Xuan Yanyu drew a slow, deep breath. “Where did you learn that kind of address?”

What did he mean, “Daddy darling”???

The little chubby one froze for a moment, sensing something slightly off. Didn’t Mommy call Daddy that all the time in secret? So why wasn’t Daddy asking Mommy where she had learned it from?

“Daddy darling, you don’t need to worry about where I learned it.” The little chubby one lifted his chin. “As long as you like it, that’s what matters.”

Xuan Yanyu lowered his head and took a slow moment to compose himself. “Starting today, your cartoon time is cancelled.”

“Daddy!” The little chubby one, still with a biscuit in his mouth, pattered over to Xuan Yanyu, grabbed hold of the office chair, and climbed up onto his lap. “I didn’t learn it from cartoons.”

Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow. “Then where did you learn it? Did you pick it up when you followed my wife to the company?”

The company had performance classes, and Lingning would occasionally drop by to inspect them. It was entirely possible this little troublemaker had tagged along at some point and picked up “Daddy darling” from there.

The little chubby one shook his head. “No. When Mommy is working, she doesn’t let me and Older Sister disturb her.”

Daddy had said they had to listen to Mommy, and Mommy had said not to disturb her while she was working, so he and Older Sister would never disturb Mommy at work.

“Ding dong.” Xuan Yanyu picked up his phone, which had been face-down on the desk, and saw a message from Yan Yunning:

【Husband, I won’t be home for the next few days. Coming to stay at the Xuan residence. After work tonight, bring Jiaojiao and Ruirui over to the Xuan residence. “Love you.”】

Xuan Yanyu replied to the message, then racked his memory carefully. He couldn’t think of any special occasion in the coming days.

It wasn’t the anniversary of their wedding. It wasn’t Lingning’s birthday — her birthday was the sixth of October. It wasn’t the day they had gotten engaged, and it wasn’t the day they had officially gotten together. So why was she heading to the old residence?

The only time they ever sent the children over to stay with his parents was when they were celebrating one of their personal anniversaries. What was the occasion this time?

Had she simply felt like going back to the old residence for a while???

“Daddy.” Xuan Youyi tugged at Xuan Yanyu’s sleeve, her rosy little face carrying a trace of grievance.

Xuan Yanyu looked at his daughter’s reddened eyes and softened his voice to soothe her.

“Sweetheart, your little brother was talking nonsense because he hadn’t slept properly. Who in the world could possibly be as good-looking as our Jiaojiao darling? In Daddy’s eyes, aside from your mommy, Jiaojiao darling is the most beautiful and prettiest girl there is.”

Xuan Yunzhao, whether intentionally or not, went on crunching away at his biscuit.

“Daddy.” The little girl buried her small arms around Xuan Yanyu’s neck and pressed her face into his chest, muffling her voice. “Little Brother also complained to Mommy. He said I didn’t wait for him, but he was clearly the one who said things about me first.”

Xuan Yanyu tenderly wiped away the little girl’s tears and tapped the little chubby one’s back — who was sitting there chewing his biscuit without saying a word. “Apologize to your sister.”

The little chubby one swung his little legs idly. “Sorry, sorry, sorry.”

Xuan Yanyu frowned. “Be sincere about it.”

Xuan Yunzhao bent forward and gave the little girl a deep bow. “I am deeply sorry,” he declared loudly.

Xuan Yanyu: “…”

“Hmph.” The little girl gave her head a proud little tilt. “You’re the one who’s not pretty.”

The little chubby one kicked his little leather shoes off in a fury. “Daddy, Older Sister said I’m not pretty. You need to make Older Sister apologize to me.”

“That makes you even. She said something about you, and you said something about her.”

The little chubby one’s eyes went wide. “But I already apologized to her!”

Xuan Yanyu lifted the little chubby one and set him on the office chair, then rose to his feet, holding Xuan Youyi. “You apologized to your sister — wasn’t that because you had said something about her first?”

The little chubby one said weakly, “Yes.”

“So — you said something about your sister, and your sister said something back. Doesn’t that make it even?”

The little chubby one grew frantic. “But I said something about her, and then I already apologized for it!”

“You apologized to your sister — wasn’t that specifically because you had said something about her?”

The little chubby one bit his fingers, his small head growing faintly dizzy from being talked in circles by Xuan Yanyu.

Xuan Yanyu gave a low laugh and said unhurriedly, “This matter is now closed. Neither of you is to bring it up again.”

Xuan Yunzhao furrowed his little brow. He sensed something wasn’t quite right, yet couldn’t figure out what.

“Dummy,” Xuan Youyi giggled.

“Happy now?” Xuan Yanyu pinched her little cheek, his voice ten times softer than it had been a moment ago.

The little girl’s beautiful eyes curved into crescents. “Happy. Daddy is the absolute best.”

Xuan Yunzhao pressed his lips together, swinging his little feet. “Daddy, my feet are cold.”

“Why did you kick your shoes off if your feet are cold?”

The little chubby one puffed out his cheeks. “They’re already off.”

Xuan Yanyu took out his phone from his suit pocket and sent a message to Ye Jian.

Ten seconds later, Ye Jian knocked and entered the office, picked up the little shoes the little chubby one had kicked across the floor, walked over, and crouched down in front of him.

The moment he lifted the little chubby one’s small foot, Xuan Yunzhao pointed his little finger at Xuan Yanyu. “I want Daddy to put them on for me.”

“Stop fussing. Get your shoes on. Daddy is taking you to find Mommy.”

Ye Jian, hearing those words, quickly and efficiently got the shoes onto the little chubby one’s feet.

Xuan Yunzhao hopped down from the office chair and gave a dismissive “Pfft.”

Xuan Yanyu: “…”

——

The Xuan Residence.

By the time Xuan Yanyu and the two little ones arrived, Yan Yunning had not yet returned.

Xuan Yunzhao, upon seeing his grandfather and grandmother, seemed to find the steadying presence he had been missing. He barreled tearfully into Xuan Shi’an’s arms. “Grandpa, Older Sister said I wasn’t pretty.”

The little girl, meanwhile, threw herself into Wen Shuyun’s arms, her expression woeful. “Grandma, it was Little Brother who said I wasn’t pretty first.”

Wen Shuyun held the little girl close, suppressing a laugh. “Both of you are pretty, both of you are pretty.”

Xuan Shi’an held the little chubby one and soothed him from one side. “Pretty, pretty. Ruirui and Xiaoxiao are the prettiest little boys Grandpa has ever seen, and your sister is the prettiest little girl.”

The two elders, one managing each grandchild, were careful as ever to keep things perfectly equal.

The little chubby one tilted his head, wiped his nose with his small hand, and said smugly, “Grandpa has truly the finest taste.”

“Ha ha ha.” Xuan Shi’an cradled the little chubby one with evident fondness. “Grandpa heard the two of you were flower children today. What a fine job you did.”

The little chubby one grinned brightly. “Grandpa, Uncle Gu and Auntie Xiaxia really love me and Older Sister. They even said they wanted to take us home and raise us.”

“Impossible. How could Grandpa ever bear to let that happen.”

Xuan Yunzhao kicked off his little shoes and planted his small feet right on his grandfather’s expensive trousers, saying in a hushed voice, “Grandpa, I turned Auntie Xiaxia down, because I don’t want a new Daddy.”

Xuan Shi’an: “…”

“Brother!” The moment she spotted Xuan Yunheng coming downstairs, the little girl left Wen Shuyun without a second’s hesitation and dashed toward her older brother.

Xuan Yunzhao’s eyes darted around. “Grandpa, put me down. I want to find Brother too.”

Xuan Shi’an said with a helpless sigh, “Your shoes, let Grandpa put your shoes on first.”

One of the household staff, hearing Xuan Shi’an’s words, picked up the little chubby one’s small slippers and handed them over.

Once his shoes were on, Xuan Yunzhao took a few running steps and accidentally stumbled right into Xuan Yunheng’s legs.

Xuan Yunheng: “…”

“Young Master, are you alright?” The household staff were so startled they hurried forward.

“Ruirui.” Xuan Shi’an’s heart gave a lurch. Before he had even made it over, the little chubby one waved the staff member off and picked himself up on his own.

“Brother…” Xuan Yunzhao stole a glance at Xuan Yanyu, then rose up on his tiptoes and pressed his lips close to Xuan Yunheng’s ear, whispering something.