Chen Qiusu had already etched Yang Tao’s image deeply into his heart. At this moment, he felt that Yang Tao was different from before. Blood ties are truly a mysterious thing. He may not care about blood relations, but the fact that Yang Tao was his biological son still shocked him.
“Dad.” Yang Tao was quiet for a moment. No matter how outgoing and lively he was, he still couldn’t help but feel shy under Chen Qiusu’s gentle gaze. He tiptoed slightly and unconsciously leaned toward him. Chen Qiusu caught him steadily. When their noses touched, Yang Tao’s eyes twinkled, and he smiled brightly, “Dad.”
Life is just as miraculous as blood ties. Chen Qiusu couldn’t imagine that this living, breathing little life existed because of him. That word “Dad” wasn’t just a title. It was a symbol of responsibility, a turning point in their identities.
“Yang Tao…” Chen Qiusu, like Yang Tao, felt there was so much to say, but all he could do was call out Yang Tao’s name. That name encompassed everything. “Did you have fun at the snow field?”
After thinking for a while, Chen Qiusu didn’t confess the past shortcomings nor make empty promises about the future. There was nothing more important than Yang Tao’s current feelings.
Yang Tao nodded vigorously, “It was fun, Dad! Let’s go again next time.”
Although they had gotten lost in the snow, it was a thrilling experience. Most importantly, he now had an alpha dad.
Yang Tao turned to look at Yang Shao, who was standing by, and finally felt entitled to be greedy. “Daddy, I want to sleep with both of you tonight.”
It was different now. He wasn’t just asking to sleep with Uncle Chen and his Daddy, but with both of his dads.
Yang Shao felt a lump in his chest. He had always felt guilty toward Yang Tao. Without Yang Tao’s permission, he had forced him to endure hard times with him. Yet Yang Tao never complained, surrounding him like a little sun. Rather than saying he raised Yang Tao, it felt more like Yang Tao had saved him.
Yang Shao exhaled, feigning impatience. “If you talk too much at night, I’ll throw you out of bed.”
Yang Tao raised his arms and cheered, diving into Chen Qiusu’s arms. “Yay, Dad! I get to sleep with both of you!”
Although Yang Tao swore up and down and reassured Yang Shao that he would sleep obediently, once he lay on the bed, he couldn’t stop talking. He had so much to tell Chen Qiusu, especially about how his alpha dad still didn’t know about his life before he turned five.
“Daddy once went to the balcony to dry the clothes, and I was put on the sofa. When he came back, I was lying on the floor,” Yang Tao excitedly described, “I even squished my nose.”
“Really?” Chen Qiusu listened, playing along, even carefully checking Yang Tao’s nose.
Yang Shao, propped up on his arm, could hardly take it anymore. “At that time, you were only eight months old. How could you remember anything?”
Yang Tao replied anxiously, “But Daddy, you told me, so I remember.”
“Then how come you never talk about the time when you were four and wet the bed?”
Yang Tao quickly let go of Chen Qiusu, hurriedly trying to cover Yang Shao’s mouth. “Don’t say it, don’t say it…”
Yang Shao, encouraged by the situation, easily dodged Yang Tao’s hand and continued to share embarrassing stories about him. “You once got bubble gum stuck in your hair and had to shave your head. You once refused to come out of the bathroom, hiding in there to play, and then fell into the toilet. And there’s…”
“Ah!” Yang Tao, desperate, sat up from the bed and threw himself onto Yang Shao, trying to appeal to whatever fatherly affection Yang Shao had left. “Daddy, you can’t just talk badly about me. I even went out with you to the stall!”
Every story, no matter how trivial, was interesting to Chen Qiusu. Even the little things, if they were about Yang Shao and Yang Tao, he was eager to listen. He didn’t interrupt, silently helping Yang Tao put on his pajamas.
But Yang Shao wasn’t as kind-hearted as Chen Qiusu; he was like a merciless executioner.
“You went out with me to the stall, and you were always eating sugar tangerines in the truck. Not only did you get lost looking for a bathroom, but your face turned yellow from eating so many that I thought you were poisoned. I was so scared that I didn’t go to the stall the next day and took you straight to the hospital, only to find out you had just eaten too much.”
“When you first started kindergarten, you couldn’t get up on time, and I had to make excuses for you when you were late.”
“On weekends, when we went to the stall, you forgot to do your craft homework, and you cried all Sunday night in a panic.”
Yang Tao’s childhood had been interesting, but as Chen Qiusu listened, he began to sense a tinge of sadness. Yang Shao and Yang Tao had faced so many difficulties in life, struggling and stumbling along the way. They had practically been crawling through the mud together.
“What’s wrong?” Yang Shao, still going strong with his stories, noticed Chen Qiusu’s expression growing serious.
Chen Qiusu gently held Yang Shao’s hand and rubbed it, apologizing. “I’m sorry. It’s because of me that you and Yang Tao’s lives have been so tough.”
His alpha partner was sensitive and emotional, but Yang Shao wasn’t good at comforting others. Fortunately, there was Yang Tao.
Yang Tao, mimicking Chen Qiusu, placed his small hand over Chen Qiusu’s big one and kindly said, “It’s okay, Dad.”
Yang Tao’s words were exactly what Chen Qiusu wanted to say. The past was in the past, and now he just wanted to build a new life with his partner and son.
“Daddy, say something nice about me,” Yang Tao shamelessly asked, even rolling over to the edge of the bed and pushing Yang Shao between himself and Chen Qiusu.
With Yang Shao on one side and Chen Qiusu on the other, it felt like they were guarding him, as if to coax him. Yang Shao teasingly responded, “Say something good about you? Like how you secretly hid chicken cutlets from kindergarten in your backpack, bringing them home for me to eat, but the books in your backpack were all ruined because of it. Does that count as a good thing?”
“Ugh! Daddy!”
…..
This winter, the Chen household was livelier than ever, the vibrant energy spreading through the family, infecting the elders of the Chen family. It was the first time Yang Tao had so many people to celebrate the New Year with, and he received a bunch of gifts.
“Grandma, I want to carry it upstairs myself.” Saying this, Yang Tao put the gifts into his toy car, skillfully backed it into the elevator, stretched out his arm to press the button for the second floor, and after a few seconds, proudly exited the elevator and headed straight to his room.
Chen’s parents had never neglected Yang Shao. A grand wedding was planned for after the New Year, and Yang Shao’s frostbite was carefully treated with medicine and hot compresses under Chen Qiusu’s supervision, ensuring it didn’t affect the wedding date.
On the seventh day of the New Year, work resumed for the company. Yang Shao couldn’t stay idle. He eagerly drove to check out the shop they had decorated. From the location to the decoration, it was all Chen Qiusu’s hard work.
After visiting the shop, Yang Shao was about to head home when he received a call from Chen Qiusu. It was the day for the fitting of the wedding outfits.
Since he was already out, Yang Shao decided not to trouble anyone by having it delivered to the house. “I’ll come find you later, then we can go to the shop together.”
Chen Qiusu agreed. Since Yang Tao was going to be a flower boy at the wedding, his own outfit was also custom-made. Chen Qiusu then asked his assistant to bring Yang Tao to the company.
The news that the big boss was getting married had spread like wildfire. Some people said they were classmates, others said it was love at first sight, and some even said it was a business marriage. Rumors had it that the child was already five or six years old, and although they had registered their marriage, they had never had a wedding ceremony.
When Yang Tao was led into the company by the assistant, Agent Qian, along with the other colleagues, watched curiously, gossiping. He thought the child looked somewhat familiar, but couldn’t recall where he’d seen him before.
“Dad!” As soon as Yang Tao saw Chen Qiusu, he let go of the assistant’s hand and rushed towards him.
Chen Qiusu picked him up and carried him into the office. “We’re going to try on the wedding outfits later. I’m worried you’ve grown taller again.”
As expected, Chen Qiusu was careful to protect Yang Tao’s pride. If it had been Yang Shao, he would have said Yang Tao had gained weight again.
“When will I be as tall as you, Dad?” Yang Tao asked, as children always wished to grow taller and older.
But for parents, they always wanted to keep their children little. Chen Qiusu had Yang Tao sit on his lap and adjusted his clothes, saying, “When you grow up, Dad won’t be able to carry you anymore.”
At that moment, the secretary knocked and entered, bringing milk and snacks prepared for Yang Tao.
Yang Tao liked doing things on his own, so he didn’t ask Chen Qiusu to open the milk carton for him. However, that day the carton was a bit tight, and Yang Tao, using too much force, didn’t hold on properly. The carton ripped open, and milk spilled out, splashing onto both of them.
The secretary was startled. “Mr. Chen…”
Chen Qiusu calmly took Yang Tao to wash his hands and had someone bring him a change of clothes. He even instructed the secretary to prepare more milk for Yang Tao. Despite the small accident, Chen Qiusu remained patient, and his expression never changed.
“Dad, you have it on you too,” Yang Tao realized he had caused trouble, and his voice immediately dropped a few levels.
Chen Qiusu simply tapped Yang Tao’s nose with his finger. “Dad will clean up. You stay here and wait.”
…..
Returning to the insurance company again, Yang Shao felt a mix of emotions. He parked the truck in an inconspicuous corner, entered through the side door, and was about to call Chen Qiusu when someone behind him called out, “Mr. Yang?”
Turning around, it was the young man, Agent Qian, who had previously assisted him. Agent Qian walked up and asked, “Mr. Yang, what brings you here today? Are you looking to consult on the latest insurance products?”
Consulting again? After the previous mishap with Agent Qian, wasn’t he supposed to have learned his lesson?
Yang Shao scratched the tip of his nose, “Looking for someone.”
Agent Qian misunderstood and thought Yang Shao had found another agent for insurance. He didn’t know which colleague it was, but seeing an opportunity for performance, he decided to seize the chance, “Actually, I can help you as well. Which insurance are you interested in? I can give you some recommendations.”
“Daddy!” Yang Tao, who was very mischievous, had grown bored in the office after Chen Qiusu had just left. Dragging Chen Qiusu’s oversized coat, he came out of the office and wandered around the hallway, unexpectedly running into his father at the staircase corner.
From the look of it, Yang Tao must have gotten his clothes dirty again. Yang Shao didn’t bother scolding him. He figured that when Yang Tao grew a little older, he’d learn to take better care of his cleanliness.
“Is this… your child?” Agent Qian looked in shock at Yang Shao. This child was the one who came to the company with the boss’s assistant. No wonder he seemed familiar! Agent Qian had met Yang Tao before when he had come to introduce insurance products to Yang Shao.
Yang Shao picked up Yang Tao and simply said to Agent Qian, “I’m looking for Chen Qiusu.”
“I know where Dad is!” Yang Tao volunteered, “I’ll take you there, Daddy.”
Watching the father and son walk away, Agent Qian was stunned. He couldn’t believe it—Chen Qiusu’s partner was actually Yang Shao? Agent Qian leaned against the wall in disbelief, recalling the time he tried to stop Yang Shao from receiving his insurance payout. He was already mentally drafting his resignation letter.
