MSFLC Ch15

When Lu Zhishi woke up and saw Lu Ting’an that morning, he was still dazed, staring at him with big, sleepy eyes.

After Lu Ting’an changed his diaper, he lifted him into his arms and kissed his cheek.
“Baby, did you forget Daddy?”

The little baby’s eyes suddenly grew wet. He pouted and reached out to touch Lu Ting’an’s face, like he still couldn’t process it.

“Wu…”

Lu Ting’an carried the chubby baby around the room, rocking him gently, patting his back, and soothing him in a soft voice.

“Don’t cry, baby. Daddy’s here…”

Lu Zhishi lay on Lu Ting’an’s shoulder and cried a whole, aggrieved cry, tears pouring down. He still couldn’t talk, so all he could do was whimper and hum, pouring out his longing and hurt the only way he could.

He hadn’t wanted to cry.

But the moment he saw Lu Ting’an, the tears just sprang out, he couldn’t hold them back.

The bedroom door creaked open. Lu Zhiyu came in and stood to the side, obediently looking up at Lu Ting’an, waiting for him to finish soothing little brother.

His eyes were red too, lashes stuck together, nose pink, he’d clearly just had a good cry as well.

Lu Ting’an bent down and picked him up too, holding both kids and walking around the room, coaxing them together.

Lu Zhiyu pressed his lips tight. Tears welled again, and he turned his face into Daddy’s shoulder, secretly rubbing his eyes, stubbornly refusing to make a sound.

Lu Ting’an didn’t feel good either, his own eyes reddened.

The moment Song Qinian walked in, he saw three crying babies of different sizes. Leaning on the doorframe, he chuckled.

“I told you they cry so much because they take after you, gege. You didn’t believe me.”

Lu Ting’an laughed angrily.

“These two are exactly like you when you were little.”

Song Qinian’s smile widened. He went over and gathered them all into his arms, kissing each forehead.

“Alright, alright, like me, like me. All mine.”

With Song Qinian interrupting like that, Lu Ting’an’s mood eased a little.

The two little ones gradually stopped crying too, though tiny tears still clung to their lashes. They looked so pitiful it made people want to laugh and ache at the same time.

Lu Ting’an fed the kids breakfast himself. He’d just returned, and both little ones clung to him like two tiny tails, following him everywhere.

Lu Zhiyu held his hand and excitedly led him around to see the spring couplets, paper-cuts, and lanterns they’d put up.

“Daddy, look! I hung this lantern, and that one is the one little brother hung!”

“Big Daddy lifted us up onto his shoulders, and we hung them right away!”

“Daddy, Daddy, these are the snacks I bought! There’s tomato flavor you like!”

“I finished all my homework! I finished it in three days! Daddy, check it!”

Lu Ting’an ate the snack he offered, then carefully checked the homework too. Smiling faintly, he praised him:

“Your homework is very well done. Daddy didn’t even find any mistakes. Our Zhiyu is such a smart baby.”

Lu Zhiyu puffed out his chest, proud and shy at the same time.
“I’ll keep working hard next time too. When Daddy comes back again, you can check again.”

Lu Ting’an hugged him, kissed the top of his head, and said softly,
“Then Daddy will be waiting.”

After checking Lu Zhiyu’s homework, Lu Ting’an lifted the chubby canister beside him, who was giggling foolishly, bounced him to weigh him, then pinched his butt and legs.

After a quick “inspection,” Lu Ting’an laughed softly.

“He’s heavier… and chubbier.”

Lu Zhishi giggled too and proudly puffed out his chest.
“Ang~”

Hearing the laughter in the living room, Song Qinian, cooking in the kitchen, curved his lips. His lowered eyes were full of warmth and smile.

Outside, fine snow drifted down, covering everything in silver. Inside the house was laughter and warmth. New Year was near.

***

On New Year’s Eve, Lu Zhishi was still curled up napping in the blankets when his Dad Ting’an dug him out and dragged him off for a bath.

“Mm…”

Lu Zhishi opened one eye, looked around, and suddenly met his brother’s sleepy eyes too.

“Ha~”

The drowsiness instantly vanished. Lu Zhishi burst into giggles, he’d thought he was the only one being pulled out.

Lu Zhiyu laughed too, eyes curving happily.

The two brothers soaked in the bathtub facing each other, giggling nonstop.

Lu Ting’an’s lips lifted as he gently washed their hair and scrubbed them clean.

From start to finish, the bathroom was filled with two adorable streams of laughter.

Afterward, Lu Ting’an dressed them in bright red padded New Year outfits, put on socks and shoes, and topped them with fluffy little hats.

Two lucky little “New Year dolls,” all set.

Lu Zhiyu was fine, although he looked round in layers, he still stood there like a cool little handsome kid.

Lu Zhishi, however, was a different story.

Too many layers made him even rounder, like a fair, chubby tangyuan wearing a red coat.

Now he was sitting on the bed, and without realizing it, he slowly toppled sideways into the blankets… and couldn’t get up.

“Ah-ang…”

Lu Zhishi frantically waved his fat hands. Who dug him out, huh, Dad! Brother!

Lu Zhiyu climbed onto the bed laughing and scooped up his round little brother.
“Cute little chubby tangyuan.”

Lu Zhishi let out a breath and gripped his brother’s clothes tightly so he wouldn’t fall over again.

After Lu Ting’an finished showering and changing, he started packing the things they’d bring to the Lu family, then stepped out to tell Song Qinian to shower.

“I’ll handle the rest. You go wash up.”

“Okay. I’ll put the gifts down first.”

Song Qinian carried the big bags of New Year gifts to the underground garage, loaded them into the car, then returned to shower.

Once everything was packed, the doors and windows were checked, and water and power were secured, the couple carried the kids back to the Lu home for New Year’s Eve dinner.

Every year, the Song and Lu families ate New Year’s Eve dinner together. Last year it was at the Song home. This year it was the Lu home’s turn.

After a lively family dinner, the kids didn’t need to stay up. Before sleeping, Lu Zhishi and Lu Zhiyu received New Year gifts from their grandparents.

“Happy New Year, our good grandsons.”

The Lu grandparents gave small gold plaques engraved with wishes for peace and joy. The rest seemed to be assets, taken away and stored by Lu Ting’an and Song Qinian.

The Song grandparents gave small jade pendants that felt warm to the touch, likely warm jade, clearly excellent quality. They also gave company shares and assets… which were, of course, also taken by the dads.

Even though Lu Zhishi had already witnessed the grandparents’ extravagant generosity at the hundred-day banquet, he was still stunned to receive more.

He looked at Lu Zhiyu beside him, smiling happily, not surprised at all, clearly used to it.

Once again, Lu Zhishi marveled at how rich this family was… then fell asleep hugging the gold plaque and jade pendant.

At midnight, Lu Ting’an posted on Weibo, a single selfie, with a simple caption:

【Photo】: A new year, let’s be happy together.

Fans and netizens staying up for New Year flooded in with comments, 

【Happy New Year!!】

【Happy New Year! What did you eat for New Year’s Eve dinner?】

【Happy New Year, Brother Lu!! Wishing you everything you want and endless happiness!!】

【Wife you’re still so handsome!! Love you like mice love rice!!】

【Husband husband husband!! That’s my husband!!】

【Where are your chubby Xiao Yu and chubby Zhishi?】

Lu Ting’an took a back-view photo of the two little ones, no faces shown, and replied.

Fans instantly responded: 【Brother Lu, ask them what color sack they like.】

Lu Ting’an glanced at it and couldn’t help laughing.

A noisy, joyful New Year, family together, everything as wished.

***

After waking and eating New Year’s breakfast, Lu Zhishi patted the two small red envelopes in his pocket, given by his dads. He couldn’t open them. They felt like two cards.

Song Qinian said, “They’re both black cards. Buy whatever you want, just don’t do bad things.”

“Ang~”
Lu Zhishi couldn’t open his, so he leaned over to watch Lu Zhiyu open his.

When he saw the card, Lu Zhishi’s eyes lit up, first time seeing a bank card with black diamonds. So pretty.

“Waaah~~”

Lu Zhiyu was also receiving a black card for the first time. Before this, it had always been gold plaques, safety locks, jade pendants and the like. His eyes sparkled too.

“Thank you, Daddy.”

This time, Song Qinian and Lu Ting’an didn’t confiscate their New Year money, they let them keep it.

There were two little treasure boxes at home specifically for the kids’ New Year money. Lu Zhiyu’s had always been there. Now Lu Zhishi’s box would be used too.

On the first day of the New Year, they had to visit relatives and pay respects.

Many old wealthy families in A City lived in this same villa area, mostly because it was close, easy to visit and chat.

The younger generation didn’t really live here; most of them lived where Song Qinian and Chi Yueheng lived. During New Year, they came over to this side.

With the Song and Lu families’ status, there weren’t many families they needed to visit, aside from the Chi family and a few other close ones.

Lu Ting’an’s parents stayed home to receive visiting guests. Song Grandpa and Grandma returned home to host their relatives. Song Qinian and Lu Ting’an took the kids and New Year gifts to visit several close families.

The closest was the Chi family, so they stayed there the longest.

Chi Grandpa and Grandma, as well as Bai Grandpa and Grandma, were kindly and gentle. They held Lu Zhishi, fed him milk cakes, and gave lots of New Year money. Chi Yueheng and Bai Yansheng also gifted him a gold safety lock and a gold bracelet.

Chi Chen looked at the baby’s round little shape and even let a faint smile form on his usually blank face. He went upstairs and returned with a small pillow.

“New Year gift.”

Lu Zhishi was shocked and touched, lifting his chubby face to look at him.

Brother Xiao Chen is so good!!

Chi Chen patted the baby’s cheek fat gently, his cool little voice softening.
“Happy New Year.”

Lu Zhishi looked up at him and gave a sweet smile.
“Yi-ya~”

Happy New Year, Brother Xiao Chen!!

Lu Zhishi loved the little pillow, fragrant, soft, nice to hug, even nicer to rest his head on.

Lu Zhiyu looked at his brother’s pillow, then at the limited-edition Rubik’s cube in Chi Chen’s hands, then looked at the workbook in his own hands: Ocean of Practice Questions: Primary School Edition.

Lu Zhiyu: “……”
What a terrifying New Year gift.

Of course Chi Chen was teasing him. Under the workbook was a limited-edition robot model. Lu Zhiyu only discovered it after returning home. He was so happy he called Chi Chen immediately and sent a bunch of selfies with the robot.

Chi Chen found him annoying, so the next day he delivered two sets of “Ocean of Practice Questions: Enhanced Edition.”