Chapter 18: “Little Lu-gege! Delicious Gege!”

The little Taotie cub baby’s inching forward was the sort that knew when to stop.

One was truly too little, but taking two was sufficient to satisfy him, with no objections whatsoever.

The little face, previously tangled in hesitation, instantly bloomed into a smile. The little guy was so happy he started waving his arms and legs: “…Okay, okay! Baobao wants this one, and this one too!”

He quickly chose a chocolate tart and a nut-cheese bun.

“Okay, okay… Don’t wiggle, any more wiggling and I won’t be able to hold you, you’ll fall…”

Yin Tian gently placed the little guy down, making sure he was steady on the ground, before taking out the two items he had chosen.

The shop wasn’t big and didn’t have a dining area, so Yin Tian grabbed a small stool and let the little guy sit behind the counter to eat.

This satisfied the little guy’s wish and minimized the risk of him being caught red-handed outside if he suddenly went into hibernation.

Dongri was also sensible, obediently hiding in the corner of the counter.

From the back, he looked like a pitiful child laborer being abused by a black-hearted boss, radiating a sense of sneaking around.

Taking a big bite of the chocolate tart, the first thing he tasted was the cocoa powder attack.

“Cough, cough, cough—”

The child choked repeatedly, looking even more pitiful.

But after a slight pause, baby Dongri eagerly took another big bite, immediately smearing a ring of rich chocolate sauce around his mouth.

Had the chef’s skills improved significantly?

Or had it just been too long since he’d eaten it, making it taste especially delicious?

Anyway, with one bite, Dongri only felt the smoothness of the chocolate sauce and the crispy, mellow aroma of the tart shell underneath.

So delicious.

It is truly delicious.

He felt sorry for himself, yet he was also pleased.

One bite after another, the chocolate tart was gone in just four or five bites.

He picked up the nut-cheese bun and continued eating.

The chocolate sauce around his mouth hadn’t been wiped off yet, and now it was covered in a layer of milk powder.

Dongri didn’t like the dry bread part, but he loved the cheese sauce covered in milk powder on the outside of the cheese bun, especially with the added crushed nuts.

The cheese bun was quickly finished too. The little guy smacked his lips, still feeling unsatisfied.

So delicious.

This was precisely the kind of food he should be eating! He really wanted to have a few more.

But he knew he couldn’t.

And he didn’t dare to ask Yin Tian for such a favor again.

Clutching the wrapper, the little guy walked to the trash can and threw it away, then walked to Yin Tian’s side: “…Baobao’s mouth, needs wiping!”

After all, he was the little guy most skilled at sneaking food.

He hadn’t forgotten to destroy the evidence after eating, to avoid being discovered by Dong Mian.

In his heart, he felt he had performed very well.

So, after Yin Tian wiped his mouth, he naturally began to ask for a reward.

“…Can Baobao drink milk?”

Milk was still allowed, not on the forbidden list, as long as it wasn’t consumed in excessive quantities, such as several bottles a day.

Yin Tian grabbed a bottle of milk, opened the cap, and gave it to the little guy: “Here, drink it.”

The little guy happily took it: “Hehe!”

Then he quickly chugged it down.

He drank milk even more boldly than water, finishing it all in one go.

“Hah—”

After chugging it down, he let out a breath, and one could imagine how satisfied he was.

Then he walked to Yin Tian’s side again: “…Mouth, needs wiping too!”

Such a tiny little thing, yet so fond of cleanliness.

He needed his mouth wiped after eating bread, and again after drinking milk.

Yin Tian wiped his mouth again, then belatedly realized that he was being too compliant with the little guy’s requests.

Giving him whatever he wanted.

Doing whatever he asked.

But before, the little guy wouldn’t come to him alone, wouldn’t dare to say so much to him, let alone make these requests.

Could it be that today’s sweets had won him over?

Why else wouldn’t he be with the little immortal, and instead choose to come here, even seeming closer to him?

If that was the case, then getting on good terms with the little guy didn’t seem so difficult.

Just cater to his tastes and bribe him with delicious food.

After wiping his mouth, Dongri clutched the empty milk carton and walked to the trash can again, throwing the empty carton inside.

But the trash can was already full, and with his empty bottle added, the lid couldn’t close all the way, sticking up at an angle.

Dongri stood still and looked at it for a while: “Full, it’s full here!”

Then he said very firmly: “Baobao will throw it away!”

He looked up at the clerk next to him and boldly said, “Auntie, Baobao will throw it away!”

Although the clerk’s attitude was generally average, she was very nice to Yin Tian and liked the cute, well-behaved Dongri.

After all, besides here, where else could you find a boss whose explicit requirement was to be cold and indifferent to customers?

The clerk looked at Yin Tian, waiting for his answer.

Yin Tian’s gaze followed the little guy, and a slight smile appeared unconsciously on his lips. He asked Dongri, “You want to throw it away?”

“…Mmm!”

After finally eating what he wanted, not only had his courage grown, but even his attitude towards life had become more positive, and he was starting to volunteer to do things.

“Okay, then you go throw it away. Do you know where to throw it?”

“…”

A few traces of confusion reappeared on Dongri’s determined little face.

The answer was obviously no.

The clerk was utterly charmed by his little facial expressions. She took out the trash bag, tied it up, and handed it to him: “Baobao, there’s a big trash can at the door, just put it next to it.”

She couldn’t expect the little guy to throw it into the trash can; he wasn’t even as tall as the trash can.

“Okay! Then I’ll go!”

Having learned the mission location and received the mission item, the little guy dragged the trash bag towards the door.

It was a truly enthusiastic, yet also despairing, way of dragging it.

Fortunately, the trash bag was sturdy enough, containing only some paper cups and wrappers; otherwise, the trash would have left a trail all the way to the door.

But despite Dongri’s miniature stature, he was pretty strong.

The glass door was heavy and hard to push. Yin Tian stood to the side, waiting for the little guy to ask for help, but the little guy managed to push it open by himself and actually pulled the trash bag outside.

After placing it in the designated location, Dongri was very proud.

He was such a hardworking and amazing baby.

Not only did he volunteer to dispose of the trash, but he also successfully completed the task.

How was it, how was it?

It must have greatly improved his image in Daddy’s heart.

Thinking this, the little guy clapped his hands exaggeratedly while standing next to the trash can, admiring himself, utterly unaware that a limousine had stopped by the side of the road.

Until a familiar yet unfamiliar voice came from behind him.

“Baobao.”

Dongri subconsciously turned around, and Pei Qinglu just appeared before his eyes.

During his hospitalization, Pei Qinglu visited him every day, spending at least an hour with him each time.

But he hadn’t seen him for the past few days since he was discharged, and the little guy had quickly forgotten him. At first glance, he didn’t even recognize him.

He only felt a sense of familiarity.

He stood there blankly, staring at Pei Qinglu, blinking his eyes, without responding for a long time.

Pei Qinglu quickly walked up to him. Seeing his reaction, he could already guess the reason.

“You wouldn’t have forgotten me so quickly, would you?”

“…”

Dongri felt inexplicably guilty, as if he had been caught doing something bad.

Fortunately, he quickly remembered, and the dazed look in his eyes regained its sparkle: “…It’s Gege!”

“Little Lu-gege! Delicious Gege!”

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After confidently answering, the little guy didn’t forget to cover up his earlier guilt.

“…I, I didn’t, I didn’t forget you!”

Although his wandering eyes had already betrayed him, he maintained the necessary momentum in his tone.

“…Really, you, you saying that, is awful!”

Pei Qinglu smiled, still appearing gentle, but his complexion had significantly improved since his hospitalization, making him look more energetic.

Pei Jing followed Pei Qinglu.

As soon as Yin Tian saw the father and son of the dragon clan, he stepped out of the shop.

Yin Tian’s tone was neither warm nor cold: “What a distinguished guest, are you here specifically to patronize our business?”

Pei Jing: [Your shop is too shabby, can’t you make it nicer?]

Yin Tian frowned, obviously unwilling to communicate with him in this way, and pretended not to hear.

Pei Qinglu couldn’t hear their telepathic exchange, but facing Yin Tian’s less-than-friendly attitude, he was still as polite and bold as ever.

“Uncle Yin, I came to play with Riri. Can he wait in the car for a while? The car is parked by the side of the road. I won’t take him anywhere else.”

Before Yin Tian could speak, the little guy happily agreed: “Okay, okay!”

Despite the visible tension between the parents, the two children were able to play well together.

The little dragon cub enjoyed finding Dongri to play with, and Dongri was eager to play with him as well.

It wasn’t appropriate for them to play inside the shop, and it was impossible to go to a nearby home, and they had to be within Yin Tian’s sight at all times, so the only option was the car.

Since Dongri had already agreed, Yin Tian couldn’t possibly be a monster parent and force them apart.

So Pei Qinglu successfully took Dongri to the car, and even left Pei Jing behind as a hostage.

“Don’t come up, it will make Baobao feel pressured, and Uncle Yin won’t feel at ease either.”

“…”

“You should go down, if you have other things to do, you can leave first, I’ll call the driver over later.”

The young master, who was gentle to everyone, was somewhat cold when facing his father.

Pei Jing, who was rude, arrogant, and provocative towards Yin Tian and Dong Mian, was somewhat cautious in front of his child.

“…Dad isn’t busy, then Dad will go outside, you guys have fun.”

Dongri was very attuned to these small emotional changes and quickly noticed the nuances between this father and son.

But he couldn’t think deeply, couldn’t express himself, and was easily distracted.

As Dongri watched Pei Qinglu pull out a large bag of snacks, he felt detached from everything else; that bag of snacks seemed to capture his very essence.

“Wow—”

“Wow, wow—it’s delicious food—”

As expected of the Delicious Gege, he appeared with these delightful things when he needed them the most.

“These are all for you,” Pei Qinglu said. “You said you liked oatmeal last time, so I specifically bought a big bag.”

It was chocolate oatmeal mixed with dried fruit and nuts.

Dongri had eaten a small package of it in the hospital and had been thinking about it ever since.

“Wow—”

Unfortunately, the surprise only lasted a few seconds, and worry quickly climbed onto Dongri’s little face.

Pei Qinglu asked: “What’s wrong?”

Dongri sighed heavily, pouting: “…But, but Papa won’t let me, I can’t eat it…”

He hadn’t been able to confide in anyone about his recent experiences.

Opening his mouth to Pei Qinglu, all the sadness of not being able to satisfy his appetite surged into his heart.

“…I, I eat vegetables every day, so many vegetables, I’m not a little rabbit!”

“The meat I eat isn’t tender either… I like it tender, I don’t like it, I want it to fill the gaps!”