Zhou Xu suggested having dinner in the courtyard behind the teahouse. The adults moved the tables, while the kids worked together to move the chairs and stools. When the bright moon hung high, the eight guests gathered around a square table like a family, enjoying dinner in a harmonious atmosphere. Everyone was chatting and laughing, and the little ones occasionally chimed in with their innocent words, making the scene extra warm.

[The atmosphere here is even better than the farm~ It feels so nice to become friends and family.]

[I just got my takeout, eating dinner alone, pretending I’m there, crazily grabbing food from Ming Zai’s bowl.]

In the evening, Wen Cishu finished washing up early, lay in bed, and watched Little Monkey snuggle up to him.

“What’s up?”

Bo Yiming rolled over on the bed, resting his head on his little dad’s leg, “Little dad, can I go play with Xingxing for a bit before coming back to sleep?”

Wen Cishu gently brushed his hand from Yiming’s smooth forehead to his hair, smoothing his bangs, and leaned down to his handsome and cute face, “Of course you can.”

“Great.”

Bo Yiming hugged his little dad’s waist, snuggling in his arms, taking a deep breath, and looked up with a big smile, “Little dad smells so nice today.”

Wen Cishu nudged him, “I used too much shower gel earlier. Go on, Xingxing is waiting to play with you.”

Bo Yiming took out the watch he had removed during his bath from his pocket, placed it aside, and winked at his little dad, “I’m off~”

Wen Cishu thought to himself, is Little Monkey hinting for him to contact big dad?

–

In Chu Han and her son’s room, as soon as the knock on the door sounded, Xingxing, who was taking things out of the suitcase, rushed over.

Bo Yiming jumped up as the door opened, “Brother is here!”

Xingxing, not being the outgoing type, still smiled and invited his brother in.

Chu Han, understanding, said, “Yiming, you and Xingxing can chat in bed. Auntie is just going over the script.”

“Okay.” Bo Yiming didn’t stand on ceremony but was a bit curious about the “script,” so he whispered to Xingxing in bed, “Do you often go to your mom’s set to play?”

“No, only a few times.” Xingxing turned over, resting his head on the pillow, looking at brother Yiming.

In the light, Bo Yiming’s eye color was slightly different from the daytime, paired with his curly eyelashes, blinking in a very special way.

Lying down, Bo Yiming cupped his face with his hands, “Then next time, I’ll go with you to your mom’s set, and you can come skiing with me. My big dad is really good at skiing.”

Xingxing was always curious about the big dad his brother mentioned, poking in the direction of his brother’s eyes, “Does your big dad have eyes like yours?”

“No, my big dad’s eyes are green, um… dark green.”

Bo Yiming turned over and lay down, pulling the quilt and snuggling up to Xingxing, “What about Xingxing’s dad?”

[Hmm? Dark green? Really green?]

[Could it really be the Bo family big shot that Momo mentioned?]

[I really want to take a picture of the handsome guy with the bite stopper and see how Ming Zai reacts.]

On the bed, Xingxing turned over, half his face buried in the quilt, mumbling about how his dad was busy and didn’t have much time to play with him.

“My dad is a doctor.”

“Wow. Isn’t that amazing?” Bo Yiming immediately thought of the two doctor uncles who often came to his house.

The traditional Chinese medicine uncle who took pulses was like a martial arts master in his eyes.

“Yeah.” Xingxing was indeed proud of his dad.

Bo Yiming remembered that whenever something happened at home, the doctor uncles were always there when called.

“Does Xingxing’s dad have to be at the hospital every day?”

Xingxing nodded, still speaking up for his dad, “But… before dad comes home, he’ll ask mom, and if I’m not asleep, he’ll bring food back to eat together.”

“Wow. Your dad is really nice, huh?”

Bo Yiming, talking about food, felt a bit indignant, “My big dad even fights with me for food.”

He suddenly thought of his little dad and continued, “Before, my little dad was always lying in the bedroom, and big dad was afraid I’d disturb him, so he wouldn’t let me go to the room to find little dad. I just played by myself.”

He happily turned over, “But recently, little dad’s health has improved. Let me tell you~ After the last show, I even slept with little dad and told him fairy tales.”

In his mind, he pictured himself like a little follower, following little dad into the bathroom.

While little dad brushed his teeth and washed his face, he kept muttering bad things about big dad, and little dad listened patiently, even asking for details.

Bo Yiming felt warm and happy just recalling it.

“Really?”

Xingxing’s eyes quietly watched his brother, as if he could imagine the “playing by himself” scene from those words.

He rested his chin on his arm, his voice muffled, “Why are adults always like this? Can’t they be like this all the time?”

“That’s just how it is, sometimes good, sometimes not.”

Bo Yiming reached out and pinched his brother’s cheeks, pulling them apart, suddenly raising his voice, “But it’s okay because I’m also sometimes good, sometimes not. Hehe!”

Xingxing didn’t avoid the cheek pinching, instead looking at his brother thoughtfully.

He had never looked at his parents separately like this, nor had he ever turned his observational perspective on himself, so he was a bit unresponsive.

[No way, did Xingxing really take it seriously? Nine-year-olds dare to say it, and seven-year-olds dare to believe it.]

[Ming Zai makes sense, right? There are no perfect parents or perfect kids. Everyone is sometimes good, sometimes not. As long as it doesn’t involve issues like domestic violence or infidelity, just understand and accept each other?]

[I think Ming Zai is great, like a kid who can play well alone and never feels lonely.]

[But he must have been lonely when he was little, hug the cute little Ming Zai from the past.]

[No wonder Ming Zai is more clingy to little dad in the second episode than the first, even calling him mommy. Turns out they slept together after going home.]

[Where does big dad sleep? [Let me see.jpg]]

[Ming Zai: Under the bed [Filial piety.jpg]]

Bo Yiming cheerfully messed up his brother’s hair, “Xingxing, let me tell you a story. But it’s in French… um, let me think about how to say it in Chinese.”

He hugged Xingxing, “It’s a fun story about a unicorn exploring the forest.”

Xingxing nodded, “Brother, I want to hear it in French.”

“Okay!” Bo Yiming was happy to speak in French, so he didn’t have to translate it into Chinese in his head first. He then seriously began to tell the story.

Xingxing, hearing a French fairy tale for the first time, was full of admiration.

[French major hit by this pronunciation]

[Ming Zai, you’re still coaxing your brother? Your home is being raided!]

In Wen Cishu’s room, not long after Bo Yiming left, a little one came knocking.

Little Qi, wearing a little penguin pajama, stretched out his short black arms when he saw Wen Cishu.

“Little uncle~ hug~”

Wen Cishu bent down to pick up the soft little cub, looking outside.

Across the door, Zhou Xu waved, “I’ll leave it to Yiming’s dad!”

He exaggeratedly bowed and slipped into the room.

Wen Cishu smiled and looked down at the cute little penguin.

Little Qi blinked his big eyes, deliberately stretching his neck, puffing up one side of his chubby cheek, “Little uncle~”

Wen Cishu quickly leaned down to give a gentle kiss, “Little Qi’s cheeks are so soft. Uncle wants another kiss~”

Little Qi giggled, snuggling into little uncle’s arms, trying hard to play the role of a soft and cute little ball.

[Oh~ Little Qi is so soft~ ee kiss kiss]

[Ming Zai!!! Your mommy has become Little Qi’s!]

Wen Cishu placed Little Qi on the bed, tucking the watch he had just picked up back under the other pillow.

He naturally reached out to hug the obedient and soft little cub, but suddenly got lost in thought.

Years ago, he used to hold the two or three-year-old Little Monkey like this.

But later, as his health deteriorated, he stopped being close to the child, immersing himself in the pain and unable to extricate himself.

Holding the little cutie, he could imagine that if he hadn’t awakened unexpectedly, he would have continued to suffer until he died of a heart attack.

Little Qi leaned against uncle, speaking in a soft voice, even saying he wanted to invite uncle to his house to play.

Wen Cishu rubbed Little Qi’s soft little hand, resting it in his palm, the little fingers curling up, just like a little cat’s paw.

While they were talking, the door was pushed open.

Bo Yiming stepped in, “Little Qi!!!!!!!”

“Wow~ wow~” Little Qi excitedly burrowed into little uncle’s quilt, forming a round, chubby ball.

Wen Cishu hugged Little Qi, “Yiming, don’t scare your brother.”

A muffled little voice came from under the quilt, “Little Qi isn’t scared~”

Bo Yiming jumped onto the bed, hugging the little ball, “Little dad, Little Qi is so brave!”

Wen Cishu said, “Little Qi was just talking about how you and Uncle Zhou caught ducks at the farm last time.”

Little Qi sat in his brother’s arms, blinking his starry eyes, “Little Qi likes the farm, does brother like it?”

“Brother likes it a lot too.” Bo Yiming lifted the little cub high, suddenly thinking, “Why don’t we make the farm ours? Then we can still go play.”

“Okay, okay~”

Little Qi clapped his hands, “But how do we make it ours?”

Bo Yiming turned to look at little dad, “Little dad, how much does a farm cost?”

“Well…” Wen Cishu was at a loss.

He really had no idea. “After the show ends tomorrow, dad will ask the program staff.”

“Okay!”

[? No, are you seriously discussing buying a farm?]

[This morning, Ming Zai’s little dad didn’t even question a cup of tea costing 150, good thing Zhu Wei was there, right?]

[Could Ming Zai really be from the Bo family that netizens speculated about? Need a sister, Ming Zai? (Can speak French~)]

–

In the hotel suite, Aunt Zhong knocked and entered.

A tall figure was pacing back and forth.

Not far from the figure was a glass window with the curtains not drawn.

The black windows looked like cages, trapping the pacing person.

Even the black shirt he wore all year round seemed to be an extension of the night outside, tightly binding and restraining his body and soul.

As soon as Aunt Zhong entered, she felt a special sense of urgency in the air.

She thought something important had happened and couldn’t help but ask, “Eldest young master?”

Bo Tingyuan stopped pacing when she entered, quickly glancing at the box in her hand, “Aunt Zhong, what’s the matter?”

Aunt Zhong, hearing his usual tone, walked forward and placed the small box on the coffee table.

“The second young master instructed me to bring this tonight, saying you should rest early and not stay up late.”

Bo Tingyuan looked at the people on the live broadcast screen and nodded, “Thank you.”

Aunt Zhong didn’t say much more and turned to leave.

Bo Tingyuan sat down and carefully opened the box.

Two small Madeleine cakes were cutely stacked, emitting a faint lemon fragrance.

Inside the box was a folded card with a few handwritten words by Wen Cishu.

[Made four Madeleines in total, I’ve already eaten two. These two are for you as a late-night snack. After eating, rest well. (Cishu)]

The handwriting, written with a fountain pen, was particularly strong, with a graceful and slightly bold style.

Bo Tingyuan repeatedly looked at the words, took a small piece from the box, and tasted the lemon cheese filling.

The sweet and sour fruit aroma balanced the sweetness of the Madeleine itself, just like this snack timely diluted Bo Tingyuan’s evening restlessness.

Before Aunt Zhong came in, he had been pacing for half an hour.

Bo Tingyuan should indeed rest early, as he promised.

But his will couldn’t fully control his body.

So, as night fell, he was like a resilient rubber band, being stretched longer and longer by time, until it was about to snap.

The lemon Madeleine and card were a timely gentle hug from Wen Cishu.

But it was far from enough.

Bo Tingyuan lowered his eyes, his thick, sharp eyelashes covering his oil-green eyes.

He looked at the soft Madeleine with an almost extreme cautious posture.

Perhaps he should save this Madeleine.

For a special moment, like a drug, to temporarily relieve his physical and psychological torment.

At this moment, the phone placed on the Rene Char poetry collection lit up.

When Bo Tingyuan picked up the phone, he instinctively looked up, his sharp green eyes like a hawk’s, looking at the live broadcast screen.

Bo Yiming had just sent off the cute little cub, and Wen Cishu seemed to be hiding under the quilt, ready to sleep.

It was a message from his son’s watch.