“Niu Niu is not your biological daughter. It’s better for you to sleep separately.”
Chairman Shen’s words were blunt, speaking directly in front of the camera what Mi Huan had been thinking. Mi Huan looked at him with admiration. Indeed, only Chairman Shen could say something so straightforward without hesitation. Du Ze was stumped. He paused mid-step. The tone of Shen Minyan’s words was somewhat harsh, carrying obvious displeasure.
Du Ze could only laugh it off, scratching his head and pretending to be innocent. “I forgot Niu Niu isn’t my biological daughter. Thanks for the reminder, Brother Shen.”
Shen Minyan nodded coolly, took back his suitcase, and went upstairs without caring what anyone else thought. He tidied the room, laid out the bedding he had brought, and placed the two small pillows Su Siwen had made for the little guy on the bed. He then opened the suitcase and, following Tang Dou’s instructions, took out the children’s bath towel and pajamas.
The suitcase had a dedicated section for the toiletries and baby cream Youyou was used to. To be honest, this was indeed Shen Minyan’s first time doing this kind of thing. The little jacket the little guy had taken off in the afternoon was draped over the sofa. Shen Minyan took it to the bathroom, hand-washed it, and hung it on the balcony. Because Dad had tidied up carefully, the little guy, who was a bit unfamiliar with the new environment, felt a sense of warmth as soon as Dad carried him into the room.
The little guy ran to the bed, reached up to touch his small pillow, and smiled up at his father. “Dad, thank you.”
Shen Minyan smiled back, bent down, and carried the little guy to the bathroom to give him a bath. Tang Dou had already set up a foldable bathtub. Two little yellow ducks sat on the counter.
“It’s Big Yellow and Second Yellow!” The little guy was placed on a soft mat, shirtless, hugging his bath buddies tightly with his pale little arms.
Shen Minyan took a moment to look at the two identical yellow ducks. “You can tell them apart?”
The little guy looked at his father strangely. Why couldn’t he? Big Yellow and Second Yellow were his friends.
“Big Yellow’s beak is pink. Second Yellow’s tail tip has a little white spot. Look, Dad.”
After helping the little guy take off his pants, Shen Minyan stared at the two ducks. After half a second, he concluded that the only special feature was that the manufacturer’s quality control was inconsistent, resulting in small imperfections. These imperfections, in the little guy’s eyes, made them unique. They were one-of-a-kind ducks.
After placing the little guy in the warm water, Shen Minyan let out a deep breath. Su Youli was an angel baby. Apart from being a little afraid of water, he had almost no flaws. He remembered the first time the little guy took a bath at the Shen house. He and his two sons stood at the door, hearts breaking at the sound of the little guy’s pitiful sobs inside. Even though the little guy really liked Brother Xiao Tang, being naked and vulnerable was deeply unsettling for him.
It used to be Little Dad and Kun Kun who bathed him. When Su Youli cried, he didn’t wail like other children. Instead, he sobbed softly, big tears falling one after another into the bathtub. The moment he was placed in the water, Tang Dou lifted the wet little one out of the tub, wrapped him in a towel, and soothed him gently. Once the little guy had cried enough, Tang Dou told him they wouldn’t bathe today. Youyou was a clean baby, still clean even without a bath.
The little guy stopped crying, his big eyes watery. “I’m sorry, Brother Xiao Tang. Youyou wasn’t good.”
Tang Dou pinched his cheek, held him close, comforted him, and carefully wiped the moisture from his skin.
“Everyone has something they’re afraid of. For me, it’s heights.”
The little guy’s eyes were red. He looked at Tang Dou in surprise. Even Brother Xiao Tang, who was so capable, was afraid of heights.
Then, Tang Dou carried the little guy into the soft blankets and sat by the bed, talking to him. “Youyou wasn’t bad. Youyou is the best baby I’ve ever seen.”
The little guy blinked. He hadn’t cooperated with the bath, yet Brother Xiao Tang still praised him. That day, Tang Dou didn’t leave until nearly midnight. He told Youyou that water wasn’t scary as long as it was in a safe place, like the bathroom. Whenever Youyou felt scared, his hand would always be within reach.
“Is Youyou afraid of small water basins?”
“No.” The little guy shook his head. He could even wash his own feet in a basin.
Tang Dou tilted his head and smiled at him. “How about tomorrow, Dad buys you a basin a little bigger than the small one for you to play with?”
It took a month to cure the little guy’s fear of water. By the time Su Youli could get into the children’s bathtub without crying, even enjoying himself and splashing his little feet, the storage room was filled with bathtubs of various sizes and colors. Shen Minyan carefully scrubbed the little guy’s back as he watched him play with Big Yellow and Second Yellow.
Bathing the little guy on his own for the first time took much longer than he had expected. Afraid Youyou might catch a cold, he simply did a quick once-over from head to toe before lifting him out and wrapping him in a towel.
The little guy looked at his father, his long, curled eyelashes wet. “Dad, you didn’t squeeze my ears yet.”
Su Youli clearly remembered the order Brother Xiao Tang used for his baths. The last step was always squeezing his ears. It was just a matter of wiping around the inside of the ear with a finger to check for any remaining foam. Shen Minyan chuckled. He dipped his finger in clean water and pretended to check inside the little ears.
“There. All done.”
The little guy smiled contentedly. “Thank you, Dad.”
After his bath, the little guy, in fresh clothes, was carried downstairs by his dad. Pei Qiqi, sitting at the table, looked up sharply, and his eyes lit up when he saw the little guy. He jumped off his stool and walked over to stand beside the little guy. Three little boys sat at the table. Niu Niu’s hair was long and thick, so washing it took a bit longer. The three children hadn’t eaten much all day and were very hungry.
But it would be rude to start eating before everyone was present. Hua Zhao had come prepared. “Here are some cookies Qiqi made last night. Eat a few to tide you over.”
Mi Le and Youyou each took one, eating them quickly and enthusiastically.
“These are really good! Qiqi, you can bake cookies? You’re amazing!”
Mi Le had also taken baking classes in kindergarten, but his brother said even dogs wouldn’t eat his cookies. These cookies were made by Hua Zhao specifically to help Qiqi bond with the other children. But now, it seemed her earlier worries were unnecessary. These three children- Youyou was soft and adorable, Mi Le was outgoing and cheerful, and Niu Niu was quiet and well-behaved. She could tell that Qiqi had already blended in and become their good friend.
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