Then, he tried the stir-fried vegetables. Somehow, they were sweet, even though he didn’t remember adding sugar.

“Kids, try Uncle Jiang’s dishes and see how they taste,” Jiang Yuan kindly offered, picking up a rib.

After one bite, he almost gave up—it was that bad.

Mr. Jiang may be great at making money, but he’s terrible at cooking. It’s true, people should stick to their strengths.

“It’s not bad, really,” Jiang Yuan forced down the rib, but he didn’t dare encourage the kids any further.

“Really?” Jiang Xu, always brave, took a bite. “Ptooey, ptooey…”

Jiang Xu spit it out: “Dad, Uncle Jiang’s food is disgusting!”

“Disgusting!” He was upset his dad lied about it tasting good.

Jiang Yuan awkwardly handed his son some water and smiled apologetically at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen didn’t take it to heart. He knew his food wasn’t good.

But just then, a pair of small chopsticks reached for his stir-fried vegetables.

Nian Nian took a bite of her dad’s dish and told Jiang Xu: “It’s not that bad.”

To prove it, she took another bite. The sweet vegetables weren’t great, but they weren’t that awful either.

“Is that so?” Jiang Xu saw how confident Nian Nian was. He thought, maybe it was just the sweet and sour pork ribs that weren’t good, but the stir-fried vegetables might be okay?

Jiang Xu decided to give it another try and picked up the stir-fried vegetables. It tasted very sweet.

Jiang Xu didn’t like it and wanted to spit it out again.

But at that moment, Nian Nian looked at him with sparkling eyes and asked, “Is this dish okay?”

Looking into his sister’s eyes, Jiang Xu suddenly felt too embarrassed to spit the food out. He swallowed it with difficulty and said, “It’s okay.”

Hearing this, Nian Nian smiled and picked up another piece of food for him: “Then eat more, brother.”

Jiang Xu: “…”

Is sister teasing him on purpose? He really doesn’t want to eat anymore!

[Poor Jiang Xu. He got tricked by his dad once, and now sister made him eat Uncle Jiang’s bad cooking.]

[Do you think Nian Nian did it on purpose because Jiang Xu said her dad’s cooking was bad, and she was unhappy, so she teased him?]

[Nian Nian is defending her dad, right? Haha, only she can make fun of him, no one else! If you mess with her dad, she’ll mess with you!]

[Nian Nian is like her dad’s little protector, nothing gets past her!]

…

After dinner and playing for a while, the fathers took their kids home.

It was almost nine o’clock, the usual time to end the live broadcast.

Just as the audience felt a little unsatisfied, the admin posted an announcement in the chat:

In response to popular demand, tonight’s broadcast will be extended until 10:30 p.m.

The audience was thrilled.

[Wow, the production team listened to us, how thoughtful!]

[But the moms aren’t here today. It’s nice to see the kids and dads, but it’s late and I want to see the dads and moms being cute together!]

The chat was lively because of the extended broadcast.

By now, the kids were very sleepy.

They had a busy day, from a sports event in the morning to working in the fields in the afternoon. Exhausted, the kids fell asleep as soon as they hit the pillow.

Nian Nian usually goes to bed around nine. Normally, the broadcast would end, and the audience would see Shen Mingyou kiss her forehead, say, “Mom loves you,” and Nian Nian would fall asleep right away.

But tonight, something seemed off.

Jiang Chen checked the time. It was already nine. “Nian Nian, close your eyes. It’s time for bed.”

Nian Nian obediently closed her eyes.

She usually falls asleep right away, but tonight, she couldn’t.

Lying in bed, she kept tossing and turning.

Jiang Chen noticed. He gently patted her shoulder and asked, “Nian Nian, what’s wrong?”

Nian Nian opened her eyes: “I can’t sleep.”

Jiang Chen: “…”

Jiang Chen wasn’t great at helping his daughter fall asleep, so he tried reading a few fairy tales on his phone.

He read several, but Nian Nian still couldn’t sleep.

When he finished one and was about to start another, Nian Nian said, “Dad, stop reading.”

Jiang Chen thought she didn’t like the story and offered, “How about Daddy sings you a lullaby?”

Nian Nian shook her head. “No, you’re keeping me awake.”

Jiang Chen: “…”

So now it’s his fault she can’t sleep.

[No, Nian Nian doesn’t want to hear her dad sing, but we do! Mr. Jiang, sing for us!]

[Maybe Nian Nian is missing her mom. That’s why she can’t sleep.]

[It’s almost ten, and Nian Nian still isn’t asleep. Is something wrong?]

Jiang Chen was getting worried. He tucked her in again. “Okay, then go to sleep, Daddy won’t bother you anymore.”

But Nian Nian kept tossing and turning, even looking a bit anxious.

Jiang Chen got up and called the show’s crew to contact his wife.

Soon, Jiang Chen got in touch with Shen Mingyou through the team.

Shen Mingyou was also a little sleepless tonight. Usually, by this time, Nian Nian would be fast asleep. She worried that without her, Nian Nian might cry or ask for her.

This was the first night Shen Mingyou had been away from her daughter since she was born.

When she finally got word from Jiang Chen that Nian Nian wasn’t crying or asking for her, she felt a bit relieved.

Relieved, but also a little sad.

Maybe it’s not Nian Nian who depends on her, but the other way around.

Just as she was calming down, Jiang Chen added, “But tonight, Nian Nian has insomnia and hasn’t fallen asleep yet.”

“Why is she awake?” Nian Nian usually sleeps so well and always goes to bed at nine. It was already ten, and Shen Mingyou’s worry spiked again.

“Maybe she’s missing her mom,” Jiang Chen said. “Do you have any ideas on how to help her sleep?”

If Nian Nian heard her mom’s voice now, she might cry, and Shen Mingyou couldn’t come back right away. So Jiang Chen asked his wife for advice.

“First, check her temperature to make sure she’s not sick,” Shen Mingyou suggested. “If she’s fine, try telling her more stories or playing some lullabies.”

“If that doesn’t work, we can arrange a video call to see if that helps.”

“Okay,” Jiang Chen comforted, “Nian Nian must be missing you, so she can’t sleep. Don’t worry too much.”

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Chen took Nian Nian’s temperature as Shen Mingyou asked, and everything was normal. Nian Nian said she didn’t feel unwell.

Jiang Chen sent a message to Shen Mingyou, letting her know the child wasn’t feeling sick.

Just as he put his phone down, he received a message from his wife: Every night before bed, I kiss Nian Nian on the forehead and tell her I love her. Nian Nian might be used to it. You could try it and see if it helps.

Jiang Chen went to the bed. Nian Nian looked a bit tired—obviously very sleepy but still unable to fall asleep. Jiang Chen sat down, bent over, kissed her forehead, and said, “Nian Nian, Dad loves you.”

Nian Nian looked at her father with her big, grape-like eyes and said, “Yeah,” showing she understood.

One second passed, then one minute, and ten minutes…

Nian Nian still couldn’t fall asleep.

Jiang Chen sighed—it seemed his wife’s method wasn’t working.

As he thought about letting Nian Nian video call Shen Mingyou, an idea struck him.

He bent down again, kissed Nian Nian’s forehead, and said, “Nian Nian, Mom loves you.”

Nian Nian slowly closed her eyes.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

Snore…

Nian Nian fell asleep, snoring softly.

Jiang Chen: “…”

[So, Nian Nian couldn’t sleep because she didn’t hear “Mom loves you”?]

[Nian Nian: What’s the point of my father loving me? I want my mom’s love! Haha, Dad’s love can’t compete with Mom’s love!]

[Dad loves you VS Mom loves you. Dad’s love is the loser!]