SFBF CH70

The next day, Shen Qing—who had finally managed to not sleep until nine or ten o’clock in a single breath, but instead opened his eyes a little past seven—got out of bed in a daze.

He had been woken up by a phone call. And because the room was empty when he opened his eyes, with his husband not by his side, he figured that at this hour Gu Huaiyu and the cubs should be downstairs eating breakfast. Without really knowing what his half-asleep brain was thinking, Shen Qing headed downstairs with sleep-heavy eyes.

He just wanted to see if they were all eating properly.

However, having failed to get up successfully for the past few days, Shen Qing’s appearance downstairs before seven-thirty today was once again judged by the cubs as an abnormal phenomenon—he had barely swayed his way into view at the second-floor stairwell when the cubs both turned their heads to look at him in unison.

Today, Aozai was still wearing his little sheep onesie pajamas, while Duoduo had already changed into his formal loungewear.

Spotting Shen Qing coming downstairs, Gu Duo was the first to turn and look at him with a serious, deep expression. Following him was Aozai…

Sitting in an adult-sized chair, the cub wouldn’t be able to see Shen Qing just by turning his head, so Aozai chose to scramble up and kneel backward on his chair to look at his little daddy who had suddenly appeared.

“Is Little Daddy sleepwalking, baa?” Aozai asked earnestly.

Shen Qing: “…Turn around and sit properly, be careful you don’t fall.”

After giving Aozai his orders, he let out another yawn.

At the other end of the long table, Gu Huaiyu sat upright and proper. When Shen Qing looked over, their gazes naturally met and intertwined in the air.

Shen Qing saw the other man raise his eyebrows slightly.

He couldn’t help smiling to himself.

Afterward, having stepped down the final stair, Shen Qing walked over with his hands on his hips.

The cubs’ breakfast today leaned Western-style: fried eggs, pan-fried mini ham sausages for kids, paired with multigrain bread slices and some fruit and vegetable salad.

Aside from that, next to their plates, there was a glass of milk in front of each of them.

His gaze swept over to President Gu’s side. Gu Huaiyu’s table setting was no exception.

…Last time Shen Qing complained that he was going to throw up from keeping the cubs company while drinking milk, and from the very next day onward, Gu Huaiyu had automatically taken the cubs to drink milk every morning.

And according to Auntie Zhang’s report, Mister had merely said lightly that they must drink it, and the two young masters both obediently picked up their milk glasses.

Although looking extremely reluctant—Young Master Ao had even pouted his little mouth and blown a small bubble—they had both drunk it all in the end.

Ever since then, the two young masters drank a glass of milk every morning, and Shen Qing no longer needed to lead by example and drink it with them in the mornings.

Of course, for the sake of fairness and setting an example, Mister would also drink milk with them every morning.

When Shen Qing heard this piece of information, he felt both like laughing and slightly exasperated.

He wanted to laugh because he felt his husband was reliable, cared about his feelings, and was a bit cute—clearly he could just rely on intimidation, yet he still kept the cubs company and drank milk with them.

And the reasons for being exasperated were many too. First of all, why did the cubs just drink it when Big Daddy said they had to, while he himself had to painstakingly persuade them and set an example every time?

These two little bad cubs had actually learned to treat people differently based on who they were dealing with!

Secondly, what felt exasperating was that it seemed Gu Huaiyu was actually better at parenting than he was…

Although Shen Qing hadn’t initially planned on how to get along well with the two cubs—he only intended to salvage some of the original owner’s vicious image in the cubs’ hearts. Furthermore, to avoid pressuring himself or the cubs, the parenting time he set for himself was no more than twenty-one hours a week. Such ultra-low-intensity working hours!

But having spent a long time together and discovering his own cubs’ cuteness, Shen Qing couldn’t help wanting to spend more time with them, wanting to pet them from time to time, and also wanting to be liked by the cute cubs.

His mentality had even ascended to a point where he not only hoped more and more people would like his cubs, but also hoped that he was the person the cubs liked the most!

…That’s right, having once been a King of Involuntarily Rolling up his Sleeves to Compete, that damned competitive spirit of his was rearing its head again!

He didn’t know if things kept developing this way, whether it would turn into agonizing over whether the cubs liked Little Daddy or Big Daddy more…

Fortunately, in front of the bright floor-to-ceiling windows, beneath the naturally draping plain white curtains, beside the grand and tidy dining table—whether it was the cubs or Gu Huaiyu, they all looked exceptionally pleasing to the eye, making anyone who saw them feel cheerful.

Shen Qing quickly abandoned his old-father-style overthinking. He walked to the dining table, inspected the area, and patted the cubs’ heads one by one: “Good performance.”

“Is Little Daddy going to eat with us?” Duoduo asked.

This cub always only looked at the most practical issues.

Shen Qing said: “Mm, I haven’t washed up yet. I’ll come down and eat after I wash up.”

“So Little Daddy is going back to sleep a return-nap, baa!” Aozai’s loud and clear voice rang out.

Shen Qing: “…”

He was actually spot on about this; he really was planning to go back for a return-nap…

Well then, little Long Aotian was forever this sharp and heaven-defyingly awesome.

Patting Aozai’s large cheek again, Shen Qing smiled and praised: “Aozai is getting more and more amazing, you can see through anything. How did you know Little Daddy was going to sleep a return-nap?”

The one large and two small people around the dining table: “…”

Understood. Little Daddy doesn’t even bother hiding his laziness anymore.

“Mm.” Aozai, whose large cheek had been patted, rubbed it himself to mark it back.

Perhaps because the food was good, this cub had become much rounder than before. His cheeks were bigger, rubbing them felt bouncy and springy, and they looked exceptionally satisfying to touch.

This cub’s height had also grown a tiny bit, but it wasn’t nearly as obvious as him becoming perfectly round.

Unlike him, Duoduo had grown quite a bit taller over the past few days. The child who previously only reached around Shen Qing’s hip bone had now clearly grown to his waist.

Although his face had filled out a little, he still looked overly thin overall.

Coupled with his expressionless face, the entire cub looked like a sharp, concealed sword.

He was even cooler now.

Gu Huaiyu’s cool and clear voice suddenly sounded, asking him: “Why did you wake up so early?”

It was only then that Shen Qing remembered the phone call that had woken him up earlier.

…It was the original owner’s mother calling him again.

Yesterday, the other party had told him to bring the cubs home for a meal over the weekend. Shen Qing hadn’t agreed, mumbling vaguely that he was going to sleep, thinking he had managed to fob her off.

He hadn’t expected Ms. Tang to opt for a morning phone bombardment.

When she found out Shen Qing actually hadn’t gotten out of bed yet a little past seven, she was also deeply shocked: “What young person nowadays gets up as late as you?”

Shen Qing checked the time… What’s wrong with young people? Are young people supposed to get up early and sleep late to scramble for their lives?

Thankfully, his rest and sleep had been good recently, so he didn’t have any morning temper.

He said: “Is a little past seven late? I usually get up at nine.”

Ms. Tang: “…Since you’re so free, then hurry up and come home.”

…

In short, this was how Shen Qing was woken up.

He suddenly began to feel that President Gu’s method of directly cutting off all contact methods and not using a phone was actually pretty good.

Gu Huaiyu asked: “Then are you planning to go back?”

Shen Qing let out another yawn and said: “I’ll go back. Otherwise, she’ll call frequently.”

Ms. Tang had always been the unquestioned authority at home. Even the original owner’s father couldn’t do anything about her.

The original owner had always been taciturn, which hadn’t really affected her.

Now, seeing that Shen Qing knew how to talk back and was rebelliously disobeying her, Ms. Tang’s unyielding temper flared up too, and she obstinately insisted Shen Qing come home.

…But Shen Qing didn’t regret talking back either.

If she didn’t want him to roast her, she shouldn’t make mistakes.

As for why he had changed so much—the answer was that his husband spoiled him.

So going back for a meal was no big deal.

Hearing this, Gu Huaiyu nodded, noncommittal, and merely offered pertinent advice in a measured tone: “Going back to see them is fine, but the location should be decided by you.”

“…How so?”

Sensing there was more to the big boss’s words, Shen Qing couldn’t help asking.

Gu Huaiyu said slowly: “Your mother hopes you’ll come home for a meal to keep them company, which is understandable. But you are already an adult, and you’re already married and have started a family. You can entirely act as the host, pick them up, and then eat together.”

The big boss’s voice was clear and bright as he spoke with assurance, yet he phrased it relatively tactfully.

But Shen Qing understood.

—The other man meant that he was old enough to completely seize control, rather than being ordered around by his mother like a reprimanded grandson.

Ms. Tang had an extremely strong desire for control within the family, yet she frequently complained that her sons and husband were disappointing and couldn’t bring her a more respectable life.

She never considered that if family members were never allowed to surpass her, or disobey her even slightly, then what were the odds of children who were never fostered with confidence from childhood, never allowed to make their own decisions, and constantly blamed and invalidated, ever making a name for themselves?

During the time when the original owner had just debuted as a star and was popular, Ms. Tang had indeed been happy for a long time. She had been pleasant and affectionate toward the original owner and basically didn’t manage him anymore.

Later, discovering that her son was becoming increasingly irrelevant, lacking any special skills on camera or in acting—after so long, not only was he not a massive hit, but he was steeped in scandalous rumors—her invalidation of the original owner increased, and so did her discipline.

Actually, a part of the reason the original owner married as a substitute was because he had been suppressed too ruthlessly.

His mother didn’t dare offend the head of the Shen family and Shen Yuan, so he took the opportunity to do something so extreme to defy his mother.

In truth, it was related to never having been permitted or respected by his mother all along.

And Gu Huaiyu’s current proposal could fundamentally force this family to change this deformed dynamic—if Ms. Tang wanted respectability, then he would give her respectability.

It was just that from now on, this family would have to listen to him.

As for how to give respectability, it couldn’t be simpler. It was just finding a luxurious star-rated hotel, arranging food and lodging, and sending people to pick them up.

If one meal wasn’t enough, they’d eat two. If staying for one day wasn’t enough, they’d stay for a week, or a month. Anyway, the cost… Ahem, relative to their family’s wealth, one couldn’t say it was entirely negligible, but it would be more accurate to say there was fundamentally no need to deliberately calculate it.

It probably couldn’t even compare to the few sets of little clothes Shen Qing had casually bought for the cubs a couple of days ago.

Shen Qing didn’t mind spending a little small money to solve the problem once and for all… At worst, he’d just buy two fewer sets of clothes for the cubs in the future.

His family’s cubs could make do in this aspect.

But their Little Daddy’s independent and free spiritual life could not make do!

Shen Qing broke into a smile right away: “This method is good. …But where should I arrange for them to go? Mm, let me check it out after I wake up.”

Having said that, he intended to go back for his return-nap.

But Gu Huaiyu said instead: “Leave it to me.”

?

Gu Huaiyu met his gaze directly: “I will arrange it.”

Shen Qing’s eyes shone brightly, and he didn’t stand on ceremony either: “That works beautifully.”

The corners of Gu Huaiyu’s mouth lifted slightly, pulling into an arc as he said: “Then let’s arrange it at Aolan. The standard is acceptable.”

Shen Qing: “…Alright.”

Even he, an outsider, knew of the Aolan Hot Spring Hotel. It was a five-star hot spring hotel ranked in the top ten in Hua City. The standard was indeed “acceptable.”

It was just, wasn’t it a bit too acceptable? …Would it be too grand?

Just as Shen Qing was having this concern, he heard Gu Huaiyu add: “After all, it’s our own family’s hotel, so it will be easier to manage.”

Shen Qing: “…”

Alright, this was something he had never expected.

He had always known President Gu had many properties under his name, including hotels. But occasionally, his inherently poor mindset still influenced him, making him automatically overlook this possibility…

In short, right now there was absolutely no need to calculate even that tiny bit of cost anymore.

The cubs’ little clothes were safe too.

Shen Qing nodded very happily: “I’ll let hubby make the decisions then. You’re amazing, I love you so much!”

Gu Huaiyu: “.”

The hand wearing the wedding ring pressed slightly against the table. Gu Huaiyu leaned back, his posture becoming even more upright.

Since the conversation had reached this point, Shen Qing looked down again at the two little beans in front of him: “Then do the cubs want to go out and play with Little Daddy?”

It wasn’t exactly to go see Grandma; he purely just wanted to take the cubs out to play, and was getting more accustomed to taking the cubs out.

Especially hearing that it was their own hotel, which meant having absolute control. Shen Qing suddenly relaxed a lot more, feeling that taking the cubs to play at a hot spring hotel wasn’t a bad idea.

The cubs at the table looked at each other, neither of them understanding what Little Daddy was talking about—what was a hot spring hotel?

They had heard of hot spring eggs, though.

Aozai’s meaty little paw held a small fork, poking the fragrant, soft, runny-yolked fried egg a few times, and instantly orange-yellow yolk flowed out.

Thinking of hot spring eggs, Aozai swung his short little legs, instinctively feeling it would be very fun.

But he still restrained himself. His short little legs hung down as he declared: “…Aozai, will listen to older brother, baa!”

His older brother put on a look of deep thought. He roughly knew it was a place to play, and then thinking about the study plan he had recently drawn up for himself, he instinctively didn’t want to go.

But Aozai wanted to go.

Furthermore, listening to the daddies chatting, it seemed someone was forcing Little Daddy to do something he didn’t like…

A moment later, Cub Duo said in a deep voice: “We will go.”

“Great.” Since it was decided so simply, Shen Qing let out another yawn, but ultimately didn’t go back to take his return-nap.

Because he could sleep anytime.

He just felt morning sleep wasn’t important anymore.

Instead, attracted by the fragrance of fried eggs and sausages on the dining table, his stomach growled. He greeted Auntie Zhang, saying he wanted to eat, and ran back upstairs, thump thump thump, to wash up before coming back down to eat.

Another pleasant day had begun.

Later, the time for this gathering was finalized for the weekend. It just so happened to be the day Shen Qing had established as a family rule—stipulating that Duoduo had to rest for one day every week—so taking the cubs along was even more fitting.

It was just that the timing was unfortunate, and Gu Huaiyu couldn’t go.

…Starting tomorrow, President Gu was going to be admitted to the hospital to undergo a series of physical examinations, and after that, the surgery.

Knowing President Gu was going to the hospital for exams and surgery, Shen Qing still felt a little nervous for a moment.

It was only when he remembered that the day President Gu went offline wasn’t now, and that this current one was just a minor surgery, that this nervousness dissipated slightly.

Regarding the surgery and exams, Gu Huaiyu had always acted as if it was no big deal. He had never spoken about it in detail with Shen Qing, much less brought it up in front of the cubs.

Even for the exams, he would go out during the day and return home after completing the items.

Shen Qing had accidentally overheard the family doctor advising Gu Huaiyu, saying it would be best to be hospitalized for the exams for convenience and safety.

But apart from one night when he reportedly had to be hospitalized for observation, Gu Huaiyu insisted on coming home every day.

And to prevent the cubs from sensing anything unusual or tense, Gu Huaiyu also forbade Shen Qing from accompanying him to the hospital, or bringing the cubs to visit him.

Shen Qing was quite understanding of the big boss’s mindset. If it were him, he wouldn’t want his family worrying alongside him when he was sick either.

And for someone with astonishing willpower like Gu Huaiyu, perhaps this feeling would only be stronger.

Worrying along was useless anyway, so Shen Qing chose not to overthink it, simply acting heartless—hadn’t a lot of medical science verified that a joyful mood helps patients recover health more effectively, and healthy people are less likely to fall ill?

Creating a relaxed and joyful family atmosphere was more useful than him worrying along.

So even though the big boss wasn’t home often these past few days, Shen Qing was still happy. Playing games when he should, playing with the cubs when he should.

Perhaps because his mood hadn’t changed from beginning to end, even though Gu Duo and the other were very curious as to why Big Daddy sometimes didn’t eat with them anymore, they were only slightly curious and didn’t think much of it, completely unaware of what Big Daddy was doing.

They remained carefree cubs who continued to intensely study whenever they should.

The day agreed upon for the meal together arrived.

Although they had arranged to meet Ms. Tang and the others at 4:00 PM and start dinner at 5:00 PM, since they had agreed to bring the cubs to play, Shen Qing and the others set off after breakfast.

After arriving at the hotel and taking a short rest, he took the cubs for a private swim in the open-air swimming pool of the top-floor suite, which overlooked the entire city. While watching the scenery, they ate sweet morning tea and lunch. In the afternoon, they took a nap in the suite that had long been reserved for them.

Having rested completely full, it was nearly four o’clock before Shen Qing started orchestrating them getting dressed and going downstairs.

When he had some free time earlier, Shen Qing had placed an order for many sets of parent-child outfits. He bought four sets of the same style, counting Gu Huaiyu’s share in, so everyone had one set.

For an occasion like today, Shen Qing directly changed into the parent-child outfits with the cubs.

The parent-child outfit he chose was relatively formal. Inside was a pure white small shirt paired with a light blue small suit jacket.

At first glance, it looked ordinary, but it was designed by a famous designer after all. Its main selling point was looking ordinary at first glance, but in reality, every detail was tailored to be extremely flattering—the type that looked more handsome the more you looked at it.

For someone with a tall, handsome, and elegant figure like Shen Qing, wearing it not only added a few degrees of formality, but also made him look gentle and refined.

He was inherently an experienced corporate worker with a mature temperament. When he dressed casually normally, it wasn’t apparent, but abruptly putting on this suit-like attire elevated his temperament another notch, making his whole person look much more scholarly and proper.

As for the cubs, because they were so small yet wearing this semi-casual, somewhat formal suit, and each having an outstanding temperament, it created an even stronger gap-moe.

Standing together, the family of three looked exactly like a young, handsome teacher leading two students who had the appearance of little milk-white dumplings, but were excessively rigorous and serious.

Even Auntie Zhang, who usually didn’t care much about matching outfits and whose motto was always ‘as long as the young masters aren’t cold or hot,’ was full of praise upon seeing them. She said Shen Qing looked ethereal, the young masters looked spirited, and this outfit directly highlighted the family’s scholarly temperament…

Of course, only the temperament.

Facing the inveterate studiers at home, Shen Qing didn’t dare call himself a scholar.

Afterward, Shen Qing took the cubs downstairs.

Accompanying them were Auntie Zhang and Assistant Tian Yi, as well as a few bodyguards.

…Even though it was their own family’s hotel, Gu Huaiyu’s intention was still to bring bodyguards, and Tian Yi had to follow along too.

And Shen Qing didn’t want to worry about this kind of thing.

He had been followed during gatherings before anyway, so he already knew how professional President Gu’s bodyguards were… Professional to the point that if he wasn’t told, he wouldn’t even notice bodyguards following him, completely unaffecting him. So what did he need to ask about?

Once 4:00 PM passed, the Tang family relatives pretty much all arrived.

It wasn’t because his relatives were so punctual.

It was because his family’s bodyguards were too professional, and the part-time drivers picked everyone up right on time.

Originally, when Ms. Tang wanted to call Shen Qing home for a meal, she intended it to be the kind of gathering where close relatives were also invited.

After Shen Qing proposed that he would arrange the dining location, which meant he would treat them, Ms. Tang invited all these people here instead.

Because the original owner’s father was from a branch of the Shen family and had a decent job, their family’s living standard was considered quite good on Ms. Tang’s side of the relatives—

The family owned two apartments, one 120 square meters, the other over 90 square meters, and one car.

Although it was a family of four with two children, it was pretty much sufficient.

Meanwhile, the family of the original owner’s uncle—Tang Ziyao and his parents—only owned an 80-square-meter apartment for a family of three.

The original owner’s uncle’s income was also decent, and it was said they were saving money to buy an apartment for Tang Ziyao. It was just that their family of three usually spent rather lavishly. According to Ms. Tang, they actually hadn’t saved much money, which was why they hadn’t bought an apartment.

But because Tang Ziyao was an outstanding university sophomore who scored over 600 points on the college entrance exam, the whole family pinned their hopes on him, feeling that he would definitely be able to earn a lot of money and buy an apartment himself after graduation. Currently, this family was riding the crest of success, living the most comfortably, and not anxious at all.

Those with slightly worse family conditions were the original owner’s aunt, and the family of the siblings Lu Xin and Lu Qi.

Mainly because her husband was a gambler, and Lu Xin was a petty hooligan. Lu Qi, influenced by her father and brother, was now in high school but basically didn’t want to study anymore. She dressed up flamboyantly every day, skipped classes to date, and so on, causing a lot of worry.

The original owner’s aunt was the most haggard among these people.

The rest were just various aunts and distant relatives who usually kept close contact with Ms. Tang.

Originally, Ms. Tang didn’t want to invite so many people. She only intended to have a small-scale meal among close relatives and juniors.

But ever since Shen Qing proposed arranging it at a five-star hotel, acting exceptionally generous the entire time, with his words implying that he would make the decisions and handle everything, and Ms. Tang didn’t need to worry… Ms. Tang, who always liked to hold the reins, only felt very uncomfortable in her heart.

So she simply invited a lot of relatives, intending to see just how this son of hers was going to “arrange” things.

But when the day of the meal arrived, at 3:00 PM, several gorgeous Alphard commercial vehicles appeared downstairs at her apartment building, saying that Sir had arranged them to pick them up and take them to the hotel…

Ms. Tang and the others, who had thought Shen Qing was coming to pick them up personally, couldn’t help feeling a bit intimidated.

After all, they had never ridden in those commercial vehicles, but they had seen them. Even if they hadn’t seen them, they had more or less heard of them.

Each one was worth over a million.

But with so many cars arriving at once, the scene was still extremely spectacular.

The most important thing was the group of bodyguards who stepped out; one look and you knew they were professionals.

Having witnessed the Shen family’s luxury, Ms. Tang instantly realized that these bodyguards’ monthly salaries were at least over a hundred thousand.

…With so many people, how much would that cost?

The relatives who had gathered early at Ms. Tang’s home all revealed envious expressions, and Ms. Tang instantly felt a glow on her face.

When they arrived at the hotel, guided all the way by the welcoming staff who had been waiting there into the grand private room, looking at the hotel’s magnificent and luxurious decoration, the super-large suite-style private room, and the luxurious, grand revolving table that could accommodate thirty to forty people, amid the relatives’ endless praise, the smile on Ms. Tang’s face completely broke open.

Seeing Shen Qing again, he looked much more pleasing to the eye…

Or rather, too pleasing to the eye.

…

?

Ms. Tang knew her own son. He had always been gloomy, smiled very little, was extremely introverted, didn’t talk, and you never knew what he was thinking.

Talking to him was like punching cotton. He would only stare at her with an unblinking gaze, and wouldn’t act for a long time, always looking as if he didn’t understand what was being said, which was infuriating.

But the Shen Qing who appeared before her again naturally wore a smile on his face, his apricot eyes curving into a beautiful arc, making people feel like a spring breeze was washing over them.

Especially, Ms. Tang seemed to notice for the first time that her son was actually this tall and straight. He had been a star after all, and she had seen Shen Qing’s posters and programs. She felt that the son on the screen and in photos looked pretty good—born with good looks, indeed pleasing to the eye.

But when he came before her, he had that taciturn, half-dead, subservient appearance, completely lacking the image on the posters.

But the current Shen Qing was completely different… His temperament was outstanding, elegant, and his bearing generous.

It made Ms. Tang somewhat afraid to step forward and claim this son.

For no other reason than feeling he was too dazzling, too bright.

As if her own imposing aura accumulated over the years was directly cut down many notches compared to his…

But he was her son after all, and with so many relatives present, it was impossible for her to show timidity.

She immediately led the people forward to greet Shen Qing, just like usual, still full of majesty.

Shen Qing’s response was the same as when he was on the phone: speaking his mind, not cowardly, but not impolite either.

Instead, because of his quick words and straightforwardness, it made people feel much more comfortable.

Ms. Tang couldn’t help but wonder—they hadn’t contacted each other for just a few short months, how had her son’s changes been so drastic?

But also because they hadn’t contacted each other for a few months, or rather, ever since Shen Qing dropped out of middle school to work, the mother and son had never had a proper heart-to-heart talk. At this moment, although she felt surprised, Ms. Tang didn’t find it overly strange.

Or rather, amidst the relatives’ praises and compliments, she fundamentally didn’t dare to point out anything strange.

At this time, two little beans ran out from another room in the suite, wearing the exact same clothes as Shen Qing. Behind them followed a middle-aged woman who looked roughly Ms. Tang’s age, with a kind face and a complexion even better than Ms. Tang’s.

“Young masters, slow down,” Auntie Zhang said.

And the two boys, looking like snow-white, adorable little dumplings, had already run to Shen Qing’s side. One was taciturn, only standing silently.

The other, shorter one was more lively, tilting his large head up to look at this group of unfamiliar adults.

Ms. Tang: “These two are…”

Shen Qing said: “Our family’s cubs.”

Ms. Tang: “!”

While speaking, she lowered her head and met the gaze of the child looking up to study her.

She only felt this child’s skin was so white and tender, his eyes large and animated like purple grapes.

Wearing a small suit, dressed completely formally, yet his fair, soft appearance was incredibly cute.

Ms. Tang, who had always liked this type of child and blamed her own two sons for having dull personalities, was directly struck in the heart by his cuteness. She declared: “So incredibly cute! Quick, call Grandma.”

“Grandma,” Aozai’s voice was milky and crisp, calling Grandma without the slightest ambiguity.

Because Grandma Zhang was Grandma, he just felt this grandma in front of him was the same as Grandma Zhang—both were grandmas—so he called out extremely loudly and clearly.

Ms. Tang, who originally wanted to put on airs a little, instantly liked him beyond measure. She pulled out the red packets she had prepared long ago and handed them to Aozai, and the other little boy beside him.

…It was also at this time that she carefully sized up the other older child beside the little milk dumpling. Her first impression was that this child was excessively thin, not looking like a child.

Her second impression…

Ms. Tang was directly frozen by the expression on this child’s face, only feeling a chill.

Her eldest son had originally been a bit gloomy and wooden. She was used to his expressionless appearance and accustomed to it.

But this child was different from her eldest son’s type…

His expression was indifferent, but his gaze was extremely sharp. Standing coldly to the side, his temperament was an aloofness and nobility that even adults might not necessarily be able to match.

Moreover, this child had also been studying her the whole time.

…Even though his small face was also quite delicate and had baby fat, that probing and studying gaze still made Ms. Tang shudder.

…She had never seen a child give off such a sharp feeling before.

But the sharp-as-a-knife feeling was only for an instant.

The child then reached out and took her red packet, and said very politely and calmly: “Thank you, Grandma.”

The red packets were prepared by Ms. Tang long ago. Although they didn’t contain much money, it was the first time meeting, after all. As a grandmother, it would look bad if she didn’t give money, so she had to go through the motions at least.

At this time, the relatives who had originally gathered around all came over to look at the young masters.

Ms. Tang was too embarrassed to tell others about Shen Qing marrying as a substitute out of love. Besides her own younger sister and younger brother, everyone else only knew that Shen Qing married a fairly capable man, and the other party had two children, who were adopted nephews.

The relatives, whose imaginations had once been restricted by poverty: They can’t even figure out their own lives, yet they still adopt two children. What a fuss.

But from being invited onto the commercial vehicles by bodyguards, to arriving at this Buckingham Palace-like hotel, and then being respectfully invited into the private room, amidst the bodyguards and welcoming staff addressing them as either “Sir” or “Mr. Shen,” everyone gradually understood: The lives of the rich are different from theirs, and their troubles are different too.

Even if they were adopted, these two were true young masters.

Especially after seeing them in person—the two young masters, one looking serious, one looking clever, both raised to be fair and tender, and very polite—everyone automatically assumed these were genuine young masters.

Not to mention, the young masters were surrounded by both a nanny and bodyguards.

…Ordinary families, where could they afford to hire so many people to serve them!

After everyone had seen them, they took their seats. Without declining or deferring, Shen Qing sat in the primary seat of honor. Beside him sat Duoduo, then Aozai, followed by Auntie Zhang and Assistant Tian, who were responsible for taking care of the young masters.

Only after that did the other relatives sit down in order.

Ms. Tang sat in the second seat on the other side of Shen Qing. Sitting beside Shen Qing was the original owner’s biological younger brother, Shen Yi.

Shen Yi was also a bit introverted, but that was only toward unfamiliar outsiders. He was still quite gentle and good at acting cute in front of Ms. Tang.

Ms. Tang yielded to softness but not force, so naturally, she liked Shen Yi more.

As for Shen Yi, his older brother Shen Qing was practically half an outsider to him.

The brothers had an age gap of four years. Their relationship had been average since childhood, and they contacted each other even less after growing up. So right now, making him sit beside Shen Qing made him feel restricted and tied up, always wanting to lean toward his mother’s side.

But Ms. Tang insisted he sit next to his older brother.

Now having finally witnessed the change in Shen Qing’s financial power after marriage, Ms. Tang suddenly felt there was fundamentally no need to have Shen Qing curry favor with Young Master Yuan to arrange a job for Shen Yi. Perhaps Shen Qing himself could handle his younger brother’s job.

So she simply pushed Shen Yi to sit next to Shen Qing.

Shen Yi, sitting on pins and needles, looked at his mom aggrievedly: …Who was it that educated me since childhood to “stay away from your brother” and “don’t learn from your brother”?

Mom, haven’t you changed sides a bit too quickly!

Shen Qing had no opinion on who sat next to him. Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, he directly announced the start of the banquet.

At the table, Lu Xin and Tang Ziyao, who had just had a “friction” with Shen Qing, were both a bit embarrassed.

That’s right, the two of them had come too.

Brought over by their own parents, no less.

In the eyes of the elders, this bit of friction among the juniors was nothing at all.

And Lu Xin and Tang Ziyao, who hadn’t expected Shen Qing to truly get angry and ignore them forever, had also planned to come over and coax this cousin of theirs.

Lu Xin was reluctant to part with his meal ticket.

Tang Ziyao simply didn’t dare truly offend Shen Qing.

Just as Shen Qing had analyzed, petty people only dared to play little tricks behind backs. When you were stronger than them, and truly dragged them out and exposed them to the sunlight, they would fear you instead, and turn around to curry favor with you.

But Shen Qing treated the two of them just like the other relatives. The entire time he was polite and courteous, welcoming them as he should, arranging seats as he should, not deliberately making things difficult for them, nor engaging in idle chatter or saying a single word of nonsense.

This made the two of them somewhat unable to figure out what this cousin of theirs was thinking.

Especially since the temperament in Shen Qing’s every gesture and movement had completely changed—he was grand, cheerful, and dignified, and the people around him were exceptionally respectful to him… Those black-suited bodyguards standing in the corners were also particularly intimidating.

Instead, it made the two of them afraid to approach and strike up a conversation.

Beside the two of them, Lu Qi, dressed up beautifully, spent the whole meal eating, playing on her phone to record videos, and casually watching the show.

At first, the table of people were still a bit constrained because the restaurant was too high-class and the dishes too magnificent.

Later, halfway through the meal and after three rounds of drinking, the adults gradually let loose, and the daily bragging segment began.

The thing the original owner’s uncle could show off the most in his life was his son Tang Ziyao’s college entrance exam scores. He couldn’t help bringing it out to brag about again, and conveniently asked about the grades of Shen Yi and Lu Qi, who were about to take the college entrance exams.

Lu Qi admitted she was a bad student and fundamentally didn’t care what her uncle said. She continued playing on her phone and didn’t reply.

She earned a “This child, so impolite” evaluation from her uncle, but she didn’t care either, and even rolled her eyes.

Shen Yi wasn’t as free and easy as her, mainly because Ms. Tang, who always disciplined him strictly, was right beside him. He couldn’t not answer his uncle’s question, and immediately said submissively: “This time the mock exam score… 420.”

Shen Yi wasn’t considering going to university and wanted to directly find a job to work not because he was rebellious and didn’t want to go, but because his grades were too poor, and he fundamentally couldn’t get into any good university.

Hearing this, his uncle immediately sighed, and started patting Tang Ziyao’s shoulder, saying to Shen Yi: “420?! Too low! You need to consult your cousin more, let your cousin teach you! Your cousin scored 608 on the college entrance exam!”

Hearing this, Shen Yi directly buried his head.

Ms. Tang also felt a bit embarrassed. Even though she also liked Tang Ziyao, who had good grades, she inherently cared about face, yet both her sons were bad students. Yet her brother still couldn’t read the room, always bragging about his own child’s grades.

She couldn’t help picking up her wine glass, wanting to change the subject, but her brother hadn’t finished his performance on study-related topics. This time, he turned his head to look at the two little beans beside Shen Qing, and told them: “You two must study hard. Only by studying hard can you make something of yourselves. You have to be like your little uncle here (pointing to Tang Ziyao). You can’t learn from those two uncles beside you…”

He had drunk a bit too much and completely ignored the fact that the two children called Shen Qing Little Daddy, simply categorizing the Shen brothers as uncles.

Aozai wasn’t having it. He had finally learned to call him Daddy, so he must be called Daddy.

So the crisp little voice rang out again: “This is my Little Daddy, baa, not uncle.”

He was so young, yet his pronunciation was so accurate. This made the relatives at the table who also had children of similar age couldn’t help looking at him a few more times…

Why does it feel like this child is smarter and more clever than their own children?

Aozai: “And my older brother studies super well, Grandpa, you don’t need to worry about it, baa.”

The young child’s loud and clear voice made the relatives, who were all more or less disgusted with Tang Ziyao’s dad, laugh out loud. Thinking in their hearts, Yeah, these young masters were born richer than you, and you’re still worrying about whether they’ll make something of themselves. Aren’t you just asking for a snub?

But Uncle Tang, unable to lose face, wasn’t happy. In his view, having money was nothing great; one had to study well like his son to be considered capable. So he asked Aozai: “How amazing is your brother? Has he learned pinyin yet? How many characters does he recognize? Can he recite the multiplication table? How many foreign language words does he know?”

—When his genius son was in the first grade of elementary school, these were all his strong suits, and he ranked among the top in his class.

However, Aozai across from him let out an “Mm,” tilted his head, and started counting on his fingers: “My brother knows all the pinyin, baa. Characters… he probably recognizes all the commonly used ones, baa. What is a multiplication table, baa? Does that thing even need to be recited, baa? My brother remembers it after one look. As for foreign languages… Grandpa, which foreign language are you talking about, baa?”

Aozai asked with a serious face.

He didn’t look like he was doing it on purpose at all.

And for a child his age, without adults beside him telling him what to say, if his brother hadn’t truly mastered those things, he wouldn’t be able to make it up.

But what did ‘which foreign language’ mean…

“What do you mean which foreign language?” Tang Ziyao’s dad was directly dumbfounded. “Isn’t foreign language just English?”

But little Aozai continued using his crisp little voice to say: “No, baa. The foreign languages my brother is currently learning include English, French, and German. Grandpa, you didn’t even know this, baa?”

Coincidentally, just as Aozai’s words fell, the smartwatch on Duoduo’s wrist rang. It was Xu Weiming calling him.

Gu Duo answered the phone, and a similarly milky, yet loud and clear little voice immediately rang out, chattering away in a language no one could understand.

—Ever since Ming Bao was put in charge of teaching Duoduo German, under Gu Duo’s mandatory requirement, the two cubs now communicated entirely in German.

So Gu Duo also very naturally replied to him in German, conversing with him.

Everyone: “…”