An Xun couldn’t hide his excitement; who wouldn’t want to pinch the cheeks of such a mochi-like little face?

Qiao Qiao wasn’t shy at all, much like his alpha dad, quite sociable from the start. After a brief hesitation, he agreed and opened his arms for An Xun to pick him up.

It was An Xun’s first time holding a child, and he was clueless, standing still, hands awkwardly hovering. He had heard that kids at this age are quite fragile. What if he held him wrong and hurt his back?

He reached out to pick him up but didn’t know the best angle to approach from.

Bo Xiangzhou held Qiao Qiao with one hand, adjusting An Xun’s posture with the other, but it was Qiao Qiao’s omega dad who eventually demonstrated how to do it properly before handing the child over to him.

With the soft, fragrant child in his arms, An Xun cradled him, one hand under his buttocks and the other supporting his back, not wanting to let go.

Perhaps due to a similarity in temperaments, Qiao Qiao and An Xun got along well. After playing with a fishing toy on the couch for a while, Qiao Qiao climbed into his lap and planted a kiss on his face.

An Xun was a quick learner; in half an hour, he had mastered all the tricks of holding a child. He sat Qiao Qiao on his lap, entertaining him with a cod sausage, making sure he was securely positioned before snapping a quick photo to send to Tao Nian.

[Drowned Fish]: Nian Nian, look at this adorable baby.

Tao Nian’s response caught him off guard.

[Nian Nian]: You two are already going to parenting classes together?

[Nian Nian]: Are you out of your mind? You’re thinking about having kids already? Tell me, did that Bo guy force you into some unequal terms?

Pinching Qiao Qiao’s chubby cheeks, which felt wonderfully soft, An Xun was reminded of how Bo Xiangzhou often pinched his face. He pinched his own cheek subconsciously, thinking indeed it felt quite nice.

Wait, why does Bo Xiangzhou pinch his face? Just because it feels good? Or does he see him as a little pet, something to squeeze now and then just for the pleasure of it?

After much thought, An Xun couldn’t come up with a solid reason and decided to put this aside for later discussion with his “strategist.”

[Drowned Fish]: No, this is Sang Qi’s son. There’s no way that would happen between me and Bo Xiangzhou.

[Drowned Fish]: Let me tell you, this kid is so well-behaved. He’s even more emotionally stable than me, doesn’t cry or fuss, can play by himself quietly, and he’s polite, says sorry and thank you. I really like him; he even kissed me just now!!

Tao Nian, who didn’t like kids, couldn’t imagine feeling anything special from seeing the child’s photo.

[Nian Nian]: Then you should have one like this.

[Nian Nian]: By the way, how did Sang Qi’s kid end up with you?

An Xun replied to his previous message: I’m waiting for you to have one like this for me to play with. I had my eye on this little guy when he was the ring bearer at the wedding. Finally got my hands on him today.

[Drowned Fish]: Don’t say it like that; you make it sound like I’m a trafficker.

[Drowned Fish]: But seriously, if there’s a chance, I wouldn’t mind kidnapping him. Just not sure if the kid would agree.

An Xun held Qiao Qiao’s hand, helping him stand by the couch as they both looked out the window. Qiao Qiao stretched his neck to its limits to catch a glimpse of the vast starry sky.

An Xun sent a picture of the starlit sky to Tao Nian, saying: There’s a leisure resort opening soon in the southern suburbs. You should come and check it out. I looked it up online; they started construction the year before last, but I only just found out about it this year.

[Nian Nian]: You’re always brushing me off.

[Nian Nian]: I sent you screenshots when they first started construction. Didn’t you see them at all?

In An Xun’s memory, this seemed like something that never happened.

[Drowned Fish]: It’s been so long, I forgot, didn’t remember it.

A few seconds later, Tao Nian replied.

[Nian Nian]: You really are brushing me off. I never sent it.

An Xun sighed heavily. The adult world is indeed treacherous, full of traps. It’s simpler being a child.

Qiao Qiao’s two dads were being affectionate outside, while the lonely two alphas, Cheng Song and Bo Xiangzhou, squeezed together. Cheng Song, taking off his jacket to place over the chair, remarked, “Though I know gossip isn’t nice, I’m still curious about his reasons for the divorce.”

“Just kill your gossip-loving heart.”

Cheng Song casually responded, “You don’t have to tell me the gossip; you two go outside and get cozy, leave Qiao Qiao with me, I haven’t held him long enough tonight.”

“When you weren’t here, you didn’t hold him, but now you’re fighting to snatch him up. Cheng Song, why don’t you just go with Qiao Qiao to nursery school? His mind is more mature than yours.”

The loft was warm; Bo Xiangzhou unbuttoned his sleeves, rolling them up to reveal his forearms tensing with the movement. A simple action, but exceptionally charming on him.

Bo Xiangzhou cut straight to the point, “President Cheng, your love life is thicker by the day. People are practically chasing you out the door.”

“Who, An Xin? He caused some trouble a few days ago, using my name to smooth things over. I found out and confronted him, wanting to end things, thought I’d just give him some money to go away, but he wouldn’t have it. His ambitions are too grand, eyeing the spot as my other half.” Cheng Song was baffled, “I don’t get it. What does he see in me? Is it just because I have some money? He’s so desperate, saying he can’t end it. I heard he came today, so I had the security keep him outside. Did he approach your wife?”

“He didn’t dare come over.”

Cheng Song had an epiphany, “Right, because you’re so terrifying. If your wife isn’t afraid of you, it means you two are naturally a match.”

Bo Xiangzhou fiddled with the toy car Qiao Qiao had left on the table, “That’s just his nature, fearless of heaven and earth, only afraid of losing his Nian Nian and his money.”

Cheng Song chuckled, “True enough, but you still willingly give him money, finding all sorts of reasons.”

Below the loft, there was a small kitchen where chefs selected through rigorous trials demonstrated their skills, creating dishes with exceptionally fancy names.

To An Xun, it all seemed like a pretentious way to fleece the wealthy.

As one of the first testers, An Xun felt a bit nervous. Some dishes looked appetizing but tasted indescribable, and their poetic names didn’t help him imagine their flavors.

He tried a small piece of steamed fish, surprisingly delicious, though a bit bland for his taste.

Bo Xiangzhou saw that he was almost full and kept adding more to his plate, piling it high, even though An Xun gestured for him to stop, indicating that he was just a person, not a pig to be fed to death.

Qiao Qiao’s diet differed from the adults’. After half a bowl of pumpkin porridge, he was full and climbed over Sang Qi to step on Bo Xiangzhou’s leg, reaching up to hand him a grape.

This time, they were washed and still wet. An Xun quickly finished a small piece of roast suckling pig, took the grape from him, and swallowed it, skin and seeds included.

The night deepened, and after playing with Qiao Qiao for over an hour, An Xun began to feel sleepy. Usually, he wanted to sleep as soon as he had eaten, but tonight he was a bit more energetic. Qiao Qiao, bursting with energy, was carried away by his omega dad to be fed milk formula, leaving An Xun alone to browse social media on the couch.

Then, unconsciously, he leaned against Bo Xiangzhou’s shoulder.

Bo Xiangzhou noticed but didn’t wake him, instead carefully turning off his phone and slipping it into his pocket.

Cheng Song mentioned, “There’s a hot spring further up; want to try it?”

Sang Qi’s family had no objections; having Qiao Qiao exhaust himself playing outside meant he would likely fall asleep once home.

Bo Xiangzhou, however, wrapped an arm around An Xun’s waist, saying, “No, he’s tired.”

An Xun was light, easy to carry; Bo Xiangzhou carried him to the parking lot under the moonlight without breaking a sweat, just slightly out of breath.

Outside, An Xin, unable to bear the discomfort, had stormed off a few minutes after they entered the resort.

—

With a child present, there was no alcohol at the gathering, only fruit juices and drinks. An Xun drank plenty, which had him waking up in the middle of the night needing the bathroom. In the dark, he turned on the night light and accidentally stepped into empty space.

His scream woke Bo Xiangzhou, who only saw a shadow flash by, as if the scream had never existed.

Bo Xiangzhou turned on the main light, his eyes sleepy, and immediately checked if An Xun had fallen, asking about injuries as soon as he got back into bed.

An Xun changed into pajamas, rolled up his trouser leg, and extended his leg for inspection.

After several checks confirming there were no signs of a fall, he felt relieved.

An Xun had only slept a few hours before getting up for work, but Bo Xiangzhou, uncharacteristically, kept his eyes tightly shut, lying in bed as if ill.

After calling a few times and confirming he was alive, An Xun unceremoniously stuck a new thermometer in his mouth.

Bo Xiangzhou gave him an annoyed look.

An Xun glared back, “I’m showing concern here! If you don’t appreciate it, fine, but don’t look at your lifesaver like that! Watch it, or I’ll sue you for millions!”

Seeing the normal temperature, An Xun breathed a sigh of relief. There was a meeting at the company he couldn’t be late for. He had little time left after waking up late, so he hurriedly washed up and stuffed some snacks in his bag before rushing to work.

He sprinted with his backpack, clocking in just in time, then bumped into a supervisor around the corner.

The supervisor wasn’t very familiar with him, but because of a leave request that had touched him deeply, he had taken an interest in An Xun and was quite impressed by him.

He was convinced of An Xun’s capabilities, apologizing for once thinking omega less capable than alpha.

An Xun was flattered, “Brother Zhang, you’re overestimating me, my skills are really quite ordinary.”

Suddenly, he remembered a long-ago colleague named Zhang, but couldn’t recall who it was.

The supervisor had an “I knew you’d say that” look, “Your leave request was so well written, no online template could match even a thousandth of its quality. Simple yet touching words that could move a heart as tough as mine. My judgment is never wrong. I see great potential in you. I believe anyone who can write such an excellent piece must also have strong skills. Don’t hide your abilities at work; show everyone what you’re capable of, let them learn from you.”

An Xun didn’t dare agree. He had thought the supervisor would favor him, but didn’t expect it so soon.

That leave request wasn’t written by him! As an ordinary employee, he could never write something that hit the mark so precisely! It was not his level of flattery!

An Xun deflected the topic with a few words and returned to his desk to organize the mess of books.

He had spent a good deal of money on these books, thinking they would help improve his skills. Instead, they just collected dust, rarely flipped through.

Taking them home would only invite Bo Xiangzhou’s ridicule; he marked a suitable spot to eventually sell them cheaply.

As the meeting approached, he spent half an hour searching for his former colleague Zhang, finding no useful leads. Scrolling through social media, he realized the face that had flashed through his mind was that of a deadbeat.

The deadbeat had broken up and was currently throwing shade on social media.

[Deadbeat]: It’s bad luck, really. Fell for an omega who loves wealth over affection, and it’s been nothing but trouble. Wonder if he’s cursing me behind my back.

It sounded like him.

An Xun opened the profile, took a screenshot of the friend circle, and sent a private message.

[I Am Your Dad]: Excuse me, are you talking about me?

His tone was polite enough. If the other party sincerely apologized, he would graciously let bygones be bygones. If the slander continued, he was ready to confront him directly.