After finishing his phone call, Shen Minyan went to pick up his son. Qin Kun opened the door. Su Siwen was also still awake. Both of them looked energetic. The little one who had shattered the romantic mood had already fallen asleep on the bed. The sleeping little one was carried out by Qin Kun. When he was placed in Shen Minyan’s arms, he snuggled in deeper. The corridor light was bright. Shen Minyan raised his hand to shield the little guy’s face.
The little guy opened his eyes and said slowly, “Dad.”
After a few gentle pats from Shen Minyan, the little guy fell back asleep in his arms. The next morning, Qin Kun dragged the little guy out for a run. The little guy changed into his sportswear, happily ate breakfast, and held Qin Kun’s hand to go see his new friends. Near the small house was a park with large patches of green grass, a famous dog park. After Su Youli ran a bit behind Qin Kun, a Corgi came up to him.
“Lala, good morning!” The little guy crouched down to pet the Corgi’s head.
Lala’s owner held the leash, chatting with Qin Kun. Soon, the sound of a child’s laughter came from the grass. Qin Kun had to admit that the little guy was popular with everyone, not just adults, but even the dogs loved him and were especially gentle around him. With these dogs as companions, the little guy’s morning exercise was no problem at all. Qin Kun even worried that Youyou might get too tired, since the dogs had so much energy.
Today, Youyou would be leaving, heading to another city. Even though they were still in Country D, the next time they would meet was uncertain. Tang Dou packed the little guy’s things and, as he carried the suitcase downstairs, he was already worried. What if Youyou got upset about leaving his two dads and cried? In the living room, the little guy sat on Qin Kun’s lap, watching cartoons intently. When he heard footsteps, he jumped off the sofa and ran to Tang Dou.
“Brother Xiao Tang, Youyou will carry it himself.”
Little Dad had been sick, and Big Dad worked hard every day. Even though Su Youli wasn’t yet four, he had learned from a young age to do things himself. The little guy didn’t fully understand that the Shen family was wealthy, nor was he clear on the concept of a nanny. He felt that Brother Xiao Tang had to wash his clothes and shoes, play with him, teach him numbers, singing, and drawing. It was just too much work.
Tang Dou smiled and slung the small bag over his shoulder: “Youyou is such a good boy.”
The little guy put on his Stitch backpack and obediently went to the entrance to change his shoes. Seeing him so obedient and self-sufficient, the three fathers felt a little embarrassed. The tearful goodbye they had imagined didn’t happen. If this were before, the little guy wouldn’t have been this calm. But now he understood. His dad had to stay here for treatment. When he got better, he could come back to China to be with him. The little guy stood at the door, gripping his small backpack, and was scooped up by Shen Minyan.
They walked to the entrance. The little guy waved: “Dad, you have to work hard.”
Su Siwen kissed the little guy’s chubby cheek and patted his soft curls: “Dad will definitely work hard. When Dad is better, he’ll bring Kun Kun to find you.”
The little guy nodded firmly, giving a strong “Mm,” and reached out his short arms to hug Su Siwen’s neck affectionately. With Zhang Shun and the two young men sent by the Chu family to care for them, Shen Minyan wasn’t worried. He nodded to them and got into the car with the little guy. Only when the car was completely out of sight did Su Siwen and Qin Kun look away. It was rare for them not to feel too sad. Su Siwen couldn’t wait for his final surgery. After a successful operation, he could be transferred back to China for rehabilitation.
—
D City Airport. The three other children had also landed. This filming trip abroad was a big challenge, not just for the children and parents, but for the production team as well. Unlike the previous two times, the cameramen started filming from the moment the children set off. After collecting their luggage, they stood in a neat row.
“Good afternoon, children.”
Among the three little ones, Mi Le’s voice was the loudest: “Good afternoon, Director Uncle.”
The director spoke in a slightly regretful tone: “Why are there only three of you? Where’s Youyou?”
Mi Le raised his hand to answer: “Youyou is right here!”
Niu Niu and Qiqi nodded in agreement. They already knew Youyou was in Country D.
The director: “So Youyou is here, but I don’t see him.”
The three little ones looked left and right, but there was indeed no sign of Youyou. Pei Qiqi pursed his lips, his head hanging in disappointment.
Mi Le put his hands on his hips and said loudly, “Director Uncle, you’re so silly. This is an airport. Youyou must be waiting for us somewhere else.”
The director slapped his thigh with exaggerated acting: “Oh dear, I forgot to tell you. Youyou and his brother got on the wrong car. We haven’t heard from them yet.”
Pei Qiqi’s eyes widened in panic. What? Youyou was missing! Niu Niu was also frantic. The three little ones, their eyes red, ran to the director.
“Is Youyou lost? We need to go find him!”
They looked up at the director. The director pushed up his glasses, showing no guilt about lying to children.
“Youyou is in a very safe place. Remember? He has a golden adventure badge on him. All bad people will be scared away by it, and the Spirit of Courage will protect him.”
The three little ones looked down at the shiny golden footprint badges on their chests, touching them affectionately.
“But we still need to find Youyou, because we are a team,” the director said passionately.
The three little ones were full of confidence.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes!”
“We’re in a foreign country. What do we do when we face difficulties?”
“We have to be brave and ask adults for help!”
The director waved his hand: “Great. You are all mature little warriors now. Go ahead and follow the map to find the lonely Youyou!”
The three little ones put on their red bucket hats and their matching little backpacks. A map and a small coin purse were handed to Mi Le. Pei Qiqi put Youyou’s little hat and bag away and walked over to Mi Le. The three little ones sat on the airport floor to study the map that would lead them to Youyou.
“Isn’t this too dangerous? We’re in a foreign country, after all.”
The new guest was Niu Niu’s cousin Wang Zhi, sixteen years old, in high school. He had started as a child actor but had been busy with school and had few recent projects.
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