The sunlight streamed into the room, falling onto the bed.
Qiao Shu looked at the empty space beside him. Displeased, he pursed his lips and bit the blanket.
“Hmph.”
Last night, Qiao Shu clung to Gu Chenyan while suppressing his shyness. “Mr. Gu, Little Mr. Qiao misses you.”
Gu Chenyan’s breath hitched for a moment.
He hoarsely asked, “Missed me?”
Qiao Shu nodded, his face flushing.
He wrapped his arms around Gu Chenyan’s neck, “It’s been two months. I’ve checked, it’s safe.”
“Mr. Gu~”
He kissed Gu Chenyan’s Adam’s apple, his moist and warm tongue stealthily slipping out.
Instantly, Gu Chenyan’s hand on his waist tightened abruptly.
Qiao Shu let out a soft moan. Seeing Gu Chenyan’s reaction, he felt elated and became even more enthusiastic. His lips trailed upward, finally meeting Gu Chenyan’s lips.
The air quickly heated up.
Everything unfolded as Qiao Shu had imagined.
Then…
Memories flooded back, and Qiao Shu gritted his teeth.
Gu Chenyan really has good self-control!
They hadn’t done it for so long. Last night, with him being so proactive, Gu Chenyan actually managed to resist.
He still only allowed him to bite.
Then he awkwardly went to take a cold shower to cool down.
Qiao Shu continued to grit his teeth.
He didn’t know where Gu Chenyan got the information, but postpartum recovery takes three months before it’s considered fully healed. Just for this, he had been enduring.
He endured last night’s situation too.
Qiao Shu felt both happy and unhappy.
It had been a year, and although Gu Chenyan would let him bite when he wanted to, which was very comfortable, Qiao Shu still wanted more physical contact.
And he felt sorry for how hard Gu Chenyan had been enduring.
Qiao Shu pouted as he got out of bed, quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face, then went to change his clothes.
As he looked in the mirror, Qiao Shu couldn’t help but pinch his stomach.
His postpartum recovery had been very good, and with proper exercise, his stomach was now flat again, though there was still a tiny bit of flab.
Qiao Shu pinched that little bit of flab.
His mind wandered.
When he snapped out of it, he made a serious decision.
Three months?
Impossible!
How could he endure such suffering? He must take the initiative!
Besides, New Year’s Eve was just around the corner, and Gu Chenyan’s birthday was approaching too.
Qiao Shu clenched his fists with determination.
New Year’s Eve arrived soon.
This year, with the addition of a baby to the family, it became even livelier. Zhou Yanqing held the baby tightly, lovingly poking his chubby cheeks from time to time.
Various selfies with the baby flooded his social media, where Zhou Yanqing proudly showed off and lavished praise upon him.
He was clearly a doting uncle.
The baby also adored Uncle Zhou Yanqing, smiling happily and clinging onto his index finger with tiny hands.
With the arrival of the baby, Aunt Lan no longer bothered Zhou Yanqing about blind dates. She only mentioned it briefly when he returned home, leaving it at that. It left Zhou Yanqing, who had already prepared himself for blind dates, feeling quite bewildered.
In addition to the bewilderment, there was a slight tinge of regret in his heart.
Zhou Yanqing: “…”
He felt like there was something wrong with him!
How could he still feel regretful?
“Zai Zai, Zai Zai.” Zhou Yanqing waved a Superman-themed red envelope in front of the baby. “This is the lucky money Uncle is giving you for the Lunar New Year. Do you want it?”
The baby reached out eagerly, saying, “Ah.”
“Haha, our baby has a bright future. Here you go, Uncle’s gift.”
He placed the red envelope into the baby’s hand, who joyfully waved it around.
Ecstatic beyond measure.
Qiao Shu captured this scene with his camera.
In the photo, the baby was smiling ecstatically, holding a red envelope in his hand. There were two more red envelopes in the pocket of his red outfit, and two others were hung around his neck with red thread.
The air of affluence.
This Lunar New Year, the baby seemed to be the ultimate winner in life. In addition to the lucky money they gave him, he had received over a dozen red envelopes from various relatives and friends.
In the afternoon, Jiang Jiayu even came over with his big belly to deliver a red envelope to the baby.
Qiao Shu prepared a safe.
He planned to use this safe to store the baby’s lucky money. When the baby grew up, he would hand over the key to the safe as a coming-of-age gift.
He also prepared a letter.
[On the 11th of February, 20xx, this is our first Lunar New Year together with Mr. Gu and Zai Zai. Aunt Lan and Uncle Zhou prepared a lot of food, including salt and pepper pig trotters…]
Qiao Shu sealed the envelope and placed it into the safe.
This was Zai Zai’s first New Year celebrated with them.
“Mr. Gu,” Qiao Shu locked the safe and looked up at Gu Chenyan, who had helped him prepare these things. “It’s so lively this year.”
Gu Chenyan: “Hmm.”
“Next year, and in the years to come, it will continue to be lively,” he rubbed Qiao Shu’s head.
Qiao Shu flashed a brilliant smile.
He nodded heavily. “Yes.”
“I love a lively New Year.” Qiao Shu raised his hands. “Hug.”
Gu Chenyan bent down and lifted Qiao Shu into his arms, his smile gentle. “I love a lively New Year, too.”
Qiao Shu: “Mr. Gu.”
“You are really good.”
In the blink of an eye, it was the third day of the Lunar New Year.
February 14th.
Early in the morning, Qiao Shu prepared a bowl of longevity noodles for Gu Chenyan. However, due to not spending much time in the kitchen for a year, his cooking skills had significantly declined.
One noodle was unevenly pulled, thick on one end and thin on the other. Fortunately, although it wasn’t visually appealing, at least it didn’t break.
The soup accidentally had a bit too much salt, making it slightly salty. Qiao Shu added some hot water to balance it out.
Overall, it was still a success.
“Is it delicious?”
Qiao Shu asked nervously; this was his first time making longevity noodles by himself.
He lacked confidence.
Gu Chenyan: “Yes.”
He nodded and carefully finished the bowl of longevity noodles, even drinking all the soup: “Very delicious.”
Qiao Shu smiled happily.
He stopped Gu Chenyan from reaching for the tissue and grabbed one himself, leaning over, “Let me wipe for you.”
Qiao Shu: “Today, Mr. Gu is the birthday star, the biggest and most handsome birthday star. So, Little Mr. Qiao applies to serve Mr. Gu for the day.”
Qiao Shu: “Can I?”
Gu Chenyan chuckled and indulgently said, “Of course.”
Gu Chenyan: “Thank you, Little Mr. Qiao.”
Qiao Shu happily replied, “Little Mr. Qiao is willing.”
Qiao Shu took the tissue and carefully wiped Gu Chenyan’s mouth bit by bit.
Usually, it was Gu Chenyan who wiped his mouth for him, but today, Qiao Shu did it himself and found it quite enjoyable.
Qiao Shu: “Done.”
Qiao Shu looked satisfied at Gu Chenyan’s clean and beautiful lips. He leaned over and kissed them.
Then he smacked his lips.
Qiao Shu: “Little Mr. Qiao has completed the inspection. Mr. Gu’s mouth is now rated as super clean.”
Qiao Shu: “Are you satisfied?”
Gu Chenyan: “Satisfied.”
Qiao Shu’s eyes twinkled, “Please, birthday star Mr. Gu, rate Little Mr. Qiao’s service, with five stars being the highest.”
Gu Chenyan: “Five stars.”
Qiao Shu cheered, “Yay!”
Qiao Shu: “Thank you, Mr. Gu.”
Gu Chenyan: “Mr. Gu is very satisfied, so he wants to give Little Mr. Qiao a reward.”
Qiao Shu’s eyes lit up.
Then, very proactively, he pouted at Gu Chenyan, “Reward quickly.”
Gu Chengyan chuckled softly.
He reached out, pinching Qiao Shu’s chin, and planted a gentle kiss on Qiao Shu’s lips.
A fleeting touch.
Qiao Shu happily wrapped his arms around Gu Chengyan’s neck. “Thank you for the reward, Mr. Gu. Happy birthday to you.”
Just as Zhou Yanqing, who was yawning and coming out to have breakfast, walked in, he froze!
Why didn’t his mother arrange any blind dates for him this year? Did the mighty Emperor Zhou Yanqing no longer have any market value?
Feeling bitter, Zhou Yanqing dragged his feet to the kitchen, emitting a strong lemon scent. He had breakfast directly in the kitchen, then came back to life, ready to tease the baby.
In the evening, everyone celebrated Gu Chengyan’s birthday together, singing the birthday song and blowing out candles.
Zhou Yanqing joked, “Sister-in-law, you don’t know. My brother never celebrated his birthday before. He used to think it was a waste of time.”
Zhou Yanqing: “Hmph.”
Zhou Yanqing: “Now, isn’t it obedient to celebrate the birthday at home? Sister-in-law, you’re really amazing.”
Zhou Yanqing raised his thumb.
Gu Chengyan heard this, glanced coldly at Zhou Yanqing, and said, “Indeed, celebrating with you guys is quite a waste of time.”
Zhou Yanqing: “…”
He covered his heart in injury. “Brother…”
Zhou Yanqing: “Considering how grandly I used to prepare for you every time…”
Gu Chengyan: “Nightclub? Beauties? Clubbing? Yacht? Or pool party?”
Zhou Yanqing: “…”
Cough
He felt guilty.
Qiao Shu chuckled on the side.
Since the baby was only a little over two months old and couldn’t eat yet, Qiao Shu fed the baby a few crumbs of cake, just to let the baby join in the atmosphere.
The baby danced happily and kept waving his hands, wanting a hug from the birthday star Gu Chengyan today, showing remarkable cleverness.
At eight-thirty, the baby got sleepy. After Qiao Shu put the baby to sleep and handed him over to Aunt Sun, he went upstairs to take a shower.
Gu Chengyan received a last-minute email from abroad and went to the study to deal with it.
In the room, Qiao Shu emerged fragrant from his bath and then stealthily entered the walk-in closet in his bathrobe. He rummaged around in a corner of the closet.
He pulled out a small box hidden very securely.
Qiao Shu looked at the box, took a deep breath, and then solemnly opened it.
The contents were revealed.
Rabbit ears, bells, a bunny outfit, and a small furry rabbit tail.
A flush spread across his face.
Qiao Shu calmly slapped his cheeks. Blushing, he carefully took out each piece of the bunny outfit and slowly put it on, using the large full-length mirror nearby to dress up as the bunny.
When he was attaching the tail, Qiao Shu almost cried out of shyness. His hands were shaking with embarrassment, and he struggled several times to attach the tail, making the bell around his neck “jingle” each time.
With each jingle, Qiao Shu grew even more embarrassed.
Finally, the last piece was in place.
The door to the room was quietly opened.
The second floor was silent.
Very good.
Qiao Shu bit his lip, fingers clutching the door frame as he cautiously peeked out to observe.
The baby was asleep, unlikely to suddenly demand his father and daddy, and Aunt Lan and Uncle Zhou wouldn’t come upstairs for no reason. Zhou Yanqing had gone out to disco with friends.
Very good!
Qiao Shu clenched his fists to encourage himself. He suppressed his shyness, covering his somewhat embarrassing chest with his hand, and took each step toward the study.
The bells around his neck, and the anklets on his feet, made crisp sounds in the quiet corridor, making Qiao Shu even more nervous and shy.
The study door was closed.
A warm yellow light leaked from underneath.
Qiao Shu straightened his body, suppressed his embarrassment, struck a seductive pose he had practiced for a long time, and then took a deep breath. He raised his hand and knocked on the study door.
“Come in,” came the response from inside.
Qiao Shu opened the study door.
He held onto the doorknob, peeking his head in slightly. The furry rabbit ears on his head swayed in the air, and the bells around his neck made crisp, unmistakable sounds with his movements.
Jingle
Gu Chenyan looked up.
Qiao Shu extended his bunny hand, his face now flushed with nervousness.
He shyly parted his lips, “Mr. Gu~”
Qiao Shu: “The little bunny is hungry~.”
Qiao Shu: “He wants to eat a big mushroom—”
The door swung wide open.
The rabbit Qiao Shu was completely exposed before Gu Chenyan’s eyes…
Author’s note:
Qiao Shu: I don’t believe you can keep enduring!
