Chapter 71.1

Baby Panda started kindergarten when he was three years old, which made both Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan breathe a sigh of relief.

Although Baby Panda’s daily needs were taken care of by the nanny, and both Xu’s and Meng’s mothers would often take him home to care for him for a few days, Baby Panda still preferred to be close to his mom and dad. So, whenever he got the chance, he would insist on spending time with Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan, often making the two of them busy during their already limited free time.

Children at Baby Panda’s age are the most lively and active; they can’t sit still. After taking him to a children’s playground, he wouldn’t let Meng Zhengrong or Xu Yuan sit down to rest, insisting they play together. By the end of the day, both of them were exhausted, collapsing on the bed, wishing they could sleep for eternity.

Taking Baby Panda out occasionally felt like a huge effort, and gradually, Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan tacitly stopped bringing up the idea of having a second child.

Even though both mothers had hinted repeatedly that as long as they had another baby, they wouldn’t let them be too tired, Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan were no longer the clueless rookie parents they once were. They knew better than to just hand their child off to others for care, as the baby would recognize who their parents were and would naturally want to be close to them. No matter who usually took care of him, he still wanted to be with Mom and Dad.

After Baby Panda started kindergarten, everyone—nanny, Meng Zhengrong, and Xu Yuan—felt a lot more relaxed.

However, like most babies, Baby Panda did not like going to school.

Especially in winter, having to get up early and not being able to sleep in was the most unbearable thing for him.

No matter how much he pouted, no one at home was on his side in this matter.

Just because he was attending kindergarten didn’t mean he could skip school because he didn’t want to get out of bed.

One day, as Meng Zhengrong needed to handle some business, Xu Yuan took Baby Panda to visit Shen Li. Shen Li was basically in a state of retreat from the entertainment industry; as she had said, she would only act if she came across a particularly good script. However, Shen Li was not entirely a full-time mom; she had opened a store and comfortably took on the role of a boss. Song Chaowen wasn’t taking as many roles as he used to either, as both of them wanted to be present in their daughter’s childhood.

Song Chaowen went to film a movie and wouldn’t be back for a few days. Shen Li was very happy that Xu Yuan came to visit her, excitedly sharing her recent makeup purchases.

Letting Baby Panda and Nong Nong play in the game room was a way for the two adults to steal some time for themselves.

As Shen Li watched Xu Yuan try on different lipstick shades, she suddenly remembered something and sighed. “Xiao Yuan, do you have any plans for a second child?”

Xu Yuan shook her head without thinking. “No.”

Fortunately, Meng Zhengrong thought the same way. Having a baby was easier said than done; for women, it was truly exhausting.

Maybe one day in the future, she and Meng Zhengrong would have another child, but certainly not now. They were both very busy, and finding time to spend with Baby Panda was already difficult enough, let alone having another baby.

“Yesterday, my mother-in-law brought it up, and I discussed it with Chaowen,” Shen Li said with a bitter smile. “We plan to have another child after Nong Nong starts elementary school.”

Currently, both Baby Panda and Nong Nong are four years old, and they would likely need to spend another two years in kindergarten before starting elementary school.

Who could say for sure what would happen in two years?

“Do you want to have another baby?” Xu Yuan asked.

Shen Li neither nodded nor shook her head. “Sometimes I want to, and sometimes I don’t. My in-laws and my parents are all pushing me to have a second child, saying it’s too quiet with just one. But Chaowen and I have discussed it, and when Nong Nong is a little older, we’ll ask her opinion. After all, while having a baby is our own decision, it’s still important to consider Nong Nong’s feelings about having a little brother or sister.”

“That sounds good.”

Shen Li then asked, “What about your in-laws? Have they pressured you? And what about Zhengrong?”

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. “My in-laws can push me, but why would Zhengrong pressure me? Having a baby doesn’t involve him enduring ten months of torment or the pain of childbirth; he just needs to open his mouth and pressure me?”

Shen Li burst out laughing. “Hahaha, it seems like President Meng is really under your thumb.”

“Of course! He definitely doesn’t want another baby right now.” Xu Yuan paused. “My father-in-law generally doesn’t express opinions about our matters, but my mother-in-law and my mom have mentioned the second child a few times. It’s all Zhengrong who manages to brush it off. We’ve come up with a strategy: whenever someone brings up having a second child, we send Baby Panda over to their place for a few days, and they’ll quiet down for half a month.”

Shen Li gave a thumbs-up. “That’s a great idea! When my mother-in-law pressures me again, I’ll send the kids over to her for a few days.”

Only those who have personally gone through childbirth and parenting can decide whether to have a second child. Others just stand by and talk without understanding the challenges.

While the two women in the room discussed having a second child, the two children in the other room were having a great time playing.

Baby Panda had quite a few friends in kindergarten, but he didn’t like playing with girls much, except for Nong Nong.

The Meng and Song families had a good relationship now; the Meng family had even helped get Nong Nong into the same kindergarten as Baby Panda.

The two kids were true childhood sweethearts, having spent time together since birth. Baby Panda was very patient with Nong Nong, almost unlike boys his age.

Nong Nong was very cute and pretty. In order to protect her, Song Chaowen and Shen Li didn’t post her pictures on Weibo. They had a good relationship with reporters, and even if they spotted Nong Nong, the reporters would blur her face.

Now, at four years old, Nong Nong understood the differences between boys and girls, as well as the desire to be beautiful.

The desire to be beautiful is innate in women, even if Nong Nong was just a little girl.

She loved playing with her mom’s makeup, and many of Shen Li’s lipsticks had fallen into Nong Nong’s hands.

On the carpet, several bottles of nail polish were scattered about. Nong Nong picked up her favorite bright red color and looked at Baby Panda with anticipation.

Baby Panda had a bad feeling. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Nong Nong replied softly, “Has Aunt Xiao Yuan ever told you that you can’t wear nail polish?”

Baby Panda thought for a moment and shook his head.

His mom hadn’t said anything about it.

Nong Nong smiled even wider, her big eyes turning into crescent moons. “Then that’s perfect!”

Baby Panda wasn’t the most patient person, but he was willing to oblige Nong Nong’s requests. Although he really didn’t like nail polish, he extended his hand and obediently let her have her fun.

As he watched his nails turn red, Baby Panda’s expression grew increasingly peculiar. Fortunately, he didn’t get angry or say anything.

When it came to girls, Baby Panda was definitely a gentleman.

When Shen Li and Xu Yuan arrived, Baby Panda’s hands were already covered in nail polish—red, pink, and even black—so much so that even Xu Yuan, his mother, couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Shen Li hurriedly snapped a photo of Baby Panda’s chubby hands, the bright nail polish standing out vividly. After getting Xu Yuan’s consent, she posted it on Weibo.

【Nong Nong painted Baby Panda’s nails. Although Baby Panda looks unwilling, he still let Nong Nong do it. Super cute!】

Not long after, the post received numerous comments.

——Ahhh, Baby Panda is too sweet!! This is the most insane CP I’m supporting! To prove it, if these two babies end up together in the future, I’ll do a giveaway for a complete set of YSL lipsticks!!

——To the comment above, by the time these two babies get together, YSL lipsticks will probably be outdated, hahaha.

——I’m so envious that Nong Nong has such a sweet and rich childhood friend, and I’m envious that Baby Panda has such a cute and pretty childhood sweetheart. As for me, I’ll just keep eating dog food.

After finishing his shoot, Song Chaowen returned to the hotel and saw his wife’s post on Weibo, and he was instantly upset.

He thought the whole nail polish thing was his exclusive right!

Nong Nong had always painted his nails, and now she was painting the nails of another little boy! Even if that little boy was Baby Panda, whom he liked very much, that was unacceptable!

Song Chaowen didn’t want to mention this to his wife, so he opened WeChat and started to vent at Meng Zhengrong.

Their relationship had improved so much that he felt comfortable complaining about it.

When Meng Zhengrong received the message, he was puzzled. After scrolling through Weibo, he quickly understood.

If Baby Panda were a girl, he would probably be furious if something similar happened to him.

In fact, although many men prefer daughters, they usually treat their children equally. Men are just stricter with their sons and more indulgent with their daughters.

In other words, raising a pig and growing cabbage both require effort and care, but if a pig pushes into someone else’s cabbage, they wouldn’t care as much. If someone else’s pig came to mess with their cabbage, that would be a different story.

When they returned home that evening, Baby Panda’s nail polish had already been washed off. Meng Zhengrong jokingly hugged him and said, “So, our son likes nail polish?”

Baby Panda shot Meng Zhengrong a glance, his face flushed with anger. “I don’t like it!”

He was a boy and didn’t like putting that stuff on his nails!

Meng Zhengrong smiled and asked, “Oh? Then why did you let Nong Nong paint your nails?”

Baby Panda struggled for a moment. “She’s Nong Nong; she’s a girl!”

This meant that because she was Nong Nong and a girl, he had to accommodate her, be patient with her, and even endure having his nails painted.

Meng Zhengrong couldn’t help but think that his son was much stronger than he had been at that age.

Baby Panda was indeed very good at dealing with girls.

“What if another girl wanted to paint your nails?” Meng Zhengrong casually asked.

If Baby Panda accepted any girl who approached him, they might need to reconsider.

It’s good to be a gentleman towards girls, but being overly warm to every girl would be a different story…

Without thinking, Baby Panda shook his head. “No.”

“Why not?” Xu Yuan came over just in time to hear this exchange and was curious about her son’s thoughts.