Feng Yuan was a well-mannered little cub. When he came to visit, he didn’t come empty-handed.
He even bought a gift. Though, of course, it was Grandma who paid.
Grandma paid the shopkeeper on his behalf.
Since he had no money, Feng Yuan puckered his lips and gave Grandma several kisses in return.
The big one and the little one held hands, standing at the door.
Feng Yuan tilted his small face up, looked at the closed door, and said, “Grandma, Yuan Yuan will knock!”
“Alright.”
Feng Yuan let go of Grandma’s hand, stepped forward on his short little legs, and knocked on the door.
As he knocked, he twitched his nose.
He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination.
When the wind blew just now, Feng Yuan seemed to catch a faintly familiar scent.
The door was opened after only two knocks.
Feng Yuan stepped back, grabbed Grandma’s hand, and then went inside.
The big one and the little one entered. After only a few steps, Yu Lian and Fang Fang came forward to greet them.
Fang Fang’s gaze landed on Feng Yuan’s little face, and she beamed with joy.
Then, she looked over at Frida: “What a rare guest. In my lifetime, I never thought I’d see you take the initiative to step into my home.”
Fang Fang and Frida had a very good relationship.
When they were younger, Fang Fang and Yu Lian had quarreled endlessly. Frida had stepped in more than once to mediate between them.
There were genuine feelings between the two women.
At Fang Fang’s words, Frida’s lips curved faintly.
“Ah, it’s fine that you came. But why bring things along, too?”
Fang Fang didn’t continue chatting with Frida.
Fang Fang had noticed the things Feng Yuan was carrying in his hands.
The little one came as a guest and even remembered to bring a gift.
“Here, let your Grandpa Yu carry that for you. We can’t let our little Yuan Yuan get tired out.”
In a hurry, Fang Fang took the items from Feng Yuan’s hands and handed them over to Yu Lian.
As for herself, she scooped Feng Yuan up into her arms.
“My little Yuan Yuan, I missed you so much after not seeing you for just a single day.”
And Fang Fang truly wasn’t exaggerating.
After Feng Yuan left yesterday, she had been thinking about him for a long time.
Before bed that night, she even pinched Yu Lian and complained to him: “It’s all your fault. Just look at the children you’ve raised. Every single one of them doesn’t want to get married.”
She and Yu Lian only had two children.
There was also the eldest child, already past thirty this year, with still no plans to marry or have children.
Their eldest had a temperament much like Li Sheng’s. Both loved focusing on their careers.
Since they couldn’t pressure the eldest, they could only start urging the youngest instead.
But right now, Fang Fang had no mind to worry about her youngest.
After picking Feng Yuan up, she planted a kiss on each of his cheeks, left and right.
Feng Yuan burst into giggles from being kissed.
Holding him, Fang Fang walked forward. Soon, the group went to sit in the garden.
The garden had a beautiful view. In the pond, there were many fish being raised.
Most children loved watching fish.
When Feng Yuan discovered the fish, he eagerly ran over to look.
In the water, the fish swam about in groups.
Feng Yuan was utterly amazed as he watched.
“Such fat fish!”
“Fatter than Yuan Yuan!”
A few of the koi inside, perhaps spoiled with too much good food, were plump and round, each one fatter than the last.
Feng Yuan stared in wonder at the fish, even taking out his smartwatch to snap pictures.
Just as he was taking photos, a figure appeared behind him.
The next second.
Feng Yuan was lifted from behind.
Completely unprepared, Feng Yuan: “!”
Startled, his chubby little legs reflexively kicked.
“You dirtied my pants when you kicked. You’ll have to wash them for me.”
Yu Yi’s smiling voice sounded above Feng Yuan’s head.
Feng Yuan strained his neck to look up and saw Yu Yi’s face.
“Uncle.”
The moment he saw it was Yu Yi, the fright on Feng Yuan’s little face disappeared.
His eyes curved as he greeted him: “You’re back.”
“Mm, I’m back. Where’s your dad? I mean, Li Sheng. Why didn’t he come today?”
“Big Dad and Dad went out.”
As for exactly what the two dads went out to do, Feng Yuan didn’t tell Yu Yi.
He blinked his eyes and pointed his little finger at the fish.
“Uncle, Yuan Yuan wants to touch them.”
Yu Yi: “Sure.”
Yu Yi chuckled, set him down, then went to the side and grabbed a big net.
He scooped up a fish with it, letting Feng Yuan touch it.
The fish was trapped in the net.
Feng Yuan poked at it tentatively with his chubby little finger.
But just as he gave it a poke, the big fat fish—just pulled up, and with a rather bad temper—swished its tail and gave his little face a solid smack.
Feng Yuan: “……”
He was completely stunned.
Standing there in a daze for a few seconds, his mouth quivered, and then he burst into tears.
“Wuuuuu, Grandma!”
With his small face reddened from the slap of the fish, Feng Yuan tilted his head back and cried out for his grandma.
Grandpa and Grandma, who had been sitting not far away, both rushed over.
Seeing the fresh red mark of a fish tail on the little one’s tender face, Fang Fang’s heart ached so much that she kept exclaiming.
“That bad fish. How dare it hit our Yuan Yuan!”
“Don’t cry, Yuan Yuan. Grandma will make you fish soup for lunch!”
Fang Fang and Yu Lian both gently touched Feng Yuan’s little face, checking carefully to see if the skin was broken.
Standing nearby, Frida also felt her heart twist as she looked at the cub surrounded by everyone.
She bit her lip. In the end, she still stepped forward, pulling Feng Yuan to her side.
With a silk handkerchief, she wiped the water droplets and tears from his face.
“Don’t cry. It won’t hurt in a little while.”
As Frida spoke, she also gently blew on Feng Yuan’s cheek.
Sniffling, Feng Yuan finally stopped crying after quite some time, soothed by the coaxing of all the adults.
Feng Yuan wasn’t crying anymore.
But Yu Yi ended up getting scolded.
He had been standing right in front of Feng Yuan, yet still let him get smacked by the big fat fish’s tail.
It was simply too careless.
Yu Yi himself was feeling incredibly guilty.
He obediently endured the scolding, promising again and again that he would never make such a mistake again.
“Watching fish is too risky. I’ll take Yuan Yuan to water the flowers instead.”
Yu Yi didn’t dare let Feng Yuan play with the fish any longer.
He brought Feng Yuan to the flowerbed nearby. He handed Feng Yuan a small watering can and let him water the plants.
But after just a few pours, Feng Yuan stopped.
He rubbed his still slightly red eyes, then obediently ran over to sit on Grandma’s lap for a while.
Meanwhile, the adults were chatting.
Feng Yuan ran over without disturbing the adults.
He looked like a little one who was tired and needed rest.
Seeing this, the adults subtly lowered their voices and continued chatting.
Time passed bit by bit.
Perhaps the atmosphere in the garden was especially relaxing.
Leaning against Grandma’s arms, Feng Yuan gradually closed his eyes.
When Fang Fang saw that he had fallen asleep, she softly asked: “It’s almost time to eat. If he sleeps now, what about his meal?”
“Missing one mealtime occasionally is fine. If you’re hungry, go ahead and eat first. Just save his portion for him.”
“We’re not hungry either. Better to wait until he wakes so we can eat together. Right, why not put him in bed? Holding him like this must be too tiring.”
Frida didn’t find it tiring at all.
Still, she stood up, choosing to take Feng Yuan inside to sleep.
Sleeping indoors would let Feng Yuan rest more comfortably.
“You can put Yuan Yuan in my bedroom or Xiao Yi’s bedroom. Either one is fine.”
“Dad, I think it’d be better to—”
Yu Yi, who had followed after them, was just about to stop her when Frida placed the cub in her arms down onto the sofa.
The Yu family’s living room sofa was electric, able to extend forward into a large flat surface, no different from a normal bed.
Frida placed the cub onto the sofa-bed and covered his tummy with a small blanket.
“Yuan Yuan can sleep here.”
As she spoke, Frida also sat down beside him.
The adults, following the little one who had fallen asleep, moved from outside into the house.
They continued their conversation.
This time, since Yu Yi was present and hadn’t slipped away, the topic shifted to him.
“I’m not bragging.”
Fang Fang said, looking at Yu Yi’s face with both some worry and some pride. “But our Yu Yi’s qualities really aren’t bad, right? He’s been handsome since he was little. His temperament may not be the steadiest, but he has no real problems with how he treats people.”
“He isn’t lacking money either.”
“Tell me, with money, with looks, how is it that our Yu Yi still hasn’t managed to find a partner?”
Her question made Yu Yi feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.
On the surface, he looked calm. But inside, he was panicking like crazy.
He really wanted to tell his parents—
It wasn’t that he didn’t have a partner.
It was that he had one he didn’t dare bring home to show them.
Frida turned her face slightly, her gaze lingering on Yu Yi for a few seconds.
After a few moments, she spoke up on his behalf.
“Nowadays, many young people are into the idea of staying single.”
“You don’t need to be so anxious. Children have their own thoughts now. All we need to do is respect that.”
Frida’s words were meant to comfort Fang Fang. But it also felt like she was trying to console herself.
As her children grew day by day, each had found the kind of life they wanted.
They no longer liked coming home.
They had places they wanted to go, things they wanted to do.
Frida was always left waiting in vain for their return.
“Sigh.”
Fang Fang let out a long, heavy sigh, not persuaded by Frida’s words.
She and Yu Lian were just ordinary, simple parents.
All they wanted was to see their children with a partner to love, to live a life with companionship and mutual support.
While Fang Fang and Frida talked, Yu Lian kept glancing at his phone from time to time.
After watching for a while, he cleared his throat and spoke up.
“Well then, since Xiao Yi came back today, let’s not have the housekeeper cook.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Before coming back, Xiao Yi even told me he wanted to eat the steamed pork with rice flour I make.”
As Yu Lian spoke, he let out two dry chuckles. “That kid Xiao Yi. Besides the steamed pork, he also wants to eat squirrel mandarin fish. The way Uncle Li makes it is his favorite.”
All of Yu Lian’s buildup had only one real purpose—
He was about to call someone over.
Frida shot him a sideways glance, as if seeing right through his thoughts.
But she didn’t say much, nor did she show any sign of disapproval.
Yu Lian’s heart lit up with joy. As he got up and walked toward the kitchen, he kept his head down, furiously sending messages.
“Done! Hurry over!!!”
“You owe me a huge favor!”
“Remember to pay it back!”
Barely a few minutes after he sent the messages, Li Heng, who had already arrived at the Yu house but had been lingering at the entrance without going in, almost immediately pushed open the door.
When he stepped inside, his gaze swept across the living room and instantly landed on Frida.
Frida kept her eyes lowered, not looking at him.
Li Heng, tactful as ever, didn’t force a greeting on her.
He only glanced at Feng Yuan on the sofa.
The little one was lying there, quite noticeable.
“What’s wrong with his face?”
Li Heng immediately caught sight of Feng Yuan’s reddened cheek.
After he asked, no one answered.
Finally, Frida spoke up: “One of the fish in the garden slapped him with its tail.”
Li Heng: “…”
He narrowed his eyes. “Where’s the fish?”
Frida glanced at the kitchen. “It’s already in the kitchen.”
Li Heng gave a short “Mm,” rolled up his sleeves, and headed into the kitchen.
Not long after, the fragrance of dishes began wafting out.
Feng Yuan’s little body stirred.
He woke up.
But it wasn’t the smell of food that woke him. It was a nightmare that startled him awake.
In the dream, he had seen his Dad in a terribly, terribly pitiful state.
That really scared him.
The little one, jolted awake, opened his eyes. They were already brimming with tears.
Just as he was about to cry, another scent reached him.
It wasn’t the aroma of food.
It was a familiar smell.
He lifted his head, looking toward the second floor. His gaze landed precisely on the east side.
The east side of the second floor was Yu Yi’s room.
Sitting on the opposite sofa, Yu Yi followed his gaze.
When he saw where Feng Yuan was looking, his expression tightened. The next second, he quickly picked Feng Yuan up.
“Yuan Yuan, are you hungry? Perfect timing. Your grandpa’s finished cooking.”
“Come on, let’s go eat.”
Yu Yi carried the little one toward the dining room.
Though Yuan Yuan was indeed hungry, he still didn’t really want to eat. He kept tilting his head back to look at the second floor.
Seeing this, Yu Yi didn’t give him a choice and firmly carried him to the dining table.
The dishes were already set out.
Fang Fang and Frida sat on either side of Feng Yuan, while Li Heng and Yu Lian brought out the last two plates.
They all sat down together. Yu Yi looked at the steaming dishes. He didn’t want the big treasure upstairs to have only leftovers.
So he smiled, picked up a clean plate, and set aside some food.
“I just remembered something urgent. I need to go back to my room and deal with it on the computer.”
“I’ll just eat upstairs. Don’t worry about me. Tonight, dinner’s on me. We’ll go out for something good.”
Yu Yi said this as he started to leave.
But just as he stepped forward with the plate in hand, Feng Yuan jumped down from his chair.
“Uncle, take Yuan Yuan with you.”
Yu Yi: “Ah?”
The little one, still a bit sluggish from just waking up, tilted his soft, round face up at him.
Without giving Yu Yi any chance to react, he stretched out his chubby foot and tapped at Yu Yi’s cabinet door.
“Wu Jin is upstairs. Take Yuan Yuan to find Wu Jin.”
What Feng Yuan had smelled was Wu Jin’s scent.
Wu Jin was the black flood dragon his daddy once raised. Yuan Yuan was a cub Wu Jin had raised before.
It had been a long time since Feng Yuan last saw Wu Jin.
Even though he had been very small when they were separated, in his little heart, he had always missed Wu Jin dearly.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152