The little dumpling sniffled and nodded.

“Daddy will walk you and your sister back to your rooms.” Xuan Yanyu stepped to the bedside and scooped up the well-behaved little girl with one arm.

Xuan You-yi looked at Xuan Yun-yao’s red-rimmed, tear-swollen eyes and turned her head away in disdain. “Daddy, Jiaojiao didn’t cry — does Mommy like Jiaojiao better?”

“Waaah…” The little dumpling, who had just been coaxed out of his tears by Xuan Yanyu, completely broke down and started crying all over again.

Xuan Yanyu: “……”

Without a moment’s hesitation, he walked out of the room, pressed the elevator button, and went upstairs. The elevator opened, and Xuan Yanyu stepped out, gave a token knock on the door, then pushed open the handle to his parents’ bedroom.

Xuan Shi’an and Wen Shuyun had been about to fall asleep. The moment they heard Xuan Yun-yao’s crying, both elderly people abruptly turned on the light and sat bolt upright in bed.

Seeing Xuan Yanyu walk in with a child in each arm, before they could even demand to know why Xuan Yun-yao was in such a state, the little dumpling was deposited onto the bed.

The little dumpling, tossed onto the bed, cried even louder.

“Coax him.”

“Xuan Yanyu! How dare you make my precious grandchild cry.” Xuan Shi’an’s chest heaved with anger.

“Stay out of it. You just coax him.” The man dropped those words and strode out of the room on his long legs.

Xuan Shi’an glared at the doorway. “Unfilial son!”

“Grandpa… I… I want to find Mommy…” The little dumpling’s small shoulders heaved between sobs. His little hands clutched Xuan Shi’an’s sleep clothes as he hiccupped. “Grandpa… find Mommy…”

Xuan Shi’an’s heart ached terribly. He gently wiped away the little dumpling’s tears. “Sweetheart, tell Grandpa — why are you so heartbroken?”

“Sister said… she didn’t… didn’t cry, and Mommy would like… like her more.” The little dumpling’s tears were still falling.

Xuan Shi’an was stuck for words, caught between two grandchildren he adored equally, feeling it was harder than landing the company’s first major contract in the early days.

“Oh dear, how could that ever be.” Wen Shuyun pulled the little one into her arms and patted his back gently, coaxing him slowly. “Sweetheart, Mommy definitely loves you both the most — there’s no such thing as loving one more than the other.”

The little one’s nose tip went slightly pink, and his crying quieted a little. “Daddy held Sister and walked away, he didn’t coax me… does Daddy still like me…”

Xuan Shi’an softly soothed his precious grandchild. “Of course he does — of course he does. If he ever dared not like Ruirui, Grandpa would give him a good thrashing.”

“Grandpa.” The little dumpling threw himself into Xuan Shi’an’s arms, sobbing. “Grandpa is the best.”

“And my precious child is the best too.” Xuan Shi’an smiled and stroked the little dumpling’s back.

——

Third Floor — Master Bedroom.

Yan Yunning returned to the room to find Xuan Yanyu lying on the bed with a fairy-tale picture book in his hand.

The little girl was lying on her father’s back, her little finger pointing at the illustrations in the book, her voice soft and pillowy. “Daddy, is this a princess?”

“Sweetheart, you are the princess — the little princess Daddy and Mommy love the most.”

The little girl let out a delighted giggle. “Daddy, does that mean Mommy is the prince?”

Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow. “Why would Mommy be the prince?”

The little girl blinked her beautiful eyes, her cheeks dimpling as she smiled. “Because the prince will always stay with the princess forever, and Jiaojiao also wants to stay with Mommy forever.”

“That won’t do. Daddy wants to stay with Mommy forever.”

The little girl nibbled her lip.

Noticing his daughter’s unhappiness, Xuan Yanyu placed a steadying hand on her small shoulder, turned over, and faced his precious little daughter, his voice softening. “How about Daddy and Mommy are the King and Queen who protect Jiaojiao forever — is that all right?”

The little girl tilted her head and thought for a moment. “Daddy, will the King and Queen always stay with the princess?”

Xuan Yanyu tweaked her little nose. “They will. And someday Daddy will bring a prince home for you, and you can stay by Daddy and Mommy’s side forever — all right?”

The little girl asked in innocent confusion, “Why would we need a prince?”

“Ahem!” Yan Yunning shot Xuan Yanyu a discreet look.

“Mommy~” The moment Yan Yunning appeared, the little girl immediately forgot the question she had been about to ask and stretched out her little arms asking to be held.

“Are you sleepy yet? It’s so late and you’re still not asleep?” Yan Yunning rubbed her little head.

The little girl’s enchanting face was all smiles. “I had to say goodnight to Mommy. Mommy, goodnight~ Daddy, goodnight to you too~”

Yan Yunning kissed her on her little cheek and carried the little girl out of the room. “Sweetheart, how are you so well-behaved — Mommy really does love you so much.”

The little girl giggled happily. “Mommy~”

The voices of mother and daughter faded as they left the room. Xuan Yanyu set the fairy-tale book on the bedside table, crossed his hands behind his head, and lazily reclined against the soft pillow, waiting for Yan Yunning to return.

Fifteen minutes later, Yan Yunning came back to the room, locked the door, ran to the bedside, and threw herself onto Xuan Yanyu. Her slender pale fingers cupped his face and her lips pressed down onto his.

Her tongue tip just barely stirred. The man’s throat moved, and he abruptly gripped her wrists — but the moment they were seized, Yan Yunning pushed him away. “My husband, thank you. Having such a well-behaved little daughter is no small credit to you.”

“Mm, I know.” The man’s large palm hooked around her neck and he turned his head to kiss her soft lips again.

“Wait…”

Ten minutes later, Yan Yunning pushed Xuan Yanyu away with a breathless exhale and pulled back the shoulder strap of her nightgown that had slipped down. “I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me tomorrow.” The man’s voice was low and hoarse. He reached up and turned off the lamp on the bedside table, his breathing deep and weighted as he tugged apart the nightgown Yan Yunning had just straightened.

“It’s important… it really is… Mm~”

In the dimly lit room, the breathing of the two of them quietly blended together, and the silhouettes cast upon the white wall slowly merged into one…

——

The Following Evening — Xuan Residence Dining Room.

Xuan Yun-yao once again used his small spoon to pick out the vegetables mixed into his porridge. Yan Yunning set down her chopsticks, picked up the little dumpling’s bowl, and mashed the vegetable balls into the porridge.

The little dumpling furrowed his tiny brow. “Mommy, baby doesn’t like to eat this.”

Yan Yunning scooped up a spoonful and held it to his lips. “If you don’t like it, we’ll just have a little bit.”

The little dumpling’s lips pressed into a pout. “Mommy, I don’t want to eat any of it.”

Xuan Yanyu spoke quietly. “Mommy is feeding you — so eat.”

The little dumpling fidgeted with his fingers and said softly, “But Daddy, I don’t like it.”

“Mommy already said that if you don’t like it, you eat just a little.” Xuan Yanyu took the bowl from Yan Yunning’s hands, his voice gentle. “I’ll handle him. You eat.”

Yan Yunning shook her head. “No need. I’ll do it — you eat your meal first. You have an online meeting later.”

Seeing Xuan Yanyu insist she eat first, Yan Yunning said quietly, “Listen.”

“Fine, fine, fine.” The man handed the little dumpling’s bowl back to her.

The two elders in the seats of honor sped up their eating.

Xuan Yuncheng watched them with a frown. “Grandpa, Grandma, do you have somewhere to be in a moment? Even if you do, there’s no need to be in such a rush.”

Xuan Shi’an had no time for his usual air of dignified composure. “Sweetheart, you’ll understand in a moment.”

Xuan Yuncheng: “……”

“Mommy, I’ve already had one bite — no more.”