D. in child psychology. He had a calm and gentle demeanor and was very attentive to Su Youli. Entrusting the little one to his care, Su Siwen felt reassured.
“Xiao Tang, thank you for your hard work.”
Tang Dou smiled, his eyes curving like crescent moons. “Not at all. You and Brother Qin are the ones who’ve worked hard. Youyou is so well-behaved because you’ve put so much into raising him.”
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