Feng Yuan’s little mouth pressed against the receiver, and his soft, sticky, babyish voice let out a small hum. He was still trying to figure out how to read the words on the phone screen.
He had played with the neighbor sister’s phone before, so he knew that the name shown on the caller ID represented who was calling.
“Are you Dengdeng?”
Three-year-old Feng Yuan hadn’t gone to school yet, but he knew the character “Deng”.
In the cartoon Little Dinosaur Ka Tu Tu, there was a big dinosaur named “Hei Dengdeng”.
Feng Yuan originally thought Hei Dengdeng was Ka Tu Tu’s father, so whenever he watched it, he paid extra attention to Hei Dengdeng.
Among the words he knew, aside from “Ka Tu Tu”, there was also “Hei Dengdeng”.
Now, the word he knew had finally come in handy!
Feng Yuan was a very outgoing, friendly child.
After calling out “Dengdeng”, he went ahead and started talking on his own: “I’m Yuan Yuan. I’m the one who answered the call, oh.”
Feng Yuan really loved answering the phone. As soon as the ringtone sounded, he always wanted to reach out his little hand and pick it up.
After Feng Yuan had been talking one-sidedly for quite a while, a voice finally came from the receiver.
It was a strange voice, deep and forceful, carrying a solemn tone: “What is your relationship with Li Ting?”
The other party didn’t waste a single word. Right from the start, he directly asked about Feng Yuan’s identity.
Feng Yuan let out a little “Mm.”
He was just about to answer honestly when a big hand suddenly snatched the phone from his grasp.
The next second, the owner of that big hand was holding the phone, turning around, and walking outside. As he walked, he spoke into the receiver: “Dad.”
Feng Yuan, sitting on the floor: “?”
He looked at his now-empty chubby little hands, his small head tilting in thought.
“Little Uncle’s dad…”
In Feng Yuan’s mind, the coin-operated kiddie ride in front of the alleyway convenience store immediately appeared.
There were always children riding that kiddie ride every day.
So, every time, Feng Yuan could hear the kiddie ride singing.
“Daddy’s older brother is called Uncle, Daddy’s younger brother is called Little Uncle, and Daddy’s daddy is called Grandpa…”
Feng Yuan echoed the lyrics in his head, and his empty, chubby little hand clenched into a fist.
“Little Uncle’s dad… is Grandpa.”
Having figured out the relationship, he immediately grabbed the sofa cover and pulled himself up to stand.
Once he was up, he hurriedly chased after Li Ting’s direction.
Grandpa’s call. He wanted to listen, too!
At this moment, on the other end of the phone, the old Master Li was once again asking about Feng Yuan’s identity.
Li Ting replied in a calm tone: “He’s my son.”
The old man didn’t believe it.
There wasn’t much fluctuation in his tone, but the sense of authority in his words—even across the screen—felt as if it could spill over.
He asked faintly, “The matter of you going to Luozhai to invite people to summon ghosts has spread far and wide. Now that summoning ghosts has failed, what backup plan do you still have?”
On the surface, the old man was asking whether Li Ting intended to continue summoning.
But hidden beneath his words was a warning—
You should stop.
Li Ting knew his biological father all too well. He understood the meaning behind every word the man spoke. Even more so, he understood his father’s thunderous methods.
From childhood to adulthood, under his father’s oppressive might, he had been forced into countless fits of madness.
He went mad, but he also remained clear-headed.
He knew when, before his father, he should act mad and when he should not.
Just like now, he tugged at the corner of his lips, as if pulling on a false mask for himself, and answered his father: “I have no backup plan. There are no ghosts in this world. I believe it.”
Old Master Li was somewhat satisfied with that response.
The old man paused for a few seconds, then didn’t continue on that topic.
Just when Li Ting thought he was about to hang up, the old man suddenly asked: “What does ‘Dengdeng’ mean?”
Li Ting: “…”
Just as Feng Yuan rushed over, he opened his mouth, ready to explain: “It’s—”
“It means bountiful harvest.”
Li Ting bent down, precisely covering the little cub’s mouth on his lap with one hand, while calmly continuing the conversation.
The old man: “Got it.”
The old man didn’t grow suspicious. After saying that final sentence, he hung up the phone.
As for Feng Yuan’s identity, he didn’t press further over the call.
Li Ting thought to himself, if the old man didn’t believe Feng Yuan was his child, then most likely he wouldn’t have any real interest in him either.
Not thinking too much more about the call, Li Ting lowered his gaze, looking at Feng Yuan, whose mouth he was still covering.
With his mouth covered and unable to speak, Feng Yuan’s little face was as aggrieved as it could be.
His pair of misty, round eyes was even more beautiful and clear than a fawn’s in the forest. When he stared at someone silently like this, he could soften the hardest of hearts.
Li Ting found himself caught in that pair of eyes.
Two seconds later.
He averted his gaze, his tone returning to its usual manner: “What’d you come chasing here for? Want to show off that even with short legs, you can still run fast?”
Feng Yuan was completely immune to this tone of speech from his uncle.
So, he didn’t get angry. Instead, he just pointed at the phone and called out: “Grandpa!”
Li Ting: “…”
Li Ting: “Give it a rest. Don’t go calling him Grandpa.”
As he spoke, Li Ting raised his hand and pinched Feng Yuan’s tender, soft, little bun-like cheeks. Those cheeks were even softer than freshly steamed buns right out of the basket.
Pinching those bun cheeks, he gave a light hum and said, “That so-called grandpa of yours has never raised a child. If he were to find out he had a grandson like you, he’d take you away immediately.”
Hearing this, Feng Yuan still wasn’t afraid of Grandpa.
He blinked and said, “If Grandpa takes Yuan Yuan, Yuan Yuan will let him.”
On Huasheng Street, lots of the old folks were taking care of their grandchildren!
Feng Yuan didn’t think there was anything wrong with being looked after by a grandpa.
Li Ting looked at his little face, gave a faint laugh, and added, “If your grandpa takes you away, you won’t be able to see your dad for a very, very long time. And Li Sheng, you won’t get to see him either.”
“Oh, right. That Qin Xun. You won’t be able to see him either.”
Feng Yuan: “…”
The little face that had been carefree just moments ago slowly turned into one of fear.
He shook his little head like a rattle-drum, his babyish voice full of panic: “Yuan Yuan doesn’t want to be taken away by Grandpa!”
“Yuan Yuan wants to be with Dad, Big Daddy, Little Uncle, and Qin Xun!”
Dragging his baby voice with a trembling tone, he announced this loudly.
After he finished declaring, Li Ting fell silent upon hearing himself included in that list.
Li Ting really couldn’t figure it out—
Why did this chubby little brat trust him so much?
Was this kind of simple and innocent kid really Li Sheng’s biological son?
The more he thought, the less sense it made, so he simply stopped trying. Putting his phone away, he picked Feng Yuan up with one arm and carried him back to the living room.
In the living room, there was a gift he had prepared for Feng Yuan.
This gift was also something Li Sheng had given him when he was little.
When he was a child, he watched Animal World, and there was one episode about snakes.
At that time, he was most afraid of snakes. During that episode, he was so terrified that he sat frozen in his chair, not daring to move from beginning to end.
Just then, Li Sheng happened to pass by in front of him. He looked at the snake on the TV screen, then looked at him.
Back then, he still carried a bit of brotherly feeling toward Li Sheng. So, struck dumb with fear, he immediately turned pleading eyes toward his older brother for help.
The two brothers locked eyes for several seconds, and then…
Li Sheng walked away.
That’s right. Li Sheng left cleanly and decisively, with no hesitation at all.
He didn’t even look back once at his pitiful, frightened little brother.
But what chilled Li Ting’s heart the most wasn’t that departure. What truly made him both cold-hearted and furious was that the very next day, Li Sheng put a snake on Li Ting’s bed.
A big, red snake, flicking its forked tongue with a hiss.
That snake had been coiled inside a box, with bits of satin ribbon—like the kind used for tying up gifts—scattered beside its body.
Li Ting looked at the gift box, then at the snake…
He felt a deep, malicious intent.
This older brother of his, Li Sheng, truly despised him!
Recalling the past, Li Ting held Feng Yuan in one arm while personally opening the gift box with the other. After opening it, he stepped back a bit.
The corners of his lips slowly curved into a malicious smile.
He could already imagine it. Once Feng Yuan saw that the gift was a snake, he would surely be terrified—
“Wah, so pwetty!”
A surprised, babyish voice suddenly shattered Li Ting’s thoughts.
The little one, who had been in his arms just moments ago, wriggled his chubby body free and impatiently slid down to the floor.
He rushed to the gift box a short distance away, leaning his little head forward to look at the snake inside.
Inside was a small black snake, coiled up, not flicking its tongue.
Compared to the snake Li Ting had received in his childhood, this one was vastly different in every respect.
This little snake didn’t even have the ability to instill fear.
Yet Li Ting, who had spoken of revenge and scaring the child, didn’t bring out the big snake he had long since prepared. Instead, he only took out this small box.
And even this small box was deliberately placed at quite a distance from Feng Yuan.
Whether Feng Yuan noticed these details or not, it was hard to say.
In any case, all of Feng Yuan’s attention was now fixed on the little black snake.
“It’s really pretty! Its color is just like Wu Jin’s!”
Wu Jin was a black flood dragon, its entire body covered in black scales.
He had once been raised by Feng Qi for a while, but later disappeared without a trace.
When Feng Yuan was just born, Feng Qi’s health was at its worst, often falling into unconsciousness. Bai Ze was busy caring for Feng Qi, leaving baby Feng Yuan, wrapped in swaddling, without anyone to look after him.
At that critical time, it was Wu Jin—the solitary creature who never appeared before others—who walked out of the cold pool and took him in.
Wu Jin couldn’t speak. It was unclear whether he had not yet cultivated enough to form speech, or whether there was some other reason.
Anyway, he had never spoken a single word.
Though he couldn’t talk, he had taken very good care of Feng Yuan.
Feng Yuan was very fond of Wu Jin. Because of that affection, he even extended his liking to this little black snake, unable to put it down.
“Little Uncle, it’s cool and smooth. You should touch it, too!”
Like presenting a treasure, Feng Yuan brought the little black snake over and placed it in Li Ting’s hand.
Li Ting: “…”
Li Ting’s face turned green.
The snake he had brought earlier was one that someone else had already placed inside the box beforehand.
He himself had never touched it!
Now, feeling that cold, slick sensation in his hand, Li Ting’s body went rigid. Almost gritting his teeth, he forced out two words: “Take it!”
Feng Yuan: “Ah?”
Seeing Li Ting’s greenish face, Feng Yuan stretched out his chubby little hand and snatched the little black snake back.
“Little Uncle, are you afraid of Hei Hei?”
In just that short moment, Feng Yuan had already given the little black snake a name.
Thinking about how Feng Yuan might want to raise this snake, the corner of Li Ting’s mouth twitched. He was already starting to lose interest in fighting Li Sheng for the child.
Right now, he just wanted to send this kid back to Li Sheng.
Just as Li Ting had the thought of Li Sheng, his phone rang again.
This time, Feng Yuan also caught sight of the caller ID.
“Uncle, why are there no words?”
Feng Yuan tilted his little head as he looked at the display.
He remembered that caller IDs always had characters, but this time, there weren’t any. Only a line of letters he couldn’t read.
“That’s a foreign language.”
With the snake no longer in his hands, Li Ting’s movements slowly returned to normal.
He picked up the call, but didn’t tell Feng Yuan that the meaning of this string of foreign letters was no less mocking than the note “Dengdeng”.
That foreign phrase—translated in the most refined and euphemistic way—meant:
A man who pretends the most.
A deeper translation of it was far cruder, bordering on an insult.
Feng Yuan was stroking his little snake. Before he could figure out what the caller note meant, he already heard Li Sheng’s voice coming through the receiver.
When Li Sheng dialed the number, it wasn’t with the intention of speaking with Li Ting. From the very start, he called Feng Yuan’s name.
“Yuan Yuan, tonight you’ll sleep at Li Ting’s place. Don’t let him cook for you. Have him take you out to eat. For your clothes, have him bring you back to get them, or just buy new ones. And don’t forget to bathe before you go to bed.”
“I’ve sent him a memo. Tell him to first pull my WeChat out of his blocklist.”
“Your dad went out with someone today. Coincidentally, I have to go on a business trip nearby, so I can bring him back to you.”
Though Li Sheng spoke quite a bit, his tone was steady, neither rushed nor slow, sounding calm.
Because of this, Feng Yuan didn’t sense anything unusual about both of his dads being away.
He just obediently replied, “Big Daddy, you go pick up Dad. Don’t worry about Yuan Yuan.”
“Yuan Yuan really likes staying with Little Uncle.”
Li Ting : Mwah ha ha, I’m gonna kidnap Li Sheng’s child.
While Li Sheng : Good, a free nanny.
😂