Thank you, quayA, for the ko-fi~
The handkerchief Rong Rong handed over was white with embroidered little flowers.
It was very pretty.
Feng Yuan looked at the handkerchief and then touched his own muddy little face. He couldn’t bring himself to use it.
Instead, he wiped his face directly with his sleeve.
As for Rong Rong’s handkerchief, he tucked it into his pocket.
“Thank you, Rong Rong.”
As he spoke, Feng Yuan tried to hold Rong Rong’s hand.
Before he could succeed, Feng Qi had already picked him up and placed him in the vehicle.
“Yuan Yuan, settle down for a bit now.”
After lifting his son onto the tractor, Feng Qi climbed up and sat down as well.
One by one, the group boarded.
This time, the tractor was no longer stuck in the mud.
They smoothly entered the village.
The first task upon arriving in the village was to choose a house.
The houses in the village varied in quality. The run-down ones didn’t mean that the production team was making things difficult for the guests.
Even the dilapidated houses they were to choose from were still inhabited.
When the production team requisitioned the houses, they promised to help with repairs.
During the period when the houses were being used, the residents would be properly accommodated.
Ming Ming, who had watched similar parenting shows before, rubbed his hands together eagerly after Director Li announced this segment, declaring that he would win a good house for his dad.
Feng Yuan, however, wasn’t particularly enthusiastic.
He didn’t mind which house they stayed in.
After all, he was living with his dad. As long as his dad was there, he’d be happy counting stars even if they slept by the roadside.
The house selection competition set up by the production team was a parent-child activity. This tests the tacit understanding between the children and their fathers.
The fathers would draw some keywords and have their children guess them.
Right from the start, Bo Han had already given up on winning or losing.
His little fox couldn’t even guess the keywords. If, after much prompting, his little fox paid him any attention at all, he’d be thanking his lucky stars.
Bo Han was destined to come in last.
Feng Yuan looked at Rong Rong, who was still clutching a lump of mud in his hand, and walked over to him.
“Rong Rong, do you want to live in a nice house?”
Rong Rong blinked.
Feng Yuan: “Alright, I’ll help you get a house!”
Rong Rong nodded.
In this interaction between the older and younger child, Rong Rong didn’t say a single word, yet Feng Yuan managed to communicate with him perfectly.
With a goal in mind, Feng Yuan walked over to stand opposite his father.
“Dad, let’s begin!”
He was ready to guess the keywords!
Feng Qi had five keyword cards in his hand.
The first one had three words: gaming console.
Feng Qi: “Yuan Yuan, what do you love playing the most?”
Feng Yuan: “Games!”
Feng Qi: “Three words!”
Feng Yuan: “Gaming console!”
This first keyword was practically a freebie.
Feng Qi lowered his head and looked at the second keyword.
The second keyword was three words: I love you.
Feng Qi prompted: “Yuan Yuan, what are the three words you often say to Dad?”
Feng Yuan: “Hit softer!”
Feng Qi: “…”
Feng Qi: “No, that’s not it.”
Feng Yuan: “Hit faster!”
Feng Qi: “That’s not it either. It’s unrelated to that. Think of something else.”
The keyword guessing game had a time limit.
Each keyword was only allowed twenty seconds for guessing.
Feng Yuan had already used up about ten seconds.
Feng Qi tried prompting him a few more times, but Feng Yuan still couldn’t guess it.
Left with no other choice, Feng Qi gritted his teeth and decided to go all out.
“What did your big dad say to me yesterday that you overheard?”
Feng Yuan: “!”
Feng Yuan’s eyes lit up. He exclaimed in a loud, milky voice, “I love you!”
Feng Qi: “Correct.”
The keyword had been successfully answered by Feng Yuan.
But Feng Qi felt like he was about to die of embarrassment.
The tips of his ears flushed bright red, yet he was willing to endure the humiliation just to win.
He, a phoenix, absolutely could not lose!
Abandoning all shame, Feng Qi continued with the game.
The third keyword was also three characters: heavy rain.
Feng Qi gave hints for 20 seconds, but Feng Yuan still couldn’t answer it.
The fourth keyword was the name of an animal: little fox.
Looking at these three characters, Feng Qi instinctively glanced at Rong Rong beside him.
He began to hint: “A small, fluffy animal, very cute. It’s mentioned in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.”
Feng Yuan: “!”
Feng Yuan puffed out his chubby cheeks confidently: “Little phoenix!”
Feng Qi: “…”
You, a little phoenix with a bald tail, are hardly fluffy.
Feng Qi shook his head: “It has nine tails!”
Feng Yuan finally understood: “Nine-tailed fox!”
Feng Qi: “Close!”
Feng Yuan: “Little fox!”
Feng Yuan gave the correct answer, but his little face showed a hint of displeasure.
The cutest, fluffiest creature in the Classic of Mountains and Seas is clearly the little phoenix!
Feng Qi didn’t pay attention to his son’s expression and had already moved on to the next keyword.
The next keyword was four characters: “I love studying.”
When Feng Qi saw these words, the corner of his mouth twitched.
Even the most competitive phoenix had to concede this time.
“We forfeit this question.”
Out of five questions, Feng Yuan answered three correctly, got one wrong, and forfeited one.
This result was quite good.
Seeing that his father wouldn’t let him answer the last question, Feng Yuan toddled over on his short legs, stomping loudly.
“Dad!”
The little one ran over, his face full of defiance: “Yuan Yuan can answer one more!”
Feng Qi showed him the card with the keyword written on it.
These four characters happened to be the ones Feng Yuan recognized.
Feng Yuan stared at the card for a few seconds and fell silent.
He really couldn’t answer this one.
After all the children had finished answering the questions, Director Li announced the rankings on the spot.
Yu Qingqing took first place, having answered four questions correctly.
Feng Yuan came in second, with three correct answers.
Xiao Putao got two right.
Ming Ming and his dad had no chemistry at all. He only answered one correctly.
As expected, Rong Rong ended up with zero points.
The hint time for this game was only 20 seconds. Rong Rong hadn’t even processed the question before time ran out.
After the rankings were announced, Ming Ming and his dad started arguing.
Ming Ming, though slightly older, was still just a six-year-old at heart.
Seeing how little rapport he had with his dad, he was so upset that he stiffened his neck and declared he wanted to cut off their father-son relationship.
Even little kids can be fierce when they argue.
In the end, Xiao Putao’s dad, Chen Yang, held his daughter and acted as a mediator for the quarreling father and son.
With the rankings settled, it was time to choose houses.
Yu Qingqing picked the best bungalow.
Feng Yuan, as the second-place winner, gave the choice directly to Rong Rong.
Held by his dad, Rong Rong looked around at the remaining houses.
Spotting one that had little chickens, Rong Rong pointed a tiny finger at them.
Bo Han smiled: “We’ll stay here.”
Next to this chicken-keeping house was the shabbiest adobe hut.
Feng Yuan ended up in the adobe hut.
The adobe house looked humble, but Feng Yuan didn’t mind it at all.
After settling in, he paced around the adobe house, inspecting his new home.
Feng Qi decided to tidy the place up.
“Yuan Yuan, go next door and play with Rong Rong. Daddy needs to clean up the house.”
Feng Yuan, who had been wandering around the room, immediately scurried over upon hearing his dad’s plan to clean.
“Yuan Yuan will help, too!”
Before setting out on their journey, Feng Yuan had spoken with his big dad.
His big dad had told him that Dad hadn’t fully recovered yet.
If there was work to be done during this trip, he needed to help Dad with it!
Moreover, his big dad had promised him a reward.
Even without any reward, Feng Yuan would have gladly helped his dad.
But since his big dad mentioned a reward, the clever little guy immediately extended his small hand and asked for it upfront.
His big dad said they’d keep track. They’d settle the accounts properly once the trip was over.
“Dad, you rest! Yuan Yuan can do all the work!”
Feng Yuan threw himself into the tasks with boundless energy.
He wasn’t just randomly working. He actually knew what he was doing.
The Li family mansion had many servants.
The little chatterbox had always enjoyed playing with the servants back home.
When he chatted with them, he never stood around wasting their time.
He would help with their tasks while talking to them.
There wasn’t a single servant in the mansion who didn’t adore him.
The little guy always provided them with emotional warmth.
He would sincerely praise them, saying things like, “You’re so amazing!” or “You cleaned this so well!”
His compliments, along with the snacks he shared with them…
These were things the servants rarely experienced in their daily lives.
While the servants earned good wages at the mansion, their employers never engaged in small talk or showed them extra warmth.
Only Feng Yuan would greet them with a sweet smile and speak to them with such kindness.
Feng Qi was firmly guided to a chair by his son and made to sit down.
While they were busy cleaning, Bo Han arrived carrying Rong Rong.
Bo Han and Rong Rong’s house also needed tidying before they could settle in properly.
But Bo Han had never done housework before.
His attempt at cleaning had only made the room more chaotic.
Seeing the mess he’d created, he carried his son next door to seek advice.
“Feng Qi, your son knows how to do chores, too?”
Bo Han was genuinely surprised.
Watching the little guy bustling about cleaning, he thought the child resembled an energetic calf more than a little phoenix.
He couldn’t help but envy the boy’s boundless energy.
Bo Han glanced at the vigorous Feng Yuan, then looked down at the child in his arms.
His little fox sat cradled in his arms, clutching a large chicken feather he’d found in their courtyard.
The little fox held onto the feather as if it were a toy, refusing to let go.
He still didn’t speak much, but his eyes remained fixed on Feng Yuan.
Bo Han set him down.
The little fox watched Feng Yuan bustling about and suddenly took a few steps forward.
Feng Yuan didn’t notice him approaching.
The two little ones collided.
Feng Yuan’s chubby body provided slightly better stability. He only fell into a sitting position.
But Rong Rong tumbled over backward, his plump little feet kicking up in the air.
Feng Yuan let out an “Ouch!” and rubbed his bottom.
After rubbing his sore spot, he got up and helped Rong Rong sit up again.
“Rong Rong, did you fall hard? Does it hurt?”
Rong Rong looked at him and slowly shook his head.
Seeing that he wasn’t hurt, Feng Yuan felt relieved.
Just as Feng Yuan was about to ask Rong Rong to wait for him elsewhere, Rong Rong stretched out his hand toward him.
In Rong Rong’s palm was a large chicken feather, warmed from being clutched tightly.
He gave it to Feng Yuan.
Apart from its large size, there was nothing particularly special about this chicken feather.
But Rong Rong liked it very much.
Even when Bo Han wanted to see his big chicken feather, he hadn’t given it to him.
When Feng Yuan received Rong Rong’s gift, he didn’t show the slightest disdain for its simplicity.
Holding the feather, he seemed quite happy.
“You’re giving me another gift, Rong Rong! You’re so sweet!”
After receiving Rong Rong’s handkerchief, Feng Yuan now had this chicken feather.
He was overjoyed.
Rong Rong was such a wonderful little guy!
Feng Yuan wanted to return the favor.
But after searching through his pockets, he couldn’t find anything suitable to give.
“Rong Rong, I’ll give you a gift later, okay?”
As he spoke, Feng Yuan went back to his chores.
Rong Rong watched him work for a while before stepping forward again.
Fortunately, Feng Yuan noticed him this time, so the two didn’t bump into each other again.
“Rong Rong, do you want to help with the work, too?”
Rong Rong slowly nodded.
Seeing his interest, Feng Yuan didn’t refuse.
“Then you can help me wipe the table.”
Feng Yuan assigned him a task and even gave some guidance on how to do it.
While the two were working together, Director Li arrived.
Director Li brought a new task: cooking.
The dads were now going to prepare a meal for their little ones.
Meanwhile, the children could rest.
In this parenting show, Director Li didn’t believe in overworking the children.
Since the kids had been traveling all day, it wasn’t appropriate to keep them busy any longer.
They would rest at home while the adults prepared dinner.
After dinner, the children could eat with their dads and then go to bed.
Director Li hadn’t scheduled any evening activities.
Having children of his own, he knew kids shouldn’t stay up late.
The two dads were called away. Before leaving, Bo Han seemed somewhat worried about his child.
“Rong Rong, do you want to come with Daddy?”
Bo Han asked his son, who was holding a cloth, while spreading his arms ready to carry him.
But Rong Rong, clutching the cloth, looked at him for a moment before turning his face away.
His son was ignoring him…
Bo Han felt a bit heartbroken.
He wanted to coax his son a little more, but Feng Qi directly dragged him away.
“The kids are fine here. Don’t disturb them.”
Feng Qi took Bo Han with him.
Although the two hadn’t interacted much before, one was a phoenix and the other a nine-tailed fox. They were both creatures from the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
With this connection, plus both being fathers, they didn’t feel awkward around each other despite their lack of prior contact.
Bo Han was dragged quite a distance before he finally snapped out of it.
Remembering the upcoming cooking segment, he began to feel uneasy.
“Feng Qi, help me out.”
“I don’t know how to cook. Can you teach me later?”
Feng Qi: “…”
Feng Qi hadn’t cooked in a long time either.
He wasn’t particularly skilled at cooking. But judging by Yuan Yuan’s hearty appetite, he figured his cooking couldn’t be too bad.
Otherwise, Yuan Yuan wouldn’t eat so much and grow so chubby.
“Alright, I’ll teach you later. We can cook together and share the meal.”
“Thank you!”
Bo Han’s icy expression completely melted.
He walked side by side with Feng Qi as both fathers went to prepare dinner for their precious sons.
The two little ones left at home were no longer being filmed at this moment.
The cameras wouldn’t keep filming the children constantly.
Very young children naturally lack a sense of security.
The production team had considered this point, so they wouldn’t keep the little ones exposed to the cameras all the time.
After capturing some footage of the homes, the cameramen went to film the fathers cooking.
Not all the fathers participating in the show knew how to cook.
Watching these fathers clumsily prepare meals was a major source of comedy.
“Rong Rong, is your home all cleaned up?”
Having finished tidying his own area, Feng Yuan turned his little face to ask Rong Rong.
Rong Rong simply walked toward the door.
He was going to take Feng Yuan back to his place.
Feng Yuan followed him to his home.
Rong Rong’s home was much better than the earthen house. It even had wooden flooring.
The wooden floor seemed to be made from logs the owner had cut and processed into planks.
Though not finely crafted, it was still proper flooring.
Feng Yuan reached out his small hand to touch it: “So dirty.”
“Rong Rong, didn’t you and your dad wipe the floor?”
Rong Rong held up the rag in his hand.
He had been carrying the rag in his little hand since returning.
Feng Yuan looked at him, then at the rag.
“Alright then, I’ll help you with the chores.”
Having just finished his own housework, Feng Yuan started working on Rong Rong’s home.
They wiped the bed, table, and cabinet together, saving the floor for last.
Even Feng Yuan, who was usually full of energy, frowned with exhaustion when it came to mopping the floor.
“This rag is too small. It doesn’t clean well. If only we had a bigger cloth.”
After complaining about the floor, Feng Yuan then criticized the feather duster he found.
“The feathers are all gone from this. It’s no good either!”
“If there were more feathers, we could work faster.”
A few seconds after Feng Yuan finished speaking, Rong Rong paused what he was doing.
“There are.”
Rong Rong, who rarely spoke, suddenly uttered two words.
These two words left Feng Yuan slightly confused.
Just as Feng Yuan was about to ask for clarification, Rong Rong transformed right before his eyes into a fluffy little fox.
The little fox was pure snow white without a single stray hair.
Sitting on the floor, his still-short tail gently swept the ground.
Feng Yuan was completely stunned.
“You… you’re a little fox.”
Rong Rong had no spiritual energy about him, nor any fox scent.
Feng Yuan hadn’t recognized him.
As for Bo Han, the great nine-tailed fox, his power was considerable, and he had many methods to conceal his aura.
While the great nine-tailed fox couldn’t hide from Feng Qi, deceiving a child like Feng Yuan was effortless.
While Feng Yuan was still stunned, the equally tiny fox cub moved closer and nuzzled against him.
Feng Yuan: “!”
Feng Yuan touched the little fox’s fur.
So soft!
After petting the little fox, Feng Yuan also transformed with a soft poof into a tender yellow little phoenix.
The two small cubs, both tiny in size, touched each other. One petting, then the other.
The little fox’s pink paw pads even touched Feng Yuan’s claw pads.
Feng Yuan: “Chirp.”
You’re very cute.
Little fox: “Squeak.”
The little fox’s squeaking didn’t represent any particular words.
He simply expressed his emotions.
He was happy.
Feng Yuan sensed his joy and chirped even more cheerfully.
Both little ones had been raised quite plump by their dads.
Aside from his slightly sparse tail, Feng Yuan’s small body was still fluffy.
He had a lot of feathers.
As for Rong Rong, needless to say, besides his fluffy little body, he also had a fluffy tail.
Feng Yuan glanced at his own and Rong Rong’s little bodies.
The next second.
He had an idea.
“Chirp.”
Rong Rong, let’s be the cleaning rags ourselves!
After saying this, Feng Yuan jumped into the water basin.
He soaked all his feathers and then started rolling on the floor.
Rong Rong, a beat or two slower, also dipped his paws into the water.
The little fox seemed to absorb more water.
After Rong Rong sat in the basin, the water level dropped by nearly half in an instant.
His fur had soaked up too much water, making him heavy.
When he tried to get out, he couldn’t jump.
Seeing that Rong Rong couldn’t get out, Feng Yuan simply jumped back in as well.
The two little ones absorbed the entire basin of water into their fur.
Then, Feng Yuan tipped the basin over.
The overturned basin landed on top of them, and the two lay on the floor like little turtles for a few seconds before getting up.
Once up, both of them kicked the basin a few times.
“Chirp.”
After kicking the basin, Feng Yuan got busy with their task.
“Chirp chirp.”
Let’s get to work.
The two little ones began rolling around on the floor. At first, they were working. But as they rolled, they started chasing and playing with each other.
On the water-stained floor.
A chubby little yellow chick chirped and rolled toward the fluffy little fox.
The little fox rolled away to dodge.
Chirps and squeaks echoed in the adult-free room, sounding incredibly joyful.
After who knows how long.
The two little furballs, now completely filthy from rolling around, snuggled up and fell asleep.
They were still wet as they slept.
Perhaps feeling the chill, the two huddled tightly together.
But since both were cold, huddling didn’t provide much warmth.
Feng Qi and Bo Han returned together.
They couldn’t find their little ones.
By the third search, the two adults were starting to panic.
Just as they were about to seek help from the program team, Feng Qi spotted the two huddled together in a corner.
“Over there!”
Feng Qi hurried over and separated the two snuggling furballs.
Both dads picked up their own little ones.
As they lifted their babies, their expressions changed.
The little ones’ fur being dirty was one thing.
But they were both soaking wet.
Feng Qi handed his little one to Bo Han, letting him hold both.
He used his phoenix flame to heat a pot of water in just a few seconds.
Bo Han’s home had a medium-sized basin.
Feng Qi mixed the hot water. Together, they placed the two wet, dirty furballs into the warm water.
Soaking in the warm water, the two little dirty balls not only didn’t wake up but even started purring contentedly.
Hearing his little one’s soft purrs, Feng Qi was speechless.
He scrubbed the dirty fur, using plenty of children’s body wash.
Bo Han had a harder time washing the little fox.
After cleaning the two little dirty balls, both dads were a bit tired and sweaty.
“Feng Qi.”
After finishing with the little fox, Bo Han called out to him.
Hearing his name, Feng Qi’s heart tightened instantly.
Here it comes.
My little chubby cub was causing mischief with the little fox. Now, the fox’s parent is about to file a complaint.
Feng Qi was fully prepared to listen to Bo Han’s grievances.
But unexpectedly, Bo Han actually laughed.
When Bo Han’s icy face broke into a smile, it carried a bewitching charm reminiscent of a fox spirit enchanting the world.
He laughed while stroking his own little fox.
“This variety show, I really came to the right place!”
“Feng Qi, your Yuan Yuan is truly amazing! I’m so happy that my Rong Rong has him to look up to!”
Bo Han’s little fox, usually so quiet and withdrawn, had become lively under Feng Yuan’s influence.
After stroking his little fox, Bo Han gently pinched Feng Yuan’s little paw.
The way he looked at Feng Yuan was as if gazing at a little hero.
Feng Qi: “…”
Feng Qi’s eyes held a trace of complexity.
His child had even managed to get such a quiet child like Rong Rong rolling on the ground like a rag.
He was genuinely worried about what would happen when they started elementary school.
Kindergarten didn’t emphasize discipline much. The teachers would guide the children to behave properly.
But elementary school was different.
Elementary school focused on discipline.
Just thinking about Feng Yuan going from kindergarten to elementary school, then to middle school, followed by high school, and eventually university…
The thought alone made him wish he could vanish on the spot.
“Alright, let’s wake them both up. They can eat dinner before going back to sleep.”
Feng Qi forced himself to stop his train of thought before it went too far.
He shook the chubby little ball in his arms awake.
Bo Han was somewhat reluctant to wake Rong Rong.
But the cameraman was still waiting outside. They had a dinner scene to film.
In this dinner scene, the babies and their fathers were supposed to eat together.
Urged by Feng Qi, Bo Han leaned down and kissed his little fox awake.
Bo Han’s way of waking his little fox was warm and full of affection.
In contrast, Feng Qi’s method seemed rather lacking in tenderness.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152