Bai Tang saw the smile of the “One-Arm Giant” and paused for a moment, then quickly returned a brilliant smile.
Although Chi Yi, the little one carrying a red shell on his back, had an unusually flexible demeanor when facing Bai Tang. He used both hands and feet to cling to Bai Tang’s thigh, then happily dove into Bai Tang’s embrace.
Faced with the death stares of Snail Babies and Su Siyuan, Chi Yi shamelessly chose to ignore them. He coquettishly said, “Tang Tang, I’m scared.”
Su Siyuan walked to Bai Tang’s side, pulled Chi Yi out, coldly locked eyes with him, and then said softly, “He’s a friend of your dad, don’t be afraid.”
Although comforted, Chi Yi, now even more frightened: “…”
Then, Su Siyuan took Chi Yi with his left hand and Chi Jin with his right hand, placing the two little ones in the arms of Chi Cainan. After placing them, Su Siyuan hypocritically caressed the heads of Snail Babies and said gently, “Your dad is back, you don’t need to stick to Bai Tang all the time.”
Snail Babies: “…”
Under Su Siyuan’s gaze, all the Snail Babies wiped their tears and noses, flapping their little short legs, and rushed into the arms of Chi Cainan.
If someone unfamiliar with the situation were to see it, they would surely be moved by the touching scene of father and sons reunited.
The Snail Babies had been with Chi Cainan since their birth, and even though they were separated for a while, the imprinting effect combined with the familiarity from pregnancy made the Snail Babies recognize Chi Cainan at a glance.
So, Chi Cainan was engulfed by the soft little bundles, while Bai Yinhao stood alone.
Su Siyuan looked at Bai Yinhao, his gaze seeming like he was watching a show. In reality, Su Siyuan had no favorable impression of Bai Yinhao. It was challenging to have any positive feelings towards someone who impregnated a close friend and then disappeared when he was needed the most.
Irresponsible.
Such a character would have been fired on the same day if they were in his company.
However, these matters were Chi Cainan’s private affairs, and outsiders had no right to interfere. So, Su Siyuan said nothing. He never forced others to accept his views; it sounded respectful, but in reality, it was indifference and laziness.
People determined to meet their doom couldn’t be persuaded otherwise. Why bother making the effort to invite trouble?
If it were Chi Cainan in this situation, Su Siyuan would extend a helping hand at a critical moment.
If Chi Cainan was genuinely obstinate and refused to turn back, Su Siyuan… would knock Chi Cainan unconscious and then drag him back.
At this moment, Su Siyuan stood with arms crossed, looking at Bai Yinhao. When Bai Yinhao seemed to sense something, he raised his eyes, met Su Siyuan’s gaze for a moment, and then they exchanged polite smiles.
Bai Yinhao withdrew his gaze, took out seven small bottles from his bag, crouched down, gathered the seven bottles in his palm, and shook them, producing a tinkling sound.
The Snail Babies, drawn by the sound, curiously watched Bai Yinhao. Grandpa Su had taught them well; even though the Snail Babies were now extremely curious, they still refused to speak to “strangers” and stuck close to Chi Cainan.
Bai Yinhao looked at their vigilant yet innocent faces and felt a softness in his heart. “Hello, I’m Bai Yinhao, your…”
“Your dad.” He said softly.
The Snail Babies shook their heads in unison, extending their chubby little fingers toward Chi Cainan. “This is Dad,” they pointed at Chi Cainan. Then, pointing at Bai Yinhao, they said softly, “This isn’t.”
Chi Cainan hurriedly said, “He is your dad.”
Chi Yi tilted his little head, and his tiny antennae swayed along. He looked at Bai Yinhao with confusion and then sought help from Bai Tang with a pleading look. The other Snail Babies also turned their attention to Bai Tang.
Bai Tang nodded in agreement. The Snail Babies always treated Bai Tang’s words as an imperial decree. They turned their heads to scrutinize Bai Yinhao, curiosity evident in their eyes.
“So, now we have two dads,” Chi Yu calculated joyfully, “I want this dad.” He pointed happily at Chi Cainan and then said to the other Snail Babies, “The other dad is yours. You can’t come and snatch him from me~”
In response, Chi Yi’s reaction was –
“Snap.” He pushed Chi Yu, who flipped over with his buttocks in the air, and then declared, “Dream on.”
Chi Yu kicked his short legs and flipped over, charging at Chi Yi. They pushed each other back and forth, struggling to climb up from the ground, continuing their battle.
Other Snail Babies also joined the chaos, eager to settle the issue of dad allocation. Everyone naturally wanted Chi Cainan. Meanwhile, Bai Yinhao, who was rejected by all the Snail Babies, squatted on the ground, touched his nose, and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Daddy has prepared gifts for you.” Bai Yinhao neatly arranged seven small bottles on the ground. “Chi Yi.”
The mischievous Chi Yi, who was riding on Chi Yu’s shell and tugging at his antennae, raised his head. After seeing the gift, he hesitated for a moment, then walked to Bai Yinhao with a mix of joy and hesitation.
“I know you are Chi Yi.” Bai Yinhao smiled and said, “Because your red shell is especially beautiful.”
Accepting the praise, Chi Yi raised his head proudly and nodded. He turned to look at Grandpa Su and said, “Grandpa helped me draw it!”
Grandpa Su, leaning on his cane, looked at Chi Yi indulgently.
Bai Yinhao said, “Grandpa’s drawing is so beautiful.” Little Chi Yi, with a serious face, agreed and gave Bai Yinhao a small look that said, “A wise child can be taught.”
Bai Yinhao, who was touched by the cuteness, touched his nose again. He actually wanted to pat Chi Yi’s little head, but he was afraid of Chi Yi’s resistance, so he held back.
Bai Yinhao took out a small bottle, and Chi Yi’s curious gaze stuck to the bottle. The bottle shook, and Chi Yi’s little head also synchronized with the movement. “What is this?” he asked in a soft voice.
Bai Yinhao opened the bottle, and a strong spiritual energy filled the air. Bai Tang suddenly raised his head, staring fixedly at the small bottle without blinking.
“So pure energy!” the system exclaimed excitedly. “What incredible luck! Bai Tang, we’re going to make it big!”
“Make what big… this is for Chi Yi.” Although Bai Tang really wanted it, he wouldn’t compete with the snail babies. He turned his gaze away, feeling a bit heartbroken. If he couldn’t see it, he wouldn’t be too envious.
Chi Yi sniffed his little nose, took a deep breath, and then exclaimed in delight, “Wow, it smells so good!”
“This is Spirit Spring Water. Drinking it will make your body better.” Bai Yinhao placed the small bottle in Chi Yi’s palm and smiled. “This is the first gift.”
Chi Yi held the small bottle, eagerly looking at Bai Yinhao. “What’s the second gift?”
The man in front of him looked at Chi Yi with tolerance and warmth. He slowly reached out his hand, gently touched Chi Yi’s little head after ensuring there was no rejection, and said softly, “It’s ‘Chi Yan.'”
Chi Yi looked left and right, trying to see where this ‘Chi Yan’ was.
“Chi Yan, Yan, meaning beautiful jade.” Bai Yinhao held Chi Yi’s small hand and whispered, “Your snail shells resemble white jade, and the meaning of Yan is good. This is the name I’ve chosen for you.”
Chi Yi felt uneasy being led by Bai Yinhao. “B-But… but my name is Chi Yi.” He wrinkled his little face in distress, then turned to look at Grandpa Su, “Grandpa?”
Grandpa Su looked affectionately at Chi Yi. “Chi Yi is your nickname. You should have a formal name now, and Chi Yan is your given name.”
All eyes focused on Chi Yi. Each person had different thoughts, but no one could predict Chi Yi’s reaction.
He pulled his hand away from Bai Yinhao’s palm, took a step back, and placed the small bottle on the ground. Then, Chi Yi lowered his head and slowly walked back to the pile of colorful little shells, exchanging glances with the other snail babies.
“I, I…” Chi Yi felt secure amidst the colorful shells. His gaze flickered as he looked at Bai Yinhao. “I don’t want to be called Chi Yan.”
In the man’s astonished gaze, Chi Yi lowered his head, looking at his own toe. “I think being called Chi Yi is good.”
“Tang Tang calls me Chi Yi, Grandpa calls me Chi Yi, Uncle Su calls me Chi Yi, and the teachers and kids at kindergarten all call me Chi Yi.” He whispered, “Everyone is used to calling me that. It’s inconvenient to keep changing.”
Two little antennae quietly observed everyone’s reactions. Seeing the adults all silent, Chi Yi gathered courage again and said, “And, my shell isn’t white; it’s red, Grandpa painted it red for me.”
“Dad Bai, you don’t even know what my shell looks like… How do you know…” Chi Yi’s voice grew smaller, “How do you know what I like to be called?”
After Chi Yi spoke, the scene fell into a deafening silence. This silence carried a somewhat oppressive atmosphere, and Chi Yi dared not even breathe. He desperately kept his head low, antennae drooping, afraid to look at Bai Yinhao.
It felt like he wanted to retreat into his shell.
Chi Yi thought in his heart. He felt he must have said something wrong. Even Grandpa Su stopped smiling, and even Dad Chi fell silent. Everyone was quiet as if they were in a silent punishment.
The teacher said that when you did something wrong, you should apologize. If everyone is unhappy, then he must have done something wrong.
Although little Chi Yi didn’t feel he did anything wrong, he didn’t like the name Chi Yan, nor did he dislike it. Just like he didn’t like Dad Bai, nor did he dislike Dad Bai.
Rather than being called Chi Yan, he preferred being called Chi Yi. Rather than Dad Bai, he liked Tang Tang and Grandpa Su more.
But now, everyone was silent, so he must have done something wrong. Little Chi Yi pouted with a hint of crying in his voice, “I’m sorry.”
For a long time, little Chi Yi didn’t get a response. He nervously and helplessly raised his head, seeing the man in front of him with reddened eyes, “I should be the one to apologize.”
And the one-armed giant also spoke up, “Mr. Bai, it’s my fault.”
The one-armed giant was too tall; Chi Yi had to strain his neck to see the giant’s chest. At this moment, the giant crouched down, locking eyes with the bewildered Chi Yi.
Suddenly, Chi Yi noticed that the seemingly fierce giant looked a lot like the protagonist from an animated series—Kumamon.
With this realization, the giant didn’t seem scary at all.
Author’s note:
This work will be entering VIP on October 25th, starting from Chapter 25, with three chapters released on that day. Thank you, dear angels, for your continuous support. I hope you’ll keep supporting the author~ (Bows)
