The pediatric examiner carried the two chubby babies one after the other for their checkups, patting their heads afterward and complimenting how well-behaved and adorable they were.
Huo Rulan looked at Chen’an and Jingxing chewing on their clothes and drooling while leaning against him, well-behaved? Yes. But also little rascals…
Ye Xi accompanied Huo Rulan for his checkup. The doctor said his body had recovered well and there were no other concerns.
After a series of checkups, it was almost noon. Huo Rulan took Ye Xi and the babies back to the main family home for lunch. On the way, the two little ones sat in their car seats babbling and drooling.
“They must be hungry,” Ye Xi said from the back seat, pulling some tissues to wipe their drool. He pulled out two pacifiers from the bag to give them something to suck on.
Huo Rulan glanced at the rearview mirror and comforted them, “Almost there, we’re nearly home.”
As the car entered a high-end villa community, Huo Rulan spotted Huo Chengsong pacing back and forth at the gate, occasionally stopping to look out toward the road.
Rong Lan came out of the villa quickly holding two bottles of prepared milk, standing beside Huo Chengsong and looking eagerly down the road.
Huo Rulan’s lips curved up in a smile as he slowly pulled the car up to the gate. He got out and went around to open the car door for Ye Xi.
Huo Chengsong and Rong Lan walked past the smiling Huo Rulan without a glance and warmly greeted Ye Xi and the babies, talking and playing with the kids as they entered the house.
Huo Rulan: “…”
Confirmed. Real dad and real mom indeed.
Ye Xi turned around to look at the frozen Huo Rulan. “Come in already.”
Huo Chengsong waved without turning back. “Go park in the underground garage. Don’t leave the car by the gate, it’ll block others.”
Then he turned and happily went inside to play with the grandkids, leaving Huo Rulan standing there, words caught in his throat.
“…Real dad,” Huo Rulan muttered.
When he came in after parking, Rong Lan and Ye Xi were chatting in the kitchen while Huo Chengsong sat happily on the living room couch.
Chen’an and Jingxing nestled in Grandpa’s arms, holding their bottles and drinking away. Their eyes occasionally looked up at him, making Huo Chengsong laugh heartily and call them his darling grandbabies.
Huo Rulan walked over to the living room with their bag, planning to put it down. But as soon as the kids saw him, they pulled their pacifiers out and burst into tears, not even finishing their milk.
Huo Chengsong quickly tried to comfort them, but the babies continued crying and staring at Huo Rulan.
He put down the bag and picked them up, gently patting their backs. “This is Grandpa, don’t you remember? He just held you last week.”
He turned to comfort his father. “It’s okay, Dad. They’re three months old now. It’s normal for them to get shy. They’ll be fine in a bit.”
Huo Chengsong sighed and nodded. He was usually busy and didn’t visit often, so it was understandable they didn’t remember.
In their daddy’s arms, the babies quickly calmed down, nursing again with adorable milk-drinking noises, “mm-hmm mm-hmm”, melting everyone’s hearts and making them want to give them the whole world.
Huo Chengsong watched from the nearby couch as their chubby cheeks puffed while they drank. He occasionally chatted with Huo Rulan about the company.
Huo Rulan wiped the babies’ mouths and burped them upright before turning to his father. “Dad, after Chen’an and Jingxing’s hundred-day banquet, I’m going back to work. Thank you for all your help lately. You can rest after that.”
Huo Chengsong huffed, “I don’t need you. Just focus on your recovery. I’m not old yet. I can handle the company.”
“My body’s already fine,” Huo Rulan said, looking at the gray hairs and wrinkles on his father’s face. “It’s decided. I’ll return to work after the banquet.”
Huo Chengsong shot him a glare and scolded him for being a brat, but his eyes were full of pride and warmth.
After a few more words, he got up and went to the kitchen.
Ye Xi came out and sat next to Huo Rulan, taking Jingxing into his arms and smiling as he teased the baby. “Daddy said I should come out and eat fruit and watch TV.”
Huo Rulan glanced at the kitchen, his dad was leaning against his mom while they washed vegetables, occasionally whispering and smiling like newlyweds.
He smiled silently, scooted closer to Ye Xi with Chen’an in his arms, pressing their arms together.
Ye Xi bumped his shoulder lightly and laughed quietly.
Huo Rulan tilted his head and leaned in closer and closer.
Ye Xi’s ears turned red as he pushed him away, whispering, “What are you doing?”
“Nothing at all,” Huo Rulan said, hugging the baby and pressing closer with a serious expression.
Ye Xi didn’t expose him, he just chuckled and leaned against him.
Huo Rulan kept a straight face as he slipped his arm around Ye Xi’s waist, lips secretly curling upward. He happily poked Chen’an’s bouncy little chin, making the baby stare at him with grape-like eyes and blow bubbles.
From the kitchen, Rong Lan called, “Time to eat!”
Huo Rulan picked up the two pink, squishy babies and followed Ye Xi to the dining room. He placed the babies in the small crib beside them and tied on their bibs.
During the meal, they discussed plans for Chen’an and Jingxing’s hundred-day banquet.
Huo Chengsong and Rong Lan didn’t plan to interfere: “You two decide everything. Just let us know when it’s set so we can help decorate and prep.”
Huo Rulan nodded and picked up some vegetables for Ye Xi with his chopsticks. Under the table, he poked Ye Xi’s waist to tell him not to be picky.
Ye Xi peeked across the table at Huo Chengsong and Rong Lan, face flushing, and obediently ate his veggies. Under the table, he sneakily kicked Huo Rulan’s leg, only for his ankle to get caught silently in return. Ye Xi turned even redder.
Across from them, the couple pretended not to notice. Huo Chengsong calmly passed spare ribs to Rong Lan, while she smiled and ladled soup for Ye Xi, also scooping a bowl for Huo Rulan.
Huo Rulan: “…”
It’s fine. He’s used to this treatment.
He expressionlessly accepted the soup. “Thanks, Mom.”
As he drank, he glanced at Ye Xi, who was holding back laughter, his own gaze filled with helpless affection.
After the meal, the two dads each held a baby and played chess in the living room. Ye Xi and Rong Lan sat on the sofa knitting, enjoying a peaceful, ordinary family moment.
Chen’an, held by Grandpa, gripped a white chess piece in his fat little paw and placed it down following Grandpa’s guidance. The little guy looked slightly confused.
Huo Chengsong pinched his squishy hand. “Chen’an is doing great!”
Even though he didn’t understand, Chen’an still grinned a toothless smile and babbled toward his brother in Daddy’s arms: “Mm mm~ awu~”
Maybe encouraged by his brother, Jingxing eagerly waved his tiny fists in Huo Rulan’s arms. “Awoo~ apu~”
“Okay, okay, it’s your turn now,” Huo Rulan chuckled, taking a black chess piece from the jar and putting it in his hand, guiding him to place it. “Such an impatient one… wonder who you got that from.”
“…Must be me. Your little papa is way more well-behaved.”
After finally making his move, Jingxing reached out his chubby little hand toward his older brother: “Mmm-hmm~ mmm-hmm~”
Huo Chengsong laughed heartily and gave him a big thumbs up. “Jingxing is awesome too!”
The little cub grinned even wider and kicked his legs in Daddy’s arms. Huo Rulan chuckled and wiped his drool. “You two little gas canisters, who are you trying to kill with this much cuteness?”
Over on the sofa, Rong Lan was gently knitting and softly asked Ye Xi, who was helping wind yarn beside her, “Xiao Xi, would you be interested in taking over a few of the companies under my name?”
Ye Xi abruptly looked up, stammering, “M-Me? Mom… I don’t know how to do that…”
Rong Lan patted his hand reassuringly. “It’s alright. Rulan knows how. We’ll transfer them under your name, you just wait and collect the earnings.”
Huo Rulan turned his head stiffly toward his mother, then silently looked away again, returning to playing chess with Jingxing. He tapped the baby’s head and muttered quietly, “Hurry and grow up to inherit the family business…”
Rong Lan put down her knitting and pulled a few documents from the cabinet beneath the coffee table, handing them to Ye Xi. “This is just a little something from your dad and me.”
Ye Xi took them, a bit at a loss. They were equity transfer contracts for multiple companies. Aside from the largest one, Huo Group, which was in Huo Rulan’s name, the rest of the large and small businesses were all here.
Huo Chengsong and Rong Lan had already signed the documents. All it needed was Ye Xi’s signature to become effective.
Faced with such a generous gesture, Ye Xi was overwhelmed. His eyes welled up with emotion.
Rong Lan gently stroked his hair, her voice warm. “The things we truly like are hard to hide. Mom knows you like film and entertainment. These companies include a film studio, a fashion brand, and an entertainment agency… Everything you need is right here.”
“Go for it, sweetheart. Don’t worry.”
Ye Xi carefully held her hand, which she squeezed tightly in return, and then gently patted his head.
He couldn’t hold back his tears anymore. “Thank you, Mom…”
The dream he had once buried deep within his heart was finally brought back to life, not with violence and scolding this time, but with gentle support and encouragement.
That soft touch on his head felt as if it crossed through time, landing on the 18-year-old Ye Xi who once endured so much, warming the pain of his past and letting his forgotten dreams bloom again.
***
After dinner at the family house, Ye Xi followed Huo Rulan around like a little tail, trailing behind him as he made baby formula.
The little dummy behind him kept rubbing his forehead against Huo Rulan’s back, hugging his waist and swaying like a clingy little thing, letting out soft whiny hums.
“Someone’s super clingy tonight~”
“Hmph~ Huo Rulan~”
The man grabbed the hands on his waist and kissed them. “Someone’s in a good mood?”
Those delicate fingers were slipping and sliding over the man’s abs, and Ye Xi’s voice, unable to hide his joy, rang out from behind him: “Your mom and dad are so sweet to me~ Thank you, Huo Rulan~”
Maybe he felt a little shy after saying that, because Ye Xi buried his face into his back and rubbed him more, his little butt swaying, his hands continuing to misbehave, scratching and tickling Huo Rulan’s abs until he could feel a fire rising inside him.
He grabbed that mischievous hand and led Ye Xi to the living room.
The two babies lay in the crib, gnawing on their hands. When they saw their big and small dads, they let go and flashed wide, milky smiles while waving and kicking excitedly.
After handing them their bottles, Huo Rulan gave their chubby cheeks a squeeze. He then sat down on the sofa, pulling Ye Xi into his lap. He pressed their foreheads together and gently met his eyes.
“Am I not good to you?” he asked softly.
Ye Xi sat on his lap, wrapping his arms around Huo Rulan’s neck. He tilted his head and kissed the man’s Adam’s apple. “You’re the best to me~”
Huo Rulan’s hand rubbed his waist, his Adam’s apple moving slightly. His voice deepened, seductive eyes locking onto Ye Xi’s as he leaned in and whispered against his ear:
“Then since I’m so good to you… shouldn’t you give me something in return?”
He lowered his head, lips brushing against Ye Xi’s ear, and added in a barely audible murmur:
“Like, maybe…”
The rest of the words were too quiet to hear clearly, but Ye Xi’s face turned bright red on the spot.
This is my second day at workkkk as well as my birthday, but I got to say I’ll still try daily updates but the orig updates would be MWF. Thank you for supporting this book and staying with me.
If you like the story please vote on NU or support me on ko-fi
Happy birthday!
These chapters are so cute. The babies are so cute! 🥰 😭😍😍