After Li Heng finished telling Feng Yuan about returning to their home country, Feng Qi and Li Sheng immediately began preparations.
They informed Feng Yuan about the upcoming return.
Upon hearing the news, Feng Yuan nodded his little head, feeling somewhat reluctant to leave the brothers and sisters at the base.
Even Charles, whom he used to dislike a little, was now very kind to him.
Feng Yuan still enjoyed the weekly group training sessions very much.
“Dad, Yuan Yuan wants to invite the brothers and sisters to our home to play.”
Feng Yuan pleaded with his dad, “Can we buy a cake for Yuan Yuan?”
“Of course we can.”
Feng Qi agreed to the request.
The entire family had no objections to this idea.
It was Feng Yuan’s first time inviting friends over.
The Li family took it very seriously.
The servants meticulously cleaned the entire house again. Although Little Deer and Tao Zhi had already returned to their home country, for Feng Yuan’s gathering, Little Deer remotely sent over several of his secret cooking recipes.
Li Heng hired professionals to redecorate the old mansion.
The usually solemn old mansion underwent a complete transformation for Feng Yuan’s gathering.
Various cartoon lanterns were hung under the eaves and on the trees.
A wall decorated with cartoon characters made of flowers was both exquisite and perfect for taking photos.
Colorful balloons were everywhere. Cute decorations filled every corner.
Feng Yuan was extremely satisfied with the new look of the house.
He carefully wrote invitation cards and handed them out to the brothers and sisters he trained with.
Charles also received a card.
Everyone was saddened to hear that Feng Yuan was leaving, but they hid their feelings.
On Saturday afternoon.
Feng Yuan’s little guests arrived one after another.
Each of them brought gifts.
Feng Yuan wore a short-sleeved shirt paired with black shorts and a bow tie at his collar.
Standing at the doorway, he looked like a little prince.
The arriving guests hugged him one by one.
“Yuan Yuan, will you come back?”
“Yes, Yuan Yuan still has training to do, but not for now.”
After explaining, Feng Yuan sweetly assured everyone in his childish voice, “Yuan Yuan will definitely come back!”
“If you miss me, you can come visit me, too. My big dad’s house is really big. It’s not as big as this one, but really big!”
Feng Yuan was talking about his big dad’s villa back home.
If everyone came to visit, his big dad’s villa would be spacious enough to accommodate them all.
The children gathered together. The adults wisely gave them space.
Since the old mansion was indeed very large, there was more than one dining room for the children to use.
So, the adults went to another dining room for their meal.
During the meal, Li Ting rested his chin on his hand and laughed at Li Wei, “Hey, doesn’t this sting a little?”
“Yuan Yuan said goodbye to all his friends, but he didn’t say goodbye to you, Auntie.”
From the moment Feng Qi booked the return tickets until now, Feng Yuan had shown no reaction to leaving the Li family’s old mansion.
He didn’t seem to feel any reluctance to part with everyone.
Li Ting was going back with Feng Yuan, so he didn’t mind.
But the others in the mansion were not in such a good mood.
“Shut up.”
Li Wei, angered by his words, picked up a glass and threw it at him.
Su Miao, who was with Li Ting, quickly blocked it for him.
“Wei Wei!”
Li Heng scolded sternly, “Don’t be willful!”
With Li Heng’s intervention, the atmosphere at the table finally calmed down.
Even though only the children were missing from the table, and the number of seated adults remained the same, it felt as if several were absent.
But this meal was eaten in a rather somber and quiet atmosphere.
The dishes they had enjoyed before didn’t seem as tasty today.
After the meal, everyone dispersed without much conversation.
They claimed to be leaving to attend to their own tasks, but their figures would occasionally appear near the children’s gathering.
No gathering is complete without drinks.
Feng Qi had prepared milk and some carbonated beverages for them, with milk being the majority of what he provided.
At that moment, Feng Yuan was chugging milk straight from the bottle with someone else.
“I’m doing great in kindergarten!”
“I’m the boss!”
Boss Yuan Yuan took a swig of milk and a bite of meat, boasting about his status at Little Sun Kindergarten.
The older kids watched him, clinking bottles with him from time to time, their reluctance clearly visible in their eyes.
The children’s gathering lasted from the afternoon well into the night.
There were plenty of rooms here.
Almost all the children stayed overnight.
Although Feng Yuan had only downed a few bottles of milk, he acted as if he had drunk several bottles of alcohol, throwing a tantrum as soon as he returned to his room.
“Yuan Yuan still wants to train with everyone!”
“Yuan Yuan doesn’t want to leave!”
The little one wailed loudly in the room.
Feng Qi glanced at him and asked, “Should I cancel the tickets then? We won’t leave?”
Feng Yuan: “Burp.”
Feng Yuan stopped instantly and, in the next second, flopped onto the edge of the bed, turning his back to his dad in a huff.
Dad is so annoying!
The sentimental little one, when it came to reluctance, was definitely reluctant.
He had always been a soft-hearted and emotional kid.
But if he were to be left behind, he definitely wouldn’t be happy either.
He hadn’t been back to his home country in a long time and had been wanting to return for a while.
Back home, whether it was the small Huasheng Street, his big dad’s villa area, or Little Sun Kindergarten, those were the places where he felt truly at ease.
On the third day after the farewell gathering, Feng Yuan left with his two dads by car.
Li Ting smiled and said, “You go ahead. I’ll take the next car.”
Feng Yuan waved at him: “See you later!”
Feng Yuan not only waved to Li Ting but also to the other adults.
The little one’s face beamed with a smile as bright as the sun.
Fearing it might trigger the child’s emotions about leaving, Feng Qi had avoided bringing up the topic over the past two days.
But now, seeing the little one’s demeanor, Feng Qi suddenly felt a pang of unease for some reason.
“Yuan Yuan.”
A troubling suspicion crossed Feng Qi’s mind.
He picked up his son and tentatively asked, “Who were you saying ‘see you later’ to? Dad didn’t see anyone.”
“Yuan Yuan was talking to Uncle, Aunt, Grandpa, Grandma, and all the older siblings.”
As soon as Feng Yuan answered, Feng Qi’s heart sank.
He placed Feng Yuan on Li Sheng’s lap and started typing on his phone.
Soon, a message from Feng Qi appeared in the family group chat.
Yuan Yuan’s Dad: “We’re in trouble.”
Yuan Yuan’s Dad: “Yuan Yuan thinks you’re all coming with him.”
Yuan Yuan’s Dad: “He doesn’t know you’re not going back.”
Yuan Yuan’s Dad: “[Chick Silently Staring jpg/]”
The stickers Feng Qi used were all made from photos of his son.
As soon as he sent these messages, the adults who saw them were momentarily stunned.
After a brief pause, Feng Qi added, “When he gets on the plane or arrives home and doesn’t see you, he’ll probably throw a fit.”
Just thinking about how the little one would react gave Feng Qi a headache.
Li Heng: “Take him home first.”
Li Heng: “When you get home, and he acts up, give me a call.”
The group chat notifications chimed incessantly.
Feng Qi rubbed his temples, still feeling that this time might be particularly difficult to placate.
The car sped along the highway, arriving at the airport in no time.
Feng Yuan turned to look back.
Uncle and the others hadn’t caught up yet.
“Dad, aren’t we taking the same flight?”
“Hmm…”
Feng Qi answered vaguely, “Your uncle will take the next flight.”
“Okay.”
Feng Yuan obediently wrapped his arms around his dad’s neck and boarded the plane.
The family of three sat in first class, which consisted of private suites.
As soon as Feng Yuan entered, he skillfully kicked off his little shoes and climbed onto the bed.
Since the air conditioning was set quite low, the little one even tucked himself in under the blanket.
Leaning against a large pillow with the blanket covering him, he politely requested in his tiny, milky voice, “Dad, please turn on the TV for Yuan Yuan!”
You could watch TV on the plane. Feng Yuan loved watching TV.
“Alright.”
Feng Qi turned on the TV for him and piled all the snacks they had brought next to him.
Feng Yuan used his chubby little hands to open the snacks while keeping his eyes glued to the TV, showing no resistance at all to the idea of going home.
He stared intently at the cartoon he had already watched several times, deciding that from now on, he would watch TV until the plane landed.
Feng Qi tidied up their belongings nearby.
The sounds from the TV reached his ears.
Feng Qi was certain that Feng Yuan had watched this episode more than five times.
He could recite the upcoming lines without even looking at the screen.
Feng Qi didn’t understand how children could watch the same plot over and over again without getting bored.
“Li Sheng, I’m going to take a nap. Wake me when we arrive.”
“Okay.”
Feng Qi didn’t have the same energy as his son.
He seized every opportunity to lie down, always preferring to lie rather than sit, and sit rather than stand.
“Put on your eye mask.”
Li Sheng helped Feng Qi put on his eye mask, then leaned down to kiss his lips and his cheek.
“Sleep. Should I turn down Yuan Yuan’s TV volume?”
Feng Yuan: “!”
Feng Yuan: “Hmph. You two kiss without including Yuan Yuan, and now you want to turn off Yuan Yuan’s TV!”
The little one had sneakily seen his dads kissing.
Feng Qi pushed Li Sheng away in mild annoyance, “Enough. I can sleep. Don’t touch his TV.”
It wasn’t easy for the little one to be this well-behaved. Feng Qi didn’t want to provoke him during the trip.
Feng Qi turned over and began to sleep.
Li Sheng, who had to watch the child, naturally didn’t sleep.
Taking advantage of his son being engrossed in the TV and not bothering him, he picked up his phone, took a few photos of Feng Qi, then logged into Weibo and checked in to the super topic.
He was now a minor moderator of the super topic.
After some consideration, he posted a few new photos of Feng Qi.
He only posted solo shots.
As soon as these photos were posted, Feng Qi’s other major fans quickly reposted them.
The comments section buzzed with activity.
“Ahhh. This is what true divine beauty looks like! I’m absorbing all of it!”
“Madam, you’re just too good at taking photos! Have you considered making photocards?”
“It’s you again! My Madam F! These pictures are absolutely stunning.”
Li Sheng often posted photos of Feng Qi taken outside.
He was regarded as Feng Qi’s “station sister”.
Now, within Feng Qi’s fan circle, he was quite well-known.
On the return journey, the two little ones sat close together watching TV.
Li Sheng played on his phone.
Feng Qi slept.
A few hours later, the family disembarked and headed home.
They set off early, so it was still afternoon when they arrived back in the country.
Feng Yuan returned home and, without even stopping for a hot meal, immediately followed Qin Xun out.
The two of them went to see the cats and dogs.
“Yuan Yuan, come back early tonight, and don’t eat random things outside.”
After reminding him, Feng Qi went back to the bedroom to catch up on sleep.
Li Sheng stopped him.
“Don’t sleep now. You won’t be able to sleep at night.”
“I’ll make you something to eat. Have a meal first.”
“Alright.”
Feng Qi didn’t go to the bedroom. He slumped onto the sofa and started looking through his work invitations.
Most of his work was domestic.
During his time abroad, his workload had been lighter than when he was in the country.
Moreover, his work abroad was mostly photoshoots. He was a bit eager to take on minor roles in film crews.
Working as an extra on set could earn him money and let him see plenty of interesting things.
The adults stayed at home, each occupied with their own tasks.
Meanwhile, Feng Yuan, who had run out, went with Qin Xun to the pet store and picked out a lot of pet food and canned goods.
The pet store the two often visited was run by a very kind older sister. Every time they went before, she would only charge them an affordable price and give them candies.
Of course, this affordable price was exchanged for Feng Yuan’s chubby little cheeks.
The older sister loved pinching Feng Yuan’s face.
This time, after the two had finished picking out their items and were ready to pay, they didn’t see the older sister.
A man was behind the counter.
“Hello! We’d like to check out!”
Feng Yuan and Qin Xun each held a large bundle of items and stood in front of the counter.
The counter was quite high, so Feng Yuan couldn’t place his items on it.
He could only tilt his little face up and call out, “Please help Yuan Yuan calculate the bill!”
He called out twice before the man behind the counter finally bent down and took the items from his hands.
“That’ll be 1,100. Card or cash?”
At that amount, Feng Yuan’s little face froze.
He timidly asked, “Isn’t it 500?”
In the past, whenever he and Qin Xun picked out this many items, the older sister only charged them 500.
“500 isn’t even enough to cover the cost, you little brats. If you want to buy, buy. Don’t cause trouble.”
“Yuan Yuan isn’t causing trouble.”
Feng Yuan looked at him pleadingly and asked, “Where’s the older sister?”
“What older sister? You mean my wife? She’s not here. I’m managing the shop for now.”
“Hey, kid, are you buying or not?”
Feng Yuan looked at the food and cans, his chubby little face scrunched up in indecision, unsure whether to buy them or not.
Although he didn’t know many numbers yet, he knew that 100 was already a lot of money.
The older sister’s husband was asking for 1,100, a number after the 100, so it must be a huge amount of money.
“We’ll buy them.”
Qin Xun scanned the payment code and paid.
After the payment, Qin Xun added, “We have two stray cats that need to be spayed.”
The man responded with an “Hmm” and asked, “Male or female? Males are 800, females are 1,200.”
Qin Xun: “…”
Qin Xun said nothing.
The older sister had always been involved in activities to help stray animals. Spaying or neutering strays was free.
But this temporary shopkeeper was demanding a lot of money right off the bat.
Qin Xun didn’t want to continue the conversation.
“When will the older sister be back?” Qin Xun only asked this one question.
As soon as he finished speaking, the man behind the counter instantly became angry.
“You’re asking when she’ll be here because you want to bargain with her when she arrives? That spendthrift woman has turned her business into a charity.”
“Let me tell you, there’s no need to wait for her. She won’t be coming here anymore!”
“This shop belongs to me now. If you want to shop here, don’t even think about haggling or trying to get any discounts.”
As he spoke, the man unceremoniously shoved them out of the shop.
The two children stood outside the store, frowning in unison.
“The shop owner sister doesn’t have a husband.”
“But she has a boyfriend.”
Qin Xun actually knew that the shop owner sister had a boyfriend.
He just never expected her boyfriend to be like this.
“Qin Xun, I want to find the shop owner sister.”
Feng Yuan glanced at the impatient man inside the shop and felt an inexplicable worry for the shop owner sister.
Qin Xun also wanted to understand what was going on.
“Alright. Let’s try to find out her address today.”
“Okay!”
The two little ones had to feed the cats and dogs, check on their conditions, and also inquire about the shop owner sister’s address. They were quite busy.
By the time darkness fell.
Feng Yuan’s smartwatch rang with a call from his dad.
“Yuan Yuan, come home for dinner.”
“Okay~”
Returning to familiar surroundings, Feng Yuan wasn’t scared even after dark.
He knew every road and every street here like the back of his hand!
While walking home with Qin Xun for dinner, Feng Yuan spotted a roadside barbecue stall.
“Bing ya.”
Feng Yuan recognized the character “Bing” on the stall’s signboard.
Qin Xun pointed at the sign and read aloud: “Veteran’s Barbecue, Trustworthy and Reliable.”
After reading the sign, he explained to Feng Yuan, “This barbecue stall is run by a veteran.”
Feng Yuan looked at the crowd at the barbecue stall.
“So many people!”
With this many customers, the owner must be making good money.
Holding his hand, Qin Xun continued walking home while telling him, “Besides Veteran’s Barbecue, there’s also Veteran’s Auto Repair, Veteran’s Restaurant, Veteran’s Bar…”
“I’ve seen them all.”
“People feel more trusting toward businesses run by veterans, so they tend to do well.”
Feng Yuan listened with wide-eyed fascination.
As they approached home, the little one murmured in his childish voice.
“Yuan Yuan is a soldier, too.”
The money-obsessed Feng Yuan blinked, suddenly discovering a business opportunity even bigger than collecting scrap!
“Uncle Feng, we’re back.”
Qin Xun didn’t catch what Feng Yuan had muttered. He led Feng Yuan to wash their hands before they sat down at the dinner table.
Li Ting and Su Miao had already arrived at the house.
Feng Yuan looked at his dad and little uncle, tilting his head as he asked, “Grandpa, grandma, aunt, brother, and sister… aren’t they here yet?”
Many people were still missing.
Thoughtfully, Feng Yuan reminded his dad: “Dad, save some food for grandpa!”
Li Sheng remained silent.
Seeing neither dads responding, Li Ting couldn’t help adding,
“Yuan Yuan, grandpa and the others aren’t coming back to the country.”
“Only your little uncle came back. Don’t worry, I’ll play with you from now on.”
Li Ting felt quite pleased, thinking that without the rest of the family around, he’d get to hold the little one more often.
But to his surprise, the moment he finished speaking, the child’s loud crying suddenly erupted right beside his ear.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152