The company’s affairs are still waiting to be dealt with, so after staying for a few days, Qin Shen and Fang Miao still have to go back. With tears in his eyes, Jiang Naonao hiccupped, unwilling to go but still allowed his father to put him in the car, taking him away.
Back at home, the little cub was still angry with his father. He laid on the bed, completely ignoring him. Even after he was carried into the pile of toys, he simply turned around and pointed his little butt against his father.
Qin Shen wanted to give him a good lecture and show the majesty of being a father when he got a call from Jiang Yu asking him to give Lin Cheng the old clothes that Jiang Naonao had worn before.
After speaking, Jiang Yu asked, “Are you all right?”
Qin Shen looked at Jiang Naonao, who was still pointing his little butt at him, and gritted his teeth. “I’m losing my temper.”
Jiang Yu responded, “Then take him to play with Cheng Cheng’s baby for a while. Don’t be mean to him again.”
Qin Shen, who had already rolled up his sleeves and was about to show off his majestic side as a father, said, “…Oh.”
After hanging up the phone, he asked the nanny to pack up his clothes, picked up the little cub, and went out.
Gu Yang was very happy these days, his son finally got close to him, and he almost cried with joy. Every day, the first thing he does when he wakes up is to see his son, feed him and change his diapers. He takes care of everything by himself, not allowing Lin Cheng to interfere. His heart practically melted when he saw the baby’s delicate and lovely appearance laying in his arms.
On this day, he was sitting on the carpet in the living room with the baby in his arms, playing with the toys that piled up around him, when the doorbell rang. The aunt went to open the door, and Qin Shen came in with Jiang Naonao in his arms.
Gu Yang appeared to be facing an enemy when he saw Qin Shen, securely cradling the baby in his arms. “What are you doing here?” he asked, glaring at Qin Shen. “I haven’t allowed you to come yet.”
Qin Shen looked at him speechlessly and said, “I didn’t come to look for you.”
Just then, Lin Cheng came down from upstairs and was happy to see Qin Shen. “You came, Yu’er told me.”
Qin Shen handed him the bag he was holding. “These are all the ones Naonao used to wear and was washed clean. See if they fit.”
“Thank you,” Lin Cheng said, he took the bag and reached out to squeeze Jiang Naonao’s soft little face. “Naonao, go and play with your brother.”
Qin Shen placed Jiang Naonao on the carpet, and when the little boy saw the baby in Gu Yang’s arms, he excitedly walked closer and extended out his chubby hand to clasp the baby’s hand.
Gu Yang stuffed a toy on both arms of the little boy and then came over to Lin Cheng’s side to look at the bag in his hand. Puzzled, he asked, “Why do you want the clothes that Naonao has worn? It’s not like our family can’t afford new clothes.”
“I read on the internet that used clothes by other children are good for newborn babies.” Lin Cheng carried the clothes to go upstairs and pushed him, “Go watch the baby.”
Gu Yang turned his head and saw his baby smiling and reaching out his hands towards Qin Shen, clearly asking Qin Shen to hold him. His breath got stuck in his chest and almost didn’t come out.
“Baby.” He wailed and pounced over to pick up his baby, then glared at Qin Shen.
Jiang Naonao was having fun with the baby when suddenly the baby was taken away. He anxiously pulled his father’s sleeve, babbling loudly.
Lin Cheng stored the clothes and came back down. When he saw Jiang Naonao eager to play with the baby, he came over and took the baby from Gu Yang’s arms. Dissatisfied, he said, “What are you doing with the baby? Let him play with Naonao.”
Holding the baby, Lin Cheng bent down and brushed Jiang Naonao’s little head. “Come on, let’s go play upstairs with your brother.”
The baby is still too young to play outside of the water, so he prefers to stay in the water. Lin Cheng placed two of them in the swimming pool and put a few little yellow duck toys in it, letting the two little cubs play by themselves.
Qin Shen sat on the chair next to them, so when Jiang Naonao wanted to drink water, he swam to the poolside and babbled to his father to feed him. The little baby fish trailed behind Jiang Naonao like a follower, copying what he did to ask for water.
Gu Yang went over to feed his son, but his son pouted and refused to eat. He wanted to be fed by Qin Shen, just like Jiang Naonao.
Gu Yang, an old father, felt abandoned. He ran to Lin Cheng in tears to protest, but Lin Cheng could only pat him on the head to comfort him. “Who told you not to be the first sight he sees? The baby is still young. It’ll be fine in a few days.”
Seeing Gu Yang’s miserable appearance, Qin Shen warned himself in his heart that when Jiang Yu gives birth to another fish cub, he must never let his cub see other wild dads at first sight.
Jiang Yu and Qiao Xin’s film officially began a few days after Qin Shen and Fang Miao returned from their visit. Jiang Yu was so preoccupied that he could only video call with them every two to three days.
Jiang Yu was away, and Qin Shen was not there throughout the day; thus, Jiang Naonao was cared for by a nanny. Qin Yunshan would come by occasionally to take the little boy to the mountains to drink tea and see old friends.
His old friends are all about the same age as him, and there are milk dolls at home who are about the same age as Jiang Naonao. Usually, when they get together, they like to say that their dolls are the cutest, and they don’t obey anyone. When Qin Yunshan took the little boy away, everyone fell silent, vying to hold the little boy. Qin Yunshan made a big splash.
These old friends all raise fish, and when they get together, they’ll talk about why their fish are not in good spirits, why they don’t eat, and why they can’t figure out why. Occasionally, some of them will bring out their own fish to show everyone what’s wrong.
Ever since Qin Yunshan stood in front of the fish tank with Jiang Naonao in his arms, he discovered that as long as Jiang Naonao grinned, the fish in the tank would scatter and flee in high spirits. After asking Qin Shen, he finally understood how the fish sent to Qin Shen got better in the first place. He eventually came up with the idea of making money from his old friends.
Afterwards, Qin Yunshan would frequently come to take Jiang Naonao out to help his old friends cure their baby fish’s low spirits and lack of appetite. Every day, Jiang Naonao went out empty-handed, and when he came back, his pockets were full of red packets.
It can be said that it is really not a two- or three-month-old baby, as he has already earned a lot of money.
A month passed quickly, Jiang Naonao was picked up by Qin Yunshan early in the morning, and Fang Miao came to see the little cub pounce.
“Brother, I’m going to the airport in a while. Give me a ride.” Fang Miao said to Qin Shen as he wandered around upstairs and downstairs.
It happened to be Saturday, and Qin Shen was resting, so he agreed. Seeing that it was almost time, he drove Fang Miao to the airport.
Halfway there, he received a call from Jiang Yu, and Qin Shen talked to him while driving.
“Naonao was picked up by Grandpa. I’m taking Miao Miao to the airport. Is the shooting of your movie going well? How long will it take?”
Jiang Yu sat on the summer mat in the room, facing the whirring electric fan. In the past few days, they took advantage of the cold weather early in the morning, finished filming early, and rested at noon. He replied, “It’s going well; the director said that if it’s done quickly, it’ll be ready in another half a month or so…” as he listened to the chirping of the cicadas on the trees in the courtyard outside.
Before he finished speaking, he heard a loud “crash” on the phone. His heart skipped a beat, and he frantically called out, “Qin Shen, Qin Shen?”
However, no one answered on the other side of the phone. His heart was beating violently, so he quickly hung up and dialed Fang Miao’s, but he didn’t pick up.
~
When Qin Shen woke up, he found himself in the hospital. He wanted to get up, but just as he moved, he felt a sharp pain on his head and thighs.
He was on the phone with Jiang Yu while driving Fang Miao to the airport when a car suddenly rushed over and hit him. He didn’t know if Fang Miao was okay. With that thought, the door of the ward was pushed open, and Fang Miao entered.
“Brother, you’re awake! Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?” Seeing that he woke up, Fang Miao rushed over to greet him, carefully helped him up, then poured a glass of water on the side table next to him and fed it to his mouth.
Qin Shen moistened his throat with water before asking, “Are you all right?”
“No,” Fang Miao said as he put down the glass of water and helped him lie down. He still has lingering fear every time he recalls what happened that day. At that time, the car emerged out of nowhere and crashed into them. Qin Shen swerved the car hard, and while he just passed out, Qin Shen was injured.
“The doctor said that your thigh was injured, and your head had some concussion, but there’s nothing else serious. The person who hit us has been caught, and the police are investigating it,” Fang Miao said as he sat down in front of the bed, took an apple from the fruit bowl, and began peeling it.
“Where’s Naonao?” Qin Shen asked, then picked up his phone on the side table and checked the time. It was already the next day, and he had spent almost the entire day sleeping.
“At Grandpa Qin’s,” Fang Miao replied. “Mom and Xiao Yu’er are also on their way back.”
Only then did Qin Shen remember that he was on the phone with Jiang Yu when the accident occurred. Jiang Yu must have been terrified.
He wanted to rub his forehead but let out a “hiss” when he touched the gauze wrapped around his head instead, so he just squeezed the space between his eyebrows.
Fang Miao handed him the sliced apple. Qin Shen ate a couple of bites when his head felt a little uncomfortable. Fang Miao helped him lie back on the bed, so he could sleep and rest again.
~
When he woke up again, there was a warm little cub beside him. It was dark outside, and the room was lit with orange lights.
Qin Shen propped himself up on the hospital bed. There was no one else in the ward; only the little cub lying beside him sounded asleep.
He drew the quilt to cover the little cub, who gnashed his teeth in his sleep as if he were chewing something delicious. While the little cub slept soundly, he couldn’t help but reach out and pinch the little cub’s mouth and bully him quietly.
Jiang Yu came out of the bathroom and saw Qin Shen sitting up on the hospital bed. He quickly came over to help him and tucked a pillow behind him.
“When did you come back?” Qin Shen asked, as he leaned against the pillow.
“In the afternoon, when you were still sleeping,” Jiang Yu replied. “Auntie and grandpa also came. Seeing that it was getting late, I asked them to go back first,” Jiang Yu said as he opened the insulated thermos on the cabinet, which has bone soup. Qin Yunshan had Auntie stew it, and it was still hot.
After filling a bowl, Jiang Yu took a spoonful, blew it, then fed it to him. Qin Shen opened his mouth and swallowed.
Just like this, Jiang Yu fed him a mouthful, Qin Shen drank a mouthful, and when he finished the bowl, Jiang Yu asked him, “Do you want some more?”
“No more,” Qin Shen said, shaking his head. “My head hurts,” he grumbled.
“Shall I let the doctor take a look?” Jiang Yu asked, reaching out to touch his head wrapped in gauze. His eyes were filled with concern.
“No need to find a doctor,” Qin Shen murmured, opening his arms towards him. “Just a hug will be fine.”
Jiang Yu looked at him helplessly and reached out to hug his head.
Previously, it was Jiang Yu who leaned into his arms, but now it’s him leaning into Jiang Yu’s arms. His head rested on Jiang Yu’s shoulder, and his chin rested on Jiang Yu’s collarbone.
Jiang Yu stroked his head, then the side of his face, and finally his chin. A man’s stubble grows quickly, and after a night of not taking care of it, it grew out, and it was a little prickly to the touch.
Jiang Yu touched it for a while, and just when he wanted to put away his hand, Qin Shen took it and kissed it, then hugged him, resting his chin on his shoulder, and rubbing against his neck. The stubble made him a little numb.
Wet and hot pecking kisses fell from the base of his ear to the corner of his lips as he rubbed against him. The two embraced each other and kissed for a while. Their foreheads touched as their lips parted slightly. Jiang Yu gasped and said, “Don’t you have a headache?”
“Enough for a kiss.” Qin Shen’s eyes were deep, his big palm pressed against the back of Jiang Yu’s head, wanting to kiss him, when a chubby little boy squeezed between him and Jiang Yu. He stared down and faced Jiang Naonao’s big, black, and round eyes and his small, drooling mouth.
“Eeeee!” yelped the little cub and pounced on him, rubbing his drool on his father’s clothes.
Please accept my apologies. This has been long overdue. I started a new work and have spent the last few months adjusting and learning. I work six days a week, so I didn’t have much energy to devote to this. Rest days are literally spent stuck to my bed, but things are getting better, and I can work on the remaining chapters bit by bit now.
Update 01/02
